The Minoan Legacy

by R G Peterson

  “Everything must be ready!”

  Ligeia stood across from Thanatos as he sat at his desk, hands steepled, lost in thought. He raised his head five minutes later and seemed to notice her for the first time.

  “It is important that we make no mistakes,” Thanatos said to her in Greek. “We must be absolutely certain about all things. Every single person in the World Council must know their role and everything must be in place and ready to go.”

  “Go, my lord?” she asked, unsure of his command.

  “Everything must be ready!”

  “It is, I have been assured.”

  “All of our associates have to be prepared to strike at a moment’s notice. I can feel it in my bones. Alert them the time will soon be upon us.”

  “I will do as you say, my lord,” Ligeia answered standing before Thanatos in a subservient pose, her head lowered and her hands clasped before her.

  “Start by contacting our European allies, then the others. The West will offer the greatest resistance. We especially need to strengthen our American contingent. With Nicholas weakened, I believe his allies will be of little consequence. We will overwhelm them with sheer numbers.”

  Thanatos paused and dropped back into his thoughts before continuing.

  “Have Thomas Wade move on The Boy now. He is still seen as their leader. He must be eliminated before he rallies further support.”

  “Eventually, will they not realize what we – you are attempting to do?”

  “And what, pray tell, will they be able to do about it when they do realize what we are attempting to do? Most of them are weak. The adults in particular. Their powers so limited and out of practice. They will be no match for us. And now that Nicholas has lost all of his powers and with Terry on our side, we no longer need worry about the teenagers.

  “Nicholas…I have to admit a part of me was looking forward to the challenge of…converting him to our way of thinking.” Thanatos paused and got lost in thoughts once more.

  “Terry is way too malleable,” he finally said more to himself than Ligeia. “There is so little resistance from him. Probably all those years of Warrington’s training of the lad. Do you not agree?”

  “Agreed, my lord,” Ligeia answered, but if Thanatos would have been paying attention, he would have noticed something odd about Ligeia’s body language.

  “Good,” he said with a wave of his hand, dismissing her.

  “One more thing,” he amended as she started to turn away.

  “Nothing must be said to the parents of those in the Inner Sanctum about our plans to destroy their children. Make sure our American allies realize this. We can ill afford to lose any of them at this time.

  “It is important that they believe we will do anything to keep their young ones from harm.”

  “So be it, my lord.”

  Thanatos once more waved Ligeia away and returned to his thoughts.

  Chapter 26

  “Oh, I think I’m getting ahead of myself”

  The Clan arranged to meet at the mall the following night. The six teens who attended the meeting at Grace’s the night before decided to walk so they could more easily discuss what had happened and how best to handle it without Terry privy to their discussion. They met outside AJ’s and strolled the mile to their destination. Grace, Nick, Maddy, AJ and Miriam were deep into their conversation while Anthony lagged behind as he ruminated about the bombshell dropped on him by Nick and Grace.

  The five were recounting the decision their parents and grandparents had made on how best to protect the teens, as well as, steps they might be able to take to thwart Thanatos and his minions. The Clan had not been asked for their input despite having fared exceptionally well over the past few years against Warrington, Thanatos and their followers. They had been reluctant to share those incidents with their parents. The one thing they did share the night before – for benefit of the Janikowskis – was the prophecy and how it was coming together. That was the part Anthony continued to go over in his head.

  He recalled it all started with Grace saying, “Nick told me he could read the plaques I have hanging on my bedroom wall. Two are written in the Voynich script, the other in Mayan hieroglyphs.”

  “The Voynich scripts described how to create various medicines or potions…” Nick offered before Grace took up the narrative once more.

  “Yes, it contained the formula Nick used to help cure Grandpa Henry’s heart problems.”

  At the mention of that GG leaned into Henry and squeezed his arm. They both smiled at the memory of Nick saving Grandpa Henry’s life.

  “But Nick was also able to decipher the other one entitled ‘The 8th Seer.’ It spoke of a prophecy that was to take place at the start of the new Mayan calendar, December 22, 2012.”

  “Nick and Terry’s 13th birthdays,” AJ offered.

  “Yeah. Anyway the prophecy stated that fraternal twins would be born the night of the full moon of the winter solstice and when the earth, sun and moon are at their closest point. That happened the same night of December 22, 1999.”

  GG gasped, “That was the night Val died and the boys were born.”

  “Yes,” Grace answered, offering GG a deep sympathetic look before going on, “The prophecy said the twins would receive the element of Water on their 13th birthday and at some point in time, become rivals, with one eventually surpassing the other.”

  “Which we thought couldn’t refer to me because I believed my brother had died at birth,” Nick added.

  “Hardly,” Grandpa Henry said not attempting to restrain his anger as he stared at Gabriella.

  “Yeah, well,” Grace went on, “There were parts it took Nick and I months to figure out. In fact Nick finally figured out the last part 360 days later. Oh, I think I’m getting ahead of myself.”

  Nick smiled at her and took over, “Okay, what the prophecy basically said was, ‘one would surpass the other.’ But it didn’t say how or when that would happen. It also said one would possess all of the elements. But in our research we discovered that an Element could only possess one element even if their parents each possessed a different one. To have more than one was exceptionally rare.”

  “Exceptionally,” AJ added with emphasis.

  Grace smiled and took over again, “Unfortunately it wasn’t very clear as to when the next element would be attained. We…actually Nick…eventually figured out it would happen every 360 days. There I go again.”

  Nick smiled at her, “Anyway, it seemed to come together when I figured out Terry was alive and living with Warrington.”

  “But both Terry and Nick received a new power every 360 days,” AJ said. “Water when they turned thirteen. Wind 360 days after that. Fire in another 360 days and finally…”

  “Earth, which Terry got and I didn’t,” Nick said as he cast his eyes downward.

  Grace took up the story once more, “Up until then we were convinced Nick was the One Spoken of in the Prophecy because of one other key part. It said a person who had been adopted and born twenty days after the One Spoken of in the Prophecy would become his ally. Nick was born on the 22nd. That would mean Nick’s ally would be born on the 11th of January. So we thought that proved Nick was supposed to be The One the Mayans were speaking of. At least until last year, when we, the seven teens, were in my room after my 15th birthday party.”

  Nick spoke up, “It’s important to understand that there’s no tense in the Mayan language. No past, present or future. So I took it to mean that that person would be born after The One Spoken of.”

  He waited until he was sure everyone understood before motioning to Grace.

  “That was when Anthony told us his birthday was the same day as mine. And although he’s two years older, as Nick said, there is no tense, so we began to think Anthony might be the ally and Terry the One Spoken of in the Prophecy.”

  “But you said the person was adopted,” AJ said.

  Everyone turned to Calvin, who was caught up in the story and failed to
realize everyone was eyeing him. When he didn’t respond they all focused on Anthony instead. It was then he grasped the implication of what Nick and Grace had just said. He stood there with his head bowed, eyes as wide as saucers.

  Calvin turned to Anthony and then back to everyone in the room before speaking, “I never told Anthony this.” He turned to Anthony and said, “Sorry. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.” He addressed everyone in the room. “My brother and sister-in-law died when Anthony was a baby. I’m his uncle and his adoptive father.”

  Chapter 27

  “You’re talking as if I’m dead or something”

  They decided to enter the mall in pairs, a few minutes apart. Nick and Grace went in first and headed for their usual secluded spot. Terry walked up two minutes later, followed by Maddy and AJ, then Miriam and finally Anthony. Terry gave each person a brief nod as they entered, but said nothing. He sat on one end of a low wall, resting his forearms on his legs, deep in thought.

  After everyone had arrived Grace opened the meeting, “Okay, we have to figure out the bracelet and the ring. Does anyone have any ideas as to what either one means?”

  “Remind me exactly what the bracelet said,” AJ queried.

  “It says, ‘One will master other’s mind,’” Nick said with a chuckle as he took in AJ’s contemplative pose.

  Miriam offered, “Maybe it means the One Spoken of in the Prophecy will be able to reject the other twin’s ideas and suggestions. Like when the President has final say over his cabinet.”

  Nick shuffled his feet and looked away. Terry never moved, as if he never heard what had been said.

  “That’s one possibility,” Grace said. “Anyone else?”

  Maddy concurred, “That makes o lot o’ sense. If One has all o’ the powers, he would be like o king. His word would be law, even if the other thought things should be done o bit differently.”

  “Especially since Nick lost all of his powers,” AJ added.

  “Hey guys, I’m right here. You’re talking as if I’m dead or something.”

  AJ ignored Nick and said, “Hey, maybe Nick can make a potion and turn me into an Element like you guys.”

  “Nothin’ doin’, buster. It’s way ta dangerous. If he makes o potion for anyone, he needs ta make one for himself.”

  AJ brightened, “Yeah, you only have to make three more now that you’ve got Water back.”

  Terry’s head shot up. “You can control Water. Why didn’t you tell me? Hiding secrets from me again?”

  Nick took a step back and raised his hands and began to wave them, “No, no, definitely not. I was gonna tell everyone, but so much was going on I forgot.”

  “Did you know?” Terry asked Anthony accusingly.

  “I just found out.”

  “When?”

  “Uh, yesterday,” Anthony said hesitating to mention the meeting at Grace’s house. Searching for an out, he said, “I ran into Nick and Grace when I went for my morning flight. Grace mentioned it. It’s no big deal.”

  Terry eyed him, trying to decide if he was telling the truth.

  “I just found out at the hockey game,” Miriam interjected. “I thought you knew.”

  “Obviously not.”

  Grace tried to ease the tension, “It’s no big deal. He has one back. It would be strange if he didn’t.”

  “That’s not the point. He didn’t tell me. He should’ve told me,” Terry answered feeling hurt and betrayed.

  Nick stood there shaking his head, “I was gonna, but I honestly haven’t thought ’bout it much.” He took a second to read his brother’s body language and asked, “Have you told us everything?”

  Terry immediately looked away. He folded his arms across his chest and took on a sullen expression.

  “Well?” Nick prodded.

  “Yeah, I have,” he said, then stared at Nick, defying him to contradict him.

  “Okay, then. I’m sorry. I should’ve said somethin’. But seriously, I didn’t think it was that big a deal. You’ve got ‘em all. I’m just like everyone else now.”

  “I still don’t have one,” AJ said and began to pout, breaking the tension a little.

  Terry shook his head and returned to his previous posture, his eyes raking the floor a few feet in front of him.

  “Can we get back to why we’re here?” Grace asked, shaking her head at Terry’s misplaced indignation. “Let’s try to figure out the ring. ‘Six, uinals, four, moons, complete, gain, loss, reveal.’ Any ideas about that?”

  “Remind me how long is a urinal?” AJ asked, making everyone laugh except Terry.

  “Uinal,” Maddy said, emphasizing the word. “It’s twenty days in the Mayan calendar.”

  AJ looked up toward the ceiling and announced, “One hundred-twenty days.” Everyone gaped at AJ. “What? A hundred and twenty days, right?”

  “Definitely, for sure,” Nick assured him.

  “Well then, why do all you guys look so surprised?”

  “Can’t think of any reason,” Grace offered, as she rolled her eyes.

  “So what’s the next part?” AJ said, a note of triumph infusing his voice.

  “Four moons,” Miriam said.

  “Four moons, four moons?” AJ kept repeating as he rubbed his chin.

  The others waited to see what he would say next.

  “Um, let’s see that would be around one hundred-eighteen days.”

  All the teens leaned back away from AJ, astonished. Even Terry looked up in complete surprise.

  “What? There’re about twenty-nine and a half days in a lunar cycle. So that means a hundred and eighteen days. But what does the rest mean?” he asked as the others continued to stare at him in amazement.

  “I’m glad Maddy’s having more luck tutoring you than I’ve had,” Nick said with a chuckle.

  Maddy blushed and beamed at the same time, “It is all those private sessions takin’ hold.”

  It was AJ’s turn to blush.

  “So what does the rest mean?” Anthony asked.

  “Loss…gain…reveal?” Grace said. “No clue.”

  Terry sat up straight, shot a look at Grace before attempting to hide his reaction.

  “What?” Anthony asked.

  “Nothing, I just thought of something. I forgot about an assignment I have to turn in tomorrow and I haven’t even started. Gotta bail.”

  He jumped to his feet and left without saying goodbye.

  Chapter 28

  “Young Nicholas is often wrong”

  By the time Terry arrived back at the mansion his mind swirled with all that had happened since his thirteenth birthday. He tried to make sense of the conflict raging inside of him. He thought back to the training his dad had imparted and his lofty goal that one day Terry would rule the world. For weeks and months after his father’s death he clung to those tenets. But once he became part of the Clan those convictions started to falter. He dwelt on Nick’s ability to forgive his past transgressions and how often he put the others’ well being before his own: a one hundred and eighty degree difference from his father – and Thanatos. Where would Terry be now without the potion Nick had created to help control his bipolar disorder?

  His mind turned to the other members of the Clan and how much they all seemed to care for one another, including him, both as a person and a friend. How unlike his old posse, who followed him mainly for what they believed he could do for them. He never felt that they were truly loyal. Certainly there was no feeling of camaraderie.

  His thoughts drifted to Thanatos and how much he reminded him of his dad. The thirst for power and glory masked as concern for the earth and its welfare. He thought of Thanatos’ underlings and how they were eager to do his bidding and curry his favor.

  Eventually his thoughts brought him to Thomas Wade and what Nick had said about him being Thanatos’ mole. But then he thought of what Thanatos had said, “Young Nicholas is often wrong.”

  Once more the conflict roiled inside of him. He wanted so desperatel
y for someone, anyone, close to him after all of those years to be loyal just to him. Wasn’t Wade one of his dad’s gofers? But he seemed so kind to Terry, giving him comforting looks when he and his dad verbally fought. He appeared to be not only sympathetic, but also eager to do what Terry asked of him, especially since his father passed away. In a flash he knew what he had to do.

  Chapter 29

  “Ah, yes. The recently discovered Mayan temple”

  The following Sunday Terry had Wade drive him to the Ericson’s for brunch with Nick and their grandparents. On the way he informed him that the teens would need him to drive them to the private airstrip later and that they were headed for Brasstown Bald, Georgia.

  “Very good, Master Terrence.” He paused for a moment before making a subtle inquiry, “That’s new. You’ve never gone there before.”

  Terry replied, “Yeah.”

  Thomas waited another minute before asking, “What’s there?”

  Terry casually shook his head and said, “Not much, just doing some research.” He turned and stared out the side window ending any thought of continuing the conversation. When they stopped outside of the Ericson’s home, Terry waited for Thomas to open the door.

  As Terry stepped out of the car he said to Thomas, “I’ll call you when I need you to come back and pick me up.” As an afterthought Terry said, “Oh, and thanks.”

  All during brunch Terry was distracted. Even Nick couldn’t draw him into the conversation when he brought up the state hockey tournament a few weeks away. He often nodded at inappropriate times and had to ask them to repeat what they had just said. He stayed forty-five minutes before he announced, “I’ve got to get home. I’ve got this project I’m working on and it’s due by Wednesday. Sorry and thanks.”

  He rushed through his goodbyes, left Nick and his grandparents sitting at the breakfast table and took off for home. He ducked into the alley, morphed into a blackbird and winged his way back to the mansion. He landed near one of the secret entrances he had yet to board up despite Grandpa Henry advising him to do so the previous year. He made his way up the stairs and entered an old pantry from behind one of the shelves. On the far wall of the kitchen he pushed open another secret passageway and made his way to his father’s study where he stayed hidden behind the panel that would gain him entrance.