Contest by Matthew Reilly

Author:Matthew Reilly
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-11-16T20:01:50.062000+00:00

CANCELLED

RESET.

14:57 was flashing.

Swain smiled at Selexin. 'There's no outer door. This is the last one.'

'How do you know, Daddy?' Holly asked.

'Because,' Selexin said, 'your father's wristband is set to initialise an automatic

detonation sequence of fifteen minutes as soon as it senses that it is outside the energy

field of this labyrinth.'

'What?' Holly said.

Swain said, 'He means that if I move outside the electric field that's all around this

building, this wristband will explode unless I get back inside in fifteen minutes.'

'And do you see that?' Selexin pointed to the readout, the flashing 14:57. 'The

countdown started when he put his wrist outside the door.'

'Which means,' Swain continued, 'that once we're outside this door, we're outside the

electrical field, and outside the labyrinth.'

'Right,' Selexin said.

'So let's go,' Holly said. 'Let's get out of this place.'

'We can't,' Swain said sadly, 'or, at least, I can't. Not yet.'

'Why not?' Holly said.

'Because of the wristband,' Selexin sighed.

Swain nodded. 'I can't get it off. And if I don't, I'll only last fifteen minutes before

this thing explodes.'

'Then we had better find a way to get it off,' Selexin said.

'How?' Swain said, shaking his wrist. The wristband was hard and strong, a thick

steel clamp. 'Look at it. It's as solid as a rock. We'd need an axe or a hammer to break it

open, and someone strong enough to crack it.'

'I bet Balthazar could do it,' Holly said. 'He's really big. And I bet he's really strong,

too.'

'And when we last saw him, he was not strong enough to stand up by himself,'

Selexin said sourly.

'We don't even know if he and Hawkins are still alive,' Swain said. 'There has to be

another way.'

Selexin said, 'Maybe they have a vice around here that we could squeeze it in. Snap

it open with the pressure.'

'In a library? Not likely.'

Frustrated, Selexin sat down next to the semi-opened door, staring at the escape he

couldn't use. Swain was also gazing at the door, deep in thought. Holly held him tightly

by the arm.

'Well, first of all,' Swain said, 'we have to get you guys out. After that, I'll just have

to find a way to get this thing off and then meet you outside.' He snorted. 'Hmph. Maybe I

should go and ask Bellos if he'd like to have a try. I'm sure he'd like that.'

'He'd definitely be strong enough,' Selexin said.

'But would he do it?' Swain scoffed.

'Gladly,' a deep baritone voice said from somewhere behind him.

—––ooo0ooo———

Swain spun.

There, right in front of him, standing in one of the aisles perpendicular to the western

wall, stood Bellos.

Swain felt a chill at the sight of the man. His body, his face, his long tapering horns,

everything about him was black. Except for his breastplate, which Swain now clearly saw

to be beautifully crafted in gold.

And he was tall, taller than he had seemed before. At least seven feet.

'Greetings, fellow competitor. Before you stands Bellos—'

'I know who you are,' Swain said softly.

Bellos cocked his head in astonishment.

'Where are your hoods?' Swain asked calmly, as Selexin and Holly slowly got to

their feet beside him. 'You don't fight without them, do you?'

Bellos chuckled evilly.

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