Area 51: The Sphinx-4 Read Free Page B

laughed, but it was not a pleasant sound. "The black box along the other Road of Rostau would destroy the Highland of Aker. That says that if one does not know what to do with what is inside the Hall within a certain amount of time, the entire world will be destroyed."
    Burton had no idea what the other man was talking about. "Let us go down."
    Burton moved toward the stairs, but Kaji grabbed his arm, stopping him.
    "I promised to show you the Hall. No one can enter."
    "Where are the Records?"
    "The Records should be inside," Kaji said. "But a key is needed to get into the Black Sphinx."
    "Where is this key?" Burton demanded.
    "That information I do not have. There are several keys from the ancients, and each is important in its own right. When the key is brought here, then the bearer will be allowed to enter the Hall. The bearer must know where to take what they will find, or else darkness will descend. Until then, no one can enter." Kaji turned toward the tunnel they had come out of. "We must go back."
    "I want—" Burton paused He saw something in .the other's eyes. A look he had seen before in combat. A battle lust. It startled him; as far as he knew, he had done nothing to provoke such a reaction in the other man.
    "We must go back," Kaji repeated.
    Burton nodded. "All right." He would have to come back here with a fully funded expedition. He had to know what was in the Hall. He would have to find the key Kaji spoke of.

    -18-

    Kaji headed back up the tunnel, into the darkness. Burton looked back at the massive Black Sphinx crouched on the floor of the cavern guarding its secret and the statue of the Guardian of Horus between the paws. He walked forward, still looking over his shoulder, into the darkness. The last he saw were the red eyes of the Sphinx, glowing, before the black took him.
    He was back in the tunnel.
    "Quickly," Kaji urged. "We must be out of the Great Pyramid before dawn."
    Burton hurried to. follow, his mind swirling with what secrets might be hidden inside that massive statue he had just seen. The Black Sphinx itself Was a magnificent find, one that would place his name among the ranks of other legendary explorers.
    They slipped through a doorway. Up a runnel. Through another doorway that appeared out of the solid rock as Kaji placed his hand along the wall. Along a runnel. Another hand placed, another doorway as a block appeared and slid up.
    Kaji gestured with his free hand. "Go, go."
    Burton paused. This was not the way they had come. "You go first."
    Kaji grimaced, then stepped into the opening waving. "Come. Quickly! It will close soon."
    Burton dashed past the other man. He heard the stone move and grabbed the Arab, who was jumping the other way. They tumbled down in a heap, Kaji struggling to get away.
    The stone slammed shut with a reverberating thud.

    Kaji's scream followed that noise. An undulating exclamation of pain and shock that died into a whimper.
    Burton rolled onto his knees, lantern held in front, like an animal in a trap, Kaji lay on his side, his left hand caught under the door-stone. He was alive only because the stone was so smoothly cut and heavy, it had

    -19-

    briefly sealed the arteries that flowed to the hand at the point of impact. But even as he crawled closer, Burton could see blood bursting out of the blocked veins at the wrist where it disappeared under the stone. The flesh and bone on the appendage had to be smashed flat by the immense weight. Kaji moaned in pain, staring at his arm in shock.
    "Easy, old man, easy," Burton said as he pulled off the belt that held his robe around the waist. He tied the leather band on Kaji's upper arm to act as a tourniquet. He removed a dagger from the man's waist, slid the handle through the knot, and twisted it, tightening the belt. Once he was sure he had the flow of blood stopped, Burton looped an end of the knot over the dagger's handle to keep it in place.
    "How do I open the stone?" Burton demanded, placing his hands on either