Elevatia

11. High Treason

When they'd sorted out the fuse and the lights came back on again, we realised we were surrounded by a squad of armed Upright. The Chief Upright was standing at the top of the stairs with a Lowlie wearing ceremonial robes and a small rusty crown crouching behind her. The Chief Upright was brandishing a sheaf of papers.

"Looking for these plans?" She mocked. "What a shame a little bird tipped me off about your little escapade."

I gasped. "Birds can talk?"

"No, you imbecile, one of your precious friends betrayed you. Looks like you're one card short of a deck. And I have all the aces."

I gasped. "Ace?" I looked shocked at Chip.

And then everything went black.

When they'd sorted the fuse again and the lights came back on once more, the Upright squad around us were positioned a little closer in slightly different poses.

The Chief Upright had her arms crossed. "You really need to fix the electrics in this place, Low King."

"I'm sorry your Uprightness," the crowned Lowlie muttered to the ground. He offered up a puppy.

The Chief Upright booted the puppy halfway across the room and seemed to cheer up.

She turned her attention back to us. "As you can see, we have you surrounded."

I looked at the Upright squad again, I hadn't seen them move but they were even closer again. One of them was standing on one leg and wobbling slightly.

Jayla whispered to me, "What should we do Kit? We can be brave. We're ready to take a last noble stand. We'll go down with you if you just say the word... Oh you've surrendered, okay."

We were all cuffed and roughly pushed to the exit.

The Chief Upright waved the plans under my nose mockingly. "So close little Kitty," she purred and then she whisked them out of reach and handed them over to the Low King "Time to lock these plans away again. Now Kit, you and your friends will be taken to cells tonight until your free and fair trial at dawn tomorrow" she said as we were led away. "And then after you've been found guilty of High Treason, you'll be executed before sunrise. See you then!"

The five of us were driven to a grim looking building, dragged down underground through the dark and cramped stone corridors of the prison and thrown into tiny adjacent cells. Lowlie guards patrolled the passageway outside. I sat down, heavily, my head in my hands.

"How could it have gone so wrong? Did Ace betray us? Who else could it have been? No one else knew about our plan. But did he really care that little for me?"

"I don't know, Kit." Chip's consoling voice came from the neighbouring cell. "I can hardly believe it either. I think he did care about you. How could he not?"

"I should have listened to you Chip."

"You had to do what you thought was right, Kit. You see the good in others and I can't blame you if they don't live up to it."

"You're always good, Chip." I smiled at the rock between us.

I knew he'd be blushing and leaning in for a kiss. I leaned over and smooched the wall. It was kind of weird as the wall was a bit damp and slime covered but I guess he was into that.

"That's sweet, Kit." He said, his voice coming from another bit of the wall while my lips were still on the rock. Huh, I guess he wasn't smooching the wall then. Just me.

I wiped my lips.

"What are we going to do?" Jayla's voice came from the cell on the other side of me.