The Deadly Past (6 page)

“They look friendly,” he said. “But they're obviously armed. Plus we don't know what that metal box is.”

“You don't want to talk to them?” Cindy asked.

“I want to watch a few minutes more before deciding.”

“What do you think the box could be?”

Watch shrugged. “A computer of some kind. A bomb, maybe.”

Cindy gasped. “A bomb? You mean, they might be trying to set this volcano off?”

“It's possible.”

“Could the eruption of this volcano be responsible for the time warp?”

Watch was doubtful. “By itself a huge explosion in the past should not affect the present. There have been big explosions all over the world throughout time. But maybe there will be something special about this explosion.”

“What?” Cindy asked.

“I don't know.”

“But shouldn't we stop them if it is a bomb?”

Watch was doubtful. “It would seem so. But I'd rather wait and not do anything just yet.”

“But what are we waiting for?”

“For something to happen,” Watch said simply.

Something did happen a few minutes later, something dramatic. Without warning red bolts of laser fire erupted from the far side of the volcanic chamber. Two of the aliens were immediately struck down. They fell to the ground with expressions
of intense pain. The other two aliens fled in the direction of the tunnel where Watch and Cindy were crouched. But these two did not go down easily. They fired back as they fled, and Watch and Cindy heard a howl of pain rise from the unseen enemy in the far cave.

Yet the two remaining aliens—the ones Watch and Cindy could see—had poor position. There was no cover in the chamber, and before they could reach the safety of the tunnel, they each took a laser blast to the chest and crumpled to the floor. There they lay on their backs with twisted expressions of pain on their faces. Their eyes were still open, however—they appeared dead. Cindy turned away in horror.

“They just murdered them,” she moaned.

“Yeah,” Watch whispered. The attackers had yet to show their faces, and the last of the aliens to go down had fallen not far from where Watch was crouched. But Watch feared to reach for the alien's hand laser, afraid it would expose them to attack. It was probably a wise move because less than a minute later another group of four aliens appeared.

These were also largely humanoid. Yet their
heads were larger than humans, and they were completely bald. Also, their eyes were strange, more like black slits revealing empty souls than organs for seeing. They wore shiny black uniforms and moved quickly to secure the chamber, making sure that each of the four aliens was definitely down and out.

Next they turned their attention to the metal box the others had been working on. They seemed to argue briefly over what the reading on the box's instrument panel meant. Their voices were high-pitched and scratchy, and both Watch and Cindy became disturbed as they watched.

“I think they're bad,” Cindy whispered.

Watch was unsure. “Why? Because they're not as handsome as the others?”

“No. You saw the way they just shot the others down without warning.”

“But these two races are probably enemies. The first ones might have shot these guys down if they'd been given the chance.”

Cindy shook her head. “I don't think so. I don't think any civilized race would kill without warning.”

“Good point. But which one of these races is the
most civilized? See, we don't know anything until we know what that metal box is, what it's here for.”

“You think it may be here to cause the time warp?” Cindy asked.

“Or else stop it.”

Cindy was anxious. “We have to do something!”

Watch nodded grimly. “Yeah, I know. But after seeing how these new guys just blew away the others, I don't exactly feel like walking out there and introducing myself.” Watch paused. “We'll wait a few more minutes, see if the situation changes any.”

A few minutes later the situation did change again. Behind Watch and Cindy, they noticed a peculiar light shimmering against one wall of the tunnel. For a moment they feared that the aliens had circled around them and were firing on them. But such was not the case because a few moments later the glowing wall momentarily dissolved and Bryce and Sally appeared. Watch and Cindy ran to them.

“What are you guys doing here?” Cindy asked.

“Cindy!” Sally exclaimed, giving her a hug. “I thought you were dead!”

“Hush!” Watch whispered. “There's a group of
aliens just a few yards down this cave. They are armed and dangerous, and we can't let them know we're here.”

“Thank you for worrying about me,” Cindy said, patting Sally on the back. But Sally was suddenly embarrassed. She let go of Cindy and brushed her hands on her shirt.

“I wasn't that worried,” she muttered.

“Tell me about these aliens,” Bryce snapped at Watch.

Watch didn't blink. “First tell me how you got here?”

“We took the Secret Path,” Sally said. “Bryce knows how to use it to move through time. Adam decided to stay back to talk to Ann Templeton.”

Cindy turned to Watch. “Then we are back in time.”

Watch nodded. “By just coming here, over the mountains, we passed through the time warp without knowing it.”

“I need to know what's happening here,” Bryce said impatiently.

Watch and Cindy explained about the two groups of aliens, the battle, and the big metal box that was sitting in the volcanic chamber at the end of the cave. Bryce listened closely and when they
were done he thought for a minute with his eyes closed. When he opened them, he questioned Watch and Cindy more.

“Does it look as if this new group of aliens is trying to stop the metal box from working?” he asked.

“How should we know?” Cindy said. “They just look ugly—that's all we know.”

“I suspect these new aliens are here to destroy the box,” Watch said carefully. “Or at least to stop it from doing whatever the first group of aliens planned.”

“Why do you say that?” Bryce asked.

“The nice-looking aliens appeared to be setting up the device,” Watch explained. “These new guys seem to be figuring out how to turn it off.”

“But what is this device?” Sally wanted to know.

“It would take tremendous power to warp time,” Bryce said. “But even if you were to put together all the nuclear bombs we have, their power wouldn't equal the power of one huge volcanic eruption. For that reason, I think the eruption of this volcano is a key to explain the formation of the time warp that exists between now and our usual time.” He paused. “I think this
metal box you have described is definitely a bomb and that it was placed here by the first group of aliens to ignite the volcano and cause the time warp.”

“Then you think these ugly aliens are here to stop the explosion and prevent the time warp?” Sally asked.

Bryce hesitated. “That's my opinion. It makes sense.”

Sally was relieved. “Then we can just leave and return to our time. The problem is being taken care of by these ugly aliens.”

Bryce paused. “I think so.”

Watch shook his head. “The reverse could be true. This device might have been brought here by the first aliens to stop the volcano from exploding.”

“That's a possibility,” Bryce admitted. “But it's unlikely. There's a better chance the device is being used as a trigger for an explosion rather than as a method of stopping the explosion.”

“Why should this volcanic explosion cause a time warp?” Watch asked.

“Because this volcano is situated exactly where Madeline Templeton's grave is, in our time,” Bryce explained. “This spot is already unstable as far as space and time are concerned.”

Watch was impressed. “It is possible the old witch had herself buried in that exact spot because it was unstable.”

“Why would she do that?” Cindy asked.

“Maybe so she could come back to life after she was dead,” Watch said.

“We can't worry about that now,” Sally said. “If Bryce says these ugly aliens are taking care of the problem then I believe him. Let's get out of here.”

“But we can't leave until we're sure,” Watch said.

There was a movement in the shadows.

A dark figure with a fat head and black slits for eyes appeared.

It pointed a mean-looking weapon at them.

“Oh,” Sally whispered. “I guess we won't be leaving.”

A
dam sat in Ms. Ann Templeton's castle in what he assumed was a living room of sorts. There was a long table with chairs. A row of burning torches led away from the room down a narrow stone hallway. There was no other furniture in the room and no sign of her trolls. As before, when he had entered her castle, Adam wasn't sure how he had gotten from one room to the other. Doorways just seemed to open and close at her bidding.

She had been waiting for him at the front door.

As if she had been expecting him.

And even though her castle had just been attacked by a murderous dinosaur, and she had lost several of her trolls, she didn't appear to be upset. Indeed, it was almost as if she had enjoyed the encounter with the tyrannosaurus. She sat at one end of the table directly opposite him and wore a slightly amused smile. She looked as beautiful as ever, with her long black hair and her bewitching green eyes. She wore a long red robe, a thin gold necklace that held a glittering emerald at the base of her throat.

“You're wondering why I am not upset,” she said.

“Yes. Can you read my mind?” he asked.

“Yes. But don't be embarrassed. You have a good mind, Adam. It will take you far.”

He shook his head. “I don't know how far I'll go. Today, I'm just worried that we don't all end up dead.” He paused. “Can you help us drive off the dinosaurs?”

“No.”

He had been afraid she would say that.

“But you're so powerful,” he said. “You scared the tyrannosaurus away.”

“I scared it away, I didn't kill it. Also, there are
many dinosaurs now walking the streets of Spooksville. How do you expect me to deal with them all?”

Adam felt miserable. “But you can't just let the city be destroyed. This is your home as well as mine.”

Ann Templeton chuckled softly. “Don't sound so glum. I don't necessarily have to intervene for the town to be saved. What about your friends? They are all busy working on the time warp.”

“Then it is a time warp that brought the dinosaurs?”

“Yes.”

Adam paused. “Do you know if Cindy is all right?”

Ann Templeton was sympathetic. “You're worried that the pterodactyl killed her?”

Adam nodded. “We did everything we could to save her, but the creature was just too big and mean.”

“I know you did.” She paused and put her right hand up to her forehead. For a moment she closed her eyes and did some kind of rapid breathing. Then she opened her eyes again and stared at him. She spoke in a soft but serious tone. “Cindy is alive but she is in danger. All your friends are.”

Adam jumped up. “Then I should go and rescue them!”

She gestured for him to sit back down. “Not yet. You came here for a reason. What is it?”

He slowly sat back down. “I wanted your help in stopping the dinosaurs.”

“You wanted advice as well. I can give you that. But can't you see that I can't always be running to rescue you and your friends? You have to meet the dangers of Spooksville head on, as you have been doing. It is the only way you can be prepared.”

Adam hesitated. “Prepared for what?”

Ann Templeton smiled. “You are being prepared for a great destiny. All your friends are. But I won't tell you what it is. If I do, that would ruin the surprise.”

Adam was stunned. He wasn't even sure what the word
destiny
meant.

“But can you tell me why Spooksville is always so spooky?” he asked.

She thought silently for a minute. “Watch asked me that question not long ago. He came here for advice on how to deal with the Wicked Cat. Did he tell you?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“I did not give him a specific answer. Once
again, you can only be prepared for your destiny in ignorance.”

“I don't understand,” Adam said.

“It doesn't matter, you will.” She paused again, and it seemed as if her mind was far away. Then she stirred and looked over at him. “Bum has told you about the ancient wars that occurred on this planet, between Atlantis and Lemuria?”

“Yes. He told us a little about it when the Cold People attacked.”

Ann Templeton chuckled.
“Them.
I think they're going to be back one day.”

“I sure hope not. They were hard to get rid of.” Adam paused. “But I would like to know more about Atlantis and Lemuria.”

She nodded. “Bum told you that Spooksville is the last remaining bit of Lemuria, and that is true. But the ancient war between the two great continents was only a reflection of a greater war that was happening in the stars. In fact, that war continues to this day, and some of whom you call aliens want the earth to survive and others do not. Do you understand?”

“Are you saying the time warp was opened by the bad aliens who want to wipe out the earth?”

“In a manner of speaking. Certainly by allowing
dinosaurs to invade our time they would be able to wipe us out without having to expend a lot of energy. But I'm not saying the aliens deliberately did something to open the time warp.”

“I don't understand.”

She smiled. “Do you want me to spell it out for you? Do you think that would be best?”

Adam hesitated. “No. I guess I have to figure it out for myself. The bad aliens probably wanted the rip in time but didn't really do anything to make it happen?”