Chapter 27: Following Tradition
The advent of the internet was among the greatest changes to the history of the college student. No longer was it necessary to leave the dormitory in order to find all the answers to one's homework. Simply boot up the computer, log onto the network, and read through all the essays and blog posts posted by all the previous students of your classes. The only need for studying was so that you'd know if the information was worth stealing or not. Libraries were all but passé.
So why was one of the ranking duelists in Duel Academy spending the night in the reference section? Matt hadn't spent so much time surrounded by books since high school when the library was one of his escapes from an abusive home. Sports helped, and weight lifting went along with them, but school sports only lasted as long as school was in session; summer sports cost money that his foster parents would never spend on his happiness. But the library was year-round. Matt knew his way around the books. The only thing he couldn't find was any reference to "the Key of Solomon."
Research was easy to start. Solomon was a Biblical character. No uncertainty there. Son of David and King of Israel, known as Solomon the wise. He was credited as building the First Temple in Jerusalem. Surely that was the place to find any key worthy of the name Solomon. No documents Matt could find even mentioned a key. There was always the option to take a trip to Jerusalem and visit the First Temple. Again, a simple internet search suggested said temple was demolished by Nebuchadnezzar II millennia ago, and that's if the temple ever really existed to begin with. What good would a key do in a ruinous place like that? Certainly there could be no true use for a key that belonged there. Zeke—Matt's mysterious brother with the affinity for cryptic messages—made it seem like the Key of Solomon was necessary for the survival of all planes of existence. A key that powerful must open more than the crypt of an ancient, razed, possibly mythical temple.
Then again, if it were really so important, why did Zeke leave such mystery surrounding it?
Seriously, the guy had to know more than he was letting on. Not that he would take Matt's calls. Or respond to a simple email. Whatever Zeke's real game was, he left Matt on his own to solve this little puzzle.
Maybe the word "key" was meant as a metaphor. Solomon's greatest renown was his wisdom. Perhaps the Key of Solomon lay somewhere inside his epic riddles.
Searching for Solomon's riddles on Google had primarily returned stories of Queen Balkis of Sheba, a land far enough from Israel as to take seven years to walk. Apparently Halle Berry had played the role of Sheba's queen in one of her early movies. When the Queen first met Solomon, she asked him three riddles to prove his wisdom. She couldn't just befriend any old king, after all. The first riddle asked, "What is the ugliest thing in the world and the most beautiful? What is the most certain and the most uncertain?" And the answers were, in order: the faithful losing faith, a repentant sinner, death, and the afterlife.
"I don't see how that's the answer," Matt had decided. Too many abstract concepts. Unless the key was someone who was once faithful to the separation of the physical and spiritual realms falling from grace, atoning, dying for it, and then ascending back to the so-called Overworld.
"Only four known persons could fit within those strict confines," spoke Ahura Mazda, Matt's symbiotic and invisible partner. "Zeke, Leona, Oscar, and you are the only humans with access to the Overworld through your connections to the gods of that world. Were Spenta Mainyu or Zurvan to possess the associated divine spirit, ones as wise as they would know already and would implement the means to prevent the coming cataclysm. Zeke indicated you were the only one who could prevent it; therefore, it is unlikely this riddle is related to the Key of Solomon."
Matt had agreed.
The second riddle posed by Halle Berry to King Solomon was, "What is it that in a storm at sea goes ahead of all; is the cause of praise for the wealthy; of shame to the poor; honors the dead and saddens living; is a joy to birds and a grief to fish?" The answer was flax. It can be woven into linens for sailcloth, luxury clothing, rags, and shrouds. Birds eat it yet nets made from flax catch fish. A search for its uses further listed wood finishing, nutritional supplements, and paint ingredients.
"Silly," Matt had opined.
"I can hardly envision flax seed as a key to preventing Doomsday," said Ahura.
"Maybe one to keep in the back pocket," Matt said, agreeing with the assessment. He would keep it in mind, however, just in case something came up. Maybe at the last minute, he would need to fashion some sort of protective ward to save everyone and flax would be the only thing around. Or maybe he and Ahura would have to sacrifice themselves during some sort of ritual unless they eat flax seed to improve their respiratory capacities. Probably not, though.
Third riddle: "What land has but once seen the sun?" The answer to this relied on the creation story that the planet was without water in the very beginning until the oceans filled in.
"That can only possibly mean one thing," Matt had said.
"That whatever key we are looking for is at the bottom of the ocean," answered Ahura.
"Exactly. Let's just assume for now that the answer which is completely impossible for us to resolve can't be the right answer. I think the Key of Solomon is more likely to be only half a baby."
"A crude thought." And a reference to the Biblical fable in which two squabbling women presented a child to Solomon that he would prove which one was the child's true mother. He suggested cutting the child in half so they might share. One woman objected and offered to give up her half to keep the child whole—an act of love only a real mother could reach. "Is that another idea for the back packet?"
The idea of needing to find or create half a baby had made Matt shudder visibly. "One with a zipper so we never have to open it again."
Several stories posited Solomon not only as the wisest of all men, but also a magician of incomparable magic power. In the story with the Queen of Sheba, he was said to have sent demons to retrieve the Queen's throne from her home the night before she arrived in Solomon's court, as a show of good will that she might derive more comfort from her own throne. Some alleged that his amazing wisdom came from that magical power.
Tracing the history, Matt found accounts that the spirit of wisdom also possessed Solomon with the gift of astrology and knowing the forces of spirits. At first glance, that sounded like the ancient king may have been aware of the Overworld's existence outside the earthen plane. Having the vast knowledge of other realms, Solomon gained the favor of an archangel who awarded him a ring capable of enslaving demons. He began by enslaving a minor demon, who he then commanded to help him enslave the King of Demons.
Commanding legions of demons, Solomon learned incantations that could heal the sick and exorcise ill will from sinners. He was all but immortal. It was then that he elected to construct the First Temple in his name, using demon labor to avoid any harm or hardship for his human citizens. His powers even became so great that he instructed his son in the use of rituals and prayers that would grant him the same level of power over celestial forces that could influence earthly woes.
"This might be a bit of a leap," Matt had said, speaking to his invisible yet ever-present ally, "but Maya Kawamura performed an awful lot of rituals in order to open the way to the Shadow Realm."
"Doing so consumed her flesh."
Matt had cringed. "I remember, but thanks for the mental image." He didn't actually watch the event transpire, but he knew what happened whenever the Shadows partially consumed the loser of a duel, and that was sickening enough.
"Michael Potter was also ritualistic," Ahura had said.
"I remember. That Seven Seals stuff. Do you think there's a connection?"
"It sounds as if you do."
"I do. Bryan overheard the Hellfire Club talking about rituals, specifically how collecting the god cards was supposed to cure some rift between worlds. So if they have a series of rituals to command celestial forces…"
Being nearly of one mind, Ahura had come to the same realization. "Then the Hellfire Club may have access to Solomon's book of spells. Perhaps they even know something about the Key of Solomon."
"Bingo! Now, we begin searching for information on the Hellfire Club."
That had proven much, much easier in theory than in practice. As far as the internet was concerned, there was no such organization as the Hellfire Club. Obviously some low-level programmer got paid the big bucks to keep every mention of them off the web. Matt tried searching for "almost" names that sounded like the organization without being obvious, but apparently no one had anything to say about the "Heckflame Group" or the "Infernoblaze Quartet." Matt had decided then and there that if he ever acquired any talent for music, he would get three others together and call them the Infernoblaze Quartet. They already sounded hot and the red line that showed up underneath the word "infernoblaze" would help draw further attention to them.
Even known members of the Hellfire Club returned no relevant information. Ren Bacon's search returned millions of sites linking to his acting career and his dueling reputation. His biography described that he learned how to duel for a part in a film, and he was such a natural that he took on a second vocation. Nothing even hinted that he might be connected to the deepest, darkest shadow government in the world. There was no proof he even knew about Lazarro Artois—the man identified as the Ace of Spades during their little tournament in Yasna. Websites about Joseph Titus pointed in several directions, including gourmet coffees and the nut jobs who overcharge for them, the Duel Academy Deck Master tournament, and a few dozen blog posts about how ludicrous it is when rich people avoid jail time just because they donate money to senators. Looking up Eldar Vanko was extraordinarily difficult because the only mention of him was on Russian websites. Google had translated the text, but Matt was sure much of the nuance was lost. Either that, or Vanko really was the most low-key politician in the world. It took thirty minutes just to figure out what he did for a living.
After hours online finding nothing, Matt realized there was one source of information that hackers could not delete remotely: books. And so Matt wound up at Duel Academy's version of his old stomping ground, poring over reference texts in an effort to locate anything that would clue him in to the Hellfire Club. He had begun by listing all the keywords he thought of to link to the group. Shadow organizations, Illuminati, and the like… Solomon and demonology were good ones, too… Frashokereti and any other words implying the end of the world… Prophetic books including anything about a World Collision or Great Cataclysm…
For weeks, Matt spent every morning at the library when it opened and every night until they kicked him out, with time out in between for classes, workouts, meals, and Rory time. Occasionally Rory offered to help, and together they accomplished a bit more than they would alone. Part of Matt's fear about her help, however, was that he suspected Ahura Mazda might be the real key to figuring out the next step. If he heard or saw something significant, it might trigger a memory. As long as Rory read the words to herself, then Ahura had no chance of knowing what was in the book she read.
Some of Duel Academy's more studious attendees even gave Matt a hard time for his otherwise unusual presence in the library.
"I didn't even think you knew about this place," said Allen Tebaro, a lowly freshman who deigned to speak sarcastically to his junior-age superior. "Aren't you a Wikipedia researcher?"
"Not when Wikipedia fails to give me the information I need," he replied, ignoring the snide remark.
Allen tried harder. "Doesn't the newspaper chick always do your work for you?"
"Ms. Strickland is busy," said Matt, still unfazed.
"What's the matter? Did you two have a fight?"
"Actually, she very adeptly pointed out that Bryan already has her searching high and low for a few missing cards of legend that may or may not show up in the news while she is taking a full course load, writing for the school paper, submitting extracurricular pieces to the Kazuki Gazette, and otherwise pretending she has a social life outside of me, Bryan, and Lucy."
"So then, you're a low priority to her," said Allen. He dangled the bait closer.
Matt simply shrugged it off. "Actually, I think she's got her future in journalism wrapped up. Her argument was elaborate and detailed to the extent I could envision it perfectly while she spoke, and yet it was succinct enough to write on the back of an envelope during a train ride. That's talent. I always end up dragging on too long to make my point."
"Did you know that wearing glasses while spending this much time in the library automatically qualifies you as a nerd and revokes your jock card?" Allen said.
"Leave my strap alone and I have no problem with that."
When it was clear that the last thing Matt would do was acknowledge that Allen was trolling him in real life, Allen finally sat down to begin studying his own work. He could have plopped down at another table that wasn't already occupied, like one of the study desks in the Quiet Room, but sitting with Matt seemed like so much more fun. Or it would have been if Matt cared at all. His own studies for a divine intervention occupied his mind far more than the frivolities of mere mortals. If only the divinities in his life had written things down. A recipe for how to prevent the end of the world would come in handy.
The Overlord of the Hellfire Club had said something about such a ritual. During the tournament in the frozen wasteland called Yasna, Bryan had spied on the Hellfire members and overheard them discussing a ritual to close a rift between the worlds. The Ars Arcanum it was called. So many other Ars had been performed by Maya Kawamura when she opened the way directly into the Shadow Realm years ago. There had to be a connection.
"We could search her belongings," Ahura suggested.
"That would work better two years ago before she disappeared," Matt said.
Unfortunately, he said it aloud, alerting Allen to the fact that Matt sometimes talked to himself when he thought he was alone. "Are you kidnapping girls from campus?" he asked.
"Shut up," Matt said swiftly.
Ahura continued, "Perhaps we can discuss her belongings with Dr. Houtz who replaced her or Headmaster West who hired her. One of them may know something about her spell book."
"You could be right," Matt said.
"About the abductions?" Allen said. He now looked totally confused.
"Shut up."
Suddenly another idea popped into Matt's mind. Duel Academy's professors were his next big lead, but maybe he actually knew someone in the Hellfire Club who might also be able to point him in the right direction. He grabbed his phone and texted Erica with the message, [I have a question about your new boyfriend.] He waited and stared at the phone for a minute without getting a response.
The time displayed on his phone. When it finally registered, he realized, "She's probably in class." Maybe he could try again around lunchtime if she didn't reply before then. But after spending all morning delving into books, Matt found a sluggish resistance to any attempt to move. Surely there was something else he could do with the phone that didn't require him to get up.
Maybe there was only one thing.
One button at a time, pausing for an extended period between each tap, Matt dialed a phone number. He watched the completed phone number so intently one would think it was supposed to do tricks or transform in some way.
Allen stepped in. "Are you looking at porn? On your phone? In the library?" He spaced each phrase intentionally, adding emphasis so that each point of elaboration sounded progressively worse. Then he added his own punchline. "Everyone knows you do it on the computer to get the higher resolution."
Finally, Allen's perverse comments broke through Matt's veil of nonchalance. He sneered briefly as he said, "It's not porn!" Maybe too loudly. One of the student library aides turned to look at him. That part he didn't care about. But the idea of connecting the phone number to porn was something his mind couldn't handle. It took him a moment to work all the shuddering out of his system before he finally tapped the "call" button.
Three rings and then a woman's voice answered the call. "Denkard Hotel, Leona speaking."
Matt was reluctant as he said, "Hi, Mom."
Now it was Allen's turn to grimace. "You're watching a porno with your mom?"
Matt hurled a pencil at him, smacking him across the neck with the length of the writing implement. It made a satisfying smacking sound.
Leona replied, "Hello, Matthew. It is so good to hear from you again."
"Same here. I'm sorry I haven't called more often. Just…" He paused and turned away from Allen, hoping not to have the nosy troll overhear his conversation. For emphasis, he held the phone with his shoulder and began packing up his notes. "Needed some time to process it. Still a little weird." He referred to the recent revelation that she was his mother, coupled with the way she neglected to tell him herself.
"I know. I wanted to. You must know that. With all your accomplishments and everything you'd done with your life, even without my help, I couldn't be prouder of you. But there are elements who couldn't know about you. Oscar and I sent you away in order to keep you safe."
Zipping up his bag and stepping away from the table, Matt kept his voice low on the way out of the library. "Are those elements from the Hellfire Club?"
Anyone else who had even heard of the underground organization hemmed and hawed at the mere mention of the name spoken aloud. Not Leona. It was as if the fear of their wrath meant little to her. "So you know of them," she said. She sounded sullen.
"I am pretty sure my competition for the god cards of late was almost exclusively against the elite in their playhouse. They all nickname themselves after playing cards, right? King of Spades and so forth?"
"Only those of value. In theory, everyone tapped for the organization is of value, but any group needs a ranking system to maintain stability. In this case, from King down to deuce, with Ace being allowed as a wildcard. Often it is the King's right hand."
Matt paused. "You know a lot about them." He suspected she did.
And she didn't mince words. "Your father and I were both members, once upon a time."
"I thought you might be. So… Have you ever heard of the Key of Solomon?"
"It is a book, particularly one riddled with spells and incantations. It has passed through Hellfire hands time and again since its conception. You are wise to ask a member about it. Do I understand correctly that Ahura finally remembers its purpose?"
Although Matt was stunned to hear his mother speak about the spirit dwelling inside his soul, Ahura was less so. After all, Leona's body was temple to the spirit of Spenta Mainyu—a goddess who was guardian and servant to Ahura Mazda.
"Uh… No. He didn't remember anything about it. It was Zeke who told us."
"Sweetie," Leona began. It sounded like a bit of motherly advice coming. "How do you know about Zeke?"
"He was at the god card competition I mentioned."
"He was?!" The level of surprise in Leona's voice was uncanny. What could shock her so much about her twin sons eventually meeting? "In person, correct?"
"Yes. What an odd thing to ask. Any reason he would not be there in person but would still choose to be there? Also, how would he do that? Can he turn invisible just like Angra Mainyu?"
She said, "No, he cannot; however, it puts me ill at ease to hear he would risk exposing his personal identity just for the opportunity to meet with you in that place. Zeke could literally select any other chance to find you. Why did he choose that event specifically?"
Suddenly Matt felt out of the loop. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"
"What did you and he talk about?"
Matt shrugged, which she couldn't see through the phone. "He suggested I learn how to subjugate Ahura Mazda's spirit in order to wield his power as my own."
"Well, that's preposterous. Sure, his brother Angra Mainyu might require subjugation before he would accept the direction of any mortal, but Ahura Mazda descended with the specific wish to understand humanity firsthand. If he refuses to help, it's because he believes you do not need him."
Making eye contact with a puzzled Ahura, Matt asked, "How do you know that?"
"Spenta Mainyu."
"Okay, sure. Are you aware of Ahura's amnesia?"
"He has amnesia?! I swear, that father of yours and his ridiculous rituals. I told him alchemy was not the way to improve your strength. But no, he insisted on spoiling the balance between your souls in order to force Ahura into action but screwing up his memory in the process." She paused while Matt collected his thoughts. "We should have this discussion in person."
"Really?" The idea of seeing Leona again both excited and terrified Matt. He loved knowing that his birth mom wanted to see him, but she did abandon him, too. It must have been for a good reason, but he hadn't worked up the nerve to ask her yet.
"Trust me when I say this conversation will be easier if I can speak with both of you," Leona told him. "Now, tell me what else Zeke wished to discuss. Surely there was more than an offer to make you more powerful."
"There was, I think," Matt said. "He said we need the Key of Solomon to stop the impending Great Cataclysm/World Collision/Armageddon/Frashokereti event and that I am the only one who can find it. I wasn't even sure what I was looking for until you told me it was a book."
Leona paused for a long time. Waiting for a response was excruciating, but Matt dared not speak first and interrupt her train of thought.
Finally, she said, "We should talk first."
"We should?"
"Yes. I will arrange a trip to Duel Academy before next Saturday. And if I cannot, I will arrange for you to come here on the same day. Either way, you need to hear what Spenta Mainyu has to say before you attempt the Ars Arcanum."
So she knew about it. Then the question ultimately became: Did Matt trust more the mother who abandoned him and hid her identity or the brother who only recently located him? It was a no-brainer.
"Okay, Mom. Email me the details."
"I will." She paused again. "I love you, Matthew."
He wasn't sure what to say. How do you respond when someone you barely know tells you she loves you? Even an estranged mother. Instead of stammering or saying something disingenuous, he simply disconnected the call. After all, he'd already left Allen Tebaro with a small pile of reference books to reshelf in his stead. Why not snub someone related to him by blood, too?
As Corbin West pored over the electronic gradebook and entered the data from his most recent paper assignment, he paused for just a moment to halt the telephone's incessant ringing. "Yes?" he answered, temporarily so engrossed in his administrative work that he forgot he was answering the phone of Duel Academy's headmaster. It was probably something school-related.
"Hello, Corbin," came the sanguine voice of Hamlin Spengler, the headmaster of Duel Academy's most notorious rival in Godwin Academy. "It's been a while. How are your students?"
"All well and accounted for, Hamlin. Thank you for asking," said Dr. West. "And what is the state of your affairs?"
"Everything in order," said Dr. Spengler.
"Fine, fine. Glad to hear it. Is there anything in particular that brings me the honor of your call or is this simply a cordial exchange of pleasantries?"
Dr. Spengler said, "Come now, Corbin. We've known one another long enough to chat for a minute before diving into business. But I suppose you are right. We are both busy men. It is almost time for midterms. Students and faculty alike occupy our time with inquiries of a various sort. Let's get down to brass tacks. I'd like to discuss the School Duel."
"We have eight months before the School Duel takes place. Is it truly compulsory that we hash out the details so soon?" asked Dr. West.
"I do not reference our usual intermural challenge," said Dr. Spengler. "I propose participation in Duel Academy's contest this March."
"In March, you daft man? We're scheduled to duel with Hawkins University this spring. Autumn has always been the time to duel against Godwin."
"Yes, traditionally. Though the truth of your claim resounds proudly, I have good reason to request a change in our fifty-year institution. The completion of the event is a requirement for the Ars Arcanum."
Dr. West dropped his coordinated tasks. "You remember the Ars Arcanum?"
"I do, Corbin."
After a pause, Dr. West said, "And you are sure changing our schedule for the School Duel is a necessary step in completing such an ancient ritual? You are aware how self-centered that sounds."
"I am, Corbin, and I am," he insisted. "You see, one of my students has recently taken possession of The Wicked Dreadroot."
"The Wicked Dreadroot?" The shadow god of Obelisk the Tormentor. Like the other god cards, it had disappeared from campus a year earlier. Now, just as the stars began to align for the final ritual, one more card presented itself.
"Yes, Hamlin," said Dr. West. "You are correct. We have much to discuss."