Page 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5
The velvety wings brushed past his cheek, and he caught his first sight of Regalia "Wow!" he said, stopping in his tracks
Gregor didn't knohat he'd expected Maybe stone houses,prinificent city that spread before hie of a valley filled with the s he'd ever seen New York was known for its architecture, the elegant brownstones, the towering skyscrapers, the grand alia, it looked unplanned, like a place where someone had lined up a bunch of oddly shaped boxes in rows
The buildings here were all a lovely ave them a dreamlike quality They seerown, not made by huor knew by nah above his head, some at least thirty stories and finished in artful peaks and turrets Thousands of torches were placed strategically so that a soft, dusky light illuor had seen cherubs and gargoyles on buildings before, but the walls of Regalia craith life People and cockroaches and fish and creatures Gregor had no naht and feasted and danced on every conceivable inch of space
"Do just people live here, or roaches and bats, too?" asked Gregor
"This is a city of huht be a more accurate word," said Vikus "The h some dwell in the suburbs, if their work so dictates There stands our palace," said Vikus, directing Gregor's eye to a huge, circular fortress at the far edge of the valley "There we are headed"
The lights shining froor felt his heart lightening a little New York City glittered all night long, too Maybe this place wasn't so foreign after all
"It's really great," he said He would have loved to explore it, if he didn't need to get home so badly
"Yes," said Vikus, as his eyes took in the city fondly "My people have ht create a land of rare beauty"
"I think or "Iin the Overland"
Vikus seemed pleased "Come, the palace has the fairest view of the city You will have tior followed hi it from side to side "What'dyou lose, Boots?"
"Moon?" said Boots Usually you couldn't see the stars frohts "Moon?"
Gregor looked up into the inky black sky and then realized that, of course, there was no sky They were in soirl No ht," he said
"Cow jureed Gregor If roaches talked, and bats played ball ga a hed as he pictured the tattered nursery rhyme book in the box by Boots's crib at home
People stared openly at theed a few, nodding or calling out a na back
Boots noticed and began to wave "Hi!" she called "Hi!" and while none of the adults answered her, Gregor saw a few little kids wave back
"You hold great fascination for the the people in the s "We do not get many visits from the Overland"
"How did you knoas froor
"There are but five known gateways to the Underland," said Vikus "Two lead to the Dead Land, but you would never have survived those Two gateways open into the Waterway, but your clothing is quite dry You are alive, you are dry, froateway, the mouth of which I know to be in New York City"
"It's in ht in our apart!" Soe place made him feel invaded
"Your laundry roohtfully "Well, your fall coincided most favorably with the currents"
"The currents? You or
"Yes, they allowed you to arrive here in one piece Ti is all," said Vikus
"What happens if the tior, but he already knew the answer
"Then we have a body to bury instead of a guest," said Vikus quietly "That, in truth, is theOverlander like yourself, plus your sister, well, this is ood twenty an to tre Boots Somehow he didn't want to put her down It didn't seem safe with all the torches around
As they approached thecarved on it The sides were as slass, and the lo opened two hundred feet above the ground So was"There's no door," he said aloud
"No," said Vikus "Doors are for those who lack enemies Even the most accomplished clior ran his hand along the polished stone wall There wasn't a crack, not even the tiniest nick in the surface "So, how do you get inside?"
"We usually fly, but if one's bat cannot accoor craned his neck back and saw that a platforularIt caught on the ropes that supported it about a foot froor climbed on with Boots His recent fall to the Underland had only reinforced how hts The platforrabbed hold of the side rope to steady himself Vikus stood calmly with his hands folded before hily two-year-old, and he'd probably ridden this thing a million times
The ascent was rapid and even The platform leveled off at thebefore a sor carried Boots inside a large rooroup of three Underlanders, all with the sareet the to the Underlanders "Meet you Gregor and Boots the Overlanders, brother and sister, who haveus Please bathe thelance, Vikus strode out of the rooor and the Underlanders stared aardly at one another None of the presence "They're just regular people," he thought "I bet they feel as weird as I do"
"Nice toBoots over to his other hip "Say 'Hi,' Boots"
"Hi!" said Boots, waving at the Underlanders and looking cohted "Hi! Hi, you!"
The Underlanders' reserve hed, and the stiffness went out of their bodies Gregor found hier, which ht everybody in the world was her friend
Gregor sometiood friends, but he avoided beco part of any one clique at school It all cauys he ran track with Or the band kids But instead he liked being with Angelina, as always in some school play, and Larry, who just well, mostly he just drew stuff Soor was stuck-up, but he wasup to people after his dad left But even before that, he'd never been as friendly as Boots
A young woman who looked about fifteen stepped forward and held out her arms "I am called Dulcet May I take you, Boots? You would care for a bath?" Boots looked at Gregor for confirmation