Viking Raiders by Chris Blake Page B

great,” she said, jaws creaking as she chomped away.
    â€œLeave some for me!” Tom said.
    Somebody’s dad in the row behind leaned forward and tapped Tom on the shoulder.
    â€œHey! Keep it down, son. I didn’t pay to listen to you talking to yourself for an hour.”
    Tom slumped down in his seat. He was glad that, in the dark of the cinema, nobody could see his cheeks glow.
    Isis giggled and kept hold of the popcorn tub. “You heard the man,” she said. “Stop ruining the film for everyone!”
    Tom looked longingly at his popcorn.
    â€œCan I have some, please?” he whispered, checking that the man behind wasn’t listening.
    Isis ignored him. The yellowy bandages on her face glowed white as she stared up at the flickering light of the screen. Isis started to laugh as the hero of the film said something funny.
    Tom could tell she was utterly absorbed in the thrilling story. “Isis!” he hissed, giving her a good poke with his elbow.
    â€œShh!” she hissed. “This is a good bit.”
    Tom’s stomach growled. “I bought that popcorn for me. Give it back, will you?”
    He was just about to snatch the tub out of her hands when their row of seats started to rumble and shake. Tom looked up at the film. Was it part of the action? Were the special effects really that convincing?
    â€œLook!” Isis suddenly yelped. “Anubis!”
    There, looming above, staring down at them through angry red eyes, was the Egyptian god of the Underworld himself.
    â€œEnjoying the show?” Anubis boomed.
    His voice bounced round the cinema. He stood with his fist on his hip, baring his sharp teeth and twitching the pointy ears on top of his jackal’s head.
    Tom gulped. It was as though Anubis had stepped right out of the screen. But everyone else in the cinema was still laughing and saying ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’, as though they could only see the film they had come to watch.

    â€œWhy did you have to turn up now?” Isis said hotly, throwing a handful of popcorn in Anubis’s direction. “Get out of the way! You’re blocking my view.”
    Several people looked round and tutted loudly, as the popcorn rained down on them.
    Anubis growled. “You know why I’m here, you cheeky girl,” he boomed, making the curtains at the side of the giant screen flap. “It’s time for your next quest.”
    â€œNot yet. I want to see how the story ends!” Isis shouted.
    The ground started to shake violently. Tom was sure their entire row of seats had started to edge forward.
    â€œYou will do as I say, Isis Amun-Ra, or you will never enter the Afterlife,” Anubis roared. “You are leaving to find your next amulet RIGHT NOW!!”

The three travellers hurtled through the tunnels of time, twisting and turning through the ages, as though they were on the scariest roller coaster in the world. They shot out of the end and flew through the air. One by one, they landed on the ground with a
thunk
,
thunk
,
flump
.
    Tom was shaking so hard from the cold that he felt his chattering teeth might fall out. “I’m f-freezing,” he said. “Where on earth are we?”
    Standing up and stretching, he looked about. They had landed on a riverbank that was covered with frost. Alongside them, a wide river flowed fast. Its choppy waters glittered in the winter sunshine.

    â€œI d-don’t know,” Isis said, blowing on her hands. “But I th-think my f-fingers might f-fall off.”
    Tom glanced over at Isis. Apart from the sweeps of black kohl round her eyes and the beaded black plaits that made her look unmistakeably like an Ancient Egyptian princess, she was back to being a normal ten-year-old girl again. And Cleo was back to being a cat, covered in stripy fur.
    Tom peered down at himself. “We’re wearing trousers and tunics, like we did in King Arthur’s time,” he said. “But these