bounded from the boulder with a sprightliness that belied his age and slammed his palm against the symbol; blue sparks burst from his fingertips.
At that moment the pounding of the surf died again and the mysterious sound filled the cavern, throwing them all into a state of anxiety. Church looked back towards the entrance and saw some kind of whirling movement, darker even than the shadows. He thought he was going to be sick.
His attention was snapped back by a sudden rending sound from deep within the rock wall. A crevice mysteriously grew until it was wide enough for them to slip through. They hung back for just a second while the disturbing sound from the entrance seemed to rush towards them, then they dived in without a backward glance.
Although they weren't immediately aware of it, the wall closed behind them, trapping them in a tunnel in the rock barely big enough to stand upright. Their feet kicked up sand and seashells, and the deep, salty smell of the sea was everywhere.
'This place floods with the tide,' Church noted ominously.
'How can rock open up like that?' Veitch asked.
'It didn't. It simply appeared as if it did,' Tom replied obliquely.
'What was that outside, Tom?' Church asked.
'No point talking about that now. The tide is coming in. We do not have much time.' He pushed past them and led the way along the tunnel which opened up into a cave the size of Church's now burnt-out lounge. In the wall opposite were three holes set out at intervals along a line at waist-height.
'What are we supposed to do?' Veitch asked.
Tom dropped down on his haunches to peer into the holes. 'I can see something …' A shrug. 'I would expect the objects of power wouldn't be lying around for just anyone to pick up.'
Veitch inspected the rest of the chamber, but there were no other distinguishing marks. 'So, what? We have to find the combination?'
'Something like that.'
'Good job there's not a lot riding on it,' Veitch noted bitterly.
'You know,' Church said, 'there might be a switch in one of those holes.' He tapped his fingers gently at the entrance to the middle one.
'That's not much of a security system.'
'Here,' Tom said sharply. Church and Veitch turned to where he was pointing. A trickle of frothy sea water had washed up the tunnel to the mouth of the chamber.
'The tide must sweep in quickly through the other entrance to the cave.' Church handed Tom the Wayfinder, then turned back to the holes. 'Bloody hell. We haven't got much time. What do we do?' Steeling himself, he rammed his hand into the middle hole. It went in up to the middle of his forearm and at the far end there were two loops of metal which his fingers slipped through easily. 'I think there is a switch here!'
'Well, pull the bleedin' thing then and let's get the hell out.' Veitch eyed the advancing water nervously; it was already another six inches into the chamber.
Tom and Veitch both realised something was wrong from the sudden, bloodless expression on Church's face. 'Something's closed around my wrist. I can't get my hand out.' He tugged frantically, but his arm wouldn't retract at all.
The sea water washed around their shoes, which were sinking into the sandy floor. Veitch leapt into action. He put his arms around Church's waist, braced himself with one foot against the chamber wall and heaved. Church yelled in pain. 'You'll pull my bloody hand off!' Veitch released his grip with a curse.
'Relax your muscles,' Tom ordered. 'It might be like one of those oriental finger locks-the harder you pull, the more you are held tight.'
'I don't feel in a particularly relaxed frame of mind,' Church hissed. His socks and the bottoms of his Levis were already wet. He closed his eyes and attempted to calm himself with pleasant thoughts from his past, then felt a dismal wash of emotion when he realised they all contained Marianne. But it did the trick. Yet even when he let his hand go limp, the bond around his wrist remained as tight as ever. His shoulders slumped and he shook his head desolately.
'This water's flooding in!' Veitch barked. It was up to their calves, and when he paced anxiously it splashed dark stains up the legs of his trousers.
'That's not doing any good!' Church snapped.
'Calm down,' Tom said. 'It won't do any good to panic.'
'That's easy for you to say.' Church could feel his heart beating like a triphammer, his back and shoulder muscles knotting tightly. Although he tried not to think about it, images flashed through his mind of the water flooding into his mouth and nose, filling his throat, his lungs. 'You two should get out of here while you still can,' he said as calmly as he could muster.
'Don't be stupid! We can't leave you here-you're the important one!' Veitch's face was filled with the anger of frustration.
'Just get out!' Church shouted, his eyes blazing.
'He's right,' Tom said, his voice almost lost beneath the echoes of lapping water. 'Someone has to be left to try again, or everything-'
'Shut up, you coldhearted bastard,' Veitch growled. 'You're talking bollocks.' He splashed around the cave like a trapped animal, his fists bunching, then opening. 'I told you, he's the important one. We're just a couple of losers.'
'Get out,' Church repeated, gentler now he had seen the dismay in Witch's face.
'There's got to be an answer!' Veitch exploded. 'Whoever did this wouldn't just leave it so everybody died!'
The water surged in, lapping up the walls, tugging at their legs. It appeared to be coming faster and faster. When it hit Church's waist, it seemed to flush the panic from him briefly. Suddenly, on a whim, he pushed his free hand into the left hole. There was a click and his trapped hand came free, but as he withdrew it jubilantly a bond snapped around his other wrist. He cursed loudly, waving the now-free hand to stimulate the blood supply.
'So triggering one switch frees the other one,' Tom said.
'That's a lot of use!' Church said. 'There's always got to be one hand in there.'
'But still …' Tom mused, wiping the splashes of water off his glasses.
'How can you be so calm?' Veitch bellowed at him. Tom replaced his glasses as if he hadn't heard a sound, and for a second Church thought Veitch was going to punch him.
'Take it easy, Ryan,' he said.
Church's calmness had an odd effect on Veitch. For a second his eyes ranged over Church's face, then he turned away as if he suddenly couldn't understand what was happening in the world.
The sea water continued to rush in, splashing up high, throwing them around. It had reached their chests in just a couple of minutes; desperation gripped them all. Tom held the Wayfinder up high, its light painting the water azure, but even when the tide splashed over the flame it didn't extinguish it. Church wondered if it would still be burning away beneath the water at the side of his drowned, bloated body.
Tom placed one hand on Veitch's shoulder. 'We need to leave,' he said quietly.
The water whooshed in, the current almost too much to bear. Church thought it was going to tear his hand off at the wrist. He had to fight to keep his head above the swell. Now he could feel the panic surging.
There were tears in Veitch's eyes as he looked from Tom to Church, then he ducked his face in the water. When he threw his head back, the shock of the cold had sluiced off his emotion and he seemed to have a renewed purpose.
Church took a mouthful of salty water. He choked, tried to kick upwards, sucked in a huge gulp of air.
Veitch half-swam over to the holes and paused while he looked deeply into Church's eyes. Through his panic, Church could see Veitch weighing something up. Then the Londoner moved, suddenly forcing both his hands into the remaining holes.
'No!' Church yelled, but it was too late. He felt the bond around his wrist release and his hand shot free.
Before Church could vent his anger at Veitch for his sacrifice, there came a rumble from deep within the cavern wall and gradually a dark space appeared at head height above the holes. Within it Church could see blue sparks flashing, and an aged iron sword lying on a stone shelf. At the same time, Veitch's hands came free and
