by Brandon Mull
“Last time?” Pigeon asked.
“I used the Grains of Time that Mr. Stott gave me,” Nate explained. “I’ve been to the past and the future. Remember that bum who bugged us when we were walking home that time? It really was me. My mind traveled back into his body.”
“No way,” Pigeon said.
“What bum?” Diego asked.
“Long story,” Nate said. “I also went to the future where Belinda had succeeded in drinking from the Fountain of Youth. Pigeon, in that future, you and Diego tried to stop her unaided. Diego got killed, and you were changed into an old man.”
“You weren’t here?” Pigeon said.
“The future I saw was the future without me in it. But I’m here this time, and I know what went wrong. Hopefully we can do things differently and make everything turn out better.”
“How’d I get killed?” Diego asked.
“Mauricio showed up with Denny, Eric, and Kyle. They went to the janitor’s office and used a hidden entrance to get into a secret basement. When you guys tried to follow, Wyatt ambushed you with giant black widow spiders. He captured Pigeon and later killed you, Diego.”
“Wyatt?” Pigeon asked.
“Wyatt is the Fuse, Mauricio is the jelly guy,” Nate said.
“What should we do differently?” Pigeon asked.
“First let’s run to the Dumpster,” Nate said, picking up the pace.
Pigeon ran along behind, slowly falling back. As they raced through the school, he noticed that there were still teachers in some of the classrooms. It was strange to think that for most people, this was just another ordinary day. When they reached the parking lot, several cars remained. Nate, Diego, and Pigeon all ducked into the chain-link cage that surrounded the Dumpster.
“Does this feel good?” Nate asked. “Is this where you would have stayed to spy on their arrival?”
“I think so,” Pigeon said.
“Once they arrive, we partly just need to lay low longer,” Nate said. “Instead of following them, we should set up an ambush. Turning the key to open the treasure room door will age Kyle. Entering the room will kill Mauricio. Then Eric will enter the room and end up an invalid. That was when they sent you, Pigeon, into the room to retrieve the goblet with the water from the Fountain of Youth. That was how you turned old. If we stay out of the way, Denny will have to retrieve it, and he’ll end up old also.”
“Then what?” Pigeon asked.
“If Denny fails, we’ll be ahead of the game. The others are too old to retrieve the goblet; entering the room would kill them like it killed Mauricio. If Denny succeeds, we’ll have to jump him and Wyatt and take back the goblet. Denny will be old and frail. We’ll have to shock Wyatt or something. Do you have any Shock Bits left?”
“One dose,” Pigeon said. “Do you have any?”
“I have one also. Remember, with Wyatt, we have to zap him quickly, or he’ll use his magic on us. Once we have the goblet, we can’t just pour out the water. A protective spell keeps the goblet full until somebody actually drinks it. I was hoping Diego might volunteer to down the water. Wouldn’t you like to be a puppy again?”
“I’m only what, six years old?” Diego said. “What if I get so young I cease to exist?”
“That could happen if any of us drink it,” Nate said. “But in dog years you’re like forty-two, making you the oldest by far.”
“What if the water doesn’t take dog years into account?” Diego asked. “Then I’d be the youngest.”
“We have to get rid of this water,” Nate said. “After Mrs. White turns young, everyone who has tasted the white fudge will fall under her control. And she’ll start preparing to distribute white fudge to the world.”
“How come the dog is more disposable than the human?” Diego complained.
“There has to be another way,” Pigeon said.
They stood in awkward silence for a moment.
“I’m kidding, Pidge,” Diego said reluctantly. “I know how much this matters to you. I’d do anything you asked of me, you know that. You want me to lap up the water?”
Pigeon dug more Brain Feed out of his pocket and fed it to Diego. He stroked the dog’s black fur. “Yeah, we need you to do this. Hopefully it will work out for the best.”
“Right,” Diego said, trying to sound brave. “It’ll be fun to be a puppy again.”
A black Hummer with one side of the front bashed in came zooming along Oak Grove Avenue and squealed into the parking lot. Nate crouched out of sight behind the Dumpster as Pigeon peeked out through the fence.
“It’s them,” Pigeon whispered. “Mauricio, Denny, Eric, and Kyle. Where’s the Fuse?”
“He didn’t arrive with them,” Nate replied quietly.
“They’re heading into the school,” Pigeon reported. “Going toward the cafeteria, just like you said.”
“We need to be patient,” Nate said. “They have to get into the janitor’s office, move some filing cabinets to find the hatch, climb down, get to the door, open it, and have a few of them get old.”
“Where do you want to ambush them?” Pigeon asked after a minute.
“Are they out of sight yet?” Nate asked.
“Yes.”
Nate came out from behind the Dumpster and surveyed the area. “We should hide behind the Hummer. That way Wyatt will come close enough for us to shock him. We’ll have to strike quickly.”
“I wish you had another Ironhide,” Pigeon said.
“Sorry,” Nate said.
“I can hide under the Hummer,” Diego offered. “I’ll rush out and distract him, go for his legs, then you guys can move in and deliver the shock.”
“Sounds good,” Nate said.
“What’s the difference between waiting over here and waiting behind the Hummer?” Pigeon asked.
“Nothing, I guess,” Nate said. “Except if we hide at the Hummer, we’ll already be in position, just in case.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Pigeon agreed.
Staying low, they dashed across the parking lot and squatted behind the Hummer. Diego crawled underneath and then crawled back out. “I’ll go back under when the time comes,” Diego said.
Pigeon gave Diego a few more kibbles of Brain Food.
“There are two other versions of me running around town,” Nate said.
“What?” Pigeon asked.
“The yellow sand of the Grains of Time split me into three,” Nate explained. “The other two dropped me off at the back of the school a few minutes before I found you. One of me is staking out the candy shop to help Summer and John, and the other is going to try to help Trevor. In a little while we’ll all get drawn back together at a central location.”
“Are you the real Nate?” Pigeon asked.
“We’re all the real Nate,” Nate said. “It’s complicated.”
They waited in silence. After some time, Pigeon gave Diego more Brain Feed.
“How’s life as a dog?” Nate asked.
“No complaints,” Diego said. “Nice home, good family, plenty to eat, attention when I want it, time to myself when I want it. I’ve always wondered though, Pigeon, why’d you give me a Spanish name?”
“Dad got you in San Diego,” Pigeon said.
“Ah,” Diego said. “I missed that somehow. Makes sense.”
Chanting commenced behind them. They turned in time to see the Fuse approaching, arms spread wide, birthmark blazing. In front of him on the asphalt, three black widow spiders expanded to horrific proportions, each reaching the size of a small car, most of the mass residing in their bulbous abdomens.
While Nate tucked his candy into his pants, and Pigeon fumbled for his Shock Bits, the glossy spiders pounced, adroitly binding them in sticky threads. Diego barked. Once the kids were bound, the gargantuan spiders backed off.
“On your feet,” Wyatt said. “I have total control of these adult female black widow spiders. At this size, I don’t think I need to explain what their venom would do to you.”<
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Nate and Pigeon shared a terrified glance. This was not supposed to happen.
*****
Nate number three entered his bathroom and found Trevor waiting in the mirror. Trevor looked relieved to see him and waved. Nate waved back and popped in a Mirror Mint.
Nate had considered bringing a pile of comic books into the mirror with him, in case he ended up stranded. Then he had remembered that he would not be able to see anything in the darkness. If he was going to read anything, somebody would have to hold it up to the mirror from the outside.
Climbing onto the counter, Nate tested the mirror. It felt pliable, flexing inward as he pressed his hand against it. Biting down hard on the mint, Nate crossed through into the cold darkness.
“What are you doing?” Trevor asked excitedly. “Did you find extra mints?”
“I still only had two,” Nate said. “I want you to use the last one.”
“But then you’ll be trapped!”
Nate explained about being split into three selves, and his theory that when the selves reunited, he would be pulled out of the mirror realm.
“Sounds risky,” Trevor said.
“At least it gives both of us a chance,” Nate said. “Otherwise you’d be hopeless.”
“What should I do when I get out?” Trevor asked.
“Do you have any candy left?” Nate asked.
“They took it all,” Trevor said.
“Maybe you can go give me a hand at the school or the candy shop.” Nate hastily outlined what had happened to the others and what was going on.
“Sounds like you might need more help at the school,” Trevor said.
“You better hurry,” Nate encouraged, finding Trevor’s hand in the darkness and giving him the mint.
“If you end up trapped, I’ll get you out,” Trevor promised.
“Okay,” Nate said. “I’ll be waiting here.”
Trevor bit down on the final Mirror Mint and crawled through the mirror onto Nate’s bathroom counter. Dropping to the floor, he clutched his side. Wincing into the mirror at Nate, he waved and exited the bathroom.
*****
Pigeon glanced over his shoulder at the eight eyes of the massive spider following him, his view of the black widow blurred by tears. The sleek, silent arachnid followed him dispassionately, legs working in creepy coordination. Webbing bound his arms to his sides.
Pigeon hung his head. Not much had changed from the way Nate had described things going the first time. The only difference was that instead of just Pigeon and Diego getting captured, now there were three prisoners.
Diego padded along beside him. Was his dog going to die again? Pigeon wished he had never given the Labrador Brain Feed. He wished he had not come to know his dog on such a personal level. He wished Diego was still slobbering out in the backyard.
“How did you find us?” Nate asked as Wyatt marched them into the custodial office.
“What’s it to you?” Wyatt asked.
“Weren’t you in the cafeteria?” Nate asked.
The Fuse huffed. “Part of the time. A good sentry stays in motion. I spotted you running over to the Hummer, and moved into position while you were jabbering.”
Two of the three spiders descended through the dark square on the floor of the custodial office, lowering themselves with silky strands of webbing, one of them carrying Diego. Wyatt uttered a few musical words, and the webs binding Nate and Pigeon fell away. The boys descended a rope ladder through the opening. The ladder was longer than Pigeon expected, and it twisted as he climbed down. Wyatt clicked on a large flashlight. Pigeon reached the dirt floor and moved out of Nate’s way. Powdery dust plumed up with each step, making the flashlight beam look almost tangible. The two enormous black widows waited silently as the third lowered herself into the darkness.
Wyatt descended last, the flashlight hanging from a belt loop. When he landed on the ground, he summoned two of the spiders with a gesture. Their spinnerets quivered, and soon Pigeon and Nate had their arms bound to their sides again by sticky webs. The Fuse jerked a thumb to indicate which way they should proceed.
The ancient walls of the basement were fashioned out of stone. On the far side of the room, part of the wall had collapsed to reveal a tunnel sloping away into darkness. Pigeon led the way with Diego, followed by Nate, followed by the spiders, followed by the Fuse. The air smelled so richly of dirt and stone that Pigeon could almost taste it.
“No heroics, Diego,” Nate murmured. “We know how it ends if you try anything.”
“I hear you,” Diego said.
“Stop gabbing,” Wyatt demanded from behind them.
The air grew more chilly the deeper they descended. Denny called from up ahead, “Who is that?”
“Wyatt,” the Fuse responded. “I caught Nate and Pigeon.”
“We can see the magic water,” Denny said. “Mauricio died when he entered the room. He turned into a pile of bones. Eric went in and became an old man. He can’t walk. Kyle’s already old from opening the door—I think the room would age him into bones like Mauricio. Mrs. White warned that strange things might happen to us, but promised she could fix whatever happened once she had the magic water. That’s the truth, right?”
“Right,” Wyatt said.
Pigeon rounded a bend in the tunnel and Denny came into view, holding a small flashlight. An elderly version of Eric lay beyond a stone doorway beside a rotted pile of human bones. Kyle leaned against the wall, breathing erratically. He looked too old to be standing.
“We’ll send in one of these two next,” Wyatt said. “You’ve done well so far, Denny.”
“I’ll go,” Nate said.
Pigeon wanted to make a similar offer, but the words were stuck in his mouth. He wrung his hands. “I can do it,” he managed in a small voice.
Nate shot Pigeon an insistent look. The look conveyed a desperate need to be the one who went into the room, something more than heroism. Pigeon realized Nate might have a plan. “I’m more responsible for starting this whole mess,” Nate said. “I want to finish it, not Pigeon. Besides, the dog might not react well if Pigeon goes in there.”
“If you’re volunteering, you’re more than welcome,” Wyatt said. “Just don’t try to get smart.” The Fuse held a rose up to Nate’s neck and mumbled a chant. His birthmark brightened and spread more, covering almost all of his face. The stem of the rose elongated and snaked around Nate’s neck, sharp thorns needling his skin. “If you attempt to drink the water, I’ll finish you before it touches your lips.” The Fuse intoned more soft words, and the webbing binding Nate’s arms to his torso dissolved. “Do this right, and maybe Mrs. White will show mercy after she regains her youth.”
“I won’t be holding my breath,” Nate said.
Pigeon peered through the doorway. The room was bare save for a black stone pedestal on the far side. Atop the pedestal rested an ornate golden goblet set with glittering gemstones. There was nowhere to hide. Pigeon could not foresee what Nate might have in mind.
“See you, Pidge,” Nate said, giving his friend’s shoulder a squeeze. Nate kicked off his shoes. Scowling, Nate rubbed his eyebrows. Pigeon thought they suddenly looked singed. Nate touched his elbow, getting blood on his fingertips.
“Get a move on,” Wyatt demanded.
Nate paused a moment longer, as if bracing himself, then strode forward. The instant Nate stepped into the room, he started growing taller and withering. Loose clothes became much too tight, the sleeves and pant legs much too short. Liver spots appeared on his wrinkled hands. His hair thinned and became a silvery white. He hunched forward, walking with a stoop. At least he could still walk.
Nate looked back, the thorny collar snug around his wrinkled neck. Pigeon could hardly recognize his friend. His face was longer, his nose bigger and droopier, his eyebrows bushier. Limp folds dangled below his chin, and deep creases marred his face. But the eyes were Nate’s, and the smile.
“I always hoped to grow old gracefully,” Nate chuc
kled, his voice deeper and more fragile.
“Get the water,” Wyatt demanded.
Diego whined. Pigeon crouched beside the dog.
Nate shuffled toward the pedestal, taking small, cautious steps. Upon arriving at the pedestal, he hovered over the goblet for a moment, as if staring into it.
“Hurry up,” Wyatt ordered.
Nate picked up the goblet and turned around, shuffling back over to them. Pigeon kept waiting for the trick. As he neared the doorway, Nate put a hand to his head and swayed. Steadying himself, he stepped through the doorway and handed the goblet to Denny.