of me.” I noticed the way that the minotaur’s hands trembled gently at his sides.
“I will crush you into dust.”
“Prove it.”
Midnight barked to show his disapproval. I knew he was right to be concerned, but I was desperate. My family needed me.
“I’m assuming this is a fight to the death.” The minotaur grabbed a sledgehammer off of the wall.
“Is there any other kind?”
“Your arrogance is impressive---and misguided. You have no idea what you’re about to do.”
“What I don’t know, I’ll learn.” I found a sledgehammer of my own. My shoulders protested and my muscles ached after hefting a hammer of similar size not so long ago on the killing floor. I knew the odds weren’t in my favor. Any chance of success would rely on fighting smarter and not harder.
“I don’t normally make deals, but you intrigue me. You’ve shown considerable fortitude in your time spent here.”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet. My family’s in danger. That gives me added incentive.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
As the minotaur charged at me, I did something totally unexpected that caught him off guard. Instead of bracing myself for an attack or rushing to meet him, I threw my sledgehammer. The weight of the weapon caught the beast on the side of the head, slowing his charge and knocking him into another of the boiling kettles of water. He emerged quickly, and for just a second I saw myself etched into every strand of his DNA like some sort of elaborate tattoo. Then the creature reverted to bull form and snarled as clouds of steam swirled around him.
I wasn’t just battling a minotaur for supremacy of my soul. I was fighting my own stubborn will. Somehow, the minotaur seemed an easier opponent.
Midnight took a bite out of Asterion’s thigh while he was down, and the beast roared with anger and pain. The water swirled with blood, looking like the beginnings of transgression soup.
Tiring of the nuisance, Asterion grabbed Midnight by the neck and squeezed. The dog yelped once and struggled to free himself, but the minotaur was too strong. I raced toward the bull-creature as I heard the bones in the dog’s neck popping and crackling. He tossed Midnight away like an unwanted toy a second before swatting me against the wall with the back of his hand. Midnight whimpered and tried to move, but something vital was broken inside of him.
The minotaur was impossibly strong, much more so than I had given him credit for. My situation was made even worse by the fact that I no longer had a weapon or a dog to leap to my rescue. So much for brilliant plans.
I looked around for something to fight with and was unable to come up with anything suitable. The sledgehammer I had thrown was too far away to reach, and the rack was empty.
The trouble I was in was much deeper than the water in any of these enormous kettles. My only other alternative was hand-to-hand combat, and I knew that I would lose miserably at that. I didn’t know what else to do.
Boom!
The forceful drumming started up again, unexpectedly. Asterion looked at me with something akin to fear and then snarled to mask his expression. “This place has been more effective than I realized. The knocking is fierce.”
Boom!
It was like listening to a jet break the sound barrier. Asterion cocked his head and listened. “You have been learning, haven’t you?”
Boom!
“What is that?” I noticed that the minotaur trembled with each new explosion.
“Think about it,” Connie said.
“Shut up, wench!” Asterion growled at her. “You’re not supposed to help him. That’s part of the rules.”
“Only because you made them part of the rules. And it’s not as if I’m giving him the solution.”
“I wouldn’t complain if you did.”
“Think, Jamie. Think. Come on.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was a steady, percussive knocking that could have been made with a bass drum or a repentant heart.
Boom!
“I don’t know.” I wondered why Asterion hadn’t attacked again. I was surprised to see that he had climbed into one of the empty de-hairing kettles and cowered inside.
Boom!
“Do I have to spell it out for you?” There was a tiny hint of frustration in Connie’s voice.
“Yes!” I struggled to be heard.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock---.” The voice of the maze let the thought sink in.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
“You’re truly repentant for all the things you’ve done. You know how you should respond.”
I nodded and blinked away the tears. I heard the invitation, and I wanted more than anything else to open