On a shelf beside the grill was a tin cup like the ones we’d had in our cells, only this one had no hole in the bottom you had to put your finger over. It was filled with sulphur matches like the kind Pursey had given me. I grabbed it, and since I had no pockets, I relocated the .45 in the concho belt and poked the cup of matches into the holster.
Leah led us to the door, peeked out, then gestured for us to follow, twirling her fingers as before—quickly, quickly. I wondered how much time had passed. It was still daylight, surely, but what would that matter if Bella and Arabella kissed on the other side of the world? I guessed that the Flight Killer was already at the Dark Well. Waiting for it to open so he could try to make another bargain with the thing that lived there, either blind to the terrible events that might result or not caring. I thought the latter more likely. Elden of the Gallien, Elden the Flight Killer, a flabby, greedy, green-faced goblin waiting to call something from another world into this one… and then, perhaps, into mine. I considered telling Leah to forget about taking us to the torture chamber. Pursey—Percival—might not even be there, or he might be dead. Surely stopping Flight Killer was more important.
Eris touched my shoulder. “Prince Charlie… are you sure about this? Is it wise?”
No. It wasn’t. Except without Percival—a man with the gray disease so advanced in him he could barely talk—none of us would be here.
“We go,” I said curtly.
Eris touched her palm to her forehead and said no more.
2
I recognized the passage where Leah was waiting for us, shifting from foot to foot, clasping and unclasping the hilt of her sword. To the right of the auxiliary kitchen was the way to the dungeon. To the left, and not far, was the torture chamber.
I ran, leaving the others behind. Except for Radar, who loped beside me, tongue flying from the side of her mouth. It was farther than I remembered. When I reached the open door of the chamber, I paused long enough to think something that wasn’t quite a prayer—just please, please. Then I went in.
At first I thought it was empty… unless, that was, Percival had been enclosed in the Iron Maiden. But if he had been, blood would surely have been oozing out, and there wasn’t any. Then a pile of rags in the far corner stirred. It raised its head, saw me, and tried to smile with what remained of its mouth.
“Pursey!” I shouted, and ran to him. “Percival!”
He struggled to salute me.
“Nah, nah, it’s I who should salute you. Can you stand?”
With my help, he was able to get to his feet. I thought he’d wrapped one of his hands in a dirty piece of the blouse he wore, but when I looked at it more closely, I saw it had been wrapped around his wrist instead and knotted tightly to stop the bleeding. I could see a dark, crusty patch on the stones where he’d been lying. His hand was gone. Some bastard had chopped it off.
The others arrived. Jaya and Eris stood in the doorway, but Leah came in. Percival saw her and raised his remaining hand to his brow. He began to cry. “Hinceh.” It was the closest he could get to princess.
He tried to bend a leg to her and would have fallen if I hadn’t held him up. He was filthy, bloody, and disfigured, but Leah put her arms around his neck and hugged him. I loved her for that, if for nothing else.
“Can you walk?” I asked him. “If you take it slow and rest everywhile, can you? Because we’re in a hurry. Desperate hurry.”
He nodded.
“And you can find the way out?”
He nodded again.
“Jaya!” I said. “This is where you part company with us. Percival will guide you out. Walk with him, let him rest as he needs.”
“But I want to—”
“I don’t care what you want, this is what I need from you. Take him out of this… this pit. There will be others by now.” There better be, I thought. “Get him to Claudia or Woody and get him medical attention.” Medical attention isn’t what I said, but Jaya nodded.
I hugged Percival as Leah had. “Thank you, my friend. If this works out, they should put up a statue of you.” Maybe with butterflies perched on your outstretched arms, I thought, and headed for the door. Leah was already there, waiting.
Jaya put an arm around him. “I’ll be with you every step, Pursey. Only guide me.”
“H’rince!” Percival said, and I turned back. He made every effort to speak clearly. “H’light Iller!” He pointed to the door. “Hor ovvers! An itch! Hee itch!” Now he pointed at Leah. “Hee ows a’way!” Now he pointed upward. “Ella an Ara’ella! Oon! Oon!”