Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(153)

"Keep in mind, being an Eternal is more punishment than prize. Ask Bracken or Kendra--most of our past Eternals had difficulty coping and considered their fate a weighty ordeal. An unnaturally long life, hunted, on the run, is no paradise.


"Considering the Sphinx's history, I would take extra precautions, personally monitoring him and installing a multitude of magical and practical safeguards. I would give him some latitude to choose a hideout and to implement whatever defenses he deemed most effective, but he would be on a leash.


"By giving into this request, would we be rewarding his crimes? Under other circumstances, I do not believe the Sphinx would want to be an Eternal. But as an alternative to death, he seems willing. Let's have Bracken testify to his motives."


Agad extended a hand and Bracken stood up. "The Sphinx has a strong will. He has much practice in shielding his thoughts from external scrutiny. But as I extensively probed his mind, I came to believe he wants to become an Eternal for acceptable reasons. First, he wants to persist. He has a profound fear of death, coupled with a powerful enjoyment of existence. Second, he wants a shot at redemption. He knows he spawned a catastrophe, which was never his intention. He wants to do everything in his power to ensure that a similar crisis never happens again. And last, he feels guilty and sees this as a fitting punishment. I have no love for the Sphinx, and I studied him long and hard. This is all I found."


Nodding at Agad, Bracken sat down.


"If you want my opinion," Agad said, "letting the Sphinx die would be a punishment quickly served from which we would derive no benefit apart from the satisfaction of his demise. On the other hand, making him an Eternal would cause him to pay for his crimes by providing a lasting and difficult service to humankind. But perhaps I am not seeing this clearly. I would gladly hear any objections."


Nobody spoke. People at the table eyed one another. Seth met eyes with Kendra. She gave a nod, he gave one back, and she stood.


"I hate the Sphinx," Kendra said. "I despise him for his lies and for what he did to us. If what he most wants is a long life, I desperately want to take that from him, to hurt him like he hurt us. I dread the thought of him feeling like he wormed out of the consequences of his treachery. But I think this punishment makes sense."


She sat down. Seth stood up. "Me too."


Bracken stood. "My horn has kept him alive. The influence of my horn will continue to keep him alive. I can live with letting the Sphinx survive under these conditions. I agree that he will fill the role well."


Vanessa rose. "I have known the Sphinx for a long time. I have worked for him. As Agad mentioned at the outset, he is a deceiver, a master manipulator. Making him an Eternal seems appropriate, but he's an expert at making his interests make sense. He may not be here to speak, but Agad is delivering his rhetoric. The Sphinx has a sinister history of working mischief while wearing a friendly face. The only way to be safe from the Sphinx is if he ceases to exist."


Doren leapt to his feet. "Vanessa is a beautiful woman, and should be taken very seriously. For her mind. And her charming personality. Thank you."


Mara stood. "I understand Vanessa's concerns. His agents killed my mother. I will never forgive him, but I think making him an Eternal is a better punishment than killing him. The long life of an Eternal will force him to provide much more payment for his crimes than a quick death could possibly offer. And those same qualities that made him so dangerous will hold the new Zzyzx shut."


Others began adding their endorsements. A few others expressed hesitations. Grandpa had questions for Agad about how the Sphinx would be monitored, and the wizard provided satisfactory responses. In the end, the vote to make the Sphinx an Eternal was unanimous, except for Vanessa and the satyrs.


"I did not want to try to make this decision alone," Agad said after the votes had been cast. "Nor did I feel it would be fair to the many he has wronged. I feel good about the decision we have reached. I think it will make the new demon prison more secure. And I believe time will demonstrate that, while having an element of mercy, the punishment we resolved on is exacting and severe. Now, how about some dessert?"


Chapter 30 A New Shrine


On a hot summer day, Kendra strolled through the garden at Fablehaven. The humidity made her shirt feel sticky, but she loved the fragrances of the blooming flowers and the sight of blissful fairies bobbing from blossom to blossom. Perhaps later she would change into her bathing suit and go for a swim.


A new barn loomed over the yard, larger than the former structure, leaving Viola room to grow. The house had been rebuilt as well, with several elaborate touches added by the brownies. Agad had also engineered a direct road from the Fablehaven house to the old manor, which had been refurbished and enchanted with new protections.


Seth was currently off watching TV with Hugo, Mendigo, and the satyrs. Grandpa Sorenson had reluctantly caved after the agreement had been explained, and instead of a generator, the satyrs had electrical lines that ran to their nearest cottage. Grandpa hoped that endless television would help the technology cease to be such a novelty, but so far, the flat screen with surround sound was widely considered the greatest wonder at Fablehaven. Newel and Doren had never been more popular, or more jovial.


Seth still complained that he had not been present when Agad and the dragons had reclaimed Fablehaven from the centaurs, although he got to visit not long afterward in order to dismiss the wraiths. Bracken and several astrids lent some assistance, and Bracken had been surprised to discover that the unicorn horn the centaurs prized actually belonged to him. As punishment for their rebellion, he reclaimed his horn, and Agad reduced their roaming privileges and territorial holdings. The wizard left Grunhold protected by strong enchantments, but nothing quite so powerful as the shielding once provided by the forfeited horn.