The Pyramid of Balance
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 9288
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At the far end of the tunnel, the man unlocked a door and ushered them
into a room
carved out of the rock. A marble plinth stood in the centre of the room,
and on top
of it was standing what Carola immediately recognised as the original of
the pyramid
that she had seen on the sign. "That's the Pyramid of Balance?" she
asked. "It is."
Carola had been expecting something much more impressive. The artifact was made of three layers of grey marble joined together, and stood about three inches high. The four vertices were not sharp, but slightly rounded. Apart from the strange glyphs inscribed on each of the four faces of the upper layer, and that the thing was obviously very old, it might have been a rather unusual ornament or a child's toy of some kind. "So how exactly am I supposed to protect it?" asked Carola. "By swallowing it," the man replied. In spite of her dangerous situation, Carola could not help but laugh. "You jest," she said. "How am I supposed to swallow something that size made out of solid marble?" "I am quite serious," the man replied. "Watch." He took the Pyramid in one hand and made a strange gesture over it with the other. It immediately began to shrink. When it was the size - but not the shape - of a pea it stopped shrinking. "There," the man said. "You should have no trouble in swallowing that." "But it will just pass straight through her digestive tract," objected Belinda. "No, it has been magically primed to return to its original size in five minutes time. That will make it too large to leave her stomach. There it will remain for as long as she lives. It cannot be removed from there without killing her - except by a magic procedure which only we know. So its protection and Carola's protection will become the same thing, giving her every reason to be diligent in her duty. Also her stomach is a very good hiding place. Who would think of looking there for it?" An acolyte had appeared carrying a glass of water. "Swallow the Pyramid now and wash it down with the water," the leader told Carola. "You may feel a little bloated and uncomfortable for a day or so, but your stomach should soon adjust."
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JH (touched by insanity)
5/11/2000 10:40:05 AM
Extending Enabled
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