Tash could feel the wraiths moving all around her, but none of them attacked. Tash had the impression that their attention was focused elsewhere-toward the center of their dark circle. She and Deevee waded forward, the dim light from Deevee’s eyes sweeping back and forth.
“Uncle Hoole!” Tash called out.
“Master Hoole!” Deevee echoed.
There was no answer but the angry whispers of the wraiths.
Tash squinted into the swirling shadows. “I think I see something, Deevee-look over there.”
The droid turned his glowing eyes in the direction Tash had pointed. His eyebeams fell on a large flat rock. On the rock, Hoole had been stretched out to his full length. Behind him, one of the wraiths had become solid, and its dark body stood over Hoole.
As Tash and Deevee watched, the wraith lifted a huge rock over its head, and prepared to bring it crashing down on Hoole’s skull.
CHAPTER 16
“Stop!”
The voice came out of Tash, but even Tash didn’t recognize it. It was commanding and very forceful.
The wraith hesitated. Whispers whipped around the dark circle.
The child has returned.
Why?
Why interrupt the execution?
The execution!
Kill the murderer!
“No,” Tash countered. “You can’t kill him!”
To her surprise, Hoole lifted his head from the rock. He said quietly, “Tash, do not interfere. I have lived with this guilt for years.”
“But it wasn’t your fault, Uncle Hoole!” she argued. “I know you blame yourself, but it was Gog’s fault. Deevee found the records. Gog knew that the experiment would go wrong, but he didn’t tell you!”
Hook sighed heavily. “I should have known, Tash. I should have realized the experiment was a disaster. I am also to blame.”
“Maybe a little,” she admitted. “Maybe it was wrong to experiment with life on someone else’s planet. But you didn’t know things would go wrong!” She turned to the wraiths. “Did you hear me? It wasn’t his fault!”
Liarliarliarliarliarliarliarliar.
“We are not lying!” Deevee replied. “I can show you all the evidence you need. It’s back at the laboratory.”
“Besides,” Tash continued, “Uncle Hoole has spent years paying for his mistakes, and he’s risked his life to make sure it never happens again.”
But it happened once! It happened here! Because of him. Mammon must die!
“We can show you the real killer!” Tash pleaded. “He is still alive. Gog is still alive!”
Nonononononono! came the whispers. Mammon! Mammon must die! We will have our vengeance!
With a violent hiss, the solid wraith brought the stone crashing down.
But Hoole wasn’t there.
The instant before the stone struck, Hoole had shapeshifted into a tiny rock rat and skittered out of the way. He hurried toward Tash, shapeshifting as he ran. By the time he reached her, he was a Shi’ido again, and his stern gray face glowered at Tash.
“Did you say Gog was still alive?” he growled.
“Yes, and he’s got Eppon. You were right, Uncle Hoole, Eppon is Project Starscream. He’s some kind of monster!”
Hoole frowned. “There is little time. We must hurry.”
He took Tash by the arm and started forward, but he’d gone only a few steps when something hard and invisible flew out of the darkness, hitting him on the chest. Hoole landed heavily on his back.
Noescapenoescapenoescapenoescape! the voices cried. You will not escape our vengeance!
Hoole tried to stand up, but a dark claw slashed out of the shadows, drawing a ribbon of blood along his arm.
Tash could feel the wraith’s hatred pulsing around them. She knew that even Hoole could not fight shadows. They were going to die.
The wraiths pressed in for the kill.
In the next moment, they were scattered by a blinding flash of light.
Wraiths screamed and fled among the rocks, letting gray light flood into the valley, as though a great black cloud had moved away from the sun. Except that this sun was Zak, who stood nearby with a grin on his face and a small device in his hand.
He held it up. “One of the Rebels must have left this in the Millennium Falcon. It’s a thermal detonator,” he explained. “Except that I took out the explosives and replaced them with a small ion charge.”
“Excellent,” Deevee said admiringly. “That worked just as the ion cannon did earlier.”
Tash was surprised. “I knew you were good with gadgets, Zak, but how-“
“Hey,” Zak bragged, “you’re not the only one who reads books. It’s just that I prefer tech manuals.”
Hoole got to his feet. “We will discuss your choice of reading material later, Zak. For now, we must leave before the wraiths reassemble. Take me to the laboratory.”