Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

     Bond held out his other hand, and Indiana gladly took it. Bond pulled up, and Indiana pushed off the wall with his feet. He was then standing on the ground next to Bond.
     “Glad to see you’ve made it,” Bond said.
     “I was about to say the same thing,” Indiana said. “I figured you might have already met up with Grimson by now.”
     “Not yet, but he definitely came this way. I think we’re close.”
     “Let’s go then. Why are we standing here resting for when we’re so near the end?” Indiana waved his hand out. “After you, James.”
     The pair continued on, walking quietly along the passage way. It was Bond who noticed the sound first; a low hum. It was almost imperceptible.
     “Dos thee heaurt lat?” he asked. As soon as he spoke he realized that what he had said made no sense. He had meant to say “Do you hear that?”
     “Quat?” Indiana asked. Bond assumed that he had meant “what”.
     “E sayth, doos yee hearut ilat?” Bond still couldn’t say what he meant.
     “Ai danct woderrslan voo.” Indiana’s eyes widened. He came to the conclusion before Bond did. The myth was real. They must be near the Summit Stone fragments, which were disrupting their speech. He pointed his thumb down the tunnel. He focused on his speech and said, “We’ve bettr hurryng.” Bond nodded. He understood.
     Bond noticed that as they continued down the path the hum got louder. He was amazed. He still wasn’t ready to believe that the myth was literally true. However, many myths are based on some real fact. It was possible that somehow there might be a material that resonated at a frequency which could disrupt the human language center of the brain. Bond couldn’t help but think of the chaos Grimson could cause if he found a way to amplify the frequency to act over larger ranges, perhaps even globally. “A whole world without language,” Bond thought. “Could it survive?” Bond noticed that as they progressed it became harder to concentrate or even think in English. The hum was definitely affecting his mind. He could still function, but he was concerned.
     It wasn’t long before the two men noticed a light down the tunnel. They picked up speed, but made sure their approach was silent. After a bend in the passage they came upon a large chamber lit by torch light.
     “Grimberrsan,” Bond whispered. Indiana nodded, knowing that Bond could only have meant “Grimson.” Bond pointed to Indiana, then to his eyes. Indiana got the point. “You take a look.” He did, and discovered that they were to the right of Grimson, who had his back toward them. He was at what appeared to be an altar and was examining a number of head-sized stones on top of it.
     “E Summnit Stolens”, Indiana thought. Bond tapped his shoulder. He pointed to himself and then “walked” two fingers across the ground, to the left. Then he pointed to Indiana and walked two fingers to the right. Indiana nodded. They would try a simple pincer movement. Bond pointed at himself and held up one finger and then pointed at Indiana, holding up two fingers. Indiana nodded. It was as if Bond was saying, “I go first, you go second.”
     Bond snuck into the chamber and worked his way to the left side. He hid behind a large stone, which looked like it may have been carved to act as a bench. There were several of them in the chamber, all facing the altar. Bond assumed the room had once been used as a place for worship.
     Indiana snuck into the room, having waited a few minutes to let Bond get in position. He hid behind one of the benches on the other side of the room. He noticed that there were three tunnels that led into the chamber. One was the passage they had just come from. One was toward the left side of the chamber, near where Bond hid. Indiana wondered if he would have gone through that passage if he hadn’t chosen to climb up the chimney instead. The third passage was at the front of the chamber, near Grimson. It was this passage that Grimson suddenly entered, leaving the chamber.
     Indiana leaned forward to count the stones on the altar. There were seven; the seven fragment of the Summit Stone. Grimson had left them. Indiana partially stood. He wanted to run and collect the stones. Then they could leave without needing to confront Grimson.
     Bond saw what Indiana was planning. When Indy looked at him, he shook his head vigorously. He didn’t want Indiana to make a move yet. Bond knew that Grimson would not leave the stones out of sight for long. He would be back any minute, and when he came back through the passage he would be facing them. Bond wanted to wait until the stones again held Grimson’s attention, so that they could take him by surprise.
     Indiana saw Bond shaking his head. He hesitated only a second, knowing that whatever choice he made, he should do so quickly.