Neverwylde Read Online Free Page B

approached the portal. Taking another tube weapon from Dox, Fullgrath joined him. With a nod of his head, Kyber palmed the symbol to open the doorway, and they waited. When nothing jumped out at them, Kyber entered first. A moment later, he stuck his head back into the corridor.
                “The way is clear.”
                The pile of bones lying in the middle of the atrium, the last remnants of the past inhabitants, appeared to be undisturbed following the eye worm attack a few days ago. Everyone filed into the main atrium, giving the remains a wide berth. Remembering Dox’s description, Kelen glanced around and noted there were nine doors. A nonagon, exactly as the little man had mentioned. She frowned. Nine doors, with three additional passageways.
                “Chambliss, show us those marks that indicate food.” Mellori gestured at her from one of the doors.
                She glanced around again and her scrutiny alerted Kyber.
                “Is something wrong?” he asked, tensing.
                “Dox called this a nonagon.” She eyed the little redheaded crew member who had parked himself to one side and was busy examining the medical scanner Sandow had given him.
                Jules joined her and scanned the room. “Yeah. It is. So?”
                She pointed the each aperture. “Do you see the pattern? Three doors, a corridor. Three doors. Corridor. Three doors. Corridor.” She turned around as she noted each one, stopping to face the tunnel where they had emerged. The doors to the apartments were different from the ones leading away, making it easy to differentiate between them. “That way is to the lake. That’s the way we came in. So one of these other tunnels has to be the one we used to get here from the garden.”
                “I believe it’s that one,” Mellori offered, motioning toward an entryway.
                “What are you trying to say, Chambliss?” Sandow asked from where he was crouched over Dayall’s inert figure.
                She glanced at him. “The apartment Kyber and I fell into had a back door. It was a small tunnel that exited to the lake. How did the rest of you get to the lake?”
                “We followed that tunnel,” Jules answered, indicating the corridor where Gaveer remained standing at guard.
                “Wait a minute.” Fullgrath called for their attention. He looked at Kyber. “You and Kelen took an alternate route to the lake?”
                The Seneecian nodded. “The apartment had another exit.”
                “Which probably means all the apartments have secondary exits,” Kelen noted.
                “I still don’t understand what you’re trying to get at,” Jules commented.
                “I believe I do.” Kyber stepped closer and checked around the room. “You believe three apartments and one corridor lead to the lake. Three other apartments and a corridor lead to the gardens. And the last three apartments and that one remaining corridor lead…to where?”
                “To more apartments?” Jules suggested.
                “Dox?” Kelen called out to the little man. “Dox, do you know where the third corridor leads to?”
                This time, however, instead of being able to give them an answer, Dox shook his head and resumed taking the scanner apart. Kelen sighed.
                “Well, it was worth a try.”
                “Speaking of worth a try, let’s try and find us some of those blue pancakes you were telling us about,” Fullgrath rumbled. “Do you remember which apartment you were in?”
                “No, but I don’t think it matters. I’m guessing they’re all pretty much alike.” She went over to the nearest apartment doorway and slapped the symbol to