In Too Deep

by Jude Watson

  “We want to go to Krakatau,” Amy said.

  He shook his head. “Active now … you can’t land on Krakatau.”

  “Would your cousin … take us there? Just to look?” Dan asked.

  “Long trip, take all day.”

  “That’s okay.”

  Dan expected the next words out of the man’s mouth to be “Where are your parents?” He knew the guy was thinking it. Dan mutely held out a fistful of money.

  “Sure,” the driver said, grabbing it. “No worries!”

  The driver’s cousin’s name was Darma, and the boat, which seemed good-sized and sturdy at the dock, was suddenly small and flimsy once they’d chugged out into open sea.

  Amy and Dan sat in the back watching Darma smiling and pointing out sights. They couldn’t hear what he was saying over the motor. He had two men as his crew who spoke no English, but smiled at Amy and Dan if they happened to catch their eyes.

  The bow thumped against the sea, and the smell of fish was overpowering. Amy clutched the rail, looking a little green. Dan faced the open water, the wind in his face. The water was a brilliant turquoise, and off to the side he could see a string of islands. Smaller fishing boats tacked across the bay.

  After traveling for some time, they saw a point ahead. They were going to round the corner of Java, Dan guessed. He knew Krakatau was to the west.

  Darma yelled something at them and laughed. Amy turned to Dan. “What did he say?”

  “I think something about Sunday and ships. Is today Sunday? Did we cross the international date line again? Do I have to repeat fourth grade?”

  “He must have said Sunda. As in Sunda Strait. After we round the corner of Java, we’ll be in it. It’s the channel between Java and Sumatra. And it’s the way to Rakata. That’s the island that Anak Krakatau is on. You see, the island of Krakatau imploded, but another island took its place. It means ‘Child of Krakatau,’ and—”

  “I know you can’t help yourself,” Dan said. “But please stop.”

  “Shipping channel!” Darma yelled. This time they heard him perfectly. He smiled and laughed. “When we cross, hang on!”

  The water got choppier as they rounded the point. Darma steered the boat closer to the shoreline, and the water smoothed out. The beach looked beautiful, and the hills rose behind them in smoky greens and grays. Across the blue water was Sumatra.

  I am on a boat between Java and Sumatra, Dan thought. How cool is that?

  He was just starting to regret not packing a lunch when the crew set out bowls full of coconut rice. Dan and Amy feasted while they watched the larger cargo ships out in the strait.

  The sun was high overhead when Darma signaled to them. “Okay, crossing the strait now.” He pointed. “There is Rakata.”

  They could see it now, the island with the volcanic peak of Anak Krakatau, the child of Krakatau. Dan felt a chill along his spine.

  Darma headed out into the strait, weaving the fishing boat through the busy traffic in the channel with skill. Gigantic cargo ships steamed by, sending their small boat rocking in their wakes. At last they sailed into quieter waters, past islands thick with palm trees and beckoning beaches. They were in the middle of a tropical paradise. It must have looked similar to this when Robert Cahill Henderson first arrived. Except that where the mighty Krakatau once rose from the sea, now a new mountain was rising. It was flat on top, and the white smoke was mixed with gray. Dan heard a rumble of thunder but hardly registered it. He was too much in awe of the sight in front of him. Somehow you could feel the power of it, of how much boiling energy was contained inside.

  Even though he’d pretended not to listen, his brain couldn’t help but record the facts Amy had read to him back on Shep’s plane: 36,000 people died, mostly in the tsunamis that followed the final explosion on August 27; two-thirds of the island was blown away; the final, massive explosion was heard more than 2,000 miles off; shock waves circled the earth seven times; the ash cloud was propelled upward for fifty miles and circled the globe for thirteen days, eventually creating amazing sunsets throughout the following year. All the numbers added up to one bad volcano.

  Darma gave the helm to one of his crew and came back to them. “Not good today,” he said. He pointed. “Very active.”

  Dan saw something sliding down the mountain. Clouds of smoke rose from it as it thundered into the sea. Rocks flew out and splashed so close that Dan could see them. They floated on top of the gentle waves. “Is it erupting?”

  “No. But it’s not happy,” Darma said. “Those are pumice. Not good for the boat.”

  By the look of the island, Amy and Dan could see that even if they could explore it, they would find nothing. Krakatau had exploded into ash and fire. It had fallen into the sea and vaporized into the air. Seeing the power of the second mountain was enough.

  “He must have barely made it out alive,” Amy whispered to Dan. “And he lost everything. Everything he worked for.”

  “No pictures? No video?” Darma asked. “Most tourists do that.”

  They shook their heads. They didn’t need pictures to remember this.

  The trip back across the channel was nerve-wracking, but they trusted Darma’s handling of the boat and the expert scrambling of the crew. They had hours before they got back, and now there was nothing to do but sit and look at the same shoreline they’d stared at for hours on the way there. The question was, once they got back to Jakarta, what would they do next? Dan almost asked the question out loud, but then he remembered that he was barely talking to his sister. She looked so bummed that he almost forgot how mad he was.

  The sun slipped lower in the sky behind them as they finally rounded the point and headed for Jakarta.

  Darma came back to talk to them. “Excuse me? We are near the Thousand Islands. Beautiful spot, tourist destination …”

  “We really have to get back,” Amy said.

  “Just a little out of your way,” Darma said with a wide smile. “I have quick delivery to one island, it won’t take long at all!”

  Dan shrugged. “I guess it’s okay.”

  They motored through the islands. They could see beautiful houses on some of them, while some were uninhabited.

  “He lives on a tiny island, not near the others,” Darma explained. “Orders groceries, supplies, things like that. Old man, doesn’t say much — my friend took him to Krakatau, just like you! No video for him, either!”

  Darma slowed the engine as they chugged toward a lush tropical island. The crew loaded the supplies into a rubber raft. “It will take a moment only,” Darma said.

  The crew began bringing up supplies from the cabin. Amy sat up.

  “Dan,” she whispered. “I saw a rosemary plant! Remember Irina’s clue?”

  Dan turned to Amy. “Okay, this is totally weird, but are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “That the guy on the island is a Cahill?”

  “That the guy on the island is Robert Cahill Henderson!”

  “That’s impossible! He’d be … about a hundred and forty years old!”

  Dan nodded. “Exactly. Maybe the great Cahill secret is eternal life. Or at least a life extender. Think about it, Amy. Wouldn’t it make you the most powerful person in the world? Maybe Robert Cahill Henderson didn’t go off to die. Maybe he came back here, and for the last fifty years, he’s been working on the formula!”

  “It’s crazy,” Amy said slowly.

  “It could be true,” Dan argued.

  They both jumped up. “We’re getting off here!” Amy announced. “We’ll take the supplies!”

  “But there’s no hotel here!” Darma protested. “Nothing for tourists!”

  “It’s okay! We love to camp!” Dan fished in his pocket and came up with more money. He pressed it on Darma. “Pick us up tomorrow, okay?” Dan asked. He slipped out of the boat into the knee-deep water. He picked up one of the boxes and balanced it on his head.

  Amy slipped over the rail. She picked up the other box. “B
ye!”

  Darma hauled the rubber raft aboard. He looked confused. But he shrugged and waved at them. Within moments, his boat had rounded the end of the island and disappeared.

  CHAPTER 23

  Nellie ran her hands through her hair groggily. She looked at the clock. She couldn’t believe that she’d slept for twelve hours.

  Naturally, Dan and Amy were gone. And this time, they hadn’t even left a note.

  She checked her e-mail, and sure enough, there were two messages from clashgrrl. She typed in the code and sighed.

  KEEP THEM CLOSE. RED ALERT. ARRANGE IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE.

  “Now you tell me,” Nellie said out loud.

  Saladin mewed plaintively. “You, too?” Nellie asked. She scooped him up and petted him absentmindedly. She couldn’t believe she’d lost Amy and Dan again. She’d give them an hour or so before she started to tear her hair out.

  Saladin squirmed out of her arms. She was holding him too tight. It was because she was worried. Something didn’t feel right.

  They were usually good about letting her know when they split. But she’d caught the looks between them when they’d found out she could fly a plane. They were starting to suspect her. Poor little dudes. They couldn’t trust anybody.

  Another message popped up from clashgrrl. The subject line read don’t b lame!

  That meant the message was of the utmost urgency.

  Nellie shut the laptop with one bare foot. She wasn’t going to check in until she found them. She had a bad feeling about this.

  Irina stayed behind as Isabel entered the shop. Isabel had hired a car, but Irina had been able to keep up on a motorcycle. She wore a disguise, but Isabel hadn’t taken any of the usual precautions, which meant that she felt safe in Jakarta.

  Isabel had a canvas shopping bag that had started out empty and was now bulging with items. Irina had been able to get close enough with the scope in her camera to see what Isabel was buying.

  This last item sent a chill through Irina. It was just as she suspected. Isabel had cunning, but not much imagination.

  And so here it was. Her last stand would take place here. The power of the 39 Clues could not rest in Lucian hands if Isabel Kabra was the head of the branch.

  What would the consequences be if she acted against her leader? She knew very well. She would be cast out. Every Lucian would know that she had betrayed the branch. Isabel and Vikram would make sure of that. They would make up a story, slant things their way. Everything she knew would be gone — money, connections, purpose. The world would become an empty place, and she would become a ghost.

  She had no choice. She had to try. What is the difference between you? Amy had asked.

  This is the difference, Amy. There are some things I will not do. And there are some things I will not allow to happen.

  She turned and ran into Ian and Natalie.

  Natalie smiled. Irina couldn’t see her eyes behind the black sunglasses.

  “Good news. My countersurveillance indicates that your mother has not been tailed,” Irina said. Not by a flicker of an eyelash would she allow these two hooligans to see they’d unnerved her.

  “I have more good news,” Natalie said. “Mother received new orders this morning.”

  “And?”

  Stealthily, Irina shot out a needle from each index finger. It would be easier to operate if these two were out of commission for a nice long while.

  Natalie moved with such speed that Irina had time for only a flicker of astonishment. She’d always thought of the sulky girl as incapable of zeal. Natalie’s hand shot forward, grabbed Irina’s finger, and bent it back almost all the way. Irina felt white pain as her finger joint popped. And then the needle sank in.

  Amy and Dan dropped the boxes on the beach and trudged up toward the path.

  “Why did we let Darma go?” Amy asked. “If we don’t find anybody, we’ll have to spend the night here.”

  “That would totally rock,” Dan said. “Like Robinson Cruise-o.”

  “Robinson Crusoe,” Amy corrected. They reached the lush tropical forest and struck out on the path.

  “I bet Troppo will be glad to see us,” Dan said. “We’re just one big happy family, right?”

  Amy was filled with foreboding. The sun had gone down behind the hill, so the shadows were lengthening. She was suddenly afraid of what they would find.

  Dan stepped out into a clearing. “Whoa,” he said. “Look at this.”

  The shell of a large building stood by a stand of palms. Construction equipment still littered the ground, big concrete blocks, thick coils of wire, clay tiles. “It looks like they were going to build a hotel,” Dan said. “Look, there are more buildings down there.”

  “Dan,” Amy said. “Look.”

  She pointed to the sand. Footprints were clearly outlined. Dan put his own foot next to one. The footprint was much larger, the footprint of a man. Amy’s doubts about Dan’s theory were suddenly crowded out by her fear.

  They followed the footprints past the abandoned hotel and through the clearing. Down the path they could see a small crescent beach, the sand colored pink by the setting sun. Tall palms surrounded it. The footprints disappeared, melded into the dimples of the soft sand.

  Amy caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. A hammock was strung between two palm trees. It swayed back and forth gently. She couldn’t see the person lying in it, just one bare foot gently pushing the ground to keep it rocking.

  They walked closer, hardly breathing. As they reached the hammock, they could see a pair of perfectly pressed lemon-yellow linen shorts. A crisp white shirt. And, his eyes closed, a smile on his face … their cousin Alistair Oh.

  CHAPTER 24

  Alistair opened one eye. If he was surprised to see them, he didn’t show it.

  “Welcome to paradise,” he said.

  He swung both legs down so that he was sitting up. “You look disappointed.”

  “We didn’t expect to see you here,” Dan muttered.

  “I could say the same,” Alistair said. “Except it wouldn’t be quite true. I’m getting to the point where I’m never surprised when you pop up.”

  Dan wanted to punch a tree. He was sure he was on the trail of the oldest man in the world. Instead, he’d only found another Cahill cousin.

  And he still wasn’t sure how he felt about Alistair. Amy had cried when she’d thought Alistair had died in the cave-in back in Korea. Even he had gotten a little damp. Well, okay, he’d cried. A little. But then it turned out Alistair was alive. Which meant he’d totally scammed them. It hadn’t been the first time, either. He was an Ekaterina, just as intent on finding the 39 Clues as they were.

  Still, he’d helped them in Egypt. It wasn’t his fault his submersible — which he’d invented — had sunk. Well, maybe it was his fault. They’d almost been fish food under the Nile.

  “What are you doing here, Alistair?” Amy asked.

  “Same thing you are, I expect,” Alistair said. “Trying to figure out what Robert C. Henderson did here. A brilliant man. An Ekat, of course.”

  “We guessed that,” Dan said. “We tracked him in Australia.”

  “Did you now.” Alistair’s eyes gleamed. “I’d hate for you to come all the way to Indonesia without satisfying a bit of your curiosity. How about another information exchange? You tell me what you learned in Australia, and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned here. Deal?”

  Dan and Amy exchanged a glance. They’d shared information with Alistair before. It usually worked out okay.

  “You probably know he was a scientist,” Alistair said. “Like so many of our branch, he had a brilliant and inventive mind. He ascended the ranks of the Ekat elite very quickly and attracted the notice of the branch leaders. He was headed for great things. And then he made a great mistake.” Alistair paused. “He fell in love with a Lucian.”

  Dan groaned. “Oh, please. Barf control! Not a love story.”

  “Yes, a love story. But man
y love stories are also … betrayal stories. She was highborn, a cousin of Queen Victoria. Which gave the Ekats an idea. There had been a rumor—well, more than a rumor—that about sixty years before a highborn Lucian in the Russian monarchy had assembled most — or even all — of the thirty-nine clues. The Madrigals destroyed his evidence in a raid. But he had retained one copy for safekeeping. It was passed to Lucian headquarters in London sometime in the 1880s. We suspect that the Madrigals killed Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1918, searching for that list. But that’s another story. Only the Ekats knew that the list had been passed to London.”

  Amy didn’t look at Dan. Dan didn’t look at Amy. They had found the evidence of the assembled Clues back in Russia, but they weren’t about to tell Alistair that.

  “However — and this is so typically Lucian — even if they had been able to steal and trick enough to get so many, they didn’t have the skill to figure out amounts. That is a job for the Ekats. So they gave Robert Henderson a choice. His fiancée’s father was the branch leader of the Lucians. If Robert didn’t spy on him and try to ascertain whether the Lucians had the thirty-nine clues, he would be kicked out of the Ekats forever.”

  Amy gasped. “That’s terrible!”

  Alistair turned his dark eyes on her. “After all this time, all this effort, you still don’t understand how important this is, do you?”

  “I do. It’s just that—”

  He shook his head. “No. If you truly understood what was at stake, you would know that it’s sometimes necessary to be ruthless. At any rate, Robert Henderson was torn. Apparently, he was deeply in love. But he was also something else — a scientist. The temptation to find the clues and assemble them — he couldn’t resist that challenge. So he successfully stole the only copy of the clues the Lucians had. Naturally, they knew perfectly well it was he who had done it, so … the marriage was off. The Ekats got him on a ship to the South Seas and made up a story about him following Darwin. But he really went to Indonesia. Then, of course, he made his fatal mistake. He built his lab on a known volcano. There were reasons for it — it was uninhabited, and he was able to harness its geothermal energy to power his lab. He was an Ekat, after all. He was taking a chance, and he knew it. Of course, he lost the gamble.”