The Sphinx Night Show

Far, far, away, and long, long ago a Sphinx meant something. Sagacious beings with malevolent humours guarding the doors of the kings that laid to rest and the wisdom that died with them. Nowadays, the only thing that died were the rotting jokes escaping their lips in the late-night game show ‘What the Sphinx’, the place to be for riddler wannabees that believed themselves to be verbal and logic geniuses when the truth was that it was the Sphinx’s riddles that were in vast decline.

“It walks on four legs in the morning, two in the afternoon, and ends its day on three legs, what is it?” The Sphinx would have rolled his eyes if it wasn’t for the camera zooming into his face, as if to create tension by having it seem like he was staring down the audience intensely.

When the show ended for the night, another happy human walking off with part of a shrinking treasury, the Sphinx found himself facing a pile of charts representing the decline of the ratings and the viewers and the stern face of the producer. “They gonna plug it,” the Sphinx was informed which felt like a punch to the gut like the time when he was told that he had to let the humans win, the idea of his declining reverence worse than the idea of the treasury shrinking to nothing.

“Then allow me to do what I do best,” the Sphinx begged, the producer scratching his bald head before throwing his hand up as if to say ‘whatever’, for the news had already been shared and there was nothing to be done other than extend the date of execution.

And the Sphinx prepared for its next show the following night, something ancient reverberating within him, something unused for a long while, but remaining as he tugged and pulled at the Sphinxes before him that had protected the wisdom and wealth of those passed under the burning sun with their cunning and wit.

“Tonight the game shall be different,” the Sphinx said that night, peering into the lens of the camera when it moved towards him, a smile curling around his giant lion-like nose as paws moved over each other, “the producers have informed me, sadly, that this game show shall be discontinued,” the Sphinx continued, closing his eyes in momentary satisfaction as artificial ‘boo’ sounds filled the studio before reopening them once more, something different glimmering beyond them when he continued to meet the eye of the public.

“Tonight’s game shall not end until the puzzle has been solved,” the Sphinx started out with the familiar words with which he had opened every game night so far since they had started to air, his mighty head turning towards the curtains from where the ‘challenger’ would be revealed as he stepped out of view when the rope was drawn revealing…

The reflection of the audience and the crew that had diligently followed the Sphinx and his show in a large mirror.

An audible gasp is shared, the confusion settling in as the Sphinx steps back into view, his proud face held highly and his lips curled up into a wide grin that had diminished over the years as his paws pointed into the direction of all who sat in front of him, “my last challenger shall be you!” he announced, as his fellow Sphinx colleagues joined him, blocking every exit there was as the riddle was sounded:

“What is my greatest treasure?”

A smart aleck in the audience had an immediate response, "this show!" which earned a wry smile from the Sphinx and a shake of his head.

"Did I mention answers have actual consequences this time?" the Sphinx mused, as the seats of the audience folded away, sliding the public down onto the floor and descending them into a giant maze the Sphinxes had out together.

"Bonus round," the Sphinx said, peering over the walls of the maze as the terror of the audience swelled his pride.

@rissa