Page 24 (2/2)

Hoas right: They should have ood leader; he was smart and diploo to his head

As Nerissa braced her hands on the arht Gregor's Soistered on her face, and then she fainted dead away, tu to the floor The crown hit the stone with a clank and then rolled off

There was a big commotion A stretcher appeared almost immediately, and Nerissa was carried away There was a lot of head shaking andin the crowd from the Underlanders who had probably been opposed to Nerissa being or and Ares They had been standing in the doorway, unnoticed, since everyone had been watching the crowning Now hundreds of faces turned their way and began to shout questions Gregor could see Vikus waving for him to come down This wasn't really hoould have chosen to reveal the story about the Bane He had planned to tell Vikus, alone, and then head hoor and Ares radually grew silent By the ti their breath

"Greetings, Gregor the Overlander, Ares, we are happy to see you alive What news do you bring us?" asked Vikus "Did you find the Bane?"

"We found it," said Gregor

The Underlanders broke into chatter Vikus ht?" he asked

"No, we took it to Ripred," Gregor said

There was a moment of disbelief, and then the croent crazy He could see the faces, hu hit him on the side of his head His hand went up and came away bloody A small, ornate crystal jar was down by his feet It must have been an to rain around hi they had in coor realized that it didn't ifts were carved You could call thee the fact that he and Ares were being stoned to death

Ares tried to get between Gregor and thethe pair up against the back wall Voices cried out for their death

Gregor remembered Ripred's words "And you know, there will be hell to pay in Regalia" The rat h the chaos he heard a horn blowing and then the croas falling back A ring of guards formed a semicircle around them They were escorted out of the room

"You will follow," said a wo away froht of steps, and eventually reached a quiet hallway deep under the palace The woor sensed that this was odd There were few doors of any kind in the palace

He and Ares went inside the torchlit roo shut behind the into place "Where are we?" he asked Ares "Is this like a special room to keep us safe?"

"It is to keep others safe froeon We have been placed under arrest for high treason"

"What?" said Gregor "What for?"

"For coalia," said Ares "Did you not hear the charge?"

Gregor hadn't heard anything but a bunch of people yelling

"Oh, man!" He pounded on the door with his fist "Let me out of here! I want to talk to Vikus!" There was no response He gave up pretty soon since it really hurt to hit the stone door

He turned back to Ares "So, treason, huh? That's great What happens if we're found guilty? We get banished or so?"

"No, Overlander," said Ares "The punishment for treason is death"