The Vault

“So,” Heinrich said. “We have three keys, fifteen numbers, thirty-two statues of various fishes, and an electromagnet. Am I missing anything?”

“I found a coil of rope!” Lida shouted.

“And a coil of rope,” Heinrich said. “We also have one vault door with a single rune on the front and no visible means of opening it.”

“We're also surrounded by about fifteen miles worth of mazes and tunnels,” June said. “At least one of which appears to be underwater.” She was pacing by the edge of the pond, occasionally poking the water with a toe.

“It's right about now that most people would say something like 'how in the hell did we get into this mess',” Heinrich said. “But –”

“How the hell did we end up in this mess?” Sorcha asked. The pile of miscellaneous fish statues was strewn all around her as she investigated them for the third time, looking for a pattern.

“But,” Heinrich continued. “This is what we do. This is our calling. The Ancients set up these puzzles, and we knock 'em down. Have we ever let them get the best of us before?”

There were a few murmurs, but nobody spoke up. Lida, the youngest, looked around with her bright eyes, seeking hope in the cynical looks of her elders.

“No,” June said, walking back from the pond. “We have not.”

“Right,” Heinrich said. “Now, Sorcha. Start throwing those fish statues in the pond and see if anything happens.”