Spell Robbers (22 page)

There had to be a way, and Ben would discover it. He turned his back on his friends, and marched forward through the smoldering, broken remains of the Mercer Beach amusement park. No one tried to stop him, but he knew this wasn’t the last he would see of the League. Maybe he would even have to go into hiding like Ronin.

He came to the park gates, and passed through them, into the parking lot. It would be a long walk back to the city, but Ben knew where he belonged. He just had to find a way to get there.

There are many people I would like to thank for their continued love and support: Lisa Sandell, my editor and dear friend, for going with me as I tried something new and different once again, and for helping shape the book into what it is; Stephen Fraser, my agent, for the vision he had for my career from the beginning; my family, for accepting me as I am, unconditionally; my friends, who I am reluctant to name for fear of forgetting someone, but who each enrich my life in distinct and beautiful ways.

I cannot imagine being detached from any of you.

Matthew J. Kirby is the critically acclaimed author of the middle-grade novels
Icefall
, which won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery and the PEN Literary Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature;
The Clockwork Three
, which was named a
Publishers Weekly
flying start;
The Lost Kingdom
; and
Cave of Wonders
, the fifth book in the Infinity Ring series. He was born in Utah and grew up in Maryland, California, and Hawaii. Matthew lives in Utah, where he is working on his next novel.

Visit his website at
www.matthewjkirby.com
.

The Clockwork Three

Icefall

The Lost Kingdom

Infinity Ring #5:
Cave of Wonders

Copyright © 2014 by Matthew J. Kirby

All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.,
Publishers since 1920
.
SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS
, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kirby, Matthew J., 1976–

Spell robbers / by Matthew J. Kirby. — First edition.

pages cm. — (The Quantum League ; Book one)

Summary: Ben Warner is invited to join a “science camp” led by a quantum physicist Dr. Madeleine Hughes, and with his new friend Peter he discovers the secret art of actuation — the ability to change reality by imagining it differently — but he also finds that there are people willing to kill for that secret.

ISBN 978-0-545-50226-9 (jacketed hardcover) 1. Imagination — Juvenile fiction. 2. Quantum theory — Juvenile fiction. 3. Physicists — Juvenile fiction. 4. Friendship — Juvenile fiction. 5. Adventure stories. [1. Science fiction. 2. Imagination — Fiction. 3. Quantum theory — Fiction. 4. Physicists — Fiction. 5. Friendship — Fiction. 6. Adventure and adventurers — Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.K633528Spe 2014

813.6 — dc23

2013013216

First edition, February 2014

Cover art © 2014 by Jason Chan

Cover design by Phil Falco

Author photo by Naomi Leu

e-ISBN 978-0-545-50229-0

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.