"Okay, sorry, what? What's the plan?" said Gregor, turning back to the group. "Can we just cut our way through the web and run?"
"No, outside this funnel web are scores of spinners ready to repair a hole and attack with poison fang. If we flee upward, they will leap on us from above," whispered Solovet.
"What's that leave?" said Gregor.
"Only one resort. We must damage the web so fully and so rapidly, they cannot repair it nor will it hold their weight," said Solovet. She paused. "Someone must perform the Coiler."
Everyone looked at Luxa, so Gregor looked at her, too. Her golden bat, which stood behind her, dipped its head down and touched her neck. "We can do it," said Luxa softly.
"We do not insist, Luxa. The danger, particularly at the top, is very great. But in truth, you are our best hope," said Vikus unhappily.
Henry put his arm around her shoulder. "They can do it. I have seen them in training. They have both speed and accuracy."
Luxa nodded resolutely. "We can do it. Let us not wait."
"Gregor, ride you on Vikus's bat. Vikus, with me. Henry and Mareth, take one crawler each," said Solovet.
"We need a distraction to cover Luxa," said Mareth. "I could go through the side."
"Not with that leg," said Solovet, her eyes flashing around. "And no one goes through the side. It is certain death."
"The spinners are very sensitive to noise," said Vikus. "It is too bad we have no horns."
Gregor felt a pair of feet drumming angrily into his legs. He turned around and saw Boots on the floor kicking him. "Cut it out!" he snapped at her. "Do you need a time-out?"
"No time-out! You time-out! You time-out! Cookie! Cookie!" sputtered Boots. She was about to blow any minute.
"You need a noise?" said Gregor in frustration. "I've got a noise for you." He picked Boots up and wrestled her into the backpack.
"No! No! No!" Boots said, her voice rising in pitch and intensity.
"Everybody ready?" asked Gregor, pulling a cookie from Dulcet's bag.
The Underlanders weren't exactly sure what he was doing, but in seconds they were prepared to take off.
Solovet gave him a nod. "We are ready."
Gregor held up the cookie. "Hey, Boots!" said Gregor. "Want a cookie?"
"No, cookie, no, cookie, no, no, no!" said Boots, way past the point of being pacified.
"Okay," said Gregor. "Then I'll eat it." And making sure she could see, he stuck the whole cookie in his mouth.
"Mine!" screamed Boots. "Mine! Mine! Miiiiiiiiine!" It was an eardrum-piercing shriek that rattled his brain.
"Go you, Luxa!" cried Solovet, and the girl took off on her bat. Now Gregor could understand why the Coiler was such a big deal. Luxa was rising up along the web spinning and twisting at a dizzying rate. She held her sword out straight above her head. It was slicing the funnel to shreds. Only an extraordinary and flexible rider could have pulled off a move like that.
"Wow!" said Gregor. He jumped on Vikus's big gray bat.
"Miiiiiiine!" screeched Boots. "Miiiiine!"
Above him he could see Luxa spinning and slicing. The other Underlanders were following her, cutting straight up the sides of the funnel web. Gregor brought up the rear with Boots and her blinding screams.
At the top of the funnel, the golden bat hung in space performing an intricate, upside-down figure eight. Under the protection of Luxa's flashing sword, the Underlanders zipped out to freedom.
Gregor was the only one still in the funnel when it happened. From above, a jet of silk shot down, encircling Luxa's sword arm and jerking her from her bat. The pair of striped legs reeled her in like a fish.