The Perilous Polynesian Pendant

by Jason Lethcoe

  As one, the group wheeled around. On the beach behind them stood Boltonhouse. Andy noticed that his grandfather’s mechanical servant had huge motors equipped with futuristic-looking propellers strapped to his back. But it was what was in the center of the robot’s body that held Andy’s attention. The door to Boltonhouse’s chest had been replaced by a thick sheet of glass. Bobbing merrily inside was Ned Lostmore.

  “I set out after the zeppelin went down,” explained Ned. “Boltonhouse is equipped with the fastest underwater engines ever made. It also helped that we found a rather speedy current that was headed in this direction. Modern science, don’t you know!”

  Cheers erupted from the group. Most hadn’t seen Ned since the incident at the hidden temple.

  When the excited chatter died down, Ned told the group that he had a plan. Andy breathed a sigh of relief. I knew we could count on him.

  “We need to find the menehune,” Ned said. “They know the deepest magic in the islands. If anyone knows how to activate the spell that will allow us to lock the pendant back around Kapu’s neck, it is they.”

  Madame Wiki nodded. “I should have thought of it before. To enslave a god requires powerful magic. The menehune will know the spell—if we can convince them to help.”

  Andy tried to focus and block out the screams of the tourists that seemed to emanate from everywhere around them. He knew that time was short if they hoped to save the remaining population from the horror that was making its way through the city.

  “How do we find them?” he asked.

  Madame Wiki smiled. “It’s quite easy, if you just know where to look. The menehune have called the Iolani Palace home for a generation.”

  Andy and the others arrived at the Iolani Palace to find the gates open and the grounds empty.

  “We must hurry,” Ned said. “Boltonhouse, the banana, if you please.”

  Andy stopped short and turned to his grandfather. “Wait. Did you say ‘banana’?”

  “Of course!” Ned said, bobbing away behind the glass in Boltonhouse’s chest. “The menehune love them. It’s the only way to get one to come out into the open. Did you know, by the way, that a banana is also a wonderful cure for the Nairobi rooster pox when smeared beneath the armpits? Now come on, no time to waste!”

  Andy chuckled. I really should be terrified right now, but I’m not. I don’t know if it’s because Grandfather is here or if it’s something else, but it actually feels like we might get through this.

  Something inside Andy had grown since he’d started his adventure. He had learned what real fear was, and he knew that it would come and go. But he had also learned that true bravery wasn’t about feeling no fear. It was deciding to press on in spite of it.

  Andy felt oddly at peace with himself as they raced up the gleaming white stairs and into the palace that had once housed Hawaii’s king and queen. If the danger hadn’t been so pressing, Andy would have loved to look around at the palace’s grand halls and magnificent portraits, but now was not the time.

  At Ned’s command, the group halted in front of a small fountain at the end of a side corridor. A tiny brass plate sat next to the fountain, so small it would go completely unnoticed if one did not know what to look for.

  Andy read the tiny words engraved on the plate: HERE LIVES ALIKA, THE ROYAL MENEHUNE.

  Andy looked around. He didn’t see any kind of dwelling. The fountain in front of them looked ordinary enough and was filled with glittering pennies and dimes, wishes made by fun-loving tourists.

  “Cedric, the banana, if you please?” Ned said.

  The witch doctor took the yellow fruit from Boltonhouse and held it over the fountain. The air around it began to shimmer. Suddenly, a little man with a long white mustache appeared in front of them.

  Incredible! Andy thought. He grinned at the merry little figure in front of him. At least he looks friendly.

  “Aloha!” the menehune said in a cheery voice. Then he noticed the banana. His eyes grew wide and he licked his lips. “A mai‘a!” he said happily.

  The menehune looked around at the group who had summoned him. When he saw Ned, the smile immediately disappeared from his face. “Your head is much smaller than when I saw you last. You have been affected by bad magic.”

  Ned, whose head was about the size of Alika’s own, bobbed up and down. He flashed the tiny man a big smile and his blue eyes glittered. “Indeed, you speak true,” he said.

  The menehune narrowed his eyes. “What is it you want from me this time, Ned Lostmore? We agreed that you’d already had the help of my people and that you would never return. We do not have the power to undo this magic.”

  “O great Alika,” Ned began. “I wouldn’t bother you at all, except that your land is in danger. The evil god Kapu has been awoken from his sleep, and we must have your help.”

  Alika’s eyes grew wide and his face serious. The menehune had obviously not expected this. “Do you have the Pailina Pendant?” he asked.

  Ned nodded to Andy, who removed it from his pocket and handed it to the tiny man. Alika stared at it, turning it over and nodding his head.

  “I can recite the spell to activate it, but in order to subdue Kapu, you must ask for Kane’s aid. This, of course, is very dangerous. Very dangerous indeed.”

  Andy noticed that while he was speaking, the menehune had taken the banana from Cedric and placed it in a small woven pouch of palm leaves at his belt. He placed the pendant on the floor and motioned for everyone to step back. Then, closing his eyes, he began to chant.

  Andy’s eyes grew wide as a magical glow surrounded the pendant. The magic here was even stronger than the kind that Madame Wiki had performed in the Tiki Room. There was something about it that reminded Andy of the earth, and of the Hawaiian breezes and warm rain. It seemed to have a smell, too, like hibiscus flowers warmed by the afternoon sun.

  The menehune lifted the glowing pendant and handed it back to Andy. “The only way to summon Kane is to touch Kapu with the pendant. You must call out for Kane to come to your aid and subdue his brother. But listen well, boy. You must be very careful. If you aren’t…”

  The menehune stared up at Andy with a serious expression. Andy didn’t need him to go on. He knew what the rest of the sentence was.

  “He’ll eat me up,” Andy finished.

  The group piled into an abandoned car and Rusty drove them in the direction of the loudest screams. When they arrived at the devastating scene, they were amazed anew at the level of destruction that Kapu had already caused.

  Countless cars had been thrown into the sides of buildings. Andy saw a black Studebaker sticking out of the side of a hotel balcony, its hazard lights still flashing.

  People were screaming, trying to avoid Kapu’s grasp. The giant howled with frustration as the people hid in hard-to-reach areas, even resorting to climbing inside metal trash bins.

  “If he gets too close, I want you to use this,” Andy said, handing his Zoomwriter to Abigail. “Turn the cap to the right and press the top.”

  Abigail’s eyes grew wide. “An A.P.E. gun? How in the world did you get it?”

  Andy grinned. “It was a present from my grandfather,” he said, winking at Ned.

  Abigail tried to hand the pen back to Andy. “I can’t take this. You might need it. You won’t have a weapon….”

  Andy gently pushed her hand back. “I’m fine. If…well…if something happens to me, I want you to have it. You saved my life back at the volcano.”

  Abigail flashed him a smile. “You’re a very brave boy, did you know that?”

  Andy flushed with pleasure. And because he didn’t know what to say, he opened the car door and prepared to jump.

  The others piled out after him, determined to distract the god while Andy moved close.

  “Hey, big shot!” Rusty called. The bush pilot waved his hands over his head. “Over here!”

  The giant must have had exceptional hearing, for he spotted Rusty right away. Dropping an uprooted palm
tree, Kapu let out a tremendous earsplitting roar.

  “Everyone spread out!” Ned commanded.

  The group obeyed. Following Rusty’s lead, they shouted and tried to distract Kapu.

  The god was unprepared for such a display and began randomly grasping for the group. But he soon found that these were not like the scared tourists he’d been feasting upon. This prey was far more crafty and agile!

  As Kapu grabbed for Boltonhouse, the robot rocketed out of his grasp. Kapu’s fist slammed into the street where Ned and his mechanical servant had been a split second before.

  When Kapu grabbed at the twins, they reacted just as quickly, tumbling through the air like expert gymnasts and landing safely in a hotel canopy.

  But the biggest surprise was Molly the mime, who didn’t move at all. She simply stood in place, juggling.

  Andy saw from where he was hiding that she was good.

  Incredibly good!

  The balls flew upward to impossible heights. The higher they went, it seemed, the more there were. For once, the mime wasn’t talking. Instead, she was centered in concentration, juggling with practiced expertise.

  “Blimey,” Cedric said. “I didn’t know she could do that.”

  Kapu froze in place, staring at the dancing balls with an almost hypnotized expression.

  Andy knew this was his chance. He leapt from the cover of the trees, racing as fast as he could toward Kapu’s gigantic feet. He hurtled over a fallen palm tree and neatly dodged two gigantic potholes where the giant’s fists had broken the pavement.

  Andy was focused on what he had to do. The distance between him and the giant shortened as he ran faster and faster. His heart swelled with confidence and courage!

  But the sudden movement caught Kapu’s eye and broke the spell. Tearing his eyes away from the juggling balls, he reached for the boy.

  “Stay away from him!” Abigail shouted. An atomic pulse shot from the pen in her outstretched hand, its force slamming into Kapu’s left leg.

  The weapon had little effect on the supernatural being, but it did capture his attention. With a movement quicker than anyone would have thought possible for a creature so huge, Kapu grabbed Abigail and raised her to his gaping mouth.

  Abigail screamed! Andy stared upward, helpless to do anything.

  Just then a voice sounded behind Andy. This one stopped Kapu in his tracks.

  “That’s my daughter!” Albert bellowed.

  Andy didn’t know when he’d arrived on the scene, but the grizzled boat captain ran at the god full speed, a machete in each hand.

  “Look at me, you ugly excuse for a tiki!”

  The giant swung his head to look at Albert. His eyes widened at the sight of the weapons.

  “What are you doing?” Andy yelled.

  “A witch doctor gave me these!” Albert shouted back over his shoulder. “They’re magically cursed!”

  Albert slammed into the giant and plunged the machetes to the hilts into Kapu’s big toe. The god let out a howl of rage as the machetes’ magic coursed through his body.

  “YES!” Andy shouted.

  It can actually feel pain! We may be able to stop him yet!

  The magic was indeed strong. It was not enough to destroy Kapu, but it was certainly enough to hurt him!

  Then something terrible happened. The howling giant dropped Abigail, who plunged toward the street below.

  I’m not close enough! Andy thought, panicked. I can’t help her!

  But Albert hadn’t taken his eyes off his daughter for a single second. He was beneath her in an instant and caught her neatly. As they both tumbled to the ground, Andy realized with a surge of relief that she would be okay.

  The boy looked up at the angry Kapu. His eyes burned with determination. Kapu had to be stopped. Andy would do whatever it took to bring him down. This had gone on long enough!

  Taking advantage of the fact that the giant was distracted by the pain in his toe, Andy leapt onto Kapu’s ankle. As he clutched the monster’s giant foot, hanging on for dear life, he removed the pendant from his pocket.

  Steady! he told himself. Don’t fall!

  Andy pressed the pendant against the monster’s tattooed flesh. Then, following the menehune’s advice, he yelled, “Kane!”

  A mighty kick sent Andy tumbling into a nearby bank of sand. Andy slammed into it but hardly felt the impact. I did it! he thought. I really did it!

  Suddenly, the sky dimmed and the wind began to blow. As if a switch had been turned off, Kapu forgot his pain and turned in the direction of the wind, his glowing red eyes narrowing with hate.

  The breeze became a howling gale, blowing sand everywhere and forcing Andy to shield his eyes. Through the swirling sand came a form, a giant as big as Kapu but more humanlike in appearance. His eyes flicked down to Andy, who held up the pendant.

  Two fingers took the magic pendant gently from Andy’s hand. And then, with a quick smile at Andy, the giant turned to face his evil brother.

  Kane had returned!

  At the sight of his brother, Kapu roared! Spittle flew from his mouth and he leapt toward Kane, fists raised, ready to attack.

  Andy and his friends ran for cover. “Quick, over there!” Rusty shouted, pointing to a fallen palm tree. The group huddled behind the massive trunk and watched the titanic battle unfold.

  It’s like a Greek myth, Andy thought, feeling awestruck. Two gods who hate each other engaged in an epic struggle.

  Kapu lifted a car above his head and threw it at his brother, howling with frustration and anger. Kane ducked at the last possible moment. The car flew over his head and smashed into a row of park benches by the beach, shattering them in a shower of splintered wood and metal.

  “I think Kane has underestimated him,” Albert growled. “His brother has been imprisoned for over a thousand years and seems to carry a grudge.”

  “Get him, Kane!” shouted Molly. “Give him the old one-two!”

  Kane rushed at his brother. He slammed into Kapu’s chest, tackling him to the ground.

  The earth shook from the impact of Kane hitting the ground, and Andy was knocked backward.

  “Oh, no!” Abigail shouted. “Look!”

  Kane may have had the advantage when he’d taken Kapu down, but the evil god had responded by sinking his razor-sharp teeth deep into his brother’s shoulder. The god let out a cry of pain as the fangs penetrated his flesh.

  “We need to do something!” Andy cried.

  “We can’t,” Ned said. “This is between them. Only Kane can stop him now.”

  Kane wrested himself from his brother’s jaws and—with a mighty shove—pushed him backward. The giant crashed into the wall of a large apartment building. Debris showered down upon Kapu, who seemed dazed from the force of the collision.

  “NOW!” Andy shouted. His fists were clenched, turning his knuckles white.

  Whether Kane heard Andy or not, nobody knew. But the giant seemed to sense his advantage. He leapt at his brother and put him in a fierce choke hold.

  With his free hand, Kane wrapped the Pailina Pendant around his brother’s neck. There was an audible crack as the pendant locked.

  As quickly as it had started, the battle was over. Kane raised his noble head to the sky and let out a victorious shout. The two gigantic figures shimmered and slowly faded from view, until all that remained was the echo of Kane’s voice merging with the thunderous surf and becoming one with the sounds of the mighty ocean.

  Kapu was imprisoned once more.

  That night, the Society held a luau at Albert’s house, down on the beach next to his trusty boat, Amazon Annie.

  There were plates filled with delicious food—plenty of fresh fruit and fish, and a Hawaiian dish called laulau that was specially prepared by Madame Wiki. Andy wasn’t sure, but he thought that she must have used some of her island magic to make it, because it was by far the best meal he’d ever tasted.

  A warm glow filled Andy’s chest as he watched Albert and Abigail wal
k down the beach, chatting with each other. They had much to catch up on after being apart for so long.

  The rest of Jungle Explorers’ Society sat at a table, each trying to outdo the next with tales of daring and adventure. Even Hoku was chattering away, excited to be reunited with a very happy Albert and Abigail.

  “So how did you like your first adventure? Thrilling, eh?” Ned asked.

  Andy turned to look at his grandfather. Somehow, someone had managed to get a small cup of pineapple juice into Boltonhouse’s chest compartment, allowing the old man to enjoy the festivities with the others.

  Andy didn’t know whether his grandfather needed to eat or drink and didn’t want to ask. Instead, he decided to answer the question. “I can hardly believe it’s over,” he said. He was surprised to hear a hint of sadness in his voice. “Kapu is inside the volcano again, sleeping like before, and Phink is gone.”

  Ned chuckled. “And most importantly, the Tiki Key and the Kapu Key are now safe. As Keymaster, you must make sure that our enemies never get them back. Remember, the Collective is filled with villains. Now that they know who you are, they will come for you again.”

  Ned noticed his grandson’s somber expression and said, “My dear boy, you mustn’t feel down. Would you like me to prescribe you a happiness tonic made from Norwegian slugs? I daresay that it would perk you up!”

  Andy sighed and looked out over the water. The moon was huge. It cast a beautiful reflection on the gently rolling sea.

  “I just don’t want this to be over,” he admitted. “I don’t want to go back to being who I was before—scared of everything.”

  Andy glanced over at his smiling grandfather, noting how his grin lifted his white whiskers high up on his ruddy cheeks. His monocle glinted and his blue eyes sparkled.

  “My dear boy, don’t you know that adventures are never over? There’s always one waiting for you if you have the courage to look for it.”

  Andy smiled at his grandfather. “Thank you for everything. Especially for believing in me.”