Hoole had shape-shifted as easily as most people walk or talk.
Hoole slipped easily through the bars and scampered over to the control panel inside the cemetery wall. The control panel was set too high for a Ranat to reach, so the Shi’ido shape-shifted again, and Hoole reappeared. He punched a few buttons, and the gates swung open.
Tash shook her head. “I’ll never get used to that.”
“It is an ability that is often useful,” Hoole admitted. “Now we must hurry.”
Dr. Evazan’s grave was on the far side of the cemetery, in a plot reserved for criminals and Imperial bureaucrats. Tash and Uncle Hoole had brought two small shovels with them.
“You know, we are disturbing the dead.” Tash smiled nervously. “They could get angry.”
Hoole scowled. “Ridiculous. That is superstitious nonsense, Tash.”
Tash didn’t answer.
Hoole plunged his shovel into the ground. He scooped up a few shovelfuls of dirt, then noticed that Tash wasn’t helping. He looked at his niece curiously. She had grown very pale. “Is something wrong, Tash?”
Tash tried to speak, but she couldn’t. Her mouth was dry and her tongue had frozen. She pointed over Hoole’s shoulder.
A zombie was staggering toward them.
CHAPTER 17
The undead creature had pale skin, stringy hair, and a sunken, skeletal face. It was exactly like the creatures Zak had described.
Uncle Hoole turned just as the zombie came within reach. Instinctively the Shi’ido threw up the shovel he was holding to ward off the ghoulish-looking creature. The shovel slammed against the zombie’s head, but it didn’t seem to notice. It grabbed Hoole with both arms and squeezed so hard that the scientist gasped.
“Uncle Hoole!” Tash cried, taking a step forward.
“Stay… back!” Hoole grunted. “It’s too strong.” Hoole felt the air being forced from his lungs. He took as deep a breath as he could, and closed his eyes. His entire body started to wriggle, and the zombie squeezed tighter. But Hoole was no longer there. The zombie found itself holding a slippery water eel that thrashed wildly until it shot from the undead monster’s arms. It landed on the ground with a slap and shape-shifted back into Hoole. The zombie roared and lumbered forward once more.
“Tash, run!” Uncle Hoole ordered.
Tash didn’t argue. She turned and started to run, but in front of her a grave suddenly broke open like a cracking egg. A clawing white hand reached out of the ground and ice-cold fingers wrapped themselves around her ankle. Tash stomped on the arm with her free foot, but the zombie was unaffected by pain. With its free hand, it continued to dig its way up from beneath the ground. Tash could see its dead face, still half-buried, leering up at her from the hole in the ground.
Uncle Hoole dropped to his knees beside her, using both hands to pry the zombie’s fingers away from Tash. But the creature was incredibly strong, and even together they could not break its grip.
“What are we going to do?” Tash gasped.
Hoole tried to remain calm, but even he looked worried. “Try to use our heads,” he answered.
Hoole stood up and turned to the other zombie, which was staggering toward them. The Shi’ido made himself an easy target, standing just to the side of Tash in front of the second zombie’s grave. Growling, the first zombie lunged forward to grab him, but once again Hoole shape-shifted-into the tiny Ranat form he’d taken before. The lunging zombie stumbled right over him and fell headlong into the second grave. The two undead creatures both howled, struggling with each other, and Tash pulled her leg free.
Hoole, now back in his own shape, helped Tash to her feet and they started toward the exit.
“By the stars!” Uncle Hoole swore.
Tash was startled. She had never seen Uncle Hoole lose his composure. But in the next moment, she saw why.
All around them the ground was churning. Massive headstones collapsed or sank into the ground as the creatures below struggled to reach the surface. Hundreds of graves were on the verge of breaking open, spilling forth their buried inhabitants.
The city of the dead was coming back to life.
Tash and Uncle Hoole had no choice but to run through the mass of writhing graves.
At first their escape seemed easy. It took the zombies several minutes to dig their way to the surface.
Groping hands and arms snatched at Tash and Hoole from the graves. Tash shuddered-it looked like a horrible garden of fingers, arms, and hands planted in the ground.
Before long they could see figures rising up in the mist before them. Farther along, the zombies had had more time to free themselves, and between them and the gates lay an army of the undead.
“Zak was right!” Tash yelled to Hoole. “The dead are coming back! How can this be?”