Secret Admirer
Riddle Three: The Egyptian Gods Must Be Crazy
.nachzes black-rider
Dedication: To Willowwind Adurois, who has been my best friend for six years. May you continue to bless my life with your presence for six years to come, and more.
"Here it is, Joey! Look!" Téa called, grinning and plucking the now-familiar card from the glass display case the diamond was situated behind. "Let's see…'Excellent work, Téa Gardener. Present this card to the guard supervising this exhibit to receive your prize for this leg of the race, and your next clue. Yours sincerely, your Secret Admirer.'"
"Great." Joey grinned, Yugi and Tristan coming up behind him. "What are you waiting for? Let's get that clue!"
The brunette turned to the guard patrolling the exhibit and handed him the card. The guard scrutinized the card carefully, and grudgingly (it seemed) pulled a small box out from his pocket.
"Thanks!" Téa chirped, and flipped open the lid, nearly dropping the box as its contents were revealed.
"Wow, Téa!" Yugi exclaimed. "Earrings and a necklace! What is that—gold? And diamonds?"
"Whaat!" Joey and Tristan yelped, each attempting to look over Téa's shoulder at the same time. "Cool," Tristan finally declared, while Joey just stood there gaping soundlessly, like a fish out of water.
Téa handed the box to Yugi and lifted out the jewellery, tilting it this way and that under the light, the diamonds glittering. The earrings were teardrop-shaped, and made of what looked like 18-carat gold, with a heart-shaped rose-tinted diamond inlayed into both sides of each teardrop, and on each earring, there was also a tiny cursive 'TG' engraved onto the bottom. The other piece, a choker, was also gold, but it had strands of white gold twining around with the yellow gold, and two small sapphires flanked another, larger, heart-shaped diamond, one with Téa's initials carved into its surface.
"…I don't even want to think about how much those would have cost," Joey choked. Téa laughed weakly and placed the jewellery gently back in the velvet-lined box, removing the square of cardstock from the bottom first.
Clearing her throat, she began to recite the riddle aloud, her voice shaking minutely. "Slimy I am not / Though I may appear to be / Search for me high or low / And you will not find me / What am I?'"
The tree boys frowned in concentration, Yugi muttering the riddle to himself under his breath, and Joey and Tristan glaring at the ceiling.
"'Slimy I am not / Though I may appear to be'…" Yugi said quietly, twisting one blond bang between his fingers. "What looks like it's slimy, but isn't? It must be camouflaged, too…that would account for the next two lines…." He made a sound of frustration and opened his eyes, the violet orbs widening in discovery as he saw the display in the centre of the room. "Téa," he said slowly, the brunette looking up from the clue she had been puzzling over, "what do you think looks slimy?" Téa blinked.
"Well…fish, for one. Worms. Snakes. Snails—"
"Wait, wait, did you say 'snakes'?"
"Yes. Why?" Téa asked, peering curiously at Yugi.
Yugi smiled. "Because snakes aren't slimy," he said. "They're actually quite dry…however, their scales have a pronounced sheen, which creates the illusion of wetness, but it's really just all in your head! In fact," he continued, his grin growing wider, "some snakes' scales are coloured so that the snake blends in with their environment!" He pointed at the display which he had been looking at earlier; a decorative vase featuring a large snake and a man with the head of some unknown animal holding a spear. "Set (1)," Yugi said, "and Apep."
On impulse, Téa hugged the spiky-haired teen. "Great job, Yugi!" she said, "Now we just need to find out where we can find a snake." She stopped abruptly, and shuddered. "I certainly hope we don't have to touch one," she commented.
Yugi chuckled. "It really wouldn't be that bad," he told her seriously. "They feel quite neat, actually." Téa made a face. Laughing a little, Yugi handed her the box containing the jewellery, and grinned. "The zoo, Téa," he said. "The reptile house. All the little snakeys are safe in their cages."
Thwap!
"Oww, Téa," Yugi moaned, rubbing his head, "what was that for?"
to be continued…
(1): Set (PRONOUNCED Seth) was the Egyptian God of evil, deserts, foreign lands, storms, and chaos. He had the head of some unknown animal (perhaps resembling a donkey, aardvark, or bird), and is here featured slaying Apep, a giant snake-like monster.