Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans

by Russell Ginns

  I waited until it was the monkey’s turn to carry around the Plans. Then I tricked him into competing against me in a hula hoop contest. I let the monkey win so I could swipe the umbrella while his arms were in the air and he was still twirling. Without the Plans, the RAIN were stuck in France and they got double mad—and triple smelly!

  I started returning stuff that the ninjas stole, and I looked forward to a long life as an explorer. I spent my time traveling and trading and brought back some crazy things. But mostly I collected stories for you.

  Then something went wrong. Somehow, the RAIN figured out where to find me. And when a bunch of them showed up in Seattle, I knew the best way to protect you was to go missing!

  So I put on a pair of rubber boots and wore an inflatable raccoon just to make sure the ninjas would see me. I headed out of town hoping I’d lure them after me and keep our family safe.

  I left that check for Buffy to keep all the money out of evil hands. I knew she would go on a great, grand shopping spree and spread the money in so many places it could never be recovered.

  I gave the umbrella to you, Samantha, because I knew you’d discover the secret of the Plans. Those ninjas—just like a lot of people—don’t understand that the world has always been full of special secrets and amazing adventures. Maybe you’re the one who was meant to have the Plans all along.

  If you’re reading this letter, then something’s gone really, really wrong. But you’ve made it all the way here, so I know you’ve learned to take a closer look at things. Nothing can stop you from going anywhere you want to go.

  You’re the bravest and smartest person I’ve ever met, Samantha. I just wish I could be there to find out about your super-secret plans—the ones you’ll come up with to set things right.

  You have many places to go…and a lot to do!

  —Uncle Paul”

  At first Samantha wanted some more time to feel bad about losing Uncle Paul. But she’d already done enough power moping to last a lifetime. She rolled up the note and shoved it into her pocket.

  “The RAIN is gonna fall hard now,” she said. “Let’s go, Nipper.”

  She looked over her shoulder.

  “Nipper?”

  He wasn’t there.

  “Ugh,” she said, and marched back through the doorway to the chamber with the awful dark pit. Dennis was near the wall again, keeping a lookout for trouble or crackers. She continued along the wall, following the sounds of heavy objects being dragged across a muddy clay-tiled floor.

  Nipper was back in the treasure room.

  She hurried through the doorway. Then she stopped.

  Samantha crossed her arms and watched as Nipper filled a bucket with sticks. They were made of different types of wood, and they all looked suspiciously like magic wands. He picked up a shiny gold ring with strange writing on it and a glistening pair of ruby-studded slippers. He tossed them both in the bucket and added it to a new stack of trinkets and treasures. Then he bent down and picked up a creepy-looking monkey’s paw.

  “Enough!” she shouted.

  Nipper stopped and looked up at her. He let the paw fall on the floor.

  “We’re getting out of here now, and we’re leaving all this stuff right where it is,” she commanded.

  Nipper started to protest, but she shoved him away from the treasure pile.

  “Come with me now!”

  Nipper stood where he was, frowning. Then he spoke very slowly.

  “I…want…my…Yankees…back,” he said. “What else can I do?”

  “You could at least say thank you to me,” said Samantha.

  “Thank you?” he asked. “Thank you?”

  “I saved you from a horrible, slimy death!” she shouted. “I think you should say thank you, and merci, and arigatō!” She grabbed his arm and began to pull him across the floor. “That’s ‘thank you’ in Japanese,” she added.

  Nipper tried to pull away, but Samantha didn’t let go. She dragged him out of the room and along the curved wall toward the mouth of the tunnel.

  “Okay, okay,” said Nipper. “I’m going.”

  Samantha let go of his arm.

  “But as soon as we get back to Seattle I’m never speaking to you again,” said Nipper. “Wherever you go, I’ll head in the opposite direction and stay one hundred percent angry with you forever.”

  “That’s fine with me,” said Samantha. She looked Nipper straight in the eye and pointed at him. “Just don’t forget to leave everything you’ve stolen from this tomb.”

  “Absolutely. I won’t,” said Nipper, covering his right hand with his left to hide the ring on his finger.

  Samantha adjusted the umbrella on her shoulder, and watched to make sure Nipper and Dennis went first. They walked carefully around the room with the horrible pit and into the exit tunnel. One after another, they crawled out of the secret tomb, back up to the museum and the Temple of Horus.

  They wound their way to the museum exit, across the pillar-lined courtyard, and back up the giant falcon’s tail, across its back, and up and over the rim of the hat on the massive statue’s head.

  As they climbed through the secret hole, back down the ladder into the magtrain station, Nipper lost his grip and tumbled to the floor. As they walked down the ramp to reach the H-shaped magtrain car, he tripped on his shoelaces two separate times. Getting into the front bench, he bashed his funny bone on the side of his seat.

  “Ouch!” he wailed, rubbing his arm.

  Samantha glared at him. He put his arms close to his sides and gave her a weak smile.

  She took her place in the middle seat, placed the Plans on the floor by her feet, sat Dennis on her lap, and pressed the button. Her hair stood up, and the tracks began to glow once more as the magtrain accelerated.

  “You must really want that cursed thing,” she called to him. “I can’t believe you didn’t put it back where you found it.”

  “I need it for something special,” he said, shooting her a look over his shoulder. “And I won’t let you boss me out of it.”

  As he turned to face the front of the speeding magtrain, a bug flew up his nose.

  The scorpion’s emerald eyes flashed brightly.

  Samantha shook her head, while Dennis settled in comfortably. The car raced along swiftly but quietly through the tunnel.

  Samantha noticed the soft buzzing sound again. It was definitely coming from Dennis, and it was really starting to irritate her. She inspected the pug’s neck carefully. The noise wasn’t coming from the Blinky Barker after all. It was coming from the dog collar—from a speck on the huge blue gem attached to its front. She squinted and looked even closer. It wasn’t a speck; it was a tiny electronic chip, and it was glued to the stone’s surface.

  Suddenly everything made sense. “That’s how the ninjas have been tracking us,” Samantha said quietly. She yanked the gem free from Dennis’s collar and raised her arm, about to toss the gem onto the tracks behind them. Then she stopped…and smiled.

  “Nipper,” she called. “Before we split up and always head in opposite directions and you stay one hundred percent angry with me forever, I want you to take this.”

  She held out the big blue gem.

  Her brother turned around and looked at what Samantha held in her hand. Silent and scowling, he grabbed the gem.

  He held up his other hand and showed Samantha that he was pulling the scorpion ring off his finger. He grunted and stuffed both the gem and the ring into his pocket. Then he turned away from her as the magtrain car sped onward to Seattle, the Emerald City.

  Section 10, Detail BREPERULLA

  Machu Picchu

  Machu Picchu is an ancient abandoned city in the mountains of Peru.

  It was built around the year 1450, and it served as a royal estate for the rulers of the Inca
Empire. It had temples, houses, aqueducts, fortifications, and many terraces for farming.

  Perched at 7,970 feet above sea level, it is surrounded by steep mountain peaks on three sides. This makes it hard to find and just as hard to reach.

  No one is sure exactly when or why it was abandoned. It is often called the Lost City.

  * * *

  • • •

  Enter Machu Picchu from the south, turn left, and head up the stairs from the main road until you come to a set of walls and terraces. Look for a large, flat slab of rock carved from a single boulder. There is a row of six holes drilled into it.

  Many small pebbles will be scattered around the area. Gather six of them and drop one into each hole. As soon as you drop the last pebble, you will hear a sound like the crack of a whip, followed by a loud twang. It’s a cable being pulled tight.

  Climb over the low wall and turn to your right. Look carefully and you will see a chair dangling from above. It is painted the same color as the mountain and sky behind it, so you’ll have to take a close look at things to spot it. There is room on the chair for two large people, or two children and a small animal, or one full-grown llama.

  Once all passengers are ready, rock the chair until it slips off the brace and drops onto the giant cable. You will gain speed rapidly as you glide around the mountain and zoom down through the forest.

  This is the fastest way to travel from Machu Picchu to Lima, Peru, about 250 miles away.

  Samantha, Nipper, and Dennis headed up and out of the magtrain station and back toward Thirteenth Avenue. They’d walked halfway down the block when Nipper stopped.

  “Keep going,” he told Samantha. He pointed in the direction of their house. “Don’t come back for me. I’m one hundred percent angry with you forever.” He stood there waiting for Samantha and Dennis to walk away.

  Samantha didn’t say anything. She walked quickly, and Dennis trotted along after her. As she neared their house, she broke into a run. She dashed down the driveway and through the side door to the kitchen. She headed straight through the living room. She passed her parents, sitting next to each other on the couch. Together, they were holding a big hardcover book with the word Chinchillas on the cover.

  “Back so soon?” asked her mother. “I thought you went to a triple-feature movie party.”

  “The sun is still very bright outside,” said her father. “The angle of incidence of the light rays is—”

  “Sorry,” said Samantha, cutting him off. “I have many places to go and a lot to do!”

  She ran upstairs.

  Dennis stopped and watched her go. Then he sniffed around the living room and headed back to the kitchen in search of crackers or waffles.

  In her bedroom, Samantha picked up two quarters from the top of her desk. Then she walked over to the window.

  Her bedroom faced the front of the house and had a wide view of Thirteenth Avenue. She could see Nipper at the far end of the block. He was still standing there with his arms crossed, as if to make sure she wasn’t coming back.

  Finally, she saw him turn and stomp off into the park.

  Samantha headed back downstairs and into the kitchen. She grabbed the umbrella that was leaning against the wall, and went out the door.

  Soon she was back at the edge of the park, standing in front of the ordinary-looking mailbox.

  She grasped the handle and opened and closed the flap three times.

  The plaza around the entrance to the Louvre is a magical place. Visitors can take in the sights and sounds of Paris. They can head into the giant glass pyramid or tour the museum’s exterior. From the right location, they can catch a view of the river Seine in the distance. On most days, there is the smell of freshly baked bread.

  Enthralled by all of these wonderful things, a person can easily miss a young girl doing something unusual amid the bustling, excited crowd.

  Then again, some people don’t care about that stuff at all. Some people hate Paris. They don’t find the art and culture magical. They wish there were an easy way to sneak out of France and never come back.

  Those are exactly the kind of people who’d notice an eleven-year-old girl standing in the center of the plaza on a sunny day, opening and closing a red umbrella.

  Samantha didn’t see anyone approaching. But when she sniffed the air, she took in the smell of French bread…and rancid garlic, gasoline, and four hundred pounds of used kitty litter.

  She closed the umbrella once more and stomped on the ground four times, lifting her knee high in the air before each stomp. She wanted to make sure that anyone watching could see exactly what she did.

  The tile beneath her dropped, lowering her into the station below.

  Samantha walked along the ramp to the tracks without looking back and sat down in the center seat of the magtrain car.

  Then she waited.

  As soon as she caught a whiff of rotten eggs and window cleaner, she tapped the red oval button to start the motor.

  The tracks beneath the train began to glow, and the car started moving.

  Two black-shrouded ninjas leaped onto the bench in front of Samantha just as the car pulled away from the station.

  She looked over her shoulder. Two more ninjas had taken the seats behind her. She recognized the smelly, bread crumb–covered man she had met on her first trip to Paris.

  “Stupid girl,” he said. “You showed us how to find the train. Now we’re back in business.” The dried pieces of gum that stuck to his face wiggled as he talked.

  Samantha pretended not to hear him and turned forward again. She stayed seated, watching the yellow readout lights.

  000004 MPH

  000005 MPH

  000012 MPH

  “You must think you’re pretty clever,” he said from behind her. “Well, we have our little tricks, too.”

  000090 MPH

  000220 MPH

  “We’re the ones who put the transmitter on the Hope Diamond,” he said. “After we found out your weird uncle was in Seattle, it was easy to follow the signal to him.”

  000518 MPH

  “And it was child’s play to switch his flip-flops for a pair of exploding orange sandals.”

  002503 MPH

  015130 MPH

  “Pajama Paul?” he chuckled. “It was more like Ka-blamma Paul!”

  The other three ninjas joined in laughing with him.

  They all kept laughing, bathed in the glow from the tracks under the car. Samantha sat silently. They were about six minutes into the ride. The magtrain coasted onward.

  “We’re going to give you one last chance,” said the voice behind her. “Give us your umbrella now and nobody else gets hurt.

  “Except for that little brother of yours,” he added. “He’s so annoying. I’m going to find him and chop him up no matter what.”

  Samantha stood and turned around. The ninjas were standing with their swords drawn. Samantha drew her umbrella.

  “What are you doing?” asked the crumb-gum man.

  “This umbrella,” she said. “I’m going to let…you…have it.”

  She raised her right arm and pointed the umbrella right at him.

  “Oh no you don’t!” the ninja shouted. He leaned backward, beyond the reach of the umbrella, and sheathed his sword. The other ninja stood still, waiting to see what he would do next.

  Crumb-Gum put his right hand into a pocket in his black robe. He drew it out slowly and raised it high over his head. He held three silver shuriken, fanned out like playing cards.

  As he whipped his hand forward, Samantha pressed the button at the base of the umbrella handle and the bright red octagon sprang open. One throwing star bounced off a spoke. The other two stars tore through the fabric and sailed past Samantha’s head.

  “Ouch!” a voice behind her s
houted. “Watch where you fling those things.”

  Samantha closed the umbrella. She saw the two ninjas in the rear seat smile at something over her shoulder.

  She waited until she could smell wet paint and pickle juice. Then she spun around and swung the umbrella like a right-handed power hitter for the New York Yankees.

  Wham! She struck a ninja on the side of his head. Then she turned and swung the umbrella like a left-handed power hitter for the New York Yankees.

  Wham! She connected with the other ninja in the front of the car.

  Samantha bobbed and weaved. She dodged samurai swords and swatted at stink-bandits. Each time she struck a smelly arm or face with the umbrella, she could hear fabric tearing. Several small screws that held the spokes together popped out. She whacked Crumb-Gum twice on the bridge of his nose. The second time, the tip of the umbrella snapped off. It stuck to one of the pieces of gum on the ninja’s face. Unable to see, he shook his head back and forth violently. Then he pulled the tip free and tossed it angrily over his shoulder.

  Samantha lost track of the time, but she knew the magtrain was getting close to Seattle. She felt the car beginning to slow.

  A grimy ninja hand reached over Samantha and grabbed the top of the umbrella.

  “Gotcha!” the ninja blurted, and began to pull.

  At the same time, Crumb-Gum swung at her again. She heard a snap as his sword sliced clear through the umbrella above the handle.

  The ninja holding the umbrella lost his grip. Everyone froze and watched the tattered remains of the umbrella spiral over his head and onto the tracks in front of the car.

  There was a loud crunch as the magtrain rolled over fabric and metal rods. The ninjas stared at Samantha as they cruised onward. There was nothing left of the umbrella but the long black plastic handle in her hands.

  The car pulled into the station.

  Samantha looked at the handle. She flung it at Crumb-Gum.