Chapter 3 Feeling a bit like Alice as she plunges down the rabbit hole, Toby comes tumbling out of the wellway and lands in a sprawl on a cold chequered floor. He can't help thinking this quest had better be worth the bruises he's going to have later. "Alright? Nothing broken?" Louis asks the dungeoneer as he climbs to his feet. He gets a grunt of confirmation. "Good. You're standing in what looks like a Roman bath, but without any water. There's all plaster peeling off the walls. I can't actually see any exits..." "Warning, team!" Treguard cuts in. "Toby has had no food for some time, and his life force energy level is now critical. He urgently needs something to eat, and he's not going to find it down here in the old dungeon. It's vital he returns to the surface immediately!" Louis glances helplessly at the others. "Where do we go?" There are no doors in this room. Surely they haven't come all the way to Level 3, only to find themselves at a dead end straight away. "What about that hole at the bottom of the wall?" suggests Bronwen, pointing out the swimming pool drain. "Could he squeeze through there?" "He'll have to try, I suppose," says Louis. "Toby, can you walk forward until you feel the wall? Now get down on your hands and knees. We need you to crawl forward through a small hole. Mind you don't bang your head." The advisors watch Toby disappear into the dark drain, wondering where on earth it will lead him. *** Confusingly, the next thing that appears on the antechamber viewscreen is a forest glade. "What's happened? Where's Toby?" asks Pickle. Suddenly there is a rustle in the bushes, and the dungeoneer comes crawling out into the sunlight. He is very glad it wasn't a thorn bush. Pickle leaps to his feet, elated. "Thank goodness, he's back outside!" The elf has never been so glad to see trees and sky - plus he's feeling awfully stiff after hiding behind the team throughout their journey underground. "And look, there's food here." He's right; there's a small roast chicken lying on the ground nearby. "Just in the nick of time!" says Treguard. "Guide him to it quickly, team." "Walk forward... stop," says Megan. "Um, turn to about 10 o'clock. Now go forward a bit... can you see the chicken?" "Yep." Toby kneels down and puts the food in his knapsack, instantly replenishing his life force. "HALT! Stay where you are, ya thievin' toerag!" Catching everyone by surprise, a man jumps out of a tree and confronts Toby aggressively. He wears a brown hooded robe and is brandishing a quarterstaff. "Face me, trout-features! Nobody 'elps themself to my grub without permission, you miserable maggot-infested pile o' donkey droppings." "Oh, er... sorry," stammers Toby, somewhat taken aback. The man laughs hoarsely. "Sorry? You will be, scum-'ead!" To the team's surprise and Pickle's indignation, Treguard lets out a guffaw. "I don't believe it! This ill-mannered fellow is Cedric, the mad monk. It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of his company. A word of warning - Cedric isn't a member of the Opposition, but he could just as easily put an end to Toby's quest if he feels so inclined." "Tell him what you're doing here," advises Megan. "I don't mean you any harm," Toby explains. "I'm on a quest for the Cup." "Oh, so you claim to be a noble adventurer, do you?" The monk laughs again. "You puny lump o' talkin' earwax!" "Yes. I'm a dungeoneer." "Well if that's the case, then prove your honour by givin' challenge, or I'll split that misshapen skull o' yours open and let the air out!" "This isn't fair, master!" complains Pickle. "Toby is unarmed - he can't possibly fight this brute." "Now, Pickle. Cedric may be brash but he's not unreasonable - he'll most likely test his brain instead of his brawn," replies the Dungeon Master. "Toby: if you want the chance to earn his respect, and avoid a nasty bump on the head, you must call out 'I challenge'." "I challenge!" says Toby. "Challenge accepted, dogsbottom!" Cedric gives another dirty laugh. "Now listen - if you're not the worthless cur I think you are, then you won't have any trouble answerin' this. What name is given to the knightly code o' conduct?" Toby answers without hesitation: "Chivalry." Cedric manages to look simultaneously impressed and mildly disappointed. "Truth accepted!" (The advisors quietly celebrate.) "Well. It appears I may 'ave underestimated ya. What's your name?" "Toby. Pleased to meet you." He offers his hand. You would think from Cedric's touched expression that no-one had ever extended him such a courtesy before. Cordially shaking Toby's hand, his gruff voice softens a little. "I'm Cedric. Maybe I can 'elp you with your quest, young dungeoneer." "Ask if he's got anything to offer you," says Megan. "Have you got any information or magic you can give me?" "No magic, I'm afraid. But I'll tell ya what - seein' as you're a stranger to these parts, I expect you could do with a guide. Hows about if me an' my staff accompany you for a while? You never know when it might come in 'andy round 'ere. Whaddya say?" "That'd be brilliant," says Toby. Cedric laughs spiritedly. "Come on then, Toby! I'll show you a hidden path over 'ere." He puts an arm around the boy's shoulder and leads him over to one side of the glade, where they both appear to vanish into thin air. *** When the screen refreshes to show their new location, Toby and the monk are walking into a room within some castle ruins. "'Ere we are," Cedric is saying. "If you're goin' on a long journey, this can be a useful place to pick up supplies." He guides Toby to a wooden table in the middle of the room, upon which various objects are laid out. "See what takes ya fancy there. I'll keep an eye out for trouble while you're makin' your mind up." Cedric stands to one side, his quarterstaff planted in front of him, while Toby examines the items on the table. "Can you tell us what's there?" asks Bronwen. "OK, there's a glass, like a drinking glass... some milk... a scroll... a spyglass... a green arrow, a dice, and a large pebble." "Take the milk for energy, do we think?" Bronwen asks her fellow advisors. "Yep - he's probably gonna need it!" replies Megan. "Put the milk in your knapsack, Toby," says Bronwen. "And have a look at the scroll, please." Toby unrolls it. "It says 'Bottoms Up!'" "Hmm... could mean we need to take the glass," says Megan. "D'you reckon?" Nods of agreement from both sides. "Can you look at the other items again, and describe them to us?" requests Bronwen. "Yep. There's an arrow with a green shaft and feathers at the end. I dunno if that counts as a weapon... it could belong to someone, I suppose. Then there's a rather large dice." He picks it up and turns it over in his hands. "Looks pretty standard - six sides." "OK... and what was the pebble thing?" Putting the dice back on the table, Toby inspects the kidney-shaped object beside it. "It's shiny... mottled black and brown. It could be some sort of plant seed, actually. I dunno." The team are perplexed. None of these items have an obvious use when it comes to their quest, and any one of them could be the correct choice. It seems unfair that they must come to a decision without any further clues - but then no-one ever said this game would be easy, especially in Level 3. "A puzzling selection, team," remarks Pickle. The elf has persuaded the three advisors to budge up so he can sit down next to them, perched on the edge of Bronwen's stool. After conferring for a while, they decide to leave the arrow, as there is nothing to indicate it's anything but a tool of aggression, and one that would be useless to Toby on its own in any case. But they are unable to make any educated guesses about the remaining two objects. In the end, Megan allows the dungeoneer to choose between them. "I think we should take the dice," says Toby. "It seems more useful than the stone, or whatever it is." There are no objections from the others, so the glass and the dice are set aside for ease of grabbing if they need to exit in a hurry. The final matter requiring their attention is the spyglass, which Toby now holds up to the Eyeshield. All eyes are fixed on the viewscreen as the spying device reveals its secrets... *** In his headquarters, Lord Fear has been joined by a shorter man who has the appearance of a vagabond, with a tatty brown cloak and battered hat. His dark shoulder-length hair, beard and moustache are unkempt, and it's been a while since they saw anyone with such bad teeth. "Listen Hands, we've got to do something about that Stiletta woman - the warrior thief," says Lord Fear. "It seems her life revolves around constantly finding ways into Marblehead and robbing me blind. Every time I turn me back, she's half-inched something else! I don't know how she keeps getting past my defences. That isn't easy to do." There is almost a tone of grudging admiration in his voice. "Oh... she's one o' them clever persons," agrees the other man. "Like you, Your Lordship. She's posh like you an' all. She ain't 'alf so nice as you, though." Lord Fear bristles. "How - many - times - must I warn you about using that word?" he snarls through clenched teeth. Hands jumps nervously. "Oh! Yes, Your Lordship. I mean - Your 'Orribleness." "That's more like it. Anyway, this Stiletta has so far evaded all our attempts to capture, deter or otherwise eliminate her. But this time, I have a cunning plan. And I need you to carry it out." His ragged henchman is visibly uncomfortable at this suggestion. "Oh... er... oh... I-I'll do anyfing for you, course I will. Just say the word. Your wish is my commode." (Lord Fear closes his eyes as if fighting off a headache.) "The only fing is... last time I tried to get near 'er, she-- she chucked a load o' knives at me. It was awful... I fought she was gonna 'ave me 'at off!" "Yes; I'm aware of that, my feculent friend. Don't worry - that's not going to happen on this occasion. And here's why." The sorcerer picks up a folded blanket from the small round table in the middle of the room. "Last time she got in here, we found one of her precious throwing knives embedded in a Mireman. I have it here - and no doubt she'll be all too keen to get it back. That's where you come in, Hands: I want you to return it to her. She won't attack you if she knows you're carrying this. Well... she probably won't." "Oh. That's good," says Hands. "Er... but won't she wonder why you're bein' so magnani-- nan-- manni-- maggi-- nice?" Lord Fear chooses to overlook this latest use of the N-word. "I don't care what she thinks, so long as she takes the weapon. That's the clever part. I've woven a bit o' the old offensive magic into the blade, so the moment she touches it - she'll be shattered!" He laughs evilly. "Oh, er... I think I might have overdone the explosive part of the spell, so you might wanna just... leave it on the ground and stand well back." Hands produces a somewhat unpleasant gurgling laugh. "You don't 'alf fink up some brilliant ideas, Your Lordship!" "Yes. I even impress myself, sometimes. Now whatever you do, Hands, for heaven's sake don't touch it yourself, especially not in here. The last thing I want is bits of you strewn all over the place; we'd probably never get rid of the smell!" He passes the bundle to his simple-minded servant. "One other thing - you'll need the safe sequence to get across the Causeway. I've set it to be your own name, because that's about the only thing you know how to spell... and I'm not even sure you can manage that. Oh, and don't forget to reverse it on your way back." "Right. Got it," replies Hands, though his employer remains pessimistic about that. "'Ere... what about that dunger-person what you've lost track of?" Lord Fear responds with an enigmatic smile, just as his security alarm starts to go off. The advisors tense up, not sure whether it's time to drop the spyglass, or if they should wait to hear more. "Oh, don't worry about him. Let's just say he might have a dice with death sooner than he expected." "Drop it now, Toby!" calls Megan. "And sidestep left, quickly!" As before, the wall of flame appears, moving in Toby's direction. The dungeoneer cannot see its approach, but Cedric reacts with considerable shock: "Oh gawd! What the bleedin' 'eck is that?!" He begins to retreat from the oncoming blaze. To everyone's surprise, Louis suddenly shouts "Toby, stop, go back!" Megan stares at him as if he's just grown a second head. "He said something about a 'dice with death'. I don't think we should take the dice," he quickly explains. "What, you think it's a trap?" "I don't know - maybe! Yes!" Treguard interrupts: "Hurry, the Fire Wall approaches...!" There is absolutely no time to debate this. After the briefest of hesitations, Megan agrees: "Leave the dice. Take the seed thing." Toby obeys without argument. The flames are bearing down on him at an alarming rate. Mercifully, there is no need for the team to guide him around the table, as Cedric compensates for this unexpected delay by grabbing Toby's shoulders and steering him quickly to the back of the room. "I think it's time we got out of 'ere, my friend!" They hurry up some steps in the far left corner and dash through the exit. *** "You're in a castle courtyard," says Louis. "There appears to be a guard here." A sentry in a black crested helmet confronts them. He wears an ankle-length tunic and is holding a long axe. The man guards an ornate archway framed by Roman Doric columns and frieze, with lions' heads decorating the spandrels. It forms the entrance to an ascending stairway that curves to the left. A small, closed wooden door in the adjacent wall is the only other exit they can see. "Password!" demands the guard. The team barely have time to worry about their lack of a password, before Cedric handles the situation in his own inimitable way. "Clear off, sewer-breath! You're about as welcome as an eyeful o' camel spit, which coincidentally is what you remind me of." The advisors burst into giggles. The guard looks shocked by this retort; he was quite prepared to deal with their failure to supply the dayword, or even an attempt to dodge past him, but one thing he hadn't anticipated was a personal affront. "What?" "D'ya want me to repeat myself, you snotty, goat-'eaded waste o' lard?" The stranger draws himself up. "Am I to assume you are both unauthorised personnel?" "Alright, slug-face. 'Ere's how it is. You step aside and let my young friend pass, or me and my quarterstaff will 'ave somethin' to say about it. So what's it gonna be?" Cedric flashes his wicked grin. "If you think you can intimidate me, you are mistaken," the guard replies sternly. "No-one passes this point without the correct word." "If that's what you want, you putrid sack of entrails!" Cedric dances up to him in a manner that suggests he's ready for combat. The guard responds by raising his axe and swinging it down towards him. Cedric blocks the attack with his staff, and before the guard knows what is happening, the lower end of it has been swept around and hooked under his knee. The monk gives a loud cackle as his opponent falls on his backside, dropping his weapon with a clatter. After letting him scramble back to his feet, Cedric then delivers a further stream of colourful insults, punctuating each one with a blow to a different part of his body. "I'll give ya words... you cross-eyed -- stinking -- pus-filled -- louse-riddled -- DUNCE!" This final jibe coincides with a decisive whack over the head, and is followed by Cedric laughing maniacally. "Enough!" complains the guard, crawling hastily out of his reach in case there's any more coming. "I don't have to stand here and take this sort of abuse!" He staggers to his feet and runs off, while Cedric is still doubled over in hysterics. The advisors have found the whole scene highly entertaining. "The guard's gone now. Cedric beat him up," Louis informs Toby. "You'd better say thank you!" "Cheers for that - nicely done!" says Toby. "Any time!" replies the monk, just about recovering from his mirth. "Anyway, what's next?" "There's a staircase in front of you, going up," Louis tells the dungeoneer. "Up the stairs, I suppose," he answers his travelling companion. A marked change comes over Cedric. "You're goin' up there?" he says nervously. "Umm... yep." Toby's advisors haven't indicated there is any alternative. After his fearless display against the guard, the team are extremely perturbed by Cedric's behaviour now. "Right! Well. You can go that way if you want - but I'm not comin' with you! Nah. So if it's all the same with you, I... best be 'eadin' back now." He briskly walks away, sounding almost grief-stricken as he calls "Good luck, Toby" without looking back. "OK... what was that about?" Toby asks the others. "Not sure!" says Louis. Bronwen leans across to offer her opinion: "If he didn't want to go that way, maybe we shouldn't, either." "You don't have any choice, team," Treguard points out. "Cedric might be able to turn back, but Toby can't." Megan points at the screen with her pencil. "What about that door on the left?" she suggests to Louis. Treguard steps in again. "You won't get through there without a key, I don't think." It is clear they have no option but to proceed up the stairs, and hope to avoid whatever had given Cedric such cause for alarm. Louis reluctantly gives Toby the green light to walk forward, and they watch through the Eyeshield as he follows the curve of the staircase, hoping the sound of his footsteps on the stone will not alert anyone to his arrival. *** "Toby, you're in a large room - it looks like it might have been a banquet hall, that's fallen into ruin," says Megan. "There's a fireplace on the left, with a doorway beside it, and there's another door in the far wall." The wall above the fireplace is still standing, with its pair of tall windows partly visible, but the great hall has no roof, and most of the end wall has been demolished. The team cannot help but feel suspicious. This room appears quite empty, and it's hard to imagine what could have made Cedric so unwilling to set foot in it. Still, perhaps they have been fortunate, and any past dangers have since departed. As there is nothing to do but guide Toby to one of the exits, Megan proceeds to do just that. However, he has only taken a couple of steps when she orders him to stop again, aghast at what she has seen. The two people sitting to her right are even more horrified - Bronwen can be heard to stifle a scream, while Pickle bolts from his seat with a gasp and stands quivering behind Treguard's chair. An absolutely enormous tarantula has just climbed over the ruined wall and is making its way down onto the floor. "It's Ariadne - queen of the arachnids!" cries Treguard. "You must do something quickly, or it'll be Toby that's on the menu!" With the giant spider now blocking the left-hand door, Megan starts directing him towards the exit on the right, even though it still means walking close to Ariadne. Treguard soon interrupts again. "It's no good, you cannot outrun her - use your wits! What would you normally do with a spider?" "Hit it with a shoe," mutters Bronwen. This gives her a bright idea: "Throw the stone at it!!" "No!" says Louis, half-laughing despite their obvious peril. "That's cruel," agrees Megan, who hates spiders but would never dream of harming one. Treguard, too, is finding it difficult not to laugh at Bronwen's suggestion. "I think that'd be more likely to provoke her than anything else," he points out. "Well, what do YOU do with them?" Bronwen asks Megan, a little defensively. "Catch them and put them outside," Megan replies. Her eyes suddenly light up. "Toby, try using the glass!" "How?" asks Toby. "Turn it upside-down!" When nothing happens, Treguard suggests he places the upturned drinking glass on the floor. No sooner has he done so, than a much larger version of the glass descends magically from the sky, trapping Ariadne beneath it! They all relax immediately, and a grinning Megan explains to the dungeoneer what has happened. Nobody is more relieved than Pickle to see the danger neutralised - only now does the frightened elf deem it safe to come out again, and settles on the floor beside his master. "OK, you should be safe walking to the door now," says Megan. She guides Toby to the archway on the right-hand side of the collapsed wall, which proves to be a portal out of this castle. *** "You're outdoors now, Toby," says Bronwen. "You're just on some waste ground, with a few trees in the background." "It's very exposed here, team. This is no place to linger," advises Treguard. "Alright, walk forward..." But just as Toby nears the edge of their screen, his progress is halted by the sudden appearance of a huge and many-legged creature, crawling into view from the opposite direction and forcing the dungeoneer to move backwards. It is so unexpected that it makes them all gasp. "Another giant spider?!" exclaims Pickle, dismayed to think Ariadne might now have company. Treguard, however, is quick to perceive the true nature of this threat: "Mm, not a spider, Pickle, but something equally dangerous." As it creeps further across the screen, the others realise it too. Those are not legs, but fingers, with silver claw-like fingernails. A large red gemstone adorns the middle finger, while the little finger wears a gold disc ring. Treguard and Pickle would recognise that right hand anywhere. "Ahhh. There you are," comes a purring disembodied voice. "Extreme caution, team - I think you know who this is," says Treguard in a hushed voice. "So! You've made it into Level 3.... somehow," observes Lord Fear. It is clear from his tone that he is less than pleased about Toby flying under his radar, but he has more self-respect than to enquire how they managed it. "And I gather you've been tormenting my staff. I'll kindly thank you to remember that's MY job." "Could you try appealing to his vanity?" suggests Bronwen, remembering how they dealt with Hordriss in Level 1. Much to her surprise and abashment, Lord Fear does not allow Toby the chance to open his mouth. "No. Don't even bother trying to manipulate me," he interjects with the deadly calm of a snake, wagging his oversized index finger. "Just listen. You might have enjoyed your little game of hide-and-seek, but here in Level 3, we like to play hardball. And what's more, we like to win. So you go ahead and try your luck - believe me you're going to need it. We'll be tracking you every step of the way. And in the unlikely event of your survival, even if you should find a way to Marblehead, you'll never make it past my security measures." He indulges in a sinister chuckle at the thought of what lies in store for the unfortunate dungeoneer. Then he lifts his hand off the ground and makes a shooing motion. "Run along now... or would you like me to lend a hand?" His fingers curl playfully around Toby's back, as if just about to grab and squeeze him. "Oh, hurry!" cries Pickle. Bronwen quickly tells him to walk forward, with Fear's hand following close behind, accompanied by his evil laughter. *** The advisors find themselves looking through the Eyeshield once again, as Toby explores a path in between some tall rocks. At the end of this path is a black portal which he passes through. Emerging into open country, the team can see they have a daunting journey ahead of them. Apart from a chain of snow-capped mountains that are visible some distance away, there isn't much for Louis to describe. Before them lies a flat and barren landscape, offering little in the way of cover, save the occasional boulder or peculiar rock formation - it doesn't take a strategic genius to see that Toby will be extremely vulnerable to attack as he travels across it. (Indeed, all four children have the uncanny sense that they are being watched, although none of them elect to mention it.) The ground in this desolate region is reddish-brown and littered with small black stones, giving it a burnt and inhospitable appearance. Even the dark green foreboding sky gives every impression of siding against them. Just as Louis is about to send Toby on his way, Pickle interrupts: "Wait! I thought I saw something." He stares hard at the screen. "What sort of something?" asks Treguard, conscious of the need to get moving. Pickle slumps back onto the floor. "Never mind. I thought I saw movement up ahead, but it's just me being jumpy." Louis and Megan glance at one another. They both know the elf's eyesight is much sharper than their own; if Pickle thinks he saw something odd, he probably did. "OK, start walking forward," says Louis. A couple of seconds later, Megan suddenly asks "What was that?? Did you see that?" Louis tells the dungeoneer to stop again, while Bronwen wants to know what she saw. "I don't know, I just saw something move out the corner of my eye. It was on the left-hand side... I can't see anything now." She begins to feel a bit silly, wondering if she too was merely imagining things. Then Bronwen shouts "There! You're right!", spotting an indistinct movement in the same place. It is as if something - or someone - is perfectly camouflaged against the stones, and quite invisible when they're standing still. "I saw it too," Pickle adds worriedly. "But that's not where I saw it before." "I'm sure I just caught a glimpse of another one on the right," says Louis. "What is it, guys...?" asks Toby, feeling like a sitting duck for god only knows what. Megan tries to explain: "We think there might be some other people here, but we can't really see them." Pickle turns to face Treguard. "Master, you don't think...?" "I think Toby should make haste and get away from this place," replies Treguard. "If he is being followed by someone, they're almost certain to be enemies, and could even be assassins." Exactly what Pickle was afraid he might say. "Did you hear that, Toby?" says Louis. "Yes. Can we go now please?" Toby doesn't much like the idea that he may be surrounded and attacked at any moment, whilst blindfolded and defenceless. "Yeah, just keep in a straight line. I suggest you walk fast." Toby makes brisk progress. His advisors continue to scan both sides of the path for any sign of an ambush, until their screen switches to a view through the Eyeshield as he walks along, periodically turning from side to side. Stones crunch loudly underfoot. They soon catch sight of a portal standing off to the left of the main track, and eagerly instruct the dungeoneer to head that way. With any luck, it may transport him to a safer area. *** The team are somewhat deflated to find that the scenery here looks much the same as it did before. "You're still in this sort of desert area," reports Megan. "I think we should probably keep moving, because it might not be-- oh!!" The sentence remains unfinished as she notices another one of those vague, shadowy figures, lurking uncomfortably close to where Toby is standing. Nobody missed it this time, and Pickle flies into a panic: "Quick, there's an assassin! I saw the flash of a blade!" Treguard offers the best advice he can. "Whatever you do, Toby, don't try to run! You must attempt to drive it away - shouted threats will often do the trick, but you must be loud and persistent!" "Oi, you - back off!!!" yells Toby, waving the stone in his fist for added effect. "Go on - GET LOST!!!" All of a sudden, his so-called attacker becomes fully visible. To their astonishment, it's an attractive young woman with long, straight brown hair. "Dragonsbreath, there's no need to be rude!" she exclaims in a clipped upper-class accent. Pickle's jaw practically hits the floor. "If that's an assassin, I'm a cavern elf!" "Toby, there's a rather angry lady in front of you," Megan observes unnecessarily. "I think it's the warrior thief that Lord Fear was talking about - Stiletta." The clues are certainly there in her outfit: she wears a sleeveless brown leather minidress, low-cut and tight-fitting, with gladiator sandals and a helmet of vertical strips riveted to a bronze headband. Her belt has a pouch on one side and a knife sheath on the other, while additional knives are strapped to both of her upper arms as well as her right calf. This is evidently a girl not to be messed with. "Oh, I'm ever so sorry - I thought you were an assassin," Toby explains. "Deepest apologies." She gives a little snort of contempt. "Hmph! And what might you be?" "I'm a dungeoneer." That makes Stiletta laugh. "I might have known! Anyone else would have more sense. Jolly dangerous, wandering around the Dead Zone without a cloak of invisibility. It's the only way to survive around here - the whole place is crawling with Lord Fear's spies." Something in the other direction then catches her attention. "I say, speaking of the Opposition - it's that scruffy little nuisance, Sylvester Hands! Excuse me for a moment." She draws a magical throwing knife from her belt pouch and prepares to take aim as he approaches. "Urghh! Don't shoot!" pleads Hands, dropping to his knees. "Don't 'urt poor Sly. I-- I got a present for you." Stiletta keeps the knife raised above her head. "Well whatever it is, I'm not interested. You're really not my type, you know. Can't imagine you'd be anyone's type." "Ohh, but-- but I've brought you somefin' o' yours! Somefing... what I found. Yeah. That's right." His eyes dart shiftily from side to side. "I found it... an' I fought you might want it back. 'Cos I'm a nice person like that. 'Ere it is, look." He unfolds the piece of cloth he's carrying, to reveal a small jade knife with a leaf-shaped blade. Unable to hide her delight, Stiletta immediately abandons her attacking posture. "My old faithful! I don't believe it! Never thought I'd see that again." "Toby, Hands has got the knife," warns Megan. "I'll just leave it 'ere for ya...." says Sly, carefully laying it down on the ground and then backing away hastily as Stiletta steps forward. The dungeoneer intervenes: "Stop! He can't be trusted!" Stiletta stops in her tracks and turns to face him. "Oh, really, is that so?" Then she glances back at Sly, who appears to be shielding his face with one arm, though he lowers it quickly when he sees her looking at him. She narrows one eye suspiciously. "Lord Fear has placed a curse upon the blade, so that anyone who touches it will be destroyed," Toby explains. A barely audible gasp of outrage escapes her lips. She spins around to address Hands again. "And what do you say to this accusation?" "Not guilty, Yer Honour!" Hands cries instinctively, in the manner of someone who has spoken those words before. "It's all lies! Oh... I try an' do somefing nice out o' the goodness of my 'eart, and this is all the fanks I get." "Hmmm." Stiletta puts her hands on her hips, then gives a wily smile. "Well if that's true, then you won't mind picking it up yourself and demonstrating that it's safe." It's clear that Sly has not prepared for this eventuality. "Oh, er.... I better not, I might get it dirty," he mumbles, desperately trying to think on his feet. "Oh that doesn't matter," Stiletta replies sweetly. "They're easy enough to clean - heaven knows they need to be!" Time to abort this mission. "Oh! I've just remembered... I gotta be somewhere else," Hands splutters, beating a swift retreat. "Ooohh, too right you have!" She whips out another knife and sends it flying after him, followed by two more in quick succession. The third is met with an almighty high-pitched scream from somewhere off-screen. Stiletta winces. "It's just as well you didn't see where that went!" she tells Toby. "He's lucky I didn't use one of my sharp-edged blades..." "Ouch," Toby laughs. She grins. "Now then, dungeoneer - you've saved my life, but you haven't even told me your name!" "Oh, it's Toby." "Hello Toby," she says warmly, accepting a handshake. "I'm jolly lucky you came along when you did. Can't believe I was almost fooled by Sylvester Hands, of all people! I'm Stiletta, by the way. Don't suppose there's anything I can do for you in return?" "Ask her if she knows how to get into Marblehead," suggests Megan. After all, according to Lord Fear she's quite the expert at it. Toby asks her. "Oh yes, now that I can help you with!" Stiletta replies eagerly. "Well, the main obstacle is the Fireball Run. It's far too quick for most people, and you won't stand a chance with that helmet on. The only safe way through is to deactivate it. I'll give you a spell that should do the trick - it's called PAUSE. Got that?" "Thank you very much," says Toby as the advisors make a note of this. "No problem - it's the least I can do! Now I'd better get out of sight, before Lord Fear sends any more of his minions after me. I suggest you do the same! Good luck." She reaches for her cloak of invisibility and wraps it around her, instantly blending into the background as if she was never there. "Alright, let's go," says Megan, sending Toby onward in the same direction that Hands was last seen running for his life. *** Thankfully, they soon find a change of scenery. "You're heading into a mountainous region," says Bronwen. Toby stands on a path among the foothills, beyond which rise the high craggy peaks they had seen from further away. "There's something on the ground in front of you, if you want to walk forward a few steps." "It's a lemon. Yum," remarks Toby, placing the fruit in his knapsack. Treguard is able to offer some more words of wisdom. "Listen, team. If I'm not mistaken, this mountain range forms the eastern border of the Mire World. If you can get across it, you might be able to find a way through to Marblehead." "I don't like it," Pickle says warily. "Mountains are no place for a dungeoneer. All sorts of unpleasant creatures are known to dwell among them." "The sprite is right," concedes Treguard. "I've never travelled through these parts, so I can't be sure if anything lives here, but I wouldn't be surprised to meet trolls, goblins or even hobgoblins. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a Miretrog, either." "Not to mention the Opposition's ground patrols," adds Pickle. "Still, it's a chance they'll just have to take. And the longer Toby stands around doing nothing, the more likely it is that something will come to him." Bronwen directs Toby along the path until he disappears off the edge of their viewscreen. When they see him next, he is standing at the foot of an enormous staircase, hewn out of the rock itself. There is no way of knowing how far up it goes. "Well... onwards and upwards," says Treguard. Toby begins to ascend the rough stone steps. For some time, his advisors can only watch and murmur words of encouragement. Despite being an active, sporty child, he is panting for breath by the time he reaches the top - and still he must find the energy for one final exertion. The uppermost handful of steps are much taller, each about the height of a table, and will have to be clambered up one at a time. "Try sitting on the step first," suggests Bronwen. This turns out to be a good idea - Toby can easily haul himself onto the first step, swing his legs up onto it, then stand up and repeat the process for the next one. Before long he has made it onto a level path, and - after pausing to get his breath back - proceeds along it. "Right, you're now on a mountain pass," says Bronwen. "The path ahead looks safe for the moment." She has barely spoken these words, when Pickle frowns and asks "What's that noise?" Treguard tilts his head to one side, listening intently. There is definitely a strange bubbling sound to be heard, and it seems to be getting louder... or closer. "It reminds me of something." His eyes suddenly widen in alarm. "Miremen! Quickly, get Toby out of sight!" Bronwen is flustered, unsure of what to do, but luckily Megan is more on the ball. "Toby, sidestep left, and again. Move forward. Can you see a large boulder? OK, crouch down behind it - right in the corner." Toby finds a hiding place just in time, as three figures appear round the bend of the path. All three have scaly green skin, but while their leader is mostly humanoid, his shorter companions look more closely related to fish, with bulging eyes and gills as well as nostrils. Each of the creatures has a jagged crest running from the top of its head down the back of its neck, and masses of slimy weed hanging from its limbs and torso. They walk slowly and clumsily on large webbed feet, reminiscent of a swan out of water, but they are armed with sharp silver tridents and are probably not afraid to use them. "Keep quiet and don't move," whispers Megan. The taller individual creeps up alongside the boulder, waddling forward in a hunched position. The team recognise him as Lord Fear's trusted seneschal, Lissard, whom they spied on earlier in their quest. "Sh-sh-sh sh-sh-sh-sh sh-sh-sh-sh," he hisses at the pair of Miremen, apparently speaking in their own Atlantean language. "Weapons at the readiness! The loathsome kidsies will have to come this way. If we use speediness, we can intercept them on the great stepses." He snickers to himself, relishing the thought. Lissard continues past the boulder without spotting the dungeoneer, and the Miremen come lumbering along the path behind him. Huddled in the shadows, Toby holds his breath. It's partly to ensure they won't hear him, but mostly to block out the horrific stench of tuna fish wafting past. Despite their sluggish pace, the two Miremen fail to notice Toby, thanks to their poor vision on land. Once they are gone, Megan lets him know it's safe to come out. "Let's hope they don't come back too soon," she adds, as Toby carries on further into the mountains. *** "Toby, STOP. Do not walk forward!" The dungeoneer stands on a green hexagonal tile. In front of him are seven rows of these interlocking hexagons, each with a letter displayed upon it, and a final blank hexagon at the far end. This floor puzzle spans a deep gorge, and Louis has a feeling he knows what will happen if they don't choose their route carefully. "This is obviously the Causeway that Lord Fear mentioned," says Megan, checking her notes. "And he told Hands that he'd used his name as the code word, so I guess it must be SYLVESTER, by the looks of it." Louis describes the puzzle for Toby. "We're gonna have to guide you onto the right tiles so that it spells out the name. But be very careful where you step, because if we get it wrong... well, it's a long way down." "Your instincts are correct," says Treguard. "In addition, I must warn you about the Frightknight." In the upper left-hand corner of their screen, the silhouette of a Frightknight can be seen against the rock, its broadsword raised high above the natural archway which forms the exit. "It will act as a sort of timer. Whenever its sword hits the top of the arch, parts of the Causeway will fall away." The green, purple and grey hexagons form a confused jumble of letters from the name SYLVESTER, laid out as follows:    S R   T Y E  V L R T E R S S E  S T L V   L E Y    R S Before they start, the advisors work out the route they'll need to take, weaving along the right-hand edge of the Causeway. Then Louis prepares to guide Toby onto the first row, with its choice of two letters. "OK, move to your right a tiny bit. And just a fraction more." Just as he goes to send Toby forward, Megan interrupts: "Oh god! Wait a minute. He said to reverse it on the way back." "Huh?" "It spells 'SYLVESTER' when you're travelling away from Marblehead. We're heading towards it. Lord Fear told Hands to reverse the sequence when he came back, so I think we've got to spell it backwards - we want the R, not the S." "Are you sure?" They have spent too long discussing this. "Guys...!" says Bronwen in a warning voice. They realise the Frightknight's sword has begun to move. Louis will just have to take Megan's word for it. "Pace left, Toby! And another half step left!" The sword descends with alarming speed - it will take just 12 seconds to reach its lowest point. Already it is beginning to glow red, as if to indicate the urgency of the situation. "Take two steps forward." Toby steps onto the 'R' just as the Frightknight's sword touches the archway. The green start tile immediately falls away behind him with a loud grating noise, followed a moment later by the grey 'S' tile to his right - the one they had so nearly guided him onto. The close shave combined with the sound effect is enough to induce a cold sweat in all of them, but they know it's vital they stay focused, and don't let it put them off. "Inch right, Toby... and again," says Louis. He does not dare to use the word "sidestep" in case Toby overdoes it - with a massive drop right beside him, the slightest error of footwork here could be disastrous. "Walk forward." Having lined him up perfectly, they are able to send Toby straight across the second row and onto the third, stopping him on the letter 'T'. As the sword timer resets again, the first of the 'safe' tiles now drops away, followed by the two unsafe tiles in the row behind him. Louis starts to send Toby forward onto the green 'S' tile, but is once again interrupted, this time by Pickle. "Be careful! Where are you going next?" They freeze for a moment, not sure what he's getting at. Megan can be seen mentally spelling out 'SYLVESTER' backwards and then looking at the screen again. Suddenly she sees the problem... if Toby moves forward now, he will encounter a dead end, with no way of reaching the 'E' that should follow. There is, however, another green 'S' tile immediately to his left, and that one does indeed join up with an 'E' in the next row. No sooner has the penny dropped, than two more hexagons have done the same - the remaining safe tile in the previous row, and the 'V' from the end of his current row. They panic a little, realising they can't afford to dither any longer. "He's gotta go sideways!" says Megan, quickly taking over. "Sidestep left! And again! And again! Inch left! Walk forward!" They are fortunate to have a dungeoneer who responds without hesitation, as he proceeds onto the 'E' just in time. A couple of seconds later and he would have been a goner when the 'T', 'L' and 'S' tiles drop out in rapid succession. Louis resumes his navigating role so that Megan can regain her composure. By the time the Frightknight's sword comes down again, Toby has continued forward onto the 'V' and sidestepped right onto the neighbouring 'L', at which point the entire fourth row falls away behind him. After a few minor scares, the team are starting to get the hang of this now. "Inch right," says Louis, lining him up with the 'Y' in front. "Step forward. And again. Actually, you can take a couple more paces forward." All of the tiles apart from the safe 'L' disappear from the fifth row, but Toby is virtually home and dry, having already reached the final 'S'. As the Frightknight's sword descends one last time, all that remains is to guide him forward onto the single blank green hexagon at the end. Great teams may have perished on Lord Fear's fiendish Causeways, but not today, as Toby steps triumphantly across the finish line. "Tiny sidestep to the right... and walk forward." Three more stone tiles noisily drop away, leaving only a trio of letters behind as Toby exits through the archway. *** The advisors find their dungeoneer standing on the edge of a dizzying precipice. "Tobes, you're on a very narrow mountain path," says Megan. "You should be able to feel a wall on your left, but there's a huge drop to your right, so be careful. A little way ahead of you on the left, there seems to be an opening in the rock." "Well, it looks as if you have a choice of paths, team," observes Treguard. "You can either continue along this ledge, or... venture into the cave." He adds no further comment, but his tone would appear to suggest that he considers the latter option inadvisable. Pickle is quick to offer his two silver coins' worth. "If you want my opinion--" "Thank you, Pickle!" Treguard cuts in sharply. "We're all familiar with your views on cave exploration, but it's not up to you. The team must decide for themselves." "What shall we do, guys?" asks Megan. The three of them are inclined to agree with Pickle. The cave entrance looks gloomy and uninviting, to say the least - not that the alternative is much more appealing. Toby, however, has a different take on it: "Lord Fear said he'd be tracking us, and Stiletta said I should get out of sight, so I think we should try the cave. We might be able to sneak through unnoticed, like we did before." "Good point," says Megan, while her teammates murmur and nod. Treguard refrains from pointing out that they are now within Lord Fear's own domain, and attempting to hide from his view is a futile exercise. As Dungeon Master he is bound by certain rules, and he must take care not to influence their decision. "Alright, let's do it then." Megan instructs Toby to feel his way along the cliff until he reaches the opening. "Wish me luck!" he says with false cheeriness. For better or worse, the young dungeoneer enters the cave. Nobody even hears Pickle's faint whisper of "Good luck, Toby". *** Chapter 4 >>> Feedback