It’s kind of a cracking sound, but it doesn’t sound like wood. Or thunder, for that matter. You try to figure out what it is and then hear it again. And it sounds much closer.
That’s when you realize that the tower really is in bad shape. The stone beneath your feet has given way. Worse, it’s given way just as you were standing on it, and now your leg is stuck in the hole.
And you hear more cracking. You’re going to have bigger problems than being stuck in a moment.
Then you hear the sound of a door opening. Then you feel someone grabbing your arm. There’s some shouting, but you’re feeling too overwhelmed to process anything.
When your head clears, you’re on one side of a hole. And Anthony’s here, too.
“You’d better not be messing with me about that apology,” he grumbles.
“I’m not. I mean it, both about back in the troupe and tonight. Now, let’s get down from here while this tower’s still standing.”
Anthony doesn’t look happy, but he looks down the gaping hole in the floor and sighs.
“Yeah, I guess it was stupid to come in here,” he agrees. “Thing is, how are we getting down? There’s no ropes or ladders in there. And it’s not like the greblings can carry us even if I manage not to panic at the sight of one. Plus, you’re in that armored uniform. Which is heavier than I realized.”
“Yeah, it was easier to get a real Redbelly uniform than to sew a good replica,” you reply. “Funny story there, but this probably isn’t the time to tell it.”
“And that means that we’re going to need something strong enough to support its weight,” he adds. “That or you’ll need to take it off, and I think I’ve already caused enough indignity for the both of us tonight. Plus, it looks like the door down there is blocked by rubble. So the greblings aren’t going to be able to get us down that way.”
Right. So you’ll either need to find a way down yourself, or get the attention of the greblings so they can help you some other way.