The New World

by Matt Myklusch

  Mr. Clear shook his head. “That can’t be. They’re just… children.” His tone and expression changed midsentence, like he’d just realized something.

  “What is it?” Mr. Ivory asked.

  “That ruby she’s got on her lapel there… Scarlett had one just like it.”

  Mr. Ivory’s eyebrows went up. “I remember Scarlett. Haven’t seen her in a while.”

  Mr. Clear made a fist. The stone on his bracelet lit up again, and the red ruby froze and cracked in place. Janelle let out a yelp as she brushed frost off her shoulder, and fragments of the ruby fell to the floor, ruined.

  “Nice work, Mr. Clear,” said Mr. Ivory. “You’re two for two.”

  Mr. Clear seemed to derive no pleasure from his partner’s compliment. He just shivered and blew on his hands, trying to warm them up. He looked very uncomfortable.

  “I should have known,” Mr. Ivory said. “Never underestimate children. It’ll be the death of you. I ever tell how I got started in this business?” he asked Mr. Clear. “Wasn’t much older than they are at the time.”

  “I think there’s some mistake here,” Joey said. “I don’t know… We don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Mr. Ivory put a finger up. “I wasn’t finished.” He took a breath and went on in an even tone. “Please don’t interrupt. It’s not polite.”

  Mr. Ivory crossed the room to the bar in the globe. “Where was I?” He removed the top from one of the bottles and sniffed at it. “Oh yes, how I got started. I was young and foolish like you. Back in those days, kids used to bully me. Picked on me something terrible. I was a scrawny child. People are always surprised to hear that, but it’s true. When I stood sideways, people thought I disappeared.”

  Mr. Ivory put some ice in a tumbler glass and poured himself a drink. “One day a bunch of kids were taking a hike in the woods near the place where I grew up. When they asked me to come along, I was thrilled. I was over the moon.” Mr. Ivory raised his tumbler to his lips and took a sip. “I should’ve known better.”

  “What happened?” Joey asked, trying to buy time. He knew the story wasn’t going to have a happy ending, but Joey wanted to keep Mr. Ivory talking while he thought about his next move.

  “They ditched me. That was their plan from the start. Fun, right? They left me out there. I got turned around trying to find my way back, and I had to spend the night alone. I was wandering around lost and scared, and someone found me, just like we found you. It was a woman. This old lady of the forest people talked about. She took me back to a shack, deep in the woods. Deeper than I’d ever been before. Problem was, this particular old lady was a witch, and wouldn’t you know it, she was fixing to eat me. Being skinny saved my life, because she wanted to fatten me up first. It was a real Hansel and Gretel situation. Difference was, her house wasn’t made out of candy.” He paused and took another sip of his drink. “Her house was made out of bones.

  “Of course, I knew from the start something was wrong, but what was I gonna do? I couldn’t get away. I couldn’t get home by myself. Almost a week I was there, with this woman doing her best to turn me into a decent meal. She had her eyes on me every second. I couldn’t get free, but I kept my eyes open too. I was looking for something I could use to save myself, and I found it. No spoilers there—I wouldn’t be standing here otherwise. But here’s the twist. You might be wondering why I’m Mr. Ivory and not my pasty friend here. It’s because of my teeth.” Mr. Ivory smiled wide, showing off a bright, flawless smile with the exception of one empty space. He was missing a tooth. A big one right next to his two front teeth. “The old lady had a whole bag of teeth. A special bag. I stole ’em. And I used ’em. Had to pull one of my own teeth out first. I didn’t think I was strong enough for that, but you’d be surprised what you can do when your life is on the line.”

  Janelle covered her mouth, clearly disturbed by the story. “That’s… horrible.”

  Joey shuddered, trying not to picture the gruesome, desperate scene from Mr. Ivory’s childhood. He didn’t want that image in his head. At the same time, a morbid sense of curiosity compelled him to find out how the story ended. “I know I’m going to regret asking this, but what do you mean you used the teeth? Used them to do what?”

  “I’m getting to that.” Mr. Ivory set his drink down on the desk and reached for the small pouch at his waist. He unhooked it from his belt and fished around inside until he found what he was looking for. He removed a long, sharp tooth from the tiny bag and held it up so everyone could see. “This one’s a crocodile tooth.” He opened his mouth and pressed the tooth into place, filling in the gap in his smile. “Wait until you see what it does.”

  The transformation that followed was terrifying, even for people who were used to seeing magic in action, as Joey and Janelle were. They watched as Mr. Ivory’s skin hardened, turning green and bumpy. The pupils of his eyes narrowed into slits, and his jaw grew wider to accommodate a mouth full of pointy teeth. He didn’t get any bigger, but he was already big and frightening. Now he was downright gruesome.

  “Funny thing about that tooth—it tastes like Captain Hook’s hand.” Mr. Ivory laughed, smacking his lips. “But enough about me. I want to hear about you. Let’s start with your names and what you’re doing here.”

  Mr. Ivory took a step toward Joey and Janelle. Janelle reacted quickly and spun the Staff of Sorcero back out to its full length and shifted her feet, adopting a fighting stance. Joey grabbed the firestone with his left hand, charging up his right hand with enough heat to melt and split the block of ice. There was no point in hiding what they could do anymore.

  “Ha! What’d I tell you?” Mr. Ivory said to Mr. Clear. “These two came to party.”

  “Stay back,” Joey said.

  “What is that?” Mr. Clear asked, fascinated by the sight of the firestone, which seemed to be the exact opposite of the gem he carried on his wrist, bringing warmth instead of cold.

  “You don’t want to find out,” Joey warned.

  “I think I do,” Mr. Clear said with a jealous look in his eye.

  “Don’t get your hopes up,” Mr. Ivory told him. “Big man gets first dibs on anything new. You know that.”

  “The big man’s not here.”

  “Not yet.” Mr. Ivory pointed at the game board.

  Joey turned and saw the black obsidian piece moving all by itself. His stomach tightened as it slid slowly across the marble, inching toward the center. In just a few seconds, the black piece—and the person it represented—would be standing alongside the white and the clear. The fire in Joey’s right hand flickered and dimmed. This was not how he’d hoped the night was going to go.

  The black game piece stopped moving, the office door opened, and in walked Ledger DeMayne, aka Mr. Black, leader of the Invisible Hand. Mr. Clear and Mr. Ivory stepped aside, making room for their boss as he entered and took stock of the room without a word. If he was surprised to find such an eclectic group waiting in his office, he didn’t show it. He was unflappable as ever, looking like an evil corporate raider in his million-dollar suit with his wavy blond hair and youthful good looks. His eyes settled instantly on Joey.

  “You,” he said, squinting, as if he recognized Joey from somewhere but couldn’t quite put his finger on where. “I know you… don’t I?”

  Joey didn’t like hearing that. He wasn’t ready for DeMayne to remember him just yet, and he didn’t like to think about what might happen if he stuck around much longer. He wanted to get what he came for and get out of there as fast as possible. There was only one way to do that. He let go of the firestone pendant and went for the wand.

  “Don’t get mad at me, Janelle, but this is a definite emergency.”

  4 Surprise Guests

  Joey cast two quick spells, and he and Janelle were gone from Ledger DeMayne’s office. They blinked out of sight, teleporting away from New York City and out of danger. Seconds later, they materialized on the deck of a strange ship floating in an even stranger location—
the sky. Joey had no clue where they were, but when he saw the Caliburn Shield hanging over the door to the captain’s cabin, he knew he was in the right place. After all, he hadn’t asked the wand to bring him somewhere. He had asked it to bring him to someone.

  Joey put the wand away and looked around, astounded by the sight of the vessel they had just boarded. The large wooden ship looked like a prop from a pirate ride at a theme park, but it was real. It also had a giant hot air balloon where the mast and sails were supposed to be. The balloon was stitched together from an assortment of fabric patches, covered over with a network of ropes, and strapped to the railing. A large iron cauldron at the stern of the ship blazed with purple flames, filling the balloon with hot air and keeping it aloft.

  It was quiet on deck as the ship drifted slowly through the night sky. An endless landscape of dark gray clouds surrounded them, obscuring the ground below.

  “Before you say anything, I was always going to use the wand to get us out of there,” Joey told Janelle. “It was the only way to get here.”

  “I’m not complaining this time,” Janelle replied, clearly very happy to be far away from the CGI building. “That was a bad scene back there.”

  “It was about to be.” Joey touched a hand to his chest. His heart was racing like a hamster on a wheel. Seeing DeMayne again after all this time had freaked Joey out more than he had expected. He told himself to get it together. “It’s okay. We’re safe now.” He pointed to the shield over the door. “The only thing that can get past that shield is this wand. No one’s coming after us.”

  “That’s a relief.” Janelle held up the shiny black bag she had pulled out of her pocket back in DeMayne’s office. Something was moving around inside it. “I’m going to keep a tight grip on this, just in case.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “Any idea where we are?”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say someplace very high.” The ship passed through a heavy cloud that covered them in a thick mist. “High and foggy,” Joey clarified.

  Janelle let out a terse laugh. “Glad we’ve got that sorted out.” She looked over the side of the ship, trying to see what she could see. “Not much of a view, is it?”

  “Depends on what you’re looking at,” Joey countered. “This ship is incredible.”

  “Thank you,” said a voice in the fog. “I like it too.” Janelle tensed up and moved closer to Joey as a hooded figure came up behind them. “Of course, I should feel that way. It’s my home. You two are the first guests I’ve had in quite some time.” The mysterious person pulled back her hood, and Janelle relaxed her stance. “Welcome. I’ve been expecting you.”

  “Hypnova,” Joey said, relaxing a bit himself. “It’s good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too. And I don’t say that very often.”

  Joey smiled. In addition to the sense of safety he felt on board Hypnova’s ship, he felt a touch of pride knowing he was part of an exclusive club of people who had been allowed to retain his memory of her. Ledger DeMayne had gotten his mind wiped clean after meeting Hypnova, but not Joey. She was exactly as he remembered, dressed in a stylish green and gold outfit with a golden saber on her hip and a cloak on her back. Hypnova had dark brown skin, hazel eyes, and long hair that fell down around her shoulders in thick braids. Janelle went quiet, staring at Hypnova like she was a superhero. Joey understood completely. As far as he was concerned, she basically was a superhero.

  “Well? Are you going to introduce me to your friend or not?” Hypnova asked.

  “Right! Sorry, this is—”

  “Janelle Thomas,” Hypnova cut in. She reached out to shake Janelle’s hand. “I’m only teasing. I know all about you, Janelle. You’re going to be instrumental to our plans this evening.”

  “Thank you.” Janelle reached out to shake Hypnova’s hand. “Thank you. It’s… nice to meet you,” she sputtered, no doubt surprised to learn that Hypnova not only knew her but held her in high regard.

  For his part, Joey wasn’t the least bit surprised. Hypnova had known all about him, Shazad, and Leanora long before they had met too. Hypnova knew things. It was what she did. She was the one who had set everyone on the road to Camelot and helped them understand their true mission as the Order of the Majestic. Joey wondered how much of what they had planned for tonight was his idea and how much of it came from Hypnova. They had not spoken since Camelot, but they had never been fully out of touch. Over the past year, she had left notes for him at the Majestic Theatre, as well as a few helpful items, such as the Staff of Sorcero. Shazad had accidentally left the staff behind in the Himalayas after their first meeting with Hypnova, but she had dropped it off at the theater a few nights later.

  Janelle held up the staff. “Shazad wanted us to thank you for bringing this back,” she said. It seemed to Joey that Janelle’s natural confidence was returning now that the initial shock of meeting Hypnova had worn off a bit.

  “Where is Shazad?” Hypnova asked. “And Leanora? We’re going to need them tonight too.”

  “So you know about tonight, then,” Joey said, confirming what he had already suspected.

  “I have an idea,” Hypnova replied.

  Joey nodded. “I figured you would. We got here using the memory you gave us. Shazad and Leanora painted the Secret Map of the World on the wall in the theater. The Imagine Nation was on it. The island that Merlin broke off from the lost continent and turned into a refuge for magic.”

  “Magic and more,” Hypnova said.

  “It disappeared from the mural after we were done, but it came back a couple of days ago,” Joey said.

  “That was my doing,” Hypnova admitted. “I wanted you to see it. To know it was out there, but I didn’t want you to go. Not until it was time.”

  “You put the image in our heads,” Joey said. “Did you put tonight’s plan in there too?”

  “I don’t manipulate the minds of friends,” Hypnova said. “I simply gave you access to information. What you do with it is up to you, but I know you well enough to guess your choices. I know what we want to do. What I don’t know is how we’re going to do it. That’s your department. Aren’t you the creative problem solver?”

  “It’s not just me. It’s all of us.” The alarm on Joey’s phone started ringing. He took the phone out of his pocket and silenced it. “Speaking of ‘all of us.’ ” Joey pulled the wand back out of his sleeve and waved it at an empty space on the deck of the ship. “Together again.”

  With that, two tiny balls of light the size of marbles appeared, hovering in midair. They quickly grew to the size of softballs as they went swirling around each other like playful birds. Soon Joey had to squint, the light was so bright. There was a brilliant flash, and he covered up, turning to avoid the glare. When Joey looked back, Shazad and Leanora were standing two feet away.

  “There you are,” Hypnova said. “What have you two been up to?” She smiled as if she could guess the answer.

  Shazad looked like a human Popsicle. He was rubbing his arms to warm up and stamping his feet to shake snow off his body. Leanora took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her face looked flushed, and she smelled like roasted marshmallows.

  “How are you both doing?” Joey asked after everyone said hello. “Leanora, are you okay?”

  Leanora straightened up and pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Of course I’m okay. Why wouldn’t I be?”

  Joey shrugged. “I don’t know. Are your boots supposed to be on fire?” He pointed to the magic footwear Leanora had on her feet. The Winged Boots of Fleetfoot gave her superspeed and let her take up to three steps in the air at a time. At the moment, the soles were blackened and burnt. Tassels on the boots glowed like lit fuses.

  “What the—” Leanora twisted around with a jolt and fanned the red-hot boots with her hands. “I had to run across lava,” she explained once the amber glow on the tassels faded. “Can you believe it? Lava! I did it, but the boots were ruined. They ran out of magic.”

&nbs
p; “Looks like you got out of there just in time,” Janelle said. “Both of you. How did it go in the arctic?” she asked Shazad.

  “M-mission a-c-c-ccomplished.” Shazad shivered. “Is that a fire? Do you mind if I just…?” He trailed off on his way over to the blazing cauldron. “That’s better,” he said a few moments later, warming himself near the purple flames. “How did it go with you two?” he asked Joey and Janelle. “Did you have to use the wand?”

  “How did I know you were going to ask me that first thing?” Joey had to laugh at how his friends went straight to business. Nothing ever fazed them, not even the sight of Hypnova’s flying ship. “I did use it. Just a little bit. I had to.”

  Shazad frowned. “How much is a little bit?”

  “Not a lot.” Joey held out his arm, showing off the green energy bar. It had gone down again as a result of his recent spells, but only a little. It was still very full. “See?”

  Leanora looked at Janelle, clearly hoping to get the full story from her. “What happened? What did he do?”