Lexi Magill and the Teleportation Tournament

by Kim Long

  “Willkommen! Willkommen! Welcome to Castle Neuschwanstein!” a tour guide called, mingling through the crowd. “The next tour starts in five minutes, and it’s the last English tour of the day, so please join us!”

  “Sure,” Ron said as he wiped his brow with his forearm. “Hey, wait,” he called a second later, but the tour guide had already left to greet another group.

  “What?” Lexi sputtered between gasps.

  Ron squinted. “She said it was the last tour of the day? How is that possible?”

  Lexi wriggled off her watch and reset the time, something she had planned to do upon arriving at each location. “Because it’s four p.m. here. We skipped ahead seven hours when we teleported to Germany. I have a Time-Zone Cheat Sheet that correlates times back home with times in a bunch of different countries if you want to take a look later.”

  “All right, everyone. Gather ’round!” the guide announced.

  The teams assembled, and the guide started the tour through the castle. Lexi studied her surroundings as best she could, looking for a statue of Ludwig, someone dressed as Ludwig, or anything that might resemble the king. But as the guide led them through the dull servants’ dormitories into more regal parts of the castle, Lexi felt her attention sway to the extravagance around her. Extraordinary paintings stretched from floor to ceiling. Oak benches, ornate pottery, enormous chandeliers, copper and gold trim, embroidered linens, glass windows—opulent furnishings filled every nook and cranny. King Ludwig had clearly bought whatever he wanted, no matter the cost.

  Eventually, the guide led everyone outside and began her final remarks. As soon as the tour ended, tourists clamored into carriages or started down the mountain. Everyone in the tournament, however, remained at the castle, mingling around and looking as clueless as Lexi felt. Apparently, her competitors hadn’t found the king, either.

  “Any ideas?” Lexi asked her teammates. “Did either of you see anything that looked like him?”

  Ron shook his head. “Not unless he was a swan.”

  Lexi stifled a laugh. The tour guide had explained that King Ludwig was known as the Swan King, and his affinity for swans was evident in almost every room they had visited. Swan paintings, swan statues, swan cushions, swan tablecloths—the bird had been everywhere.

  “I didn’t see anything, either,” Mal said. “But if you want to go back inside, I’m all for it. The architecture is exquisite, and while the décor is extravagant, it really displays Ludwig’s fascination with the medieval world, from textiles to the color scheme, to—”

  “Mal!” Lexi interrupted, hoping to jar her teammate’s thoughts back to the race.

  Ron laughed. “Getting a little carried away there, Moreno.”

  Mal exhaled. “Fine. Well, no, I didn’t see him.” She stepped toward an outcrop. “I wonder if he’s outside.”

  Lexi looked over the balcony at the fields, forest, and mountains. The majestic view reminded her of one of her grandma’s puzzles. “This view is incredible, but I don’t see anything.”

  “Me neither,” Mal said. She looked at Ron. “Does the clue say he’s somewhere inside the castle?”

  Ron shrugged off his backpack. “I think so.” He pulled out the clue and flattened it against the pavement.

  DESTINATION NO. 1

  Some said I was Silly Most Called Me Mad But if I inspired Cinderella Castle How Could I be that Bad?

  To continue the trek, go to the castle I built that is considered my favorite home and find the room that contains my brother. Then, go with the flow.

  “Oh no,” Lexi said, glancing at Ron as her insides twisted.

  “What?” Ron replied.

  Lexi directed her teammates to the last three lines. Ron hadn’t read them to her and Mal at the starting-point parking lot. He had only mentioned the part about Cinderella Castle. He had entirely skipped the rest of the clue!

  A few seconds later, Mal gasped, and Lexi knew Mal understood. Lexi watched Ron read through it again. Ron’s eyes got huge as he traced his finger over the last three lines. Now they all knew.

  Not only weren’t they looking for Mad King Ludwig, but they were at the wrong castle.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Mal removed the tablet from her backpack as Ron tugged his short black hair in all directions. A wave of nausea reverberated through Lexi. This was going to cost them. Big. Shuddering, she gritted her teeth and looked around to assess the damage, counting every team in sight.

  Doppler Daredevils, Edison’s Excellencies, an orange-shirted team, a pink-striped-shirted team, a team wearing gray hoodies… Lexi closed her eyes. In total, she’d seen about fifteen different teams at the base of the mountain, around the castle, or on the bus. That was less than half of the teams entered in the tournament. And she hadn’t glimpsed any of the top teams—no Haley, no Sanbornes, no Phenoms.

  Shoot.

  Lexi opened her eyes and hung her head. Ron had screwed up, but she should have realized long before now that they were in the wrong place. She pounded a fist to her head. Stupid.

  “How did I miss that?” Ron muttered. “I mean… what was I thinking? It’s like, Puzzle Solving 101: Read the entire problem. I can’t—”

  “—believe it, either,” Mal said, eyes narrowed. “But there’s no way we’re stopping now. One country does not qualify as a trip around the world. My photo exhibit will be laughed off the stage.” She swiped the screen with enough force the tablet nearly flew out of her hand. “Here it is. Linderhof. King Ludwig lived most of his days at his hunting lodge at Linderhof. It’s another castle, and it’s the one he considered his favorite home.”

  Hands trembling, Lexi unpacked her Teleport Tableau so she could figure out which teleport station was closest to Linderhof. Her mind wandered to Haley, Tomoka, and her other former classmates who had clearly teleported to the correct castle. Ron’s silly mistake was already putting her plan to rejoin them at the academy in serious jeopardy.

  Ron continued to mumble. “‘To continue the trek, go to the castle I built that is considered my favorite home.’ It’s as clear as day. The part about Cinderella Castle is there so we could figure out who he is. I’m sorr—”

  “Enough,” Lexi said with a scowl.

  Ron stuffed the clue in his backpack. “I know. I’m sorry. Maybe I’ll stay here and sell swag.”

  Lexi froze. That was exactly what she couldn’t let happen. If Ron quit, it was the end of Team RAM. Teams had to have three members at all times, and the tournament didn’t allow midrace replacements.

  Swallowing her frustration, she tapped Ron’s elbow. “Don’t be silly,” she forced out. “It’s early. I’m sure we’ll be okay.” She nodded at Mal. “Where’s this Linderhof place?”

  “Right down the road.”

  “What?” Ron said, head spinning.

  “Well, not right down the road,” Mal clarified, rising to her feet. “About an hour away.”

  Ron’s face fell. “An hour?”

  Mal clicked her tongue. “What? It could be worse.”

  Lexi folded up the tableau. They’d take the bus back to the Füssen station and then find a bus to Linderhof.

  “Wait!” Mal said.

  Lexi startled. “What?”

  “There’s buses that travel between here and Linderhof. Apparently, it’s very common for people to visit both castles on the same day.”

  “Oh wow,” Lexi said.

  Mal hustled to the trail, tablet still in hand. “Yep,” she called, disappearing down the path. “Only thing is they stop running at five o’clock.”

  “Five?” Lexi said, twisting her watch. 4:45 p.m. “Fifteen minutes.”

  “Fifteen minutes?” Ron repeated. “We gotta book. Now!”

  As Ron and Lexi chased after Mal, Lexi craned her neck every which way to see if any other teams had caught the mistake. The bus would be packed with tourists leaving for the day and wouldn’t be expecting a bunch of teams. There wouldn’t be room for everyone.

  Lexi pivot
ed around a bend, and the town’s narrow shop-lined streets came into view. A pair of red buses hummed off to the side. Not seeing any teams, Lexi slowed as she saw Mal step off the trail. Ron was already there. The Filipino Flyer had flown down the mountain in record time. Ron and Mal turned and faced her.

  “Get in line! Get in line!” Lexi screamed, though with her huffing and puffing it sounded more like, “Get… li… n.”

  Ron and Mal didn’t move. Lexi peeked at the buses. Smoke trailed from the exhaust pipes. She pumped her legs harder. Maybe they’d hear her now. She flung out her arm. “Get… line!” she shouted.

  Mal nodded, tapped Ron’s stomach, and the two sprinted toward the buses. Lexi slowed a smidge as she reached the base of the mountain—careening wildly into a mass of tourists would not be a good idea.

  A tower clock chimed. Five o’clock.

  Lexi hustled to the first bus. No driver. No passengers. No teams. She moved to the second, and as she approached, a man stuck his head out the door. “Last call for Linderhof!”

  “Here!” Lexi gasped, swinging the pack from her back. She lifted the tournament badge off her chest and then flashed the public transportation pass.

  The man grunted. “Go on.”

  Lexi pushed past him and climbed aboard. She searched the rows. No teams—only tourists. She collapsed into the seat next to Mal as the bus took off.

  “Good job finding the bus,” she said as she grabbed a water bottle from her backpack. “We’ll definitely save some time by not going back to the station.”

  Mal peered into her compact mirror and adjusted her impeccable braid by carefully tucking in loose strands of hair. “No problem, though from now on I suggest we all read the clues. That was ridiculous. It could have cost you your tournament and me my entire project.”

  Lexi took a swig of water. “Yeah, good point. Where’s Ron?”

  Mal gestured to a seat a few rows behind them. Ron sat hunched over Mal’s tablet, his backpack taking up the entire seat next to him. “I gave him the tablet. He wanted to check out the next place,” Mal said as she dabbed her chin with her scarf. “He wants to be ready as soon as we get there.”

  Lexi arched an eyebrow, wondering if getting ready meant selling swag or finding Ludwig’s brother’s room, but she decided not to ask. Between the mountain hike and keeping her teammates focused on the tournament, she was exhausted, and they’d only been racing a couple hours. Besides, she’d find out soon enough.

  A little after six p.m. local time, the bus rolled to a stop. Lexi led her teammates off… and directly onto the mammoth Linderhof estate. They didn’t need to hike a mountain to see this castle—Linderhof’s white palace gleamed from the other side of an elaborate garden. A fountain stood in the center of manicured lawns, while flower gardens bordered stone paths that led to the palace’s stairs.

  “Holy moly,” Mal said, stepping out of the way of exiting tourists. “This is beautiful.”

  Mal reached for her camera, but Lexi couldn’t blame her teammate too much. The view was impressive, and the best part was the number of other teams on the grounds. Kids were everywhere—walking along stone paths, huddling outside the palace doors, and congregating around the fountain. Yes! Despite the bungled clue, Team RAM was totally in the thick of the hunt for the king’s brother.

  “Come on,” Lexi said, charging forward as she spun her head side to side in search of Haley. “You can take photos on the way, but we need to get to the palace.”

  “No,” Ron said softly.

  Lexi scrunched her nose. “What?”

  An odd smile crossed Ron’s face. “The palace is a decoy—like an offensive lineman who checks in as an eligible receiver.”

  Mal lowered the camera and stared at Ron as Lexi wrinkled her brow.

  “A what?” the girls asked.

  Ron rolled his eyes. “Never mind. What I’m saying is that Otto isn’t in the palace.”

  “Otto?”

  “Otto. That’s the king’s brother’s name, and from what I read, he’s not going to be in the palace. He’s somewhere else on the grounds.” The girls didn’t respond, and Ron stiffened and glared at them. “Look, I said I was sorry about earlier, but now it’s crunch time. You either trust me or you don’t.”

  Uh, don’t? But with Ron’s threat to quit still fresh in her mind, Lexi didn’t want to say or do anything to nudge him over the edge. She studied the gardens. If Otto was inside the palace, certainly there wouldn’t be so many teams still on the property walking around looking seriously confused. She scanned the area again. Unfortunately, Haley’s team wasn’t among them. Lexi sighed. Her friend was likely far ahead by now. She had to do something to catch up, and if Ron was convinced he had the right answer…

  “Okay,” Lexi said, silently hoping she wasn’t making the stupidest mistake in tournament history. “Lead the way.”

  Ron picked a path and strode through the garden. As they passed several teams, Lexi made sure to keep an ear open. One team went on and on about King Ludwig’s royal bed chamber, which was covered with gold, had painted walls, and housed humongous chandeliers. Another team raved about the dining room, which had a “magic” table that disappeared into the floor and sunk to the lower level kitchen, where workers would stack food before raising the table back into the dining room. There was even a hall of mirrors that created a mirage of an endless corridor.

  But none of the teams had mentioned anything about finding Otto. Instead, her competitors were roaming the gardens, seemingly clueless about where to go next.

  Unlike Ron.

  Lexi eyed her teammate again and considered asking for an update, but she rejected the idea almost immediately. Ron walked with purpose. Tightening her grip on her backpack’s straps, she plowed after him.

  Bypassing additional fountains, trim gardens, and the palace entrance, Ron led Team RAM to a grass-covered hill behind the palace. As the three ascended the hill, Ron spun to the left and right, looking for followers. Lexi did the same, but no one was paying them any attention. They were quite a ways from the palace, and the other teams were no longer in earshot. The occasional click of Mal’s camera provided the only background noise.

  A narrow path leading to a cave came into view, along with a rope and several signs marking the cave’s entrance. Ron stopped near one of the signs, crouched low, and retrieved his notebook from his backpack.

  “Okay, this is what I found,” he whispered, flipping to a page. “There were a couple websites that listed rooms inside the palace. I wrote them down, thinking we could use it to decide where to go first.” Ron set the notebook on the ground, and Mal and Lexi stooped to read.

  LINDERHOF CASTLE ROOMS:

  LILAC CABINET

  KING’S BEDCHAMBER

  PINK CABINET

  AUDIENCE CHAMBER

  DINING ROOM

  BLUE CABINET

  YELLOW CABINET

  VESTIBULE

  WESTERN TAPESTRY CHAMBER

  EASTERN TAPESTRY CHAMBER

  HALL OF MIRRORS

  “So?” Mal shrugged.

  “Yeah, I thought you said we weren’t supposed to go inside the palace?” Lexi added.

  “We’re not,” Ron replied. “And this shows why. See—there’s only one bedchamber, which is King Ludwig’s. Look at the other rooms. If there were a shrine or statue or something of the king’s brother, it’d say so, wouldn’t it?”

  Lexi skimmed the list again. Only one bedchamber was listed, and while one of the other rooms could contain a drawing or painting of Otto, if that was the case, the other teams would have found it and left.

  “What are you saying?” Lexi asked, falling to her knees.

  “This.” Ron turned the page. “When I didn’t see a second bedroom in the palace, I remembered what Mal had said when we were at the other castle—that maybe the king was outside somewhere. That led me to make a list of other stuff located on the grounds.”

  LINDERHOF GROUNDS:

  MOROCCAN COTTAGE<
br />
  MOORISH KIOSK

  LINDEN TREE

  NEPTUNE FOUNTAIN

  WATER PARTERRE

  EASTERN PARTERRE

  WESTERN PARTERRE

  VENUS GROTTO

  HUNDING’S HUT

  Lexi read the list silently.

  “I still don’t get it,” Mal said. “None of these sound like a bedroom or refer to his brother, either.”

  Ron smirked. “One does. The clue says to find the room containing the king’s brother, right?” Both girls nodded. “And we know Ludwig’s brother was named Otto, right?” Lexi and Mal nodded again. Ron took out a pen and underlined one of the names:

  VENUS GROTTO

  “Get it? The word ‘Otto’ is contained in the word ‘Grotto.’ The Venus Grotto is therefore a room that contains ‘my brother.’” Ron stood and tossed his head back toward the cave behind him, more specifically the sign at the entrance that identified the cave as the Venus Grotto. “I think we’re supposed to go in there.”

  A whoosh of adrenaline zapped Lexi, and she sprung up, passing Ron on the way into the cave. Her heart pounded at the thought that Ron’s puzzle solving pushed Team RAM past the teams still milling about the palace.

  The cave opened to a narrow path adjacent to a small lake, where a shell-shaped boat floated in the middle of the water. A painted mural draped the cave’s back wall. Rocks and stalagmites surrounded the entire grotto, which changed colors as overhead lights flashed over the water. Statues of swans decorated the landscape.

  Eyes on the lake, Team RAM followed the curved path to its end on the other side of the grotto, where a small blue-and-gold tournament booth had been erected. A sign was tacked to the booth’s base.

  DESTINATION NO. 1

  Screeching, Lexi jumped and high-fived Mal, who hopped in place, clapping her hands. Ron folded his arms across his chest, beaming. He held out a fist, and Lexi and Mal traded pounds as they whooped it up.

  “No one else is here!” Lexi shouted, letting her emotions burst free. “With all those teams at the other castle and wandering outside the palace here, we have to be back in the top thirty.”