CHAPTER 21
I shoved Max off me with some kind of supernatural strength. He fell onto his back and into the street. I straddled his chest and grabbed him by his meaty neck. “You big dumb ape—that’s all you are!—I’m going to make you regret pushing my friends down that drain!” I growled. My own strength scared me, and from the way his unibrow shot into his hair and his beady eyes bugged out, it scared him, too. “I’ll get you for this,” I seethed as I loosened my grip, “later.”
I hopped off him and rocketed back down the block to the only person who might be able to help me. Every second wasted brought the Toddlians closer to doom.
I had to bang on Lucy’s door for a minute before she answered. Had she seen me coming? Was she avoiding me after our weird late-night conversation about the dance? I was about to run around to her bedroom window when she opened the door.
“Oh, hey, Todd!” she said, looking surprised. Her hair was all done up in curls. She tilted her head toward the house. “I was just picking out my shoes for the dance tonight. My mom said I could borrow a pair of her heels, but I have no idea what public school kids wear! Maybe you can help me—”
“I need you!” I blurted. She didn’t know where to look after that. “I mean, I need you to help me save our civilization. Max pushed the Toddlians down the sewer drain, and you have to help me get down there and save them!”
Lucy’s pink cheeks paled. She gulped and hissed, “They’re in the sewer? Todd, how could you let things go this far?”
It felt like she’d slapped me, but I knew I deserved it.
“Todd, when will you learn to be responsible and care for them properly?” she asked. “I had thought—”
“I know, I know! But we don’t have time for this now. How can we get into the sewer?”
Lucy shook her head. “Impossible! Those drains are all locked down tight.” She chewed her cheek for a minute, then said, “Our only hope is to figure out where that water reenters the system …”
“I don’t get it.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Her eyes lit up, and the color came back into her cheeks. “C’mon!” she said, running down the hall to her room. “Do you have a rubber ducky?”
A rubber ducky? “Uh, sure, Daisy has one.”
“Perfect!” Lucy rummaged around on her desk and grabbed something, put it in her jeans pocket, then snatched her iPad off her bed and shoved it in her backpack. “Let’s roll!”
We beat it across the street to my house and snagged the ducky. Lucy started fiddling with it right there in the bathroom. We hurried to the drain, and she turned the ducky over, implanting a tiny device into the hole in its base.
“What is that?”
Lucy talked as she manipulated the device to make sure it was snug. “This is a GPS I was using to test my cesium clock. Once we drop ducky here into the storm drain, we can track where the water—and the Toddlian boat—is going.”
Wow, I always knew she was smart, but … wow. “Lucy, you are a genius!”
She smiled a little but didn’t look up. “Thanks. But I actually stole this idea off an episode of Veronica Mars. That girl is legit.”
I had no idea who she was talking about and didn’t waste time by asking. She pulled her iPad out of her backpack and started typing. “We’re right here,” she said, pointing at the aerial-view map on the screen. “And this little blue dot moving east is the ducky. It’s already under Helen Avenue, and they had quite a head start …”
“Let’s go!” I said, yanking on her arm.
“Hold on, we have to see where the water comes out. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Okay, the sewer empties into the Little Molasses River between Laurel Lane and Eighth Avenue. That’s not far. But we’d better hurry; it looks like the ducky’s moving at an alarming rate.”
“Huh?”
“It’s picking up speed.” She tucked the iPad under her arm. “Follow me!”
We cut across yards for two streets, which brought us to Helen Avenue. Lucy checked the map, and we zigzagged down north-south side streets until we reached Laurel Lane. “If we hurry we can probably make it before they emerge from the sewer. We’re way ahead of the ducky. Three blocks that way.”
I nodded, trying to ignore the stabbing stitch in my side.
Lucy stowed the iPad in her backpack, and I pumped my legs and arms for all they were worth. She kept up with me, her black braids flying out behind her like wings.
We were on the outskirts of our neighborhood now, running parallel to the rushing river. At the Eighth Avenue bridge we had to stop to wait for a stream of cars to pass, because you couldn’t access the river from the side we were on. “C’mon,” I muttered. The cars just kept whizzing by. “Forget this.” I zipped between two cars, and from the honking I heard behind me, I knew Lucy had done the same.
Beneath the bridge the storm drain spewed into the river. “There!” Lucy panted as we scrambled down the bank. Sure enough, the round drain hole was built into the bottom side of the bridge. Only there were two openings, one in each side.
“You watch that one,” I said, pointing to the hole on the right. “And I’ll watch this one.”
All we could do now was wait … and hope we weren’t too late.
CHAPTER 22
LEWIS
We whirled madly down the dark river that Herman thought was our passage to the afterlife. I clung to Persephone, who was yelling for everyone to keep their chins up, “and if you have to retch, for the love of Pete, aim down!”
Suddenly, the spinning slowed but the current sped up. We were sailing in a straight line toward … was that a light? Yes! We all cheered as the ark sped steadily toward a bright white spot in the distance.
Maybe Herman had been right; maybe we were making our final voyage into that great unknown. But somehow the brightness warmed my chilled bones as it drew me toward it, like a mother’s sweet embrace. I knew then that if our time should come, I would not be afraid of death. Todd had brought us into the light, and I would remember my happy times with him as my own lamp went out.
These pleasant thoughts were interrupted by the most extraordinary experience! Without warning, the ark shot out into the brilliant sunlight and for the briefest moment was suspended in midair.
Gerald the Elder cried, “Is this the eeeeeend?” Then the screams of a desperate people rose to the skies.
Would Todd hear us?
We plummeted end over end down a spectacular waterfall. I gripped the floss with one hand and Persephone with the other. As fast as we flew down the surface of the glassy water, the whole scene played itself out in slow motion before me. I remember briefly catching Persephone’s eyes and seeing my reflection in their inky depths. Somehow I knew in that moment we would always be bound together, whether in life … or death.
This surreal and beautiful realization was quenched as we plunged beneath the icy waves of the enormous river below us. This certainly was no fiery River Styx! No! All the fire was in my lungs, which burned for air. We seemed to be moving both forward and upward as we churned in circles beneath the surface. Would we clear the water in time? Or were we like the damned from Herman’s stories, submerged in water under the ire of our god? Would my people and I perish as one, without a chance to tell Todd we were sorry for doubting him?
My limbs were numb and my head close to explosion when suddenly we popped back into the glorious glow! Oh, sweet oxygen!
“Is everyone all right?” Persephone shouted. All were accounted for, although drenched and quaking with cold as they lay strewn across the deck. We cheered once again through chattering teeth … except Herman. He was examining The Exodus with worried eyes.
Then I saw it, too: the ark was absorbing water and buckling dangerously. We were perilously low in the water. “Herman?” I called above the happy voices. From across the deck I saw him swallow and shake his head.
We had been spared, only to be doomed once more. Oh, Todd! Please do not forsake us now! My earlier state of resignation had disap
peared beneath the swirling waters. I wanted to live! To marry! To hear the tiny pitter-patter of—
“What in tarnation?” Persephone cried.
I followed her gaze.
TODD! Salvation! He was running along the bank of the river, waving! He had seen us! He had been pursuing us all this time we had been despairing!
“Don’t worry, guys!” he called. “I’m coming to get you!”
Tears mingled with the river water on my cheeks as my heart overflowed with happiness. He has not forgotten us!
CHAPTER 23
We didn’t have to wait long. Lucy elbowed me in the ribs and pointed. The Toddlians’ soggy boat shot out of the drain on the right and went airborne. I could have sworn I heard GERONIMO! mingled with tiny screams as the boat rode the waterfall to the swirling river below.
Lucy gasped as the boat disappeared for a second, then cried out as it popped back to the surface, pointing. It was moving crazy fast in the strong current. Now I knew I heard screaming, even over the rushing of the water.
Without thinking, I ran along the riverbank and peeled off my heavy sweater, calling to my people. Lucy followed me, yelling, “Todd! You’re not thinking of going in there? Don’t do it! That current is too strong for you!” I kicked off my shoes. “The water’s too cold!”
I heard her shout something about “hypothermia” and “concussion” as I dove in. The freezing cold water took my breath away. Still, I propelled myself to the top and scanned the surface of the water, which was glittering in the light of the setting sun. There! The boat was spinning in circles about ten yards ahead of me.
I started to swim toward it, but the current caught me and dragged me back under. My arms and legs were going numb from the cold, and my lungs burned as invisible forces sucked me downriver.
No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t get enough momentum with my sluggish arms to make it back to the surface. My lungs were on fire, my body was frozen, and I knew this was it. Not only was I going to lose the Toddlians, I was going to lose my life, too—just when I’d found something I was good at.
A sharp object slammed me in the back, knocking the wind out of me. I sucked in a breath and looked around, reaching out to grab hold of whatever I’d run into. It was a tree limb! I pulled myself on top of it and inhaled deeply.
But where were the Toddlians? I couldn’t get a visual on the boat. Had it been swept under by the current too? I pushed off the branch and started swimming upriver. I had to fight the current with every stroke. It seemed almost like I was swimming in place, but I kicked my frozen feet as hard as I possibly could. My sneakers were like lead weights.
Every five or six strokes I’d stop and look around real quick. This caused me to drift back downriver, but I had to find them. I was on the verge of giving up on this approach and going back on land to try to sight them from the bank, when I saw the dilapidated boat teetering on the edge of a protruding rock.
It didn’t look good. Were the Toddlians still alive? Had they been killed on impact when they hit the rock? I strained my ears, but the sounds of the swirling water drowned out everything else.
Swim, Todd! my brain told my numb body. Mechanically, I swam toward the rock. Now I could hear them screaming … my name! The boat rocked dangerously, and I willed my legs to kick harder. Al-most there! Al-most there! I thought with each stroke. I made it to the rock just as the boat began to fall—reaching out of the water to catch it just in time.
The Toddlians cheered as I struggled to the bank, cradling their vessel.
I climbed the slippery bank and was pulled the last few feet by Lucy, holding my people gently in my hands. They were still cheering. “Are you okay?” she said, wrapping her red hoodie around me.
My teeth were chattering so bad I had trouble talking. “Y-y-yeah. H-h-how about y-you guys?” I lifted the Toddlians to eye level. “Are y-you okay?”
“HAIL, GREAT TODD! HAIL, GREAT TODD!” was their reply. Lewis’s voice was the loudest.
“E-everybody st-still in the b-boat?” I squinted down at them and could just barely make out who was who.
Herman climbed out onto my hand. “All present and accounted for, Your Greatness. Except for some of the winged insects, who grew faint of heart and flew to find their own fates.”
Lewis scampered up my wet sleeve and stood on my shoulder. “I knew you’d come for us, Great Todd,” he whispered. “Thank you!”
Something kind of choked me then, and I was glad my face was wet so Lucy wouldn’t see my tears.
Persephone jumped up on my arm, too. “Let’s whoop it up for rootin’ tootin’ Todd!” she hollered. “HAIL, GREAT TODD! HAIL, GREAT TODD!” The others, including Lucy, joined her.
We headed back to my house, laughing like we were glad to be alive, which we were. When we reached the driveway, I put my hand on Lucy’s shoulder and waited until she met my eyes. “Thank you. I hope you know I never could’ve done any of this without you.” I was starting to tear up again, but this time I didn’t care. “You’re such a good friend to me, Lucy. I mean that.”
Lucy dropped her dark eyes and turned pink. “You’re not so bad yourself,” she said to her shoes, and then she looked up at me with wide, sincere brown eyes as she murmured, “Your friendship means a lot to me, Todd. I mean … you mean a lot to me.”
I was kind of speechless at that, and Lucy seemed a little uncomfortable too—she blushed and cleared her throat. “Anyway, well, I’d better go; I have to finish getting ready for the dance,” she said, giving me a hesitant glance before looking down again. “With Duddy.”
Right. The dance. As she walked away I heard my front door open. “Todd Butroche!” came my mother’s voice. “You look soaked to the skin!”
CHAPTER 24
LEWIS
Is there anything sweeter than coming home? I thought not, especially after nearly losing my home this day, along with my god.
Herman, Persephone, and I were huddled up in a snuggly bit of cotton fluff Todd had extracted from one of Daisy’s dismembered teddy bears. He had placed us on his pillow, and we were going to have what he called a “heart-to-heart” talk. I liked the sound of that.
I sipped on my Lego head of warm Todd sweat, closing my eyes in delight.
Todd lay upon his belly on the bed, so he could be eye level with us. He pulled his micro-glasses over his eyes and asked, “Now what in the world possessed you guys to build a boat and try to sail it in the gutter? You nearly drowned!”
I spoke before the others had a chance. “Great Todd live forever—”
“You don’t have to keep calling me that, Lew. Just plain Todd’s fine.”
I nodded. “Just Plain Todd, forgive us, but we thought you were angry with our people. As I told you before, we believed that we had so displeased you that you left the sign of the Red Thing for us as a message, and when we could not decipher it, sent the fearsome flying goggle-eyed creatures to punish us.”
“Red thing?” Todd furrowed his brow, and then nodded. “Oh, right, the apple.”
“Some of us took it into our noggins that you were trying to tell us somethin’ by letting it get all nastified,” Persephone said. She was kind enough not to name names.
I sipped some more sweat and cleared my throat. “But that is not all, Great—Just Plain Todd. We were suffering from hunger … and thirst at your recent neglect.” I lowered my eyes, pained to have to say this to one I reverenced. “You never seemed to have time for your people, and we felt … we felt—”
“Don’t cry, Lewis,” Todd said softly.
Was I crying? I suppose I was.
He went on, “I never neglected you because I was mad. You should know by now that when I’m mad I stomp around and yell a lot. When have I ever left you some crazy complicated message?”
He had a point.
“It’s just that with school, and swim team, and … well, anyway, I got really busy.” Now he cleared his throat. “Too busy. And I promise you, it won’t happen again. If
it even looks like I’m starting to ignore you, or forget to leave you sweaty clothes or fill your water dish, I’m counting on you”—he pointed at each of us—“to come talk to me about it. And if you guys do something wrong, like have a wild party and trash my room, well, you bet I’m gonna call you on it.”
I could tell he was kidding, but I had to correct him on one point.
“I did try talking to you.”
“I know. And I’m so sorry I didn’t get what you were saying. But when that happens, you have to keep trying! Like Persephone says, I have beans for brains, you know.” He smiled, and it warmed me more than all the cotton-fluff comforters in the world. “But seriously, if there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can’t give up, especially not on people.” His eyes took on a faraway expression. “You know what they say … ‘When things are rough, hang in there or you’ll never reach your full potential. Hardships make you stronger.’”
“That was beautiful,” Herman said solemnly.
My little cup of joy overflowed with what Todd said next.
“I may be your god, but I’m also your friend. You don’t ever have to be afraid of me.”
I glanced at Herman, who had the thoughtful look he gets when he is about to issue a quote. ”‘There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.’” He nodded at me. “Thomas Aquinas.”
“Good one, Herman,” Todd said, as he rose from his bed and crossed to his desk. He reached up and took a green plastic boat from the shelf that held his Dragon Sensei figures. “And as a token of my unchanging friendship and affection, I present you with General Ribbotti’s boat, The Ribbonator.”
The boat was exquisite. It was fashioned out of a green lily pad, and the sail was an open white lotus flower. Herman was too overcome to say more than “We must show this to the others. Great Todd?”
Todd carried us to Toddlandia and presented the gift to the rest of his people. He offered them an eloquent apology for his recent neglect, the end of which was drowned out by our cheers.
In Todd We Trust Page 15
