was their prophecy. And they were right. Salamanda knew it too. I suppose it was written in the diary…”
“Where is the diary?” Richard asked.
“Salamanda had it. Now that he’s dead, perhaps we’ll never find it.”
“Were the Incas really right?” Professor Chambers asked.
Matt nodded. “I thought Pedro and I could stop the gate from opening but now I see that some things can’t be changed. They’ll always happen the way they were supposed to.”
He drew a breath.
“We won the first time, in England,” he said. “We managed to close Raven’s Gate. But this time we lost.”
“No…” Richard began.
“Yes. I’m sorry but it’s the truth. I saw the Old Ones, and although I tried to fight them, even with Pedro helping me I didn’t have enough strength. We have to face the fact that the Old Ones are here, in the world…”
“Then where are they?” Richard couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He didn’t want to believe it. “It’s been a week now. But the world is still the same. Nothing has happened. You must have beaten them!”
“I wounded them. Maybe they’re resting, waiting until they regain their strength. But I can feel them, Richard. There’s a coldness in the air. They’re already spreading out, making their plans. They’re everywhere. And soon it will begin…”
“Well, that’s great!” Richard couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. “So why did we come here? What’s this all been about?”
“We had to come here, Richard. It’s all so difficult but I think I’m beginning to understand things a bit now.”
Matt paused, then continued. “There are five of us. Four boys and a girl. We’re all the same age and we’ve all been born for the same reason. Somehow, we have to find each other. Once there are five of us together, that’s when the real fight will begin.”
“But where are the others?” Richard asked. “They could be anywhere in the world.”
“Pedro is the second of them,” Matt said. “That’s why I had to come to Peru. To find him. And I’ve seen the others – but only when I’ve been asleep. We have dreams which help us. They’re not like ordinary dreams. They’re part of how it all works. And it’s not going to be as hard as you think. Pedro and I came together even though we had completely different lives, thousands of miles apart. I think the others are already looking for us. It’s just a matter of time…”
“But the Old Ones are already here,” Professor Chambers said. “How much time do we have?”
Matt didn’t answer.
A cloud passed in front of the sun and a shadow fell across the garden. And elsewhere, all around the world, the shadows were stretching out too.
Evil star had risen.
The darkness was drawing in.
