Up ahead, the flashlights illuminated a form sprawled on the floor of the hallway. The group jogged forward, staring down at Maddox.
"Can you revive him?" Grandma asked.
Vanessa crouched over Maddox, her hands probing his head. He flinched, crying out. She stepped back and he sat up, blinking into the flashlight beams. His eyes flicked to Vanessa, his expression guarded.
"What is this?" he asked, rubbing his head. "Stan? What happened?"
"We have reason to believe you're not Maddox," Grandpa said.
Maddox chuckled incredulously. "Not Maddox? You're kidding. Who am I, then?"
"A stingbulb," Grandma said.
Maddox glanced at Vanessa. "Is that what she told you? Stan, don't be so hasty to trust a liar like her. Coulter thought it might be smart to consult Vanessa about what happened to Kendra. You know, see if she knew anybody in the Society who lives in Monmouth. We thought we could handle her together, but she shot out of the Quiet Box like a tornado and overpowered us. That's all I remember."
"Monmouth, Illinois?" Vanessa verified. "Is that where they took Kendra? Stan, that must be Torina Barker. She's a lectoblix who works closely with the Sphinx."
"Do you know where she lives?" Grandma asked urgently.
"I've never seen her lair," Vanessa said. "I just know of her."
"Stan, give me the cell phone," Grandma said. "The reception down here is lousy. I had better go call Trask."
"Wait, you believe her?"
Maddox spluttered. "You think I'm some kind of talking fruit?"
Grandma accepted the cell phone and started down the hall. Grandpa glowered at Maddox. "Yes, I do. And you had better start doing some serious talking. What's the news from Brazil? What's really happening at Rio Branco?"
Maddox chuckled silently, eyes down, face flushing. "You're taking her word over mine," he mumbled to himself. He raised his head. "Stan, I know you're torn up because of Kendra, but I can't help you. I'm Maddox. Remember that night in Sri Lanka? You won that ring-tailed sparkler off me with a full house?"
"We'll go release Coulter from the Quiet Box," Grandpa said. "If his story fails to match yours, I'll make you very sorry for wasting more time."
"Don't bother," the stingbulb spat, glaring at Vanessa. "There will be consequences," he threatened, holding her gaze.
"I've never been a big fan of rotten fruit," Vanessa commented calmly.
"Your mission is over," Grandpa stated. "What can you share with us?"
"There isn't much to say," the stingbulb replied.
"Search your memories," Grandpa invited. "You're aware of some wonders that Tanu can work with potions. Or, beyond the door behind you, I could introduce you to a wraith. Ever meet a wraith, friend?"
"You misunderstand me," the stingbulb replied. "I know very little. Do you suppose they would risk sending me here with my head full of sensitive information? I have a small amount of knowledge specific to my mission, nothing more. The Society is aware of the secret room at the end of the
Hall of Dread. They want me to recover coded messages from Patton Burgess about where certain artifacts might be hidden. They explained where Vanessa was imprisoned and how the Quiet Box worked. They told me that I should be able to rely on her for assistance. I came into being inside the main house at Rio Branco, beside the washtub that brought me here. The memories I have from Maddox at Rio Branco are mostly of hiding in a cave, much as I described, until he was captured. They have him in custody. With my consent, they added to my injuries so I would look authentic. I know nothing else."
"That could be true," Vanessa said. "They wouldn't want to risk a stingbulb divulging their schemes."
Tanu rolled the stingbulb onto his belly, crouched over him, and cuffed his hands behind his back. When Tanu stepped away, the stingbulb did not move.
"Do they have the artifact?" Grandpa asked.
"I have no idea," the stingbulb said. "But I told them where it was hidden. Maddox knew that much."
"What now?" Grandpa asked Vanessa.
"We could stash him in the Quiet Box," Vanessa proposed. "Get Coulter out of there."
"I was afraid you might say that," Grandpa said. "Having bitten most of us, you can control us in our sleep. The Quiet Box is the only place we can hold you to curb that power."
"Haven't I earned any credibility?" Vanessa asked.
"Without a doubt," Grandpa said. "But you could still be setting us up for a greater betrayal in the future. We can never let you see the information beyond the Hall of Dread."
"I hear you," Vanessa said. "What do I care about some stingbulb? Turning him in could be a ruse to earn your trust. Except, if I'd meant to betray you, that is not how I would have done it. I would have followed the script the stingbulb brought me. It was a golden opportunity. Coulter was already out of play. With keys to the dungeon and help from the stingbulb, it wouldn't have been difficult to use the element of surprise to capture the rest of you. Then I could have proceeded to seek out the desired information at my own pace."
"And she wouldn't have told us about the lectoblix in Monmouth," Seth added.
"You don't need to place full trust in me," Vanessa said, hands on her hips. "Keep your secrets. Just let me assist you. I know things. And I have bitten many people in my time, including several inside of the Society. Let me use my abilities, and I'll help you recover Kendra."
"You make a compelling argument," Grandpa sighed. "Tanu?"
"Ruth won't like it," Tanu said. "But Vanessa is right that turning in the stingbulb was unwise unless she's on our side. Simply knowing that the Sphinx has stingbulbs is invaluable intelligence."
"Seth?" Grandpa asked.
Seth was so flattered that Grandpa was asking his opinion on the matter that it took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I think we should stick the stingbulb in the Quiet Box and have Vanessa spy for us."
Vanessa arched an eyebrow. "Stan?"
"Tanu has it right about Ruth," Grandpa said. "She won't want us to give you an inch. We'll have to keep you down here in a cell, at least at first. We'll try to make it comfortable. Vanessa, let me be clear. If you take control of any of us in our sleep, I will consider it irrefutable evidence of your allegiance with our enemies, punishable by death."
"Understood," she said evenly.
Grandpa nodded. "We could use your help. As soon as possible, I want you searching for sleeping members of the Society who can help us locate Kendra." Grandpa bent down and helped the stingbulb to his feet. "Let's go release Coulter."
Chapter 8 Knapsack
The room was dark, but, as always, Kendra could see. Unable to sleep, she stared at the ceiling, watching a tiny spider progress across the featureless white expanse. She wondered what the room looked like to the small arachnid, inching along upside down. Knowing that spiders had many eyes, she felt new empathy for how they viewed the world.
It still made her dizzy to recall her encounter with the Oculus. Half a day later, she found that she could not recreate the experience in her mind. The vision had been too disorienting, too distinct from the way she had always seen and the way she saw now. She could only hazily recollect the sensation of observing the world from billions of perspectives.
What if the Sphinx or someone else in the Society mastered the use of the Oculus? It would mean no more secrets. The Society would be able to see everyone, everything, everywhere.
The thought made her shiver.
Tomorrow she would leave with the Sphinx and his freaky entourage. Where would they take her? Would the journey offer any opportunities for escape? Could she possibly get away with the Oculus? What a coup that would be!
The door to her room eased open. She had not heard the lock disengage, but caught the motion out of the corner of her eye. Her body went rigid. A hand reached inside and placed something on the floor.
"Hello?" Kendra called softly. "Who's there?"
The door closed.
Kendra swung her legs out of bed and crossed to the door. She opened it, peering up and down the dim hall, but saw no one. Had her door been unlocked all night? Had the stealthy visitor unlocked it silently?
On the floor just inside her door sat a tan leather knapsack. A piece of paper leaned against it. Kendra picked up the paper and read these words:
You must escape tonight. The knapsack contains an extra-dimensional storage compartment. You can easily fit inside. Once you're inside, the knapsack can be flattened, jostled, or dropped and you will feel none of it. You'll find a stingbulb in the front pocket. Prick yourself, wait for the duplicate to take form, and then issue instructions. Leave the decoy behind, and get as far from here as you can. Hurry!
The note was unsigned. Kendra was glad that she could read it without turning on a light. No need to draw attention to her room now that escape was suddenly an option. Her heart pounded. She opened her door, wandered over to the top of the stairs, and listened. The house was quiet. If she didn't disturb anyone, she should have at least a few hours to herself.
She returned to her room and examined the knapsack. Could this be some kind of trick? Was the Sphinx playing mind games? Or was the note legitimate? Maybe somebody really was lending her aid. What need would the Sphinx or Torina have for mind games? She was their prisoner. Subtlety was no longer required. If the note was genuine, she should move quickly.
Kendra opened the small flap that covered the front pocket of the leather knapsack. Thrusting her hand inside, she felt a stinging prick that reminded her of when she had reached into the mystery box at the rec center. Instead of pulling away, she closed her fingers around the fruit and removed it from the pouch.
The stingbulb was a dull, purplish color, with an irregular shape and a rough, fibrous texture. She was no expert, but the fruit seemed authentic. The sting had felt right. She placed the fruit by the wall near the window and returned to the knapsack.
Would she really fit inside? Kendra unbuckled the big flap that covered the top, pulled it open, and looked inside. Instead of seeing the inside of a knapsack, she was peering through an opening down into a room with a dingy slate floor and cracked adobe walls. Weathered crates and barrels were stacked along two of the walls. Iron rungs descended the wall near the opening, granting easy access to the unlikely space.
Kendra gaped at the room in amazement. Were there no limits to the wonders possible through magic? She tried to guess who might have given her such an incredible gift. Nobody came to mind. What could the Sphinx gain by giving her false hope? What if she really had a secret ally?
Kendra glanced at the fruit. How long would the transformation take? She certainly did not want a second Kendra wandering around without instructions. The process seemed to be advancing slowly so far. Surely she had enough time to slip down and investigate the room.
Kendra poked her head into the knapsack. What cargo did the barrels contain? Might she find other useful materials inside? Pulling the mouth of the knapsack open wide, Kendra slithered through the opening and climbed down the ladder.
An unlit lantern waited on the floor at the bottom. Kendra ignored it--her enchanted vision would suffice. The room was about ten feet tall, fifteen feet across, and twenty feet long. She noticed small vents on three of the walls near the ceiling. She approached the goods stacked against one wall. Everything looked timeworn and cobwebby. Random items were scattered among the heaped containers: a folded rug, an outdated tennis racket, the mounted head of an antelope, a clear jar of marbles, a few fishing poles, torn work gloves, several filthy rolls of wrapping paper, a damaged wicker chair, some framed pictures, rotting coils of rope, unused candles, and a battered chalkboard.
Nothing looked useful. Kendra tried to open a crate, but the top felt nailed down. She found a rusty rake and used it to pry the top off. Inside she found bolts of gray cloth.
She tried a barrel, but stopped attempting to pry it open once she caught a whiff of the contents. Whatever food had been in there had spoiled long ago.
Kendra set the rake aside and stepped back. This felt like rummaging through a long-abandoned garage. She supposed if useful items had been included within the knapsack, the note would have mentioned them.
Returning to the ladder, Kendra climbed up and shimmied through the mouth of the knapsack back into the dim bedroom. She checked on the stingbulb and found that it was now the size of a football and had taken on a more elongated shape.
Kendra changed her clothes, trying to select an inconspicuous outfit that could withstand the cold. She settled on the clothes she had worn to talk to the Sphinx, plus the jacket she had been wearing when she was abducted. She bundled the rest of her clothes and chucked them into the knapsack.
Sitting cross-legged near the knapsack, Kendra reread the note. Obviously she would enter the knapsack and have the stingbulb duplicate slide it through the invisible bars of her window. Once on the snowy ground, she would exit the knapsack and run for it. Where would she go? She supposed she could stash the knapsack under a bush and hide inside it until morning. Could she find a phone and call home? Might be tough in the middle of the night in a small town.
Would the duplicate fool the whisper hound? Torina had talked as though the creature used scent to identify targets, so if the duplicate smelled just like Kendra, the hound should be satisfied. Kendra's scent would never leave the house. Of course, there might still be trouble if the hound could somehow sense her scent outside. Apparently whoever had left the knapsack felt the ruse would work. In her desperate circumstances, it was worth the risk.