Evil Star

Chambers
    They met the Inca prince the next morning — the four of them sitting cross-legged once again in front of his throne. Richard, Matt, and Pedro were to leave before midday.
    "I have spoken to Professor Chambers," Huascar said, "and she has agreed to see you. I'm afraid it means another long journey for you, all the way back to the western coast. The professor lives in Nazca.
    Atoc has asked me if he can go with you there."
    "I must finish what my brother began,"Atoc said.
    The Inca gazed at them for a moment, and Matt won-dered if there wasn't a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "We will meet again one day at Vilcabamba," the prince went on. "But what is important now is that you are safe. Salamanda may have the police and much of the government on his side, but my people are everywhere, and now that we have found you, we will watch over you. Is there anything you wish to ask?"

    Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star Richard and Matt exchanged a glance. They had so many questions in their heads. How could a thousand-year-old image so resemble Pedro? One of them was going to be hurt, perhaps killed, at the gate.
    But which one? And — for Matt, the most burning question of all —
    if the Old Ones were going to break through the gate as the Inca had prophesied, was there any point even trying to stop them?
    But neither of them spoke. Somehow Matt knew that there were no easy answers. He felt as if he had fallen into a fast-flowing river. If he struggled or tried to get out, he would waste his strength and drown. All he could do was swim with the current and see where it took him.
    The Inca stood up and raised his hands, palms forward. "I wish you a safe journey and success," he said. "May the spirit of Viracocha go with you."
    The audience was over. Richard, Atoc, Matt, and Pedro stood up, bowed, and began to leave. But it wasn't quite over yet.
    "Senor Cole," the Inca called out. "I would like, if I may, to have one last word with you? But in private ..."
    Richard stopped. "Don't worry," he whispered to Matt. "If he wants me to stay behind in Vilcabamba, the answer's no."
    He waited while Matt and Pedro left. The Inca walked down to him.
    The amauta was also there. Richard hadn't seen him enter the palace.
    "What are you thinking?" the Inca asked.
    "I'm thinking that one day I'll write about all this," Richard said.
    "Maybe you'll try to stop me, but I will, any-way. What difference will it make? Nobody will believe me. When I look back, I may not believe it myself."

    Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star
    "Let me ask you this question. Why do you believe the boy was chosen?"
    "Matt?" Richard shrugged. "He's one of the five. . . ."
    "And Pedro, too. But why you?"
    "Was I chosen?" Richard couldn't help smiling. "The way I see it, Matt just happened to stumble into my office in Greater Mailing. If I hadn't been there that day, I wouldn't even have met him and it would be someone else standing here now. Kate or Julia. They both worked at the newspa-per. Maybe it would have been one of them."
    "No, Mr. Cole. You are wrong. You also have a part to play in this adventure, and that part was written for you long before you were born."
    "Are you saying I have no choice?"
    "We all have choices. But our decisions are already known."
    The Inca held out a hand, and the old Indian, the amauta, produced a small leather bag with two drawstrings so that it could be worn across the shoulder or around the neck. "I have a gift for you, Mr.
    Cole," the Inca said. "Do not thank me, because one day, I assure you, you will curse me for giving it to you. But nonetheless it is yours. It was made for you."
    The amauta opened the bag and handed Richard a golden object, about fifteen centimeters high. Richard found himself holding a statue of a god. At least, that was what it looked like at first. It was an Inca figure with staring eyes and a grim-looking face, its arms folded across its chest. It was standing on top of a triangle that tapered down to a sharp point. The whole thing was made of solid gold, studded with semiprecious stones; jade and lapis lazuli.
    Richard had no idea how old it was but guessed it must be worth Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star thousands of pounds.
    Then he realized how he was holding it. Quite instinc-tively, he had let it rest in the palm of his hand with the point jutting out. It wasn't just a statue. It was some sort of knife.
    "We call this a tumi," the Inca