Neither do I, Machiavelli added tightly. I spent a little time in prison,
a long time ago. I ve never forgotten it.
Was it as bad as this? Josh asked shakily.
Worse. Machiavelli was walking behind Josh and he leaned forward to add,
Try and stay calm. This is just a maintenance tunnel; we ll get into the
proper sewers in a few moments.
Josh took a deep breath and gagged on the smell. He had to remember to
breathe only through his mouth. And how is that going to help? he muttered
through clenched teeth.
The sewers of Paris are mirrors of the streets above, Machiavelli
explained, his breath warm against Josh s ear. The bigger sewers are fifteen
feet high.
Machiavelli was correct; moments later they came out of the cramped and
claustrophobic service tunnel into a tall arched sewer wide enough to drive a
car through. The high brick walls were brightly lit and lined with black
pipes of various thicknesses. Somewhere in the distance, water splashed and
gurgled.
Josh felt the claustrophobia ease a little. Sophie sometimes got scared in
wide-open spaces; he was afraid of tightly enclosed spots. Agoraphobia and
claustrophobia. He took a deep breath; the air was still tainted with
effluent, but at least it was breathable. He lifted the front of his black
T-shirt to cover his face and breathed in: it stank. When he got out of
here if he got out of here he d have to burn everything, including the fancy
designer jeans Saint-Germain had given him. He quickly dropped the shirt,
realizing that he d nearly exposed the bag he wore on the cord around his
neck containing the pages from the Codex. No matter what happened now, he was
determined that he wasn't going to give up the pages to Dee, not until he was
sure very, very, very sure that the Magician s motives were honest.
Where are we? he wondered aloud, looking back at Machiavelli. Dee had
walked out into the center of the sewer, the solid white ball now spinning
just above the palm of his outstretched hand.
The tall Italian glanced around. I ve no idea, he admitted. There are
about twenty-one hundred kilometers of sewers around thirteen hundred miles,
he amended, seeing the blank look on Josh s face. But don't worry, we ll not
get lost. Most have their own street signs.
Street signs in the sewers?
The sewers of Paris are one of the great wonders of this city. Machiavelli
smiled.
Come! Dee s voice cracked out, echoing in the chamber.
Do you know where we re going? Josh asked quietly. He knew from experience
that he needed to keep distracted; once he started thinking about the
narrowness of the tunnels and the weight of the earth above him, his
claustrophobia would reduce him to a wreck.
We re going down, into the deepest, oldest part of the catacombs. You re
going to be Awakened.
Do you know who we re going to see?
Machiavelli s usually impassive face twitched in a grimace. Yes. By
reputation only. I ve never seen it. He lowered his voice to little more
than a whisper and caught Josh s sleeve, pulling him back. It s not too late
to turn back, he said.
Josh blinked in surprise. Dee wouldn't like that.
Probably not, Machiavelli agreed with a wry smile.
Josh was puzzled. Dee had said Machiavelli wasn't his friend, and it had been
obvious that the two men didn't agree. But I thought you and Dee were on the
same side.
We are both in the service of the Elders, it is true but I have never
approved of the English Magician and his methods.
Ahead of them, Dee turned into a smaller tunnel and stopped before a narrow
metal door that was secured by a thick padlock. He pinched through the hasp
of the metal lock with fingernails that stank of foul yellow power and pulled
open the door. Hurry, he called back impatiently.
This this person we re going to see, Josh said slowly, can they really
Awaken my powers?
I have no doubt about it, Machiavelli said softly. Is the Awakening so
important to you? he asked, and Josh was aware that Machiavelli was watching
him closely.
My sister was Awakened my twin sister, he explained slowly. I want I need
to have my powers Awakened so we re alike again. He looked at the tall
white-haired man. Does that make sense?
Machiavelli nodded, his face an unreadable mask. But is that the only
reason, Josh?
The boy looked at him for a long moment before he turned away. Machiavelli
was right; it wasn't the only reason. When he d held Clarent, he d briefly
experienced a hint of what it must be like to have Awakened senses. For a few
moments, he d felt truly alive, he d felt complete and more than anything
else, he wanted to experience that feeling again.
Dee led them into another tunnel, which was, if anything, even narrower than
the first. Josh felt his stomach clench and his heart start to thump. The
tunnel turned and twisted downward in a series of slender stairs. The stones
here were older, the steps irregularly shaped, the walls soft and crumbling
as they brushed past. In some places it was so narrow that Josh had to turn
sideways to slip through. He got stuck in a particularly confined corner and
immediately started to feel breathless panic bubbling in his chest. Then Dee
caught one arm and unceremoniously yanked him through, tearing a long strip
off the back of his T-shirt. Nearly there, the Magician muttered. He raised
his arm slightly and the bobbing ball of silver light rose higher into the
air, revealing the tunnel s pitted brickwork.
Hang on a second; let me catch my breath. Josh bent over, hands on his
knees, breathing deeply. He realized that as long as he concentrated on the
ball of light and didn't think about the walls and ceiling closing in on him,
he was OK. How do you know where we re going? he panted. Have you been
here before?
I was here once before a long time ago, Dee said with a grin. Right now,
I m just following the light. The harsh white light turned the Magician s
smile into something terrifying.
Josh remembered a trick his football coach had taught him. He wrapped his
hands around his stomach and squeezed hard as he breathed in and straightened
up. The feeling of queasiness immediately eased. Who are we going to see?
he asked.
Patience, humani, patience. Dee looked past Josh to where Machiavelli was
standing. I m sure our Italian friend will agree. One of the great
advantages of immortality is that one learns patience. There is a saying:
good things come to those who wait.
Not always good things, Machiavelli muttered as Dee turned away.
At the end of the narrow tunnel was a low metal door. It looked as if it
hadn't been opened in decades and had rusted solid into the weeping limestone
wall. In the white light, Josh saw that the rust had stained the off-white
stone the color of dried blood.
The ball of light bobbed in the air while Dee ran his glowing yellow
fingernail around the edge of the door, cutting it out of the frame, the
stink of rotten eggs blanketing the odor of sewage.
What s through here? Josh asked. Now that he d started to get his fear
under control, he was beginning to feel a little excitement. Once he was
Awakened, he d slip away and get back to Sophie. He turned to look at