The Paragon Prison, page 8
“We don’t have much time to get you ready,” said Hale. Coach Wolfhelm had assigned the changeling girl with the perky antennae to get Max back in shape. On Max’s world, Hale had been a top duelist. One of the best. “You’re a little out of practice,” she continued with a smile. “So just follow my lead.”
Round Table was played the same here as it was in Max’s world. Both worlds used custom-built decks of trading cards filled with amazing creatures and perilous traps. And both used elaborate dice known as knucklebones. The combination of card draws, placements on the field, dice rolls for chance, and a solid strategy made for some intense duels. And that was before Max put on his 3-D Kinematic goggles. With a flip of a switch, the whole game moved into a virtual-reality video game. Dice and cards might be played, but what the duelists saw was something out of a movie. Fire-breathing dragons, hordes of goblins, missile-launching elves… they were all there, as real as magic could make them. And twice as dangerous.
Over the next fifty minutes, Hale tore Max apart. At first there were hushed giggles from the other top duelists as they gathered around the table to watch. Then embarrassment. Then came the stunned silence. Max shouldn’t be losing. Not like this.
Meanwhile, Natalia was in detective mode, artfully interviewing people who knew Smoke, gathering information without their realizing it. She found herself really liking this world. Sure, it was different. But in a good way. Her dad enjoyed working for Von Strife. He had money now. And time. So he tended to fix things around the house and take Natalia’s mom on surprise lunches. Then there was Natalia’s sister, who, despite her blatant thievery, was somehow sweeter. And who knew? Her ransacking skills might come in handy one day if Natalia ever needed someone to join her detective agency.
She discovered that Smoke was definitely a loner. When he was on the scene, people scattered like fish from a shark. He seemed to like it that way, sometimes sitting down at a crowded table to see how quickly it would empty. This tendency made it easy to track where he’d been. But predicting where he’d pop up next was the real trick. He attended class from time to time but rarely handed in homework. He wasn’t into sports or Round Table. He didn’t eat in the dining hall. He had no friends. After a few days, it because quite clear that Smoke was rarely at the school at all. And when he would appear, he looked as filthy as a grease monkey. It was up to Natalia to figure out where he was spending his time.
The big break came when Natalia walked by the girls’ bathroom. There was a sudden scream followed by a flood of girls pouring out the door, blushing and furious. “What’s going on in there?” Natalia asked Katie.
Katie grumbled as she buckled her jeweled belt. “Smoke. That creep! He just teleported right into the middle of the bathroom. Can you believe that? I don’t care how powerful he is. He’s going to get it! He has to sleep sometime.”
Natalia smirked. “Is he still in there?”
“No. Anyway, I have to go. I’ll call you tonight, okay?” Natalia could definitely see why the other Natalia and Katie had been friends. Katie was cute, fiery, and a verbal sharpshooter. She said what she thought, no matter who was listening. Natalia respected that. And Katie and Brittany weren’t her only friends. Christina and Gwen called her practically every night, mostly to talk about clothes. Natalia had been suspicious at first. After a while, though, she found herself enjoying the calls, even looking forward to them. Of course, she hadn’t confessed this to the Griffins. She hadn’t even admitted it to herself.
Inside the bathroom, Natalia found dirty footprints in a splash of water. Boot prints, to be exact. Smoke’s. Natalia smiled as she knelt close to the floor with her Phantasmoscope. She immediately recoiled from the smell. Something between rotten tomato and wet dog. She swapped out the lenses on her Phantasmoscope, pinched her nose, and moved closer.
“Hmm… oil. But why does it smell so terrible?” she muttered. She rubbed the grit from the footprint between her fingers. “Okay, it’s not motor oil. Something else. Like lubricant for a big machine. A big clockwork, maybe? Where have you been going, Smoke?” Smoke could conceivably teleport anywhere in the world. She needed something more. Something specific.
When Smoke reappeared at school a few days later, Natalia was back on the hunt. Having learned his habits, she picked up his trail quickly and was soon tailing him through the dark, lonesome hallways of one of Iron Bridge’s neglected wings. She stayed in the shadows, keeping her distance, when suddenly he disappeared.
Natalia sighed. He did that a lot. Just teleport away for no good reason. She decided to walk a bit farther down the hallway where he’d disappeared, and that was when she nearly tumbled down a hidden staircase. She caught herself, twisting her ankle and stifling a cry. She sat down and nursed her foot, cursing her nearsightedness.
Natalia was about to limp back when she heard voices floating up from the darkness of the stairwell.
“Are you sure that’s what they said?”
“I’m not an idiot, Smoke,” replied a female voice. “I know what I heard.”
“So if they aren’t the real Griffins, who are they?”
“I don’t care,” said the girl. Natalia thought it might have been Raven.
“Then why are you telling me? You’ve never been nice to me before.”
“Sacre bleu de… If you so much as touch me again, I’m gonna put your head through that wall.” Definitely Raven.
“You didn’t answer the question. Why are you telling me all this?”
“Let’s just say they need to be taught a lesson.”
“You mean Harley…?” Natalia could almost see Smoke’s leering smirk. “I know it had to be hard to find out the way you did, Raven. If you ever need—ow!” Natalia heard a thump and a body slumping to the floor. “What did you do that for?”
“I don’t like to be touched.”
Natalia quickly hobbled behind an old door as Raven stormed up the stairs and down the hall. As for Smoke, either he was still down in that stairwell or he’d teleported out. Either way, it was time for Natalia to inform the Griffins that their story was about to go public.
THE REPLACEMENT
Max: Raven just sold us out 2 Smoke?
Harley: I knew I shouldn’t have made her so mad. Agh!
Max: U think she eavesdropped on us?
Natalia: Of course she did. That’s her changeling power. She can eavesdrop on conversations that happened a hundred years ago if she wants. We should have been more careful.
—Ernest Tweeny attempted to join the discussion—
—Ernest Tweeny was dropped from the discussion—
Natalia: At this point, I don’t know what Smoke will do with the information. He doesn’t have friends. But the big risk is him telling his dad. And if Von Strife knows who we are, we can kiss finding the Paragon Engine good-bye.
Max: Wait a sec. Iver’s sending me a text.
—Max has suspended the discussion—
—Max has rejoined the discussion—
Max: Okay, he’s going to arrange for us to talk to Monti.
Harley: Seriously??? The guy’s been dodging me for weeks.
Natalia: Excellent. You cover the Monti thing, Max. I’ll stay on Smoke. But Raven is still out there. We need someone to talk to her. Get her to shut up somehow. She’s going to get us killed.
Max: Harley?
Harley: ???
Max: I’m sorry to ask you to do this.
Harley: Then don’t.
Max: Just be nice to her. Say you want to be friends or something.
Harley: Oh sure. That ought to fly like a brick.
Max: Come on, Harley. You are the only person who has a chance with her.
Natalia: Please, Harley?
Natalia: Harley?
Natalia: Harley!!!
Harley: Fine. But u owe me.
Max walked into the Grand Auditorium of Iron Bridge holding a new deck of Round Table cards. As he stepped onto the stage, he scanned his teammates. There were so many changelings. Easily half. And in this world, they could use their powers to their advantage. As Coach Wolfhelm had told him, Round Table was a warm-up for the real thing. If you couldn’t deal with a changeling in a Round Table duel, you wouldn’t stand a chance on the field of battle.
Max looked over to see Tejan Chandra shuffling his cards. The genius kid from Bengal had the changeling power to erase a single thought or wipe your memory clean. His only downfall might be that he was too nice of a kid to use that to his advantage—Max hoped. Max said hello. Or did he? He couldn’t remember. Tejan winked knowingly.
Todd and Ross Toad soon arrived like a couple of vultures, with notepads at the ready. They were there to watch the duelists, study their moves, and get the inside story. The brothers’ side business was publishing the Toad Report, a must-have guide to every top player in the league, their strategies, and their weaknesses. If you were playing someone, and you needed the skinny on how to win, the Toad Report was the final answer. Of course, the other duelists could easily get the same information about you if they chose to buy a copy—which meant that the Toad Reports didn’t come cheap.
As the Toad brothers swept by, they hastily saluted Max. “You’re the man, Sumner,” Todd called. “Don’t forget it. The man!”
“Hey, there you are,” called Coach Wolfhelm. The man was dressed in brown-buttoned spats, pin-striped pants, and a matching vest. His sleeves were pushed up high, and a derby was perched atop his grizzled head. He put a hairy arm over Max’s shoulder. “Well, Max, you didn’t lose any of the old magic, didja? It would do my heart a turn to think you had.”
Max shrugged self-consciously. “If I did, you’ve always got Hale. She’s a great player.”
“Aye, but we need more than a great duelist to send old Stirling to the deep. We need Max Sumner. The old Max Sumner!” Max caught the look of embarrassment in Hale’s eyes as she overheard. Wolfhelm smiled broadly, exposing a set of rather pointy teeth. “You just worry about yourself. There’re a lot of folks depending on us. I won’t let you down; you don’t let me down likewise?” His furry knuckles gave Max’s shoulder an uncomfortable squeeze. “See?”
Max saw, all right. If he lost the tournament, his cover would be blown.
After days of Natalia’s nagging, Harley finally agreed to talk to Raven. He had a feeling the conversation would be ugly. He was never that comfortable around girls, anyway. He’d say something wrong, or wouldn’t say something he should. Still, he’d try. Raven was currently in the library for sixth period. It was the best shot Harley would have at catching her alone.
As he made his way toward the library, he reflected on the last two weeks and what it was like to finally have a father. Not that he was an expert on the subject or anything. He avoided the man at every turn. Pretending to be someone else’s kid wasn’t right. Whenever he slipped and used the terms dad and mom, he wanted to hit himself. His parents here were pretty cool, though, and they gave him all the space he wanted. But it hurt them. He could see it in their eyes. Then he thought about the Paragon Engine, and what it would be like for them to lose their son all over again. They’d be devastated. And this time, Harley would be to blame. He already hated himself for it.
Harley looked up at the sign above the double doors: ROSENKREUZ LIBRARY. EST. AD 1616. He spotted Raven near the back, dressed in her familiar black leather pants and jackboots, both with rows and rows of buckles. Over her rock-concert T-shirt was a dark hooded cloak that completely hid the chair beneath her, giving her the illusion that she was floating over her boots. She was alone and pretending to be asleep. Taking a deep breath, he moved ahead.
“Don’t even think about sitting down,” Raven warned, not bothering to open her eyes. Harley sat down anyway. Raven turned her head the other direction and sighed. “Please, go away.”
“We should talk.”
“That would not be a good idea.”
Natalia had invented a good story. He’d run the details over and over in his head to make sure he’d remember. He hoped he’d get it right. “You don’t have to say anything. I can do the talking. And if you don’t like it, you can leave.”
“I can leave now,” said Raven, standing up quickly and gathering her books. “Au revoir.” Harley pulled her back down. She ripped her arm away and stared menacingly at him.
“Please. Give me a chance.” Harley took a deep breath. “So, anyway, the whole dying thing. I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you sooner. Things have been weird. Maybe it was the portal, but sometimes I’m not myself. It’s getting better, but you can even ask my mom. I’m not the same. I just need a little time, that’s all.”
Raven’s glare softened for a moment, then returned with intensity.
Harley kept going. “I’m not asking for things to go back the way they were. I know you’re angry, and I know why. I’m just asking you to take it easy on me. And maybe, you know, we can”—he swallowed a lump in his throat—“hang out. You know, if you want.”
Raven studied him intently, then shook her head. “Nice story. Give my compliments to Natalia.”
Harley sighed, then slumped in his chair.
She continued after a pause. “It was good, though. The story. If I were a cheerleader or a yearbook chick, I might have bought it.”
Harley looked over at her. She was smiling. “I don’t understand.”
“You never were that bright when it came to girls,” Raven replied. “But I know you well enough—whoever you are—to know you can’t lie to save your life.”
Harley whistled softly, running his hands through his hair. “I’m pretty terrible at it, huh?” He found himself smirking. “You do a pretty good job, though.”
“I have more practice. So who are you, anyway?” She watched him intently.
“I’m Harley. I’ve been Harley all my life. It’s the truth. Am I really that different?”
“You guys are sloppy, you know. Talking everywhere. The walls can hear you. And if they do, I do. And I may not be the only one.” They should have stuck to secure chat, Harley thought. “But we’re safe here. No one is listening except me.”
“How do you know?”
“I can talk to walls, chairs, toothbrushes, toilet brushes, if I really wanted… even the air. And the air is telling me no one is listening right now, okay?” Harley was astonished. This Raven was more powerful than the one in his world. “So, who are you, really?”
“I’m Harley,” he repeated, realizing he was about to do exactly what Iver had told them not to do. “And the others are the Griffins. But we’re not your Griffins. We’re from a different Earth. Believe me, we don’t want to hurt anyone. All we really want is to get back home.”
“What about my Harley?” Raven pressed. “Is he in your world?”
“I know as much as you do. When we arrived, your Griffins had already been missing for three months.”
A lonely sadness filled Raven’s eyes. She bit her lip, and her silence only made Harley more anxious.
He paused. “You won’t tell anybody, will you?”
Raven raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean Smoke?” Harley blanched. “Don’t worry. I knew Natalia was eavesdropping the whole time.”
“But why talk to him at all?”
“So you’d finally talk to me, idiot.” She grinned as one of her dark-nailed fingers played with a silver earring. “All he knows is that the portal changed you. And that could mean anything.”
She stood up as the bell rang. Harley took hold of her wrist. “Wait. I’m sorry. Sorry for everything.”
“Can I have my hand back?”
“We need your help.” If there was one person who could find out what Smoke was up to, it was Raven. Harley had to at least try.
She looked at him in genuine surprise. “You have a lot of nerve.”
“I know. But we’re desperate to get back to our world. There’s a Raven there, too. She and two of our best friends are in a lot of trouble right now. You might be able to help.”
“You come in here, pretending to be my Harley, then give me this whole crazy story about being from another world? You have got to be nuts. You guys are pathetic. The other Griffins were so much better.”
Harley nodded. “I guess I’m not much compared to your Harley.”
“No, you’re not,” said Raven. Her smoky eyes softened as she regarded Harley’s desperation. She reached out to him instinctively, then withdrew with an icy scowl. “But you’re the only Harley we’ve got left.”
As she moved toward the door, she turned with a sly smile. “Fine. I’ll hear you out. But if you guys are messing with me, I’m out.” She disappeared around the corner, her buckled boots leading the way.
Harley didn’t move from his seat for a long time. His eyes were locked on the doorway through which Raven had left. And then he realized he was smiling. A real, honest-to-goodness smile.
KILLER FOG
The crows were back. One here, another there. Looking in windows, peering down from trees. Max didn’t wander alone, and the crows didn’t attack. There was an understanding. They would watch. Observe. And there was nothing Max could do about it.
A deep fog had set in over New Avalon. Weather advisories had been posted, people had been warned to stay inside, and Iron Bridge had canceled school. This wasn’t an ordinary fog. This was a killer fog, thick with poisonous mists.
“People can die in this soup,” Natalia had told Max over the online chat session that morning. “I looked it up. These killer fogs just pop up out of nowhere, kill a bunch of people, then disappear. No one knows why, but it’s been like this for years.” She sighed. “Well, we take the good with the bad. And so far, this world has been pretty good. And as for Smoke, you’ll be happy to know, I’ve had the gunk from his shoes analyzed. Whale oil!”
“Isn’t killing whales illegal?” asked Max with a shudder.
“In our world, yes. But here? Who knows? And would a bad guy care? Anyway, it’s a very specific type of whale. And only one company has a license to sell the oil. Now all I need is a customer list.”
