Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22 The submersible plunged downward, and water closed over them. They glided deeper guided by a state-of-the-art (Alistair assured them) charting system. They all pressed forward in the small space, peering through the green, waiting to see the island appear. As the craft went deeper, the water grew more murky, dark and thick with silt. "Hope we find it soon," Alistair said. "We don't want the oxygen to run out." "Run out?" Dan asked. "I thought you said this was flawless." "Well, yes, the design is. But not necessarily the air circulation. I didn't have time to completely perfect it." Alistair jerked the controls to keep the craft on course. "Thanks for telling us!"

"Now, Dan, don't get excited. It uses too much oxygen." "We'll try not to breathe," Amy muttered. "I wasn't expecting these currents," Alistair said worriedly. "Well, isn't that good news," Dan said. The submersible was suddenly slammed by a current and spun sideways. "Whoa," Alistair said, struggling for control. "There used to be rapids here, and waterfalls, before the dam, and I guess… there still are, just underneath the surface." "Straight ahead!" Dan called. "I see it!" The island suddenly appeared through the murky water, overgrown with aquatic plant life and the remnants of ancient walls. As Alistair piloted the craft closer, they struggled to match Grace's painting with what they saw. Alistair turned on an exterior light that illuminated the area around them. "There," Alistair cried. "Do you see the rise? And that wall? That is where the Temple of Isis was! Can you see any distinguishing features from

Grace's map?" Amy moved the flashlight underneath the paper so that she could see both Churchill's painting and Grace's arrows. "See how the wall angles? And there are three large stones. One has a split down the middle." "Can you get any closer?" Dan asked Alistair. The craft lurched as it drifted closer. "It's hard… to keep… on course…" Alistair said, struggling with the wheel. Suddenly, the craft zoomed ahead, pushed by a tricky current, and slammed into the wall. Amy gasped with alarm. "It's all right, we're still airtight," Alistair said, checking the navigation lights. One began to blink yellow. "I think." "Something's carved into the stone!" Dan suddenly cried. "Get closer!" They peered through the murk as they bounced through turbulence. The submersible suddenly tumbled forward like a rolling ball, knocking Amy against the side. Her face pressed against the bubble, right against the ancient wall. She could just make out two letters.

"Katherine Cahill!" she shouted. "I think the next one is numbers," Dan said. "Get closer!" "I see it!" Amy cried. Alistair maneuvered the craft closer. Fronds waved in front, carried by the current, and they had to wait until their view cleared. The light shone on the wall. "One half of a gram!" Dan said. "But what's with the M and Ms?" Amy asked. "Yeah, I prefer Skittles," Dan said, peering at the wall. There was a sharp cut in the stone after the large M. "It looks like the big M is covering another letter," Amy said. "There must have been a word there. We can't read it!" "It must have happened when they moved the temple," Dan said. There was a sheen of sweat on Alistair's face. "No," he said quietly. "The M is for Madrigal. They did it."

As if pushed by an unseen hand, the submersible suddenly rocked from side to side alarmingly. Amy and Dan grabbed the edges of their seats as Alistair struggled for control. Suddenly, a red light began to blink on the console. "We're taking on water," Alistair said. "There must be a leak. If the submersible gets too heavy…" "What?" Amy asked frantically. "We can't rise." Alistair yanked the controls. "The water must have gotten in the electrical system. I lost the rudder!" The current picked up the submersible like a small stick and hurled it toward the wall. "Do something!" Dan cried. "I'm trying!" Terror plastered Amy to her seat. At the very last moment, the current whirled the submersible away. "What are we going to do?" Amy tried to keep

the panic out of her voice. Trapped under the deep waters of the lake, and nobody knew where they were… It was as though the malevolent force of the Madrigals had worked on them from afar and led them to their doom. Alistair looked at the gauges. His face grew pale. "We're sinking." Amy gripped the sides of her chair. Slowly, the submersible sank to the bottom. It bumped down on the sand and tilted to one side. Everything went silent. Was this how it would end, with this terrible silence? "How much air do we have?" Amy asked. Alistair looked at the gauge. "Difficult to say." She looked at him hard. "Say it." He swallowed. "Fifteen minutes. Maybe." They were all silent for a long moment. Then Dan shook his head. "No," he said firmly. "No way. I'm not giving up. We're getting out of here."