The Tree of Knowledge, Daniel Miller [unputdownable books txt] 📗

and right were blue sky and clouds, which gave Albert the sensation that he was floating weightless in the sky. Four massive figures dressed in white robes hovered on clouds before Albert: a giant bearded man and three gorgeous, powerful-looking women. The man spoke first.

“I am Zeus and you have entered the realm of the gods.” The power of Zeus’s voice shook the room.

“You stand before three goddesses. One of the goddesses is Apate, the goddess of treachery and deceit. Another is Veritas, the goddess of truth. The last is Eris, the goddess of chaos. Apate will always lie to you. Veritas will always tell you the truth, and Eris will answer according to her whims.”

Albert nodded, prodding Zeus to continue.

“Only gods can see the true nature of other gods, and only gods can pass through my realm. So, if you hope to pass, you must tell me: Who is whom?”

“This is like the riddle of the two guards. I can do this,” shouted Albert to no one in particular.

As if Zeus could hear him, he added, “The gods speak in the language of the gods, which no human can understand. They will answer your questions with the words ‘Po’ or ‘Ko,’ but you will have to figure out for yourself which means yes and which means no. You have two minutes.”

Zeus flipped a person-size sand timer to signify that Albert’s time had begun.

Albert thought back to his days in Professor Turner’s logic class. He remembered how Turner had taught him that the easiest way to obtain information in yes-or-no scenarios was with an embedded question because you could create a situation where answers were either double negatives or double positives, and therefore it didn’t matter if “Po” meant yes or no or if the person were lying or telling the truth because the answer was the same. That’s how he had solved the riddle of the two guards.

If I pose the question like a hypothetical about what the other person would do, I can just assume “Ko” means yes. So the first thing I have to do is figure out which one is the random god, Eris. Then I can focus on Veritas, the truth teller, and Apate, the liar.

Albert took a deep breath and turned to the dark-skinned goddess in the middle.

“If I asked you if the goddess on my left is Eris the Chaotic, would you say ‘Ko’?”

She smiled and answered, “Ko.”

“OK, so now I can assume that the goddess on the left is Eris the Chaotic or the goddess in the middle is Eris, but definitely not the one on the right.”

Albert then turned to the blonde goddess on the right, whose smile seemed to mock Albert. “If I asked you, ‘Are you Apate the Liar?’ would you say ‘Ko’?”

The goddess on the right smiled and answered, “Ko.”

“Good, now I know that you are the liar because if you were Veritas, you would have said ‘Po.’”

Albert rubbed his hands together and smiled at the blonde goddess, whose smirk had now faded.

“So, Apate the Liar, I have one more question for you . . . Is the goddess on my left Eris?”

Apate scowled and said, “Po.”

“Well, since you are a liar, then I can assume that the goddess on my left is Eris. And that means that you, lady in the center, are Veritas.”

Veritas smiled a warm smile and stepped out of Albert’s way as the door opened behind her.

Zeus chuckled. “You have proven yourself worthy of the gods. You may pass.”

Albert exhaled and proceeded.

The third room he entered was even more striking. Albert could feel the great woman’s presence in the stark power of her office. The lights of Long Beach harbor shimmered through the expansive window. The clear white walls and minimalist furniture captivated and seduced.

But, upon tiptoeing farther into the office, Albert knew his effort had been a waste . . . for there was nothing in it. No book. Not one potential piece of evidence of what Cristina Culebra had done or was planning to do. Not a file cabinet, not a piece of paper, not a computer. As he scanned the room, Albert heard footsteps from the passageway he had just left behind him.

“Did you find it?” whispered Ying.

Albert flinched and grabbed his chest. “Jesus, Ying. You nearly gave me a heart attack. What are you doing here?”

“Turner found Moloch and the book. He sent me to come get you.”

“Well, then he’s doing a lot better than I am,” Albert whispered. “There’s nothing in this office. This woman is a ghost.”

Ying tiptoed around the empty office, squinting and looking for some piece of evidence.

“You’re wasting your time. There’s nothing in here—”

His sentence was interrupted by a loud clap and the hum of the overhead lights being turned on.

Albert squinted and looked toward the doorway.

He could not stop staring at the woman who stood before him. Cristina Culebra was magnetism personified. In a way, she seemed superhuman. As though God had taken a human being and enhanced every feature. Her skin gleamed with a tan but somehow youthful vibrance. The gentle scent of her perfume massaged Albert’s nostrils. Her strong, thin frame carried a sleek power, like a Ducati motorbike. And those eyes. The deep darkness held sparks of flame. With one look, Albert knew that Eva had been the cub. This was the lion.

Her appearance was rendered even more striking against the blank expanse of her office. A magnificent contrast of black against shoreline lights. The three adjoining walls held nothing but were composed of a hard-coat white laminate that glowed from the overhead light. Giant dry-erase boards, thought Albert. This is where she draws her game trees. A desk and three chairs anchored the center of the room. Nothing else. A sensory precision.

“Bravo, Dr. Puddles. I must say, I gave you some of my better puzzles, which I didn’t think anyone would be able to crack with so little time. Anyone but me, of course. Please sit down. You too, Ms. Koh.”

Albert limply sat in