The Scribe(141)
They reached the mine by midmorning. The scouts had reached it first, reporting that the place seemed deserted, but as a precaution Izam divided his men into two groups. The first headed for the slave huts and the second made for the tunnels. During the search, Hoos discovered some fresh fish bones and eggshells in a shed. The scraps seemed recent, but rather than tell Izam he hid them by dispersing them with his boot. They combed the place without finding anything significant, so after a final look around, Izam and his men joined those exploring the mine.
In the first tunnel the darkness was pitch black. As they progressed, the passages became narrower and narrower, forcing them to bend down as they walked. In one of the tunnels, one of their men stumbled, falling through the ground. There was little his friends could do except listen to his body tumble into the chasm. They deliberated whether to continue on or get out of that rat hole as soon as possible when a deafening rockslide threatened to bury them alive, dust filling their lungs. One of the men ran for the exit and the rest followed, feeling half-suffocated. Collapsing outside with bodies battered and spirits broken, they decided to call off the search and return to the town.
Only when there was complete silence in the tunnel did Gorgias push aside the rickety old corves he had hidden behind, and coughing and spluttering, he gave thanks to the heavens for helping him. With difficulty he came out of his hiding place and lifted away the timber from the rock fall he had provoked. He was glad he had foreseen that situation and prepared adequately.
A few days before, while he had been searching the mine, he discovered a beam that was not properly shored up to the ceiling. At first it worried him, but he soon hatched a plan to make use of it by tinkering with its support, turning it into a trap. He dug under the base of the pile and replaced the earth with small stones. Selecting a long, thin stone, with great care, he managed to position it vertically in the cavity under the base of the beam. Then he tied a string to the stone, covered it up, and retreated to a nearby cavity. From there he checked that, if he pulled the rope, the stone would come away, and the beam would collapse along with the tunnel roof.
Once he had returned to his hut, he reflected on the moments leading up to the soldiers’ arrival. That morning he had been in the huts when he heard the neighing of a horse. Gobbling down his fish, he went outside immediately and found that a group of men were approaching the mine. He quickly picked up Blanca and ran toward the tunnel, where he ducked down and prayed to God they would not enter. However, when he saw the first torch, he fled to the cavity near the trap, moved a corf in the way to conceal him and waited until the men were close enough. Before long, he saw them approaching. If they went any farther they would surely discover him. When one of the men came up to the corf, Gorgias gripped the rope and braced himself. He had to attempt it quickly. He rolled the rope around his arm and pulled with all his might. The stone moved and the pillar toppled to the ground, causing the rockslide.
After the collapse, he had searched the place for any wounded, hoping that he might find the man with the serpent tattoo among the rubble. But no such luck. When he had reached the exit, there was no trace of the men who had been looking for him. He was relieved by his good fortune. But he mourned Blanca, for in order to keep her from clucking, he’d had to wring her neck.
On Hoos’s return to Würzburg, a maidservant informed him that Theresa had gone out in the company of her stepmother, who wanted to pick up some clothes, and the young woman talked of taking a stroll in the fortress gardens. Hoos took off his weapons, washed his face, and went out to find her.
He discovered her sitting on a tree stump in one of the orchards. Coming up behind her, he gently stroked her hair. She turned in surprise, revealing a sad smile on her face. When she told him that she needed to find her father, he promised to help her.
They crossed the cloister under the arcades to protect themselves from the wind. Hoos picked some flowers and made a clumsy adornment for her hair. Theresa smelled of clean, damp grass. As they walked she huddled up to him, and he slid an arm around her waist and whispered that he loved her. Theresa closed her eyes so that she would never forget those words.
They ran to the bedroom that had been allotted to her, hoping that nobody would interrupt them, but they didn’t come across a soul. She went in first and he closed the door behind them.
Hoos kissed her passionately, exploring her throat, her neck, her chin. He held her in his arms as if he wanted to keep her there forever. Theresa felt the heat of his body, his excited breathing, his confident lips discovering another trembling place to kiss—and she liked all of it. Hoos caressed her brazenly, noticing the goose bumps on the girl’s skin, her desire growing with each of his kisses. He felt the firmness of her nipples, throbbing under her clothes. He slid his lips across her body, feeling her almost shameful softness.
She allowed him to undress her, to envelop her with his tongue, to warm her with his whispering. With each moment she wanted him more, and with each caress she longed for another, more forbidden touch.
She shuddered when his manhood brushed against her, feeling ashamed as she asked him, moaning, to penetrate her. He entered her slowly, pushing his way into her, overcome with lust. She held him tight, wrapping her legs about him, feeling his excitement, his movements, every pore of his skin. She rocked in time with his hips, wanting him inside her, faster and faster, harder and harder. She whispered for more, for it to never end, as her cheeks flushed, making her look like a harlot. Then, gradually, waves of pleasure radiated through her belly, time and time again, until she felt like she would lose her mind.