Chapter 7 Decoding

Everyone sleeping—or trying to—was awakened so that they could read the next letter and get to work immediately.

"Hey, Shizuka, wake up." Jonouchi flung the door open wide, but then gazed agape at the distorted covers over the empty bed. "Shizuka?!"

A different call came from down the hall. "No! Grandpa!"

Racing feet went over to the group collecting in the hallway.

"My grandfather's missing!" Rebecca cried out. "He wasn't in his room! Does anyone know if he went somewhere?"

No one did. Though it seemed hopeless, Surguroku aided in calling for Hopkins, but no one answered. When they saw Jonouchi's dark face as he came from his sister's room, they fell silent.

In a quiet voice, Jonouchi said, "They took my sister. I'm going to kill them."

It was useless, but his friends tried to comfort him. Standing silently, Jonouchi just wanted to get on with the reading.

"Maybe, the sooner we solve the riddle the sooner I get her back."

Kaiba fingered the other object that had been in the ceiling as well, rolling it between two fingers. He could guess what it would be used for, but no one was interested yet. For once, he said nothing to Jonouchi though the retorts were in his head.

"Read it," Jonouchi gravely demanded.

Anzu, who had ended up with the piece of paper, looked down and took a breath. She began, "Give to me your acquired wealth or all the world of business shall be informed of Cynthia and your plan for her. Your sales will plummet as respect for you diminishes. Mail the said wealth to this address: 289 Main Street, Madrid, Spain. You have thirty days, Pegasus J. Crawford. Inform the police and I will go public. Around someone always is."

Everyone was silent as she read, looking around at the others in case there was a give-away of some sort. No one seemed to be guilty, but everyone had been a little nervous just in case someone else thought he or she was the guilty one.

Even after she finished, the silence remained.

Finally, in a fit of emotion, Mai burst out, "Oh, come on, this is ridiculous. How can we go about accusing one another? Sometimes, I think this was all made up."

Otogi and a few others turned on her. "Made up? Pegasus would never just make something up like this."

"Oh? That's what you said before the game started," Honda remarked.

At the same time as Otogi, Kaiba said tightly, "Made up? My brother's gone. This is not just some play game. If it is, Pegasus will be answering to me. He's taken Mokuba far too many times! Once was too much."

"For once," Jonouchi said slowly, "I agree with Kaiba. I don't care if this is a strange situation. I'll do whatever it takes to get Shizuka back."

"Then let's get started, Jonouchi." It was odd to hear their friend's name being said by Kaiba when he was not threatening him. "I think that only those who have had someone close to them taken should be privy to the deciding committee. It seems to me that such people will be likely to make the best decision."

"Or the hastiest," the German businessman cut in. "And I do not think you are innocent just because someone close to you was kidnapped. So, you need to have everyone allowed so that things do not go the wrong way."

Of course, everyone who had not had someone close to him or her kidnapped agreed with the man. Unfortunately, it was just Kaiba and Rebecca who wanted their own private discussion.

"Since some of us are from America, this is a democracy and the majority wins," Keith said with a smirk. "Looks like we get to start deciding on who did it."

There was a lull in which the Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle decided to finally speak.

"Or, maybe we should begin looking for the next room. After all, there is still a time limit, I believe. Why don't you show us what you have, Kaiba?"

The CEO of Kaiba Corp held out the little stamp he had. It was of the kind libraries had to stamp the due dates in books. The numbers that had been ready for stamping, when read backwards, were 10-13-99.

"Is it some kind of date?" Anzu asked with a frown. "But that can't be—there's no month 'thirteen.'"

"But, in America, the month is the first number," Kaiba began. He was about to keep going, but Rebecca cut him off.

"So, what do people use dates like that for? Usually, they are wedding dates. A safe." She ignored the scowl sent her way.

The Australian man looked at her. "And where's the lock this opens? Or don't you know yet?"

Isis closed her eyes as they were speaking, focusing her being on the Necklace. Her brother noticed her lack of involvement and waited for her eyes to open once more. There was nothing more the Egyptian wanted than to be assured that Rishid was all right. Maybe, this vision was about him.

In the silence that came from the Australian's question, Isis opened her eyes and looked about. When her clear gaze found her brother's, she could see the question in the violet depths.

"Malik," she said. "Don't worry about Rishid. He is fine. But that is all I know," she added, as she noticed everyone looking at her now.

There could have been mutterings about how useful Ishizu was, but Kaiba was not acting like himself. If, however much the others hated to think of it, there was anything good that came of Mokuba's being absent, it was that his brother was more determined to find him and work with the others. That did not mean Kaiba enjoyed it, but he would do what was necessary.

"What about this new turn of events? What about this combination?" Keith pressed on. "I want to know what it opens so I can get some of it."

"If things keep on going the way they have been," Anzu said, turning her nose down at him, "the safe won't hold anything valuable but another clue to lead us on a goose chase."

"Very true, Anzu," Bakura replied, and the sinister way he said her name almost seemed to be overlooked by everyone. "Pegasus is up to his old tricks and must be treated as accordingly."

"So, let's start solving those letters! I want to find my sister!"

Once again, they decided to divide up. Now, however, they chose sides and the choosing was as important as the working. What if a person chose to search for the next clue? Were they trying to prove their innocence and therefore guilty? If they wanted to help work on the letters, was it so that they could interpret them away from themselves? Everything was going in circles and it was not fun to try to solve.

Kaiba and Jonouchi obviously stayed to help with the letter since that was what they had wanted to do for so long anyway. Several business people also remained and Rebecca, but the majority went to look for the saf— if that was what the numbers truly opened.

Instantly, Kaiba set himself to the second letter. There was already something about it he found peculiar. And, ironic as it may be, the only person he trusted completely here was Jonouchi. So, he pointed things out for himself and if he murmured them aloud, the words were only for Jonouchi's ears.

"Ending a sentence with that line…Around someone always is. This makes it evident that the writer is most likely foreign to the English language. After all, foreign speakers use better grammar than everyday writers, and the rule of never ending a sentence with a preposition is one of the technicalities writers form today ignore. I would bet about anything this person is foreign."

"Which is odd," Jonouchi said lowly in return, as if there was nothing unusual in speaking this way to Kaiba, "because this other letter is so very informal."

Rebecca, eavesdropper that she was, put a finger up in the air and exclaimed, "I bet it is because there are two blackmailers!"

It made so much sense the others had to grudgingly leave room for it.

"Two blackmailers. But why does this one still not have a time or place for pick-up?"

"They must have been working together," Kaiba said. "It's the only way it makes sense. I doubt the person was trying to fool Pegasus by appearing as two people, so it was probably both of them working together."

The German businessman frowned. "This is all guesswork."

"And that is how juries have to come to a decision." Kaiba leaned back and narrowed his eyes at the man. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"What about where the letter said to drop the item off? And what about the change of demands?"

Impatiently shaking his head, Kaiba responded, "You don't understand. The demands could very well be referring to the same thing. Just because one says treasure and the other says wealth…that means nothing. If the second is a foreigner as I suspect, he may have looked up the word he wanted or made a slight blunder. Besides, they can refer to the same thing."

"That means," Jonouchi proceeded, "that it was probably one of you!" He pointed at the business people in suits. They looked coldly at him, but they said nothing. It was only after time passed that Johanna decided to say something, even though she was not foreign.

"You can't go around blaming people with so little evidence. I don't care if that is Pegasus's game. We don't have to follow it. I say we look at other incriminating evidence."

"Like what?"

"Like that man who tried to kill the boy. That seems awfully suspicious to me."

Instantly on hearing the words, Kaiba's hands had clenched. Slowly, he gathered control. "It's true, I think he is a suspect. But, there is more to see besides that. There are always people who will do anything when threatened."

Hugh was absent yet again. No one could remember if he was going to search for the next clue-room.

"What about motive? I think the person with the most motive is you, Seto Kaiba."

At that, the CEO smirked and remained silent. And, continuing with the odd circumstances, Jonouchi was to his defense.

"What would a rich guy want with more riches? If you ask me, it is someone not at the top who is guilty. That could mean it was anyone here. And, I know it wasn't one of my friends, so it has to be someone older. Like Bandit Keith."

Rebecca sat up straighter in her excitement. "Oh, yes! He had a gun, too. That always looks bad. But, he is a person who also has a lot of motive. From what I learned, Pegasus humiliated him more than once. And his bad habits must grow expensive. He needs the cash."

The Australian bureaucrat looked around. "I admit I feel out of my league because I know hardly anything about these others. Which doesn't bode well for my predicament if someone accuses me; no one will stand up for me!" The other foreign business people did not find the predicament so amusing.

-

Those searching for the room were not as successful as the other group thought they were. This almost seemed worse than searching for the first room. Then, it had almost obviously been a room. But now, safes were smaller than rooms even if the rooms were all locked like before.

That was another problem. So many rooms had been unlocked in the intervening time that the search was taking a lot longer than it could have.

"Obviously," the Spirit of the Puzzle said, "someone has been busy. This seems to prove the fact that those others were kidnapped because of the game."

Eyes seemed to be staring at them from all the chinks between stones. Unconsciously, Malik crept a little closer to his sister even as his heart longed to find Rishid. How frightening must it have been for all of those kidnapped when someone silently came out of a closed door or line-free wall?

The Spirit led the others onward though he noticed Bakura glance at him once and turn down a different corridor. What Bakura did was up to Bakura and, as odd as it might have been, the other Yugi did not think he was the culprit. Blackmail just did not seem his way. What the others did not know was that he already had gotten what he wanted from Pegasus. The Eye was still his.

So, Bakura went his own way on his own errand and made himself seem more like the guilty one to everyone else besides the other Yugi.

After they had been searching as a group for about forty minutes, the Spirit of the Puzzle decided they needed to form groups. "Memorize these numbers and look for anything that refers to them. We need to cover area more quickly." He looked at each one of them. "I know this will put us into groups small enough to be easy targets in case there are further kidnappings, but as the time has not run out yet, I don't think we have much to fear."

"We trust you," Anzu said promptly. Then, she had to stifle a large yawn. As much as the seriousness of the situation helped to keep tiredness away, it could not be ignored indefinitely. The brief rest only some had gotten seemed a distant memory unable to revitalize them.

The others instantly had to react in similar matters. Yawning was a habit that spread. Yet, no one wanted to be the first one to give in to the weakness.

"Well," the other Yugi said eventually. "Let's get going." There was no mention of stopping from him.

So, wearily or excitedly, the rest fanned out and spread out to various places of the castle and began their personal searches. The numbers, ten, thirteen, ninety-nine, were always in their heads.

-

Rebecca switched letters with Kaiba and began her own scrutiny. Now, there was a chance to compare his hypothesis with the other letter. First of all, as Rebecca had pointed out, the wording of this letter was completely different. They even seemed to refer to different "treasures," but that topic had already been covered.

"But, what about this threat?" Kaiba mused aloud, discovering, as had so many others, that speaking could bring thoughts into better organization. "It seems that the writer, if it was one, forgot a major point or else learned of it later. No, I still think it was two people."

"And I'm with whatever Kaiba says." Jonouchi heard his own words and made a face. He had to try to justify his attitude by adding, "Because he's supposed to be a genius and all."

Rebecca pounded a fist. "And what about me? I'm the one who first thought of two people! Ohhh!" she cried in a fit of complete anger unable to translate into words.

Ignoring her, Kaiba spoke in a low voice not meant to be overheard by the others. He was going back and forth between letters still. "With this mention of informing the business world…anyone could have said it because that would be where Pegasus would be hit the worst, but whoever informs them of something like resurrecting a dead woman would have to be in good standing. I stand by my belief that one of the business people is the culprit."

As he looked up, Jonouchi turned to the business representatives and glared. Then, clearly not using his head, he walked over to them and said with utmost seriousness, "I want a confession out of one of you or I swear I'll beat it out." For, he knew that pain was something many of those in the business world particularly did not enjoy.

Rebecca gasped. "You can't just go around accusing people!"

"Why not? We have to do it eventually, and I've decided it's one of them. Or even, two of them." With a further narrowing of his eyes, he added, "It could be the whole lot! I don't care! I'm sick of waiting around for answers, and I'll get them my own way for my sister!"

Most of the business representatives were paling. That is, all but the German one. He was turning red and preparing a speech of his own. However, he never had a chance.

"All right! I admit it!"

Everyone turned to the speaker in disbelief. A confession would make things much easier.

Yet, the one speaking was no one they had heard speak before. Now, it was apparent he was French with his accent. Yet another man from Tokyo who had been there on business before getting invited to Duelist Kingdom for his company.

"But you're right, I didn't do it alone!" The man was getting desperate, almost as if he feared the walls had ears, which, as the others searching also sensed, could not be too far from the truth. "I had a partner in crime though I did not know him. I believe his name is Keith."

"Bandit Keith?!" Jonouchi kicked a nearby wall. "I knew he was guilty!"

His kick should not have caused the sound that followed. There was a rough scuffling and sounds of someone on the other side. Everyone froze and stared at the stones. Had someone been there listening?

If they had been, there was nothing to be done about it now.

The French speaker was the only one who did not seem to have noticed the sound. He continued with his confession as if it would save him from the hangman's rope. "We didn't even start working together. We ended up hearing from someone on this island."

"Who was that?" Kaiba asked sharply. If Pegasus had somehow set this up himself…

"A guard. Saruwatari his name is."

Cursing under his breath, Kaiba muttered that he was always changing sides.

The businessman continued as if Kaiba had not spoken, "He proposed the idea to me when I was here on business and Pegasus and I could not come to an agreement.

"'Monsieur Chevereux,' he said, 'I know relations between Master Pegasus and yourself cannot be much worse. I have no particular like of the man myself, so I was wondering if you wanted to know some secret information about the man. That way, you can get the monetary support you came seeking no matter what.'

"What was I to do? I gave in and listened as Saruwatari told me Pegasus's crazy plan to revive his dead wife. Then, hearing that Saruwatari had recently accepted a letter from Keith Howard to deliver to Pegasus so there would be no hint of identification—Saruwatari himself would just leave it on Pegasus's desk—we contacted him and struck up a threesome deal. Even if we divided it three ways, the money would still be immense. Saruwatari accepted the letter I wrote, with added information Keith Howard had somehow left out, and I left without getting the agreement my company sought."

The man, trembling, collapsed against a nearby wall in the weakness that came from revealing so much. While it incriminated him, Jean-Richard Chevereux felt lighter.

The other business associates, however, were angry one of their number was guilty and rudely grabbed his shoulders in case he should try to escape. Chevereux seemed incapable of trying that, though.

"We need to find Keith."

Rebecca, pushing up her glasses, nodded. "We should split up and search for anyone else to tell them the truth. Now that we know who it is, it seems we are in more danger than ever before!"

-

Separating never was a good idea. Each creak or distant sound was like someone creeping up behind with a lead pipe. Yet, no matter how many times a person would whirl with fists upraised to ward off the approaching doom and saw nothing, they still were on edge with every sound, scent, or sight that crept into their senses. Hearts rarely calming down to anywhere near normal, flight or fight seemed even more mandatory.

"Why, oh, why didn't I go with the other Yugi?" Anzu asked after she had spun around knowing she was going to see her death arriving for the fourth time. "It was no time for bashfulness to kick in!"

Others who had not been so foolish to go alone still experienced the haunts. Malik was not at all comforted by Isis. For all her Necklace might predict the future, it still could do nothing to change it. Still, socialized in a male's role, he felt the need to remain strong and protect his older sister. Yet, she was always calm, which infuriated him.

"Look here, Malik." Isis had stopped walking and was looking at a wall.

Coming back, he peered where it seemed she was looking. "What is it?"

"This candle was flickering and the wall almost seemed to tremor." Leaning closer, she pressed an ear to the side and tapped on the stone. Gasping, her sapphire eyes went wide. "I think this is a false wall!"

"Castles are full of them from what I know. What's the big deal?" Then, Malik's eyes widened as well. "Oh…that's probably how they managed to snatch Rishid. Come on! We have to follow it!"

There was no use saying the tunnel might go further into the walls where they could not follow it. Malik sensed the truth was near to being revealed about his beloved brother and nothing would wait.

Various other people were going by, and seeing the Egyptians rushing towards some anonymous goal, they followed in pursuit. Those that had the fright of actually seeing their horrors take an image racing at them joined the throng instead of being frightened once more by false alarms.

Several stops, a tap here and there, and they continued. When they finally slowed down to a more manageable speed—almost like they sensed the end of their search—there before them was the other Yugi looking into a room.

He glanced over, gravity of face startling on one of such young years and such a ridiculous hair style.

"Come quickly. Something's gone awry." He pointed into the room.

There, in a deepening pool of blood, lay the amused inventor of this game. The bloody candlestick had been flung nearby still sporting a few silver hairs embedded in the mass of blood at the end.

"Someone has killed Pegasus."