Free Under Fragile Stone by Oisin McGann Page B

can you hear me? Can anybody hear me?’
    There wasn’t a sound. Paternasse hung his head.
    â€˜What does this mean?’ Nayalla asked him. ‘Are they still coming for us?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ the old man replied. ‘I don’t know any more.’
    * * * *
    The miners had guaranteed the three Myunans and the Parsinor safe passage into and out of the camp. Emos decided Taya and Lorkrin would be as well off with him as they would be if he left them outside, so they came in with the two men. There was some arguing between the miners and the guards at the gate, but eventually the truck was let through. A crowd of miners gathered around as they dismounted from the truck. The Provinchus came out of the officers’ quarters, dressed in a poorly fitting whipholder’s uniform and flanked by six burly soldiers. He did not look pleased to see the new arrivals.
    â€˜Forward-Batterer Cullum, arrest these Myunans,’ he snapped at the soldier in charge of the gate. ‘What do you mean by letting them enter the camp?’
    â€˜They’re here to help our mates,’ the driver of the truck told him. ‘You leave them be.’
    â€˜You will hold your tongue or you will join them,’ Cotch-Baumen warned. ‘Forward-Batterer, you have been given an order!’
    There were angry shouts from the crowd of miners and some of them placed themselves in front of the soldiers. 
    â€˜We’re not ones to shirk work, sir,’ a stocky, middle-aged man with a black beard spoke up. ‘But you won’t get one more crumb from that mine until we know there’s help on the way for our boys.’
    There was a murmur of agreement from the others.
    â€˜If these people can find these caves then we need them,’ he went on, turning to Emos. ‘We’ve just had another cave-in, nearly lost another team trying to get to the first one. There’s no way we’ll reach them in time, even if we could dig and that’s lookin’ just too damned dangerous now. We can’t even be sure that they made it either, but we’re not giving up until we’ve given it our all. If there is a cave back there, it’s their only way out. But they’re down there in the dark, running out of light and water. So, can you find a way in?’
    â€˜There are no cave entrances on Absaleth,’ Emos told him. ‘But I can lead you to an entrance in Ainslidge Woods, on the far side of the hills that could take us underneath it. It’s about two days’ travel by engined wagon. I don’t know if it’s a way in, but it’s the only cave system in the area. My family is down there with your friends and I think it’s their best hope. They’ll know about the entrance, though they might not be able to find it. I can find my way round down there, but I need help. The entrance is blocked by a huge stone.’
    The man nodded.
    â€˜That’s good enough for me. Every man here’ll come along if needs be.’
    â€˜Splendid,’ Cotch-Baumen clapped his hands together. ‘However, I fear that might deplete our workforce somewhat. And might I remind you who is in authority here?’
    But the Provinchus was weighing up the situation; he could not afford a revolt now. Production was already well behind schedule and he had learned from experience the desperate lengths the lower classes would go to when their brethren were in danger. They all wanted to be sure that others would do the same for them if the situation were reversed. It would be better to let a few of their number make their rescue attempt and get the rest back to work as quickly as possible.
    â€˜Three will go: a miner and two footsoldiers, for security.’
    â€˜No soldiers,’ the lead miner said. ‘And we need more men.’
    â€˜It’s enough,’ Emos said. ‘We’ll be travelling through Reisenick territory and they would not take kindly