Seven Ancient Wonders Read Free Page B

assembled group behind him: ‘Okay,folks, listen up. Everyone is to follow me closely. If our friend Imhotep V follows his usual modus operandi, as soon as I step on the first stepping-stone, things are gonna get frantic. Stay close because we won’t have much time.’
    West turned and contemplated the placid pool of algae-covered water. He bit his lip for a second. Then he took a deep breath.
    Then
he jumped out into the chamber
, out over the surface of the pool, angling his leap way out to the left.
    It was a long jump—he couldn’t have just
stepped
that far.
    Watching, Wizard gasped.
    But rather than plunging into the deadly water, West landed lightly on the surface of the flat green pool—looking like he was walking on water.
    His thick-soled boots stood an inch deep. He was standing on some kind of stepping-stone hidden underneath the algae-covered surface.
    Wizard exhaled the breath he’d been holding.
    Less obviously, West did, too.
    But their relief was shortlived, for at that moment the trap mechanism of the water chamber came loudly and spectacularly to life.

     
     
    The ceiling started lowering!
    The
entire
ceiling of the chamber—a single great block of stone—began rumbling downwards, descending toward the flat green pool!
    The intention was clear: in about 20 seconds it would reach the waterline and block all access to the three low rectangular holes at the far end of the room.
    Which left only one option: leap across the concealed stepping-stones and get to the correct rectangular hole before the lowering ceiling hit the waterline.
    ‘Everyone! Move! Follow me step for step!’ West called.
    And so, with the ceiling lowering loudly above him, he danced across the chamber with big all-or-nothing jumps, kicking up splashes with every landing. If he misjudged even one stepping-stone, he’d land in the water and it’d be game over.
    His path was dictated by the grid-reference Wizard had given him: 1-3-4-1-3, on a five-by-five grid. It looked like this:

    West came to the far wall of the chamber, while his team crossed it behind him. The wide ceiling of the water chamber kept lowering above them all.
    He eyed the three rectangular holes cut into the end-wall. He’d seen these kinds of holes before: they were spike-holes.
    But only one hole was safe, it led to the next level of the labyrinth. The other two would be fitted with sharp spikes that lanced down from the upper sides of the rectangular holes as soon as someone entered them.
    Each of the spike-holes before him had a symbol carved above it:

    Pick the right hole. While the ceiling lowered behind him, about to push his team into the water.
    ‘No pressure, Jack,’ he said to himself. ‘Okay. Key of life, key of life . . .’
    He saw the symbol above the left-hand hole:

    Close, but no
. It was the hieroglyph for magic. Imhotep V was trying to confuse the flustered, panicking explorer who found himself in this pressure-filled situation and didn’t look closely enough.
    ‘How’s it coming, Jack?’ Big Ears and the girl appeared beside him, joining him on the last stepping-stone.
    The ceiling was low now, past halfway and still descending. There was no going back now. He had to pick the right hole.
    ‘West . . .’ someone urged from behind him.
    Keeping his cool, West saw the symbol above the centre hole . . .

    . . . and recognised it as the hieroglyph for
ankh,
or long life, otherwise known to the ancient Egyptians as ‘the key of life’.
    ‘It’s this one!’ he called.
    But there was only one way to prove it.
    He pulled his falcon from his pouch and handed it to the little girl. ‘Hey, kiddo. Take care of Horus for me, just in case I’m wrong.’
    Then he turned and crouch-dived forward, rolling
into
the centre hole, shutting his eyes momentarily, waiting for a half-dozen rusty spikes to spring down from its upper side and punch through his body—
    —nothing happened.
    He’d picked the right hole. Indeed, a tight