“Don’t remind me,” Cleon grumbled.
“You bet against us?” Chris exclaimed.
“Nothing personal,” Cleon said as his feet reached the ground. “I figured that racer plus tank equaled domination.”
“Don’t bet against the delinquents,” Katie said. “Nate and especially Lindy earned their stamps through suspicious means. The kind of person who beats the system once is likely to do so again. I have my eyes on them.”
Nate didn’t miss the message—Katie was there to ensure that Nate and Lindy would perform as expected. When he tried to make his move, she would be there to stop him.
“What now?” Risa asked.
“You’ll see,” Katie promised. “This way.”
They followed her down a passage away from the base of the shaft. The passage opened into a cavernous room, lit by glowing crystals in the walls and ceiling. A colossal stone gate dominated most of one wall.
“It looks exactly like the Gate,” Lindy realized. “The one we took from the Hermit.”
“The Gate is a simulacrum,” Katie said. “As is the Protector. No doubt the Gate will open the way once placed on the pedestal. How the Protector will be employed remains to be seen.”
A pedestal composed of white stone flecked with gold
projected up from the floor in the center of the room. The Gate and the Protector rested on the ground near the base of the pedestal.
“We use the little gate to open the big one?” Chris verified.
“Presumably,” Katie said. “Sadly, we don’t know what to expect once the gate opens. Mr. White suspects we will face some stiff opposition. Enough that it could spell the end for all of us.”
“Unacceptable,” Cleon said. “My team’s playing tonight. I have a date with my TV.”
Jeanine elbowed him.
“I brought some weapons,” Katie announced. She motioned toward a large canvas bag. “Take what you want.”
Risa made it to the bag first and pulled open the mouth. “Lots of baseball bats.”
“Bats, hammers, shields, a few axes,” Katie recited. “Mr. White suspects we’ll want blunt instruments.”
“Not for smashing giant Protectors,” Nate hoped.
Katie shrugged. “We’ll know when the gate opens.”
“What about machine guns?” Chris asked. “What about a bazooka?”
Katie scowled. “Mr. White warned that an accomplished mage like Iwa Iza would have installed powerful defenses against magical attacks. Since Iwa Iza lived long before the invention of gunpowder, firearms would probably register as magical attacks and engage those formidable defenses. This place is mage-proof, and consequently gun-proof.”
“But we’re all using magic,” Risa said, confused.
“We’re magically enhanced,” Katie explained. “We’re not wielding magic ourselves. None of us are mages. We’re just employing our enhanced skills.”
“We’re using gifts bestowed by mages,” Jeanine added. “We’re originating nothing. It makes a difference.”
“Go on,” Cleon said, shooing the Jets toward the bag. “Cowboy up. Those who can fly and are bulletproof get to bear the brunt of the attacks.”
The first bat Nate tried felt too heavy. The next was made of wood and seemed about right—light enough to swing fast, but heavy enough to do some damage. He chose a small mallet as a backup weapon.
Nate edged over to Lindy, who was testing the weight of a much larger bat than he had selected. Having a tank stamp had some advantages when it came to strength, although her practice swings lacked expertise.
“You don’t see anything, do you?” Nate checked quietly.
“Not through the rock,” Lindy murmured. “Not through the gate. This place is impermeable.”
“Nice Pigeon word.”
“It means—”
“I get that it means you can’t see through it.”
“We good?” Cleon asked. “All set?” He held a baseball bat over his head with both hands, pivoting at the waist and reaching high to stretch. “Let’s see what lies behind door number one.”
Risa zipped up into the air at an amazing speed. She zoomed to different positions around the room in quick bursts, darting like a dragonfly.
“Flying in race mode is cool,” Risa crowed. “You guys seem so slow.”
“Use the ability to good advantage when the gate opens,” Katie admonished.
“Will we need the Protector when the gate opens?” Nate wondered. “Should we have it ready?”
“I’m not sure,” Katie admitted. “We’ll need it at some point up ahead.”
“I’ll watch over it,” Chris offered. “I can take some punishment.”
“Are you going to chew a Peak Performance?” Lindy asked Nate.
“I’ll wait and see what we’re dealing with,” Nate replied. “I have a limited supply.” He held up the stick of gum in his hand.
“Who wants to do the honors?” Katie asked.
“I’ll open it,” Lindy offered.
Katie gestured for her to go ahead.
Lindy flew over to the pedestal. She picked up the Gate and set it on the pedestal. The Gate took on a faint glow, as if a light source within the stone had been ignited.
Chris took up a position near the little warrior statue. Nate and Risa hovered together. Nate rubbed his stick of Peak Performance with his thumb. He tried to keep calm.
“Open it?” Lindy checked.
“Everyone ready?” Katie asked, looking around.
“I’m past ready and halfway to bored,” Cleon said, taking a practice swing with his bat.
Nobody offered opposition.
“Do it,” Katie said.
Lindy pulled open the miniature gate.
Nate braced for the Gate to start morphing into a bizarre new form. Instead, the gate merely swung open, as did the enormous gate in the wall.
Beyond the open gate, Nate could see another large chamber populated by a horde of figures of varying size. Some were the height of children, some matched up with adults, and a few were larger than man-sized. The figures wore primitive, painted masks of extensive diversity. Some masks represented animals like snakes, wolves,
bears, hawks, or seals. Other masks were grotesque caricatures of people. Still others bulged with inexplicable shapes, abstract and unsettling. None of the figures moved. They were composed of a grayish ceramic material.