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be this easy?
    But it did seem to be.
    The dog yawned again and then lay down. With a swish of its dragon’s tail, it laid its heads between its great taloned paws and then shut all six of its eyes.
    Within a minute it was breathing heavily. Max looked across the grass at Finlay. ‘Should I try getting past it?’ he hissed.
    Finlay nodded eagerly. ‘Quick,before those batteries run out completely!’
    Max stepped forward. The dog lifted one of its heads. Max froze. But the dog was only shifting its position slightly. Giving a loud snore, it settled down peacefully on its side.
    â€˜Come on!’ whispered Finlay urgently.
    Heart beating fast, Max began to tiptoe closer…

CHAPTER SIX

RISKING THE RIDDLE
    Max could see the dog’s sharp yellow teeth and its three lolling tongues. He crept past the first head, past the second, past the…
    Thud!
His foot kicked a stone on the ground. Max froze, almost too scared to look to see if Cerberus had awoken.
    But the beast slept on.
    Max hesitated and then ran the lastbit as fast as he could. He reached Finlay, his breath coming in short gasps.
    â€˜That was such a cool idea to use the music!’ Finlay whispered as Max reached him.
    â€˜Thanks,’ Max panted back. ‘Come on. Let’s get the apples and get out of here before it wakes up!’
    They ran into the shed together. The four golden apples glowed at them, all identical apart from the pictures engraved into their sides.
    â€˜I just don’t know which three to choose,’ said Finlay, going over to the bench. He pulled the riddle out of his pocket. ‘And this doesn’t help at all.’
    â€˜Give it here.’ Max took it from him and read quickly through it. ‘So we’ve got four apples.’ He studied the apples.
    â€˜One is earth, one is fire, one is water and one is air.’
    â€˜Yeah, I got that far,’ Finlay said. ‘But which do we leave?’

    Max read out:
    â€˜
All four are strong, one stands alone.
Fire dries water, which wears out stone,
Which comes from earth, which smothers air,
The answer’s in the grassy square
.’
    He paused for a moment. ‘It’s almost like it’s talking about which of the elements is the strongest,’ he said slowly. ‘Like when we play paper, scissors and stone.’
    Finlay’s eyes widened. ‘Do you think we have to work out which is the strongest element and leave that one alone?’ He looked at the riddle. ‘Well, in that case, the answer’s obvious, isn’t it? Fire’s got to be the strongest. Air’s the weakest because it can besmothered by earth, but then earth, when it’s stone, can be worn away by water. The only thing that can beat water is fire. It says here, “
Fire dries water
”!’ He looked very excited. ‘We’ve got it, Max! I bet we have to leave the apple with the fire picture on. Come on, let’s take the other three and get out of here!’
    â€˜Wait!’ Max exclaimed, but Finlay was already grabbing the two apples with the water and wind symbols.
    Max gasped, but nothing happened.
    â€˜These two are OK, then!’ Finlay grinned. ‘I am
so
right about this riddle! We just need to take the earth one and we’re done.’ He shoved the two apples he’d taken into his pockets and reached out to pick up the onewith the picture of a stone on, but Max gripped his arm.
    â€˜No,’ he said urgently. ‘I’m not sure we’ve got the riddle right. If it is like stone, paper, scissors, then there isn’t a winner. There’s always one that can beat the other. There isn’t one that’s the strongest. I think it’s a red herring…’
    â€˜A red herring!’ Finlay looked astonished. ‘What’s a fish got to do with it?’
    Max sighed. ‘A red herring’s a name for a false clue. Riddles often have them. I think this riddle’s