Each bridge was aimed at one of five entry tunnels—all identical to Jack’s—that opened onto the vast space.

Only the bridges didn’t reach all the way to the entry tunnels.

They ended six feet short of them and about six feet below them.

Jack looked down at the wide gap of empty space between him and the tip of the half-bridge facing him.

The intention of the gap was clear: it was designed to stop anyone from jumping back to the entry tunnel after they had leapt across—

Jack froze.

There was someone on his half-bridge.

Right in its middle, blocking the way.

Wait, no, it wasn’t a person.

It was a statue. A stone statue, tall and man-shaped.

But then the statue began to shudder, as if it were cracking from within, and suddenly its outer shell of stone fell away in many tiny flakes to reveal a figure previously encased inside it.

A silverman.

One of the elite automaton guards, one level higher than the bronzemen.

And this one stood guard halfway along the bridge, barring the way.

‘We are so not in Kansas anymore,’ Lily whispered.

‘Jack . . .’ Zoe urged.

The big sliding stone was grinding down the entry tunnel behind them, gathering speed.

Jack’s mind raced.

This was all happening too fast.

He wanted to know more about this place before he jumped across onto some guttered half-bridge with a silverman on it, but the sliding stone bearing down on them was making the decision for him.

He was processing all of this when a hideous scream from nearby made him turn.

‘Somebody kill me!’ It was the same voice they’d heard before.

Jack spun to his right and saw the source of the cry over on the next half-bridge.

It was an Omega monk.

Jack swallowed in horror at what he saw.

The lone Omega monk was lying on his back on the half-bridge . . . only his guttered bridge was filled to knee-height with solidified greystone and the monk lay half encased in the cement-like substance.

He must have fallen into the greystone when it had been in liquid form, for his hands, waist and mid-section were sealed in it while his head was above it.

Only that wasn’t the horrific part.

The horrific part was the pair of Vandals currently crouched over him and taking slashing bloody bites out of his exposed face and shoulders.

They were eating him alive.

‘Please Lord, kill me!’

Jack stared in horror. Sphinx must have left more Vandals at the other entrances.

Near the two feasting Vandals stood another silverman, the one evidently assigned to guard that bridge. It stood on the greystone, not in it, and it just remained there impassively, doing nothing about the gruesome cannibalism taking place in front of it.

‘This is messed up,’ Lily said.

‘Jack . . .’ Zoe said again.

The huge sliding stone behind them was moving fast and almost on them.