by Cyn Bagley

Created on: August 08, 2010

Novel excerpt from Shira

Chapter thirty-six

Chapter thirty-seven

They had slipped through the sewage pipes with Mal constantly complaining about the smell. It took awhile to reach the inner corridor, but even though it was dark and musty and smelled of long past ages of terror and conquest, it was much better than the sewers. No one had been in these corridors in a long time. Spiders had once set their webs here, but even the arachnids were gone.

Shira wiped the webs from her arms. Behind her, Mal kept her arms above her head. She told Shira that she was afraid of having one of those spiders drop on her head. Even when the assured her that the spiders were not there, she keep mumbling about spiders.  Finally, Mal wrapped her scarf around her head and shoulders, hoping that it would stop any creatures. If they dropped on her head, maybe they would slide off and onto the ground. Mal felt better. And Shira didn’t want to kill her.

Oor was as stoic as ever. He had not spoken much since Mal joined their party. Shira was sure that if he had he would have spent his time berating Mal. Obviously Mal, as queen, had never worried about the welfare of her subjects. Mal was a typical noblewoman. Unfortunately for her she was caught up in something that was beyond anyone’s experience. It had taught her the value of every life—not just the nobles. At least she wasn’t as bad as some of the courtiers. From Oor’s stories, they would use their servants in experiments or in other ways to bleed off the ennui. Boredom seemed to be the rot of the upper classes. As someone in the working class, Shira knew that she had no time to be bored. As one of the despised class, she had to make sure she was fed and clothed. In her case, she had to protect and fight.

Looking at the matter from a lower class prospective, the upper class should have been exterminated long ago. At least in the natural order of things, the ruling class should not be hereditary. Once such things became hereditary, the rot can become noticeable. Shira’s strengths were not in the thinking department. But, she knew that Corsindoran noble class and other ruling classes were stinkier than rank fish in a fish market. Solving it was someone else’s problem.

Shira heard a small thump in the corridor. She stopped and held her arm back to catch Mal. Mal almost squeaked, but Oor put a hand over her mouth. They stood silent.

Shira heard another thump, but it was louder. Down the corridor

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