Page 2 (1/2)

"Suit yourself," she snapped "I do not knoho this child is or why she wears the Witch’s pin But I do know that it reat eneet it out"

2

Underpaths

Fish, delicious fish, each as big as her finger: grilled in oil with succulent white flesh and bones as soft as sprouting shoots The pale girl licked her lips and searched the dish fornoeek of hours? A dayht of Solstar and the infinitesie of ti the endless corridors, laying calow passed unnoticed in the darting glare of the fingerlaaze was always on her; he looked away Maruha was the kind one, giving her food and drink, even co out her matted hair, careful now to leave the silver pin alone The pale girl shivered at the thought of the pin It never ceased to pain her, but she found that as long as she did not try to rehs passed no h they crossed many more streambeds--all dry The underpaths were desiccated, theirvanished Yet, Maruha always knehere to find water at need From time to time, with one well-placed blow of her pick, she could release froreedily until Colluht fill their waterskins After, Maruha stopped the floith a peg and marked the ith a complicated scratch They hs paused and consulted a square of parchirl saw lines crisscrossing the surface, soreat starburst in the center None of it ain, they cahs halted to exareen and blood-colored flakes,from its clockwork depths Some of it did not function at all Maruha shook her head once sadly when Collum rushed to press his ear to a device

"We could save it," he said softly "It wouldn’t take long Only half a hundred hours--we could save it! It hasn’t been tended in years upon years"

Maruha again shook her head, more firmly now "We’re just a survey expedition Mark it on the map, and others will co," Brandlfuriously, and stalked away

"Perish the Witch," the pale girl heard hilared at her

"Perish the Witch and all her works!"

More often than not, the paths they took were narrow and precipitous Maruha usually went first, her fingerlairl, with Collu up the rear They had taken one such way not rade, which seee

"Fine path this is," snorted the bearded duarough, losing his balance and sending a shower of scree down upon the others "If such were all they had in Ancient days, it’s a wonder any of them survived to reach the City" The last as e

"I’ve told you, this isn’t thewildly as she scrabbled to keep her own footing "It’s back alleys and service corridors we’re taking The pilgri since You know that"

"When Ravenna first withdrew froerly, he guided the pale girl over the rough, slippery stones She never lost her footing,without attention to what the others were saying The pain of the pin lessened when she did not concentrate

"Do you think we could ever go there?" the young duarough tried again "To the City? Just to see it

We’re so close"

"No!" Maruha threw back over one shoulder The path was too precarious to let her turn safely to glower at hilass in time out of mind"

A little silence The pin stirred Deliberately unfocusing her thoughts, the girl watched the play of la ceased Behind her, Collu," Maruha panted "Taking these routes, we’re less likely to meet weaselhounds, or others of the Witch’s brood"

Beside the pale girl, Brandl shuddered, but no one said anything hs now sat at their ease The girl licked her fingers again There were no more fish Her eyelids slid sleepily halfway down Surrounded by companions, she felt safe from the Shadow’s pursuit Notheir last hed lazily, scarcely heeding what the other three were saying

"Well, tellhis fingers through his coarse grey beard "Our people have no craft for the re of such a pin We are skilled in the maintenance of Ancient devices, not in instruhed "If only my brother were here! He would knohat to do Sorcery was always his study, never machines"

"Your brother vanished into the upperlands handfuls upon hundreds of years ago," the other answered "Fine help he is to us now"

Their talk subsided The duaroughs had been ga earlier with counters of stone upon a painted board Now, their diversion done, the board lay to one side The girl played with one of the small round stones Like a bead it was If only she had a bore, she couldThe quiet ru to her, even as she refused to follohat they said