Peter Reese Doyle - Stalked in the Catacombs (Daring Adventure)

Stalked in the Catacombs

by Peter Reese Doyle

Stalked in the Catacombs

Copyright 1993 by Peter Reese Doyle. All rights reserved.

International copyright secured.

Published by Peter Reese Doyle, Opelika, Alabama

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means - electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise - without prior permission of the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction, and any resemblance between the characters in this book and real persons is coincidental.

11 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For

Jonathan Jackson Doyle

Whose faith, integrity, chivalry, humor, and breadth of interests form the model for the honorable young men portrayed in these books.

Were almost four hundred feet above the ground! Mark exclaimed, awed by the spectacle. All of Paris was below them!

Mark, his sister Penny, and their friend David were at the second observation platform of the immense Eiffel Tower which soared almost a thousand feet into the air. Visible for miles around, the giant iron structure served as a watchtower over vast areas of the great French city. The sky was clear, but the wind at this height threatened to blow them off the huge tower. Of course the guardrails prevented that, but the force was frightening at first.

Man, Id love to sail off this tower in a hang glider! David said, his brown eyes alive with excitement. Taller than Mark by two inches, David was lean, broad-shouldered, and very fit. Both boys wore dark trousers and long-sleeved shirts. Now they wished theyd worn jackets!

The three of them had just arrived at the platform and were wandering around the open spot with other tourists. The historic French city was a magnet, drawing multitudes of people from every part of the world, month after month, year after year. And thousands of them came to the Eiffel Tower to see the vast panoramic view of the great city.

The winds ruining my hair! Penny said, clutching her hands vainly to her head.

You mean, its rearranging your hair, dont you? Mark teased. Why do girls always talk about their hair being ruined, when they just mean rearranged? He shook his head as though puzzled, and grinned.

Oh, you know what I mean, she laughed. Then she pointed to the far reaches of the blue horizon. Look at the size of this city!

And look at the river right under us, Mark exclaimed, gazing down at the Seine. Wonder if we could dive in from here?

You wouldnt even come close! David replied. Youd decorate the street below - if you cleared the bottom of the tower.

You might hit those pigeons, Penny warned. Look at them! So far below us! She pointed to a flock of the lovely birds soaring a hundred feet beneath them. The sunlight flashed from their wings as they sailed gracefully around the iron tower.

Its not often we get to look down on flying birds! Mark commented. Fascinated, he squinted in the bright sunlight as the birds flew out toward the horizon.

Feel it move! This whole huge tower is moving! Penny said suddenly. Does the wind make it do that?

It sure does, Mark answered, but I doubt if thats what you felt. The structure only moves a few inches in the strongest breeze! You just felt the wind.

But I thought it was too heavy to move--it weighs millions of pounds of iron!

It is heavy, Mark replied. Fifteen million pounds, in fact, if I remember correctly.

Remember correctly! Who are you kidding? You just read that in the guide book, she retorted.

I also know how many rivets are holding all these pieces of metal together, Mark added smugly.

Ill bite, David said. How many?

Penny, her dark brown eyes sparkling, laughed at the way the wind blew Davids hair to the left side of his head.

Oh, Id say something in the neighborhood of two and a half million, Mark answered speculatively.

What a genius! his sister observed, shaking her head. You probably know how many metal pieces there are in the whole tower.

Twelve thousand, Mark replied promptly. Give or take a few.

The three wandered around the eastern side of the platform. Theres the Louvre! David pointed to the giant museum. I cant wait to get in there! The huge building that housed the world-renowned museum towered over surrounding structures.

Well have lots of time for that, Mark said. Dad wants us to work with Keno, and Kenos been loaned an office in the Egyptian wing. Well be right in the middle of all that. It was the biggest palace in the world! Theres a million things to see inside.

At seventeen, Mark was Davids age, and a year older than his sister. Heavier than David, he was solidly built, with a broad open face and perpetually friendly expression.

Penny shivered in the strong wind, and Mark put his arm around her.

Want to go back down? he asked.

Not yet, she replied. Theres too much to see. Lets look at the guidebook and find some of the sights. Mom and Dad said theyd join us when they were through in the shop.

Mr. and Mrs. Daring were in a shop below, looking for souvenirs for their younger children; these had remained in Africa with friends while their parents and Mark and Penny visited Paris.

Mark, Penny, and David strolled around the platform, checking the map in the guidebook, gradually getting a feel for the fabulous city. They tried to spot the office building where their dad was going to spend the next week.

Its west of here, not far from the river, and right in the Latin Quarter. We should be able to see it, she said.

And to think that we were in Cairo the day before yesterday! David exclaimed. That was a shorter visit than wed planned.

It was also a lot more exciting than wed expected! Penny added. Her eyes grew thoughtful with memories from the previous week, as the wind continued to blow her light-brown hair around her slender face. She was four inches shorter than her brothers five feet, eleven inches, slender, with a very quick wit and - David thought - a beautiful smile.

Well, there were some dangers all right! Mark agreed. But lets concentrate on our vacation in Paris. We never thought wed be here! Look! Is that the Cathedral of Notre Dame? He pointed toward the east where a huge structure with flying buttresses towered above a small island in the river.

I think so, David answered. At least, thats where the map says it should be. He looked at it for a moment. Gosh! Its huge! And the island its on does look like a ship - just like the guidebook says.

When will we go there? Penny asked.

Lets ask Mom and Dad, Mark replied. Theyre going to take us to all the major sights - and the restaurants, he added.

The restaurants! David added. Which reminds me, isnt it time to eat? Pennys got to be hungry!

But we just had breakfast! Penny protested. How can you two be hungry now?

Youre right, of course, he replied, looking a bit sad. It was just a thought.

David, youre as bad as Mark about eating, she laughed. Do you want to end up being that fat? She poked her brothers flat, hard stomach.

How about a little snack? her father asked behind her. The three turned and saw Mr. and Mrs. Daring, gift packages in hand.