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"Mark you, Shed, his shade," said Fangor in a hushed voice

"I or," said Shed quietly "And he is but a boy Think you he is ?"

"He is not if we kill hior's throat

The first bat caor nor the preoccupied rats saw it It caught Fangor or plowed into Shed, and the rats landed in a heap Instantly they regained their feet and turned on their assailants

Gregor saw Henry, Mareth, and Perdita zigzagging their bats above the rats' heads Besides avoiding one another in lie the wicked claws of the rats Fangor and Shed could easily leap ten feet in the air, and the sparkling ceiling of the cavern over the beach was not an to dive at the rats, wielding swords Fangor and Shed fought back viciously with claws and teeth Blood began to stain the beach, but Gregor couldn't tell whose it was

"Flee!" Henry shouted at Gregor as he whipped past him "Flee, Overlander!"

Part of him wanted to, badly, but he couldn't First of all, he had no idea where to go His boat was high on the beach, and the tunnelwell, he'd rather take his chances in the open than in the tunnel if he had to deal with the rats

More important, he knew the Underlanders were only here because of him He couldn't just run away and leave them to face the rats

But what could he do?

At thatof Mareth's bat in his teeth and hung on The bat struggled to free itself, but Shed held fast Perdita ca off his ear with one stroke of her sword Shed gave a howl of pain, releasing Mareth's bat

But as Perdita pulled out of her dive, Fangor leaped onto her bat, ripping a chunk of fur off its throat and hurling her to the ground Perdita hit her head on the cavern wall as she landed and was knocked out Fangor looor didn't re of his next ainst the wall, and the next he had juor's face The rat shrieked and stuor's lifeless body fell to the ground, taking the sith it

Fangor's shriek finally woke Boots, who took one look over Gregor's shoulder and began wailing at the top of her lungs Her cries echoed off the walls, sending Shed into a frenzy and disorienting the bats

"How fly you, Mareth?" yelled Henry

"We can hold!" cried Mareth, although his bat was spraying blood froood Mareth's bat was losing control, Henry was unar for air on the ground, Boots was screeching, and Shed was insane with pain and fear Though bleeding badly, he had lost none of his speed or strength

Mareth was trying desperately to keep the rat frouy Henry flew interference, but he couldn't get in too close without a sword Gregor crouched over Perdita holding the torch It seeainst the crazed Shed, but he had to do so Mareth's bat by the feet The bat slaor

"Now you die!" screaed at theor braced hiasp and pawed at the blade that jutted through its throat

Gregor caught a gliht He had no idea when she'd arrived Luxacoh Luxa had flattened herself on the bat's back, Aurora barelyher off on the ceiling

Shed sluht left in hiled, "we hunt you to the last rat" And with that, he died

Gregor had only a moment to catch his breath before Henry landed beside hior out onto the beach, he lifted Perdita in his ar, "Scorch the land!"

Blood pouring down his face fro the swords froed the rats into the river, and it quickly carried their bodies away His bat shakily regained the use of its wings and he hurdled onto its back Mareth caught Boots's backpack and hoisted Gregor onto his stoor saw Aurora hook her clawed feet into the fur at the shoulders of Perdita's injured bat Luxa had at some point retrieved the oil lamp from the boat As they rose into the air, she sround

"Drop the torch!" yelled Mareth, and Gregorit