Alex whirled about and a relieved grin spread across his face.
“Stone! Thank God. We’re being pressed hard here, and Moses and I are out of bullets. Not to mention, I’m no great shakes at hand-to-hand fighting.” For emphasis, he shook the spear he carried.
“Just stay alive. Where’s Trinity?”
Alex’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t seen her since the attack began. We were at the pyramid, meeting with the council. All of a sudden, people started crying out, and the next thing we knew, the Varri were among us. Moses and I drew our pistols and ran outside. Samman followed us, and for a moment, I was sure he was going to attack me; there was something in his eyes. He gave my pistol an odd look, like he was about to be sick, and then the Varri were on us, and I lost sight of him.”
“And you don’t know what happened to Trinity?”
“When the Varri closed in, Samman shouted something about the council keeping her safe.”
Stone immediately took off for the pyramid, weaving around the combatants who dueled all around him. A Varri occasionally blocked his path, but they all fell to Stone’s bullets. By the time he reached the pyramid, he’d reloaded twice and was down to four bullets in the revolver.
The battle raged hottest at the foot of the pyramid. Malik and Akente fought like cornered tigers, slashing and thrusting their spears at every Varri that came within reach. Stone prayed Trinity was safe inside, but he’d have to fight through the throng in order to find out.
Forsaking his Webley in the close quarters, he took up a club dropped by a fallen Varri, drew his knife, and drove forward. The Varri fell back before his furious attack. He killed a few, but most shied away.
He heard a cry in the distance and saw Moses leading a group of Ogygians. Their line swept in behind the Varri, who were attacking the pyramid. On the pyramid’s heights, a group of young men armed with bows seemed to take heart from this new turn of events, and began loosing arrows at a rapid clip.
The Varri assault crumbled, and soon the brutes were in full retreat. Stone, Moses, and Akente held back as the Ogygians drove their enemies from the valley, taking down as many of the fleeing primitives as they could.
Stone watched the retreat for a few seconds, and then turned to Akente.
“Where is Trinity? Is she inside?”
Akente’s brow furrowed. “She retreated toward the back of the city when the attack began.” He pointed his lips in the direction from which Stone had come. “I believe Samman was with her.”
“I came from that direction and I didn’t see her.” Stone paused. “Why would Samman take her? Why wouldn’t he stay and fight?”
“At the time, I thought he wanted to keep her safe. Of course, I was busy battling for my life, so I did not think about it for very long. Now, it seems odd. The pyramid would have been the safest place for her.”
“Samman is a traitor!” a voice called. Stone turned to see four Ogygian warriors escorting a bound Varri in their direction. “This one,” he prodded the Varri with his spear, “says Samman let them in.”
Akente muttered something that must have been an Ogygian curse and stamped his foot.
A heavy feeling hung in the pit of Stone’s stomach. “Do you have any idea where he might have taken her?”
Akente shook his head.
“We’ll just have to find her, then,” Moses said.
“Find who?” Alex, still clutching the spear, appeared around the corner of the temple. Other than a bruised cheek and a few cuts in his forearms, he appeared unscathed.
“Trinity,” Stone said. “Samman took her.”
“Where? Why?” Alex asked.
“I know where,” a small voice from somewhere above them said.
Stone looked up to see one of the young archers looking down at them. “I saw Samman running away with the white woman.”
“Did you see where they went?” Akente demanded.
“Yes.” The dark-skinned youth paused and swallowed hard. He turned and pointed with his lips. “They went that way. He took her down the Path of the Dead.”
“No.” Akente took a step back. “It is forbidden.”
The youth shrugged.
“The Path of the Dead? What does that mean?” Stone asked.
“It means.” Akente took a deep breath. “That Samman has taken Trinity into the Arena of Souls.”
27- The Arena
“What is the Arena of Souls?” Stone demanded. His fists clenched, he took a threatening step toward Akente, who backed away.
“A place few go, and even fewer return. No one speaks of what happens there.” Akente glanced nervously about. “It is also the path your grandfather traveled in order to leave the island. At least, the last time anyone saw him, he was entering the arena. We assumed he had died, until you arrived with news of his safe return home.”
“Why would Samman take Trinity into this Arena?” Alex asked.
Akente grimaced. “Samman has entered the Arena many times. Inside there, he is a master; perhaps the most powerful of us all. I imagine he took the woman there because he knows no one will follow him.”
“He was wrong on that score,” Stone said. “Show me the way.”
“You cannot. You are from the outside, and you know nothing of the arena, nor what waits there for you.” Akente looked to Alex and Moses, a pleading expression on his face, but both remained silent. “If you go in, nephew, you will surely die.”
“My grandfather, your father, was an outsider, and he didn’t die.” Stone seized Akente by the shoulders and resisted the urge to shake him like a rag doll. He had no desire to harm his uncle, but he was not to be deterred, not when Trinity was in danger. “Besides, it doesn’t matter how dangerous it might be. I abandoned by friends once for the sake of this island and my grandfather’s secret, and look what happened. I’m going in no matter what, so you might as well show me the way and tell me anything you can of what I should expect. If I’m going to bring Trinity back alive, I’ll need all the help I can get.”
Akente stiffened. For a moment, Stone thought his uncle meant to resist, but then the man nodded. “Follow me.” Stone released his grip and Akente led them back in the direction of the volcano.
“I am not permitted to tell you what I experienced the only time I ventured into the arena. Do not bother trying to force me. I would die first.”
Stone could tell Akente was serious, so he did not press the matter. “Go on.”
“I will say only that many dangers await you there. It is well known. But the dangers are not mere physical threats. You must be strong in mind, body, and spirit in order to survive.”
“You said Stone’s grandfather escaped the island by going into the arena,” Alex said. “Obviously you don’t know how he survived, but do you have any idea as to how he got off the island?”
“I cannot say for certain, but I can guess.” Akente hesitated and then looked around to see if anyone stood within earshot, but everyone appeared busy, either tending the wounded or patrolling in case the Varri returned. “I should not say this, but there is a place in the arena where the water meets the land. There are many boats there. The waves are fierce, but if you can make it beyond them, the current will pull you out to sea.”
“Like a riptide,” Moses said.
“How do you know about the current?” Stone asked.
Akente shook his head. “I have said too much already. There is the way into the arena.” He pointed to a tiny stream that trickled past their feet and over a rock ledge into a bowl-shaped canyon. A curtain of mist concealed the canyon floor from sight, with only the tops of a few trees jutting out of the blanket of gray.