Krakens and Lies

by Tui T. Sutherland

  That was the night after Pelly was stolen, but he guessed she’d taken the same opportunity that night, while Runcible was furrily occupied, to sneak away, this time to check on her captive.

  “So what does this have to do with the Sterlings?” Logan’s dad asked abruptly, his deep voice from across the room startling Logan.

  “They caught me,” Delia said. “They’ve been monitoring you, too, for months. There are cameras hidden all through the woods around your property. So they saw me cutting the hole in the river grate, and they approached me with the proposal that we could . . . work together.”

  She turned to Abigail. “I swear I didn’t know they had you, or the Chinese dragon. They didn’t tell me everything.” Her face went hard. “I didn’t know about their plans for an amusement park, either, until you came and told us about the map you found. I’ve told them it’s foolish and far too dangerous. I said I would help them expose the Menagerie, but only if they promised me that dragon wouldn’t be allowed to live.”

  “I think we’ve heard enough,” said Zoe’s mom, looking sick.

  “No, wait,” Zoe said. “Delia, where did they take Captain Fuzzbutt?” She knelt beside Delia’s chair, looking desperate. “Please tell us. If anything happens to him—I’m so worried. . . .”

  Delia gave her a look that seemed genuinely sympathetic.

  “I’m sorry, Zoe,” she said softly. “They didn’t tell me. I have no idea where they’ve taken him.”

  Logan watched Zoe’s face fall and wanted to hit something. Finally they’d found the person they’d been looking for this whole time, but she couldn’t tell them what they really needed to know.

  The Sterlings had vanished along with the mammoth.

  But there was one place they would definitely be . . . at the election party the next night, in front of a hundred cameras, at the Buffalo Bill Diner.

  Which meant there might be one last chance to stop them before the Menagerie was exposed and destroyed forever.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  “I wish I could vote,” Logan said grumpily, leaning against the side of the van.

  “Me too,” said Blue.

  “Me three,” Zoe said. She couldn’t stand still. She hadn’t been able to sleep all night; she just kept rolling over and looking at the empty floor where Fuzzbutt usually slept. Her chest ached as though the Sterlings had carved out part of it on their way out the door.

  “I voted,” Ruby said cheerfully from her perch on a nearby railing. “Except the other candidate seemed lame, so I just wrote in Miley Cyrus.”

  “I’m sure that’ll help,” Zoe said, rolling her eyes.

  They were stationed in the alley across from the back of the Buffalo Bill Diner. There was only one set of doors big enough to fit a mammoth through—the big rolling service door at the back, where trucks delivered the food. Earlier it had been busy with staff getting ready for the party, but now it was quiet; the action had moved to the front of the diner, where guests were already starting to arrive. Zoe could see the flash of cameras going off like lightning. She twisted her hands together nervously.

  Where were the Sterlings? Why weren’t they here yet?

  Was Jasmin okay?

  Was Captain Fuzzbutt okay?

  Was this going to be the night everything was ruined forever?

  She squinted at Logan, distracted for a moment from her scurrying thoughts. “Logan, did your shirt just . . . move?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I brought backup.”

  “Okay.” Zoe didn’t know what that meant, but she couldn’t add one more worry to her list right now. She looked at her watch. “The polls are about to close. Why aren’t they here?”

  “I think they are,” Matthew said, hopping out of the van.

  A U-Haul rolled slowly down the small street behind the Buffalo Bill Diner. It jerked to a halt, and then backed up to the delivery entrance. Jonathan Sterling jumped out of the passenger side, glanced around furtively, and hurried to the back of the truck. Ruby let out a small hissing sound. He hit the button for the diner doors and turned to roll open the U-Haul.

  As the metal door of the diner rattled up, Zoe could see her parents and Logan’s parents standing inside the loading area, waiting. Jonathan didn’t notice them; he was busy pulling out the ramp that led down from the U-Haul.

  But now Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were climbing out of the front of the truck, and they spotted the welcoming committee at the same time.

  “We’re not going to let you do this, Arnold,” Zoe’s dad said in a clear, ringing voice.

  Mr. Sterling grinned in a way that made Zoe want to feed him to the kelpie. He sauntered toward the loading area, brushing off the arms of his suit jacket. He was wearing a white cowboy hat that matched Mrs. Sterling’s impeccable jacket and skirt. They looked shiny and photogenic, tailor-made for a national news conference.

  “I don’t rightly see how you’re going to stop me,” said Mr. Sterling. “After all, this mammoth is my property, as I am now the owner of the company who created it.” He tipped his hat at Abigail. “And I happen to have security camera footage that shows you stealing it. Along with evidence that you’ve been harboring it in your little zoo there for some time now.”

  He made finger guns at each of Zoe’s parents. “So here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to announce my plans for a jim-dandy rooting-tooting tourist attraction right here in little old Xanadu that’s going to bring in visitors from all over the world. And I am going to sue you for stealing this mammoth, and I’m going to win, and I’m going to end up with everything you own.”

  “Not if I have anything to do with it,” said Mr. Wilde. “I’m a lawyer, in case you didn’t know, and I can see several holes in your case from across the Grand Canyon. Not to mention the little matter of your kidnapping escapades.”

  Mr. Sterling shrugged this off. “I guess we’ll see you in court then, my friend.” His teeth were as big as mammoth toenails. “Because once we expose this little secret, I have a feeling a lot of people will be rooting for me. By the way, Robert, Holly—if you’re not too disagreeable, I might let you stick around to show us the ropes. But if I have to get my own zookeepers in here, that’s all right with me, too. Now excuse me, I’ve got a speech to give.”

  He made a commanding gesture at Jonathan, who had climbed up into the truck. Jonathan started forward, tugging on a rope. From her angle, Zoe couldn’t see into the U-Haul—but she could see that he was holding a riding whip.

  She couldn’t stay back anymore, even though her parents had warned her to keep out of the way.

  “Zoe, wait!” Logan protested as she launched herself away from the van and ran across the street. A moment later, she heard his footsteps behind her, and then the others as well.

  “Captain!” she cried, darting to the back of the U-Haul.

  The mammoth was at the top of the ramp, his ears drooping sadly, wearing a harness attached to the rope Jonathan held. When he saw her, Fuzzbutt’s whole face lit up and he surged forward.

  “Don’t touch him!” Mrs. Sterling barked as Zoe reached out. She held up her cell phone, her thumb poised over the screen. “We have an email here ready to send to every major news outlet. It contains a press release along with an absolutely beautiful set of photos of a mammoth, a golden goose, and an exotic Chinese dragon. Of course, we would rather reveal our surprise out there, in front of the cameras, with Arnold’s marvelous speech that he’s practiced so much. But if you make one move to stop us, I will hit send right now.”

  Everyone was frozen in place. Zoe glanced up at Captain Fuzzbutt, now halfway down the ramp, and spotted Jasmin standing in the truck behind him. She had her arms wrapped around herself and she looked like she’d been crying.

  Mrs. Sterling spotted her, too. “Oh, Jasmin,” she snapped. “I told you it was a mistake to let her ride in the back with the animal,” she said to Mr. Sterling. “Now look at you. Your hair is a mess, your dress is covered in fur, and wha
t is wrong with your face? We don’t have time to fix your makeup.”

  Jasmin wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry, Zoe,” she said. “They took my phone. I couldn’t do anything.”

  “It’s all right, Jasmin,” Zoe said. “It’s not your fault.”

  Blue looked from the Sterlings to Jasmin, and then stepped over to the U-Haul. Mrs. Sterling raised her phone threateningly, but instead of going to the mammoth, Blue went over and held his hands up for Jasmin.

  She blinked at him for a moment, then reached down and took them. He held on to her as she hopped to the ground. With a dark look at the Sterlings, he put one arm around her protectively.

  “Well, great seeing y’all, but I’d better get out there,” Mr. Sterling said, taking a step toward the kitchen door. “My public awaits.”

  Zoe’s heart was pounding. There had to be something they could do. If she tackled Mrs. Sterling, could she knock the phone away before Jasmin’s mom hit send? Was it too risky?

  Jonathan led the mammoth to the bottom of the ramp. Captain Fuzzbutt stamped his feet and reached his trunk toward Zoe.

  “Stay back,” Mrs. Sterling warned again.

  “You are such a liar!” Ruby yelled suddenly. She stormed past everyone and shoved Jonathan in the chest. “You horse-faced cow! You giant worm! I defended you! I trusted you! You were lying to me the whole time!”

  “I wasn’t!” Jonathan said in a voice that was almost a whine. “I love you, Ruby!”

  “Oh YEAH?” she shouted. “What kind of boyfriend steals mythical creatures from his girlfriend and ruins her family? What kind of boyfriend totally lies about giving his parents kraken ink? What kind of boyfriend doesn’t even CALL ME BACK for an ENTIRE WEEKEND after I’ve left like THIRTY MESSAGES and then posts pictures on Facebook where he’s dancing with some BRUNETTE?”

  “I told you, she’s nobody!” he protested. “My phone died! I was studying for an exam! I swear I was thinking about you!”

  “You could have emailed!” Ruby smacked his shoulder and he reeled back. “You promised you would call me every day! Next you’re going to tell me you can’t make it to my play!”

  “Um, Ruby,” said her mother. “I think we’re getting a bit off topic here—”

  “We are OVER, Jonathan!” Ruby shrieked. “You are the WORST! I hope Captain Fuzzbutt stands on your foot AND BREAKS ALL YOUR TOES!” She stormed out of the garage and off into the night.

  “Oh, Ruby,” Zoe’s dad sighed.

  Where’s Logan? Zoe suddenly thought. She blinked and looked around. He’d been right next to her . . . hadn’t he? What was he—

  She spotted him suddenly, creeping quietly up on the other side of Captain Fuzzbutt. He was holding something small and furry in his hands—something honey-colored, with big dark eyes. Its head was swiveled nearly all the way around so it could stare at Mr. Sterling, and it was shaking in a strange way that looked more like rage than fear.

  Bob? Zoe thought.

  “Come along, dear,” Mr. Sterling said, taking Mrs. Sterling’s free hand.

  And that’s when the deflector attacked.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  It wasn’t exactly a plan. It was more of a desperate last-ditch quasi-idea.

  They’d been on their way out to the Buffalo Bill Diner when Logan had thought of it. The deflector—if Logan could talk her into coming. How strong was her power? Could the deflector shield Captain Fuzzbutt? If Logan got her close enough, would the deflector’s power be able to hide the mammoth from the news cameras?

  He’d taken a bag of chocolate chips from the kitchen and gone looking for Bob. He’d found her draped peacefully over Keiko’s pillow, snoozing, although she came fully awake as soon as Logan set foot in the room.

  Logan didn’t know how much Bob understood. But he had offered the chocolate, spread out his hands, and pleaded for help. He knew it could only possibly work if the deflector agreed to come willingly.

  Shockingly, she had. Bob had crawled under Logan’s shirt and munched chocolate chips all the way to the diner. Logan was a little worried that she’d be in a sugar coma by the time they arrived, but he could feel the deflector poking his belly button and playing with his scarab necklace even while the Sterlings and the Kahns were facing off.

  So he’d taken advantage of the fight between Jonathan and Ruby to sneak up on the mammoth’s other side. He had a vague notion that he might slip Bob onto Fuzzbutt’s back and see what happened.

  But the closer Logan got to Mr. Sterling, the more the deflector seemed to be freaking out. Bob scrambled up to the collar of Logan’s shirt and wrestled her way out. She wrapped her long furry arms around Logan’s neck and gripped Logan’s chest fiercely with her toes. Her head swiveled back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, staring at them with her giant black eyes.

  “It’s okay,” Logan whispered to her. “They can’t see you. They’ll leave you alone.”

  Bob was pulsing weirdly now, as if something was going DANGER! DANGER! DANGER! inside her head.

  And then, as Mr. Sterling took Mrs. Sterling’s hand, the deflector suddenly launched herself off Logan with a shriek of fury.

  Logan stumbled back. Zoe screamed.

  Mr. Sterling turned and caught the deflector in his hands like a football.

  “What in the world?” he said. “Did you bring me a present?”

  “How adorable!” Mrs. Sterling said, leaning on his shoulder.

  Bob stared up at them . . . and a third eye slowly opened in the middle of her forehead.

  The air between them crackled, zzzzip zzzzzap.

  The Sterlings stood stock-still, as if they were being mesmerized. Their faces went slack. Their eyes seemed to reflect back a hundred swirling mirrors. Mrs. Sterling’s cell phone clattered to the ground and Zoe leaped forward to swoop it up.

  And then the deflector’s third eye slowly closed, and it felt like color coming back into the world.

  Bob sat up in Mr. Sterling’s hands, looked around at everyone, and announced, “Much better.”

  Then she hopped down to the ground and loped calmly off to the Kahns’ van.

  The Sterlings blinked and blinked, dazed. Mr. Sterling rubbed his face. Mrs. Sterling touched her cheeks and then her forehead as if checking they were still there.

  “Mom?” Jasmin said softly. “Dad? Are you okay?”

  “Goodness me,” said Mrs. Sterling. She smiled brightly around the room. “What an odd assortment of people. How are you all? What are we doing here? Jonathan, where did you get such a sweet furry elephant?”

  “Uh—” Jonathan said hazily. “What just—”

  “Are we in a garage?” Mr. Sterling said, scanning the room. “What’s all the noise out there?” He jerked his thumb at the door to the kitchen.

  “That’s your victory party, Dad,” Jonathan said. “Remember? You’re going to show everyone this mammoth? During your victory speech?”

  “Victory speech!” Mr. Sterling said with delight, as if someone had just offered him a person-sized candy cane. “What did I win?”

  “The election!” Jonathan said. “Dad! For mayor! What happened to you?”

  “Mayor?” said Mr. Sterling, his face falling.

  “Oh dear,” said Mrs. Sterling.

  “That sounds like a lot of work,” Mr. Sterling said. “Why would I want to do that?” He turned to survey the other people. “Oh, Jackson, why don’t you do it? You’d be a much better mayor than I would.”

  “Uh—” said Logan’s dad. “I’m not sure there’s legal precedent for—”

  “Gosh, I don’t want to run Xanadu, do you?” said Mrs. Sterling to her husband.

  “Not in the slightest,” he said. “We wouldn’t have any time for raising ponies and donating money to sick children in Africa.”

  “Or our family!” she said. “And family is so important. I want to take Jasmin to a spa with me next weekend.”

  “But I wanted to take her hiking!” he said.

  “I guess we can let he
r decide!” Mrs. Sterling said brightly.

  “Holy mother of Zeus,” Jasmin said. “Who are these people?”

  “There’s our angel,” said Mrs. Sterling. She went over and kissed Jasmin’s head. Blue kept his arm around Jasmin, watching her mom warily. “Sweetheart, you look tired. Let’s take you home and order pizza and watch Frozen eight or nine times in a row.”

  “I’ll make the popcorn!” said Mr. Sterling, bounding over to them.

  Jasmin started to giggle. “I think I could get used to this,” she said. “Zoe, how long does it last?”

  “I have no idea,” Zoe said. “I don’t even know what just happened.”

  “I think I do,” Matthew offered. “But I thought it was a myth—I mean, really a myth. I read once that deflectors have a kind of ‘nuclear option,’ for when they’re feeling extremely threatened, that renders their adversary completely nonthreatening in every way forever.”

  “Forever?” Jasmin said with delight.

  “But what am I supposed to do with this?” Jonathan said plaintively, waving his whip at the mammoth.

  “Here’s one idea,” Matthew growled. He stalked over and grabbed the whip out of Jonathan’s hands and then broke it over his knees. Jonathan shrank back, tripping over his own feet in his haste to get away, and fell off the loading dock into a waiting Dumpster.

  “Oh dear, watch your step, honey,” Mrs. Sterling called after him.

  Zoe wrapped her arms around Fuzzbutt’s neck. Abigail came over and helped her wrestle the harness off. Fuzzbutt shook his head vigorously as soon as he was free, letting his ears flap wildly.

  “What do we do about the press conference?” Mrs. Kahn asked.

  “I say we let them come up with their own story,” said Mr. Kahn. “We’ll think of some excuse for Mr. Sterling stepping down in the morning.”

  “I’ve got one!” said Mr. Sterling. “I need to focus on my cooking. I’ve always wanted to learn to make a perfect paella. Clearly I can’t do that and be mayor at the same time.”