The Mysterious Benedict Society

The children were dumbstruck. Government agents had disappeared and nobody cared? Nobody even believed it?

Reynie found his voice first. “So that’s how you know these strange messages are having an effect on people.”

Mr. Benedict nodded. “Quite right, Reynie. At least, it’s one example.”

“Wait a minute,” Kate said. “How do you know the messages have anything to do with that?”

“Because of that phrase we heard on the Receiver,” said Reynie. “‘The missing aren’t missing, they’re only departed.’ Don’t you think there’s a connection?”

“Hey, you’re right!” said Kate, who had already forgotten that phrase.

Constance seemed exasperated. “Okay, so the authorities are being snookered by these hidden messages. But how could they resist the facts? Show them your Receiver gizmo, Mr. Benedict. They’ll have to believe you.”

“I’m afraid they won’t,” said Mr. Benedict. “The Receiver would be considered insufficient evidence. For all they know, the messages might be my own invention, generated by the Receiver itself. I am no longer considered a trustworthy source of information.”

Reynie was puzzled. “But Mr. Benedict, if you explained how it worked — scientifically, I mean — how could they not believe you? Surely you can demonstrate the principles involved!”

Mr. Benedict hesitated. “A reasonable suggestion, Reynie. A very . . . Now let me see. How to put it? I can’t exactly . . . Well . . .”

Number Two interrupted him. “What Mr. Benedict is too embarrassed to say, children, is that even if he did explain it, no one would believe him because no one would understand him. That’s the downside to being a genius — just because you understand something doesn’t mean anyone else will. Mr. Benedict is too modest. He can never bring himself to say it.”

“He’s tried to explain it to any number of people,” Rhonda put in. “But not only are they skeptical to begin with, Number Two and I — and a few of the other assistants — are the only people who have understood him.”

Mr. Benedict’s cheeks and forehead had gone pink with embarrassment. He coughed. “As usual, my friends, you overstate my accomplishment. Nevertheless, the essence of what you say is true. Among the authorities these days it is difficult to find a sympathetic listener.”

“In other words, compared to you, they’re all dummies,” Kate said with a laugh.

“That is perhaps not the most polite way to put it, Kate,” said Mr. Benedict.

Unlike Kate, the others were in no mood to laugh. Hidden messages being broadcast to the world, good men and women gone missing, the authorities beyond convincing — and the children were somehow going to be involved in all this? The prospect had caused a deep, indefinable dread to settle upon them like a cold mist.

Constance’s reaction, by now a predictable one, was to express irritation. “Fine, I get it. A lot of people have vanished without a trace, and someone’s sending out secret messages, and nobody will believe you about it. But we aren’t really in danger, are we?” (Though her tone was scoffing and irritable, it was evident from her eyes — which darted back and forth — that Constance was growing afraid.) “You said we were all in danger . . . but that was just an exaggeration, wasn’t it?”

“I am sorry to say it, Constance,” Mr. Benedict said somberly, “but I did not exaggerate in the least. You are all in danger even as we speak.”

And indeed, even as they spoke, the bell on the landing began a furious clanging.

The Men in the Maze

A great deal happened in a very short time: Mr. Benedict fell asleep, having been startled by the emergency bell, and toppled sideways into the ready arms of Number Two. The children hadn’t even time to trade looks of alarm before the bell stopped ringing, the lights went out, and Constance screamed. And then, after much jostling and elbow-bumping and fumbling in the dark, Kate found her flashlight and switched it on, and Constance was gone.

“Where’d she go?” Reynie cried.

“Maybe she went down to the landing like we’re supposed to,” said Sticky.

“Somehow I doubt it,” said Kate.

“Okay, all of you,” said Rhonda urgently as Number Two tried to shake Mr. Benedict awake, “hurry down to the landing at once. Milligan will meet you there, and he can find Constance if necessary. Number Two and I will join you as soon as Mr. Benedict wakes up. Now run!”

The children stumbled from the room — Kate leading the way with her flashlight — and out into the dark hallway. With the thunder rumbling and wind moaning and rain beating on the roof, it would be quite impossible to hear someone sneaking up on them, and the children, aware of this, clung to one another in the darkness as they found their way to the stairs. Trembling at each fresh burst of thunder, they made their way down to the landing. Kate’s flashlight beam passed over the bell, hanging silent and still, then fell upon a very sad face.

“Where’s Constance?” Milligan said.

“What did I tell you?” Kate said to the boys.

“We were hoping she’d be here,” said Reynie.

Milligan looked grim, even more so than usual. “She may have slipped past me in the dark. This complicates things. No time to take you to a safe place — if she’s in the maze we might lose her any second. But I can’t leave you here alone. You’ll have to come down with me.”

“Into the maze?” Sticky asked. “In the dark?”