by R L Delaney
Mom scowled, but did not answer and furiously began to stir her tea.
But Justin began to warm up to the idea. Uncle was right. There was no training as good as on the job training, and even though the whole ordeal with the Shadow Walkers had been scary, ultimately it had been a wonderful experience. And had he not been especially chosen by the monks for the works of righteousness? After all, he had been anointed with the Elixir, the Spirit of the King of Heaven.
"I like it, Uncle… but what can we do?" he asked.
"Help me find the key, Justin."
Mother looked despondent, but Justin's face lit up, and he licked his lips. "Do you have any clues?"
Uncle Harry smiled. "I talked to Prophet. He had no idea where to find it, but he suggested we talk to Alfred Rodeo."
"To Rodeo?" Justin narrowed his eyes. "But he is prison."
"That's right. He's in Coldwater Max Security Prison. That's just about an hour’s drive. But, since he is a former Shadow Walker, he may be able to help us."
Mother sighed. "Prison is not a place for Justin, Harry. I don't want my son to hang around criminals’ like that horrible man Rodeo."
"Come on, Ethel," Uncle pursed his lips. "Justin is of age. What's more, Alfred Rodeo is not a Shadow Walker anymore. He is now following the teachings of the Guardians of the Sacred Tome." He chuckled. "He even wants to become a monk himself after he has served his time. He's as meek as a lamb."
"And this Mrs. Stana?" Justin asked. "Did she give you any clues?"
"She is a Miss, Justin," Uncle Harry corrected Justin. "She's not married, at least not anymore. And yes, she did give me a clue. She gave me a note that Alvaro Ironbark gave her just days before he was killed."
Harrison stuck his hand inside his coat pocket and fished out a piece of paper. "I copied the note. Here it is." He handed the paper to Justin, who read it.
Not from the West- or from the South
Nor from the North or from the distant East
But from a dark and mud-stained, ruined mouth
Will climb to freedom, oh, that feared and dreaded beast
The pit, its sweetest stench will then release
That glorious day when lock will meet with key,
And grinding of the teeth below will cease
When captives will forever be set free
Only when the key shall meet her mate,
In the wreckage of a place so bitter, yet so dear
Will we celebrate that long-awaited hellish date
And will our long awaited friend at last be near
"What does it even mean?" Justin said as he wet his lips and a doubtful expression formed on his face. "It sounds dark and unpleasant."
Uncle Harry nodded. "I agree. It does sound a bit odd, but according to Stana, it's a description of where the key can be found. Remember, Ironbark was still in the Shadow Walkers when he wrote this."
"A puzzle then," Justin said as he let out a chuckle.
Uncle Harry gave him a small nod. "Looks like it, but together we might be able to figure it out. What do you think?"
Justin thought it over. With the power of the Elixir this should not be difficult, and if perchance they couldn't solve it, he and Amy could always present the poem to Brother Perpetiël and his fellow monks.
Justin pressed his lips together. "When do you want to go see Alfred Rodeo?"
"Soon. Now. Today. Will you come?"
Justin glanced at his Mom. Her face still carried a scowl and was full of worry lines. "It's just a visit to the prison, Mom. No harm done."
Mom shook her head, picked up her tea and before she walked off she hissed. "You do whatever it is you’ve got to do." As she disappeared into the kitchen Justin could still hear her mutter, "Men… They are all the same."
It was already late in the afternoon when Justin, Amy and Uncle Harry arrived at Coldwater Max Security Prison. It was a depressing, washed-out slab of cement surrounded by a high fence with barbed-wire and several guard towers that were manned with stern looking fellows carrying guns. Justin shivered as he stared at them. Countless rows of tiny, barred windows gave witness of the cramped quarters of the prisoners, and as Justin felt Amy's hand sliding into his, he wondered if maybe Mom had been right. This really wasn't a place he treasured visiting.
After they filled in several forms, walked through at least three metal detectors and were body-searched one more time, they were guided through a heavy metal door that made a terrible creaking sound and slammed closed behind them. The echo reverberated through the bare, cold corridor before them and an oppressive feeling of being locked in washed over Justin. A uniformed fellow with an enormous mustache that made him look like Salvador Dali, greeted them with a curt nod and led the way through the colorless hallway to a drab, brightly lit room with grimy walls that could use several buckets of paint. Justin wondered if anybody here even knew what it was like to smile and considered cracking a joke, just to test it out, but the spirit of the place was too intimidating and he quickly dropped the idea.
The guard motioned with his head they needed to sit down at one of the tables. After they obeyed, he took his position near the only window and began to tap impatiently with his finger on the baton that was hanging on his belt, and thus they were all waiting in silence for the prisoner.
That took a while. Everything went by prison speed, which was laboriously slow but finally, after a twenty minute wait, the door opened again and Alfred Rodeo appeared. He was dressed in orange prison garb, and his feet were chained, but as he looked at his three visitors, an enormous smile appeared on his now unshaven face.
A smile in this god-forsaken place. Finally. Even a smile from someone like Alfred Rodeo was like a ray of sunlight on a cloudy day.
Justin noticed that his uncle did not smile back, but shifted uneasily on his seat. That was not too strange, considering the last time Uncle Harry had seen Rodeo, the man had literally changed into a demon right before his very eyes and had bent the metal prison bars of the police station with supernatural strength. But Rodeo was no longer a Shadow Walker, and WAS even a changed man.
Justin was remembering a very different Rodeo though, from the time when he and Amy had been on their way to the monastery of the Guardians of the Tome. They had been around a broken fellow seeking to make amends.
Rodeo pulled out the only remaining chair at the table and sat down. "Thank you for coming," he said. He cast Justin and Amy another smile, this one timid and shy, and then his face grew grave as he turned his attention to Uncle Harry.
He pressed his lips together, lowered his eyes for an instant and drew circles with his left index finger on the table, as if to gather courage. Then he looked up into Uncle Harry's eyes and spoke in soft tones, "Mr. Ames… I am very sorry for the wrong I have done. I have scared you, sought to do you harm and plotted against you and all of Dewsbury. I did not know it at the time, but I was wrong. Will you forgive me?"
Uncle Harry looked up, surprise on his face. "I must say, Mr. Rod… Alfred, I wasn't sure I wanted to come, but my good friend Prophet urged me to go see you. What's more, Brother Perpetiël told me of the change that has come over you since you've been to the monastery, and I understand it is your wish to join them after you have served your prison term…" Uncle Harry stopped for a moment, searching for the right words. "…If Brother Perpetiël tells me you are okay, well… who am I to think differently? Let's forget the past, Alfred."
Rodeo nodded, let out a sigh and stuck out his hand.
Uncle Harry looked at it for a moment, but then took Rodeo's hand and shook it. The guard coughed.
Rodeo turned to Justin and Amy, and seemed relieved that at least this was over. "And how are the two of you?"
"We are fine, Mr. Rodeo," Amy said. "But, what about you? Are you doing all right and are they treating you well?"
Rodeo sighed. "It's not too bad, Amy. I have no reason to complain, and to be honest, I deserve whatever I get here. Fortunately, Brother Perpetiël has given me
a lot of books to read, which helps me to understand what is expected of me once I join the monastery." He stopped and raised his brows. "But tell me… You must have come here for a reason. What is it?"
Uncle Harry nodded, glad to be able to get to business. "You are right, Alfred. We do have a reason, and I will ask you plainly… The key of Cipher Flux. What do you know about it?"
A tremor went through Rodeo's body, and his eyes widened. "The key of Cipher Flux?"
"That's right."
Rodeo licked his lips and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Why do you want to know?"
"We are looking for it," Uncle Harry replied. "It's apparently a very valuable artifact, and I have been asked to find it." He studied Rodeo's face for a moment, and then asked, "Do you remember Alvaro Ironbark?"
"Of course." Rodeo's face grew somber.
"Well, he was married to Stana Growklowsky… and she hired me to find this key."
Rodeo seemed surprised as he leaned back in his chair. "Alvaro wasn't married. He didn't even have a girlfriend. Only weeks before he was killed he still bemoaned the fact that life was unfair. The only girls he knew were sleazy women who were after his money."
Uncle Harry pinched his lips together. "You are wrong, Rodeo. He was married, but he kept it a secret."
Rodeo stared at Uncle Harry with unbelieving eyes. "You are sure?"
"Absolutely," Uncle Harry said with a chuckle, apparently feeling quite smug he knew more than the former Shadow Walker. He licked his lips and said in confident tones, "Nobody knew about it. They were married in secret. His wife, Stana Growklowsky, told me so herself. The poor woman is beside herself with grief."
Rodeo arched his brows. "What was that woman's name?"
"Stana… Stana Growklowsky."
Rodeo shook his head. "It doesn't ring a bell. I never heard of that name. So… you are sure?"
"Of course, I am sure," Uncle Harry said with a scowl. "She even wanted me to see her papers, but I didn't need to see them. I can tell when someone is lying, and Stana is not lying. I am a detective, remember?"
Rodeo let out a sigh. "Still, it is strange. I knew Alvaro quite well."
"You see," Uncle Harry responded with a chuckle, "even the Shadow Walkers have secrets they keep from each other. But, I am not here to discuss Alvaro Ironbark's love life. I am here to find the key of Cipher Flux. What can you tell me about it?"
Rodeo seemed displeased and narrowed his eyes. "You should have nothing to do with that key, Harrison. That key is cursed."
Justin raised his brows and pricked up his ears.
"I don't need it for myself," Uncle Harry replied. He seemed a bit annoyed by Rodeo's unwillingness to tell him all he knew. "I do this for my client, the heartbroken widow, Stana Growklowsky. She has great financial pressures and that key will help her to start a new life."
"The key is not to be sold," Rodeo said while he shook his head.
"Sure," Uncle Harry said while he tapped with his fingers on the desk. "But, where is it?"
Rodeo shrugged. "I cannot tell you. I really do not know. It's hidden in a secret place, but I really urge you to leave it untouched."
"Why, Mr. Rodeo?" Amy asked. Her voice brought a bit of cheer on the worried face of Rodeo.
"Ah, Miss Amy. You and Justin will understand. Long ago there was a Shadow Walker by the name of Cipher Flux. He was quite advanced in the dark arts, and he created a key which, according to legend, will open the door to the netherworld. Some of the most powerful demons in existence are waiting until somebody uses this key to open the portal so they will be released into this world."
"W-What will happen then?" Amy whispered as she cast Rodeo a pained stare.
Rodeo sighed. "Look, I was only a lackey in the organization. I know very little, but I do know that when the key of Cipher Flux is used, on that day hell will belch and spew forth a most powerful spirit being, called Gogothol, and he will ride forth with his legions to harm the earth. When the portal opens, there will be an earthquake deep in the heart of the sea and a great rumbling will be heard, coming from the pits of hell. The cavernous caves of the netherworld will be opened and Gogothol will come out to do his dirty work. The first sign of his arrival will be a giant tsunami that will wash over the shores of our land. Whoever is not prepared will be washed away. The physical elements will be touched in cataclysmic and catastrophic ways." Rodeo sighed. "That is why the key of Cipher Flux should be left alone."
"How do you know all that?" Amy whispered.
"All Shadow Walkers do. It's common knowledge, although we do not know the details. It's like a prophecy that has been given by Gogothol himself to Cipher Flux, and all the Shadow Walkers believe it's true."
Uncle Harry seemed impressed too. He pursed his lips and then asked in a low voice, "It sounds terrible, indeed… if it's true. But who hid that key?"
"Cipher Flux did. Not voluntarily though. He was forced by an archangel, sent by the King of Heaven, by the name of Quabriel. The word is that the angel struck him dumb after a terrible battle, so Cipher Flux would never be able to tell anyone what happened to the key. It's been gone ever since."
Amy frowned. "Why didn't Quabriel defeat the key if it is that bad?"
Rodeo shook his head. "I am not entirely sure. I believe it is because the key is not just material, but partly spiritual, and thus it cannot be destroyed. It also has something to do with human choice…" His voice trailed off. "Maybe Brother Perpetiël could tell you more. All I know is what I've learned in my days as a Shadow Walker."
"So…," Amy said hesitatingly, "… there really is such a thing as the key of Cipher Flux, but nobody knows where it is, except for Cipher Flux himself who is dead, and the angel Quabriel."
A scowl appeared on Justin's face and he turned to Uncle Harry. "Well, Uncle… that settles it. We are most definitely not going to look for the key of Cipher Flux. If a powerful being like the archangel Quabriel has hidden it, it seems totally inappropriate to look for it. If Ironbark's wife wants to fatten her bank account, she can get herself a job. Maybe she can deliver newspapers, or start a walk-the-dog service if she needs money that bad. But this key stays exactly where it is hidden."
Uncle Harry nodded, but cast him a bitter smile. "What do I tell Stana?"
The others looked at each other, and Justin shrugged his shoulders. Finally Amy spoke up and said, "Tell her the truth, Mr. Ames. It's the truth that will set her free."
Uncle Harry's shoulders slumped and he sighed, but it was clear from the look on his face that he didn't like having to tell Stana Growklowsky that they weren't going to look for the key of Cipher Flux.
Chapter Three
"What do you mean, you do not want to help me and search for the key?" Stana Growklowsky growled while flashing her disdain at Harrison. The detective lowered his eyes and sighed. "Stana… please… It's impossible. The key is hidden by Cipher Flux himself. A powerful angel forced him to do it."
Stana opened her mouth, and her tongue pushed slightly forward. Then she swung her finger in Harrison's face and said with a scowl. "It's just a story to scare you into not doing anything at all. Alvaro told me all about it. He said, it's a ploy to keep people from looking for it, but it's not half as bad as the legend claims."
"Legend? Is it even true?"
"Of course it's true," she snarled. "Fear, Harry, is the killer. It's the fear of the unknown and the so-called consequences that makes good people do nothing."
Harry's eyes widened. "You really think so?"
"I know so," Stana snapped back. "I also know that nothing is impossible to the man of faith and courage." For a moment a dark shadow flashed over her face, but almost instantly she forced it back into a smile. She walked over to Harrison and placed her slender, well-manicured fingers on his shoulder, and said in a soft, pleading tone of voice, "I am sorry, Harry. I understand it is difficult… but that is why I came to you. You, of all detectives, are strong and sharp. You know the dangers, you have the experience, and you kno
w the ways of the Shadow Walkers. I know you can do this."
She placed her other hand on his other shoulder and began to massage Harrison's neck. The detective moaned as a delightful sensation flowed through his weary and discouraged body. "I-I… oh, Stana… this feels rather good."
"I know," Stana responded by working out the tension in Harrison's neck with even more fervor. "And it will even feel better when I have the key of Cipher Flux."
Harrison closed his eyes, and for a moment he forgot all his difficulties as he relished the squeezing and rubbing of his neck and shoulders.
But Stana's soft voice brought him back to reality. "Who filled your mind with all that stuff about those terrible dangers?"
Harry opened his eyes. "We visited someone who used to be a Shadow Walker. He told us. He claims the key of Cipher Flux is extremely dangerous and that it opens the gates so Gogothol, a powerful demon will step into this world. That's bad, isn't it?"
"If it were true," Stana scoffed. "And, even if it were true, you still would not have to use it."
Harrison raised his brows. He didn't understand.
"I've got a key to my cellar," Stana explained. "But I never go down there, so I never use my key. Having a key and using it are two different things."
"I see." Harrison now understood. "But you see, Stana, my nephew and his girlfriend no longer want to help me find it. They got scared because of the words of Alfred Rodeo."
A twinge of pain shot through Harrison's shoulder blades. Stana squeezed his shoulder too hard upon hearing the name Rodeo.
"The traito—" she mumbled, but then, she swallowed the rest of her words. "Sorry," she apologized. "My fingers slipped. Alfred Rodeo? Who is that?"
"As I said, he's a former Shadow Walker," Harrison said while trying to concentrate again on Stana's refreshing fingers on his shoulders. He was your husband's friend, and said it was best to leave the key untouched."