House of the Chosen Hour:
Alfie was still hiding in the waste container, eavesdropping on Jerome and Rufus' conversation.
"So today is the day the treasure will be found?" Asked Jerome.
"Yes, because as I said earlier today is chosen hour. The last chosen hour was more than eighty years ago. Sarah was too young to understand what her duty was," said Rufus.
"What do you mean by 'her duty'?" Asked Jerome.
"The Cup of Ankh can only be put back together by the chosen one and it can only be done on this day," said Rufus
"The day of the Chosen hour, said Jerome.
"Yes and only me and you know today is that day, said Rufus.
"Why do only you and I know that? Asked Jerome.
Rufus took out a ring from his pocket and gave it to Jerome.
"This ring belonged to Sarah's father and look at the date, said Rufus.
"17th of June. That's today, said Jerome.
"This ring was made by Robert when the last chosen hour happened. And Victor and his pathetic secret society think it's Chosen hour on the day of the chosen birthday, but they are very wrong," said Rufus.
"Okay one thing I don't understand why is it today?" Asked Jerome.
"I never understood that myself really, but it had something to do with a certain constellation, said Rufus.
"And what's gonna happen during that chosen hour? Asked Jerome.
"Once the chosen one but the cup back together. I'll drink the elixir from the cup and become truly immortal," said Rufus.
"What do need me to do now?" Asked Jerome.
"I need you to get me into the house," said Rufus.
"I can do that. Everyone will be at the prom," said Jerome.
"Good. I'll meet you at the house at 8:45 pm," said Rufus.
Alfie heard Jerome and Rufus walking away. Alfie looked carefully to see if the coast was clear and when he saw nobody, he climbed out of the waste container and ran inside the school to find the club and tell what he had heard.
The club minus Amber was at the lockers when Alfie walked up. Nina, Fabian, Aaron and Patricia pinched their noses.
"Guys, guys!" Said Alfie
"Yuck, Alfie you stink," said Patricia.
"I've to tell you something," said Alfie.
"What the reason is why smell like that?" Asked Patricia.
"What I've been sitting in a waste container for a while," said Alfie.
"Why have you been in a waste container?" Asked Patricia.
"That does not matter. It's important! Follow me," said Alfie
"Alfie what's going on?" Asked Fabian.
"Come on!" Said Alfie.
Alfie started to walked and the rest of the club followed him, because they wanted to know what Alfie wanted to tell that. was so important
At the same time Amber went to Mr. Winkler's classroom. Amber saw Mr. Winkler sitting in his classroom and went over to him.
"Hi Mr. Winkler," said Amber.
"Hello Amber," said Mr. Winkler.
"I just came here to ask you for some advice," said Amber.
"About what?" Asked Mr. Winkler.
"Well as you know, I'm going to organize the prom and had some nice ideas, maybe you want to take a look, suggested Amber.
"Me? Shouldn't you discuss this with Mr. Sweet? Asked Mr. Winkler
"But you are the drama teacher, right? And this is really a dramatic concept, said Amber.
Amber gave some drawings to Mr. Winkler. Mr. Winkler looked at it and he seemed to like the drawings.
"This looks good, said Mr. Winkler.
"Do you really think so? Asked Amber.
"Yes, I really think so, said Mr. Winkler
"Okay cause as you can see these are the crowns for the prom king and prom queen of the prom," said Amber.
"Nice that you you're going to do that king and queen stuff. I think it looks really beautiful," said Mr. Winkler.
"Thank you sir," said Amber.
"You're welcome Amber," said Mr. Winkler.
"You're going to the prom too right?" Asked Amber.
"Of course I'm going," said Mr. Winker.
"Yeah because if you didn't go it wouldn't be as great as I imagined," said Amber.
"You're such a crazy girl, but a sweet one," said Mr. Winkler.
"Do you already know who you're going with?" Asked Amber.
"I think I've an idea who I want to go with," said Mr. Winkler.
"Can I know please?" Asked Amber.
"I'm waiting for the right moment," said Mr. Winkler
Amber hoped, of course, that Mr. Winkler would ask her along. Then Amber saw the club hurrying down the hall and knew something was up. Amber left Mr. Winkler's room and followed the club.
The club followed Alfie to an empty classroom. Patricia was about to close the classroom door, but then Amber entered.
"What's going on? And why smell like that," said Amber.
Amber grabbed some parfum from her bag and sprayed Alfie with it.
"Okay, what's so important that you've been sitting in a waste container? Asked Aaron.
"Today is the day chosen hour, said Alfie
"What?" Asked Fabian.
"Today, today, as 17th of June?" Asked Nina.
"Yes, that's what I heard Rufus say to Jerome when I was hiding in a waste container," said Alfie.
"Okay Alfie think what else did Rufus say?" Asked Fabian.
"He said it something with a certain constellation," said Alfie.
"Constellation. A starry night. The riddle said something about stars," said Fabian.
"Oh and the Cup of Ankh only can be put back together by the chosen one," said Alfie.
"Wait put the Cup back together? What does that mean? Asked Nina.
"I don't know. I just overhead it, said Alfie.
"Guys I think I just solve the riddle, said Fabian.
"Really?" Asked Patricia.
"Yes, I'll show your guys," said Fabian, while he searched his bag.
"Hurry up and show us," said Amber
"Oh no, I forgot my laptop at home," said Fabian.
"Then let's go to the computer lab," suggested Aaron.
The club went to the computer lab. Alfie stopped outside the computer lab and guarded the door. Alfie did not like to be on guard and went into the computer lab.
"Can't I just be in here with you guys?" Asked Alfie.
"No, someone needs stay outside and keep watch," said Aaron
"Plus you stink and then we won't be bothered by the way you smell," said Amber.
"We'll tell everything Alfie," said Nina.
Alfie went back outside again and guarded the door.
"You said that you solved the riddle," said Nina.
"Yes, when Alfie overhead Rufus saying that the day of the chosen hour had to do with a constellation, I hit me, said Fabian.
"What?" Asked Nina.
"In the riddle it says, to Obtain Victory, you must first bring the Core to the Snake of glass and Unite them and that's there is where final Relic hides. put the core and the snake together in its starry night. 11-54-03-10-00-06-12-44-11-25, said Fabian, while Aaron wrote down the numbers.
"Yes, we know that," said Nina.
"And that crazy word, that is the constellation we are looking for," said Fabian.
"OVCSUR is a constellation?" Asked Amber.
"No not OVCSUR. If you shuffle those letters, you get CORVUS. Corvus is a constellation," said Fabian.
"And that's the constellation we're looking for?" Asked Patricia.
"Yes, but Corvus is also the Latin name for ...," said Fabian
Fabian typed the word Corvus in the computer a picture of a raven appeared on the screen.
"Raven," said Nina.
"Yep, that's right," said Fabian.
"What does that mean the final relic is inside Corbierre?" Asked Patricia.
"I think so," said Fabian
"The Core is Corbierre," said Nina.
"Sounds almost the same Core and Corbierre," said Amber.
"That's weird," said Aaron.
"What's weird?" Asked Nina.
"If you add all these numbers together you get today's date," said Aaron, while he showed the club the result.
"But it says 176," said Amber.
"But if you put a slash is between 17 and 6. You get, 17/6, that's 17th of June in numbers," said Aaron.
"And I just looked at this site that's all about constellations. And these are the coordinates of constellation Corvus at 9:00 pm tonight," said Fabian.
The club celebrated that they were close to the Cup of Ankh when Alfie entered the computer lab.
"Sweetie is coming," said Alfie
"Quick turn everything off," said Patricia.
Fabian clicked away the tabs and turned off the computer. Mr. Sweet entered the computer lab.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Mr. Sweet.
"Um, we played some computer game on the computer," said Aaron.
"These computers are exclusively intended for school work and not for computer games. You should children know that by now," said Mr. Sweet.
"Yes sir," said the club.
The club wanted to leave the computer lab, but Mr. Sweet stopped Alfie.
"Alfie Lewis can please take a shower? because young man you stink," said Mr. Sweet.
"Yes Mr. Sweet, I'll do it right away," said Alfie.
Alfie left the computer lab and catch up with the rest of the club.
A few hours later, Mara, Mick, Otis, Fiona, Caitlin and other students were busy decorating the drama room for tonight's prom.
"Wow guys it looks great already, said Mara.
"Just wait until we're done then it looks even more awesome," said Mick
"I really can't wait for tonight's prom," said Caitlin.
"Me neither," said Fiona.
"Yes me neither. It's gonna be a great prom," said Mara.
"Hey Mara. What are these crowns for? Asked Mick, while holding up two crowns.
"For the prom king and the prom queen," said Mara.
"Wow those crowns look really beautiful," said Caitlin.
"Yes I know that. But I can't take all the credit, Amber picked out the crowns and the decoration," said Mara.
"Yes, that seems very typical for Amber," said Fiona.
"Speaking of Amber. This prom was her idea and then she does not help decorate herself," said Caitlin.
"We're talking about Amber, you could have expected that," said Otis.
"Yeah, I guess that's true," said Caitlin.
"Otis I have question for you," said Mara.
"Yes. What is it?" Asked Otis.
"Would you like to take pictures of the prom. We put a prom photo booth over there and you are the best photographer I know," said Mara.
"Yeah sure. At least that gives me an excuse not to dance," said Otis.
"And once again thank you guys so much for helping me decorate the drama room," said Mara.
"It's no problem babe," said Mick.
After school, the club was in Nina and Amber's room. Fabian was carrying the book he had go from his uncle.
"Look at this picture. The cup is broken into seven pieces, said Fabian," while he showed the club a picture in the book.
"Those look like the puzzle pieces we've," said Aaron.
"And your point is?" Asked Amber.
"That the pieces we've are the Cup of Ankh," said Nina.
"That is exactly what I'm saying," said Fabian.
"And we're short one puzzle piece from putting the Ankh back together," said Patricia.
"Yes, that's right," said Fabian.
"So now all we've to do is find the snake?" Asked Aaron.
"Yes, but I've no idea which snake the riddle means," said Fabian.
"Victor has a snake in the cellar," said Alfie.
"Yes and there is a snake in the living room. I hate the creatures," said Amber.
"The living room...," said Nina.
Then Nina thought back to her first day at the house when she was given a tour by Trudy. Nina remembered that the stained glass window above the living room door has a snake on it.
"Wait I know. The stained window glass above the living room door has a snake on it," said Nina.
"The glass snake, that's it! We've to bring Corbierre and the glass snake together," said Fabian.
"Let's go and have a look," suggested Aaron.
The club went downstairs and stood in front of the living room door looking at the stained glass.
"The glass snake," said Nina.
"Is it me? Or does it just does it like there's a piece of glass sticking out form that stained glass," said Amber.
"It looks a bit like a spike or something," said Patricia.
"Maybe that's how we can unite the snake and Corbierre with each other, said Fabian.
"There is one way to find out," said Nina.
A few hours later and it was almost 9:00 pm. All residents except for the club and Jerome had gone to the prom. The club was in Nina and Amber's room. The club knew thanks to Alfie that Rufus Zeno was coming to the house and they had come up with a plan to distract Rufus and Jerome while trying to receive the last Ankh piece.
"Okay Alfie you know what the plan is?" Asked Fabian.
"Yes, I'll give Rufus and Jerome the fake riddle you made and say I took it from you guys when you weren't looking," said Alfie.
"And you also know what to do afterwards?" Asked Fabian.
"I've to get them to the attic and then I lead them to the secret panel," said Alfie.
"But they can't open the secret panel without the locket. And the locket only works Nina uses it," said Amber.
"Yes, but I think Rufus needs use his brute strength to open the panel," said Fabian.
"Alfie you gotta stay up in the attic and make sure those don't leave the attic, we can't risk Rufus or Jerome coming down," said Nina.
"Super Alfie takes care of it," said Alfie.
"What about the elixir?" asked Patricia.
"I've it here," said Fabian, said Fabian, as he took out the bottle with elixir from his pocket.
"Where did you hide it al this time?" asked Aaron.
"I've hidden it very well in my locker at school," said Fabian
It was now 8:45 pm. Fabian handed Alfie a piece of paper with the fake riddle on it and Alfie left the room. Alfie went downstairs. A few seconds later, Jerome walked up with Rufus.
"Do you've it?" Asked Jerome.
"Yes," said Alfie, while he showed the fake riddle.
Alfie gave the fake riddle to Rufus and Rufus started to read it aloud.
"Do as this riddle says go upwards and there is where a miracle will take place where the stars shine through the sun and near a small Eye of Horus," said Rufus, while he read the fake riddle.
"Do you know what that means?" Asked Jerome.
"It is difficult. But I could've expected that from Frobisher-Smythe," said Rufus.
"How can stars shine through a sun?" Asked Jerome.
"It's probably a metaphor or something," said Rufus.
"In the attic there is a small stained glass window with a sun on it. Maybe that's the sun you're looking for," said Alfie.
"But that's it. So we've to go to the attic," said Rufus.
"But we need the key to the attic and it's in Victor's office," said Jerome.
"Then we're gonna grab that key now," said Rufus.
Rufus, Jerome and Alfie headed upstairs. Jerome grabbed the keys from Victor's office and the three headed to the attic.
Once the club was sure that Rufus was in the attic, they left Nina and Amber's room and headed to Victor's office. Fabian grabbed Corbierre from Victor's desk and headed downstairs. Aaron and Patricia attached some strings of rope onto Corbierre, while Nina grabbed the ladder from the storage room. Aaron handed Corbierre to Nina and she hung the tiny knot onto the piece of glass that was stinking out. Now Corbierre and the glass snake were united and all the club needed to do was wait until it was 9:00 pm.
