[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
over to the landing just above the magic stair which they had gone to such
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
difficulty to surmount. He sniffed at some rugs mere. Then he shoved the end
of his muzzle down under the edge of one of the top rugs, and took what seemed
to be a deep and highly enjoyable sniff. He took the edge of the rug between
his teeth and pulled it aside.
"Well, James," he said, dropping the rug he had pulled aside and going back
to attack the one underneath it, "what are you waiting for? I've found it."
There was a concerted rush to the spot and they all began hauling aside the
many layers of rug.
As they drew them clear, a glint of color began to be visible.A glint of red.
"Stand back, stand back all of you!" said Jim. "I'll do the last of the
uncovering, here."
He waited until the others had backed off, then he bent down and began
pulling the last few rugs clear. They came back to reveal a trapdoor in the
floor, and it was glowing solidly red. Once more the magical warning ran in
Jim's head.
He waited until it had cleared, and then turned to the others.
"I'm going to try opening this trapdoor," he told them. "I ought to be able
to do it as safely as I opened the doors upstairs; but in case I don't, and
anything happens to me, try making some kind of a rope, attaching a weight to
it, and letting the weight fall off this landing into the open air in such a
way that the weight of it pulls back and up on the trapdoor to open it. Then
one of you try it and see if it's safe. If it is, the rest can follow after."
"You fear for your life if you lift that trapdoor, James?" said Brian.
"There's some risk," admitted Jim.
"In that case," said Brian, "let me do it. You are more useful to His
Highness in helping him clear of this damnable place than any of the rest of
us. So if there be risk, let me take it first."
"Thanks, Brian," said Jim. He was touched; for he read more in Brian's words
than just a concern for the safety of the Prince. He knew Brian too well. The
other was also concerned about him, James; and as usual was offering to put
himself between danger and his friend. "But I'm afraid the magic that should
protect me won't protect the rest of you. So there's no choice about it. I
have to be the one who tries to lift the door first. Stand back."
He turned to the trapdoor again without looking to see whether they did as he
had said. Reaching out, he took a firm hold of the handle of the trapdoor,
which was not really different from the handles of the doors upstairs; except
that it was set into the surface of the trapdoor, which must be some
considerable thickness.
He took hold of it, therefore, expecting to lift a heavy weight. But the
trapdoor must have been counterweighted in some way, because it tilted up
easily at the first effort he put into lifting it, revealing an open hole and
steps leading down. The red did not touch the underpart of the trapdoor, or
anything below the floor in which it was inset. Looking more closely, he saw
the red coloring around the trapdoor had disappeared, as it probably did
whenever that which it identified as Malvinne's hand lifted it.
"So," said Jim, "there's our solution. See where it leads?"
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ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
He pointed. The steps led down into the buttressing below the regular
staircase. The space was so narrow they would have to go single file, and both
Dafydd and Jim would have to duck their heads as well because there was not
much space between the steps they trod on and the underside of the steps above
their heads. But it was clearly and plainly their passage out and away from
here.
"Follow me," Jim said to the others. "Your Highness had better be the one
directly behind me. All of you be careful so that you step from a rug directly
onto the first step below the surface of this floor. I don't think the edge of
the hole is still dangerous to you, but it might be."
"You've done well, Sir James," said the Prince, looking at him with a touch [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl akte20.pev.pl
over to the landing just above the magic stair which they had gone to such
Page 204
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
difficulty to surmount. He sniffed at some rugs mere. Then he shoved the end
of his muzzle down under the edge of one of the top rugs, and took what seemed
to be a deep and highly enjoyable sniff. He took the edge of the rug between
his teeth and pulled it aside.
"Well, James," he said, dropping the rug he had pulled aside and going back
to attack the one underneath it, "what are you waiting for? I've found it."
There was a concerted rush to the spot and they all began hauling aside the
many layers of rug.
As they drew them clear, a glint of color began to be visible.A glint of red.
"Stand back, stand back all of you!" said Jim. "I'll do the last of the
uncovering, here."
He waited until the others had backed off, then he bent down and began
pulling the last few rugs clear. They came back to reveal a trapdoor in the
floor, and it was glowing solidly red. Once more the magical warning ran in
Jim's head.
He waited until it had cleared, and then turned to the others.
"I'm going to try opening this trapdoor," he told them. "I ought to be able
to do it as safely as I opened the doors upstairs; but in case I don't, and
anything happens to me, try making some kind of a rope, attaching a weight to
it, and letting the weight fall off this landing into the open air in such a
way that the weight of it pulls back and up on the trapdoor to open it. Then
one of you try it and see if it's safe. If it is, the rest can follow after."
"You fear for your life if you lift that trapdoor, James?" said Brian.
"There's some risk," admitted Jim.
"In that case," said Brian, "let me do it. You are more useful to His
Highness in helping him clear of this damnable place than any of the rest of
us. So if there be risk, let me take it first."
"Thanks, Brian," said Jim. He was touched; for he read more in Brian's words
than just a concern for the safety of the Prince. He knew Brian too well. The
other was also concerned about him, James; and as usual was offering to put
himself between danger and his friend. "But I'm afraid the magic that should
protect me won't protect the rest of you. So there's no choice about it. I
have to be the one who tries to lift the door first. Stand back."
He turned to the trapdoor again without looking to see whether they did as he
had said. Reaching out, he took a firm hold of the handle of the trapdoor,
which was not really different from the handles of the doors upstairs; except
that it was set into the surface of the trapdoor, which must be some
considerable thickness.
He took hold of it, therefore, expecting to lift a heavy weight. But the
trapdoor must have been counterweighted in some way, because it tilted up
easily at the first effort he put into lifting it, revealing an open hole and
steps leading down. The red did not touch the underpart of the trapdoor, or
anything below the floor in which it was inset. Looking more closely, he saw
the red coloring around the trapdoor had disappeared, as it probably did
whenever that which it identified as Malvinne's hand lifted it.
"So," said Jim, "there's our solution. See where it leads?"
Page 205
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
He pointed. The steps led down into the buttressing below the regular
staircase. The space was so narrow they would have to go single file, and both
Dafydd and Jim would have to duck their heads as well because there was not
much space between the steps they trod on and the underside of the steps above
their heads. But it was clearly and plainly their passage out and away from
here.
"Follow me," Jim said to the others. "Your Highness had better be the one
directly behind me. All of you be careful so that you step from a rug directly
onto the first step below the surface of this floor. I don't think the edge of
the hole is still dangerous to you, but it might be."
"You've done well, Sir James," said the Prince, looking at him with a touch [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]