Wart peered into the dark hole long after his friends had passed from view. “What am I expecting anyway?” he chided himself. “Who knows how long this might take?”
He withdrew from the mouth of the cave and began to rub the horses. They ignored him and pulled greedily at the few coarse tufts of grass available. Their smooth coats felt good under his fingers, but he could see little point in rubbing them all day.
Leaving the horses, Wart decided to make a small pallet and get some sleep. Lying down, he twisted and turned, but sleep would not come.
Am I hungry? he wondered. Not really. What should I do?
Suddenly Wart heard laughter. Freezing in his tracks, he listened until he was satisfied that the voices were coming no closer, and then he decided he should check it out. Creeping toward the edge of their hidden camp, he was careful not to make a sound.
Peering cautiously over a large rock, he listened intently. Laughter came from the grove of trees where he and his friends had hidden upon their arrival. He couldn’t see anyone, but every so often, he heard snatches of conversation. He was surprised to understand most of the words. Indeed, the more he listened, the more he understood. Why, he thought, their language is only a variation of the one I grew up with.
Then another thought entered his mind. Were these people from Endor, or were they his own people? Should he reveal himself to them and hope they were friendly? No! Seagood would never approve. He decided he should stay and listen. He might learn something useful.
The longer Wart listened, the more he was convinced that the voices belonged to one man and one woman. A deep masculine voice would say something, and a soft feminine voice would giggle. Her words were often lost in the roar of the river.
Wart caught one phrase that sounded like, “Let’s warm up … celebration tonight.” followed by a giggle. The male voice said, “Hold still,” which was followed by another giggle. “Ouch!” was followed by more laughter.
Wart sighed. “I guess I’m not going to learn anything.” He pondered a bit and then brightened. “Wait! What’s this about a celebration? Maybe the guards won’t be so observant if there is a big party in town.” Encouraged, he returned his attention to the couple.
All was silent. Have I missed them? he wondered. Did they leave while I wasn’t watching? The sun crept higher in the sky. Suddenly Wart heard a man’s voice. “Hey! We’d better get going! The work crews will be coming soon!”
Wart wondered what he meant by “work crews.” He watched and listened. A tall man emerged from the trees, looked about, and beckoned. A young girl with disheveled hair and rumpled dress stepped out to join him. Their faces were quite rosy, and they bore very sheepish expressions. They slipped from the trees, scrambled to the top of the riverbank, and quickly climbed the pathway toward the city. They passed within twenty paces of Wart.
He did not have to wait long before he heard horses on the pavement. Four men abreast rode into view. They were clad in brilliant crimson, and they carried the armor of soldiers. Behind them marched a long procession of men, shackled together with chains. The prisoners carried hoes and spades and looked half starved. They were covered with only a few filthy rags for clothing, and the sores on their legs were bloody from iron bands biting into their flesh. Every man hobbled, trying to step in time with his neighbor so the chains binding their feet would not cause them to fall. Wart had never seen animals treated so cruelly. He was horrified by the inhumanity on display, but what devastated Wart most was the way the prisoners held their heads. They lived only to prevent the lash of a whip or the slash of a sword.
Careful to remain hidden, Wart watched as the long rows of men shuffled past. They were followed by a relatively large group of women, also equipped to work in the fields. The women were filthy and clad in rags, but they were not chained together. Though their circumstances were slightly less grim, their dehumanization impressed Wart just as deeply. Immediately following the women were four more crimson riders, and then all grew quiet.
Relieved not to have been discovered, Wart sat back and considered what he had seen. If only I had some way to set those poor people free, he thought.
As the sun passed midday, Wart began to fret about their camp’s exposure to the river. If he had but known, there was little river traffic above Endor, for the current was too swift. The dock was downriver around a bend where the water slowed and formed a natural harbor. The road was paved from Endor’s front gates to the river port.
Turning his attention to the river, Wart noted that it dropped steeply here, rushing over stones and boulders, churning the water to foam and making enough noise to drown all but the very loudest of sounds. “Really,” Wart observed, “we can’t be much safer than we are.”
Wart checked the horses once more, rubbed each one carefully, and glanced into the dark hole. Then he slipped quietly to his pad on the ground and fell into an exhausted sleep.
Mathias and Seagood managed to lift Thomas from the pile of rotting flesh. In the light of their single torch, they wiped the worst of the slime from Thomas’s face and arms using strips of cloth ripped from their own clothing.
Their initial euphoria at finding Thomas alive began to give way to the enormity of getting him out. He was more dead than alive and could not help in the least. They did not hold that against him, but it would make their climb to the river much more difficult.
Now they wished they had Rudy and his tremendous strength to assist them. Deciding they could wait no longer, they each chose an end—Seagood bearing Thomas’s shoulders while Mathias took his feet—and carried Thomas to the first fissure in the earth.
Seagood studied the situation and then removed his last coil of rope. He began to loop the rope around Thomas’s body, knotting the loops so they would not draw tight against him. He handed one end to Mathias and took the other himself. He had made a type of crude sling to carry Thomas in.
Seagood crawled into the fissure and turned to pull Thomas in after him. It would be slow and hard, not only for Seagood and Mathias but for Thomas as well. Each little move would bump and scrape all three men. Even with all its failures, the sling appeared to work, and all three men cleared the first fissure.
In the wake of their first success, Seagood’s torch began to sputter. Fearing they would be left in the dark, Mathias began to rue having left his torch with Rudy. They scrambled up another crevasse and were overjoyed to see the faint glow of Rudy’s torch in the distance.
Seagood and Mathias crossed the vaulted room and finally got Rudy to understand that they had found Thomas. Rudy was so overjoyed that it took some time for him to understand that they needed his help as well. When Rudy finally understood that Mathias needed to climb the rope, he braced himself, and Mathias shinnied up the rope.
“We have Thomas tied to the end of your rope, and we need to pull him up,” Mathias said.
Wrinkling his nose at Mathias’s odor, Rudy pulled with a will. Mathias helped ease Thomas through the tiny hole in the vaulted room’s ceiling. They had no sooner untied the sling from the rope when they sensed that something was amiss below.
Seagood’s torch had gone out completely, and vermin had begun to squeal in delight or rage. Rudy lowered his torch into the darkened vault and was horrified to see a black shadow oozing into the large room.
Rudy flung his rope toward Seagood and yelled, “Watch out!”
Seagood stood transfixed. In the dim light of Rudy’s torch, he could see nothing but thick folds of darkness wrapping about him. It had no shape or form, yet it moved with intentional malice.
“Seagood!” Rudy screamed. “Come on!”
Rudy felt movement at his side. Mathias held a stone in his hand.
“Good idea,” Rudy said, “I’ll get some more. Maybe we can drive that thing back.”
“No, Rudy,” Mathias said as he aimed a stone directly at Seagood. It barely missed striking him on the head.
“Are you crazy,” Rudy yelled, but Mathias’s stone had the desired effect of breaking the trance that held Seagood in place. Seeing the rope, Seagood grabbed it and climbed with a will.
His friends heaved him over the edge, and all three peered into the darkness below. The torch did not light the vault well, but what they saw caused all to gasp. Darkness was filling the cavern and rising directly toward them.
Seagood sought for something large enough to stop the hole. There was nothing.
“Let’s run for it!” shouted Mathias.
Mathias grabbed the torch and took the lead. Rudy scooped Thomas off the floor, cradling him like an infant, and ran. Seagood drew his sword and brought up the rear, peering over his shoulder from time to time.
At each turn or junction, Mathias anxiously studied the walls to find Seagood’s mark. They had successfully ascended several flights upward when Mathias could no longer find any markings.
“Help, Seagood!” Mathias yelled. “I cannot see your mark! Have I lost the way?”
Seagood squeezed past Rudy to assist Mathias in the front. He ran his hands over the rocky walls and then pulled away. His fingers were covered in a thick, black slime. All three men stared in disbelief. Seagood began to claw his way along the wall. Waving wildly, he pointed to his mark under some slime. They were not lost, but they could not imagine where the slime had come from.
Rudy let out a whimper. He could feel rather than see a growing menace approaching him from behind. Seagood now set the course, for he could remember more clearly their downward passage. Mathias slipped to the rear and drew his blade.
When Mathias took his new position, he noticed darkness creeping into the fissure they had just climbed. Mathias had never experienced anything like this. The darkness climbed silently upward, but the ageless whisper of despair flowed before it.
“Let’s get out of here!” Mathias screamed.
Seagood turned and charged up the narrow hallway, Rudy hot on his heels. Rudy now carried Thomas over his shoulder like a large sack of potatoes. Mathias, sword drawn and ever glancing over his shoulder, hurried behind.
They had to stop several times to find their mark, but once they’d found it, they would race on and upward.
Suddenly they came to the large opening in the floor. Rudy remembered it all too well. He had nearly fallen into this dreadful hole on their way down. Strangely, this hole now brought them hope. They could not be far from the top.
Seagood wedged his arms against the walls and inched his way across the chasm. Rudy tossed the rope to him, and together they ported Thomas across the opening. Then Rudy began his journey across, followed closely by Mathias.
Regrouping, the company prepared for another climb. They were surprised when Seagood’s mark showed clearly on the wall. They all wondered what had happened but decided not to stay and find out.
Resuming their burden, they fled up the well-marked hallway, coming to the last great stair. Seagood took the rope and led the way. Little by little, they inched themselves and their burden up the narrow crack in the earth.
Reaching the top, they expected to see daylight streaming into the hole Wart had fallen through, but all was dark.
The cliff under which Wart hid cast its shadow over the camp, making the darkness of night ever deeper. Wart sat in the darkness, shivering, thinking back on his day. It was cold now, but it had been very hot this afternoon when the sun had found their hiding spot. Though Wart had checked the dark hole in the mountainside many times that day, his friends had never appeared. Several times during the afternoon, he had heard voices on the road, and each time he had crept to the edge of the camp to listen. Time grew long, with little to do but wait. Finally he decided to pray.
Wart wasn’t familiar with prayer, but he tried to mimic Rudy, who spoke to God as if he was talking to a friend. “God?” Wart faltered. “I don’t really know how to talk to You … but Rudy, you know Rudy … he says everything will work out. He says I need faith, but I don’t really know what that is. Could You give me faith? See, I’m afraid. I’m afraid I’ll be discovered. I’m afraid my friends won’t come back. I’m afraid things won’t work out. Things didn’t work out for Clyde and Darren. They died, and I’m afraid of dying.” Wart tried to hold back a sob. He’d tried to be brave all day, but fear had eaten away at his resolve. Tears trickled down his cheeks.
Looking toward heaven, Wart tried again. “God, Rudy talks like You can actually be with people on this earth. I don’t understand how, but if You can, will You go down in that dreadful hole and find my friends?”
The sun had fallen low on the horizon when Wart’s prayer was interrupted by the sound of horses on the pathway above. Creeping to the edge of the camp, he listened with great intensity.
The armor-clad men of Endor were leading the prisoners back from the fields. However, two riders plodded their steeds up the cobblestone path behind the procession. They were talking back and forth, and Wart understood most of what they said.
“I suppose you’re stuck with guard duty tonight,” one said.
“Yeah, but you don’t think I’ll miss the show, do you?” the other responded.
“What show?” asked the first.
“Where have you been, man? This is full moon; it’s party time tonight! I wouldn’t miss that for the world.”
Both men laughed, and turning the corner, they began the steep climb to the gates. Wart sat mulling over the new information. Did that mean the guard towers might be unmanned this evening? Somehow he suddenly felt certain they would. Looking toward heaven, he whispered, “Thank you!”
Dusk had turned to darkness, and there was still no sign of his friends. Wart wondered if they had found their way into the castle. If so, had they been captured? Would they ever find Thomas?
He was beginning to feel a deep sense of melancholy when he remembered Rudy’s words: “Don’t lose faith, Wart! I know it doesn’t sound like much of a plan, but if we are faithful to do our best, our heavenly Father will either make it work or will open another door. You’ve got to believe that, Wart. The Lord is faithful. He will never leave us.”
In the darkness, Wart slipped out and pulled several armloads of grass for the horses. The tough blades cut his fingers and arms, and he wished heartily that he had turned the horses loose to fend for themselves.
“I hope you like it,” he said, watching the horses munch their meal. He rubbed his tender hands together and wished again that his friends would appear.
The moon shone brightly, casting their hideout in deep shadow. Wart tossed and turned many times before drifting into a fitful sleep where even his dreams were dark and foreboding. Suddenly Wart felt something cold and slimy slide across his leg. He sat bolt upright, his breath rapid and shallow.
He crept toward the dark hole in the side of the cliff. His mind must be playing tricks on him. He thought he heard voices. Inching toward the hole, he was amazed to see a light flickering within.
“Where on earth is that boy?” a familiar voice was saying.
It was Rudy’s voice. Wart nearly squealed in delight. “Rudy!” he called.
“Wart!” Rudy shouted. “Toss down the rope. We’ve got to get out of here.”
Wart had drawn up the rope during the day, fearing that something evil would use it to crawl up out of the dark cavern. Quickly he found the coil, checked its anchor, and tossed it to the men below.
“Is the rope anchored?” Mathias called.
“Yes,” Wart answered.
“I’m coming up.” In a moment, Mathias’s head popped through the opening. “We’ve got Thomas,” he panted.
“You do?” Wart was incredulous. He stepped back as Mathias turned to haul up his load.
“Give me a hand, Wart,” Mathias called. The two eased Thomas over the edge and into the outer world. They untied Thomas’s sling and tossed the rope back to the others.
Rudy, fully testing the rope’s strength, was the next to labor into the world outside. Seagood was right behind him. Dousing their torch, the men quickly gathered stones from the river bank and began to stack them over the hole’s entrance.
“What’s happening?” Wart asked as he too gathered stones to assist them.
“There’s something bad down there, Wart,” Rudy said, but he would say no more.
They moved a small mountain of stones to cover the hole, and then they covered it with another layer.
With the hole securely covered, Wart realized the moon was about to illuminate their refuge. He also noticed a dreadful odor accompanying the men, though they didn’t seem to notice. Their concern was for Thomas. Moving him near the river, they quickly stripped off his rags, washed and dried his body, and wrapped him in a blanket.
“We’ve got to get him out of here,” Rudy said, straightening from his labors.
Wart busied himself with the horses while they worked on Thomas, and now the party was ready to move. “Rudy, how is Master Thomas going to ride?” he asked. “He can’t sit up.”
“We’ll make a stretcher and sling it between two horses,” Rudy said. The group looked to Seagood, who nodded while stripping off his own foul clothing.
“Wart,” Rudy commanded, “find two strong sticks, fairly green and even in length.”
Wart nodded, found his hatchet, and disappeared into the darkness. The others had finished cleaning up when he returned with two small ash trees in tow. They quickly trimmed the limbs and shaped the poles to fit their need. Wrapping the tree limbs with a blanket, they eased Thomas onto the makeshift stretcher and passed a rope around him to keep him in place.
They had spoken little while they worked, but now they needed to form a plan. “Do we follow the river like we came in?” Rudy asked.
Seagood nodded.
“That’s going to be a lot harder,” Mathias cautioned. “We’ll have to keep Thomas fairly level over that rough ground.”
Wart tried to stay out of plan making. He remembered all too well the river crossing, but now he spoke reluctantly. “I think it might be safe to use the road. I overheard some men today. One was scheduled for guard duty tonight, but he was going to some sort of celebration instead. The road would be a lot faster and easier.”
Seagood eyed the boy, studied the riverbank, and then nodded his assent.
They packed Thomas between two horses and stepped from their hideout. Scrambling up the steep slope, they quickly made the road. Keeping their horses off the paving stones, they mounted and moved at an easy pace, trying not to attract any attention in the tower far overhead.
They covered the open ground between Endor and the forest quickly and decided to stay on the road. It cut through the forest fairly straight, and so they made good time. They stopped several times to adjust the stretcher, secure the ropes, and offer Thomas tiny sips of water. On one such occasion, Rudy felt Thomas’s face and exclaimed, “This man is burning up!”
Mathias took the lead, and Seagood followed on one of the horses carrying Thomas. Wart and Rudy brought up the rear. They had just topped a small incline when a hand reached from the shadows and pulled the empty horse under Thomas into the thicket.
Mathias leaped from his horse and tackled the man. The two struggled until Rudy placed his sword on the newcomer’s throat. “Explain your actions, or forfeit your life,” he demanded harshly.
Seagood laid his hand on Rudy’s shoulder and stooped to examine the man on the ground. Suddenly he stood and signaled to let the man go. Mathias and Rudy stepped back, and the man leaped to his feet, pointing wildly down the road. Everyone turned and saw an array of torches rounding a bend in the road. It was part of Jabin’s mounted guard making its way to Endor.
The stranger rushed into a tangled web of forest and beckoned them to follow. Without hesitation, they followed the man onto a narrow path that wound through thick, thorny river brush. No one knew if Jabin’s guard had seen them or not.
Wart brought up the rear, and he kept glancing over his shoulder. He could see Jabin’s men passing along the road. Suddenly an arrow struck the tree slightly to his right. “Rudy,” he hissed, “they’ve seen us.”
The big man stepped to one side. “Go ahead, boy,” he said, and Wart slipped past him. Another arrow struck the tree close to Rudy. “And hurry.”
A cry rang out behind them. “Halt! Halt in the name of Endor!” Wart understood the words, but the others understood their meaning.
Jabin’s guard plunged into the thicket after them, but they had not seen the path, and thorns ripped at their clothing and flesh in the dark.
A fiendish laugh filled the air. Shivering, Wart looked back and saw several men sweep torches into the brush. The dry plants caught fire instantly, and before anyone could react, the forest was ablaze.
Suddenly, Watchers appeared everywhere. One grabbed Wart’s mount while another pushed Wart, Seagood, and the others toward the river. Several rafts floated near the banks.
“This way,” someone said as strong hands propelled Wart onto the waiting raft. When Wart turned, he saw it was his father. “Dad!” he cried.
“There’s not time now, Son,” Benhada said. “Just stay low on the raft. Don’t become a target for their archers.”
“But will you get away?” Wart cried.
“Probably! Now go!” his father replied.
Rudy was the last to board, and his weight tipped the raft dangerously in the water. However, strong hands across the river pulled the raft quickly and quietly to safety. There were many hands to unload the party and their cargo, and soon the four companions were mounted again and riding west.
The Watchers returned to the river to rescue their comrades across the water.
The company rode in silence until they cleared the forest and passed into open country. Rough hills rose barren and bleak all around them. Wart loved this reckless country where forest and desert lay side by side. He wasn’t sure in the dark, but he thought they couldn’t be far from his childhood home.
They stopped to check the stretcher, and Rudy fussed again. “We got to stop dragging Thomas all over the country. He’s burning up.”
“There’s not a house in sight,” Mathias said. “I don’t think anyone lives here.”
Seagood leaned over from his horse to stroke Thomas’s face as if totally unaware of their predicament. Rudy could not understand his lack of leadership. Ever since they had departed the caverns, he had become a follower instead of a leader.
“Sure, people live here,” Wart said.
“Where?” Mathias demanded. “I don’t see any signs of life.”
“Shepherds live up in those hills,” Wart explained, pointing to lonely canyons etched in the rugged hills. “There are caves back in there that they’ve turned into homes.”
Rudy studied Wart with growing wonder. What would they do without him? He was a living book of knowledge. “Do you think you could find one of those homes?” he asked.
“I think so,” Wart said.
“We really need to stop and care for Thomas. He can’t travel much farther,” Rudy said.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been here,” Wart said, “but let’s take this ravine. We shouldn’t have to go too far.”
Everyone turned to follow the lad while Seagood sat quietly lost in thought beside Thomas. They had not traveled far when Wart stopped. “Here’s a residence.”
Rudy looked all about and wondered if the lad had gone daft. There was little to be seen in the moonlight, but there was nothing to suggest a residence. “Where?” he demanded.
Wart swung off his mount and stepped into dark shadows along a wall of stone. Disappearing from view, Rudy could hear him knocking at a door.
“Well, I’m blessed,” Rudy whispered to Mathias. “I thought the lad was pulling our leg.”
“He may be,” Mathias said. “No one is answering the door.”
“Maybe we could use the house if it’s empty,” Rudy said.
Wart returned to the group. “I’m sorry. They must be asleep for the night.”
“There is no light,” Mathias observed.
“That doesn’t mean much,” Wart said. “They might think we are robbers—or worse, Jabin’s men. I wish there was some way to let them know.”
Suddenly Seagood stirred and dismounted as if awakening from a dream. Striding into the shadows, he found the door and rapped a distinct code: three staccato raps, a pause, two raps and then a single rap. There was a long pause, and the series was repeated. Seagood repeated this process three times and then stopped and waited quietly.
Rudy leaned close to Mathias. “I’m afraid the strain has been too much for him.”
Mathias didn’t answer, but to everyone’s amazement, the door creaked slightly and swung open.