Cevic

Chapter 16

Double meanings

 

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t people count time like one, two, three, until twelve?” questioned Rezia, seeming oblivious to the fact that she was naturally using the word ‘people’ instead of ‘humans’.

 James nodded. “Yeah.”

“Then what can the twenty-first hour be?” she wondered out loud.

“Well, correct me if I am wrong,” began James, parroting Rezia with a grin, “not all lines of the riddle have to mean complicated stuff like reading in between the lines or symbolism, right?”

 “Now who’s flirting?” I muttered, to earn a whack on my arm from Rezia. “Aw! Yes. Why?”

 “That’s because in a day, there are twenty four hours, and some digital clocks display time differently. For example, three a.m. in the afternoon, so three plus twelve is fifteen. We can say it’s fifteen-oh-clock.”

 “So twenty-first hour means nine at night?” I asked sharply.

James nodded brusquely. “Yes. Now we have to the time and date. It’s tomorrow, nine p.m. sharp.”

  Finally it seemed like we were getting somewhere. My heart was pounding hard in its confines, divided between extreme excitement and fear.

  Rezia frowned. “I don’t have very good feelings about that line: a gift that means life or death.”

 “There can be many interpretations behind it,” I groaned at its complication. “It can literally mean the gift is so important that divides life and death, like a cure. It can also mean…that the gift will be important to obtain the cure because it defines whether King Decus is saved or not.” The behinds of my eyelids felt hot.

  I didn’t like how his life was on the brink all the time. Before his illness, he had been a nearly autocratic leader. After his health had crumbled, the ministers and lords were slowly leeching on his power. Some were daring enough to probably be scheming for the throne.

  At the thought, I shuddered.

“I also don’t like how we have to get through the crazy dude who almost got a scalpel through my skull,” deadpanned James, rubbing his brow. “I’m not even sure how we’re supposed to get it from his house. An option is to break in.”

 “Breaking in and stealing or having a one to one fight against him is not an option,” cut in Rezia firmly. “The riddle says otherwise. It says teach thyself to play a game with one who seeks retaliation and answers. Usually play a game does not refer to a bloody fighting game.”

  I nodded. “That makes sense.”

“I think play a game might mean make a deal.” James spoke tightly, his face hardening. “Although that depends if he doesn’t want to split us open first.”

 “We have to get his attention,” I said through gritted teeth. “As much as I hate even stepping into a five-meter range of radius from that house, we have to get in and garner his attention to have him calm down. The first stage is to have him listen to us.”

  Rezia bit her lip. “That’d mean that we have to prove we’re of no danger to him.”

“Or.” James turned his troubled deep black eyes to me. “There’s only one thing that would catch that maniac’s attention. He’s one who seeks revenge and answers. We can’t give him revenge.”

   I realized what he was getting to, and looked at Rezia. “We give him answers.”

She shook her head side to side violently. “There is no answer to give!”