by James Gough
“They all have the same mother?” asked Will.
“Of course. Mrs. Drone. Can’t you see the resemblance?” The nurse slopped toward the exit. “And I’m serious about having you all volunteer. The Linquists are expecting a litter of two-hundred and seven next week; we could use some candy stripers.”
Everybody was appalled by the idea except Berko, who seemed to enjoy playing with the little grubs. He’d stopped hanging lanterns and was letting a few maggots climb up the back of his wings, then slide into the sludge.
“Uh, we’ll think about it. Thanks,” said Mars as she pulled a fistful of green goop from her purple hair. She waited for the nurse to leave, then she slugged over and peered down the tunnel that led to the hatchery.
“Coast is clear,” she whispered as she returned to Will and Berko, pushing a maggot out of the way with her foot. “Okay, Houdini, how’d you pull off the disappearing fang trick in front of everybody? I saw you put it in your pocket. You were so caught. Then poof! ‘Oh, sorry, scary Agent Liska, all I have is gum and fuzz.’—It was genius! So come on Stinky, fess up. How’d you do it?”
“I don’t know,” whispered Will. “It just vanished.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious.”
“Fine, don’t tell us. But see if we share any secrets with you.”
“I’m telling the truth, Mars. I have no clue how it happened.”
She eyed him. “Honest?”
“Honest. I swear. I thought you or Berko took it.”
“It wasn’t me.” Berko was cradling one of the maggots in his arms.
“Wasn’t me either,” said Mars. “But who could have taken it without you knowing?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Rizz?”
Mars shook her head. “I doubt it. If Rizz had known about the fang, he wouldn’t have let us walk into a trap like that.”
“Dr. Noctua?” said Will.
“Maybe. But I don’t know how. He never even went near you.”
They were quiet for a minute. Will replayed the interrogation in his mind. “Wait a second. What did Liska mean that there was an eyewitness who saw me with the fang? I think Liska has a spy.”
Mars folded her arms and frowned. “You might be right. Remember how she got that message right after the stampede?”
“But who?” asked Will.
“Who’s been close to you?”
“Well, besides you guys, just Dr. Noctua, Nurse Starr, and the four agents.” Will shrugged.
“Hmm,” Mars rubbed her chin. “Well, we know it’s not Kaya, she’s been down and out. Rizz hates Liska’s guts. The Doc? No way. Georgia? I’m not a big fan of the Nurse of Nag, but I doubt if Georgia Starr would help Liska. That leaves Manning and Flores.”
The friends stared at each other for second. “Flores,” they all said in unison.
“That jerk!” snapped Mars. “He’s been spying for Liska the whole time. The traitor! He tried to get us arrested.”
“Wait a second,” said Will, his eyes wide. “Flores said he got knocked out right before the wolf attacked me and his window is right next to mine.”
“And?”
“And, what if he was just pretending to be knocked out and he let the wolfchant onto the ledge?”
“And he knew your schedule when you got caught in the stampede, right?” Mars questioned.
“Yeah, but we were running late. I was supposed to be in the cafeteria right when he and the jackal enchants attacked.” Will’s head was spinning. “He must have helped the wolf in New York, too.”
“He’s also a reptilian,” blurted Berko.
“Yeah, just like Cylus. They’ve probably been working together all along.” Mars was on a roll. “And it wouldn’t surprise me if he had something to do with the Builders attacking too, the cold-blooded creep.”
Will didn’t say anything about the Builders, but everything else seemed to fit. “So now we’re going to tell Rizz and Dr. Noctua, right?”
“First we need proof,” Mars stated.
“How do we get that?” asked Will.
“Sanctuary Day Eve is two days away, right? So the mountain will be full of enchants. I know Noctua got us all tickets for Cirque Du Amazon in the Gathering Hall at noon—it’s supposed to be a surprise. You just keep Flores away from his room. Me and Berko will find the evidence and meet you at the show.”
“How will you get in?”
“Let’s just say, I’ve never met a lock I couldn’t pick. We just need to make a few plans. Oh man!” As she was speaking a large glop of mucus dropped from the ceiling onto her wing. She flapped once, flicking it against the wall. “And let’s hurry. I’ve had enough snot for one day.”
26
Sanctuary Day Eve
As predicted, Dr. Noctua surprised Will with tickets to Cirque Du Amazon as a reward for preparing for his naturalization test. Flores and Manning were escorting him to the Gathering Hall at noon, when the mountain was supposed to be the busiest. Mars and Berko were in position outside Agent Flores’ room.
Manning insisted that they leave an hour and a half early. It seemed silly until they stepped into the halls. St Grimm's was wall-to-wall insanity. Thousands of enchants dressed in gold and white paraphernalia packed every corridor.
Will and the agents pressed through a maze of snack carts peddling bizarre enchant delicacies. A snaggle-toothed pit bull enchant sold hot-marinated bones on a stick. A dumpy llamachant offered chocolate-covered milkweed. An old aardvark boasted his prize-winning honey-toasted roaches while a group of cockroach enchants waved signs and picketed his booth. A gooey leach-woman handed out plasma parfaits in containers designed to look like IV bags. The combination of odors almost made Will forfeit his breakfast.
Pushing through the crowd, he held his breath, glad his smell enhancer was tucked in his pocket and not on his nose.
There was a bottleneck at the entrance to the Pediatrics ward—hundreds of enchant kids and their moms surrounded an enormous elephant enchant in a clown suit. When the ten-foot Bozo stood on his trunk and began juggling three volunteers with his enormous feet, the corridor became impassible to anyone unable to walk on the walls or wing their way over traffic.
The agents decided to try a different route. They squeezed through a group of prickly porcupine children and side-stepped a family of quail enchants darting from column to column in single file. After several more detours, they pressed through a tour group of gold-dyed duckchants and into the inner circle. It was shoulder to shoulder enchants, especially around the habitat chambers, where wild festivities were in full swing.
The Serengeti chamber rang with African music and was packed with dancing lion enchants in beautiful robes.
In the bog cavern, actors recreated a medieval fair with jesters and jousting. A frog enchant was dressed as a prince.
A herd of moose enchant tourists in Hawaiian shirts clogged up the Dizzy Zone, laughing and twirling to keep from freezing and frying.
Agent Manning had been right to leave so early. With the blocked hallways, they entered the Gathering Hall with only minutes to spare. Once inside, they were ushered to Dr. Noctua’s private box in a giant column close to the stage, five stories up. The view was incredible.
“Welcome.” Dr. Noctua wore a gold tie and 200 button on his lapel. There were three extra seats in the box. “I invited Dr. Dervis to the show, but I doubt he’ll come. He’s been hiding in his R&D lab for two days without answering his phone or his door. I believe he’s not fond of the Sanctuary Day crowds.”
Dr. Noctua peered over the balcony at the growing audience. “I do hope Margarit and Berko make it. Do you have any idea where they’ve run off to?”
Will shrugged, trying to look innocent.
“Well, if they don’t hurry, they’ll miss it. This is supposed to be the hottest ticket of the week.” Dr. Noctua motioned to the rainforest set that had been constructed in the center of the hall.
At the top of the dome, a huge globe the si
ze of a house hung from the ceiling with “200” emblazoned in golden letters. Just like the thousands of smaller spheres dotting the hall, it was filled with a beautiful swirling cloud.
There was a buzz in the air—hundreds of thousands of laughing, smiling enchants waiting to be entertained. Will glanced at Flores. The agent had been fidgeting all morning and reaching for his mirror that he claimed had been stolen. Will hoped Mars and Berko would find plenty of proof that Flores was a mole.
As the lights dimmed, Will peeked into the booth next to Noctua’s and flinched. Cylus was glaring at him and flashing his silver fang. At his side, Councilman De la Vega sat with his scaly nose in the air. Cylus hissed and flicked his tongue at Will.
“Don’t embarrass me, nephew, or you’ll be sorry.” De la Vega grabbed the back of Cylus’ neck and forced his head forward. Cylus winced and stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched.
Will was stunned. “De la Vega is Cylus’ uncle?”
The doctor nodded. “Cylus’ mother is the councilman’s sister.”
The resemblance was obvious—the waxy yellow scales and the flat black eyes were identical. But as Will watched them, he almost felt sorry for Cylus. Victor De la Vega snarled and snapped, correcting Cylus’ posture, berating his intelligence, and criticizing him for having lost a fang.
The lights dimmed. Music began to build and two-hundred performers in bright, colorful costumes flew across the heads of the audience and met onstage in an explosion of fireworks. As the smoke cleared, the acrobats had formed a giant 200. The audience cheered. Performers jumped and flipped through the trees, twisting like a single entity. More brightly dressed acrobats appeared on the ceiling of the dome and climbed down the cables that held the massive globe.
With a sudden metallic crack, a cable snapped and the giant ball listed to one side. The performers on the stage stopped their routine and looked up. Another cable broke, causing the globe to swing the other way.
Performers panicked and dove into the front rows of the audience.
Screeching, the last cable broke. The huge sphere crashed to the stage and burst in a swirling cloud of amber gas that swept over the screaming audience like a vaporous tsunami.
A smaller globe shattered two balconies away. Will looked up.
Builders. Thousands of them dressed like the performers were crawling along the ceiling, releasing the gaseous globes.
Gas was everywhere. Howls and shrieks cascaded through the hall.
A globe dropped in Will’s box and blinded him with acidic-tasting gas. Coughing and spitting, he covered his face. The gas only lasted a moment, then began to dissipate. When it cleared, he tested the air. Besides the bad taste, he was just a little hazy.
“What was that?” he asked.
There was no response. Below, the crowd quieted, only a few random squawks and barks carried through the mist. Manning stood rigid, flicking her ears and sniffing the air.
“Agent Manning?” As Will stepped closer, she bounded into a corner and stared at him with wild eyes, shifting back and forth. “What’s wrong?”
Manning bolted to the other corner of the box.
“I think there’s something wrong with Agent Manning.” Will turned around, but Flores was gone, his clothes in a pile on the floor.
“Doctor? What’s happening?” Dr. Noctua had taken off his jacket and dropped his cane. Will reached to touch the owlchant’s shoulder.
Dr. Noctua spun his head around and snapped at Will’s fingers with his beak. His giant yellow eyes were cool and animal-like. He screeched, then dove off the rail, spreading his wings and flapping into the mist.
Will was stunned. Some of the crowd below were walking on all fours and grouping into herds for protection, while others formed packs and stalked them. “What’s wrong with everyone?” There were no answers, just the caws and shrieks of the wild.
An ominous hiss sent a chill across Will’s back. Cylus expanded his hood and slunk across the balconies. Will looked for help. Manning still cowered in the corner.
My training. Will’s thought was instinctive.
He found his audio enhancer, put it in his ear and closed his eyes.
Cylus climbed over the rail, causing Agent Manning to dart back and forth. The cobrachant was focused on Will.
Cylus struck once. Will dodged and jumped onto the rail. Cyrus pursued him. Will’s back hit the wooden frame around the box.
Cylus struck.
Will vaulted to his left.
Fangs sank deep into the wood.
Hissing and pounding his fists, Cylus tried to free himself, but he was stuck fast.
In the commotion, Agent Manning bolted over the rail and leapt from balcony to balcony until she reached the main floor.
“Agent Manning!” Will tried to follow, but she was too quick.
By the time he made it to the floor of the Gathering Hall, he was completely alone. Through the haze of the gas, a few herds of enchants ran up the aisles on the other side of the hall, but most had taken cover or fled through the doors.
With his hearing enhancer in, Will made his way through the ocean of seats, listening hard for signs of danger. A mountain lion-woman, crouched between the rows, swiped at his legs. Will heard her just in time to avoid her claws.
Above him, a vulturechant circled.
The empty seats were silent as gravestones. Will pressed on.
A guttural cackle warned of a group of hyenachants hunting a few rows away. He hid behind a column until they left in pursuit of a zebra-woman.
The exit was close.
Will ducked too late and received a scratch on his cheek from a diving falconchant.
A mongoose enchant sliced Will’s calf and shredded his pant leg. He needed to get out of sight.
Crawling between the aisles, Will heard a hiss and stopped cold. Councilman De la Vega loomed in front of Will, his cobra hood unfurled. He slithered closer and stretched wide his jaws, extending his fangs. Yellow venom dribbled down the side of his lip.
The cobra enchant was poised to move in for the kill when a shadow passed over his head. There was a piercing shriek and De la Vega was gone, wrenched into the air by powerful talons. Dr. Noctua clicked his beak at Will, then carried the thrashing councilman out the doors.
His heart pounding in his ears, Will ran straight to the exit. He narrowly avoiding a waspchant with a two-foot stinger, and a crab enchant who snapped at his ankle from under a seat.
The inner circle was a disaster. The habitat chambers were strewn with clothes and debris. Decorations were shredded. Every gas-filled globe lay shattered on the floor. Will wriggled under an overturned t-shirt cart and tried to think. His new vault-like room was several floors away, but it would be the safest place to hide until he could figure out what was going on. Will had to try and make it back. It was far too dangerous to stay where he was.
A group of crazy-eyed walrus enchants almost trampled Will as he crouched among huge chunks of ice that had been ripped from the arctic chamber.
As he moved past the Serengeti chamber, a pack of lion enchants stalked him from the tall grass. He picked up his pace.
Outside Zwick’s Emporium, a flock of waddling penguinchants fed on an overturned fish-on-a-stick cart. Inside, chimpanzee enchants ransacked the store.
The lobby was bedlam. Predators and prey smashed furniture and gouged the doors in an attempt to escape. A female condor enchant the size of a taxi perched on the statue of the Grimm brothers.
Will attempted to sneak past, but was hit from behind and pinned to the stone floor. Something snarled in his ear.
Sharp pointed teeth and torch-like hair flashed into focus. Liska licked her lips.
Will scrambled away.
Liska lunged.
Chaos erupted.
Sergeant Gnar bellowed as he rammed Liska with his horn. At the same moment, the condorchant swooped down and struck Gnar. The collision sent the condor enchant spinning into a pack of bobcat enchants who mobbed the giant bird.
Gnar and Liska turned on each other, growling and biting until they crashed into the hostile mass of enchants near the front doors.
In the riot, Will ran toward the elevators.
It was no use. The hall to the atrium was blocked by a swarm of hornet enchants collecting food carts.
There was only one option—Will would have to take the long route back to his room.
In the corridor outside Pediatrics, protective mothers circled the unconscious elephant clown. Snarling enchants gathered their young and lashed out as Will slid along the wall. Teeth, horns and claws pressed in from every direction.
Will stumbled on a pile of sanctuary flags soaked with oil from an overturned fry cart. He grabbed a flag pole and lit it with an exposed burner. The flames kept the enchants back long enough to make it out of the corridor.
He backed down the hall where the food vendors had been. It was now empty. He eased across the stone floor. Humming stopped him. Dozens of enchants hovered above the stand that had sold plasma parfaits. The winged horde was draining the novelty IV bags. Mosquitoes!
Will raised the flagpole but the flame was nearly out. A pale mosquito enchant with a pointed face sniffed and turned Will’s direction. The swarm followed his lead, bobbing forward and surrounding him.
Will swung the smoldering torch, but it was no use. The lead mosquito parted his lips. Two 12-inch tubes stretched from his gums. Will backed away, swinging the pole with little effect.
High-pitched screeching stopped the attack midair.
A flash of purple hair dove at the lead mosquito. Mars caught his wing in her teeth and threw him against the floor. The rest of the mosquitochants scattered as Berko landed beside Will. With the pole raised above his head, Will tried to anticipate what Berko might do.
Berko stared at Will, then blinked. “What? You think I’m gonna eat you, mate?”
Will dropped the pole. “You’re…you?"
“Yeah, I’m me. But even if I weren’t, I’m part fruit bat, Will.” He shook his head in dismay. “And Mars said Immunes were good at tagging.”
“She told you I was an Immune?”
