The gaseous form of Patton returned to the bottle in a rush. Once the gas was inside, Seth pressed the cork into the mouth.
So much to digest! Too much! Seth squeezed his head. For some reason, it was one thing to tell himself he was going to try to save the world, and quite another to receive that assignment from Patton, as if everything really did depend on him. Too much was at stake!
But Patton was right. All safe choices were gone. And trying to hide from the responsibility would be a choice as well. A bad one. At least Patton had shown him a path to follow. He would do his best, one step at a time.
Crossing to the desk, Seth found an envelope with his name on it in the second drawer he checked. Beside it he discovered the dungeon keys. Opening the envelope, Seth scanned the pages inside. He saw the promised latitudes and longitudes, along with accompanying explanations and descriptions. At the end he read about the Eternals and the final steps required to open Zzyzx.
Satisfied that he had everything Patton had promised, he folded the papers back into the envelope and tucked it in his pocket. "Come on, Hugo," Seth said. "Let's go see if those satyrs have shown up."
As the golem followed him out of the grotto, Seth reconsidered using the coin to contact Bracken. It would be painful and embarrassing to explain how he had lost the Translocator, but Bracken could possibly find ways to help. After all, he was at Living Mirage, and he seemed like a resourceful guy. Who knew when a well-timed prison revolt at the Sphinx's headquarters might provide an important diversion? At this stage, Seth could not afford to ignore any possible assets.
Chapter 16 The Sealed Shrine
Near the top of the stairway, Bracken grabbed Kendra by her upper arm. "Your brother is contacting me," he whispered.
"Is he all right?" she asked.
Bracken paused, listening inwardly. "He's unharmed. He's devastated by how Nagi Luna used him to free Graulas. The sentiment comes through in more than his words. Your friend Coulter has perished."
"No," Warren said, reflexively rejecting the news.
"My condolences, but Seth seems certain," Bracken said. "He feels tremendous guilt, potentially enough to break him. I am telling him he was used, tricked, and that there is nothing to be done about it now."
Kendra tried to choke back her tears. How could Coulter be gone? He was supposed to be safe back at Fablehaven! Warren watched Bracken expectantly.
"Seth says Graulas destroyed the foundational treaty of Fablehaven."
"He needs to get out of there," Warren said.
Bracken nodded, holding up a finger. "Seth says he will depart soon. Apparently he has received advice from an ancestor of yours, Patton Burgess, and Seth is now preparing to embark on a quest."
"Patton would have provided sound guidance," Warren said.
"I'm telling Seth that you two are with me. He's thrilled to hear it. I'm telling him we're in the middle of an emergency of our own, and am advising him to contact me again soon. I'm advising him not to fret about losing the Translocator. I can tell he appreciates the support, but he is still wrestling to come to terms with the crisis resulting from that loss. He longs for a way to make restitution. He has put away the coin."
"Will he be all right?" Kendra asked anxiously.
"I think so," Bracken said. "Evidently your ancestor gave him an ambitious assignment. We didn't go into specifics, but if Seth can channel his energy into an active endeavor, it should help him cope. He will hail us again soon. We must press on."
They continued upward. The stairway had been tunneled through smooth, dark stone. Warren ran a hand along the wall. "No digging into this stairway," he said.
"These walls are harder than steel," Bracken agreed.
The stairway ended at a blank wall. Warren recited an unintelligible phrase, and the wall faded, almost vanishing. "Should I extinguish my light?" Bracken asked. "Keep it shining," Warren said.
They passed through the ghostly wall into a cave composed of sharp, angular rocks. Bracken's light glared off the glossy black stone. Glancing back, Kendra noted that the wall appeared solid again.
Farther along the cave, a creature stood at the edge of the light. It had the body of a large bull and the head of a bearded man wearing a bronze crown. The creature spoke in a garbled language.
Bracken answered with equally strange speech.
"Don't worry," Warren whispered to Kendra.
The creature spoke again.
"What is it?" Kendra asked in hushed tones. "What is it saying?"
Bracken took her hand, and the garbled words became instantly untangled. The creature was still speaking.
"... many years it is a relief to have a shred of hope."
"We will do our best," Bracken promised. "You have met Warren. This is Kendra."
The creature bowed his head politely. "Greetings."
"Kendra, this is Halad," Bracken continued, "one of the proud lammasu enslaved by the Sphinx."
"He is no sphinx," Halad stated in his strong, calm voice. "Call him the Ethiopian."
"Halad stands guard over this secret entrance to the dungeons," Bracken explained. "He is not an evil being, but he would be bound by covenant to slay us if we trespassed here without permission from the Ethiopian."
"I take no pleasure in my assignment," Halad said stoically. "Nevertheless, a sworn sentinel must perform his duty."
"Any sense of what lies beyond the cave?" Bracken asked.
"My vision is restricted to my domain," Halad answered. "As you shall observe, my domain here is insulting. I am a prisoner guarding a prison."
"We thank you for safe passage through your domain," Bracken said.
"I lament the loss of your horns," Halad replied. "Go in peace."
Bracken released Kendra's hand. "Off we go."
"No trouble?" Warren asked.
"Just exchanging pleasantries," Bracken explained.
They advanced quickly. The lammasu stepped aside to let them pass. Halad was so large that Kendra doubted she could reach the bottom of his beard even if she jumped. Once beyond the lammasu, Bracken put his glowing stone away. Warren led the way out of the cave into the predawn light. They crouched behind some jagged boulders to survey the vicinity.
"Living Mirage contains a lot of land," Bracken whispered to Kendra. "In fact, the careful observer will find more land inside the surrounding fence than there should be."
"Several of the preserves are like that," Warren added. "Kind of like the knapsack but on a larger scale."