Quest for the Sun Gem (18 page)

The four friends turned and ran back up the dark passage, with Aisha at their heels, their hearts feeling lighter.

Before they reached the central circular passage, Ethan stopped.

‘I think we should separate to reduce the risk of getting caught,’ he whispered. ‘Saxon should take Roana around by the south passage. That should be quieter and safer for Roana. Lily and I will go the northern route with Aisha. We will meet at the main eastern tunnel, the entry to the treasure chambers. By the Sun Lord, be careful.’

The other three nodded and breathed deeply, their hearts thudding. Then one by one, they crept
off, two turning right and two turning left. Only a moment later three guards marched out from the guardroom and down the western corridor to begin their checks on the prisoners.

Ethan and Lily tiptoed along the passageway, bows at the ready, ears straining for any sound. They passed two smaller tunnels that were completely dark, then a wider tunnel intermittently lit with lanterns. This must be the northern tunnel, which lead to the wine cellars, pantries and food stores.

Ethan’s stomach growled at the thought of food but they kept going. They crept carefully past the open doorway into the central guardroom. The remaining guards were still chatting noisily and playing cards.

‘Stop,’ yelled a voice from the guard room. Ethan and Lily froze in fear. ‘You’re cheating. You can’t put that card down!’

‘Yes. I can,’ insisted one of the other voices. ‘You’re just a bad loser!’

The shouting continued as Lily and Ethan ran down the passageway, past another two darkened tunnels to the left, until at last they reached the wide well-lit tunnel to the east, the entry to the treasure chambers.

Ethan, Lily and Aisha arrived at the tunnel a few moments before Saxon and Roana. They were just
starting to get nervous that the others may have been discovered when the two scurried into the tunnel behind them.

The tunnel stretched away to the east. On either side every few paces were stout timber doors, reinforced with iron bands and securely padlocked.

‘These are all full of treasure?’ gasped Ethan.

‘Well, these outer chambers hold the silver and gold tableware for the royal banquets – you know, cutlery, plates, goblets and serving dishes,’ Roana explained.

‘Your family needs dozens of locked chambers to store their gold cutlery?’ Saxon exclaimed.

‘Well, some of our banquets seat a few hundred people,’ Roana explained defensively. ‘Not all of them eat with gold tableware, of course!’

The next few doors were open and the chambers were empty. Only bare shelves and a few splinters of smashed timber on the floor remained.

‘The invaders have begun taking the treasure back to Sedah,’ Lily said. ‘Oh, I pray we are not already too late as Lord Mortimer said.’

‘Lord Mortimer is a pompous fool,’ snorted Saxon. ‘But why do you think his hair has started going grey? The shock?’

‘No,’ laughed Lily. ‘He must have been dyeing his hair, and it is his natural colour growing through.
I nearly died trying not to laugh, Roana, when you talked about his fingernails breaking and his hair growing grey. I thought he would have happily hit you. Luckily the bars were between you!’

‘I would have liked to see him try to hit Roana,’ Saxon added. ‘Ethan and I would be a match for that foppish fool.’

Lily laughed again. ‘I think Roana dealt with him rather well on her own, don’t you?’

‘I do not quite like Lord Mortimer,’ Roana replied. ‘Even though he is my father’s cousin, there is something unctuous about him. I cannot bring myself to be wholly civil to him, much to my mother’s despair.’

‘Well, he is safely locked up in a dungeon so I don’t think he will be troubling you again,’ Ethan said. ‘Roana, where do you think the gems could be, if they are still here?’

‘At the very end of this tunnel is the Great Treasure Chamber where my father stored all the precious jewels, coins and gemstones,’ Roana replied. ‘I think it is this treasure that the Sedahs must want most to take back to the Emperor’s court. That would be a good place to start searching.’

At that moment, Lord Mortimer was thinking about Princess Roana as well. His top lip curled in a vexed sneer.

‘Lord Mortimer,’ cried Queen Ashana. ‘Is it not wonderful that Princess Roana is alive and free?’

‘Indeed,’ he replied. ‘Splendid!’

Two Sedah guards thumped on the door.

‘Would your royal highness care for some supper?’ chuckled one, fancying himself a funny man. ‘Roast pheasant is off the menu today but we have plenty of pig slops.’

A pail of swill was passed through the opening.

‘My dear fellows,’ called Lord Mortimer, rising languidly from his reclining position. ‘A word if you please.’

‘What is it, Fancy Pants? Not happy with the service?’

‘I would speak with Lord Lazlac,’ Lord Mortimer requested lazily.

‘Yes, but would Governor Lazlac speak with you? I think not,’ chortled the joker. ‘Better off just eating up your pig swill like a good boy.’

‘Perchance it would be best if you conveyed my request to Captain Malish,’ Lord Mortimer replied. ‘He understands the repercussions of displeasing Lord Lazlac … if you do not.’

The joker looked momentarily nervous.

‘Well, Mr Fancy Pants, the captain is very busy, but I’ll let him know you’d like a chat.’

Lord Mortimer returned to his reclining position, fanning himself nonchalantly with his hand.

‘My lord, why do you wish to speak to that barbarian Lazlac?’ enquired Queen Ashana, trying to hide her nervousness.

‘As the barbarian says, I am not content with the service,’ smiled Lord Mortimer.

A few minutes later the guards returned, this time with Captain Malish in tow. Lord Mortimer raised himself and wandered to the door.

‘Well, Mortma, what can I do for you?’ asked Captain Malish shortly.

‘I would speak to Lord Lazlac,’ replied Lord Mortimer in a low voice. ‘I have news he will find very informative.’

‘News? From down in this rat hole? I doubt it, Mortma,’ spat Captain Malish. ‘Governor Lazlac is currently very busy.’

‘The news,’ whispered Lord Mortimer, ‘is to do with the Royal Princess Roana. You fools have been unable to track her down, remember? You thought she was taken by an Octomon, remember? You have been outwitted by a simpleton child. I, however, know where to find her.

‘You do remember the deal? I was to deliver you King Radnor and the land of Tiregian, and in return I was to marry Princess Roana and rule as her consort, as a representative of Emperor Raef.’ Lord Mortimer glanced over his shoulder at the grieving widow, his cousin by marriage, Queen Ashana.

‘However, things have not gone quite to plan. You lost the princess, or pretended to. Meanwhile, I have been stuck in this hellhole. Now I have found the princess and I demand to marry her immediately. I will be a hero and negotiate a peace deal with your Master. The people of Tiregian would welcome me with open arms – cousin to the king, married to the royal princess and seeming to save them from the dreaded enemy. Now I know where Princess Roana is and I demand Lord Lazlac keeps his side of the bargain.’

‘Do you indeed?’ purred Captain Malish. ‘Governor Lazlac does not take kindly to threats, or to those who make mistakes. That brat of a princess was lost because you gave us incorrect information and a faulty map. Dozens of our men witnessed her being taken by an Octomon. Do you really think that the Governor will believe that she miraculously survived and that you have somehow found out information about the brat from
down here
? I think not.’

‘She is here!’ Lord Mortimer protested, then lowered his voice again. ‘I have seen her with my own eyes. She was here in the tunnel with a group of urchins. They are searching for the Sun Sword of Tiregian. I saw her.’

‘There, there, Mortma,’ smiled Captain Malish maliciously. ‘I think it is all getting too much for you down here. You are starting to hallucinate. Perhaps I should recommend to the Governor that you all get some fresh air and exercise up in the palace gardens, and perhaps you need some better food. This pig swill obviously disagrees with you. We don’t want to lose any of our precious prisoners, now, do we?’

Captain Malish drew away from the portal. ‘Attention, men, let’s march.’

‘No,’ shouted Lord Mortimer. ‘I must speak with Lazlac. I insist!’

The three Sedah soldiers ignored him and continued their brisk march back to the guardroom.

Lord Mortimer ground his teeth and started to pace the cell like a caged animal.

‘What did he say?’ asked Queen Ashana anxiously.

‘He is going to ask Lazlac if we can have better food and the occasional stroll in the palace gardens,’ replied Lord Mortimer through clenched teeth.

‘Oh, that would be lovely,’ replied Queen Ashana
wearily. Willem and Marnie exchanged anxious glances. They did not trust the supercilious Lord Mortimer.

Ethan, Lily, Roana and Saxon prowled down the tunnel. Each held a flaming torch that they had borrowed from the passage walls. Aisha padded beside them.

At the end of the long tunnel was another thick timber door on massive iron hinges, reinforced with wide iron bands. It was barred with a large black padlock.

‘It is locked,’ cried Roana in disappointment.

‘Perhaps we can smash the lock,’ suggested Ethan unenthusiastically.

‘I have a better idea,’ replied Saxon with a cheeky grin. ‘We could try these.’

Saxon produced a large ring of keys with a flourish.

‘I pinched them,’ he explained. ‘They were hanging on a rack of hooks just inside the guardroom, with a big label saying Eastern Tunnel. I thought they may come in handy! The guards were so busy arguing over their card game they didn’t even notice.’

‘Sax, you were supposed to be extra careful to
keep the princess safe, remember?’ admonished Ethan impatiently.

‘Well, let’s hope one of the keys opens the chamber,’ breathed Lily fervently.

Saxon compared the keys on the ring to the padlock. He tried a couple of larger keys and then on the third attempt the padlock clicked open.

‘Thank you, Saxon,’ cried Saxon. ‘You are a genius!’

‘You most certainly are,’ agreed Ethan. ‘And an accomplished thief! What would your father think!’

The children pushed open the door. Inside was an enormous cavern, stacked with chests, crates and boxes of twinkling, winking treasure. Gold cups lay sprawled on the floor as if dropped at the end of a festive banquet. Bracelets, crowns and necklaces tumbled out of overflowing chests. Coins, rubies, sapphires and diamonds glittered in piles.

At first glance the chamber was a chaotic jumble of gems, treasure and gold. At second glance, they saw that the chamber was divided. Roughly one-third of the chamber was in fact quite ordered. Boxes, crates and chests had been packed with precious things and neatly stacked. The rest lay tumbled on the floor like a pile of children’s toys.

‘It looks like the Sedahs are packing up this mess – though they probably made it in the first
place,’ quipped Lily. ‘There must be thousands of gems here. How will we ever find the gems from the Sun Sword?’

‘Easy,’ laughed Roana.’ We need to check one gem at a time, just like moving the rocks.’

Lily grimaced. ‘It will take us hours to go through all these chests. I hope we don’t get any visits from the Sedahs. That would be nasty.’

‘You’re right,’ Ethan mused. ‘It would be nice if we could have a bit of notice if the guards decide to pay us a surprise visit. What we need is a warning device. Perhaps we can rig one up partway down the tunnel in the shadows. Something that will make a lot of noise if anyone comes. Like a chest of coins balanced on top of a door, and a thin string rigged across the corridor that would pull down the chest if anyone tripped over it.’

‘Good thinking, Ethan,’ cried Saxon. ‘You are a complete genius! Like me!’

Ethan and Roana rigged up the guard alarm, while the others started methodically searching through the packed chests.

Four hours later, the children had fingered hundreds of gems, coins and precious stones, but nothing fitted Roana’s descriptions of the gems from the Sun Sword.

Lily yawned, stood up and stretched, feeling restless and frustrated. Her fingers felt for her Merrow pearl, which she played with thoughtfully. Her eyes wandered around the chamber, skimming over the precious objects. Something caught her eye.