The first chapter of Part Two of Time Limit. In Part Two, the race to the Oculus begins and, as the reader will soon see, becomes something much, much worse. All is not fair in life and war when there are determined enemies...who will do anything to reach their goal...
As if that weren't complicated enough, what about our little band of heroes? What will develop among them?
Hollyshadow the medicine cat: No, not even in this chapter will I answer your questions. The answers will come eventually... :D
Shimmering-Sky: Wow, six reviews in one! Thanks! XD
Guest: I don't know how to answer your question without giving away too much...but yes, Don Paolo will make an appearance. Possibly an important one.
Chapter Twelve
Operation London
"I'm back, Claire!" Tom announced as he entered the room.
There was no answer.
"Claire?"
Still no answer.
"...this isn't funny!"
In the darkness, a figure rose. It then walked over to Tom and smacked him.
"Neither is you waking me up in the middle of the night!" Claire then returned to her bed and fell asleep.
"That hurt..." Tom muttered. "Oh well. I suppose I'll sleep too, then."
He plopped onto his pillow on the floor and dozed off soon after.
The Professor and Tom argued long and hard about where Clive and Bronev should stay. In the end, they'd agreed that the Professor's house was the safest place. It had been two days since the two ex-prisoners moved in, and so far all was well.
Clive, struggling to stay awake, came into the dining room.
"Good morning, Clive," the Professor quipped, without even glancing up from his newspaper. "Would you like some tea? And where's Leon?"
"Still in bed, I think," replied Clive. "And yes, tea will be wonderful."
The two sat in silence before Clive asked, "Professor, if you don't mind me asking..."
"Ask away."
"Why do you read newspapers when you have a TV in the living room? It's not as if the TV is faulty-it's in pristine condition."
The Professor laughed. "Yes. The television is-well, was-mostly for Luke. The difference between his generation and mine. I enjoy newspapers. Less taxing on the eyes, and they're disposable." He smiled as he remembered Luke's glee as he watched Jeopardy ("Professor, that lady's not smart enough!").
"Ah. Do you mind if I use it?"
"Not at all. The remote should be next to it."
Clive went through another door and turned on the television. The Professor poured himself another cup of tea and decided to take a crack at the crossword. All was peaceful. Until...
"Professor!"
"Hm? What?"
"Come here! There's some breaking news!"
The Professor rushed over to the TV. The screen showed a news reporter standing in front of a large building.
"This morning, the bodies of several guards at the British Museum were found lying on the floor there. Not only that, but several of the most valuable artifacts showcased there were taken," the reporter declared.
"What?" the Professor cried. "The British Museum is one of the most heavily guarded buildings in London! How is this possible?" Clive wore a similar expression of horror.
The reporter continued, "A case containing ancient weapons was smashed. Everything inside was taken. The Book of the Arcane, an Azran tome rumored to contain a vast number of ancient spells, was also reported to be missing. A bronze sculpture known as The Triumph of Man was stolen as well. The thief also tried to snatch part of a tomb, though it was left behind in another room. Officials believe that they gave up on trying to carry such a large weight. It is believed that he took the Pyriatic Gem, a stone with a fire burning inside of it, in its place, as the tomb piece was found next to the Pyriatic Gem's shattered exhibition case. Various other minor trinkets were also purloined."
"Oh my..." the Professor whispered. "So many treasures..." Being an archaeologist, he knew what each and every object the reporter mentioned was.
"The fallen guards who tried to protect the museum will be honored, according to Prime Minister Bill Hawks..."
Clive's fist clenched. "That little-"
The Professor put a hand on his shoulder. "Clive. Calm down."
"But-"
"A gentleman must never lose his temper."
Clive sighed before turning his attention, yet again, to the television.
"The thief entered the museum through the main entrance, says Inspector Chelmey. According to him, the positions of the guards' bodies along with the approximate times of their deaths make it impossible for the criminal to have entered from anywhere else."
"This seems virtually impossible," said Professor Layton. "How could anyone get past the guards that way? Something doesn't add up..."
Just then, Bronev walked into the room. "What did I miss?"
"Whoever this thief is, he's become a million times richer," Tom said to Claire, who was sitting across from him at one of the tables in the hotel's restaurant.
"Probably even more than that. There are a lot of people who would pay a fortune to own any one of these pieces."
"You're right." Tom furrowed his brow. "Though something tells me money isn't the only gain the thief was after."
"Hm?"
"First of all, there are other valuable items there. The Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles...these are worth much more than a case of ancient weapons. Furthermore, no one in their right mind would attempt to move a tomb piece, a slab of solid rock, by himself. It must have been a planned operation, one that involved more than one person. Now, I am still not sure why the tomb piece was left behind, but I suspect that Scotland Yard is very close to the truth. The items taken are not...optimal, in any way. And then apparently other lesser artifacts were taken as well. Profit wise, one would be much better off selling one extremely famous artifact than several minior ones. It all just seems a mess."
"So you suspect that the thieves were after the items themselves, and not money?"
"That is a possibility. Perhaps they are also after money. Ancient weapons might sell at a high price to an avid enthusiast. Maybe the thieves know someone to sell these items to. You never know. Would you like some coffee?"
"Tea, please."
Tom chuckled. "It seems the Professor's influenced you quite heav-"
"I could punch you again, you know."
"...I'll keep that in mind."
"We've got what you wanted, Emissary."
"Excellent," the Emissary said. "I trust you have placed the red herrings as told?"
"Yes. Our London contact was most cooperative."
"Hm. Pitiful fool. We will dispose of him in due time." The Emissary grinned. "Everything is falling into place perfectly. Prepare the journey to the Hellspawn portal."
"Right away."
As the Emissary's aide rushed out of the room, the hooded figure lay back in its seat, yawning contently.
Today's a good day to burn a city.
ANNNNNNNNNNNNND ON THAT CLIFFHANGER, I'LL END THE CHAPTER. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
So who is this Emissary person? Why did the thieves take the items they took? Why does Bronev wake up so late? All great questions. Fantastic questions. They'll all be answered...maybe with the exception of the third one, but yeah.
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