board. Slowly, the plank lifted the boulder and dropped it with a crashing walop, a little way from the original spot. Leri cupped her chest and closed her eyes as Brochfael jumped off the plank right before it fel with a loud thump. “It looks like fun,” Branda’s tone reflected her growing anticipation of finding the treasure. “You can do it next time, Princess.” Brochfael grinned but the upturned smile transformed into an open-mouthed look of shock as he stared at what had been underneath the huge rock. Al five of them gulped at the same time. A nest of writhing, zigzag-striped adders, brown and black, as wel as two-toned gray snakes aimed their flat heads in the trio’s direction. Leri, Branda and Brochfael stepped back as forty or more vipers slinked toward those who had disturbed them. Leri let out a piercing scream as adders crawled over her feet. Branda held her torch tighter and huddled against the wal of the tomb. The two guards backed up against the tomb’s wal beside tomb. The two guards backed up against the tomb’s wal beside the Princess. “Back!” Brochfael yeled at Leri. She stepped back until she was beside Branda. One of the adders was a span away from Branda’s feet. She stooped down, held the flaming torch to the squirming vipers and set them afire. She and Leri turned toward the wal as they coughed from the smoke and gagging odor of flaming adders. Brochfael and the two guards choked on the smoke as they drew out their swords and clubbed the vipers. The men tried to catch their breath while more adders crept toward them. Leri and Branda stepped forward and set more adders on fire. Finaly, the vipers were slaughtered. Burnt and mutilated dead snakes scattered the chamber floor. Brochfael coughed as he scraped the hilt end of his sword in the dirt trying to see if anything lay beneath. Branda and Leri wrapped their arms around each other. Brochfael’s sword clanked against something. “It sounds like rock.” He knelt down and began digging. The two guards joined him. “Wil you look at that,” one of the guards said when he uncovered a long box, carved out of stone with a lid engraved in ogham symbols. Leri held the torch as she read the ancient Druid script. “The man who steals this sword shal lose both his hands and no physician wil be able to stifle the endless pain.” “Wel, that’s morbid,” said one of the guards. “God’s teeth!” Branda shuddered. “Should we not open it?” Leri shrugged. “Do you think there are adders inside?” Branda asked. “I think this box holds something more deadly than adders.” Brochfael grunted as he lifted the long, heavy box and set it on the ground between the bodies of the dead vipers. A heavy chain was wrapped around it with a lock. “Stand back.” He puled his sword from its sheath. “Beware, Brochfael,” Leri yeled out as she and Branda moved close together. He swung the sword down in strong whacks until he broke the lock off. He unraveled the chains and pried the box open with the tip of his sword. The moment the lid fel off it tripped the cord attached to it and caused a board to rise with an axe blade cord attached to it and caused a board to rise with an axe blade mounted upright on it. That triggered another cord which propeled the deadly blade to swing side to side. Al five of them gasped in unison. Brochfael took a deep breath. “The box was rigged, meant to sever the hands of anyone who opened it.” Leri exhaled. “Brochfael, thank the gods you are unscathed.” Branda held her hand over her pounding heart. Brochfael cut the rigging with his sword and the axe blade and the board it was mounted on dropped to the dirt. They al huddled around the box. She held out the torch and peered down. She saw a snake in the open box. “A viper!” She jumped back. Brochfael took the torch from her and held it to the box. “It’s a sheath encasing a hilted