The two monks brought Maggie forward. She stood now just inches from Cleon. I made ready to drive myself over the wall when she looked up and caught my eye. She winked.
I froze, more than startled by the gesture.
Cleon held a round clay jar above Maggie’s head, and as he was about to tip the contents over her head, she did something I was not at all prepared for.
She hit Cleon squarely in the jaw.
44
ANGER IS A GIFT
NO ONE MOVED. NO one, that is, except Cleon.
Maggie’s punch had nearly knocked the High Priest off of his feet. His head flew back, he rocked on his heels, and the light from the skull tattoos flickered and died. Before he could recover, however, she was on him like a wild animal, her fist flying.
Maggie screamed in rage. Cleon screamed in pain. Mike shook his head in confusion. The monks were frozen with shock. I laughed harder than I’ve laughed in a good long time.
One of the monks from the ritual came out of his shock and pulled a knife with a wickedly curved blade and made for Maggie. Her back was to him as she wailed on Cleon.
“Maggie!” I shouted as the monk approached. But she couldn’t hear me.
I began to throw myself back and forth in the chair, causing it to rock, my original plan of smashing the chair apart on the stands below still in play.
The monk was now right behind Maggie. He held the blade high. But as he was about to bring it down and pierce young Maggie between the shoulder blades, Mike seized the monk’s arm in a massive hand, and twisted.
The monk’s arm snapped like a toothpick and the man’s scream echoed out across the silent stands.
That’s what did it.
The entire place exploded into chaos as a thousand or so bald spectators ran for their lives.
Mike still held the screaming monk by his broken arm. The great bull bellowed a war cry as he twisted the monk’s head from his body like taking the cap from off a tube of toothpaste.
He tossed the lifeless monk aside, bellowed once again, and then waded into the sea of shaved heads.
Some of the monks, bless their hearts, attempted to fight back, turning to Mike with knives in hands.
Using horns and fists, Mike worked his way through them like a thresher through wheat. It got real bloody real fast and I soon lost Maggie in the mass exodus.
I went back to trying to topple the chair, with me in it, from the emperor’s private box when Maggie was suddenly there beside me, a wild look in her eyes, and a smile on her face.
“We meet again, at last,” she said in a deep, low voice. “The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.” Then she laughed.
“Cute,” I said. “Can you get me out of this chair now? My knife should be in one of the coat pockets.”
“I’m just saying,” she said as she searched my pockets. “It’s kinda funny, right?”
“What’s that?” I said.
“Well, you came here to rescue me.” She found my switchblade and popped it open. “And yet here I am, rescuing you.”
“And I appreciate it, believe me,” I said as she sawed away at the leather bands.
So far, the monks were avoiding us, preferring instead to flee before the terror of an angry minotaur. But eventually some were gonna to realize that Mike couldn’t be everywhere at once and then come after us. Most especially Maggie as she’s the one who took down their High Priest
The thought made me smile and I giggled.
“What’s so funny?” She asked as the band on my right arm broke free.
“I was just thinking about what you did,” I said. “I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting you to clobber Cleon like that. Obviously the idea hadn’t entered his mind either, otherwise he would have tied your hands behind your back.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” she said as she went to work on my left wrist. “I mean, I was just so angry.”
“It was brilliant,” I said. “You’re quite the scrapper.”
“I had some help.” She reached into her jeans pocket and held up the brass knuckles. “I picked it up after you dropped them. Figured it might come in handy.”
“Well that explains it then,” I said.
She gave me a questioning look.
“Those aren’t normal brass knuckles,” I said. “That’s a mighty powerful magical item you hold in your hand.”
“Magic?” She said, looking at the brass knuckles in distrust.
“It’s a spell breaker,” I said. “You touch someone with it who’s working some magic, you break the spell.” Then I laughed. “But really, you only need to touch them, not beat them like an egg.”
“I touched him,” she said, and laughed along with me.
“Brilliant,” I said, shaking my head. “Anyway, when you hit Cleon, it broke the control spell he’d put over Mike.”
“Why do you call him Mike?” She asked, getting back to work on my bonds.
“I can’t pronounce his real name. Mik-el-oto-something-or-other. It’s Greek,” I said. “Not sure what that whole ‘Asterion’ nonsense was, though.”
“Asterion was the Minotaur at the center of the Labyrinth,” she said cutting through my final bond.
“Labyrinth?”
“Greek mythology,” she said. “The Labyrinth was built by Daedelus for King Minos to hold the Minotaur, Asterion.”
“Well, I ain’t up to date on my Greek mythology,” I said. “So they think that Mike is this Asterion?”
“I suppose so,” she said. “But even if the story was true, and after today I’m thinking it might be, it’s not really possible that Mike is really Asterion.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because the Minotaur from the Labyrinth was killed by Theseus.”
“You know an awful lot about this stuff.”
“My minor is Greek mythology,” she said.
“That sounds useful,” I said.
By the time she got me free, we were alone in the arena. I found the quiet unsettling.
I could still hear Mike roaring and men screaming somewhere beyond the stands, but for now Maggie and I were alone with the bodies.
“Can we get out of here now?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “I think we should.”
My gun belt was on the floor next to the chair. I strapped it on, checked both pistols, and found them fully loaded.
I held one of the Colts out to Maggie.
“You ever fire a gun, Maggie?”
“No,” she said. “And I would prefer not to start.”
“Fair enough,” I said as I holstered the gun.
We made our way down to the arena floor. I wanted to check on Cleon. I wanted to have a long talk with the man. But once down on the floor, we found that he was gone.
“One of his people must have carried him off,” I said. “Was he still breathing when you stopped wailing on him?”
“Yes,” she said, a bit of red creeping up in her face. “I was furious at what he’d done to me, but I don’t want to kill anyone.”
“Okay, well,” I said. “He’s obviously not here. I say we beat feet and put this place as far behind us as we can.”
“Right behind you.”
I decided to leave the way I’d come so that I could pick up Trinity along the way. The exit, however, was still barred by the gate. I gave it a push and it didn’t budge.
I gave it a kick.
Nothing.
“You can—” Maggie began.
I gave it another kick.
Still nothing.
“Well,” Maggie said.
I kicked it again. Then again. Then once more. Then again for good measure.
“How about—” Maggie said.
I kicked at the gate over and over until my only other choice was to back away, bent over, hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath.
“Did you try the handle?” Maggie said.
I looked up.
She gave the handle a turn and the gate swung inward.
“Ah, well,” I said. “Of course.”
She tried to hide her smile.
“Sorry,” I said.
The path back through the maze proved to be uneventful. Except for the fact that Trinity was no longer where I’d left her. Chained to the wall as she had been, I figured she wouldn’t wander off, but when I examined the chains, I found them cut.
But I couldn’t worry about that. I had to get Maggie home safe.
We reached the wall of obscurity in no time flat. Maggie gave it an uneasy look.
“What’s that?” She said.
“It’s the way out,” I said.
She didn’t move.
“It’s harmless,” I said. “Trust me.”
She gave me another look of unease, but stepped on through. I was close behind.
I came out of the obscurity and into the white corridor to find it empty.
No Maggie.
“Maggie?” I called out.
I heard a slight thud in the office beyond and rushed in with both pistols drawn.
Standing over by the desk was Maggie. Cleon was behind her.
He had a knife to her throat.
45
STANDOFF
CLEON LOOKED LIKE HELL.
I’d only seen his face for a second before he ducked behind Maggie, using her as a shield as he peered at me over her left shoulder. But what I saw wasn’t looking too healthy.
“What is this, Cleon?” I said, pointing my guns at what little I could see of him. “It’s over, you know it.”
Cleon popped up over Maggie’s shoulder.
His upper lip was torn, swollen, and trickled blood. His right eye was swollen shut and turning black. And his nose was bent in an unnatural way. Most of his face seemed to be crusted in blood which cracked and broke as he attempted a smile.
I could have popped off a shot, taken him down right there, but Maggie was struggling against him, and I didn’t want her head to move in the wrong direction at the wrong time.
“Asterion demands that this woman’s blood be shed in his name,” the High Priest said. “I will spill her blood. Then I’ll gut you next.”
“You sound pretty sure about this,” I said, both barrels staring him down.
“Norman?” Maggie said, her voice wavering on the edge of panic.
“Don’t worry, Maggie,” I said. “I ain’t gonna let nothing happen to you.”
I knew what had to be done, and I needed her still and relaxed.
“The Bull God demands her blood,” Cleon said. “So He demands, so it shall be.”
“Mike wants no such thing,” I said.
“You will call him Asterion,” Cleon said, his voice going quiet.
“Sure,” I said. “No problem. I’m just saying, I know Asterion pretty well, and this isn’t what he would want.”
“You dare to pretend to know the mind of a god!”
“Mike’s no god, son. He’s mighty powerful, sure. But he bleeds, just like you.”
“You will call him Asterion!” His one eye blinked furiously at me over the top of Maggie’s shoulder.
“How do you think this is gonna end?” I asked.
Cleon looked confused.
“Say you kill the both of us,” I said. “I mean, I ain’t gonna let that happen, but say you do. What’s the plan after that?”
“Thirteen more nights of sacrifice,” Cleon said. “Six more girls, seven boys. Asterion will bathe in their blood and we will draw power from it.”
“And what if I won’t let you,” I said.
“You?” Cleon laughed. “You have no power to stop me.”
“I have these,” I said, giving both pistols a quick shake.
“I am the High Priest of Minos, ape. Your paltry fire arms can’t touch me.”
“Sure,” I said. “You proved that back there, that’s for certain. I have to admit I was a little taken aback when my bullet bounced off that magic barrier. But how do I know you’re up to conjuring more of the same. I mean, you don’t look up to walking across the room, son, much less performing what I have to assume is some powerful magic.”
“My magical abilities are fine,” he said.
But, of course, he was lying. I could see it in that one good eye.
“Now,” he continued. “You are going to let me walk away with her. If you don’t…”
“You’ll what?” I said. “Kill her?”
“Yes!” the High Priest’s voice went up an octave. “I’ll slice her open right here!”
I sighed. “So let me get this straight. If I don’t let you take Maggie with you so that you can sacrifice her to Mike, you’ll kill her here instead?”
“You will call him,” Cleon’s voice shot up about four octaves. “Asterion!”
“Either way she’s dead, Payday,” I said. “You aren’t giving me much incentive to step aside.”
His one eye blinked. “Payday?”
“Payday,” I said. “The nut bar.”
“Let us go or I’ll kill you!” Cleon’s voice had, by now, reached mad scientist’s levels.
“You can’t kill me,” I said. “Mike couldn’t even kill me and he’s supposed to be your god or something.”
The High Priest screamed and stood up straight behind Maggie, his face coming into full view. Maggie, seeing the look in my eye, didn’t move.
“You will call him—”
The crash of both my guns cut him off before he could finish. Well, that and the two bullets that slammed into his forehead.
Maggie screamed and Cleon fell to the floor in a heap.
“Asterion,” I finished for him.
Maggie stood stock still, and for a moment I was afraid that she’d gone into shock. But then she turned and looked down on the body of Cleon, High Priest of the Brotherhood of Minos. She nudged at him with her foot. When he didn’t move I could see the tension drain out of her as she slumped slightly forward and let out a relieved sigh.
“Can I go home now?” She asked.
“You bet,” I said. “Follow me.”
But then, as we reached the glass door, as I put my hand on the handle and began to pull, a deep voice spoke from behind.
“Norman Oklahoma.”
We turned, and there behind us, having just exited the corridor that led to the labyrinth, stood Mike.
“Oh, Hell no,” Maggie said.
46
CHOCOLATE MILK
“YOU NEED NOT FEAR me, Maggie Keaton,” Mike said. “I have no intention of harming you.”
Mike’s voice was deep and soothing. It made you ignore his monstrous appearance and see the compassion that rode in his eyes.
“In fact,” Mike said. “I wanted to thank you.”
“Thank me?” Maggie said.
“You freed me from the dark wizard’s spell,” said Mike. “Who knows what terrible wrongs I would have committed under his control. If there is any service I may be able to do for you, Maggie Keaton, you only need ask.”
“Um,” Maggie said, looking more than a little embarrassed. “I can’t really think of anything.”
“Take this,” Mike said, handing her a large, brass coin. “If you need me, hold this to your heart, think of me, and I will come.”
“Okay, wow,” Maggie said, her embarrassment growing. “Thanks.” She pocketed the coin.
“Norman,” Mike said, turning to me and clapping me on the shoulder. My knees threatened to buckle. “It has been a long time. I hope that you are doing well. It pleases me to see that I did you no permanent damage.”
“You mean the hug?” I laughed. “It was nothing. How are you doing? It ain’t every day you fall under a magic spell.”
“I will admit that I did not handle it well once freed,” he said.
Now, I ain’t never seen a bull shamed before, wouldn’t know what the expression would look like on a bovine face. But I could see it now on Mike’s.
“I have s
pilled much blood this night,” Mike continued. “But it was this one I was looking for specifically.” He gestured to the body of the High Priest. “But I see that you have handled that already.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Sorry, but it needed doing. What about the rest of the Brotherhood?”
“There were few who escaped,” Mike said. “They are still running. You need not worry about the Brotherhood. The head has been cut off, and the body has been scattered to the four winds.”
“So no more kidnappings?” Maggie asked. “He said there were going to be thirteen more.”
“I think I may remain here for a while,” Mike said. “I’ll keep an eye out for activity with the Brotherhood. I am the only one of my kind in the area. If the Brotherhood wants to continue with the sacrifices, they will need me. But this time, if they come looking, they will not like what they find.”
“Here,” Maggie said, holding out the brass knuckles. “If another wizard comes after you, these will break the spell.”
“Thank you,” Mike said, the brass knuckles looking like a toy in the palm of his hand. “You do me a great honor.”
“You let me know if you need anything, Mike,” I said.
“I will, thank you, Norman.”
And with that, Mike turned and walked back through the corridor, and into the labyrinth.
“He seems nice,” Maggie said, smiling.
“Mike’s a peach.”
Outside the moon hung lazily in the sky, a gibbous moon that was slowly on its way to becoming full.
“Thank you,” Maggie said as we stood outside the door and took in the night. “You know, for coming to get me.”
“You ain’t gotta thank me for that,” I said. “It’s what I do. Besides, in the end, you saved me.”
“Yeah, only then you saved me.”
“Okay, we can go back and forth on who saved who. You’re out and breathing. That’s all that matters.”
“Well, all the same, at one point, when they had me in my cage, I’d begun to think that I would die in there. But then you showed up.”
“Well,” I said, shuffling my feet and looking at the ground. “I’m happy to oblige.” I don’t do complements too well.
The Adventures of Norman Oklahoma Volume One Page 25
