Seven Wonders Book 2: Lost in Babylon

Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones in the *New York Times* bestselling epic adventure Seven Wonders! *Lost in Babylon* is the second book in a seven-book series by master storyteller Peter Lerangis. This sequel to the bestselling *The Colossus Rises* chronicles Jack McKinley and his friends as they carry on their mission to save their lives—and the world—by locating seven magic orbs called Loculi, which are hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After defeating the Colossus of Rhodes and capturing the first of the Loculi, their friend Marco has disappeared. With no leads, no clues, and no one else to turn to, the kids have no choice but to trust Professor Bhegad and the Karai Institute again as they head off to Babylon.

## Plot summary

Following the disappearance of Marco Ramsay, professor Bhegad sent KI people and the Select to find him, and finally located him in the ancient Babylon site, Iraq. There, Marco found a portal that led Select to the ancient Babylon, and heard the song of Heptakiklos, confident that the second Loculus is in ancient Babylon. Professor Bhegad, using his world-renowned archaeologist status and an archaeology digging as disguise, set a camp there to wait for the Select return from the portal.

The Select went through the portal and met the King Nabu-nai'd, who had his guards escort them to his palace as he thought they were special guests (He later mistook them as visiting to the kingdom. Later, Daria when visiting them in their guest rooms, asking where were they from, and they had a bit of chat and the Select taught her English. The Select and Daria was later brought to the Ishtar Gate by the king's son, Bel-Sharu-Usur. Marco Ramsay managed to gain trust from him when he saved Bel-Sharu-Usur's life when someone tried to assassinate him, and requested them to be brought to the Hanging Gardens for saving him. Bel-Sharu-Usur gave the Select a task to kill the Mushushu, a ferocious beast hiding in the King's hunting ground and after that, he would consider the request and Marco as a noble hero.

They managed to injure and knock out the mushushu but Marco Ramsay was badly injured. Luckily, a band of Babylon rebels found the Select and healed Marco with herbs. The Select then brought the injured mushshu to King Nabu-na'd and he was pleased by what they did and called them "heroes" to the kingdom, but he declined their request to the Hang him.

The Select, thanks to the clues left by Daria, managed to find a way into the Hanging Garden, and successfully located the chamber that contained the second Loculus, which was guarded by Kranag. The Select managed to defeat the Kranag, and went up to take the Loculus, only to find they caused an earthquake. Realising the cataclysmic events that would happen to Babylon without the presence of the Loculus, Jack McKinley told the other Select to return back from the portal and discuss the matter with professor Bhedgad.

The professor was delighted to have them returned, and told them while they were away, the KI have been proposing many problems the Select might encounter in retrieving the Loculus and have been thinking for solutions. Luckily, one of their proposed problem were to be true. The KI developed a Loculus casing called Shelley, thanks to the charcoal drafts left by the greatest scholar of Karai, the deceased Herman Wenders. Shelley allows the Loculus to transfer energy into it, thus taking away the Loculus in Babylon would be unnecessary.

The Select returned back to the ancient Babylon, and saw the damage the earthquake have done to the city. They tried to enter the Hanging Garden but it was heavily guarded by royal guards. Fortunately, Daria along with some Babylon rebels helped them clear a path.

The Select along with Daria entered the chamber while the rebels stationed outside. It was then revealed that Daria was also a Select when she touched the Loculus. As they were about to charge Shelley with some energy from the Loculus, brother Dimitrios and his goons entered the chamber, and told them Marco had betrayed them. He took away the Loculus and caused the another earthquake to start. The Select and the Massa people rushed for the portal, and made it in time as ancient Babylon was destroyed, killing everyone in it, including Daria.

Entering the portal back to the modern world, the Karai Institute tents that should be camped there were no longer there. Brother Dimitrios then forced the Select to follow him back to the Massa headquarters in Egypt, where Aly luckily managed to escape during the trip. Jack and Cass would later be able to escape from the Massa headquarters after someone slipped a phone to Jack that contains the map of the base.

Jack and Cass later met Torquin and Aly and they returned back to the Karai Institute headquarters with the two Loculi that the Massa took from them.