by P. J. Hoover
“Now, can we go on to the library?” Gary asked.
CHAPTER 23
The Universal Travel Agent
Gary had memorized the location of every library in Mu and, thus, didn’t even need to check his sheaf. He claimed one of the small offshoots connected to the Ruling Hall library had the largest selection of maps in all of Lemuria. It seemed like a good starting point to Benjamin, so he didn’t even think about disagreeing. When it came to libraries, no one disagreed with Gary. Leaving the school, they headed back down Mu Way toward the Ruling Hall.
Once they reached the third floor, it took a while, but they finally found the narrow, empty hallway leading to the dimly lit map room. Benjamin walked in and stopped. His eyes bugged out and started to loose focus as he stared around the room at probably a gazillion maps. Seriously. Some were made of paper, some looked like computer screens or holograms, shifting and changing. One map was encased behind glass, the paper old and cracking. Benjamin and Heidi walked over to get a closer look.
“Look,” Heidi said pointing to the map. “This must be the oldest map here. It shows Lemuria and Atlantis before they sank.”
“How do you know?” Benjamin asked her.
“There’s no Ring of Fire,” she replied, motioning to where the ring of volcanoes would normally be. Andy, Gary, and Iva walked over to join them.
A couple of the maps gave off a faint light. Benjamin walked over to one such holographic map, a green glow emanating from it.
“Look at this,” he said. Heidi joined him. Benjamin reached his right hand up to the map, and pointed at Australia. It lit up. He then dragged his finger to the northwest, into Asia. The entire map rotated, and Asia lit up as Australia dimmed again. The map looked like an early predecessor of a Geodine. By pointing to a timeline along the top of the map, the locations of the continents began to drift.
“Pretty cool,” Heidi said.
“So, how do we go about finding the second key’s destination?” Andy asked.
“I think we should split up and start searching,” Gary suggested. “I can start over here,” he motioned to a long aisle on the right. The aisle was packed from floor to ceiling with thick hardbound books.
“Thank God,” Andy said. “Look at all those dusty books. They’re all the same color too.” He groaned in disgust. Gary didn’t even hear him as he began walking toward the aisle of books. Well, actually, given Gary’s hearing, he probably did hear Andy and just decided to ignore him.
“Heidi and I can check this way,” Benjamin suggested, pointing to an aisle that seemed to contain some of the older maps in the library. “And, Andy, why don’t you and Iva search over there.” Benjamin fought to keep the smile off his face and noticed Heidi did the same.
“Great,” Iva said, “You ready, Andy?”
Andy perked up. “Definitely.”
They split off and began searching. Benjamin and Heidi started down the wide aisle, which was lined with tables down the center where the maps could be spread out and studied. Their aisle contained shelves and shelves of scrolls—large scrolls, small scrolls, burned scrolls, scrolls that hung on hooks.
“Any suggestions on how we should tackle this?” Benjamin asked her.
“Not really,” Heidi replied. “I guess I’ll start on the right and you start on the left.”
Benjamin pulled a map off a shelf and spread it out in the table, trying to be a careful as possible. He didn’t want to be responsible for destroying a map which was probably older than modern man. But after checking it over, he decided it didn’t look anywhere near old enough, and shoved it back on the shelf.
“So why do you always pair Andy and Iva up?” Heidi asked.
Benjamin laughed. “Because I think it’s funny. I’ve known Andy for thirteen years, and I’ve never seen him act like this.”
“You know Ryan still thinks there’s a chance he and Iva might get together,” Heidi said.
“Ryan Jordan?” Benjamin asked.
“Yeah. I think that’s part of why he’s always trying to butt in on us,” Heidi said. “But I also think he and Jonathan are nosy. They know something’s going on, and they can’t stand not knowing what it is.”
“As long as they don’t know anything about the Alliance or the Emerald Tablet, I’m happy,” Benjamin replied. “The fewer people that know, the better.”
Before he knew it, an hour had passed. Benjamin could tell by the growling of his stomach.
“I’m starting to think we may never find anything,” Benjamin said.
“I think we need to find where they keep the oldest maps, the ones that wouldn’t just be rolled up and shoved on a shelf,” Heidi said. They continued down the aisle until they came to a room labeled ‘Special Collections.’
“This may be exactly what we’re looking for,” Benjamin said, entering the room. He squinted to see until dim lights flashed on. Heidi stepped in behind him, and the door to the room closed.
The dust in the large, empty room was at least an inch thick. As Benjamin walked, he looked down at the tracks his feet were leaving.
“I guess this isn’t the most popular place to hang out,” he said.
“Yeah, and why do they keep it so dark?” Heidi asked.
“To protect the maps?” Benjamin suggested, nodding to the walls as his eyes began to adjust.
“Check this out,” Heidi said, pointing to an old, brittle map behind some kind of force field. “Doesn’t that look like pictures you’ve seen of Pangaea? But it looks like it has more land mass than I’ve seen on other maps.”
“That’s because of Lemuria and Atlantis,” Benjamin said. “Remember the map Proteus showed us. They’re both huge.”
Though Benjamin was sure his interest couldn’t have compared to Gary’s, the maps still fascinated him, and as they walked around the room, he couldn’t help but stop and look at each one. Most of these maps predated recorded history on Earth—at least Earth as they had known it.
When they reached the back wall, they both stopped, and Benjamin felt the blood drain out of his face. They’d found the map of all maps. Its borders lit up red when they stepped in front of it, and the inch-thick protective glass disappeared. Words flashed at the top of the map: ‘The Universal Travel Agent’.
“‘The Universal Travel Agent?’” Heidi said. “What do you suppose that means?”
“Maybe it’s like a travel brochure,” Benjamin said. “Look at Lemuria.” The continent of Lemuria had several small red stars decorating it with names listed by them. Benjamin didn’t recognize any of the names, and the capital city, marked with a larger star, wasn’t even anywhere close to Mu.
“And look—Atlantis,” Heidi said. “This map must be from when the two continents were both still above water. Telegens probably still traveled back and forth then.”
Benjamin shifted his gaze over to Tibet. He saw Shambhala, and then his eyes moved southwest to a red star. “Hey, look,” he said to Heidi. “I think we found it.”
Heidi looked over to where Benjamin was pointing, just in time to see him reach up and touch the star on the map. “See. Xanadu.”
CHAPTER 24
Xanadu Is Not Just in a Poem
The star lit up green, and, in an instant, Benjamin found himself being sucked into a bright vortex. It felt nothing like the teleportation he’d almost become accustomed to. He looked around and relaxed just a little when he saw Heidi next to him.
“What’s happening?” She shouted to be heard above the swirling sound of the vortex.
“I don’t know,” Benjamin yelled back. “The travel agent seems to be taking us somewhere.”
Heidi grabbed his hand, and Benjamin didn’t mind at all; he felt about as uneasy as she looked. The vortex whipped and whirled and then was gone.
Benjamin glanced down at his feet just to make sure the vortex had really disappeared; they were planted firmly in green grass. He could hear the sound of birds chirping in the nearby trees. He looked down at his left hand ju
st as Heidi looked at her right; she quickly released his hand and moved a couple inches away.
“Where do you think we are?” Heidi asked.
Benjamin again looked around. They stood at the bottom of a green slope, next to the bank of a running river. In the distance, at the top of the hill was a fortress of some sort, with a large crystal dome at the center, glimmering in the sun. Benjamin could just barely make out the sound of music drifting from the top of the hill.
“Xanadu, I’m willing to bet,” Benjamin replied.
“Xanadu?” Heidi asked. “I’ve never even heard of it.”
“Haven’t you ever read ‘Kubla Khan’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge?” he asked.
“Coleridge,” she said. “Didn’t he write a poem called ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’?”
“Yeah. I memorized it last year to impress some girl. He also wrote one called ‘Kubla Khan’ about a mythical place called Xanadu. Nobody believed the place really existed, and everyone just blamed the poem on the ravings of a lunatic,” Benjamin said.
“You were trying to impress some girl,” Heidi laughed. “Did it work?”
“No, not really,” Benjamin said. “Actually not at all. She fell asleep while I was reciting it. But my teacher was impressed. She started crying.”
“Well, wherever we are, it’s beautiful,” Heidi said. “Can we look around?”
“I think we should stay on the main path and head up to the fortress,” Benjamin said. “If the second key really is here, it’s a pretty good guess that it’s up there.” He nodded to the top of the hill.
As they started up the hill, Benjamin could only think of one word to describe the place. Paradise. Xanadu looked like it had come off the pages of the world’s most desirable places. He inhaled the scent of the cedar trees combined with the exotic flowers lining the path and the river. They had to stop once to allow a peacock to cross the path. A forest stretched off to the left, vast and dark, and, for some reason he didn’t understand, Benjamin felt relieved it was so far away.
Suddenly, the smallest monkey Benjamin had ever seen jumped onto the path in front of them, shrieked, and started waving a stick at them. They both jumped, and Heidi let out a small scream.
“What is that thing?” she asked.
“Sort of monkey,” Benjamin said.
“Yeah, well, little monkey,” Heidi snapped, “next time don’t sneak up on us like that.”
The monkey stared back and began chewing on the stick. The sounds of the music got louder, and the monkey cocked its head to listen. It began to jump up and down, again waving the stick at Benjamin and Heidi.
“I wonder what it wants,” Benjamin said.
“It wants us to follow it,” Heidi replied, motioning down the path where the monkey stood.
“What, can you read monkeys’ minds now?” Benjamin asked.
Heidi ignored him and leaned toward the small monkey. “Do you want us to follow you?” she asked.
At hearing this, the monkey shrieked again, this time it seemed in acknowledgement, and began to scamper toward the music.
“Well, I guess we could follow it,” Benjamin said. “It does seem to be going in the right direction.”
They set out after it. Every so often, the monkey, who was much faster than Benjamin and Heidi, scampered backward, making sure they were still in tow. Finally, they reached the main entrance to the large city.
As he stepped through the gates, Benjamin realized immediately that outside paled in comparison to inside the city walls. The sun shimmered, reflecting and refracting light off the crystal dome, casting rainbows everywhere, painting the grass and water. Lining the grassy walkway leading to the dome stood imposing statues clearly marking the path to follow. The monkey scampered down the walkway, and Benjamin and Heidi followed, sticking close together. Benjamin felt compelled to reach out and take Heidi’s hand again, but he resisted and quickly shook the thought from his mind before Heidi heard it.
The grass pathway ended at the large crystal dome. The monkey, still holding the stick, sauntered between two columns into the open area beneath the crystal rotunda. Benjamin and Heidi followed.
“Welcome, Benjamin Holt and Heidi Dylan,” a musical female voice said. “We’ve been expecting you.”
Perhaps it was the last few weeks rubbing off on him, but the fact that Benjamin had just traveled to some mythical city and the people there knew his name didn’t even surprise him. He looked in the direction of the voice. On a large pillow sat a beautiful Indian woman with hair so long, it reached the bottom of her back. She wore a bright red sari with large amounts of gold and colored thread embroidered into it. Her hands and arms had detailed designs dyed on them. A jeweled dot sat in the middle of her forehead. Beside her sat a golden man who seemed to glow. His curly, blond hair told Benjamin the man wasn’t Indian, and the ornate clothes heightened his regal appearance. The woman smiled and motioned for them to approach.
Benjamin and Heidi walked over to the pillows. “Please sit,” she said, and waved her hand. More pillows appeared, and they sat; it seemed like the polite thing to do.
“I am Ananya, keeper of this place,” she said.
“What is this place?” Heidi asked.
“You already know that,” Ananya replied. The small monkey, stick in hand, jumped up onto her lap, and she began stroking its head. Ananya laughed. “Oh, Chaos,” she said to the animal, “you are so silly.” She looked again at Benjamin and Heidi, “This is Xanadu, as you have guessed. I’m sure you have many questions, and also something to gather. But first, we shall dine.”
“You know why we’re here? You know about the key?” Benjamin asked, throwing caution to the wind.
“Of course I know, but we shall talk as we dine,” Ananya said. “Please go and change clothes. Heidi, you may change in there.” She pointed off to the left to a small enclosed room. “And Benjamin, you may find new clothes there.” She pointed to the right.
Benjamin looked at Heidi, shrugged, and then headed off to the right. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with the t-shirt and jeans he wore, but figured maybe it was best not to argue about it. Entering the room, he almost laughed aloud when he found the clothes he was supposed to wear. The top was olive green with gold embroidery and gold buttons, and the pants were baggy and white. Green shoes with the curved up toes were set out neatly along with a green embroidered scarf with tassels on the end. As he dressed, all he could think about was how happy he was Andy wasn’t here to see him in this.
Once dressed, Benjamin went back out under the large crystal dome. He’d made sure to transfer the first key of Shambhala and the toy car to his new pants. The room was now empty except for a large table which had been placed in the center. The man who had been sitting next to Ananya entered the area and walked over to Benjamin. For whatever reason, the Indian clothes didn’t look ridiculous on him.
“We’re pleased to have you with us, Benjamin Holt,” the golden-haired man said. “Xanadu does not get outside visitors much anymore, and we’ve been expecting you for some time.”
“How could you have been expecting me?” Benjamin asked.
“You are the champion. Xanadu has been awaiting your arrival for thousands of years,” the man said, flashing a smile showing perfectly white teeth.
“Thousands of years?” Benjamin asked. “How could that be? I’m only thirteen.”
“Things are not always as they seem, Benjamin Holt,” the man said.
At that moment, both Ananya and Heidi entered the domed area. Without even thinking about it, Benjamin stood up; he noticed the golden-haired man did the same. Benjamin smiled when he saw Ananya, and then nearly passed out when he saw Heidi. He’d never thought of her as beautiful before. Cute maybe, but not beautiful. He couldn’t find the right words to describe her transformation. But nonetheless, he decided to make a pathetic attempt.
“Wow, Heidi, you look…um….I mean you look a lot better than you ever look at school. Not that you don’t look nic
e at school or anything. I mean, that’s a pretty outfit,” he said. She wore a blue, gold and red sari, with a green silk shirt underneath. It had so many colors, it reminded Benjamin of Iva’s Ammolite necklace. Heidi had changed her hair to dark brown, and an ornate golden necklace had been woven into it.
“Oh, thanks,” Heidi said, blushing and looked down at her sari. Thankfully, she must’ve decided not to give Benjamin a hard time about his pitiful compliment. “It was really complicated to put on. But luckily I had help.”
“Please,” Ananya said, “let us sit. We do not want the hour to get too late.” She sat at the large table, and gestured Benjamin and Heidi to do the same. The golden-haired man cast her a perfect smile and sat to her right.
Benjamin’s hunger returned when he saw the food, and they ate for a while in silence. He wasn’t sure how to bring up the second key again, thinking it might be rude to just ask for it and then leave. Luckily, Ananya gave him the opening he needed.
“Now, I suppose you have some questions that you would like answered,” Ananya said. “Where shall we start?”
Benjamin decided to be blunt. “What is Xanadu, how did you know we were coming, and do you have the second key of Shambhala here?”
“Well, I guess that should get us started,” Ananya laughed. The monkey she had called Chaos jumped up on the table beside her plate. It turned to Benjamin and screeched at him. Ananya stroked it gently.
She took a long sip of her drink and began talking. “Xanadu is an ancient city from times before the sinking of the great continents—times when all was at peace between Lemuria and Atlantis. It was founded by two citizens of Atlantis, Sophus and Reva. Xanadu thrived as a growing city, hidden from the outside world. But it wasn’t long before the true nature of Sophus and Reva began to show. Cruel and wicked, they were corrupted by power and greed, their unnatural lives extended by whatever means possible. A rebellion formed in Xanadu, and Sophus was thought to be killed, though his body was never found. Reva was kept alive but imprisoned here in Xanadu, in the depths of the caverns. A new government was set up, fair and democratic.”
