So she
mounted to the upper floor, and thinking she would be likely to find
Cap'n Bill in the Room of the Great Knife, she went there and tried
the door. It was locked, but the key had been left on the outside.
She waited until the sentry who was pacing the corridor had his back
toward her, and then she turned the key and slipped within, softly
closing the door behind her.
It was pitch dark in the room, and Trot didn't know how to make a
light. After a moment's thought she began feeling her way to the
window, stumbling over objects as she went. Every time she made a
noise, someone groaned, and that made the child uneasy. At last she
found a window and managed to open the shutters and let the
moonlight in. It wasn't a very strong moonlight, but it enabled her
to examine the interior of the room. In the center stood the Great
Knife, which the Boolooroo used to split people in two when he
patched them, and at one side was a dark form huddled upon the floor
and securely bound.
Trot hastened to this form and knelt beside it, but was disappointed
to find it was only Tiggle. The man stirred a little and rolled
against Trot's knee, when she at once became visible to him. "Oh,
it's the Earth child," said he. "Are you condemned to be patched,
too, little one?"
"No," answered Trot. "Tell me where Cap'n Bill is."
"I can't," said Tiggle.
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