Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz Page B
Authors: Anthony Horowitz
Tags: Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, supernatural, Horror & Ghost Stories, Incas, Indians of South America, Nazca Lines Site (Peru), Peru, Indians of South America - Peru
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he had been sensing from the moment he had arrived that day.
He looked around him. A bell sounded. The lunch bell. It told him what he had to do. He took three steps down the corridor and found a fire alarm, set behind a glass panel and mounted on the wall. He used his elbow to smash the glass, then pressed the alarm button with his thumb.
At once, much louder bells sounded throughout the school. People stopped what they were doing and began to look at each other, half Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star smiling, wondering what was going on. They knew the sound of the fire alarm. There had been fire drills often enough. But it was as if no one wanted to make the first move, afraid of looking foolish.
"There's a fire!" Matt shouted. "Move!"
One or two boys began to make their way past him, walking away from the double doors and back toward the other side of the school.
The main assembly point was a foot-ball field next to the chapel. As soon as the first few had started moving, others followed. Matt heard doors opening and slamming. People were asking questions, but the alarm was so loud that Matt couldn't make out any words.
Then Mr. O'Shaughnessy appeared. The assistant head-master was looking flustered. His face, never cheerful at the best of times, was thunderous. There were pinpricks of red in his normally pallid cheeks. He saw Matt standing next to the fire alarm. His eyes moved and took in the broken glass.
"Freeman!" he exclaimed. He had to shout to make himself heard.
"Did you do that?"
"Yes."
“You set off the alarm?"
“Yes."
"Where's the fire?"
Matt said nothing.
Mr. O'Shaughnessy took his silence as an admission of guilt. "If you've done this as a prank, you will be in serious trouble!" he boomed. And then, an afterthought that was so bizarre it almost made Matt want to laugh, he added, "Why aren't you wearing your tie?"
Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star
"I think you should get out of the school" was Matt's only reply.
There was nothing to be done. The alarm could be switched off only in the bursar's office, and only with the approval of the fire brigade.
Mr. O'Shaughnessy grabbed Matt by the arm, and the two of them followed the other boys out of the school. In minutes, all the buildings were empty. On the other side of the main road, the dinner ladies had spilled out of the sports center. The few boys who had arrived for lunch early were with them. They crossed the road and joined the rest of the students.
The entire school had congregated on the football field. The teachers were with them, trying to get them into some sort of order. Even the cafeteria workers had come over to see what all the fuss was about.
Everyone was looking for the flames, or at least a little smoke, but already it was being whispered that the alarm had been set off as a joke and that Matthew Freeman was to blame. The headmaster had also arrived. He was a short, solid-looking man, built like a rugby player and known as the Bulldog. He saw his assistant, who was standing next to Matt, and came striding over.
"Do you know what's going on?" he demanded.
"I'm afraid I do, Headmaster," O'Shaughnessy replied. "I'm afraid it's a false alarm."
"Well, I'm glad of that!"
"Of course." O'Shaughnessy nodded. "But this boy set the alarm off on purpose. His name is Freeman and ..."
But the headmaster wasn't listening anymore. He was staring past Mr. O'Shaughnessy. Slowly, Matt turned round to see what was happening. Mr. O'Shaughnessy did the same.
They were just in time to see the tanker come careen-ing down the Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star hill. They knew at once that something was wrong. It was zigzagging across the road, seemingly out of control. But Matt could just make out the figure — a woman with mad eyes and straggling hair — sitting in the driver's seat. He recognized her at the same moment that he realized she knew exactly what she was doing, that she had come
He looked around him. A bell sounded. The lunch bell. It told him what he had to do. He took three steps down the corridor and found a fire alarm, set behind a glass panel and mounted on the wall. He used his elbow to smash the glass, then pressed the alarm button with his thumb.
At once, much louder bells sounded throughout the school. People stopped what they were doing and began to look at each other, half Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star smiling, wondering what was going on. They knew the sound of the fire alarm. There had been fire drills often enough. But it was as if no one wanted to make the first move, afraid of looking foolish.
"There's a fire!" Matt shouted. "Move!"
One or two boys began to make their way past him, walking away from the double doors and back toward the other side of the school.
The main assembly point was a foot-ball field next to the chapel. As soon as the first few had started moving, others followed. Matt heard doors opening and slamming. People were asking questions, but the alarm was so loud that Matt couldn't make out any words.
Then Mr. O'Shaughnessy appeared. The assistant head-master was looking flustered. His face, never cheerful at the best of times, was thunderous. There were pinpricks of red in his normally pallid cheeks. He saw Matt standing next to the fire alarm. His eyes moved and took in the broken glass.
"Freeman!" he exclaimed. He had to shout to make himself heard.
"Did you do that?"
"Yes."
“You set off the alarm?"
“Yes."
"Where's the fire?"
Matt said nothing.
Mr. O'Shaughnessy took his silence as an admission of guilt. "If you've done this as a prank, you will be in serious trouble!" he boomed. And then, an afterthought that was so bizarre it almost made Matt want to laugh, he added, "Why aren't you wearing your tie?"
Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star
"I think you should get out of the school" was Matt's only reply.
There was nothing to be done. The alarm could be switched off only in the bursar's office, and only with the approval of the fire brigade.
Mr. O'Shaughnessy grabbed Matt by the arm, and the two of them followed the other boys out of the school. In minutes, all the buildings were empty. On the other side of the main road, the dinner ladies had spilled out of the sports center. The few boys who had arrived for lunch early were with them. They crossed the road and joined the rest of the students.
The entire school had congregated on the football field. The teachers were with them, trying to get them into some sort of order. Even the cafeteria workers had come over to see what all the fuss was about.
Everyone was looking for the flames, or at least a little smoke, but already it was being whispered that the alarm had been set off as a joke and that Matthew Freeman was to blame. The headmaster had also arrived. He was a short, solid-looking man, built like a rugby player and known as the Bulldog. He saw his assistant, who was standing next to Matt, and came striding over.
"Do you know what's going on?" he demanded.
"I'm afraid I do, Headmaster," O'Shaughnessy replied. "I'm afraid it's a false alarm."
"Well, I'm glad of that!"
"Of course." O'Shaughnessy nodded. "But this boy set the alarm off on purpose. His name is Freeman and ..."
But the headmaster wasn't listening anymore. He was staring past Mr. O'Shaughnessy. Slowly, Matt turned round to see what was happening. Mr. O'Shaughnessy did the same.
They were just in time to see the tanker come careen-ing down the Horowitz, Anthony - [Gatekeepers 02] - Evil Star hill. They knew at once that something was wrong. It was zigzagging across the road, seemingly out of control. But Matt could just make out the figure — a woman with mad eyes and straggling hair — sitting in the driver's seat. He recognized her at the same moment that he realized she knew exactly what she was doing, that she had come
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