Free The Secret Path by Christopher Pike Page B

knee and she became frantic. Adam took hold of her arms and felt himself being pulled under.
    â€œDon’t let go of me!” she pleaded.
    â€œI won’t,” Adam promised. “Watch!”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œDo something!” Adam said.
    â€œLike what?” Watch asked.
    â€œGet one of those sticks,” Adam ordered, referring to the dead branches lying around. “Jam it between Sally’s leg and the skeleton hand. It might confuse the thing.”
    â€œI’m not that skinny,” Sally said, fighting hard to stay on the surface. Slowly, steadily, Adam was losing his battle with the unseen monster. A few more seconds and Sally would be in a coffin.
    â€œHurry!” Adam snapped at Watch.
    Watch found a suitably strong stick and stuck it down into the hole that had widened as more and more of Sally’s body disappearedinto it. But because he was working in the dark and in the mud, Watch had trouble wedging the stick between the hand and Sally’s ankle. Finally he found his mark. Sally let out a scream. Watch was, after all, using her calf bone as leverage.
    â€œThat hurts!” she complained.
    â€œGetting chewed on hurts more,” Adam said.
    â€œGetting boiled hurts more,” Sally said sarcastically. “I’ve heard it all before.” She slapped Watch on the back as he struggled with the subterranean creature. “Just get this thing to let go of me!”
    â€œIt would help if you didn’t disturb my concentration,” Watch said.
    Sally slipped deeper into the hole and Adam almost lost his grip. “Adam!” she cried desperately.
    â€œSally!” he cried back.
    â€œIf you love me,” she pleaded, “stick your own leg in the hole. Maybe it will go for you instead of me.”
    â€œHe doesn’t love you that much,” Watch muttered when Adam made no move to offer his leg. Watch continued, “Just hold on a few secondsmore. I think—Yes! It’s taking the bait! It’s grabbed the stick. Pull your leg out, Sally!”
    â€œGladly!” she cried in relief. The moment the creature let go of her, Adam was able to yank Sally free. He helped brush the earth off her as she stood up. She pushed away his hands.
    â€œThe last thing I’m worried about right now is how I look,” she said. She pointed to the tombstone. “How do we get through that thing?”
    â€œWe better figure that out quick,” Watch said, glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the toppling castle. “We have company.”
    It was true. The black knight was coming.
    And with him the witch.

18
    T hey hurried toward the tombstone, backward. But all they got for their troubles were more bruises on the back of their heads. The interdimensional portal was not open.
    â€œWhy isn’t it working?” Sally demanded.
    â€œI suppose you could ask the witch,” Adam muttered. “She’ll be here in a minute.”
    â€œThe knight will be here before her,” Watch said grimly, pointing. “Look, he’s coming around that tree. We need weapons. A few strong sticks.”
    â€œA few hand phasers would be better,” Sally remarked.
    They quickly scavenged for sturdy branches that they could use as oversize batons. In a rough semicircle they stood guard in front of the tombstone. The knight approached warily, his silver sword drawn. Behind him, maybe two hundred yards, the witch strode rapidly through the convulsing graveyard. Her hair shone like flames. The light in her green eyes was the sickly color of death. When the knight was maybe twenty feet away, Adam ordered the others to spread out around him.
    â€œWell come at him from every side,” he said.
    They fanned out. The knight, although big and strong, was somewhat clumsy. Adam smacked his steel-plated knee with his wooden stick and the knight almost lost his balance. Sally was more bold. Coming at him from behind, she whacked the