hole, with steps leading downward. I meant to approach it boldly. But my knees felt weak, so I edged toward it. The opening was wide at the mouth but narrowed quickly. Cold, putrid air streamed from it.
I drew back. “How far is the chamber?”
“The dwarf said the walk was no more than half an hour.”
Half an hour, and half an hour to return. An hour in that tunnel! “How will I see my way?”
“I can give you light, but I don’t like your going in there alone. Perhaps we should go to the queen after all.”
“We can’t. Meryl can’t wait.”
Rhys tapped his baton twice and held it out to me. “When you enter the darkness, it will begin to glow.”
I took the baton. “If anything happens to me, will you go straight to the queen and beg for an immediate audience?”
He nodded and went on nodding as I added, “If she won’t grant it, tell Father. Perhaps she’ll see him more quickly.”
I crouched over the entrance. A gust of foul air eddied out. I drew the cloak tighter around me and turned back to Rhys. “Couldn’t . . .” I was about to ask if he’d come in a short way with me, but I couldn’t risk Meryl’s life. “I suppose . . . I’ll go now.”
Rhys looked so worried that it eased my fear a bit.
“Farewell.” I lowered my foot to the first step. Icy cold traveled up my leg to my heart. I withdrew my leg. I couldn’t go in there.
I had to.
I tried to make myself move, but I stood frozen.
It was absurd. Entering the tunnel was the least dangerous thing I’d done all day. No monsters would be within, and Rhys would guard the entrance.
I took a deep breath—and still failed to move. I was yet the coward, unable to do what was needed. I turned to Rhys.
“If you think it unsafe,” he said, “you mustn’t go in there. You can simply go on with your quest.”
How would I continue the quest if I couldn’t even do this? I put my foot on the first step again, and this time I didn’t withdraw it, but I couldn’t make my other foot follow. I stood that way for a full five minutes, staring into the darkness, while the hole belched its dank vapors at me.
If I fetched the ring, Meryl would be well and I’d be safe. I’d never have to leave Bamarre castle again if I didn’t want to.
My left foot followed my right. I began the descent.
“Princess Addie?”
I turned.
There was another Rhys, sailing between the trees a few yards from me. “Princess Addie? Are you here?” it called. It didn’t seem to see me.
A specter! I was about to catch a specter!
“Begone, Monster!” Rhys commanded. “You shall not—”
“No! Wait!” I stepped out of the hole. “Don’t leave, you monster,” I shouted. “I have a question to ask you.” Perhaps I wouldn’t have to go in the hole after all.
It turned at the sound of my voice. “Princess Addie? Is that you? I can’t see you. Are you wearing your magic cloak?”
Chapter Seventeen
----
M Y CLOAK ! I WHIPPED it off. Only specters and dragons could see me while I wore it. I’d been wandering with a specter! I’d been gulled again.
The spectral Rhys, the monster, the one that had lured me here, began to laugh, sounding high-pitched and cruel. It hugged itself and rocked with laughter. It began to vanish.
“Stay,” I said, my voice weak from fright and shock.
It continued to disappear. In a moment it would be gone.
“Stay!” I shouted. “I command you.”
It reappeared.
“Tell me how to find the cure to the Gray Death.”
The real Rhys took my sack from the specter.
It spoke. “I know nothing of a cure, but dragons and fairies know.” It laughed again. “But you’ll have an easier time finding a dragon than a fairy.” It bowed in a mockery of Rhys’s extravagant gesture. Then it vanished. Its baton, which I still held, vanished too, and my fingers closed over air.
I backed away from the hole. For a moment I couldn’t speak. Finally I said, “Is Meryl all right? Is she worse?”
“She’s unchanged. No
I drew back. “How far is the chamber?”
“The dwarf said the walk was no more than half an hour.”
Half an hour, and half an hour to return. An hour in that tunnel! “How will I see my way?”
“I can give you light, but I don’t like your going in there alone. Perhaps we should go to the queen after all.”
“We can’t. Meryl can’t wait.”
Rhys tapped his baton twice and held it out to me. “When you enter the darkness, it will begin to glow.”
I took the baton. “If anything happens to me, will you go straight to the queen and beg for an immediate audience?”
He nodded and went on nodding as I added, “If she won’t grant it, tell Father. Perhaps she’ll see him more quickly.”
I crouched over the entrance. A gust of foul air eddied out. I drew the cloak tighter around me and turned back to Rhys. “Couldn’t . . .” I was about to ask if he’d come in a short way with me, but I couldn’t risk Meryl’s life. “I suppose . . . I’ll go now.”
Rhys looked so worried that it eased my fear a bit.
“Farewell.” I lowered my foot to the first step. Icy cold traveled up my leg to my heart. I withdrew my leg. I couldn’t go in there.
I had to.
I tried to make myself move, but I stood frozen.
It was absurd. Entering the tunnel was the least dangerous thing I’d done all day. No monsters would be within, and Rhys would guard the entrance.
I took a deep breath—and still failed to move. I was yet the coward, unable to do what was needed. I turned to Rhys.
“If you think it unsafe,” he said, “you mustn’t go in there. You can simply go on with your quest.”
How would I continue the quest if I couldn’t even do this? I put my foot on the first step again, and this time I didn’t withdraw it, but I couldn’t make my other foot follow. I stood that way for a full five minutes, staring into the darkness, while the hole belched its dank vapors at me.
If I fetched the ring, Meryl would be well and I’d be safe. I’d never have to leave Bamarre castle again if I didn’t want to.
My left foot followed my right. I began the descent.
“Princess Addie?”
I turned.
There was another Rhys, sailing between the trees a few yards from me. “Princess Addie? Are you here?” it called. It didn’t seem to see me.
A specter! I was about to catch a specter!
“Begone, Monster!” Rhys commanded. “You shall not—”
“No! Wait!” I stepped out of the hole. “Don’t leave, you monster,” I shouted. “I have a question to ask you.” Perhaps I wouldn’t have to go in the hole after all.
It turned at the sound of my voice. “Princess Addie? Is that you? I can’t see you. Are you wearing your magic cloak?”
Chapter Seventeen
----
M Y CLOAK ! I WHIPPED it off. Only specters and dragons could see me while I wore it. I’d been wandering with a specter! I’d been gulled again.
The spectral Rhys, the monster, the one that had lured me here, began to laugh, sounding high-pitched and cruel. It hugged itself and rocked with laughter. It began to vanish.
“Stay,” I said, my voice weak from fright and shock.
It continued to disappear. In a moment it would be gone.
“Stay!” I shouted. “I command you.”
It reappeared.
“Tell me how to find the cure to the Gray Death.”
The real Rhys took my sack from the specter.
It spoke. “I know nothing of a cure, but dragons and fairies know.” It laughed again. “But you’ll have an easier time finding a dragon than a fairy.” It bowed in a mockery of Rhys’s extravagant gesture. Then it vanished. Its baton, which I still held, vanished too, and my fingers closed over air.
I backed away from the hole. For a moment I couldn’t speak. Finally I said, “Is Meryl all right? Is she worse?”
“She’s unchanged. No
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