Evil Star

stared into the darkness. There was some-thing large and bulky behind the lights.
    He could make out wings.
    There was a ghastly shriek. Matt dived onto his stomach as an enormous bird plummeted toward him, steel-like claws reaching out for his eyes. He felt a searing pain in his shoulder, heard the cloth of his shirt tear as the claws ripped through. Then it had wheeled away, and the desert was silent once again but for the beating of its wings in the night air.
    Matt rolled over and got dizzily to his feet.
    " Cual era el? " Pedro demandedv
    "It was a condor," Chambers said. "But it's impossible. There are no condors in this part of Peru."
    Once again, Matt remembered what the amauta had said in the lost city.
    "The birds fly where they should not fly. "
    Condors. In the Nazca desert. At night.
    "It's coming back!" Richard shouted.
    There was a second scream and a thudding in the air. All of them fell back as the monstrous bird rushed into them, its green eyes blazing. The bird was black and gray with a thick white collar of feathers around its neck. It was huge, the rest of its plumage hanging off its body like a ragged cloak. Its beak curved out of its head like a dagger. Its claws were stretched out and the points were knife-sharp.
    For a moment it was between them and they felt the air beat against Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star their faces. There was a smell of rot-ting meat. Then it swooped up, disappearing into the darkness.
    Richard snatched up the stove as if it were a weapon, although he knew that the tiny flame would do no good. "Get into the Jeep!" he shouted. "We have to move —"
    "Watch out!" Matt warned.
    A second bird had dived down, aiming for Richard. The journalist dropped to one knee and its claws missed his head by centimeters.
    Its huge wings beat at the air, mak-ing the flame dance. Like the other bird, it stank of death and decay.
    "The Jeep!" Richard shouted a second time.
    A third condor swooped out of the sky. Then a fourth and a fifth.
    Suddenly the entire sky seemed to be filled with shrieking, savage creatures. Atoc shouted. One of the condors had landed on his shoulder. As Matt stared in hor-ror, it twisted round and began to attack Atoc's neck, ripping out skin and flesh with its beak. Atoc tried to beat it off but it refused to let go. Blood was pouring from his neck and down his shirt. Then Matt ran forward. He picked up a spade and with all his strength he swung it, slamming the metal end into the bird, barely centimeters away from Atoc's head. He felt the jolt as the spade came into contact with flesh and bone. The bird was smashed to the ground, its own neck broken. But still it wouldn't die.
    It thrashed around, its wings beating uselessly. Its beak was sticky with Atoc's blood.
    "Matteo!"
    It was Pedro who had cried out. Another bird had landed on his back, its claws acting like grappling irons. It was pecking at his skull, over and over again, its beak disap-pearing into his hair. To Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star Matt it seemed as if the boy and the bird had become one. All he could see was Pedro flail-ing with his hands, with two gigantic wings spreading out of his back.
    Richard saved him. With one hand, he ripped the bird off Pedro's shoulders, then shoved the stove into the con-dor with his other. The blue flame touched the feathers, and the bird seemed to explode as the fire took it instantly. It screamed again and again. Then it collapsed to the sand, kicked its legs feebly, and lay still.
    The stove had gone out.
    "Are you all right?" Richard shouted.
    "Yes!" Pedro touched the back of his head. When his hand came away, there was blood on his fingers.
    "We have to get to the Jeep...."
    Professor Chambers was already there. So far she hadn't been touched. She fumbled the keys out of her pocket and threw herself into the driver's seat. Even as she reached out to close the door, another condor swooped down, aiming for her hand. She slammed the door in its face, pushed the keys into the ignition, and turned the engine on.
    Richard, Pedro, and Matt all had spades now. Together they made for the Jeep, swinging at the air, keeping close as a group. Matt was supporting Atoc, who seemed dazed, his hand clamped to the wound on his neck. Blood was trickling between his fingers. There was a roar from the engine and the Jeep charged toward them and stopped.
    Matt helped Atoc into the front seat. He saw Richard lash out with his spade. There was