Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus

by Paula Berinstein

  He wasted no time. He grabbed a bowl, stuck his finger down his throat, and threw up. Amanda could feel herself gag, but she had the benefit of gingersnaps and availed herself of them. Unfortunately a couple of the students didn’t do as well, although one of them managed to make it to a wastebasket in time.

  Analyzing the vomit took quite a while and in the end Nick was no further along than when he started. Visibly frustrated, he turned to the group and said, “I’m going to have to analyze my urine next because for most poisons the kidney is the path of excretion.” At least he didn’t collect the urine publicly. He went into a closet to do that.

  But he didn’t get anywhere with that either, so he told the group he was going to test his liver by taking and analyzing blood. He pierced his thumb and collected some blood, then put it through some tests, but he didn’t glean anything useful from that either.

  As Nick was working, Amanda was frantically searching on her phone. Even if she couldn’t give him the antidote she could figure out what he was up against, and that turned out to be a lot. Part of the problem with the chemical testing was that even if he could identify the class of poisons, there were many possibilities for antidotes and the dosages varied wildly depending on the type, amount ingested, and a number of other factors. How the teachers expected him to come up with a cure she couldn’t imagine.

  Now she noticed that Nick’s hands seemed to be swelling up and reddening. He was also wincing, although she could tell he was trying not to show that he was in pain. If the symptoms were this bad already, what would they be like in an hour, five hours, half a day? She mentally cursed the teachers again. This was not the way you treated someone who was trying to change.

  After a couple of hours flailing around in the lab, Nick decided he was on the wrong track and would have to look for the antidote on the school grounds. Amanda didn’t know if this was a good or bad decision. Even if he died she might never know. What were the chances he’d be able to make his own antidote before concluding that Amanda had had it all along? She had no idea. All she could do was hold Ivy’s hand as she watched the boy she loved grow more fragile.

  A physical search for the antidote seemed as difficult as a chemical one. The school was huge, and if you added in the grounds and the tunnels it was gigantic. There was no way to search it in the time Nick had. But he turned around and said, “I am going to look at sites that seem to have particular meaning first.” Then he started off for the secret room in which the Moriartys had stored pink sugar a year before.

  The room was in a much more precarious state than it had been back then. With the collapse of the chapel it wasn’t technically available, having been roped off with red warning tape. His audience couldn’t follow—at least most of them couldn’t; the narrow staircase wouldn’t hold more than about five people. Thrillkill designated four teachers to go with him, and Amanda had to wait nearby.

  But before the little group could enter the hall leading to the secret room, Ramon came running up and said, “Don’t go down there.”

  “Why not, Mr. Splunk?” said Thrillkill.

  “The ghost, sir,” said Ramon. “You’ll disturb it.” The kids who were watching laughed their heads off.

  Thrillkill turned to Nick and said, “Proceed, Mr. Muffet.”

  “But sir—” said Ramon.

  “We’ll discuss this later,” said Thrillkill, and turned back to Nick.

  Amanda checked the time. Nick had already used up eight hours of his twenty-four, and he wasn’t looking good. She didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to search before he became too ill to continue. She could feel the antidote burning a hole in her purse. And then a terrible thought popped into her head.

  What if this weren’t the antidote at all? What if the teachers had only told her it was and the real one was somewhere else? Would they do that to prevent her saving him at the last minute? She couldn’t believe they would be so cruel, but then again she’d seen the awful things they did. Death meant very little to them, even when it was their own. Honor was way more important, even if you had to lie and mislead to achieve it, a contradiction Amanda did not appreciate. Somehow she had assumed that if all else failed she could save Nick before it was too late, but now she panicked. What if, what if, what if?

  When Nick emerged from the building empty-handed, he faced the group and said, “I am going to continue searching in places associated with my misdeeds. I will go to the pantry, where Mrs. Dump, the cook, died, and if the antidote isn’t there I will look in the garage, where I attempted to hide evidence that would help the first-years solve the class project.”

  But of course there was no antidote in either place, nor in several others, including Nick’s old dorm room. What there was, however, was Ramon, who was constantly complaining that Nick was disturbing the ghost and could he please go someplace else. Nick didn’t complain but Amanda did, and Thrillkill sent Ramon to detention.

  “Perhaps I’ve taken the wrong approach,” Nick told the group. “Perhaps I should be looking at the most obscure parts of the campus.” His words were more slurred than ever.

  The tunnels, which led to the most obscure areas, were huge. Searching them could take the rest of the time Nick had. He seemed to realize this and wondered aloud if perhaps the teachers had buried the antidote. He could look for a spot in the ground that had been recently disturbed. But that would take forever as well. For some reason Amanda couldn’t fathom—probably an inability to think clearly—he decided to go with the latter, and made a quick survey of the grounds. All that did, however, or so it seemed to her, was take away his breath and speed up the effect of the poison.

  Now Nick concluded that the only logical place to look was the basements, where all the props and the secret compartments were. He wondered aloud whether the teachers had chosen a compartment and expected him to figure out how to open it. That, of course, was a road to ruin because there were thousands of them! It was obvious that he was no longer thinking clearly.

  But Nick went to the basements anyway and started combing through furniture and objects. After hours of that he was tripping over himself and Amanda could see that something had changed. He was not only seriously ill, but also starting to despair. The kids who were watching had grown much more serious, and Amanda could hear them saying that he was finished. To his credit Holmes said nothing, despite the fact that he hated Nick more than anyone. If Amanda was glad for anything in all this mess, at least there was that.

  Tottering now, Nick turned away from a roomful of ancient weaponry and looked at her sadly, as if to say goodbye. There was love in his eyes, and she wanted to run to him but didn’t dare—not as long as he still had a chance to beat the clock. His lids were heavy as he gazed into her eyes, deeper and deeper, until she could feel their souls meet. Then he shut them and leaned against the wall. No, this couldn’t be it! NO!

  All of a sudden Nick’s eyes flew open. He scanned Amanda up, down, and all around until his gaze rested on her bag. He ran to her, wrenched the thing open, and plunged his hand inside. He rummaged around, pulled out the antidote, and drank it on the spot. Amanda was so relieved that she crumpled and he had to catch her. Then the two of them tumbled to the ground and lay in a heap together, but it didn’t matter. Nick would live.

  19

  THE CONTEST

  After the second labor, Thrillkill gave Nick a couple of days to recover before announcing the third and last task he would have to perform. Amanda thought he should rest, so she decided to let him be and go visit Eustace, whom she’d been neglecting.

  But when they met in town for a cup of tea Eustace acted very strange. Instead of being his usual upbeat self he was silent and moody, a state Amanda put down to disappointment at his failure to get into Legatum. She wished she could cheer him up, but everything she did fell flat until she finally gave up and left him to his mood. When even the chocolate chip cookies she’d brought him failed to make a difference, she knew she’d better back off.

/>   Despina, on the other hand, was her usual ebullient self. Encouraged by Professor Kindseth’s and Charlotte’s collaboration on her new Web site, she was all in a dither about how to reveal to them that they had fallen in love again. Not that they had, but that’s how she saw the situation. Amanda had to hand it to her. Not only had she put together an awesome site in record time, but she already had tens of thousands of users, although she refused to charge them anything, claiming, “I’m a clothing designer, not a techie. I do this for love.” The fact that she hadn’t designed in months and had no intention of doing so any time soon didn’t seem to occur to her, and Amanda didn’t mention it.

  “I can hear that sparkle in their voices when I talk to them about the site,” said Despina on the phone. “Do you know what Charlotte said? She said that the person she was collaborating with was brilliant. How do you like that?”

  “And this person is Professor Kindseth?” said Amanda.

  “Oh yes,” said Despina. “And do you know what he said?”

  “Go on, tell me,” said Amanda.

  Despina lowered her voice, even though Hill was the only one within hearing distance. “He said he was really enjoying working on the project.”

  “With . . .”

  “That’s it,” said Despina.

  “But he didn’t say anything about the other user?”

  “Implied, dear. Implied.”

  Amanda didn’t see how Professor Kindseth had implied any such thing, but she wasn’t about to argue.

  “That’s nice, Despina. I’m happy for you.”

  “It’s brilliant!” exclaimed her cousin. “Now if you weren’t in love with that Moriarty boy, I’d set you up with someone there too.”

  Amanda had never told Despina she was in love with Nick. She’d never told anyone except Nick himself—and Ivy. How had she known?

  She didn’t want to talk about that so she said, “How’s the application coming along?”

  Despina seemed distracted. “What application, dear?”

  “To Legatum. Didn’t you apply?”

  “Oh that,” said Despina. “You tell Headmaster Thrillkill I’m refusing his offer.”

  Amanda just about dropped her phone. “Offer?”

  “Oh yes. He sent me a lovely letter. ‘Based on services rendered and enormous potential,’ he said, or something like that. Unfortunately I don’t have time.”

  Amanda was gobsmacked. Whatever was Despina talking about?

  “Why not?”

  “Darling,” said Despina, “I have much more important things to do.”

  “I’ve been thinking,” said Nick. “When I get through the third labor, I want to find out who my real mum is.”

  Amanda was glad he’d said “when” and not “if.” After everything he’d been through she wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d lost heart.

  “I’ve been thinking about this whole thing a lot, and I’ve decided that Wink Wiffle is a pretty good father to have,” he said. “Not that I’d say that David is a good brother.”

  Amanda laughed. “No, not the greatest.”

  “But better than Hugh,” said Nick, grinning. “Wink seems to have been a creative fellow. I like that.”

  This was a positive sign—something Nick could feel good about. “You do seem to have a lot in common with him.”

  He gazed off into the distance. He was a million miles away. “I wonder what my real mum is like. Why would she give me away? Did she know I would end up with Blixus? Was she okay with that?”

  Amanda couldn’t believe any mother would knowingly give her child to Blixus Moriarty. But what if his mother had?

  “Nick,” she said. “What if you find her and you’re disappointed? What if, you know?”

  “She knew exactly what she was doing and didn’t care?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Then at least I’ll know. Wouldn’t you want to?”

  Amanda thought for a moment. She’d never had to face a situation like that and had no idea.

  “I think I would. I mean, aren’t detectives supposed to be able to deal with anything?”

  “Exactly,” said Nick.

  He was amazing. He took everything life threw at him and just coped. “Don’t you ever get depressed?” she said.

  “Sure. I get depressed when I see you with Holmes.”

  She rubbed his arm. “You don’t have to. That’s over. I just have to find a way to tell him.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed but didn’t smile. “But you seem so, I don’t know. You’re so brave. Nothing bothers you.”

  He laughed. “I’m an actor, remember? Things bother me plenty. I’m just trained to hide how I feel. And if I ever showed one bit of weakness around Blixus—”

  Amanda stopped him with a kiss. She was sorry she’d got him talking about such a distressing subject. “Let’s figure out how we’re going to look for your mom.”

  When Thrillkill announced the third and final labor, to get Hugh within three days, Amanda was beside herself. If she hadn’t let Hugh go at Dandy Castle, Nick wouldn’t be facing the impossible now. She’d known there would be repercussions from her decision. She just hadn’t realized they would be this dire.

  Once the labor started she wasn’t allowed to talk to Nick, so she had no idea how he felt about it or how he’d approach it. Blixus was incredibly elusive, and once he’d left home Nick hadn’t been able to locate them. The only reason they’d found Hugh was because Taffeta had kidnapped him and Harry Sheriff knew where she was hiding. If it hadn’t been for those bits of good luck, even Nick would have failed. And now, with this time limit, the situation was looking bleak indeed.

  This task was different from the others. It wasn’t something that could be done with the whole school watching, at least not during the planning stages. So Thrillkill dismissed everyone and installed Nick in his office, leaving Amanda at loose ends.

  Feeling nervous, she hopped onto her skateboard and tooled down to town, intending to walk by the lake. And that was when Blixus’s henchman got her.

  When the nondescript man with the rimless glasses grabbed her, Amanda’s first thought was “Daddy!” She hadn’t been thinking about her father, but her instinct to turn to her early protector took over. If she’d had time she would have been astonished, but as the kidnapper jerked her around she focused first on the pain and then on struggling to get free. But he was too strong for her and shoved her into a van, where a driver was waiting.

  As the van took off, the spectacled man jabbed her with a needle and she passed out. When she woke up she was in some tunnel somewhere, tied to an old chair, facing Blixus and Hugh Moriarty.

  “Well, well,” said Blixus, circling her. He looked pretty healthy for a guy who was spending most of his days underground. “It’s about time. Why haven’t you come to see me, Amanda? I’ve missed you.”

  Amanda spat at him.

  “That was too easy,” he said, dodging the spittle with a laugh. “I expected you to be more original. How is my son?”

  “Ask him yourself,” said Amanda, head motioning toward Hugh, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. He’d grown. The last time she’d seen him he’d been as short as David. He was now several inches taller than she was.

  “My other son,” said Blixus. “The one you’re so enamored of.”

  “You tried to kill him, and he isn’t your son,” she said acidly.

  “Nonsense. Why would I hurt my own son?”

  “Because he isn’t your son.”

  “I see why you keep saying that. I suppose it is difficult having me as part of your extended family. I assure you, though, you will enjoy me.”

  The idea of being related to Blixus made her sick. Amanda thanked her lucky stars it could never happen.

  He laughed. “You never thought of that, did you? Are you planning on inviting Thrillkill to the wedding? I’d love to see him.”

  Don’t take the bait. Amanda willed herself to be calm and kept her mout
h shut.

  “You’re a strong girl,” said Blixus looking her up and down. “I can see why my son likes you.” He took a bit of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers. She pulled away. “Nice hair too.”

  “What makes you think he likes me?”

  Blixus stooped down and looked into her eyes. “I’m not an idiot, Amanda. Nick is in love with you. He tries to hide it but it’s obvious. And it’s that I’m counting on. When he comes to save you I’ll be ready. I haven’t seen him in such a long time. I don’t know why he never calls his father.”

  She stared right back at him. If he were anyone else she would have admired his ice blue eyes. “You’re wrong. Nick hates me, so you can stop expecting him.”

  Blixus straightened. “As I said, I’m not an idiot, so don’t try your mumbo jumbo on me.”

  Amanda sat silently and sullenly, glaring at him.

  “You’re quite a femme fatale,” said Blixus. “Holmes is madly in love with you too. What is it you do to them? I expect he’ll come after you too. I can’t wait to see them tripping all over each other to win your gratitude.”

  This insolence enraged Amanda so much she could feel her face get hot. But she said nothing.

  “She’s boring,” said Hugh, who had been leaning against a wall picking his fingers. “I’m outta here.”

  He ran off, only to be replaced by David and Editta, who gawped when they saw her.

  “What are you doing here?” said David. He’d grown too. Not as much as Hugh, but he definitely looked taller.

  “I could ask you the same thing,” said Amanda. “Your mom misses you. Thrillkill wants you back at Legatum. Why don’t you go home?”

  “My mum is awesome,” said David.