gled loosely in her hand inches from Indy's head. She didn't move; her features were frozen in the instant of surprise.
With a quick, deft move, Shannon snapped the revolver from her grip, and Conrad picked up the rifle.
Dorian didn't react. Her expression changed to a ghastly stare, then she collapsed, still clinging to the black stone.
'What happened?' Shannon asked.
'I don't know,' Indy said, still confused by his experi ence in the tunnel. 'Let's get her to the workshop.'
'I'll put the stone in the knapsack,' Shannon said. He tried to loosen it from Dorian's grip, but she writhed, grimaced, and screamed.
'Just let her carry it,' Conrad said.
Shannon lifted her by the elbows and Indy grabbed her feet. But she kicked and twisted and moaned, and the going was slow. As they left the temple and headed toward the path leading to the workshop, Indy abruptly stopped.
'Wait a minute. I don't think the workshop is a good idea. She's too hard to carry, and we don't have all day. Besides, I ran into some soldiers earlier.' He quickly told them about his encounter. 'As soon as someone finds them, we're going to have company.'
'You're right,' Conrad said. 'We've got to get out of here. Maybe we should just leave her.'
Indy shook his head. 'Let's take her to the hut, then figure out what to do.'
They no sooner had made up their minds when a rider on a galloping horse charged into the ruins.
'Hurry,' Indy hissed.
They hustled Dorian into the hut, and lowered her to the ground. Indy instantly dropped to his hands and knees and looked out the charred hole in the rear. 'Take this,' Shannon said, and handed him Dorian's revolver.
Indy could see legs. Someone was running toward the hut. 'Indy, where are you?'
'Oh, God. It's just Nikos,' Indy said, relieved, then yelled to Nikos.
'I got your message. What happened?' the boy said, gasping for breath as he stepped into the hut.
'Plenty, ' Indy said.
Nikos gaped at the sight of Dorian, who was still twisting about and grimacing. 'Pythia!'
'I don't know who she is, Nikos,' Indy said. 'But Panos and Grigoris are dead.' He told him what happened at the crevice.
'What are you going to do? If Colonel Mandraki is still alive he will come for her and all of you.'
'We've got to get out of here, and fast,' Conrad said.
'You're right about that,' Shannon put in. 'I'm starting to really miss Paris.'
'Nikos, what are the chances of you getting us a car riage?' Indy asked.
'A carriage? How about an auto?'
'You got one?'
'Colonel Mandraki does. He left the key at the desk of the hotel. I can get it, and I can drive it, too. I know how.'
'I don't know about stealing his car,' Indy said warily.
'Why not?' Shannon said. 'If we have it, he won't.'
'But Mandraki will know what to look for.'
'So what?' Shannon responded. 'We'll get to Athens, ditch the car, and get out of the country as fast as possible. Besides, he was shot, remember. He's not going to be in any shape to go anywhere.'
Conrad nodded toward Dorian, who now looked as if she was asleep. 'What about her?'
'Leave her,' Shannon said. 'Let Mandraki take care of her. She deserved whatever she gets.'
Indy thought a moment. 'Nikos, can you drive the car here without letting anyone see you?'
'Everyone will see me,' he said proudly. 'They will see I can drive.'
Indy nodded. 'That's what I thought.' He turned to Conrad. 'Listen, why don't Jack and I go get the uniforms off those soldiers I tied up. We'll ride horses into the village and then take the car. You stay with Dorian, and we'll pick you up.'
'Everyone in the village knows you by sight,' Conrad protested. 'You won't make a very believable soldier. Let's do it this way. You stay here. Jack and I will get the car.'
'Good idea,' Shannon said. 'Besides, I'm starting to think you attract trouble, Indy.'
'Okay. Okay.'
'I'll get the car ready,' Nikos said, and hurried out the door.
Conrad picked up the rifle from where he'd set it against the wall, and Indy returned the revolver to Shannon. Just then, Dorian moaned loudly. She rolled over, letting the Omphalos slip to the ground. She sat up and rubbed her face.
'You going to be all right with her?' Conrad asked.
'I'll be fine.' As they left, Indy knelt down beside Dorian and slipped the Omphalos inside the knapsack.
She watched him closely, but remained silent.
'What happened?' he asked.
She opened her mouth, but didn't speak right away. 'I thought I was dead.'
'Why?'
'I was being suffocated, squeezed to death by a giant snake. A python. It was wrapped around me. It was horrible. I could smell its cold, acrid breath.'
She hugged herself and shivered. Her black hair fell over one side of her face. She sat like a child, with one leg tucked under her, the other stretched out. 'It seemed so real.' She seemed neither professor nor killer. She was helpless, confused. He didn't want to feel sorry for her, but he did.
'Why did you fake the trances, Dorian?'
'Don't you understand, Indy? Don't you realize the power of Pythia?'
'Wait a minute. You said there was no Pythia, you were faking.'
'I didn't say there was no Pythia. Just ask the king. He saw, and I'm sure he believes.'
'And now that Panos is dead, your priest is gone.'
She leaned forward and that transfixing smile held his gaze again, drew him closer. 'Panos was not meant to be my priest. He was not the right one. It is you, Indy. You will be my priest. . . and lover.'
Indy forced himself to move back from her. 'No. I don't think so.'
'Do you think I cannot be Pythia, that nobody will believe? You know yourself that the readings were almost always ambiguous, interpreted one way if a certain thing happened, and another if something else happened. It's a
technique. I'll teach it to you. We'll invent our own way of communicating with gestures and key words.'
She reached for his hand. 'Think of it, we'll be two of the most powerful and well-known people in the world. Do you realize that?'
Indy pulled his hand back and stood up. 'Sure.'
She stood, and moved close to him. 'Don't you want me, Indy? I'll be yours. It'll be worth it, I promise.
Think about it.'
He could smell her musky scent, and felt the pull of her eyes again. He took another step back. 'Even if I was interested, there's the big matter of trust here, Dorian. You brought me here with the intention of using me as your fall guy in your crazy plot to kill the king. And you've got a history.'
'No, that plot was not my doing. That was Alex's game. Same with Richard Farnsworth. He killed him; I didn't.'
Indy's hands tightened into fists. His cheeks flamed with anger. 'But you were part of his game. You didn't stop it.'
'I couldn't. He forced me. Anyhow, you know that I went against him. I shot him, for God's sake. He should be dead. What more can I do to show you my intentions?'
'You killed Farnsworth's brother. He was on that train to Brindisi. You stabbed him with a pick from your tool kit, then you threw him off the back of the train while I was eating ice cream.'
'No. That's not what happened. He tried to kill me. I was only defending myself.'
