The Navel of the World Read online

  “But you even said there was no one around last time,” Andy said. “There are probably two hundred people walking around out there. It’s gotta be down here.”

  Gary’s eyes glazed over as he consulted his heads-up display. “You know the X is a symbol for Kronos. It’s the Roman numeral for ten and the symbol for time.”

  “Useful information,” Andy said, and for once, he wasn’t being sarcastic.

  “So we’re on the right track,” Benjamin said. “But there’s no way our swords will cut through this wall.”

  Andy walked up and felt along the sides. “I think it’s a door.” He put his shoulder against it and tried to push it, but even when Benjamin and Gary joined him, it didn’t budge.

  Gary backed away and looked up. “I don’t think it pushes in. I think it slides up.” He pointed above the door.

  “I can teleport us to the other side,” Benjamin said. So they stepped together, and he tried. But after disappearing, they reappeared in the exact same spot.

  “It didn’t work,” Gary said.

  Benjamin scowled. “Very observant, Gary.” And then he tried again.

  “Maybe you did it wrong,” Andy said when it didn’t work for a second time.

  Benjamin looked back at the door. “I didn’t do it wrong. There’s something not letting me teleport, but I can use telekinesis to lift it.”

  “This wall must weigh three tons,” Gary said. “You can’t lift it.”

  “Yes I can,” Benjamin said.

  “And so can I,” Andy said. “And I’m going to be the one to do it. Not you.”

  “You’ve got to be—” Benjamin began, but Andy put up his hand to stop him.

  “It has nothing to do with who’s better at telekinesis,” Andy said. “I’m just thinking you need to save as much strength as you can. We have a war ahead of us, a brother to find, and then you need to teleport us all back. You need to conserve as much energy as you can.”

  Benjamin opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again. Andy was right; he knew it, but it still made him furious.

  “Fine,” he said. “Just lift it, and let’s get on with it.”

  Andy didn’t say anything; he just turned to the large X. Benjamin felt telenergy flowing toward the wall, but it didn’t so much as vibrate. Andy closed his eyes and took another deep breath. The wall gave, just a little, unsettling the sand beneath it as it shuddered under the telekinetic forces. But it still didn’t lift.

  “Maybe we both need to do it together,” Benjamin said.

  “And I could help too,” Gary added.

  But Andy said nothing. He didn’t even acknowledge the suggestions. Instead he walked closer to the wall, until he was only a couple of feet away from the center of the large X. Closing his eyes, he shook from the force he exerted. The wall grudgingly gave way, lifting off the ground a few inches. A trickle of blood began to flow from one side of Andy’s nose, trailing down his chin and landing on his tunic. But he didn’t even notice. The wall lifted more. It was at about this point that Benjamin gave up any thoughts of competition with Andy. He cheered Andy on, joined by Gary. Benjamin wanted Andy to succeed. He knew Andy could do it.

  Blood began to flow out of Andy’s other nostril as he gave one last final telekinetic effort toward the wall. It glided up, flush with the ceiling, and locked into place. And then Andy collapsed to the ground.

  CHAPTER 20

  The Time Traveler’s Visions

  Benjamin ran over to Andy and rolled him onto his back. Had lifting the door killed Andy? Benjamin remembered the very first science lecture they’d ever had in Lemuria. Mr. Hermes talked about the importance of understanding limits, and now it looked like Andy had gone way beyond his.

  But then Andy started breathing again, and so did Benjamin. At least Andy wasn’t dead—yet. But with all the blood pouring out of his nose, it might only be a matter of time.

  “Do you think he’s okay?” Benjamin asked Gary.

  “I don’t know.” Gary leaned close. “He looks pretty pale.”

  “I’m fine.” Andy’s voice in his head shocked Benjamin. “Just give me a few minutes.”

  “After lifting five tons, even I would need a break.”

  Benjamin’s head turned around in the direction of the voice. In the center of a large room was an old man; his curly grey hair reminded Benjamin of someone, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

  Andy sat upright. “Five tons.” He pinched his nose, trying to stop the flow of blood. “No wonder I feel so bad.”

  Benjamin felt five tons lift off his shoulders. He turned back to Andy. “Dude, I thought you were dead.”

  “Not this time,” the old man said. “Come sit with me over here in my nice warm resting place.”

  “‘Said the spider to the fly,’” Gary quoted.

  The old man laughed. “Ah, but I will not dine upon you for lunch. You’re always the cautious one, Gary Goodweather.”

  Gary narrowed his eyes. “How do you know my name?”

  The old man gestured with his hands. “Maybe I just picked it from your mind.”

  “Or maybe you know who we are, and you led us down here,” Gary said.

  “Yes, that’s right,” the man said. “I made you dress up in your little costumes and teleport all the way from Lemuria just so you could open my door.”

  “I knew it!” Gary said.

  The old man laughed. “I’m kidding. But since you’re already here and your friend Andy obviously needs to rest before you travel back to the Trojan war, you may as well come join me.”

  “How do you know where we’re going?” Against all common sense, Benjamin walked over. The whole purpose of the excursion was to find the TPT, and Benjamin would have bet his shield this old man knew where it was.

  “I saw you back then,” the man replied. “Of course, I was younger. But not as young as when I saw you in Tunisia.”

  “You’re Kronos!” Gary said.

  “Or Saturn,” Kronos said. “I don’t really care.”

  “The god of time,” Gary said. “No way.”

  Benjamin’s heart sped up. “You were the tourist at the temple last Saturday.”

  Kronos nodded. “I thought I’d have to hit you in the head with that plate for you to find it.”

  Benjamin sat down. “So can you tell us what happens when we travel back now?”

  Kronos put his finger to his chin. “Oh, I guess I could. But it might change what you do. Or it might not.” He laughed. “I love making decisions based on the flow of time. It’s so much fun to play around with the fate of the world.”

  “So are you going to tell us?” Andy walked over and joined his friends.

  “Doing better, Andy Grow?” Kronos asked.

  “My head still hurts,” Andy said. “But you didn’t answer my question. Are you going to tell us what happens?”

  Kronos laughed then regained his composure. “Why don’t I show you something first? A vision of time. Then I’ll let Benjamin Holt decide if he wants to know what happens in the past. In Troy.”

  “Of course I want to,” Benjamin said. “Knowing ahead of time will help us.”

  “Watch first. Then decide.”

  There was no point in arguing. Andy needed to rest, and Kronos hadn’t given them a telemagnifier. “Fine.” Benjamin sank to the ground. “Let’s just hurry.”

  “Afraid you’ll run out of time, Benjamin Holt? That should be the least of your concerns.” Kronos waved his arms, and a green, crystal ball appeared in the center of their circle. The lights in the room went out, and the ball began to glow.

  Benjamin looked at the crystal ball—not so much because he thought it would do anything, but more because, with the lights out, there was nothing else to see. And then the images started.

  Benjamin saw himself at his house back in Virginia. He immediately recognized his twin brothers and the telekinetic car chase they were having. He remembered this day; it was the day he’d teleported away to summer
school for the first time. And then the image flickered and changed.

  Benjamin saw himself walking inside a long, dark tunnel. From the stone walls around, Benjamin knew it was underground, but he didn’t remember ever being there. He walked alone with Heidi, and they held hands. That was a little bit strange. Benjamin felt his face heat up when he realized Gary and Andy were seeing the exact same thing as he was. He looked up, caught Andy’s eye, and quickly glanced back down. But it had been enough to see the smirk on Andy’s face. And then the image flickered again.

  This time Benjamin remembered the vision perfectly. He and Andy sat at elementary school graduation, playing pranks on the principal and other kids. That was back when telekinesis had been just for fun. When they were the only ones around who could do it. Those were the days. And the best thing was that no one—at least no one besides their parents—knew who was causing the cell phones to ring in the audience. The image flickered.

  Benjamin found himself back in Xanadu. Back inside the cavern where he’d had the test for the second key of Shambhala. He shuddered as soon as he saw the place. It was just as he’d remembered it—even though it had only been a test. The ledges on the wall, the cell with bars. But thankfully, this time the place was empty. His mom and his twin brothers were nowhere to be found. And the water hadn’t run up above its banks. Flicker.

  Benjamin stood on a platform next to Andy and Heidi. But they all had their hands held behind their back. It only took a second for Benjamin to realize they had some kind of invisible restraints holding their hands together. A huge crowd was gathered, and every eye was on the three of them. Benjamin looked at Heidi and saw tears streaming down her face. And then he looked out in the crowd and saw Iva and Gary. What in the world was going on? “Let the executions begin!” a voice boomed over the crowd. And the image flickered.

  Benjamin found himself at a party of some kind. He’d never been to this place before, but someone had obviously spared no expense, and Benjamin himself was dressed like he was going to the prom. He sat alone at a bar and turned to see a beautiful girl walking up to him in a gorgeous red dress. He couldn’t help but smile. Flicker.

  Benjamin looked around and knew he was in Delphi. It was just as he had remembered it, except it was nighttime. And strangely enough, he was with Heidi again. Only Heidi. This was the second time he’d been alone in a vision with Heidi. But this time they weren’t holding hands at least. She looked at him and smiled. And the image flickered.

  Benjamin found himself being held in a prison of some kind. A cell with no windows and no door. And he was alone. And hungry. His clothes were torn, and he felt like he hadn’t showered in weeks. How long had he been in here anyway? His stomach growled just as he looked to the floor at an empty plate. He walked over and kicked it, though where he got the energy to do so, he wasn’t sure. And the image flickered.

  And the green, crystal ball turned off.

  By the time the lights came back up in the room, Benjamin felt like his head was being used as a roulette ball. He almost felt like leaning over and throwing up but managed to hold his focus by staring at Kronos.

  “Well?” Kronos asked.

  “Well, what?” Benjamin said.

  “Well, what is your decision?” Kronos asked.

  “My decision?” Benjamin’s head kept spinning. “I have no idea what you just showed me.”

  Kronos shook his head. “You misunderstand, Benjamin. I’ve showed you nothing. Everything you saw came from your own mind. From time. I have no control over what the Temporal Orb shows.” And on cue, the green, crystal ball—the Temporal Orb—vanished.

  “So how did Benjamin dream all those images up?” Andy’s nose wasn’t bleeding anymore, and the color had returned to his face.

  “I didn’t,” Benjamin said. Holding hands with Heidi? Dressed up and at a party? Executions?

  “They are not dreams,” Kronos said. “They just are. They may be. They may not be. Time doesn’t tell. It only shows…possibilities.”

  Andy blew out a breath in disgust. “So the images tell us nothing.”

  Kronos cocked his head. “One could interpret it that way.”

  “So anything you tell us about the past might not even be what ends up happening?” Benjamin said.

  Kronos smiled. “You catch on quick. So what is your decision? Do you want to know about the past? Or do you choose to head into it with an open mind?”

  “Is there really any choice?” Benjamin asked.

  “Of course,” Kronos said. “You always have a choice. That’s one of the things that makes time so wonderful. Any choice we make, even the smallest one, could potentially change everything.”

  “My choice is no,” Benjamin said. “We’ll let the past determine itself.” Really, he trusted Kronos as much as he trusted Leena Teasag. Even if Kronos told them about the past, there’d be no way Benjamin would believe him.

  “You’re sure?” Kronos said. “You don’t want to gamble with Fate? I know her pretty well.”

  Benjamin nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure. Now where do we get the TPT?”

  “Up there.” Kronos pointed his finger to way up high on the wall. “In the loculi.”

  Benjamin turned his face upward and looked. He’d been so focused on Kronos and the Temporal Orb that he’d forgotten to even look around. Maybe he should’ve signed up for Agent Training after all.

  “I’ve been wondering what those are.” Andy still held his head in his hands. “But that doesn’t really clear it up for me.”

  Like a beehive, the walls were honeycombed with individual alcoves. Bricks and tiles covered some of them, but most had fallen apart.

  “What are loculi?” Benjamin asked.

  “They’re catacombs,” Gary said. “They put dead people there.”

  “You mean we’re surrounding by hundreds of dead people?” Andy whistled out a low breath.

  “Four thousand and ninety six to be exact.” Kronos put on a smug smile.

  “Who’s buried in them?” Gary stood and walked over to a wall and began peering inside one of the openings.

  “My priests and priestesses,” Kronos said. “Just because they work for me doesn’t mean they can escape the grips of time. Time stops for no one. Except me.”

  “This is fascinating.” Gary’s head was halfway inside one opening. “Look at the state of the bones in here. It’s remarkable.”

  Benjamin shook his head. “No thanks. Just tell us which one it’s in, and we’ll be going.”

  “Actually I have a previous engagement.” Kronos stood up. “So I’m afraid I really must be going. Have a nice time.” He looked at the large stone door Andy had lifted.

  Benjamin felt the telenergetic forces before he could do anything—not that he probably could have done anything, and the next thing he knew, the door was back down. And then Kronos teleported away.

  CHAPTER 21

  Surprises in the Loculi

  The first thing Benjamin did was try to teleport—which worked out as well as it had before. They ended up exactly where they started.

  “Great.” Andy sat down. “Now what? I’m not lifting that door again. And we have no idea which loculi to look in.”

  “Loculus,” Gary said.

  “What?” Andy asked.

  “It’s loculus. That’s the singular for loculi,” Gary said.

  “Whatever.”

  “So do we just each pick a wall and start looking?” Benjamin’s eyes scanned the graveyard room.

  “I guess so.” Andy shook his head. “But this is gonna take the rest of the day.”

  “Why don’t you just do what Iva would do?” Gary said.

  “Listen to poetry?” Andy asked.

  “I’m not sure that would help,” Gary said. “No, what I mean is use telegnosis to find out exactly which loculus the TPT is in.”

  Benjamin brightened. “Great thinking, Gary. I don’t think I’m as good as Iva at telegnosis—no scratch that. No one is as good at telegnosis as Iv
a, but it’s worth trying. Let’s all give it a shot.”

  Andy shook his head. “Not me. I’m still beat from lifting the door.”

  “Yeah, you try alone first,” Gary said. “I don’t want my thoughts interfering.”

  Not that he thought he had a chance, but Benjamin went ahead and sat and stretched out his mind, reaching it high into the alcoves above. He had no clue what he was looking for, but he knew it had to have telenergetic forces. Closing his mind, he felt something. It came from his left. He angled his body in the direction and reached out again.

  There it was again. Like a pulsing of energy. He could see it in his mind. It was high—on the top row he thought. He isolated his thoughts once more, and within a few moments, his mind settled on a single loculi or loculus or whatever it was.

  “Up there.” He pointed to the alcove. “There’s something in that one.”

  Gary tilted his head way upward. “Figures. Guess I won’t be going to get it.”

  “I’ll go.” Benjamin didn’t give Andy a chance to offer. Without another word, he levitated to the top—to the loculus he’d isolated. When he got there, he looked down. Andy and Gary were far below, looking up at him. And then, because it felt like the thing to do, he waved.

  The tiles were almost completely intact—all except for one—luckily. Benjamin shined his lumitube inside to look. Even if the power was too low to eavesdrop, it still put off a pretty strong light.

  “I can’t see anything,” he told Andy and Gary. “Not like I know what to look for.”

  “Just reach in and feel around,” Gary said. “It’s got to be in there.”

  Benjamin reached his hand inside the dark loculus hoping his telegen DNA had a built in cure for spider and snake bites. He moved his hand around until he felt something hard. It had to be the telemagnifier.

  “I got it.” Benjamin tightened his grasp around the object and pulled it out of the small opening. “Ahhh!” Benjamin dropped the object and heard it clatter far below.

  “Did you just drop a leg bone on Andy’s toe?” Gary asked.