Connie looked at the clock on the wall. “We don’t have time to sit around, wondering. Any suggestions?”
“I vote we open the box.” This from Megan.
“Ditto.” Delta agreed.
Connie turned fully around. “Professor?”
Scratching the top of his head, Dr. Rosenbaum exhaled loudly. “I must concur. But before you do, examine it carefully. Perhaps, the clue is without.”
“Try picking it up and taking it with us,” Delta offered, remembering the last box they came across.
“Pick it up?” Connie mused. “Why not?”
“It’s as good an idea as opening it. I believe a desperate person would open it. We are not quite there yet.”
“Agreed. Well, bottom’s up.” Maneuvering Dori toward the box, Connie had her bend down and pick it up. When she did, a secret opening lay beneath it. “Bingo. Thank God, we didn’t open it yet.”
Dr. Rosenbaum studied the screen carefully. “Oh, dear.”
“What?”
“It would appear that you have uncovered a portal to the underworld.”
Connie rubbed her eyes. “A portal to the underworld? You mean hell?”
“In a manner of speaking. Hades is Poseidon’s brother. He is the ruler of the underworld.”
Delta checked her watch. “We don’t have time for too many more levels.”
“Well, we can’t sit around here doing nothing. We either take the plunge, or we don’t.”
Tension filled the room. Gina’s life hung by their every decision, by every move they made. Time didn’t move, the screen didn’t blink, and four hearts barely beat, awaiting Connie’s decision.
“Storm, I need you to close your eyes and think for a moment.”
Delta cocked her head in question. “About what?”
“What do you feel? I mean, what do you think Elson would do? Can you get a bead on where he’s going with this?”
Delta understood what Connie was after and closed her eyes. She saw a lot of images flirting with danger, but nothing stood out. Opening her eyes, she looked back at the dark eyes drilling into her. She went with what she would do if Megan’s life were in danger. “I think we should take our box, our trident, and our courage and jump down the blasted hole.”
Megan and Dr. Rosenbaum agreed.
Connie hesitated for just a moment before moving Dori to the edge of the hole. The tense seconds that chugged by were weighted like cement shoes, as Connie stared at the black-haired warrior who personified both her and Delta.
“Okay, Dori,” Connie whispered, “Come on, baby, and stay alive.” Barely moving the joystick, Connie sent Dori plunging into the dark hole.
Down, down, down she fell, head over heels, trident in one hand, box in the other. Minutes elapsed as Dori tumbled helplessly through the dark shaft.
“She’s doomed,” Connie muttered, holding her head with her hands. “Doomed.”
“The shoes!” Megan cried. “Use the shoes!”
Connie tried the joystick. “I’m trying, but it doesn’t work. Lord help her, she’s on her own.”
Down, down, down Dori fell, until at last, with the bottom rapidly approaching, she landed on her back with a sickening and all-too-realistic thud.
No one in the room moved.
No one breathed.
All eyes were focused on the monitor and the tiny warrior lying still atop the red dirt. For an eternity she lay, unresponsive to the joystick’s movements or Connie’s heartbreaking pleas.
“Get up, goddamnit! Get up!” Delta yelled. “You can’t be dead. You can’t!”
Fires licked at Dori’s feet, and harsh winds blew tumbleweeds by her, but still no movement.
“Please, God, please don’t let this be happening,” Connie said, rising. “If he comes on this screen, you better sedate me, Delta. I swear to God, I’ll go ballistic.”
Three more minutes plodded by without any movement from Dori. She just lay there, on her back, as the fire lapped at her feet and more tumbleweeds blew carelessly across the screen.
“Do something!” Megan cried.
“I’m trying,” Connie said, moving the joystick every direction.
And then, quite suddenly, Dori raised to her elbows and looked around.
“She’s up!” Connie cried, patting the computer.
“Oh my,” sighed Dr. Rosenbaum, wiping his head with a handkerchief. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“I thought we were goners,” Megan added, hugging Connie and Delta.
Wiping her palms on her pant legs, Connie inhaled deeply. “Tell me about the underworld, Mort. What are we looking for down here?”
“There’s your answer,” he said, pointing to the screen, which now displayed a canoe being guided to shore by a skeleton dressed in a black robe.
“That’s Charon, the ferryman of the river Styx.”
Connie turned and stared at Dr. Rosenbaum. “Styx? As in the river of Hell?”
“That’s the one. You’ll need to pay him to get across the river.”
Connie smirked. “Another ploy to get me to open the box for money we don’t have. I’d rather try the shoes first.”
Trying the shoes, Dori was immediately lifted off the ground and glided over Charon’s canoe to the other side of the river. Once there, a large vulture swooped down and picked her up in his talons.
“Damn. What now?” Connie muttered to herself, as the vulture glided through the air carrying Dori.
Dr. Rosenbaum peered over Connie’s shoulder.
“We’ve moved from the side we were on because we’re . . . well . . . she’s not dead. Only the dead cross the river Styx, and only if they pay the proper fee.”
Silently, they all watched as the vulture dropped her down to a group of islands.
“We’ve landed on the island of the Blessed Elysian Fields,” Dr. Rosenbaum continued. “That’s where the heroes go instead of to Hades. Elysium is the dwelling place of mortals made immortal through the favor of the gods.”
“Then we’re here?” Connie asked. “Have we reached the end?”
Before Dr. Rosenbaum could answer, the screen faded and was replaced by a lighter screen that resembled an ancient scroll.
“This is it,” Connie announced, as the screen came into full view.
“ ‘Congratulations, Consuela and Company. Or is it? Have you left yourself enough time? Did you build for yourself a margin of error? Do you still believe this is all there is to it? I would assume not. For if you do, then you have made a grave error.
“ ‘this will be your greatest challenge yet. To stop me, the Dark Lord, you must find me. To find me, you must first solve the following riddle. I do remember how you and “the boys” loved riddles and crass jokes. Let’s see how you enjoy the riddle of your life.’ ”
As the scroll faded, Connie glared at the screen. “You’ll get yours, you bastard.”
“Here it comes.” Suddenly, the screen came to life, and music accompanied the riddle, which Connie read aloud.
“ ‘One is a falling star, one comes from afar—
One is body, one is brains, neither cares about man’s pains—
One breaks laws the other makes, both are clearly just big fakes—
The origin of one is the destiny of the other,
Which will die, the sister or the brother?
From this your quest will come to end—
Upon your choice does her life depend.’ ”
Megan jotted down the riddle and handed it to Dr. Rosenbaum, who studied it before giving it back to Delta.
“There’s more,” Connie said, pointing to the ever-changing screen. “ ‘should you thus be able to discern the exact whereabouts of my latest victim (and that is a tall order), there is one last bit you should know. Up to now, I’ve allowed you aid. No longer is that true. If I am to be challenged in this final arena, it must be you and you alone, Consuela. To ensure that, I have already rigged up a major building on Officer Stevens’beat with dynamite. The controls of that little explosive package are on my person. Should anyone else interfere—the cops, a bystander, anyone—I will detonate the building, sending all of those innocent beings to their deaths. Of course, should you accost me on your own, their lives and the life of your loved one will be spared.
As long as you defeat me
. So—while I have enjoyed matching wits with you and Officer Stevens, she is out of the game for good. don’t try calling my bluff because you will have to live with being responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of unnecessary deaths. Think about it. Good luck, Consuela, and may the best person win.’ ”
Delta rested her hand on Connie’s shoulder, as the screen went blank. “That S.O.B. didn’t miss an angle, did he?”
Rising, Connie took the notepad from Megan and read the riddle again.
“You know I’m not going to let you go after him alone,” Delta stated flatly.
Connie returned her penetrating gaze and nodded. “I didn’t expect you would.”
“We can do this. We can nail him before he gets to her.”
Bowing her head, Connie drew in a jerky breath. “We have to, Delta.”
“We will. Like Pandora’s box, you gotta have hope. You have to believe we can.” Pulling Connie to her, Delta felt her finally give way and cry uncontrollably into her chest. The pressure of playing the game was off, only to be replaced by a pressure of far greater magnitude.
“We’ll find her, Con.”
Pulling away and wiping her eyes, Connie nodded. “And when we do, don’t get in my way, Delta. Promise me you won’t get in my way.”
Gazing down into the eyes of a woman who was at the very end of her rope, Delta nodded solemnly.
“I promise.”
Dr. Rosenbaum stepped up to the huddle of women and cleared his throat. “Excuse me, ladies, but it would seem that time is of the essence.”
Connie shook her head as if coming out of a daze. “The riddle. God, we bust our asses just keeping Dori alive through that madman’s maze, and that bastard lays a damn riddle on us.”
Megan took the pad and read the riddle out loud again. “God, he’s a nutcase. Anyone have any ideas? Where do we go from here?”
“I’d say we’re looking for persons or people who advertise their schedules,” Delta offered. “In order for him to make this all come together this far in advance, he’d have to know when and where these two people would be.”
“Wait a minute,” Connie said, taking the notepad. “First off, he mentions a brother and a sister. He’s comparing two potential victims. Agreed?” Everyone nodded. “Then, we do this systematically. Split that butcher paper down the middle, and we’ll do a compare and contrast.”
Dr. Rosenbaum was the first to pick up a pen. “Let’s start with the falling star. Can we agree that he’s talking about someone who used to be great but is no longer?”
“I like that.” Megan stated.
“It could be a movie star or an athlete or some kind of entertainer. Someone who has a touring schedule of some sort.” “Unless,” Dr. Rosenbaum continued, “He means it literally. Does anyone know what a falling star is called?”
No one knew.
“I’ll look it up,” Megan said, moving toward the stacks of books on the floor.
“Okay, how about the next line: `One is body, one is brains’?”
“I’d say the body is a woman, and the brains is a man. As chauvinistic as Elson is, it’s a sure bet it isn’t the other way around.” Connie watched as Dr. Rosenbaum scribbled on the paper.
Megan looked over Connie’s shoulder. “The line I find curious is `One breaks laws the other makes.’Who makes laws?”
“Politicians do,” Connie said, as all eyes turned on her. “Elson always thought politicians were the phoniest people on earth. He used to say they were all phony and more interested in lining their pockets than with taking care of the people who voted them into office.”
“Oh my God,” Megan said, cupping her hand to her mouth. “You don’t think he’s going after a politician?”
Connie picked up one of the many newspapers lying on the floor and thumbed through it. “It’s beginning to makes sense. A politician would pack the house in any hotel or auditorium.” Delta picked up the pink sheet and studied the front page. “Right. And a politician’s schedule of speaking engagements is often available in advance. I’ll make some calls and see if anyone special is scheduled to speak.” Taking her portion of the paper with her, Connie went into the kitchen to use the phone.
“Good. We’ll keep working on the other end.” Turning back to Dr. Rosenbaum, Delta frowned. “So far, we’re making a quantum leap in our guess that it’s a male politician we’re after. What else do we have?”
“Not much here on the other side,” Dr. Rosenbaum offered. “It’s a woman, of course, but only if we’re correct in our thinking that the other is the male. If she’s a woman . . .”
“I think he’s talking about a prostitute,” Megan added quietly.
“You do?” Delta asked, smiling warmly at Megan, who returned the gesture. “Why?”
“She’s all body, she doesn’t care about man’s pains, she’s not real. Or, at least, the love men think they get from her isn’t real. She also breaks the laws. I’ve been there. It fits.”
Nodding, Delta watched Dr. Rosenbaum jot this possibility down on paper. “It works.”