forge of Hephaestus. They built this thing to honour him, by having his symbol protect the stone.’
‘So it’s a trap, right?’
‘Oh, yeah. Only someone who deserves to enter the Temple of the Gods can get through the doors. Anyone else . . . well, whoever wrote this was big on smiting.’
‘This isn’t the temple?’
‘No, just an antechamber. The actual place is through there.’ She indicated the doors . . . then, her curiosity fully aroused, started to cross the chamber to examine them.
‘Whoa, whoa!’ Eddie pulled her back. ‘Smiting, remember?’
‘I wasn’t going to touch anything,’ she said, annoyed. ‘Besides, if they just wanted to stop anyone from reaching the Temple of the Gods, they could have filled in the lava tube. There must be a way in, otherwise why even bother with the test?’
‘What test?’
She pointed at the orichalcum plate. Visible on it was an indentation in the metal: a handprint. ‘I think that’s how you find out if you deserve to go through. Nothing’ll happen as long as nobody touches it.’ She started back towards the doors. ‘Probably.’ Eddie winced as she crossed under the hammer . . . but it remained still. Warily, he followed her.
Nina peered at the metal plate. The handprint, fingers splayed, was not large; a woman’s. Nantalas? There was something set into the centre of the indented palm. A piece of stone.
Purple stone. Part of the meteorite, the same substance from which the statues had been made.
She stared at it, thinking. Why place a material that could conduct earth energy on a door?
The answer was obvious. It was a lock, one that could only be opened with a biological key. Someone who could channel earth energy would be able to unlock it simply by pressing their hand against the panel.
Someone like Nantalas.
Or herself.
‘I know what it is,’ she told Eddie. ‘This place must be an earth energy confluence – maybe it’s why the meteorite ended up here, because it was following the lines of energy. So if I touch the stone, it’ll charge up just like the statues, and release the lock.’
Eddie did not share her confidence. ‘And if you’re wrong, it’s hammer time and I have to mop you off the floor.’
‘I don’t think I’m wrong. But just in case, you should go back over to the entrance. Take this with you.’ She gave him the bag of supplies.
He didn’t move. ‘We can blow the thing open.’
‘We don’t know how thick the doors are. And what if doing that drops the hammer? It’s huge – we’d never clear it without using all the other charges, and if we do that we won’t be able to destroy the meteorite. Eddie, I know what I’m doing. It’s the only way to get into the temple.’
Reluctantly, he backed up. Nina gave him a look of reassurance, then turned to the metal plate. She raised her hand and let it hover over the indentation as she spread her fingers to match the print.
Slowly, she moved it closer, about to press her palm against the stone—
‘Stop!’ Eddie yelled. She froze. ‘Don’t touch the fucking thing!’ He ran to her and bodily hauled her away from the door.
‘Jesus Christ, Eddie!’ she cried. ‘What is it?’
‘The hammer’s not the trap. That’s the trap!’ He pointed at the plate.
‘What do you mean?’
‘The whole point of building this place was to make sure nobody could ever use the meteorite’s power again, right?’
‘Yes . . .’ she said hesitantly, unsure where he was leading.
‘So why would they make a door that only opens for the exact people who can do that? It’d be like building a bank vault that can only be opened if you’re wearing a stripy jumper and carrying a bag with “swag” written on it! The last person they’d want to let in would be someone who can actually channel earth energy. Someone like you!’
She was silent for a long moment. Then: ‘Eddie?’
‘Yeah?’
‘I’m an idiot.’
He grinned. ‘I didn’t want to say it myself, but . . .’
‘No, seriously. I. Am. A. Moron! How the hell did I not figure that out? Oh, my God!’ She clapped both hands to her forehead. ‘I fell right for it. I’d be a quarter-inch thick right now if it wasn’t for you.’
‘Well, you’d have been able to slide right under the door.’ That triggered a thought, and he looked back towards the lava tube before regarding the doors quizzically.
‘You just saved my life, Eddie,’ Nina went on. ‘Again. Thank you. You know, I don’t