Keys to the Demon Prison

"Finesse is everything in my line of work," Grandma Larsen said. "I wish I could have done more. I did what I felt gave us the best chance for success. I was relieved that you were able to do the rest."

"That knapsack was my home for a few months," Warren mentioned.

"Navarog destroyed it and trapped him inside," Kendra explained. "We used the Translocator to rescue him."

"Then you must know Bubda," Grandma Larsen said.

"Both Kendra and I do," Warren said.

"Is he all right?" Grandma Larsen asked.

"He’s still inside that room," Warren said. "Stubborn little guy doesn’t want to leave, but eventually he’ll starve unless we extract him."

"I understand about Bubda not wanting to leave," Grandma Larsen said with a knowing chuckle. "That was why I left him in there in the first place. He loves his home, and, as hermit trolls go, he is extremely mild and sociable. I saw no real harm in letting him continue to reside there."

Grandpa coughed softly into his fist. "We’re beginning to stray. How are we on time?"

Grandma Sorenson checked a watch she must have acquired when she had gathered the blankets. "Fifteen more minutes."

Grandpa rubbed the edge of his blanket between his thumb and forefinger. "I know I can speak for all of us when I say we’re shocked and relieved to find you alive, Gloria.

I’m sure you have more to tell us. You mentioned that Hank contacted you recently."

"Once Hank learned that Scott and Maria were in custody at Living Mirage, he began planning a rescue. When Seth showed up there, Hank hastened his efforts."

"Seth’s alive?" Kendra exclaimed. "You’re sure?"

"The Sphinx healed him with the Sands of Sanctity," Grandma Larsen said.

"He and my parents are all at Living Mirage," Kendra muttered. "Where is it?"

"Eastern Turkey," Grandma Larsen answered. "We have a way in. The plan is to recover as many artifacts as we can while rescuing our lost family members."

"Tell us more," Grandma Sorenson said.

"Hank risked everything to get information out of Living Mirage. The Sphinx’s preserve remains his most closely guarded secret. He derives his immortality from the artifact he discovered there centuries ago. But in recent months, as the Sphinx has grown certain of victory, his caution has finally begun to slacken. Hank runs the logistics of Living Mirage, and he has built up enough trust that when the Sphinx is absent from the preserve, Hank becomes the de facto caretaker.

"In his first communication, which arrived via homing canister, Hank told me that if we acquired the Translocator, he had a way to smuggle us in. The day I learned you had recovered the Translocator, I sent word to Hank, journeyed to a predetermined location in Istanbul, and found a dwarf awaiting me."

"The dwarf you brought here tonight," Warren said.

"Correct. His name is Tollin. The dwarf used to work at Living Mirage. Hank smuggled him out. With Tollin and the Translocator, we can penetrate Living Mirage."

"Who else knows about this?" Grandpa asked.

"Only the dwarf, Hank, and myself," Grandma Larsen assured him. "Not even Vanessa knows that Hank is at Living Mirage. His communiques have arrived untampered with, bound by cryptic seals as verification. Hank released the canisters just outside the gates of Living Mirage, and the messages flew directly to me. I have traveled in disguise, employing a brand-new set of masks. Tollin and I have worn masks the entire time since Istanbul. We got back to the United States through illegal, untraceable means. No passports, no credit cards."

"Our greatest risk is the Oculus," Grandma Sorenson said.

"Which is why we’ve constantly worn the masks," Grandma Larsen said. "I destroyed the messages as soon as I received them. All the Oculus could have seen so far, had the Sphinx even known to look in my direction, is masked figures travelling. This is the first time I have discussed our plans aloud."

"Is Hank confident we can trust the dwarf?" Warren asked.

"As sure as he could be," Grandma Larsen said. "It’s a small miracle Hank got him out. One man at Living Mirage drives a truck to a local town when supplies are needed. Making supply runs has been that man’s job for hundreds of years. Hank ordered a supply run and, unbeknownst to the driver, smuggled Tollin out in the truck. The dwarf then made his way to Istanbul. Hank has never given the Sphinx any reason to distrust him. Nor have I, until I came to Fablehaven tonight. Hank has worked closely with the dwarf, and he feels confident that Tollin, along with most of his kind, would welcome the arrival of a new caretaker at Living Mirage."

"We’ll have to act swiftly," Warren said. "Every moment we spend back in our proper time increases the chance that the Sphinx might catch on. What are the chances the Sphinx will notice Tollin is gone?"

"Hank manages the dwarfs," Grandma Larsen said. "Living Mirage is an immense preserve. He doesn’t expect anyone to notice Tollin missing for weeks, and can cover if they do. But I agree that we need to move swiftly. The Oculus is powerful, and it is often focused at Fablehaven."

"What do we know about the layout of Living Mirage?" Grandpa asked.

"Along with several outlying buildings, there are three main ziggurats," Grandma said. "The Sphinx has his headquarters in the Great Ziggurat, with the dungeon underneath. He stores the artifacts in his office. Hank will secure the artifacts. He sent duplicates of all the relevant keys with the dwarf, along with a map to the Great Ziggurat, including rarely used service tunnels."

"We might have a chance," Warren said.

"We really might," Grandma Larsen agreed. "Secrecy has protected Living Mirage for so long that security inside the compound has grown rather lax. Hank even sent official paperwork for us to retrieve Scott, Maria, and Seth if we want to try to bluff our way into the dungeon. The great advantage with the Translocator is that once we get to the prisoners, we don’t have to figure out an escape. The escape is instantaneous."

"And we can abort the mission at any point," Grandma Sorenson said.

"With nothing to stop us from trying again later," Warren added. "Although we need to get it right the first time in order to take advantage of the element of surprise. How large of a strike force should we gather?"

Grandma Larsen shrugged. "That is open to debate. The Translocator carries only three people at a time. A small team can move in and out more easily, but a larger team could split up and might have a better chance of fighting their way through obstacles."