made no sound; it only stared reproachfully at the big youth, as if everything that had happened to it was somehow Homer’s fault. Then slowly it opened its mouth.
Homer lifted the skull to his ear, ignoring the left eyebrow that finally slipped onto the floor, and everyone heard a faint rattling sound.
“What’s that?” Pandy asked Alcie.
“Apricots, I don’t know.”
Iole remembered the piece of splintered wood that flew into the corpse’s mouth. Now it was trapped inside the skull and it reminded her of a toy she’d played with as a child. Now, watching this afflicted thing try to speak, it was no longer amusing.
Homer and the skull began talking heatedly, with Homer every so often looking off to his left and furrowing his brow. Pandy knew it would be foolish to interrupt. She leaned against a bone pile while Alcie and Iole plopped on the ground. Dido wouldn’t leave Pandy’s side, refusing even to sit down.
Finally, Homer set the skull back on the bone pile.
“Come on,” he said, moving quickly past the girls, “and bring your water-skins.”
“Wait!” said Alcie. “We have to find them first!”
“Well, hurry,” Homer said. “He doesn’t have much time.”
Several minutes later the girls met on the spot where Pandy had first landed, each carrying their water-skins.
“Homer?” called Pandy.
“Over here,” came the reply. His huge arm waved a large burning torch, leading them toward the place where the golden pole had once stood.
Picking their way through the rubble, the girls met Homer, peering down into a well-defined pile of ashes.
“What are we looking for?” asked Pandy.
“Jewels,” Homer replied. “A ruby and a sapphire. They should have landed right on top of his bones.”
“They did . . . at least I think they did,” Pandy said, remembering the dripping gold ring. “I watched them fall.”
“Here,” said Iole. Stooping, her fingers stretched toward a bright red stone. “I found the ruby.”
“No!” Homer cried. “Don’t touch it! It’s cursed.”
“Okay,” said Alcie. “So what now?”
“Now we each take just a little bit of the ashes around it. We mix them with water and we drink it.”
After a long moment, Alcie was the first to speak.
“You’re one funny youth.”
“I’m not joking. Habib—the corpse—assures me that this will work.”
“What will work?” said Alcie.
“Can we at least know why?” said Pandy.
“I’ll explain it later. Just trust me, okay? Since you guys don’t know exactly where you’re going to go on this quest, this might be useful. If it doesn’t work, no big deal.”
“Except I’ll basically be a cannibal,” said Alcie.
“Okay, fine,” said Pandy finally, filling her little silver drinking cup with a small amount of water from her water-skin.
Iole and Alcie did the same and Homer, careful not to touch the ruby or the sapphire (once he found it), scooped up a tiny amount of ashes and dropped them into each girl’s cup. After swirling it around, looking at each other like they were crazy, they each took a sip.
“Drink it all,” said Homer.
Iole began to choke as she finished off her cup. Pandy felt as if she were going to bring it all back up again. Alcie stomped her feet in order to get her mixture down.
“Absolute nectar!” she said. “Am I right? Oh . . . oh no . . . great Zeus . . .”
Suddenly Alcie pitched forward and stumbled, landing right next to Pandy’s feet and Iole, already lying on the ground. Pandy was barely able to watch Homer filling a cup with water and ashes. Then she too moaned and fell to the ground.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Tale of Habib
6:23 p.m.
Millions of small lightning bolts were going off in Pandy’s brain, completely blinding her. She was dizzy right up to the point of fainting, but never quite blacking out, as a sizzling sound grew louder in her ears. She rolled on the floor, unsure which way was up. Standing was out of the question—she felt as if her
Homer lifted the skull to his ear, ignoring the left eyebrow that finally slipped onto the floor, and everyone heard a faint rattling sound.
“What’s that?” Pandy asked Alcie.
“Apricots, I don’t know.”
Iole remembered the piece of splintered wood that flew into the corpse’s mouth. Now it was trapped inside the skull and it reminded her of a toy she’d played with as a child. Now, watching this afflicted thing try to speak, it was no longer amusing.
Homer and the skull began talking heatedly, with Homer every so often looking off to his left and furrowing his brow. Pandy knew it would be foolish to interrupt. She leaned against a bone pile while Alcie and Iole plopped on the ground. Dido wouldn’t leave Pandy’s side, refusing even to sit down.
Finally, Homer set the skull back on the bone pile.
“Come on,” he said, moving quickly past the girls, “and bring your water-skins.”
“Wait!” said Alcie. “We have to find them first!”
“Well, hurry,” Homer said. “He doesn’t have much time.”
Several minutes later the girls met on the spot where Pandy had first landed, each carrying their water-skins.
“Homer?” called Pandy.
“Over here,” came the reply. His huge arm waved a large burning torch, leading them toward the place where the golden pole had once stood.
Picking their way through the rubble, the girls met Homer, peering down into a well-defined pile of ashes.
“What are we looking for?” asked Pandy.
“Jewels,” Homer replied. “A ruby and a sapphire. They should have landed right on top of his bones.”
“They did . . . at least I think they did,” Pandy said, remembering the dripping gold ring. “I watched them fall.”
“Here,” said Iole. Stooping, her fingers stretched toward a bright red stone. “I found the ruby.”
“No!” Homer cried. “Don’t touch it! It’s cursed.”
“Okay,” said Alcie. “So what now?”
“Now we each take just a little bit of the ashes around it. We mix them with water and we drink it.”
After a long moment, Alcie was the first to speak.
“You’re one funny youth.”
“I’m not joking. Habib—the corpse—assures me that this will work.”
“What will work?” said Alcie.
“Can we at least know why?” said Pandy.
“I’ll explain it later. Just trust me, okay? Since you guys don’t know exactly where you’re going to go on this quest, this might be useful. If it doesn’t work, no big deal.”
“Except I’ll basically be a cannibal,” said Alcie.
“Okay, fine,” said Pandy finally, filling her little silver drinking cup with a small amount of water from her water-skin.
Iole and Alcie did the same and Homer, careful not to touch the ruby or the sapphire (once he found it), scooped up a tiny amount of ashes and dropped them into each girl’s cup. After swirling it around, looking at each other like they were crazy, they each took a sip.
“Drink it all,” said Homer.
Iole began to choke as she finished off her cup. Pandy felt as if she were going to bring it all back up again. Alcie stomped her feet in order to get her mixture down.
“Absolute nectar!” she said. “Am I right? Oh . . . oh no . . . great Zeus . . .”
Suddenly Alcie pitched forward and stumbled, landing right next to Pandy’s feet and Iole, already lying on the ground. Pandy was barely able to watch Homer filling a cup with water and ashes. Then she too moaned and fell to the ground.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The Tale of Habib
6:23 p.m.
Millions of small lightning bolts were going off in Pandy’s brain, completely blinding her. She was dizzy right up to the point of fainting, but never quite blacking out, as a sizzling sound grew louder in her ears. She rolled on the floor, unsure which way was up. Standing was out of the question—she felt as if her
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