The Order of Odd-Fish (36 page)

It was true. She was turning into a monster.

“What more proof do you need?” shouted Dame Isabel hoarsely. “You see the wound. She went to the Belgian Prankster in secret, she did it willingly! She is already half monster!
Jo is the All-Devouring Mother!
”

Jo looked around in desperation. Everyone was edging away from her. Nora screamed and hid her face. Ian stared at Jo with uncomprehending terror. Jo looked for Audrey, but Audrey had disappeared.

“Arrest her!” ordered Dame Isabel, and the policemen approached Jo as everyone else scrambled away.

“But I’m not bad!” said Jo. “I don’t want to hurt anyone!”

“More lies!” screamed Dame Isabel. “We can’t take a chance with a liar! Arrest her, lock her up, expel her from the city, anything—do something before it’s too late!”

“I’m not evil!” said Jo, and then the policemen seized her.

The mountain lurched. All the lights went out. The Dome of Doom went black, a tumult of rumbles, scrapes, and cracks shot through the mountain, echoing all around the cavern, and the floor swayed and jolted, upsetting tables and chairs, knocking everyone to the floor. Jo felt the blood oozing out of her wound. She was making the earthquake happen. The All-Devouring Mother was shrieking inside her, all of the Ichthala’s rage was spraying out, and she was helpless against it. And yet it was her. Every tremble of her stomach shook the mountain; every heartbeat made the city quake.

Jo staggered away into the darkness, trying to avoid being trampled as the party broke into mayhem. The policemen spread out, trying to restore order, and Jo heard Dame Isabel shouting over the crowd’s roar, “Get her! Don’t let her escape!”

Jo felt her way along the wall and bumped into someone in the darkness.

Ian’s voice: “Who are you?”

“It’s Jo. Help me, Ian. I don’t—”

“Get away from me. Get away from me or I’ll shout and everyone will know where you are.”

“Ian, please don’t—”

“You killed my mother. You lied to me!”

“Ian—”

He pushed her to the ground. “Get away from me!”

Jo scrambled away and ran into the darkness. She blundered out of the ballroom, running into people, tripping over them, but she didn’t slow down. She remembered talking with Ian, riding on the elephant together, on their way to the Municipal Squires Authority, when he’d said that even if Aunt Lily was arrested, Jo could rely on him.

It hadn’t meant anything.

A little thing she didn’t even know was inside her, that some part of her had been secretly tending, was ripped out, and part of her came with it. Jo didn’t know where she was going. She didn’t care. She ran blindly into the stadium area of the Dome of Doom.

The Silent Sisters were waiting for her.

They glowed blue in the darkness, veils and gowns rippling in an invisible wind, holding out their clutching bony hands. Jo screamed but couldn’t hear anything—all sound was gone except for an old woman’s voice, itching deep inside her brain. Jo spun, ran—toward more shimmering blue Silent Sisters, gliding from the opposite hallway, reaching out for her.

Jo turned and sprinted toward the elevator room. She found and jabbed the button in the darkness. Nothing happened. She hit it. Again nothing. The blue light down the hall grew stronger. She felt around tremblingly, looking for the door to the stairs. The blue was getting brighter, looming behind her, starting to light up the room.

A chilly fingertip touched her shoulder.

Jo yelled and tore up the stairs, three at a time. She didn’t have the strength to run, but she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t look back, but she knew the Silent Sisters were right behind her, fluttering up the stairs, shimmering in the darkness like jets of gas flame—Jo burst through a door and suddenly she was out on the streets of Lower Brondo.

It was three in the morning. The city was in a pandemonium. The earthquake had jolted buildings out of their foundations, and they slumped against each other, knocking each other down like dominoes. Flames leaped out of windows, smoke billowed in dirty dark clouds, and the streets were full of people running around in panic.

A glimmering blue Silent Sister was skimming down the street—everyone scattered before her, screaming, not looking back. Then the Silent Sister saw Jo and spread her arms wide, bobbing and sailing toward her.

“There she is!” said someone. “The Hazelwood monster!”

“I’m not a monster!” shouted Jo.

A mob was coming toward her, too, their faces ugly with rage, ready to tear her apart. Two more Silent Sisters appeared from opposite directions, floating and fluttering toward Jo, their arms outstretched. Jo was trapped.

A yellow sedan skidded around the corner, crashing through the mob, roaring straight toward Jo. It spun to a stop, the door flew open, and Audrey yelled, “Get in!”

Jo dived into the backseat, bricks and rocks thunked against the car, and Audrey floored it, screeching away, veering onto the sidewalk, nearly running over people in the mob.

“Since when do you have a car?” shouted Jo.

“I just stole it. Keep your head down!”

Jo ducked below the window. “Where did you go? What happened to you?”

“I saw the knights were being escorted out of the party,” said Audrey. “When they didn’t come back I got suspicious. I slipped away and found out what Dame Isabel had planned. By then the police weren’t letting anyone back down into the Dome of Doom, so I couldn’t warn you. Then the earthquake happened, so I stole this car and started driving around looking for you. I knew you’d find a way out.”

“How did you know?” said Jo.

“Because it’s true, isn’t it,” said Audrey, her hands tightening on the wheel. “You are who they say you are.”

Jo curled up. “You know who I am?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you hate me, too?”

“No. I guess I identify with your character?” Audrey grimaced. “I wish you’d told me. You could’ve trusted me.”

“Do you really think I’m…the All-Devouring Mother?”

“You know I never bought that Silent Sisters nonsense. Look, I don’t care who they say you are—I’m not going to let a bunch of crazy people kill you.”

Jo felt she could hardly breathe. “Can you get me out of the city?”

“All the city gates are locked and guarded. Nobody’s getting out. You’re going to have to hide somewhere in the city.”

“Where could I possibly hide?” said Jo.

Audrey paused. Then she said, “Nobody would expect you to hide in the lodge, would they? It’s big, and there’s lots of hidden rooms—I won’t tell anyone, I swear! Not even Ian. I could visit you secretly, bring you food, and a few months later, after this blows over, I’ll help you escape for real. Good plan?”

It sounded like a terrible plan. “Thanks, Audrey. You’re a good friend.”

They drove a while in silence.

“Actually, you’re my only friend,” Jo added at last.

“What?”

“Ian and Nora—when they found out—”

“Put it out of your mind,” said Audrey firmly. “Forget about it. They were shocked. Whatever they said or did, it’s not what they really feel.”

“But Ian blames me for killing his mom, Nora’s obsessed with crazy myths about me. I never told them who I really am, and they were my—”

“One day it’ll be all right,” said Audrey. “You have to believe that. But today, no. Today you have to stay away from them.”

Jo held herself tight, rocking on the floor of the backseat as Audrey yanked the steering wheel, stepped on the gas, and zigzagged down the streets. Finally Jo said, “Why are you the only one who doesn’t mind that I’ve been lying all this time?”

“I’m a liar myself,” said Audrey. “Look—we’re here.”

Audrey drove past the lodge and then pulled around into the empty alley. “Hurry up, let’s get inside before anyone sees you,” she said quickly.

The lodge was deserted and in shambles. Audrey had to kick open the front door, which had become wedged into the twisted door frame. Inside the furniture was thrown around and broken, windows were shattered, and some of the ceilings had fallen in the earthquake.

“Where am I supposed to hide?” said Jo.

“This way,” said Audrey, pulling Jo up the half-collapsed staircase. On the fourth floor Audrey led her down a hallway Jo had never seen before, pressed a panel in the wall, and opened a hidden door. There was a narrow hallway leading into darkness.

Jo looked at Audrey in astonishment. “How do you know about these things?”

“You know—poking around. I had a feeling this might be useful. C’mon, get in.”

Jo and Audrey squeezed down the hallway, which narrowed into a crawl space, and finally dropped into a tiny closet, hardly large enough to stand up in. It was dark except for a trickle of light coming from a hole in the bricks.

“Leave everything to me,” said Audrey. “I’m going to go fetch you some supplies, check the situation outside. Ditch that car, too.”

Jo grabbed Audrey’s arm. “You’re leaving?”

“I can’t do any good sitting here with you,” said Audrey. “Come on, I’ve gotta go.”

Jo slowly let go. “But…you’ll come back, right?”

“As soon as I can.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“We’ll get you through this,” said Audrey. “Oh, and—uh—give me your dress.”

“What?”

“Don’t ask! Here’s some other clothes for you to wear.”

Jo reluctantly took off her dress and gave it to Audrey, who shoved some street clothes at her. Then Audrey pulled herself up into the crawl space and was gone.

Jo waited, shivering. When Audrey was with her, it seemed possible that she just might get out of this alive. But now despair came rushing back. She couldn’t bear to think about her wound. She could feel it sending roots into her body, sucking up her blood and converting it into something nastier, spreading its tentacles all over her back.

Jo stared out the crack in the wall, out at the chaotic street and the crumbling city. It was all because of her. Maybe Dame Isabel had been right. Maybe she was born evil.

An hour later Audrey came back. Jo could hear her voice on the other side of the wall.

“It’s getting worse out there,” she said. “The Belgian Prankster escaped from the asylum. Nobody knows where he is. The Silent Sisters are tearing the city apart searching for you. Nobody can stop them. Every time someone comes near the Silent Sisters or even looks at them too long, they lose their mind, or faint, or just start crying. Everyone just wants to find you and hand you over to them. And there’s something else.”

Jo couldn’t stop shaking. “What?”

“The earthquake cracked open the top of the mountain,” said Audrey. “City hall, the mayor’s mansion—it’s all destroyed. And there’s a
new
building on top of the mountain. It used to be underground. It’s like the earthquake made it bubble up to the surface. It’s—it looks like—”

Jo whispered, “It’s the temple we visited. It’s the temple of the Silent Sisters.”

Audrey paused for a long moment. “Yes.”

“They’re going to find me,” said Jo.

“But I’ve got a plan for you to escape!”

From outside there came the angry shouts of a mob. Jo turned away from Audrey’s voice, tremblingly got on her hands and knees, squinted through the peephole—then jerked back as if something had poked her eye.

The Silent Sisters were in front of the lodge, all twelve of them, standing absolutely still, shimmering pale blue in the gray dawn. Behind them, a mob was waving torches, stomping and shoving, screaming at the lodge.

“Audrey, the Silent Sisters are here,” whispered Jo. “They’re
here!
”

“Calm down! I’ve got a plan, okay?”

Audrey’s footsteps pattered away, leaving Jo alone. Jo made herself put her eye back in the peephole. The Silent Sisters hadn’t moved. They were standing around a veiled palanquin. Jo squinted closer, straining to see what was inside the elaborately draped tent.

Then she realized: the palanquin was for
her.

The mob was swelling in size, growing more violent. A burly man with shaggy black hair and beard stood on a car, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, gesticulating and screaming. The crowd threw bottles and bricks at the lodge, answering his shouts with angry chants.

“Come out, Hazelwood!” said the man. “We know you’re in there! Go to your Silent Sisters, just as you should’ve thirteen years ago! Go back to your own, Ichthala—or we’ll burn you out!”

“Burn, burn, Ichthala!” roared the crowd, shaking their torches up and down. “Burn, burn!”

“Your plan isn’t working,” said Jo. “Audrey, whatever your plan is—they’re going to burn down the lodge! Audrey! Why don’t you answer me?”

Footsteps, and then Audrey’s voice again: “I’m going out there.”

“It’s me they want, Audrey, not you!”

“They won’t know the difference until it’s too late.”

“Audrey
what—
”

Audrey dropped down into the closet. Jo staggered backward, stunned—for a moment she didn’t believe it was her. Audrey was wearing Jo’s dress, and her veiled face was covered with Ichthala makeup, including a fake wound on her neck.

“I got my makeup from the show,” said Audrey. “I’ll go out there disguised as the Ichthala and lead them away from the lodge. By the time they realize it’s not you, you’ll have escaped!”

“What…I can’t let you do that, Audrey!”

“Come out
now,
Ichthala!” thundered the bearded man. “We’re tired of waiting, of your lies! You have one minute to give yourself up to the Silent Sisters or we’ll burn you out!”

The crowd roared: “Sixty! Fifty-nine! Fifty-eight!”

“I’m going.” Audrey climbed up out the trapdoor.

“No!” Jo scrambled after her. “It’s not going to work! The Silent Sisters won’t be fooled. I have to face them myself. Only I can stop this!”

“Fifty-two! Fifty-one! Fifty!”

“You, alone, against the Silent Sisters?” said Audrey. “You can stop this on your own? They’ve got you cornered. They’ve got the whole city against you!”

“That’s why I have to face them!” said Jo, running after her. “You’ve played me well until now, but this last time, it has to be me!”

Audrey turned around. “If we substitute me for you, it’ll at least give you time to escape.”