by Jude Watson
She rooted in her backpack. She found packages of peanut butter crackers and tossed one to Dan. "Breakfast.
"Dan ripped open the package. "Okay. Last night I tried to figure out how to trace Henderson, but my brain started to hurt. This city is huge. And we have zip for leads."
"I still wish we could see Krakatau," Amy said. "If we could just be where he was, we might figure something out."
"Remember what the desk clerk said when Nellie asked about cheeseburgers?" A little rain of cracker dust spewed out of Dan's mouth when he talked, but Amy wasn't about to mention it. "You can get anything in Jakarta. Maybe if we could just see it, or see what's around it... we'd notice something."
Dan popped the last cracker in his mouth. "It beats sitting around here."Amy looked over at the bed, where Nellie was sprawled out, her breathing deep and regular."
She was so exhausted last night she didn't even listen to her iPod," Amy said. "We can't wake her up.
Let's do a little more research." She reached for Dan's laptop.Dan flopped back on the bed. "Research? Is that all you can think about?"
"I want to see if there's any more I can find out about that ship. Nellie just flew us over an ocean. We owe her a little sleep.""Do we?" Dan asked.
"I don't know how much we owe her."
"What do you mean?"
"It is funny that we keep finding out stuff about her,"
Dan said in a low tone. "Remember what you said on the plane?""I thought you weren't listening."
"I just wasn't talking to you. I'm still not, except when I have to. You said it was like she was trained for this job. You're right."
"I know. And remember that weird message we heard on her cell phone back in Russia? Call in for a status report... Madame Mysterioso is right." Amy bit her lip. "It's not that I don't trust her. I mean, she's Nellie. She's totally cool. It's just that... who is she, really?"
"You never know who anybody is," Dan said. "Even the people closest to you. I've learned that for sure."Amy felt herself blush. She knew Dan wasn't just talking about the Cahills.
He was talking about her, too.
Dan glanced over at the sleeping Nellie. "I was thinking ... if we took a look at her e-mails ..."
"How can we do that?" Amy asked. "I know she uses your laptop to check in, but she has a password."Dan looked embarrassed. "Urn ... I memorized it." At Amy's astonished look, he quickly said, "I didn't mean to! One morning she was checking e-mail, and I watched her fingers on the keys, and I just... remember it."Dan gave the sleeping Nellie a quick glance. "So all we have to do is log in to her account, and we can plug it in."
"That is so wrong," Amy whispered.
There was a short silence. Amy sighed. "And I wish I'd thought of it first."She logged on. Dan leaned forward and whispered, "Whoa Nellie." In a moment, they had accessed Nellie's
e-mail list. There was a message from her father, agomez, saying DONDE ESTAS YOU NOW and a new message from someone called clashgrrl at a Boston University e-mail address."Look, clashgrrl sent Nellie a message yesterday, too," Amy said. "The subject line says 'check in babe.
Probably one of her college friends."
"Sounds like it." Amy clicked on the message. ENTER PASSWORD came up on screen. "That's funny. Are all of her individual e-mails password protected?" Amy clicked on her father's message.
Hola wayward daughter, haven't heard from you since Sydney.
Check in with the old man so he can sleep at night. Your admiring169and ever-patient father. PS. If you're anywhere near Thailand, ship me some hot sauce.
Amy smiled. "Sounds like her dad is a lot like Nellie."
"Check the rest of the e-mails."
Amy went through them. Nellie had received plenty of other e-mails from friends and some from her little sister, but the only ones they couldn't access were from clashgrrl.
"Why is Nellie getting password-protected messages?" she asked Dan.
They both looked at their sleeping au pair. Just the top of her head was visible. Without her crackling gaze, she looked different asleep, like someone they didn't know."Trust no one,"
Amy whispered. Hadn't they known that from the very beginning? But Nellie? Thinking that she could be hiding things from them made Amy feel shaky and off balance, as though the ground was moving underneath them.
Dan just looked angry. "If she doesn't tell us everything, why should we tell her everything?" He balled up the cracker wrapper and tossed it in the trash can. "Let's go find a volcano."
CHAPTER 22
The city of Jakarta had come alive as though at once, in an explosive roar.
Outside their hotel, Dan and Amy stood in amazement, watching the trucks, cars, bicycles, and taxis tangle and untangle on the street. Palm trees waved overhead in the breeze, and the sidewalk was packed with people hurrying to work.
"It'll take us hours to get anywhere," Amy said.
Was she always this negative, or did Dan just notice it more when he was mad at her? "Not if we take one of those." Dan pointed down the street. Heading toward them was an orange scooter with three wheels and an open cabin in the back. Dan waved.
"What are you doing?"
"It's a taxi," Dan said. "This thing doesn't have to wait in traffic, either."The driver pulled over. "You need a Bajaj? Easy ride, very cheap, and fast, too. I go everywhere."
"Can you take us to boats?" Dan asked. "Harbor?"
"Harbor, yes, of course. No worries! Hop in!" They climbed into the back. The driver took off.
Amy's head slammed back from the acceleration."Sweet!"
Dan cried. He couldn't help it.The scooter dodged between cars and trucks. It made lanes where there were no lanes. It scooted down alleys and rattled through tiny streets. It almost mowed down pedestrians.
Dan's head filled with the smell of gasoline and smog, and the noises of the city pressed against him. It was like being in the center of a roaring, rattling machine.
He loved Jakarta.
The streets got narrower as their driver zoomed along. Suddenly, they could smell the sea. The driver slowed down, and they passed a market where brightly colored beach umbrellas were stuck in the ground, shading blankets where men in shorts and flip-flops sat selling baskets of fish. They were calling out in high-pitched voices, throwing money around like crazy, and he wished they could stop and check it out.
Ahead they saw masts and colorful sails. The driver pulled up near the harbor. Dan held out a hand filled with crumpled bills, and the driver took some out."Do you need a tour?" He swept a hand, taking in the harbor. "I know it all. My cousin owns a fishing boat. Best boat in the harbor, best pilot."
"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 laug
hed. Amy turned to Dan. "What did he say?"
"I think something about Sunday and ships.173Is 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. "Bye!"
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 absent-mindedly.
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 blame! 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 counter-surveillance 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."
