What is Duncan’s plan?

“Well, you planned our exit, so let me ask you how you envisioned us getting to the game room without detection?” asks the king. “Perhaps we should have waited until leaving the palace for me to change into peasant clothing.”

Duncan is still a bit downcast from Stewart’s decision to send the girls away, but he still carries a sense of excitement about the adventure ahead of them. “Not to worry, big brother! I have it all figured out. When I brought the ladies up here, I told your guards that their services were not going to be needed, since you did not plan on leaving your chambers during the Spring Festival until it is time for you to attend the balls. I had the two ladies in hand, after all, and let it be known that they would be keeping us company in these days, as we entertained them with our ‘balls.’”

Stewart shakes his head in disbelief. “That’s a great way to enhance my reputation, Duncan. It will be the talk of the palace that the two of us are shacked up with a couple of wanton women for a Spring Festival orgy. What will the servants think?”

Duncan shrugs. “They’ll probably think we’re reliving the Spring Festival from two years ago — when you broke up with Lauria Mangosa, and I pulled you out of your doldrums by introducing you to the twin redheads who were visiting from Outer Lassmussen.”

The memory causes Stewart to smile. “Oh yeah... That was a good time. It sure would have been nice if all four of us didn’t have to be in the same bed, though.”

Duncan gives a half shrug. “True, but how was I supposed to know that they were conjoined twins? Besides, Mother always encouraged us to do things together, and that’s what we did. And that’s what we’re going to do now.”

Stewart goes to the door and looks in the hallway. “Well, it appears that your plan worked. I don’t see any guards.”

“Of course not. Anyone who saw those gals would have been insane to think that either of us would be leaving this room any time soon.” He immediately looks downcast again. “After all, who would possibly anticipate that my brother would pass up an incredible opportunity to sample such succulent and inviting tits? Idiotic to think anyone would pass that up, wouldn’t you say?”

Stewart waves off his brother’s goading. “I’m sure you’ll get your chance to ‘sample’ them soon enough. For now, we need to get out of here before someone comes along looking for me.”

The two brothers grab their knapsacks and cautiously make their way down the palace corridors. Because of the Spring Festival, most of the ministers and regular staff are gone, so getting to the game room is far less complicated than they had feared.

At last, the two men are inside the room. “So where is this secret exit?” asks Stewart.

“It’s right here,” replies Duncan, walking to an Egyptian mummy sarcophagus that is standing in one of the room’s corners. The large stone coffin had been a gift to one of their royal ancestors, and it stood upright, with its lid closed.

“This thing?” asks the king, incredulously. “I thought Father had it permanently sealed shut.”

Duncan scowls. “Yeah... Don’t remind me! One time of me being discovered inside, making out with a girl, and he acted like it was some national crisis!”

“Well, it was the daughter of the Sultan of Boxtrowanster, and it was while Father was giving a tour to the Sultan that they discovered the two of you. By the way, did the two of you go in there in a 69 position, or did she manage to flip herself upside down with the lid shut?”

Duncan smiles. “That’s the thing... While we were ... well... exercising... I managed to find a hidden button on the inside that opens a door in the back. At the time I was too preoccupied to realize what I had found, but it did manage to create a bit more space for us to navigate. Only later did it dawn on me that I must have triggered some kind of mechanism, so I came back to investigate.”

“But Father had it sealed.”

Duncan rolls his eyes. “Please! If I couldn’t manage to pick a simple lock, you’d never have gotten that 100-year-old brandy for your last birthday, and Alissa Strothmeyer would still be a virgin!”

As if to demonstrate, he retrieves a pin that was hidden near the sarcophagus and inserts it into the lid’s lock. After a few deft turns, the lock springs open, and the younger brother opens the lid to reveal the dark interior.

Stewart looks inside. “So where is this button? I don’t see anything?”

“Like I said, it’s hidden. I just happened to find it. It’s right at waist level....” He reaches in and pushes against a spot, causing a “click” and movement in the back of the chamber.

Duncan gives his brother a wink and says, “It helped that my pants were down at the time. Who says that my dick only leads me to one thing?”

The men take their knapsacks and step into the sarcophagus. Duncan pushes the secret door open and leads the way down a dark, narrow passage. Stewart closes the sarcophagus lid behind them to avoid detection and follows behind, carefully stepping over stones and roots as he goes. The tunnel becomes increasingly narrow, and the low ceiling requires the men to stoop considerably as they move forward. At times, they nearly have to crawl to make their way through the tunnel.

After several minutes, the corridor slopes upward, and soon the king finds himself emerging through an opening in an ancient stone wall in the middle of the old palace orchard. He breathes in the night air and looks around at the peaceful setting.

Duncan looks at him with a smile, and says, “There! What did I tell you? Not a problem!”

Stewart looks around and sees the lights of Central City just over the rise. “I have to hand it to you, brother.... I had my doubts, but you got us out here without any difficulty. Well done!”

Duncan is clearly pleased with himself. He asks, “So, do you want to venture into the city and try out your mingling skills, or do you want to head off to more rural settings, where you are less likely to be recognized?”

Stewart considers his options. He also considers the fact that the journey through the narrow passage was a bit tiring, and it might not be a bad idea to sit and catch his breath before doing any more traveling.