We had returned early in the morning on May 6, 1937. We weren’t too late. Our first goal was to get back to the Manhattan Tower Hotel, find Spader, and tell him what we had discovered on Third Earth. From there, we’d decide on a plan to make sure Winn Farrow destroyed theHindenburg. That was a weird feeling. We had to help make sure that a killer succeeded in murdering thirty-six people. But I couldn’t think of it like that. It was too horrific. I had to keep telling myself that we were making sure that history played out the way it was supposed to, and that Saint Dane wouldn’t change things. That was our mission. That was why we were on First Earth.
As we rode on the subway, I kept my head down finishing this journal. Like I told you up front, this may be the most important journal I’ve written yet. If we fail, and Saint Dane prevents theHindenburgfrom burning, the world will change, and this document will be the only proof of the way things were meant to be.
There’s one last thing that happened that I should write down. It didn’t really affect anything, but it’s worth writing about anyway.
The subway car rumbled toward the bridge that would take us across the East River into Manhattan. But I wasn’t watching. I was too busy writing. That’s when Gunny nudged me. He didn’t say a word; all he did was point out the window of the subway car, up toward the skyline of Manhattan. I didn’t know what he wanted me to see at first, but a few seconds later I caught sight of it-and it made me catch my breath.
It was just coming into view, high above the tallest buildings. It floated there like a quiet, majestic bird, lazily surveying the ground below. It was Luft Zeppelin-129. TheHindenburg. It had arrived in America. I watched the ship in open-mouthed awe. It was way bigger than I had imagined. I also couldn’t help but focus on the bold logos on its tail. There were two giant black swastikas on a red and white background, the symbol of the Nazi Party. Seeing them gave me a shiver.
People pressed against the subway windows to get a look at the impressive blimp. They waved, as if expecting the crew and passengers high above to see them. Cars honked their horns, people cheered, other cars pulled over to the side of the street so their passengers could get out and watch. It was like a joyous celebration. People gazed at the airship in awe. To them it was a mighty symbol of the future.
Gunny and I knew differently. The future of the zeppelin was going to be a short one. It had to be.
We’re almost at our stop, so I’ll end my journal here. It’s a horrible feeling. If we fail, this will be the last time I’ll be writing to you two, Mark and Courtney. I feel like I want to say good-bye. But I can’t think that way. I’ve got to get it in my head that in a few hours, the majestic zeppelin we just saw floating over Manhattan has to crash to the ground in a flaming ball of fire.
That’s our mission. Our future, yourfuture depends on it.
END OF JOURNAL #11
EARTH
AsI look back on this last, incredible year, I feel like I’ve gone through two huge, personal turning points.
The first was the moment I was pulled into a flume for the very first time. That was when I realized the rules of the universe weren’t exactly what I thought they were. Ever since then I’ve had to struggle to keep my head above water in the scary seas of Traveler world.
The second turning point came in that library on Third Earth. Up until then, the idea of an entire territory falling into chaos didn’t really mean anything to me. It was all just theory. But when I saw the images of what Saint Dane had planned for the Earth territories…man. It was like everything suddenly came into focus. Saint Dane had to be stopped, now and forever. End of discussion.
Before that moment, I knew it in my brain. Now, I feel it in my heart.
The only people who have a chance of ending his evil campaign are the Travelers. It would be nice if we were a race of invincible superheroes with powers far beyond those of mortal men, but we’re not. A stranger group you couldn’t find, but only because we’re all so normal. It’s scary to think that the only force trying to prevent Saint Dane from destroying Halla is a group of regular-old people.
More frightening is knowing I’m one of them.
When I saw those horrifying images of Saint Dane’s Earth, something changed in me. It’s hard to put this into words, because I’m not sure I understand it myself. Call it anger. Call it outrage. Call it fear. Definitely call it fear. But seeing the evil depths of Saint Dane’s vision locked me in. I know I’m in it now, for good. I don’t know if my being on this quest is right or wrong or someplace in between. All I know is, I’m here now, and that can’t be changed. It’s up to me and my fellow Travelers to stop Saint Dane. We’re the ones on the spot. I accept that now. I don’t like it, but I accept it.
I’m writing all this to you so you’ll know where my head is, but also to explain some of the things I did over the past few days. To put it right out there, I messed up. Bad. And the thing is, I’m not so sure that if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t do the exact samewrongthing again. That’s what has me so upset right now. Saint Dane must be defeated. Part of that responsibility is mine. But after what happened with theHindenburg, I don’t know if I’m up to the job.
The true events that happened on May 6, 1937, will never be reported in any newspaper. They will not be part of recorded history. They will live only in my journals and the journals of my fellow Travelers.
This is what happened.
It was a gray, cold May day. The sky was full of roiling clouds, rain showers, and occasional cracks of thunder and lightning. TheHindenburgwas supposed to arrive in New Jersey early in the morning, but bad weather forced it to circle the New York area for most of the day. History was playing out the way it was supposed to. So far.
The whole atmosphere had an ominous feel to it. I don’t know if that was because of the weather or because I knew what was going to happen. Either way, there was tension in the air.
Gunny and I got back to the Manhattan Tower Hotel as quickly as we could.
But as soon as we got back to our room on the sixth floor, things began to unravel. Spader was gone. He’d left a note for us.
Pendragon and Gunny,
I’m writing this on the morning of May 6. When you two didn’t return in time, I thought for sure we had failed. But I heard on the radio-talk-thing that the Hindenburg has been delayed. I’m sorry, mates, I can’t wait for you any longer. I’m going to New Jersey on my own. I found out how to take a bus, so that’s what I’ll do. I promise, I’ll do all that I can to save that airship from being destroyed.
Hobey-ho,
Spader
“He’s on his way to New Jersey,” I shouted to Gunny. “Iknewwe should have stayed together!” I threw the note down in anger.
“It’s early,” Gunny said reassuringly. “We’ve got all day to figure something out.”
“Yeah, but do you know what this means? Max Rose knows about Winn Farrow’s plan. Spader told him, remember? History has already been changed. Strike one. Now Spader’s on his own. He’s going after Winn Farrow to stop him too. Strike two. Now we’ve got to stop Max RoseandSpader.” ”There’s a lot that can happen before strike three/’ Gunny said calmly. “I think the first thing we should do is go see Max Rose.”
“Why?” I asked.
“He trusts you. Maybe we can find out how he plans on stopping Winn Farrow.”
Okay, that made sense. At least one of us was thinking clearly. It sure wasn’t me.
“We’ll find out what we can,” Gunny continued. “Then we’ll take Caplesmith’s car and drive down to New Jersey. We might even beat Spader there.”
I nodded. This sounded like a plan.
“You all right now?” Gunny asked.
“Yeah, I’m cool,” I answered. My heart rate was dropping back down from three hundred beats a minute.
“A wise person once said that the only way we’ve got a chance here is if we keep our heads screwed on straight and work it through, together.”
I looked at Gunny and smiled. “I said
that.”
“Was that you, shorty?” Gunny asked in fake surprise. “I knew I heard it somewhere.”
“Okay, I hear you,” I said. “My act is officially back together.”
We took the elevator up to the thirtieth floor to see Max Rose. I had no idea what we’d say to him, but it was the obvious place to start. We’d have to wing it once we got there. When we hit the elevator, Dewey looked all sorts of confused.
“What’s goin’ on?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” Gunny asked him.
“Men have been coming and going from the penthouse all day,” Dewey said. “Is Max Rose moving out?”
Gunny and I shared glances. Whatever Max Rose’s plan was to stop Winn Farrow, it was under way. The elevator arrived and Gunny and I jumped out. As usual, Dewey closed the door quickly. It was like he thought the floor was haunted or something.
As soon as we entered the hallway, we knew something was wrong. That’s because the two thugs who worked security were gone. There was nobody around to protect Max Rose. Gunny and I ran for the door to the penthouse. We stopped, caught our breath so it wouldn’t seem like we were as excited as we were, and rang the doorbell. No answer. We rang again. Nobody came to the door. Gunny then noticed that the door wasn’t even closed. He gave it a push with his finger and the door creaked open.
“Hello?” Gunny called. “Bell Captain!”
No response. We took a chance and went inside. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, except that nobody was around.
“Hello?” Gunny called again. Still no answer.
“Do you smell that?” I asked.
Gunny took a whiff. “Smoke,” he said.
We both looked around quickly and Gunny spotted it first. Smoke was creeping out from under the door to Max Rose’s office. We ran for the door and I threw it open. Instantly billows of smoke blew out. The room was on fire.
“I’ll get the hose,” Gunny shouted, and ran back into the corridor. A few seconds later he came back into the penthouse pulling a heavy fire hose. “Go turn it on!” he ordered me.
“Don’t close that door,” I yelled. “It locks automatically.”
I ran back to the hallway, following the hose to the source. I quickly cranked the handle and the limp hose jumped to life. I sprinted back into the penthouse in time to see Gunny expertly killing the fire. Billows of smoke and steam blew out from the room as he doused the flames. Seconds later it was over.
“Okay,” he announced. “Turn it off.”
I ran into the corridor and turned off the water, then returned to the office to check out the damage. What a mess. It looked like the inside of a barbeque grill. It didn’t smell so great either. Luckily all the damage was contained in the one room. A few minutes more, though, and it would have spread.
“This was deliberate,” Gunny said. He kicked at a few garbage pails that were full of ashes and water. “Burning evidence is my guess.”
I saw that the file cabinets were open and empty. The desk drawers were empty too. Max Rose was covering his tracks. Every bit of paper in this room was now a charred memory. There was nothing left that might connect him with his network of spies, or with the Nazis.
“I guess this means everybody’s gone,” I said.
“Probably,” Gunny said. “We should do a quick check though.”
We left the wet, smoldering mess and searched the penthouse for signs of life. We checked bedrooms, sitting rooms, the kitchen, and the dining room. Not only were there no people, all the drawers had been emptied too. Max Rose had definitely pulled up stakes and moved out. We knew where he was going, too. He had a date with a zeppelin.
The final stop on our search was the grand living room where I had set out lunch for Rose and the Nazi, Ludwig Zell. Nobody was in there, either.
Gunny said, “We’re wasting our time here. I’ll get Caplesmith’s car so we can get down to-“
We then heard a sound that made the hair go up on the back of my neck. It was the steady sound of somebody clapping.
There was someone in the penthouse after all. Gunny and I looked at each other, then slowly turned toward the door. Standing there looking as beautiful as ever was Esther Amaden. Her friends called her Harlow. Her enemies called her Saint Dane. She was clapping in mock approval.
“Congratulations, boys,” the bogus woman purred. “I’m guessing you finally solved the riddle.”
“At least have the guts to show yourself,” I said defiantly.
The beautiful woman closed the door behind her. Gunny shot me a curious look. It was hard for him to believe that this movie-star-gorgeous woman could be the demon Traveler who was about to turn three territories into rubble. But I knew better. I’d seen it before.
“Whatever you’d like, Pendragon,” she said with a smile.
Esther Amaden then went through the transformation that I had seen too many times. Her body became fluid as she left behind the image of the beautiful big-band singer. Her body grew taller until it was near seven feet. Her rosy complexion turned the pasty white color of a corpse. Her short dark hair grew out into a long, gray mane. Her silky bathrobe turned black and changed shape into a black suit that, as I’ve written before, looked vaguely Asian. The final step was always the toughest to watch. It was the eyes. Harlow’s soft, dreamy brown eyes turned razor sharp. They took on the icy blue fire of our nemesis-Saint Dane.
I sensed Gunny’s surprise and fear. He took a step back. This was the first time he’d witnessed this transformation. It was also the first time he was seeing Saint Dane in his true form.
“Better?” Saint Dane hissed through a twisted smile. “We really don’t spend enough time together, Pendragon, do we?”
It took every bit of willpower I had not to scream.
(CONTINUED)
FIRST EARTH
“I’m disappointed in you, Pendragon,” Saint Dane said. “I’ve left so many clues for you like breadcrumbs in the forest, and it’s still taken you all this time to uncover my little plot. Time is growing short. Are you losing interest?”
Saint Dane walked casually around the room with his hands clasped behind his back. Gunny and I kept our distance. It was like being trapped in a room with a wild animal. You never knew what this guy was going to do.
“I suppose the loss of your uncle’s sage guidance has made it all the more difficult for you to keep up with me.”
Oh, man. This guy loved to hit where it hurt the most.
He then added, “I must admit, you surprised me on both Denduron and Cloral.”
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“You were a force to be reckoned with. For that, I bow to you. And I must apologize for my own foolishness. It was a mistake to ask you to join me on my quest.”
“You got that right,” I said quickly. “No way I’ll ever join you.” Saint Dane stopped walking and smiled. He was enjoying this.
I wasn’t.
“You misunderstand,” he said. “My only mistake was asking you too early. It gave you the impression that I was somehow…vulnerable.” He chuckled. “I assure you, I am not. That’s why I chose to play out this latest game on the Earth territories. Yourhome territories. I wanted to demonstrate how easy it is for me to make you dance like a toy puppet. Mytoy puppet. In spite of what you may think due to our past encounters, I am in total control.”
“You aren’t in control,” Gunny said with authority. “Not anymore.”
Saint Dane let out a deep, bellowing laugh. I hated that.
“Such an amusing old man,” Saint Dane chuckled.
“Old enough to know how to handle the likes of you,” Gunny shot back.
“Oooh,” Saint Dane bellowed in mock fear. “Forgive me if I don’t feel threatened by an old man who doesn’t possess the courage to fire a weapon.”
“You think you’re bothering me,” Gunny said without missing a beat. “But you’re not.”
“Stick around, Gunny,” Saint Dane snapped back at him. “By the time we’re done
, I promise, you will be very, very bothered.”
Saint Dane walked to the glass doors that led to the balcony. He threw them open, letting in a chilly wind. He stood with his back to us, looking out over the gray city.
“You see, Pendragon, my victory here on First Earth means much more than the toppling of three territories. What makes this all so wonderfully special is, you’re the one who is doing it for me.” That was a strange comment. I didn’t like it, one bit.
“We know what’s going on, Saint Dane,” I said. “We know what will happen if theHindenburgdoesn’t crash. We went to Third Earth.”
Saint Dane spun back to us and exclaimed, “Well, of course you went to Third Earth! I was counting on it. Iwantedyou to know what would happen.”
That wasn’t the reaction I expected. Gunny and I shot each other a quick look.
Saint Dane chuckled and said, “You still don’t understand, do you? I’ve been leading you and your band of merry men around like trained dogs. Everything that’s happened, every turn, every surprise, I’ve orchestrated. You knew to follow me to First Earth because of the bullets that killed your uncle. But to be sure, I first went to Veelox. That annoying Traveler girl thought she was being so clever by recording my arrival. I couldn’t have been any clearer in telegraphing my ultimate destination if I had painted a sign on my back.”
I thought back to the hologram that Aja Killian showed us of Saint Dane arriving at the flume on Veelox, then making a show of calling out “First Earth!” before leaving again. Now that I think of it, itwaspretty obvious.
“Once you were here, my only challenge was to make sure you discovered Winn Farrow’s plot to destroy theHindenburg. I knew that once you learned of his plan, you’d do everything possible to prevent that ship from blowing up. The idea of innocent lives being lost is just too horrible a concept for your righteous mind to accept.”
As Saint Dane spoke, I thought back to the events that led us to crossing paths with Winn Farrow.
“The gangsters in the subway?” I asked.
The Never War tpa-3 Page 20
