Each iron bar ended in a gleaming spike.“Not good,” William whispered. “Someone cares enough to maintain those spikes in deadly order. An indication of how serious they are about security.” He motioned his head briefly at the shadows of two men standing at the next gate at the end of the stone corridor that ran between the portals. “All those soldiers beyond need to do is release a lever, and those spikes crash down upon us like a hammer of the gods.”Thomas held his breath. The gate remained in place as they passed beneath.William maintained his whispered commentary as he trudged and leaned heavily on Thomas. “Look above and beside. Those slots in the stone are called ‘murder-holes.’ Designed for spear thrusts, crossbow arrows, or boiling liquids from hidden passages on the other side.”Thomas tried not to wince.With his dragging foot, the knight tapped a plank as wide as two men imbedded in the stone floor. “It drops to a chute, probably straight to the dungeon.”The knight took two more slow and weary steps, then paused, as if for rest, just before earshot of the two guards.
