Undergardeners Read Online Free Page A

wouldn’t even have lights,” muttered Glump. “Don’t want to learn nothing.” He jabbed a finger in the direction of Snick and Snock as he went away down the steps, muttering to himself. “Not like in my day. We was happy to do whatever had to be done. No time off for floods and soggy muck. If it needed doing, it needed doing now. Real stick-in-the-muds we were and proud of it. Lost some of my best boots and tools in that same mud, but did that stop us? Never! On we squelched, bootless and toolless, man and ruddy, soggy boy till we dropped. We could habe dilor fast ald…” The words became unintelligible as Glump went farther down the steps until the darkness swallowed him.
    â€œGlump does go on a bit sometimes,” said Alkus. “Anyway, you wanted to know about the lights. We control them by humming at the required pitch.”
    Mouse was intrigued. “Could I try?” he asked.
    â€œI don’t think so, Mouse,” Alkus said firmly. “The machinery here is very sensitive and its control is very precise. So just leave it to us, all right?”
    â€œPitch right, world bright—off by a fraction, end up in traction,” said Qwolsh.
    â€œTraction?” echoed Mouse.
    Alkus explained, “It’s just a saying we have. For safety’s sake, you have to be very accurate. Many things down here are controlled by sound frequencies—the stone at the top of the steps, for example. Each is tuned to its own specific note, so…”
    â€œSwitch the pitch and you pitch a glitch,” said Qwolsh.
    They started down the steep flight of steps. There wasn’t quite enough height for Mouse to stand up; he had to go down backward with his hands on the steps above for balance. He lost count of how many steps they had come down, but they were certainly well below ground level when they reached the bottom. More humming brought the lights up on a curved-walled, earthen tunnel stretching off into the distance. The tunnel was higher than Mouse expected, given the size of his companions; he had no trouble standing upright.
    As they started along it, Alkus explained that many different-sized creatures traveled along the tunnels. “These are the main ones,” she said. “There are others higher up that would be much too small for you. There are even bigger ones lower down.”
    The tunnel was very nearly round, and, standing in the center, Mouse could almost touch the walls on either side. The walls themselves were smooth, solidly packed earth.
    Although he was paying great attention to his new surroundings, the operation of the lights was still in the back of his mind. It can’t be that difficult, he thought. I bet I could do it. He let the others get ahead. “Humnnnnn.” He closed his eyes and started to hum. He opened one eye, but nothing seemed to be happening to the lights.
    â€œWho’s doing that?” Alkus wanted to know.
    Mouse didn’t answer. Briefly there was silence, but then came an angry roar from close by, followed by other roars farther away. Openings appeared all along the tunnel walls as irate Undergardeners opened shutters and doors and popped their heads out, voices raised in anger.
    â€œWhat is going on?”
    â€œWho did that?”
    â€œMy dinner is ruined.”
    Every opening framed an indignant face as creatures of all sorts glared out into the passageway, many waving spoons adrip with whatever they had been stirring. There were little people, weasels and badgers and rabbits, skunks and mink, moles and voles and gophers and mice and many others Mouse couldn’t name, all looking very angry indeed.
    â€œUh-oh!” Qwolsh clapped both hands to his cheeks with a resounding smack that echoed off the walls. “You silly wantwit, you’ve shut down all their ovens, haven’t you? Right in the middle of mainmeal.” Mouse gulped and attempted to rectify his mistake by humming with all