Qing's Quest book 2, Chapter 33: Injustice

Qing stared as Rendal slapped his hand on a brick and stared up at a metal grate, proudly saying, “This is it.”

Knut, arching his neck to stare up, said, “That’s barely a vent for air.”

“I thought you had a secret entrance, like hidden behind a bookcase, a trapdoor hidden in the floor or something like that,” Morgana said, hand on hip.

“Rendal, you know I won’t be able to fit in there,” Ghida said, “My hips, they—” 

“Of course,” Rendal said, interrupting her. “I won’t fit either. But your friends, they are small and slim. Besides, you can just walk in with me past the golems like always.”

High on the wall, the metal grid looked like the entrance to a medieval air duct. And Rendal was right. Neither him, nor the princess would fit inside. But Knut, Morgana, and Qing might all get through, but it would be a tight squeeze.

“If there are soldiers looking for me, wouldn’t they have changed the golem’s scripts already? Make them look for me?”

“No. I checked that earlier today and nothing was added.”

“What if they’ve changed after you checked?”

“They wouldn’t do that,” Rendal said, shaking his head. “They’ve never changed the golem’s scripts twice in a day before.”

“Not exactly something I’d like to bet my life on,” Ghida said.

“Since you can’t fit, how do you get books through here?” Qing asked.

“Oh, there’s a room on the left when you head straight into the vent. From that room, I open the grate, slide the books over here, and grab them from this side. I have to walk through an exit, or the golems would know something was up. They keep a record of who has entered and exited, and with what.”

“So, once you are inside with the princess, if anyone checks with the golems, they will know she’s here,” Knut said.

“That is true.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to go get the books and slide them out to us here? Then we don’t need to deal with the golems?” Qing asked.

“There are too many soldiers and librarians here. We’ll run into someone sooner rather than later. You heard the officer outside. Your friends need to get out of the guard uniforms before they get Shiha caught.”

“Anyone got any better ideas?”

“I’m still not—” Knut started saying, but the sound of marching sounded filtered down the corridors, cutting him off.

“Shit,” Qing said. “We need this book. Seems we have to go get it. But we can’t stay long.” He turned to Morgana. “Hurry inside.”

“You two go first,” she said.

“Why?” Knut asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier for us to lift you up?”

“Let you stare at my arse the whole way through? Hell no. You two get up.”

Knut shrugged at Qing. “She’s not wrong.”

“They’re nearly here!” Ghida hissed, and Rendal brought a tiny ladder from nearby, propping it up against the wall.

From nearby, Rendal brought a tiny ladder and propped it up against the wall.

Knut rushed up, flipping the grate down, and slipping inside the thin space. “Remember,” Rendal said, “head straight, then right at the second fork, then the first left, and then the room should be on your right. And be quiet. I don’t want anyone to figure out you’re in there.”

Qing nodded to the princess and scampered up. “Don’t get caught, and hurry. I’m not spending a moment inside that cramped shaft than I need.” Then he reached inside and pulled himself through.

Yippee-ka-yay…

His head touched the roof when he looked forward, and he couldn’t get both shoulders to stop touching the sides at the same time. When crawling, his elbows slid along each side, one at a time, and claustrophobia scratched at the back of his mind. This was no vent made from thin sheet metal that he could push his way out of if needed. This was a tiny tunnel built as part of the stone walls.

Morgana climbed in behind.

The grate shut.

Ghida and Rendal’s footsteps receded.

His breath was loud in his ears as he pulled with his hands and pushed with his toes, following Knut as silently as he could. After a minute, he came to a metal grate sat to his left, and he paused to look into the room. About the size of a dining room at home, it had a round table in the middle, and iron shelves covered every wall, even framing the door that sat opposite the vent. This had to be the room from which Rendal would slide books in and out.

Three men sat around the table. Two wore robes, like Rendal, and the third looked like a nobleman, dressed like those in the throne room. He even had silver slippers with golden brocade.

“…nd Vizier’s guest from the East has left the palace. I had to hand deliver several books to him. Disgusting man,” one of the librarians said.

“Which books?” asked the second.

“Several key works on the Augrian pyramid and its inner workings.”

“Why would they entrust him with that knowledge?”

“You are right to question. He is a foreigner. It makes—”

“He has Wazir’s favour,” the nobleman said. “That’s enough for you.”

The two librarians practically fell over themselves to agree, but Qing stopped listening as a window appeared in front of his eyes.

New Quest: [Investigate the Augrian Pyramid]

You’ve heard rumours that the enemy may be working in the Augrian pyramid.

-Objective: Scout the Augrian pyramid

-Reward: 1 skill-point

They must be talking about Rufus! But which of the dozen pyramids is the Augrian? The princess must know.

Should they turn around and leave, hurry to the pyramid? Was getting this quest the only thing for them in here?

Qing forced himself to take a slow breath, thinking of GG’s advice.

Don’t be too hasty. The princess has headed inside already. Even if we go back out, it’s not sure we’ll catch her in time. Let’s go in and get the book first.

The three men prattled on about how the princess chase interrupted their work, and Morgana tapped on Qing’s heel. He continued, passing first one junction, and then catching up to Knut, who had just finished slithering around the corner. 

Was the pyramid why Rufus hadn’t been in the quarters? He’d already left? Or was it our attack which made him move? 

Each laborious movement felt like torture as he slid through the vent at a snail’s pace.

I should be out there fighting. Not hiding. 

He knew it was stupid, but being stuck in here made him feel so impotent. Unable to impact the situation.

He leaned onto his left shoulder, twisting his body, and grabbed the corner.

Then he pulled.

And promptly got stuck, wedged in worse than a sofa up a pair of stairs. He tried pivoting, but the walls held him rock steady. 

“Move,” Morgana said, hissing from behind. 

“I’m stuck.”

“Suck in your belly.”

“I tried.”

“Breathe out then, and I’ll push from behind.”

He let all the air out of his lungs and pulled with his fingers while pressing with his toes. Morgana grabbed his leg and pushed him forward, one inch, where he got even worse stuck. He could barely breathe, filling a tiny part of his lungs. 

Panic clawed at him. 

He was going to die here.

Suffocate to death.

His leg cramped, and he bit his teeth to keep from crying out. The guards or golems would hear him.

Knut peeked behind, saw him stuck, and started shuffling backwards. But he moved so slow.

He won’t make it in time. I’m going to die!

Qing closed his eyes and reached for the arcane power, pulling on the universe’s energy. He placed his hand on the corner, right next to his chest, and cast Magic Missiles. They popped straight out of his right hand and carved three fist-sized globes out of the stone, freeing a few extra inches of space for him to squeeze through.

He popped free, sliding in after Knut. 

Elbows tucked tight, he leaned his forehead on the floor and let his body shake, releasing the fear.

A loud blaring filled the air, filtering into the vents.

“What the hell did you do?” Morgana said, hissing.

Knut didn’t wait around, but started sliding rapidly through the vent ahead.

Qing followed. At the next corner, he stretched one arm in first, gaining an inch, and he got through without getting stuck. Knut was already glancing into a room up ahead, hand held up, palm facing Qing.

He wants me to wait.

Qing crept ever so slowly forward, making not the least sound.

“Nothing here, sir,” a voice said from the room. “Not even Rendal, the librarian. Room’s registered to him.”

“Go find him, and bring him to me,” another voice said. This one had an oily feel to it. Any further orders were cut off as a door slammed shut, and Qing heard a lock being turned.

Knut smoothly opened and lowered the vent, before continuing past the opening.

“You first,” he said. “I’ll need help.”

Qing crept forward and looked into the room. Similar to the previous one, it had iron shelves filled with books lining the walls. But it looked as if a group of teenage geeks had filled the round table with every book they’d ever read, in absolutely no order. There were stacks upon stacks on the floor, and barely a path lay clear to the door.

“Not how I had envisioned his working style,” Qing said to Knut as he lowered his torso into the room. Goosebumps crawled across his arms and shoulders as the mental weight of uncountable tons of stone lifted from his skin.

Careful of making the least amount of sound, Qing wedged his feet, and lowered himself, arms first, before dropping the last part, landing in a handstand. He nearly toppled over, but swiftly walked his hands out onto the floor and his legs down the wall.

After breathing a sigh of relief, he helped both Knut and Morgana down.

While waiting for Rendal and the princess, they changed out of their stolen uniforms, as any guards inside would be immediately suspect. Qing guarded the door, ear pressed against the wood, trying to make out what happened outside. As he closed his eyes, the scent of old leather and parchment that hung in the air intensified.

He held up a hand.

Footsteps.

“Rendal. How kind of you to join us,” said the oily voice.

“Please, Tariq. I—”

“Shut up!” 

Qing jerked back from the door at the sudden scream, eyes going wide. In a flash, Paulhandler’s Keg-smasher appeared in his grip, and his hand moved for the door’s handle. But Morgana stepped in front of him, shaking her head. 

“Let him handle it,” she whispered, low enough not to be heard over the blaring bells. 

“I know it was you who reported me,” Tariq said. “Do you have any idea how humiliating it was for me to be banned? How much it set back my research?”

A slap sounded from the corridor, and Qing closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

“Would he want you to risk her life to save him pain?” Morgana asked. “Let him do her this favour.”

Qing slowly exhaled, but nodded. 

He would try.