Keys to the Demon Prison

The Sphinx offered a kind, white smile. "None of them were harmed, and this despite several of them attempting to fight. Only Warren has not yet been captured, but Tollin told us where he left him. We will have him soon."

She despised his smile. She hated his friendly demeanor. "The dwarf betrayed us."

"Do not blame the dwarf," the Sphinx said. "All of this was orchestrated. The dwarf was merely a piece in the puzzle, an anxious servant willing to bring honor and comfort to his people."

"You saw us with the Oculus?"

"When your grandfather Hank sent his first message to his wife, your cause was ruined. I am very, very slow to trust, Kendra. My assistant caretaker was a competent man, but decades away from earning any real credibility. Steve, as Hank called himself, was constantly monitored. I cannot describe my excitement when I heard he had sent a homing canister. A spy who does not realize his cover has been blown can be a most valuable asset. My elation increased as I dug into his past and discovered he was a desperate spy, eager to rescue his relatives. Using the dwarf to spoil your incursion was simple. Even I was surprised by all we gained. I did not expect you to be joining them. May I offer you refreshments?"

Kendra’s gaze strayed to a nearby low, round table crowded with food and beverages.

"No, thank you."

"The figs are exceptional."

"I just had a bunch of Italian food."

"Water, perhaps? Juice?"

"I’m fine. What are you going to do with us?"

The Sphinx folded his hands in his lap. "Your only task in the near future will be to relax. Your role in the coming events has concluded."

"You’re really going to open Zzyzx?" Kendra asked.

The Sphinx fingered his grin. "It was inevitable. There is amazing power in single-mindedness."

"You’re going to destroy the world."

The grin faltered. "You and your loved ones have fought hard because you believe that is the case. I bear you no malice. In the end, you will be released."

Kendra looked around the balcony, noticing the potted ferns and inhaling exotic fragrances. "Why have you brought me here?"

"I showed your brother the same courtesy. You children fascinate me. Your potential is extraordinary. Are you sure you will not have some food? The fare in the dungeon is not quite so fine."

"Is that where you’re keeping us?"

"Consider it a mark of respect. Many of you are dangerous opponents. The stay will be temporary, I assure you. Our plans are nearing fruition."

Kendra walked over to the table and sat down on a mat. "Maybe I’ll have some water."

The Sphinx joined her at the table. "Try the pear juice. It is very light." He removed a chilled carafe from a bucket of ice and poured the clear fluid into a goblet.

Kendra sampled the drink. The Sphinx was right. The cool liquid had a subtle, fresh flavor.

"Have you any questions for me?" the Sphinx asked.

"Not that you would answer," Kendra huffed.

"Try me. I made a similar offer to your brother. This is finally over. Some details are not yet tied up, but the game is done. I may not be an expressive man, but I am celebrating, Kendra. It relieves me to finally lay down the burden of my secrets."

"Okay, then tell me your next move," Kendra said, not expecting an answer.

The Sphinx compressed his lips. "I like to think that once you and your family truly understand me, your hatred will evaporate. My aims are noble, and my means are no more unsavory than necessary. Would you like to know the remaining steps to opening Zzyzx?"

"Sure."

The Sphinx selected a piece of fruit and took a bite. "I do not foresee how telling you this information can cause me harm. Yet it goes against my instincts to expose my plans."

"You told me to ask."

"I’m aware. And in many ways, I cannot wait to part with these secrets. Secrecy has been necessary for so long that the habit resists my tampering. If I reveal this information to you, as a token of goodwill, will you at least promise to consider the possibility that I am truly an ally?"

She wanted to fling the pear juice in his face. But no matter how hopeless their cause might seem, and no matter how confident the Sphinx was of victory, there was always a chance that this information could prove useful. "Sure, I promise."

The Sphinx studied her for a prolonged moment. "Do you really hate me so much?"

"Put yourself in my position."

"I understand." He straightened and grew serious. "Our first task will be to retrieve the Chronometer from Fablehaven. Do not worry, we should be able to accomplish this without harming any of your other friends there. Next I will go back in time with two companions. Only mortals can use the Chronometer."

"Okay."

He munched thoughtfully on his fruit. "I’m about to sum up centuries of research. To share secrets men would kill for. Secrets I have killed to protect. So enjoy. Zzyzx lies on Shoreless Isle in the Atlantic. The gateway into Zzyzx lies within a virtually impregnable stone chamber, a hollow hill. The stone of the chamber is enchanted, much like the Dreamstone at Obsidian Waste. In other words, a direct nuclear blast would harm it no more than a breeze, just as a meteor strike would fail to scratch it. There exists but a single weakness. The stone chamber on Shoreless Isle opens for a single day every thousand years."

"When did it open last?" Kendra asked.

"The late fifteen hundreds. So I can either wait almost six hundred years to open Zzyzx, or I can travel back in time."

"You’re going to open it in the past?" Kendra exclaimed, horror seeping into her voice.

"That would be convenient," the Sphinx said. "Unfortunately, the masterminds who engineered Zzyzx did not design it with convenience in mind. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Chronometer will not transport objects into the past, and the other keys are required to open the prison, so opening the gateway in the past is impossible."

Working at the problem, Kendra scrunched her brow. "So you’ll go back in time to the day the chamber was open, enter it, then return to the present and use the Translocator."

The Sphinx beamed. "Very good, Kendra. That was quick. Since the Translocator can take me anyplace I have been, it should provide easy access. My expectation is that I will then be able to open the stone chamber from the inside."

"Doesn’t sound too hard," Kendra lamented.

"It is only the beginning," the Sphinx said. "A virulent plague resides inside the chamber. After we enter it, we will have to get back to the present quickly to be healed by the Sands of Sanctity. Then, in the present, I will use the Translocator to transport some seeds inside. The plants that sprout will scrub the air and eradicate the plague."