‘In fact, your father gave me this assignment,’ Phiri continues. ‘I was responsible for a team that allowed a Garde to escape from the West Virginia stronghold. The punishment was either death or a journey here. Not much of a choice, really. You see, if we fail, we’ll all be executed anyway. The only way to live is for us to deliver the Sanctuary.’
At the word ‘Sanctuary,’ Phiri makes a sarcastically dramatic gesture with her two bandaged hands that encompasses the whole of the temple. I hesitate for a moment to listen to what else she has to say.
‘There’s not a day goes by that I don’t wonder if I made the wrong decision. Maybe a quick death would have been better. You see, Sutekh, all of us were sent here as punishment,’ Phiri explains. It occurs to me that she’s not just talking to Adam – she’s also trying to fire up her troops. Maybe morale gets low in the jungle. ‘We were sent to this forsaken place to bring down the impenetrable shield that surrounds whatever spoils the Loric have hidden within. For all of us, it is our last chance to impress Beloved Leader. It’s the perfect place for a traitor like you.’
Phiri crouches down in front of Adam.
‘So do you know the secret to the Sanctuary? Have you come here to redeem yourself at last?’
‘Yeah,’ comes Adam’s groggy reply. ‘If it’s a force field, try throwing yourself at it.’
Phiri actually laughs at Adam’s quip. It’s that laugh that gets me moving again – it has an air of menace to it, like her little sideshow is about to wrap up. That means we have to hurry.
I tug Marina and we slip behind the gathered Mogadorians. Adam’s created one hell of a diversion – if we were sticking to the plan, we could make it inside the perimeter of the Sanctuary easily. But I’m not willing to leave Adam to his fate, and I don’t think Marina is either. Instead of heading for the temple, we move swiftly towards one of the mounted blaster turrets that the Mogs have been using to fruitlessly fire at whatever force protects the Sanctuary.
‘Throw myself at it,’ Phiri is repeating, her laughter dying down. ‘That isn’t such a bad idea, Sutekh. Why don’t you go first?’
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Phiri signal to a couple of the warriors in her command. They hustle forward and wrestle Adam to his feet. With Phiri leading the way, the Mogs drag Adam towards the invisible line that divides the cleared Mogadorian section of jungle with the untouched portion surrounding the temple.
‘We’ve tried everything short of atomic bombardment to cross into the Sanctuary,’ Phiri says, conversationally. ‘It’s said Beloved Leader knows a way in. It involves the Garde and their little pendants. As you know, they’ve proven to be … elusive. But if you believe the Great Book – and I do – then you know nothing can stand in the way of Mogadorian Progress. Which means this damned force field will come down. I intend to trample whatever Loric magic is keeping us out, in the name of Beloved Leader.’
‘Then why haven’t you done it already?’ Adam replies. ‘If nothing can stand in the way of Mogadorian Progress, why aren’t you making any?’
‘Maybe because I never had a pretty trueborn boy’s face to use as a battering ram.’
Marina and I reach the nearest turret. Together, we climb up the steps on the back of the blaster. The thing looks like a mounted jackhammer. There is a windshield with a crosshairs placed over the barrel. There are two handles for turning the gun, with triggers that look like the brakes of a bicycle set next to them.
‘Will you be able to fire this thing?’ I whisper to Marina.
‘Aim, squeeze, shoot,’ Marina whispers back. ‘It’s pretty intuitive, Six.’
‘All right,’ I reply. ‘Hold on.’
The gun turret requires two hands to operate. Even though all the Mogs are facing away from us, I don’t want to go visible and chance one of them glancing back and ruining our ambush. I carefully place my hand on the back of Marina’s neck before letting go of her hand. This way, she’s able to operate the turret while the two of us still remain invisible. Slowly, Marina starts moving the turret so that it’s pointed at the Mogs. The gun needs oiling – it makes a metallic whine when she moves it. I wave my free hand in the air and quickly summon a strong gust of wind to cover the sound.
‘Let me give you a preview of what you’re in for,’ Phiri is saying. She’s got Adam right in front of the invisible barrier now, her goons forcing him on to his knees. She unwraps the bandages around one of her hands, revealing horribly charred flesh. ‘This is what the Loric shield does when we mistakenly run up against it.’
‘You should be more careful,’ Adam replies.
At a nod from Phiri, the two warriors grapple Adam into a half-bent position, securing his arm so that they can press it against the force field.
Phiri leers down at Adam. ‘There are rumors about you, Sutekh. They say you’re part Garde now. Maybe you’re just what we need to get into the Sanctuary. Maybe a freak like you will short-circuit the force field and today will be the day we enter the Sanctuary in the name of Beloved Leader.’
‘One way or another, today’s your last day at the Sanctuary,’ Adam replies through gritted teeth. ‘I promise you that.’
Adam’s words make Phiri hesitate. She glances back towards our ship, suddenly realizing that maybe Adam didn’t come alone. She’s too late.