Forbidden Quest Read Online Free

as he glanced up at the panel above the elevator doors.  The second floor indicator lit and held. The doors silently slid aside to reveal a large banquet hall just as Shala's fingers penetrated his shirt front .
                  "We're here." Jack managed, then slipped out of her grasp and headed into the hall. Massive twin chandeliers twinkled dimly above them, giving off just enough light for the pair to avoid the series of athletic equipment scattered throughout the pale green carpeted room.
                  "What is this place?" Jack asked, squinting at a ten-foot high pile of thick foam mats resembling a pyramid.
                  "This is where your adventure will take place," Shala answered. She stopped in front of a large wooden door at the far end of the room. “Dr Strong's office is through that door. I'll return for you in one hour." Shala spun and headed toward the lift.   Jack's eyes focused on her swerving hips as she glided across the room. Shaking off the tantalizing effect, Jack knocked softly on the large ornate door. Receiving no reply, he pushed it open to find, a tall, white-haired gentleman striding across the large room toward him.              
    Unlike the previous room, the light in the doctor's office was bright. The room was extremely cluttered .  Piles of books of every size and shape lined the walls. Amidst the worn, dusty shelves were beakers filled with thick dark liquids, clay flasks stopped with large corks and small cloth bags stuffed full of unknown treasures.
                  Dr. Strong held out his hand and addressed Jack in a surprisingly deep voice, "Jack Tyler, this is an unexpected turn of events. Although I'm sure we'll have no trouble compensating." The broad shouldered doctor had an iron grip. He looked to be more than three times Jack's age but walked with the strength and agility his handshake portrayed.
                  "That’s good to hear, Doc.  I’d hate to have to explain to the others that our trip up here was a waste of time." Jack answered as he sat down in the straight-backed chair the doctor offered.
                  Moving around to sit behind the large oak desk situated in the center of all the clutter Dr. Strong smiled at Jack, "No more than I, Mr. Tyler."  Jack found the doctors smile a little cold; it set his senses on alert.  "So tell me Dr. Strong, exactly what kind of a doctor are you? I mean what type o f degree is necessary to be considered an expert in hypnosis?" Jack leaned back in the chair staring at the intricacy of the carved figures that decorated the dark wood of the desk.   They appeared to be all sorts of gargoyle and bat-like creatures.
                  "I have a Doctorate in Psychology. I studied at the University of Chicago.  However, my expertise in hypnosis came from years of personal study. My father was a Psychiatrist obsessed with the inner workings of the mind. His goal in life was to enter into the depths of the human thought processes through hypnosis. He believed it to be the key to unlocking mental illness."  Dr. Strong's dark gray eyes searched Jack with such intensity, Jack felt as if he had just had a full body MRI. "But enough of me . I'll explain everything you'll need to know about the procedure tomorrow morning, before we begin . What I would like to do now is discuss your personal background."
                  "I'm afraid I'm not very interesting." Jack answered, suppressing a yawn.
                  Dr. Strong insisted, "It is essential that I have a concept of the type of person you are. How you grew up, your family life and the extent of your education." The doctor leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the desk before him.
                  "Well, I'm a travel consultant with a large firm in St. Louis. I handle international flights and tours for several of our larger corporate clients.