The Broken Sun

by Darrell Pitt

  ‘Is he really that good?’

  Clarice was enthralled as Jack and Scarlet described some of their adventures. The more Jack spoke to the girl, the more he liked her.

  ‘Still, this is a different environment,’ she said. ‘This isn’t England.’

  ‘No,’ Jack had to agree, glancing about at the native jungle. He wiped sweat from his face. ‘It isn’t!’

  ‘My grandfather and I have been through some tough scrapes over the years,’ Clarice said. ‘A sinking ship. Lost in the Yukon for a week. We were even held hostage by cannibals.’

  ‘Cannibals?’ Scarlet’s eyes lit up.

  ‘Don’t get her started,’ Jack implored.

  ‘We’ve been through a lot.’ Tears shone in Clarice’s eyes. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without him.’

  Scarlet squeezed her hand. ‘Mr Doyle will get to the bottom of this.’

  ‘I hope so.’ Clarice’s eyes narrowed. ‘I hate the man who did this. He deserves to pay for what he’s done.’

  Jack and Scarlet exchanged glances. Who is she talking about?

  ‘You mean whoever hurt your grandfather?’ Jack said.

  Scarlet stopped her. ‘You know who’s behind this, don’t you?’

  ‘No, not at all,’ Clarice said, but she was blushing.

  Scarlet called Mr Doyle over and he quizzed the girl. ‘You had best tell us what you know,’ he said. ‘Two heads are better than one. And four heads are better than three, but not nearly as good as… Well, you know what I mean.’

  Clarice sighed. ‘There was a man who came to visit my grandfather several months ago,’ she admitted. ‘His name was George Darrow, a Darwinist doctor. He was asking lots of questions about Atlantis and about something called the Living Machine. He became very angry when Grandfather refused to answer him, and stormed out.’

  ‘We should speak to the others about this,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘They may have something to offer.’

  He called a short break. As they sipped from their water flasks, Clarice told her tale to the group. Tobias Bradstreet shook his head, saying he had never heard of Darrow or the Living Machine, but Phoebe was nodding.

  ‘I first heard of Darrow years ago,’ she said. ‘Like many people, he wanted to know about Atlantis, but he had one specific interest—the Living Machine. It’s supposed to be an invention of the Atlanteans. Apparently it was an interface that could join the thoughts of a man with a machine.’

  ‘How could such a thing be possible?’ Bradstreet said.

  ‘It sounds unlikely, I know, but there may be something to it. I heard a rumour some years ago that a fossil had been discovered in a dig in Cairo. Half animal, half machine.’

  Charles Spaulding spoke up. ‘This is all very interesting, but I suggest we keep moving. Those people may be close behind.’ He looked around. ‘Wait a minute. We’re missing someone.’

  ‘Sandra Clegg,’ Bradstreet said.

  She was nowhere to be seen. Fanning out, they conducted a quick search.

  ‘When did anyone last see her?’ Charles Spaulding asked.

  Phoebe recalled her on the beach when they saw the airship.

  ‘I hope she’s all right,’ Scarlet said. ‘Maybe she’s lost.’

  ‘Or had an accident,’ Clarice said.

  ‘There may be quite a different explanation,’ Mr Doyle mused. ‘She may have purposefully separated from our group.’

  ‘But why?’ Bradstreet asked.

  ‘She told us this was her first journey aboard the Explorer,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘Did she have references?’

  ‘She did.’ The man thought for a moment. ‘But I didn’t need to contact her previous employers: during the interview, it became clear that she knew how to run a kitchen.’

  ‘Sandra Clegg—if that is her real name—certainly had experience,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘But she may have been planted aboard ship, like Reg Smythe, to infiltrate our operation.’

  ‘What will we do?’ Scarlet asked.

  ‘We need to keep moving,’ Phoebe said. ‘The people who shot down the Explorer might be right behind us.’

  ‘But she may just be lost,’ Mr Spaulding said. ‘I’ll go back with Kip and see if we can locate her.’

  When they returned half an hour later, Mr Spaulding had a piece of torn fabric in his hand.

  ‘That’s part of Sandra’s apron,’ Bradstreet said. ‘And is that…?’

  ‘Blood?’ Mr Spaulding said. ‘It is. We found this some distance down the trail near a ravine. I tried calling down into the gorge, but there was no reply.’

  ‘And no other trace of her?’ Mr Doyle asked.

  ‘None.’

  ‘Then we must move on.’

  ‘No!’ Bradstreet said. ‘We must go back and search.’

  ‘I understand your feelings,’ Mr Doyle said, ‘but she may not wish to be found. And if Mr Spaulding and his men have not been able to find her, then it’s unlikely we could.’

  ‘It was a very deep ravine,’ Spaulding explained. ‘No-one could have survived a fall to the bottom.’

  Bradstreet sighed. ‘I suppose you’re right.’

  Spaulding peered up the slope. ‘It looks like a ridge runs between the two mountains,’ he said. ‘We’ll be able to see most of the island from there.’

  ‘Good thinking,’ Bradstreet said. ‘Let’s get moving.’

  They continued uphill. Jack wondered about Sandra Clegg. Had she been taken by a wild animal? Or was she in league with the people in the black airship? She could have signalled to them—possibly with a mirror—meaning their pursuers might be close behind.

  At the top of the ridge, an ancient crater covered in waist-high grass, was nestled between the mountains. The sides were steep with a few ravines. A stream tumbled over a ledge of the nearest peak, falling hundreds of feet into a pool below.

  ‘How does the water get up there?’ Jack asked. ‘It’s going uphill.’

  ‘It must be an underground spring,’ Mr Spaulding said. ‘Forcing its way through the rock until it finds a gap.’

  ‘Looks strange,’ Kip agreed.

  From here they could see much of the island to the north. The black airship had disappeared. Jack wasn’t sure if he felt relieved or worried.

  As to the Explorer, there was still no sign.

  They continued along the ridge until a distant thud came from the jungle behind them. It sounded like the felling of a tree. Wordlessly, they all stopped and gazed down the slope. Another crash reverberated through the undergrowth.

  ‘What on earth is it?’ Phoebe asked.

  ‘I have no idea,’ Charles Spaulding said. ‘I’ve never seen anything move through the jungle like that.’

  They watched the thick foliage as something—or two somethings—moved through the undergrowth, shaking the canopy above them. Whatever they were, they were travelling at an incredible pace.

  Finally the rustling mass reached the steep slope of the mountain where the jungle thinned, and two enormous figures appe
ared. They looked like knights of old, but they were machines in the shape of men, steam firing from a dozen joints. Cogs, gears and pistons shone in the afternoon light.

  ‘What are they?’ Bradstreet hissed. ‘Some sort of robot?’

  Spaulding produced a pair of binoculars. ‘Those aren’t machines. Not entirely.’

  ‘Is it a kind of battle suit?’ Mr Doyle asked.

  ‘I think so. I think I can see faces behind the helmets.’ Spaulding lowered his binoculars. ‘Whatever they are, they’re coming straight towards us.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The machine men moved with terrifying speed. While it had taken Jack and the others more than an hour to climb the slope, their pursuers would reach the crater in minutes.

  ‘To that ravine!’ Spaulding shouted.

  They scrambled down the crater’s edge and raced through the long grass. Jack arrowed towards the ravine with Scarlet close behind.

  ‘Jack!’ Scarlet yelled. ‘We’re going the wrong way!’

  He skidded to a halt. Bazookas, he thought. Scarlet’s right. The others were racing towards a different ravine. He and Scarlet were running in the opposite direction. It was too late to do anything about it now. Their pursuers would be over the rise in seconds.

  He looked back to the ravine—and had an awful realisation. ‘It doesn’t lead anywhere,’ he said in dismay. ‘It’s a dead end.’

  The stream, spilling from the peak he had seen earlier, ended in a spectacular waterfall at the bottom before trickling into a deep pool. Darkness lay behind the waterfall.

  Jack grabbed Scarlet’s arm. ‘That way!’ he said. ‘I think we can take cover.’

  Reaching the cascade, Jack looked over his shoulder just as the machine men appeared at the edge of the crater. He’d never seen anything like them. Their engines were worn like backpacks. The power fed through copper pipes and tubes to servos built into their knees, ankles, elbows and wrists. Helmets with slots for their eyes enclosed their heads. Retractable guns had been built into their forearms. Their hands were three times normal size.

  The machine men had not spotted them. The recess behind the waterfall was small, but looked like it could accommodate two people.

  ‘Take my hand,’ Jack told Scarlet.

  They stepped through the shower. The roar of the water was like an avalanche. Jack almost slipped on the mossy stones as his eyes searched the gloom. The recess was larger than he had first thought, and a crack in the rock led to a dry enclosure.

  The torrent was not as loud back here. Jack could still see glimpses of the grassy plain, but much of it was shielded by the veil of water.

  Scarlet tugged at his arm. ‘I think they’re coming this way,’ she said. ‘Let’s go back further.’

  She was right. Two huge shapes, distorted by the water screen, were moving towards them. They slipped further into the gloom. It was a tight squeeze and Jack found himself face to face with Scarlet, shoved so hard against her he could feel the beat of her heart. He felt himself blushing.

  Thank God it’s dark in here.

  Her lips were only inches away. Water dripped from her red hair, down her face, and nestled in the crook of her chin before sliding down her throat. Her eyes shifted to his. She looked away. He could smell her breath. What had she eaten for breakfast? Honey on toast?

  Crazy, he thought. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy.

  But her breath was intoxicating. His heart was so loud that he was amazed the machine men could not hear it.

  Thud…thud…thud…

  Jack touched her arm and their eyes met again. She touched his shoulder…

  …and the wall gave way.

  Jack felt himself falling. He threw out an arm, but there was nothing to grab. He and Scarlet both cried out, crashing a few feet to a rocky floor.

  Oof!

  It was dark—wherever they were. But the wall hadn’t collapsed. They had, in fact, leaned against a stone door that had opened onto a small room. Jack caught a final glimpse of the waterfall beyond before the door swung shut, drowning them in darkness.

  They groped at the stone entryway, searching for a handle, but the surface was completely smooth.

  They were trapped.

  Complete panic seized Jack. No-one saw us come in here, he thought. Which means they’ll never find us. Searchers could look for days or weeks or months and never work out where they’d gone. They might even look behind the waterfall, but not find the secret door.

  He started slapping the stonework, but then a light flickered on, banishing the darkness. Scarlet held a burning match.

  ‘We’re carrying backpacks,’ she reminded him. ‘Packed with supplies. Food and water. Matches. Candles.’

  ‘Hmm.’ In his panic, he had forgotten. ‘Nice idea, that match.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  He rooted through his pack and produced a candle. Now with the aid of light, they continued searching for a lever or handle, but with no success.

  ‘I don’t think the others saw us head for the waterfall,’ Scarlet said.

  ‘They didn’t.’

  ‘Which means…’

  ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Cannibalism is on the menu.’

  ‘Don’t be silly.’

  ‘Who’s being silly?’

  They examined the enclosure. It was square chamber about four feet across.

  ‘This is man-made,’ Scarlet said. ‘Or woman-made. There was a Brinkie Buckeridge novel, The Adventure of the Glass Warrior, where an entire civilisation, made up only of women, survived for centuries in an underground cave.’

  ‘Really? No men.’

  ‘Not one.’

  ‘So how did they…er, reproduce?’

  ‘That’s never explained.’

  Jack turned his attention to their surroundings. Scarlet was right. No rocky cave could be this perfectly formed. Fine grooves on the walls indicated where the stone had been chiselled away.

  Jack pressed against the back wall and it gave way, spinning around on a central pivot. He shone the candle into the gap. Stairs led down into the darkness.

  ‘I think we should follow them,’ he said.

  ‘What about the others?’ Scarlet asked.

  ‘They may never find us here. We’re better off seeing where this leads.’

  The steps were smooth and the walls rough. The ceiling was too high for light from the flickering candle to penetrate. The passageway spiralled downwards, finally ending in a chamber covered in hieroglyphics.

  ‘This looks very old,’ Scarlet murmured. ‘I think it’s Ancient Sumerian.’

  ‘Really? I thought it may have been Eskimoan. Maybe tenth-century BC.’

  ‘Don’t be silly.’

  ‘Sorry, it comes so naturally. What makes you think it’s Sumerian?’

  Scarlet pointed. ‘There’s the symbol we saw on the Broken Sun for the number two,’ she said. ‘And a number seven over here.’

  They were the same symbols. A story was being played out, the
images showing a king and his subjects, surrounded by bushels of grain, chariots, vases and trees. Below them was a picture of two columns, waves and boats.

  ‘I think this is the story of Atlantis,’ Scarlet said. ‘Describing how the city was destroyed and the people left by boat.’

  ‘I’d probably find this more interesting if we weren’t involved in a life and death struggle,’ Jack said. His candle was shrinking dangerously. While they still had plenty of matches, they couldn’t stay there forever. ‘Let’s try pushing on the wall. It might open like the others.’

  But it didn’t. They spent several minutes pushing and shoving from all directions, but it didn’t budge. Panic was still nagging at the back of Jack’s mind. He reached down into his pocket and touched the compass from his parents.

  How do we get out of here? he asked. There must be a way.

  If he was expecting an answer, he didn’t get one. His eyes focused on the lines of horizontal pictures, though, until he found himself staring high up at an image of a ship moving across a sea. Ahead of it lay a night sky, a single star near the horizon. The ship seemed to be heading towards it.

  Jack reached up and touched the star. He felt a tingle of static electricity, followed by the sound of shifting stones. The wall slid sideways and yellow light flooded into the passage.

  Jack and Scarlet stared at what lay beyond.

  ‘New Atlantis,’ Scarlet breathed. ‘We’ve found it.’

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  An ancient city filled the vast cavern. Columns and porticos, arches and domes stretched all the way to the distant walls. The buildings were made from marble, brass and copper, tarnished green with age. Everything stood at the same height, about fifty feet, except for a single bronze spire, topped with a glass ball, that soared from the centre.

  The city was designed in a giant grid about five miles wide. Ivory-coloured cobblestones tiled the streets. Plants choked the avenues, and the trees were unlike anything Jack had ever seen: they looked like palms except the leaves were pale orange and the trunks ash-grey.