The villagers—until then eagerly awaiting the results of the hunt in the maze—had scattered. So too the royal clan members, taking up their weapons.
Any warrior-monks who had remained near the platforms quickly dashed to the safety of their temple- fortress, crossing its first drawbridge and taking up positions in their holy tower—the four-story structure situated out on the lake, halfway between the temple-fortress and the opposite shore.
As for Lily and Wizard, they were simply left on their platforms.
They could only watch helplessly as explosions and gunfire rang out from the ravine, growing louder and closer.
But then Lily saw some movement on the other side of the lake.
She saw the warlock and two monks dash out to the triangular island in the middle of the lake and scoop up the three sacred items sitting there: the Delphic Orb, the Second Pillar, and the inclinometer-like sighting device.
Then they turned and bolted for the opposite shore, arriving at a narrow path next to the maze’s outer wall just as—
—Zoe and Alby dashed out along the same path, racing out from the shadows at the southern end of the maze!
Lily almost cheered.They’d got through the maze…
A struggle ensued, with Zoe disarming the two warrior-monks before jamming the butt end of a spear into the warlock’s face, felling him, knocking him out cold.
Lily then watched as Zoe and Alby snatched up the three sacred objects and—
Clunk!
Lily turned at the sudden sound.
And saw Ono standing opposite her platform, holding a plank vertically, as if he was ready to lay it down across the void to her platform. Diane Cassidy stood similarly near Wizard’s platform, also with a plank in hand.
They both held rather old-looking pistols in their spare hands.
In the chaos all around them—Neetha warriors rushing to the defenses, exploding grenades, wild gunfire—the prisoner platforms were being ignored.
Ono said quickly, “Young Lily! There is escape tunnel hidden within priesthood’s island tower! I will show you…if you take us with you.”
“Deal,” Lily said.
Ono didn’t understand the word.
“Yes, yes,” Lily said quickly. “We’ll take you with us.”
Clunk! Clunk!
Both planks thunked loudly into position on the two platforms and Lily and Wizard dashed off them, free at last.
As they ran toward the temple-fortress of the priesthood, Wizard saw Zoe and Alby on the other side of the lake, running in the same direction, carrying the island’s sacred objects.
“Zoe!” he called. “Get to the central tower! The priests’ tower! It’s an exit!”
“Got it!” Zoe yelled.
No sooner had she spoken than a great explosion blasted out above the huge waterfall at the northern end of the Neetha ravine.
The awning of bent-over trees concealing the ravine there spontaneously erupted in flames, and burning branches and tree trunks rained down onto the lake below, falling a full four hundred feet.
Then with a terrific roar, two CIEF Black Hawk helicopters swooped down through the opening that had been created, hovering perfectly—noses up, tails down—directly above the priests’ island tower!
They were modified Black Hawks known as Defender Armed Penetrators, or DAPs—although the only modifications they possessed were in the amount of weaponry they carried. These choppers were armed to the teeth with guns, rocket pods, and missile launchers.
Rockets shot out from the two DAPs, hitting every one of the Neethas’ strategic defensive positions. Stone towers were blown to pieces. Warriors were hurled into the lake. Obstacles in the main entry ravine were blown clear out of the water, allowing the Congolese foot soldiers to pour into the village unopposed.
The priesthood’s temple-fortress was also hit by a rocket from above.
In a single instant, flames flared from every one of its narrow stone windows, and a moment later its huge armored doors flew open and burning warrior-monks came spilling out of it, rushing down the steps and hurling their flaming bodies into the lake…where the flames were doused, but where the ever-patient crocodiles lay waiting.
Screams. Splashing. Thrashing.
“This is our chance,” Wizard said. “Inside! Now!”
With Lily, Ono, and Cassidy behind him, he rushed for the temple-fortress, ducking arrows and dodging bullets—
—only to be blocked at the steps of the temple-fortress by three unexpected players: the obese chief of the Neetha and two of his sons, all of them brandishing pump-action shotguns aimed right at Wizard’s fleeing group.
