coming out!” Sari stammered.
And before I could react, Sari leaped out from our hiding place behind the stones — and stepped into Dr. Fielding’s path.
“Dr. Fielding,” she cried loudly, “where is my dad?”
I pushed myself away from the stones and hurried after Sari. I could see Dr. Fielding’s eyes spinning wildly. He didn’t answer her question.
“Where is my dad?” Sari repeated shrilly.
Dr. Fielding acted as if he didn’t see Sari. He stepped past her, walking stiffly, awkwardly, his arms straight down.
“Dr. Fielding?” Sari called after him.
He hurried through the darkness toward the row of tents.
Sari turned back to me, her features tight with fear. “He’s done something to Daddy!” she cried. “I
know
he has!”
19
I turned back to the pyramid opening. Still dark and silent.
The only sound now was the howling of the wind around the stone pyramid wall.
“Dr. Fielding totally ignored me!” Sari cried, her face revealing her anger. “He stormed past me as if I weren’t here!”
“I — I know,” I stammered weakly.
“And did you see the look on his face?” she demanded. “So evil. So totally evil!”
“Sari —” I started. “Maybe —”
“Gabe, we have to go find Daddy!” Sari interrupted. She grabbed my arm and started pulling me to the pyramid opening. “Hurry!”
“No, Sari, wait!” I insisted, tugging out of her grasp. “We can’t go stumbling around the pyramid in the dark. We’ll just get lost. We’ll never find Uncle Ben!”
“We’ll go back to the tent and get lights,” she replied. “Quick, Gabe —”
I raised a hand to stop her. “Wait here, Sari,” I instructed. “Watch for your dad. Chances are, he’ll be climbing out in a few moments. I’ll run and get some flashlights.”
Staring at the dark opening, she started to argue. But then she changed her mind and agreed to my plan.
My heart pounding, I ran all the way back to the tent. I stopped at the tent opening and gazed down the row of tents, searching for Dr. Fielding.
No sign of him.
In the tent, I grabbed two flashlights. Then I went hurtling back to the pyramid.
Please,
I begged silently as I ran.
Please be out of the pyramid, Uncle Ben. Please be safe.
But as I frantically made my way over the sand, I could see Sari standing by herself. Even from a distance, I could see her frightened expression as she paced tensely back and forth in front of the pyramid opening.
Uncle Ben, where are you?
I wondered.
Why haven’t you come out of the pyramid? Are you okay?
Sari and I didn’t say a word. There was no need.
We clicked on the flashlights, then made our way into the pyramid opening. It seemed much steeper than I remembered. I nearly lost my balance, lowering myself to the tunnel floor.
Our lights crisscrossed over the dirt floor. I raised mine to the low ceiling. Keeping the light high, I led the way through the curving tunnel.
Creeping along slowly, I trailed one hand against the wall to steady myself. The wall felt soft and crumbly. Sari kept on my heels, her bright beam of light playing over the floor in front of our feet.
She stopped suddenly as the tunnel curved into a small empty chamber. “How do we know we’re going in the right direction?” she asked, her voice a quavering whisper.
I shrugged, breathing hard. “I thought you knew your way,” I murmured.
“I’ve only been down here with Daddy,” she replied, her eyes over my shoulders, searching the empty chamber.
“We’ll keep going until we find him,” I told her, forcing myself to sound braver than I felt.
She stepped in front of me, shining the light over the chamber walls. “Daddy!” she shouted. “Daddy? Can you hear me?”
Her voice echoed down the tunnel. Even the echo sounded frightened.
We froze in place and listened for a reply.
Silence.
“Come on,” I urged. I had to lower my head to step into the next narrow tunnel.
Where did it lead? Were we heading towardPrince Khor-Ru’s
And before I could react, Sari leaped out from our hiding place behind the stones — and stepped into Dr. Fielding’s path.
“Dr. Fielding,” she cried loudly, “where is my dad?”
I pushed myself away from the stones and hurried after Sari. I could see Dr. Fielding’s eyes spinning wildly. He didn’t answer her question.
“Where is my dad?” Sari repeated shrilly.
Dr. Fielding acted as if he didn’t see Sari. He stepped past her, walking stiffly, awkwardly, his arms straight down.
“Dr. Fielding?” Sari called after him.
He hurried through the darkness toward the row of tents.
Sari turned back to me, her features tight with fear. “He’s done something to Daddy!” she cried. “I
know
he has!”
19
I turned back to the pyramid opening. Still dark and silent.
The only sound now was the howling of the wind around the stone pyramid wall.
“Dr. Fielding totally ignored me!” Sari cried, her face revealing her anger. “He stormed past me as if I weren’t here!”
“I — I know,” I stammered weakly.
“And did you see the look on his face?” she demanded. “So evil. So totally evil!”
“Sari —” I started. “Maybe —”
“Gabe, we have to go find Daddy!” Sari interrupted. She grabbed my arm and started pulling me to the pyramid opening. “Hurry!”
“No, Sari, wait!” I insisted, tugging out of her grasp. “We can’t go stumbling around the pyramid in the dark. We’ll just get lost. We’ll never find Uncle Ben!”
“We’ll go back to the tent and get lights,” she replied. “Quick, Gabe —”
I raised a hand to stop her. “Wait here, Sari,” I instructed. “Watch for your dad. Chances are, he’ll be climbing out in a few moments. I’ll run and get some flashlights.”
Staring at the dark opening, she started to argue. But then she changed her mind and agreed to my plan.
My heart pounding, I ran all the way back to the tent. I stopped at the tent opening and gazed down the row of tents, searching for Dr. Fielding.
No sign of him.
In the tent, I grabbed two flashlights. Then I went hurtling back to the pyramid.
Please,
I begged silently as I ran.
Please be out of the pyramid, Uncle Ben. Please be safe.
But as I frantically made my way over the sand, I could see Sari standing by herself. Even from a distance, I could see her frightened expression as she paced tensely back and forth in front of the pyramid opening.
Uncle Ben, where are you?
I wondered.
Why haven’t you come out of the pyramid? Are you okay?
Sari and I didn’t say a word. There was no need.
We clicked on the flashlights, then made our way into the pyramid opening. It seemed much steeper than I remembered. I nearly lost my balance, lowering myself to the tunnel floor.
Our lights crisscrossed over the dirt floor. I raised mine to the low ceiling. Keeping the light high, I led the way through the curving tunnel.
Creeping along slowly, I trailed one hand against the wall to steady myself. The wall felt soft and crumbly. Sari kept on my heels, her bright beam of light playing over the floor in front of our feet.
She stopped suddenly as the tunnel curved into a small empty chamber. “How do we know we’re going in the right direction?” she asked, her voice a quavering whisper.
I shrugged, breathing hard. “I thought you knew your way,” I murmured.
“I’ve only been down here with Daddy,” she replied, her eyes over my shoulders, searching the empty chamber.
“We’ll keep going until we find him,” I told her, forcing myself to sound braver than I felt.
She stepped in front of me, shining the light over the chamber walls. “Daddy!” she shouted. “Daddy? Can you hear me?”
Her voice echoed down the tunnel. Even the echo sounded frightened.
We froze in place and listened for a reply.
Silence.
“Come on,” I urged. I had to lower my head to step into the next narrow tunnel.
Where did it lead? Were we heading towardPrince Khor-Ru’s
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