Fates' Folly Read Online Free Page A

chandelier,
counting the hanging strands I thought might be rubies, when Riley
tapped me on my shoulder. "How many different jewels do you think
there are on that thing?" I asked.
    "The door is over here," was all he said.
    I decided there were too many jewels to count
and moved towards Riley, who was standing in front of another stone
door.
    This door was anything but plain. Carved in
the center of the door was a tall, cloaked figure, his face hidden
in the cloak's hood, with the exception of his skeletal jaw and
cold blue eyes. Death. His arms, which were muscular and
grotesquely too long, were raised up as if accepting great praise.
He stood on a mountain of bones and, intricately carved within the
bones, were corpses, souls… I'm not sure exactly what they were
supposed to be, crawling towards him. As I got closer, I realized
death was actually the only thing carved into the stone. The rest,
the mountain of bones and the crawling figures, were made from
pieces of metal, and… "Yuck! Is that bone, actual human bones?"
    "It's called Death's Door; you must placate
death to enter as Hades’ guest."
    "Not if I have to give him my bones."
    Riley placed his hand on the figure of death.
"What did you expect in Hades' Realm?"
    I started to answer, something about Disney,
James Wood and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, when a faint hum
echoed around me and the door swung open. Riley stepped through and
I followed, until Riley stopped, turning around so quickly I ran
smack into his elbow.
    “Ouch," I said, rubbing my sore cheekbone.
"Watch it."
    "I forgot about Cerberus," he said, adjusting
his glasses.
    "The three headed giant dog that guards the
Underworld? How could you forget something like that?"
    "Shhh. I don't usually have to deal with
Cerberus other than the exchanging of simple pleasantries."
    I nodded my head. “Okay.” What else was I
going to say? I was a little bit out of my element here.
    "You'll have to wait in Cerberus's office
while I speak with Hades. If you will stay where I put you, and not
move, or speak, or look at Cerberus, you should be okay. The good
news is that you're immortal, and whatever Cerberus does to you,
you'll survive it.”
    "Now I feel better," I said.
    "Good," Riley said, as he continued into the
Demon dog's… office?
    Cerberus's office was very nice, very normal.
Three chairs lined the left wall and four lined the wall straight
ahead, creating a cozy sitting area. Plants and magazines were
strategically placed, and there was even an intricate water fall
fountain to the left of a large L shape cherry desk, complete with
computer, phone and small coffee station. A small coffee station
that had a basket filled with HONEY BUNS!
    Riley sat me down in the chair closest to the
door and farthest away from the honey buns. "Damn."
    "Don't move, don't look Cerberus's way and do
not speak, no matter what. We lucked out that the office is empty.
I will be back to get you in less than an hour."
    "Grand."
    Riley smiled. "Love the enthusiasm."
    I couldn't tell if he was being serious or a
smart ass. So I said, "Thanks". Figuring it worked in either
case.
    I leaned back in my
just-as-uncomfortable-as-it-looked chair and watched Riley exit
through a door behind the cherry desk.
    I counted the ceiling tiles: 20, light
fixtures: 4 including the lamp on the desk, plants: 4 1/2 -one was
barely alive- and made scary faces out of the grain patterns in the
wood paneling that covered the walls. It's easy- all you have to do
is squint, and have a little imagination.
    Now I was thinking about the honey buns.
Truth be told, I was thinking about the honey buns the whole time.
I am a true multitasker.
    Obviously, Cerberus was not coming back to
the office anytime soon, and just as obvious, the honey buns are
set out in a lovely basket for guests to enjoy. And as I am sitting
here waiting, and have never been here before, I am obviously a
guest. It would be insulting if I didn't take a honey bun, and the
last thing Riley