Tombquest: Book of the Dead

A New Path

They made it back through the passage intact. The traps were the same on the way out, and Ren hadn't grown any taller. The leap over the pit was a little scary in the dark, but now she knew what to expect. Once they landed on the other side, their worries immediately shifted back to Todtman.

Their worries were misplaced.

They emerged from the tomb to find someone hopelessly outnumbered, but it wasn't Todtman. The scorpion sting had dropped him to the floor — he was kneeling, right knee up and left knee down — but everything else was going quite well.

One of the construction workers was closing in on Al-Dab'u from the left with a raised hammer. Another approached from the right with a power drill.

Todtman watched them like a proud papa. The other workers formed a circle around the action: reinforcements. From a distance, Alex thought it had the look of a school-yard fight. Well, except for the power tools.

"They switched sides," said Ren. "All of them."

"He's controlling them," said Alex. He understood now. "Remember what he said, 'A watcher can also be a boss, an overseer'?"

"That's pretty boss," agreed Ren.

Al-Dab'u extended his hand menacingly as the workers closed in, first twisting one to the floor, then crushing the breath from another, but he was surrounded and couldn't take them all at once. His mask pivoted around, its permanent grin now looking comically optimistic. The hollow eyes swept over Alex and Ren. He didn't know how they had returned from the tomb alive, but he knew what it meant.

He swung back, his ratty robe briefly whirling into a bell shape. With one final wave of his hand, the worker closest to him was sent reeling. Todtman sent what looked like the fastest of the construction crew after him, but Al-Dab'u was too quick. He leapt through the heavy curtain. Alex wondered if he remembered that the edge of the old subway platform was right on the other side. A loud thump told him he had not.

Alex and Ren ran over to Todtman. "Are you okay?" asked Ren.

"I've been better," said Todtman.

Alex was surprised to see that, despite the pain he must be feeling, Todtman was wearing a weary smile. "Well," he said, looking down modestly. "It is more exciting than cataloging pottery." He let his hand fall from his amulet.

He tried to stand, but his left leg wouldn't hold him. Alex and Ren got on either side of him and pulled him up. A fog seemed to lift from the construction workers, and they milled around the platform in confusion.

"Manny, is that you?" said one.

"Yeah, it's me, Rich," said Manny. "But where are we?"

"Hey," said Rich. "Look at that. It's the library lion!"

The workers all turned to look, seeing it for the first time with wide, startled eyes.

"The library is going to want that back," said Ren.

"I think we will be able to arrange that," said Todtman. "Eventually, anyway. For now, it may be a little ... overdue."

Ren shook her head. "Imagine the fine ..."

"Hey, who are you guys?" said Manny, zeroing in on the trio. "What are you doing here? What are we doing here?"

"I hate to do this," said Todtman, reaching up and grasping his amulet.

"Do what?" said Manny. A moment later, his eyes went blank again.

Alex and Ren looked around. All the workers had the placid expressions and drooping posture of sleepwalkers. Todtman whispered a few words in what Alex now recognized as an ancient Egyptian dialect. One by one, the construction workers wandered toward the flap of the heavy gray curtain.