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Checkers thought about her alternatives:
(1) Fiddle with rod. The last time that happened, a tunnel opened up and
a rock slide began. It would be just as likely that the tunnel would
close, trapping her in a dark room. Not a good option.
(2) Climb down ladder, with the lantern lit. It should work. However,
the rope ladder was tricky to manage with one hand, and its small radius
of illumination might not
do her any good. Also, the flame was exposed, and she had to be careful.
If this were an emergency, she could try it, but the
need to explore was not that compelling. She judged the risk of getting
burned by the lantern or falling to be
too great.
(3) Report what she has seen, and let the party evaluate what to do.
There were times to be bold, and times to be cautious. There was no need
to be bold now.
She had some useful information. The room was a
bit deeper than the other one; and the wall near the vent was in good
shape. If they could get some light from a brighter source, (or if those
mysterious lights that Fred could sometimes see were on), this room might
be worth
another look. It was also useful to note that the tunnel branched off in
another direction. It would be good to know what that would be. Finally,
she could move the rock to the other end of the breezeway, although
it would be quite an effort. Perhaps her weight and the weight of the
rock would allow Astra, Fred, or Belboz up here, although she was not sure
that she wanted to be alone with Astra or Belboz. Astra might get scared
in the dark and attack her as the dragon, although she appeared to be very
reasonable. There was something going on, as if Astra and Belboz had a
secret that they were not telling her. And she got the
sense that Belboz was sizing her up for something. She could not tell,
but it
was a bit unnerving nonetheless.
Checkers came to the fork in the tunnel. She thought that she smelled
a whiff of urine from the end that she had not gone down. She did not see
any animals, though. "In all the excitement with the rockslide, I left
my spear down by the wall. Although I cannot carry it down that rope
ladder, I really should have it available to me if I am to explore
further," she thought.
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Curious, Checkers crawls a little way down the other fork.
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Checkers plays it safe, and makes it to the exit to the keystone room.
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