by James Gough
“Hey, Rizz,” he called.
“What’s up, kid?”
“Those little enchants right there.” He pointed to the miniatures. “Are those Builders?”
Rizz glanced sideways at Will. “Yeah, why?”
“Do you think I’ll get to see any for real?”
“Hold on there, kid. Why would you ever want to see a Builder? They are deadly killers. Enchant parents tell their kids to eat their veggies or the Builders will get them. When she was little Margarit used to wake up screaming because she thought there was a Builder under her bed. Every enchant is terrified of them, and you want to meet one?”
“I was just curious, that’s all.” He shrugged.
“Well, don’t be. Builders are bad news—trust me. Besides, like the guide said, they’re not allowed to have contact with the rest of us.”
“Why not?”
“Never you mind.” Rizz became serious and laid a hand on Will’s shoulder. “Kid, Builders are the most dangerous enchants on earth. You can never get near one. Never. Promise?”
“Okay,” he nodded, more curious than ever. Were they like ants, attracted to sugar or food left on the floor? There had to be a way to see one up close.
Will wandered over to a giant stone wheel mounted on the wall, carved with ornate symbols. A triangle surrounded a circle that contained four animals—a ram, an ant, a rabbit, and a fish. A spiraling stairway with a star connected them. Three other animals were in the points of the triangle—a tiger, an eagle, and a snake, each watching over the circle.
“Bet you don’t know what that is either.” The snotty donkey-girl had broken away from her mother to stand at Will’s side.
“Sure I do,” he said.
“Oh yeah? Then what’s it called?”
Will blushed. He had no idea.
“I can’t believe you’ve never seen the Point of Sanctuary before,” she mocked. “It’s like the symbol of enchant freedom for the whole world.”
“I knew that,” Will lied.
“Whatever.” The little donkey enchant pursed her lips. “I learned all this in first grade.” She walked up to the symbol and pointed. “The triangle is St. Grimm’s or the Silent Sanctuary. The animals are the original seven enchant colonies. Those three,” she pointed at the tiger, eagle, and snake, “were the mountain’s Guardians. And the four inside were the Peace Keepers, Builders, Growers, and Traders. And the star in the middle was for Immunes. But they’re all dead now. The Point of Sanctuary symbolizes enchant unity.”
“Well, aren’t you a smart one.” Rizz bent down and looked the girl in the face.
“I am the smartest in my class.” The girl puffed out her chest.
“That’s real nice.” Rizz leaned closer. “But I’d be careful. I hear that smart little girls are a Builder’s favorite snack. And St. Grimm’s is full of Builders.”
The girl’s eyes filled with fear. “Mommy!” she cried and ran toward a heavy-set donkey enchant in a pink muu-muu.
“Thanks,” said Will.
“Don’t worry about it,” he cracked his knuckles as they walked to another exhibit. “I used to be a bratty kid, so I know how to handle them.”
Will stifled a laugh.
“Oh no. Angry mom at ten o’clock.” Rizz motioned to the moo-moo clad donkey enchant marching his direction with her crying daughter in tow. “You’d better get scarce. I’ll handle it.”
Will nodded and hurried away, finding a place to hide in a dark nook behind a large display case of armor. He watched the donkey-woman approach Rizz, wagging a finger in his face. Rizz feigned innocence.
Will bit his lip to keep from making any noise. A breeze fluttered the back of his shirt, sending a chill up his spine. It was coming from a gap between the wall and the case that had been covered by a dusty tarp. Curious, he moved the fabric to one side. A dimly-lit chamber was lined with neglected exhibits and soiled paintings. Glancing back at Rizz, Will stepped in. A blanket of dust had turned everything gray.
He wiped dust off a glass box and flinched, surprised to see a small model of a Builder. It was carrying a humungous boulder on its back. In the next case were examples of Builder artwork, intricate and detailed. Many of the displays were empty, some broken. A painting of Builders excavating a tunnel was slashed in half. Across another canvas, ‘monsters’ had been scrawled with red paint in huge lettering. A statue of three Builders had been shattered.
Will wondered why anyone would vandalize such beautiful art work. Or why it would be neglected in the first place. A lumpy shape caught Will’s attention. He pulled a tarp to one side. It was a diorama of hundreds of Builders putting the final touches on the statue of Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm in the lobby. Will had a sudden desire to see Builders up close. Did they move like ants or men? How big were they?
“Pssst. Kid, where are you?”
Rizz’s voice startled him. He rushed to the opening and squeezed back through the gap just as the ram enchant arrived at his hiding place.
“There you are. You owe me one. That was one unhappy mom.” Rizz rubbed his temple. “We’d better go, the tour is heading out.”
They were about to join the group when a blood-curdling scream stopped them in their tracks. Tourists began to shout and point above Will’s head. There was a rush for the exit as the terrified tour group knocked over displays.
Confused, Will looked up and froze. Six reddish-black Builders were walking down the wall of the dome. Each wore a leather vest and chaps over all four legs. Their faces were like immobile masks, expressionless accept for the clicking mandibles and twitching antennae. Even though they were only half the size of a normal person, they had huge thoraxes that made them incredibly imposing. They radiated power and intelligence—terrible and fascinating.
“Will, run!” Rizz grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over a fallen glass box and across the Gathering Hall.
He glanced back only once. The Builders had stopped on the Point of Sanctuary, frozen like menacing statues. Even at a distance, Will could see their small black eyes intensely focused on only one thing. Him.
17
Interrogation
At a steel table in the center of the interrogation room sat a scaly, skinny lizard enchant covered in tattoos. His bulbous, wet reptilian eyes glared at the woman with the torch-like red hair. He pulled at the restraints on his wrists and gritted his yellowed teeth, showing fang.
“Did you miss me, Virgil?” Deputy Director Liska hit the switch and the floodlights blazed. She slunk into a seat across the table and crossed her legs. “Now, where were we? Oh, yes. You were about to share information with me.”
The lizard enchant shook his head. “I already told you, I’m not talking. And there ain’t nothing you can do about it. I got rights. Get me my lawyer, ISPA cop.”
“Now, now, is that nice? Here I come to you for help and this is the response I get.” Liska ran her finger over the little man’s hand. Her face was intense and striking with high cheekbones that tapered to a pointed nose. She had a firm, feminine jaw and full, wide lips that covered her pointed teeth. Soft red fur started near her temples and feathered toward her hairline and down the sides of her long neck. Fox-like ears protruded from her stylish red hair. Her fire-orange eyes bore into the man across the table.
“See, I have a problem.” She smiled. “I want to meet a friend of yours.”
“I got lots of friends,” he smirked. “Hard to remember them all, Foxy.”
“Oh, you’d remember this one. Big, wolfish, with white eyes.”
Virgil’s bravado wavered and fear seeped into his scaly face. He flicked his tongue nervously. “Don’t ring a bell,” he squeaked.
“Really?” Liska sat on the edge of the table calmly. “We heard you were quite the team. I have four witnesses that fingered you as his accomplice in the Maryland Cloak factory robbery.”
“Whatever. What would I want with a bunch of hooded sweatshirts? I prefer leather.”
“Oh, come now, Vir
gil. Let’s not play stupid. We both know what’s stored in a Cloak factory.”
“No idea,” shrugged the reptilian.
Liska leaned forward, her pointed teeth inches from Virgil’s ear. “Gladius Encánto,” she hissed. “And do you know the penalty for trading in Gladius Encánto? Death. Now either you can tell me about your wolfchant friend or…” In a flash, a single claw point was touching the skin on the reptilian’s neck, his artery causing the claw to bounce slightly with each pulse.
“Hey, lady.” Virgil swallowed hard. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She flicked her claw, sending a cascade of scales onto Virgil’s shaking hands. “I know he scares you, Virgil, but believe me, you should fear me more.”
Virgil breathed in quick, shallow bursts. “Okay, okay.”
She dragged her claw along his neck toward his ear, leaving a pink line. “I’m listening.”
“He’s a hunter—a killer-for-hire—a very bad dude. Ow, ow, ow.”
Liska slid her claw a little farther. “Go on.”
“I sold him the blueprints for the factory in Maryland and Jersey and Mt. Sinai Hospital—but I don’t know nothing about no Gladius Encánto. I don’t mess with that stuff. It’s out of my league.”
“Who’s league is it in?” The fox enchant moved her claw toward the corner of Virgil’s eye.
“Don’t know. Never met whoever the hunter works for. Somebody big. Ow, ow. That’s it. I swear.”
The fox-woman withdrew her claw. Virgil gasped with relief and licked his watering eye.
“And the hunter? He never spoke of any jobs or associates?”
“He never talked about anything. Just…”
“Just what, Virgil?” She fixed her eyes on his.
“Well, I told him ‘good luck’ after he picked up the blueprints. He looks at me real mean and says, ‘I don’t need luck. I never fail.’”
Liska flashed five lethal claws in the reptile’s face. “You said you gave him plans for the hospital? Why?”
“Dunno. He said he had to get some kid.”
“Get him? Not abduct him? Is he working with the boy?” Her claws quivered as she extended them to their full length. “He must have said more than that. Tell me about the boy. Now.” There was danger in her voice. She pulled her arm back and seemed to take pleasure in the terror she saw in the man’s eyes.
Someone tapped on the steel door, interrupting the interrogation. Liska gritted her teeth and dropped her claws. “Hold that thought, Virgil.” She marched to the door and threw it open.
“Deputy, a word?” said the dry gravel voice. The Director’s enormous bulk filled the doorway. “We have a situation. Walk with me.”
“But my interrogation?”
“It can wait.” The Director clenched his jaw and stared intently at his subordinate.
Liska recognized the look. “What is it?”
“Builders,” he growled.
Liska closed the door and fell in step with her boss. He was right. Everything else would have to wait.
18
A Big Decision
The news of Builders attacking a group of tourists in the Gathering Hall engulfed the entire mountain like a firestorm. Rumors spread that three gazellechants had been eaten. Ned Fitzenrider in pathology heard an eight-year-old donkeychant girl had been kidnapped and taken deep into the bowels of the Builder catacombs. Mass hysteria swept through every hallway and cavern in St. Grimm’s.
“It’s happening again,” an older parrot-woman cried to a nurse at the front desk. “It’s just like before!”
“Calm down, Mrs. Finkle. It was only a sighting. Let’s stay calm.”
“You stay calm. I’m going home!” The parrot enchant joined the crowd of patients, tourists, and residents fleeing St. Grimm’s. The front lobby was a mob of confusion as the hospital staff tried to calm the panic.
Sergeant Gnar paced inside the yellow tape strung across the entrance to the inner ring and the Gathering Hall. The rhino enchant had detained the entire tour group and pulled them into a stuffy security office for questioning one at a time.
Will and Rizz had been questioned and released with a warning not to leave the country.
The enchants were so preoccupied with Builder gossip that Will was able to walk through the hallways with only a few sniffs and complaints about his stink.
“Where are we going?” He struggled to keep up with Rizz’s pace.
“Emergency meeting.”
They sped past the herbivore cafeteria and the redwood chamber. At a small janitor’s closet almost hidden by ivy, Rizz looked both ways. When the coast was clear, they entered. Mops and brooms hung on hooks. Everything smelled like bleach.
Rizz locked the door and stuck his thumb against a wad of green gum on the wall. With a crack, the supply shelves separated, revealing a hidden passage. Rizz rushed Will into a dimly lit tunnel and up a spiraling staircase that seemed to go on forever. When they reached a landing, Will was wheezing and doubled in two.
Rizz rapped on a giant oak door with iron hinges.
“Who’s there?” rang a familiar voice with a Spanish accent.
“It’s Rizz and Will. Open up.”
A series of metal clanks sounded inside the mammoth door. With a low groan, the hinges creaked open. An empty Italian tuxedo and bowtie stood in the doorway.
“Flores, the camouflage isn’t very effective when you’re in that getup,” smirked Rizz. He pushed passed the disembodied suit.
“I know that.” Agent Flores shook his head and hands to get rid of the color of the wall. “It was my morning off. I was at the tailor. No es justo.” The chameleon enchant’s eyes swiveled in opposite directions as he checked his face in his hand mirror.
The door closed with a resounding thud.
Will moved into the giant circular chamber and shivered. A cool breeze flowed from four arches that led to stone balconies. They were obviously in the peak of a giant tower. To the right, the plains spread below. To the left, the rough edge of St. Grimm’s mountain fell away.
A sudden gust of wind rattled something above Will’s head. Suspended from the lofty ceiling was a collection of ancient-looking flying contraptions. There was a glider with wood-ribbed fabric wings and a corkscrew helicopter run by foot pedals, along with a dozen small airships.
Will looked around. Every nook of the room housed a different collection. One corner was filled with antique hooded cloaks. Shelves were loaded with sculptures of half-humans from primitive cultures. A broad desk was blanketed with open books and half-written pages.
Dozens of framed photographs lined the wall. There were pictures of Mars as a baby, as a toddler, and as a child on Dr. Noctua’s shoulders. Photos of Dr. Noctua in a military pilot’s uniform were mixed with image of him shaking hands with foreign dignitaries. In the center was a black and white photograph of two young owl enchants—an owlish man and a woman with beautiful dark eyes.
The woman was truly beautiful, the perfect combination of owl and human. Like Kaya, her enchant traits were subtle, with almost an angelic quality. The young owl-man was strong and handsome. Will looked closer. Was that Dr. Noctua?
“I use to be quite the looker.” A raspy German accent at Will’s shoulder caused him to jump.
Dr. Noctua removed the spectacles from his beak, cleaned them on his robe, then replaced them while gazing at the wall of pictures. “Time is a funny thing. It takes away one’s youth and replaces it with wisdom.” He leaned on his cane. “It is usually a fair trade, although sometimes the price is steep.” He brushed the photo of the owl-woman with his feathered fingers.
“Who is she?” asked Will.
“My wife, Annabel. She is no longer with us.”
“Oh.” Will dropped his eyes.
“But let us not speak of the past. Come, you’ve had an eventful morning.” Dr. Noctua yawned. “Forgive me. Nocturnal instincts do have their disadvantages.”
The doctor led Will upstairs an
d through several more rooms. They passed a door decorated with music posters and a picture of a male model with bat wings. “Margarit is still asleep. It is best we speak outside.”
Kaya and Agent Manning were waiting on a large balcony. Will was ushered to a seat at a table where a single tray of herbivore food had been prepared. With the morning’s excitement, Will hadn’t realized how hungry he was. The agents and Dr. Noctua wanted to hear the details of the events in the Gathering Hall. Several packs of anti-eavesdropping mints hummed on the table just in case Margarit woke up. Between bites of his tofu lasagna, Will explained what happened, leaving out his side trip into the hidden room. Rizz filled in the gaps while Will chewed.
“Very puzzling,” Dr. Noctua said, clicking his beak. “Builders have been on Council-imposed restrictions for years. They are strictly forbidden to appear in public or have contact with enchant culture in any way. What could have provoked these six to violate the law? The repercussions could be staggering.”
“But I don’t get it.” Will stuffed a fork full of pasta into his cheek. “What’s the big deal about just being seen? It’s not like they hurt anybody or anything. I mean, they’re scary looking, but why do they have all these restrictions against them in the first place?”
Everyone at the table fidgeted slightly and looked at Dr. Noctua and then at Rizz.
Rizz set his jaw and stared over the stone railing at the distant mountains. “It’s a big deal because eleven years ago Builders tried to take over.”
“Take over what?”
“Everything. New Wik, the Council, St. Grimm’s. It was a full-blown uprising, an invasion. A lot of enchants were murdered. But Immunes were their special targets. Some were taken and never heard from again, most killed on the spot. Nobody could stop them, not even Special Branch. There were just too many Builders.”
Will’s mouth went dry. Builders had killed the Immunes?
