Groaning, he slipped over the edge, cautious with his handholds, and resumed his journey down.
And, not two man-heights down from the balcony, his groping feet found another ledge, followed immediately by another-a staircase, angling steeply down the wall. One hand maintaining contact with the seamless stone, Harllo worked his way down, step by step.
He did not recall noticing any of this his first time down here. Of course, the candlelight had been feeble-which made easier catching the glitter of gold and the like-and he had gone straight back to the rope. And hadn’t his mind been awhirl? A talking Imass! Down here for maybe hundreds of years-with no one to talk to and nothing to look at, oh, how miserable that must have been.
So. He should not be resenting doing all this for the Bone Miner. A few switches to the back wasn’t much to pay for this mercy.
He reached the floor and paused. So dark! ‘Hello? It’s me! Dev’ad Anan Tol, can you hear me?’
‘I can. Follow, then, the sound of my voice. If such a.thing is possible-’
‘It is… I think. Scratch the rock you’re sitting on-I’ll feel that under my feet-’
‘That,’ said the Imass, ’is an impressive talent.’
‘I’m good when I can’t see. Vibrations, it’s called.’
‘Yes. Can you feel this then?’
‘I’m getting closer, yes. I think I can start a lantern here. Shuttered so it won’t spread out.’ He crouched down, the ends of the long bones thunking behind him, and untied the small tin lantern from his belt. ‘This one’s called a pusher. You can fix it on to a pole and push it ahead. If the wick dims fast then you know it’s bad air. Wait.’ A moment later and soft golden light slanted like a path, straight to where sat the Bone Miner. Harllo grinned. ‘See, I was almost there, wasn’t I?’
‘What is it that you carry, cub?’
‘Your splints. And rope and string.’
‘Let me see those… bones. Yes, give them to me-’ And he reached out skeletal hands to grasp the splints as soon as Harllo came close enough. A low grating gasp from the Imass, then soft muttering. ‘By the Shore of Jaghra Til, I had not thought to see… cub, my tools… for this. The gift is not in balance.’’I can try to find some better ones-’
‘No, child. The imbalance is the other way, These are emlava, a male, his hind long bones. True, they twist and cant. Still… yes… possible.’