Time Hunters and the Spear of Fate, The (20 page)

Layla’s screams echoed through the
hall.

Satisfied with its first kill, the
Sphinx turned on the others, snarling wildly, its face frozen in a mask of
anger. Then it moved towards them.

‘Uncle Percy,’ Joe said quickly.
‘Use the Temporevolver. Shoot it.’

‘There’s no way it could temporalize
something of that size, of that raw power,’ Uncle Percy replied solemnly. He
glanced behind, his expression showing he knew full well that escape was not an
option.

‘Becky, Joe, take Layla. Get as far
away from here as you can…’ He pulled his sword into the light. His eyes met
Will’s. ‘Old friend, we once defeated a Hydra. Perhaps we can do the same
again…’ He didn’t sound confident.

Will took a heavy breath. ‘Perhaps
we can …’

Chapter 26

The Snake in the Grass

Joe raised his bow. ‘I’m not going
anywhere,’ he said resolutely. ‘Becky, take Layla and …’

Becky was about to tell him to tell
him where to go, when another voice filled her ears.

‘This is not your fight, my dear
friends,’ Edgar said. He rose to his full height, head held high, chest
swelling. He sucked in a huge breath and his eyes locked on the Sphinx, which
stopped its advance when it saw him. ‘Thoth left this poor creature for an
Atlantean to defeat. If there is to be a fight, then it should be mine and mine
alone.’

Becky had never heard him sound like
this before. Gone was his usual timidity, replaced by an assuredness she never
would have thought was in him. ‘But you once said it yourself - you can’t
fight.’

Edgar’s kindly eyes fixed on her.
‘If I remember correctly, Miss Becky, I said I don’t fight. I didn’t say I
couldn’t.’ He forced a smile. ‘You forget, I was raised with two rather
boisterous brothers.’

He stepped forward. Gaining
confidence with each step, he strode impressively across the floor.

Becky looked horrified. ‘Uncle
Percy, he’ll be torn to bits.’

Uncle Percy didn’t know what to say.

Edgar approached the Sphinx and bowed
deeply. ‘Noble creature,’ he said. ‘You have been wronged in the past. This
should not be your home. And we are not your enemy. I am not your enemy.’

A spark of understanding glimmered
in the Sphinx’s eyes.

‘You have inhabited this place for
too long, and it is wrong you were left here to protect the spear. But, as a
true descendent of Atlantis, I claim what is duly mine. I claim the spear for
good … for a rightful cause. Your work here is done. You should leave, and roam
these lands as a free being. My friends and I can take you there, we can show
you the sun again...’

The Sphinx growled threateningly.

‘Please, I do not wish to fight
you.’

With a terrible howl, the Sphinx
leapt at him, jaws wide open, drool dangling like syrup from yellowing fangs; the
stench of its breath fouled the air.

Becky screamed.

Edgar weaved right, skirting the
attack. He wrapped his huge arms round the Sphinx’s chest and, with a guttural
roar, hurled it to the side. ‘Please,’ he panted madly. ‘I do not want this…’

The Sphinx clambered upright and
swung its right paw at him, scythe-like claws glinting in the light. Edgar
moved quickly but the claw’s tip sank into his snout, blood spattering the
ground. The Sphinx lashed out again; this time Edgar caught the paw, knocking it
aside, before sending his fist powerfully into its underbelly. The Sphinx
howled. Recovering quickly, it pounced again, two clawed feet targeting Edgar’s
head. Edgar grasped them, but the Sphinx’s weight was too much. He fell
backwards, smashing his skull brutally against hard ground, dazing him. Pinned
down beneath the Sphinx’s colossal bodyweight, he scratched desperately for
air.

‘Enough is enough,’ Uncle Percy
said, waving his sword high. ‘For Edgar...’

He charged towards the battle.

Will didn’t hesitate. He sent an
arrow through the air. Joe did the same. Both arrows slammed into the Sphinx’s
chest, but it continued relentlessly. Sensing victory, the Sphinx’s mouth
stretched open. Edgar forced his hands against its jaws, trying vainly to push
them away, but the Sphinx was too strong.

Slowly, the Sphinx’s cavernous mouth
inched towards Edgar’s neck, locking in on it, pointed teeth close to bare
skin. More arrows punctured the Sphinx’s body, but nothing could stop its sheer
power.

‘No!’ Uncle Percy yelled, metres
away from the fight.

The Sphinx’s jaws closed around
Edgar’s neck.

Becky’s head spiralled with fear.
The Sphinx would kill Edgar. The image scorched her retinas. And then she knew
what to do. She veered her gaze towards Poseidon’s statue, towards the spear,
focusing hard. Harder than she’d ever focused on anything in her life. At once,
she felt a peculiar sensation prickle the top of her head, like dripping water,
before spreading over her skull, leaking into her eyes. But this time she
expected it. She wanted it.

She controlled it.

All at once, the Spear shuddered in
Poseidon’s hand. With a
crack
, the hand shattered around it. Then, as if
with a will of its own, the spear took off, tearing through the air like a
bullet, towards the battle, towards the Sphinx. And then -

It plunged into the Sphinx’s back,
ripping through flesh, splintering bone. The Sphinx roared with agony as life
ebbed from its body, releasing Edgar.

The Sphinx went still. With a final
gasp of life, it fell sideways, dead.

Gasps of disbelief swept the hall.
All eyes fell on Becky.

Becky opened her mouth to say
something, but quickly closed it again. What could she say? In silence, she
walked up to the others, Layla following in a bewildered daze.

‘You did it,’ Joe wheezed, still
trying to process all that had happened. ‘You did it. You really can move stuff
with your mind.’

Becky nodded. ‘I told you I could.’
But her words held no joy.

Uncle Percy’s eyes narrowed. ‘And
you can control the telekinesis now?’

‘I think so,’ Becky replied. ‘In
fact, I’m sure of it.’

Layla glanced at Becky with a
newfound awe. ‘You are a God!’ she said quietly.

‘No,’ Becky replied. She looked over
at Edgar and saw he hadn’t moved. Horrified, she said, ‘Edgar … is he -’ She
couldn’t finish the sentence.

Uncle Percy dashed over to Edgar,
dropping at his side. Quickly, his fingers searched for a pulse. ‘He’s alive.’

Edgar groaned slightly. ‘Barely.’
His eyes flickered open. He glanced at the Sphinx and shuddered, before looking
back at the others. ‘Once again, you have saved my life.’

‘My weirdo sister did it,’ Joe
replied jubilantly. ‘She’s like a superhero.’ He turned back to Becky. ‘We’re
gonna have to get you a cape.’

Becky scowled at him. ‘Shut up.’

Then another voice met her ears. ‘A
superhero, eh? How very interesting.’

It was Butterby.

Becky sighed with relief. Butterby
was alive. She watched him get to his feet, his face still turned away from
them. But it was when he looked back at them that her blood turned cold.

The right half of his face had been
torn off. But instead of merely flesh and bone, a metal plate gleamed brightly,
interwoven with tendons and shredded muscle. Strips of coloured wire, severed
and ragged, drooped outwards like caterpillars. The cornea of his left eye had
been split open, revealing a winking yellow light where a pupil should have
been.

Terrified and confused, Becky’s gaze
found Uncle Percy, who looked more shocked than she had ever seen him.

‘Charming,’ Butterby said. Then his
fingers extended upwards and stroked his ravaged face. ‘Ah, that would explain
it.’ He gave a repulsive laugh. ‘I am sorry for this rather shocking turn of
events. But I just want you to know it’s been lovely seeing you all again.’

Uncle Percy looked like a broken
man. 

‘What is it, Percy? Butterby
scoffed. ‘You look rather surprised. Gosh, haven’t I given you enough clues?’
He shook his head with feigned disappointment. ‘I mean, do you really think the
Omega Effect would force you to a Time Point a hundred years from your inputted
destination. No, that was a Chrono-Magnetizer I had in my bag. You could’ve set
the bus’s time-pad for last week and you’d have still ended up in 1360BC.’ He
laughed chillingly. ‘And what about all the other clues - Butterby’s pale complexion,
which I rectified with some ladies’ blusher when I popped to the bathroom – his
complete absence of perspiration? Do think the living Butterby could have
lifted all of those stones?’ He pointed at Joe. ‘Hell, even the brat said
Butterby’s hands were freezing cold. Goddammit, Percy, how many more pointers
do you need?’ Butterby laughed again. ‘You utter fool. Didn’t I mention at that
ridiculous party I’d made some groundbreaking accomplishments in the field of
cyrobotics? Surely, you didn’t think it was just prehistoric sharks I could
transform into cyrobots? Don’t you ever listen to anything other than your own
ego?’

It was then Becky understood exactly
what was going on.

Charles Butterby was a cyrobot. And
Emerson Drake was controlling him.

Emerson Drake had been with them all
along.

Chapter 27

The Chamber’s End

‘So when did you do it, Emerson?’
Uncle Percy said, crushed and defeated. ‘When did you kill Charles? When did
you create this abomination?’

‘In the time he returned home from
Bowen Hall to prepare for this trip. I was waiting for him with a rather
average cognac from his drinks cabinet.’ Butterby smiled cruelly. ‘To be frank,
he deserved to die, if only for the quality of his Christmas decorations. He
had a white plastic Christmas tree, for heaven’s sake.’ The smile turned into a
hideous snigger. ‘Of course, I had to journey back forty eight hours to give me
enough time to transform his corpse into a cyrobot, but I returned him to the
present, so as far as you were concerned no time had passed other than a few
hours. And if you’re interested in how he died, well … it was quite a wretched
affair, pitiful even. Clean, of course, I didn’t want it bloody; after all, I
needed his torso in as good a condition as possible. But I’ve never heard
someone beg quite so much to stay alive. He genuinely wanted to live, which
rather surprised me looking at the state of his pitiful life. I’d like to say
his death was quick and easy, but I’m afraid that would be a lie.’

Uncle Percy’s head lowered. ‘You’re
a fiend.’

‘I’m an artist, Percy. Seriously,
who else could conceive and build the Embellic processor - a device, which can
turn a corpse into an outwardly living, breathing humanoid. Now, you have to
admit, that takes a true innovator.’

‘No, it takes a true deviant.’

‘Oh, come on,’ Butterby replied
dismissively. ‘If you weren’t so goody-goody you’d see the brilliance in it.
Think about it, his voice, his motor functions, his every movement, all of it
controlled by a device no bigger than a matchbox fitted just behind his right
eye. That’s the difference between us, Percy, I’ve achieved something you could
never dream of doing in a dozen lifetimes.’

‘The difference between us is that
I’d never dream of trying.’

Butterby snorted. ‘Whatever. The
simple fact is, I could fill the world with cyrobots and get away with murder.’
He laughed again. ‘Of course, murder would be required to acquire my guinea
pigs in the first place, but that’s a small price to pay for such innovation.
Don’t you think?’

‘I think you’re inhuman,’ Uncle
Percy replied. ‘Other than that, words fail me.’

‘Thank God,’ Butterby replied. ‘I’m
sure we’re all extremely grateful.’

Becky reeled with hatred and
confusion. But through everything, one thought echoed in her head. ‘WHERE’S MY
DAD?’ she roared.

‘Ah, that old chestnut again,’
Butterby replied with a scoff. ‘He’s safe, I suppose. At least, I think so. To
be honest, I haven’t visited him for some time. I’ve had other things on my
plate. But if it gives any comfort at all, I get others to ensure he’s kept in
the most appalling conditions known to man. Truly horrible conditions. God
knows how he’s lasted this long. But the last time I did see him he looked very
unwell. As a matter of fact, I’d say he was wasting away to nothing. Perhaps
his health is something we should discuss in the future? As I’ve said before,
you could help him you know.’

‘But that would mean helping you,’
Becky said in a quiet voice, containing her anger. ‘And I’d never do that.’

‘Then you have no right to be angry
with me for all that’s happened to him. One could even say it’s your fault. And
besides, you’ve already helped me, my dear.’ Butterby nodded at the sphinx.
‘That creature would have torn this body to bits. Anyway, I must be on my way,
but I have made arrangements for you to have company soon enough.’

‘What do you mean, Emerson?’ Uncle
Percy said at once.

Butterby’s fingers found his
necklace. ‘Well, didn’t you find all of my mutterings somewhat strange? The
necklace is a Sonay-transmitter. I’ve been in touch with Doctor Heim throughout
our expedition. I believe he’ll be here soon.’ He noted the fearful look on
Uncle Percy’s face. ‘Yes, Doctor Heim is quite keen to make your acquaintance.
He’s been doing some outstanding work in this time zone and has proven very useful.’
He turned towards the spear. ‘Now, perhaps it’s time I got what I came for.’ He
stepped forward.

‘I don’t think so, Emerson.’ In a
flash, Uncle Percy drew the Temporaliser and fired.

The blast struck Butterby’s chest.
For a fleeting moment, he looked stunned, confused even, but then his face
split into a mocking grin. He was still moving. ‘It seems the steel encasing
Butterby’s cerebellum has prevented the exclocidiant from working. What a
shame…’ He was about to say something else, when an arrow punctured his
forehead. Butterby chuckled horribly, before turning to face Will, who stared
back contemptuously, his bow raised. He ripped out the shaft and cast it aside.
‘Butterby’s already dead, you moron. And I’m a thousand years away.’ He
continued his advance.

Teeth gritted, Uncle Percy drew his
sword and charged. ‘NO,’ he shouted. Reaching Butterby in seconds, he swung the
blade at his neck. But Butterby ducked the strike. Seizing Uncle Percy’s wrist,
he squeezed tightly. Uncle Percy screamed with pain. He fell to his knees, the
Temporevolver clattering to the floor. At the same time, Will unsheathed his
sword and hurtled forward. Butterby saw this and scooped up the pistol. He
targeted Will and fired. BAM! Will froze mid run. Turning the gun on Edgar,
Butterby fired again.

‘Now let’s finish something I should
have done years ago.’ Butterby grabbed Uncle Percy’s throat, his fingers
sinking deep into flesh.

Uncle Percy’s face contorted as he
scraped for air.

Joe sent an arrow into Butterby’s
wrist. It made no difference.

With a manic grin, Butterby pushed
his fingers deeper into Uncle Percy’s throat.

Paralyzed with fear, Becky drew
Orff’s knife. She looked at Uncle Percy, the fight deserting his body, and then
at Butterby, whose one normal eye blazed with hatred. And then it struck her.
The
eyes!
Drake had said the device that controlled Butterby’s body was behind
his right eye. Without hesitation, she ploughed all her energies into Orff’s
knife. Almost immediately, she felt the watery sensation brush her skull. Heart
pounding, she watch the knife quiver in her palm. And then it was slicing the
air. Before she could even catch a breath, the blade had plunged into
Butterby’s eye, burrowing deep, right to the hilt.  At once, his entire
body froze in time, like a battery within had lost all charge.

Uncle Percy prized Butterby’s
fingers from his throat and collapsed to the ground, filling his lungs with as
much air as he could.  A second passed. Will and Edgar emerged from their
immobile state, astonished by what they saw.

Colour returning to his cheeks,
Uncle Percy panted, ‘Thank you, Becky.’

‘That’s okay.’

Not wasting a moment, Uncle Percy
scrambled to his feet. ‘Heim is on his way,’ he said, still winded. ‘I must get
the spear out of here.’ His fingers found his wrist portravella. ‘Edgar, take
it.’

Unquestioning, Edgar clambered up.
In one powerful movement, he wrenched the spear from the sphinx’s corpse.

Uncle Percy punched six digits into
the portavella. Almost immediately, the light extended up his arm and across
his body. He raced over and gripped Edgar’s arm. The two of them were encased
in a giant orb of shimmering light and  -

SNAPPP
– they disappeared.

Becky didn’t know what to say. Still
reeling with shock, she watched as a tiny ball of light appeared in the same
spot Uncle Percy and Edgar had been, growing in size, then -
POP
- they
were standing there again, safe and sound.

‘ That’s that taken care of,’ Uncle
Percy said, looking refreshed and completely different from how she had seen
him moments before. ‘The spear is now buried somewhere Heim and Drake can never
find it.’

Becky was about to reply when a
deafening
crack
shook the room. Horrified, she looked up. A giant
fissure had severed the roof. Another loud
crack
, this time to their
right. A column had split down the middle. Then it collapsed, clouding the air
with dust.

Uncle Percy looked alarmed. ‘Oops.
The spear doesn’t appear to appreciate being moved. I never considered that.’

Suddenly, columns were crumbling all
around them.

‘Let’s time travel out of here
then!’ Joe yelled over the din.

‘I’ve just used the last of the
Gerathnium,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘Err, RUN!’

Becky had never run so fast. Every
muscle in her body squealed as she sped out of the temple and into the forest.
Trees toppled around her; earth pounded down from above in colossal chunks,
sending dense, billowing clouds of soil all around. The group hurtled into the
corridor, weaving past the sarcophagi, the marble walls splitting as they
passed, before collapsing in on themselves, burying the Minotaur statues
forever beneath tonnes of earth. Seconds later, the column of fire came into
view; Becky, feeling like her legs would give up on her at any moment, trailed
Layla through it into the Chamber of the Ancients, and one by one, they flew up
the steps, dripping with sweat, tired beyond belief.

Each step burned Becky’s thighs, but
she could see light now.

Daylight.

Chaos still thundered on behind them,
but the noise was fading slightly, as, one after another, they fought their way
up each step, before leaping into the open air, each one of them collapsing
onto soft sand, breathless, winded, the excruciating pain of the sprint filling
their bodies, searing their very souls.

Becky lay flat on the sand, eyes
shut, gulping huge squalls of hot air into her mouth; for what seemed like an
age, she listened to the thump of her heartbeat as she waited desperately for
the pain to subside.

But then she heard something else.

Layla’s scream.

Jolting upright, she opened her eyes
and her world stopped.

Associates surrounded them on all
sides; clad head to toe in black suits and mirrored sunglasses, each one held a
submachine gun.

Becky’s nightmare expanded as the wall
of Associates parted, and a tall, elderly man in a pristine white suit and
matching fedora hat strode forward, moving in slow, considered steps, a cruel
smile fixed to his mouth.

‘How delightful to meet you all,’
the man said with a heavy accent. His dark brown eyes found Edgar’s. ‘Of
course, some of us have already met before. I hope you are in fine spirits,
Edgar?’

‘H-Heim?’ Edgar spluttered with
terror.

‘The very same.’ His icy stare fell
on Uncle Percy. ‘Percy Halifax. Welcome to my care. From the tremendous uproar
below, I can only assume you’ve located the Spear of Fate and removed it from
its resting place. And as I can see it’s not in your possession now, I can only
assume you’ve hidden it somewhere in history. Am I correct?’

Uncle Percy didn’t reply.

‘Very well.’ Heim’s smile broadened.
‘Well, first of all, may I offer my most sincere congratulations on acquiring
it. From what Mister Drake has told me, you’ve had quite the adventure. And secondly,
would you care to tell me precisely where and when it is?’

Again, Uncle Percy remained silent.

‘Excellent,’ Heim replied. His gaze
locked on Becky. ‘In my experience, there’s always something about a child in
unconditional pain that makes even the most obstinate man confess
everything...’