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Back to Empire on the HPe3000
... and ...
"What is wrong with this wall?" Harold asked the cleric.
Henri did not even look down at him. "Thief, this wall conceals a
door, this I know, but the lock must be opened or destroyed before I
can pass through."
"What! let me see." Harold bent and ran his hands across the
ground, then along the edges that the cleric Henri pointed to, he still
didn't see a door among the stones. But then he felt a small groove along
the wall. This was no magic door, but hidden with great skill. "This is no
giants work." Harold said. "Yes, there is a door. Where is this lock?"
Henri pointed far above the halflings head.
"I thought as much." said Harold. "Edouard, you will have to lift
me up."
"Alright then." Edouard bent down and put the halfling on his
shoulders like a child being lifted up to see over a crowd.
Even standing on his toes the halfling still could not reach the
lock. "You will have to get me higher up." he said.
"Derue, your sword." Edouard commanded . " No, leave it in the
sheath. We'll make a shelf out of it to hold up the halfling."
"Right." muttered Derue. He gave the thief a glare, but just a
glance, then put his false face back on again.
The two brothers held up the sword as high as their arms could
reach. Harold climbed from Edouard's shoulder and balanced atop the
sheathed blade. "That's better." he said to himself.
"What?" Edouard called up to him.
"This will work out fine." Harold called back, and with a few
deft clicks and turns of steel wire and pick he opened the lock. "All
done. You can let me down now."
"That was quick." Edouard said as he lowered the halfing to the
floor.
"It was nothing." Harold said with pride. "But that is not the
work of giants, that lock was dwarven work, but flawed."
"How is it flawed?" Asked Ivo.
"It's finely made and has a few subtle tricks, but any thief can
see that the tumblers are notched, my guide wire fell right into place and
the pick turned them like a key." Harold laughed. "This lock was made to
be opened."
"By design do you think, could it be a trap?" questioned Ivo.
"I see no sign, but I did not see this door either." said Harold.
"I will have to climb to the top and check."
"We waste time." Henri complained. "Stand back. Tra-Ve!" the
cleric pointed toward the door. A white burning light passed through it
and left no trace except for glowing spots dancing before their eyes. "The
door is safe. Edouard, please open it ."
The scout blinked several times and rubbed his eyes, then leapt
quickly to obey. He had to jump to reach the handle and hung from it, his
feet dangling above the floor. Derue grabbed his brothers waist and pulled
him back, the door opened with a slight whisper of escaping air.
"That door was sealed tight," said Harold. "that air is stale."
"Look." Gytha called and pinted to a glowing square of floor.
Henri's white light had found something after all. "A trap."
"Obviously." Henri said with some contempt.
"Is that it?" Harold wondered aloud. he edged his way across the
wall and around the glowing square. "There is room for us to pass, but
do you think I should trigger this trap?"
"No." said Gytha. "The last time you ended up blocking off the
other room."
"It could have a spell or some infernal mechanism that would be
released when the trap is sprung." Ivo warned.
"Henri," Harold said to the cleric. "What does your spell say to
you."
Henri sniffed at such familiarity, "The trap is revealed, that
should be enough, only a fool needs to stick his hand into a hornets
nest to see if they will sting."
* * *
(To Be Continued)