Into the Abyss полностью

Rupert nodded shyly. The major smiled, satisfied that he had a willing prisoner, which he did. “Now son, for a little while, I’m going to have to make sure you don’t cause any trouble, until I know you don’t have any friends hiding out there. So I’m going to have to bind your hands.” Rupert looked frightened. “It won’t be for long, only until I can verify your story and I won’t tie them too tight. Ok?”

Rupert pretended to look scared, but nodded acquiescence. The major took his nod for agreement, and walked over to a small nearby table. As Rupert’s eyes followed the major, they lit up when they saw what was on the table with the rope, Jenn’s robe! So they did have her. And there was her not quite a diary beside it. She’d thought that book quite important. Was there any way he could get it? He thought quickly. He’d never tried it, but it had been in one of the books in the library he’d snuck a peak at. He twiddled his finger in the way he thought he remembered, concentrated on the doorway and said under his breath, “Major come quickly!”

Outside the tent, a rather high pitched voice said somewhat indistinctly, “Major come quickly!” The major looked up, looked over at Rupert and said, “stay there.” He ran outside the tent, the rope in his hands.

Rupert hurried over to the table, grabbed the book and ran back to where he’d been left. He stuffed the book down his trouser leg, hoping he could hold it between his thighs, and trusting that his pants, tucked into his boots, would keep the book from falling out if he couldn’t. A few minutes later, the major came back in, looking puzzled, shaking his head. He walked over to Rupert. “Strange. Put your hands together in front of you.” Rupert did, and the major tied them, firmly but gently.

“Jorgen.” The major called, summoning a guard from outside. “Lead this lad over to the prisoner tent. Treat him nicely though, he hasn’t done anything wrong, yet.” The soldier nodded and took Rupert by the shoulder. Rupert shuffled along, pretending fear, and hoping he could keep the book wedged in his pants, between his legs.

Jenn was beginning to figure out that there was no easy way to get out of her bonds, when she heard soldiers approaching the tent and greeting her guards. Great, she thought, Exador’s probably back and wants information. Won’t this be fun. She hadn’t felt like talking too much to Gastropé since her first encounter, but he had insisted on cataloguing things that Exador had done to past people on his hit list.

It wasn’t pleasant, and hadn’t made Jenn feel any better. Fortunately, she felt herself to be of sterner stuff than Gastropé. The poor wizard, whom she’d actually come to view with a mix of pity and contempt, was getting desperate. The more he talked, the more nervous he got, the more he started spouting off crazy ideas on getting away.

The flaps to the tent parted, and a really short person was instructed to enter the tent. The only light in the tent was a small brazier between the door and the center pole. It had been lit a few hours earlier as the evening started to approach, to take the chill off in the room. As the short person entered the tent, Jenn gasped, it was Rupert! How in the Abyss had they managed to capture him? What was that damn demon doing anyway? Some guardian. Unless the demon had turned Rupert in, because he knew Jenn had the book and the game was won. That must be it, Jenn thought angrily.

Rupert stumbled into the tent, clumsily; he seemed to be walking kind of funny. His face was also rather red, as if he’d been crying. It took a lot to make Rupert cry. What had those bastards done to the poor kid? Jenn tried to move forward. Maybe it was the demon’s betrayal; Rupert had placed all his trust in the demon and now he saw it for what it really was, it must hurt. “Rupert, what are you doing here?” Jenn asked as she tried to rock forward, the ropes on her ankles and wrists made it difficult in her current sitting position.

Rupert shook his head in a short quick manner, and pursed his lips as if to say, “Shh shh.” He glanced covertly behind him to make sure the flaps were closed again, which they were. He shuffled over to Jenn, as he did, he noticed Gastropé. “What’s he doing here?” Rupert asked in a whisper.

“He botched trying to take us, so now Exador is going to punish him.” Jenn answered also in a whisper. She wasn’t completely sure why she should whisper, neither she nor Gastropé had bothered earlier. “More importantly, what are you doing here?”

Rupert moved around behind her, out of both her sight and Gastropé’s. “I’m here to rescue you.”

“Rescue me!” Jenn exclaimed, a little too loudly.

“Shhhh, be quiet!” Rupert hissed vehemently.