And?
I have no idea what that was. When he put his hand on my head, I felt as if
he was trying to push me through the floor. The pressure was incredible.
He s passed something to you, Sophie said, worried. Nicholas, she called.
But there was no response, and when she turned to look for the Alchemyst she
found him, Saint-Germain and Joan staring back at the great cathedral.
Sophie, Nicholas said calmly, without turning around, help your brother to
his feet. We need to get out of here right now. Before it s too late.
His calm, reasoned tone frightened her more than if he had shouted. Catching
her brother under both arms, ignoring the rattling snap of their auras, she
hauled him upright and turned around. Facing them were three squat mismatched
monsters.
I think it s already too late, she said.
Over the centuries, Dr. John Dee had learned how to animate Golems and had
also managed to create and control simulacra and homunculi. One of the
earliest skills Machiavelli had mastered was the ability to control a tulpa.
The process was surprisingly similar; all that really differed were the
materials.
They could both bring the inanimate to life.
Now the Magician and the Italian stood side by side on the roof of Notre Dame
and focused their wills.
And one by one, the gargoyles and grotesques of Notre Dame came to creaking
life.
The gargoyles the water spouts moved first.
Singly and in pairs, then in dozens and suddenly in hundreds, they broke free
of the cathedral walls. Crawling out from the hidden places the unseen eaves,
the forgotten gutters stone dragons and serpents, goats and monkeys, cats,
dogs and monsters slithered down the front of the building.
Then the grotesques the hideous carved statues came to lumbering life. Lions,
tigers, apes and bears tore themselves free from the medieval stonework and
clambered down the building.
This is really very, very bad, Saint-Germain muttered.
A crudely carved lion dropped to the ground directly in front of the
cathedral door and padded forward, stone claws clicking and sliding on the
smooth cobbles.
Saint-Germain threw out his hand and the lion was engulfed in a ball of
fire which had no effect on it, other than to burn off centuries of dirt and
bird droppings. The lion kept coming. Saint-Germain tried different types of
fire darts and sheets of flame, fire balls and whips but to no avail.
More and more of the gargoyles dropped to the ground. A few shattered on
impact, but most survived. They spread out, filling the square, and then they
started to close in, tightening the noose. Some of the creatures were
intricately and beautifully carved; others had been weathered to little more
than anonymous lumps. The bigger gargoyles lumbered slowly while the smaller
grotesques darted about. But they all moved in absolute silence, save for the
grinding scrape of stone on stone.
A creature that was half man, half goat shuffled out of the approaching
crowd, dropped to all fours and trotted forward, wickedly curved stone horns
slashing at Saint-Germain. Joan jumped forward and chopped at the creature,
her sword striking sparks off its neck. The blow didn't even slow it down.
Saint-Germain managed to throw himself to one side at the last minute, then
made the mistake of slapping the beast on the rump as it went past. His hand
stung. The goat-man tried to stop on the cobbles and slipped, crashing to the
ground and cracking off one of his horns.
Nicholas drew Clarent and spun around, holding the sword in both hands,
wondering which creature would attack first. A bear with the head of a woman
lumbered forward, claws extended. Nicholas jabbed with Clarent, but the sword
screamed harmlessly off the creature s stone hide. He quickly cut at the
beast with the edge of the sword, but the vibration numbed his entire arm,
almost knocking the sword from his grip. The bear swiped a massive paw that
whispered over the Alchemyst s head. It teetered off balance, and Nicholas
rushed forward to throw his weight against it. The bear crashed to the
ground. Its claws beat against the cobblestones, shattering them to dust as
it attempted to regain its feet.
Standing before her brother, desperately trying to shield him, Sophie loosed
a series of small whirlwinds. They bounced harmlessly off most of the stones
and did nothing more than send a newspaper spiraling high into the sky.
Nicholas, Saint-Germain said desperately as the circle of stone creatures
drew even closer. A little magic, some alchemy, would be good now.
Nicholas held out his right hand. A tiny sphere of green glass formed in it.
Then it cracked and the liquid contents flowed back into his skin. I m not
strong enough, the Alchemyst answered sadly. The transmutation spell in the
catacombs exhausted me.
The gargoyles shuffled closer, stone grinding, cracking with every step.
Small grotesques were pulverized to dust if they were caught under the bigger
creatures feet.
They ll just roll right over us, Saint-Germain muttered.
Dee must be controlling them, Josh mumbled. He slumped against his sister,
hands pressed against his ears. Every grinding footstep, every crack of
stone, was agony to his Awakened hearing.
There s too many here for just one man, Joan said. It has to be Dee
Machiavelli.
But they must be close by, Nicholas said.
Very close, Joan agreed.
A commander always takes the high ground, Josh said suddenly, surprising
himself with the knowledge.
Which means they re on the roof of the cathedral, Flamel concluded.
Then Joan pointed. I see them. There, between the towers, directly above the
center of the West Rose Window. She tossed her sword to her husband, and
then her aura flowed silver around her body and the air filled with the scent
of lavender. Her aura hardened, taking on shape and substance, and suddenly a
longbow grew out of her left hand while a shining arrow appeared in her
right. Drawing back her right arm, she sighted and loosed the arrow, sending
it arcing high into the air.
They ve spotted us, Machiavelli said. Huge beads of sweat rolled down his
face, and his lips were blue with the effort of controlling the stone
creatures.
It is no matter, Dee said, peering over the edge. They are powerless. In
