Lancaster ducks as far down as he can go. A burst of energy flies out of the slit in the pulpit he saw earlier. It fires around the room in every direction, and disappears.
After waiting a moment to make sure the trap is past, Lancaster stands again and studies the pulpit without touching it. Deep inside the dangerous slit he spots a swirling mechanism. He can hear it whirling with a soft hum and distant crackles, like a far away lightning storm. Lancaster sits down, ducking his head below the level of the slits, just in case, and he pulls out a handheld device that measures the amount and type of power. He turns it on and points it at the pulpit for a few moments, then looks at the reading.
The power generator is inside the pulpit, giving off just enough to set off the device. It utilizes a technology that will only last for a few years, and its doubtful that the power from the device will even last that long.
Someone planted this recently, someone who doesn't want anyone to know about the secret of the Zeborno. It was probably the reason they stole the artifact at the top. (Use this knowledge in Relic Worlds, Book 4, Secret of the Dark Agents.)
This is certainly a lot of information to digest. There's more to explore, but that depends on how much Lancaster wants to press his luck.
What should Lancaster do?
