“We have to go back into the tunnel,” he announced.
“I hate this,” Serena said, hurrying along behind them. “I hated it the first time, and I hate it even more the second time.”
“How do you think I feel, mademoiselle?” Versanne quipped. “I fear I shall never breathe the rank air of Paris again.”
“We shall all breathe it again if we keep our heads,” Malcolm said. “Although it’s about as fresh as London air,” he added, thinking of the sooty, smoky air of home, longing for it now more than ever.
Soon, they were back in the ossuary and coming up to the guard who’d awakened.
“I thought you’d left me,” he said, sounding half terrified, half relieved.
“We have,” Malcolm said, keeping his face averted and racing past, still assisting Versanne as they entered the next chamber. Behind them, he heard Serena mumble an apology, and the guard yell beseechingly after them.
The man had surely alerted their pursuers, who would be coming even more quickly. Malcolm had no idea how the Imperial Guard had known he was in the catacombs rescuing Versanne, but there must be a hundred places to hide, and he would get them safely into one of them.
Passing a well and a large cross, they left the ossuary and were presented with more tunnels as well as the second staircase leading up to freedom. By this time, however, Malcolm could hear the footfalls echoing behind them. If they started up the steps, over a hundred and thirty of them if he recalled correctly, they would be captured.
“We must venture into one of these tunnels. The soldiers, hopefully, will assume we’ve gone up. By the time they realize differently —”
“We’ll still be sitting here like easy prey,” Versanne said, wavering as if he might sit on the limestone right where he was.
“No,” Malcolm said. “We could go back the way we came and up the front steps.”
Versanne sighed. “I haven’t had this much exercise since I was a youth.”
Meanwhile, Serena who’d remained silent, held her lantern up to chase the darkness away and peered down the two tunnels forking before them.
“They’ll be upon us soon,” she said. “Much as I detest saying it, I think we need to pick one of these passages and hope there is a hiding place.”
“Brave woman,” Malcolm said, trying to keep Versanne upright. “Right or left, it makes no matter.”
Serena chose the right tunnel, and after a few feet, they realized, there were in fact openings in the walls.
“In there,” Malcolm directed.
Serena hesitated, but it was impossible for him to go first since Versanne was all but collapsing except for Malcolm holding him up. Footsteps growing louder spurred her to glance again at him before she held up her lantern and disappeared between the limestone walls into the darkness.
Her piercing scream caused the hair on Malcolm’s head to stand up. Without hesitation, he dropped Versanne and dashed into the cavernous opening behind her.
