With a painful thud, Daring Do hit the floor. Even for her steel nerves, being nearly suffocated in a small, dark bag was difficult to handle. She thrashed about, trying to escape.
She heard a murmur from all around her. A distinct, nasal voice came from somewhere above. “Don’t tell me, let me guess. You found another one of those delicious rats?”
“No, master. It is pony.”
“Well, it makes little difference,” the ‘master’ said. “Any pony stupid enough to enter my sewers is no better than a maggot, let alone a rodent. Call my chef in here. I’m thinking that slow-roasting this little morsel alive will be very entertaining, not to mention quite tasty.”
“If you so much as lay a finger on me, you’re done for,” Daring Do snarled.
“Is that so?” the master chuckled. “Well, then. I guess I’ll have to use my hind legs.” A vicious kick sent her tumbling. When she landed, one of the briefcases dug into her lower back, and it was all she could do to keep from screaming in pain.
Gasping for air, Daring Do gritted her teeth. “I’m warning you. I have a document signed by the chief of police. It says that if I don’t make it out of here, he is going to hunt you down and personally take you into custody. There’s plenty they can charge you with, regardless of whether I live or die. So you’d better watch yourself.”
“The pony is prepared. I like it. Release her.”
Daring Do heard the top of the bag being untied, and was summarily dumped on the floor, her briefcases landing on top of her. Pushing one of them off her nose, she stood and quickly judged her surroundings. A cave lit only by two fires. A large stone chair. Grotesque hounds in a large circle around her. A stench even worse than the rest of the sewers.
A wizened, nearly hairless mutt stepped forward. “I am Old Scruff, master of the Warpaws, and your host for this evening’s dinner party.” Behind a small pair of round spectacles, his beady green eyes almost twinkled. “You must have some heck of a reason to go to all this trouble of getting captured. Care to enlighten me?”
“All I need is a little help. In return, I offer these.”
She unlatched the briefcases and opened them with a flourish. Inside, hundreds of rare gemstones sparkled, refracting the firelight into glimmering rainbows.
Old Scruff ran a paw through the stash, letting gems rain down between his fingers. “You certainly know how to get my attention. What ‘help’ could a old hound like me give someone like you?”
“As I’m sure you’re aware, the Iron Wings are trying to force their way into King Leonidas’ trove. It’s my duty to put that treasure where it belongs: a museum. But, I can’t get past their soldiers at the main entrance. There’s only one way I can get to the prize first. I have to go around them.”
The master looked quizzical. “How?”
“Simple. You and your friends are miners, correct?”
His chest swelled with pride. “The best and the fastest in the world.”
“Right. I need you to dig me a way into that cave, immediately.”
Old Scruff pondered this. “So, what’s to stop me from just taking these gems for myself, and letting you dig your own blasted tunnel?”
“These are just a down payment.” Daring Do smiled. “There’s a dozen times as much waiting for you, all yours if you help me.”
He was quite literally salivating over the prospect.
“But it’s not just that,” Daring Do continued. “As I understand it, the Iron Wings are your enemies. Wouldn’t it be just great if they got to the end of their search to find that the treasure was already gone?”
The old dog grinned toothlessly. “You’ve got a point there.” He rubbed his paws together in delight.
He seemed a little bit too eager, actually. Daring Do shot him down. “Don’t even think about taking the bounty for yourself. If my math is right, the tunnel should take me to somewhere in the middle of the cave. It’s filled with traps that only a seasoned professional - like myself - could keep from setting off. Unless you want to become mincemeat, you’ll leave the treasure hunting to me.”
His gaze darkened. “You drive a hard bargain, pony.” He reached out a gnarled paw for a shake. “But one that I simply can’t refuse.”
* * *
After giving precise instructions on where and how the tunnel was to be excavated, Daring Do rushed back up the surface. There was one more piece of the puzzle that she had to fit into place. Back in her hotel room, she dialed the royal palace in Canterlot. Soon, the operator connected her to her target.
“Hello? Yes, it’s Daring Do. Remember that favor you owe me? Well. It’s time.”