Of Machines & Magics by Adele Abbot

stared up at them as the insects closed.
    “We’d better follow the worm or go back the way we came, perhaps try one of the other branches.”
    A few minutes later, they stood at the edge of the hole looking down at the ten or twelve young worms below. Each was two or three spans in length and each was enthusiastically attacking its siblings.
    A buzz behind them attracted their attention from the savage little worms. Two wasps were crawling along the tunnel towards them, wings partly spread in the confined space. Ahead, from the far side of the hole in the floor, came a rumbling, rasping sound; movement was just visible in the gloom. The tunnel worm was returning and judging from its young, the creature must have a pair of powerful jaws at this end of the body
    Several long seconds passed.
    Which way lay the best hope for escape?
    Roli and Calistrope raised their swords almost simultaneously and took a step towards the menacing sentinel wasps.
    “No,” shouted Ponderos. “This way.”
    In the passage below them, four or five of the infant worms lay twitching—paralyzed by their siblings’ venom. Others were already partly eaten.
    Ponderos leapt down to the floor below. Roli And Calistrope followed. Swords whirled, cut… snick… snick… snick, three more of the aggressive creatures lay dismembered and dead; some of the newly hatched creatures reared up from feasting on brother or sister to watch the humans, perhaps considering attack, perhaps just caution. A sharp sword dispatched one and dissuaded the others.
    By the time the adult worm’s head stopped above the opening, they were ten or twelve paces back down the tunnel and ready to run if necessary. The wasps’ wings created a high pitched whine as they rushed to the attack but despite their single-minded ferocity, they were outmatched by the worm’s armored front end. There was a sense of flickering movement, scraps of wasp fell through the opening to be seized on by the youngsters underneath and then the worm itself thrust its head through the intersection.
    Gaping jaws capable of dealing with rock snapped open and closed, tiny black eyes ringed the vicious mouth, and these regarded the men malevolently. The worm wriggled and pushed a little further through the hole, swinging its head back and forth, but it was clear it was not supple enough to make the almost 180-degree turn necessary to reach them.
    “Ah,” breathed Calistrope when it became clear that they were safe.
    “Thank the fates,” added Roli.
    Ponderos grunted as the worm began to work its way back. “It knows we’re here now. It knows these tunnels too; it hollowed them out, after all. Sooner or later it is going to sidle up behind us and that will be that.”
    “Then our course is obvious,” Roli replied. “We get out of here, back to the wasps’ nest.”
    As before, Ponderos boosted them through the hole in the roof and they, in turn, hoisted the big man to the upper level.
    Roli leaned out with his arm outstretched. “I can almost touch it from here,” he drew his sword and poked the tip into the grey papery wall of the wasps’ nest. “It’s all damp,” he said.
    “Well yes. I expect it’s where the worm tore it open a little while ago,” said Ponderos.
    “Well,” Roli became excited, “we could cut it open again and jump across, make it down through the inside of the nest—come out at the bottom.”
    “Very good thinking. As soon as we damage the nest, it will be seething with angry insects.”
    “No, no it won’t,” Roli was rather put out. “The guards are all on the outside, once they’re grown they never go into the nest again—well hardly ever. There are workers in there, nursemaids, caretakers, cleaners and the queen of course but she’ll be near the top.”
    Calistrope turned to Ponderos, skepticism written large in his expression. “Is he right Ponderos? Would we be safe in there?”
    Ponderos shrugged. “I couldn’t say. How do you know all this