Chapter 22

The flying squirrel was completely turned around. They had been walking through the underground

passages for an hour, and Kit could no longer tell which way was out, except that process

of elimination said it must be a direction other than the one that they were walking in.

She hoped that her companions had a better sense of where they were going.

"'Max was leading the way his hands outstretched,

"'but he had dismissed the glowing orb of light he had created

"'in order to conserve his still limited power.

"'Kit followed him, playing out the beam of her flashlight ahead of them as best she could.

"'He came to another doorway on the side of the flashlight ahead of them as best she could. He came to another doorway

on the side of the passage and paused for a moment, turning from the doorway, back to the passage,

and back to the doorway again. He hesitated, and Kip began to wonder just how much of this

came down to him flipping a coin. She cast her beam forward along the passageway.

"'I think there are more stairs up ahead, Max,' she offered.

"'Do you think it would be higher?'

"'I think it very well might be,' Falcone said, grateful for the prompt.

"'Besides, we've been in this main passage for quite some time.

I don't know why the great prize of this temple would be hidden in an antechamber.'

She wrinkled her nose in worry.

"'Maybe we ought to be checking them out as we go,' she offered.

"'We're taking some pretty big chances here.

I may not be doing much to inspire confidence, he said, but I feel fairly sure of our route.

...