The Lord of Misrule

52 -- The Spiders Death Throes

"Why does it smell so bad down here?" said Godric as he peeked down an empty passage. "It's like a sewer..."

"It didn't smell so bad when I was here before..." she said. "It smelt kind of like a graveyard, but..."

"I don't like that," murmured Godric. His pitch was a little off, only a tremor at the beginning, but perceptible.

They'd explored the fourth basement enough in a matter of short minutes to obtain a basic layout. Most of the offshoots led no place at all—a short journey into dead shadow's end—expect for two of them. One was a series of halls and chambers that carried on behind the main chamber. The other—which seemed to have been modified in the last two centuries was a terribly narrow shoot that led away from the room into windy, cold darkness.

"Probably goes outside..." Ada said when they peeked in together.

"If it does then it must lead to the hill?" said Godric, "Mustn't it? Or another building perhaps?

"Maybe," said Ada.

"Could animals have gotten in here? Is that why it smells so bad? You'd think with the fresh air some of it would drift away."

Ada licked a finger—her tongue seemed cold—and raised it, before saying, "I don't remember they're being a draft before either. Or maybe I just didn't notice."

"You were preoccupied."

"Si," she muttered.

"Or maybe there's some kind of door."

The draft certainly seemed to be coming from that narrow passage. But the difficulty this posed for Godric meant it could only be a last resort which she traverse alone.

Both turned away without a word. Unspoken unanimity. She knew Godric wouldn't argue.

As they crossed the large central room fresh air seemed to vanish around them—the sewer smell grew stronger with every step. When they were on the threshold of this portal to a second tunnel, Godric said, "Do you think its possible there's piping through here?" his pitch was more off than ever, and he spoke with unusual rapidity. "Maybe one burst? Because that smell is not drifting in from outside. It's in here, with us. It's gotten much, much stronger."

Ada her sleeve to her nose, and said, "No... I doubt that... Because why?

"But—"

"Let's just be quick, okay? This is gross—it smells so, so bad."

The way ahead was perfectly wide if not tall, being merely a short shaft that lead to another chamber, and then another shaft of similar make after that. Godric would be nervous and uncomfortable—but he could do it alone, and he said do.

"Wait here," he said. "I'll dash in, have a look and come back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes—I won't make you go with me."

"Okay," she agreed before stepping back to the wall. She lowered her sleeve for a quick sniff test before replacing it.

Godric nodded when she did and stepped off at once. When he was through the shaft and into the chamber, he turned to shine the light around, and then called out; "Hey there's another stairway here!"

"What?" Ada shouted back.

"At the far end of this chamber—it spirals like the other! Can't say how far up though. Quite possible it leads nowhere."