Look Down Past the Paving
"Out the backdoor," Enjolras ordered. "Grantaire, lock the front door behind you."
Marius half-shoved Gavroche and Navet out before hurrying down the stairs with them. Bossuet and Grantaire followed suit, leaving Enjolras to close the backroom door. For good measure, he put a chair against the locked door.
"That's the key to where?" Bossuet asked Gavroche as they ran towards a side street. The path sloped downwards, into a muck-filled alley.
Navet bent down and pulled a loose grate aside from the paving. "Here," he said.
"There?!" Marius said, trying not to gag as he backed away from the fetid hole.
"Oui. I don't care what happens anymore," Bossuet said as he dropped in after Grantaire and Gavroche. He stopped only to catch Navet before disappearing into the dark.
"Pontmercy, just get in. You can clean yourself up later!" Enjolras snapped when he noticed Marius' hesitation. He had to pull the flabbergasted lawyer in just before footsteps sounded from the next street.
The sewer was narrow and cramped. Water and all kinds of mire sloshed around the ankles of the students as they tried to make their way through the passage. Navet climbed up on a ledge jutting out from the sewer wall and looked around.
"Up which way?" Gavroche asked, breathing shallowly through his mouth.
"North. South is Patron-Minette, non?" Navet asked fearfully.
Gavroche looked at the young men. "Hey, Monsieur Marius, do you talk to Parnasse a great deal?"
Marius shook his head. "He's out often."
"North then," Gavroche said as they continued walking. Now and then, they had to stop owing to odd sounds of thumping from the direction they were headed.
A rat squeaked as Bossuet passed by. Grantaire gulped and looked around, wide-eyed. "Where will this end?"
"The Seine," Enjolras answered. "From there, we can head different ways."
Bossuet nodded, though he looked as if he was going to be sick due to the stench. "Gavroche, do people actually live here?"
"Sometimes," Navet said. "I do, and I wash myself off when the laundrywomen aren't looking."
Suddenly, Marius stiffened. "Someone's headed this way."
"I say, Montparnasse what are you headed for?" a voice said.
Everyone froze. "Eponine?!" Marius whispered.
Enjolras shook his head. "Oh no..."