Part 36 (1/2)
”There's a comforting thought.”
”I think maybe he crawled back there when he realized he was dying.”
”Which means whatever killed him is still in here.”
”Yes.”
”Swell.”
Ken sighed. ”Just one more thing to think about as we explore.”
NEZUMA STOPPED and frowned. and frowned.
He could hear voices. The sound of lots of voices was coming from behind the door down the hall.
They were excited about something. And from the numbers he heard, there was no way Nezuma could successfully take down all of them without the risk of injury or death to himself.
He did what made the most tactical sense to him.
He waited.
”I FOUND SOMETHING FOUND SOMETHING.”
Annja followed the sound of Ken's voice to another wall. ”What is it?”
”A series of three holes in a horizontal line, s.p.a.ced about twelve inches from each other.”
”How big are the holes?” Annja asked.
”Only big enough to get my hand into.”
Annja took a deep breath. ”Why is it I'm having flashbacks to when I went scuba diving and the dive masters told us to never stick our hands into the holes in coral because of the moray eels that lived there?”
”I was thinking there might be spiders up here,” Ken said. ”But I understand what you're saying.”
”You think there's any other way to do this?” Annja asked.
”Have you found anything else?”
”No.”
”Neither have I.” Ken sighed. ”Yes, I think this must be it.”
”I don't suppose you can see anything by looking in?”
Ken chuckled in the darkness. ”I didn't stick my eye right up to the opening but I tried to squint and see. Nothing.”
”Figures.”
”I'm going to do it, Annja. I have to stick my hand in one of these holes and see what happens.”
Annja heard him breathing deeply and knew he'd be closing his eyes to check with his instincts about which hole might be the safe one.
”Okay,” he whispered.
”You know which one you're going to choose?”
”The middle one,” he said.
”Good luck, Ken.”
”Thanks. Here I go.”
Annja held her breath. She heard the rustle of skin against stone as Ken stuck his hand in.
”It's deep.”
Annja waited.
Ken breathed out in a rush. ”There's something in here.”
”Pull your hand out, Ken!”
She heard him bringing his hand back. He was breathing fast. What could have bitten him? Annja wondered. Would they be able to get help? Where were those stupid monks?
”Annja.” Ken's voice sounded like a faint whisper.
”Yes?”
”I think I have the vajra vajra.”
As soon as the words registered, Annja felt like screaming. But she didn't because the next thing she knew, the entire room was filled with brilliant golden white light.
Annja couldn't see a thing.
36.
When she finally managed to blink her way back to full vision, Annja saw that they were in a large room surrounded by roughly twenty monks including Eiji. All of the monks smiled, but Eiji's smile was larger than any other.
”You found it,” he said.
Ken held it aloft. ”Yes.”