Indiana Jones and the Inca Knife
Fan Fiction
by Brent Hamilton

South America, 1936

The stone wall of the subterranean temple receded into inky blackness when Indiana Jones pushed the square block of stone down. No sooner had it swung open then Indy saw his death rushing to greet him in the form of two massive spinning blades. He ducked and rolled forward into the darkness, missing the blades by a hair's breadth. The door slowly swung back into place with a clang.

"Whew," said Indy, picking himself and his fedora off the floor, "that was close!"

Jones pulled one of the three torches he had brought with him out of his pack and lit it, illuminating the vast room. Indy shook his head in wonderment at the sight that met his eyes.

It was a large cavern with an underground lake in the center. The walls were columned, the massive pillars supporting a stone roof far above. These pillars were intricately carved with Incan symbols, which looked menacing in the flickering half light of the torch. A hole in the roof illuminated a small island in the center of the lake with bluish light. This island held a small stone building that appeared to be a shrine, constructed of stone, and by the manner that the stones used to build it fit together, the shrine was obviously of Incan origin.

"Obviously I can't go back," said Indy, aloud but to himself. "So either I'm dead, or there's a way to get to that island."

"You're right Jones, there is a way, and you are going to provide it." The sound of a voice made Jones whirl his head around.

"Belloq!" Jones spat the word as if it were a distasteful food. "Which sewer did you crawl out of?"

Belloq advanced out of the darkness so that Jones could see him.

"I found a much safer route down here, but now I need do no more since you will provide what we seek."

"We? What are you schizophrenic now or something?"

Belloq laughed, and waved the torch he had lit to reveal about twenty Nazis.

"Unfortunately the tunnel we came down collapsed, so you will have to be the one to provide us with our treasure, and also our way of escape. Fritz, Helmut! Come here please."

Two men in gray German uniforms stepped forward and saluted. They were a stark contrast to each other, the one being very lean and tall, the other stout, and outrageously fat. Indy chuckled as he thought of comparing a carrot and a potato.

His laugh was cut off, however, by the two Germans pulling back the slides of the menacing mp40's they held.

"Belloq, Nazis, automatic weapons, I can't wait to find out what's next," Jones said sarcastically.

"You will find out soon enough. Now if you value your remaining life, which, I regret to point out, will soon come to an end, you will find a way to that island. It is a crying

shame that it should end this way after so many, shall we say, stimulating encounters. Where else shall I find an adversary so close to my own level?"

"Get going you pig!" said Fritz, knocking Indy down with the butt end of his mp40.

Indy quickly grabbed his bullwhip and wrapped it around Belloq's wrist, yanking down, causing the torch to fall to the ground. Belloq yelled in pain and grasped his wrist. When the torch hit the floor it extinguished itself, plunging the room into darkness.

Indy instantly went into action, tackling Fritz. The German was taken completely by surprise and at first offered no resistance. However, once he realized what was happening he became a formidable opponent, rolling about the floor on top of Indy, each trying to get an advantage over the other.

Belloq was cursing in French and screaming at the Germans to do something, while Helmut shot slugs aimlessly into the darkness. One of the Germans suddenly turned on an electric torch, revealing the scene. Jones had knocked Fritz unconscious, and had possession of the mp40, which he tried to point at Belloq. Before he could, however, Helmut was on him with a knife in his hand.

Indy stepped nimbly aside as Helmut rushed him. As the fat man careened into the wall, Indy crashed down on his skull with the butt end of the gun he held. Helmut sank to the floor and rubbed his head dazedly.

"Enough!" shouted Belloq. "This has gone too far. You will now swim to the island and recover that knife before I am tempted to shoot you!"

"Have it your way," said Indy, and plunged into the water.

It was devilishly cold, but it was only thirty yards or so, so he didn't have to bear it for long. When he reached the island he slowly pulled himself from the water. Indy wrung out his hat and stepped toward the shrine.