Scorpio Drums

Chapter seventeen

Chapter seventeen“Crack!” slapped rock against rock, and the bottom rock flew into splinters.

Neither of us felt like cursing. “Here,” said Wa-Te and handed across another sharp piece. I fitted the point against the end of the rivet holding his fetters with my left hand and brought the chunk of stone in my right down hard and accurately. The rock did not split. The rivet — I thought, I hoped, I prayed! — moved. Just a fraction, but it moved. It had to.

A soft pearly light hazed all about us in the small cavern. We’d hobbled here expecting pursuit to come baying along the dark corridor after us. No one followed us. We guessed that for the moment there was more concern and turmoil among the guards over the sudden demise of Yaka the Stripe than over checking the slaves. I struck again. Agai