The Star of Egypt
"The violet of your dreams
has now become antique."
The lamp turns on without any problem. With all five lights properly illuminated, you hear a mechanism engage. Turning around, you see the bookshelf across from you move aside slowly, gears within the wall creaking and sputtering. Eventually, it moves stops all together, revealing a dark passageway behind it. A secret passageway? Pavel, what are you hiding?
Wall lamps identical to the ones you just turned on flickered inside the passageway, directing you down a flight of stairs. Well, what've I got to lose, right? And with that you descend into the basement of your home.
At the bottom of the stone stairs, you pass through an arch and into a small room.
My god! you think. This is... incredible! The hidden chamber may be small, but it's practically overflowing with riches. Gold, jewels, ancient relics - all of it Egyptian, no doubt, and all of it worth hundreds - maybe even thousands of dollars!
"Well, I'm impressed, Mrs. Knight," a voice echoes through the cavern. You turn around and gasp.
Arthur Hughes is standing at the foot of the stairs.
And he has a handgun pointed at your chest.
"I didn't think you had it in you," he sneers as he steps forward, gun still aimed at you. "Ah, here it is." He holds up the largest gem in the room, a blue one the size of his fist that sparkles magnificently. "The Star of Egypt. I've gone through so much to get ahold of you."
"You've gone through so much?!" you burst out. "What about Dmitry? Or Pavel, for that matter!"
"Oh, dear!" Arthur turns to you, and the malicious look in his eye gives you goosebumps. "I was only taking what was rightfully mine! Pavel wanted to keep the gems for himself. He wouldn't let me near them, the selfish bastard! But now-" He turns back to the gem. "Now, the most precious gem in the world is mine. The Star of Egypt. I'll be rich!"
A loud slam rings through the cavern, and you and Arthur turn to see the archway closed by a slab of rock.
"No!" Arthur leaps for the door, pounding his fists against. You jump when he fires a shot at the door. "Open up, dammit!" The rock does not yield.
"You!" Arthur turns to you, gun raised. "You did this!"
"No! I swear!" You thrust your hands in the air, pleading for your life. "It's probably just a booby trap!"
"Well, you read the poem - how do we get out of here? There has to be a way to open it back up!"
You hesitate, trying to remember the last stanza of the poem.
"And if you can't escape,
look to the light again.
The body of a lion,
but the head of man."
You turn to the wall lamps in the cavern. Like the ones upstairs, there are five total lighting up the room, each with an etching beneath it. But which one do you pull to open the door back up?
"C'mon, girly!" Arthur cocks the gun. "I ain't got all day!"
has now become antique."
The lamp turns on without any problem. With all five lights properly illuminated, you hear a mechanism engage. Turning around, you see the bookshelf across from you move aside slowly, gears within the wall creaking and sputtering. Eventually, it moves stops all together, revealing a dark passageway behind it. A secret passageway? Pavel, what are you hiding?
Wall lamps identical to the ones you just turned on flickered inside the passageway, directing you down a flight of stairs. Well, what've I got to lose, right? And with that you descend into the basement of your home.
At the bottom of the stone stairs, you pass through an arch and into a small room.
My god! you think. This is... incredible! The hidden chamber may be small, but it's practically overflowing with riches. Gold, jewels, ancient relics - all of it Egyptian, no doubt, and all of it worth hundreds - maybe even thousands of dollars!
"Well, I'm impressed, Mrs. Knight," a voice echoes through the cavern. You turn around and gasp.
Arthur Hughes is standing at the foot of the stairs.
And he has a handgun pointed at your chest.
"I didn't think you had it in you," he sneers as he steps forward, gun still aimed at you. "Ah, here it is." He holds up the largest gem in the room, a blue one the size of his fist that sparkles magnificently. "The Star of Egypt. I've gone through so much to get ahold of you."
"You've gone through so much?!" you burst out. "What about Dmitry? Or Pavel, for that matter!"
"Oh, dear!" Arthur turns to you, and the malicious look in his eye gives you goosebumps. "I was only taking what was rightfully mine! Pavel wanted to keep the gems for himself. He wouldn't let me near them, the selfish bastard! But now-" He turns back to the gem. "Now, the most precious gem in the world is mine. The Star of Egypt. I'll be rich!"
A loud slam rings through the cavern, and you and Arthur turn to see the archway closed by a slab of rock.
"No!" Arthur leaps for the door, pounding his fists against. You jump when he fires a shot at the door. "Open up, dammit!" The rock does not yield.
"You!" Arthur turns to you, gun raised. "You did this!"
"No! I swear!" You thrust your hands in the air, pleading for your life. "It's probably just a booby trap!"
"Well, you read the poem - how do we get out of here? There has to be a way to open it back up!"
You hesitate, trying to remember the last stanza of the poem.
"And if you can't escape,
look to the light again.
The body of a lion,
but the head of man."
You turn to the wall lamps in the cavern. Like the ones upstairs, there are five total lighting up the room, each with an etching beneath it. But which one do you pull to open the door back up?
"C'mon, girly!" Arthur cocks the gun. "I ain't got all day!"