[Galaxy Of Fear] - 09(14)

But Tash couldn’t believe that Fandomar had killed the miner. Fandomar seemed so dedicated to the Ithorian Law of Life. Not only had she saved Zak from the vesuvague tree, but she had also defended the actions of the tree itself when Tash thought it should be destroyed.

Besides, Tash didn’t get the same sort of dangerous feeling from Fandomar that she got from Jerec. She didn’t know if it was her Force sensitivity or just plain common sense, but Tash could tell that Fandomar simply wasn’t the kind of being who could kill.

These thoughts raced through her head as they traveled through the tunnel. Jerec did not wait for a glowrod-maybe he didn’t need one. He walked ahead of the others, muttering, and soon was out of sight.

At the end of the tunnel, Tash could see indentations in the floor where the stone barrier had fallen. Beyond it stood the weird statue, and beyond that, the tomb. There was no sign of Jerec.

But the door stood open.

Cautiously, they approached the door. Hodge looked frustrated, like a man watching someone else steal his treasure. Fandomar didn’t move at all. Hoole crept forward, with Zak and Tash right behind him.

In the silence of space, Tash thought she could hear her own heart pounding more loudly than a ship’s engine. Hoole’s words ran through her mind: This tomb was not meant to be opened.

But someone-Jerec? - had opened it.

Hoole reached the half-opened door. Carefully, he leaned inside to try to get a better look around. Suddenly, before Tash and Zak could even blink, something grabbed hold of Hoole and pulled him into the room!

Tash lunged forward without thinking, slipping through the doorway to help her uncle.

She didn’t get a good look at the room beyond. She was too surprised at what she saw in front of her.

Jerec had grabbed the front of Hoole’s tunic and lifted him off he ground with one hand. Tash realized that the Imperial must be immensely strong to overcome the force of the gravboots with just one arm.

“Where is it?” Jerec demanded angrily.

Hoole’s calm face stared directly into Jerec’s. “I do not know what ‘it’ is. I told you, we are here by coincidence. I have no information.”

Jerec looked as if he was trying to control his rage. Finally, he set Hoole down on the floor. Hoole’s face remained calm, but Tash thought she detected an angry fire in her uncle’s eyes.

“If I find out you were involved in this, I’ll have you skinned alive,” Jerec growled.

Hoole straightened the front of his spacesuit. “Perhaps if you tell me what has happened, I can be of service.”

Jerec snarled and pointed to the center of the room. For the first time, Tash looked around. She was in a small circular chamber. The room was bare except for a pedestal in the very center.

“When I got here I found the door to the tomb open,” Jerec snarled. “And it was completely empty!”





CHAPTER 8


As Jerec had stated, the tomb was bare. Tash could see that the pedestal had once held something, but the something had been removed.

Hoole considered. “Obviously, whoever murdered that miner came here and stole the contents of this room. Do you know what was here?”

Jerec sneered. “That is none of your concern.”

By now the others had entered the room. Fandomar pushed her way past the others. Staring at the empty pedestal in wide-eyed horror, she let out a scream with her twin mouths that nearly shattered Tash’s eardrums through the comlink. “Nnnnnnoooooooooo!”

Then Fandomar fainted.

It took a few minutes to revive her. When she came to her senses, Tash could see that her eyes were full of fear. They darted frantically from one person to the next. When Fandomar’s eyes fell on her, Tash knew that Fandomar was looking for something. Not something on Tash’s face, but something inside her. But she didn’t know what.

“What is wrong with you?” Jerec demanded scornfully.

Fandomar studied Jerec carefully. Earlier, she had timidly avoided staring at him. Now she looked into his face. Again, Tash had the eerie feeling that Fandomar was trying to see something that was underneath Jerec’s skin.

Finally, Fandomar answered in a whisper, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I apologize.”

Jerec ignored Fandomar and turned to Hodge. He loomed threateningly over the chief miner as he growled, “And you. I delayed reaching this place on your advice. If I find out that you are involved with this, I’ll have you vaporized.”

Hodge only shrugged.

While Jerec raged and the others tried to console Fandomar, Hoole studied the pedestal. Like the statue, the pedestal was decorated with carved designs. These had been hastily scraped away, but again, just as at the statue, a few symbols remained.