Gates of Neptune Read online

  Suddenly Josh looked ashamed. “I know. I'm supposed to be a leader of some kind,” he said bitterly, “and here I am throwing up arguments. I wish I were a million miles from here. I wish I'd never come to this place. Well, sorry, Sarah. I didn't mean to criticize you—it's just—it seems like a pretty big job.”

  “I reckon everything Goel handles is a pretty big job,” Reb said, “and if he's told Sarah what we're to do, then by gum we'll just do it, somehow.”

  “Did he say anything else?” Dave demanded.

  “Well, he talked a long time, and he said that we'll have to learn through struggle and trial.”

  “I don't guess he needed to say that.” Dave grimaced, “Just the idea of it is a struggle to me. And once we get out there on the bottom of the ocean, out of sight of Atlantis, we can get gobbled up by monsters we never even heard of.”

  “Yes, and then after we get to the Citadel—if we do—” Josh pondered aloud, “what'll we do? I mean, we just can't go up to the front door and knock politely and say, ‘Howdy Mr. High Lord Admiral! We've come to stop you from invading Atlantis.’” He grinned. “Although that's better than any plan I've got.”

  For a long time the Seven Sleepers sat around the room, arguing, thinking of plans. As was inevitable, there were arguments about the method.

  Abbey brought up one problem. “In the first place, I'm not even sure that the king and queen would let us go.”

  “Oh, that's another thing Goel said.” Sarah spoke up. “I forgot to tell you. We're supposed to go without telling anyone. Not even to leave word where we've gone.”

  “Well, ain't that a pretty come-off!” Reb slapped his thigh. “I guess that cuts off any thoughts I had about maybe a rescue party coming in case we get in trouble.”

  Sarah felt terrible. “I'm sorry,” she said. “I wish I didn't have to tell you these things—but they're not my idea.”

  Later on, more serious arguments developed, and as a result Sarah and Josh found themselves heatedly debating about when to try. Josh was for preparing more, learning more about the way, finding the best route to get to the Citadel of Neptune.

  “No, we can't do that, Josh,” Sarah insisted. “Goel said we were to leave immediately.”

  Josh frowned. “Right now? We can't do that! We don't even know where we're going.”

  The argument grew sharper, and finally Sarah, upset and irritated with Josh for his reluctance, said, “We'll take Valar with us as our guide. He knows the way.”

  As soon as the words were spoken, she was horrified and ready to take back her statement.

  But Josh flared up. “Oh, I might have known. Are you telling us that Goel said to take him with us?”

  Sarah, already involved over her head, was so angry she said, “Yes, that's what he told me.”

  “Well, then,” Dave said with a sigh, “if we have a guide like that, I guess we'll be all right. I don't mind telling you, it's a relief to me.”

  A murmur of approval went around the group, and Sarah thought only Josh looked out of sorts. Sarah, because she knew she had lied about God's instructions, felt out of sorts.

  But she said to herself, Goel knows we don't know the way. He'd want us to have a guide. He knows we'd get lost. We can't go by ourselves. He just didn't tell me that part of it. On and on she reasoned until finally she had half convinced herself that taking Valar along was what Goel would desire.

  Finally Dave said, “I know one thing—we better carry plenty of spears if we want to try to fight our way halfway across an ocean and then try to get inside the Citadel. There's no telling what'll happen.”

  “There aren't enough spears in this armory to do that job,” Josh said. But then he cheered up. “I'll have to admit that I do feel better with a guide.”

  Ordinarily, this would have cheered up Sarah too, but she was so miserable about the lie she'd told that she sat quietly, saying nothing. Finally, the boys left, and Abbey and Sarah were alone.

  Abbey looked wide-eyed at her. “I wish Goel would come and talk to me sometime,” she said. “I wonder why he doesn't?”

  “I don't know, but I wish he would too.”

  “Oh, I'm so glad that Valar is going to be our guide.” Abbey gave her a cautious glance, an envious glance. “You know, he's real interested in you, Sarah.” She laughed. “I can usually make a boy interested in me, but he acts like you're the only girl around here.”

  “Oh, there's nothing to that!”

  “Yes, there is too. Every time we go anywhere, he's always close to you. Taking us to the Council, going to eat, going on hunting trips. I think he's falling in love with you.”

  “Oh, that's ridiculous,” Sarah said angrily. “I'm too young for such things as that—and he's just a boy himself.”

  “He won't be a boy always.” Abbey snorted. “And you won't be too young always. You know what? I can just see it now! We win the battle with this Aramis, whoever he is, and who is next in line for the throne?”

  “Jere, the king's daughter.”

  “Not likely. I've been talking to some of the people around here, and they want a king, not a queen. And Valar is the closest relative of King Cosmos.”

  “I guess that's right.”

  Abbey looked at her, tapped her lower lip in a provocative gesture, and said slowly, “Umm, wouldn't that be something! Wouldn't that be something!”

  “Wouldn't what be something?”

  “Why, to think—one day Sarah Collingwood may be queen of Atlantis!”

  8

  First Skirmish

  Sarah had restless thoughts. She was very disturbed about telling the group that Valar had been chosen to lead them. But again and again she told herself that Valar was necessary, that Goel would not expect them to go blindly. Finally she managed to shove her unease to the back of her mind and decided to go to Valar at once.

  She found him standing at a porthole, watching the guards as they moved back and forth in regular patterns in front of the castle.

  “Valar,” she said, “I've got to talk to you at once.”

  He turned, and his eyebrows went up with surprise. “What's the matter? Is something wrong? And why don't you call me Val, as my friends do?”

  “No, not wrong—well, perhaps you'll think so.” She hesitated, biting her lip nervously. “Val, what do you know about Goel?”

  “Goel?” A smile touched his lips, and he shrugged his broad shoulders. “Well, of course, I've heard all the tales and the songs. But I've always thought that Goel was a myth, something that people dreamed up to give them hope.”

  Sarah shook her head, almost violently. “Oh no, Val,” she said. “That's wrong. I've met him. There's nobody like him.”

  “Well, if you say so, Sarah, then I have to believe it, of course.”

  “He came to me and told me what we must do.”

  “He came to you? How could he do that? He couldn't have got past the guards.”

  “He's bigger than any guards, and no walls could ever keep Goel out. Let me tell you some of the things that he's done …”

  For a long time Sarah stood there relating the adventures and the dangers that Goel had brought them through. At last she said, “I have to trust him, Val. And I—I have to ask you to do something.” She paused. “Goel has given us an order. He says that we are to go to the Citadel of Neptune, and there we're to find Aramis and talk to him face to face.”

  Surprise crossed the face of the young man, and he whistled softly. “Well, that's a pretty big order. How do you propose to do it?”

  “Would—would you guide us to the Citadel, Val? We can't find it unless you do.”

  His face took on a strange look, and he stood silent for a short time. Then he smiled at her and said, “I would try anything to save my people. Yes, I will lead you to the Citadel.”

  “Then you do believe in Goel?”

  “I believe we have to do something to save Atlantis, and this is all I see to try right now. Come along, we'll have to make our plans.”<
br />
  * * *

  It was dark outside as Sarah stared through the porthole. There were artificial lights, yet she could barely see the guards moving back and forth. But they were there, circling the walls constantly.

  The Sleepers had met, and Sarah had explained that Val had agreed to guide them. “Maybe,” she said, “he could tell us something about how we're going to get there. Would you do that, Val?”

  “Of course,” he said. “I've brought one of the maps from the war room. Let me show you the problem.” He pinned a large map to the wall and stood back so that they could see it. The chart showed the kingdom beneath the sea and included not only Atlantis but also the territory surrounding it.

  “Look,” he said, “here's where we are in Atlantis. And here”—he pointed to the far side of the map—“is the Citadel of Neptune. That's where Aramis is gathering his forces.” He took a deep breath. “We cannot go north. See, that would take us to the Guards of Triton.”

  “What's that?” Dave inquired.

  “It's a large group of mariners that have spread out over this part of the kingdom. And even if we escape them, we would have to pass over the Canyon of Mogar.”

  “What—what's that?” Abbey asked fearfully.

  “It's a deep canyon that goes down to the center of the earth, some say. So deep that there's no light at the bottom—but terrible things are in it. All of us, even the bravest, avoid the Canyon if we can.”

  “What can we do, then?” Josh asked.

  Val pointed. “This is Mount Tor. It's an old volcano, and the tip of it rises above the sea. If we can make it there, we can take shelter for a night.”

  “What's this hook-shaped thing?” Jake asked.

  “That's called Hook Reef. It's a huge coral reef, and it is shaped like a hook, as you see. There's an outpost right here inside the hook, and over to the other side is the Bay of Eels. We don't want to go there, so our best chance,” Val concluded, “is to head straight for Mount Tor and try to dodge all the mariners who man the outpost.”

  He glanced outside. “We'll have to hurry. The guard changes in ten minutes, and that's the only chance we'll have to leave Atlantis.”

  * * *

  The Sleepers waited, mounted on their sea beasts, and as soon as Val said, “Come on, it's now or never,” they passed through the air lock into the ocean.

  Sarah could barely see by the lights that gleamed here and there.

  Suddenly a voice called out, “Halt! Who goes there?”

  Val at once moved his shark forward, saying, “It's I, Valar. Is that you, Consar? Ah, I see it is. Well, we're going out on a trial mission. Part of the training program with the Sleepers.”

  The guard saluted and said, “I'd be careful if I were you, Valar. Some of the enemy may be creeping in. We've seen some small patrols around, and they'd like nothing better than to get their hands on you.”

  “Yes, I'll be careful.”

  Val moved ahead and for the next two hours led them through the dark waters. Sarah had always been somewhat afraid of the dark, and to be underwater, following almost blindly the single light that Val held up, was almost more than she could bear. She was aware that dark forms moved all around them, sea beasts. Once something came so close that it brushed her arm, and she had to choke back a scream. The rest of the Sleepers seemed no more comfortable than Sarah was.

  Finally Reb said, “Shoot, it's dark as the inside of a black cat at midnight. When we going to get out of this, Valar?”

  Before Val could answer, a voice rang out over the radio system, and two brilliant lights were switched on directly in front of them. “Halt, stand where you are!”

  “It's the outpost guards,” Val cried in dismay. “I was off my navigating. They've got us now.”

  “What can we do?” Josh whispered.

  “I don't know. But fortunately they can't hear us talking—we're on a different frequency.”

  As Sarah's eyes became accustomed to the bright light, she saw two guards mounted on large tiger sharks. Both were armed with spear guns, aimed at Val.

  “I'll radio back that we've caught some Atlantians,” Sarah heard one of them say.

  “We've got to get away,” Josh repeated.

  “They'll spear us if we try,” Wash said. “They look like they're just looking for an excuse anyway.”

  Suddenly Abbey said, “Please, let me try something.”

  Sarah almost fell off her sea beast in surprise. It was the first time Abbey had ever volunteered to do anything.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “I'll … I'll fall off my beast, and when they come to get me, you can catch them off guard.”

  “That may work,” Val exclaimed. “But we'll have to act fast. When Abbey falls, one of the guards will go for her. Reb, can you sneak out into the dark and get around behind the other one?”

  “Sure as shootin’,” Reb said. “Leave it to me.”

  Abbey slipped from her sea beast at once and began flailing in the dark waters, falling away as she was caught by a current.

  “Catch her! One of them has fallen off!” one guard commanded. “Get her, Zantar.”

  The guard Zantar instantly moved off his shark and propelled himself downward toward Abbey.

  As soon as he moved, Reb, who had stayed on the outside of the group, slipped off his beast and propelled himself with powerful strokes into the darkness outside the ring of light thrown by the remaining guard.

  “You Atlantians stay right where you are, or I'll put a dart in you,” the waiting guard said. “Have you got her?” he called out.

  But he said no more, for Reb came up behind him, reached out, and wrenched the spear gun from his hands. He reversed it instantly, touched the needle-sharp tip to the guard's breast, and put his hand on the trigger. “You just sit right there,” he muttered, “unless you want be speared like an Arkansas catfish.”

  The other guard, by this time, reached Abbey, seized her arm, and drove upward. “I've got her—” But suddenly his spear gun was ripped from his hand, and he was pinioned by two strong young men while a young women pointed his own spear gun at him.

  “It worked,” Val said excitedly, “but we've got to get out of here.”

  “Won't they know we've been here if these two are missing?”

  Val said, “We'll have to kill them. We can't let them take the message back.”

  “No!” Sarah cried instantly. “We can't do that. Josh always carries cord in his pocket. Let's just tie them up and leave them.”

  “They might get loose,” Val protested. “We can't take the chance.”

  But Josh swam over beside Sarah and said, “Sarah's right, Val. We can't kill them. Here, Reb,” he commanded, “tie them up.”

  A few minutes later, the two guards were trussed to an outcrop of coral. Josh said as they left, “They'll be all right. The area's under regular patrol, isn't it? The next shift of guards will find them. But by that time we'll be long gone.”

  Both men stared up at him. They obviously had expected to be killed, and shock was in their eyes as they watched the young group leave, mounted on their beasts.

  * * *

  “Well, that was a close call!” Zantar said. “I looked for them to spear us before they left.”

  The other looked after them through the gloomy water and said, “Me too. I guess they're not as vicious as we've been told. I'm glad of that. Better to live than to die, isn't it?”

  9

  “Kill All the Sleepers!”

  Many times Elmas, Chief Interrogator of the Sanhedrin, had sent his guards to bring prisoners to the Tower. Often just the threat was enough to make men and women confess. Although most people did not know what went on, the few who came out were never the same again. When asked about what happened inside the Tower, they just turned away. Somehow this silence terrified people even more than knowing the details.

  The Tower was operated by Elmas and the Sanhedrin for the purpose of extracting infor
mation thought necessary by the leadership. It was also used as a place of punishment for those who were stubborn and refused to obey the Chief Interrogator or his lieutenants.

  Elmas was not one of those who did not know what went on. He himself had designed most of the equipment—which was engineered to bring enough pain to cause people to talk—and he had been proud of his success. He had been heard to say, “Why, I've made fathers turn their own children in! I've made wives betray their husbands, and there's nothing that I can't get out of someone once I get him in my Tower.”

  But it was a shock, to say the least, when Elmas looked up from his desk to see three guards—not his own, but guards bearing the same mysterious crest that was on the medallion hanging from the neck of Lord Necros. Nervously he rose to his feet. “Yes, what is it?”

  “You must go with us,” the leader said.

  They all wore skin-tight black leather uniforms. They bulged with muscle, and there was a look of cruelty in the eyes of each one.

  The heart of Elmas skipped a beat, and he swallowed hard. “Go with you—where?” he almost croaked.

  The thin lips of the leader turned up in a cruel smile. “To the Tower.” He laughed suddenly. “I don't suppose we'll have to show you the way, will we?”

  Elmas began to back away, protesting and stuttering, “But—but—that can't be right! You can't—!”

  The guard motioned with his hand, and his companions at once moved forward, each taking an arm of Elmas in his steely grasp.

  “Bring him along,” the chief guard said, and Elmas was dragged out of his office and down the corridor. His own guards made no motion to interfere but kept their eyes fixed straight ahead. No one interfered with the private guard of Lord Necros.

  By the time they had gotten to the steel door that opened into the Tower, Elmas was reduced almost to a gibbering idiot. Fear had turned his insides to jelly, and all he could do was moan and protest. But it did no good.