CHAPTER#88

Mike swallowed hard, fighting to keep his face straight. "You know, you're probably right. However, did you know that there are better ways of getting people to do stuff for you?"

The fireball hovered menacingly. "The new Caretaker thinks he's crafty then? Okay mortal. Let's hear it. What sort of trick will you attempt?"

"Well, you have my friends and me captive. Apparently you need me to use those goggles for something. Did it occur to you that you could just ask? Or maybe we could come to an agreement?" Mike shrugged. "It feels like there's an awful lot of hostility in this room. And I heard you say that the last Caretaker trapped you. Why? Are you dangerous?"

The woman stared at him in disbelief. Several seconds of silence passed. "Are you not cowed by my very presence? Do you not fear what I could do to you?"

"I was almost eaten by a plant last week, and I have a witch outside my house trying to break apart the protective enchantment that protects this place. To be honest, I'm more worried about what you have planned for my friends." Mike's eyes narrowed. "I thought I was coming here for a fight. We came here because we thought the minotaur had sticky fingers. But you? Well, you just seem angry. Angry at me. What have I even done to you?"

The woman held her breath for a moment, the ball of fire suddenly disappearing. "You really have no idea who I am? Or what my purpose is?"

"Nope. The only reason we are even here is because we were trying to help a friend who had been possessed." Yet another thing that sounded unbelievable, but that was the new normal. "Your minotaur ambushed Tink and took her goggles."

"Stupid cow fuck," Tink muttered from behind Mike. Mike placed his hand over her mouth.

"He did so at my request. I have great need of the goggles' abilities." Shaking her head in disbelief, she threw her hands out in exasperation. "It seems that perhaps a discussion would be best." She nodded at the minotaur. Asterion took Beth and Abella by the hands, gently leading them toward Sofia. He casually slung the cyclops over his shoulder before disappearing into the pergola.

"Where are they going?" Mike asked.

"I believe your kind has a word for this. They are... insurance." She approached the table. "Come. Sit. Eat. Like you said, maybe we should talk."

Mike gazed at the giant table covered in food, his mouth filling with saliva. "Well, I think it is only polite to start with names. I would prefer that you call me Mike, not Caretaker. And you already know Tink." He grabbed the goblin's hand, leading her back to the table. "I hope the two of you didn't get off to a poor start, putting her in a cage and all."

"It was, what I thought, a necessary precaution." She sat across from them. "You may call me the Lady of the Labyrinth."

"I thought maybe we could dispense with titles. Be less formal, friendly even." Mike grabbed an empty plate and loaded it with what looked like pot roast, stacking it high with cheeses and other foods. "And where did all this food come from? It looks like you were ready for a feast."

"Just because your friends are under my thrall doesn't mean I was going to give them moldy bread and water. I may be a lot of things, but a bad host I am not." She picked up a goblet full of wine, swirling it with a twist of her wrist. "And since you want something less formal to call me, you may call me Ratu."

"Ratu. That's a pretty name."

"Thank you." She smiled over her goblet. "I picked it out just for you."

Mike finished making his plate, then slid it in front of Tink. "Eat up, I know you're hungry." Tink threw Ratu a dirty look, then obeyed, grabbing a handful of biscuits while Mike filled up another plate for himself. "Tell me how you came to be here and what your job is, Ratu. The more I know about you, the more I think we can understand each other."

"Okay." She sipped from her goblet, then set it down. "Let's start with the Labyrinth. It has been here far longer than I, and Asterion has been here just as long. This room used to be where the most dangerous magical artifacts were stored, but that is no longer the case."

"I thought that was what the Vault was for?"

Ratu smiled demurely. "Perhaps an analogy that a human would understand. The Vault is where you would store guns that are illegal to own. The Labyrinth is where you would keep your bombs and missiles. The magic items that were stored here were some of the most dangerous objects ever conceived by man or myth. The previous Caretaker, Emily, brought me here for the singular purpose of studying these objects. I am well versed not only in the creation of such things, but their destruction as well."

"Are you a dragon?" Mike asked. "I hope I'm not being rude, but you have a treasure chamber, and you seem very powerful. The giant snake thing doesn't hurt either."

"I am not a dragon, though I was mistaken for one once." Stretching her neck dramatically, the scale pattern flashed all the way across her skin. "I am a naga from Indonesia. I came here because Emily promised me a safe place to live. In some ways she delivered on that promise, but in others, I have become a prisoner."

"Tell me more." Off to his side, he could hear Tink stuffing her face. "While I'm familiar with the act of bringing magical creatures here, I'm not sure how this became a prison for you."

"Neither was I, at first. You see, the reason Emily brought me here was to dismantle what she deemed the worst of the worst. Seven artifacts, each one scarier than the last. The more powerful the artifact, the harder it is to destroy."