"Ah, good evening again, ladies. Oh, you dropped your handkerchief, miss. Let me get it for you." The chief guard politely stepped forward to help the damsel in distress, in the process laying down the rope.
Unfortunately, at that moment Demo tugged at the rope, to insure his path to safety continued in place.
Tensionless, the rope lay loose on the smooth floor!
He frowned. Perhaps, he thought, I've left too much slack in it. This time he pulled harder. The rope moved easily, coiled at his feet. Demo's face whitened.
The chief guard turned in time to see the end of the rope snaking into the maze. He rushed forward to grab it, reached the entranceway in time to see it disappear down one of the many openings that seemed to appear and then vanish before his startled eyes.
He placed his hand on the entranceway, took a tentative step inside, then quickly withdrew his foot.
"Ah, what a nice young lad he was! I wonder where he can be. I do hope he starts back quickly, before the rope's end has completely slipped within. Oh, well, time for supper. Do hope the wife included a sip of wine. Relaxes one."
Demo looked dazedly at the rope coiled at his feet. The entire length was there, even the grappling hook that the chief guard had held so firmly in hand.
He sat down, stared at the walls that now seemed to press upon him ever closer. Finally he stood up, used the rope to measure their separation. After a while he measured it again. No, just imagination. They hadn't moved. The narrow corridors maintained a constant width, half a man's height.
All the same the appearance that the corridor became more and more narrow stayed with him. Is there truly no escape from the maze? How many had gone before, never to return. Did they die here? Or does it lead to another land, another world? Well, I shall not remain here. And I will escape this maze. But how? How?