Story, Elizabeth, and Brook arrive in Auvergne, France in 1517, where they meet some interesting people, including none other than Leonardo da Vinci. There are mysterious goings-on, one involving Leonardo's automaton, which appears to have killed a would-be thief.
Brook took the candle, leaving Gui shrouded in darkness. The footsteps on the stairs quickened, and a guard appeared at the top of the stairs as Brook arrived, also carrying a candle. "You are with the other ladies, Mademoiselle?" he asked. "I ran into them downstairs and directed them back to your suite. You should not be in here. It is very easy to get lost. You will need to go downstairs one flight, then follow the hall until you reach the intersection. Turn left there, and the hallway will lead back to your room. I sent your friends back there. It is almost time for the Duc's court, and you do not want to be late. I came looking for that thief. He was confined to his guest room, but when I went to fetch him to appear before the Duc, I found his room empty. I reasoned that he must have escaped through these passages and came to look for him. Have you seen him?"
Without a candle, Gui could not see very far into the darkness. If he had retained the candle, however, the guard would have seen him. He did see the hidden catches to the secret panels into the servants' quarters on either side of secret passage, and through the peepholes he could see that those rooms were lit by sunlight streaming into them. Up ahead in the corridor, he could barely see an intersection.
While Gui could easily open one of the secret panels and escape into the servants' quarters, the light from the room would come into the secret passage as soon as he opened it, giving away his position. He could go down the passage into the darkness around a corner, but he wouldn't be able to see himself without a candle, so finding another way out of these passages would be problematic. He also had the option of revealing himself to the guard and going willingly with him, relying on his silver tongue. That too was risky, but probably wouldn't have as bad a consequence as getting caught.
"That is right, Mademoiselle," said the guard. In the narrow confines of the passage and stairway, Brook was unable to get past him. It didn't help that he was a bit portly either. "You will need to go back down the passage. I will open one of the panels for you so you can duck into an empty room long enough for me to pass. You should probably make your way back to your room through the regular halls and stairs. It's safer that way."
Yes, Gui has his money with him in a pouch. It makes sense that he'd have it on his person. After all, there are thieves about.
When Brook backed up past the secret panels, the guard followed her and triggered the one on his left, which swung open, admitting a little light into the passage.
Unfortunately, the passage is far too narrow for that, and both Brook and the guard are between you and the stairs. You couldn't move past them even if you didn't care if the guard saw you and he wasn't trying to stop you.
Fortunately for Gui, the guard was unable to see through the darkness and did not notice him. "Just go through this room and exit it through the door into the hall, Mademoiselle," he said. "Then turn right, and you'll see the main stairs straight ahead. Take it down one flight, and you'll be in the guest wing where you're staying."
Guard's Spot Hidden roll (50% skill) to see Gui: d%
With a swift prayer that he wouldn’t get caught, Gui quickly checked again that the room was clear, then quietly let himself into one of the rooms off the corridor.
The two rooms nearest the stairs were not an option, as the guard was standing right in front of them, which meant he would have to find another hidden panel around a corner in complete darkness. Without being able to see it, he would need to find it by feel.
The guard closed the hidden door after Brook once she was in the servants' quarters and proceeded onward to the intersection. Gui had gone around the corner and felt along the wall for the hidden catch. He finally found it and flipped it, causing a panel to swing open and admit light into the passage.
"Aha!" called the guard, who had just reached the intersection and spotted Gui in the sudden pool of light, loud enough for Brook to hear. "There you are!"
