The Last Oracle (51 page)

“Leave now or the child will be gone!” Jeremiah said as he hung Genni by her blanket over the river.

Nodding at Mani, Alex said, “It’s all right Doc, you had better go. Get Lita and the rest of the oracles out of here.”

Mani glanced at his wife as she recovered and then led the other oracle-filled gondolas out of Delos.

Caleb, Alex, and Paolo all started to move in slowly on Jeremiah, who took a few more steps toward the river. “You think I will not release this child? I am the brother of Cronus—the father who swallowed his children. Believe
me, I have no sentimentality when it comes to offspring!”

Alex glanced at his daughter and her tiny pink hat fell into the river. He heard Cerberus begin to growl and then Genni turned to look at Alex. The expression of love in the infant’s eyes took his breath away and he knew he would die to save her.

Alex, Paolo, and Caleb surrounded Jeremiah.

“There is no reason to harm Genni,” Alex pleaded. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want. Please don’t harm her!”

“You and that foolish girl.” Jeremiah narrowed his eyes in disgust. 

Alex took a step toward him. “All right, Jeremiah. What do you want?”

“I want to hear Cerberus tear your limbs off. I want to know that the rest of your days will be spent in Tarturus!”

Nodding, Alex said, “All right. Just hand Genni to Shinsu.”

Jeremiah dropped the infant for an instant and then caught her by a piece of blanket.

“Alright!
Alright! I’ll get on Charon’s boat. Okay?” Alex walked toward the ferry.

“No!
In the water!”

Alex raised his arms. “Alright, Jeremiah,” he said as he crawled into the river and held on to the edge. “I’m here...now, give Genni to Shinsu.”

“Shinsu—we’ll wait for you!” Camille called from the last gondola.

With a ravenous look, Jeremiah suddenly tossed Genni down the river toward Cerberus as he began to laugh. 

The cries of the oracles could be heard as the infant flew through the air and then landed downstream in the river. Alex had already released the river’s edge and was swimming with all of his might to reach the child. Finally he reached her and pulled her out from under the water. She drew a breath, calmly as he held her in his arms. Alex’s face flooded with relief,  although the current was swiftly carrying them both toward hell and into the darkness.

As Jeremiah watched with glee, Caleb said, “I have something I’ve been waiting a long time to give back to you!”

Suddenly, out of the River Styx, came a wailing sound and a wavy dagger flew out of the river and into Caleb’s hands. As it landed, it lit with Caleb’s electricity into a brilliant blazing white.

Erebos approached from the shadows and swung his double-sided axe at Caleb. Caleb ducked and jumped and then the dagger and the double-sided axe struck. There was a sizzling sound and Erebos dropped his axe. His eyes widened as he glanced at his scorched hands and then down at his double-sided axe.

“You’d better leave or I’ll slice you in two!” Caleb said.

Erebos began to back toward the river as Paolo stepped in. “Not so fast!” Paolo swung at Erebos, knocking him down with every punch. 

Caleb swung the blade above his head, like a samurai, as his eyes focused on Jeremiah.

Jeremiah’s eyes filled with disdain. “I am immortal—as is Erebos! Do you honestly believe you can threaten me with that?”

“I may not be able to kill you. But I can send you to Hades and I doubt he’ll release you this time,” Caleb lowered the dagger and plunged it into Jeremiah’s chest, causing Jeremiah to glow with the electrical jolt.

Charon’s ferry began moving down the river. Alex continued to kick toward the edge but he was being pulled too fast toward Cerberus. He prayed that he could get Genni onto the ledge before they were in complete darkness. As the ferry passed Alex, Daphne watched sadly.

The wake from the boat pushed Alex to the opposite side of the river. He grabbed onto the slick edge as Shinsu arrived.

Shinsu unwound her long, silk scarf and tossed it to Alex. He grabbed it and pushed off, hearing the threats of Cerberus’s growls.

Clinging to Genni and the scarf, Alex slowly worked his way across the river. Finally Shinsu put the wrap under her foot and reached for the child. As she secured Genni in her arms, Alex moved his free hand to the slick limestone.

“Get Genni out of here! Caleb says something is about to happen. I don’t know what it’s about but...”

Nodding, Shinsu hurried to the waiting gondola on the other side of the island.

Paolo had beaten Erebos to a pulp and finally Erebos frantically dove into the river and swam past Alex.

Just then, the dagger began to lose its glow and Caleb pulled it from Jeremiah and flung it deep into the cave past Charon. There was the sound of a yelp from Cerberus and Caleb laughed.

As Jeremiah stood on the edge of the river, dazed and confused, Paolo moved toward him and smiled coldly. “Now, it is my turn!”

Raising his arms in defense, Jeremiah said, “I have always tried to protect you! That woman, Cassandra—” Before Jeremiah could finish, Paolo’s fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him powerfully along the edge of the river. Jeremiah groaned and too weak from the shock he laid there. Paolo went to him, and lifted him again.

“That one was for Genni and this one is for Valeria
..she goes by Valeria now!” The force of the hit launched Jeremiah into the river. 

Paolo shook his head, enraged. “You don’t get off that easily!”  Paolo dove into the river, continuing to beat a now terrified Jeremiah.

Cerberus’s growls grew louder as Jeremiah and Paolo drifted past Alex.

“Paolo!”
Alex yelled, in an attempt to alert the man that had been his brother and his friend to the impending doom. Cerberus growled hungrily as Paolo disappeared into the darkness and Alex was stunned at the sudden loss that he felt.

Strolling casually down the ledge, Caleb looked quite pleased with
himself and seemed completely unaware of the tragedies that were unfolding.

“Caleb, you need to go with Shinsu and Camille!” Alex shouted.

With a casual glance back at the gondola, Caleb said, “Shinsu doesn’t want to go.”

“What?”

“Well, we were talking and we decided that it would be best if this place wasn’t here anymore. Seems like it’s causing more problems than it’s helping and Val agrees. Besides, Shinsu wants to be with Myrdd and if she leaves then there really isn’t a third triumvirate anymore.”

Alex’s fingers slipped on the limestone.

“Caleb...I can’t hang on. You need to leave, now!”

“We all
gotta leave.”

Down the river they could hear the sounds of Cerberus and the crunching of bones and cries of men being eaten alive. Alex couldn’t stand it and yet he knew that was his fate.

“What happens next, Caleb?” Alex said as he treaded water and clung to the slick wall.

The boy’s eyes widened with excitement. “Um...well, the next thing is a really cool flood...more like a giant wave—you
know, a tsunami! The first one’s kind of like a warning. The second one—”

“
Camille—
get Genni out of here!” Alex shouted and with that he lost his grip on the limestone and began to flow down the river. “Caleb! You need to go with Camille!”

“Don’t worry, I made sure
Genni’s safe!” Caleb shouted.

Suddenly, he was surrounded by blackness with the warm current and the frightening sound of flesh being torn. He thought of Paolo and the thought made him sick. Soon enough he would be there. He heard Cerberus distracted by the scent of him and gave into the inevitable. The womb-like sensation calmed him as he plummeted toward hell and he wondered momentarily if the river had been designed to lull one into a false sense of security. It would all be over in a moment, he thought...all of his dreams of a life with his love. After 3,000 years this was how it would end. He only prayed that someday he might be with his love in the Elysian Fields.

Then he heard a loud rumbling from the bowels of the earth. Alex heard Cerberus whine and then Caleb shouted excitedly, “Here it comes!”

There was a shuddering of the land and then he felt the strength of the current stop and suddenly he was headed the opposite direction, back toward Delos. With the new current, Alex fought to keep his head above water. Shinsu stood in the middle of the island as walls of water moved around her and somehow avoided her. Then Alex felt himself pulled back toward the underworld and was again cast into darkness. This time he was moving much faster than before. Alex struggled for breaths and to find something to hold on to, but he was roughly bounced against the cave edges and then he felt something near him.

He heard the woman’s familiar British accent in the darkness. “Alex! I see you! Reach to your right. My arm is there...”

“Daph?”
Alex said in shock.

“I’m right here—I can pull you in. I’m strong enough. Trust me!” she said.

And in a moment he was on the ledge in the dark as Daphne’s arms went around his chest. He relaxed for a moment in relief, catching his breath. Alex knew he should move out of her arms. But emotional exhaustion took over and he couldn’t seem to budge.

Finally he said, “I’m...sorry about Paolo.” Although he couldn’t see her, he felt her nod as she brushed her hand over his chest and kissed the side of his neck.

“Daph,” he said softly. “Please don’t...”

“Just once I just wanted to feel you in my arms,” she said. “I’ll...behave now.”

Her hands took his and he was surprised how small they were. He squeezed them gently. “Thanks. Other than...well, you know—you’ve been a good friend.”

“Have I?” she asked and then swallowed. “There’s another wave coming. This one’s much larger.”

He heard the deep rumbling from the bowels of the earth and this time Cerberus began to howl. Quickly, the rumbling escalated and the cave began to shudder.

“Will I see you again?” he asked.

Daphne shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said.

In an instant, the shuddering became a thundering roar. Alex felt himself pulled back into the water and away from Daphne and then the wave hit.

He felt his body pummeled along rocks—uncertain if it was the top, base, or side of the caves. Then in the darkness, he prayed for those moments of cool air on his face when he could catch his breath and work to shield his head from the rocks.

Suddenly, the temperature of the water dropped from bathwater warm to chilling cold. At that moment, he knew that he was no longer in Delos but in the cave that might take him out to the sea...or trap him deep inside the earth forever.

As he slammed against a rock he felt the slimy algae of the rope and grasped frantically for it. He worked against the current that yanked his body around and finally wrapped his arms around it. Then he waited for a change in current and wrapped his legs around the rope, although by doing so he was underwater. He wondered if the tunnel had filled completely with water or if there might be a moment when he could breathe. His prayers were answered and the tide rolled out.

He breathed and his arms and legs shook uncontrollably. Then he saw a flickering of light and saw Shinsu’s tiny frame at the entrance to Delos. She had a peaceful expression on her face as she lifted her hand as if to say goodbye and then he heard the low rumble and knew that the adamantine gates were closing forever and again he was cast into blackness.

As he inched himself along on the rope occasionally rising to search for air pockets on the outflow of water he could hear the thunder exploding outside the cave. The louder the thunder was, the closer he knew he was to the exit. As the water came back in he clung to the rope with his arms and legs and prayed that Caleb had gotten free. Then he thought of his love and he wondered where they would be reunited. Would she be at Morgana waiting for him? The dreaded image of her lifeless body on their bed came back to him and he shook his head, refusing that image.

Suddenly he heard Hades warning, “Don’t look back.” He wouldn’t! He would wait until he was safely ashore...then he remembered the image of Shinsu closing the adamantine gate for the last time. With horror, Alex realized that he had looked back into Delos and suddenly a sick dread crept over him.
That didn’t count!
That wasn’t looking back—that was only because he was disoriented, he justified. But the thought refused to leave him.

After nearly an hour of working his way through the powerful currents and clinging to the rope during the ingress of water, Alex finally saw the reflection of a flash of lightning followed by earth-shattering thunder and briefly saw the white foam—he was at the entrance. The water had been warmed by the River Styx, preventing hypothermia
.. Out in the sea, it would most certainly would be a problem.

He remembered swimming out with Valeria nearly a year before and the feeling of her alive and in his arms was nearly an overwhelming thought. He waited for the outflow of water and dove down near the bottom of the cave and prayed that he was still heading in the right direction—remembering that the waves could wash him to the center of the earth and he would never find his way out again. Without the night vision goggles that he had used the previous attempt, he had no way of knowing if he was headed in the right direction. He prayed that his friends, his family and his daughter had survived somehow. Then he wondered if all of this had been for nothing? If he didn’t make it, no one in the family would come looking for him as they would assume he was permanently locked in the underworld.