Page 24 (1/2)

Chapter 24

The or's life two years, seven o had been the picture of health Strong, tall, and vibrant, energy had see up at them from the pit was so thin and weak, his attempt to stand failed He fell on all fours, then lifted one hand to help tilt his own head back

"Dad?" Gregor tried to say, but all the moisture had left his mouth He dropped to his own knees at the side of the pit and reached out a hand futilely They were fifty feet apart, but he reached, anyway

Luxa and Henry flen, helped the pitiful form onto Aurora's back, and carried hior clutched his father's hands, once so strong and capable As he felt the bones beneath his fingers he remembered how his dad used to crack walnuts with his hands "Dad?" he said, and this tior"

His father frowned as if trying to reain"

"No, Dad, it's or

"Boots?" said his dad He frowned again, and Gregor remembered he had never seen Boots She had been born after he fell

"Margaret," Gregor corrected hinant, his parents had planned to naaret?" said his dad, now thoroughly confused He rubbed his eyes "Grandma?"

The prophecy had naor had not expected to find his dad as lost as this He was skeletal and weak -- and what had happened to his hair and beard? They were snohite Gregor touched his father's shoulder and realized he earing a cloak made of rat fur No wonder he had looked like a rat frouely This was the scariest part of all Gregor had thought he would get a parent back when he found his dad Then he could stop having to make hard decisions He could just be a kid But the man before him was even needier than Boots was

Luxa laid her hand on his dad's cheek and frowned "He burns like your sister, and he has no strength to fight it This is why he speaks in confusion"

"Maybe if I talk to hiot to reor desperately

"We e s from the blue bottle into his dad's alia Henry, help th of silk that Gox was rapidly spinning "Henry?" said Luxa again

But Henry stood apart fro to seem anxious "No, Luxa, we have no need to hurry now"

It was a strange answer No one understood what he was saying except Ripred An odd look crossed the rat's face "No, I believe Henry has taken care of everything"

"Henry had to," said Henry He lifted his fingers to his lips and gave a long whistle

"Are you crazy? What are you doing?" asked Gregor He looked at Luxa, who seemed to have turned to round

The patter ofon? What had Henry done?

"Ripred?" said Gregor

"It see us, Overlander," said Ripred wryly "A member of the royal faor would never in a million years have believed Henry to be a spy for the rats They had killed his parents, his people "He can't be," blurted out Gregor "He can't, I ht

"Sorry, cousin," said Henry urgently to Luxa "But I had no choice We were headed for disaster under Vikus He would ally us to the weakest, when our only real chance of survival is to ally ourselves with those who are ether, you and I"

Luxa spoke or had ever heard her "Not now, Henry Not ever"

"You must, Luxa, you have no choice You must join with us or die," said Henry coldly, but there was a treood a day as any," said Luxa "Perhaps better" She sounded a thousand years old and a thousand miles away, but she did not sound scared

"So they promised you a throne, did they? Really, Henry, you are not fool enough to believe they will deliver it," said Ripred, breaking into a laugh

"They will deliver it Together ill rid the Underland of crawlers and spinners and share their land a us," said Henry