"Exactly. And the guards won’t give a second look at a simple belt. You just need to take it off when you get in, hand one end to one of your fellow—" she pauses, biting her tongue against using the word sacrifices. "One of your friends, then follow it back."
"And kill a ravenous monster."
"Well, yes."
"Do you really think this will stretch long enough for the whole maze?"
"I have a feeling it will be as long as it needs to be."
She has stepped closer to me. I want to put my arms around her, to pull her to me, and kiss her full lips. I reach my hand out, level with her waist. Just as I can feel her warmth, a bell starts clanging and I jump back as if I’ve set off an alarm. She looks at me. All the excitement of her discovery has been replaced with concern.
"It’s the call to the maze. You should get dressed." She indicates the long-sleeved tunic I've been provided.
"Why the long sleeves?" I ask, holding it up. It’s no longer than the standard knee-length tunic most men wear, but the sleeves will hang down over my wrists.
"For warmth. The maze is underground and quite chilly."
I laugh. I can’t help it. "If they're so concerned about our well-being they could just call an end to this madness."
Ariadne gives a wavering smile, then turns to leave.
"Stay with me," I say, surprising myself.
The priestess turns back, the smile, although still hovering on the edge of turning to tears, is warm and pleased. I quickly slip out of my usual tunic and into the new one. I instantly feel encumbered by the long sleeves. The sun is high and the spring day is already unseasonably warm. The beams coming in the window heat the room making the garment uncomfortably hot. Ariadne holds out the belt for me to take, but instead I step closer to her and raise my arms out to the side.
She grins and blushes, but does not hesitate to loop the length of the belt around my waist. She smells of roses and a little bit like fresh hay from her time in the bulls’ pens. It takes four loops to use up the belt’s new length from our testing it.
"It's not too tight, is it?" she asks, looking up at me.
"No," I say, a little breathless.
Once I'm fully encircled, she knots the ends together to hold the belt in place. When she is done she doesn’t back away. I wonder if I could ask for a kiss for luck and if that kiss could lead us to take advantage of the bed that practically begs me to pull her into it. I see her blush even more deeply as if she can read my thoughts. The bells clang again, calling me to my fate. She quickly leans forward, delivers a lingering kiss to my lips, then whispers, "Make it back."
I take her hand and we step out from my room together. I don't let go until we reach the foyer. It’s empty except for Pasiphae, Minos, Iolalus, and Odysseus. The other Athenians should be here. I wonder if they have already gone to the maze’s entrance, but then I notice the faces of my companions. Where I expect to see knowing grins at my entering with Ariadne, I see only angry concern. My neck hairs instantly bristle.
"What’s going on? Where are the other eleven?"
"The train has been delayed," Pasiphae says with more than a hint of amused gloating in her tone.
"Delayed? For how long?" I have no idea how long it will take me to find the minotaur in the maze, but I do know that even with the guideline Ariadne has provided, in the pitch dark I will be moving slowly, cautiously. I need all the time I can get.
"A runner from the train has said it should arrive by midday," she responds.
"So, we’ll go in tomorrow morning?" I ask hopefully.
"Today is the scheduled day. No exceptions."
"You have to let them rest," Odysseus blurts. "You can’t expect them to go straight from the train and into the maze."
"The others did," Minos says, his voice distant as if he’s replying to something mentioned long ago.
"Yes, the fact that Theseus has gotten a night’s rest before entering the maze is a breach of the rules. And the only one I will allow."
I swear I can feel the belt glowing, announcing its presence and importance under her stare. I fear she’ll rip it off, but she turns away to look at the mural on the far wall.
"Let me go in alone," I offer. After all, I intend to make the others wait in one spot while I search for the minotaur. Going in alone will be no different except for finding somewhere to tie off one end of the belt instead of having someone hold it.
Pasiphae looks over her bony shoulder. "Not part of the rules," she says languidly, then turns her attention back to the painting.
"Well, can we at least stop the clanging of those idiotic bells?" I shout and storm out of the room.
I immediately learn I’m not allowed to leave the palace—another of the rules that I swear are made up on the spur of the moment solely to annoy me. I stomp up to my room, my ridiculously long sleeves flapping as I go. I kick the table on which my breakfast still waits to be eaten. The plate smashes against the wall. Thick orange slime trails down from where the eggs hit. Iolalus and Odysseus knock on the door, but knowing I will only lash out at them, I don’t answer.
I have to calm myself. With the limited time I’ll have in the maze I’ll need to focus. I can’t do that if I’m fuming over this stupid councilwoman and her rules. It strikes me that Minos is not to blame, not entirely, anyway. He’s a pawn. This is all Pasiphae, either acting on behalf of the Council or Ares. When I volunteered to do this, I think I wanted to kill this monster just to show off. Now I want it dead to thwart her. I lay on the bed, forcing my mind to collect itself. It takes a while, but eventually the anger and annoyance that would distract me get locked away behind a door of determination to destroy Pasiphae’s plans.
Before I know it, the bells are clanging again, startling me from my meditation. I take a deep breath, feel a pang of guilt over the egg yolk that has dried onto the wall, and promise that I will scrub the wall myself once I kill the minotaur and escape the maze.
Again, I go down to the foyer. This time I join the group who will enter the maze with me. They are my age but somehow look younger. The long sleeves make them look small and scrawny, as if they’re children dressed up in their parents’ clothes. They’re sweaty and weary from the long train journey, but even if they weren’t, this clearly isn’t a group of fighters. I do not know them. I have only spent a few weeks of my entire life in Athenos. I should ask their names but worry that becoming familiar with them will cloud my mind with personal responsibility. As I learned in my vigile training, to keep a clear head I need to think of them as anonymous strangers. They look at me expectantly. They’re looking for a leader. I’m glad for that; it will make it far easier to get them to listen.
"I'm Theseus, son of your ruler, survivor of the Argoa, and vigile lieutenant. When we get in the maze you will obey my orders or you will get us all killed, and I have no intention of becoming minotaur food." And I would very much like to see Ariadne again. "Understood?"
They give an unenthusiastic and disorganized, "Yes, sir." One man has a peevish air, but none look ready to challenge me. I catch Ariadne’s eye and nod to indicate we’re ready. My little group and I follow her out of the palace to the entrance of the maze.
Odysseus and Iolalus are already there. They greet me with encouraging smiles, but before they can shake my hand, as Odysseus seems keen to do, a group of guards—Arean I assume from the decoration on their breastplates—cuts them off. Pasiphae makes her way from the palace with Minos in tow. I have to say, when I saw him for the first time, I was shocked by Minos’s appearance. I had always heard he was a big man. His belt certainly looks as if it were cut for a bigger girth. But with Pasiphae striding tall and confident before him, he looks like an old, bedraggled bull being goaded along by a stern master. Pasiphae and Minos step up to the raised platform. The smell of wood emanating from the planks tells me it must have been put up only recently.
Ariadne joins them. My heart leaps like a schoolboy at the memory of our kiss. I meet her eyes then force my
self to look away. I need to keep my head clear. I focus on Minos, his eyes are brimming with tears. This is not the monster everyone in Osteria thinks he is; this is a man beaten by the Council and I wonder what game he has lost.
"Athenians," Pasiphae says, addressing me and my companions, "you have been asked here today for the whims of this one man. We will now read the rules so all is clear."
The crowd murmurs at her choice of words. None of them look pleased about this. None look like they condone this. I glance from the crowd to Minos. Again, I wonder what’s truly going on here. His is not the face of a tyrant. Indeed, he looks like someone about to be ill. He looks defeated. Pasiphae on the other hand is haughty, triumphant, with the appearance of someone getting exactly what she wants. She expects us to believe Minos is planning an attack against the poli? I don’t think so. I think Pasiphae is gaining something from this. I have to tell Ariadne, or even Iolalus or Odysseus before I go in. That way if I don’t make it—
I halt that line of thought to listen to Pasiphae. The Minoans, who have heard these conditions several times already, shift and make sounds of derision. I hope to make this the last time they have to listen to this speech.
"First, you twelve will enter the maze here, the palace end. You will then pass through the maze to its terminus, the agora end, by sundown. If you make it to the agora, you are free, your time has been served. If any of you don’t make it, if even just one fails to get through, you will all remain in the maze."
A couple Athenians next to me whisper in fretful tones at this news. No doubt, like me, they were under the impression that if you got through, you survived regardless of what happened to the others. I turn to them. "That is why I need you to listen to my orders," I hiss at them. "I won't be stuck down there because one of you wants to play hero. Got it?" This time even Mr. Peevish doesn't hesitate to accept what I say.
"Are you done?" Pasiphae asks, an eyebrow arched in amusement. I nod. "Prior to entering, you will be inspected by these guards." She indicates the Areans flanking her. "If they find no weapons on you, you are qualified to enter the maze. Any weapons you do have, will be taken from you."
"And when they kill the minotaur?" Odysseus asks. "What then for Osteria?"
Pasiphae gives a derisive laugh, confirming what I suspected. She's certain none of us, not just my twelve, but no Osterian, will ever make it out of this death trap. But, like a true con artist, she plays her falter off.
"I was just getting to that. If you kill the minotaur, you have earned the right to exit at either end of the maze. However, the rule still applies that all twelve must be present. If any one of these twelve doesn’t survive, if a single one gets lost in the maze, or fails to reach either exit before sundown, you will all remain in the maze. I would have covered this, but I’d hate for them go in with false hope."
"No. You wouldn’t dare let them go in with anything that might give them a fighting chance," Ariadne says and I’m surprised Pasiphae doesn’t burst into flames right then and there under the burning hatred of Ariadne’s glare.
"Enough. Guards, inspect them."
The guards run their hands over each of us in turn. I would've liked my lifeline to be something more substantial than a thin belt, but when I see the guards remove the leather thong Mr. Peevish had been wearing—a belt no different from what any Athenian would wear—I’m thankful for Ariadne’s cleverness and whichever god’s favor I’ve been granted. The women’s belts are thin bands of braided yarn, no thicker than the chain I wear around my waist. These don’t draw the guard’s notice and remain in place. When my turn comes my gut churns with worry as the guard slips his hands over me. He thoroughly checks my arms and legs, especially the empty scabbard I wear out of habit at my calf. But he leaves it and moves up to my torso. He eyes the belt then runs a finger under it. One flick of the wrist and he could snap the chain and yank it from my waist.
But to my surprise he steps back and, with a grunt, tells me to step over to a heavy iron gate that opens onto a narrow, stone staircase. My sense of relief is short-lived as I stare down through the gate. It’s like looking into the mouth of an underground cave. I can see nothing, but a smell of dank moisture emanates from the maze’s entrance. Even with Minoa’s tall buildings and cooling fountains, the sun beating upon the palace hill has warmed the air, but a stale chill drifts up from the cavern. Goosebumps break out on my legs and I tell myself it’s only the maze’s coolness causing them.
A few other Athenians linger behind me at the entrance of the maze while we wait for the remaining victims to be inspected. I say nothing to them. I’m not being snobbish; I need to focus on myself in the maze, not on protecting them, and if I come to know them, if I come to like them, I will feel the need to keep them safe. Someone mutters something and someone else laughs, but it’s only the nervous laughter of false cheer.
Once we’re all together, I turn to them. I need them to be aware of my plan.
"When we get in, we’ll go down these stairs. Then, I need you to remain there. Understand? You are not to move from the stairs," I say with emphasis.
"No, you heard her. We have to get to the exit. We have to get out," Mr. Peevish says with a panicked whine.
"You will get out,” I say evenly, trying to give them a sense of calm that I don’t feel. “But I will kill the minotaur first. I need you to stay near this entrance so I don’t have to waste time looking for you when I’m done. We all need to get out and it will be much easier to simply walk out this gate again than to try to find the exit at the agora end."
A somber looking woman nods. Something in her long, tranquil face speaks of an authoritative calm. I can tell she’s one with a level head who can make people listen without raising her voice. She’s the one I’ll leave in charge of the group. I need someone reasonable, someone who won’t panic, someone who will stay put and hold one end of the belt. It will do me no good to leave my lifeline with someone like Mr. Peevish who might scurry into the depths of the maze at the sound of a pebble dropping.
"What’s your name?" I whisper.
"Agata, sir."
"I’m going to need your help. Can you keep a level head?"
She nods. "I work as an emergency medic. It’s my job to keep a level head." Her eyes carry a small flicker of pride.
Minos steps before us. He appears ready to speak, but when his eyes scan the eleven behind me, emotion grips tight to his throat and he cannot form the words he wants to say. His mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air. Pasiphae steps forward, pushing him out of the way.
"I do sincerely hope the gods are on your side today. You are aware of the rules. I hope to see you soon." Not a single syllable the councilwoman speaks sounds sincere.
Odysseus and Iolalus step around her. She looks about ready to say something, but Odysseus cuts her off.
"I heard no rule against saying goodbye."
He reaches to take me by the arm much like couples do when they’re having the marriage cloth wound around them. As he does so, his hand deftly slips up my long sleeve. When he grasps my forearm, it’s not his hand I feel but an object I recognize instantly. Trying to control my surprise, I meet his warm blue eyes that, even in the most serious situation, always look as though he’s holding back some secret joke. He pulls me into a hug and whispers.
"For once I’ve taken the time to sharpen it. Make good use of the thing. And you better bring it back."
There’s no way we would have gotten away with the exchange if I was dressed in my usual vigile tunic with its short sleeves, but the long-sleeved tunic the Council insists its victims wear covers my forearm well enough to ease the dagger up and hide it from view. I just have to hope no one else tries to grab my hand. It’s not Owl, which I have placed in Iolalus’s care, but it will suffice to slit the minotaur’s throat if I can get close enough to him.
Once he’s sure I have hold of the weapon, Odysseus lets me go, gives a nod, and is replaced by Iolalus. The Solon pulls me into a hug and wish
es me well. I mentally urge him to say he’ll see me in a few moments. He may deny he has the sight, but he does seem to know things, and words of a future meeting would be a great comfort right now. When he says nothing but a warm goodbye, a speck of my confidence crumbles away.
"Pasiphae is responsible for this, not Minos," I say before we let go. When we step apart our eyes meet. He gives a single nod of his head and I know he’s had similar thoughts.
"Are you ready now?" Pasiphae says irritably. A cry that’s a mix of a bull’s bellow and lion’s roar comes from the depths of the maze. My stomach clenches, but I force my face to remain impassive. I give one glance back to the eleven behind me. Many faces have blanched, but Agata still looks strong and unwavering. I congratulate myself on a good choice for my second-in-command.
I look to Ariadne. She’s not crying but I can see tears hovering on the edge of her lashes. I give what I hope is a brave smile then look away before I lose my resolve.
"It’s getting hot out here," I say directly to Pasiphae. There’s no way I will let her see that Iolalus’s silence or Ariadne’s tears have shaken me. "Let us in so we can cool down."
Pasiphae’s upper lip wrinkles in annoyance. She snaps her fingers and a guard swings the iron gate open. I don’t hesitate to pass through it and begin the long march down the stairs into the depths of the maze. I’m thankful the steps have been built evenly because the light from the entrance quickly fades to utter darkness. One riser too tall or one runner too shallow would have me tripping and breaking my neck before I ever got a chance to slay this menacing beast. When I’ve counted twenty-six steps, the cavern fills with the clang of the iron gate being shut and a heavy clank as a bolt locks into place. We have all made it through without incident. I’m proud that no one tried to run like one of the Tillaceans did and continue my descent into the maze.
At the bottom of the stairs, I step aside to make room for my companions and to tuck Odysseus’s dagger into the empty sheath at my calf. I then remove the belt. My hands tremble as I fumble with the knot Ariadne has made. I want to hurry, but I tell myself if I do I could make the knot worse. As my fingers tease the ends loose, someone brushes by me, bumping my shoulder. I’m thankful the belt isn’t loose yet otherwise the jarring might have knocked the guideline from my hand. I shoot out a hand and grab at whoever it is. When my fingers dig into his arm, he lets out a yelp that sounds very much like my very own Mr. Peevish.
The Maze of Minos Page 18