by Rob Reger
Then, since Dottie still maintained she did not know where Sabbath was being held, we simply took her along with us to Attikol’s hotel.
While making it very clear to her that Regret Maneuvers D and E would be applied with pleasure should she refuse to participate in the next stage of the plan.
Which was to locate SOMEONE in Attikol’s entourage who knew where my cat was.
And have Dottie extract the information we needed.
We began by sneaking in the window of the room where Jakey was being held captive.
And found Sabbath there as well.
Debated whether I should take the opportunity to rescue Jakey from his guards, since they were sound asleep.
But with nowhere to store him, nothing to feed him, and no desire to give Attikol one more reason to come after me, I was forced to leave him in captivity.
So, despite one bad moment when it looked like Sharpie might wake up, we maintained ninja-quality stealth, and got Sabbath out.
Tried along the way to get some information out of Dottie. Here’s how that went:
* * *
Me
Dude! Rip a kittycat’s thoughts so he doesn’t know his owner anymore? Cold, REAL cold. I don’t care how much you’re getting paid. Why’re you being such a little tool?
Dottie
Your cat isn’t really my concern. I need to think of MY future, here.
Me
You know your rebellious streak doesn’t have long to live, right? Eventually you’ll give in to your inherited civic pride…just like every Bright Girl does.
D.
Not me! I swear I will NEVER get a law degree or study foreign diplomacy or become a city planner or run for mayor or give a flying fig about the public good. And I’ll never apologize for using my talent to further my film career.
Me
Yeah yeah. Have it your way. I don’t have much in the way of civic pride myself. And I’d WAY rather make films than have a career in politics. In fact, I’m making a film about this trip to Seasidetown. And you’re in it!
D.
That’s a lie. I’ve never seen you with a camera.
Me
I don’t use a camera—not since I built the ThoughtCorder.
D.
Oh right. Saw that in Sabbath’s thoughts. I guess that works all right…if you make MONSTER movies…but I’m more interested in historical documentaries, myself.
Me
Oh, it’s AMAZING for historical documentaries. You can dramatize events, re-create epic battles, stage fictionalized interviews with dead people…anything!
D.
See, Attikol was right about you. You really do have a great imagination.
Me
He said that?
D.
Nah, it was in the stuff I pulled from his mind, actually.
[Blowing air disgustedly.]
Sheesh, that guy…You know the ancestral treasure he’s here to find? The big irony is, he doesn’t know what to do with it when he finds it!
Me
[Amazed that Dottie is finally giving forth with a little intel.]
You don’t say!
D.
So he figures he’ll just copy you. That’s why he paid me to rip the blueprints for your inventions. And, I’ll warn ya, if he ever does capture you, watch out for real!
Me
Why?
D.
Oh, he’ll be giving me the big money to go for the Big Rip.
Me
The…Big…Rip?
D.
Yeah. Rip EVERYTHING. Just leave you blank.
Me
[Chuckling weakly.]
[Sick chills running down my spine.]
You wouldn’t!
D.
Be real! One semi-friendly conversation doesn’t mean I’ll throw over my best-paying client ever!
* * *
OK! No matter how little I may respect Attikol’s ability to capture me, I am making a HUGE note to self: DO NOT GET CAPTURED BY ATTIKOL. Dottie has made it clear that our shared interest in documentary filmmaking is not going to stand in the way when it comes to putting herself through film school.
Man, that right there is a whopping difference between her and me. I am absolutely the kind of person to throw away practical considerations on a whim. If our positions were reversed, and someone were offering ME big money to destroy Dottie’s mind? I know I’d want to be able to look back and say, Yeah, I coulda scored some serious money on that one…but I did the noble thing and said no. Though, to be honest, it’s not even doing the noble thing so much as doing the IMPRACTICAL thing that appeals to me.
But that, alas, is NOT Dottie.
Anyway. On the subject of young Dottie, I find it interesting that her cinematic interests lie in the realm of documentaries. Am starting to formulate a plan for how I could maybe, just maybe, “make the bridge” for her, bring on her civic pride, and ensure she would never go for the Big Rip when it comes to my mind!
Long day. Heading to bed. Am hoping to spend a little quality snuggling time with the Posse and get Sabbath used to me again!
May 21
How wonderful that we have met with a paradox.
Now we have some hope of making progress.
—Niels Bohr
What with all the catnapping drama, I’ve been missing critical conversations right and left! Here’s what happened in the lab while I was asleep:
* * *
Attikol
Well, nerds? What progress have you made on my devices?
BrownTown
We’re, uh, testing a number of different approaches…
A.
So, you’re clueless? Trying things at random? Is that what you’re telling me?
B.T.
Look. Before you call in your thugs again, let me explain something to you about these blueprints. Not to get too technical or anything, but they are COMPLETELY FREAKING INSANE.
A.
How do you figure?
B.T.
Well, for example, page fifty-four calls for stripping out the zinc ions from human gly-oxalase…using bat sweat.
A.
And you don’t have bat sweat?
B.T.
[Sighing.]
No, but I think you’ll find the bat sweat easier to locate than liquid black rock, which is called for on pages two, three, six, nine, eleven, 13, twenty-three, twenty-seven…
A.
Yes, yes. Very well. [Clapping his hands.] Work on the blueprints is postponed for now. The team has a new assignment: Find the liquid black rock!
B.T.
Any clues on that?
A.
[Frustrated grunt.]
It HAS to be around here someplace. Underground, maybe.
B.T.
Oh. Great. Glad you’re able to be so specific.
* * *
Unholy flammerbarkus!! Attikol is scaring me a little right now. I mean, he seems so sure that there’s black rock in Seasidetown. Am glad he doesn’t know WHERE exactly, but still…
Still…I’m gonna put everything on hold and head underground myself, make sure there isn’t anything black-rockish in my ancestral tunnels for them to find!
A LOT later—sitting in the Boardroom
Am tired and very dusty! The cats and Raven and I have been all through the tunnels tonight. Luckily I didn’t see any evidence of either black rock or engineers in the tunnels. Hopefully, if there is any black rock to be found in Seasidetown, I will beat them to it!
Anyway, in the process of exploring, I’ve mapped the tunnels completely.
I’m actually kind of bewildered about how different the tunnels are from what I saw back in the day. Like I keep telling myself, two hundred years IS a long time, and tunnels could collapse and need to be re-dug…but, I don’t know, it just doesn’t really look like that’s happened here. And what about the symbol the tunnels used to make? In 1790, when Lily and I first saw the complete map, we both recognize
d it as something special, something full of Dark Girl meaning and significance.
I look at this map that I’ve drawn tonight, and I don’t get that feeling at all.
Well. That’s neither here nor there, I guess. The important thing is that there’s no black rock, nothing at all of interest, for the team to find.
I should probably mention one slightly interesting thing that happened in the tunnels. I was exploring a dead end to make sure it was good and dead. The dirt in this area was pretty crumbly, and a lot of the walls had been strengthened with beams and boards. I was just giving all the boards a good tapping and knocking to be sure they weren’t, like, hiding a secret room or anything. And when I pushed on the end of this one beam, it slid inward a long way—maybe ten feet—and then I could hear a sort of small cave-in on the other side of the boards. Raven and the cats and I cleared out really fast, just in case the tunnel started to go. Should probably get back in there once the dust settles to see what’s what. Am hoping I did not cause some kind of revealing sinkhole at the surface!
Later
Have put my plan for “making the bridge” into action. Raven and I snuck into Dottie’s bedroom and woke her up. And I invited her to come to the Boardroom tomorrow night for an evening of documentary film and ThoughtCorder demonstration.
She was actually pretty touched…a side effect I hadn’t really considered.
* * *
Dottie
You do realize that friendly gestures aren’t going to change my mind about working for Attikol, right?
Me
Totally understood. I’m working some other angles re: thwarting that guy.
D.
Well, as long as we’re clear on that, I would love to see your documentary film and your ThoughtCorder. It’s…um…nice of you.
Me
Oh, you’re doing me a favor, being my first test audience.
D.
Well…still, it’s nice.
[Laughing awkwardly.]
I wish more people had bodyguards like Raven. Maybe then they wouldn’t be scared to hang out with me.
Me
Oh…
[VERY uncomfortably.]
Well, gotta go.
D.
Hey…on the subject of thwarting Attikol…
Me.
Yeah?
D.
Well, I’m gonna give those summoning instructions to him and only him, like we agreed—
Me.
[Tired.]
Yes. I got that. You’ve been very clear—
D.
[Interrupting me.]
—once two conditions have been satisfied: First, you have to be safely incarcerated. Second, Jakey has to be escorted out of town. Ivac will call me when they get to Salem. Then, and only then, I’m supposed to call Attikol and give him the instructions.
Me.
[Surprised…very surprised.]
Oh. Well, thank you. That is very intriguing. And possibly helpful.
D.
[Shrugging.]
Can’t hurt to keep it interesting, right?
* * *
So yeah! This new info really wrinkles up my plans. In a good way, I think. I might actually be able to manipulate this to my advantage!
Later
Dottie has double-crossed me again!
Although…to be honest…it’s exactly what I expected her to do.
So is it still double-crossing if the double-crosser is playing right into your hands???
Whatever. The important thing here is that the situation is still under my control and events are playing out according to plan!
Even though I AM writing this from inside a cage.
That’s right. I have allowed myself to be trapped—in a cage that snapped up around me as I stepped into the Boardroom. Moments later, I came face-to-face with the engineers for the first time…they crowded around, excited yet humble, muttering little “sorrys” and “excuse mes” as they lifted the cage, oh so gently, and brought it upstairs to the lab.
Have just been hanging out in here getting caught up on my journal, monitoring FelinoMobileTranscriptoSpies, and waiting for the right moment before I pick the lock and escape. The engineers eventually got tired of standing around gazing worshipfully at me, and have (sort of) returned to their work…though very little is getting done.
* * *
Pigpen
[Very, very hesitantly.]
Um…Miss? If I could ask just one little question…?
Me
You may ask.
P.
[Gushing.]
How did you come up with the coordinates for recalibrating the syntaxicometer? I mean, that’s like, it’s really, y’know…
GubGub
Dude, quit bothering her! Can’t you see she’s busy?
* * *
Oh—but I should document what happened before I landed in this cage. Before even leaving the kiosk, I spent some time briefing NeeChee, Miles, and Mystery on their new assignment—to follow Dottie and Attikol. Tested the printers that are networked to their collar TranscriptoSpies and pocketed them. Gave Raven her assignment (guard Sabbath and stay away from Great-Aunt Lily’s house).
And then walked over to Great-Aunt Lily’s house.
There was a new lock on the door…
…a simple store-bought padlock.
I took this as a good sign. Not because it made it easy for me to get in (though I went through that lock so quickly, it practically flew open the second I touched it), but because it meant my adversaries were no longer trying to keep me out. No, they were making sure I got into their trap.
And the placement of the cage in the Boardroom? THAT meant Dottie had informed Attikol and company of Film Night, as I expected her to. It meant everyone was acting according to my plan!
I figure it’ll take Ivac a little under an hour to get Jakey to Salem, maybe half an hour more for Dottie to get the word and call Attikol. The cats will be monitoring her with TranscriptoSpies, and I’ll be eagerly scanning the TranscriptoFeeds for the moment she reveals the summoning instructions. Then I’ll pick the lock on the cage and escape before Attikol can embark on the “Big Rip” phase of his plans for me.
And THEN I can move on to MY phase two: Summon black rock, discover my Dark Girl talent, and blow this town!!!!!!
Later
Feeds are coming through from the felines.
* * *
Dottie
Hello? Oh hey, Ivac. Where are you? OK, I’m calling Attikol now.
[Pause…dialing.]
Attikol? Dottie. Ivac just called from Salem. Jakey’s out of range and Emily’s in the cage. Do you remember what this means? Well, don’t worry about it. Look, your instructions are in locker 1422 at the bus depot downtown. The concierge at your hotel is holding the key for you.
[Pause…listening.]
OK, sure, I’ll head out now. Meet me over there. And bring your checkbook!
* * *
OK, not to worry…slight wrinkle. I was hoping Miles and NeeChee could catch Dottie giving Attikol the instructions, but I guess Dottie and Attikol added a layer of protection in case anyone was eavesdropping. I will just have to get the info out of Attikol later.
Right now I need Attikol to hurry up and get that information into his mind before I break free!
But I also need to break free before Dottie arrives to give me the Big Rip!
Delicate balance. Am monitoring all the cats’ feeds simultaneously. Meanwhile, maintaining calm exterior so the engineers do not get suspicious.
Later
OK. Attikol has the key and is on his way to the bus depot. Dottie is two blocks away—close enough to make me VERY nervous.
I know that if I start working on the lock, the engineers are going to alert Attikol…
But I absolutely can’t risk Dottie ripping my mind!
Things are about to get hairy. Am going to stop writing now. Am going to rely on the TranscriptoSpy to record events. Ho
pefully this is not the last thing I ever write in this diary!!!!!!
Quite a bit later
I still have my mind!
Here’s what has transpired:
* * *
Me
[Whispering into the TranscriptoSpy.]
OK. I’ve just started to examine the lock. No one seems to have…Oh well. GubGub has noticed and is on his way over here. BrownTown is picking up his phone. Oh vaxhags. The lock is a compression-spring mechanism. Very tough. Probably should have started working on it five minutes ago. If only I hadn’t broken into Aunt Lily’s house so many times…and taught my adversaries so much about my lock-picking skills…I’d probably be dealing with a MUCH be dealing with a MUCH easier lock right now! Gonna have to get the casing off. BrownTown has hung up the phone. He’s coming over. I’m getting my wedges placed around the casing. BrownTown and GubGub are standing a couple feet away, just watching.
[Speaking normally now.]
Step right up, folks, enjoy the show…All right! Just cracked the casing off. K, this is weird, I’ve broken the compression spring, but the lock’s not releasing…OH FLAVVERBRATS. This isn’t really a compression-spring mechanism at all. It was just a compression-spring CASING…hiding an inner lock…made up of seven minilocks…each of a completely unique design. REALLY wish I’d started working on this sucker five minutes ago.
[Pointedly, to engineers.]
All the engineers are now standing around gawking at me. Very annoying. Not good for my concentration. Oh my frog, I hear Dottie at the front door! OK, opened the first minilock. BrownTown is getting his phone out again…Oh. He’s not calling Attikol…he’s taking video of me cracking the lock! Folks, the pressure is really on! I’ve opened the second minilock. Opened the third minilock. Fingers getting sweaty. Have destroyed seven of my favorite picks. Dottie is in the room. OK, I’m backing away from the lock. Must stay away from her poison touch no matter what!
Dottie