The Search for Truth (10 page)

“I don't even know what the quest is yet. I'm in India.” He held his plate of food up a bit. “Met a tiger today and a crocodile.” Only silence followed, so he quickly added, “I'm fine. Nothing bad happened. Just scared them off.”

He heard June sigh. “I see Bethany's with you. Did you take anyone else?”

“No. It's just the two of us this time. We have to get to the Oracle in Delphi, Greece. Not sure how we'll get there, though. Any ideas?”

June laughed. “Got any money for a plane ticket? I could call and arrange it for you.”

“Our whole bag of it got stolen by monkeys.” Erec grimaced. “And Alypium money probably wouldn't be good here, anyway.”

“Gold, Erec, is good anywhere,” June replied. “As long as you know the right people. Speaking of that, who are these people? Did you meet them in India?”

“I just met them,” he said. “They're really nice.” He smiled at Rajiv and Sunita. Then he noticed they were staring at him, shocked. “Uh…I better go, okay?”

“Sure, sweetie. I'll check on you again in a few days. I'm trying not to bother you too much. Bye, honey.”

“Bye.” Erec's voice was soft as he gazed around the room. Everybody was looking at him. Usually Bethany could think of something to say to explain things, but even she was speechless.

Rajiv asked, “And who were you talking to, boy? I didn't see anybody there.”

Erec was silent. What possible explanation could he give for what had just happened? How stupid was he? Why couldn't he have just not answered his mother? He hadn't even thought about how that must have looked.

And why hadn't June realized? Maybe she'd just assumed anyone with Erec would know what was going on with him.

“Um…” Erec stared at the stunned faces around the room. His heart sunk. These nice people would not want some freak staying in their house. And he was a freak. Breathing fire. Sprouting scales. Talking to an invisible mother. He had no place on Upper Earth anymore. It had been his home, but no longer.

Rajiv stood. “You just talked to someone here that we can't see. Don't deny it.” He poked a finger toward Erec with each word. “We can tell with our own eyes.”

“I'm sorry, I…” Erec put his plate down on the couch. “I should go.”

Bethany looked worried. “He just…does that sometimes. He's sorry,” she said. “He won't do it again. Erec's a good kid, really.”

“I'm sure he is.” Rajiv smiled thoughtfully. “But see? He said he wants to go.” Rajiv rubbed his hands together. “I know what is happening. He is being led somewhere by the unseen. And I'm sure I know where he wants to go.”

Erec couldn't believe his ears. What was Rajiv talking about?

“Where?” Bethany asked.

“To see Swami Parvananda. That is the only possible explanation.” He sat down, satisfied. “A boy appears, attacked by a crocodile and a tiger but unharmed, does not know what brought him here, and he is talking to spirits.” Now he was looking at his wife. “He is being led by the gods, maybe Ganesha, to somewhere. And the only place here where that would be is to Swami Parvananda. Our yogi guru. His presence sometimes calls people to him.”

Sunita, Shreena, and Sunil sat and stared at Erec and Bethany like they were a television show. Maybe they were waiting to see the next crazy thing Erec might do. He was tempted to jump up and shout, “Boo!” but that would confirm whatever it was they were thinking, so he stayed quiet.

“And where are your parents?” Sunita asked. “Do they know where you are?”

“My parents are dead,” Bethany said.

“I don't know who my parents are,” Erec added. He did not feel like talking about his adoptive mother in New Jersey, especially as he might end up explaining that he had just been talking to her.

Rajiv nodded forcefully. “See? Of course. It all fits.” He pounded his fist into his palm. “I'll take them in the morning to see the Swami.”

N
ONE OF THE
five boys in the overly plush game room of the Stains' mansion looked quite right. If you were to see them, you would probably turn away and pretend that you hadn't, rather than go introduce yourself.

Dollick Stain was odd without question. Wooly white hair covered his head and ran down the sides of his cheeks like a beard gone wild, sprouting all over his neck and chest, despite the fact that
he was only thirteen. Pointy white ears poking through his tight white curls, plus his thin face, only made him look more like a sheep.

Damon Stain had striking steel-blue eyes, as his brothers did, but his seemed a bit out of focus. On his head sat the floppy gray hat he always wore, sticking out at an odd angle from his head. Under it he had what looked like an oversize dog bone growing from the top of his head.

The third Stain triplet, Balor, had the windswept black hair of his brother Damon. He was the only one who had a chance of looking normal. Unfortunately, the wild glint in his eyes and his manic expression took care of that possibility.

The other two boys did not do much to inspire confidence, either. Tall, blond, and gangly, Ward Gamin was smirking and dressed far too warmly in an oversize coat that flapped around him oddly. Rock Rayson was blond and beefy, and had the habit of flexing his arm muscles whenever someone looked at him. Today he looked surly.

“Go sit on a Hydra pie,” Rock snarled at Balor. “I don't care what you say. My dad said I'd be one of the three kings. Hecate Jekyll promised him.”

“And where is she now?” Balor laughed. Damon joined in with a goofy guffaw until Balor slapped him on his head. “Baskania promised us we'd be the next kings. The Stain triplets. Can't beat that.”

“But I'm the one who won all those contests with you guys,” Rock whined. “Dollick just hung out and…grazed or whatever he does. This is the thanks I get?”

“You'll get your thanks when I'm all-powerful.” Balor stifled a grin. “You'll be high up in the food chain.”

“You didn't actually think they were going to let you rule,” Ward's eyes mocked Rock. “The Stains will be lucky if they even get to touch the scepters once the Shadow Prince gets his hands on them.”

“Shut up,” Balor sneered. “Nobody's taking my scepter away from
me. Not even Baskania, the great Shadow Prince.” He stuck his chin in the air. “Plus, why do you think he chose us anyway?”

“Uhh…” Ward scratched his head with a sarcastic look. “Great question, actually.”

Balor rolled his eyes. “It's because we're superior, doofus. Our father is Mauvis Stain, one of the greatest sorcerers on the planet, and we've inherited his abilities.”

“Yeah, right.” Ward pointed a thumb at Damon, who was kissing and cuddling a rubber pizza that he'd been carrying. “Bunch a' brainiacs.”

Rock bunched his fists up. “This is garbage. You'd never let
me
talk like that to you.” He glared at Balor.

Balor Stain cocked his fist back at him. “That's because you never have anything interesting to say.”

A tall figure materialized in front of the boys. Two eyes were on each of his ears which, at the moment, were larger than normal to fit them, and more eyes covered his hands. He held up a finger to quiet them while he watched something.

Baskania turned around, gazing through his many eyes. As soon as he faced away, Damon began jumping up and down, scratching his armpits like a monkey.

“Stop it, bonehead.” Balor batted him with the rubber pizza. “He's got eyes in the back of his head.”

Sure enough, several dark eyes peered through his black shiny hair, looking wildly about. Luckily for Damon, they were occupied seeing things far away.

Baskania swung about again. “I have news for you boys. I want you to be on the alert for something.”

He looked down his nose at Ward and Rock. “Having friends over? Show some respect and kneel before the future kings and emperor.” Ward's and Rock's faces clenched in pain as a force slammed
them onto their knees, then smashed their faces on the floor, arms stretched out in front of them. “Much better,” Baskania sneered. The two boys lifted their heads, but remained stuck on their knees.

Baskania tapped his chin thoughtfully. “It has come to light recently that Erec Rex's friend Bethany Cleary, Ruth's daughter, has a secret. One that she doesn't want me to know. She almost told this secret to Oscar Felix a while ago. If she had, of course my informant would have reported it to me right away. But, unfortunately, he waited awhile to tell me that she had a secret at all, not realizing the urgency of the matter. I would like to have learned about it earlier.”

He cleared his throat, a look of disgust on his face. “If I had found out about this secret before, I would have captured Bethany when I saw her last at the Labor Society and found out what it was. I'm very disappointed that I lost that opportunity. However, I will find her and learn what she is hiding one way or another. As soon as Oscar next sees either her or Erec Rex, I will be there, rest assured.”

Dollick bleated, “
Baaa
-ut I thought you went to capture Erec Rex and his friends in the Castle Alypium when Oscar found out they were there and King Piter was gone.
Baaa
.”

Baskania's many eyes narrowed to slits. “Do not speak in front of me ever again, you wooly simpleton. They escaped somehow before I could find them.” A few of his eyes gazed out a window, and the rest remained glaring at Dollick. “I should have killed Erec Rex immediately when I saw him last,” he mused. “Little good he did pulling that torn quest out of Al's Well. I'm not too worried, though. He managed to get away from me a few times now, but his luck won't last.”

He focused on the crew in front of him. “I want you five boys to watch for Bethany Cleary, and Erec Rex, too. I've taken too much time dealing with him. He was so pathetic and weak last summer, he wasn't a threat. But now he has two dragon eyes, which I would
greatly like to own. I need to capture him before he and his amulet grow any stronger.”

Baskania snapped a finger and two large men appeared. They picked Rock and Ward off the floor, their knees still bent. “Time for you boys to donate to the cause,” he snickered. The men carried Rock and Ward down the stairs and out the Stains' door.

Balor felt his hands shaking. Damon didn't get it yet, but Balor knew what Rock and Ward would be donating—an eye each that Baskania would add to his internal collection. He would use them to see through their remaining eyes and keep tabs on them, just like all of his others when he brought them to the surface of his face or arms.

“Don't worry,” Baskania sneered. “I'm letting you three scared babies keep your eyes a little longer. I'll get them soon enough. For now you can content yourselves with the thought of your friends' eyes being ripped from their sockets….” He went on with a gruesome, detailed description, seeming to delight in the torture he was causing them.

The minute Baskania disappeared, Balor rushed to the bathroom to throw up.

 

“It is said,” Rajiv shouted back from the front of the van, “that Swami Parvananda hasn't taken a bite to eat in over thirty years. He only has to drink water every few days.”

“Wow,” Bethany said. “That's hard to believe.”

“But true,” said Rajiv, pointing at the air. “Nobody knows how old he is. Maybe over one hundred. He sees everything. He just sits and meditates every day. He'll know why you were called to him.”

Erec was getting used to Rajiv's accent. Last night he had slept well in the guest house. Sunita had served them things called poha and upma in the morning, made out of rice, vegetables, and chilies.
They tasted good but were not Erec's idea of breakfast. So, after eating bits of them, he and Bethany conjured up banana chocolate-chip pancakes with Jam's Serving Tray.

The bumpy gravel-and-dirt path in Tadoba National Park soon turned into a small paved street. They drove awhile through the jungle, Rajiv's tranquilizer gun leaning next to him in case of an animal attack. On the way through the woods, Rajiv pointed out a sloth bear in the hills, a blue bull crossing a stream, and some white monkeys swinging in trees. They looked just like the ones that had stolen Erec's money. “Those are leaf monkeys,” he said. “Harmless, simple creatures.”

Erec sneered at them. “Harmless, simple, and rich.”

As they turned off of the dirt road from the preserve, Rajiv pulled onto the left side of the street to Chandrapur. A car sped in their direction, whizzing by on their right. Bethany grabbed the bars that served as windows on the jeep and screamed.

Erec's heart pounded, but Rajiv stayed on the left side of the road. “What's wrong with you two?” Rajiv asked. “Never been in a car before?”

Bethany flushed. “Do you all drive on the wrong side of the road here?”

“No, we drive on the correct side of the road. I thought you did too, in England.”

“We're from America,” Erec said.

“America,” Rajiv repeated, impressed. “You really
did
get lost.”

The road snaked through hills and woods and eventually grew more crowded. As they neared Chandrapur, they shared the road with buses packed with people, sitting on top and hanging off the sides.

The colors and smells of India seemed to permeate the landscape. Rajiv pointed out a Brahma cow milling around by the road. Big
baskets of brightly colored spices in front of shops mixed their scents with a herd of goats and fumes from auto rickshaws, little open-air vehicles that served as taxis.

Rajiv swung off the main street onto a dirt road that led away from the city. After passing some houses and fields, they drove another half hour until they reached a barren hilly area. Rajiv stopped the truck.

“You must be quiet when you enter the Swami's cave,” he explained.

“He lives in a cave?” Erec asked.

“Of course.” Rajiv sighed impatiently. “He's a yogi master. A guru. He's given up the physical world and all earthly things. His time is spent in the higher realm. I think he can show you what you need.”

Bethany's eyes twinkled. “Erec,” she whispered. “The yogi is a medium! We need a medium to go to the Oracle with us. Maybe this Swami could do it.”

Erec smiled. Why hadn't he thought of that? A medium was exactly what they needed. Now they were getting somewhere.

Rajiv continued. “There are rules. When you go in, you bow low so your head almost touches the floor. Then you must say ‘Adesh, adesh.' It means, ‘I will do as you command.' You must say this. Practice.”

They practiced saying “Adesh, adesh” a few times. “Can we go in now?” Erec asked.

“Patience!” Rajiv commanded. “Now, the yogi might not notice you for a while. He may be deep in meditation. This yogi is known to enter meditation and stay there for a week at a time. So if he does not answer when you say ‘Adesh, adesh,' just wait. If you have been called to him for a purpose, he will respond soon. But never, never approach and touch him if he is in a trance.”

“Would something happen to him?” Bethany asked.

“No,” Rajiv said. “It's just rude. This is a man of the spirit, a man of great powers. Not somebody to offend. Just remember that.”

Bethany and Erec nodded. They headed toward a large hill with a path winding up its side. It led to a large gap in the stone.

“I will wait here,” Rajiv said, looking up at the cave nervously. “It would not be proper for me to watch.”

“It's okay if you want to come,” Erec said. It looked like Rajiv was curious to see the yogi guru.

Rajiv bit his lip in thought. “No. It's not right for me to go. I'll wait by the truck.”

Erec and Bethany climbed the path up the hill to the cave entrance. The small opening led into a wide, round cavern of white rock that was lit by the sunlight from outside. Another stream of light also shone into the small cavern from a side tunnel. When they peeked into that tunnel, they got a glimpse of an even larger room. Incandescent lights shone from inside. Erec glimpsed a figure, but then he darted away when he heard voices.

“Shh.” He put a finger to his lips. “I think someone else is in there with him. Maybe we should wait.”

Bethany leaned close to the doorway and tried to hear. “You're right. He's talking to someone. Listen.”

Erec stepped closer. A thickly accented, sharp voice said, “You're dead now. I'll raise you.”

He and Bethany looked at each other. “Did you hear that?” she whispered. “He's raising the dead. Like a séance.”

Erec wasn't sure whether he wanted to go in and watch or get out of there right away. Then he heard the voice again.

“Oh, believe me. I have you,” the voice said. “There won't be a stitch of you left when I'm done. You're fading out now. You're fading.” The voice grew louder, shouting, “You're fading! I'll raise you now. I'll raise you!”

“I have to peek. I've never seen a séance before!” Bethany grabbed Erec's hand and pulled him into the room.

On a red silk pillow sat a small man with a long white beard. A big white sheet was wrapped around him like a dress, and a small white sheet was folded on top of his head, looking like a cross between a turban and an unmade bed. Next to him sat a bag of potato chips and an open can of soda pop. He held a cell phone up to one ear and tapped a computer keyboard in front of him. Erec could see that he was playing poker online.

Swami Parvananda nodded at Erec and Bethany as if to say,
Just a minute
. Then he shouted into the phone, “You're fading again. I can't hear a thing. Did you say you folded? You didn't? I can't hear! Oh, well.” He hung up the phone and looked at Erec and Bethany. “Always works when I'm losing. Can I help you?”