The Time Hunters (Book 1 of the acclaimed series for children of all ages) (15 page)

Chapter 22

All
the King’s Horses

The stale air hung heavy as the minutes crawled by.
Everyone tried not to stare at Uncle Percy, who remained as still as a statue.
Becky turned to guidance from Will, but even he looked uncertain as to what to
do. Deciding she had to at least try and help, she took the initiative and walked
over to him, sat down and placed her hand gently on his arm. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine,’ Uncle Percy said, raising his head.
‘Good fellow, Bernard.
Thoroughly decent.
And handsome
too, don’t you think?’

Becky shrugged. ‘Not really my type.’

Uncle Percy smiled weakly.
‘Perhaps
not.
Nevertheless, he was a virtuous, warm-hearted chap.’

Becky felt close to tears. It was the first time
she’d seen her uncle so vulnerable. She decided to change the subject. ‘What’s
Lockets Syndrome?’

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Uncle Percy
whispered, ‘Well, it’s a very, very rare occurrence. You see, the world is an
enormous place. And time - time as you are doubtless aware, is infinite.
Therefore, the chances of two travellers casually bumping into each other,
unplanned, at a specific place at a specific time are - well, the odds are
astronomical. Of course, there are certain events throughout history where it
is common for travellers to gather at the same time and place, but that’s not
genuine
Lockets syndrome. Not like
what we’ve witnessed today.’

Becky looked puzzled. ‘Uncle Percy, can I ask you
something? You cared about Bernard Preston, didn’t you?’

‘Very much.’

‘Well, couldn’t you -’ Becky paused for a moment,
unsure whether to continue or not, ‘- couldn’t you travel back and stop his
murder?’

Uncle Percy sighed. The glow from the nearby torches
accentuated the deep sorrow on his face. ‘I tried,’ he said. ‘I travelled back
to London on the afternoon he was killed. But I couldn’t get close to him or
the events that transpired. I’m sure you can probably guess why.’

‘The Omega Effect.’

‘Correct,’ Uncle Percy said sourly. ‘It was exactly
like when I tried to help your father. It nearly always happens if you try and
prevent a human death, for some reason.’

Then something occurred to Becky. ‘Did you see him
get shot? Or who shot him?’

Uncle Percy bowed his head. ‘I’m afraid not. I
returned time and time again, but the Omega Effect prevented me getting close
enough to see anything. After the seventh attempt failed, I had to accept the
painful truth…’

‘And what was that?’ Becky asked.

‘That, for whatever reason, fate had determined that
he
should
die that day
and
that the killer should escape.’

Becky shuddered. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Don’t be,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Many lives may have
been saved because of his sacrifice. I’m sure he would’ve wanted that.’
 

A sudden
CRASH
shook the dungeon walls as Helladius threw open the door, an ugly expression
fixed on his face. ‘Right, filth... The King wishes to see you!’

‘Oh, goody,’ Uncle Percy muttered.

Helladius stepped aside and Galdeus shuffled in.
Unlocking the wooden padlock, he slid the grille open. They all trudged out of
the cell, the Argonauts leading the way.

‘Farewell, my tasty friends,’ Galdeus growled.

Uncle Percy winked back. ‘And farewell to you,
Galdeus. You have been a most charming host.’

‘I hope your death is a brutal one, white hair,’
Galdeus rasped, shoving Uncle Percy roughly through the doorway.

As he straightened the creases from his cloak, Uncle
Percy muttered, ‘It seems like everyone wants me dead lately...’

*

The prisoners surfaced into daylight. Becky felt
nervous as the blast of light stung her eyes. What were they walking into?

They were marched through the courtyard to an
open-planned corridor with brilliant, multi-coloured murals lining the walls.

‘The Corridor of Processions,’ Uncle Percy said, his
eyes glazing over. ‘Look at the detail in those frescoes - wonderful.’

Finding it impossible to share his enthusiasm, Becky
shrugged. The last thing she cared about
were
stupid
paintings.

Making a sharp right at the far end of the corridor,
they passed a shaded propylaeum, and found themselves in a grand hall at the
end of which stood a large staircase, patrolled by the Palace Guard.

As they followed Helladius up the staircase, Becky
couldn’t help but wonder why Uncle Percy did not take Bernard Preston’s offer
of a jailbreak? She understood he wanted to enter the Labyrinth, but surely
there must be a safer way … a way that didn’t involve pleading before a
possibly merciless King.

Helladius led them through a series of magnificent
rooms until his giant frame wobbled to a standstill. ‘Wait here!’ He
disappeared through a doorway, only to reappear a few seconds later. ‘The King
will see you now.
Move!’

‘Don’t be afraid,’ Uncle Percy said to Becky, before
stepping into the Throne Room. ‘I’ve got a good feeling about this.’

‘Of course you have,’ Becky mumbled and Becky
followed him inside, head bowed. When she looked up, she gulped noisily.
Sitting on an enormous gold throne was a well-groomed man with a bearded face
that resembled a hairy sprout. He wore a shining ruby necklace and a snow-white
tunic that just about concealed his gigantic tummy. A crown of lilies sat upon
his unruly raven black hair.

Helladius took a pace forward. ‘King Minos, my
lord.’ He bowed. ‘I give you the prisoners...’

For a few moments, King Minos sat there in silence,
studying the group with a fierce expression.
Then broke into
a grin.
‘Welcome, my prisoners, to The Great Palace of Knossos.’

Helladius frowned.
 

Uncle Percy stepped forward. ‘Thank you very much
King Minos. I’m - ’

‘SILENCE, PRISONER!’ Helladius bellowed, striding up
to Uncle Percy and grabbing him by the hood. ‘You will only address the King,
if, and when, you are addressed.’

Uncle Percy nodded dutifully.
‘My
apologies.’

‘Now, now, Helladius,’ King Minos said cheerily.
‘Today we forgo all formalities. Today is a happy day.
A
momentous
day!’
The King’s
eyes gleamed. ‘Please, stranger, speak, you have nothing to fear.’

Helladius scowled again.

‘We thank you, King Minos. My name is Percy Halifax,
and these are my friends. We are strangers to your kingdom, and have come here
to do you a service.’

King Minos studied Uncle Percy, bemused. ‘A service
you say, prisoner? What possible service could you perform that others already do
not?’

‘We are here to slay the Minotaur,’ Uncle Percy
replied simply.

There was silence. Then, with a crashing
thud
,
Hercules fainted.

King Minos hesitated. He smiled, then chuckled, then
began to laugh. His crown fell off as it turned into an uncontrollable fit.
After a few seconds, in which time Will had helped Hercules to his feet, King
Minos
spoke.,
‘You, grey hair?’ His face swelled to
the size and shade of a basketball. ‘You believe
you
can kill the Minotaur?’
 

‘Yes, sir, I do.’

Becky stared at Uncle Percy with disbelief.
This was his plan?

‘Oh, what a joyous day,’ King Minos gushed. ‘First,
Pasiphae has agreed to be my wife, then the King of Athens has presented me
with a wonderful new pet, and now this … Tell me, stranger, what makes you
think you can succeed where so many others have failed?’

‘We have means,’ Uncle Percy replied mysteriously.
‘All I ask is that should we succeed, you give us our freedom. That these men
-’ He gestured towards the Argonauts, ‘- will be given safe passage throughout
your lands, and that, if necessary, you give us a ship, the fastest in your
fleet.’

King Minos waved flippantly.
‘Of
course.’
He leant forward. ‘You are aware that I have sent many of my
finest warriors into the Maze of Kyros to complete that very task, that scores
of men and women have been sent as sacrifice to prevent the beast leaving its
lair
- that none have returned!
’

‘I am now,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Do we have a deal?’

‘Certainly, stranger.’
King Minos slapped his thigh joyfully. ‘Certainly we do. And as you have
continued my excellent mood, you may see my new pet, a creature of such beauty
as to rival Aphrodite herself. Castor …
bring
me the
beast!’

Everyone looked to the rear doorway as a young boy
entered carrying a loop of rope. With a firm jerk, he pulled a snow-white foal into
view. Becky felt her heart skip a beat.

Murmurs of wonder filled the room as everyone caught
sight of the most astonishing thing. Tucked snugly beneath the foal’s shoulder
blades were a small but well-defined set of wings.

King Minos rolled off his throne. ‘Prisoners, this
is Pegasus - The Horse of the Gods.
 
Of
course, she can’t fly yet, but when she’s older she will take to the skies like
an eagle. That’s if I allow it, of course.’ He snatched the rope from the boy and
yanked the horse closer to him. ‘I may just have her wings clipped.’

It was then Becky noticed the tiny horse was
trembling with fear. She couldn’t stop herself. ‘HOW DARE YOU!’ Her angry voice
filled the room.
 

‘What?’ King Minos replied with a mixture of
surprise and amusement.

Uncle Percy held up his hand, gesturing her to stay
silent. ‘No, Becky.’

Becky ignored him. ‘How dare you talk of clipping
her
wings.
And don’t drag her like that, you’re
scaring her.’

King Minos looked bewildered. ‘Are you really
addressing me in such a manner, child?’

‘Yes, I am,’ Becky said boldly.
‘Shame
on you!
Some King you are.’

King Minos glared at her.
‘SILENCE!’

‘Quiet, Becky,’ Uncle Percy said.

Becky looked desperately at her uncle. ‘But -’

And for the first time, Uncle Percy raised his voice
to her. ‘Becky, that’s enough!’

Becky was about to object, but his angry tone and a
sharp shake of his head made her think otherwise.

‘Muzzle the child,’ King Minos roared at Uncle
Percy. ‘If she speaks again, I will have your heads where you stand.’ With an incensed
breath, he returned to his throne.
‘Castor.
Take the
beast to the Hall of the Colonnades. Flog her if she whimpers.’

The boy nodded dutifully. He dragged Pegasus through
the rear door and into the far room. The small horse arched its head sadly
towards Becky and then disappeared.

Becky boiled with anger. Then, as she stared at the
spot where Pegasus had stood, something very strange happened. She experienced
a very strange sensation, as if a droplet of water had trickled onto the top of
her head, then she saw something move in the opposite room - a cloaked man, his
back pressed against the wall, his hooded face twisted left and right as if
watchful of an unseen enemy. She blinked to double-check, but the man had gone.
The strange sensation had gone too. She turned to Joe, then Will, and finally
Uncle Percy, but their faces were expressionless, as if they hadn’t seen a thing.

Impossible
, Becky thought. How could they not see him? The
man was right in front of them.
She was baffled
now.
 

Meanwhile, King Minos continued his rant. ‘Now, look
what you’ve done. You have vanquished my fine humour.’ He huffed loudly. ‘Very
well, face the Minotaur … Helladius, make an announcement in the marketplace, Daedalus’
Gate is to be opened. Now … Get them out of my sight!’

‘Weapons,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘We’ll need weapons.’

The King hesitated. ‘Very well, Helladius, arm them.
I will join you at the Gate in one hour. Now … leave me.’

‘I trust you know what you’re doing?’ Will said to
Uncle Percy as they exited the Throne room.

‘Haven’t the foggiest,’ Uncle Percy whispered back.

All the while, as a much cheerier Helladius led them
through the Corridor of Processions, Becky’s eyes remained fixed on Uncle
Percy. Eventually he noticed and said, ‘Is something the matter, Becky?’

‘It’s nothing,’ she said, looking away.

‘Something happened in there, didn’t it?’ Uncle Percy
probed, lowering his voice so the Argonauts were out of earshot. ‘Something you
can’t explain?’

‘Why’d you say that?’ Becky said. ‘Did you see
something?’

‘No,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘But I saw your face.’

Becky sighed. ‘I thought I saw something in the far
room.’