Chapter 21: Broken Faith

They arrived at the study door. John was trembling with anxious energy as he fiddled with the latch. At last, the door cracked open, letting sunshine stream into the crowded study. In a panic, he ran to Professor Thorne's desk and began looking for the journal. However, it was absent. Panic gripped his head. Had his memory been clouded? Was there really no defensive mechanism? Abruptly, he saw a glimmer of motion out of the corner of his eye. When John's eyes fell upon a little, elaborate box hidden in a dusty corner of Professor Thorne's study, his pulse pounded in his chest. It has elaborate carvings on a dark, polished wood surface that gave off a subtle sheen in the sunshine. He had a frantic sense of hope. Is this the secret to getting them out? Ignoring the cloud of dust that burst around him, he grabbed the package. Flipping it over, he discovered a plethora of little buttons organized in an intricate design. It was the best they had, but it was hardly the "hidden