Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven #5)(35)

"Might be time to find a shrine to visit," Patton said. "Even if it takes some effort. The Fairy Queen is a mortal enemy of the Demon King. This threat will get her attention. You are in need of allies. Who knows how she might be able to help? You mentioned she could perceive the Sphinx using the Oculus?"


"Right."


"That doesn't seem right," Patton said. "Even a powerful outside entity would normally have to be invited to connect to the Oculus. Using the Oculus would make the Sphinx vulnerable to powerful minds, but he would have to let down his guard for them to really gain access."



"I might have invited her when I used it," Kendra replied.


"You used the Oculus?" Patton exclaimed.


Kendra explained about getting kidnapped by Torina and being forced by the Sphinx to use the Oculus. She told how the Fairy Queen helped her break free from the hold the Oculus had on her mind.


"I see," Patton said. "Through you, as you willingly reached out to her, the Fairy Queen found a link to the Oculus. If she has preserved that link, she may have new information about the Sphinx. You must follow up on this."


"We will," Grandpa promised.


Patton nodded. "Let's discuss priorities. As I mentioned before, your first priority is to retain the artifacts you have. The Society cannot succeed without them. Second priority is to get the Oculus away from the Sphinx. Until that happens, destruction will constantly loom. My hunch is that if you find Seth and his folks, you'll find the Sphinx and the Oculus. Use the possible leads we discussed, especially Vanessa. You may want to task some of the Knights with locating and protecting the Eternals. No small assignment, but worth the effort. Since stealth no longer provides the protection that the Eternals expect, you must alert them that an enemy has the Oculus and try to direct them to safety."


Grandpa rubbed his mouth and chin, lost in thought. Raising his eyebrows, he locked eyes with Patton. "I wish we had a man like you in our time."


"You've done great work, Stan," Patton said tenderly. "You have surrounded yourself with more quality people than I've ever encountered." He switched his gaze to Warren. "I would not be surprised to learn that many of you surpass my accomplishments. Let's face it, Stan, you are dealing with greater challenges than I ever had to weather." He gave a perturbed smile. "Most of my hardships were self-inflicted."


"Speaking of quality people," Kendra said, "is Lena around?"


"Lena is fantastic," Patton replied. "More radiant than ever. How she can fake affection for an old bag of bones like me defies explanation. She is downstairs as we speak, with strict instructions not to disturb me. She has learned to indulge my senile whims."


"We can't see her?" Kendra asked.


"No, because time travel is rare, dangerous magic," Patton said. "I have no reason to believe Lena ever laid eyes on you until the day you first came to Fablehaven. In theory, I don't believe a time machine can really alter the past. I believe that anyone who tries will just discover that whatever actions they take were already part of the past. But I'm also not sure the wizards who designed the Chronometer fully understood the powers they were tampering with. I doubt paradoxes could be created, but I'm not eager to take any risks. As much as you all would enjoy seeing Lena, she knows none of you yet. She will, in due time. Perhaps it would be best to leave it that way."


"If the Chronometer can't change the past, what's the point?" Kendra asked.


"We know the Chronometer can affect the present," Patton said. "Your present. Like when I visited you during the shadow plague. And like I am trying to do now, by sharing information. The Chronometer can also make use of the past to affect the future. For those who wish to access Zzyzx, it is a necessary tool."


"You're starting to break my brain," Warren said.


Patton chuckled. "Mine too." His face took on a wistful expression, his eyes moistening. "I wish I could have done more, somehow averted all of this. I spent my life trying. I honestly gave it my best."


"You did more than we could have hoped or imagined," Grandma said, laying a hand on his.


Patton winked at Grandpa. "You married a good one."


"Course I did. She's a Burgess."


Patton pulled out his pocket watch and his monocle. "Time has a way of slipping by. You should have a few minutes still, but it might not hurt for you to move toward your original positions. You remember the latitude and longitude of Zzyzx?"


Coulter repeated the coordinates. Kendra went and stood where she had been when she had crossed into this time period. The others did likewise.


"Anything else you want to review?" Patton asked.


"We may visit you again," Coulter said. "If we want to come again, I'd give knob C-5 a three-quarter turn."


"You got it," Patton said. "I should have had Lena make refreshments. I did that for the first few years I waited for you. I guess I started to believe I might really make it to a hundred."


"It was good to see you," Kendra said, trying to keep from choking up. Her emotions were a mess lately.