“Thank you, Ashish,” Gwyneth said, squeezing Ashish’s arm after they exited the store. “You made that experience a lot less painful than it needed to be.”

“I tried calling out to you after you left the vessel,” he replied, cheeks reddening. “I know the settlement and the gate guards. Perhaps we could go through together.”

“Together?” Gwyneth raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going back to Jagdish?”

Ashish smiled, shaking his head. “After you advised me on how to nurture my spirit, I checked every port for decently aged Cores. I didn’t tell Jagdish about it since he turns into a bit of arsehole when people leave his crew.” An oversized, muscular sparrow fluttered down from the ceiling to land on Ashish’s shoulder. “Well, I got it at the last port,” he said. “Sonia can fly again. So, I can continue climbing. Jagdish accepted my resignation last night and gave me a part of the recent take as my final pay.”

“Are you sure you want to come with us?” Bunty asked, exchanging a look with Gwyneth. She knew the man better than he did. Having a twice-upgraded spirit by their side would make life a lot easier. “I’m pretty sure you know that a noble house is after us. There could be people waiting for us on the other side of the gate.”

“I’m not committing to a party but a temporary partnership,” Ashish replied. “I committed to Jagdish without getting to know him and regretted it. The pay was above average, but it wasn’t particularly pleasant. I’d rather get to know a party before agreeing to a long-term partnership.”

“That’s fair enough,” Gwyneth said, nodding at him. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but why are you climbing? Isn’t safer and easier to stay on this floor.”

“I decided some time ago that I’d rather work for myself than others.” Ashish sighed. “Starting your own business is not an easy affair, though. It takes funds and connections, and I wasn’t making any working for Jagdish. Don’t get me wrong. He’s a lovely guy. We just didn’t see eye to eye.” His eyes narrowed and lips spread into a smile. “Besides, those mangrove-glider Cores won’t get you particularly far without help.”

Bunty’s back stiffened, and Gwyneth stepped back from Jagdish’s former first mate. “You knew?” She asked, her cheeks reddening. “Did Jagdish find out too?”

“No,” he answered. “I saw Bunty harvesting them, though. Perhaps someone else spotted him in the act too. No one would report it to Jagdish, though. He’s a miser. The crew were griping about how he was taking advantage of you towards the end.” Neither Bunty nor Gwyneth could think of an appropriate response. “So, what were you planning?”

“Since there might be DeLawney spies around and people waiting for us on the other side, I was considering bribing one of the gate guards,” Bunty replied. “Perhaps they’d let us through without anyone finding out.”

“You couldn’t have had a worse idea.” Ashish chuckled. “The Montagus pick their most loyal Climbers to guard the gates. They have inspection parties that randomly visit each settlement to keep everyone in line too. You’re going to get your arses kicked and thrown in prison.”

“What do you suggest then?” Gwyneth asked.

Hamza was still within earshot, so Ashish didn’t answer. Instead, he gestured the pair to follow and lead them away from the market street. They headed towards the cave’s edge and up a ramp towards the structures carved into the stone. Bunty guessed not many people lived within them. Humans were creatures of light; they wouldn’t willingly settle in constant darkness. There were no signs outside indicating where the roads lead, though, and they didn’t have the luxury of finding out.

Due to the low foot traffic, the road was poorly lit. No-one stopped or questioned the three hooded figures as they maintained their brisk pace, heading towards the cave’s far end. Bunty welcomed the temperature change. The humidity didn’t drop, but it was much cooler in the dark than the waterside. New Calcutta never got as hot as the sixth floor.

The trio stopped high above the stone settlement, looking down at a long line of carts. They were all heading towards a tall silver gate in the wall. A binding station stood next to it, and there was a line of people waiting to use it too. Only six armoured men and women stood around the exit. They carried axes, hammers, and spears socketed with brightly coloured Cores. They stopped merchants, spoke to them, and occasionally checked their wares before waving them through. Another half-dozen guards stood spread around the line of wagons. They didn’t interact with the vendors, and leaned lazily on their spears, watching the others pass.

“According to Jagdish’s smuggler friends, they check every seventh or ninth vehicle,” Ashish explained, coming to a stop at the edge. “It should be somewhere around here.” He fell to his knees, feeling around the dark edge. Ashish stopped when his knuckles found wood. “We’re lucky. The locals have been talking about taking these stairs down forever. They’re old, rotting, and just horrible. The smugglers stopped using them too. It’s our best bet, though.”

“Are you sure about this?” Bunty asked, feeling around in the dark. He despised, climbing the dark. Things got infinitely harder when one couldn’t see the hand and footholds. Fortunately, his spirit solved made things a lot easier. “Sneaking into one of the caravans feels just as risky bribing one of the guards. Considering their armour and weaponry, we’re going to be in trouble if they find us.”

“You’re not wrong.” When Ashish tested the stairs by placing a foot on them, the structure groaned and creaked under his weight. “There are certain vehicles the guards are less likely to check, though. They’re not wholly incorruptible, and the Montagus look over a few faults.” Ashish pointed at three large wagons with identical coconuts painted on the side. “Those carts are owned by a business the house has a stake in, and the guards love rum. If we can make it down in time and sneak into those, we should be fine. Then you can sell the Cores and buy me a drink as thank you.”

“Why are you helping us, Ashish?” Gwyneth asked, grasping Ashish’s upper arm before he started his descent. “This is a huge risk. I’d hate myself if you get hurt while helping us.”

“Think nothing of it,” Ashish said, grinning. “I spent everything I had on armour, clothes, and weapons. With or without you, I’d either have to get back to the floor hub or smuggle through. Are you ready?”

Gwyneth looked at Bunty with a concerned expression on her face. She sighed when he nodded back at her. “The stairs are too much of a risk,” Bunty said, summoning his spirit. He released a Slimeskin tentacle, but it was so dark that it was near invisible in the cave’s dim corner. After gently lashing it around Ashish’s waist, he braced himself against a nearby stone building. “I’m going to lower you down slowly. It’ll be faster than the stairs and make a lot less noise.”

Ashish nodded and did as he was told. After spending several years on a sailboat, he was no stranger to climbing. He held the tentacle with both hands and slid his feet down along the flat rockface, reducing the load on Bunty’s arms. Gwyneth lay on the stone, watching him descend the thirty-foot drop. Despite the darkness, they took their time. None of them knew how stable the stone structures were, or what spirits the people below had.

After a suspense-filled quarter-hour, it was Gwyneth’s turn. Now that they knew there weren’t any major obstacles, Bunty lowered her much faster than he had Ashish. Gwyneth’s footing slipped halfway down the descent, and she slammed face-first against the stone. A loud gasp escaped her as the collision forced the air out of her lungs. Bunty didn’t dare lower her any further. The tentacle swung from side to side wildly, but it eventually slowed as Gwyneth regained her composure. The clattering of stone and a muffled yell later, he felt a tug on the Slimeskin. Once he had his signal, Bunty lowered the rest of the way down.

Before starting his descent, Bunty studied the guard distribution below. There were fewer of them around the gate, and most of them had their eyes focused on the darker patches on the cave’s other side. A sparrow landed next to Bunty and pecked at his feet, before flying back down. Gwyneth and Ashish waved at him from where it landed. Bunty sighed in relief, stuck his tentacle to the ledge, wrapped it around his waist, and lowered himself to the ground. Whatever Ashish had done to distract, the guards had worked.

“That was certainly quicker than taking the stairs,” Ashish whispered clapping Bunty’s shoulder. He winced. The stitches hadn’t ripped, but the act had still been a strain on the injury and had him sweating bullets. “Now we’ve got ample time to find our ride.”

The trio crept through the shadows, tracking the trio of wagons as they ambled towards the gateway. They waited until the first of the rum-carrying vehicles were seven away from the gate. The guards let two carts pass through unchecked before stopping one. They didn’t just check the driver’s papers but also opened two of his crates. Bunty wondered whether the merchants and exporters faced similar issues when transporting their cargo through the seventh floor’s gate into the primary hub. It didn’t feel like a particularly pleasant life.

“The wagons are too full,” Ashish whispered after peeking inside the first. “We’ll have to split up.”

“I don’t like this,” Gwyneth whispered.

“It’s fine. I’ve used this method to traverse the floors before.” Ashish’s sparrow flew off. Moments later, another clang sounded from across the cave. The guards yelled at one another again, and one of them broke off to investigate. “The first cart always carries the paperwork and will most likely bribe the guards with a couple of bottles.” They crawled to the second wagon and checked its contents. “There is space for two. Gwyneth and I will take this one—”

“No,” Bunty said. “Gwyneth and I stay together.”

“Trust me, Bunty.” Ashish leaned in close as he spoke. “I’ve seen your spirit and Gwyneth’s. She has offensive prowess but no means of escape. Until your injury heals, you can’t take care of anyone but yourself. If things go south, I can run with her—”

“No. It’s not that I don’t trust you.” Bunty grasped Gwyneth’s hand tightly. “If the guards discover us, I’m in no shape to do anything to protect myself. I’ll need Gwyneth to buy time and confuse them so that we can disappear together.”

Ashish looked between Bunty and Gwyneth with his jaw clenched. Then he sighed and nodded, backing away. He ran into the shadows towards the third vehicle, staying close to the ground. Gwyneth climbed into the wagon first, before pulling Bunty up behind her. They worked together to rearrange the crates and move deeper among them. His heart raced inside his chest, and the closed wound continued to throb painfully. If not for it, Bunty was sure he’d have no trouble regulating his heartbeat. Fortune favoured them, and they tucked themselves into a narrow recess without drawing the driver’s attention.

The wagon ambled forwards, and Bunty focused on quietening his breathing. He didn’t want to be the one that made the plan fail. Keeping calm became more of a challenge when barking sounded outside the cart.

“They didn’t have hounds before!” Gwyneth hissed.

“It must be Ashish’s sparrow. It’s caused too much of a disturbance, and they’re looking for what could be causing it.” Bunty sniffed at his sweaty clothes, worried that the scent would give them away. Then an idea blossomed in his mind. He summoned a Slimeskin tentacle and stretched it into a sheet skinnier than his coat.

Gwyneth contributed by opening a bottle of rum, taking a swig, then poured its contents over the glossy fabric. “It should cover our scent.”

Bunty ripped a hole in the Slimeskin to function as an eyehole. Then they went still to keep an eye on whatever was going on outside. The lined continued to move and paused when they were one cart from the gate. Muffled speech and laughter sounded from outside. Then Bunty heard wood cracking, followed by full glass bottles clinking against one another. After a couple of more minutes of conversation, the wagons started moving again.

A pit formed in Bunty’s stomach when a hound hopped up, placing his front paws on the wagon’s rear. It sniffed at the air as one of the guards followed him. “What is it, boy?” He asked. “Smell any sly slimeballs?” The hound didn’t make a sound. It lingered for a couple of seconds before trotting towards the third vehicle in convoy. “Keep going.”

An alien vibration shook the vehicle around them. Bunty guessed they were entering the gate or moments from it. The wagon rolled onwards, and the shaking intensified.

“Oh, no!” A soft gasped escaped Gwyneth as loud barking escaped from the hound. Bunty pressed his hand to her mouth so she wouldn’t make another sound. A pair of guards ran past their vehicle towards the third cart as a white light blossomed behind Bunty. Gwyneth struggled against him, but he tightened his hold.

Another hound rushed towards the cart before it exploded, spraying wood, glass, and rum everywhere. A humanoid figure with wings emerged from the rubble and took to the air. It didn’t get far, though. Bunty caught a glimpse of a spear piercing the augmented Climber before they passed into the seventh floor.