Finally, with great sighs of relief all round, Tad declared they had arrived close to the river and it was time to go up. He was standing at the base of a rusting ladder and eager to be in the slightly fresher air of the street, Pardigan pushed past him and volunteered to lead the way out.
He clambered up on the slippery rungs to find his way blocked at the top of the ladder by a large slab of stone. Bracing himself and praying the ladder wouldn't give way beneath him, he heaved and managed to shift the slab and slide it to the side. Cold fresh air and the spray of rain met his efforts and with a final shove he was able to squeeze past and emerge into the wet Bedlam night; it was still raining heavily. Thunder crashed overhead as he helped the others up, then Quint helped him slide the st
