Time Hunters and the Spear of Fate, The (21 page)

Chapter 28

The Sanctuary

Heim turned to the Associates.
‘Relieve them of any weapons and travelling devices.’

An Associate strode over to Uncle Percy
and frisked him roughly. He tore the portravella from Uncle Percy’s wrist, and
removed Blanche’s keys from his cloak pocket. It was only, however, when the
Associate withdrew a small tetragonal device that Uncle Percy looked
momentarily crestfallen, although he concealed this from Heim.

Becky noticed, however, and she
focused on the gadget. She had not seen anything like it before. Neither, it
seemed, had Heim, whose eyes wrinkled with suspicion.

‘Give that to me,’ he ordered,
pointing to it. The Associate passed it over. ‘And what, pray, is this little
thing? It’s not a pagidizor, I can see that much.’

‘You have all the answers,’ Uncle
Percy spat back. He cast an almost imperceptible glance at Will, who, too,
looked strangely troubled. ‘Figure it out for yourself.’

‘It matters not.’ Heim slipped it
into his jacket pocket.

Another two Associates searched
Will, taking his Joe-bow, quiver, sword and a bronze dagger. Another one did
the same with Joe. Becky and Layla were the last to be frisked, producing only
Layla’s figurine, which was promptly crushed underfoot to a chorus of ugly,
barking laughter from the nearby Associates.

Heim moved over to Layla. ‘Now, what
is your name, little one?’

Layla fixed him with a look of
contempt, but said nothing.

‘A silent butterfly, eh?’ Heim said.
‘Mister Drake tells me you’re seeking your father. Would you, I wonder, find
your voice to say his name? You see, I cannot promise he will be alive. We’ve
suffered a number of unfortunate fatalities of late.’

‘His name is Hannu,’ Layla replied
proudly. ‘And he will be alive.’

The name struck a chord with Heim.
‘Hannu? The carpenter? Ah, yes, I do believe he’s one of the few known to me,
and yes, he is indeed still alive to my knowledge.’ He paced arrogantly before
her, his chest ballooning like a peacock. ‘He’s quite the agitator, so I
believe. And as such, I’ve had to make something of an example of him to his
countrymen. For now, he dwells at the bottom of an open pit for the ants to
feed upon, but I do parade him through the streets once a day, just to remind
others that rebellion is not an option.’

Layla’s face conveyed a mixture of
horror and joy.  

Heim seemed to delight in her
reaction. He turned to the others. ‘Shall we return to Memphis? I’d very much
like to introduce you to a place I call
The Sanctuary
. I think you’ll be
most impressed.’ He looked ominously at Uncle Percy. ‘And after that, let’s see
if Mister Halifax remains unwilling to discuss the location of the Spear?’

He turned slowly to Will, his voice
dropping to a spine-chilling purr. ‘And if there’s even an intimation of
violence on your part, no matter how great a warrior you may be, the Associates
will begin slaughtering those you love... starting with the boy.’ He nodded at
Joe. ‘I believe a single bullet in his eye will soon dull your resolve. Do you
understand?’

Will didn’t reply.

‘Let us depart,’ Heim said. He
gestured for the Associates to direct the group to the first of three large
military trucks parked about fifty metres away. Uncle Percy and Will were
watched with extra vigilance as they climbed aboard, two sets of guns trained
on them at any one time. Edgar followed next, his massive weight causing the
truck’s suspension to dip considerably, before being joined by Joe and Layla,
Becky bringing up the rear.

Heim stood up front. ‘Is everyone
comfortable?’ he said to a stony silence. ‘We have a busy day planned. I’ll
show you The Sanctuary, but then, I’m afraid, we have a rather tiresome chore
to fulfill. You see, now the Spear of Fate has been found, all excavation will
cease. We do, therefore, have over five hundred workers with no work to do.
Mister Drake has given strict instructions he doesn’t want any witnesses to our
activities, so  - well, let’s just say that the Nile’s banks will be stained
the deepest of reds tonight.’ He gave a pitiless smile. ‘On the bright side, my
time in Egypt is coming to an end. As you can see, I no longer have youth on my
side, and this insufferable heat is really not good for my health…’

Becky felt sick to her core. Her
eyes found Layla, who was shivering uncontrollably.

Becky wanted to reach out and tell
her everything would be okay. But she couldn’t do it. It would’ve been a lie.
Her thoughts turned to Uncle Percy - the one person who had always been a
paragon of calm, of optimism, even in the darkest of times. She looked over at
him, hoping to see a glimmer of hope on his face, but it just wasn’t there.
With a gulp, she turned away as a deep grumbling sound shook the truck. Then a
trail of crimson vapor spilled from the dashboard like an inbound sea mist, and
a moment later, they vanished.

*

Becky stared out at their new
surroundings. Ordinarily, she knew she would’ve been impressed. Instead, she
felt nothing but dread. They had materialised in a huge walled compound, lined
with lotus trees, their violet blossoms scenting the air with a sweet
fragrance. Ahead of them was a vast stone temple that stretched as far as the
eye could see; two colossal sphinxes, fashioned from glittering alabaster,
guarded the wide doorway.

Heim leapt from the truck with a
zeal that belied his age. He waited for the Associates to shunt the group into
line, before launching into what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech. ‘This is
the Great Temple of Ptah.  Even in the future, its true scale and
magnificence has never been fully revealed. Of course,
The Sanctuary
is
no longer a place of worship, but a facility for science, an emblem of
ingenuity … for discovery … for biotic advancement … for true learning.’ He
turned to Uncle Percy. ‘From what I gather, we are very much alike. So, as a
fellow student of the sciences, I’m convinced you’ll appreciate the
extraordinary things you’ll see within these walls.’

‘We are in no way alike,’ Uncle
Percy said coolly.

‘Our methods may be different,’ Heim
replied. ‘But I’m sure our thirst for answers remains the same.’

‘But we ask very different
questions,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘And I’m certain whatever’s in that building
is a travesty of science.’ He paused for a second. ‘But I do ask that you let
only me see it. The youngsters should stay here.’

Heim gave a hideous laugh. ‘But how
can youth truly grow if denied all the facts? Learning should never merely be
for the old, but always shared with the eyes of the young.’

Uncle Percy looked down. ‘There will
be no learning in there.’

‘Then you should look at things with
a more ambitious mind,’ Heim replied coldly. ‘You see … Mister Drake gave me
two duties whilst in this era. The first, as you well know, was to search for
the Spear of Fate. The second, and considerably more appealing to my scientific
nature, was the work I was to undertake in The Sanctuary.’ He turned to Edgar,
who was wide-eyed with terror. ‘Surely, Minotaur, you wondered why I was
testing you when you were in my care? It was because of your heritage. You are
a child of Atlantis, and Atlantis is at the heart of all of this…’

Becky’s fear magnified with every
word he spoke.

‘We have scoured Egypt looking for
the sons and daughters of Atlantis, creatures of such splendour they could only
have evolved in an environment shaped by a relic as powerful as the Spear of
Fate – bizarre, unique, wonderful creatures.’ His dark eyes shone. ‘I feel like
a child again just talking about it. Anyway, my experiments have led me to
discoveries, to breakthroughs I never would have thought possible. But mere
words cannot paint a rich enough picture. Surely, you’ll wish to see with your
own eyes…’ He pivoted on his back heel and marched purposefully through the
temple doors. ‘FOLLOW ME …’

Becky heard the clack of guns being
raised. A burly Associate with a scarred face grunted, ‘You heard the doctor …
start walking!’

One by one, heads down, they trailed
Heim into the temple.  

Even before Becky’s eyes had
adjusted to their new surroundings, a foul stench found her nostrils. At the
same time, an array of sounds filtered into her ears. Terrible sounds. Howls.
Whines. Yelps. Squeals. Whimpers. At once, all energy deserted her; she wanted
to curl up in a ball, and block out every one of her senses. From the gloom,
dozens of pens, cages and coops came into view. Her heart plummeted further.

The temple was crammed with animals
– hundreds, perhaps thousands of them – chained, tied, shackled in a diabolical
open prison.

The blood boiled in her veins.

‘Welcome to The Sanctuary,’ Heim
said without emotion. ‘What you are witnessing are the beasts of countless
fables, myths and legends - many of whom are the very last of their kind. Right
here, in the this room, are the geneses of a thousand children’s stories.’ His
arms extended outwards like an emperor surveying his domain. ‘Over there, I
give you …
the beautiful Phoenix
…’ He pointed to a huge bird trembling
in a rusty cage that was clearly much too small for its size, its brilliantly
coloured wings forlorn and lifeless. Heim pointed at a large steel pen on his
right. ‘
The terrifying Chimera
…’  

Sickened and disgusted, Becky looked
over to see what appeared to be a thin, emaciated lion curled on the filthy ground,
its airways constricted by a spiked iron collar that was speckled with blood.
It was only when the Chimera looked up, hurt and distressed, she saw its tail
was that of a serpent, which hissed furiously.

Heim gestured to another cage. ‘And,
of course,
the noble Griffon
…’

Barely able to see through the tears
that were coming thick and fast now, Becky saw a large creature with a dog’s
torso and the aquiline face of an eagle; it was staring dolefully back at her,
its large brown eyes drooped with sorrow.

Heim strode pompously from one
animal to the next, gloating, wallowing in their distress, parading them like a
ringmaster at the most despicable circus. Then he came to a final cage. ‘And
last, but not least … my personal favourite …’

Before he could finish, however,
Layla broke away from the others, and was speeding towards the cage.
Breathless, she fell to her knees, and thrust her tiny fingers through the bars
towards a frail snow-white animal shivering in the corner. ‘Adma …’ Layla
panted. ‘My beautiful Adma…’

Becky recalled Layla’s wooden deer
figurine.

Heim watched with bemusement. ‘How
interesting,’ he crooned. ‘I can only assume the creature was once yours.’

Confused for a moment, the white
animal tilted its head up, and its sad but shimmering blue eyes found Layla’s.
An unconditional love passed between them both. Slowly, Adma inched over to
Layla, who was sobbing uncontrollably. It was then Becky noticed the long
spiraling horn extending from Adma’s forehead.

Becky knew instantly Adma wasn’t a deer
at all.

She was a unicorn.

Chapter 29

Flight and Fight

Waves of anger crashed over Becky.
She watched with horror as an Associate wrenched Layla away, hurling her onto
his broad shoulders like a rag doll.

‘Leave me,’ Layla howled, kicking out
wildly. ‘Leave me with her…’

Incensed, Becky shouted, ‘Put her
down!’

Heim cackled. ‘Now, now, ladies…’
The smile fell from his face and his stare turned menacingly on Layla, who was
trying frantically to bite the Associate’s shoulder. ‘THIS WILL CEASE
NOW!’ 

Becky had never heard such venom in
a voice before.

Layla calmed herself at once.

Heim’s voice regained its
silky-smooth lilt. ‘You cannot remain here, little one. The creature must be
packed away with the others and relocated to a different time zone. Mister
Drake is keen for us to continue our experiments. And besides, you wish to see
your father, do you not?’

Layla nodded silently. ‘Yes,’ she
whimpered.

‘Then perhaps we can arrange that
very soon,’ Heim said. ‘If you behave, of course.’ He strode over to an empty
pen, before spinning sharply and eyeing Edgar. ‘I cannot have a Minotaur
promenading around this city … it would only incite misbehavior in the local
populace. Instead, Edgar, I suggest you stay here with your brothers and
sisters.’ He pointed at a heavy steel collar, two inches thick, secured to an
iron bollard. ‘If you would apply these restraints to yourself, I would be
grateful.’

Edgar didn’t move.

‘Did you hear me, Minotaur?’ Heim
nodded to the Associate closest to him, who pressed the barrel of his rifle
against Becky’s temple.

Edgar’s eyes flared with panic.
‘Lower the weapon,’ he said so fast the words stumbled from his mouth. He
reached the pen in a single stride. Dipping to his knees, he paused for an
instant, before setting the collar around his throat. With a hollow
click
,
it locked into place.

Becky felt tears could burst from
her eyes at any moment. The sight of a free spirit like Edgar bound in chains
ripped her very soul.

Uncle Percy, on the other hand,
remained calm, composed. ‘Edgar, your imprisonment will be temporary. We’ll be
back for you shortly, I promise.’

‘You promise?’ Heim challenged.

‘Yes, I promise,’ Uncle Percy
replied, his eyes scanning the Sanctuary. ‘We’ll be back for him and these
animals, too.’

Heim gave a high-pitched laugh.
‘Really? I do so doubt it. As ever, the arrogance of the English astounds me.’

Uncle Percy didn’t respond. Instead,
he fixed Edgar with a staunch gaze, and said in a calm yet purposeful voice, ‘I
give you my word, Edgar.’ He turned back to Heim. ‘I don’t suppose you wish to
surrender now? It could save you and your colleagues a lot of bother, not to
mention needless bloodshed.’

Heim leaned in until he was barely
an inch from Uncle Percy’s ear, then hissed, ‘There will be blood shed today,
but none of it shall be mine. I cannot say the same for your niece…’ He cleared
his throat loudly and turned to Becky, Joe and Layla. ‘Now, little ones, have
you ever witnessed a mass execution? It’s quite a liberating sight.’ And with
that, he gestured for the Associates to steer the group towards the exit.

Becky steadied Layla’s trembling
hand as they walked. ‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘We’ll rescue Adma … and your
father. Uncle Percy’s got a plan, he’s always got a plan.’ She hoped to sound
more confident than she felt.

They were led out of the Sanctuary
and into the walled compound.

In spite of the severe heat, Becky
felt a chill sweep through her. Could Uncle Percy really have a plan, one that
had a reasonable chance of success? She couldn’t see how it was possible.
Looking over at him, however, she thought he seemed markedly aware of his
surroundings, nodding to himself every now and again as if silently answering
unspoken questions. They left the compound and entered a wide paved street
where the city revealed itself, majestic and vast; palaces, temples, houses,
gardens, workshops, many of which had been left ravaged and laid waste from
excavation, spread on to the horizon with the Nile visible to their left,
countless abandoned boats moored on its banks.  

Entering a large square, Heim
brought them to a halt before a towering limestone statute of a seated pharaoh,
its eyes set vacantly ahead as if refusing to acknowledge the presence of the intruders
below. The statue faced a very grand building, patrolled by heavily armed
Associates, to the side of which were stables, filled with horses, and a row of
giant metal containers heaving with spades and pickaxes. Four tall gun towers,
manned by more Associates, rose dauntingly from each vertex of the square.

Becky watched Heim approach an
Associate and they began to discuss something she couldn’t quite hear; at the
same time, Uncle Percy sidled towards her, at pains to avoid drawing attention
to himself.

‘Becky, about your telekinesis -’ he
whispered, avoiding eye contact. ‘Do you need to actually see the object for
you to summon it?’

‘I don’t know,’ she replied. ‘Why?’

‘The gadget that Heim took from me, the
one he placed in his jacket pocket. It’s a voice-activated detonator.’

‘A detonator?’

Uncle Percy leaned in closer. ‘Yes,’
he murmured. ‘Don’t react, but this entire area is peppered with squid bombs.’

‘B-bombs?’ Becky spluttered,
half-shocked, half-thrilled.

‘Twenty-six of them, to be exact …
and some other items.’

‘What other items?’ Becky asked,
hope filling her.

‘Will’s things,’ Uncle Percy replied
simply.

‘Is this what you did when you left
us at the cave?’

‘Yes.’

Becky was still struggling to comprehend
it all. She looked over at Heim, who was still deep in conversation. ‘But how’d
you get in there to plant them?’ she asked. ‘It’s swarming with Associates.’

‘We made two time trips. One to
scout out the prison, and one just before the Associates arrived in Memphis to
plant them,’ Uncle Percy whispered back. ‘The problem is, they can only be
triggered with that detonator and my voice. Do you think you can get it for
me?’

‘I can try. I want to try.’

‘Good,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘Just
wait for my signal … and let’s pray it works for everyone’s sake…’

Shell-shocked, Becky watched Uncle
Percy and Will exchange silent nods of satisfaction. Then her eyes found Heim,
who had just ended his conversation. She watched the Associate gather four
others and march off in the direction of the building. Joe appeared at her
side.

‘What did Uncle Percy want?’ he
whispered anxiously. ‘Has he got a plan?’

‘You’ll see,’ Becky replied, before
mumbling, ‘at least, I hope you will...’

From then on Becky couldn’t take her
eyes off Uncle Percy, watching his every move, waiting for his signal. But the
longer she waited, the more a nagging doubt grew within. Could she even do it?
She felt confident she could control the telekinesis now, but she had only ever
achieved it in clear view of the object in question. Her thoughts, however,
were disturbed when she spied movement ahead.

Associates were marching out of the
building, guns pointed terrifyingly on the hundreds of people that emerged in
their wake. Dressed in little more than filthy rags, men, women and children,
their faces gaunt and withered, advanced slowly like the walking dead,
half-starved, malnourished, their sunken eyes tilted downwards.

Becky stiffened with horror. Then
she heard a shriek. Layla made to run at the workers. Becky seized her arm at
once, pulling her back. ‘No, Layla …’

Layla struggled to break free. ‘But
I must find my papa, he could be -’

‘Please.’ Becky leaned over and
whispered in her ear. ‘If you run out there, they might kill you. Just wait…
something’s about to happen… something good.’

Layla’s brow furrowed, but she
stopped struggling.

Within minutes, the courtyard had
filled with workers. The stench of hopelessness smeared the air. Heim seemed to
be relishing every moment. He waited for the last worker to settle into line,
and then nodded furtively at the Associates in the watchtowers.

To Becky’s dismay, four giant guns
were turned on the crowd. She tugged Uncle Percy’s sleeve. ‘It has to be now …
Look!’

Uncle Percy glanced up, then over at
Heim, who had moved to the middle of the square and was readying himself for
some kind of speech. ‘Just wait a second....’

Heim extended his arms. ‘Workers!’
he bellowed. ‘Our time together is at an end. I commend you on your efforts.
The Spear has been found and shall soon be in my possession. But as a farewell
gesture I would like to present you all with a gift -’

Uncle Percy glanced at Will and said
in a low, steady voice, ‘Are you ready, William?’

‘For all that shall follow,’ Will
replied coolly.

Uncle Percy turned to Becky. ‘Then,
Becky, the very best of luck…’

Becky looked over at Heim; closing
her eyes, she blocked out his voice, and focused on the detonator; she pictured
it in his pocket, allowed its contours to fill her mind, until she felt she
could reach out and touch it; at once, she felt the familiar watery sensation
spread into her eyes, then –

The detonator stirred in Heim’s
pocket. Then it ripped through the material with an unstoppable force, hurtling
through the air, towards Becky. Bewildered, Heim cut short his sentence.
Staring down, he looked at his now tattered pocket, unable to form any words.

Becky’s eyes shot open. She tracked
the detonator’s course, steering its path, guiding it into Uncle Percy’s open
hands, who caught it like a cricket ball. She watched him raise it to his lips.

‘Alpha, Beta, Omicron, Tau …’ he
said clearly.

At that moment, four explosions
shattered the silence, one from each corner of the square, obliterating the
watchtowers, propelling shards of charred wood everywhere. Screams echoed all
around. Many of the terrified workers fell to their knees in prayer; others ran
wildly in the chaos.

‘Nu, Sigma, Upsilon …’ Uncle Percy
continued.

Three more explosions blew gaping
holes in the prison walls, showering the nearby Associates in hunks of
limestone.

Heim’s glare found Uncle Percy.
‘STOP HIM!’

Two Associates rushed at Uncle
Percy.

Anticipating this, Will leapt at the
first Associate, firing a punch at his chin, shattering teeth, sending him
crashing to the floor. The second Associate jabbed the butt of his rifle at
Will’s head. With astonishing speed, Will sidestepped the blow, before striking
the Associate’s stomach like a battering ram. Doubling over, the Associate
panted madly, winded. Will launched a knee into his face, and the Associate
crumbled to the ground, unconscious.

Will turned to Uncle Percy. ‘I shall
return…’ Not waiting for a reply, he raced off into the panic-stricken crowd,
swiftly disappearing from sight.

“Where’s he going?’ Becky yelled
frantically.

Uncle Percy didn’t hear the
question. Instead, he kept shouting into the detonator. ‘Delta, Zeta, Kappa…’

More explosions shook the ground,
clouding the air with sand and grit.

He turned to the workers. ‘CITIZENS
OF MEMPHIS!’ he yelled. ‘TAKE BACK YOUR CITY!’

Some of the workers heeded his call
to arms, scuttling to the containers and grabbing spades or pickaxes. As one,
fury lining their faces, they charged at the bewildered Associates, weapons
held high.

Through the escalating mayhem, Becky
saw an incredible sight: Will had re-entered the fight, his legs straddling a
large grey horse. He was holding a Joe-bow, and firing a volley of arrows at
the Associates, all of which hit their targets. Galloping over to the group, he
dropped a Joe-bow and quiver at Joe’s feet. ‘Here, boy!’ he said. ‘There is a
battle to win.’

Joe’s face ignited. He scooped up
the bow and threw the quiver across his back. Then he extended the Joe-bow to
its full length and withdrew an arrow.

‘Lambda, Omega, Phi,’ Uncle Percy
shouted into the detonator, his words instantly followed by three earsplitting
blasts. Just then, a bull-like Associate barrelled into him, seizing him by the
waist and hurling him to the ground like he was no weight at all, knocking the
detonator from his hands. It skidded across the ground, before being crushed
beneath countless pairs of rampaging feet. The Associate sneered at Uncle Percy
and raised his mallet-sized fist.

Becky saw this. ‘Uncle Percy!’ she
screamed.

The words still teased the air when Will’s
foot struck the Associate’s jaw in a mighty kick. The Associate’s head snapped
back, eyes whirling white, and he toppled like a felled tree on to Uncle Percy,
pinning him down beneath his massive body.

It was then, through the crook of
her eye, Becky noticed a figure in white marching swiftly but surely away from
the fight, looking back every now and again to ensure he hadn’t been followed.
‘Uncle Percy,’ she yelled. ‘Heim’s getting away!’