In order to see from a different angle, he shifted his position and felt the thatch crackle under his weight; in an instant he would be falling. Desperately he thrust down his knee and tried to draw himself back to the rafter. His knee burst through the thatch; he caught a momentary glimpse of men looking up in wonder; then he had drawn away to safety.
Seething with fury and fear, Glawen clambered to the ridge and crawled back the way he had come. There was no time to waste;
Oomps would be on the roof within minutes, and the thought of what they would do if they caught him made his skin crawl.
He came abreast of the hotel, and there in the window was the night-light. He slid recklessly down the hip, transferred to the rafter and backed down to the hotel wall.
Where was the rope? Glawen looked through the shadows this way and that. The rope could not be seen, nor, looking up, could he see the night-light.
Apparently, in his haste and confusion, he had not come far enough down the hip before transferring to the rafter. The rope must be hanging a few feet farther on, and he could only grope for it in the darkness.
He went along beside the wall ten feet, twenty feet, thirty feet. No rope. He turned to retreat in the other direction, but thought to hear quiet urgent voices from across the roof; it was too late now to go back; he could only hope that Kirdy had also heard the voices and extinguished the night-light.
Just ahead was the corner of the hotel. He went forward and looked down, and saw the small canal which ran behind the hotel. A few yards farther along, a boat lay moored to the hotel dock: apparently a garbage scow.
The garbage collector was not visible and was evidently occupied
inside the hotel. He had covered the garbage piled in the bow with a mat. The canal at this point was about twelve feet wide. Glawen ran along the edge of the roof, until he stood opposite the garbage scow. He levered his legs under him, jumped. Forever he seemed to float through the air, while his trajectory took him across the canal and down upon the mat. He alighted crouching, with no great shock, the boat absorbing most of his momentum. He scrambled across the mat, jumped to the dock, and looked wildly back and forth.
Thump, thump, thump: footsteps.
Glawen pressed against the side of the hotel. Out upon the dock came the garbageman, laden with an enormous sack of garbage. As soon as he turned to relieve himself of the burden he would see Glawen.
Glawen ran soundlessly forward. He seized the garbageman by sack and shoulder, propelled him smartly to the edge of the dock and over into the canal. Then he ran to the kitchen door, looked within. A small pantry was at hand; Glawen stepped forward and ducked into the shadows.
Attracted by the splash and the exclamations the cook on duty and a pair of scullions came out on the dock. Glawen stepped from the pantry, ran through the kitchen, along a short service hall, and out upon the terrace.
He stood composing himself. The Bold Lions sat as before.
Unobtrusively Glawen seated himself between Shugart and Dauncy, neither of whom took any notice, their attention given to Aries as he described the amazing events he had witnessed at his exhibition.
Glawen nudged Shugart.
"Excuse me a moment; I'm for the wash room. When the boy comes by, order me another rum punch."
"So it shall be."
Glawen departed the terrace, crossed the lobby, ran up the stairs and knocked at the door to Kirdy's room.
"It's Glawen! Open up!"
The door eased back a crack; Kirdy looked out.
"So there you are! I was truly worried! When I saw Yips on the roof I had to douse the light and pull up the rope, so they wouldn't trace it here."
"So that's why I couldn't find the rope," said Glawen.
"It probably worked out for the best."
"I was watching for you, but I didn't see you," Kirdy explained.
"And I was sure that you'd find another way into the hotel."
"We'll talk about it later; there's no time now. Where's the rope?"
"Here. I've made a bundle of it."
"Good. Go downstairs and sit with the Bold Lions. I'll get rid of the rope."
Kirdy departed. Glawen tucked the bundle under his arm and followed. He crossed the lobby, went down to the dock.
Standing in the shadows Glawen wedged a chunk of broken concrete into the bundle and tossed it into the harbor, where it sank immediately. He then returned to the terrace and rejoined the Bold Lions, where Kirdy already sat.
Five minutes passed. A pair of Oomps came into the lobby.
They paused, looked all around, then came out on the terrace and approached the Bold Lions. One spoke in a soft voice:
"Good evening, gentlemen."
"Good evening," said Shugart.
"I hope you are not bringing us news of another surcharge or service tax? I assure you that we've been milked quite dry."
"No doubt, no doubt. What have you been doing?"
Shugart looked up in astonishment.
"Observe these goblets, some empty, others full or half full of rum punch! I am no detective but I might well assume that the Bold Lions were carousing in typical style."
