The Search for the Eoz Potion

32. The Truth

The Human Robots were still holding their batons at Claire, Hailey, Zack, and Tellis's wrists in order to keep the handcuffs on them. When everyone was settled in the room, most of the soldiers took their place behind General Drawde, but a small group joined the others who were holding the handcuffs. Claire, Hailey, and Zack did not understand what was behind the curtain, but Tellis seemed to know the Prince was hiding his true identity.

"Still using that curtain, huh, Steve?" Tellis casually said to the Prince.

"I am the true ruler of the Garden of Yllop!" the Prince thundered from behind the curtain.

"In my experience, true leaders don't have to hide themselves."

"You know as well as I do, Oliver," the Prince explained, "that my true identity would threaten my rule. But seeing as how this is all about to be over, it doesn't matter anymore. I've already revealed myself to Drawde."

As they had done earlier for the General, two devils pulled the curtain to the sides. Claire and Hailey looked on in shock as the curtains parted to reveal the Prince sitting triumphantly on his throne. They were shocked not only by how unthreatening he looked, his old, round body looking tired in its chair. Their reaction was in response to who he actually was, that they knew him, that he was in fact the one who sent them on this mission to Yllop. Zack recognized him as well. They stood there looking at Dr. Hampton himself, Faith's doctor, who told them all about the Garden and the powers of the Eoz Potion.

"Dr. Hampton," Claire exclaimed. "You're the Prince?"

Tellis looked at the girls in confusion. She had met the Prince before, knew his story, but she didn't know that they knew him.

"It's a surprise, I know," Dr. Hampton said calmly.

"What's going on?" Hailey demanded.

"I've been secretly ruling the Garden for years, since back when I once came searching for the potion, and found it."

"I don't understand," Claire said. "If you knew where the potion was, why didn't you just use it to heal Faith?"

"It's not that simple," Dr. Hampton said with a heavy smile. "To find the potion I needed the help of the Master Spirit. The deal was, he would take me to it, but I had to guard it from any other Searchers. To do that, he put me in charge of the entire Garden of Yllop."

"Then why did you tell us to come here?" Hailey asked angrily. "This was all just one big set up."

"Oh no," Dr. Hampton insisted, regretfully. He looked at the Searchers deep in the eyes, trying to explain that he had in fact tried to help them. "I actually never thought you'd make it this far. I thought for sure you'd get caught and sent home long ago."

"You never wanted us to find the potion?" Claire asked.

"The potion is powerless," laughed the doctor. "It's the search that heals people, the fact that you sacrificed something for them. But I couldn't tell you that, no one could. You had to figure it out on your own. Even Tellis knows that's true." Hailey, Claire, and Zack all looked over at Tellis and she nodded in agreement as Dr. Hampton continued. "Believe me, I could send you home now and your friend would be fine. But to maintain my power over the Garden, I had to keep people coming to search for the potion. It's what drives the fear that sends people running to the Master Spirit, or to me, at least, to maintain order here." Dr. Hampton paused for a second but continued when he saw that the girls were not satisfied by his explanation. "I knew you would be fine. But now that you've gotten here," the Prince stood up and walked forward, "we have a little bit of a problem. And it begins and ends with her."