The Three Furies (Erec Rex) (19 page)

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he walked beside the Hermit, he had no idea where he was headed, but was sure it was the right way.

When the Hermit pointed out a hammock to Erec, he climbed in and was asleep before his shoes hit the ground.

He was searching for something. Searching. What did he need to find? He had a sneaking suspicion that it was his own self that was missing. What if he never found himself? Would he be lost forever?

Then something glistened in a pile of mud. It looked like a bubble, but he knew it was important.

It was a key. Of course! He felt so stupid. This key was all he ever needed. He used it to open a locked door and behind it was . . .

Bethany. She had been sitting at a desk. They were in Baskania's complex, but Erec wasn't afraid of him. Bethany rose to her feet and gave him a hug, so happy to be saved. "You're my hero. Can I kiss my hero?"

His knees almost buckled from the kiss.

Her big eyes blinked up into his. "I love you, hero."

She loved him. His head spun.

He reached toward her, but for some reason she scratched him. Her claws were sharp. She turned into a tarantula, and scuttled across his face--

Erec awoke from something spiky moving on his face. A big bug? He brushed it away, sending a sand crab spinning to the cave floor.

The Hermit giggled. When Erec focused, he saw the Hermit was holding another crab in his hand. "Was that a nice addition to your dream, Erec Rex?"

Erec groaned and put an arm over his eyes. What a crazy, annoying thing for the Hermit to do--and so typical for him. Erec tried to remember what his dream had been about. Bethany was in it, he was pretty sure.

Well, that was better than his usual dream about his "father," who

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was not really his father at all. Erec had gotten a memory implant when he was three--and it had turned out to be Bethany's memory. In his dreams, he would relive a scene of Earl Evirly, abandoning him in the streets at night.

Erec had wanted to get rid of the annoying memory--but now he felt like keeping it. It was the only part of Bethany that he had now. Was she still alive? Why did this have to happen to her? She did nothing to deserve being captured. This was all the fault of that dumb prophecy:
The secret of the Final Magic is hidden in the mind of the smallest child of the greatest seer of the first king of Alypium.
The first king of Alypium was Piter--he was the only king of Alypium so far. And his greatest seer, everyone knew, was Ruth Cleary, Bethany's mother. Bethany's brother Pi was older than her, and bigger than her as well, so in both senses she was the "smallest child."

It wasn't fair that she had this happen to her. She was just an innocent kid. Bethany didn't ask to be born with amazing math skills. She could speak and understand math like it was her first language. For fun, in her spare time, she disproved theories that had taken math geniuses their whole lives to come up with. It didn't surprise Erec that she had it in her to solve Baskania's problem.

Part of him wanted her to tell Baskania anything he wanted, so he would let her go safely. But he also knew what that would mean to the rest of the world. Baskania wanted more power than even he could handle. King Piter had said that if Baskania mastered the Final Magic, he would end up destroying the world in a fit of madness.

The Hermit watched with amusement as Erec sat up and rubbed his eyes. The sun was bright outside the cave. Erec wondered how long he had slept. "Where is King Augeas's castle? Is it nearby?"

"Just steps away, yet further than you can imagine."

Erec shivered at the thought. Why was it close to a small deserted

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cave in a rocky bed near a peaceful beach? "Does this cave lead back into it?"

"No, silly prince. This cave is a dead end."

Prince? Erec was distracted for a moment, thinking of what the Hermit had just called him. His father
was
a king. He
was
destined to be king himself someday. Did that really make him a prince? He supposed it did, but it still sounded awfully strange. He was just a regular kid, and he always would be.

How would Danny and Sammy react when they learned that they were a prince and princess? Danny would love it, he supposed. He always liked lording over people in his own funny way. Sammy would get a kick out of it too, he thought.

A red blob appeared in the sand by his feet. It was a snail. Erec picked up the snail and took a letter out.

Dear Erec,

I was spying on Baskania, and all of a sudden an invisible force pulled me right in front of his huge desk in the Inner Sanctum. It was really creepy. He had about a million candles lit, and all the furniture was gold, so everything was sparkling. Baskania said I was doing great work--which really made me angry, since I was against him, not for him. He said it was time I had a promotion. So he offered me a real job, with money and a nice place to live in Alypium.

I guess he was reading my mind about all the things I really wanted the most, because in front of me was this table full of great food. I've been hungry a lot lately. It's not good, I know, but the only way I can eat is by using spells to

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steal food. I don't like to do it much, but I don't have any money. And it's not fun sleeping on benches all the time.

Baskania also said to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I don't know if he was saying I was his enemy, or if he meant that I should keep Rosco close by. Maybe he meant both. But why he would want me to spy on Rosco is beyond me.

I was going to tell him no way, but then I realized that it might actually help me. Don't worry--I won't be swayed by him in any way. I'm just going to use him and his money--let them all start to trust me. When I can get back at Rosco for everything, then I'll strike.

I'm not sure what the job is yet that Baskania wants me to do. I know I'll be meeting with him and the Stain triplets, though. So that will give me an inside scoop for you.

Your friend,

Oscar

Baskania's job offer sounded like bad news, but Erec was afraid to write Oscar back. He wasn't near a Port-O-Door, and he didn't want anyone able to find where he was now.

The Hermit was watching him expectantly.

"I guess I'll look into the future now." A wave of fear washed over him. What if he were to see something terrible happen to Bethany?

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But if it was going to happen, the least he could do was try to prevent it. "Then we can go."

Erec made himself comfortable on the hammock, crossing his legs.

"Remember," the Hermit said, "you watch what your eyes show you. But somewhere inside you, you know what part of the future you need to see. The more you use your dragon eyes, the better you will get at it."

The Hermit was good at saying things that made sense but were confusing at the same time. Erec closed his eyes and relaxed. It was time to face what was coming head-on.

He imagined himself entering a small, dark room in his mind. It was a place of peace. Everything seemed right. Another door inside led into a smaller room within the first room. If possible, this room was darker, cozier. He could sense two big windows in the front of the room, and he knew that they would look out through his dragon eyes into his future.

A warm box sat upon a table beside him. It did not exactly glow, but the energy radiating from it filled the room. It was a great feeling, being so close to so much knowledge. His fears seemed to drain away, leaving only excitement. Yes, what he saw might be horrible, but he could face it.

Erec rested a hand on the box and felt it pulsing with life. Everything he didn't know that he knew was locked inside there.

He was ready. A warm cord dangled between the windows, and Erec grabbed it and pulled. The window shades flew open.

A
wall of water raced toward him, towering over him like a tsunami.
I
n a second he was immersed, whipped around in gusts and torrents until he didn't know which way was up.

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I
t was impossible to tell which way the surface of the water was, but it was so far away he might never reach it before he ran out of breath.
H
e shot forward like a bullet along with the rushing waves.

A
mazingly, even though he was sore, frightened, and aching for breath, he was happy.
N
o, that wasn't a strong enough word.
G
leeful.
E
cstatic.
T
his was the best thing ever.

The vision started to fade. Erec pulled the shades and left the room. That was not at all what he had expected to see. Where was Bethany? What about his quest? King Augeas? Nothing about this vision told him what would happen.

Then another thought came to him. Did this mean that Bethany would die? Maybe he was trying to drown himself. Why else would he be so happy to be wiped out by a tidal wave? The only reason he could think of was that he had failed and decided to end it all, glad to see the world go away.

He pushed that thought out of his head. Whatever the vision foretold, it didn't matter. He would try to do his best anyway.

It was time to meet King Augeas.

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN Finger Magic

KAY. LET'S GO." Erec did not want to waste another minute.

The Hermit raised an eyebrow. "You're ready?"

"Yes." He gulped deeply.

"Ah, impetuous youth. Always ready to rush in unprepared, make a complete mess of things. Strike fast and straight into the jaws of death, right? No looking ahead, coming prepared?"

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"What do you mean?" Erec was exasperated. "I just saw into my future, and I got drowned by huge waves of water."

The Hermit giggled. "Brilliant. You have a very creative mind."

Erec wasn't so amused. "Creative? I didn't make this up. It's just what happens to me."

"Very creative," the Hermit repeated. "So, do you choose to go now, or would you like me to prepare you for your voyage?"

"Prepare me. But we better hurry. I don't know how long Bethany has."

"Make a cup of tea for me with the Serving Tray. Not too hot."

Slightly annoyed, Erec pulled the silver Serving Tray out of his backpack and asked it for a warm cup of tea. It appeared in an instant, and he handed it to the Hermit. Didn't he know they had to hurry?

The Hermit smelled the tea and smiled. Then he turned the cup and tossed the tea straight into Erec's face.

"Wha--" Erec wiped off his wet face. "What was that for?"

The Hermit laughed. "Nothing. I saw a movie where a Zen guru taught the most important lesson to his student by tossing a cup of tea into his face. This was not exactly a lesson, but I thought it looked like fun."

"Fun?" A spark of anger kicked Erec in the stomach. "Do you think Bethany is having fun right now?"

The Hermit smiled mysteriously. "I hope so."

"You hope so? How can she have fun chained to a desk, about to die?"

"That could be fun." The Hermit frowned, in thought. "If it were viewed in the right way."

"Viewed in the right way?"

"That's all there is to life, you know. Fun things. We just need to remember to enjoy them or we waste it all."

Erec calmed down. It wasn't worth getting upset at the

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Hermit. He had a screw loose. "Okay, then. How can I get ready?"

"You must learn to control your dreams. It is the only way you will return from the Nightmare King's realm. He is not used to people being ready for him. So he won't expect you to find a way out. But you can. That is your quest, of course."

Erec sat straighter. So, he could meet the Nightmare King and return again? Now that he understood his quest, a wave of hope rushed over him. If there was a way out, he would find it. "And his realm is right here, near this cave?"

"It is the cave."

Erec looked around. "But I thought you said this cave was a dead end."

"It is. Look out onto the beach. His realm is there. And in your father's house, it is there, too. The Nightmare King rules everywhere. All over the world people fall asleep."

"I don't get it. If I'm in his realm when I sleep, then why haven't I met him already?"

The Hermit shook his head. "That is not where you can meet him. When you sleep, you may sometimes meet his restless-thought monsters and dark-vision hounds. Most nights we resist following them, but when they catch us off guard we can find ourselves peeking into the Nightmare Realm."

"I must be off guard every night, then." Erec thought about his recurrent nightmare of Bethany's father.

"Yes, having a memory chip insert can throw you off. But that also can work to our advantage now, help us practice." He smiled. "You must fall asleep and practice controlling your dreams. Because when you are a slave of the Nightmare King's dominion, you will be completely helpless otherwise. It can be done, but it is not easy. It takes strength and determination. If you are not ready, your life will