Seven Wonders Book 1: The Colossus Rises (23 page)

“G
ET…ME…OUT
of here…” Aly said faintly.

“Um, wasn’t expecting
that
,” Marco murmured.

I couldn’t move.

The eyes of the Colossus turned from the griffin, took in its surroundings, and stopped when they reached Marco, Aly, and me. It was a blank stare—alive but not human, moving but bloodless.

Its head moved, groaning like the gears of a rusty engine. It seemed to be taking in its environment, looking for something. It ignored the caws of the injured griffin, which hung like a rag doll from the glass.

The giant statue leaned toward the center of the greenhouse, letting its left foot slide. A pile of rocks was kicked
aside like so much dust. Then it lifted its right leg slowly, as if testing it. A metal, sandaled foot about the size of a moving truck came down on a stack of discarded statue pieces, instantly pulverizing them.

The plateau shook like an earthquake. Outside the monks were frantically scurrying away. In a few thundering steps, the Colossus had turned completely around and was facing the harbor. It began to walk away from us, shattering what was left of the glass wall in one step. The entire outer structure collapsed along with it, sending the griffin down into a pile of glass and stone.

Its body twitched and then went still.

The Colossus strode out onto the plateau. It turned toward the city of Rhodes.

“It’s going home,” I whispered. “To the harbor.”

“I hope it has insurance,” Marco said. “It’s a long way down.”

From above us came a rhythmic chopping noise. “A
helicopter
?” Marco commented. “What are those boneheaded monks doing?”

I thought about the domed structure above us. We never saw what was inside. “That big building?” I said. “It must be a hangar.”

“In a monastery?” Marco remarked.

“A Massa monastery,” I reminded him.

In a moment, the chuck-chuck-chucking of rotors was
unmistakable. The helicopter rose, banking high above the Colossus. I could see Brother Dimitrios at the controls. “Guess he recovered,” Aly murmured.

The statue stared at the chopper, its bronze neck creaking. A red glow radiated from behind its eyes.

I looked over my shoulder toward the cliff. The sun was high overhead but starting to set. If we could save Cass, he’d need his treatment in fewer than twelve hours.

We will save Cass
, I told myself.

“The Loculus is out of reach, in the Colossus’s torch,” I said. “The griffin is dead. Cass has to be back at the KI by midnight. Does someone here have a Plan B?”

Before anyone could answer, a searing orange beam shot out from the chopper’s passenger side. It connected with the Colossus’s torch, tracing a fiery line across it.

The Colossus retracted its arm. As it glanced up at the chopper, another laser beam hit it in the forehead, creating a pool of molten metal.

“What are they doing?” Marco said.

“I don’t know!” I replied.

“They want the Loculus,” Aly said. “That’s why Brother Dimitrios told you to touch the flame. He knew that if he brought one of the Select and the Loculus together, the sphere would activate. But I bet he didn’t count on the Colossus reappearing and taking it away.”

“
We
made the Colossus appear,” Marco said. “Brother
Jack, Sister Aly, and the Kid Who Faced Down Death.”

A loud midair crunch made us look up. The Colossus had taken a swipe at the helicopter, destroying one of its landing feet. The chopper was pitching in the air, losing altitude. “They’re going down!” I shouted.

The Colossus turned and began heading for the edge of the cliff. Its footsteps thudded heavily. Chunks of the cliff edge began falling away. The chopper whirled wildly, lurching toward the statue.

The top of the torch had melted from the laser hit, and from this angle I could see the Loculus floating inside. With its other arm, the Colossus reached upward and tried to grab the helicopter’s whirring rotor.

The blades sheared off instantly, flying in all directions. We all hit the ground just as one of them spun past, inches away. Shrieking, Brother Dimitrios and his copilot tumbled out. They landed hard on the lowest ledge of the monastery.

The Colossus batted the empty chopper over the edge of the cliff. It hurtled out into the Aegean Sea. From above came the cracking noise of rifle shot. Bullets ricocheted off the bronze surface of the statue, leaving sharp dents.

“Oh, guns, great idea,” Marco said. “Very effective against a giant metal man.”

The statue turned. It stepped back toward the monastery
wall, its head peering directly at its attackers.

The men bolted as fast as they could.

Marco grabbed me by the collar. “Let’s bail!” he said. “Forget about the Loculus. That thing can have it. Plan B, we go back into town and find someone with climbing equipment. We search every one of those caves until we find Cass.”

“That’ll take days!” I said.

“Do you have a better idea?” Marco asked.

“We created this thing,” Aly said. “It’s about to destroy this monastery. Then what? It walks into town and flattens Rhodes? We can’t let it do that.”

“We can’t abandon Cass,” Marco said.

I eyed the Colossus, who was now trying to get up to the top of the cliff. But the ledges were too high for it to simply use them as steps, and it didn’t seem coordinated enough to climb. It was scrabbling at the cliff, scraping layers of rock loose. Before long the monastery walls would collapse.

I looked up to the first level, where the dome had been rolled back to let the chopper fly out. I thought about the monastery that was about to be trashed. The portraits on the wall, which would be crushed in the debris—the devastated old man, looking back at a life of regret. His cocky younger self, sitting on a white sphere suspended in midair.

In midair…

“We need that Loculus,” I said. “That’s how we’ll get Cass.”

“Say what?” Marco said.

“Just follow me,” I said, running toward the stairs. “This is Plan C. For Colossus.”

I
WAS THE
first up. Marco followed, and then Aly. The Colossus was still on the second level. It had given up trying to climb and backed away from the wall. Above us, Brother Dimitrios’s men had rearmed. Someone had retrieved a machine gun.

“Stop!” a voice called out from below.

Bloodied and bruised, Brother Dimitrios was climbing the stairs from the third level. In his right hand he held a small, oblong object. A grenade.

On the cliff top above us, his men were frozen. Brother Dimitrios stepped onto the plateau, struggling with the grenade pin. “I want the pleasure of doing this myself,” he rasped.

The Colossus bent its knees. Its torch arm still aloft, it reached down with its other arm and lifted Brother Dimitrios off the ground. The grenade flew off toward the sea as the monk rose in the Colossus’s hand, screaming.

The statue would crush him in moments.

I ran toward the giant urns of olive oil. “
Help me out—now!
”

Placing both hands on an urn, I tried to push. The thing was unbelievably full and heavy. It was more like an olive ocean. In a moment Aly and Marco were by my side. “Heave…ho!” Marco said.

The first urn tipped over, splintering the wooden fence and spilling oil over the side of the first level. We turned over the second and third urns in quick succession. A waterfall of the gooey stuff cascaded straight down to the second ledge, spreading under the Colossus in a thin pool.

The statue took a step back and slipped on the oil. As its gigantic leg kicked upward, it toppled over. Brother Dimitrios flew out of the Colossus’s hand. He smashed against the cliff wall and fell limp to the ground.

The Colossus fell with a deafening
whomp
. The torch, still in its hand, bounced against the stony soil. I could see now that the chopper’s laser had cut a big hole in it. Inside, the Loculus was jammed in the jagged opening. Only two sharp edges held it in place.

Two points of bendable bronze.

I ran for the stairs.

“Jack!” Aly cried out. “What are you doing?”

I could hear Marco’s footfalls behind me.

Racing back down to the second level, I ran to where the Colossus was struggling to stand.

At that moment my eye caught a sudden movement to the left. The griffin was rising out of the greenhouse debris—alive.

One beast at a time.

Splayed on the ground, the statue lifted its free hand to its eye, as if to feel for damage. As I braced myself, Marco clamped his hand on my shoulder. “Jack, you idiot, get back!”

Gritting my teeth, I pushed him aside and jumped onto the torch.

Holding tight with one arm, I reached inside with the other for the Loculus. It was shockingly cool to the touch, its soft metallic skin thin enough to give it some flexibility. As I pulled, as hard as I could, the Colossus jerked back.

The force was all the help I needed. The Loculus slipped free, into my hands.

“
Got it!
” I shouted.

Marco and Aly were at my side now. They pulled me away from the giant. But the olive oil had coated the ground beneath us. As we fell, the Colossus sat up. I saw for the first time that one of its eyes had been hit by the
laser and melted into a zombielike droop. With a swoop of its arm, it grabbed my waist and lifted me, Loculus and all, into the air.

“
No-o-o!
” Aly shouted.

Slowly the Colossus staggered to its feet. I rose higher. Its fingers were tight around my midsection. I couldn’t breathe.

It brought its other arm toward me, as if trying to figure out how to grab the Loculus with its blunt fingers and fit it back into its place. I held tight, looking for Aly and Marco. Maybe I could toss the orb to them. But the Colossus was whipping me about too fast. If my throw went wild, the Loculus could be dashed on the rocks below. Or lost to the sea.

Another gunshot rang out. No, not a gunshot—Marco was throwing rocks at the thing! They dinged off the statue’s chest and arms. “Hey, big guy! Down here!” Marco yelled, waving his arms like a lunatic.

The Colossus took a step forward and raised its other foot high, getting ready to stomp Marco into oblivion. But once again, the olive oil did its work. I felt myself swooping right and left as the statue slipped on the slickness. It seemed to pause at the edge of the cliff. I was circling now, as the Colossus windmilled its enormous arms. I struggled again to pry its fingers from around my waist.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the griffin below, the
door still around its neck. Its yellow eyes stared at us, preparing for an attack.

I was the one with the Loculus now. The griffin would be coming for
me
.

And then I felt a jolt. The Colossus’s fingers loosened.

I could leap out now. I looked below, hoping I was close enough to the ground.

But all I saw was the sea. Rushing closer. The Colossus had slipped over the edge of the cliff.

I was plunging down toward the rocky coast.

I
SCREAMED, HOLDING
tight to the Loculus. Ridiculously tight, as if it were a life preserver. I thought about Dad. Would he ever find out what had happened? Would his life ever be the same? I thought of my friends back home, wondering where I was. About Mom. And death.

Ever since she died, I’d always wondered what that felt like.

Now I knew.

There was no impact, no transition, no white light. Just a lot of nothing.

Death felt like floating high above the world on a gust of warm air. My hair blowing in the breeze. A bloodthirsty screech below me.

Screech?

My eyes popped open. I glanced down. The sea was still far below me. I nearly puked out my breakfast.
Don’t look down. Don’t look down
.

But it wasn’t coming closer. Just the opposite.

I was floating.

No, not floating. I was being propelled forward. Flying!

The flying prince
. I thought about the image I’d seen on the maze tapestry. And the floating Massarym on the monastery painting.

Quite exciting for a boy, no? Whoosh…whoosh…Geronimo!
Bhegad had told me on that first day.

I held tight. The Loculus swung me closer to the cliffs, then swept me upward. It was real. G7W was real. The Loculus was giving me the power of flight. “Woo-HOO!” I screamed.

The bronze globe was cool against my chest. It was lifting me, ever swifter, high above the sea. The monastery was a distant set of ledges now. I could see two figures on the second one. Marco and Aly. I wanted to wave to them, but I was scared to let go of the Loculus, even a little. It occurred to me that I had no idea how to control this thing.

The griffin was below me, trying to rise in a stuttering pattern of flight. Its wings were asymmetrical now, one of them clearly mangled by the glass. The pickup door hung like a sad, squarish necklace.

I was clutching the Loculus so tightly I thought my arms would fall asleep.
Breathe
, I told myself.
One…two…three
…

As I soared over the cliff, I could see the empty highway snaking along the Rhodean coast. In the distance, little whitewashed houses peeked out from a cove.

And I realized something extremely profound.

This.

Was.

Fun!

“
WOO-HOOOO!
” My cry was lost on the wind. I had no fear of falling. As if I’d been born to do this.

I banked sharply right.

How? How could I have done that?

I had no clue. But if I could steer the Loculus, I could get back to Aly and Marco. And we could find Cass. With the Loculus, it would be a snap.

I banked left. Then upward. It was as if the Loculus was a part of me, taking my instructions by some kind of weird telepathy. “Take me to my colleagues!” I said in my best Greek-monk voice.

We—the Loculus and I—dove back toward the cliffside. I forced myself to look down. The Colossus was now a pile of rubble on the rocky coastline. The griffin was sinking downward, too, its legs extending like landing gear as it approached the beach.

I saw my friends’ gaping mouths before I could see the rest of their bodies. Behind them, the whole gaggle of monks was huddled against the cliffside.

I tried to land perfectly but hit the ground hard and stumbled, nearly letting go.

“Watch the olive oil,” Marco said. “It’s a killer.”

“Hop on!” I said.

“Are you crazy?” Aly said. “How? We just all hug this thing at the same time?”

“What’s the weight limit?” Marco asked.

“None—there’s room for everybody. It’s big enough.” I don’t know how I knew that. I just did.

Aly grabbed on, then Marco. “Belay on,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically shaky.

“Ready to climb,” I replied.

We rose into the orange ooze of the sun, with miles of Rhodes stretched out beneath us.

“
This…is…so…freakyyyy!
” Aly cried.

Marco let go with one hand and waved back toward the cliff. “
Sorry, dudes, we won’t be staying for dinner!
”

“Guys,” I said, “let’s find Cass.”

I began with the cave closest to the monastery. It was way too narrow for a human to fit through. The next one was big enough but empty. In the third cave, a monk huddled against a wall, dazed. As we flew by, his mouth dropped open in shock.

“We’ll come back for you later!” Aly vowed.

We passed a couple more empty caves, and another that seemed too narrow. But as we passed it, the griffin let out a wild scream from the beach.

“Did you hear that?” Aly said.

“Of course I did,” I said. “Let’s keep going before it gets its strength back and comes after us!”

“No—I mean, the cry was different,” Aly said. “More intense. Desperate.”

“You can tell the difference?” Marco asked.

“The griffin doesn’t want us going into that cave,” Aly insisted. “Circle back.”

I turned the Loculus and we landed inside the narrow-mouthed cave.

It widened into a large chamber just inside the entrance. I stood still, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.

“
Ohhhhh
…”

The sound nearly caused me to drop the Loculus. It was coming from deep within the cave. On the back wall was a narrow, arched opening. I stepped closer, and then through.

The inner chamber rose about twenty feet high to a ceiling woven with tree roots. Setting the Loculus down, I pulled a flashlight out of my pack and shone it around.

Hanging from one of the sturdiest roots was a formation like nothing I’d ever seen before. It looked like
a huge yellowish-white weather balloon—oblong, maybe eight feet high, made of translucent filaments that shifted colors as it swayed. From what I could see, it was open at the top. “What is that thing?” Marco asked.

“
OHHHHHH
…” A voice cried out in pain.

We all jumped. The voice was coming from inside the shape.

Cass’s voice.