unlocked and hustled back to Elyssa and Tibalt. “That’s the exit, but it was unlocked.”
Elyssa’s brow dipped low. “Unlocked? Is Drexel helping us again?”
“I was wondering that, too. And the guard’s not there. Drexel’s really smoothing the path for us.”
Tibalt crooned again in singsong. “A path too smooth is a path to avoid, neither trail nor tongue should you trust. To choose the easy when the path is greasy will turn your lives into dust.”
“He’s got a point,” Jason said. “Could Drexel the double agent be double-crossing us?”
Elyssa’s skeptical look deepened. “Why would he lead us this far only to ambush us now? And he knew you had the keys, so he wouldn’t have to unlock the gate.”
“Another good point. Whoever wants us to march out of here without a hitch must not be associated with Drexel, so we shouldn’t take the bait.”
“We could set a bait of our own,” Elyssa said. “Just to see what’s afoot.”
“I can hear your brain churning. What do you have in mind?”
She nodded toward Jason’s chest. “Does anyone else know you have a litmus finger? Based on my research, it’s a key that many greedy people would kill to obtain.”
“A few know by now.” Jason looked down at his glowing skin again. “So what makes it a key?”
“According to Prescott’s notes, it’s some sort of genetic material container. It slowly spills the material into someone who puts it under his skin. Over time, that person will become a human genetic key that will allow passage through the Underground Gateway.”
“The gateway is genetically locked?”
“Apparently. At least, that’s what Prescott’s notes say.”
Tibalt slapped his leg. “My pappy’s a smart one! Oh, yes, he is! He locked that gate, and ain’t no one can open it but Pappy himself.”
“That was a smart move,” Jason said. “But what I can’t figure out is why Prescott left papers like that in his desk where any snoop could find them.”
“Not just any snoop, Jason. The drawer was protected by a combination lock.” Elyssa flexed her fingers near his nose. “I had no trouble sensing the movement of the tumblers.”
“Okay. One mystery solved.” Jason looked at Tibalt. “You said the litmus finger was a guide to truth and direction. Can we use it now to decide what to do?”
“Not yet.” Tibalt rubbed his hands together. “Oooh, it’s all coming back to me now. First the finger must beenergized. It makes an attachment with you and learns the quality of your character. The more acts of wisdom and heroism you carry out, the more it trusts you. With each act, the color of the light will change, from yellow to orange to red and finally to bright blue, and with each change you will feel its guidance more easily.”
“So it was still yellow for Prescott, because—”
“Because he never did a heroic thing in his life,” Elyssa said. “He’s a selfish egomaniac.”
Jason nodded. That was probably true, but it still didn’t prove that the litmus finger really worked. “You mentioned setting some bait. What’s your plan?”
She took Jason by the arm. “Both of you come with me.” She led them back two turns in the maze, ducked into a dark, dead-end corridor, and pushed the torch into Jason’s hands. “The extane was densest back one more turn. Light this and throw it around the corner.”
“But it might explode before I can throw it.”
“That’s why you’re doing it and not me.” In the near complete darkness, the grin on Elyssa’s gaunt face made her look like a smiling specter. “It’s your code of chivalry, Jason. I know you wouldn’t want me to risk lighting it, so I’m skipping the steps where I tell you what I want to do, and then you stop me and insist on doing it yourself.”
“Is that a Diviner’s trait?”
She nodded. “It annoys my father to no end. I’m always cutting straight to the bottom line.”
“Okay. I’ll try to remember that.” He dug the
Elyssa’s brow dipped low. “Unlocked? Is Drexel helping us again?”
“I was wondering that, too. And the guard’s not there. Drexel’s really smoothing the path for us.”
Tibalt crooned again in singsong. “A path too smooth is a path to avoid, neither trail nor tongue should you trust. To choose the easy when the path is greasy will turn your lives into dust.”
“He’s got a point,” Jason said. “Could Drexel the double agent be double-crossing us?”
Elyssa’s skeptical look deepened. “Why would he lead us this far only to ambush us now? And he knew you had the keys, so he wouldn’t have to unlock the gate.”
“Another good point. Whoever wants us to march out of here without a hitch must not be associated with Drexel, so we shouldn’t take the bait.”
“We could set a bait of our own,” Elyssa said. “Just to see what’s afoot.”
“I can hear your brain churning. What do you have in mind?”
She nodded toward Jason’s chest. “Does anyone else know you have a litmus finger? Based on my research, it’s a key that many greedy people would kill to obtain.”
“A few know by now.” Jason looked down at his glowing skin again. “So what makes it a key?”
“According to Prescott’s notes, it’s some sort of genetic material container. It slowly spills the material into someone who puts it under his skin. Over time, that person will become a human genetic key that will allow passage through the Underground Gateway.”
“The gateway is genetically locked?”
“Apparently. At least, that’s what Prescott’s notes say.”
Tibalt slapped his leg. “My pappy’s a smart one! Oh, yes, he is! He locked that gate, and ain’t no one can open it but Pappy himself.”
“That was a smart move,” Jason said. “But what I can’t figure out is why Prescott left papers like that in his desk where any snoop could find them.”
“Not just any snoop, Jason. The drawer was protected by a combination lock.” Elyssa flexed her fingers near his nose. “I had no trouble sensing the movement of the tumblers.”
“Okay. One mystery solved.” Jason looked at Tibalt. “You said the litmus finger was a guide to truth and direction. Can we use it now to decide what to do?”
“Not yet.” Tibalt rubbed his hands together. “Oooh, it’s all coming back to me now. First the finger must beenergized. It makes an attachment with you and learns the quality of your character. The more acts of wisdom and heroism you carry out, the more it trusts you. With each act, the color of the light will change, from yellow to orange to red and finally to bright blue, and with each change you will feel its guidance more easily.”
“So it was still yellow for Prescott, because—”
“Because he never did a heroic thing in his life,” Elyssa said. “He’s a selfish egomaniac.”
Jason nodded. That was probably true, but it still didn’t prove that the litmus finger really worked. “You mentioned setting some bait. What’s your plan?”
She took Jason by the arm. “Both of you come with me.” She led them back two turns in the maze, ducked into a dark, dead-end corridor, and pushed the torch into Jason’s hands. “The extane was densest back one more turn. Light this and throw it around the corner.”
“But it might explode before I can throw it.”
“That’s why you’re doing it and not me.” In the near complete darkness, the grin on Elyssa’s gaunt face made her look like a smiling specter. “It’s your code of chivalry, Jason. I know you wouldn’t want me to risk lighting it, so I’m skipping the steps where I tell you what I want to do, and then you stop me and insist on doing it yourself.”
“Is that a Diviner’s trait?”
She nodded. “It annoys my father to no end. I’m always cutting straight to the bottom line.”
“Okay. I’ll try to remember that.” He dug the
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