hand to Maximus to calm him.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Miles.”
Miles ignores Pard, and he wobbles his head while talking to Maximus as if a baby. “There you are, good little wretched pooch you are. Just relax, you ugly vermin.”
Grrrr—ruff
Maximus leaps up and nips Miles’s hand, drawing blood.
“Shit!” Miles snaps his hand away. “The nasty Yitch rat just bit me.”
Grrrr
“I think we better go,” Pard says with a shaky voice.
“No way, we came here to see your mother’s locket, and we’re here now, so let’s check it out.”
Grrrr
“Maximus,” Yitch says in a sweet voice.
Pard’s and Miles’s jaws drop and they both freeze.
“Come back to bed, sweetums.”
Grrrr—
“Yeah, I think it’s time to go,” Miles says, a hint of fear poking through his confident demeanor.
Pard backs away with one foot in the passageway. “ Umm , yeah, good idea, wish I thought of that earlier.”
Ruff—
The mattress springs squeak and the floor boards creak as Yitch gets out of bed. “What’s gotten into you tonight? We had all the mice exterminated last week—they can’t be back that quick.”
Pard’s eyes widen as the far end of the room lightens from a flickering candle glowing brighter. He slowly moves farther into the passageway while tugging on the back of Miles’s sweater.
Miles shuffles his feet backward, not taking his eye off the light until his hand finds the edge of the stone door.
Grrrr—ruff
“What’s that light in my office?” Yitch says, seeing the faint flicker of Miles’s torch. “Maximus?”
Miles grinds the stone door shut as Maximus glares him down with nose pressed against the crack.
Grrrr—
Click—
Ruff—ruff—ruff
“Sweet Maximus, what is it? What’s gotten you so wound up tonight?” Yitch stands in front of the false door and looks at the gnarly pug-nosed dog still focused and foaming and determined, not taking its eyes off the crack that Pard and Miles just disappeared through.
Suspicious, Yitch’s eyes narrow as he scans the stone wall, placing his palm on the false facade.
Pard and Miles, frozen in place feet away from the condor, they hold their breath, separated only by a thin veneer of stone and a thousand-year-old wooden door.
Yitch crouches and lowers his candle to the floor, a thin veil of dust covers the immaculate surface, blown in from the Marlow Corridor. He circles his red velvet slipper in the dirt. “ Humph .”
Grrrr
“Looks like the cleaners missed some dust today. Shame, I was getting used to the new help, but if you can’t even clean a floor if you’re a cleaner, then what can you do?” Yitch turns away from the false door. “Come on, Maximus, remind me to fire the cleaners in the morning.”
Pard’s eyes widen as he gives Miles a dirty look.
Miles shrugs.
A draft of wind barrels through the passageway sweeping a cloud of dust over Pard.
Pard’s body lurches taking in the air.
Miles sees Pard’s face contort, and he slaps his hand over Pard’s mouth and nose.
“ Achoo ,” Pard lets out a muffled sneeze.
Yitch jerks to a stop and slowly turns. “Did you hear that, Maximus?”
Maximus growls.
Miles gulps.
Pard’s body tenses, about to let out another sneeze.
Miles presses his palm even tighter over Pard’s mouth and nose.
Yitch stares at the stone wall for a few seconds. “ Humph , let’s go, Maximus, back to bed.”
Pard’s eyes drift and his body sways from the lack of oxygen.
Miles whispers, “You good?”
Pard nods, whether he’s good or not he doesn’t know or care, but he does know he needs to breathe or he’ll pass out in another few seconds.
Miles slowly removes his hand.
They make their way through the dark corridor and away from Yitch’s office.
Pard moves faster well ahead of Miles, not wanting to risk another sneeze. After a few minutes, he reaches the end of the corridor and rubs his dirty forehead as he waits for Miles to catch up to him. Miles’s
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Miles.”
Miles ignores Pard, and he wobbles his head while talking to Maximus as if a baby. “There you are, good little wretched pooch you are. Just relax, you ugly vermin.”
Grrrr—ruff
Maximus leaps up and nips Miles’s hand, drawing blood.
“Shit!” Miles snaps his hand away. “The nasty Yitch rat just bit me.”
Grrrr
“I think we better go,” Pard says with a shaky voice.
“No way, we came here to see your mother’s locket, and we’re here now, so let’s check it out.”
Grrrr
“Maximus,” Yitch says in a sweet voice.
Pard’s and Miles’s jaws drop and they both freeze.
“Come back to bed, sweetums.”
Grrrr—
“Yeah, I think it’s time to go,” Miles says, a hint of fear poking through his confident demeanor.
Pard backs away with one foot in the passageway. “ Umm , yeah, good idea, wish I thought of that earlier.”
Ruff—
The mattress springs squeak and the floor boards creak as Yitch gets out of bed. “What’s gotten into you tonight? We had all the mice exterminated last week—they can’t be back that quick.”
Pard’s eyes widen as the far end of the room lightens from a flickering candle glowing brighter. He slowly moves farther into the passageway while tugging on the back of Miles’s sweater.
Miles shuffles his feet backward, not taking his eye off the light until his hand finds the edge of the stone door.
Grrrr—ruff
“What’s that light in my office?” Yitch says, seeing the faint flicker of Miles’s torch. “Maximus?”
Miles grinds the stone door shut as Maximus glares him down with nose pressed against the crack.
Grrrr—
Click—
Ruff—ruff—ruff
“Sweet Maximus, what is it? What’s gotten you so wound up tonight?” Yitch stands in front of the false door and looks at the gnarly pug-nosed dog still focused and foaming and determined, not taking its eyes off the crack that Pard and Miles just disappeared through.
Suspicious, Yitch’s eyes narrow as he scans the stone wall, placing his palm on the false facade.
Pard and Miles, frozen in place feet away from the condor, they hold their breath, separated only by a thin veneer of stone and a thousand-year-old wooden door.
Yitch crouches and lowers his candle to the floor, a thin veil of dust covers the immaculate surface, blown in from the Marlow Corridor. He circles his red velvet slipper in the dirt. “ Humph .”
Grrrr
“Looks like the cleaners missed some dust today. Shame, I was getting used to the new help, but if you can’t even clean a floor if you’re a cleaner, then what can you do?” Yitch turns away from the false door. “Come on, Maximus, remind me to fire the cleaners in the morning.”
Pard’s eyes widen as he gives Miles a dirty look.
Miles shrugs.
A draft of wind barrels through the passageway sweeping a cloud of dust over Pard.
Pard’s body lurches taking in the air.
Miles sees Pard’s face contort, and he slaps his hand over Pard’s mouth and nose.
“ Achoo ,” Pard lets out a muffled sneeze.
Yitch jerks to a stop and slowly turns. “Did you hear that, Maximus?”
Maximus growls.
Miles gulps.
Pard’s body tenses, about to let out another sneeze.
Miles presses his palm even tighter over Pard’s mouth and nose.
Yitch stares at the stone wall for a few seconds. “ Humph , let’s go, Maximus, back to bed.”
Pard’s eyes drift and his body sways from the lack of oxygen.
Miles whispers, “You good?”
Pard nods, whether he’s good or not he doesn’t know or care, but he does know he needs to breathe or he’ll pass out in another few seconds.
Miles slowly removes his hand.
They make their way through the dark corridor and away from Yitch’s office.
Pard moves faster well ahead of Miles, not wanting to risk another sneeze. After a few minutes, he reaches the end of the corridor and rubs his dirty forehead as he waits for Miles to catch up to him. Miles’s
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