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Adam’s rock-hard, shapely man-derriere remained oblivious to the scrutiny it was receiving while the golem toted his two charges through the gateway into … somewhere else. [i]The Vaults,[/i] Isis had said. Adam was not sure what that meant exactly, but it did not truly matter. It was simply the next step to the Ankh, a necessary step, Adam assumed. The first step had proven dangerous enough. He could only wonder what this step would bring.

Along the way, Adam nodded with nigh expressionless golem politeness to Nestor. “Thank you, Nestor,” Adam replied genuinely to the fellow. Though, a frown passed the golem’s onyx brow as Nestor collapsed against a wall in visible suffering. “Perhaps you should seek medical attention,” the golem suggested in a concerned golem-ish rumble. 

Then Adam found himself face to face (or chest to face, given his height) with Nestor’s Demoness. The golem blinked at her words in puzzlement. Had some evil magic transformed him into a giant metal sphincter without his knowledge? Worried, Adam glanced down at himself, his large arms and hands that were still holding a giggling Mila and Anastasia, at his legs down there, at the trim waist and his ensemble of dress clothing. No… Everything looked right… 

But then Adam caught the Demoness talking to Anastasia, which reminded him. He set the two women down gingerly, making sure each of them had their feet under them (injured or not) before he let them go. 

“You may look,” the golem murmured absently to Mila. 

He had finally taken a moment to look around himself, and his glinting black eyes were met with quite an unexpected sight. Bright blue skies, oddly distorted clouds. Lush greenness and fields of beautiful flowers. Adam sighed in silent appreciation. Drawn by the scenery, the golem forged ahead slowly, his head slowly turning side to side, but soon centering toward the stone monolith ahead. 

Adam was marveling at the twisted shape of the structure when his vision lit upon something living, which happened to be staring right back at him. The golem blinked in mute surprise, and then his eyebrows slowly rose. The being was … strange, to say the least, but were not they all strange? Privately, Adam suspected he had found the elusive Chupacabra that the National Enquirer magazines oft mentioned. Some of the descriptions Adam had read seemed to fit, but the golem contained his excitement at the discovery. No doubt the Chupacabra would think it rude to make a fuss.

After the Keytaker spoke, Adam mimicked the creature’s slight bow, then said, “Hello, Vos’o’los. I am Adam.”

The golem considered the creature’s request for a moment or two, then he dug into his coat pocket. [i]Key?[/i] Adam produced his house keys in his big dark hand and offered them politely to the Keytaker. Perhaps those would suffice. 

“I will need those back when you are done,” the golem admitted.