“What is it?” Maggie asked, glancing around as she searched for some trap.
Ollie pointed to the bas relief. “Careful not to step there,” Ollie cautioned. “It may trigger something.”
“Oh,” Maggie answered. She trained her flashlight beam on it. “Really? I don’t see anything.”
“It’s a good location for a hidden trigger,” Emma explained. “An unsuspecting person would tread right across it because of its location.”
They circled around the structure, careful not to step on it. Maggie continued to search the walls, floors and ceiling as they moved toward the stairs. They finished their ring around the bas-relief and approached the steps. Three stone stairs led to a platform and a recessed stone wall.
The stone columns at the top of the stairs dwarfed the group. “What do you think?” Maggie asked. “Safe or not?”
Ollie raised his eyebrows as he stared at the steps. His eyes traversed the length of each tread from end to end. He wandered to one side, exploring the stringer. He narrowed his eyes at it before crossing to the other side. With a shrug, he returned to the center. “I don’t see anything,” he admitted.
Without another word, Ollie stepped onto the first tread. Emma gasped. “So far, so good,” he said. He climbed the next two steps. He stood at the top and spun to face Maggie and Emma. “Well, seems safe.”
“Gee, Ollie, that was a risk,” Emma said.
“Can’t let Maggie take all the risks first, figured it was my turn!” Ollie grinned from the top. “You girls stay there a minute while I inspect the area.”
“But…” Maggie began.
“Just give me a few minutes for a quick inspection!” Ollie swept his flashlight beam around the space above them. After a brief search, he called down, “Okay! Come on up. One at a time!”
“Go ahead,” Emma said.
Maggie proceeded up the stone steps. She reached the top landing with no mishaps. Emma followed. As she stepped onto the landing, Bryson’s voice echoed in the chamber. “What’s going on in there?”
“We’re inspecting the area,” Ollie responded.
The answer must have satisfied Bryson since he did not respond. Maggie returned to investigating the landing. In front of them, an ornately decorated panel faced them. Maggie inched toward it, careful with her footfalls not to trigger anything. Emma and Ollie crept toward it, too.
As they closed the distance to the ornate panel, a crash reverberated through the chamber. It almost drowned out the scream accompanying it.
Maggie, Ollie and Emma spun to face the entrance. The bas-relief stood at a forty-five-degree angle. It settled back to the floor with a resounding clang.
Chapter 27
Bryson raced into the chamber. He gaped around. “Where’s Reynolds?”
“Reynolds?” Maggie questioned.
Ollie’s eyes grew wide. Maggie’s mouth opened as realization dawned on her. Bryson took a few more steps into the chamber. “STOP!” Ollie shouted, holding his hand in front of him. “Don’t move!”
Bryson froze. “What’s going on here, professor?”
“Whatever you do, do not step onto that panel!” Ollie cautioned.
Bryson shifted his gaze from the group to the bas-relief on the floor. He inched backward, away from the edge. When he stood a safe distance away, Bryson reached out and tapped the bas-relief with his foot. It swung open, revealing a gaping hole in the floor before settling back to its position with a resounding clang.
“Oh!” Maggie exclaimed as it crashed to the floor.
“Guess we know what happened to Reynolds,” Emma muttered.
“This is your fault, professor!” Bryson exclaimed as he circled the bas-relief at a safe distance.
“It is not!” Maggie retorted. “We had no idea he came in here until he was gone!”
“She’s correct,” Ollie confirmed. “Had I known he was coming, I would have prevented him from any danger, just as I did with you.”
Bryson glared at them but did not push the matter further. “What have you found?”
“We were just about to discover that when Mr. Reynolds met with his unfortunate accident,” Ollie answered.
“Fine. Don’t do anything else until I’ve moved everyone inside.”
“All right,” Ollie agreed with a nod.
Bryson followed the outline of the bas-relief as he approached the door.
“Well, that’s one of them down,” Maggie muttered under her breath to Ollie and Emma when Bryson stood out of earshot.
“And four to go,” Emma murmured back.
Bryson waved his arms, signaling for his colleagues to force the others inside. Ollie shouted as they entered, warning them to be careful of the trap in the floor.
With everyone gathered inside the chamber, Bryson signaled for Ollie to proceed with his investigation of the back wall. They approached the ornate carving and searched it for any hidden triggers. To the right of the decorative panel, Emma discovered another ankh outline.
“Here,” she called to Maggie and Ollie. “Another spot for an ankh.”
“Which one matches?” Maggie inquired. She pulled both from the bag. They studied the contours in the ankh-shaped cavity, comparing them to the two ankhs Maggie held in her hand.
“This one,” Emma said. She grabbed it from Maggie and fitted it to the outline. “Here goes nothing,” she said, repeating Maggie’s earlier statement.
Emma pushed the ankh in until it was flush with the stone. The moment it fit fully into the space, another boom shook the chamber. The decorated stone wall snapped in two and swung away from them. Maggie craned her neck to peer into the new opening.
“One more left,” Emma said.
“Careful entering,” Ollie cautioned.
Maggie nodded. “Let’s check the entire door first.”
Maggie stood aside to let Ollie’s trained eye scrutinize the opening. He found nothing to suggest any danger. The trio proceeded through the door into the dark room beyond. Little light filtered from the preceding chamber into this one, making it difficult to discern any features.
Maggie slid her flashlight up and down the nearest wall. As she swung it toward the room’s center, the light did little to pierce the blackness. It fell short of reaching the far wall.
“This will prove difficult,” Ollie admitted.
“Yes,” Emma agreed, “it’s so dark in here, it’ll be hard to spot anything dangerous.”
Bryson appeared behind them. “What’s going on?”
“We’re inspecting the chamber,” Ollie answered. “This will be slow-going. There’s very little light. Working with the little light our flashlights provide will be tedious. But better safe than sorry!”
“Don’t drag your feet, professor.”
“We could just be cavalier about it and if another one of your guys is harmed, oh well,” Maggie threatened.
“Spare me your threats, Ms. Edwards. If we lose another man, you lose one, too.”
“Then let us do our job!” Maggie argued.
“Do it as quickly as possible, Ms. Edwards. My employer isn’t keen on delays.”
“Then stop talking and let us work,” Maggie said with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.
Bryson remained stationed near the entrance as they worked their way into the room. They swept their flashlight beams across the floor and up the walls, searching for any hidden danger. The chamber appeared circular. Six massive pillars, inset from the exterior wall, held the ceiling at bay. At regular intervals along the walls, decorative stanchions climbed from floor to ceiling. Unlit torches extended from each.
Emma trained her beam on the ceiling several times. “What is it, Emma?” Ollie questioned.
“Nothing,” Emma answered. “Just making sure the ceiling isn’t inching down on us. I keep feeling dust falling on me.”
“I feel it, too!” Maggie admitted. “I thought it was cobwebs or something.”
Ollie swung his beam to the ceiling. The high roof stoo
d at least ten feet over their heads. Maggie positioned her flashlight to enhance Emma’s and Ollie’s light. Ollie adjusted his glasses and squinted at the ceiling.
“What are those black marks?” Maggie questioned.
“That’s what I was curious about,” Ollie answered. “It’s impossible to tell from this distance.”
“Switch off the lights,” Emma said.
Everyone followed her instructions. “What are we looking for in the dark?” Maggie questioned.
Emma toggled her light on. “I wanted to see if any light came from them.”
“I didn’t see any,” Ollie responded.
“Me either. So, what are they?”
“I’m not certain,” Ollie answered, “but we should exercise extreme caution.”
The girls nodded in agreement. They proceeded a single step further into the chamber. Maggie’s muscles tensed with every movement. She swallowed hard as she scrutinized every inch of the stone floor and walls.
As they crept further into the room, Maggie’s brow crinkled. She stooped down, training her flashlight beam on the stone floor.
“What is it, Maggie?” Ollie questioned.
“Thought I saw a dark spot.”
Ollie crouched down to study the spot Maggie concentrated her beam on. Emma bent over his shoulder. “This dark line, you mean?”
“Yes,” Maggie answered.
Ollie blew on it to clear away any loose sand. It became apparent that it outlined a small square block, about two inches in length. Ollie stood, splaying his arms to the sides and pushing the girls back away from the small square.
“I’m relatively certain that triggers something,” Ollie said.
“Something bad,” Maggie surmised.
“Probably,” Emma agreed.
“Do you think it’s the only one?” Maggie inquired.
Ollie glanced around the room. “I’m not certain, though I would be surprised if it was.”
“Given its size, it’s likely never to be triggered,” Emma added. “If this truly triggers a trap, there would be multiple triggers to assure it discharges to protect the library.”
“They’re tiny! How will we find them all?” Maggie questioned.
“Let’s see if we can spot another one. Perhaps there is a pattern,” Ollie suggested.
From the block near them, they wove their flashlight beams back and forth in a grid pattern, searching for any other similar squares.
“Here’s one!” Emma called.
“And another over there,” Maggie shouted, her beam trained on another square outline.
Ollie swung his beam, locating a fourth.
“They’re everywhere!” Maggie exclaimed as they found a fifth and sixth.
“We’ll have to map a path through them to the opposite wall.”
“What can we use to mark the safe path?” Maggie questioned.
“Sand is the most readily available asset here,” Emma proposed. “We could leave a trail of sand.”
“It’s not great, but it’s the only option we have,” Ollie agreed.
They backed their way to the entry. “We’ve found what we believe is a trap trigger,” Ollie explained to Bryson. “There are several. We must map a pathway that is safe to traverse, so no one is harmed.”
“So, get going,” Bryson barked.
“These things are everywhere! We need to mark the path with sand.”
Bryson stared at her, a blank expression on his face. “Could some of your guys fill one of the duffels you have with sand and bring it in?” Maggie asked, annoyance in her voice over having to make the request.
“Perhaps one of you could do it.”
“We’re busy canvassing every inch of that floor for trigger tiles. Do you think you could do SOMETHING?”
“I could do it, just untie me, mate,” Henry offered, overhearing the conversation.
“Nice try, Taylor,” Bryson snapped. “Garrity! Empty that duffel you have and fill it with sand and bring it to the professor. Carry on, professor. You’ll have your sand soon.”
“Thank you,” Ollie answered. “It would help to have a lighter as well. As we reach these pillars, I can light the torches to provide additional light.”
Bryson pulled a lighter from his pocket and tossed it to Ollie without a word.
“Okay, let’s continue, girls,” Ollie said as he caught the lighter.
Ollie, Maggie and Emma retreated into the chamber. “How are you so patient with them?” Maggie whispered.
Ollie shrugged. “I try to focus on the incredible find,” Ollie said.
“I’m with you,” Emma breathed.
“We need a plan,” Maggie answered as they continued searching the floor.
“Yep,” Emma agreed.
Bryson’s appearance cut their conversation short. “Garrity nearly has your sand,” he informed them.
“Stay there,” Ollie advised. “We haven’t found all the tiles nor marked a path. I don’t want you treading on one of these triggers mistakenly.”
“What exactly do these things trigger?” Bryson inquired.
“We’re not sure,” Ollie answered.
“And we DON’T want to find out,” Maggie followed up, shooting Bryson an irked glance.
Bryson rubbed his chin and stared at the floor suspiciously. Garrity stepped through the door a moment later. “Here’s the sand, boss,” he said, dropping a filled bag on the floor in front of him.
“Good, good,” Ollie said.
“Emma and I will start shuttling sand to create the path. You keep searching for a safe way through,” Maggie suggested.
“Okay,” Ollie agreed.
Maggie and Emma picked their way through the tiles and returned to the entry. “Okay, where’s the shovel?”
“Why?” Bryson snapped.
“To carry the sand,” Maggie retorted. “How else do you propose we carry it? With our hands?”
“Fine,” Bryson answered. “Give each of them a shovel, but stay here after.” Garrity returned to the first chamber to retrieve shovels.
Maggie raised her eyebrow at Bryson and smirked. “Scared?” she teased.
He ignored her as Garrity returned and handed the shovels to Emma and Maggie. Each of them scooped a shovelful of sand from the bag and started across the room, dumping the sand to outline a path among the tiles.
They made it halfway through the room before Maggie collapsed to the floor near the entrance. “Whew!” she said, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. “I need a breather!”
“Keep going,” Bryson ordered.
“Give her a minute,” Emma snarked.
Bryson opened his mouth to reply, but Maggie climbed to her feet. “It’s fine. I’m fine.” She scooped more sand, lumbering across the room with it and dumping it in a line. After another hour of work, they identified a clear pathway across the room. Maggie and Emma finished spreading the last of the sand to mark the path. Ollie stared at the wall across the room.
“The third and final ankh,” he said.
“What’s over there?” Bryson yelled.
“A spot for the last ankh!” Maggie shouted back.
“Stay there while we put it in!” Ollie hollered.
Maggie withdrew the final ankh from the bag she carried around her chest. “You should do the honors,” she said, handing it to Ollie.
He smiled at her, accepting the ankh. With a slow breath, he turned it over and fitted it into the outline. He glanced at Maggie, then Emma, then back to the ankh. He pushed it into the cavity. A click sounded, but nothing happened.
Maggie frowned, cocking her head to the side. “What gives?!” she exclaimed. Ollie pushed on it again. “Is it broken?”
Maggie spun to search the room. Her flashlight beam struck the pillar behind her. “Look!” she exclaimed. “Another ankh shape!”
“I’ve got one, too,” Emma announced, her beam trained on the pillar across from Maggie’s.
“Maybe we need all three ankhs to open the las
t door.”
“But removing them might leave us trapped,” Emma conjectured.
“I wonder if any of the other pillars have these?” Ollie questioned.
“We can check,” Maggie said.
“Careful,” Ollie warned. “We must pick our way through the tiles to each. We don’t have a marked path.”
Ollie removed the ankh from the cavity in the wall and slipped it back into Maggie’s bag. “Okay, here we go,” Maggie said with a deep breath.
“If there is a fourth, we’re in trouble,” Emma said.
“Yeah, we don’t have four ankhs.”
“If there is a fourth, there’s most likely six. One on each pillar,” Ollie explained. “If that’s the case, probably only one of them opens the final door.”
“What do the others do?”
“I’m not sure we want to find out,” Emma replied.
They followed Ollie single file as he inched toward the next pillar. They made it and circled around to the side facing the outer wall. “Aha!” Ollie exclaimed. “There is another here!”
“What are you three doing?” Bryson yelled.
“Trying to find the way into the next chamber,” Ollie answered. “We’ve made an incorrect assumption about how to proceed.”
“On to the next pillar,” Emma said.
The group made their way through the tiles to the fourth pillar. After circling around it, they found another spot for an ankh.
Maggie sighed, slapping her thigh with her hand. “Well, that’s great! Another one!”
Within thirty minutes, they verified that each pillar contained a cavity shaped like the final ankh. “Now what?” Maggie inquired.
“They are all identical. Each of them matches the contours of our last piece,” Ollie said.
“So, how do we know which one to use?” Maggie questioned.
Ollie shrugged. “I’m not certain. There is no indication anywhere of which may be correct.”
“We’d better inform our friends,” Maggie said.
They crept through the minefield of tiles and returned to the entrance where Bryson and Garrity stood sentinel. “Well?” he demanded.
“We have a slight problem.”
“Not what we want to hear,” Bryson responded.
“There are seven spots for the ankh to be placed. One of them does not work. We tried it. We have no idea which of the remaining six is correct,” Ollie explained.
Secret of the Ankhs: A Maggie Edwards Adventure (Maggie Edwards Adventures Book 2) Page 31
