[We have a delver.]

Clare froze, then slowly felt her entrance. Kepler was right, they had one—no, more were coming, three, they had three delvers.

Great! She beamed. But also…

The delvers were short. Not dwarf short, either.

Why are they kids again?

The servants, feeling Clare’s excitement, began to stir.

Hey, hold up, guys, let’s go easy on them.

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The snake pack grumbled silently. She’d built them water tunnels specifically so they could sneak up on delvers, but were now being told not to use them?

[I won’t scare them.] Astrid also chimed in, sending the thought in her most innocent tone.

The slimes, as well, did not like this order. Pudding and Jello were having something like a slime debate (which involved a lot of jiggling) about the ethics of going easy on children, while Chubbles was simply trying to slip closer to the entrance without Clare noticing.

Duchess weighed in on the side of Pudding, who insisted that going easy on children would only infantilize them, robbing them of potential growth. The dipluran choir had gone anxiously silent, and Clare realized—with a sudden bolt of her own anxiety—that she had no idea where Puck and Van Gogh were.

[Clare.] Kepler said tersely. [They’re trying to touch the throne.]

Ack! The Roatt Crystal throne had been so heavily enchanted—and with some very nasty effects—that they still hadn’t managed to replace with their own.

Chubbles, stop them!