The Legend Thief (27 page)

"CAW!"

"Fine, Piebald, whatever," Sky corrected.

"We've met," Phineas replied guardedly.
"Though I haven't seen him for some time.
I wonder what you could possibly be up to, Fred
?...
"

"CAW!
CAW!"

"I've been busy-I haven't checked yet," said Sky.

"What package is he talking about?" Phineas asked.

Sky pulled out the package from the bowling alley. "It's the reason we went to the bowling alley. Someone sent a letter saying a Marrowick would deliver a package that would stop Bedlam's army.

"I suspect Bedlam is the only one who can stop his army should the hunters fail," said Phineas.

Sky opened the package. Inside, he found a
small ,
blood red seed no larger than an acorn. A note in the package read:

When Hope, Patience, and Vengeance fail, and the broken world around you breaks, plant this seed within your heart, and avail to free a soul and mend mistakes.

"Sounds cryptic," Phineas observed.

Sky checked the packaging, but there was nothing else inside. On the outside, all he found were a few splotches of Marrowick wax.

"Did you send this?" Sky asked. "No," said Phineas.

"But you could be lying to hide something from me. It wouldn't be the first time."

"I could be, but I'm not," Phineas replied, looking troubled. "So who sent it?"

Phineas took the seed and examined it.
"No idea, really.
I've never seen a seed like this before." Phineas held it up to the light, and the blood red shell turned clear so that Sky could see a golden globe in the middle.

"What is it?" Sky asked.

"It appears to be some kind of golden globe," Phineas replied.

Sky rolled his eyes. "I can see that."

"Then why did you ask?" Phineas retorted.

Fred cawed, swooped down, and snatched the packaging from Sky's hand.

"Hey!" Sky shouted. But Fred simply flew away with the envelope.

"Someday soon that bird and I are going to have a very long talk," Sky promised.

"I expect you shall, and longer than you might suppose.

You have many of those in store, from what I understand," said Phineas, handing the seed back to Sky. "You'd best keep that and the letter until we ascertain their purpose."

Sky put the seed in his pocket. He watched Phineas, tempted to tell him about Morton and the Grove of the Fallen and how Morton planned to bury him. But if he told Phineas what Morton was up to, Phineas would come with him, which meant that he wouldn't go help Crystal, and Crystal needed all the help Sky could send her.

"I've got a few things to do," Sky said. ''I'll catch up with you at the manor later."

"Hurry, then." Seemingly preoccupied, Phineas strode off. Sky didn't have any allies to help him with Morton, but he still had the erfskin cookies Phineas had given him. If the cookies really gave him the strength and resilience of a Gnomon, he might just survive his burial. Or maybe he would die from, gross-cookie poisoning. Either way, it was his best bet, and the blade was his only real hope of saving Crystal. He had to try.

With the erfskin cookies in his pocket, Sky turned and raced north for the Grove of the Fallen.

“Hello, Sky,” said Morton. “You’ve forgotten your underwear.”

“And my toothbrush,” Sky replied as he approached Alexander's gravesite. "I didn't have time to pack, and since I'm not going anywhere, I didn't see the point."

Alexander's coffin sat beside his open grave and Sky eyed it anxiously, knowing the sort of "grave business" Morton needed him for. "With Hunter's Mark the buried dead shall shimmering blade hold in my stead."

They meant to bury him.

The only problem was that the blade was never in the coffin, according to Em. Nikola had carried it the entire time, until he'd gone insane. So unless Nikola, in his madness, had left the riddle and somehow hidden the blade below, this whole experience would come to a terribly disappointing end.

Morton stood on one of the piles of dirt, staring down into Alexander's grave. Chase was there as well, along with Solange Avaray, but there was no sign of Hagos Adera.

Three Hunters of Legend to bury one thirteen-year-old boy.

Chase winked, but Sky ignored him. He wasn't sure how to handle Chase just yet.

Solange, on the other hand, glowered and seemed very unhappy to be there. Sky wondered what'd happened to Hagos. "Hagos had a...change of heart, so to speak. Rather than inviting him, I've asked him to prepare our hunters for the retreat back to the Academy of Legend," said Morton, seemingly reading his thoughts. "Winston has thankfully disappeared, so, alas, it's just the four of us here to mark this splendid occasion: The recovery of a shimmering blade is not a small matter. Nearly all have been lost or taken by outcasts like Malvidia and Phineas."

"So you're really leaving? You're just going to abandon the Exile hunters to face Bedlam's army alone?" Sky asked. "Yes," Morton replied.

Sky waited, but Morton didn't expand.

"We've searched the hole," Morton continued, "and it appears there is nothing down there."

"Does that mean you're not going to bury me?" Sky asked. "Oh, no-we have every intention of burying you," Morton replied, smiling.

Sky grimaced. "Let's get on with it, then."

Sky walked over to the coffin, trying not to shake.

"There are a few conditions before we do this," said Morton, before Sky could open the coffin.

"Conditions?" said Sky incredulously. "You're about to bury me alive and you're giving me conditions?"

Morton grinned.
"Of course.
Should this work, you will give the blade directly to me.
As a
gift.
Freely and wholeheartedly."

"Why would I need to give it to you? Don't you already own it?" Sky asked, watching Morton closely.

Morton scowled. "No."

As far as Sky could tell, Morton wasn't lying. But what did that mean, exactly? Was it possible that Morton hadn't killed Alexander? But if he hadn't, who had?

"And what do I get if I give you the blade?" Sky asked.

"You are my apprentice. You will come with us to the Academy of Legend during our retreat. In other words, you get to live," said Morton.

Sky shook his head. "Not good enough. I'll give you the blade, but
I
get to set the conditions."

"And what, precisely, are your conditions?" Morton asked, looking amused.

"Your hunters stay here to defend Exile," said Sky. "And you use the blade to free Bedlam."

"And why on earth would I do that?" Morton asked.

"Well, you've already got his body," Sky replied. "And the main
reason
you want the blade is so you can have another bargaining chip to use with Bedlam should you need it. That tells me that you're already considering freeing him to save your own hunters. Just make the deal now- save your hunters and Exile as well. Honestly, with Phineas dead or gone, there's no reason not to. Besides, Bedlam was your ally once. He could be again."

"Interesting," said Morton, still smiling. "Though I suspect my objectives are no longer compatible with Bedlam's, and I can see many reasons not to save Exile. Out of curiosity, what's to stop me from simply killing you and taking the blade once you have it?"

"You can bury me, but you can't make me take the blade if it somehow appears," said Sky. "I want a promise- on your sword-that you'll do what I've asked, or I won't touch the blade. And if I don't touch it, I don't own it, which means if you kill me, you still won't own it."

Sky knew he was taking a huge risk, but this was the best he could ask for. In the stories, hunters who swore on their blades always kept their word. He could only hope Morton would do the same.

Morton considered. "You are a confusing little boy.
Very well.
I swear on my sword that should you recover the blade, and should it shimmer, and should you give it to me freely and wholeheartedly, I will order my hunters to defend Exile and I will free Bedlam. Is that satisfactory?"

Sky examined Morton's words, looking for a trap. "And you will stay yourself," he added.

Morton's grin fell a little. "As you say-I will stay as well. Good enough?"

Sky nodded.

"Excellent!" Morton exclaimed. "Chase, if you'd do the honors?"

Chase opened the coffin lid. He stared inside, looking perplexed.

Sky stepped forward and saw a checkered picnic blanket and his tuba, minus the case, sitting in the coffin.

"It's a tuba," Chase muttered.

"Excuse me?" Morton moved closer, followed by Solange.
"It
iz
ze
tuba," Solange confirmed.

Morton picked up the tuba while Solange grabbed the picnic blanket, sniffing it.

"
Zis
blanket
smellz
of nacho cheese." Solange stared at the blanket in disgust.

Morton inspected the tuba and then played a few notes. "It is indeed a tuba."

Chase raised his eyebrows questioningly at Sky. Sky shook his head-he had no idea why these things were here. Obviously Nikola had put them here since the picnic blanket belonged to him and he had stolen Sky's tuba earlier. But why, and where was the tuba case? Was some part of Nikola's jumbled brain trying to tell him something?

"Let us get on wiz
zis-ze
Moonriders are waiting," said Solange. "And
zis
town is for
ze
birds."

"Yes ... well," said Morton, tossing the tuba to the side. Sky cringed. He hated the tuba, but that was
his
tuba. Solange threw the blanket on a pile of dirt.

The coffin was now empty.

"In you go!" said Morton cheerfully.

Sky took a deep breath and ...
and ..
. He couldn't do it. He stared into that cramped space; he imagined the earth surrounding him. "I ... I can't."

"Oh, come now!" said Morton. "It'll only be for a few minutes, then we'll have you right back up. The Porp-a-lorps are highly accomplished diggers."

Sky looked at Chase, who gave a slight nod of his head, promising Sky that he would be all right. Sky took a deep breath and climbed into the coffin.

The coffin bumped against the walls as they lowered him into the earth. He closed his eyes.
Breathe. Breathe.

He heard dirt raining down on the lid and the sounds of the hundreds of firefly like Porp-a-lorps zooming past, pushing the dirt onto the coffin.

A few minutes.

A few minutes more.

Porp-a-lorps thumped into the coffin, shaking it. Morton opened the lid. "See? That wasn't so bad?"

Sky sat up, gasping for air. Morton stood next to the coffin, but they were still in the hole-they hadn't pulled him out yet. And that made Sky nervous.

The smile on Morton's mouth fell away. "Where is the blade?"

"Nothing happened," said Sky.

"Are you certain?"

"Positive," Sky replied. Over Morton's shoulder, he could see Chase staring down into the pit, looking worried. There was no sign of Solange.

"A pity," said Morton.
"Perhaps if we gave it more time?''

''I'm not going back in there!" Sky declared. He started to rise, but Morton put his cane across Sky's chest, stopping him. "Hmm ... that does create a dilemma," said Morton. "I can't have you running off, and you don't seem inclined to help me. You wouldn't consider telling me how to open the prison, would you? I've used the keys before, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to make them work on the prison."

Sky shook his head. "I don't know. I've only closed it, never opened it."

Morton sighed. "I suppose I'll have to figure it out on my own, then. You realize, of course, that our deal is off. Without the blade, I can't exactly free Bedlam and save Exile, now can I? It's too bad. I'd hoped to make a present of Alexander's blade to Solomon to replace the one he lost when they trapped Bedlam, but seeing as how we can't find it, Solomon will have to make do without for the time being. Really, I should've taken it with me when I had the chance."

Sky stared at Morton. "You killed Alexander."

"Most certainly," Morton replied. "I stabbed him through the neck with his own blade. But the blade never shimmered for me, I'm afraid, or I never would've left it behind. I thought it was worthless. For the life of me, I've never understood why it didn't work. I was its rightful owner. I even set aside my own blade for it so I could make the new connection, and still it rejected me. It was very frustrating."

"But why did you kill Alexander? You told me you and Phineas were friends once, and yet you murdered his son!" Sky said accusingly.

"Oh, many reasons," said Morton.
"A grudge against his father.
Personality differences.
But mostly it was revenge for killing Solomon."

"But Alexander didn't kill Solomon," Sky pointed out.

"Solomon became the Arkhon."

"Yes, I realize that now. It's an unfortunate situation. When Alexander returned alone after their hunt of the Arkhon, I con fronted him. He told me that Solomon had died a hero, but his story was full of holes and he refused to give me details. But I knew Alexander and, at the time, I believed his cowardice had cost Solomon his life. My greatest apprentice, my son, dead because of a cowardly boy who was like a brother to him! I found Alexander in his study, and I stabbed him with his own blade."

"And you're calling
him
a coward?" Sky prodded. "I still don't get why you used his Slippery Wick Brew to imitate him."

Morton stared at Sky as if he were crazy. "I did no such thing."

"But there were reports that Alexander was seen leaving his office a short time before his body was found," said Sky, feeling like he was missing something.

Morton waved his hand dismissively. "Rubbish."

He lifted his cane from Sky's chest and Sky sighed in relief. He had honestly thought that Morton intended to bury him again.

"Well, we'd best be off," Morton chirped.

Sky started to climb out, but Morton's cane swung back into place, stopping him. "Not you."

With a quick thrust, Morton pushed Sky back down into the coffin and closed the lid.

Sky pounded on it as dirt rained down once again and Porp-a-lorps zoomed past.

"Chase! CHASE!" Sky screamed. "You can't let him do this! CHASE!"

Sky heard Morton's voice growing softer and softer with each clump of falling dirt. "This is for your own good, Sky-a punishment to remind you that I am your master now. We'll return for you right after we release Solomon; I'm sure he'll be terribly happy to see you. It's better this way, really. You'll see. Until then, try to stay alive."

Sky fought to get out of the coffin, but it was no use.

He felt a vibration coming through the wood- Earthspeak. His Hunter's Mark surged with light, and he heard Chase say, "I'll be back for you, Sky. I promise."