her hand. Tyler stared at the dark, fibrous strands, hard to make out in the fading light.
“What are they?”
“I don’t know. Some kind of plants, I think. He was hanging onto them like they meant something important.”
Tyler shrugged. “But what made him crazy? That’s the real question … ”
Lucinda wasn’t listening any more. She was staring over his shoulder, her eyes wide as the silver dollar on Uncle Jaime’s belt buckle. “Tyler! It’s him!”
“Who? What are you talking about?” He half-expected to see Gideon running toward them across the park grass, bathrobe flapping, pursued by doctors and nurses, but saw only an undifferentiated crowd of people loitering around the edge of the grass, waiting for the fireworks to begin. “I don’t see… ”
“There.” She leaned in close to him. “Don’t stare, don’t point. There, by the fountain. It’s that man Kingaree.”
Tyler had never seen him, of course, but Lucinda’s description of him as looking like a bad guy in a western movie had stuck in his mind, so he had no doubt which one she meant. The tall, thin man in the long black coat-a strange thing to be wearing in summer weather, even at night-was talking to a round-faced man in more modern clothing, a beige sports coat. Even as Tyler watched, the tall, dark man looked around as if concerned someone might be eavesdropping, then he grabbed the man in the sports coat by his elbow and marched him toward an open-sided gazebo in one corner of the park.
“They’re going to that building over there,” Tyler said, jumping to his feet. “Come on-we can go around and through the trees on the far side. We’ll be able to hear what they’re saying…!”
“What? Are you crazy?” Lucinda shrank away. “I’m not going near that guy…!”
“What if he’s the one who kidnapped Gideon? What if he’s looking for him now?” Tyler couldn’t believe his sister would go all girly on him at a time like this. “Come on!”
Even as he led her around the edge of the grass, past all the people sitting on blankets, staring up at the sky expectantly, she was still trying to talk him out of it. “What about Carmen and the others? What about Jaime? Shouldn’t we tell them…?”
“We’re only going to the other side of the park. Grow up, Luce!”
He hurried them through the trees and over a low picket fence until the gazebo stood only a couple of yards away. Lucinda looked absolutely miserable, so Tyler decided that he wouldn’t climb the tree after all, although it would have let him shinny out on a branch until he was right over the roof of the building. Instead he moved as close as he could while still being ready to run at a moment’s notice, until he could hear voices. He guessed that the high, slightly nervous tones belonged to the man in the beige coat.
“… Just don’t understand it, that’s all.”
“There is nothing to understand, Mr. Dankle.” That was Kingaree, Tyler had no doubt-a voice as menacing as a scorpion poised to sting. “I have given you good American money already. To earn the rest of it, you will come when you are called and do what you are told.”
“Of course, of course! Haven’t I helped you like I said I would?” The man was almost squeaking. “I just have to think about… I have my reputation… ”
“Listen to me, lawyer.” Kingaree’s sudden words were like the crack of a gunshot. “I have killed better men than you with my bare hands, so I would advise you not to make me angry. ”
It was dark now, but Tyler could see Lucinda’s pale face and staring eyes beside him. He prayed she didn’t lose her nerve and make some noise that would give them away.
“Remember,” Kingaree went on, “you are in this thing far too deep to start getting any pretty sensibilities now. When it is time I will come and call for you, and you had best be prepared to come with me. It will be at night. I suggest you keep your evenings free for the next few weeks.”
“What do you mean? When are you coming?”
“I do not know that, Mr. Dankle. But believe me, when the hour comes, you will be among the first to know. And you will do what you are told. Do you understand me? ”
Dankle must have nodded, because suddenly Kingaree walked out of the gazebo and set out along the path at the edge of the park, his coat billowing like the wings of some great black bird. He strode past the seated families just as the first fireworks burst in the sky overhead, great, glittering, spark-dripping flowers of gold and red. People shouted in pleasure. Nobody except Tyler and Lucinda saw the tall man go-they were all too busy watching the fire in the sky.
Chapter 16
Hot sun. Chores to do. Animals to feed. Maybe a nap before dinner if she was lucky and got her work done early. Lucinda wouldn’t have gone so far as to say things were back to normal, but as she and Tyler hiked across the fields toward the Reptile Barn she realized that for the first time in several days she didn’t feel frightened.
Their great-uncle Gideon was still in the hospital but he’d be coming home today. The doctors at Liberty Medical Center still didn’t know what was wrong with him, but Ragnar said Gideon was almost himself again, even though the time of his disappearance remained a blank.
“Okay, so what’s he doing?” Tyler said. “I still don’t get it.”
Lucinda had been admiring her new bracelet, the gift from Carmen, which made a very nice companion for the unicorn-hair bracelet the Three Amigos had given her. She shook her head. “Who? Doing what?”
“Kingaree! What’s he up to with that Dankle guy, that lawyer?”
“How should I know? And what makes you think it has anything to do with us?”
Tyler stared at her. “Duh! He’s a really bad guy and he came out of the Fault Line. Anything he does has something to do with us, or at least with the farm.”
Lucinda frowned. The only problem with the new bracelet was that when she lowered her arm it slid all the way to her hand and the charms interfered with picking things up. She pushed it up her forearm until it felt snug. “That doesn’t mean it’s anything to do with all the other stuff going on-Gideon and everything else you’re obsessed with-Alamu and the fire and Octavio’s Crazy-o-scope.”
“ Continuascope. Yeah, that’s the other thing.” Tyler frowned, trying to get his thoughts in order. “Okay, so Gideon disappears, and just at the same time Kingaree comes back after all these years. Meanwhile, Colin’s all “I’m researching the Continuascope” “-he did a terrible imitation of Colin’s careful speech-“which has been missing since the night of the laboratory fire. Which is also the night Kingaree disappeared. And you’re telling me it’s all coincidence?”
“I’m not saying it’s all coincidence… ” she began.
“So shut up, then.” But he smiled to show her he was mostly kidding. For a moment she remembered both why she loved her little brother and why she often wanted to kill him. “See, it would make sense that Kingaree stole the Continuascope and set the fire to cover up. But Mr. Walkwell says no-he says it was Alamu the dragon who burned the lab down.” He grabbed his head like it hurt. “Man! Am I missing anything?”
Lucinda smiled. “Just your sanity.” She could see the Reptile Barn in the distance now and her heart rose a little. I’m coming! she thought, trying to send the idea ahead like a beam of light. I’m bringing carrots! A moment later she realized what she was doing-accusing her brother of being crazy while she tried to talk to a dragon with her mind.
“What are you laughing about?” Tyler didn’t wait long for an answer. “ Anyway, something’s missing here. I don’t know what it is, but there’s totally something missing. Why would Alamu be hanging around the lab? Why would he burn the place down?”
“Maybe it was the only way he could get somebody to shut up.”
For a moment Tyler actually looked puzzled, trying to make sense of what she’d said. Then he stuck his tongue out at her-something he hadn’t done for a few years. “Oh, yeah, thanks, Luce. You’re a fat lot of help.”
Desta knuckle-walked on her folded wings and rear legs toward the front of the pen, head turned sideways as she slyly watched the bag of carrots in Lucinda’s hand.
