Unknown 9 by Layton Green (each kindness read aloud txt) 📕

student of Eastern religion, come full circle back to the starting point.

A circle. An ouroboros.

The cracked door, she realized, was the cracked door of knowledge, symbolic of the LYS and the journey itself…entering the Temple of Literature and stepping into the first courtyard, the Entrance to the Way…following the door the Star Phone had opened…

Forming a mental image, she remembered that, just above the gate at the beginning of the temple, the top half of the arched entrance was metallic scrollwork painted gold. I bet that’s where the embedded code is—right on the first door itself.

“That clever devil,” she said. “Dr. Corwin gave us a red herring by including all five courtyards, but it’s the first that counts.”

Cal stopped walking. “What are you talking about? Where’s the cracked door?”

“C’mon,” she said, taking his arm. “You deserve your ice-cold soda.”

He started to reply, but she had already started pulling him along. As they passed through the pavilion, Cal jerked her back into the incense-shrouded walkway that ran beneath the wooden structure.

“Ouch! What the hell—”

“Quiet!” he said in a fierce whisper, guiding her behind one of the stone pillars. His face had drained of color. “Do you remember that Chinese guy in India who chased us?”

“How could I forget?”

“He’s in the second courtyard, pointing the Star Phone at everything in sight.”

It was Andie’s turn to pale. She had been so focused on her discovery she had lost track of her surroundings. Shielded by the incense and the stone pillar, she resisted the urge to step forward and risk a quick glance. “Was he alone?”

“I saw at least two people shadowing him. We have to leave through the museum.” He hurried back into the third courtyard. “What if they have people watching the exits? Should we climb the wall?”

“Cal. Stop for a moment. I’m not leaving without trying for the Star Phone.”

“God, Andie, don’t be stupid! I know we said we’d try, but now that we’re here by ourselves, what are we going to do? That guy’s a killer. I can see it written all over him. And so are those people with him.”

“They won’t kill us here. Not in plain view.”

“You’re kidding, right? I wouldn’t bank on that, and they certainly won’t hesitate to drag us out of here and stuff us in a car. You’ve seen this city. It’s chaos personified. What are you gonna do, anyway? Give him a swift kick to the groin and hope he drops the Star Phone? He doesn’t look like the kind of guy who drops things even if you shoot him in the chest.”

Andie glanced behind her, at the street magician. “I have an idea.”

“An idea? What kind of idea?”

“I won’t blame you if you run. But if you’re staying, keep a lookout for me.”

“A lookout—Andie. Where are you going? You’re going to get us both killed! Let’s wait for Zawadi.”

“They’ll be gone by then, and you know it.”

Ignoring the terror that threatened to immobilize her, she hurried over to the street magician standing by the basin of water dominating the third courtyard. They had one shot at this, and she had to make it work.

The magician watched her approach. He was a squat Vietnamese man wearing a rumpled suit with a white dress shirt. A purple handkerchief poked out of the pocket of the shirt. He had nimble, age-spotted fingers and a kind face she thought she could exploit, though the very thought of it made her feel guilty. Cal was right: the Chinese man chasing them was a killer, and no doubt an Ascendant. If this backfired, and the old man got hurt . . . was she prepared to accept that?

She took a deep breath. I’ll tell him the truth about the risks, and he won’t help unless he thinks he can.

“Would you like to see a trick?” the magician asked, in surprisingly good English. She supposed he dealt with tourists all day. “I can make a dove appear and disappear right in front of your eyes, or a—”

“Listen to me,” Andie said. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I need your help. Urgently. This is not a joke.” As the old man’s expression sobered, Andie stared right at him. “There’s a very bad man in the other courtyard. A human trafficker. Do you know what that is?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“He took someone I care deeply about, and I have to help her.”

“I’m very sorry,” the old man said quietly. “But I don’t understand how I can help.”

“I need to search his phone. That’s all.” She took out the metallic silver phone she had purchased at the night market. With the black star hand-painted on the back, and the identifying brand information covered with metallic paint, it was a very good replica of the Star Phone, especially at a glance. “It looks just like this—do you think you can switch them without him knowing? And get his phone to me?”

The magician frowned and looked down at his hands. With every passing second, Andie worried the Chinese man would step into the courtyard.

“We have to go,” Cal said.

“He’s holding the phone in his hand,” Andie said to the magician. “Waving it around. Maybe you can distract him in front of the Confucius shrine. We can wait for you inside.”

“Who did he take?” he said finally. “Your child?”

“My mother.”

She worried he wouldn’t help unless there was a child involved. But she couldn’t compound the lies.

“The police won’t help?” he said.

“They’re too busy. I tracked him myself.”

“We’ll give you a hundred dollars,” Cal added, looking as if he might be ill.

The magician rubbed his hands together, as if kneading dough. After a long moment, he drew up straight and faced them. “Too many people come to Vietnam for this. I will try to help you, but not for money. This man—what does he look like?”

Cal described him as the three of them hurried to the fourth courtyard. After thanking the magician so profusely he looked embarrassed, she again stressed the danger of the situation, and