Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle (29 page)

A
fter several minutes of walking, the pain throbbing in Septimus's head intensified.

Well, Septimus?
said Corax.
Can this boy Somes be relied upon?

I believe he and I have much in common
, Septimus replied.

Good. Then I have no need for either of the girls.

Surely you're not asking me to—

Oh, you cowardly fool, you're no more capable of killing anyone than you are of keeping your promises. Since our little group is so fond of riddles, my gatekeeper shall complete
that
task. Listen carefully to my directions.…

It was a surprise to everybody when Septimus pointed out a doorway that was barely noticeable in the wall of the staircase.

“As I recall, we must make a turn here,” he told the children.

“But you said we had to walk all the way to the bottom,” said Gabriel. “I remember.”

“Did I? I don't believe so.” Septimus laughed, but his smile wilted under Abby's intense scrutiny. “What is it, young lady?”

“You change your mind faster than a chameleon changes its colors.”

Septimus attempted another laugh. “Look, it doesn't matter what I said before. You asked me to help you find the way. This is it!”

“Is your nose getting longer?” Abby replied.

Septimus directed them through the doorway with one of his graceful gestures.

They entered a long hall of stone. Several torches flickered, casting little pools of light along the floor. On the walls were carvings of human armies in battle against great flocks of black birds with glowing eyes. The faces of the soldiers and birds were fearsome and sharply drawn.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Pamela, putting her violin away. “What about you, Somes?”

Somes shrugged toward Gabriel. “He's the leader.”

“I can assure everyone that this is the correct path,” Septimus said.

What's wrong, Gabriel?
Paladin asked, sensing Gabriel's doubts.

I'm not sure
, Gabriel replied.
But back on the staircase, I had a hunch that my father went that way, too. I felt something close and familiar about it.
He looked around doubtfully.
Not here. He never came this way. I'm positive.

Paladin gripped Gabriel's shoulder.
I have an idea. I'll continue down the staircase and see where it leads.

Gabriel stroked Paladin for a moment.
Thank you.

We're going to find your father, Gabriel. Don't worry.

You'll look out for valravens, right?
Gabriel said.

Of course
, Paladin replied.
I've dealt with eagles, I can manage any old valraven.

As the raven left Gabriel's shoulder and disappeared into the darkness, Septimus shook his head. “On his way back home, eh? Scared, I suppose.”

“No more scared than you,” said Gabriel. “Now let's go.”

The hall zigzagged a few times. At every corner, the children expected to arrive somewhere, but each turn revealed another long corridor.

Eventually, however, they found a large room paved with flagstones. There was an arched doorway with a portcullis—a heavy gate that could be raised and lowered with a chain. A bird could easily slip through the gate, but it would be impossible for a person.

Guarding the portcullis was a very large valraven. It sat upon an iron perch, its eyes glowing at the group with faint amusement. The curve of its beak was impudent and harsh, and it spoke through a clog of saliva that dribbled from the corners of its mouth.

“None may enter Aviopolis, domain of the Lord of Air and Darkness,” said the valraven, “until they answer a riddle!”

Abby's face lit up. “Cool!”

Somes turned to her with disbelief. “A riddle?” he groaned. “Are you serious?”

“Answer or perish,” the valraven said.

Septimus gave Somes another jovial squeeze on the shoulder. “I know how you feel, lad. It doesn't seem fair, does it?” He pitched a glance at Abby and Gabriel. “Especially when
some people
have an unfair advantage.”

Septimus approached the valraven. “Look here …” He paused, shot the others a fake smile, then resumed in an urgent whisper. “I happen to be as
loyal
to his Lordship as you. So, between you and me, surely you could grant a favor.”

“Certainly. You may go first, Septimus Geiger!”

This wasn't what Septimus had in mind at all. He rubbed his scorched neck, then proceeded to scratch all over his scalp in a fit of anxiety.

The valraven spoke the first riddle in a dry, unamused tone:

As Septimus muttered the riddle to himself, Gabriel tried to solve it.
I travel to earth with the greatest of ease … on a northerly breeze. It must be something that falls through the sky—either rain or snow
, he thought.
Quickly I die in the bright warming sun. Definitely snowflakes.

Hoping the answer would just spring into his mouth, Septimus offered a string of answers. “Airplanes? Acorns?
Clouds? Raisins? Popcorn? Soot! Screwdrivers? Bottle caps!” he cried frantically.

The valraven shook his head.

Gabriel thought it was odd that the ghoul permitted Septimus so many wrong guesses.

“Weeds? Berries? Buttons? Umbrellas? Tea leaves?… Snow!” cried the man, finally.

“Correct,” snapped the valraven. Raising one claw, he pulled a chain hanging beside the perch and the portcullis rose, letting Septimus pass. At once, the portcullis dropped, striking the stone floor with a deafening crash.

“Next!”

From the other side of the portcullis, Septimus gave Somes an enthusiastic nod. “Never fear, lad!”

Trembling from his knees to his fingertips, Somes looked at the others' concerned faces and felt terribly alone. They couldn't possibly understand how difficult this was for him.

“You can do it, Somes!” said Abby.

Her smile surprised him. Then Gabriel stepped forward and held the staff out.

“Take it,” he whispered. “It'll stop you from being scared. Just let your mind play with the riddle. It's only a game!”

Astonished, Somes took the staff in his hand. The valraven narrowed his eyes, then recited:

Somes immediately became aware of a comforting warmth in the staff. It tingled his fingertips, then worked its warmth along his arm and up into his shoulders. A soothing feeling he remembered from drinking hot chocolate, or eating toast with cinnamon and sugar. He felt better than he'd ever felt before.

Relaxing, Somes let his mind wander. What gifts had he received from his father? He couldn't think of very many. Then the answer came to him—so simple, so obvious, almost ridiculously obvious:

“It's my name.”

The bird hissed and reached for the chain. The portcullis rose and Somes joined Septimus on the other side.

“Well done,” Septimus whispered. “You showed them all. They probably didn't think you could do it. Now it's going to get interesting!” Septimus's eyes strayed down to the staff, but Somes clutched it tightly.

Abby stepped forward to face the valraven.

Pamela turned to Gabriel, worried. “Why is Abby's question so
hard
? Septimus had such an easy one, and so did Somes.”

Abby rubbed her spectacles, quivering with the excitement of a racehorse ready to burst from the starting gate.

“Okay,” she said. “You say it has four legs and a sturdy back and the lion runs from it? Hmm. I don't think it's an animal. What else has four legs? A table? But a table has no back!”

A drip of saliva stretched from the valraven's beak all the way to the ground. His meal stood before him, fussing with her eyeglasses.

Abby's brain, however, was whizzing along. “So,” she said. “What lies beneath a judge and jury? A floor? No. Must be something else. A chair! And a circus performer uses a chair to tame a lion! That's it! My answer is a
chair
!”

The vexed bird hissed with dismay and tugged the chain to the portcullis. As the gate rose, Abby sailed past it, sticking out her tongue. She uttered a contented sigh as she joined Septimus and Somes. “Well, that was a juicy riddle! I wish I got two!”

“Two?” repeated Septimus, dubiously.

Somes gave Abby an admiring glance.

Now it was Gabriel's turn.

This was hardly a riddle, thought Gabriel.
My grandfather is this mystery person's father. My father is the mystery person's brother. Each of us is a raven's amicus.
The answer was very obvious.
Why have I been given such an easy question when Abby's was so hard?
he wondered.

“Corax,” he answered.

The valraven didn't seem surprised. He pulled the chain raising the portcullis, and Gabriel looked back at Pamela. She was shaking like a leaf.

“Do what Somes did,” he said to her. “Let your mind play with the riddle.”

“Somes had the staff,” she reminded him, her lower lip trembling.

The portcullis slammed shut behind Gabriel. Pamela
stepped up toward the valraven, who beckoned with a voracious leer.

“Fa?” repeated Pamela, her voice faint.

Gabriel's heart sank. This was the most difficult riddle he had ever heard. He looked at Abby. She shook her head. “
Fa?
What does that even mean?” she said.

“I may sit on a scale, but I cannot be weighed?” repeated Pamela, bewildered.

The valraven shifted on his perch, running his black tongue hungrily along the edge of his beak, certain that at least one of the girls Corax wanted eliminated would be gone.

Gabriel pressed his head against the portcullis.

Pamela's eyes searched the chamber, as if the carvings on the walls might offer an answer. Her fingers were shaking so much that the violin case began to slide from her grasp.

Gaping with triumph, the valraven dribbled a streak of saliva down his breast. “No answer?”

“I—I—I …”

The bird raised his wings, preparing to strike.

The violin case struck the floor. As Pamela steadied it, a thought crossed her mind.

“Wait!”
She shook her head. “Wait. It's … it's a
musical
riddle.”

“Time's up!” snapped the valraven.

“Notes can't be weighed,” Pamela reasoned. “But they sit on a musical scale.
One step down I am flat, one step up I go fa.
Well, a
flat
musical note is a lower note, and if
fa
is the next note on the scale, do, re, mi, fa …” She smiled. “The note is
mi
!”

“Correct, but too late!” cried the ghoul.

Pamela shook her head. “It's not too late! Septimus took forever. He gave you a zillion answers before he got the right one.”

“Too late!”

The bird hovered above his perch, then lunged.

Suddenly, there was a
pop!
and a big shower of black feathers floated down to the flagstone floor.

Pamela found herself standing alone.

“What happened?” said Abby.

They turned and saw that Somes had pointed the staff through the portcullis and destroyed the raven. Nobody looked more astonished than Gabriel.

“Why didn't I think of that in the first place?” he muttered to Abby.

Abby shrugged. “I liked answering mine.”

“Pull the chain!” shouted Somes.

Pamela grabbed her violin case, pulled the chain, and slipped under the rising portcullis. She immediately threw her arms around Somes and gave him a tight hug.

“That was awesome!” she cried.

Somes blinked and hugged her back.

Septimus glared at him. “What possessed you to do that?”

“It was the right thing to do,” Somes replied.

Paladin's Pursuer