The Khipu and the Final Key

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  “And I thought I saw you in Rome!” Violet remembered.

  Tricia sighed. “I’m sorry it seemed so mysterious. The truth is, while the Argents were trying to keep you from returning artifacts, they had also started trying to take new ones. They took an artifact in Kenya, a ruby ring in France, and an artifact in Japan. I was trying to stop these thefts and help you return the artifacts at the same time. Unfortunately, because I was following the Argents around, Agent Carter and the others started to wonder if I might be working with them. I needed to stay hidden until we could prove who the real spy was.”

  “Mr. Ganert!” Benny said.

  “What happened to Mr. Ganert, anyway?” Henry asked.

  “Well, after I heard from Trudy that you had discovered it was him, it was easy to prove by looking through his records. I even found out the letters in Ganert can also spell Argent…He’s not a very creative fellow, is he?” Tricia laughed. “Now, how about I thank you for figuring out who the spy was, and for returning the final artifact, by treating you all to supper? The lodge has a wonderful chef. I think you’ll all enjoy it!”

  The lodge had an outdoor patio covered with a trellis. The dinner special was grilled citrus chicken with rice. The food was served with a fried vegetable that looked almost like a banana.

  “These are fried plantains. A Peruvian tradition!” Tricia explained.

  Benny took a big bite. The plantains tasted more like a sweet potato than a banana, but it was tasty either way. “Mmm! Delicious!”

  It was fun, but a little weird, to have Tricia right there in front of them. It was like they had already known her a long time, even though they had just met her! In a way, she had been with them on their travels the whole time. Henry thought back on all the secret messages and clues they had received. Each one had been from Tricia, leading them in the right direction.

  “Thank you,” Henry said, “for helping us do a good job returning the artifacts. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

  Tricia shook her head. “I should be the one thanking you. The truth is, I’m the one who couldn’t have done it without the four of you.”

  For dessert they had another Peruvian dish called tres leches. Jessie translated it from Spanish.

  “Three milks?” she asked.

  “Yes! It’s made with three kinds of milk. Two kinds of condensed milk and heavy cream…oh, look at it!” Tricia said when she saw the waiter bring out the cake. “I’m hungry all over again!”

  The cake was fluffy and white, with vanilla frosting and red cherries on top. It was very sweet and moist, almost like bread pudding. The six of them ate up every last bite. When they were full, Tricia and Grandfather sipped mugs of coffee while the children drank hot chocolate spiced with a dash of cayenne pepper.

  “Ooh, look at those storm clouds rolling in,” Tricia said, glancing to the sky beyond the mountains. “The rain from earlier might have just been a little teaser.”

  “Is it safe to be up here during a storm?” Violet asked.

  “Safe? Absolutely. And better than safe. Storms when you’re in the mountains are simply amazing!” Tricia said with a big smile. “I’ll bet you’ve never seen a rainstorm like the one you’ll see tonight, if those clouds are headed our way.”

  They watched the dark purple clouds roll across the sky toward them as the sun set. The temperature fell quickly until it was just cool enough to make goose bumps on Benny’s arm. Soon, rain pattered down in big drops, and they went inside before they got drenched.

  “You four are welcome to stay in Dr. Lukana’s room tonight. I’ve rented two more rooms, one for myself and one for Mr. Alden. Please come and find me if you need anything. In the morning, we can explore Machu Picchu and return to Cusco together…I’m sure Emilio would like to be let in on what’s been going on this whole time too.”

  “He’s been a good sport, even when we thought he might be the spy,” Henry said. “Good night, Tricia. It was great to finally meet you. We’ll keep the monkey orchid company tonight until Dr. Lukana makes it back…”

  The children went back to their room and got ready for bed. But just as Henry was about to turn out the lights, a loud crack of thunder shook the windows. The lights flickered and went out.

  “Was that you, Henry?” Jessie asked. “Or did the power just go out?”

  “It looks like it’s the power,” Henry said, flipping the light switch up and down. “Let’s see if Tricia or Grandfather have electricity.”

  The children put on the four pairs of slippers that were near the door. Then they went out into the hallway. Tricia and Grandfather were already there.

  “Looks like the lights are out everywhere,” Grandfather said.

  “When will they come back on?” asked Benny nervously.

  “I’m sure it will be fixed soon, Benny,” Tricia said. “In the meantime, since the lights are out, let’s go enjoy the show. This is the kind of storm you can only dream of experiencing.”

  Tricia took Benny’s hand and led everyone through the lightning-lit hallways to a common area with big, thick windows. Outside, the rain fell in sheets and the sky was dark, but the lightning and booming of thunder were impressive. Holding on to Tricia’s hand, Benny watched the sparkling lightning light up the mountains.

  “It’s kind of like fireworks,” Violet said.

  “Isn’t it?” Jessie said. “Just like the Fourth of July!”

  They watched the lightning flash in purples and blues and whites. After a few minutes, the roughest part of the storm was over.

  “Hmm. Too bad—looks like the power is still out,” said Grandfather. “Now that it’s night, it’s pretty dark. I wish I had brought a flashlight.”

  “Yes, sorry,” said one of the lodge clerks. He was hurrying by in a rain poncho, holding a flashlight in one hand. “The storm knocked down a power line. We’re working on getting the backup generator working. We’ll be up and running as soon as we can!”

  The clerk waved and went out into the rain, flipping on his flashlight. Its yellow beam cut through the darkness as he went around the back of the lodge. Benny got an idea and dug into his pocket. Out came the travel-size flashlight he had gotten from Trudy back when they had first found out about the Reddimus Society.

  “Did you get that from my sister?” Tricia asked.

  Benny switched it on. Even though it was small, it had a nice, bright light. Violet had hers too, and together they were able to light their way down the hall toward their room.

  “Yeah. She said they would come in handy!” Benny said.

  “Looks like she was right,” Tricia said.

  “Will you four be all right?” Grandfather asked. “They’ll get the power on soon. In the meantime, it might not be a bad night to tell some ghost stories. Ha ha!”

  “Between Violet and Benny’s flashlights, I think we’ll be fine,” said Jessie. “Good night!”

  “Good night!” said Tricia. “Sleep tight. See you in the morning.”

  Jessie and Henry followed Violet and Benny back to their hotel room. The thunder and lightning had all but passed. The only thing left of the storm was the soft tapping of rain on the roof. When they reached their room, Henry stopped to get the key card from his pocket.

  “What a great storm,” Benny said. “And we returned the orchid, and we got to meet Tricia. She’s fun!”

  “Wait a moment, Henry,” Jessie whispered. “Look.”

  They all hushed and looked where Jessie was pointing. The door to their room was open slightly. Jessie was sure she had closed and locked it when they had left. When she leaned in to listen, she could hear someone rustling around. She exchanged glances with Henry, Benny, and Violet. They all nodded at each other in agreement. Then Henry and Jessie opened the door, and at the same time, Benny and Violet aimed their flashlights into the dark room.

  A woman with a blond ponytail froze when the light beams landed on her. It was Anna Argent, and in her hands was the glass case containing the monkey orchid. />
  We Return

  “Wait! Stop right there!” Henry yelled.

  Anna didn’t waste any time. As soon as they recognized her, she turned and made a break for the closest window. She was so fast that Benny and Violet lost her with their flashlights, and then—

  “Ouch!”

  There was a crash. Then the power came back, and the lights flickered on. In the middle of the room, Anna was bent over, holding the ankle she had twisted at Salinas Grandes. It appeared she had lost her footing and tripped over a solid wood chair in the dark.

  The orchid case was on the floor. The orchid was safe, but a big piece of glass had broken out of one side of the case.

  “Oh no!” said Violet. She and Benny didn’t need their flashlights anymore, so they put them away. Violet went to grab the orchid case, but Anna got hold of it first. She moved toward the window. Her limp had come back after stumbling again on her injured ankle.

  “Stay right where you are,” she said. Her eyebrows were crinkled in pain. “I’m taking this orchid to the Argents, and you can’t stop me!”

  “No, wait,” Jessie said. “You’re hurt, and it’s dangerous out there!”

  “You don’t care about my safety. I don’t believe it!” Anna said, though she looked like she was taken off guard. It reminded Henry of the way she had looked at him at the salt flats. It was as if she wanted to believe them but couldn’t.

  Benny shook his head. “No way! It’s the truth. The rain probably caused all kinds of mudslides on the road. It’s so dark, and there could be another storm!”

  “You could get more hurt,” Violet agreed.

  “You’re just trying to trick me. All I’ve tried to do is steal from you! There’s no reason you would keep trying to help me after all I’ve done.”

  Anna backed away from them. She put her hand on the chair as if she were planning to use it to break the window and escape.

  “If you don’t believe us, then at least think about it this way,” Henry said, trying to convince her. He remembered how defensive she could be, and he didn’t want her to do anything that might set her off. “You can’t take the orchid out with a broken case. The air is too cold—the orchid will die. How much money do you think you can get for it then?”

  Anna frowned and looked at the case. She saw the big hole broken in the glass and realized Henry was right. The look on Anna’s face changed from determined to worried.

  “Please don’t go,” Benny said.

  “Then you only care about the orchid!” Anna snapped. “If—if I leave it here, will you let me go?”

  The Aldens exchanged glances. Anna had been following them, trying to steal the artifacts since the beginning of their journey. It was almost as if she, like Tricia, had been a part of their group, in a way.

  “Yes, we won’t stop you,” Henry said. “But you don’t have to go. Like Benny said, it’s dangerous out there. We’re at the top of a mountain. You should stay here overnight or you could get lost or seriously hurt.”

  Anna looked back at them for a long time, clutching the broken orchid case. Then all at once she let out a big huff. She sat down in the chair and set the orchid down on a nearby table. She and the Aldens looked up when they heard footsteps. Tricia Silverton looked inside and gasped.

  “What is going on? I heard a crash and some shouting…Anna, what are you doing here?”

  “She was returning the monkey orchid. Right?” Henry said.

  “Sure,” said Anna glumly. “If you want to look at it that way.”

  “You were trying to steal it, weren’t you?” Tricia asked. “That’s just like you Argents!”

  “We wouldn’t have to steal if it weren’t for you Silvertons!”

  “Stop fighting!” Benny said, louder than both Anna and Tricia. They were quiet and listened to him, although they turned their noses up at one another. They also had matching, bright red cheeks. “Anna decided not to steal the orchid, so it doesn’t matter!” Benny continued.

  “It’ll be returned to Dr. Lukana tomorrow, and Anna will go on her way,” Jessie added.

  The room was very quiet for a minute. Anna crossed her arms. Tricia did too. Then she chuckled with a little sigh.

  “Sheesh. Look at us, fighting like old times. What would Grandfather think?”

  “Grandfather?” Violet asked, confused. “Our grandfather?”

  Tricia shook her head. “No. Our grandfather, Silas Argent. Anna and I are cousins.”

  “What?!” Benny gasped.

  Anna unfolded her arms and clasped her hands in her lap.

  “It’s true. Trudy, Tricia, and I grew up together. We were rather close. But while the Silvertons had wealth, the Argents didn’t. We did what we had to do to make ends meet. Sometimes that included selling valuable artifacts. Grandfather Argent didn’t condone it. He tried to talk us out of it…but he didn’t understand.”

  While Anna spoke, Tricia reached into her pocket for her wallet. Inside she had a photo of three young girls smiling with their grandfather. The girls were Trudy, Tricia, and Anna. Their grandfather had silvery gray hair that stuck out from below a purple cap. He had a big smile, and Benny could see one of his front teeth was capped in silver.

  “That man!” Benny said. “He’s the one who put the clay turtle in our house! The pirate!”

  Tricia laughed. “Did he tell you he was a pirate too? Yes, this is our grandfather, Silas Argent. We hadn’t heard from him for many years. You see, he is the one who started Argent Auctions. When he did that, our family split apart. That’s when Trudy and I stopped seeing Anna. But when he was responsible for leaving that porcelain turtle in your house, it started everything into motion.”

  “Grandfather Argent changed his mind about the auction,” Anna said. “He started to think that selling off the artifacts was wrong and wanted to stop doing it. But without that income, our family wouldn’t be able to take care of itself. I didn’t know what he was thinking, bringing that turtle to you.”

  “I think he was hoping it would show you there was another way,” Tricia said. “He was trying to lead by example and show that the right thing to do was return the artifact, not sell it. By doing something drastic, he hoped he would get everyone else to change their minds too, including you, Anna.”

  Just then Jessie remembered something that Trudy had told them about Tricia. She had said Tricia had been seen talking to Anna in Japan. At the time, it hadn’t made any sense why the two might have been speaking. Now she wondered how it was all connected.

  “Tricia, did you really talk to Anna in Japan?” she asked.

  “Yes. I was trying to talk some sense into her,” Tricia said. “I didn’t want any more artifacts stolen. I wanted her to do the right thing.”

  Anna nodded. She looked like a balloon with all the air let out. “But I didn’t listen. And a lot of good it has done me. I wasn’t able to stop you from returning one single artifact, even with Mr. Ganert’s help.”

  “That reminds me,” Violet said. “How did you find us here in Machu Picchu? We left Mr. Ganert back in Buenos Aires. He had no idea where we were headed.”

  “Oh, I’ve known where all the artifacts were going from the very beginning,” Anna said. “Tricia and Trudy are very clever, but sometimes even they mess up. The map with all of the stolen item locations was glued to the inside of your old trunk. I saw it when I snuck onto the train that first night.”

  “The scribbles and coffee stains!” Benny exclaimed, remembering. They had seen a blotchy pattern on the inside of their grandfather’s trunk, but it had been very dark and they had thought it was only spilled coffee.

  “Consider it our gift to you,” Tricia said. “You might not have been able to visit Machu Picchu otherwise!”

  There was an awkward silence. Then, surprising them all, Anna Argent laughed.

  “Yes. I guess you’re right. I’ve traveled more in the last few weeks than I have in all my life. Even if I didn’t get away with a single one of your artifacts, I g
uess I got to visit a lot of places I wouldn’t have gone to otherwise.”

  “Like the pyramids,” Benny said.

  “And the Salinas Grandes,” Violet added.

  Anna rubbed her face with her hands. The blush in her cheeks was fading.

  “Tricia, do you think Grandfather Argent will forgive me?” she asked.

  “Of course he will! After all, you didn’t stop us from returning any of the artifacts.” Tricia winked and then added more seriously, “Listen. I spoke with Agent Carter when we had to straighten all this out. I explained your situation. He said that if you and the other Argents want to make things right, you first need to give yourselves up and return all the artifacts you’ve helped steal. Agent Carter knows you are good at tracking down artifacts. He said that if you use your skills to help the Reddimus Society return stolen artifacts, eventually you can pay off your debt that way.”

  “It won’t be easy to convince all of the Argents,” Anna said, but still she looked hopeful. “But…I will try.” Then she gave a little sniffle. “I hate to admit it, but the truth is, after following the Aldens all this time and watching them help each other, I started to miss spending time with you and Trudy. We used to be such good friends…I’d like to be good friends again.”

  Tricia turned toward her cousin. Her expression softened.

  “I’d like that too,” she said. “Come on. You look tired from sneaking all the way up here to find the orchid. I rented a big room and you can share it with me. It’ll be like old times when we used to have sleepovers.”

  Anna laughed at the idea, but she looked happy and relieved. She stood when Tricia waved her toward the door. Before she left, she turned back to the Aldens.

  “Sorry about all the trouble I’ve caused,” she said.

  “It’s all right,” Benny said, giving her a big smile. “It made things a lot more exciting!”

  After Tricia and Anna left, Jessie closed and locked the door. It was getting late. The sky was pitch black outside the window, since there were no city lights up in the mountains. Violet inspected the broken glass case that held the monkey orchid.