Chapter 18
Gregor's mouth dropped open in horror. Luxa was seconds away from dying. She knew it, too. She was writhing in terror, trying to bite through the silk rope at her wrist with her teeth, but it was too strong.
He felt around desperately for a weapon. What did he have? Diapers? Cookies? Oh, why hadn't they given him a sword? He was the stupid warrior, wasn't he? His fingers dug in the leather bag and closed around the root beer can. Root beer! He yanked out the can shaking it with all his might. "Attack! Attack!" he yelled.
Just as the fangs were about to pierce Luxa's throat, he flew up and popped the soda can top. The stream of root beer shot out and smacked the spider queen right in the face. She dropped Luxa and began to claw at her six eyes.
Luxa fell and was swept up by her bat. They joined the rest of the Underlanders who were fighting their way back to help.
"Blade Wheel!" commanded Solovet, and the bats formed into the tight flying circle that had surrounded Gregor when he'd tried to escape from the stadium. The humans extended their swords straight out to the sides, and the formation began to move through the air like a buzz saw.
Boots's unearthly shrieks were causing many of the spiders to curl up in cowering balls. Whether it was the noise, the Blade Wheel, or fear of the root beer, Gregor didn't know. All he knew was that in a few minutes they were flying free and leaving the spiders far behind.
Gregor unclenched his legs when he realized he was probably squeezing the life out of his bat. In one hand he still held the half-empty can of root beer. He would have taken a drink if he'd thought he could swallow.
Boots's screams soon became whimpers. She put her head on his shoulder and crashed. She'd been so upset, she still made little gasping sounds in her sleep. Gregor turned and placed a kiss on her curly head.
Luxa was stretched out on her bat's back alive but wiped out. He saw Solovet and Vikus flying near her, speaking. She nodded but didn't sit up. They took the lead, and the bats sped even faster into the darkness.
They flew a long time down deserted passages. Gregor saw no sign of life, either animal or plant. Eventually, Solovet and Vikus waved them down, and the party landed in a vast cavern at the mouth of a tunnel.
Everybody practically fell off the bats and just lay on the ground. Temp and Tick seemed almost comatose from fear. The bats staggered together and pressed into a tight, trembling knot.
After a while, Gregor heard himself speak up. "So, isn't it time I had a sword?"
There was a moment of silence, then all the Underlanders burst out laughing. They went on and on. Gregor didn't really get the joke, but he laughed along with them, feeling the darkness drain out of his body.
The laughter woke Boots, who rubbed her eyes and said cheerfully, "Where spider?"
Somehow that set everybody off again. Pleased with the response, Boots kept repeating, "Where spider? Where spider?" to appreciative laughterr
"Spider go bye-bye," said Gregor finally. "How about a cookie?"
"Ye-es!" said Boots, without a trace of anger over the earlier cookie incident. That was one great thing about her. Once she'd melted down and napped, she transformed back into her own sweet self again.
When they realized the princess did not in fact hate them, Temp and Tick rallied and ran around playing tag with her.
Mareth started to prepare food, but Solovet ordered him to lie down and prop up his leg. She and Vikus made dinner while Henry and Mareth played some kind of card game.
Gregor went over to Luxa, who was sitting on a stone ledge. He sat beside her and could feel she was still shaking. "How are you doing?" he asked.
"I am fine," she said in a tight voice.
"That was really cool, that Coiler thing you did," he said.
"It was my first time in a real web," confessed Luxa. "Mine, too. Of course, in the Overland, spinners are small, and we don't call them our neighbors," said Gregor.
Luxa grimaced. "We do not mix much with spinners."
"Well, that's probably a good thing. I mean, who wants to mix with somebody who spends the whole time thinking about drinking you?" Gregor said.
Luxa looked shocked. "You would not joke so had the queen trapped you!"
"Hey, I was hanging there yelling for an hour before you guys decided to show up," said Gregor. "And they really hated me."
Luxa laughed. "I could tell. By what Queen Wevox said." She paused. Her next words were an effort. "Thank you."
"For what?" he said.
"Saving me with the ... What is this weapon?" She gestured to the root beer can.
"It's not a weapon. It's a root beer," Gregor said. He took a swig.
Luxa looked alarmed. "Should you drink it?" she asked.
"Sure, try it," he said. Gregor offered her the can.
She tentatively took a sip, and her eyes widened. "It bubbles on the tongue," she said.
"Yeah, that's why it exploded. I shook up a lot of bubbles. It's safe now. It's just like water. Go ahead, you can finish it," he said, and she continued to take tiny curious sips.
"Anyway, I owed you one," he said. "You saved me from that rat the first night. So we're even."
Luxa nodded but seemed troubled. "There is one other thing. I should not have struck you for trying to escape. I am sorry."
"And I'm sorry I called your home creepy. It's not like it's all creepy. Some of it's great," he said.
"Am I 'creepy' to you?" asked Luxa.
"Oh, no. Creepy is like spiders and rats and, you know, things that make chills run down your spine. You're just... difficult," said Gregor, trying to be honest but not flat-out rude.
"You, too. You are difficult to ... uh ... make do things," said Luxa.
Gregor nodded, but he rolled his eyes when she wasn't looking. It was hard to imagine anyone more stubborn than Luxa.
Vikus called them all to dine, and even the roaches felt comfortable enough to join the circle.
"I am drinking Gregor's spinner weapon," announced Luxa, holding up the root beer can. He had to explain about the root beer all over again, and then everybody had to try a sip.
When the can got to Boots, he said, "Well, that's the end of that," thinking she'd guzzled down the last few swallows. But instead she poured out two little puddles.
"Beeg bugs," she said, pointing to the first puddle. "Bats," she said, pointing to the second. Both sets of animals obligingly drank up the root beer.
"I believe Boots to be a natural ambassador," said Vikus, smiling. "She treats all with an equality I myself aspire to. Come, let us eat."
Everyone dug in like they'd never seen food before. When he'd slowed down enough to actually taste his food, Gregor asked the question that had been worrying him since they'd escaped from the spiders. "Can we still go on the quest without the spinners?"
"That is the question," said Vikus. "That is the question we must all consider. Clearly we cannot expect any spinners to join us willingly."
"We should have seized two when we had a chance," said Henry darkly.
"The prophecy says the spinners must assent," said Vikus. "However, we know the rats have taken many spinners prisoner. Perhaps we can free a few and persuade them to accompany us. I have often had good results with spinners."
"But you will not be there, Vikus," Solovet said quietly.
"What do you mean?" asked Gregor, feeling his mouth go dry.
Vikus paused a moment, taking in the group. "It is time for those of us not named by the prophecy to return home. Mareth, Solovet, and I will fly after we rest."
Gregor saw his surprise mirrored on Luxa's and Henry's faces.
"Nothing in the prophecy forbids you to come," said Luxa.
"We are not meant to be here. And beyond that we have a war to fight," said Solovet.
The thought of going anywhere without Vikus and Solovet filled Gregor with panic. "But you can't leave us. I mean, we don't even know where we're going," said Gregor. "Do you guys know where we're going?" he asked Luxa and Henry. They both shook their heads. "See?"
"You will manage. Henry and Luxa are well trained, and you show great resourcefulness," said Solovet. She spoke simply and definitely. She was thinking of the war, of the bigger picture, not of them.
Gregor instinctively knew he could not change her mind. He turned to Vikus. "You can't leave. We need you. We need someone -- someone who knows what they're doing!"
He looked at Luxa and Henry to see if they were insulted, but both were waiting anxiously for Vikus's reply. "They know," thought Gregor. "They act tough, but they know we can't get through this by ourselves."
"I do not plan to leave you stranded in the Dead Land," said Vikus.
"Oh, great, and we're in the Dead Land," said Gregor. "So, you're going to ... what? Draw us a map?"
"No, I have arranged a guide for you," said Vikus. "A guide?" asked Henry. "A guide?" echoed Luxa.
Vikus took a deep breath as if he was about to begin a long explanation. But then someone interrupted him.
"Well, I prefer to think of myself as a legend, but I suppose 'guide' will do," said a deep, world-weary voice from the dark.
Gregor shot his flashlight beam toward the sound.
Leaning in the mouth of the tunnel was a rat with a diagonal scar across his face. It took just a moment for Gregor to recognize him as the rat Vikus had knocked into the river.