Mystery at Mt. Shiveer #3

by Ellis Byrd

  The fan whirred, the contraption shook, and the water bubbled around the tube. For a few seconds, nothing happened. And then, to Cosmo’s amazement, the geysers began to weaken.

  “How are you doing this?” he exclaimed, gaping as the geysers shrank to little squirts before disappearing entirely.

  Graham wiped the sweat from his brow. “Quite simple, really. You had the right idea about the holly leaves. They’re extra tough, capable of absorbing all of the dangerous fumes. They just needed a boost. Luckily, the ice-pop stand’s freezer had all the parts necessary—evaporator, thermostat, defrost heater—all I had to do was reverse engineer them, then use the holly leaves as fuel, and bye-bye fumes!” He sniffed the air, and Cosmo did the same. “See? That nasty smell is gone!”

  Cosmo breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I don’t know about simple, but that was brilliant.” He beamed at his friend as the other animals cautiously emerged from beneath the cypress trees. Graham flipped the contraption off, and everyone cheered.

  Well, almost everyone. Cosmo couldn’t help but notice that the polar bear didn’t look especially relieved. She gazed around the hot springs, taking in the destroyed ice-pop stand and overturned tables and chairs with a forlorn expression.

  “Not to worry!” Cosmo called, and she glanced over at him. “It’s perfectly safe now.”

  The polar bear laughed bitterly. “It’s also a mess,” she said, gesturing at the wreckage with a heavy paw. “This is my home, you know.”

  The great white bear lumbered off somberly, closely followed by her tiger friend. Frowning, Cosmo turned to Graham.

  “She’s right,” he said. “The sculpture, the ice rink, and now this . . . It’s not just that animals are in danger. Whoever’s doing this is hurting Mt. Shiveer.”

  Graham sighed. “Perhaps it is the Phantoms,” he mused. “Pollution and destruction is what they do best.”

  “No one has spotted any Phantoms, though,” Cosmo said. “And don’t forget what Greely said about Artie . . .”

  “But Mt. Shiveer is also Artie’s home!” Graham exclaimed. “Why in the world would he want to harm it, any more than that polar bear?”

  Cosmo chewed his lip. “I don’t know,” he replied. “But remember, the Phantoms weren’t just good at pollution and destruction. They were also good at turning us animals against one another. That’s why Mira and Zios made us leaders to begin with, to help unite Jamaa. Maybe . . . maybe Artie is working with the Phantoms.”

  The two Alphas pondered this for a moment. Then Graham shook his head.

  “I just can’t imagine that any animal would be rotten enough to team up with the Phantoms.”

  Cosmo looked around the hot springs, where the remaining animals were already cleaning up the mess the geysers had created.

  “I hope you’re right,” he said somberly.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Deep inside the caves, Greely stood as still as an ice sculpture. He’d been listening intently for several minutes now, hoping to pick up the trail once more . . . but it was no use. The mysterious Sebastian and his friend were long gone.

  Frustrated, Greely began making his way back to the entrance. But after one step, a new sound reached his ears: the soft padding of paws on snow. Greely crouched, ready to defend himself—or to go on the offensive, depending on who was approaching. Every muscle in his body tensed as a shadow appeared around the corner, followed by . . .

  “Walter!”

  Greely relaxed, stepping forward to greet his protégé. The arctic wolf looked startled for a moment. Then he shook his head and offered a tight smile.

  “Greely. What are you doing here?”

  “There was an incident at the ice rink,” Greely said. “I tracked the guilty party here.” He paused. “And what brings you here, Walter?”

  Walt blinked. “Artie,” he said quickly. “A few foxes told me he was here, and I was hoping to have a talk with him. What happened at the ice rink?”

  Quickly, Greely filled Walt in on the ice cracking, followed by what he and Peck had overheard. Walt’s brow furrowed.

  “Sebastian,” he murmured. “I don’t know any animals in Mt. Shiveer who go by that name. However . . .” He paused, and Greely waited. “It pains me to tell you this,” Walt said at last. “It was only a rumor, but this Beware Alphas message clinches it, in my opinion . . .”

  “Yes?” Greely asked impatiently.

  Walt hesitated. “I have heard several reports of Phantom sightings, Greely,” he said gravely. “It appears they’re back. A few animals claim to have spotted them not far from Mt. Shiveer this morning.”

  Several long seconds passed as Greely considered this. “There are a lot of animals here,” he said slowly, picturing the way the frozen pond had cracked. “If the Phantoms are indeed back, everyone is in grave danger. I will discuss this with the other Alphas. Thank you, Walter.”

  “It’s Walt, not Walter.” Walt hesitated, then sighed. “Greely, what happened at the ice rink . . .”

  “Yes?”

  Walt looked Greely in the eyes. “Did you see Artie at the frozen pond?”

  “No,” Greely replied. He’d had a bird’s-eye view of everyone at the rink from his spot on the ledge, and Artie had definitely not been on the ground. Unless . . .

  “He was in the woods,” Greely realized out loud. “That must have been him talking to Sebastian about causing the ice to break.”

  Walt hung his head. “I’m afraid you might be right.”

  On the grounds just north of Mt. Shiveer, two enormous snow castles sat on opposite ends of a field. One was a stately manor, its wide walls topped with battlements made of solid ice. The other was impossibly tall and graceful, with a twisty staircase leading up to its frosty towers and turrets.

  Liza stood in the center of the field. “Capture the snow castle begins in five minutes!” she called through her conch-shell megaphone. “Team captains, you have another minute to discuss strategies before you take your places!”

  The raccoon in front of the ice manor gave Liza a salute before gathering his team into a huddle. On the other side of the field, a kangaroo called, “Thanks, Liza!” and returned her attention to the animals crowded around her.

  Liza jogged to the edge of the field to join Sir Gilbert and Peck. The bunny Alpha had met the others after she was feeling better. As Liza reached them, Cosmo and Graham emerged from the forest.

  Cosmo glanced around to make sure the other animals weren’t within earshot. “There was another incident,” he told his fellow Alphas. “At the hot springs. Geysers erupting everywhere! Thanks to Graham’s quick thinking, we managed to stop them before any animals were hurt.”

  “Did you see anyone suspicious in the area?” Liza asked immediately, but both Graham and Cosmo shook their heads.

  Sir Gilbert frowned deeply. “And there’s been no word from Greely?”

  “Nothing,” Peck replied, pointing to the coconut walkie-talkie Graham had placed under a nearby pine tree. “Not yet, anyway. But if anyone can track whoever this Sebastian is, it’s Greely.”

  Liza leaned on her walking stick and surveyed the field. “For now, let’s just make sure this game stays safe. It’s the only event going on right now because so many animals wanted to participate.”

  “I personally inspected both castles,” Sir Gilbert added. “As well as the snowball launchers Graham built. Everything is in perfect condition.”

  Peck opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, then pressed her lips together. Liza gave her a questioning look, and Peck sighed.

  “It’s just . . . ,” she said hesitantly. “Well, I inspected the ice rink, too. But I didn’t spot those pumice stones, and that put a lot of animals in danger.”

  An uncomfortable silence fell. Then Liza cleared her throat.

  “Well, if anyone—or anything—tries to dis
rupt this event,” she told them confidently, “they’ll find themselves contending with the five of us. Let’s spread out around the field. Everyone keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual.”

  Once the Alphas had taken their places, Liza raised the conch-shell megaphone to her mouth again. “Captains, are you ready?” she called, and the raccoon and kangaroo both waved in response. “Capture the snow castle will begin on my mark. Three, two, one . . . go!”

  With cheers and shouts, the two teams raced toward each other. Despite her worries, Liza couldn’t help but smile as she watched the animals laughing, throwing snowballs, and chasing one another around the field. Every half a minute, the automatic launchers Graham had installed behind each castle’s walls would fling snowballs out over the field, sending opposing team members running for cover.

  “Defense! Defense!” the kangaroo cried as a bunny scurried up the castle’s icy staircase. An eagle swooped out of one of its towers, chasing the bunny back down. As the game continued, Liza began to relax. A tiny piece of ice zipped past her face, and a second whizzed by her ear. Liza frowned, squinting up at the sky. Was it hailing? There weren’t any clouds . . .

  Just then, a cry of pain jolted Liza from her thoughts. A lemur was pointing to a snowball on the ground.

  “That’s solid ice!” he yelped, rubbing his head. “The other team is cheating!”

  Before anyone could respond, another hail of snowballs flew over the ice manor’s wall. Liza could tell they weren’t lightly packed snow, but hard, heavy ice.

  “Look out!” she called, brandishing her staff as she raced for the field. But within seconds, Liza was caught in a hailstorm of flying ice. She fell to the ground helplessly, covering her head with her arms.

  Across the field, Peck gasped. “Liza!” she cried, racing toward her friend. Sir Gilbert hesitated, his eyes sweeping over the scene. “Graham, take the ice manor,” he said. “Cosmo, the snow palace. Dismantle the launchers as quickly as you can. Go!”

  They nodded before racing in opposite directions. Sir Gilbert charged after Peck, who had just reached the spot where Liza lay curled up on the ground. A rock-hard ball of ice slammed into the ground inches from where Sir Gilbert stood, but he barely noticed. Through the flurry of ice and snow, he spotted a message carved into the highest turret of the taller snow castle. A message that most certainly had not been there when the game had begun.

  Beware Alphas.

  Growling in frustration, Sir Gilbert hurried over to Liza and Peck. He swept his cloak over their heads, protecting them from the ice balls.

  A moment later, Graham emerged from behind the ice manor and gave Sir Gilbert the thumbs-up. Over by the other castle, Cosmo hurried toward a dazed-looking sloth.

  “All clear!” he called, helping the sloth to his feet. Sir Gilbert lowered his cloak, and Peck handed Liza her staff. Animals who had taken shelter in the snow castles or under the trees emerged, gazing around uncertainly and talking in hushed voices. The kangaroo captain looked over at the Alphas, her expression anxious.

  “What happened, Liza?” she said, and the chatter ceased. “What’s wrong with the snowball launchers?”

  “I’m not sure,” Liza replied honestly. “But rest assured, we’ll find out.”

  The animals looked far from reassured. Liza turned to her fellow Alphas, trying not to betray how worried she felt.

  “That’s the fourth crisis so far,” she whispered. “Whatever’s happening, it’s part of a plan. We have to do something. Otherwise the animals are going to be too scared to stay for the rest of the games.”

  “I can’t say I’d blame them,” Cosmo added. “Graham’s contraptions have never malfunctioned like that before.”

  “They didn’t malfunction.” Sir Gilbert’s voice was so low, it was barely audible, and the other Alphas leaned closer to hear. “They were tampered with. Look.” He pointed to the highest turret of the taller snow castle.

  Peck’s eyes widened. “Beware Alphas—just like at the ice rink!”

  Liza gripped her staff. “We need to find this Sebastian. And fast.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “There is no Sebastian.”

  Peck folded her arms, staring at her fellow Alphas. They were seated around the table in Alphas Hollow. This was their first meeting since the incident at the capture-the-snow-castle game two days ago. They’d been working overtime, overseeing the events and questioning every participant about Sebastian. Not a single animal knew anyone by that name.

  Liza sighed, scanning her checklist for the dozenth time. “I admit, it’s unusual that no one’s heard of him, but he must exist.”

  “What I mean is, there’s no animal named Sebastian,” Peck told her. “Not in Mt. Shiveer. Maybe not in all of Jamaa. There are so many different species here, and if none of them knows who he is . . .”

  Cosmo cleared his throat. “Maybe he isn’t an animal.”

  He and Graham exchanged a look. Peck shifted uneasily. “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe . . .” Cosmo sighed. “Maybe he’s a Phantom.”

  An uneasy silence fell. Sir Gilbert was the first to speak.

  “I’ll admit, I was skeptical that Phantoms were responsible for these incidents,” he said. “Staying hidden in the shadows is highly out of character for them. But after seeing that message on the snow castle—”

  “The same message from the ice rink,” Peck cut in.

  “Precisely,” Sir Gilbert agreed. “Twice, we have been given a message. Beware Alphas. We must heed this message. Perhaps we have not laid eyes on Phantoms, but that does not mean Phantoms are not involved.”

  Graham, who had been fiddling with one of the coconut walkie-talkies, paused and looked up. “I agree, I really do,” he told Sir Gilbert. “But the last two days have been perfectly peaceful. Not a single disruption. Cosmo scouted out the area around Mt. Shiveer, and there’s no sign of Phantoms, despite what Walt heard. If Phantoms are involved, why have they suddenly gone quiet?”

  “But if Phantoms aren’t involved,” Liza countered, “the only other conclusion is that animals are sabotaging the games. What I can’t figure out is why.”

  After a long silence, Greely spoke up for the first time since the meeting had begun.

  “Phantoms could be involved, but that doesn’t mean animals aren’t working with them,” he said. “Walter and I have kept close tabs on Artie since the ice-rink incident. He has participated in a few games, and I spotted him in the crowd at the snowboarding event yesterday. Then, last night, Walter followed Artie into the caves but lost him, and spent nearly three hours looking for him.” Greely paused, exchanging a look with Sir Gilbert. “Perhaps the peace of the last two days is because the next disruption requires more planning. Meaning it could be even more dangerous than what we have witnessed so far.”

  Sir Gilbert nodded. “Agreed. We should spread out today and carefully monitor each event.”

  “There are walkie-talkies at every station,” Liza added, standing. “Let’s check in every hour.” Pushing the checklist aside, she consulted the Winter Games schedule. “Sir Gilbert, why don’t you accompany me to the snowman building activity? Greely and Peck, you can take the frozen football match. Cosmo and Graham, the ice slide opens in an hour—until then, can you patrol the grounds?”

  “Roger that!” Cosmo said cheerfully, hopping off his mat. The Alphas left the Hollow together, splitting off into pairs to head to their assigned zones.

  “Want to go to the Hot Cocoa Hut first?” Cosmo asked Graham as they walked through the snowy woods. “I bet a few animals are hanging around there. We could talk to them and find out if anyone has seen anything suspicious this morning.”

  “Good idea,” Graham agreed, brushing a few snowflakes off his shoulders. “And a mug of cocoa isn’t a bad idea, either!”

  The delicious scent of sweet, melting chocolate greete
d them, warming Cosmo from his ears to his toes. He breathed in deeply and looked around. Several penguins were gathered around a table in the corner, chatting and laughing. After getting two cocoas, Graham and Cosmo headed over to join them.

  “And then there was a loud crack!” One of the penguins had hopped up onto his chair while the others listened with rapt attention. “And the ice I was standing on went sideways!” He tilted his chair back, wobbling precariously, and several penguins gasped. “And for just a moment, I looked straight down into the frozen pond, and there in the water was—”

  “Well, it wasn’t frozen no more, was it?” a particularly short, squat penguin piped up. “If you looked into the water, I mean.”

  Righting his chair, the first penguin scowled and crossed his flippers. The tiny tuft of yellow feathers on top of his head fluttered as he turned to the squat penguin. “Look here, Nobu. Are you telling this story? Were you at the ice rink? Did you almost get seriously injured?”

  Next to Nobu, a penguin with white-rimmed eyes grinned mischievously. “Injured by falling in freezing water, Shackleton?” she asked slyly. “Did you forget you were a penguin?”

  Everyone snickered, and Shackleton’s scowl deepened. “Very funny, Lois. But I wasn’t talking about the water. I was talking about . . . the seal.”

  At that, a hush fell over the group. Pleased, Shackleton continued his story.

  “The biggest seal I ever saw,” he went on in hushed tones. “Bigger than two elephants, it was! Broke the ice, then lurked under the water, waiting for that poor bunny Alpha to fall in.”

  Nobu shivered. Lois frowned, but said nothing, and Shackleton went on.

  “I slipped down the broken ice and dove beneath the surface,” he said, spreading his flippers for effect. “I saw Peck in the distance, sinking in the water. Got right up next to that seal, she did, before Greely pulled her to safety.”