Matt was not certain where or when they were. They’d landed in another storm. The car was open on both sides so they were exposed to the elements. Rain lashed down and the sky cracked with lightning followed by booms of thunder. They were chugging slowly between narrow, rocky cliffs and brown, snowcapped mountains, the opposite of the lush green Alps. It was cold, wet, dreary, and lifeless.
A horn blared in the distance. There was the Vermillion again, also a train, coming up alongside them on a parallel track. Matt knew he needed to move, to turn the dials of the compass, but he found he couldn’t move. His fingers were leaden, his strength sapped. He just needed a minute to rest.
The Vermillion was now even with them. The car doors were open between the two trains. They were running so closely together, Captain Vincent could take one step and board Blossom. And he likely would have had Mrs. Hudson not drawn her sword and attacked him with everything she had, which was clearly very little. Captain Vincent easily blocked her blows and retaliated. He smiled like they were playing a delightful little game. Matt could tell he wasn’t really putting up a fight, but more egging her on, allowing her to drain the last of her strength.
Ruby and Corey crawled to Matt. Both of them seemed fine. How were they fine? “We’ll never be able to lose them while they have the map!” Ruby said. “We have to get it back.”
“How?” Matt said. “I don’t think they’re going to just hand it over.”
“We have to steal it, duh,” Corey said.
“Okay,” Matt said, too tired to even put up a reasonable argument. “Go steal it then.”
Corey stood up and saluted Matt. “Aye, aye, captain!”
And before Matt could register what was happening, Corey took a running leap from the side of Blossom and landed on the Vermillion.
“Corey, no!” Ruby shouted.
He barreled into Captain Vincent, who stumbled back into the rest of his stunned crew.
“Corey!” Mrs. Hudson shouted.
It all happened in a few seconds. Corey snatched the map right out of Wiley’s hands. Brocco made a grab to take it back, and in doing so the map ripped in two pieces. Corey shoved Brocco, then made a run for it back to Blossom. Their parents were right there, reaching out to him. Corey took a giant leap, but Albert was behind him. He grabbed Corey by the shirt. Ruby screamed. Matt screamed. He was sure that Corey was going to fall right between the trains.
But then Captain Vincent reached out his left hand. He made a few strange motions, like he was writing something in the air, and Corey stopped. He froze midleap, the torn map in his clenched hand. Matt looked around, stunned, as he realized that everything had stopped. The world seemed to have frozen right in the middle of the action, like a film on pause. The wind ceased. The rain hung in the air like a million tiny crystal droplets and spears. The air was perfectly still, unnaturally quiet. And it wasn’t just the storm that had been stilled, Matt realized. His entire family, and Jia and Pike, had been paused in time, just like three days ago in Asilah, when Captain Vincent had gotten the Aeternum.
Matt tried to stand up, but he was very weak. He could hardly move, and then he thought it would probably be better if he stayed where he was anyway because Captain Vincent hadn’t seen him. He didn’t seem to know that Matt hadn’t been frozen like the rest of them.
Captain Vincent put his sword back in his scabbard. He went to the pale stranger, touched him on the chest. The man took a deep, gasping breath and was revived.
“Let’s get to work,” Captain Vincent said.
“As you wish it,” the man said. His voice was deep and gruff. He had a European accent, German, Matt thought, or maybe Dutch. He took his case and followed Captain Vincent to the edge of the train car, right in front of Matt’s parents, who were both reaching for Corey. Captain Vincent waved a hand at all the stilled raindrops so they moved aside like a curtain. It made a strange sound, something like tinkling glass and sloshing liquid. Matt shifted a little to keep out of view, which was a mistake. The stranger turned his head and locked eyes with him. Matt froze, held his breath, but he was certain the man knew he was awake, that he had seen him move, and now he would tell Captain Vincent.
But he didn’t say anything. He simply lifted an eyebrow at Matt, then turned his attention back to Captain Vincent. Interesting.
“Where do you wish to begin, Your Majesty?” the man asked.
Your Majesty? Was Vincent a king now? Of what? The world?
“Him, of course,” Captain Vincent said, nodding toward Mr. Hudson. “That should solve a great deal, I think, though perhaps not all. We might need to do some work on her as well.” He nodded toward Mrs. Hudson. “And the children, depending on the results.”
What was he talking about? What did he mean by “work”?
Captain Vincent reached out and grabbed Mr. Hudson by the throat. Matt gasped, thinking he was going to strangle his father, but then the captain released his grip and pulled something away. Matt had no idea what it was. It was shimmering blue, almost fluorescent, and it flowed from his dad’s throat like a watery, sparkling fabric. Images floated within the material. Matt saw his mom, Corey and Ruby, himself and others, scenes from his father’s life. It looked similar to the smoky vapor that had come out of Matt’s compass, though this material looked more solid and vibrant, like it was a living thing.
The stranger opened the case
