The Shadowlands by Emily Rodda Page B

was as tall as Jasmine, and had wheels on its base and a trapdoor at one end. Its hinged lid was open, hanging flat against one of its sides. Clearly, it was the object which had been moved from the workroom.
    Evil radiated from it like heat. But the feeling was cold, a deathly cold that seemed to chill their blood, freeze their very bones to ice. Emlis began to whimper.
    Lief forced his hand upward and grasped the Pirran Pipe. A little warmth stole through his fingers. He took a step forward.
    ‘Stop!’ hissed Jasmine, clutching his arm. ‘Lief, no! Do not go near it!’
    But Lief had to know. He had to see what was inside the box. Clutching the Pipe more tightly he moved forward, Jasmine stumbling behind him, trying to hold him back.
    He reached the box, and, gritting his teeth, looked over its edge.
    At first all he could see was a squirming, pinkish mass. Then his throat closed as he realised what he was looking at—thousands upon thousands of long, pale worms with scarlet heads, thrashing and writhing in a bath of red slime.
    And the worms sensed him. They began rearing, trying to reach him, their wicked scarlet heads straining upward, their tails lashing.
    With a choking cry Lief jerked backwards, crashinginto Barda and Jasmine, who were directly behind him.
    He did not need to ask them if they had seen. Their appalled faces told him that they had.
    ‘We have to get out of this place,’ Barda hissed. He pointed at the double doors to their right. ‘That way! By my reckoning, the rubbish mounds are on that side. There may be another door…’
    ‘No!’ Jasmine was shaking her head, pointing to the doors ahead. Barda glared at her, and her pale face flushed scarlet. ‘We must go on!’ she cried desperately. ‘There must be prisoners here.’
    Lief looked from one to the other—and at Emlis, cringing behind them.
    Jasmine wanted to come here, all along…
    The thought drifted into his mind, stuck there. He knew it was true.
    ‘Jasmine, who—?’ he began bluntly. He had just enough time to register Jasmine’s startled, guilty expression when a noise from the workroom made him break off.
    It was the sound of voices and ringing footsteps. Tira and her companion had finished their inspection far sooner than he had expected.
    ‘… it cannot be helped!’ Tira was exclaiming. ‘You heard the message. We are needed at once! The Conversion Project is about to be put into action.’
    The companions glanced around frantically. There was nowhere to hide. Barda grabbed Lief’s arm and made for the right-hand doors, with Emlis shuffling after him.After just a moment’s hesitation, Jasmine followed.
    They swung into chill darkness. The doors had no sooner closed behind them than they heard someone entering the room they had just left.
    ‘Ah, my beauties!’ Tira’s voice cooed. ‘Your time has come! I have just had word of it.’
    There was a creaking sound, then a slam and four clicks, as the lid of the box was swung closed, and locked into place.
    ‘What is happening?’ Jasmine whispered in panic. ‘What are they going to do with those…
things
?’
    ‘Ssss!’
    The hiss was startling in the dark silence. Lief, Barda, Jasmine and Emlis jumped violently and spun around.
    Behind them, its roof covered by a tangle of heavy cloth, was an iron cage on wheels. Inside the cage, something moved.
    ‘Help me!’ croaked a voice. ‘Free me, for pity’s sake!’
    The companions darted silently to the cage. Its door was fastened with a heavy padlock. Peering out through the bars was a gaunt, wild-eyed Dread Gnome, his face just visible in the darkness. ‘I am Pi-Ban,’ the gnome gabbled. ‘Pi-Ban, once of Dread Mountain. Are you the cause of the panic? Did Claw send you? Where are Brianne and Gers?’
    Barda grasped two of the cage bars and heaved with all his might. But even his great strength was not enough to bend the thick, rigid iron.
    Wordlessly, Jasmine held out her dagger. Liefsnatched it and began trying