Hours passed and we began to wonder if the Princess and her boyfriend had failed to find a way to help us. Or worse, had been caught, and we were all headed for mind scans. Guards constantly walked past the door, occasionally peering in to look at the "aliens." J.P. responded to their gawking by acting like a gorilla, much to Jack and Brian's amusement. Even Mr. Fisher laughed the first two times he did it. Nothing seemed funny to me. I kept thinking about my parents and trying to imagine how close the Maggoricus was by now. 

"The guards are gone," Mr. Fisher said. 

     "Are you sure?" asked Jack. 

     "Listen." 

      The hallway was silent. I walked over to the bars across the door and tried to look out. A hand reached through and grabbed my shoulder. 

     "Help!" 

     "Be quiet!" the Princess said urgently. She stood on the other side of the door. We heard the sound of a lock and the door swung open. She stepped into the room. 

     "You scared me," I said defensively. 

     "There are much scarier things out beyond that door, so toughen up," she said. We all stood and headed toward the door. "Wait," the Princess said. 

      "Before we go, I must know what happened on the ship. Tarrasch is risking much in helping me. I will not compromise him further than I already have. I saw the look you exchanged with your friend when asked about the weapon. What are you hiding?" Her voice took on a commanding tone I had not heard before and I spoke before even thinking about it. 

     "Go on, show her," I said. 

     "What?" Jack said, startled. 

     "Your arm, idiot. What do you think?" I said. 

     "I know that. I mean what should I make it do?" 

     "Who cares? Something that doesn't scare her to death." 

     "Fine." Jack's arm slowly began to change shape and color. His fingers melded together and flattened. We all watched in amazement as he created a -- frying pan. 

     "Lame," said J.P. 

     "Oh, he didn't!" the Princess exclaimed. Then continuing in a quieter voice. "Do you have any idea how big a violation of Ashtapadan law that is? To alter another being without their permission. Oh, I will have his head for this." The Princess smiled as though this was the best news possible, while Jack just looked confused and self-conscious. His arm changed back quickly. 

     "Stay together.  Tarrasch has cleared a route for us, but nothing is guaranteed.  We will have one chance to get you out of here alive.  Understood?" Everyone nodded their nervous agreement.  I think it was safe to say we were basically scared to death.

     We exited the room quickly.  The hallway was dark at first, but as the Princess began to move to our right a light seemed to follow us, which was a good thing because otherwise the hallway behind us and in front was completely black.  We followed her for about 100 feet and then she turned to the left.  After another 50 feet she turn right.  We walked past at least two hallways before she paused for a moment as if listening for something.

     "What are you waiting for," J.P. said.

     "I'm trying to remember the next direction. Now be quiet!" said the Princess.

     "This place is a maze," said Jack.

     "Exactly.  And if you don't be quiet you are going to be lost in it for the rest of your short life," said the Princess.  "In case you haven't figured it out yet, the Chatrang built this entire city as a maze so that any attackers would become completely lost as soon as they entered.  The only reason there's even a light around us is because Tarrasch has arranged for me to be able to travel this route.  If we get lost, there will be no light and no chance of us finding your ship."
     Unable to keep quiet, Mr. Fisher said, "Do you mean that every building is like this? All those buildings that we could see out the window, every single one is a maze?  That's insane.  How does anybody get anywhere?"
     The Princess sighed.  "You all really can't be quiet, can you?  The Chatrang live like this from birth. They can find their way around in the dark, but we cannot.  So please, let me concentrate."
     She stood silently for a moment or two more and then started off again.  We walked for maybe two minutes and then turned right again.  I almost ran into Jack as the hallway ended five feet in front of us.
     "Quickly gather around me," the Princess said.  Having no idea what was going to happen next, we moved in close around the princess.  Suddenly, we were moving upward.  For a moment, I thought we were going to be crushed by the ceiling, but as our heads neared the ceiling, an opening appeared and we came to a stop in a hallway that looked exactly like the one we had just left.  We began to walk again and this time we did not make any turns for at least five minutes.
     "Aren't we right above the room and we started in?" I asked.
     The Princess stopped.  "How can you possibly know that?"
     "I don't know.  It just seems like that's where we are.  I've always had a knack for directions."
     "Well let's hope we don't need that particular skill today," said the Princess.
     We walked for a few more minutes when Mr. Fisher commented, "Where are all the people?"
     "There are thousands of people all around us.  I told you, Tarrasch arranged it so we would not be seen.  Now stay close and be very quiet.  We are coming up to a place where it is possible others will see us.  Only move when I tell you it is safe to do so." The Princess walked a few steps forward and stopped where a hallway turned off to the left.  She peered around the corner and held up her hand for us to stop. She walked back to where we waited and in a hushed voice said, "I suppose it was unavoidable, but we are passing one of the most heavily guarded parts of this building. We will pass across this hallway one at a time. I will go first and then signal each of you when it is safe. Let's go."
    The Princess walked up to the edge, hesitated for just a moment, and then ran across the opening to the other side.  She turned and pointed to J.P. indicating that he should cross next.  He ran across quickly.  Next was Brian and then Mr. Fisher.  When the Princess indicated that it was my turn I walked up to the edge and peered around the corner.  There were at least ten heavily armed Chatrang in a room at the end of the hall.  In the center of the room stood a marble pedestal with a glass dome resting on top.  Inside the glass was an HTS.
     "Tom, hurry!" hissed the Princess, but it was already too late.  A shout came from the room at the end of the hall and suddenly every single one of the guards was looking directly at me.  I tried to cross to the other side of the hall, but one of the guards raised his weapon and fired.  The wall to my right exploded.  I dove backwards slamming into Jack.
     The Princess yelled, "We have to go!  Listen carefully: here is the sequence for how to reach your ship—go two left, one right, one left, up two levels, and then, this is very important—"

I never learned what was very important because at that moment the wall to our right exploded and we heard the shouts of the guards running up the hallway.  The Princess, J. P., Brian and Mr. Fisher hesitated for a moment and then ran off down the hall. 

     "Come on!" yelled Jack.  He grabbed my shirt and yanked me in the opposite direction from where the others had just run.  "We have to get out of here now!"
     "But we'll get lost," I said.
     "If we stay here, we'll get dead," Jack replied.   

We ran down the hall in the direction we had just come from, but now it was pitch dark.  I held my hand out to feel along the wall and within ten steps felt an opening.

"This way," I called to Jack.  I couldn't see him, but I could hear him running beside me.  Using our hands along the wall we quickly came to another hallway on the right.
     "Here," I said in a hushed whisper.  "Duck down and be quiet." It didn't take long before we heard the sound of guards approaching.  I sneaked a quick look back down the hallway.
     "They have light," I told Jack.
     "Well, they're supposed to be here, we're not," said Jack.
     "Good point.  Let's back up a little further just in case they look this way." A moment later, three guards came rushing by the hallway where we were hiding.  One of them shined a light down the hall just missing Jack's head.  As soon as their footsteps started to fade, we continued on.
     "Do you have any idea where we're going?" asked Jack.  I did have an idea, actually, but I knew Jack was not going to like it, so I kept quiet.  I put my left hand out, feeling along the wall for a hallway I hoped would be there.  Just as I was beginning to doubt my sense of direction, my hand found empty space.
     "Jack, stop.  We have to go this way." I could just make out the outline of him standing next to me.  I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down the hall.
     Jack yanked free and said, "Seriously, how do you have any idea where we are or where we're going?"
     "I don't know, I just do." I slowed down as soon as I saw a faint light up ahead.  I turned and faced Jack.  At least, I thought I was facing him. It was really dark.
     "Okay, I'm going to ask you to help me with something and I know it's a stupid idea, but we’re going to do it anyway because otherwise my parents are going to die.  Do you understand?"
     Jack stood silently for a moment.  "That light up ahead, it's where the HTS is, right?" 

     "I hope it is, yes."
     "And we're going to steal it?"
     "That's the plan."
     Jack exhaled loudly.  "You sure about this?"
     "No, but unless we show up with an HTS, the Prince is not going to let my parents go."
     "Can't the Princess help?" asked Jack. 

     "I talked to her about that before we left Ashtapada.  She's only willing to help us, not my parents." 

      "All right, I know I'm going to regret asking this, but what's the plan?" Jack asked.
     "We're going to need your imagination," I said, looking at his arm.
     "I have a pretty vivid imagination and I play a lot of video games my parents don't like, so I think I can come up with something." He smiled, and I almost felt sorry for the guards.