The Day of Reckoning
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, the sun loomed low over the Egyptian desert, casting the ominous shadows of the Hawass Mountains over the tiny encampment positioned at its foot. Yawning loudly, Godfrey Joyce pawed clumsily at his eyes as the sight of two hooded Hades Consortium assassins startled him awake.
'Oh, thank God,' he blurted uncontrollably. 'You've come to rescue me!'
'Rescue you?' smiled Cornelius Quaint, pulling down his dark red hood. 'Not quite, Godfrey.'
'You? I thought you were one of them!' gasped Joyce.
'That's the general idea,' said Quaint. 'I told you it would work, Faroud.'
Standing at Quaint's side – also dressed head to foot in claret-coloured robes – Aksak Faroud threw off his hood and patted his assassin's ragged uniform about his torso. 'We fooled him, but we have still to test them on the sentries guarding Fantoma.'
'Have faith, Aksak!' said Quaint. 'This plan'll work.'
'It had better – it is the only one we have got,' reminded Faroud. He motioned to the grouped Scarabs, as everyone slowly roused themselves awake. 'Come, brothers, we must ready ourselves for the battle that lies ahead.'