Chapter 11

Posted by Aaron from usr4-modem072.runestone.net on May 21, 1998 at 17:41:41:

Toht~I think the novel is going allright for a story created in this fashion...as long as we don't have any more half-heated debates about where and what the story line should involve. :)

Oh, and to sum up this chapter, I give you a quote:

"That's usually when the ground slips out from underneath your feet."

~Aaron

CHAPTER 11

Indy cautiously edged his way towards the Dragon. Satisfied there were no more booby traps at this point, he stood, feet spread apart, at the foot of the altar.
His hands twitched nervously, until he realized it, and for Drake's sake, willed himself to stop. The young man was already scared enough as it was.
The altar, a dragon's mouth, was intricately carved. Even the toung looked as if it could lift or snake out at any second. Or, as Indy realized a split second before he picked up the Dragon of the Sun, lower. It was an independently moving pedestal. If the weight of the dragon's golden morsel was removed, the pedestal would lower, and most likely bring death down, upon, or through Indy and Drake.
He tipped his battered fedora back on his head and scratched his brow. How? How could Indy remove the statue without getting he or his companion killed? He thought that perhaps he might get out alive, but Drake? He probably wouldn't make it two feet.
"Dang I hate sidekicks," he muttered.
"What?" Drake asked, nervousness apparent in his voice.
"Never mind. Listen, get those counterweights out of the pack, will you?"
"And I wondered how we would ever use these things," Drake said in amazement. "Say, just how are we going to use these things?"
"Uh, it's hard to explain," Indy said, not wanting to scare Drake any more.
The "counterweights" were actually a sack of stones, which, though they seemed an odd tool, had served Indy in several ways on twice as many occaisions. Drake hefted the leather bag with ease and tossed it to Indy. It sailed through the air flawlessly. Indy's catch, however...
The bag slipped through his sweating hands and flew towards the dragon altar. It knocked the Dragon of the Sun out of the dragon's mouth. Indy felt a sickening drop in his stomach as, in what seemed like slow motion, it fell to the floor...where it shattered, exposing plain rock on the inside.
In that split second, twenty thoughts crossed Indy's mind, the most prominant of them being, "You're about to die for a fake statue."
But Indy knew the Dragon of the Sun existed, it HAD to--why would "The Dark Destroyers" be around if it didn't? However, at this point, he didn't care. As he recovered from the shock, he sprinted from the altar platform. At this point, things began happening quite rappidly...
The dragon's mouth snapped shut, most likely powered by some unseen, massive spring, sealing the counterweight bag inside.
The golden booby trap in the floor flew into the air, exposing a massive stone shaft underneath it that followed. Indy had barely enough time to do a side stepping lunge to avoid it as it smashed into the ceiling, raining rock down upon him.
Indy's whip partially unraveled from his belt, and began to drag behind him.
A huge stone slab fell from the ceiling to land in front of the altar, completely sealing that area off.
The tip of Indy's whip was caught underneath the slab, and he was jerked backwards at full force.
A spear shot up from the ground which Indy would have been standing on, had the whip not yanked him backwards. Several spears followed, each one shooting from the ground a step or two farther from the previous one.
This "domino effect" was working its way towards the know trembling Drake. He promptly fainted.
With barely enough time to react, Indy tugged the tip of his whip from underneath the stone slab, and continued in that motion to connect around drakes limp arm. He pulled the young man a few feet to the right. A spear shot from the ground directly beneath the crotch of his pants.
The cave itself could no longer take the strain of the booby traps, and began to crumble. Indy took a brief second to look around, and ran towards Drake. With a strength he wasn't aware he possesed, he lifted him over his shoulder and continued running. Boulders rained down all around him. He leaped over them, and dived through the exit. Sailing through the air, he let go of Drake, who fell to the jungle ground with a thud. Then he himself landed, and for a while, just lay there. The cave entrance was completely sealed off now, and dust and pebbles where everywhere.
The whole thing had taken under a minute.

Follow Ups:

• Chapter 11.2 Aaron 17:47:42 5/21/98 (0)

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