In a flash of intuition, he realized that these monks had, moments before, been slavering demons. Their new manifestation was perhaps easier on the eyes, but no less ominous. "Doc, these are the entities, aren't they?"
"The entities don't have physical form in our universe."
"No, but we're not in our universe right now, are we? We're in some kind of dream state and these are like psychic projections."
This gave the scientist pause. "I suppose you are correct. They would be free to move about here, unrestricted by their metal prisons."
"So the columns are still out there. Still scattered all over the planet. And the one in Antarctica is still melting its way to the earth's core."
"No," Hobbs declared in a flat but certain voice, his back still turned away. "That ended as soon as he—" The priest pointed to Schadel—"issued the summons. He awakened them all, just as the one in London was awakened and they came.
"This may not be reality, but they are here, just outside the borders of this… representation."
"What do they want?"
Hobbs turned and Dodge saw a sad smile on his face. "They want what every slave or captive has ever wanted. To return home. But the door is closed."
"Door?" Dodge held up the Staff. "Is this the key that opens that door?"
"There is no key. The door can only be opened when our world ceases to exist."
"Then they're trapped here," Molly said. "That's terrible."
Dodge heard the sympathy in her voice, but he didn't share it. All the pieces of the puzzle lay before him, but they didn't quite fit together. He glanced at the motionless robed figures, then came back to meet Hobbs' stare. "They're not trapped, are they? They have the power to destroy the world, but something prevents them."
"That's true!" Newcombe declared. "When they were brought into her world, they were compelled to obey the commands of the man who opened the door. Even as they gave his civilization the power to dominate the world, they were trying to trick him into destroying everything."
"Talk about havin' a tiger by the tail," Hurricane remarked.
"It drove him insane," Newcombe said.
"That's what the prophecy was about," interjected Winterbourne. He pointed at Schadel. "They were looking to find someone else to command them. This poor fool thought he would set loose the Armies of Hell, when in reality, he would be letting these entities slip their leash. And he very nearly succeeded."
Dodge thought about what Jocasta had told him; how Hobbs had appeared when he had entered her mind to free her from the Skull's spell. "The prophecy isn't about Schadel, is it?"
"No." The Padre gave a heavy sigh. "Just as they do not truly exist in our physical universe, they also are not bound by the linear flow of time. They do not see the possibilities of our uncertain future; rather, they exist in past, present and future simultaneously."
"How did you know that?" Newcombe inquired, but no one paid him any heed.
"So the prophecy will come true?" Winterbourne asked. "No matter what we do, the real Child of Skulls will eventually come along, take command of these entities and set them loose on the world?
"He's already here," Dodge murmured, loud enough that only Hobbs could hear. The priest met his stare and gave a slight nod. "They wait now for the command. If it is not given, they will become more… persuasive."
"What can we do?"
Hobbs' smiled his sad smile again. "There is nothing you can do. It's fate."
"I don't accept that."
The Padre shrugged. "Then if it pleases you to think otherwise, know that I freely choose this destiny. Now, take my daughter away from here. Promise to protect her and I promise that I will hold the line until such time as it no longer matters."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the robed entities took note. In unison, they began moving toward him, their robes seemingly floating over the floor.
The significance of her father's words finally hit home for Molly. "What?"
"Molly, girl. Who else would you trust with this job?" He turned back to Dodge. "Go back the way you came. The way is clear. I've freed those poor souls from the airplane. Go quickly."
Molly however was not finished. She darted forward and grasped her father's lapels. "You're coming with us. I won't leave without you."
There was a scrabbling sound and before anyone could move to stop him, Schadel sprang to his feet and hurled himself through the arched portal, vanishing instantly into the illusion. Hurricane started to pursue, but Hobbs forestalled him. "Let him go. His power is broken. He's no threat to anyone anymore. But you are all in great danger. I can hold them here…"
Suddenly the cassocks fell away to reveal hideous demon faces, hissing and sneering at Hobbs. The entities were now fully aware that Hobbs, their ruler long foretold, was not going to deliver them to the land of promise, but would instead force them to wander a while longer in the wilderness and they weren't happy about it.
"Take her!" Hobbs ordered more forcefully. He pushed Molly away, into Dodge's arms and struck a fighting stance as the robed giants began to tighten the circle. "Go!"
Molly struggled in his grip, but Dodge held fast and backed away, careful not to brush against the robed entities. Maybe there was no danger from a glancing contact, but he wasn't going to take any chances. As soon as he was past, the illusion began to fade like fog at the sun's rising. Instead of robed figures, he now saw what looked more like enormous snakes made of quicksilver writhing in a sinuous dance around the center of the original carved basilica. With each passing moment, more of the shapes flooded in. Entities trapped in the strange metal columns, awakened from their long sleep in buried ruins scattered across the planet, had burrowed through the earth's crust to demand one thing from their new master.
At the center of the gyre, Hobbs sat lotus-style, head bowed slightly and refused them.
Molly, sobbing, still fought against Dodge's restraining embrace and despite their difference in size, it was all he could do to hold her back. Hurricane, sensing that she might give him the slip, clamped a beefy hand on her shoulder. "You can leave on your feet, Molly or I can take you out over my shoulder, but either way, you're doin' what your father told you to."
Her red-rimmed eyes shot daggers at him, but she nodded, relenting in her struggle. Dodge didn't wait for her to change her mind, but instead hastened her toward the arch. The others followed, with Hurricane bringing up the rear. Dodge cast a final glance over his shoulder, but Hobbs was gone, completely hidden behind a wall of fluid metal.
Then, a groaning rumble shuddered up through the stone and Dodge knew that things were about to get a lot worse.
CHAPTER 20 — THE CHILDREN OF GOD
The last remaining survivors of Flight 19 were the only remaining obstacle to freedom, not because they were still enslaved to Schadel's hypnotic command, but rather because the puppet strings had been cut. They had awakened from a nightmare to find themselves on a narrow stone bridge, over an evidently bottomless abyss, in the middle of what seemed to be an earthquake.
Something was happening on the other side of the arch; something that even Newcombe with all of his scientific expertise would probably never be able to fully explain. Perhaps it was the sheer weight of so many entities in one place or perhaps it was a result of the energy they drew from the earth's magnetic field. Whatever the cause, the basilica seemed to be wrenching itself free of the cave system.