Tim skulked around the corner of a white palace corridor with a sound ampliflier runed conch, listening.

"They're there! The lynxmice are there! I swear they're there!" Asda ranted on the inside of the building. "Double the watch! Inspect the kitchens at midnight! Where are the rat-trap engineers?!"

[Guard coming around the corner.] One lynxmouse scout advised. [Ten seconds.]

Tim darted away, finding cover around the next corner before the guard patrolled past, then resumed his eavesdropping on Asda's conversations.

"You want me to control the lynxmice?!" Asda was saying to someone on the other end of a communications crystal. "I can't do that!"

"You were friends with Fort Spoas once, were you not?" the pinched voice on the other end of the line pressed. "Surely you have discovered the secrets of taming the Wilds!"

"Well… I think it's mainly just food." Asda replied. "Barbecued meat, usually."

"There must be more to it! We have been researching and experimenting and operating on Wilds for decades, and not even we can control the Wilds the way this Remian and his people can!"

"Then why don't you ask them?" Asda flared.

"And alert them to our interest? Never! Our secrecy is our greatest protection. No one must know of our interests in the Wildlands!" there was a short cough. "We wouldn't even have approached you if your brother wasn't a close ally."

"You mean, you can trust him because he's so deeply in debt to you, he's basically your lackey." Asda summarized bitterly.

"Better a lackey to one of our own than a friend to infidels. Rest a.s.sured, Kuasa Besar will reward loyalty."

"If that's supposed to persuade me to tell you more, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I really don't know anything else."

"Have you seen them use any device on the Wilds, like a special rune, or crystal…"

"No, nothing of that sort."

"A special liquid, or potion, perhaps?"

"Milk, maybe? Or honey?"

"What about devices implanted into their heads…"

"Look, I don't know anything! Why do you even need Wilds to do your work anyway? You're not short of manpower or resources."

"Suffice to say that there are things in the Wildlands that we want, and we do not want anyone else poking their noses into it." The voice on the other end said. "Do you have word from the Underground King?"

Asda hesitated. "The who?"

"Come now. Put aside your pretenses. We both know who the true ruler of Fal'Herim is."

"Fal'Herim is loyal to the crown and to Khar'al-dras!"

"Khar'al-dras is always asleep. I'm talking about the ruler-beneath-the-sands. We had a deal. Where is he?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh? Your brother says the same thing. How very odd. Since he left, we thought for sure he would leave word with at least one of the royals. If it's not your brother, and it's not you… who might it be?"

"We don't know anything about the Underground King!"

"Ah, but you do, little princess. You definitely do. Or else, you would not have such fear in your voice." The voice cleared his throat. "But he will return to Fal'Herim. He always returns. When he does, we expect his job would be done. He will surely see fit to introduce himself to you or your brother. At that time, you must tell him to contact us immediately. We have a new job for him. We will pay well."

"A mercenary?" Asda sounded interested. "Perhaps I can find him for you. Where might he be? What job have you hired him to do?"

There was a long pause.

[Guard patrol! Ten seconds!] the lynxmice warned him.

Tim darted off again, and waited for the guard to pa.s.s before returning to his listening post.

But there was only silence on the other side.

Tim made a face, vexed, thinking the conversation had ended completely when suddenly, the silence was broken by that pinched voice. "Very well. For the sake of the hurry we are in, we will take you into our confidence. The job we hired the Underground King to do is to drive out the new settlers infringing upon our Wildlands. He was to do so using the Wilds, so as to leave no traces as to our involvement."

"The Beast Waves? The Underground King is the one sending the Beast Waves? And the Beast Tide?!" Asda gasped.

Tim froze, eyes wide.

"Whatever. Venture into the Wildlands if you must, but find him and find him quickly. We have a more important job for him right now."

There was a shuffling sound and movement. Tim frowned, trying to hear more…

The wall opened up. Tim jumped straight up, a clear six inches off the ground, instinctively hiding the Listening Conch. He found himself staring wide-eyed, face-to-face with Asda.

"It's YOU!" Asda shrieked.

Tim ran. He ran like his feet were lightning, das.h.i.+ng around the corner and off into the wind in no time.

"Guards! GUARDS! Intruder! There's an INTRUDER!" Asda screamed.

Heavy footfalls sounded all across the palace. Shouts and yells sounded on all sides. The entire garrison and their reserves were sent out to scour every inch of the palace and palace grounds for this intruder.

But they did not find anything. Not even a single sign of Tim or any lynxmice.

***

Panting for breath, Tim and his squad of lynxmice hid in a secret tunnel roughly four feet underground.

"Anyone lost any furs?" Tim asked, gasping.

"Mwiik." [We made a clean getaway. All furs accounted for.]

Up above, Asda was screeching at everyone and their uncles and their dogs. She wanted every hole, crack and opening in the Palace sealed. Never mind that they had already done that, re-done it twice, and had never opened any new openings large enough for lynxmice since then. She wanted anti-lynxmice security doubled, tripled down immediately.

[I think we better stay away from this place for a few days. Cancel all raids. Even the cheese s.n.a.t.c.hes.] Tim told the lynxmice.

[But… weren't we going to steal the third volume of Sneaky Earth Magic from the royal library tonight?] one of the lynxmice asked. [We had been planning and preparing for it all week!]

[Next week, guys. Our Earth Magic is sneaky enough as it is.] Tim didn't suppress his grin. [Just station a few lynxmice to keep Asda chasing shadows while we're gone.]

[We're leaving? Where are we going?]

[I'm going to talk to our human informants about this Underground King fellow. We're going to hunt him. If he's really the guy sending the Beast Waves, then he's the guy we want to stop the most.]