Chapter 6
The boys decide to wait until the morning to share their newfound knowledge. As soon as all of their housemates are awake, Alfie and Jerome tell them to meet them upstairs after breakfast. Everyone does as they are told and in an hour's time they are all seated in various locations around Nina and Amber's room.
"We have answers," states Alfie, "To most of our questions."
"Like?" asks Fabian, prodding Alfie, or Jerome, to explain.
Alfie hastily continues. "The Collector wants the Mask of Anubis and he wants us to get it for him. He, like Victor, wants the elixir and, therefore, immortality. That's why he took Trudy and he's keeping her at one of his abandoned sheds."
"Okay," says Nina, trying to take all that in. "Anything else?"
Alfie's about to say no, but is interrupted by Jerome. "Oh yeah, Vera is Seth's mother."
"How do you guys know all this?" asks Patricia.
Alfie looks to Jerome, signaling him to explain. "When we were going to our room last night, Vera was in there talking to Seth. We were curious so we waited by the door and listened."
This whole thing was so shocking to Mara, it took a while for her to process everything that was going on. "Wait, did you say the Collector wants an elixir and immortality."
Alfie nods. Then he and the rest of Sibuna explain the whole 'Elixir of Life' thing to the non-Sibunas, including everything about the mystery from last term and the Chosen One. The whole thing seems so absurd to Mara, but she tries to understand it anyway.
"So after all those clues Alfie and Jerome found, do you guys have any idea who the Collector really is or where these 'abandoned sheds' are?" Mara asks.
Just then a look appears on Fabian's face that shows that a light bulb just went off inside his head. "Wait a minute; we do know someone that fits that description. Think about it. Who wanted the cup last term? Who kidnaps people to get what he wants? Who keeps his hostages in abandoned sheds?"
The whole of Sibuna gasped in understanding. Even Jerome, although not technically a Sibuna, knows who Fabian's talking about. "Rufus," they all say simultaneously leading to yet another explanation for those who are still confused.
"So this has happened before?" questions Mara in disbelief. The others nod. "And you didn't think maybe it was the same person?" This makes the others feel slightly stupid but then again, Rufus was supposed to be dead.