The Lost Tribes, page 4
Ben wondered if he should tell Grace that there was more to it. A chemist by training but health nut by practice, his mother was always inventing some weird all-natural food. He’d take a bite then dump the rest on the plants. The avocado plant was his latest victim. His mother had the most spectacular gardens in Sunnyslope. She assumed it was because she mixed coffee grounds into the soil. Ben knew it was the macrobiotic tofu granola bars with green glob chasers.
“Where’s your rose?” he asked.
“What?”
“Your rose? Did you figure out the riddle?”
“Oh! That rose. “Grace pushed her hair behind her ears. “I won’t give you the satisfaction.”
Ben was beside himself. Could it be? Had he finally stumped the amazing Grace? “Don’t know the answer do you?”
She wagged an index finger at him. “Do you?”
Ben smiled. “Got it. After I logged off.”
“So I guess you know what the white crystal does.”
Ben crossed his fingers behind his back. “It was awesome.”
“Liar! There wasn’t any crystal! Do you even KNOW the password, Pinocchio?” Grace wrinkled her nose and gave him a triumphant grin.
“Xenobia?” Ben touched his own nose to see if it was growing.
“No! Admit it. You’re stuck!”
“Hmmm … Sunnyslope?”
Grace burst out laughing. “Hah! I gave you a hint and you still didn’t get it!” She offered high fives to her own invisible audience. “Yes, ladies and gentlemen! Grace is still the password champ!”
Ben reached over to his backpack, and produced a white rosebud. He grinned as wide as his face would allow. “Could it be … Benjamin?”
Grace’s mouth gaped open in disbelief. Ben was delighted. It wasn’t often that he won a game of one-upmanship with her.
“Grace!” Mei-Ling Choedon rushed across the lawn and held out a silver Bugs Bunny eyeglass case. She scowled and muttered something in Chinese.
“What’d she say?” asked Ben.
“She wasn’t talking to me,” Grace said, taking the case, then pointing to her own ear. “Wireless headphones. You can’t see them. They’re tiny — sort of like a hearing aid.”
“What ya listening to, Dr. Choedon?” Ben asked.
“Trade negotiations with China,” she whispered, covering the microphone with her hand. She adjusted Grace’s wire-rimmed glasses, straightened the pleats in her skirt, then hurried back to her house.
Ben’s father honked the horn. “Let’s go people. I’ve got papers to grade and you’ve got knowledge to absorb.”
“I know what took them so long,” April said, as Ben and Grace climbed into the car. “Look! Ben gave Grace a rose. I think he likes her.”
“Eeeew!” gasped Ben and Grace in unison. They slid apart as if pulled by electromagnets. Grace’s cheeks blushed bright red as she dropped the flower. It bounced and landed on the floor.
Ben shot imaginary death rays at the back of April’s head. He heard no satisfying sizzle of flesh, no cries of pain. It worked for one of the X-Men, but as luck would have it, he was stuck with ordinary DNA.
On the other hand, his father’s driving might take care of the problem permanently. He accelerated like he was trying to break the sound barrier. Ben pulled his seat belt tighter as the Mercedes sped toward Sunnyslope Preparatory Academy, which students called “Sinking Ship,” when teachers were out of earshot. He hoped that they would make it to school in one piece — or go out in a blaze of glory thereby ending his fraternal and academic misery simultaneously. Grace conducted a silent chant of her own as they whizzed by cars on the highway.
“So how far did you get?” Ben whispered once they were safely on city streets and his father was forced to drive at the posted speed.
Grace folded her arms and stared out the window. A few minutes later, her eyebrows relaxed. Ben saw this as an opening.
“On the game? How far did you get? Come on. Fess up.”
Grace frowned and let out a long, slow sigh. “I got to the end of the secret passage. There’s an old book and an ancient door.”
“And?”
“And I’m stuck, okay? There’s a bunch of weird riddles and a gross booby trap.”
Ben stifled a laugh. Gross? Booby traps? He couldn’t wait to dig in. “Want to work together? You’re the smartest person I know.” Ben held out his hand in friendship. “We work better as a team.”
There was a long pause while Grace considered the offer. “Yeah?”
Ben nodded.
Grace smiled and gave his hand a quick squeeze. “That would be fun.”
“Okay,” whispered Ben. “Call you tonight after school.”
April swiveled around to face them. “What ya whispering about?”
Ben pressed himself as close to the door as possible. “Nothing.”
That evening, Ben called shotgun as he climbed into the car. The air conditioner was blasting, but the black leather seats were still hot.
“Grace forgot her flower.” April tossed it into the front seat. “Admit it. You’ve got a secret crush.”
Ben ignored her as he twirled the rose between his fingers. His mother’s cooking was dreadful but she had a magic touch with plants. The soft white petals formed a pinwheel pattern. Pollen-covered filaments sprang from the center like a fireworks display.
He froze. The rosebud had lain on the floor of the car all day — in the unshaded university parking lot. The petals should have wilted.
Instead, the rose was blooming.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Legend
Luck that lasts is always suspect.
Tibetan Proverb
“So what do you think?” Grace said, in the tiny webcam window.
“Hang on. I need to look around.” Ben said, brushing a pile of homework aside.
His monitor displayed panoramic views of drab gray walls shrouded in shadows. Although it was a computer simulation, Ben couldn’t shake a feeling of claustrophobia as he proceeded down the hallway. Along the walls, hieroglyphic symbols were arranged in horizontal bands, each with scenes of daily life or violent battles. Those near the ceiling showed birds that looked like people soaring through the air. Those near the floor showed whales, fish, squid and jellyfish swimming in and out of coral reefs that resembled futuristic towns.
“These pictures might mean the tribes evolved from the sea and became birds. Or, maybe they evolved from birds and became amphibians.” He thought about April’s braids, how they hung from her head like tentacles. “If that’s true, then April’s a mutant jellyfish!”
“Stay focused,” said Grace. “We’ve got homework so find a clue already!”
Ben sighed and “walked” into the light where an ancient book rested on a wooden pedestal. The front cover was embossed with a pyramid surrounded by eight hieroglyphs. Dust flew into the air as the book slammed open, its yellowed pages old and crumbling.
“Much better!” Ben said.
“What? Do you have it?” Grace pressed her face into the webcam until it looked like a distorted image in a funhouse mirror.
“No. Just happy the pages are in English. Now bring on the mutant monsters!”
“This would go so much faster if you read something besides X-Men comic books.”
Ben stuck out his tongue. “Okay. I found a pyramid with a light ray coming out of the top.”
“I can see that for myself,” Grace said. “Now tell me something I don’t know.”
Ben grinned. “I see a riddle. But then I guess you know that too.”
“You’re killing me with your amazing powers of deduction,” Grace groaned.
If you seek to unlock this mystery
Search throughout Earth for eight ancient keys
These keys were not forged by human hands.
But bring forth gifts I alone understand.
“Huh?”
“That’s what I said,” Grace said. “What kind of keys aren’t made by human hands?”
“Keys made by monster hands, of course!” Ben read the introduction again. “There isn’t any place for a password. Even if we come up with an answer, where would we put it?” He clicked the mouse. The paper crackled as it turned, coming to rest on a medallion surrounded by twelve circles.
Treasures await
For those who honor their fate.
The key to your future lies beyond the door.
Choose wisely.
“Did you turn the page, Grace?”
She threw her hands up in frustration. “Duhhh! But what’s the answer?”
“I don’t think there is one.”
“Then what are we supposed to choose?”
“Beats me. The rest of the pages are blank. Maybe they’ll fill in when we collect clues.” He spotted a wooden door with hinges bolted on both sides. Ben tried the left bolts. They shook and rattled, but refused to budge. He clicked on the right. The bolts slid out of place and the door opened with a creak and a groan.
“I wouldn’t go through there,” Grace said, dryly.
“What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Ben “stepped” across the threshold and was greeted by a ghostly skull hovering in front of him. Skeletal hands reached out, dragged him inside and shut him inside a sarcophagus.
You did not choose wisely.
Not all answers in life are obvious.
Game over.
“Aww man!”
The skeleton laughed in a deep, throaty voice reminiscent of Uncle Henry.
“If you press ‘Try Again’ the game lets you start where you left off right before you died,” Grace said. “Kind of like a bookmark. At least your uncle has a heart.”
“You’re the only one on the planet who thinks so.” Ben followed Grace’s instructions and found himself outside the old door again. “This shortcut will come in handy when we’re farther into the game.”
“What’s down that dark hallway?” asked Grace. “To the right. There’s a red door. I’m going in.”
There was silence followed by nervous giggling. “That was gross.”
“What happened?”
“See for yourself,” she said.
Ben found the door and clicked, his heart pausing a brief second while he waited for his fate. This time he fell through a trap door. Before the lights extinguished, the screen was “covered” in thousands of crawling, chittering black bugs.
You don’t appear to be getting any wiser
— or any closer to a solution.
Game over.
He grinned. The bugs were pretty funny. Now what? He explored endless corridors, finding nothing but dead-ends or routes that returned him to his starting place. The chamber was a giant labyrinth. He drew a map, keeping track of each step.
“Any luck?” he asked.
“Obviously not,” Grace said. “This is irritating. Whatever we find better be worth it.”
On his way back to the book, Ben stumbled upon a corridor hidden in the shadows. After a few minutes of searching, he saw it — shining like a beacon of hope.
“Grace! I found the door!”
Using his map as a reference, Ben guided Grace to a gold door embossed with a sun and rays of light streaming toward the Earth.
“You’re the man!” Grace yelped. “This has to be it!”
“Okay. On a count of three we’ll open the door together. One … two … three!”
Ben found himself back in the desert, buried up to his neck in sand with thousands of snakes and scorpions headed in his direction.
The definition of true insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. Game over.
Ben unleashed a loud belly laugh. Uncle Henry’s sarcastic monotone delivery, the booby traps were hilarious in a sick kind of way. Still, something nagged at him. There had to be a way out of the chamber besides death. Then it hit him.
“Grace! Remember? In class, Mrs. Hooks said there was always a false door built for the escape of the dead Pharaohs. It wouldn’t look like a real door.”
“Why didn’t I think of that? Search the walls! Some tombs had instructions for the dead.”
“Can you read ancient pyramid texts?” asked Ben.
“Do you have a better idea?” Grace’s eyebrows arched up to the edge of her bangs. Grace made a goofy face at him.
Ben stuck out his tongue again, but had to admit that she had a point. There weren’t any other options. He moved in and out of the shadows, focusing first on the massive columns that flanked the entrance to the chamber. Then every stone and every star-engraved map on the walls.
Nothing.
He studied a carving of a king running beside a bull. This legend he remembered from class. The king ran a marked route to show his fitness to rule. Ben had just explored enough musty corridors to claim the “kingdom”. So where was the stupid door for it?
“Find anything new yet?”
“No,” Ben sighed. “This is going to take a while and I’ve got to finish the math homework that was due today.”
“Good thing Mr. Bundy was sick. I wasn’t looking forward to the math midterm.”
“I wasn’t looking forward to explaining another ‘Incomplete’ to my mom.” Ben aimlessly clicked the screen. “I was going to fake the flu, but Mom catches on every time.”
“I don’t bother. It would be disrespectful,” Grace said.
“When I was six, I pretended to have the measles,” Ben continued. “I put dots all over my face with a red marker and put a hot water bottle on my forehead to raise my temperature.” Ben inspected objects strewn about the floor: pieces of broken pottery, an empty box, and a torn cloth below a damaged cartouche of Osiris.
“So what happened?” Grace asked.
“I haven’t found anything yet,” Ben said.
“No, I mean with your fake measles.”
“Oh! I got caught. Mom took one look at me and wiped the marks off with a soapy washcloth. She’s scary that way.”
“Yeah, mine too. They must trade notes or have a secret parent manual.” Grace furrowed her eyebrows. “Hey, speaking of scary, what was up with your father today? He drove like he was trying to outrun Air Force One. We got to school in ten minutes.”
“No way! It takes twenty-five minutes even when he’s speeding.”
“I checked my watch. We left at 7:30. We got there at 7:40.”
“That’s impossible. It’s fifteen miles. Your watch must be broken.” He glanced at the vase to the right of his monitor. “Hey, Grace! Remember that flower I gave you?”
Grace sighed. “You win. I still don’t know the answer to the riddle. Go ahead and gloat! You know you want to.”
Ben shook his head. “That’s not why I asked. It’s been sitting in the car all day but it still looks like it’s fresh from the garden.”
Grace sighed and rolled her eyes.
“No, really. Take a look.” Ben held the vase in front of the webcam. “After I got home I tried an experiment. I cut a rose from the greenhouse. Then I cut one from the garden in Carlos’s yard. That one is shriveled up. But Mom’s roses don’t wilt even though there’s no water in the vase.”
“Are they real? Maybe she plants silk flowers when no one’s looking.”
“Actually, it’s where I’ve been dumping the glob.”
Grace gasped. “On those poor defenseless plants? That’s attempted murder!”
“It was them or me. And there’s something else.”
“Hello! Could we get back to the game?”
“Yeah, in a minute. I’ve got another question.” Ben heard Grace clicking in the background.
“Go ahead as long as it isn’t another stupid riddle.”
“You ever remember being sick?”
“Huh?”
“Chicken pox, measles, sprained ankle, stomach ache? Ever have to go to the doctor?”
Grace furrowed her brow as if searching her brain’s entire thirteen-year database for an answer. “No. Just check-ups with Dr. Danine.”
“Me too. You don’t suppose it’s the green glob do you?”
“I don’t drink that awful stuff so that wouldn’t explain it. There’s nothing sinister going on here. Your mom just got a green thumb.” She paused. “Hey! That’s it! She does say you’re growing like a weed. She’s turning you into a plant!” Grace laughed hysterically.
“That’s not funny,” Ben grumbled. “Quit laughing or I WILL throw another riddle at you. By the way, do you want a hint?”
Grace deflated. “Huh? Oh. Umm, no. I’ll figure it out. I keep sticking in logical answers and nothing works.”
“It will come to you,” Ben said as he stared at the flowers on his desk. “We’re not going anywhere soon.”
Grace suddenly yelped. “Score! Found it!”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Guardian
“Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”
Winston Churchill
“Where?”
“Go to the original door and turn 180 degrees. There’s a guy with a beard on the wall. When I put my cursor there, it changes into a hand.”
“What? I looked there already.” Ben wiggled the mouse back and forth, up and down. “It’s not here!”
Grace rolled her eyes. “You might try slowing down. Be a tortoise, instead of a hare for a change.”
Ben growled then found the spot over the damaged face of Osiris. “Okay. Found it. Thanks.”
“Did that hurt you?” Grace asked. “Saying ‘thanks’ that is?”
Ben growled again but didn’t answer.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Grace beamed, clearly pleased with herself. “You’re welcome.”
The wall suddenly dissolved. “Meet you on the other side, as the dead Pharaohs say.”
In contrast to the drab grey chamber they’d left, vibrant colors jumped out from white stone walls. The reliefs showed offerings to Osiris, the sun god Ra sailing a barge through the Underworld, and people rising from Earth on the sun’s rays.
