"Well the first part is easy." Ripred says. We've just decided to go line by line through the prophecy and try and decipher as much as we can. It's less cryptic than the prophecies we're used to so I'm sure it won't be that hard.

The Overland creeps into the Under
The Warrior will return from the grave
Hiding people cower under a web
From it, they must be saved

"The Overland creeping into the Under must be Gregor returning." Ripred continues.
"But why would it say 'creeping'? Why not 'returning' or 'coming back'?" Luxa asks.
"Since Gregor's return is unexpected and unsought for then it would make sense to say he crept back." Vikus' voice is hard. I look at him and again wonder why he tried to keep me away. Luxa keeps her head down. Ripred continues, ignoring the comment.
"We'll also need the Warrior again. Not just you, Gregor." Ripred directs a pointed look at me. "We'll need you to fight. Otherwise it would not say Warrior, it would say Overlander or something else." This realization should rattle me, scare me even. But for some reason it just doesn't seem to matter. I'm the Warrior. I have killed and will have to kill again. That gave me nightmares in the Overland, but in the Underland it's just how things are.
"This next line sounds like the spinners are going to attack." I say. "The hiding people--Underlanders obviously--are cowering under a web. Did the spiders not like their part of the treaty or something?"
"They were as content as everyone else... I don't see why they would start another war." Vikus says. "But remember, this could have a different meaning than supposed. The nursery rhyme about the Queen as well as the Warrior's death are proof of that."

Greed comes with picks and axes
For stone and pale stone faces
Eleven shouters descend below
On breaking spider strings and laces

I trace this stanza with my finger, stopping on the word spider. "There it is again. On breaking spider strings and laces." I say. "Are you sure the spinners aren't planning to attack?" I ask Vikus. "You misinterpreted their friendship before, in the Prophecy of Grey."
"Quite sure, Overlander." Vikus makes a face that's hard to read when half of his expression is contorted from his stroke. Although I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a haughty smile, like the kind Luxa used to give me. What is his problem?

"Besieged by the diamond will
Beset by a flimsy, green wish
Careful or stones will come raining
And gasping will come the fish.

"This part is even more confusing..." I say. "How can stones rain? And what is this about the fish? It's like a warning. But I don't think it'll make sense until it happens. In that case it won't be much help."
"And look here." Luxa continues, pointing to the next stanza. "It does sound like it is warning us of something... But what?"

But in the face of sickening brutality
The Under must not lose morality
And forget their own mortality
Or it's own will be fatality."

I examine the words. As usual, the cryptic lines are confusing and nearly impossible to decifer. But I think I understand what he's saying. "Yourselves." I mutter. "I think it's trying to warn you that--well it seems like it's saying--" I stop, knowing this will probably make Vikus even more angry at me than he already is. "The prophecy is trying to tell you that you need to beware yourselves because you're going to try and do something evil."
Sure enough, Vikus' eyes flare. What is with this guy?  I think.
"Despite the the belief of many creatures of the Underland, we are no longer killers and we are not evil." Vikus glares at me.
"I of all people know that, Vikus." I return his stare until he drops his eyes. I have fought for them enough times to know that their reasons for killing are always just. Despite the few people like Solovet who had wanted to kill needlessly, most of the Underlanders are good people who have been through a lot of hardship. "I've been in enough of your battles to figure out who's evil and who's not. I'm just telling you what I think the prophecy means."
Ripred whistles between his teeth. "Well I knew when you called me up here that there was trouble but I didn't think you were going to torture me as well." He lounges on his side and eyes me. I don't look at him, or Vikus or Luxa for that matter. I keep my eyes on the parchment. "I mean come on. Interpreting prophecies is enough. Let's keep it at that and save the drama for when I'm not around to gag."
Everything is silent for a few minutes until Luxa speaks.

"The Warrior must hold them together
In the face of the oncoming flood
The peace of the Under has forgotten
It's past memories of blood."

That last line freezes my insides now that it is spoken out loud. My arm loosens around Luxa's shoulders.
I'm back in the cave, twisting through the air on Ares, my bond. The Bane snarls and I tell Ares we need to get in closer. We can't pull away in time and the Bane rips out Ares' throat. His lifeless eyes stare at me as we both lie on the ground dying.
"Gregor?" Luxa's hand squeezes mine. "Are you alright?" I must have been out for a moment because they're all staring at me. Ripred winks knowingly.
"Fine." I try and refocus on what we were discussing. Right, the fourth stanza. "I think I know what that line means though." I tap on the three words that I can't bear to think about. "But the rest of the stanza seems clear enough. Unless this flood isn't literal."
"It most likely is figurative." Vikus says. "Prophecies are almost never literal. Although I would say that this is much more straightforward than others."
"Courtesy of Nerissa, I would say." Luxa muses. I can tell she's brooding on the fact that her cousin is most likely the next Bartholomew of Sandwich. If I didn't already know Nerissa then I would say it was a horrifying idea. After all, the first Sandwich earned humans the title of killers after his attack on the diggers that nearly drove them into extinction. And all for the piece of land Regalia sits on. Then he wrote a collection of prophecies that predicted wars and deaths. What's not to like?

"Two can be saved from the dark
But nine are lost at heart
The killing greed must be undone
It will split the Under apart."

"And there's the doom and gloom that we all love." Ripred grins. "Splitting the Under apart does sound rather violent. And apparently greed is the attacker."
Silence hangs between us as we contemplate what that could mean. Suddenly I feel very tired. My dad and I drove late into the night before we arrived in Central Park. Since then I'd been threatened by a strange man in the tunnels, plunged toward the Waterway--
"The man!" I yelped. I'd completely forgotten about the guy who'd threatened to kill me. The exhilarating flier ride, a chase through the castle and my reunion with Luxa had driven it from my mind. But now Vikus, Ripred, and Luxa are looking at me funny. They have no idea what happened.
"What man?" Luxa asks.
I quickly explain to them about the shadowy man with the lamp. "He didn't look like a sewage worker. And I don't think someone would threaten to kill me unless they were trying to hide something."
"What is a sewage worker?" Luxa asks.
"It's someone who--" I begin, but Ripred stops me.
"Unimportant. If you would like to discuss sewage with your girlfriend it will have to wait until later." I have a sudden vision of sitting down to dinner with Luxa and explaining the workings of a sewer. Now I feel stupid. But that's probably why Ripred said it; he excels at making me feel stupid. "Right now we are discussing the prophecy."
A startled look crosses Luxa's face. "Do you think the man could have been part of the Over creeping into the Under? Maybe it doesn't mean Gregor!"
We sit in silence for a moment. Then a sudden realization hits me. I gasp.
"What is it boy?" Ripred asks. I stare at my hands for a moment while I collect my thoughts.
"What--" I start. "What do you think would happen if other Overlanders discovered the Underland? Overlanders who weren't good? They might, I don't know. They might--"
"Attack us to steal our resources." Ripred finishes. He once told me he spent hours reading books  in the Overland. So he knows more about these things than Vikus or Luxa. Probably more than me for that matter.
"What do we have that Overlanders would want?" Luxa asks. This stumps even Ripred.
"Nothing." I mutter "Absolutely nothing."
I'm ready to drop from fatigue so I don't complain when Ripred sends us to bed. Luxa directs me to another room in her quarters at the protests of Vikus. Personally, I wanted to stay with her, but Vikus would barely allow me to sleep a few doors away. I doubted he'd let me stay in her room.
I realize I probably should bathe before going to bed. In fact, I should have the moment I entered Regalia if old rules are to be followed. But then I remember that there's finally peace between humans and gnawers. There's no reason for me to hide my smell from them. Either way I'm so tired that I'd probably fall asleep in the water and drown.
I'm out cold the moment the covers are wrapped around me. It's a relief that I don't dream.