by Maz Evans
Elliot beat the ground with angry fists. How could he have been so stupid? Mum tried to tell him, tried to warn him – she knew it wasn’t his real dad. And yet he had left her with that – that monster, to go running around the world on another stupid, pointless mission that couldn’t even save her. It was all his fault.
‘Oh, come now,’ said Thanatos, apparently reading his thoughts. He pulled Elliot to his feet and dusted him down. ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself. She’s fooled bigger, brighter people than you. She got the idea from your bag of tricks she stole at Stonehenge – that newspaper article about your father told her everything she needed to know. But she’s had her fun now . . . Speaking of which: Mother! Give the boy his things back. He’s earned his little souvenirs.’
‘Spoilsport,’ Nyx cried, throwing Hermes’s bottomless bag down at Elliot’s feet. He picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, rummaging through the contents.
‘Where’s the Hydra bow?’ he asked with dead eyes.
‘Ah – small insurance policy,’ said Thanatos. ‘I think we’ll keep that, won’t we, Mother?’
‘Of course,’ said Nyx quickly. For the first time, Elliot observed, the smile left her lips. But he didn’t care, he didn’t care about any of it. He just wanted to go.
‘Where is Mum?’ he asked wearily.
‘That path leads towards the Earth. Take it and she will follow you,’ Thanatos said solemnly. ‘I swear it.’
‘How will I know the way?’ he asked.
‘I believe you have Ariadne’s golden string at your disposal?’ said Thanatos, nodding at the bag.
Elliot scrabbled in the bag and pulled out the ball of twine given to him by Theseus. He held a loose end and threw it to the ground, where it immediately unfurled, lighting a thin golden path ahead.
‘Time to Earth: one hour,’ chimed Ariadne’s voice. ‘Traffic conditions are normal. And all men are faithless pigs.’
Elliot nodded and set off resolutely towards the tunnel. The sooner he got out of here, the sooner he got his mum back.
‘Oh! Just one more tiny detail!’ Thanatos called after him.
Elliot stopped dead. He knew it.
‘Nothing to worry about – just make sure that, no matter what, you don’t turn around. To look at her, I mean.’
‘What do you mean?’ Elliot said. ‘Why not?’
‘I don’t make the rules,’ Thanatos sighed, reclining on a nearby rock. ‘Indeed, there’s only ever been one case of a soul being escorted to Earth – by young Orpheus. And that ended . . . Well, don’t worry your head about it. You just walk to Earth without turning around.’
‘And what if I do?’ said Elliot stubbornly. Even now, he didn’t like being told what to do. Especially now, perhaps.
‘Well, it’s up to you, of course,’ said Thanatos. ‘You can if you want. Orpheus looked at Eurydice . . .’
‘And it was the last time he ever did!’ Nyx screeched, gleefully. ‘Because if you look at a soul – even the briefest glance – it will return to the Afterlife. For ever.’
Elliot took a deep breath. So all he had to do was walk his mum back to the Earth without looking back. Couldn’t be that hard, surely?
‘Last thing,’ Thanatos said, handing Elliot a scroll of parchment. ‘Kindly give this to Zeus when you see him. It’s an . . . invitation I’m sure he won’t want to miss.’
‘Zeus and I aren’t friends any more,’ said Elliot, feeling a pang of regret poke his heart.
‘Oh, you’ll make it up. You do-gooding types always do. Just make sure he gets it. He’ll want to see what I have in store . . . Well, you’d best be on your way,’ Thanatos said, pulling the Chaos Stone out of his robes again. ‘Goodbye, Elliot Hooper. Truly, it has been a pleasure doing business with you.’
‘And watch your back,’ Nyx called after him. ‘After all, you never know who you can trust.’
Elliot swallowed down the hatred coating his throat. Nyx would have to wait. He walked towards the tunnel, the Daemons’ laughter ringing in his ears. But he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered now was getting his mum safely back to Earth.
He took a tentative footstep on the path. Where was Mum? Had Thanatos tricked him again? He took another step. Still nothing.
Elliot was about to turn around and give the Daemons everything they deserved, and more, when the tunnel was suddenly illuminated with a golden light. He fought every urge in his body to turn around and look, Nyx’s warning ringing in his ears:
If you look at a soul – even the briefest glance – it will return to the Afterlife. For ever.
He took another step and felt the light follow him. Was it really his mum? How could he be sure? Perhaps just one little glance . . .
‘Elly?’ came a voice that answered all his doubts.
‘Mum!’ he cried, tears of relief filling his eyes.
‘I’m here,’ said Josie. ‘I’m right behind you.’
‘Let’s go!’ said Elliot, charging ahead. ‘The sooner we get back to Earth, the sooner we can get the farm back from Patricia and find Dad and—’
‘Elly,’ said Josie softy. ‘You don’t understand.’
‘Understand what?’ he replied. ‘Let’s just get out of here and you can tell me anything you want . . .’
‘No, Elly,’ Josie said. He could feel her take a step closer.
‘No, what?’ said Elliot, the familiar sense of dread closing his throat.
‘We’re not going anywhere,’ said Josie. ‘I love you, Elly.’
‘I love you too, Mum.’
‘I know,’ said Josie, so close now that Elliot could almost feel her breath in his ear. ‘Which is why I know you’ll do as I ask.’
‘Of course, Mum – I’ll do anything.’
‘Anything?’
‘Anything.’
‘Good boy. So, Elly?’
‘Yes, Mum?’ whispered Elliot, barely daring to breathe. He felt his mother’s soft voice in his ear.
‘I love you so much, Elly,’ she said. ‘And that’s why—’
‘Why what?’ said Elliot impatiently. ‘Let’s go!’
‘No,’ said Josie again. ‘I know how much you love me, Elly. And that, my darling boy . . . is why you’re going to leave me here.’
9. Jail Break
‘Hoimes! I’m telling yous – we got more chance of my Persephone headlining at the Sydney Opera House than we do of getting outta here! I told you, I tried everything.’
‘Not being funny, Uncle H,’ groaned Hermes, straining at the locked door with all his might. ‘But you’re in as good shape as a dropped jelly, mate. This is one for the H-bomb. Just . . . one . . . more . . . pull . . .’
The Messenger God yanked at the door, his feathered hat flapping with his exertions.
‘Hold me iGod up, I can’t see what I’m doing . . . I’m telling you – it’s coming . . . I . . . can . . . feel . . . it!’ He grimaced, the veins in his temples pulsing. ‘And . . . that . . . would . . . be . . . BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!’
With a great shout, Hermes came away from the door. Unfortunately, so too did the door handle.
‘Nice one, Einstein!’ Hades cried. ‘I think the H-bomb just got diffused. Now, how we gonna get outta here?’
‘Well, if you hadn’t got “inna here” in the first place, it wouldn’t be a problem, would it?’
‘I told you – I thought I was following yous! One minute I’m begging Persephone not to go for the big note in I Will Always Love You, the next thing I know, you fly into the casino saying you’ve found the little guy in the Cave of Sleep and Death and you need me to come help you. And then I’m locked in here. Geez, that dame . . .’
‘Yeah, Nyx is a massive anti-babe all right,’ Hermes agreed.
‘I meant my Persephone,’ Hades said. ‘If someone had offered me root canal, I would have taken it to get outta there. Hey – wait a minute – how do I know you’re really you?’
‘Good point,’ said Hermes. ‘How do I know you’re really you?
’
The two Gods shuffled away from one another.
‘If you’re really Hoimes,’ said Hades, ‘what do I keep inside my copy of Dracula?’
‘Easy. Pair of earplugs,’ Hermes replied. ‘You wear them when Aunty P is rehearsing. And if you’re really me Uncle – what colour are my pyjamas?’
‘Trick question,’ said Hades. ‘You don’t wear none. Which, let me tell yous, is a seriously bad idea, given that you also sleep-fly . . .’
They nodded at one another. They were the real deal.
‘This is, like, an epic mis-bosh, Uncle H,’ said Hermes, rising to his feet. ‘I gotta get to E before he does something totes stupid.’
‘Poor kid,’ Hades sighed. ‘Tawk about having the weight of the world on your shoulders.’
‘Mate – we’ve got to get out of here,’ said Hermes, storming towards the door. I have to—’
‘STOP!’ Hades suddenly yelled. ‘Don’t move a muscle!’
‘Easier said than done, Uncle H,’ Hermes replied out of the corner of his mouth. ‘I’ve gotta lot of muscle. Mate – I’m ripped like a bounced cheque.’
‘Just . . . stay still,’ said Hades, creeping over and gingerly picking up something by Hermes’s left foot. ‘There – I’m guessing you don’t need another run-in with one-a these.’
He held up the poisoned Hydra arrow.
‘Whoa,’ whispered Hermes.
‘And here’s the bow,’ said Hades, picking it up off the floor with his other hand. ‘Old feather-features must have drawped it.’
‘Blimey,’ said Hermes, taking the weapon and placing it carefully in his own bottomless bag. ‘Thanks, Uncle Hades.’
‘Anytime, kiddo,’ said the God of the Underworld, giving his nephew a friendly punch that nearly knocked him flying. ‘Now, what we gonna do here?’
‘So, I reckon if I run at that door like I’ve put on three pounds and I’ve got a photo shoot the next day, I can blast straight through it. Whaddya reckon?’
‘I reckon it’s the best plan we got,’ Hades sighed. ‘Let’s do it.’
‘OK,’ said Hermes, flittering to the far end of the room and revving up his flying shoes and hat. ‘LET’S DO THIS THING!’
‘Be careful,’ said Hades, ‘you don’t wanna—’
But Hermes wasn’t listening. With an almighty blast of acceleration, he took off towards the door like a champagne cork from a shaken bottle.
‘GO AWN, FELLA!’ Hades shouted. ‘YOU GOT THIS!’
The Messenger God put his head down and braced himself for impact. He didn’t care – he was going to get to his friend.
But, for the second time that day, just as Hermes approached the door, it swung open.
‘WHHHHHHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA!’ he yelled. Smoke steamed out of his heels as he tried to halt his supersonic flight – but it was too late.
‘Oh, no – MASSIVE UNBOSH!’ he cried, careering towards Thanatos’s throne of bones.
SMASH!
He thundered into the throne, smashing it into a million pieces, before finally skidding to a halt on the far side of the Cave of Sleep and Death.
‘Hoimes! You OK?’ puffed Hades, running over to his battered nephew.
‘Like, totes . . . ow . . .’ came the strained reply from beneath a pile of broken bones.
Hades looked back at the door.
‘Hey – you did it!’ he cheered. ‘You ain’t such a skinny drink a water after all! You opened it!’
‘No, I didn’t,’ Hermes groaned, sitting up and tossing a skull from his lap. ‘Someone else did.’
‘You mean . . .’
Hades ran to the entrance to see who their saviour had been. But the only evidence that anyone had entered the cave was the shaking of the poppies disturbed by their abrupt exit.
‘See ’em?’ Hermes called out.
‘I got nothing,’ Hades sighed, coming back to help Hermes off the floor. ‘But let me tell you – they got a drink on me any time they want one. And I won’t even make them listen to Persephone’s cabaret. Seriously, that broad brings new meaning to Killing Me Softly . . .’
‘We need to get to my boy E,’ said Hermes, flying up in the air. ‘Like, totes now.’
‘Where do we start?’ Hades asked. ‘He could be any place.’
‘I can show you,’ came a small voice from the cave’s entrance.
‘Who goes there?’ said Hades, raising his fists. ‘I’m telling you – I ain’t in the mood for no funny business.’
‘He’s in Tartarus,’ said the new arrival, stepping into the light.
‘V! Babe!’ said Hermes, flying over for a hug. ‘You saved us!’
‘No, I didn’t,’ said Virgo. ‘I got lost. Hypnos was supposed to be taking me back to Earth. But he just dumped me here.’
‘Well, I’m glad we found you, chick,’ said Hermes, giving her a huge squeeze. ‘I missed your lovely mug. Right – we got to get to E before—’
‘It’s too late,’ Virgo said mournfully. ‘He’s done it. He’s given Thanatos the Chaos Stones.’
‘Oh, mate,’ sighed Hermes.
‘Geez, Louise,’ Hades whistled.
‘It’s over,’ said Virgo. ‘We lost.’
Hermes held Virgo’s chin in his hand and looked into her face.
‘Babe,’ he said softly. ‘While we’re still here, we ain’t lost nothing. This ain’t over until the fat lady sings.’
‘Hey,’ said Hades, punching Hermes in the arm. ‘So Persephone’s put on a few pounds, but whatcha gonna do?’
‘Shut up, Uncle H,’ said Hermes, turning his attention back to Virgo. ‘We’ve got this, V.’
‘But Elliot . . .’
‘Elliot is still our friend,’ said Hermes. ‘And he needs us more than ever. D’ya reckon you can show me where you last saw him?’
Virgo nodded tearfully.
‘Then let’s go get our boy,’ said Hermes with a wink.
‘Do it,’ Hades nodded. ‘You crazy kids go after the boy. I’m guessing my brother needs me up on Olympus. This thing only ends one way now. We’re going to war.’
‘This thing ends when we kick Thanatos’s butt,’ said Hermes, scooping Virgo up in his arms. ‘And I ain’t going nowhere till it’s done. Whaddya say, V?’
Virgo wiped the tears from her eyes.
‘Bosh,’ she said quietly.
‘That’s my girl!’ Hermes smiled, shooting up in the air. ‘Elliot – hold tight! We’re coming for you, mate! BOOOOOOOOOOOM!’
And with a whoosh, the Messenger God whizzed out of the cave, leaving a flurry of bones in his wake.
10. Don’t Look Back
‘Time to Earth: forty-four minutes.’
Elliot followed the faint glow of Ariadne’s golden twine with hasty footsteps.
‘Elly,’ came his mother’s imploring voice behind him. ‘Elly. You have to listen to me.’
‘I told you, we’ll talk about it when we get home . . . or . . . wherever,’ gabbled Elliot. ‘We have to get you out of here.’
He lowered his head and strode on, following the twine’s gentle light up the winding path towards the faintest speck of daylight above him. He could feel his mother’s golden glow moving closer. Every molecule of his soul was desperate to turn around and see her again. All his emotions were straining at the dam. But Thanatos’s warning rang starkly in his ears. Losing her once had nearly destroyed him. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if he had to lose her again.
‘My darling,’ Josie begged. ‘You have to listen to me.’
‘I’ll listen when I have you back,’ said Elliot through gritted teeth. ‘When you’re safe. When you’re . . . living.’
‘But that’s just it,’ Josie implored. ‘You won’t be able to listen. Because I won’t be living.’
Elliot halted. Again, the urge to turn and face his mother nearly overwhelmed him. But he kept it in check. The dam was straining.
‘What do you mean?’ he asked. ‘Don’t tell me Thanatos lied again – I’
ll go back down there and kick his—’
‘Every word he spoke was true,’ Josie said. ‘If you take me back to Earth, I will be restored to my body. Exactly as I was when you last saw me.’
‘Fine, then,’ said Elliot, taking off again. ‘So let’s go . . .’
‘Elly – when you last saw me, I wasn’t living. I was alive, yes. But I wasn’t living.’
Elliot stopped again.
‘I don’t understand,’ he said. ‘You were . . .’
‘Trapped,’ said Josie. ‘Ever since I became ill, my body has been a prison that barred my soul within. It has been torture.’
‘I know it’s been tough,’ said Elliot. ‘But now I know what was wrong with you, we can get help – I’ll go to the doctor, we’ll get some medicine, we’ll get you better . . .’
Elliot felt his mother so close he could touch her. If only he could turn around, just look into her eyes . . .
‘No doctor could help me then and no doctor could help me now,’ Josie insisted. ‘My mind was broken beyond repair. And my body was always going to follow it. That was how my story was written. Nothing could change it.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Elliot growled. ‘And we’ll never know unless we go back . . .’
‘Ah – that’s just it,’ Josie declared. ‘That’s exactly what we’ll be doing. We’ll be going back. Back to a time when I cannot be any sort of mother to you. And you were doing what no son should have to. I don’t want that. For either of us.’
‘But I don’t care!’ Elliot cried, carrying on towards the fading light up ahead. ‘I’ll always look after you, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter to me . . .’
‘But it matters to me.’
Elliot stopped again. How was he going to persuade his mum? They were running out of time – already the sun was dropping in the sky. It would be sunset soon. He had to get her out of there.
‘Time to Earth,’ Ariadne’s twine sang out, ‘thirty-nine minutes.’
‘Come on, Mum,’ Elliot urged. ‘We’re so nearly there.’
‘When I grew ill, my body didn’t just trap me,’ said Josie, coming right up behind her son. ‘It trapped you too.’
‘I told you – I don’t mind . . .’
