uncontrollably when he told about Wesley's death. Irena put
an arm around her.
''It will be alright, Joanna.'' she told the girl.
Fiske and his friend Erasmus, an exceptional Madrigal spy, were very interested in the Vesper base, while Dan seemed intent on learning more on Vesper One.
After Evan had told the story, Amy stood.
''This is a really sad occasion for a Christmas morning!'' she said. ''I know Wesley will be deeply missed, but we also need to put this sadness behind us and focus on things ahead. Like opening presents!''
''It will be alright, Joanna.'' she told the girl.
Fiske and his friend Erasmus, an exceptional Madrigal spy, were very interested in the Vesper base, while Dan seemed intent on learning more on Vesper One.
After Evan had told the story, Amy stood.
''This is a really sad occasion for a Christmas morning!'' she said. ''I know Wesley will be deeply missed, but we also need to put this sadness behind us and focus on things ahead. Like opening presents!''
Leo:
Leo stood up quickly
and stepped in front of the tree.
''I would like to start,'' he said abruptly. He handed Amy the sweater he had bought her. She smiled and thanked him, at the same time wondering why someone so shy would want to be the center of attention.
''Oh, and there's one other thing,'' he said like he had just thought of it.
Leo pulled the other parcel out of his pocket.
''I think this belonged to Ian once,'' he told the stunned Cahills. ''But I need to modify it slightly to make it safe.''
His cousins were mesmerized by the sight of Leo holding such an important thing: the painting of Charlotte Corday by Paul Jaques Baudry.
Ian was the first to speak. ''What do you mean a slight modification?''
Leo smiled. This is for you, Bella, he thought. Then he took the lighter from his other pocket and set the painting on fire.
''I would like to start,'' he said abruptly. He handed Amy the sweater he had bought her. She smiled and thanked him, at the same time wondering why someone so shy would want to be the center of attention.
''Oh, and there's one other thing,'' he said like he had just thought of it.
Leo pulled the other parcel out of his pocket.
''I think this belonged to Ian once,'' he told the stunned Cahills. ''But I need to modify it slightly to make it safe.''
His cousins were mesmerized by the sight of Leo holding such an important thing: the painting of Charlotte Corday by Paul Jaques Baudry.
Ian was the first to speak. ''What do you mean a slight modification?''
Leo smiled. This is for you, Bella, he thought. Then he took the lighter from his other pocket and set the painting on fire.
Cahills and Vespers:
Several things happened at once as the blaze flared
up in his hand.
Amy cringed away from the flames, while Hamilton and Reagan lunged for Leo a split second after ignition. Natalie screamed, and Ian's face contorted in rage.
The Vespers who'd been waiting outside smashed through the large window, showering glass everywhere. Madz rushed to Leo and shoved Ham and Reagan off of him, then grabbed the painting.
The crowd of Cahills and Vespers filling the mansion's living room stared at the remnants of the beautiful and important work of art. The centuries-old vellum (a thin, tanned hide that artists paint on) had been dry and extremely flammable. It was obvious that there was no way to salvage it.
Amy cringed away from the flames, while Hamilton and Reagan lunged for Leo a split second after ignition. Natalie screamed, and Ian's face contorted in rage.
The Vespers who'd been waiting outside smashed through the large window, showering glass everywhere. Madz rushed to Leo and shoved Ham and Reagan off of him, then grabbed the painting.
The crowd of Cahills and Vespers filling the mansion's living room stared at the remnants of the beautiful and important work of art. The centuries-old vellum (a thin, tanned hide that artists paint on) had been dry and extremely flammable. It was obvious that there was no way to salvage it.
Leo:
Everyone glared at Leo.
''Can you explain this incident?'' Erasmus asked after a moment.
''It might take a while,'' Leo said coolly.
''We have time.'' Fiske told him.
''Well, alright. I suppose I should start at the beginning,'' Leo began. ''After I separated from the Lucians, I fell into bad company.” He shuddered. “But after I had left them, I cleaned up my act. Before this mess, I was making a living assassinating people.''
Christine gasped in terror.
''And that paid pretty well. But then Comrade Spasky requested that I help find a simple piece of missing art. So I went down there and helped them out.'' Leo looked at the people in front of him. They did not seem very ready to hear his story. Too bad. ''I lost my friend when we stormed the Vesper base. Ben almost died when we were attacked by dogs, and of course Wesley died too.'' He looked around angrily. ''But those aren't the only people who have died for that painting. So have countless Cahills and Vespers, ever since that picture was painted! What a huge waste of life! And over what? A tiny scrap of information about the enemy?'' Leo sighed. ''Of course what I'm saying isn't going to matter. Cahills and Vespers will probably still be fighting long after I'm dead. But this is one more artifact they will never fight over again.''
Leo stepped forward and ground the ashes into the carpet with his shoe.
''And now we need a Janus to forge a copy for Ian to sell. Any volunteers?''
Joanna raised her hand gingerly.
''Great! Now let's get back to opening presents!'' Leo said cheerily. ''And so our Vesper amici don't feel left out, you can give some of your presents to them.''
Leo stood back.
At first, the Cahills and Vespers stared at Leo, then their enemies, in horror.
''Oh, fine,'' Evan decided. ''Here, Madz. I'll give you my earmuffs I got.''
After that first offering, Cahills handed Vespers gifts. Hamilton and Jonah went to the kitchen to cook more food, and a huge Vesper helped Eisenhower and Fiske staple plastic over the hole in the window.
Leo stood in the shadows. He smiled, watching the old enemies sit together and laugh. He knew, as he was sure everyone did, that this peace would be short lived.
But it was a start.
The End
Epilogue:
After the Christmas Party, everyone went their
separate ways.
Evan, Christine and Kat headed back to France and relaxed into their regular routine of defying the Janus Council and solving crimes.
Irena and Ben headed back to Ireland, where Ben's parents were overjoyed to see him. They were so happy they didn't even ask too many hard questions!
Madz and the other Vespers were punished for letting the painting get away, but it was only for a few days, then they had to get back to work, because Vesper One was planning something really big.
Joanna went back to her job as assistant secretary at the Janus Headquarters.
Evan, Christine and Kat headed back to France and relaxed into their regular routine of defying the Janus Council and solving crimes.
Irena and Ben headed back to Ireland, where Ben's parents were overjoyed to see him. They were so happy they didn't even ask too many hard questions!
Madz and the other Vespers were punished for letting the painting get away, but it was only for a few days, then they had to get back to work, because Vesper One was planning something really big.
Joanna went back to her job as assistant secretary at the Janus Headquarters.
Calypso headed back
to Montana
afterwards to test out a new feature for her sled. She then patented it and
made a large sum of money.
Leo is the only one I'm not sure about. Some sources say that he headed back to Italia afterwards, but I have reports of sightings from all over. We may never know for sure just where he is. But keep your eye out...
Leo is the only one I'm not sure about. Some sources say that he headed back to Italia afterwards, but I have reports of sightings from all over. We may never know for sure just where he is. But keep your eye out...
THE (real) End
~* The Entertainers *~
Leo and Carlo:
On June 3, 2011, the
Benevolent Entertainers Laugh Loudly Association was founded.
It began in a small, cheap apartment building in an Italian slum. There were only two members.
We know the first member well. Leo had gone back to Florence, but assassination had lost its appeal for him. He tried many odd jobs, but was abruptly fired from all of them.
The other member of this Association is less well known. His name was Carlo, and he had never been able to hold a job. Nobody was very sure where he was from, and Leo didn't ask. Carlo's problem was a lack of respect for authority. Both he and Leo had been trying to work for a street sweeping business when they had discovered something they had in common: they were both Cahills. And both of them despised the needless bloodshed that characterized their family.
So when Carlo had been fired for loafing on the job, Leo quit also. They decided to start their own business and Leo suggested they could try to stop the feud that had plagued the family for generations, and make a bit of money on the side.
It was Carlo who had thought of the name for their company.
''So, mio amico, you want to name it after a girl?'' Carlo had asked.
"Yes," Leo had answered, in a tone indicating that he didn't want to talk about it.
''We can call it BELLA then, and make up some kind of acronym for it.''
But after several minutes, it became clear that a coherent acronym would be hard to think up. Leo began to get discouraged. Carlo noticed and came up with a simple remedy.
''Why does it need to make sense?'' he asked Leo. ''All organizations have trouble with names. The National Geographic thought it had a good name. Then it went international. No name is perfect, so let us have a name that is very imperfect.''
And that is how the Benevolent Entertainers Laugh Loudly Association (The Entertainers for short) came into existence.
It would seem that such a tiny organization would have no consequence to either the Cahills or the Vespers.
We shall see.
It began in a small, cheap apartment building in an Italian slum. There were only two members.
We know the first member well. Leo had gone back to Florence, but assassination had lost its appeal for him. He tried many odd jobs, but was abruptly fired from all of them.
The other member of this Association is less well known. His name was Carlo, and he had never been able to hold a job. Nobody was very sure where he was from, and Leo didn't ask. Carlo's problem was a lack of respect for authority. Both he and Leo had been trying to work for a street sweeping business when they had discovered something they had in common: they were both Cahills. And both of them despised the needless bloodshed that characterized their family.
So when Carlo had been fired for loafing on the job, Leo quit also. They decided to start their own business and Leo suggested they could try to stop the feud that had plagued the family for generations, and make a bit of money on the side.
It was Carlo who had thought of the name for their company.
''So, mio amico, you want to name it after a girl?'' Carlo had asked.
"Yes," Leo had answered, in a tone indicating that he didn't want to talk about it.
''We can call it BELLA then, and make up some kind of acronym for it.''
But after several minutes, it became clear that a coherent acronym would be hard to think up. Leo began to get discouraged. Carlo noticed and came up with a simple remedy.
''Why does it need to make sense?'' he asked Leo. ''All organizations have trouble with names. The National Geographic thought it had a good name. Then it went international. No name is perfect, so let us have a name that is very imperfect.''
And that is how the Benevolent Entertainers Laugh Loudly Association (The Entertainers for short) came into existence.
It would seem that such a tiny organization would have no consequence to either the Cahills or the Vespers.
We shall see.
The Entertainers:
Several
months later, the Entertainers were picking up steam. Leo and Carlo had
renovated an old apartment building into a well equipped base, and they had
recruited a few Cahills and one or two Vespers who were interested in their
cause. The Cahills included Calypso, a prominent and wealthy inventor from the
States, and Joanna, a Janus who was their secretary. The Vespers used aliases.
Carlo oversaw the work of the members, being more of a 'people person' than Leo. Strangely, though Carlo hated authority, he was a gifted leader.
Leo was as secretive as ever. The members seldom saw him, and almost never spoke to him. He worked hard on almost everything, but from a distance.
So it was Leo who discovered the spies.
Carlo oversaw the work of the members, being more of a 'people person' than Leo. Strangely, though Carlo hated authority, he was a gifted leader.
Leo was as secretive as ever. The members seldom saw him, and almost never spoke to him. He worked hard on almost everything, but from a distance.
So it was Leo who discovered the spies.
The Entertainer recruitment system was simple. All anyone
had to do was to discover the organization, then track it down. If a person
wanted to join, they would have to search tirelessly to discover the
Entertainer's location. If they got that far, Carlo would greet them cheerily
at the door, then send them through the gauntlet that was the Test.
The Test lasted for about a week. The new members were pushed to the edge of insanity and collapse. If they got through the Final Test, they became members.
When Leo found out about the spies, he wasn't very concerned. He almost considered giving a holiday! The word about the Entertainers was out, and the Cahills and Vespers were finally taking them seriously.
He walked down the hall to Carlo's office.
''They are sending spies!'' Leo told him jubilantly.
Carlo smiled broadly. ''That is great! Who are they sending?''
''A Janus and a Vesper. I hacked into their computers like I do every day, and I found the orders.''
''I am delighted!'' Carlo said. ''But what are we going to do with them?''
''Don't worry about it,'' Leo told him. ''I already have plans.''
The bell in the lobby rang.
''That is probably one of them!'' Carlo said. ''I will go meet our first spy.''
The two friends high-fived.
The Test lasted for about a week. The new members were pushed to the edge of insanity and collapse. If they got through the Final Test, they became members.
When Leo found out about the spies, he wasn't very concerned. He almost considered giving a holiday! The word about the Entertainers was out, and the Cahills and Vespers were finally taking them seriously.
He walked down the hall to Carlo's office.
''They are sending spies!'' Leo told him jubilantly.
Carlo smiled broadly. ''That is great! Who are they sending?''
''A Janus and a Vesper. I hacked into their computers like I do every day, and I found the orders.''
''I am delighted!'' Carlo said. ''But what are we going to do with them?''
''Don't worry about it,'' Leo told him. ''I already have plans.''
The bell in the lobby rang.
''That is probably one of them!'' Carlo said. ''I will go meet our first spy.''
The two friends high-fived.
Evan Deluca:
We know the person
in the lobby very well. His name was Evan DeLuca. But here is a little bit of
back story telling how he got there.
Sadly, I can't say he figured the whole thing out in a flash of genius. He had a bit of help along the way.
The Elite Janus-Madrigal Force had been spending a lazy afternoon in their headquarters. Not a lot had been going on. Christine had been reading Les Miserables in French, while Evan was doing what people do when they say they are doing 'nothing'; staring off into space, twanging a rubber band, and enjoying himself. Kat was researching her new hobby, conspiracy theories.
So when the phone rang, the girls had mumbled at Evan to pick it up.
''DeLuca speaking,'' he'd said crisply.
''Are you on a case?'' someone had asked at the other end. Evan could hear the busy sounds of the Janus headquarters in the background.
''Not especially,'' he had replied.
''You are now. There have been rumors of some weird organization who might pose a threat to the Cahills. We need you to infiltrate them. I'll send you the info we have on them.''
''Sure,'' Evan had replied, and hung up.
He'd collapsed into the couch with a groan.
''H.Q. wants me to go under cover,'' he had complained.
''Well, that's better than sitting around,'' Kat commented.
Evan had sighed and opened his computer. He'd gasped in disbelief at the 'information' H.Q. had sent him. It consisted of theories, speculations, and ifs.
Kat had looked over his shoulder. ''It looks like a mythical organization to me!'' she exclaimed.
''This is ridiculous!'' Evan had said dismally.
''It's a good thing one of your friends is a computer expert!'' Christine had said. It was true. With Kat's help, they had pinpointed a location by nightfall, and Evan had headed out on a private plane.
When he finally had arrived at Florence, he was exhausted. But now he was nearing the destination where he hoped to get a little sleep. He stopped in front of a large brick building and rang the door bell. As he waited to be let in, he noticed a figure coming from the other direction. As the person came near, Evan recognized her.
What have I gotten into now? Evan thought, groaning inwardly.
Sadly, I can't say he figured the whole thing out in a flash of genius. He had a bit of help along the way.
The Elite Janus-Madrigal Force had been spending a lazy afternoon in their headquarters. Not a lot had been going on. Christine had been reading Les Miserables in French, while Evan was doing what people do when they say they are doing 'nothing'; staring off into space, twanging a rubber band, and enjoying himself. Kat was researching her new hobby, conspiracy theories.
So when the phone rang, the girls had mumbled at Evan to pick it up.
''DeLuca speaking,'' he'd said crisply.
''Are you on a case?'' someone had asked at the other end. Evan could hear the busy sounds of the Janus headquarters in the background.
''Not especially,'' he had replied.
''You are now. There have been rumors of some weird organization who might pose a threat to the Cahills. We need you to infiltrate them. I'll send you the info we have on them.''
''Sure,'' Evan had replied, and hung up.
He'd collapsed into the couch with a groan.
''H.Q. wants me to go under cover,'' he had complained.
''Well, that's better than sitting around,'' Kat commented.
Evan had sighed and opened his computer. He'd gasped in disbelief at the 'information' H.Q. had sent him. It consisted of theories, speculations, and ifs.
Kat had looked over his shoulder. ''It looks like a mythical organization to me!'' she exclaimed.
''This is ridiculous!'' Evan had said dismally.
''It's a good thing one of your friends is a computer expert!'' Christine had said. It was true. With Kat's help, they had pinpointed a location by nightfall, and Evan had headed out on a private plane.
When he finally had arrived at Florence, he was exhausted. But now he was nearing the destination where he hoped to get a little sleep. He stopped in front of a large brick building and rang the door bell. As he waited to be let in, he noticed a figure coming from the other direction. As the person came near, Evan recognized her.
What have I gotten into now? Evan thought, groaning inwardly.
Madz:
It was Madz, of course.
Evan sighed in disbelief. She smiled at him as she walked up. ''Hi!'' she said cheerily. ''It's so odd to meet you here!''
''Why do I keep running into you?'' Evan moaned.
Madz just laughed an opened the door. She held it open for Evan and they stepped into the sunlit lobby.
Her reasons for being here had been much the same as Evan's, except she had volunteered to go spy instead of being selected. Things were going on at the Vesper Headquarters that made her nervous. She had the feeling that something big was going to happen soon.
The lobby was tastefully decorated and filled with the late afternoon sunlight. Madz felt very skeptical that this place could make any problems for the Vespers. She was just about to dismiss them as an unrelated organization and leave when Carlo came down the stairs into the room.
Carlo was heavy, though not very fat. He was also black. His huge smile lit up his face and revealed his straight, white teeth, with a few missing from fights.
''Hello!'' he greeted them happily. ''What are you here for?''
''I am trying to join the Benevolent Entertainers Laugh Loudly Association,'' Madz said in a businesslike tone. ''Do you know anything about it?''
''Are you really interested in joining our ranks to promote peace between Cahills and Vespers?'' Carlo asked, his face becoming serious.
''Certainly!'' Madz replied with a winning smile.
''How about you?'' Carlo asked Evan.
''Yep!'' Evan answered.
''Calypso!'' Carlo shouted. A girl hurried downstairs.
''What do you need?'' she asked.
''Show this girl to her training barracks,'' Carlo ordered. ''Joanna, you take this boy to his.''
Madz looked a little confused. Barracks? Well, I knew it wouldn't be easy, she thought as she followed Calypso.
A few minutes later, she realized this was going to be much harder than she had expected.
''Hop in and do a few laps,'' Calypso told her calmly.
''Hop in that?'' Madz gasped. ''What is it even?''
''It's hot mud!'' Calypso told her. ''The H.Q. is built on top of hot springs, and this is our pool of hot mud. I hear it's very good for your complexion.'' A small giggle escaped her as she saw the new recruit's expression.
Madz had dressed to impress. She was wearing a lovely purple skirt and a black sweater, and had actually put on a bit of makeup. She cringed at the thought of diving into a pool of scalding ooze.
So Calypso helped her by shoving her in.
As Madz gasped and gurgled, Calypso knelt down by the edge. ''You have to train for the Test,'' she told Madz. ''You face your biggest fears there. This is your first bit of training. It only gets worse! So let's see some laps!''
As Madz would soon find out, it would get much worse. The Test was the easy part of being an Entertainer. The missions were unimaginably horrifying.
Evan sighed in disbelief. She smiled at him as she walked up. ''Hi!'' she said cheerily. ''It's so odd to meet you here!''
''Why do I keep running into you?'' Evan moaned.
Madz just laughed an opened the door. She held it open for Evan and they stepped into the sunlit lobby.
Her reasons for being here had been much the same as Evan's, except she had volunteered to go spy instead of being selected. Things were going on at the Vesper Headquarters that made her nervous. She had the feeling that something big was going to happen soon.
The lobby was tastefully decorated and filled with the late afternoon sunlight. Madz felt very skeptical that this place could make any problems for the Vespers. She was just about to dismiss them as an unrelated organization and leave when Carlo came down the stairs into the room.
Carlo was heavy, though not very fat. He was also black. His huge smile lit up his face and revealed his straight, white teeth, with a few missing from fights.
''Hello!'' he greeted them happily. ''What are you here for?''
''I am trying to join the Benevolent Entertainers Laugh Loudly Association,'' Madz said in a businesslike tone. ''Do you know anything about it?''
''Are you really interested in joining our ranks to promote peace between Cahills and Vespers?'' Carlo asked, his face becoming serious.
''Certainly!'' Madz replied with a winning smile.
''How about you?'' Carlo asked Evan.
''Yep!'' Evan answered.
''Calypso!'' Carlo shouted. A girl hurried downstairs.
''What do you need?'' she asked.
''Show this girl to her training barracks,'' Carlo ordered. ''Joanna, you take this boy to his.''
Madz looked a little confused. Barracks? Well, I knew it wouldn't be easy, she thought as she followed Calypso.
A few minutes later, she realized this was going to be much harder than she had expected.
''Hop in and do a few laps,'' Calypso told her calmly.
''Hop in that?'' Madz gasped. ''What is it even?''
''It's hot mud!'' Calypso told her. ''The H.Q. is built on top of hot springs, and this is our pool of hot mud. I hear it's very good for your complexion.'' A small giggle escaped her as she saw the new recruit's expression.
Madz had dressed to impress. She was wearing a lovely purple skirt and a black sweater, and had actually put on a bit of makeup. She cringed at the thought of diving into a pool of scalding ooze.
So Calypso helped her by shoving her in.
As Madz gasped and gurgled, Calypso knelt down by the edge. ''You have to train for the Test,'' she told Madz. ''You face your biggest fears there. This is your first bit of training. It only gets worse! So let's see some laps!''
As Madz would soon find out, it would get much worse. The Test was the easy part of being an Entertainer. The missions were unimaginably horrifying.
The Test:
Madz and Evan finally got through their week of
torture. Madz never could believe how their mentors seemed to know the exact
things that would scare them. Evan's course was very different than hers. But
some things were the same. Both of them had to face fears of spiders, rats, and
being lost.
When the week was finally over, they hardly felt human anymore. Their trainers gave them seven hours of sleep instead of the usual four, then woke them up for the Test.
Madz walked into the room she would be Tested in. It was open, so the hot Florentine sun blazed down on her. Madz cringed, knowing she would be sunburned in minutes. The room had only one piece of furniture; a metal folding chair. Madz sat down.
Calypso had followed her in. ''So this is the Test!'' she exclaimed happily. ''You will be facing al of your fears! Isn't that exciting?'' She went on without waiting for Madz to answer. ''There is also a surprise! You'll be doing the Test with our other recruit!''
Madz sighed as Evan walked in, carrying his own chair. Calypso left and joined Joanna, Evan's mentor, in the doorway.
''Ready, set, go!'' Calypso and Joanna called out together. Then they shut the door.
Evan looked at Madz. ''What are we supposed to do?'' he asked in confusion.
''I don't know,'' Madz answered.
Both of them heard a loud creak and searched for the source.
A door had opened at the other end of the large room. They looked at each other, then got up and started walking towards it.
Almost immediately, the floor opened in front of them. At the bottom there was a deep pool of gurgling mud.
Evan gasped. ''That wasn't one of my fears!'' he said in a complaining voice.
Madz sighed. ''Well, you have to face it too,'' she told him. Then she jumped in.
Evan followed her and they were soon across. They walked towards the door once again. As before, the ground opened up beneath them. This time it was filled with rats. They walked through it.
This kept happening. They would walk through their fear, then a new one would open up.
Madz was tired and sunburned when Evan suddenly spoke.
''Madz!'' he shrieked.
''What now?'' Madz groaned.
''Look behind us!'' Madz did, then stopped short.
The metal chairs, which Madz knew should be far behind them, were only ten feet away. They hadn't made a foot of progress, and it must be almost afternoon. They were no closer to the door than they had been after the first hole.
''THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!'' Evan screamed.
Madz sat down. She felt like crying.
How am I ever going to spy on these people if I am stuck in this frying hot room forever? She thought hopelessly.
There was a loud noise behind her. Madz and Evan turned to see a loudspeaker on the wall behind them.
"You have five minutes. That is 300 seconds. 299. 298. 297..."
Madz slumped to the floor in defeat. Evan sat down beside her.
"We have to do this, Madz! You can't give up!''
The loudspeaker continued. “280. 279…”
When the week was finally over, they hardly felt human anymore. Their trainers gave them seven hours of sleep instead of the usual four, then woke them up for the Test.
Madz walked into the room she would be Tested in. It was open, so the hot Florentine sun blazed down on her. Madz cringed, knowing she would be sunburned in minutes. The room had only one piece of furniture; a metal folding chair. Madz sat down.
Calypso had followed her in. ''So this is the Test!'' she exclaimed happily. ''You will be facing al of your fears! Isn't that exciting?'' She went on without waiting for Madz to answer. ''There is also a surprise! You'll be doing the Test with our other recruit!''
Madz sighed as Evan walked in, carrying his own chair. Calypso left and joined Joanna, Evan's mentor, in the doorway.
''Ready, set, go!'' Calypso and Joanna called out together. Then they shut the door.
Evan looked at Madz. ''What are we supposed to do?'' he asked in confusion.
''I don't know,'' Madz answered.
Both of them heard a loud creak and searched for the source.
A door had opened at the other end of the large room. They looked at each other, then got up and started walking towards it.
Almost immediately, the floor opened in front of them. At the bottom there was a deep pool of gurgling mud.
Evan gasped. ''That wasn't one of my fears!'' he said in a complaining voice.
Madz sighed. ''Well, you have to face it too,'' she told him. Then she jumped in.
Evan followed her and they were soon across. They walked towards the door once again. As before, the ground opened up beneath them. This time it was filled with rats. They walked through it.
This kept happening. They would walk through their fear, then a new one would open up.
Madz was tired and sunburned when Evan suddenly spoke.
''Madz!'' he shrieked.
''What now?'' Madz groaned.
''Look behind us!'' Madz did, then stopped short.
The metal chairs, which Madz knew should be far behind them, were only ten feet away. They hadn't made a foot of progress, and it must be almost afternoon. They were no closer to the door than they had been after the first hole.
''THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!'' Evan screamed.
Madz sat down. She felt like crying.
How am I ever going to spy on these people if I am stuck in this frying hot room forever? She thought hopelessly.
There was a loud noise behind her. Madz and Evan turned to see a loudspeaker on the wall behind them.
"You have five minutes. That is 300 seconds. 299. 298. 297..."
Madz slumped to the floor in defeat. Evan sat down beside her.
"We have to do this, Madz! You can't give up!''
The loudspeaker continued. “280. 279…”
"This is
really not good,'' Evan yelled over the sound of the loudspeaker counting down.
Madz didn't reply. She was thinking hard. They wouldn't have made this impossible, she thought. There must be some way out. Aloud, she told Evan, ''We have to think outside the box!''
Evan stared at her. ''How can we do that when we're inside a box?''
Madz gasped, and Evan realized what he had said could mean. Both of them hurriedly scanned the walls of the enclosure.
Sadly, a ladder did not instantly appear. Evan voiced Madz' thoughts from a moment before.
"They can't want us to fail!'' he told her. "They would have given us some way out!''
"The chairs!" Madz exclaimed.
"Of course!" Evan saw what she meant. He ran back and scooted his chair to the wall. But it wasn't high enough. Madz considered stacking her chair on his, but if one of them fell off and broke a bone, they would have no chance of getting out. She could hear the drone of the loudspeaker counting down. They had less than two minutes left!
Evan jumped on his chair and cupped his hands. "Jump!" he told Madz, and she knew what to do. She set her foot in his hands, then he boosted her as high as he could. Madz caught the wall and pulled herself up. Then she leaned over and pulled Evan up. They were directly above the speaker now, and they could hear it counting; "108. 107. 106..."
The two spies ran along the top of the wall as fast as they dared. Madz was terrified that she might fall, but she refused to look down.
They had reached the far wall.
"What do we do now?" Evan asked, gasping for breath.
"Help me down!" Madz commanded. Evan did, and she dropped to the floor. As she landed, there was a sharp pain in her ankle, but she ignored it.
"How am I supposed to get down?" Evan called from above her.
If I left him up there, I could finish way faster... Madz thought, then pushed that idea away. Both of them had to get through.
"I'll catch you!" she called up to him. She could see indecision on his face. "Jump right now!" she yelled, as the speaker continued the countdown. Madz thought it might be her imagination, but it seemed to get louder as it got closer to zero: "29! 28! 27!"
Madz held her arms out, and Evan literally took a leap of faith. He knocked her down when he landed, but both of them were uninjured.
They picked themselves up and rushed through the door.
On the other side, Carlo was waiting, along with Calypso and Joanna. There was a fourth person in the room, but he was leaning against the far wall, and was so still that nobody noticed him.
Madz and Evan embraced their mentors jubilantly.
Carlo smiled and handed them each the identification that all Entertainers carry with them. It was a small notebook with grid paper inside. On the front was stamped, 'Very Fragile Diary' and the inside was blank. It looked unassuming and harmless - just like the Entertainers themselves. And it was a lot less suspicious than a badge.
When all the congratulations were done, Carlo became quiet. Madz marveled once again at the speed which he could change from jovial to serious. When the new Entertainers had calmed down, he spoke.
"Madz and Evan, I am very proud of you! You excelled at your mission. You worked together well, and-" he winked at them, "you thought outside the box. That is all very good. Soon you will be starting your missions as Entertainers!"
A quiet voice spoke from the shadows.
"Sooner than we thought, Carlo." Everyone turned to look at the mysterious speaker. He did not move out of the shadows.
"What do you mean, mio amico?" Carlo asked calmly.
"The Vespers have attacked the Cahills," Leo told them. "We must act now."
Madz didn't reply. She was thinking hard. They wouldn't have made this impossible, she thought. There must be some way out. Aloud, she told Evan, ''We have to think outside the box!''
Evan stared at her. ''How can we do that when we're inside a box?''
Madz gasped, and Evan realized what he had said could mean. Both of them hurriedly scanned the walls of the enclosure.
Sadly, a ladder did not instantly appear. Evan voiced Madz' thoughts from a moment before.
"They can't want us to fail!'' he told her. "They would have given us some way out!''
"The chairs!" Madz exclaimed.
"Of course!" Evan saw what she meant. He ran back and scooted his chair to the wall. But it wasn't high enough. Madz considered stacking her chair on his, but if one of them fell off and broke a bone, they would have no chance of getting out. She could hear the drone of the loudspeaker counting down. They had less than two minutes left!
Evan jumped on his chair and cupped his hands. "Jump!" he told Madz, and she knew what to do. She set her foot in his hands, then he boosted her as high as he could. Madz caught the wall and pulled herself up. Then she leaned over and pulled Evan up. They were directly above the speaker now, and they could hear it counting; "108. 107. 106..."
The two spies ran along the top of the wall as fast as they dared. Madz was terrified that she might fall, but she refused to look down.
They had reached the far wall.
"What do we do now?" Evan asked, gasping for breath.
"Help me down!" Madz commanded. Evan did, and she dropped to the floor. As she landed, there was a sharp pain in her ankle, but she ignored it.
"How am I supposed to get down?" Evan called from above her.
If I left him up there, I could finish way faster... Madz thought, then pushed that idea away. Both of them had to get through.
"I'll catch you!" she called up to him. She could see indecision on his face. "Jump right now!" she yelled, as the speaker continued the countdown. Madz thought it might be her imagination, but it seemed to get louder as it got closer to zero: "29! 28! 27!"
Madz held her arms out, and Evan literally took a leap of faith. He knocked her down when he landed, but both of them were uninjured.
They picked themselves up and rushed through the door.
On the other side, Carlo was waiting, along with Calypso and Joanna. There was a fourth person in the room, but he was leaning against the far wall, and was so still that nobody noticed him.
Madz and Evan embraced their mentors jubilantly.
Carlo smiled and handed them each the identification that all Entertainers carry with them. It was a small notebook with grid paper inside. On the front was stamped, 'Very Fragile Diary' and the inside was blank. It looked unassuming and harmless - just like the Entertainers themselves. And it was a lot less suspicious than a badge.
When all the congratulations were done, Carlo became quiet. Madz marveled once again at the speed which he could change from jovial to serious. When the new Entertainers had calmed down, he spoke.
"Madz and Evan, I am very proud of you! You excelled at your mission. You worked together well, and-" he winked at them, "you thought outside the box. That is all very good. Soon you will be starting your missions as Entertainers!"
A quiet voice spoke from the shadows.
"Sooner than we thought, Carlo." Everyone turned to look at the mysterious speaker. He did not move out of the shadows.
"What do you mean, mio amico?" Carlo asked calmly.
"The Vespers have attacked the Cahills," Leo told them. "We must act now."
It was three o'clock
in the afternoon when Carlo called an emergency meeting.
When all the Entertainers were gathered, he looked around nervously.
Though they were in a sound- and bomb-proof room, he knew the people who wanted them disbanded had a very long reach. What if Leo had been wrong, and there were other spies? What if there were listening devices he had missed? What if- No, Carlo thought. I trust in Leo's judgment. If he says this is safe, I believe him.
Carlo walked to the front of the room. All of the Entertainer agents were gathered there.
"The Vespers have made their move," he told them. "A half hour ago, Natalie Kabra, Alistair Oh, Nellie Gomez, Fiske Cahill, Reagan Holt, Ted Starling and Phoenix Wizard were kidnapped and taken to a Vesper headquarters. Irena Spasky is missing also."
He saw shock on some of the faces. He was also surprised that so many had been taken. The only thing it could mean was the Vespers needed disposable prisoners... Carlo cringed at the thought.
"Some of you will be deployed to find the Vesper base," he went on, "and others will monitor the Cahill's progress. I would like to see Joanna, Calypso, Evan and Madz in my office. The meeting is adjourned."
Agents slowly filed out of the room, many of them speaking in low voices.
Carlo met the requested agents in his office. He sat down and motioned for the others to do the same.
"You are here because your mission is too classified for even other Entertainers to hear," he told them.
"Why are you giving Madz and me a special mission?" Evan asked. "We just started here!"
"According to our research on you, both of you are passable spies," Carlo said. Evan stiffened slightly, while nothing gave Madz away but a slight twitch of her eye. "And since you have previous experience, we thought we might use you. Madz and Joanna, you will be spying on the Vespers, while Calypso and Evan will go to Attleboro to see what you can find out there. Here are your trackers." He handed everyone a small round disc. "They have a GPS in them." He failed to mention that they also could hear what the agents were saying.
"Find out all you can about the situations there, then act as you see fit," he told them. "Above all, don't die. Does everyone understand their job?"
There were nods all around.
"Then you are dismissed. Here is some money and your airplane tickets."
When the agents had left, Leo slipped silently into the office.
"I don't know why you had the spies go to that post." Carlo told him bluntly.
Leo smiled. "All my actions have reasons."
Carlo waited for him to explain.
"And the reasons are mine to know. Not anyone else's." Leo stood up and left the room.
When all the Entertainers were gathered, he looked around nervously.
Though they were in a sound- and bomb-proof room, he knew the people who wanted them disbanded had a very long reach. What if Leo had been wrong, and there were other spies? What if there were listening devices he had missed? What if- No, Carlo thought. I trust in Leo's judgment. If he says this is safe, I believe him.
Carlo walked to the front of the room. All of the Entertainer agents were gathered there.
"The Vespers have made their move," he told them. "A half hour ago, Natalie Kabra, Alistair Oh, Nellie Gomez, Fiske Cahill, Reagan Holt, Ted Starling and Phoenix Wizard were kidnapped and taken to a Vesper headquarters. Irena Spasky is missing also."
He saw shock on some of the faces. He was also surprised that so many had been taken. The only thing it could mean was the Vespers needed disposable prisoners... Carlo cringed at the thought.
"Some of you will be deployed to find the Vesper base," he went on, "and others will monitor the Cahill's progress. I would like to see Joanna, Calypso, Evan and Madz in my office. The meeting is adjourned."
Agents slowly filed out of the room, many of them speaking in low voices.
Carlo met the requested agents in his office. He sat down and motioned for the others to do the same.
"You are here because your mission is too classified for even other Entertainers to hear," he told them.
"Why are you giving Madz and me a special mission?" Evan asked. "We just started here!"
"According to our research on you, both of you are passable spies," Carlo said. Evan stiffened slightly, while nothing gave Madz away but a slight twitch of her eye. "And since you have previous experience, we thought we might use you. Madz and Joanna, you will be spying on the Vespers, while Calypso and Evan will go to Attleboro to see what you can find out there. Here are your trackers." He handed everyone a small round disc. "They have a GPS in them." He failed to mention that they also could hear what the agents were saying.
"Find out all you can about the situations there, then act as you see fit," he told them. "Above all, don't die. Does everyone understand their job?"
There were nods all around.
"Then you are dismissed. Here is some money and your airplane tickets."
When the agents had left, Leo slipped silently into the office.
"I don't know why you had the spies go to that post." Carlo told him bluntly.
Leo smiled. "All my actions have reasons."
Carlo waited for him to explain.
"And the reasons are mine to know. Not anyone else's." Leo stood up and left the room.
Evan and Calypso:
"Nobody has worked out exactly the best way to make peace," Calypso replied. "Our main mission is to figure out what is going on. Then we can help them out, unless they start killing Vespers. Also, we can try to keep the Authors from spilling too much information."
"That doesn't sound like much of a plan," Evan remarked.
"Believe me, it's enough to keep us busy," she told him.
Evan learned what she was talking about when they got upstairs to the C.C.C.
Gordon Korman was talking to Amy and Dan via Skype. They were on a jet headed for Italia.
"Yeah right!" Dan was saying. "You probably want to say we're still eleven and thirteen!"
I meant to write this in the page before,
ReplyDeleteHOW COULD YOU!?!?!? YOU KILLED BELLA!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you will regret that decision....
also... Not WESLEY EITHER!!