apart.
Imere, hands and feet were tied tightly, just like him, was pulled after Mr. Maverick. After a few seconds,
Sam Foy was pulled next to Imere on a broken hole of the hull.
Mr. Maverick commanded hundreds of minions to dig at the wet mud stuck inside the hull.
Mud and sand began to fly out, some fell on them. Then groups of people moved the dirt to the side of the
tunnel. Inca Gold, the copper Scroll, the Imperial Faberge egg, rubies, and diamonds…began spilling out. Inca
Gold artefacts of every kind filled the tunnel, but Mr. Maverick, by the look of him, didn’t seem to notice. Inca
Gold was treasure of the lost city of the Paititi. Each one of them was worth more than billions! But they didn’t
seem to catch Mr. Maverick’s eye. So it seemed.
Sam Foy’s mouth hung open, so much…The whole tunnel was filled with light reflected by the treasures.
More and more gold, rubies rolled in the tunnel, and out came Imperial Faberge Eggs, but still it didn’t attract
Mr. Maverick’s eye.
Although Sam Foy was astonished, he was thinking. “If even these priceless treasures couldn’t attract him,
what will?”
Suddenly, the trail of gold stopped running, leaving a big, empty room. Not entirely empty, there was a
wooden stick held in a case at the very end of the room.
“
Ha! Ha! Ha! I’ve found it! Just like what the book said. ‘Single soul in pools of light!’”
Mr. Maverick paced to it, but he soon stopped. “It is too easy for something so precious, let’s have someone
to try first…you, go there and take it.”
A random minion walked in, without any fear or worry. Then when he went ten metres close the case, a
cold sound went “Chunk!”
And “Thunk!” a head rolled in front of Sam Foy, without the body.
9
Test
“
So, it does not seem to be an easy job,” Mr. Maverick said. “How can we get in there? Let me send some
more.”
“
You! Go there.” Mr. Maverick commanded.
Another minion went in there. This time, it went slowly. Although the minions were mind controlled, they
seemed to be able to fear death.
Chop!
Another head rolled next to Sam Foy’s feet.
Chop!
And another.
These innocent people are dying! I won’t sit here and do nothing! Sam Foy thought as another minion head
rolled next to him. So he yelled.
“
Stop!”
Mr. Maverick looked at him and bellowed angrily. “What? You dare stop me now!”
“
No, you have mistaken me. I know the way in.”
“
You think I’ll fall for that?”
“
Trust me; I swear I’m not lying to you. By the way how can I get away, surrounded by so many people?”
“
You’re right.” Mr. Maverick said after a while. “Release him!”
The ropes fell off. Sam Foy stood up and slowly walked to his death.
The deep brown wooden planks made soft slushing sounds as his feet stepped on them. Marks were left
behind on the dirt where the boots were pushed in.
The book Mr. Catthew gave me…Sam Foy thought, the one about crickets…There’s a strange marking in
the end of the book, and there’s a saying too. Something like, the way of trust is marked… Then what?
The five corpses lay just a few metres from him; he swung his head to examine his surroundings, dirt and
mud, nothing special. Except…
There’s a sort of pattern in these wooden planks, just like they were made of portraits stuck together. It’s
quite familiar…Sam Foy thought. Aha! The pattern on the ancient green manuscript matches the pattern on the
ground! Let me see, where was the first pattern written on the manuscript? There!
“
What are you waiting for, slave? Go on!” Mr. Maverick bellowed.
No use thinking and standing here, let’s try something! Sam Foy thought.
Sam Foy looked at a square wooden plank with a Chinese calligraphy “One” on it. He stepped on it. Then a
cold icy wind blew behind him, Sam Foy looked behind. A man sized saw was millimetres behind him. Wow