Tunnels 03, Freefall

the rain moved away, they emerged from the jungle, marveling at the drops of water as they hung from the edges of the leaves and glittered like diamonds in the bright sunlight.
    "What a truly, truly wonderful place. It's totally unspoilt," Dr. Burrows enthused. "Like a secret Eden."
    "That was a doozy of a storm," Will said, mopping his face. Their footfalls on the lush green carpet made squishing noises as they went, but even now the earth was beginning to dry out again in the intense sunlight.
    "Yes -- any bushfires would be immediately quenched by precipitation that heavy. Maybe that's how it goes," Dr. Burrows said thoughtfully.
    "How do you mean?" Will asked.
    "Maybe it's an endless cycle of fire and water, death and regrowth, which probably makes sense, as technically there are no seasons in this world. And the only 'night' here is when the cloud cover blots out the sun, as we just witnessed first-hand." He fixed his son with a stare. "So, Will, now do you believe that this isn't the surface?"
    "I think I have to," Will concurred.
    "Good boy," Dr. Burrows grinned, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. He turned to face the pyramid. "Shall we take a look at what we've got here, then?" he suggested, and with bated breath they approached the base of the pyramid. "The three-pronged symbol!" Dr. Burrows said abruptly.
    "Yeah, I've got it on every level," Will said as he scanned up the tiers of the pyramid, locating the trident-like motif carved into the facing stones. They were so large that he didn't need the binoculars to see them. He thought again of the pendant with the same symbol on it that Uncle Tam had given him, which even now was around his neck. He wondered how Tam had come by it, and whether he'd known of this secret at the center of the Earth all along. Will certainly wouldn't put it past him.
    "So my forgotten people -- who predated the Egyptians and the Phoenicians -- might have been responsible for this pyramid." Dr. Burrows was thinking out loud. "Maybe somewhere around here is the Lost City of Atlant--" He broke off as Elliott gave a bird-like whistle. They spun to where she was standing, by one of the corners of the pyramid.
    "What's she trying to tell us?" Dr. Burrows asked.
    "Dunno," Will replied. He immediately took his Sten from his shoulder, shook the water from it and cocked it. Then he and Dr. Burrows went to investigate.
    As they approached Elliott they saw that before her there were three skulls on wooden stakes. The skulls had no flesh on them, and were sun-bleached and very white.
    "Human?" Will asked.
    "Yes, but not recent," Dr. Burrows observed, as if that was any sort of consolation.
    "This one has a wound to the temple," Elliott said as she pointed at the middle of the three.
    Dr. Burrows and Will circled round it, studying the irregular hole in the side of the skull.
    "You can't tell that for sure," Dr. Burrows countered, shaking his head. "Might have been caused by an accident -- a fall or something. And this could be some sort of ritual burial."
    "It's a bullet hole," Elliott said unequivocally. "There's an exit wound on the other side."
    Will glanced uneasily over his shoulder, regarding the dense jungle around them in a different light. "Why were the skulls left here?" he said.
    "It's a sign... a warning," Elliott replied.
    Will immediately swiveled his head towards her and their eyes met. She'd used exactly the same phrase when, back in the claustrophobic confines of the Deeps, they'd stumbled upon the grisly display of the dead Coprolites and renegades, slaughtered by the Styx and nailed to stakes. Will's reaction following the incident had put her nose out of joint, and things had never been the same between them. But it was different now, as if he'd been given the chance to start over again with her.
    Dragging his gaze away from Elliott, Will addressed his father. "Whatever killed these people, Dad, now we know we're not the only ones here," he said quietly. "Could be anyone down here with us -- the men from the submarine, pirates from the old galleon, or maybe something far, far worse."
    Dr. Burrows arched his eyebrows.
    "Maybe this isn't such an unspoilt place, after all," Will said to him.

37

    Will said this used a ton of petrol to get them home," Chester shouted as he cut the outboard engine, and silence returned to the harbor.
    "Don't you fret, my precious boy, I'll fetch some more cans for you," Martha offered as she stood on the quayside, gazing lovingly down at