Time Hunters and the Spear of Fate, The (22 page)

Uncle Percy was too busy shifting
the Associate to hear anything.

Dismayed, Becky glanced again at
Heim, to see his walk become a sprint. Fear engulfed her. He couldn’t escape.
Filled with an unwavering purpose, she began to run, her eyes searching for her
brother. ‘JOE! HEIM’S ESCAPING!’

Joe heard her. He raced towards
Becky, the bow gripped tightly in his right hand. Within seconds, he had caught
up with her and they were dashing out of the square at a breakneck speed, the
sounds of battle fading in their ears. In the distance, Heim followed the
path’s curve, through the gates that marked the entrance to The Sanctuary.

Becky and Joe accelerated, panting
wildly, but entering the walled compound their stomachs’ sank.

Drake was feet away from the
military truck that had brought them to Memphis.

‘He’s going to make it,’ Becky said,
as Heim clambered on to the front seat.

‘Not if I can help it,’ Joe replied,
stopping dead in his tracks. In a flash, he had drawn an arrow and secured it
to the bowstring. Focusing ahead, judging the distance, he arched his left
shoulder to his target. Blocking out all sound, exhaling slowly, he relaxed his
body and stared fixedly down the arrow’s spine. Then he fired. The arrow
thumped into the truck’s control panel, thick swirls of smoke enveloping its
shaft from the now destroyed time-pad.

Becky gasped with admiration. It was
an amazing shot.

Heim cursed loudly. Seething, he
glanced back and saw Becky and Joe running towards him. Leaping from the truck,
he scurried frantically through the Sanctuary’s doorway and disappeared,
consumed by the velvety darkness.

Becky and Joe slowed to a halt,
taking a few moments to catch their breath.

‘You stay here, Becks,’ Joe panted.

‘Get stuffed!’ Becky snorted.

‘I’m serious,’ Joe replied. ‘You
haven’t got a weapon!’

‘Are you kidding me?’ Becky snapped
back. ‘I could pull your teeth out one by one without even touching you!’

Joe nodded, impressed. ‘Top idea.
But save that for Heim. He deserves it...’

Becky couldn’t argue with that.

Together, they entered the
Sanctuary.

Chapter 30

Just Deserts

Once inside, the temperature tumbled
and the same putrid smell as before soured Becky’s throat like a poison.
Stealing into the dimness, Joe only feet away, it struck her how out of their
depth they were. She and Joe were hunting one the most dangerous men in
history, without Will, without Uncle Percy, without any amazing gadgets to save
the day. Part of her wanted to turn and run, but she knew deep down she
couldn’t.

Heim had to be stopped.

At that moment a cold, taunting
voice filled the room, rising from the shadows, coming from everywhere and
nowhere at the same time.  ‘You are both very brave,’ Heim gloated. ‘I
applaud you for that.’

His words stabbed Becky’s ears,
burrowing into her eardrums like parasites.

‘You might as well give up, Heim!’
Joe shouted back, his eyes scanning the gloom, ready to shoot.

Laughter rebounded off the walls.
‘Why? Because you’ve got a bow and arrow?’ Heim crowed. ‘If you had a crossbow,
I would think you were playing Wilhelm Tell. Instead, perhaps I should assume
you’re Robin Hood.’

‘I’m not Robin Hood,’ Joe shouted
back. ‘But I know a bloke who is.’

‘Ah, you mean the groundsman,’ Heim
replied. ‘I’ve heard much about him. Sadly for you, he doesn’t appear to be here.
And somehow, I don’t think your little bow will fare too well against –’

A thunderous crashing sound echoed
all around; bullets punctured the air. The Sanctuary erupted in a tuneless
chorus of squeals, whines and squawks from the creatures within.

Becky leapt to the ground, followed
by Joe. They glanced at each other, dismayed.
Heim had a machine gun.

Edgar’s voice rang out from the far
end of the temple. ‘Miss Becky, Joe. What are you doing?’ he yelled. ‘You must
flee at once.’

‘We’re not going anywhere,’ Joe
yelled back over the din.

Laughing manically now, Heim fired
again.

All around the cries reached
deafening levels.

‘Becks, can you disarm him?’ Joe
asked desperately.

‘Maybe, but I need to concentrate
and –’

Another volley of gunfire rang out;
bullets screamed past their heads, missing them by inches.

Joe knew they had to move. ‘RUN!’

Becky didn’t need telling twice.

At full pelt, Becky tailed Joe
deeper into the temple, keeping low, weaving past the pens and cages to the columns
that flanked the temple walls. In the distance, they heard Edgar’s loud,
throaty grunts. She knew at once he was trying to break free of his chains.

‘You help Edgar,’ Joe insisted.
‘I’ll distract Heim.’

Becky didn’t even have time to
challenge when Joe sprinted off in the opposite direction.

‘OVER HERE, FREAKOID!’ Joe shouted
loudly at Heim, launching himself behind another column, as bullets cracked
above his head, hitting the pillar, showering him in stone splinters and dust.
‘MISSED ME, DIV!’ he yelled again.

Becky ran as fast as she could,
closing in on Edgar’s pen. Launching herself behind a cage, she concentrated on
his collar. Closing her eyes, tiny beads of sweat spattering her forehead, she
focused with every ounce of energy she had left. Then it happened again. The
watery sensation grazed the top of her head and extended into her eyes. Moments
later, she heard a shrill metallic
crack
. And then to her delight, she
heard Edgar’s voice again.

‘HEIM. IT IS OVER FOR YOU!’ Edgar
stood to his full height, his restraints dropping to the ground with a ringing
clank. ‘LISTEN TO MY WORDS. YOUR EVIL IS AT AN END!’

Heim laughed again, but this time it
lacked assurance. ‘I think not, Minotaur,’ he shouted back.

Edgar walked forward, his body
swelling with confidence with each mighty stride. He looked regal, colossal,
invincible. ‘You have harmed my friends, my family, my brethren. You will harm
no more.’ Every now and again, he would stop at a cage, before tearing off its
locks as if they were paper.

As Edgar continued his advance, an
idea occurred to Becky. She scanned the room, fixing her gaze on the cages
Edgar hadn’t touched. She ploughed all her thoughts into their locks,
concentrating with all of her might. It didn’t take long before locks were cracking
open all around her, their chains clattering to the floor. Slowly, one at a
time, creatures of all shapes and sizes, of all colours and hues, emerged from
their prisons. Through the darkness, she spied the one animal she’d been
searching for. Dashing over, she dropped at Adma’s side and threw her arms
around her, pulling her close, careful to ensure they were both out of Heim’s
line of sight. ‘Hello, Adma,’ she whispered in the unicorn’s ear. ‘You’re safe
now.’

Edgar saw all of it. ‘Thank you,
Miss Becky. It is time my brothers and sisters were freed.’

Seeing the blurred shapes move
silently all about, Heim looked suddenly fearful. With a furious scream, he
turned his gun on Edgar and fired. Bullets pounded Edgar’s chest, hundreds of
them, in a relentless onslaught of metal on flesh. But they had no effect.
Edgar emerged from the attack unscathed.

‘Your bullets are not crafted from
orichalcum,’ Edgar said. ‘They cannot penetrate my skin. I urge you to lay down
your weapon. Your wicked days are done!’

Heim spun quickly, about to flee,
when he stopped dead in his tracks.

‘Drop the gun!’ Joe demanded,
pointing an arrow at Heim’s heart. ‘I think Edgar wants a word with you...’

Knowing full well he was beaten, a
deflated Heim allowed the gun to fall to the floor. Turning slowly, his eyes
widened with terror as he took in the colossal sight of the Minotaur before
him.

‘You killed my brothers,’ Edgar said
coldly.

Heim’s lips trembled. ‘And now you
will kill me?’

Edgar exhaled heavily. ‘I am not a killer.
It is not in my nature, no matter who you are or what you’ve done. No, for my
part I would let you live, that is true.’

Hope lined Heim’s face.

Edgar looked saddened. ‘Miss Becky,
Joe. We must leave.’

‘But –’ Joe uttered before Edgar
raised his hand to stop him.

‘No, Joe,’ Edgar insisted. ‘We must
leave now.’

At that moment, creatures crept into
the half-light, moving soundlessly, menacingly, gathering in a vast circle.

Heim’s eyes scanned left and right,
front and back. In that moment, he knew he was surrounded. ‘No…’ He pleaded,
voice aquiver. He looked fearfully at Edgar. ‘Please, Minotaur, you said I
would not be killed.’

‘I said I would not kill you,’ Edgar
replied miserably. ‘But it is not me you have to answer to now.’

‘Come, Miss Becky. No creature will
harm you here.’ Edgar ushered her over.

Nervously, Becky guided Adma across
the floor, head down, passing the mass of animals, whose eyes were locked
chillingly on Heim.

His strength deserting him, Heim
stumbled to his knees. ‘Please, no….’ He sobbed wildly. He looked over at
Becky. ‘P-please, child, you cannot allow this…’

Becky didn’t reply. As she looked
over at him, horrific images of all he had done invaded her head. In silence,
she and Adma joined Edgar and Joe, and together they proceeded to the doorway,
to the light beyond.

Not one of them looked back.

Even when the screams came.

Chapter 31

Becky’s Memorial

Becky found herself shivering as
they left the Sanctuary. She tried to block Heim’s fate from her mind. She
didn’t know how to feel. There was no doubt he deserved it, but could she have
stopped it? Had she been responsible for handing Heim a death sentence? Feeling
Adma brush her leg, she had her answer: no. Heim had made his choices in life,
and had denied others the luxury of choice.

Joe didn’t appear to share her
doubts. ‘C’mon, let’s get back to the fight,’ he said eagerly.

Gathering pace, they left the
compound and moved on to the street, where an unexpected sound met their ears:
cheering.

Becky looked to the square ahead. In
the distance, workers were jumping up and down in great outpourings of joy,
waving spades and pickaxes like victory flags. The further they advanced,
however, the more she detected a definite shift in atmosphere. Many of the
workers had turned to look at them, expressions of astonishment lining their
faces. Moments later, they were sinking to their knees, heads pressed against
the ground. A new sound floated on the air.

‘Apis … Apis …’

More workers dropped to the dusty
ground.

‘Apis … Apis …’

‘Oh, Lordy,’ Edgar muttered.

‘Apis … Apis …’

Just then, a hysterical scream rang
out.

For a fleeting moment, Becky felt a
sharp jolt of dread, until Layla appeared, weaving frantically through the workers,
tears splashing her cheeks. Reaching them, Layla dropped at Adma’s side,
throwing her arms around the unicorn’s neck and sobbing uncontrollably.

‘Adma … my Adma…’

Becky looked down and smiled.

At the same time, Edgar stepped
forward and gave a little cough. ‘Fair citizens of Memphis,’ he roared. ‘Please
rise and be as you were. I am not Apis. My name is Edgar, and I am not a God,
but I am your friend…’

Many of the workers swapped confused
glances.

‘Please, my most excellent friends,
everyone stand,’ Edgar continued. ‘You do not owe me such veneration.’ He
helped the workers closest to him to their feet. ‘I congratulate you on a great
victory today.’ He glanced at the nearby Associates, many of whom languished
miserably in chains. All of a sudden the ground rumbled slightly as two horses
emerged from behind a building, Uncle Percy and Will sitting astride them.

Relief flashed on Uncle Percy’s
face. Looking over, he breathed, ‘Thank God,’ and drew his horse to a halt,
trailed by Will. He dismounted and marched straight up to Becky, his arms open
wide.

‘We were looking for you,’ Uncle
Percy said, pulling her into an embrace. ‘I never saw you leave. Are you okay?’

‘We’re fine,’ Becky replied, hugging
him back.

Will approached Joe and shook his
hand. ‘It pleases me you are safe, boy.’

Joe grinned. ‘Can’t say the same for
Slimy Heimy.’

‘Where is he?’ Uncle Percy asked at
once. ‘What happened?’

Joe chuckled. ‘He’s probably in
pieces over treating those animals so badly.’

Becky frowned at him.

‘What do you mean?’ Uncle Percy
asked.

‘You once told us Heim supposedly
died in Egypt,’ Becky said grimly. ‘In turns out there might be some truth in
that.’

Uncle Percy nodded, sensing he
shouldn’t pursue the matter. He looked down at Adma. ‘And the animals?’

‘They’re free.’

‘And won’t need feeding for a while
either,’ Joe muttered.

Becky crouched down and pressed her
hand softly against Layla’s arm. ‘And your dad?’

Before Layla could answer, excitable
cheers erupted all around; workers were chanting their admiration for something
just out of sight at the far end of the square. Gradually, the crowd fell
silent and parted, forming a thoroughfare ahead. A tall, raven-haired man in a
bloodstained raggedy tunic hobbled into view, his pale, ravaged features
scarred by dozens of cuts and lacerations. On seeing Layla, his face exploded
with joy. ‘Neffy?’ He quickened his pace, his broken body invigorated with each
step.

Layla looked over at him. ‘Papa …’
She scrambled to her feet and began to run. ‘Papa… Papa…’ Speeding into his open
arms, she buried her head against his chest. The embrace seemed to last an
eternity, before Hannu pulled away.

‘Neffy, what are you doing here?’

‘I came to save you, Papa.’ Looking
up at her father, Layla gasped with dismay when she saw the extent of his
wounds. ‘You’re hurt, Papa.’

Hannu smiled down at her, and shook
his head. ‘These wounds are nothing a day by your side cannot repair.’

Layla smiled back at him. ‘Come with
me, Papa. You must meet my friends.’ Beaming from ear to ear, Layla gripped Hannu’s
hand and walked over to Becky. ‘Becky, this is my Papa, Hannu … Papa, this is
my best friend, Becky.’ Then she pointed at the others. ‘And these are her
family.  It is because of these good people we are here. It is because of
these people that Memphis is saved.’

Hannu’s astonished gaze lingered on
Edgar, who gave him a little wave, before finding Becky. ‘Then I thank you,
Becky. I thank all of you. I don’t know all that has happened, but I thank you.
You have brought the light back to a city, a kingdom cloaked in darkness…’

‘No sweat,’ Becky said with a warm
smile. ‘Layla’s a great girl.’

Hannu looked shocked. ‘Layla? But my
daughter’s name is Nefertiti.’

Becky’s face dropped.
Nefertiti?
Surely
Layla couldn’t grow up to be Queen Nefertiti? She glanced at Uncle Percy to see
a strange realization dawn on his face.

Hannu smiled at his daughter. ‘Why
did you tell them you were named Layla?’

‘I’ve never liked the name
Nefertiti, Papa. I like Layla.’

Hannu looked back at Becky. ‘Layla
was the name of my late-wife, Nefertiti’s mother. And a finer woman has never
graced these lands. But whether she approves or not, my daughter’s name is
Nefertiti … my darling Neffy.’

Uncle Percy smiled at Layla.
‘Nefertiti, it’s nice to make your acquaintance … finally.’

‘And you,’ Layla smiled back at him.

‘Well, it appears our time here is
at an end,’ Uncle Percy said, turning to Becky and Joe. ‘Perhaps it’s time we
thought about going home. After all, there’s still plenty to do if we’re going
to make this a Christmas to remember. And I do want to make a couple of stops
on the way.’

‘Where?’ Joe asked.

‘All good things come to those who
wait,’ Uncle Percy replied.

‘Would you care to feast with us
before you leave?’ Hannu asked. ‘Many of us haven’t eaten in some time, and I’m
certain we can locate ample puncheons of barley beer somewhere in the city.’

‘Barley beer?’ Joe said. ‘Yeah, I
could go with that.’

‘I don’t think so, young man,’ Uncle
Percy said, to Joe’s visible dissatisfaction.

‘Oh, come on, Uncle Percy,’ Joe
replied. ‘It is Christmas.’

‘Then I’m sure Hannu can find you
something else to drink.’

‘Of course,’ Hannu said. ‘The
children can have Kharoob.’

‘What’s that?’ Joe asked eagerly.

‘It is the juice of the Locust bean,’
Hannu replied. ‘Quite delicious.’

‘I’ll have a pint of that then,’ Joe
muttered sourly.

Uncle Percy couldn’t help but smile.
‘Ignore him, Hannu. I’m sure we’d all be delighted to join you and your
comrades. How about it, Will? Would you care for a glass or two of barley
beer?’

Will smiled. ‘It would not go to
waste.’

‘Excellent,’ Hannu said. He turned
to the mass of beaming faces before him and shouted, ‘Then let us gather
provisions for a banquet. And let the Goddess Hathor preside over the most joyful
of celebrations…’

*

The next few hours passed in a
whirl; laughter was shared, food eaten, tears shed, hugs exchanged and goodbyes
declared. Throughout, Becky couldn’t help but feel a mixture of joy and sadness
at leaving such a beautiful and spectacular country. Uncle Percy located a
military truck stocked with sufficient Gerathnium to get them home and drove it
into the courtyard.

It was dusk when everyone gathered
at the time machine. A welcome breeze had freshened the air. A half sun
descended on the horizon, painting the empty sky in thick brush strokes of
tangerine orange.

Uncle Percy walked up to Hannu and
extended his hand. ‘It will take some time for you to rebuild your city again,
Hannu, my friend, but I know it can be as magnificent as it was before.’

Hannu returned a warm smile. ‘Thanks
to you, Percy Halifax, there are still the hands to do the building.’

Becky turned to Layla. ‘Goodbye,
Layla.’

‘Farewell, Becky Mellor,’ Layla
replied. ‘And may the light of Ra shine down on you now and always. I shall
never forget you. Your face is burned into my soul for all eternity.’

‘And I’ll never forget you,’ Becky
said, leaning over and embracing Layla.

After more final goodbyes, Uncle
Percy, Will, Joe and Becky boarded the truck, cries of gratitude filling their
ears from all sides. It was only then they realised that Edgar hadn’t joined
them.

‘Edgar,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Are you
coming?’

‘I don’t think so, Perce,’ Edgar
replied sadly. ‘I think I should stay. My Atlantean brothers and sisters may
need assistance in forging new lives. I should like to be the one to help
them.’

Uncle Percy cast him a kindly smile.
‘Very well, my friend.’

Edgar approached him and they
embraced.

‘I refuse to weep,’ Edgar said, his
lower lip wobbling madly, ‘as I do not believe this will be the last time we
shall meet.’

‘I know it won’t be,’ Uncle Percy
replied, pulling a small device from his cloak pocket. ‘And, fortunately, I
found this in the truck.’

‘What is it?’ Edgar asked.

‘It’s a pagidizor.’ Uncle Percy held
up the gadget and pointed at a central green button. ‘If you ever need me, if
you’re ever in trouble – heck, if you’re just lonely and want a nice chat and a
cup of tea, then press that button and I’ll be with you in a heart beat.’ He
passed over the pagidizor.

Edgar took it, a smile curling on
his mouth. ‘I shall…’ He turned to Will. ‘Until next time then, William.’

‘Until next time, my friend,’ Will
replied, shaking Edgar’s hand.

Then Edgar opened his massive arms
and pulled Becky and Joe into a giant hug. ‘I will miss you both. And I shall
always be your servant, your friend and your ally.’ His eyes found Joe’s. ‘Joe
- your bravery, your integrity, your courage is worthy of the most noble King.’
He looked at Becky. ‘And Miss Becky - your kindness, your compassion, and your
beauty would rival that of Artemis herself.’ He paused. ‘And I love you both
very much.’

‘We love you, Edgar,’ Becky and Joe
said at the same time.

Mopping his eyes, Edgar drew a deep
breath. ‘Now be gone with you all, before I break my vow and weep like a
Calfan...’

Uncle Percy entered numbers into the
truck’s time-pad.

Becky felt a wave of contentment as
she scanned the hundreds of weary but happy faces staring back at them, before
her eyes found Hannu, Layla and finally Adma, who was nodding contentedly at
Layla’s side. Of all the remarkable things she’d witnessed in Ancient Egypt,
she knew seeing an actual unicorn would be the one image she would cherish
above all others. Just then, crimson light shot all around, engulfing them. She
heard Joe’s voice.

‘So, Uncle Percy, are you gonna show
us where you’ve buried the Spear of Fate?’

Uncle Percy grinned back at him. ‘I
am, indeed, Joe. But first we’re going to make an unscheduled stop.’

‘Where?’ Joe asked.

‘Oh, not very far away at all,’
Uncle Percy replied. ‘It seems Becky has been unwittingly involved in changing
the face of the Ancient World.’

Becky’s ears pricked up. ‘What d’you
mean?’

‘The clue was in that sentence,’
Uncle Percy replied in a mischievous tone. ‘And we’re only travelling twenty
years into the future to find your answer.’

With the customary BOOM, the truck
vanished.

*

Becky was even more confused when
she saw they had returned to the Giza plateau, and were facing the Pyramids. Looking
to her right, she saw the red and black painted torso of The Sphinx.

‘What are we doing back here? Joe
asked, surprised.

‘You’ll see,’ Uncle Percy said,
opening the driver’s door and leaping on to the sand. ‘Come on everyone, you’ll
like this.’

Will, Becky and Joe followed him
out.

Uncle Percy flattened his silver
hair and took a long deep breath as he surveyed the Sphinx. ‘Isn’t she
beautiful?’

But Joe didn’t want small talk. He
wanted answers. ‘Seriously, what’s going on?’