Keepers of the Labyrinth (11 page)

15

L
il pulled the picture out of her pocket. The scenery was nearly unaltered. The cave the same, the vista the same, the rock showing the labrys only slightly faded. Of course, no Mom. But that symbol. Here on the rock. On Mom's neck, and—Lil pictured Bente in the library—on the key. The wind picked up and shuffled her hair, shifting a cluster of flowers at the base of the rock at the same time. Lil tilted her head as the wind moved the other way and pushed the flowers back. But she had seen something there. An etching. She moved to the flowers, knelt and lifted them to the side. Her eyes landed on the bottom of the rock. May 21. She knew it. Not a birthday, not an anniversary and not a death day. It was Mom's name day.

Every May 21, Dad would get up early and make the bread. Lil helped out with the dough, shaping the small leaves to decorate the top. Mom slept in—the only day of the year that Lil knew her to sleep later than 7:00 a.m. Some people, Mom said, spent their name day as a Sabbath, others, celebrating with friends. It was all part of a religious background that Lil hadn't quite grasped. A religion which she had never been taught. And she knew Yiayia and Papou didn't approve of Mom's unfaithfulness. And so they never came and visited and Mom didn't go home to Greece because of it. Not even when Yiayia passed away. Not even when Papou slipped away, too. Lil guessed they were disappointed in America, and in Mom's choice to marry Dad, too. So instead of celebrating Saint Helene in a traditional way, Mom's name day had evolved into a family outing. By noon, they would be on a picnic at Crobs Pond. Mom and Dad would lounge and sip wine while Lil chased dragonflies and caught salamanders. Then they would all come together to eat olives and
za'atar
with the special bread and, if Dad was feeling really ambitious, snails with rosemary and olive oil. By nightfall they would burn candles, watch the stars and gaze at the west field as it turned silver by the light of the moon.

“Ah, I see you found your mother's favorite spot.”

Lil jumped, pushing her hand against the rock to balance herself. She turned. Bente.

“You knew her?” Lil said, realizing she was still holding the picture in her right hand.

Bente sat down on the rock adjacent to her and put her hands on her knees. “Of course I knew her.” She lifted her hand out toward the picture, and Lil stood and gave it to her. The older woman smiled, lines creasing the sides of her eyes. She looked up at Lil. “She was one of the most spirited mentees I ever had. Driven, fast.” She stared at Lil with a look Lil knew well. The one people gave when they were trying to separate you from your parents. Discerning if the nose was your nose or someone else's. Trying to figure out the formula for creation.

“You have her stride,” Bente said, handing the picture back.

“You know, she—” Lil paused, thinking of the best way to phrase it. “She died.”

Bente nodded, looking at the ground, then up and over Lil's shoulder. Lil turned and looked at the vista. Trees peeled toward rock and plunged into a gorge in the distance.

“The day she died, I came up here. I etched her name day into the rock. It was her favorite spot. Before you were born, she would come by when she was in the region on assignment. And if I happened to be here, too, and couldn't find her, I'd run out here and she'd be sitting on this rock, looking at this same view.”

Lil stared at the ledge cutting into sky. She looked at the sun, rising toward noon now, hanging like a pendant against the blue backdrop, and she imagined her mom right there with her. And she could see why she liked it. Not only was it beautiful, but it was high enough for a balmy breeze. The air was savory with the aroma of herbs from bushes below. Birds outnumbered people. Mom had always liked that, preferred time to reflect over time to talk.

“I don't think she killed herself,” Lil said, her thumb creasing the picture. She turned from the view back to Bente.

Bente shook her head, straightening up. “No, not her style. Your mother was not one for an easy way out.”

But then what? Lil wondered. If not suicide, then murder. There was no middle ground. No natural causes when you find your mother—

Footsteps sounded, and Lil looked up to see Sydney, Charlie and Kat round the bend.

“Athenia said you were up here,” Kat said. “We were starting to worry.”

Lil struggled for words, trying to pull her head from the past.

“Ah, everything is fine, fine. Just a rough ending to a good race,” Bente said, recovering.

“Sorry, guys,” Lil said.

“You did great,” Kat said.

“I could have gone faster across the bridge,” Charlie said as they reached her.

“And I couldn't get my feet to plant on that stupid wall,” Sydney admitted, shaking her head as if she had never been so disappointed in anything in her entire life.

“It wasn't you,” Charlie said, reaching out her hand and clapping Lil on the shoulder. “You climbed like a—” She turned to Sydney. “What did you say she climbed like again?”

“
Hemid
actylus turcicus
,” Sydney said. “It's a gecko.”

“Like that,” Charlie said. “Way faster than anyone else.”

Lil saw Charlie's eyes land on the picture in her hand. Sydney's followed and then Kat's. She curled it quickly and put it in her pocket.

“We'll get them tomorrow,” Lil said, trying for distraction, but Charlie's eyes were already darting to the symbol on the rock and then to Bente's neck.

Bente scowled up at her, then stood, adjusting her collar so it covered the cord. Lil's heart lurched.

“We'd best be getting to lunch. We don't want Aestos waiting on us,” Bente said. She turned to the trailhead.

“Hey, Bente?” Kat said, turning toward her as she went. “What does the symbol on the wall mean?” Her eyes flicked to the others and then back as she hurried on. “Since I want to be an art history major, I was wondering—”

Bente turned, and Lil's heart rammed into her throat, but she wanted to know the answer, too. What was the symbol Mom wore?

“The double-headed ax?” Bente asked.

Kat nodded.

“The Minoan labrys,” Bente said. “In ancient days gone by, this land was filled with large communal structures with winding passages. Visitors to Crete would often get lost in their confusing hallways. These buildings were the inspiration for the mythical labyrinth. The labrys was a directional tool. The wall would be marked with it to indicate a correct path to the main quarters.” She leveled her eyes on Lil and continued. “A guide. A compass. A clue, if you will.”

The breeze picked up and wicked the sweat from Lil's back, sending a sharp shiver up her spine. A clue. What did she mean, a clue? All she had was clues.

“Oh,” Kat said, turning back to the rock.

“But that one,” Bente said, “that is no artifact. Probably put there by a tourist who wanted to give others something to wonder about.” She smiled. “You can't expect everything in Greece to be a key to the ancient past.”

“Oh, that's fascinating,” Kat said, pulling her hair around to her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Aestos. Lunch!” Bente looked from Lil to Sydney to Kat to Charlie. “You still seem fresh. Let's run it. We're late!”

They fell into step behind the older woman, trying to keep pace.

16

L
il looked for a time for them to talk, but they had arrived late to lunch and ended up eating with Bente in the kitchen. Aestos hurried from one area to another, tossing bowls, breads, salads and cheese onto the counter.

“I said don't be late,” Aestos said. “The one thing I said was that I have other duties to attend to and not to be late!”

Bente leveled him with a stare. “We got caught up. I apologize.”

“Eat whatever you want,” Aestos said, taking a cloth wrap and pulling it across his head until he had affixed it like a hat. “Fresh tomatoes in the garden. I'll see you at dinner.” He walked out the large doors into the garden, then turned. “Don't be late,” he said.

Charlie, Kat, Sydney and Lil talked idly while they inhaled the food. Avoiding all talk of the labrys, they discussed only the race and its implications, including other ways to win the scholarship.

“It's already time for afternoon workshops,” Bente said over a mouthful of bread. She looked down at her clipboard. “Team D,” she mumbled, “is with Trudy first. To the science lab.”

They finished their meals quickly, and Bente escorted them past the dining hall to a section they hadn't visited before.

“You're there, and then you'll go to the studio with Athenia,” Bente said.

“I know where that is,” Kat said. “I got a chance to explore it earlier.”

“And then you will end up in the library with Colleen.”

Lil glanced over at Charlie and locked eyes. Maybe then they could do some snooping. Maybe then they could at least talk about what Bente had said about the labrys. She could explain about the picture.

Bente swung the door open, and they entered a cool stone room on the back of the building. It was surprisingly state-of-the-art, with walls decorated with test tubes and counters equipped with Bunsen burners. Everything was pristine except for the desk behind which Trudy sat.

“In and fetch a lab coat, please!” Trudy said, waving them in the door and indicating a series of lab coats on the wall. Lil pulled hers on and took a seat.

“Since tomorrow will be your science challenge, I wanted to begin with something light,” said the Irish woman. “We'll be making mulberry gumballs this afternoon.” She pulled a bottle of liqueur from her apron and then collected a set of beakers from the side counter. “Candy is chemistry.”

By the time they had each combined their ingredients, Charlie had created a slime that clung to both the inside and outside of her beaker. Lil had managed to make one gumball, but when she tried it, it was the consistency of a gobstopper.

Kat picked up the pale sphere she had created and popped it into her mouth. “Tastes like plastic,” she said, spitting it quickly back into her hand.

“And that is what happens when we forget to add the flavoring,” Trudy said, eyeing the still-full eyedropper on the other side of the beaker.

Sydney held out a handful of perfectly shaped gumballs. “You can have one of mine,” she said with a smile.

“Well done, Ms. Bennington,” Trudy said, selecting the largest gumball from the pile. Lil took one, too. It was soft and chewy and full of a berry flavor.

“Seriously, guys,” Sydney said. “Grade school.” She turned back to Trudy. “Do you have any information on tomorrow's challenge?”

“I can't give away too many details, but the challenge will be based on renewable energy,” Trudy said.

“Fantastic,” Sydney said. She stepped toward the door. Then, as if a thought had just hit her, she turned back. “Do you know anything about neurological disorders? I would love to pick your brain about causes of epilepsy and potential treatments and cures.”

Trudy's eyes went wide with surprise.

“Interested in epilepsy?” She looked down at her clipboard, then mused, “No check box for that.” She turned back to Sydney. “Why the interest?”

Lil was eager to know as well.

Sydney steadied her with a stare. “My sister suffers from it. I'm going to find a cure.”

Lil made herself busy cleaning the lab supplies while she listened some more. This was a side of Sydney she hadn't seen yet.

“Lofty goal,” Trudy said, thumbing her clipboard. “I know a bit, but I can find out more. Let's meet after the challenge tomorrow.”

“Great,” Sydney said, joining the others at the door.

By midafternoon, they were working clay with Athenia. Lil tried to shape hers, but it was unwieldy: either too hard or too soft, but never in between. The stuff seemed to mold like magic under Kat's hands. By the end of the session, she had whipped one lump of clay into a Grecian-style urn and had started to design the outside of it.

“Very nice, very nice,” Athenia said as she looked over the work in progress. She stopped in front of Lil. “And what is this, Lilith?” she asked, examining it from every angle.

“It's supposed to be a cow,” Lil admitted. She had never been very artistic. Athenia's eyebrows went up, and then her eyes softened. “Of course, I see it now.”

“Yeah, right,” Sydney whispered from beside her, showing off a perfectly shaped clay sphere.

“And what is yours?” Lil asked.

“It's a proton,” Sydney said. “Obviously.”

“You have no appreciation for good art,” Kat said.

“And you have no appreciation for foundations of our known universe,” Sydney retorted.

Athenia looked from one to the other. “Interesting.” She made a few notes on her clipboard before moving on to stand in front of Charlie. Lil watched as she tried to press a handle onto a poorly shaped clay cup.

“Mine is a pen holder,” she said as she secured the handle and lifted it. The handle broke free, and the clay landed on the table with a
clumph.
Lil couldn't help but laugh. At least she wasn't the only one who sucked at art.

“We'll work more tomorrow,” Athenia said cheerfully as Charlie picked up the mashed remnants of her masterpiece. “I don't want any of you to be disappointed. We'll be doing more directed projects later this week. For now, you are headed to the library.”

They all looked at one another.

“That's up on the third floor between the east and west wings,” Athenia said as she placed the tools they'd used on the clay into cups.

“Between the east and west, was it?” Lil said, wanting to make it clear that they had never been there before.

“That's correct,” Athenia said, waving them on.

They left the lab and ascended the stairs.

“We need to look for the name Zephylite,” Charlie hissed as they climbed.

“And we need more information on the labrys,” Sydney said.

“And probably information on the significance of the labyrinth, too,” Kat said as they reached Hall A.

Lil wondered if there would be any house records, something that might have information on her mom.

“No matter what,” Lil said as they reached the top of the stairs, “we can't be too obvious about it.”

“Right,” Sydney said.

“Ladies!” They all jumped, and Lil grasped the railing as Colleen appeared from the shadow of the doorway.

“I was thinking we would take our lesson in the plateau garden, instead of the library.” She smiled. “It's far too lovely a day to be stuck inside.”

“It's really hot,” Sydney said, leaning against the stone, “and kind of gross—”

Colleen raised her eyebrows. “We'll sit in the shade, then,” she said, handing each of them a notebook and a pen. “Shall we?”

“Teachers always say that,” Sydney whispered as they turned and started back downstairs, “as if it were actually a choice.”

They exited the building and made their way up the stone staircase that hugged the outer edge of the west wing. Lil looked around as they reached the top. It was beautifully landscaped with stones and benches, urns overflowing with flowers and a few potted trees giving the shade a hint of emerald.

They settled in and, for the third time that day, they sat muted. Their first instruction was to write their observations about their experiences thus far. Lil scribbled thoughts on the page about the manor, the food, the trip to the top of the mountain. She scribbled notes about the remote area. She didn't write a single word about their midnight trip to the library, or her talk with Bente on the hillside or her search for how her mother died. Or the symbol she saw everywhere. Her pen dug into the paper, and she lifted it, looking to see if Colleen had noticed, but she was intently scribbling in her own notebook a few feet away.

“Wrap up and we will start our session,” Colleen said.

Charlie raised her hand. “Are we required to use this notebook for the duration of the stay?” she asked.

Colleen shook her head. “Not if you have come prepared and have other means of taking notes.”

Charlie nodded and drew out her sling of fountain pens and a bound notebook from her back pocket.

“I prefer this one to keep my thoughts in,” she said. Lil watched as she unrolled the fountain-pen holder, ran her hand along several of the pens and selected a short one from the end. She pulled the cap off and put it on the other side so it was the size of a normal pen.

“Quite the collection,” Colleen said.

“It's only half my collection,” Charlie said. “I couldn't bring all of them.”

Colleen smiled. “Always prepared to record something? The mark of a good historian.” She turned to the others. “For today, we will be talking about both history
and
mythology.”

Lil watched the bees collect pollen from a nearby foxglove and then dip heavily around the side of the building as Colleen once again spoke about the flight of Daedalus and Icarus, the thread that Ariadne gave Theseus, the death of the beastly Minotaur by Theseus' sword and finally the bull guise which Zeus had used to woo Europa and carry her across the sea to Crete.

“I don't get it,” Sydney said, waving her hand. “Why would Europa fall in love with a bull? Is she some sort of idiot?”

Colleen paused in her lecture. “Well, you have to remember that these stories were handed down to the Greeks orally, and some classics experts would posit that they changed from their original forms during that time, essentially warping myth and history. Others may say that the literature of humankind has always had a bit of fact and a bit of fiction—room for both reality and imagination.”

Lil's attention faded in and out as Sydney tried to grapple with the number of love affairs with animals in the mythological stories, until she realized she was tuning in to another conversation. Her ears perked up as she heard Bente's voice somewhere to her right. She was about to turn and look, but there was something about the tone. A whisper, but one slightly more audible than intended. She tilted her head. It was coming from a window to her right. One that she could see was open just a crack.

“I will deposit it tonight,” Bente said. “This schedule is so busy.”

“You were practically there . . . ,” another voice said. Lil recognized the accent of the grand counselor. It had to be Athenia.

“I was in the vicinity . . . Lilith was . . . You saw her. She wanted to know . . . mother.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I didn't . . .”

“So she doesn't know . . .” The voices faded away.

A lump formed in Lil's throat. Bente knew more than she was saying. Much more than she was saying. Bente knew everything.

“Lilith, are you all right?”

Lil snapped her head up as Colleen stepped in front of her, her small figure blocking the sun.

“Fine, sorry,” Lil choked.

“All right, I can see you are all tired from your long day. Our session is almost over. Tomorrow we will discuss how Ariadne ended up on Naxos, abandoned by Theseus.”

“Abandoned?” Kat said. “After everything she did for him? What a
palhaço
.”

“So it would seem,” Colleen said. “Off to the dining hall with you. I will see you tomorrow for more fun!”

Lil rose to her feet. Her legs felt like Jell-O, and it was a struggle to move them forward. They had made it halfway down the stone stairwell before Kat looked behind them and then to Lil. “What is the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

“I—” Lil's hand went to her head, then to her pocket and then back to her head. “I overheard—” Words seemed to evade her. Her thoughts wouldn't stop spinning. Did Bente and Athenia know everything because they had been part of it? Had they killed her mother? She shook her head. No, Bente had said her mother was one of her favorite mentees. She seemed genuinely fond of her. But—

“What's this about?” Sydney asked. “Is this about the symbol?”

Lil reached for her pocket once more, and pulled out the picture.

“Have you been here before?” Sydney said, reaching for the picture.

“No,” Charlie said, curling Lil's fingers closed around the photograph. “I think it's about her mother,” she said through gritted teeth. “Put that away for now. Incoming.”