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Directly across froe statue stood in an alcove, flanked by a pair of granite basins Carved froerated features and wielded a flat, curved club A sreenish clay dominated the near portion of the floor, bordered by blue and black patterned tiles The rest of the floor was polished obsidian, unblemished except for a circular indentation near the center

"No doors," Vincent said, "but the keyhole in the floor looks to be the right size"

Seth walked forward and used his finger to reenish clay "What’s with all the clay?" Seth wondered "It’s wet"

"Could it be for drawing?" Kendra guessed "A huge, prehistoric doodle pad? Like for ed "Who knows? I don’t see any instru"

"What do you suppose would happen if we backtracked from here?" Trask asked

"More dead ends," Mara said "I don’t believe this place allows us to go back Can’t you feel it? Each dead end cuts off our retreat, luring us in deeper, as if we’re being sed"

"This isn’t helping my claustrophobia," Vincent mumbled

"We could double back to check," Mara continued, "but I’et another chance to reach this room The keyhole must be the way to proceed"

Tanu shouldered forward "The rest of you wait here"

He walked around the bordered field of clay to the recess in the floor Squatting, he studied the iron key, considered the round indentation, inserted the key, adjusted it, and turned it halfway around

A faint tremor made the floor vibrate A pair of spouts thrust fro water into the basins The statue raised the curved club high, as if preparing to strike Tanu discarded an e under one ar to see if it would attack, but it had stopped lanced down at the clay on the floor and saords inscribed in unfa!"

"Create a champion," Kendra read "Time is short"

"You read Sanskrit?" Vincent asked "Or Chinese?"

"I see English," Kendra said "And soe," Trask said "The es What does it mean?"

"The basins must be clepsydras," Elise said "Water clocks"

"The clay," Vincent said "It has to be the clay" He ran forward and plunged his hands into thea hole, disturbing so in the process "This is a pool of clay A pit I think we are to build a champion out of clay to contend with the statue"

"I was a failure in art class," Trask mumbled "Who knoork with clay?"

"I have some experience," Elise said "As do I," Mara offered

"Mara and Elise will shape our warrior," Trask directed, voice tight "The rest of us start digging out clay for the do we have?"

Mara dashed across the rooorously scooping clay out of the pool and piling it nearby Berrigan ju to his knees, he began heaving out armfuls Mara considered the basins for athe water keeps pouring in at the sa aside, Tanu entered the clay pit, brown feet sinking deep Seth waded into the clay along with Trask and Kendra The top layer felt loose and slirabbed slurping handfuls of the an’s rapidly growing pile

"What do ant him to look like?" Elise asked

Nobody answered for a o," Seth proposed "Not pretty, just big"

"I like that," Trask agreed "Build hier than the other statue if we can"

"We’ll have todown," Mara said "Otherwise he won’t hold together"

Berrigan had clearedhis knife to carve out large slabs of the firmer material As they delved doard, it soon becarew quickly at the edges of the clay pit Elise and Mara stole fros Tanu started running heavy loads of clay froest one

After several reen with clay past his elbows, Vincent ran to check the basins "Over half full," he announced "I better help ure Tanu, help !"

"You heard the reenish slab

Seth noticed that nobody dug out clay faster than Berrigan The young er loads than Seth would have pictured Muscles burning, Seth continued to harvest clay at his best pace, re himself that each dense ould add an or Trask, but he wason the ar bulk to the torso, and Vincent appeared to be fashioning a large haht actually take shape!