was something about it that seemed to apply to this situation. He turned his attention from Riq’s attempts to chisel at the window and looked around the cell. He looked at the door. The lock where he’d spent several frustrated hours.
The lock
.
That was it! Dak almost wanted to jump. “Abi!”
Sera and Riq startled in surprise at his outburst.
“Yes?” Abi said.
“Can I cut off a piece of silk from your turban?” Dak asked.
“I . . . I suppose if it is absolutely necessary.” Abi started unwinding it from his head again. “What do you plan to do?”
“You’ll see,” Dak said.
A few moments later, Abi tossed one end of the thin fabric across the hallway, and Dak used the knife to slice off a couple of inches. Abi pulled the rest back, while Dak took the metal pick that Sera hadn’t been able to put back in the SQuare. He went to the door, reached around, and laid the piece of silk from Abi’s turban over the keyhole. Then he took the pick, and gently packed the silk into the lock. He remembered the way the inside looked in his head, and he packed the silk all around the pins.
“What are you doing?” Sera asked.
“The silk is quiet,” Dak said. “And slippery. When the guards go to use their key, I think the silk will give enough to let the door unlock, but then it’ll jam up the pins, and keep it from locking again when they close the door. We’ll be able to walk right out of here.”
“Uh, don’t you think the guards will notice the door not staying shut?” Riq asked.
“Not if we do something to keep them from noticing,” Dak said. “And I’ve got an idea for that, too.”
Dak explained it to them, and they were both quiet. So was Abi.
“Dak?” Sera finally said.
“Yes?”
“I think this might be one of your
good
ideas.”
Dak smiled with a bit of pride. “Let’s hope it works.”
The rest of that night, they rehearsed what they would do when the guards came. Riq tossed the knife and pick to Abi, managing to land them both right through the bars, and Abi cut some silk and did the same thing with the lock on his door.
The sun came up, and everyone waited without saying much. Then, sometime midmorning, Dak heard the guards coming. He nodded to Riq and Sera. They nodded back.
Moments later, the guards came into view with the same bowls of nasty food. One of them pulled out his key and stuck it into the lock. Dak’s heartbeat quickened. He held his breath. The guard tried to turn the key, stopped, and looked down at the lock.
Was it going to work
?
The guard turned harder, and the lock clicked. He pulled the key out and opened the door the same foot or so they always did to slide the bowls of food in and out.
Dak readied himself, and hoped Riq was doing the same.
Then, right as the guard went to close the door, Dak launched himself at it.
“N O!” D AK screamed. “Let me out! You can’t keep me here!”
Riq rushed the door, too, ready to play his part. The guard reacted to Dak’s charge by slamming the door shut hard just as Dak crashed against it. Dak and Riq grabbed the bars at the same time, and while Dak made a show of tugging hard on them, Riq used his strength to keep the door from opening. Assuming the door would open.
The guards stepped away from Dak’s thrashing at the door. “Back off!” one of them shouted.
Dak stopped pulling and glared at them.
“Back off,” the guard said again.
Dak stepped away from the door.
“You want to eat,” the guard said, “you won’t ever try anything like that again. Understand?”
“I understand,” Dak said.
The guards turned to Abi. They unlocked his cell, and as they went to close it again, he performed a variation of what Dak had done, though not quite as extreme. The guards did not look pleased.
“You, too, traitor?” one of them said. “Just for that, no food for any of you tonight! This is all you get until tomorrow.”
“You can’t do that!” Sera shouted.
“No?” The guard looked at
The lock
.
That was it! Dak almost wanted to jump. “Abi!”
Sera and Riq startled in surprise at his outburst.
“Yes?” Abi said.
“Can I cut off a piece of silk from your turban?” Dak asked.
“I . . . I suppose if it is absolutely necessary.” Abi started unwinding it from his head again. “What do you plan to do?”
“You’ll see,” Dak said.
A few moments later, Abi tossed one end of the thin fabric across the hallway, and Dak used the knife to slice off a couple of inches. Abi pulled the rest back, while Dak took the metal pick that Sera hadn’t been able to put back in the SQuare. He went to the door, reached around, and laid the piece of silk from Abi’s turban over the keyhole. Then he took the pick, and gently packed the silk into the lock. He remembered the way the inside looked in his head, and he packed the silk all around the pins.
“What are you doing?” Sera asked.
“The silk is quiet,” Dak said. “And slippery. When the guards go to use their key, I think the silk will give enough to let the door unlock, but then it’ll jam up the pins, and keep it from locking again when they close the door. We’ll be able to walk right out of here.”
“Uh, don’t you think the guards will notice the door not staying shut?” Riq asked.
“Not if we do something to keep them from noticing,” Dak said. “And I’ve got an idea for that, too.”
Dak explained it to them, and they were both quiet. So was Abi.
“Dak?” Sera finally said.
“Yes?”
“I think this might be one of your
good
ideas.”
Dak smiled with a bit of pride. “Let’s hope it works.”
The rest of that night, they rehearsed what they would do when the guards came. Riq tossed the knife and pick to Abi, managing to land them both right through the bars, and Abi cut some silk and did the same thing with the lock on his door.
The sun came up, and everyone waited without saying much. Then, sometime midmorning, Dak heard the guards coming. He nodded to Riq and Sera. They nodded back.
Moments later, the guards came into view with the same bowls of nasty food. One of them pulled out his key and stuck it into the lock. Dak’s heartbeat quickened. He held his breath. The guard tried to turn the key, stopped, and looked down at the lock.
Was it going to work
?
The guard turned harder, and the lock clicked. He pulled the key out and opened the door the same foot or so they always did to slide the bowls of food in and out.
Dak readied himself, and hoped Riq was doing the same.
Then, right as the guard went to close the door, Dak launched himself at it.
“N O!” D AK screamed. “Let me out! You can’t keep me here!”
Riq rushed the door, too, ready to play his part. The guard reacted to Dak’s charge by slamming the door shut hard just as Dak crashed against it. Dak and Riq grabbed the bars at the same time, and while Dak made a show of tugging hard on them, Riq used his strength to keep the door from opening. Assuming the door would open.
The guards stepped away from Dak’s thrashing at the door. “Back off!” one of them shouted.
Dak stopped pulling and glared at them.
“Back off,” the guard said again.
Dak stepped away from the door.
“You want to eat,” the guard said, “you won’t ever try anything like that again. Understand?”
“I understand,” Dak said.
The guards turned to Abi. They unlocked his cell, and as they went to close it again, he performed a variation of what Dak had done, though not quite as extreme. The guards did not look pleased.
“You, too, traitor?” one of them said. “Just for that, no food for any of you tonight! This is all you get until tomorrow.”
“You can’t do that!” Sera shouted.
“No?” The guard looked at
Similar Books
