Neil lead the way with confidence, though given all the twists and turns they took Emmaline was hopelessly turned around. In places bridges had been constructed across the river of effluent, sometimes stone, sometimes simple planks, and they were obliged to cross to avoid sudden ends in the walk way or partial collapses of ancient slumping brickwork. The signs of patrol by the sewer jacks, old campfires, discarded wine bottles and impressively vulgar graffiti, grew sparser and sparser, which she supposed was proof positive that they were moving in a definite direction. Neil's lips moved wordlessly, as though recalling a past conversation or memorized directions, though given how long he had been doing it the directions were either hopelessly complex or he was repeating it over and over.

The rats were a constant, skittering away into the darkness as the halo of the torches reached them. The crawled out of the sewer, slick and drowned looking to scuttle off into cracks in the walls. The smell of them crinkled Emmaline's nose, the sharp scent of ammonia underlaid with an earthy animal musk. Slowly the sense they were under Nuln began to disconnect from her mind, and the tunnels became a place in their own right, endless and labyrinthine. Oddly, this increased her confidence, moving her further and further from the chaos and terror of the siege.

"Up ahead," Neil said, starling Emmaline after a period of silence. They came through a vaulted arch into a large circular chamber a few steps above the level of the sewer flow. Dark but clean water flowed down in three directions in shallow cascades. Water fell from a trio of lead pipes into a large central pool that fed the falls.

"What is this place?" Emmaline asked, staring around at the bizarre construction. Neil lifted his torch to give her a better view of the room.

"It is a flush," Neil said, "water falls from some of the feeder creeks and carries the sewage down to the Reik. Between the inflow and the suction of the river it keeps everything from just piling up."

"How do you know that?" Emmaline asked in puzzlement.

"I'm an Engineer remember," Neil snickered. Truth be told Emmaline had forgotten that, but she nodded her agreement.

"Is it much further?" Emmaline asked. There was a sudden an intense smell of rat. Something exploded beside Emmaline's head spraying fragments of broken bricks. Something squat with glowing eyes and chisel like teeth stood in one of the side passages, whirling a filthy sling of brownish cloth. A half dozen more charged out of the passages, hissing and brandishing rusted weapons.

"DIE MANTHINGS!" one of them hisses in a horrific mockery of Reikspiel.