Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 528
behind as they wove through a low undulant tunnel with a
sandy floor. The air was cold and dead, and it would have
been silent except that faint drum-beat thuds sounded at
irregular intervals. Steam cannon impact, he realized.
As they progressed, the intermittent thumps grew louder
and louder, until with each one dust and grit shook loose from
the low ceiling. Enneas glanced back several times, a worried
look on his face. Lavin gestured for him to keep going.
After one particularly solid thump, a low sliding noise
came from ahead of them. It went on for a few seconds. When
silence fell again Lavin could hear Enneas swearing.
"What is it?"
"I don’t want to speculate. Come on." They went
forward faster now. The air was becoming thick with dust;
Lavin could barely seen the glow of the lantern now. His fear
of the confinement was gone now, replaced by a very real
worry about the effect his bombardment was having on the
tunnel.
Enneas cursed loudly. Lavin bumped against him; he
had stopped.
The old grave robber waved the lantern, showing how the
walls leaned in suddenly, and tumbled stone choked the
remaining space between them.
Enneas looked over his shoulder; the faint light
silhouetted him, so that he looked like a man-shaped hole
amidst the amber angles of stone. "It’s a cave in," he said.
"We’re stuck."