Belaset's Daughter - By Feona J Hamilton Page 0,93

they discover the man we have killed."

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"They seem to be too confident to patrol inside the grounds," said Walter, suddenly.

"We have seen no-one walking about since we entered the Tower."

"Let us begin, then," said Aaron. "We have no light, but the stairs should be easy enough to follow."

They began to climb, with a few stumbles, and some mutterings under the breath from all three. As they followed the spiral round, the moon shone through the small windows which were set in the wall. These were interspersed by even smaller arrow slits, and the eerie light shone even through these, sending a single beam through to lie on the edge of the stone step. Down below, Benjamin listened as the soft footsteps and breathing fade into silence, and leant more comfortably against the wall to await their return.

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CHAPTER TWENTY

Gregory started awake, knowing he had heard something, but uncertain what it might have been. He was half-sitting, half-lying, and his neck ached from the angle at which it had been held as he dozed. He felt his ears stretching, with the effort of listening. The sound came again a soft chink of metal on metal.

He struggled to his feet and rubbed his hands over his face, angry with himself, for having slept in such circumstances. Now he waited, ready to attack if it would mean his escape from this place. The noise had changed to a scraping sound, then in the moonlight, he saw the door of his prison begin to swing inward.

"Gregory?" whispered a voice he knew but could not believe he was hearing. Was

someone playing a cruel trick?

"Gregory?" came the voice again. "It’s me, Aaron Yechiel. Are you there?"

It was true, then.

"Yes!" he said, and was shocked at the tremor in his voice.

The door opened wider. Aaron came striding in, followed by two others. The moonlight showed him Walter’s red thatch, and he would have known Hubert’s gait and stance anywhere.

"How are you here?" he said. "What’s happening?"

"There is no time to explain," said Aaron. "We must get away from this place with all speed. My father is waiting at the bottom of the tower come!"

He caught Gregory round the shoulders, gave him one hard squeeze, and hustled him towards the door at the same time. Needing no further bidding, Gregory allowed himself to be bundled out of the room, and the four of them began a swift descent of the stone stairs. Round and round, down and down, they half-ran, half-jumped, until their heads were spinning. Once Gregory all but missed his footing, but felt a hand grasp him from behind and steady him again. In a fraction of the time it had taken to climb the stairs, they were at the bottom.

Benjamin was ready for them.

"Here he is!" said Aaron, exultantly. "Hubert was right to bring us here first."

"Thank God you are safe," said Benjamin, fervently. He felt for Gregory’s hand in the darkness, and shook it, hard.

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"We cannot stay here, congratulating ourselves," he went on. "Let us hope our good fortune holds. I think we must try to go back the way we came in. If the boat is still there, well and good: if not, we must swim for it."

"The main gate is nearer," said Gregory. "Can we not rush it, in a body, and force our way through?"

"Why cause a disturbance, when we have not done so, so far?" argued Benjamin. "At the moment, no-one is aware of our presence. If we are lucky, we will be away from here, before our one mischance is discovered."

He nodded to where the guard’s body lay. Gregory glanced at it, then back at Benjamin.

"You are right," he said, and closed his mouth firmly. These friends had risked their lives to get to him and free him. They had found a route which had allowed them to reach him undetected, and they would get him out of this place completely, if he trusted them, (and God, he thought) to lead him.

"Come, then," said Hubert. "We must return through St. Thomas’s Tower, if we are to leave by the same route."

He led them back the way they had come. Now that Gregory was with them, it was harder to use the same degree of caution, because of the relief they all felt. Still, thought Aaron to himself, as he padded along behind his father’s familiar bulk, they were not safe yet, by a long way.

As though to confirm those thoughts, Hubert suddenly halted. Behind