The Adventures of Logan van Zant: CH V

A cool wind blows from the depths of the labyrinth. The dim light of the soldiers’ flashlights reach out, but fail to pierce the void. Logan illuminates a thin silver thread that follows the wall into the darkness.

“If you believe that you will lose us in the shadows Gospodin van Zant, I would think again. No man has escaped this place.”

“Save one, Miss Sokolov. . . Do you see this? This is the thread of Ariadne. It was created by Daedalus himself to navigate the depths of this hell, and it was this thread that subdued the Minotaur so Theseus could behead the beast.”

“So the myth holds true? Did you find the remains of the monster?”

“I followed the thread a ways, but I haven’t seen what’s at the end. What are you hoping to find?

Natasha raises her hand to signal the expedition to stop, and stares at Logan with suspicion.

“We’re not cannon fodder anymore, Natasha. Since you disposed of your ‘expert,’ we’re your best bet at finding what you’re looking for. The more I know, the better off you and Stalin are. . . I can only imagine what horrors await you in the gulag if you comeback empty handed . . . I don’t think your good looks will save you from that fate.”

“Very well then, I will divulge what we seek. Stalin’s life wanes; he becomes frailer by the day. His mind is no longer iron clad, but filled with rust and corrosion. He has always been a believer in fairy tales, and his cling to power has driven me here to find immortality or the path to it.”

“ ‘The path to the fruit of the immortal’ ” Logan quotes.

“That is what the translation speaks of, and that is what we hope to find.”

“Immortality, The Tree of Life, The Fountain of Youth; greater men than Stalin have sought and died for that pipe dream. From the sounds of it, he’ll be walking with death soon enough,” Logan laughs.

“Tishina Svin’ya!” Natasha smacks Logan across the face.

“You Bitch!” Aurora steps toward Natasha with her fist raised, a soldier pulls her back, and places a knife to her throat.

“Now, I say, you let her go you damn Russki brute!” Cornelius’ pipes.

“You may be right, Gospodin van Zant, but as you have shrewdly put, the gulag is no place for me, but Mother Russia must not be without her leader. So, if you desire to have your lyubovnik continue to draw breath, I suggest we continue on, what say you?” Logan nods his head. The soldier releases Aurora; she falls into Logan’s arms.

Logan and Aurora walk side by side, Cornelius walks behind them, with Natasha and the soldiers in their tow. The shuffle of the expedition’s footsteps are muffled by the dense walls.

“Sorry for back at the stream. . . ”

“It happens. You’re still alive, so don’t think too much of it.”

“I – I just froze. . . I saw my mother being killed over and over again with each gun shot. . .”

“It’s not easy, but that’s normal. You never know how you’ll react in your first gun battle, some aren’t lucky to see a second, but you just have to fight through it. . . Do you still have it?”

“What?”

“The heater?” Logan whispers, “They didn’t take it did they?”

“Idiots forgot to search me.”

“Good, keep it hidden. We’re gonna need it. . .” The bellow of a bull echos into the corridor. Aurora grabs for the pistol hidden in her waistband. Logan grabs her wrist, “No, not here.”

“But the Minotaur.”

“It isn’t real. . .”

“But, the mummy was real!”

“No, it wasn’t. It was some fanatic dressed up in bandages and killed according to the curse, this is no different. There’s an explanation, there always is.”

They follow Ariadne’s thread with hesitation. Rifles rattle as soldiers hold them at the ready. The thread fades into the darkness between two Doric pillars. A soldier shines a light into the gloom. The bellow erupts from the chamber as a pair of glowing green lights breech the void. A gun shot echos into the corridor as a soldier fires out of fear. The bullet ricochets in the dark; Bruno slams the scared soldier against the wall knocking him unconscious. The bellow comes again.

“Stop!” Logan yells, “Listen!”

The group stands in silence. Logan feels the cool wind against his face as the bellow comes again. He steps between the pillars toward the green lights. “Come on, it’s safe! Looks like Theseus did the job!”

Aurora, Cornelius, Natasha, Bruno and the remaining soldiers enter the chamber. Before them stands five rows of five statues. The taut thread continues and follows the center row of statues and stops at the foot of the bronze Minotaur with emerald eyes. The wind blows as the bellow exits the mouth of the Minotaur.

“It’s only the wind!” Cornelius laughs and pats Bruno on his bulging bicep, “I knew it all along! Shat yourself didn’t you Russki?” Bruno looks at the old man, and lets out a low grumble.

The chamber is flooded with the sound of generators and electric light. Logan analyzes the statues that separate them from the Minotaur. Each row contains the same statues, but in a different order from the row before and after. One statue holds a bronze club high in the air; the second stands with a spear at the ready; the third sits cross legged upon the back of a turtle; the fourth is a muscular Greco-Roman wrestler; the last is a man holding a sword and hammer. Cornelius places his hand on Logan’s shoulder.

“Periphetes, Sinis, Skiron, Kerkyon, Damastes.”

“I see you still talk to yourself, I’m glad that hasn’t changed.”

“They’re the five ‘villains’ that Theseus bested on his way to Athens.”

“Ah, yes. Using his wits he overcame them. . . Alas, my boy, we are not Theseus, and we do not know the nature of this labor. . .”

“Uncle, is it me, or do these statues look autonomous.”

“Socrates once spoke of the ‘Moving statues of Daedalus’ when he taught Meno the virtue of knowledge over opinion. Opinions change, knowledge does not.”

“And here we are, trying to best a dead man who killed Icarus.”

“Logan, Icarus died because of his hubris. He flew too close to the sun, much like our capturers here. Why don’t we sit this one out. . .”

“ ‘Sit this one out?’ Uncle, you’re the one who dragged me into this. Speaking of which, why were you working with them?”

“I have my reasons, nothing that you should concern yourself over. Truly, you’d rather be stifled in your classroom than here with me?”

“Oh yes, to be shot at while rescuing my Commie sympathizing uncle is much better than a quiet classroom. Just leave me be, Uncle. If I don’t figure this out we’re dead.”

“Yes. Of course. I’ll leave you to it then, my boy,” Cornelius says hurtfully; he walks away and sits on the cold floor next to Aurora.

A group of soldiers approaches the first row of statues.

“Wouldn’t get too close if I were you, fellas,” Logan remarks.

“Zatknis’, glupyy amerikanets,” a soldier laughs as they attempt to pass the statues. Ancient gears grind as the automatons simultaneously spring their traps upon the soldiers. Sinis impales a soldier with his spear; Skiron’s turtle extends its head decapitating another with its beak; Kerkyon arms crash together crushing the torso of a fourth; Damastes swings the sword amputating the legs of the last. The gears grind again returning the automatons to their resting positions. The remaining soldiers cautiously pull their dead comrades away from the statues.

Logan sits next to Cornelius, “You’re right, Uncle, their hubris is gonna kill them.”

The soldiers’ numbers dwindle. Bruno piles the bodies with each failed attempt to near the Minotaur. Logan writes the order of the statues on a piece of paper:

____________________________________________________

P D K S s

K S D s P

S P s D K

D s P K S

S K s P D

____________________________________________________

“What are you doing?” Aurora asks.

“The order that Theseus defeated the villains should be “Periphetes - P, Sinis - S, Skiron – s , Kerkyon – K, Damastes – D, but none are in that order.”

“Maybe its not the order of the rows that matters, but the order that you approach each statue?”

Logan watches as Bruno removes a soldier’s body from behind the automaton of Periphetes in the first row.

“That soldier wasn’t killed by Periphetes, he was killed by Damastes behind him! Aurora you’re a genius!”

“I know that. . . But, tell me why?

Bruno approaches, kicks Logan on the foot, and grunts. “Looks like its my turn. . . You’ll just have to watch and see.”

“Professor . . .”

“It’s gonna be alright,” Logan smiles, approaches the automatons, and pauses. Bruno pushes him forward; Logan looks back, “I’m about ready for round two there big fella, how ‘bout you?” Bruno grunts; Logan scoffs, steps forward, and approaches Periphetes. Aurora and Cornelius watch on in fear. Logan knocks on Periphetes bronze chest, “Its hollow.” Logan walks diagonally to the next statues of Sinis, Skiron, Kerkyon, and Damastes to reach the other side. Aurora and Cornelius applause and shout with joy. “Just follow the statues, and you’ll make it across! Deviate and you’ll die with the others!”

They stand before the bellowing statue of the Minotaur. The beast holds a mighty double-head axe. Behind the bronze statue is a stone gate decorated with the effigy of Poseidon; a pedestal is at the foot of the gate.

“Well done Gospodin van Zant, now how do we defeat this trial?”

“The beast was born from King Minos’ disobedience of Poseidon. I believe we must offer its head as tribute.”

“Such shame, it is a beautiful piece. . . Bruno!”

Bruno wrenches the axe from the bronze sculpture and swings. The bull’s head clangs to the ground and rolls. Air blows from the neck of the statue. Logan picks up the head and brings it to the feet of Poseidon. As the bronze head is placed upon the pedestal, the sound of grinding gears fills the air. The gate opens to reveal a chamber filled with a table and shelves. An ancient clay tablet lays on the table; the shelves are filled with papyrus scrolls.

“What is this place?” Aurora asks.

“I do believe, this was built to hold Daedalus and his secrets, my dear girl,” Cornelius answers.

“Zamechatel’nyy, time has not touched this place.”

Logan looms over the tablet on the table. “It’s Cuneiform,” Logan laughs, “Crete did trade with the Sumerians!” Logan examines the papyrus next to the tablet, “Its another translation.”

“What does it say, my boy?”

“ ‘In the valley of two rivers, follow the path of Uruk’s Hero King to where all rivers end, to find the immortal one. There, sit upon the throne of Hades, drink from the waters of Lethe, to find the fruit of the immortal.’ ”

“The valley of two rivers. . . Uruk’s Hero King. . . By Jove, its Mesopotamia and Gilgamesh, my boy! I should have known!”

“To Mesopotamia it is then,” Natasha interrupts, “Gather the scrolls and restrain them. You have been of great use Gospodin van Zant, let us hope that it continues.”

Two soldiers approach them from behind, “Aurora now!” Aurora turns, draws her pistol, and fires. The two soldiers fall to the ground. A third shot rings out, Natasha holds a smoking pistol. Cornelius touches his torso and looks at the blood in his hand.

“Cornelius!” Logan and Aurora yell.

Cornelius collapses to the ground, Logan caresses his head.

“I’m sorry, my boy, I dare say this might be my last adventure.” Cornelius slips into unconsciousness; Logan weeps.