One week later they met again. Rex had been torn. Should he consult with his legal department? They would certainly tell him not to do this. And the smart thing to do would be to wash his hands of all of this. The only problem is that he really did need the money.

He’d spent a few restless nights thinking about it. Was there some way to protect himself in case this all came to light? Probably not from the publicity. Legal or not, if large packages of money were being buried in his Wonder, it would create a stink. On the other hand, if the money was enough, he wouldn’t be all that bothered by it. The marketing angle practically wrote itself. Not too ethical but there it was.

Mr Emerson was escorted into his office. They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Rex got to the point.

“I want to help you but I need some help from you first.”

“And what would that be.”

“I’d like you to sign something.” He got out a piece of paper and put it on the table. It was handwritten, not typed.

Mr Emerson picked it up and read it. It said, “To the best of my knowledge there is no legal penalty for the storage of these packages,” and there was a place for a signature.

“I just need you to sign that and then we can come to an agreement.”

A small smile. “Of course.” He took a pen from the desk and signed with a flourish.

They started to discuss logistics. Would they do the burying themselves? Yes they would, but they’d take Rex’s advice on where they should go. How would retrieval be handled? It would be after hours. Should Rex be notified? No, he wanted no knowledge of the items after they were placed. He pointedly and repeatedly said that he wouldn’t be responsible for whatever was put there. They were in agreement.

Then Mr Emerson handed Rex an envelope. They shook hands again and then he left. The envelope was nice and heavy. He hefted it. It would help quite a bit.

The Labyrinth was finished before schedule. Rex took a helicopter ride above it so he could inspect it from the air. The walls were in place. It would take some time for the vegetation to grow in, especially the ivy.

The preplanned picnic spots stood out from the air. The one in the middle had a number of large oaks. It would make a wonderful shelter. Provided one could find the way out, of course.

They had run a series of checks on the machinery and everything worked. The selected walls would move without a hitch. There would be subtle changes in the maze every week or so. Rex could hardly wait until rumors started floating about that.

The work had been completed a few weeks before they were ready to open. His marketing team had come up with some wonderful promotions for this time. The most publicized was a race between members of Texas’ top sports teams. The ratings would be through the roof.

It also left him time for a much quieter task. He would be giving a private tour to a few wealthy guests. Specifically, a Mr Emerson was going to come through with a few men. They just might be bringing something with them and then leaving without it.

Rex met them at the gate. They requested a map, but he couldn’t give them one. None had been made. In fact, none would be made. The Labyrinth would contain it’s secrets and Rex was completely inflexible on this point. Instead, he had paper and pens provided to them.

They set out on foot and Rex made certain that the pace was slow. He wanted Mr Emerson to have all the time he needed to ensure an accurate map. It only seemed fair and he wanted to make sure that no one thought they were being taken advantage of.

Rex had a specific place in mind. He led them there, stopping at every turn or branch so it could be written down. This place was about a mile from the entrance, though much less as the crow flies. It was the last part of a short dead in. He’d picked this spot because he thought people would easily see that they couldn’t go any further and then they’d backtrack.

Mr Emerson looked it over carefully and finally decided that it would do perfectly. He selected a corner spot. They cut through the newly laid sod and dug down a few feet. Then they put the case in and refilled the hole. The sod fit neatly back down. Everything looked just as it should. There was nothing to draw your eye to anything unusual.

Once they were satisfied, they walked back out. At the gate, Mr Emerson thanked Rex again. Rex returned the thanks. They both agreed that it would be bad for them to be seen together any more. If the package needed removal, it would be done quietly. Rex wished them luck and they were on their way.