said Dan."It's
D3, the last door. Dan, I think we found him. We found NRR."128"We've discovered a
lot more than that. I think we just found some sort of old stronghold."Amy walked out
of the elevator and Dan followed until they stood before a door of iron and wood with
an ancient set of dials set into its surface. There was only one problem. The writing on
the dials was in Russian."Give me the guidebook," said Amy. Dan unzipped the
backpack and handed the book to Amy. She thumbed through the pages, trying to
remember...."Here! This is it. It's zero to ten written out in Russian and English."Dan
leaned over and glanced at the page. The passage was dimly lit at best, but he could
see the strange Russian letters."Are we sure about this?" asked Dan.Everything about
their Russian journey had smelled like a trap, and now they'd entered some sort of
secret lair from which they might not be able to escape. But none of that mattered to
Amy, and she was pretty sure it didn't matter to Dan, either. Come alone, as your
parents did. The words thrummed in her mind, driving her forward."What if Mom and
Dad were here?" she whispered. "They could have stood right here, trying to figure this
out. It's like they're calling us."Dan nodded."That's exactly how I feel," he said. "You want to do the honors?" asked Amy.129"You bet I do," said Dan. He scanned the list
for a few seconds and went to work on the dials."Four ... Five ... One ... Zero ...
Two."When the last dial was turned, the lock clicked open and the door slid back on its
hinges with a grinding sound of old metal. A female voice echoed quietly from behind
the door."Come in. I have been expecting you."130CHAPTER 13"This place gives me
the serious creeps," Dan whispered."You're not k-k-kidding," stammered Amy. No one
was waiting for them. They'd entered a small, round room with an elaborate painting
that covered all the walls and the domed ceiling. There were no doors except the one
that had closed behind them."Where'd she go?" asked Dan. "And how the heck are we
getting out of here?"Amy shrugged her shoulders nervously, gazing at the intricately
painted walls around her."It looks like something Michelangelo would have
done.""Hey!" said Dan. "I know some of these people. That's Ben Franklin!"Sure
enough, the bespectacled figure was towering over their heads, holding the string for a
kite and smiling into the sky."And I'm pretty sure that's Napoleon. He's definitely small
enough," said Amy.131"That's gotta be Churchill," said Dan, spying a round man
making the V sign."Dan," said Amy, her eyes huge in her face. "They're all Lucians.
Every one of them."Dan's stomach sank. It could only mean one thing. "We're in a
Lucian stronghold," he whispered."Bad," said Amy. "Very bad! Let's get out of
here!"She ran her hands frantically over the great surface of the door, searching for a
latch or a dial that would set them free."Come on, Dan!"There was a fast sliding sound
from one of the walls, and Dan turned around to see that a panel on the far wall had
opened. The painted form of Sir Isaac Newton stood next to the door and seemed to
beckon them forward.The voice returned, confident and smooth as silk."There is no
need to be afraid. Follow the lights. Quickly now, before you're caught!"A runway of
lights directed them down an endless hall, just as they had upstairs. These lights were
orange, not white as the others had been, and they seemed to go on forever."Follow
the lights until you reach the twelfth door on the left. And hurry! These halls never stay
empty for long.""The voice must be coming from a speaker in this room," said Amy.
"She's not in here."132Dan and Amy took one last look at each other and nodded. They
had no choice. Not two steps in, the panel slid shut and it was more dark than
light."How many doors is that?" said Dan, trying to figure out just how imprisoned
they'd become. "We're never getting out of here."They counted the doors until
D3, the last door. Dan, I think we found him. We found NRR."128"We've discovered a
lot more than that. I think we just found some sort of old stronghold."Amy walked out
of the elevator and Dan followed until they stood before a door of iron and wood with
an ancient set of dials set into its surface. There was only one problem. The writing on
the dials was in Russian."Give me the guidebook," said Amy. Dan unzipped the
backpack and handed the book to Amy. She thumbed through the pages, trying to
remember...."Here! This is it. It's zero to ten written out in Russian and English."Dan
leaned over and glanced at the page. The passage was dimly lit at best, but he could
see the strange Russian letters."Are we sure about this?" asked Dan.Everything about
their Russian journey had smelled like a trap, and now they'd entered some sort of
secret lair from which they might not be able to escape. But none of that mattered to
Amy, and she was pretty sure it didn't matter to Dan, either. Come alone, as your
parents did. The words thrummed in her mind, driving her forward."What if Mom and
Dad were here?" she whispered. "They could have stood right here, trying to figure this
out. It's like they're calling us."Dan nodded."That's exactly how I feel," he said. "You want to do the honors?" asked Amy.129"You bet I do," said Dan. He scanned the list
for a few seconds and went to work on the dials."Four ... Five ... One ... Zero ...
Two."When the last dial was turned, the lock clicked open and the door slid back on its
hinges with a grinding sound of old metal. A female voice echoed quietly from behind
the door."Come in. I have been expecting you."130CHAPTER 13"This place gives me
the serious creeps," Dan whispered."You're not k-k-kidding," stammered Amy. No one
was waiting for them. They'd entered a small, round room with an elaborate painting
that covered all the walls and the domed ceiling. There were no doors except the one
that had closed behind them."Where'd she go?" asked Dan. "And how the heck are we
getting out of here?"Amy shrugged her shoulders nervously, gazing at the intricately
painted walls around her."It looks like something Michelangelo would have
done.""Hey!" said Dan. "I know some of these people. That's Ben Franklin!"Sure
enough, the bespectacled figure was towering over their heads, holding the string for a
kite and smiling into the sky."And I'm pretty sure that's Napoleon. He's definitely small
enough," said Amy.131"That's gotta be Churchill," said Dan, spying a round man
making the V sign."Dan," said Amy, her eyes huge in her face. "They're all Lucians.
Every one of them."Dan's stomach sank. It could only mean one thing. "We're in a
Lucian stronghold," he whispered."Bad," said Amy. "Very bad! Let's get out of
here!"She ran her hands frantically over the great surface of the door, searching for a
latch or a dial that would set them free."Come on, Dan!"There was a fast sliding sound
from one of the walls, and Dan turned around to see that a panel on the far wall had
opened. The painted form of Sir Isaac Newton stood next to the door and seemed to
beckon them forward.The voice returned, confident and smooth as silk."There is no
need to be afraid. Follow the lights. Quickly now, before you're caught!"A runway of
lights directed them down an endless hall, just as they had upstairs. These lights were
orange, not white as the others had been, and they seemed to go on forever."Follow
the lights until you reach the twelfth door on the left. And hurry! These halls never stay
empty for long.""The voice must be coming from a speaker in this room," said Amy.
"She's not in here."132Dan and Amy took one last look at each other and nodded. They
had no choice. Not two steps in, the panel slid shut and it was more dark than
light."How many doors is that?" said Dan, trying to figure out just how imprisoned
they'd become. "We're never getting out of here."They counted the doors until
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