I stepped into a large cavernous room, with rock walls. I stood on a large stone platform running from one end of the room to another. In the center of this platform, was a larger square area. It was covered by a colourful mosaic and had a round hole in the middle.

I jogged over to the hole and peered in, but the hole was dark. I lit a flare and held it close to the hole. Inside I could see what looked like a white marble column. Glinting on top was a round section of gold with a small piece missing. The other key piece?

Lying down, flat on my stomach, I stretched my right arm down into the hole. In the flickering light of my flare, I saw my hand a tiny space away from the key piece. But no matter how hard I strained, I couldn't reach it.

I growled in frustration, and got up. My flare flickered one last time and died. It threw it away. I didn't need it anyway, because the early morning sunshine streamed in through a hole in the roof. I looked around me, and found the platform was rather high off the ground.

'No way I'd survive that without breaking a few bones,' I thought. Then I grinned. 'Nothing like a challenge.'

I spotted a platform against the right wall of the room, with a rope running from the ceiling through a hole in the floor. I shook my head. Couldn't these guys have thought of another way of doing this?

I took a running jump to the platform and took another look around. Leading directly off, and perpendicular to, the platform was a narrow walkway to a stone pillar that connected with the platform above.

From there, there was another walkway to the right, leading to a large sandstone block, with a step in the middle of its top. That looked like the way to go. So I walked over to the rope, and positioned myself carefully.

I pulled on the rope once and heard a short grinding noise. I craned my neck, but I couldn't see any change on the platform above. I shrugged and pulled the rope again. I heard another grinding noise. I pulled it again, and heard another. Pulling it a fourth time, I heard a different noise and shrugged. Three times it was.

I flipped backwards and rolled as soon as I felt my feet touch something solid. I soon found myself facing the stone pillar. I ran forward a few steps, before swerving and jumping to the next walkway. From there, I ran forward and jumped to the sandstone block.

From there, I saw a dark ledge against the opposite wall at about the same height of the center platform. I ran up to the edge and judged the distance. I immediately took a jump backwards and ran forward, leaping from the edge at the last minute.

I soared through the air and grabbed the edge of the dark ledge before I began to fall. My blood was pumping hard in my veins with an instinctive urgency I couldn't place. But I knew it meant something. My instincts were never wrong.

I pulled up quickly and pivoted to the left. There was a large part of rock jutting out toward the center platform and a small white pedestal could be seen. The gold piece glinted in the sunlight.

I ran forward along the rock and took a leap out over the gap. I could feel I wasn't going to make it, but I reached out and grabbed the edge of the platform at the last minute. The impact jarred my shoulders and made my wound throb harder.

Ignoring it for the minute, I vaulted up onto the platform and ran towards the pedestal, just as it began to sink back into its hole. I reached out and grabbed the other piece of the key, and the pedestal stopped moving. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I pulled the other piece out of my backpack and fitted the two together. There was a click as they joined. I grinned.

I put the whole gemstone key back into my pack and walked towards the door on the opposite side of the room to where I entered. The door opened as I approached and I stepped through into another room. There was a doorway ahead of me that closed when I moved close.

I frowned and took another step forward, only to feel the ground give way beneath my feet. I stifled a scream and tried to grab onto something with my hands. I slid down a narrow chute faster and faster. I twisted at the same moment I exited it, and managed to grab the edge of the rock wall above a deep pit.

I jarred my shoulders once again, and just managed to keep from slipping. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, Pierre appeared above my head.

"Um . . . " Pierre began, as if at a loss to describe the situation. "An unfortunate situation, no?"

"I've had worse." I replied through gritted teeth.

"Indeed. Indeed." Pierre said. "This is a very deep pit and in this, such an historic venue, I feel sure there may be valuable artifacts lurking in its depths."

"I can't tempt you to jump down and take a look?" I asked him.

"Well, this is my point: I feel you may be better qualified to examine its secrets." Pierre shot back. "Unless you - perish the thought - expired in the fall. Perhaps if you lighten your load a little it may lessen the impact . . . the stone you carry?"

I smiled coldly at him. "Wondered when you'd get to that." I said. "Pull me up and the stone is yours."

"And we live happily ever after?" Pierre chuckled shortly. "I think not. Give me your word that once you leave the pit you will not lay a finger on me."

"You have my word." I said through gritted teeth as I struggled to hang on.

Pierre then stretched out a hand and helped pull me up. As soon as I stood up, I took a threatening step towards him and he backed towards the edge. "Er, the stone . . . " Pierre said nervously, as I kept walking towards him. "Now, now Miss Croft, you gave me your word. Come now Lara. Lara, you promised."

"Boo!" I said.

Startled, Pierre tried to back up another step and lost his footing on the edge. He just managed to grab the edge before he fell into the deep pit. I smiled coldly at him. Our positions seemed to have reversed.

"Uh . . . Could you find it in your heart to help me up?" Pierre asked, a quaver in his voice. "I appear to be slipping."

"Pierre," I said. "You know nothing would please me more, but we have an agreement."

"An agreement?" he asked puzzled.

"Not to lay a finger on you." I explained. "Remember, silly? Anyway, busy girl, got to go."

I turned and walked away, leaving a fearful Pierre hanging from the ledge. Maybe I should have helped him up, but he had tried to kill and use me one to many times.

"But . . . I . . . ahhh!" Pierre called as he fell.

"Don't let me hold you up." I muttered.