Iolanthe said, ‘We are standing inside that mountain right now.’
‘It looks like the Eiffel Tower,’ Lily said.
‘Or perhaps the Eiffel Tower looks like it,’ Iolanthe said.
Lily read the motto—Ad Majora Natus—and frowned.
‘That’s odd,’ she said. ‘It’s the only one that’s not about glory or power. Ad Majora Natus means—’
‘“Born for greater things,”’ a voice said from behind her.
Lily turned, and found herself staring into the eyes of Lord Hades himself.
‘The new Oracle,’ Hades said. ‘It is an honour and a pleasure to meet you under more formal circumstances, not in amongst those crude carriages. I fear we were not properly introduced.’
Hades was much more striking when seen up close, Lily thought.
His dark eyes were piercing and his dark beard perfectly groomed. His crimson-edged suit was intricately woven with symbols sewn into the weave. From head to toe, he was truly an ancient lord.
Standing dutifully one step behind him was his chief aide, Vacheron, the Master of the Games.
Standing on his other side like a bodyguard was a gigantic man in a glistening silver dog helmet. This man’s armour was amazingly modern: all bi-Kevlar mesh and carbon-fibre plating. The two Glock pistols in holsters on his thighs were very modern indeed.
‘Okay, sure. Hey there,’ Lily said to Hades, deliberately not using any kind of formal address. ‘I’m Lily West.’
Hades saw what she was doing and smiled indulgently. ‘Greetings, Miss Lily. My name is Anthony Michael Dominic DeSaxe, the fourth of that name to be appointed Marshal of France and also the fourth of that name to be appointed Lord of the Underworld.’
‘DeSaxe . . .’ Lily said softly.
No, she thought, it couldn’t be. She shook the thought away.
‘I like your motto,’ she said. ‘I was just saying to Iolanthe, it’s not like the other three. They’re all about strength, power and glory, but yours is not. How do you interpret it?’
Hades nodded, impressed. ‘Mine is an ancient duty, a duty greater than all others, so my house’s motto speaks to that. I mean no disrespect to the other kings. They are all remarkable men from remarkable houses. I, however, was born to be a steward of this historic kingdom and to host these most important Games: I was quite literally born for greater things.’
‘Like putting on a death show?’ Lily asked. ‘And acting like some kind of Roman emperor?’
‘If killing men is part of my greater duty, then I must do it even if I do not like to. Many rituals in this world have lost their original meanings and so have become empty ceremonies, but the ritual behind these Games has not been lost. These Games are not held for my pleasure. They are held for a reason. They are a signal that the inhabitants of this planet are still worthy of the existence we were given.’
‘A signal to whom?’
Hades looked at Lily closely. ‘There are many things in this world that cannot be explained, young one. Some of them you yourself have experienced: ancient buildings like the pyramids and Stonehenge; underground temple-shrines like those of the Machine that your father re-erected. Who do you think built those wondrous things? Men?
‘Or perhaps individuals far more ancient? Ask yourself, how did life itself arise on this remote planet? I am sure you are aware of the Cambrian Explosion, the sudden burst of complex life that occurred on Earth 500 million years ago. What caused it? How did life begin here?
‘Humanity has been watched from afar for a long, long time and every now and again—through rituals like the Tartarus Rotation and the Dark Star of Nepthys and the Great Games of the Hydra—we must prove that we have attained a level of sophistication that warrants the continuation of our existence.’
Lily mentally noted the words ‘Tartarus Rotation’ and ‘Dark Star of Nepthys’. She and Jack had been pivotal players in the episodes of the Tartarus Sunspot and the Dark Star.
Hades said, ‘In the case of Tartarus and Nepthys, important ancient knowledge was lost and had to be refound. Some of the other kingdoms partook in those quests, Iolanthe’s among them.’
He nodded at Iolanthe, who bowed graciously.
‘I myself did not participate,’ Hades said. ‘If the world is to end through the careless loss of sacred knowledge, then so be it.
‘But here, now, there is no loss of ancient knowledge. These Games were never lost. And the role they fulfil is an important one. When we lay those nine Golden Spheres—first five, then four—we tell the Ancients that we as a people are worthy of living. If men die in the process, then they die for a noble cause.’
He bowed, ever the gracious host. ‘Forgive me, Miss Lily, I have other guests to attend to. Enjoy the evening. You cannot imagine what a joy it is to have you here.’
He swept away, followed by his dog-helmeted bodyguard, leaving Vacheron standing there, staring at them with his bulging eyes.
‘Holy Oracle, it is truly an honour,’ he said to Lily, bowing low.
When he turned to Iolanthe, his expression transformed into one of pure joy. He smiled, revealing foul yellow teeth.
‘And Princess Iolanthe, it is as always an exquisite pleasure to see you. If you need anything during your stay here, anything at all, please call me. I am your humble servant.’
The Master of the Games bowed again, kissing Iolanthe’s hand, and departed.
Lily looked at Iolanthe. ‘I think someone’s got the hots for you.’
Iolanthe grimaced. ‘Monsieur Vacheron has long been Hades’s loyal servant and emissary to the other kingdoms. He is one of those types who delights in associating with the highborn. More than anything in the world he desires to marry into royalty, to officially enter the social stratosphere he so admires. I am of royal blood and unmarried, so he flatters me constantly.’
‘Do you like him?’
‘The man is a pig,’ Iolanthe said. ‘A loathsome, ambitious pig. Do not confuse being royal with being all-powerful, Lily. I may be royal. I may have almost limitless resources at my disposal, but I am not free to do everything I please. For one thing, it is not for me to choose whom I marry. It is my king who will do that. And he will make that choice based on all manner of reasons, many of them political and strategic. I detest Vacheron but if it is decided that it is advantageous that I marry him, then I will and I will have no choice in the matter.’
Lily glanced from Iolanthe to the departing figure of Vacheron.
She thought about Iolanthe. Over the years, Iolanthe had been both a deadly rival and a convenient ally to her family. She was the most ruthlessly amoral person Lily had ever met, but right now Lily couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
After Vacheron took his leave, Iolanthe guided Lily through the crowd of royals.
Lily saw a few people she recognised from newspapers and magazines—members of the British and Danish royal families mostly—but the rest she did not know. They were the shadow-royals of the world.
She also saw a widescreen TV with a list on it:
The champions. Their names being crossed off as they were killed. She saw her father’s name in the box containing the four representatives of the Kingdom of Land: Capt. Jack West Jr US/Aus.
Suddenly a man dressed in the red robes of a Catholic cardinal stepped in front of her, blocking her view of the television. He had a thin pencil moustache, darting eyes and he was smiling with unbridled joy.
Lily did a double-take. She could have sworn she’d met him somewhere before.
‘Young madam, it is an honour of honours to meet the Oracle of Siwa!’ he exclaimed, taking Lily’s hand and bowing low.
Of course he was honoured, Lily thought. She had known for some time that the Catholic Church was the modern incarnation of an ancient Egyptian sun-cult, the Cult of Amon-Ra. From their priestly garments featuring blazing sun
s to the many obelisks decorating Rome and the Vatican, everything about the Church was devoted to the worship of the sun. For a cardinal to meet someone directly descended from ancient Egyptian royalty would indeed be an honour.
Iolanthe said, ‘Lily, this is Cardinal Ricardo Mendoza. Cardinal, this is Lily West, true daughter of the last Oracle.’
The cardinal looked Lily up and down in a way that Lily didn’t like at all. He did it like a horse buyer assessing a filly.
‘How old are you, Lily?’ he asked.
‘I’m twenty.’
‘And are you still a virgin?’
The question caught Lily off guard. Who asked that? ‘With all due respect, Cardinal, that’s none of your fucking business.’
Cardinal Mendoza was now looking unashamedly at her breasts and stomach. He didn’t even seem to hear her. ‘It is no matter. You are magnificent as you are. Just magnificent . . .’
Creepy as this encounter was, Lily couldn’t shake the feeling that she had met this man before.
Then it hit her.
She had not met him but she had seen him: at Pine Gap, during a security briefing way back during the mission to find the Six Ramesean Stones.
She had seen this man’s photo and biographical data on a computer screen.
After the murderous Father Francisco del Piero had died during the Seven Ancient Wonders mission, Cardinal Ricardo Mendoza had been appointed leader of the Church’s most powerful Curial department, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a department that had once been known by a different name, the Inquisition.
Mendoza was the Church’s expert on all things ancient and their advisor to the Deus Rex, the god-kings, the Kingdom of Land.
Mendoza smiled vilely at Lily. ‘You will make a wonderful wife to a lucky man someday, my gorgeous Oracle. Do enjoy the Games.’
He departed, leaving Lily standing there feeling dirty.
‘That was creepy,’ she said.
Iolanthe shrugged. ‘The Church has its uses. That it went down a men-only path is a shame. It has not been good for them. It colours their thinking, dulls their minds. Here, there is someone I’d like you to meet.’
Iolanthe guided Lily to a pair of younger royals closer to her own age.
They were both men. One was pudgy, Persian, red-faced and sweaty; he gripped a wineglass and drank from it in huge gulps. The second younger man was facing the other way; he was well built and black-haired.
He turned around and smiled.
Lily froze at the sight of him and felt a deep uneasiness in the pit of her stomach.
It was Dion. Dion DeSaxe from Stanford.
‘Hello, Lily,’ he said with his perfect confident smile.
Lily’s mind whirled.
Like many women her age, in her darker moments she’d wondered why this charming guy from Stanford had asked her out when there were so many other girls to choose from.
She’d hoped it was because he’d been attracted to something special about her: whether that was brains, looks or even just her smile.
The last thing Lily had thought was that anyone at Stanford might know of her mysterious history or that they would date her because of that.
But that now seemed to be precisely the case.
Dion knew.
Had known all along.
Lily felt betrayed, cheated, swindled. Worse than that. She felt like a fool.
Iolanthe made the introductions.
Indicating the fat prince: ‘Lily West, may I present to you Prince George Khalil, cousin of the House of Hades.’ She gestured to the handsome one: ‘And Prince Dionysius DeSaxe, first son of our host, Lord Hades, Crown Prince and heir to the Kingdom of the Underworld.’
Dion kissed Lily’s hand formally. ‘We already know each other. I was not expecting her to be here at the Games, but I am delighted that she is.’
He held Lily’s gaze with his deep brown eyes. The cocky look on his face said: Yes, I knew who you were all along.
Lily noticed two pretty princesses dressed in expensive pink gowns watching their exchange closely, eyeing the handsome son of Hades.
Then the fat one named George broke the moment by blurting: ‘So, how are you enjoying the Games so far, Lily?’
Lily stiffened. ‘I’m learning a lot.’
Prince George babbled drunkenly, ‘Well I think they are simply brilliant. Champions, minotaurs, slashing swords, exploding heads, death by combat. Brilliant! Did you see the fifth warrior take on the Gorkha at the end of the last challenge? It was a pure do-or-die moment. God, it’s all simply marvellous entertainment!’
Lily looked at him askance. ‘Entertainment? You consider all this to be entertaining?’
George said, ‘Of course! I mean, sure, some of them die. It’s not as if they have royal blood or anything. They should be honoured to die in front of us.’
Lily just stared at the fat drunk prince.
He lowered his voice, whispering conspiratorially. ‘And it’s going to get better. I have it on good authority that the maze for the Fourth Challenge is simply astonishing; Vacheron tells me we may see the Hydra warrior for the first time, too. And the Fifth Challenge, my goodness, apparently it is of a scale never seen in the Games before. Oh, it’s just so delightful to be here. Just delightful!’
Thankfully, at that moment, a bell chimed, calling all the guests to the dining tables.
Dion leaned close to Lily. ‘Please, forgive him, and forgive me, too. I honestly did not know you would be here. If I can arrange it with my father, I would be delighted if you would sit with me at a later meal so I can explain myself. For now, let me escort you to your table.’
He held out his elbow . . .
. . . Lily didn’t take it. The two pretty girls nearby gasped in horror.
‘Iolanthe can take me,’ she said curtly as she walked off toward the dining tables.
Lily ate dinner next to Iolanthe, at a table occupied by six other members of her royal household.
There were five large dining tables in the gigantic stone-walled hall. Four for the royal households and one—set higher than the others—for Hades and the three other kings.
Flanking their table like enormous statues were the two lion-headed warriors from the Second Challenge in the water pit. They were both big men, Lily saw, but not as big as Hades’s dog-helmeted bodyguard who, as always, loomed behind his master.
Lily watched the four kings curiously.
All were stately-looking men of about sixty. They all seemed sharp-eyed and obviously healthy; they looked after themselves. In fact, as Lily looked at them more closely, she felt they resembled modern chief executives more than ancient royal lords.
Taking pride of place in the middle of the five tables was an altar on which sat the two Golden Spheres that had been the focus of the Second and Third Challenges.
Seeing them up close for the first time, Lily was dazzled.
They were exquisite.
Each was the size of a volleyball and they glowed with an ethereal lustre that came from somewhere deep within them.
Then Lily noticed their outer surfaces and she gasped.
Each Golden Sphere depicted the surface of the Earth and the outlines of the continents. The shorelines of the continents were not quite right, as if they depicted the world from another, earlier age.
These were not just gold spheres, they were gold globes.
‘What exactly are these things?’ Lily asked Iolanthe.
‘They are very ancient,’ Iolanthe said. ‘They have always been kept in a sacred vault here in the Underworld, a vault that only opens when the Star Chamber opens.’
‘What are they made of?’
‘In previous eras, they were simply believed to be possessed of the power of the gods,’ Iolanthe said. ‘But as man has advanced in knowledge an
d wisdom, he has found less need for divine explanations.
‘The current Lord Hades is a wise and curious man. When the vault opened a little over a month ago, he conducted some experiments on the spheres. He found that they are made of a variety of quartz not found on Earth.
‘Quartz is a very peculiar substance. It has conductive properties: it can store vibrations and resonances, kind of like a natural hard drive. Lord Hades told me that each of those golden globes pulses with an inner energy on wavelengths unseen anywhere in nature or in modern electromagnetic science.’
‘An inner energy?’
‘Whatever it is, the fate of humankind depends on it,’ Iolanthe said. ‘For it is the placement of these spheres that will divert the incoming Hydra Galaxy.’
There was one other extra guest at Lily’s table, the winner of the Third Challenge: the SAS commando, Major Gregory Brigham.
As the winner of the most recent challenge, he ate at the banquet as his king’s esteemed guest.
And as she sat there surrounded by these bejewelled women and powerful men, these shadow-rulers of the world, Lily just shook her head.
She would have preferred to eat a hamburger with Jack any day of the week.
Just then, some music played and Hades’s pint-sized jester bounded out onto a stage accompanied by a minotaur. Dressed in his red devil’s suit, he mugged and danced jauntily.
The crowd of royals laughed.
‘Ah, Mephisto,’ someone near Lily sighed.
Lily now got a better look at the jester and what she saw frightened her.
The skin on his face was red, but this had not been achieved through make-up. It was tattooed red. And a pair of triangular bones had been surgically implanted beneath the skin of his forehead, to create very realistic-looking horns. Most frightening of all, though, were the little man’s teeth: they had all been filed to sharpened points.
This was not a children’s clown. Everything about Mephisto was cruel, nasty, perhaps even demonic.
The Four Legendary Kingdoms Page 11