“By all that’s green, we’re gonna be in big trouble.” The soldier who spoke poked at Ark with his foot as if he were no more than a sewer rat.

Ark wanted to try and explain. But whatever he said, they wouldn’t believe.

“Look, we didn’t let him in. It won’t be us losing our jobs. Leave it to the head of security. He’s in with the old canker right now.”

“If the King heard you calling him that, you’d be chopped.”

“Nah! Not him. He’s soft as fungus. But I wouldn’t want to cross the other one. He can do the interrogation. Councillor Grasp is well known for his methods of extracting information!”

They’d decided. A door swung open and slammed shut, a key grinding in the lock.

At the mention of Grasp’s name, all the hope in Ark’s heart died. He really was too late.

He tried to study his surroundings. His right eye had already swollen up so badly that he could hardly see through it. With the other one, he made an inventory: a bucket full of ammonia; several mops; a gas boiler; a servant’s toilet bowl that was shockingly dirty; and a door that looked solid enough to withstand a siege. Obviously, it was the first place the guards had found with a lock. It was a never-ending circle. It had all started in a utility room not unlike this. That first time, he’d been able to run out. Now what? If the Councillor found him, he’d be shut up, permanently, and the King would be no wiser. Even Mucum couldn’t help him now.

Something sharp dug into his ribs. That stupid feather again, nestled among the loose tools that didn’t fit into his plumber’s belt. Hang on a second…. He still had his tools! He gave a little prayer of thanks to Diana and crawled over to the toilet. He never thought he’d actually feel affection for a place where you did your ablutions, but he could almost have kissed the seat. Warning the King would have to wait; living through the next ten minutes was a priority.

It was an everyday job for a sewage worker. He quickly shut off the water, pulled the handle to drain the remaining liquid, and then proceeded to undo the bolt surrounding the base. In a flash, the toilet bowl was pushed aside, revealing a welcoming hole in the floor. It was small, but then, so was he. Ignoring the rising stink, he put his feet over the edge just as he heard footsteps pausing outside the door and a voice drifting through.

“And you caught him where?”

It was now or never. He put his hands high over his head and let go. His feet and legs vanished downward but the ragged lip caught at his belt, halting his descent. He was stuck fast!