Book of Names

by Slater, David Michael

  “Dexter!” Daphna screamed again, pulling on his arm. She wasn’t about to pretend there was anything good about the situation, but she could recognize that they didn’t know exactly what the situation was. “We don’t know for sure she’s dead! We don’t even know what the book is! We need to find out, and we need to find out as soon as poss—! There’s something wrong with Nora!”

  Dex stopped struggling and looked. Nora was standing there, gone again inside herself, muttering, looking fully mad. Ashamed, Dex got off Quinn and approached her.

  “It’s okay,” he said, touching her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m not really like that.”

  Slowly, she came back.

  “What—what are you doing when you do that?” Dex asked, trying to recover his wind.

  “Praying,” Nora said.

  “Oh.”

  The thunder boomed outside. Deafening.

  “That thunder is doing something to us,” Nora said. “It won’t let us get along.”

  Quinn was back on his feet now, but he looked nonetheless nearly out on them.

  “Not all of us,” he said, struggling to right his breathing. “I’ve been noticing. You seem to be okay with Nora, Dex. And me and Daphna are okay.”

  Now Daphna wanted to punch Quinn, too. Punch and punch and punch him. And kiss—

  “I don’t know why,” Quinn added, “but we must have some kind of conn—”

  Dex charged again, but this time Daphna stepped in front of him.

  “Dexter!” she snapped. “Stop acting like an idiot! Quinn is right! I don’t know why, but he is, and there’s no point in denying it. We need to look into this Freemansons thing.” She paused, trying to get herself back together, bearing up against the fact that yet another chance at a family might be lost. And the thing was, it wasn’t that hard this time. Maybe she was getting used to it. No, Daphna knew that wasn’t true. It was because she wasn’t sure about Dr. Fludd yet.

  “And we have to get that book back from the cops,” she added, “or from whoever they gave it to.”

  “Mason,” Quinn corrected. “Freemason.”

  It took everything Dex had not to smash him in the face.

  “Right,” Daphna said. “And we need to figure out what Mr. G is all about, especially if he got the book. There’s way too much for all of us to do at once, and—and—” She was reluctantly getting to the hard part of the idea Quinn had just given her. She took a breath, looked her brother in the eye, and then came out with it.

  “I think we should split up.”

  CHAPTER 15

  permanently painful

  “I think Quinn and I should go together,” Daphna explained, talking fast so she could get it over with, “maybe to Mr. G’s house since he really likes me. You and Nora could go to—” She turned to Nora and asked, “Do you live nearby?”

  “Up on Dosch Road,” Nora told her, “where the synagogue and church are. We live behind the church.”

  “Perfect,” Daphna replied, then picked up where she’d left off with Dex. “You and Nora could go to her house to find books about Freemasons and Jews, and maybe about how Jesus was resurrected if he has any—I just thought of something,” she suddenly said, turning back to Nora again. “Your dad said people would rise from their graves. I bet that whole idea comes from the ribs being buried but creating new life.

  “Anyway—” she went on, returning to her awful plan, “I’m sure the church has plenty of books on that subject. And maybe you could see if you can get into the synagogue and ask some questions there, because I think in Judaism there’s something about the dead returning to life someday, too.”

  Daphna saw the look of disbelief misshaping her brother’s face while she spoke. She could hardly believe what she was suggesting herself, especially because she wanted never to see Quinn again as long as she lived. It seemed somehow blasphemous even to consider separating, especially since she was the one who’d made them swear never to do that after the last time it happened. But it also seemed somehow inevitable today.

  She saw no other way.

  “Dex,” Daphna urged, seeing his expression only darkening, “Nora’s right. We’re not ourselves today. I don’t know why we all weren’t in that riot earlier with everyone else, but something tells me we’re lucky to have found each other. We can stay in touch by cell,” she added, somewhat lamely.

  Steaming, Dex shouted, “Why don’t you just go in the bedroom and get your kissing over with now!”

  “Dexter! That is not what this is about!”

  Dex knew he was being monumentally unfair, especially since he’d been a hair’s breadth away from becoming a full-fledged member of that mob. But he’d been blindsided by all of this. Didn’t Daphna say just a few hours ago that she was glad he was with her—Him! Of course since that moment he’d been completely useless. Who was he kidding? He’d been useless since Africa. Worse than useless.

  “Okay,” Dex said, giving in. “Fine. You win.” He was a world-class jerk for putting it all on her like that. But there it was.

  Daphna swallowed hard, irrationally displeased at her brother’s agreement. To hide the flush on her face, she looked out the front window and saw that the street was clear. No one was around at all. Then she turned back to Quinn and Nora and said, “I’m not sure you want to get involved with us.” To Quinn specifically she added, “I won’t lie. What Wren said was true. People who know us tend to die a lot. Honestly, if I were you, I would get as far away from the Wax twins as possible.”

  Quinn didn’t hesitate. “I’d die to get my parents back,” he said. “And Dr. Fludd, too. We were meant to help each other. I just know it.”

  Everyone looked at Nora, but all she said was, “Honor your father that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives to you.”

  “And—sooo,” Daphna said, “that means what?”

  “It’s the fifth commandment,” Nora replied. “I’ve dishonored my father. There aren’t many worse sins.”

  “Nora,” Dex said, but she cut him off.

  “You don’t understand. I prevented my father from warning the community about the Masons, real Masons that are actually here. He will only conclude one thing—”

  “What?”

  “That I’m a Mason, too.”

  For a moment, no one had a response to this.

  Then Dex hit on an idea. “If we can get to the bottom of this,” he said. “If we can find out what the Masons want with that book—Maybe it’s the big Key to Power they’ve been searching for. If we get it back and destroy it, your dad would know you’re not one of them, right? I mean, what would honor him more than defeating the Masons and proving him right about all this stuff?”

  Cautiously, nervously, Nora nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Yes, I think that would please him very much. I’m sure it would.”

  Dex smiled. Nora looked, if not exactly overflowing with confidence, at least a little bit hopeful. He felt as if he’d just spoken Words of Power.

  “But,” Nora added, threatening to derail the fragile agreement before it took hold, “can we eat something before we go? I’m starving.”

  The group was more than happy to accommodate this request, as it seemed no one was eager to charge into the breech just yet.

  After clearing the table of his book repair tools, Quinn passed around a large pot of some kind of stew. It was not only delicious, but incredibly filling. The pot went around a few times, though the group scarcely made a dent in it.

  “You could live off this forever,” Daphna said, very impressed, even though she didn’t want to be.

  “Which is a good thing,” Quinn said, “because it’s pretty much the only thing I know how to make. Luckily, I don’t get sick of it.”

  Everyone ate ravenously for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Daphna said, “It shouldn’t be too hard to get to Mr. G’s house if it’s calm out back, too.” Then she added, thinking as she spoke, “If he’s there and has the book, wel
l, we’ll see what that means. I assume he won’t be happy because whatever book he’s looking for from Heaven, that isn’t it—no matter how incredible it is.”

  “The book he wants,” Nora said, clearly still savoring her stew, “do you think it’s the same one you said the angels are looking for?”

  The twins looked at each other. They hadn’t thought of that.

  “Could be,” Dex said, pleased to see Nora getting involved. “Something tells me it is.”

  “Anyway,” Daphna said, feeling pretty sure her brother was right. “If he does get that book of names, maybe we can trade information for it, or swipe it if we have to.”

  “And if he’s not even there?” Quinn asked.

  “Then we search his house until we find out who he really is.” Then Daphna added, “I wonder how he thinks he can get us anywhere in the city undetected.”

  “Maybe he’s some kind of undercover cop?” Quinn guessed.

  “What kind of cop goes under cover watching us our whole lives?” Dex said. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Why?” Quinn challenged. “Maybe they’re Masons like the cops I took pictures of. Or the ones you saw at that murder scene.”

  “Because—” Dex didn’t know why because, but it didn’t matter because Daphna prudently interrupted.

  “I got the impression he meant he could get us out undetected from the basement,” she said, “where we might be hiding or trapped. Maybe he has one of those underground garages?”

  This seemed unlikely, but then Dex and Daphna turned to each other, matching eyes wide, faces flush with simultaneous insight. They both turned to look at the heap of books still on the floor.

  There was the one with the straps.

  “Tunnels!” they both cried. But their enthusiasm wilted at the shared knowledge they weren’t going to be working together to find them.

  “That makes sense,” Quinn agreed. Though after a moment of reflection, he said, “But I thought the tunnels were downtown, by the waterfront. I read a bit of that book. It says they used to get people drunk and then drop them through trapdoors into the tunnels to sneak them out onto the ships, where they’d be forced to work. ‘Shanghaiing,’ right? But I didn’t read all of it. Let’s see.” Quinn went and picked up the book, then sat down and started leafing through it.

  “That’s supposed to be the most comprehensive book on the Shanghai Tunnels,” Daphna said, watching Quinn flip through the pages. “I think there were all kinds of crimes going on down there, opium dens and whatnot,” she added, thinking she must look just like Quinn did—hunched over, brow furrowed—when she dove into an intriguing book.

  Dex wanted to tear the book out of Quinn’s hands and go upside his head with it. Instead he watched Nora scarfing the bottomless stew.

  “Here’s the original map of the whole system,” Quinn said, holding the book up. It was crudely drawn, a grid with wavy lines running through it. The grid had to be the downtown streets and the wavy lines, the tunnels running underneath them. And the river was clear enough—a wavy blue line along the edge.

  “The tunnels do extend a bit from the waterfront,” Quinn observed, “but they don’t come anywhere near here. Hillsdale isn’t even on the map.”

  “Maybe Mr. G has his own tunnel just to get out of his house,” Dex said. “Or maybe he just has some kind of connections to people who can help.”

  Quinn didn’t dispute this, but said, “Still—maybe we should keep it with us. Do you mind?”

  Daphna winced, but nodded, so Quinn tore it out.

  “I’d give that to Daphna,” Dex advised. “I guarantee she’s better with directions than you.”

  “Okay, sure,” Quinn said, handing it over.

  Thunder crashed, shaking the whole apartment as Daphna folded up the map and tucked it into her back pocket. “We better get moving,” she sighed when it stopped.

  No one disagreed, but by the intentionally slow way the four of them cleaned up the bowls and glasses and scattered books, it was obvious they still weren’t overly anxious to leave the apartment. But, finally, when there was nothing left to stall with, they headed down the stairs and back outside behind the stores.

  It was quiet outside now, eerily so. And really, really hot.

  Daphna couldn’t believe what they were doing, now that they were doing it—even if it had been her suggestion. Were they really separating? After all they’d seen and done together? She was having serious second thoughts.

  “It’s okay,” Dex said, watching his sister’s face. He climbed onto his bike and waved Nora over.

  But Nora hesitated again. “How—how do you know we’re doing the right thing?” she asked.

  “I don’t know about the right thing,” Dex replied, “only the next thing.”

  “But—”

  “Here’s a better question: Aren’t you worried my sister’s going to slap you silly again if you don’t get on this bike?”

  Nora got on the bike while Dex tried not to laugh.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Daphna muttered.

  “I never learned,” Nora said, getting situated. “I’m so embarrassed. I can’t do anything normal kids can do.”

  “Can you read?” Dex asked her.

  “Of course I—”

  “Then you got one on me.”

  Quinn looked perplexed by this exchange, as did Nora. Daphna turned away to hide a smile. When she turned back, the bike was in motion.

  “Call!” she shouted.

  Dex waved to her over Nora’s wild hair.

  Daphna watched Dex pedal slowly between the shops toward the street out front. The moment her brother was out of sight she knew, in her very bones, that their lives had just changed in some permanently painful way.

  CHAPTER 16

  voices

  Admitting to Daphna he couldn’t read had been the greatest relief of Dexter’s life, greater even than the relief of constantly averting death and disaster. Yet, somehow, explaining how his eyes took in too much light when it bounced off some surfaces—paper especially—over his shoulder to this total stranger felt almost as good. It didn’t feel like setting a burden down this time. It was actually more like lifting something up, something he had the strength to carry.

  Dex stopped when he reached the main road, where all was quiet. After a look both ways for cops, he pedaled hard, and seconds later, he and Nora were flying down the hill with wind whipping through their hair. It had turned out to be a beautiful day, freakish thunder and lightning aside, and even if it was crazy hot, it felt good. Nora was squeezing him now for all she was worth. She made no comment on what he’d told her, and he was pretty sure she was praying again, but it didn’t matter. He wondered if she were praying that he really could help her.

  Dex wasn’t going to think about the fact that he just left his sister behind with some creep he didn’t trust as far as he could throw. She’d kissed him? When? Why, with everything going on? He thought back to Antin calling her good-looking under the ruins of the bookstore and how he’d been so bent out of shape about that. Then he suddenly realized why. That was the moment he’d, on some unconscious level anyway, realized there would be a part of Daphna’s life that would never have anything to do with him. And now he understood that the same would be true for her about his life. Maybe it was already.

  The thought made Dex momentarily despair, but the sense of speed and the warmth of Nora pressing into his back was so exhilarating that he managed to push it all aside, to forget where he was going and why he was going there. He forgot everything for a moment but speed.

  “Turn!” Nora cried.

  Dex remembered where he was, worked the breaks in time, and turned up Dosch Road without killing them. Then he pumped furiously up the short distance to the drive on the right that wound up into the church grounds. Instead of attempting that long incline, he reluctantly stopped the bike. He and Nora got off and hid it in some tall weeds. It was strange to realize how close they l
ived to each other. They were practically neighbors.

  “Thank you,” Nora said when they were back on the sidewalk. “For what you did for me at school. I could have been killed. You saved my life.”

  Dex blushed, elated. “You’re welcome,” he said, trying to keep a reasonably straight face. “It was nothing. Really.”

  “And I’m really sorry about your eye—condition.”

  The pair headed up the drive, walking side-by-side.

  “Thanks,” Dex replied. I guess it’s not all that—No, it really is all that bad. But thanks. I appreciate—”

  Thunder shattered the sky several times just then. Nora grabbed Dexter’s hand, but let go quickly when the last flash of lightning faded away.

  “It’s not against the law to hold hands, you know,” Dex said. Did he want to kiss Nora? No, that would be taking advantage of her. She was counting on him to help her.

  Nora was blushing now. Her wan face made the red bloom look like fire. “My father,” she said, “he says one thing leads to another. It’s the smallest cracks in your resolve through which evil enters your life. It’s not worth the Lake of Fire.”

  Dex stopped.

  “Are you serious?” he asked. But then he said, “What’s going on?” They’d reached the top of the drive, and he hadn’t expected to see the lot full of cars here as well. “I thought—”

  “It’s overflow from the synagogue,” Nora explained. “There won’t be anyone around.”

  “Good,” Dex said. “Where’s your house again?”

  A shadow passed over Nora’s face, but she led Dex alongside the large, attractive church with its three sky-scraping crosses, past a little fenced playground, and then behind the facility into a cluster of trees separating the church from the grounds of a middle school. Then she stopped.