‘Jellyfish,’ Jake sighed to himself. ‘Of course there are.’ He followed the path up and down steps, across more pools – until he came to a dead end. He thumped the wall in anger.
‘Topaz?’
‘I think you’re closer now,’ her reply came.
Jake swung round. It seemed like she was directly beneath him. ‘Say something again . . .’
‘If I’d known there was going to be swimming, I would have packed my bathing suit,’ she joked through her terror.
To one side, a pool led under the wall, with just a few inches of space above it. Her voice was carrying through this slither of air from the other side. There was nothing for it: Jake tested the water with the thigh-bone and, finding no piranhas or other predators, took a deep breath and slipped in.
He found that he could touch the bottom with his toes while keeping his mouth just above the water level. He waded forward into the darkness, heading for a sliver of light at the far end. He was halfway along when the surface rippled and something gently skimmed his waist. He froze, gripping the thigh-bone tightly. Whatever it was, it was thick and long. Jake edged forward a little, and this time it slid between his legs and curled round the back of his knee. This was no eel, snapping aimlessly; this was a sea snake, a python.
‘Jake? Are you still there?’ Topaz’s voice sounded urgent.
He dared not answer, or even move. The snake coiled round, gently breaking the surface, then retreated. Jake knew that snakes were more frightened of people than the other way round (except, of course, for Prince Zeldt’s black mambas), so he decided to carry on.
He was a yard from the light at the end of the pool when there was another disturbance. This time, the snake encircled his chest and back, tightening its grip. The effect was dreadful, instantaneous: the air was pushed out of Jake’s lungs. He tried to thump the creature with the femur, but it had no effect. Its neck was against his ribcage, and he dropped his makeshift weapon, grabbed the snake in both hands and squeezed. It simply coiled tighter, its grip like a vice, making the blood thump in his head.
Jake tried in vain to take a breath. Then a fragment of memory came back to him: Constrictors do not have poisonous fangs – you can open their jaws and break them. Jake slid his hands along the scaly head, felt for the mouth and tried to prise it open. At first it didn’t budge, but desperation made him strong. He edged it apart, slipping his fingers between the jaws. Now it fought back, trying to close its mouth while thrashing to and fro with the end of its tail. Jake kept up the pressure, opening the jaw wider and wider, but the python continued to crush him.
He swore and yanked harder still; he heard the jaw bones snap, and suddenly the beast’s grip loosened and it dropped away, dead. He reached down and retrieved the thigh-bone, then pulled himself out of the pool, his hands shaking from the ordeal. He found himself at the far end of the passageway that had been blocked by the piranhas.
‘I’m coming,’ he panted to Topaz. ‘Where are you?’
‘Here.’
Jake stopped and turned round. In the wall behind him was a rectangular hole, and he looked through it. Below him was a square well, just three yards wide, but extending deep into the ground. At the bottom, huddled in a corner in the semi-darkness, Topaz was standing shoulder-deep in water.
‘How did you get down there?’ Jake asked, trying to make light of things.
‘Just thought I’d drop in . . .’ She indicated a chute that curved up into darkness – all the way to Xi’s war room. Then, suddenly, she exclaimed: ‘They’re coming back.’ Two little umbrellas of ghostly light drifted towards her, trailing ragged tentacles. ‘Cubozoa. Box jellyfish,’ she said. ‘They can kill you with one sting. You have to find some way to pull me out. Probably a stupid question, but have you come across any rope in your travels?’
Jake turned round, edged himself through the hole and dropped down into the water.
‘What are you doing?’ Topaz cried.
‘Helping you.’ She shook her head, on the verge of tears. ‘I’ll give you a hand up. If I can get you on my shoulders, you can reach the opening.’
‘But how will you get out?’
‘It won’t be a problem. Besides, we don’t want to stay in here too long,’ Jake jested, masking his profound terror. ‘As Nathan would be the first to point out, too much water’s bad for the skin.’
‘Jake, careful!’ Tendrils from one of the jellyfish were sidling back towards them.
‘I have weapons . . .’ Jake held up the two bones. ‘Can we kill them with these?’
‘I don’t know. Hitting them might make things worse. Best to lift them out of the water until they suffocate – or maybe you could pass them through that hole there.’
Jake turned to see the tiny aperture in the rock, level with his head. ‘You’re a genius, Miss St Honoré,’ he said. Using the longer bone, he pushed the nearest jellyfish away. Then, staying clear of the long tentacles, he slipped the end of the femur under its body and raised it up. Its body was no larger than an orange, and he suddenly noticed its eyes. ‘Can they see?’
‘They’re the only ones of their species that have true eyes.’
Carefully he squeezed the fish through the opening. It dropped down, and there was a splash on the other side. He did the same with its mate, then turned back to Topaz. ‘Alone at last,’ he said with a smile.
Topaz’s lip was trembling. She shook her head before speaking. ‘Why do you always save me?’
‘What?’
‘Time after time, you come and save me. After everything I’ve done.’
‘You mean . . . our argument? I wondered when you’d mention that. I shouldn’t have said what I did—’
‘No! Il faut que tu ne me parles plus! You should never speak to me again. I’m sorry, Jake, so sorry.’ She wiped her eyes and nose. ‘And with Yoyo too. I’ve been a monster to her . . .’
‘Well, Yoyo can give as good as she gets—’
‘J’étais envieux. I was jealous. So jealous. She was getting all your attention.’
‘Jealous of Yoyo?’
‘You said before that you weren’t a he-man like Lucius . . . Jake, you are braver than any person I have met. And I . . .’ She shook her head. ‘And I – it’s not much good me telling you here, in this dungeon below the ocean, where we’ll probably die – mais tu sais que je t’adore, Jake.’
There was silence. He blinked. I adore you, Jake. That’s what Topaz had just said. They both stood there, not moving, each in one corner of the well.
There came a hollow click from above, followed by the sound of grinding stone. Jake and Topaz looked up. The ceiling of the well was slowly heading towards them. As it came down, it began to block the doorway at the top.
‘We have to get out of here, now!’ Jake exclaimed. He waded over to Topaz. ‘Climb on my shoulders.’
‘Jake, this won’t work.’
‘Do it! Quickly!’
He gave her a leg up and she jumped and twisted onto his shoulders. Then, steadying herself against the wall, she got to her feet.
‘Careful,’ he said, gently hoisting her.
Topaz felt her way up the wall until she found the edge of the opening. From here, she could pull herself out – though the ceiling had already half blocked their escape.
‘What are you waiting for?’ Jake thundered. ‘Go!’
‘How will you get out?’
‘You can lift me – reach down and pull me up.’
Topaz shook her head. She knew it was impossible.
‘Go!’ Jake shouted. ‘It’s an order.’
Topaz let go of the ledge and jumped back into the water. ‘I’m in command, remember?’
‘I’m not going to tell you again. Climb back up and get out of here!’
‘Non, Jake Djones! Jamais. I’m staying. We find another way out . . . or we die together.’
The ceiling edged its way down. Soon, there was only a sliver of a gap left; then it was gone. They were locked in a box
. A stone box at the bottom of the sea. They would drown, suffocate or be crushed to death – it was hard to know which would come first.
‘Give me one of those bones,’ Topaz said. Jake handed over the largest, and she started bashing away at the hole through which Jake had thrown the jellyfish. He started to help her, and the edges crumbled a little, but the wall was a foot thick.
The roof continued to descend, inching its way towards them. They were out of time . . .
Then Jake had a flash of inspiration. He took hold of the bones and wedged them in the opening. As the ceiling came down towards them, it stopped. The mechanism whirred as it tried to push on, and the bones creaked under the strain.
Jake and Topaz looked at each other. They had bought some time, but they were still trapped. Jake suddenly thought of the memorial stone in the shadow of the willow tree on the Mont St Michel – the black marble statue of the hourglass. He saw his name freshly carved on it, next to Topaz’s. He saw mourners standing before it, his parents and Aunt Rose at the front, tears streaming.
‘Do you remember when we first met?’ he asked Topaz. ‘Underneath the Monument, on the day of the storm. I’d never seen weather like it in London. It was a hurricane. You came from the British Museum and started telling me about Tutankhamun, talking like you’d known me all my life . . .’ He took a deep breath. ‘But actually, that moment was the start of my life. I would rather die here with you now than live until I was ninety and never have met you.’
There was a splintering sound as the femur shattered. The ceiling shunted down, and snapped the arm-bone in two; the slab of stone came nearer.
Jake and Topaz held onto each other. Soon the gap was so small, they had to angle their heads back to breathe. Then their chins were below the waterline. There was just an inch left, enough space for their noses and mouths – when the ceiling suddenly stopped. For a moment they took long, trembling breaths.
Miraculously, the slab of stone began to rise, and they watched in amazement as the opening appeared again. A pair of sturdy boots was standing in it. They belonged to a tall, slim figure in shining battle armour – man or woman, it was impossible to tell – armed with two rapiers and a length of rope and holding a helmet. The fingers were slim and elegant. Long grey hair came into view, swept across one shoulder.
Then the face . . .
‘C-Commander Goethe,’ Jake stammered.
Galliana smiled down at them. ‘All in one piece?’ she asked, and threw down the rope.
Jake and Topaz looked at each other, unable to stop smiling. It felt like a dream. ‘You first, this time,’ Topaz said.
Jake took hold of the end, and climbed up the wall. ‘Good evening, Commander,’ he said, once they were face to face. ‘Well timed.’ Even now, having been saved from certain death, Jake was still a little shy of her. The commander tossed back the rope for Topaz and they pulled her up together.
‘Here . . .’ Galliana took out a flask and passed it over. They drank greedily. Fresh water.
‘How did you get here?’ Topaz asked. It was extraordinary to see the commander away from Point Zero, let alone here, in China, in an undersea palace.
‘Answers later,’ Galliana replied. ‘First, a question: is Xi planning to attack the imperial Chinese navy? It set off from Macao early this morning, a fleet of at least forty vessels.’
‘Yes,’ Jake replied. ‘They mean to target the emperor’s flagship. They’ve got a submarine in the form of a giant squid.’
‘Then we need to leave; time is against us!’ Galliana turned and headed off along the tunnel, Jake and Topaz following behind. She navigated her way confidently through the maze – up steps, down passages, through holes and half-hidden entrances, never once needing to cross one of the diabolical pools.
‘In answer to your question,’ she called over her shoulder, ‘you remember that Xi Xiang once worked for the secret service? He was my lieutenant before Jupitus. We once discovered a map together, in a secret vault in Peking’s Forbidden City – of Qin Shi Huang’s underwater palace.’ She patted a roll of parchment in her belt. ‘He kept it, but I made a copy first. Of course, at the time, we had no idea where it was. Well, I found out yesterday, and came immediately. Every chamber and passageway is marked. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to travel back two hundred years.’ She smiled at them. ‘It feels good.’
At length she came to a corner and stopped, getting her bearings. She passed her hand over the wall and, finding a ridge, gave it a sharp nudge. A hidden doorway opened, and she ushered Jake and Topaz through.
They looked up and saw that they were at the base of a giant shaft, around which a staircase rose, part stone, part patched up with decaying timber.
‘This is the fire exit, so to speak,’ Galliana explained. ‘Some of it is rotten, so I advise you to stick closely to the sides.’ She led the way upwards, round and round. At one point, Jake looked down and felt his head spin, but Topaz slipped her hand into his and they carried on.
Finally they felt a fresh breeze and heard the soft hiss of the ocean. Moonlight shone through a hole above them. They emerged into a rocky crater. Galliana guided them over the edge, and suddenly they saw the sea, a sheet of dark silver below. They were on the other side of Xi’s island. A small ship bobbed just off shore, a Chinese dhow with green sails, and Jake recognized her from the harbour at Point Zero. Her name was inscribed in green letters on the prow: the Lantern.
‘I picked up some friends on the way,’ Galliana told them. ‘And some weapons.’
Then a familiar voice drawled, ‘I knew they’d be safe. In my experience, fortune-tellers are not to be trusted.’ It was Nathan, now dressed in Chinese clothes, with Yoyo at his side. They came over and all four youngsters wrapped their arms around each other.
‘Better already?’ Jake asked, hardly believing his eyes.
‘I woke up, suddenly feeling like my old self again. A little shaky, of course, but that doctor is a miracle worker – and very generous with it. Look how he kitted me out. Taste-wise, he is not lacking.’ He showed off his new outfit, an embroidered silk tunic, belted at the waist, baggy trousers, boots and a conical rice hat.
‘Great silhouette!’ Jake agreed, knowing that his friend had been desperate to dress up since first arriving in Canton. Jake’s eyes found Yoyo’s. She looked bashful. The last time he had seen her, she had declared passionately: I’ll miss you so much! ‘It’s good to see you again, Yoyo,’ he found himself saying, rather formally. ‘I hope Nathan wasn’t too much trouble.’
Galliana interrupted, saving him further embarrassment. ‘The plan is this,’ she said, pointing at the ship. ‘The four of you are to take the Lantern and head northeast until you intercept the imperial fleet. You must find the captain and warn him of the danger. They must turn back; failing that, they must prepare their cannons for an attack – all their cannons. Is that understood?’
They looked at each other, hesitant. ‘Commander, with all due respect,’ Nathan began, ‘if we try to intercept the imperial fleet, aren’t they likely to just blow us out of the water?’
‘Well then,’ Galliana said brusquely, ‘you will have to use your heads. You are History Keepers, remember? Who has the Lazuli Serpent?’
‘I do.’ Yoyo took it out of her pocket and held it up.
‘You may need it as a bargaining tool: they will recognize the stone. So, take your stations, everybody – immediately!’ She clapped her hands to emphasize her point.
Nathan led the way, wading through the water and climbing the ladder up onto the deck of the Lantern.
Jake hung back, confused. ‘Commander, are you to remain here?’
She looked at him, and there was a light in her eye that he hadn’t seen before. ‘I plan to return once more’ – she pointed back to the staircase – ‘to do what I should have done many years ago: kill Xi Xiang.’ A whole arsenal of weapons was set out beside her, including the golden bazooka from the Thunder. Piece by piece, she slung them over her s
houlder or fitted them to her belt.
Jake looked round at the Lantern, then back to Galliana. ‘Please, Commander, let me come with you?’
She shook her head firmly. ‘You have all suffered enough. Xi Xiang is my business now.’
‘But there is a chance that Philip—’
‘I know, I know,’ she replied in a softer tone. ‘And if he is there, alive, I will free him. Now go and join your friends; your mission is with them.’
‘But, Commander—’
She put her finger to his mouth. ‘Jake, I will not let any of you back into this infernal place. It is my order and it is final.’
He turned reluctantly, splashed through the water and climbed aboard the Lantern. Topaz helped him up as Yoyo and Nathan raised the anchor, then took the helm and started the engine.
Jake watched Galliana, laden with firearms, disappear into the shaft that led down into the island. Topaz stood by his side and reached for his hand. Suddenly he turned and kissed her. ‘Forgive me,’ was all he said as he jumped up onto the rail and dived into the sea.
He swam back to the shore, ignoring the shouts as he leaped across the rocks and disappeared down the staircase in pursuit of the commander. On the deck of the Lantern his friends looked at each other in shock and amazement.
‘Jake Djones’ – Nathan cheered – ‘you’re my shining example, my hero, you put us all in the shade!’
Jake tore down the steps until he caught up with Galliana. She had stopped to wait for him, her expression stern.
‘I didn’t think there was much chance of you leaving me,’ she announced coolly. She passed him an arrow gun, slightly bulkier than Topaz’s, as well as a rapier and a dagger. She had a similar stock of arms, along with a belt of knives. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Can I take my brother’s bazooka?’
Galliana unslung it from her shoulder and handed it over. Jake had forgotten how heavy it was: the weight of a small canon. He strapped it across his back.
They both headed back down the staircase towards the palace. The oppressive smell of dampness wafted up into Jake’s nostrils, and he shivered.
History Keepers: Nightship to China Page 21
