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Merv and I dug into the task before us. Zeus lay sleeping on his blankets, kicking his legs and growling in his dreams. Merv organized his research into more manageable piles while I located quill, ink, and parchment. I crudely sketched Sir Mortimer’s tablet. It was a slow process. I had only seen the rubbing briefly and had to keep stopping to concentrate on the details. Recreating the ancient symbols and intricate patterns contained in the tablet’s border proved to be the tricky part. Not my best work, but it would have to do.
I also do caricatures and pet portraits. I added some colors and shading to give the drawing depth and perspective and to make it more pleasing to the eye. I put the finishing touches on the final symbol and called Merv over to take a look.
“What do you think?”
“Amazing, lad!” Merv exclaimed. The detail is astounding! You got all that from the quick peak we took at the rubbing in Sir Mortimer’s study?”
I brushed Merv’s praise away. “I hope it will be helpful. Pat is depending on us, Merv.”
“I know, my boy. With that in mind, let’s get started trying to translate the tablet.” Merv studied the paper intently. “The characters aren’t familiar to me. I’ve never seen any language quite like this. Unless you have some thoughts, the tablet may be a dead end, Eli. Without some point of reference, I’m not sure where to even begin attempting a translation.”
Merv looked almost hopeless. I stared at my drawing, willing the meanings behind the symbols to reveal themselves. They refused to give up their secrets. After a few minutes I abandoned that course of action.
“Let’s go at this from another direction,” I suggested.
I moved to Merv’s desk and shuffled through all the material he had collected on the Stones. The Jaguar’s Claw and the Heart of Ra sat silently on the table, their inner lights pulsing in time with each other. I finished looking through the first stack of papers Merv had sorted, which contained brief references to the Stones but nothing pertinent to our search for the Dragon’s scale. I moved on to the second stack of papers, held in place by Merv’s makeshift paperweight. I noticed, again, the ancient symbols scratched upon the rock’s surface.
“Where did you say this rock came from again, Merv?” I asked.
“I discovered it in the kingdom archives along with Sir Mortimer’s journal and some of the other papers we have collected here. I only hung on to it because it was wrapped in a parchment that referenced the Dragon’s scale and its guardian.”
“Do you have the paper it was wrapped in, Merv? I’d like to see it.”
Merv shuffled through the bits and scraps laid out across his desk until he found what he was looking for - a dark brown piece of parchment rolled up and secured with a piece of leather cord. It looked very old.
“Ah, here it is,” Merv announced, pulling the scroll from under another document and handing it to me.
I cleared a spot on the table I was working on and slowly untied the cord and unrolled the crinkled paper. The dry leather crackled and popped as it unfurled. The scroll sounded like a bowlful of Rice Krispies Cereal and milk as I opened it fully and smoothed it out. Man, I could really go for some rice krispy treats right now. My mom makes the best krispy treats. She uses more marshmallows than the standard recipe calls for, so hers are a lot more sticky and gooey than your normal krispy treats. I know. I know - focus, Eli!
I leaned over the document and began to examine it more closely. My stomach rumbled, still thinking about those Krispy Treats ... and a chili dog.
Much of the document was faded and unreadable but I could make out bits and pieces.
“This is old, Merv.”
I traced some of the words with my finger, careful not to damage the page further. Merv was draped over my shoulder to get a better look.
“I thought it and the rock might be important, lad. I just wasn’t sure how,” Merv offered.
I looked over the entire document and then focused my attention on the legible parts. The parchment contained both Olde Snardonian text, which appeared to be closely related to Olde English, and pictograms that closely resembled those on the drawing I had made and on the rock the paper once covered. Of particular note, were some of the symbols etched on Merv’s paperweight. They appeared on the ancient paper along with handwritten notes that purported to be their meanings.
We were headed in the right direction. The parchment also contained writing that referred to the “guardian of the stone” or maybe the “stone guardian.” The text was broken and damaged so I couldn’t be sure. A line about keeping the Dragon’s scale safe from those seeking disorder appeared near the bottom of the page.
“The pictures are what clued me in to the rock’s importance,” Merv explained. “I thought, at one time, it might be a key to unlocking the Dragon’s scale’s whereabouts but I could never figure it out.”
I glanced from the parchment to the rock to my drawing of Mortimer’s tablet as the old man talked. The more he said, the less I heard. Clearly, the markings on the parchment represented the Dragon’s scale and its guardian. These same symbols appeared on Merv’s paperweight and Mortimer’s tablet. The tablet contained nine pictograms at the bottom with what appeared to be a road or path leading up toward a tenth symbol. I looked back at Merv’s parchment and a chill ran down my spine. Could it really be this easy?
“I think I know what the tablet is, Merv!” I exclaimed. “It’s a list of all the Keys to Forever!”
“What do you mean, son?”
“Look. We know that the dragon symbol represents the Dragon’s scale. It says so right on the parchment your paperweight was wrapped up in.” The words were almost coming too fast. Merv stared intently at me as I continued.
“That symbol is repeated on Sir Mortimer’s tablet. Look at the symbols above it, Merv!”
Merv gasped in shock and understanding as my explanation took hold.
“Of course!” he yelled. “The first symbol represents the Jaguar’s Claw and the second is the Heart of Ra! Genius lad!”
I frantically searched through the stacks of papers on Merv’s work table, shuffling through them like a deck of cards. I located the document I had seen on my first visit to his laboratory: the list Merv had made of the Keys to Forever.
Holding up the paper, I grinned, knowing I had more proof that my theory was correct.
“There are nine Keys to Forever,” I recalled from Merv’s earlier lecture. “There are nine corresponding images on the tablet, Merv.”
Merv nodded in agreement, clearly excited by our discovery.
“We know the first three symbols on the tablet represent the Jaguar’s Claw, the Heart of Ra, and the Dragon’s Scale,” Merv picked up my line of thought. “We also know the names of two of the other stones,” he continued.
Consulting the sheet of paper in my hand, I read aloud, “Poseidon’s Pearl and Vulcan’s Fire.”
A quick look at the tablet yielded two more symbols that represented each:
“We now know five of the Stones’ names and how they are depicted in their creator’s language,” Merv pointed out.
“We’re making progress,” I agreed. “But we’re still not any closer to locating the Dragon’s Scale.”
“One step at a time, my boy,” Merv replied.
Images of Brady and my dad sprang to mind. “You’re absolutely right,” I replied. “One step at a time.”
I appreciated my friend’s positive attitude. With everything that had happened, it would have been easy to let hopelessness and despair set in. Merv definitely helped keep me going.
“Let’s keep working, lad. Perhaps we can shake some more useful information loose from these scraps of cloth.”
Merv and I worked for hours, bouncing thoughts and ideas off one another, brainstorming about the stones, their creators, and the Dragon’s Scale. Shadows moved from one wall to the next as the day slipped away, replaced by night. My eyes were getting tired.
I replaced the last piece of
paper on the stack I had just finished going through for the thirty-third time and stood up to stretch. After our initial breakthrough, Merv and I had made little progress.
“Maybe we should get some food and some sleep, Eli. Recharge the batteries so we can start fresh in the morning,” Merv said from his chair.
He was right. It was late and we had been pouring over the same material for hours with no success but I couldn’t let myself sleep knowing Pat was in the clutches of Cyrus Fowler.
“I’d like to keep working, Merv. Maybe we could have some food brought up so we don’t have to stop.”
“You look worn out, son. As tired as we both are, there’s a good chance we might miss something important. That won’t do Pat any good.”
“You’re right,” I reluctantly agreed, “but a quick bite to eat and then we get back on it. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
Merv and I tidied up the areas we were working in and headed for the stairs. I couldn’t stop thinking about Pat. Since her abduction, there had been no word from Cyrus Fowler or Harold the former herald. No ransom demands, no evil villain gloating, nothing. That concerned me. Merv and I had been receiving hourly updates from Gerald the new herald since we retired to Merv’s chambers to do our research. Every knight in the kingdom was out searching. Rewards had been offered for information. The psychics, fortune tellers, and seers had even been given another chance. Nothing.
As I reached the doorway, my legs buckled a little. I was more worn out than I had realized. Seeing my fatigue, Merv hurried to my side.
“Are you alright, my boy?”
“Just a little tired, Merv. Let me get the Signpost to help me navigate these stairs. I just need a little rest and some food.”
I gave Merv my best ‘I’m okay’ grin but I don’t think he bought it. I retrieved my staff from the corner. As I turned to catch up to my companion, a large shadow glided across the floor of the room. Zeus shrieked fiercely and bounded to his feet, blankets and chew toys scattering around him.
CAW! CAW! CAW! - A large black crow circled lazily overhead, unconcerned by the immature gryphon squealing and jumping below. I spotted an open window high on the south wall of the room - our visitor’s point of entry.
Merv raced back into his chambers, dagger drawn and on high alert. I had already changed my grip on the Signpost, going from walking stick to weapon in an instant.
The bird continued to glide high above our heads. CAW! CAW! CAW!
Zeus responded with an ear-splitting shriek. Merv laid a calming hand on the gryphon’s side and quickly brought him under control.
“This has Fowler written all over it, lad,” Merv yelled over the crow’s caws. “Another attack?”
“I don’t think so,” I replied. “The bird could have attacked without warning and didn’t. Besides, Fowler sent an army of birds last time. This is Fowler’s work, but it’s something else.”
As if hearing our conversation, the black feathered beast banked sharply and swooped toward the floor. Merv and I leapt back, assuming defensive positions. The crow, however, did not attack. It merely landed on the floor just out of our reach.
Our avian interloper regarded us coldly with eyes devoid of all emotions but hate. All occupants of the room stood frozen for several moments, no one daring to move. The crow ended the standoff, when, without warning, it leapt into the air, wings beating furiously as it gained altitude and flew toward the open window above. A small, cube-shaped object now rested on the floor, left by our departing visitor. As the creature flew through the open portal and into the night, it dropped a second object from its claws which fell and came to rest on top of one of Merv’s bookshelves.
Merv and I exchanged worried glances. We stood our ground, both still ready for battle. Keeping one eye on the open window and the other on the mysterious cube, I eased forward and tapped the object with my staff.
A lot of things happened.
HIIISSSSSS! - the cube’s sides expanded, opening upward and outward, spreading out on the floor.
CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! - a small set of metal discs rose from the cube, interlocking with each other to form a larger disc that hovered above the device.
WHIIIRRRRRRR! - the disc started spinning, slowly at first. It gained momentum and quickly became a blur, moving faster than the eye could track.
FLASH! - a multitude of different colored lights exploded from within the cube, dancing across the surface of the disc. The lights pulsed and blinked in and out, mixing with the blurred surface spinning wildly above them.
EEEK! - Either Merv or I yelled, thinking this contraption might be a scarab transportation device or a Death Ray. Did you know that Archimedes, the noted Greek inventor, is credited with constructing the world’s first Death Ray in ... Sorry. I’m pretty sure I’m the one who eeked. Come on, I thought the thing might have been filled with scarabs or might have been a Death Ray!
As I watched, the colors pouring from the cube coalesced into a blurry image. The machine continued to hum and purr. The image became clearer and more defined. A form began to materialize before my eyes. Arms and legs took shape. A head and body followed. After only a few seconds, a man stood on the spinning platform before us. A man clad all in black. Cyrus Fowler.
The image was no more than nine inches tall. The detail was amazing.
“We meet again, Eli Arnold,” Fowler said with a sneer. “How are you feeling?” He laughed.
“Where’s Pat?” I demanded. “If you hurt her in any way, Fowler, I’ll make you suffer.” I kept my voice low but even. I was not going to let this bully get to me.
Fowler’s image stood silently for several more seconds.
“I assume you’ve been ranting and raving about what you’re going to do to me and about the Princess and things like that. Let me clue you in, boy. This is a hologram. A recorded message. I can’t see you or hear you. So shut up and listen. Your little friend’s life depends on it.”
I stared at the image before me. I knew, of course, what holograms were but had never seen one with this kind of clarity and detail. I stepped forward and swiped my hand through the figure. It blurred as my hand passed through but instantly regained its cohesiveness.
Before I got sucked into a time vortex, I had constructed several crude holographic emitters of my own. I had some thoughts and ideas about how to refine my holograms using a bent spectrum algorithm and reflective technology, but I got sidetracked working on my Mom and Dad’s invisibility device. I really wish I could find that thing.
Merv had obviously never seen such a device. His jaw hung open in disbelief as he looked on trying to understand what he was seeing. I wasn’t surprised. This type of technology was way ahead of both Merv’s and my times. Our foe had access to very advanced pieces of equipment.
Fowler continued, “If you ever want to see the princess again, you will deliver the Dragon’s Scale and all of your research on the Keys to Forever to me by the sixth hour tomorrow. All papers and documents, the Signpost and the other stone Harold tells me you already possess. I believe he called it the Heart of Ra. Come alone, boy. No tricks or I will feed Princess Pitter Pat to my other winged pet, Scar.
Fowler grinned malevolently. “I’m sure the Princess would love to tell you to do what I say, but she’s a little tied up at the moment.”
With the same malevolent grin fixed on his face, Fowler stepped back. An image of Pat, bound hand and foot, lying on the floor replaced Fowler in the hologram. A strip of cloth was clinched between her teeth and knotted behind her head. She tried to speak, but the gag eliminated any sound. Her eyes were wide with fear above the material.
My heart beat faster. I could feel my control slipping away. I had to save her. Brady was gone. I was not going to lose Pat too.
Fowler stepped back into view, his expression grim.
“I will give her to the dragon as a snack if you do not follow my instructions to the letter, boy. Bring the stones and all items related to them to me tomorrow at sixt
h hour. Meet me at the ruins atop Widow’s Peak. I’ll be waiting. Oh, and if you have any doubt about whether I have the Princess, my pet should have left another gift for you with this message. Sixth hour tomorrow.”
Fowler moved closer, the hologram now a close-up of his face.
“Okay, just push stop?” he asked someone outside the hologram’s range. “I’m pushing it. It’s off? Are you sure? Because the red light is still on. Oh. Okay. Got it.”
The image faded away and the cube folded back in on itself returning to its earlier form. Merv and I stood speechless trying to digest the demands that Fowler had made.
“Looks like we won’t be getting any sleep after all, Merv,” I broke the silence. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“Merv continued to stare at the now silent device. “Who is he?” he asked.
“A very dangerous man,” I replied. I walked over and removed the item Fowler’s bird had dropped on the cabinet. I clutched the article in my fingers and made my way back to Merv. “A very dangerous man, but a man who isn’t as smart as he thinks he is. We need to tell the king.”
I reached down and picked up the holographic projector, putting it inside my pack. I thought it might come in handy later and I wanted to tinker with it and see how it worked.
Merv and I made our way down to the Great Hall. Merv muttered to himself about Cyrus Fowler and the impossible things he had seen over the last few days. I eased down the stairs, leaning on the Signpost and holding Pat’s green hair ribbon at my side.
Fowler definitely had Pat, of that I had no doubt. I also had no doubt that I would make this man suffer for his deeds.