The Return of the Titans (14 page)

“Well, if it is, I hope
it's a little less painful.” Gerry looked nervous. “I seriously
thought I was going to drown before I popped up in this
place.”

There was agreement all around at Gerry's
statement.

“Yeah, scariest thing I've
ever done,” Norm said. “So let's hope...”

He stopped speaking as the office door
opened. A small, dark-haired man hurried into the room. He had a
long pointy nose and a thin mustache. His thin hair was slicked
back and he was wearing a long black coat over a black suit. Justin
was reminded of a mortician he had once seen at his great aunt's
funeral.

“You summoned me, sir,” he
said in a high pitched voice as he approached the desk.

Mr. Fitzgerald looked up from his papers.
“Ah yes, Mr. Denofrio. I'd like you to take these gentlemen to the
Ocular room. They wish to contact their parents.” Then he looked
sharply at Aaron. “Well, some of them do.” Aaron reddened but he
didn't say anything. “If conditions permit, they may speak for a
short time, long enough to reassure their parents that they are
safe and sound.”

Justin had been watching the little man as
Mr. Fitzgerald spoke. He saw him frown and shake his head
slightly.

“Very dangerous, sir. Very
dangerous indeed. Perhaps it would be best if...”

“Thank you, Mr. Denofrio,”
Mr. Fitzgerald said, cutting him off. “But I'm aware of the risks.
Please follow my instructions.”

For just an instant, Justin thought he saw a
sneer cross Denofrio's face, but it was gone so quickly that Justin
was sure he was mistaken.

“Of course, sir, of
course. You always know what you are doing, sir.” His head bobbed
every time he said sir, and Justin saw Norm trying not to laugh.
Then the little man looked at the four of them.

“Please follow me,
gentlemen,” he said and turned abruptly toward the door.

“Good luck,” Mr Fitzgerald
said with a nod and resumed his writing.

Chapter 10

The four teens followed Mr. Denofrio from
Mr. Fitzgerald's office back into and through the Court. He didn't
say a word or look back at them. He apparently assumed they were
keeping up. Justin and Aaron actually had to jog a few steps
occasionally because the man was walking so quickly.

They made their way back out to the
courtyard. Instead of turning left or right, Mr. Denofrio strode
straight ahead past the fountain. Justin could see that they were
approaching the cyclops Sentinel that was blocking the large arch
they had noticed earlier in the day.

The group came to a stop several yards in
front of the Sentinel, which looked down at them with its single
massive glowing red eye. It made no sound but was apparently
waiting. Then Justin saw Mr. Denofrio reach up to his neck and pull
some sort of pendant out from under his shirt.

It was hanging on a chain that appeared to
be made of the same metal as the Sentinel. Justin couldn't see what
the pendant looked like because the man's hand was gripping it
tightly.

“Let us pass,” he said
imperiously. The Sentinel stared for another moment, and then
slowly, ponderously, took one step sideways. Mr. Denofrio tucked
the chain back under his shirt and walked quickly past the giant
figure. The teens followed, all of them glancing nervously at the
Sentinel as they went by. As the last in line walked past the
cyclops, it took a step back to its origin position and became
immobile again.

“Those things are so
cool,” Aaron said quietly. None of the others answered as they
hurried to keep up with Mr. Denofrio.

The corridor that the cyclops was guarding
only went on for a few yards before becoming a set of wide steps
that descended down and circled to the left and out of sight. Mr.
Denofrio slowed down as he descended. The steps weren't steep but
they were high, as though built for taller people to use. Justin,
being the shortest of the group, found himself almost hopping down
each step. He wasn't looking forward to climbing back up again.

The stair spiraled around several times and
then finally came to and end at a wide hall that branched into
numerous corridors.

“Wow, just how big is
Sanctuary, Mr. Denofrio?” Gerry asked as he peered down the various
corridors.

The man stopped for a moment and stared at
Gerry, as though he had forgotten that he wasn't alone.

“Hmm? How big? Good
question, my boy. I actually have no idea.”

“What? You don't know?”
Gerry sounded perplexed. Mr. Denofrio just shrugged.

“Never had any reason to
explore it all. I have my duties and they keep me quite busy. But
it is large, no question of that. Why, there are levels below this
one that are even bigger than this whole floor. Place just goes on
and on. Anyway, let's move along now. I have other things to do
after this task is done.”

And saying that, he was off again, hurrying
along as the boys tried to keep up.

They moved down a passage to the left of the
stairs. There were no doors here, even the walls were blank and
free of the carvings that were present throughout the rest of
Sanctuary. At last, the boys saw a door ahead. This was also unlike
any door they had seen so far. It was not made of metal or wood,
but seemed to have been carved out of some sort of black,
crystalline substance. It mirrored their approach in its smooth
surface. There was no handle or even a button to the side of the
door and Justin wondered how they were going to open it.

Mr. Denofrio didn't hesitate. He strode up
to the door and simply placed his palm in the center. The door rose
up from the ground and disappeared into the ceiling above. Several
of the teens gasped but Mr. Denofrio just walked forward. They
followed closely.

“Well, gentlemen, welcome
to the Ocular room,” Mr Denofrio said and stepped aside so that the
boys could see the room beyond.

Justin gaped and when he looked at Aaron and
the others, he could see the same expression on their faces. The
room was massive and circular, with the only exit being the door
they had just come through. And the entire room was made of the
same black crystal material as the door. There were no torches or
lights in the room. Instead, glowing patches of subdued light
seemed to shine from areas inside the walls and ceiling. They were
constantly moving and changing their shapes and it gave the room a
reflective shine that reminded Justin of the sun shining on
water.

In the very middle of the room was a round
pool of liquid, level with the floor. Mr. Denofrio moved toward it,
signaling them to follow. As they approached the pool, Justin could
see the surface roiling and moving as if something was swimming
beneath the surface. But the liquid wasn't clear. It too was black
like the crystal around it and nothing could be seen beneath the
surface.

“This is the Ocular,” Mr.
Denofrio said. “We will use it to attempt to contact your
relatives.” He turned to look at the group. “Who wishes to go
first?”

The guys looked at each other. “Um, me?”
Gerry spoke up hesitantly.

“Good, fine. Now, who are
you trying to contact?”

“Well, either of my folks
would be fine, I guess,” Gerry said.

Mr. Denofrio looked slightly irritated. “We
must be specific, young man. The Ocular isn't a telephone. It's a
bit more...specific than that. So we must know exactly who we are
trying to contact, or you could end up talking to a complete
stranger. Pick one of your parents please.”

“Okay, my Mom,” Gerry said
hurriedly.

“Good, fine. Now, does
your mother work outside the home?”

Gerry looked puzzled. “No, she works from
home. She's a...”

“That's fine, fine,” Mr.
Denofrio interrupted. “Now, the room where she is generally found
at home, is there any water in it?”

Gerry looked completely lost. “What?” he
said.

“Water, young man, water.
Is there perhaps a vase full of water or a water jug kept in the
room, anything like that?”

“Oh, right. Sure, there's
a goldfish bowl in the den. That's where Mom is
usually.”

“Ah! Perfect,” Mr.
Denofrio actually smiled. “That will do nicely. Now, I want you to
kneel by the Ocular and picture your mother's face in your mind.
Focus only on her, nothing else. And when you feel ready, place
your hand on the surface of the liquid.”

Gerry looked at Norm and the others. Norm
just shrugged while Justin and Aaron both tried to smile
encouragingly. Gerry looked back at Mr. Denofrio.

“Okay, I'll try,” he said
and approached the pool. He knelt down at the edge and closed his
eyes. His face showed his intense concentration.

“By the way, don't fall
in,” Mr. Denofrio spoke up.

Gerry's eyes popped open and he turned
around on his knees to look at the man. “'Scuse me?”

“Don't fall in,” Mr.
Denofrio repeated. “The consequences would
be...unfortunate.”

“What do you mean, sir?”
Norm asked.

But Mr. Denofrio just shook his head.
“Doesn't matter. Don't worry. Just be careful.” He looked at Gerry.
“Continue please,” he said.

Gerry nodded slowly and turned back to face
the pool. He closed his eyes again. After a few moments, he opened
his eyes, looked down at the pool and, very carefully, leaned
forward and touched the surface.

All around them in the room, a gentle hum
arose. Justin could feel it rising through the floor. His legs were
vibrating slightly. It felt tingly, like a mild electric current
was flowing through him. The others looked around, searching for
the source of the sound, but the room looked the same. Then the
liquid began to burble and splash loudly, rolling up from the
depths of the pool and then returning. Gerry was obviously keeping
his hand in the liquid with great difficulty.

And then the pool was still. It's surface
became flat and calm like a pane of glass. A glow lit the depths of
the liquid and seemed to rise up. As it approached the surface,
Justin could see it begin to coalesce until finally as it reached
the top of the pool, the glow became the figure of a woman, sitting
in a chair and staring out of a window. She seemed to be lost in
thought.

Justin was amazed. It was like looking
through a window right into another room, except that the window
was on the ground. He watched Gerry's face as several emotions
passed over it in quick succession. Finally he was just
smiling.

“Mom! Mom, can you hear
me?” he called.

The woman on the chair sat up with a jerk.
She looked around the room but seeing nothing she finally just
shook her head and began to sit back again.

“Mom, I'm not your
imagination! It's really me,” Gerry spoke louder.

His mother sat up again. “Gerry?” she said
hesitantly. “Can you, can you hear me?”

“Yep, I can, Mom. Look at
the fish bowl.”

His mother turned and seemed to be looking
out at all of them from the pool's surface. She gasped and walked
across the room quickly until her face filled the entire pool. “How
is this possible?” she asked. “Where are you? Who are those people
with you? What happened yesterday? Are you hurt?”

“Whoa, slow down Mom,”
Gerry said with a grin.

“Don't you whoa me, young
man! I want to know what's happening and I want to know right now!”
She shook her head and glared past Gerry at Mr. Denofrio. 'My son
disappears, some strangers arrive to tell me he's been taken away
for his own safety, an armed guard is patrolling around our
house...Gerry, what is going on?”

“Look Mom, I really can't
say too much.” Gerry looked over his shoulder at Mr. Denofrio and
then back at his mother. “But I'm safe. And so are you. How's
Dad?”

Gerry's mother stared at him another moment
then gave her head a little shake. “He's okay, son. He had to go
out, with an escort no less, to make arrangements for your
cousin.”

“Nathan?” Gerry asked,
almost whispering.

His mother nodded. “He was killed, Gerry.
That's the main reason I believed the men who came afterward.
Nathan lived long enough to tell me that you were safe. That he had
protected you.” She began to cry but her voice stayed strong. “He
had no one else, so your Dad felt it was the least he could do to,
well, to make the arrangements.” She swallowed and wiped her face
quickly. Then she looked at Mr. Denofrio again. “You are one of
these people? The ones who are taking care of my son?”

He stepped forward and stood beside the
pool. “I am,” he said. “Your son is safe for now. And he will
remain so, if he stays with us for a while. But that is up to him,
and to you.”

“You mean, he can come
home?” she asked.

“Yes, of course, madam. We
are not jailors. But remember what happened yesterday before you
decide to tell him to return.” He nodded once to her then backed
away from the pool.

Gerry's mother looked at her son. “I want
you home, Gerry. But I also want you safe. And if it's a choice
between the two, I'll pick safe. For now, at least.” She smiled at
him. “But what do you want to do?”

Gerry looked like he was still in shock
after learning about his cousin's death but he took a deep breath
and answered his mother. “I think I'd better stay, Mom. Now that I
know you both are protected, I think this is the best place for
me.” Then he smiled back at his mother. “For now,” he said.

She nodded. “Okay then, I won't ask any
questions. What I don't know, I can't tell.” She looked at Mr.
Denofrio again. “Will he be able to write to us at least?”