by Jon Mayhew
‘Give weapons,’ one of the Qualar said in a gulping voice.
Dakkar took the knife and the pistol from his belt and handed them over.
‘In here,’ another Qualar said.
He opened the door and Dakkar stepped into a sumptuously decorated room. Colourful tapestries hung from the walls. A bed with a thick mattress filled one corner, next to a writing table and chair. A huge tank full of fish lined a whole wall.
‘But where will Georgia –’ Dakkar began, but the door slammed in his face and a key turned in the lock.
Dakkar threw himself at the door. It was too late. He was locked in.
Chapter Twenty-One
Secrets
Dakkar sat on the bed and took a deep breath. He wanted to scream, to grab the carved chair and smash it through the fish tank. But that wouldn’t help. Anger has no eyes, he thought. His mother used to say that. It meant that when you’re angry you’re careless. Use your eyes, Dakkar!
He crossed the room to the door and peered through the keyhole. It would be simple to pick, he thought, scanning the room for anything he could use as a tool. Oginski had taught Dakkar how many things worked, and encouraged him to dismantle objects. Old locks were the first things on which he worked.
Two lamps gave light to the room – one hung from the wall, the other stood on the table. The handle of the oil lamp on the table was composed of several strands of thick wire curved round from the base to the lid. Blowing the flame out, he wrapped the lamp in sheets from his bed to protect him from the heat and slammed the lamp to the floor. The handle snapped at the second attempt. Dakkar smoothed one of the strands out and approached the lock.
The light was dim now and Dakkar held his tongue between his teeth as he concentrated on teasing the levers in the lock casing. In the distance, he could hear a metallic clunking and a strange roar echoed through the keyhole. Dakkar shivered. Suddenly the lock gave a click and he pulled the door open a crack.
The corridor looked clear. Cryptos had underestimated him.
Sidling along the wall of the passage, Dakkar listened. Where is Georgia? Should he follow the metallic thumping sound? More doors dotted the walls of the tunnel. He decided to try one of these and reached for the next door handle.
The room behind the door lay in darkness. The feeble light from the torches in the corridor outside cast a rectangle of light into it. Dakkar could make out some bars but it was the eye-watering dung smell that hit him first and made him pull his head back. As he did, a roar deafened his ears and huge leathery fingers whipped the air in front of him.
A massive gorilla towered over Dakkar. It gripped the bars of the cage and rattled them angrily, baring its yellow fangs at him and banging its forehead against the cold metal. Dakkar backed out, slamming the door shut.
‘Giant creatures,’ Dakkar murmured, thinking back to the island of the terror birds.
He crept further down the passage and came to a set of rough stairs. Footsteps echoed down the corridor. Dakkar scanned from left to right, searching for somewhere to hide. He even considered running back to the gorilla room. A narrow tunnel opened on to the passage just above him. He jumped, grabbing the lip of the entrance, and heaved himself up. He just had time to drag himself into the narrow vent before two human guards strode by, rifles at the ready.
A hot breeze blew over Dakkar, bringing with it the metallic thumping he’d heard before. An eerie red glow illuminated the far end of this narrow passage. Gasping with the effort, Dakkar managed to turn himself round and crawled along towards the sound and light.
It must have been a natural vent hole, Dakkar thought. Debris littered the ground and it was so narrow his back brushed against the top. The drop at the other end broke his train of thought as he nearly crawled out into open air.
Dragging himself back into the vent, Dakkar looked out over the chamber below. The vent exited from a sheer wall a hundred feet up from a glassy floor. Somewhere high above, a circle of daylight cut through the shadows. This was the top of the volcano.
In the centre of the chamber stood a colossal machine. It was a massive cylinder, short and squat and standing on four metal legs. Attached to its base was an enormous corkscrew cone. Qualar seethed across the chamber, carrying sheets of plate metal. They clambered all over the machine using ropes and ladders, lifting their metal to workers at the top, who hammered and riveted them in place. They reminded Dakkar of insects scurrying all over a carcass.
It looks like some kind of digging machine, he thought, staring at the monstrosity that dominated the room.
In among the workers, Dakkar could see the odd ragged human, staggering under the weight of his load. Other Qualar and black-uniformed human guards stood at the sides of the room or at the base of the ladders. They held spears and guns. Some cracked whips at workers who stumbled or staggered. Clearly not all inhabitants of Qualarium were willing servants of Cryptos.
Dakkar watched for a while, trying to guess the exact nature of the machine. All the time, his attention was drawn to the brutality of the guards, beating and whipping any who fell behind.
Having seen enough, he scrambled back along the tunnel, his breath sounding deafening in the confined space. Slowly, he lowered himself into the main passage and made his way onward, passing more doorways as he went. Some were storerooms, silent and still, but others concealed growling creatures. He glanced through barred windows, hoping to find Georgia or Oginski.
The tunnel climbed gradually and came to a solid metal door. Dakkar could hear raised voices from behind it. Creeping closer to the door, he pressed his ear to the metal. It felt cool against his cheek.
‘Please, if you have the boy, then let me see him,’ said a deep, rumbling voice.
Dakkar recognised it instantly. Oginski! He made to push at the door but the next voice sent a shiver down his spine and he froze.
‘When the Mole is finished and I have what I want,’ Cryptos said, ‘you can spend all eternity together. Unless the boy chooses to stay with me, of course.’
‘He would never do that,’ Oginski snarled.
‘Even when he learns the truth?’ Cryptos said.
The truth? About what? Dakkar pushed the door open and peered through the crack. Oginski stood in the middle of a large hall. It reminded Dakkar of his father’s throne room, where merchants and peasants alike would come to beg for favours or mercy. The sedan chair had been set down at the end of the long room and other chairs stood around a table big enough for a great feast. It was richly decorated but Dakkar barely noticed the details as he stared at Oginski.
The big man had lost some weight but still had an impressive presence. Worry lined his face and his sleeves were rolled up as if he had been working on something.
Cryptos stood across the room, flanked by five Qualar guards armed with sharp spears and swords.
‘I don’t believe Dakkar is capable of the evil you want to teach him,’ Oginski said, clenching his huge fists.
Cryptos heaved a sigh. ‘Franciszek,’ he said wearily, and it sounded strange to Dakkar to hear Oginski’s first name spoken out loud. ‘Frank, my brother. Is it evil to want to bring peace to this troubled world? To free people? To throw down despots?’
‘Throw down?’ Oginski spat. ‘Only to put yourself in their place.’
But Dakkar wasn’t listening any more. Brother? Cryptos called Oginski his brother? He remembered the pirate’s story. Is it true?
A cold metal point pricked Dakkar’s shoulder, making him yelp and stumble forward. A Qualar guard had crept up on him and now stood behind him as Dakkar fell into the room, crashing the door open as he went.
Cryptos’s guards leapt forward. Two levelled spears at Oginski’s throat while two put themselves between Cryptos and Dakkar.
‘Dakkar!’ Oginski whispered, his face full of emotion.
‘Ah! Your highness.’ Cryptos smiled, regaining his composure quickly. ‘I am impressed. I hadn’t expected you to escape so quickly.’
‘Dakkar. What are you doing here?’ Oginski hissed. ‘I told you to go back to your father, not to look for me.’
‘How could I do that?’ Dakkar said, his heart sinking. He wanted to give Oginski a hug. To say how glad he was to see him safe. ‘You were kidnapped. Mrs Evans, she . . .’ Dakkar could feel tears burning the back of his eyes. ‘I thought Blizzard had taken you. I chased his ship but . . .’
‘You should be congratulating the boy,’ Cryptos cried, shaking his head. ‘He has overcome impossible odds to get here. He showed a ruthless determination. A single-mindedness that once you would have been proud of, my brother.’
‘It is true,’ Oginski said, acknowledging the question in Dakkar’s eyes. ‘This is Kazmer Oginski, my brother. Though the years have changed us in different ways –’
‘Yes,’ Cryptos interrupted. ‘You have forgotten the evil that brought us to this place. The deaths of our mother, our father and the beauteous Celina, all at the hands of a Russian tyrant. We made a vow to avenge ourselves on all nations that impose their will on others. A vow that you quickly forgot.’
Oginski lunged at Cryptos, only to be grabbed by the guards and held tight in their grasp.
‘I never forgot,’ Oginski said through gritted teeth. ‘I just sickened of the pointless slaughter.’
‘We railed against the world at first, Dakkar,’ Cryptos said, shaking his head sadly. ‘We drowned our sorrows in a sea of violence. Once the vow was made, we went our own separate ways. I became a pirate, striking terror into the fleets of the world’s nations.’
‘You became a monster,’ Oginski cut in.
Cryptos inclined his head. ‘Maybe,’ he said. ‘But the brothers met once more. We all realised the futility of our actions. Why fight alone when together we could be a formidable force? Why face the limitless power of the enemy on the battlefield when we could fight covertly? When we could stab in the dark and flee? And so “Cryptos” was born. I am Count Cryptos but so are all my brothers. So is Oginski here.’
‘Never!’ Oginski yelled, and lunged again.
‘Kings love their flags and trumpets, their pomp and ceremony,’ Cryptos sneered, turning to Dakkar. ‘But sometimes it’s better to be nobody, Dakkar – unknown, unnoticed, until the last, fatal moment. We will strike at the heart of nations and they will never even know what killed them.’
‘But why?’ Dakkar asked, his heart thundering.
‘Why?’ Cryptos smiled. ‘Because the rulers of the world’s great nations are corrupt. They’re happy to squabble and fight in endless wars. We will stop all that. We will unite the world under our leadership. But to do that we must tear down the so-called civilisation that already exists.’
‘You will kill millions of people,’ Oginski said, struggling to break free.
Again, Cryptos inclined his head in agreement. His eyes looked sad, almost tearful, to Dakkar.
‘That is true,’ Cryptos said. ‘But the sacrifice will be worth it when we live in peace and prosperity.’
‘You’re mad,’ Dakkar gasped. ‘There are just six of you. Even with a small army, how can you change the world?’
‘It only takes one man to change the world, Dakkar,’ Cryptos said, fixing him with an intense stare. ‘I’ve bred an army of giant creatures. You saw my first unfortunate mistakes when you visited my previous island stronghold. I was particularly proud of those terror birds but they were hard to control. Yet here, with the help of the Qualar, I’ve amassed a mighty force. What fleet could stand against a shoal of giant squid? What army could fight creatures that mindlessly do my bidding?’
‘You set that monster on Blizzard’s ship,’ Dakkar said, staring at Cryptos. ‘You sent it to attack me, didn’t you? And the giant crab at the castle was your doing.’
‘Tests for both you and the creatures. My Qualar have been shepherding them towards you throughout your odyssey. But our plans go far beyond the brute force of such beasts,’ Cryptos sneered, striding across the room and pulling back a curtain. ‘And I think you’ll be willing to help me.’
Dakkar gave a gasp. Three large glass tanks were set into the wall. Strange eel-like creatures swam over and under each other in the first. They were thick and black, squirming around in the slimy green water that filled the tank. The second tank held a man, ragged and scorched. Dirt smudged his face and his long, grey beard. He pressed his calloused hands against the thick glass. In the third, glowering in the corner, sat Georgia.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Choices and Threats
Before Dakkar could say a word, the door banged open and two more guards dragged a man into the throne room. He looked a younger man than Oginski, with a head of thick, curly brown hair and a pointed nose. Where Oginski stood tall and muscle-bound, he stooped slightly, carrying a lot of weight around his middle.
‘Uncle Robert!’ Georgia cried, jumping up and hammering on the glass.
‘Georgia?’ Fulton gasped, peering through his glasses into the tank and then glancing at Cryptos. ‘What’s going on? What is my niece doing here?’
‘How touching,’ Cryptos sighed as Fulton tried to run at the glass only to be restrained by the Qualar guards. ‘Your niece came to rescue you, Fulton. She shows spirit. I admire that in anyone.’
‘Let her go!’ Fulton demanded.
‘No,’ Cryptos said, strolling over to the glass tanks. ‘Oh, don’t worry. I won’t harm her, just as long as you cooperate.’
‘We’ve helped you build the Nautilus,’ Oginski said, narrowing his eyes at Cryptos. ‘What else would you have us do?’
‘You don’t fool me, Oginski. I know you’ve been looking for ways to use the Nautilus to escape. Why else would you cooperate with me? No, my eye is on a bigger prize. Deep below the sea that surrounds this island,’ Cryptos said, running a finger down the glass, ‘lies the Eye of Neptune, an ancient source of unlimited power.’
‘That sounds like hocus-pocus,’ Fulton sneered. ‘Tribal legends? I thought you’d be more rational than believe in that, Cryptos.’
‘I believe that the Eye is a Voltalith,’ Cryptos said. ‘Oh, that got your attention, didn’t it?’
‘What’s a Voltalith?’ Dakkar said, frowning at Oginski.
‘A fragment of rock that holds a static charge,’ Cryptos cut in before Oginski could answer. ‘I believe the rock is from deepest space. It crackles with electricity.’
‘But we’re engineers,’ Fulton said, shrugging. ‘We know nothing of electricity.’
‘You’re a brilliant natural philosopher, Mr Fulton,’ Cryptos said, smirking. ‘But you’re a poor liar. Both the submersibles you built had devices that electrocuted attackers. You know enough to help me harness the power of the Eye of Neptune. Once it’s cut into smaller pieces, it will power a whole fleet of submersibles and drive all manner of machines.’
‘Why don’t the Qualar get it for you?’ Dakkar demanded.
‘The Qualar are a superstitious race. Their fear of it is even greater than their fear of me,’ Cryptos said with a shrug. ‘On a more practical note, any living thing that goes near the Eye dies a horrible death.’
‘Then you could use that Nautilus craft to get it,’ Dakkar countered.
‘It isn’t quite ready,’ Cryptos said. ‘Your little craft will do the job nicely, with a few modifications.’
‘So you want to use the Liberty to get this Eye of Neptune?’ Dakkar said, his arms folded.
‘You’ve proven yourself to be an adept captain,’ Cryptos said, smiling. ‘If you collect the Eye of Neptune for me, Georgia will remain safe.’
‘The boy can’t go,’ Oginski burst out. ‘I’ll do it.’
‘Prince Dakkar will go,’ Cryptos said. He tapped on the glass and pointed to the bedraggled man in the glass tank. ‘This man here tried to escape from my mines on the island. He will provide us with an accurate demonstration of what will happen to Georgia if you do not do as I say.’
Cryptos pulled a lever in the wall and the glass partition between the
man and the eels slid up. The man’s eyes widened and he slammed his fists against the sides as water and eels sloshed into his tank.
‘Technically speaking, they aren’t eels,’ Cryptos said, sounding mildly surprised. ‘They’re a kind of fish found in the swamps of the southern Americas. Observe.’
The eels slithered around the man’s legs. He pushed himself against the back of the tank. Suddenly the water vibrated and the man shook, his eyes rolling back in his head. For a moment, he went rigid, his hair standing on end, then he slumped into the water, dead.
‘A massive electric shock delivered by the fish,’ Cryptos said. ‘I didn’t even have to breed them to make them so large.’
Georgia crushed herself back against the far wall of her tank and stared in horror at the dead man as the eels slithered over him.
Fulton rushed to Georgia’s tank and put his hands against it.
‘You monster,’ Dakkar spat. ‘That man was defenceless.’
‘You think your precious Oginski’s hands are so clean?’ Cryptos said, his voice hardening. ‘Does your father not execute prisoners?’
‘My father would make you pay for the way you’ve treated me!’ Dakkar said coldly.
‘Interesting,’ Cryptos muttered, stroking his beard. ‘You really don’t know, do you?’
‘Know what?’ Dakkar growled back, trying not to stare at the slumped figure in the water.
‘Have you heard from your father lately?’ Cryptos said, raising his eyebrows.
Dakkar saw Oginski tense. ‘No,’ he muttered. ‘He has many enemies. Oginski has to keep our location secret –’
Cryptos cut Dakkar off with a bellowing laugh. ‘Foolish boy!’ he said. ‘So my brother even has to keep your whereabouts secret from your own father, does he?’
‘I don’t know,’ Dakkar said, casting a searching glance at Oginski.
‘You were kidnapped!’ Cryptos yelled in triumph. ‘Cast your mind back to that day in Liverpool. Were there any formal introductions? Any letters confirming identification?’