Page 7 (1/2)

Chapter 7

The darkness pressed down on Gregor's eyes until he felt it had physical weight, like water He'd never been cohts, car headlights, and the occasional flashing fire truck shone in the tinyof his bedroom Here, once he'd blown out the oil laht entirely

He'd been teht the la in the corridor outside his room and he could rekindle the flame there But he wanted to save the oil He'd be lost without it once he got out of Regalia

Bootssound and pressed her back deeper into his side His arhtened around her

Servants had prepared separate beds for theor

It hadn't been hard to get the Underlanders to excuse them for bed Everyone could see Boots could barely keep her eyes open, and he ed hih him so fast, he was afraid that people could hear his heart beating through the heavy curtains that shut off their bedroo he could do was sleep

They had been invited to bathe again before bed It was so of a necessity for Boots, who, in addition to stew, had conditioned her curls with soor hadn't objected, either The water gave him a quiet place to think out his escape plan

It also gave him a chance to ask Dulcet about the water systeuys have hot and cold running water?" he asked

She told his

"And then it just e?" he asked innocently

"Oh, no, that would not be fresh," said Dulcet

"The dirty water falls into the river beneath the palace and then flows to the Waterway"

It was just the information he needed The river beneath the palace was their way out Even better, it led to the Waterway He didn't knohat that was exactly, but Vikus had ateways to the Overland

Boots stirred again in her sleep, and Gregor patted her side to quiet her She had not seemed to miss home until bedtio to sleep

"Ma that Lizzie had ridden off to cao

"Hoh she was exhausted, he had a hard ti her to sleep Now he could tell by how restless she was that she was having vivid dreaiant cockroaches and bats," he thought

He had no way to tell how much time had passed An hour? Two? But what little noise he'd been able to hear through the curtain had ceased If he was going to do this thing, he needed to get started

Gregor gently disengaged himself from Boots and stood up He fuiven hi to position Boots inside it proved tricky Finally he just squeezed his eyes shut and let his other senses work That was easier He slid her in and slung the pack on his back

Boots ainst his shoulder

"I' on it, baby," he whispered back, and searched the table for the la Boots, the pack, and the laroped his way to the curtain and pushed the edge aside There was enough torchlight froe was euards at his door now that they knew hiuest and, anyhere would he go?