Like Grumbleroar Falls, he thought.
His fur was rapidly becoming sodden. He understood that he had stumbled upon some vast underground cataract.
The strange subterranean breezes shifted direction and the vapors swirled away. In the half-light of the glowing soil he could see the giant cavern above which he crouched, insectlike, on one of the shallow ledges that ringed the walls. Below, red-lit and foaming, surged an immense flood of water. The cavern had no floor, onh the gigantic, steaming river which passed endlessh through from one side to the other, filling the great domed cave with fogs and chaotic noise.
He felt the heat of the burning river beat up as he peered cautiously over the ledge. The pounding force of the water as it crashed against the cavern walls and disappeared into the rock beneath him made Fritti feel suddenly dizzy, disoriented by the magnitude of the spectacle. As the river boomed its way down into the darkness beneath him, flaring comets of spray jetted up, to hang finally motionless far above his head, then plummet back to their source. Fritti backed away from the edge and huddled for a while near the tunnel mouth.
Finally, the tumult began to sicken him. He pushed forward. Around the cavern, near the opposite side, he could see several tunnels, coal-black against the shadowed, crimson-brushed rock. Keeping tightly to the cavern wall he headed toward these, walking carefully along the high, clinging path above the surging river.
It was slow going. From time to time, the wind would mysteriously change and the swirling mists would descend, forcing him to stop and cling in place until he could see his way again. Inching his way around the perimeter of the monstrous chamber, he kept his eye firmly fixed to the trail before him. Occasionally he would see movement in the corner of his vision, but upon looking up find onh leaping spray. Once he thought he saw two tiny figures scuttling along one of the pathways crisscrossing the far wall, but as he squinted into the gloom the mists heaved up again. When they had receded, all seemed as it had been.
After an eternity of tortuous progress, he gained the far wall. Picking his way up the steep path, he reached the holes, farther above the roar and crash of the boiling river. The first tunnel that he reached itself fumed and steamed and he hurried past, but the next opening carried a welcome hint of cooler air. Once he was inside the temperature dropped rapidly. Pleased at this good sign, Fritti put distance between himself and the great cavern.
With several tunnel bends behind him, the sound of the river had decreased to its earlier muted throbbing. He flopped to the floor of the shaft, glorying for a moment in the relative stillness and cool. After a few breaths he applied his tongue to his soggy, matted coat.
"You there!" The voice slashed through the shadowy tunnel. Fritti leaped to his feet, his heart pounding louder in his own ears than the raging water.
"Sssstay!" hissed the voice. "Sssstay and have wordsss with Sskinwretch of the Toothguard!"
CHAPTER 26
Ah, yet would God this flesh of mine might be Where air might wash and long leaves cover me; Where tides of grass break into foam of flowers, Or where the wind's feet shine along the sea.
–Algernon Swinburne
Transfixed, Tailchaser stood as slow steps crunched down the tunnel toward him. He could hear the whistling breath of the approaching creature. A nearly overwhelming desire for flight struggled with a dull, unreal feeling of resignation, and he swayed gently in place.
"My companion and I want to ssspeak with you, ssstranger." Again, the hissing words, closer now.
Companion, Fritti thought. There are two of them. His legs trembled, and he drew his tail up between the hindmost pair and waited. From out of the darkness loomed the blind head of the Toothguard. His loose-skinned body tottered unsteadily. Fritti stared.
Where the huge nostrils had once flared in the Toothguard's eyeless face, there was only a scarred ruin of tattered flesh.
Skinwretch came shakily to a halt not a jump and a half away from Tailchaser, and his damaged snout poked questingly to and fro.
"Are you here?" queried the Toothguard. Tail-chaser's heart leaped, and he gave an involuntary squeak of relief. The thing had been wounded! It could not sense him, or at least not well.
"Ahhh," breathed Skinwretch. "There you are. I hear you now. Come, don't desssert usss. My companion and I have lossst our way." The blind thing moved closer, leaning an ear in Fritti's direction. "What isss your name?"
Tailchaser weighed again the possibility of making a dash for freedom. He decided against it. Here, perhaps, was a situation that could be turned to his advantage. It would be dangerous, of course, but everything here below the earth would be.
"Um… um… Tunnelwalker!" he blurted after a moment's hesitation.
"Ssssplendid. Your name soundsss asss if you will be aptly sssuited to aid usss. Are you of the Clawsss? Your voice sssoundsss very high."
"I am but a youngling," said Tailchaser quickly.
"Ahhh," breathed Skinwretch, satisfied. "Of courssse. With the final preparations, even the young are presssed into ssservice. Come, you mussst guide usss. Asss you sssee, I am sssuffering from a temporary infirmity." Mumbling, the maimed Toothguard turned and shuffled up the corridor. Fritti followed a short distance behind.
Final preparations? he wondered. What is happening?
"You mussst have come passst the Ssscalding Flume," Skinwretch called over his shoulder. "I ssshould never have come ssso clossse. The russhing of the water disorients me, I fear. It iss quite incredible, is it not?"
"Yes, yes, it certainly is," assented Tailchaser. "What brought you out to this lonely part of the mound?" He hurried forward to better hear the hairless creature's reply.
Skinwretch was quiet, then answered: "I am afraid that I have had a bit of a ssetback, you sssee. A youngling like YOU may not know it, but there is a great deal of unfairnesss-unfairnesss to folk like mysself. You sssee. I do not want to criticizzze, oh no, but I wasss punished unfairly because a prissoner escaped. Bui I wasss not even there-oh no, I merely passsed along some information to my massster, Lord Hisssblood. When the essscape occurred, he wasss punished by the Lord of All. In turn, I wass made to sssuffer. Unfairnesss, sssuch unfairnesss…" The Toothguard broke off with a little whimpering gurgle. Fritti realized with a thrill of fright-and pride- that it was his escape that Skinwretch spoke of.
After a moment, the Tooth broke off his keening and said: "My companion iss just ahead. I hope he hasss not left. He too hasss sssuffered injusticeness. Ah, I believe I can hear him!" Tailchaser had forgotten the companion, but now he too could hear the loud, sonorous breathing. As they turned a corner he saw a large, dark shape lying flat in the shaft. Skinwretch inched forward, testing before him with a great wrinkle-skinned paw. He pushed at the big, dark body.
"Get up, get up!" he shouted. "I've found young Tunnelwalker to help usss find our way back. Get up!" As the recumbent creature turned reluctantly over, Skinwretch said to Fritti: "Perhapsss you two know each other. My friend wasss an important figure in the-"
An all-too-familiar face, blocky and malformed, was revealed as the shape rolled over and cast baleful eyes on Fritti.
"Tailchaser!" howled Scratchnail, rising on his front paws. Before Fritti could move his stiffened body, Skinwretch had leaned over and flung a smacking paw at Scratchnail's face. The impact knocked the Clawguard off balance. He rolled back down onto the ground again, moaning.