Book 2 Chapter 6

“I thought I’d see you again,” Ashish said when the pair found him. He waved at the bartender as they joined him at the table. “Your cards might be great, Diya, but they raise too many questions.”

Thanks for the warning.

“It was shortsighted of me,” Diya said, suppressing his real thoughts. They needed Ashish. “I should’ve used cards the crew traded me.”

“Do you have a way to the next floor?” Gwyneth asked.

“People around here don’t like patrons who hide their faces,” Ashish told the pair. “They might think the nobility sent a spy. You don’t have to worry about any Montagus or De Lawneys in here. Taverns like these are too dangerous for them.” Two mugs covered in condensation arrived as soon as the pair removed their cowls. “Yes. I do have a way to the next floor. It breaks a handful of the settlement’s laws, and the Montagus won’t be happy if they catch us, but I know many who’ve used the route.”

“What do you want in exchange?” Diya watched Ashish’s body language warily. “Cards? To join our party?”

“I’m not committing to a party but a temporary partnership,” Ashish replied. “I committed to Jagdish without getting to know him and regretted it. The pay was above average, but it wasn’t particularly pleasant. I’d rather get to know a party before agreeing to a long-term partnership.”

“That’s fair enough,” Gwyneth said, nodding at him. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why are you climbing? Isn’t safer and easier to stay on this floor.”

“I decided some time ago that I’d rather work for myself than others.” Ashish sighed. “Starting your own business is not an easy affair, though. It takes funds and connections, and I wasn’t making any working for Jagdish. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a lovely guy. We just didn’t see eye to eye.”

“Since there might be DeLawney spies around and people waiting for us on the other side, I was considering bribing one of the gate guards,” Diya replied. “Perhaps they’d let us through without anyone finding out.”

“You couldn’t have had a worse idea.” Ashish chuckled. “The Montagus pick their most loyal Climbers to guard the gates. These lot are weaklings or people too old to be out in the frontlines. They’re grateful for their employment and won’t easily risk the security that comes with it. The Montagus have inspection parties that randomly visit each settlement to keep everyone in line too. You’re going to get your arses kicked and thrown in prison.”

“What do you suggest then?” Gwyneth asked.

The trio left the Weary Urchin long after the evening had turned into night. Due to the low foot traffic, the roads were poorly lit. No one stopped or questioned the three hooded figures as they maintained their brisk pace, heading through the settlement and up the steep rocks behind it. Diya welcomed the temperature change. The humidity didn’t drop, but it was much cooler in the dark than on the waterside. New Calcutta never got as hot as the sixth floor.

The trio stopped high above the stone settlement, looking down at a long line of carts. They were all heading towards a tall silver gate in the wall. A binding station stood next to it, and a line of people was waiting to use it too. Only six armoured men and women stood around the exit. They carried axes, hammers, and spears socketed with brightly coloured cores. They stopped merchants, spoke to them, and occasionally checked their wares before waving them through. Another half-dozen guards stood spread around the line of wagons. They didn’t interact with the vendors and leaned lazily on their spears, watching the others pass.

“According to Jagdish’s smuggler friends, they check every seventh or ninth vehicle,” Ashish explained, coming to a stop at the edge. “It should be somewhere around here.” He fell to his knees, feeling around the dark edge. Ashish stopped when his knuckles found wood. “We’re lucky. The locals have been talking about taking these stairs down forever. They’re old, rotting, and just horrible. The smugglers stopped using them too. It’s our best bet, though.”

“Are you sure about this?” Diya asked, feeling around in the shadows. He despised climbing in the dark. Things got infinitely harder when one couldn’t see the hand and footholds. “Sneaking into one of the caravans feels just as risky as bribing one of the guards. Considering their armour and weaponry, we’re going to be in trouble if they find us.”

“You’re not wrong.” When Ashish tested the stairs by placing a foot on them, the structure groaned and creaked under his weight. “There are certain vehicles the guards are less likely to check, though. They’re not wholly incorruptible, and the Montagus look over a few faults.” Ashish pointed at three large wagons with identical coconuts painted on the side. “Those carts are owned by a business the house has a stake in, and the guards love rum. If we can make it down in time and sneak into those, we should be fine. Then you can sell your surplus cards and buy me a drink as thank you.”

“Why are you helping us, Ashish?” Gwyneth asked, grasping Ashish’s upper arm before he started his descent. “This is a huge risk. I’d hate myself if you get hurt while helping us.”

“Think nothing of it,” Ashish said, grinning. “I spent everything I had on armour, clothes, and weapons. With or without you, I’d either have to get back to the floor hub or smuggle through. Are you ready?”

Gwyneth looked at Diya with a concerned expression on her face. She sighed when he nodded back at her. “The stairs are too much of a risk,” Diya said, summoning the fountain pen. He conjured an ink vine. Thanks to the poor lighting, it blended into the shadows. After gently lashing it around Ashish’s waist, he braced himself against a nearby stone building. “I’m going to lower you down slowly. It’ll be faster than the stairs and make a lot less noise.”

Ashish nodded and did as he was told. After spending several years on a sailboat, he was no stranger to climbing. He held the tentacle with both hands and slid his feet down along the flat rockface, reducing the load on Diya’s arms. Gwyneth lay on the stone, watching him descend the thirty-foot drop. Despite the darkness, they took their time. None of them knew how stable the stones were or what souls the people below had.

After a suspense-filled quarter-hour, it was Gwyneth’s turn. Now that they knew there weren’t any significant obstacles, Diya lowered her much faster than he had Ashish. Gwyneth’s footing slipped halfway down the descent, and she slammed face-first against the stone. A loud gasp escaped her as the collision forced the air out of her lungs. Diya didn’t dare lower her any further. The tentacle swung from side to side wildly, but it eventually slowed as Gwyneth regained her composure. The clattering of stone and a muffled yell later, he felt a tug on the Slimeskin. Once he had his signal, Diya lowered the rest of the way down.

Before starting his descent, Diya studied the guard distribution below. There were fewer of them around the gate, and most of them had their eyes focused on the darker patches on the cave’s other side. A sparrow landed next to Diya and pecked at his feet before flying back down. Gwyneth and Ashish waved at him from where it landed. Diya sighed in relief, stuck his tentacle to the ledge, wrapped it around his waist, and lowered himself to the ground. Whatever Ashish had done to distract, the guards had worked.

“That was certainly quicker than taking the stairs,” Ashish whispered, clapping Diya’s shoulder. He winced. The stitches hadn’t ripped, but the descent had still been a strain on the injury and had him soaked with sweat. “Now we’ve got ample time to find our ride.”

The trio crept through the shadows, tracking the trio of wagons as they ambled towards the gateway. They waited until the first of the rum-carrying vehicles were seven away from the gate. The guards let two carts pass through unchecked before stopping one. They didn’t just check the driver’s papers but also opened two of his crates. Diya wondered whether the merchants and exporters faced similar issues when transporting their cargo through the seventh floor’s gate into the primary hub. It didn’t feel like a particularly pleasant life.

“The wagons are too full,” Ashish whispered after peeking inside the first. “We’ll have to split up.”

“I don’t like this,” Gwyneth whispered.

“It’s fine. I’ve used this method to traverse the floors before.” Ashish’s sparrow flew off. Moments later, another clang sounded from across the cave. The guards yelled at one another again, and one of them broke off to investigate. “The first cart always carries the paperwork and will most likely bribe the guards with a couple of bottles.” They crawled to the second wagon and checked its contents. “There is space for two. Gwyneth and I will take this one—”

“No,” Diya said. “Gwyneth and I stay together.”

“Trust me, Diya.” Ashish leaned in close as he spoke. “I’ve seen your spirit and Gwyneth’s. She has offensive prowess but no means of escape. Until your injury heals, you can’t take care of anyone but yourself. If things go south, I can run with her—”

“No. It’s not that I don’t trust you.” Diya grasped Gwyneth’s hand tightly. “If the guards discover us, I’m in no shape to do anything to protect myself. I’ll need Gwyneth to buy time and confuse them so that we can disappear together.”

Ashish looked between Diya and Gwyneth with his jaw clenched. Then he sighed and nodded, backing away. He ran into the shadows towards the third vehicle, staying close to the ground. Gwyneth climbed into the wagon first before pulling Diya up behind her. They worked together to rearrange the crates and move deeper among them. His heart raced inside his chest, and the closed wound continued to throb painfully. Diya was sure he’d have no trouble regulating his heartbeat if not for it. Fortune favoured them, and they tucked themselves into a narrow recess without drawing the driver’s attention.

The wagon ambled forwards, and Diya focused on quietening his breathing. He didn’t want to be the one that made the plan fail. Keeping calm became more of a challenge when barking sounded outside the cart.

“They didn’t have hounds before!” Gwyneth hissed.

“It must be Ashish’s sparrow. It’s caused too much of a disturbance, and they’re looking for what could be causing it.” Diya sniffed at his sweaty clothes, worried the scent would give them away. Then an idea blossomed in his mind. He summoned a length of Slimeskin and stretched it into a sheet skinnier than his coat.

Gwyneth contributed by opening a bottle of rum. She took a swig and then poured its contents over the glossy fabric. “It should cover our scent.”

Diya ripped a hole in the Slimeskin to function as an eyehole. Then they went still to keep an eye on whatever was going on outside. The line continued to move and paused when they were one cart from the gate. Muffled speech and laughter sounded from outside. Then Diya heard wood cracking, followed by full glass bottles clinking against one another. After a couple of more minutes of conversation, the wagons started moving again.

A pit formed in Diya’s stomach when a hound hopped up, placing his front paws on the wagon’s rear. It sniffed at the air as one of the guards followed him. “What is it, boy?” He asked. “Smell any sly slimeballs?” The hound didn’t make a sound. It lingered for a couple of seconds before trotting towards the third vehicle in the convoy. “Keep going.”

An alien vibration shook the vehicle around them. Diya guessed they were entering the gate or moments from it. The wagon rolled onwards, and the shaking intensified.

“Oh, no!” A soft gasp escaped Gwyneth as loud barking burst from the hound. Diya pressed his hand to her mouth so she wouldn’t make another sound. A pair of guards ran past their vehicle towards the third cart as a white light blossomed behind Diya. Gwyneth struggled against him, but he tightened his hold.

Another hound rushed towards the cart before it exploded, spraying wood, glass, and rum everywhere. A humanoid figure with wings emerged from the rubble and took to the air. It didn’t get far, though. Diya caught a glimpse of a spear piercing the augmented Climber before they passed into the seventh floor.