Brass Monkeys (22 page)

“Sshh! Alvin, listen to me,” I said. “Take it easy. You can’t talk so loudly in here.”

He stared at me, his body tense. “Tonka-buddy. Hey, okay, what’s the deal? I’m dreaming, right?”

“Oh man,” moaned Weeser,
“I’ve got a tail!”

Now all three of them began to whimper, and I fell into a panic trying to shush them up. “Guys, stop it! This is dangerous! Ssshhh!”

Harriet joined me in trying to calm Weeser and Alvin. It must have taken a ton of nerve on her part because she couldn’t have known what was going on either. Finally the guys stopped whimpering, but I could tell they were on the verge of open panic. I reached out and pulled all three into a tighter group.

“Listen to me,” I began, and I knew my expression was grim. “We’re a long way from Grindsville, and this is probably the most dangerous moment of our lives. Do you understand what I’m saying so far?”

I could tell by Harriet’s expression that she understood completely. I couldn’t tell if Weeser and Alvin understood or not. They were staring rigidly at me.

“So where are we?” Weeser’s voice sounded tight and shrill.

Before I could answer, Harriet spoke up. “Ming took us somewhere, didn’t she? Like to some other school?”

I looked at her in amazement. “You’ve got it, exactly,” I said.

Weeser and Alvin were deathly still. There was something about the way Harriet said things—you never doubted her.

“What other school?” asked Weeser faintly.

“She calls it the School of the Brass Monkeys,” I said. “It’s in some weird underworld place. Right now, we’re hiding in a storage room near the gym.”

Alvin groaned and shut his eyes for a moment. “And why do we look like this?”

“You guys changed on the trip down here,” I replied. “You started getting—”

“I think we started changing months ago,” said Harriet. She frowned thoughtfully. “I knew something was happening to us. I could feel it.”

“A friend of mine says it was Ming’s classes,” I said, “along with the incense and music that did it. Then the ride down, and the Zorca kind of caps the whole deal off and keeps you helpless while you’re here.”

“Helpless?” Alvin repeated.

I could tell he was really struggling.

“And we were helpless, but Eugene saved us,” broke in Harriet. “We were sitting in the gym and getting ready for something awful and he saved us.”

I shook my head. “I don’t know about that. I may have just made it worse. If you want to see what we’re up against, take a peek out that window.” I pointed at the second door at the other end of the room.

I watched as the three of them inched over to the window and peered into the hallway. Alvin and Weeser dropped back down almost immediately.

Harriet, her face ashen, did the same thing a few seconds after.

“Du-wanger,” said Weeser softly.

“Man, the guns …” whispered Alvin. “And those dudes are
mean
-looking.”

“They’re called Storm Teachers,” I said. “They work for Ming. And the guns are really bad.” Briefly I told them what happened if they got hit with one. I could see the panic returning. “Look,” I added quickly, “I know this is all scary and confusing, so let me try to explain.”

Swiftly, I sketched a picture of what had happened so far. I went through the whole thing starting with Webster’s escape from the underworld and how he had sent the note to Harriet about me. When I said this, her eyes glowed and she nodded and whispered, “I knew it was you right from the first day I saw you.”

I told them about the mysterious McGinty and how he was the only person who could save us and how it was my mission to find him and deliver the book. I took compete blame for my cowardly behavior in Ming’s class and how it had caused the actual kidnapping, but all three quickly disagreed with this.

Harriet said, “It would have happened anyway. You were only trying to help.”

“And you ain’t no coward, Tonka-buddy,” Alvin added.

I hesitated. I wanted to tell them what a gutless wonder I was, but the desperation in their eyes stopped me. I was all they had now, and I couldn’t dash their hopes. I just nodded in a dumb wonky way and went on.

I told them about the scary ride down, and then I described Jack, Lilah, Teddy, and Ray and how they had helped me, and I know I bragged them up big time.

“It was Lilah who gave me the trumpet,” I said. “For inspiration. And Ray gave me this shirt.”

“Exotic,” murmured Weeser, his old self coming through briefly.

I explained how we only had three days to get everyone out of Ming’s school before the awful Amberlight thing. I didn’t exactly explain the Amberlight problem because I thought it was too frightening. Instead, I rushed on and talked about our return and loss of memory. I finished by showing them the book and the map and telling them about my plan to find McGinty. I said he was hiding in the Blue Grotto with the legendary Adjana, who was running a little school for her followers. I mentioned the drainage pipe and the “no way out of the Grotto” problem, but I left out how I had started calling myself Billy Bumpus. That part sounded too braggy.

“McGinty’s the only one who can read the map,” I said, “and on top of that he’s working on a weapon to blow Ming’s wig off.”

“So the plan is to go to the Blue Grotto and find him, right?” said Harriet.

“Exactly,” I said.

For a moment they stared at me. Finally Weeser spoke up in a faint voice. “So what about this Amberlight deal. Explain that a bit more. You kinda of quibbled, ducked, and prevaricated on that.”

“Okay, that’s the bad part.” I took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “I’ll try and show you what it looks like.”

I pushed back Alvin’s unruly monkey fur and revealed his amber spot.

Harriet and Weeser gasped and instantly began feeling behind their ears.

“I guess it was the awful education you were getting at Grindsville,” I said, “that sort of pushed it into a little pocket.” And then I added in a low voice, “They tell me the Stormies need the Amberlight—all that youthful fire and stuff—and they … they drink it.”

For a moment the three of them seemed frozen.

“That’s disgusting,” muttered Alvin

“And sick,” whispered Harriet.

Weeser had grown pale through all this. “So what about our fur and all that?” he asked. “Are we going to be monkeys the rest of our lives?”

“No. I guess you lose the fur and tails as soon as graduation is over and the Zorca stuff wears off.”

“And you’re saying we won’t remember any of this later?” said Harriet.

I nodded bleakly. “That’s the way I understand it. The ride back erases everything. But even worse, if Ming manages to put us through graduation down here and takes our Amberlight, we’ll be doomed to live like a bunch of burn-outs back home. We not only won’t have any memory of this, we won’t have our hopes and dreams either.”

Harriet made a little mewing sound of fear. “Then we’re in terrible danger.”

“The worst,” I replied. “That’s why I’ve got to get you out of here, and fast.”

“And you’ve got a plan, right, Tonka-buddy?” said Alvin. He scootched closer.

“Just tell us what it is,” pleaded Weeser and his breath whistled.

“Right,” I said. “Actually, it’s a bit complicated, but maybe I can give you a … brief outline.” The truth was, I had to figure out how to get them into the drainage pipe without being spotted and then get them safely to the Grotto to find McGinty. And do it all in time to save the other kids from Ming’s graduation.

Before I could stammer out a word of my ridiculous “outline,” we heard a tremendous thumping racket outside the door leading to the hallway. I slipped quickly to the door and peeked out.

I caught sight of two burly Stormies struggling with some guy in a light colored sport coat. Now they spun the man around and smushed his face into the window of our door. He had a bloody nose and a cut over his eye. I gasped, and my mouth must have hung open a foot and a half when I saw who it was.

“
Holy crow, it’s Jack.”
I said it way too loudly, and Harriet, Weeser, and Alvin looked at me in alarm.

“Who?” whispered Weeser.

For a moment I was so stunned I couldn’t speak. “It’s Jack,” I said, “the guy I told you about. I can’t believe it. They caught him.”

The other three crowded around me and peered out cautiously.

“He looks exactly like I pictured him,” said Harriet.

“They’ve really been beating on him,” murmured Alvin. “Look at his nose.”

We watched as Jack was dragged down the steamy hall and thrown on passenger walkway, which was now motionless. Grindsville teachers were standing around him, scratching themselves with their long orangutan arms and paying no attention to the disturbance. The two Stormies tried to force a cup of Zorca down Jack. He drank it, but when the Stormies left, I saw him spit it out.

“Yeah,” I said, balling my fist triumphantly, “that’s Jack.”

With a loud screech and a blast of steam, the walkway began moving slowly and Jack joggled his way toward us. I watched nervously as he drew nearer.

“Where do you think they’re taking him?” whispered Weeser.

I tried to steady my voice. “Ming puts everyone through three days of rotten classes before she takes their Amberlight. So I’m guessing Jack is heading for the teacher part of the classes, wherever those are.”

“They must be terrible,” said Harriet.

I nodded. “They have to be.” I paused and my eyes widened. “Waitaminnit,” I burst out. “Look just behind Jack. See the woman with the dark curly hair?”

“Lilah?” said Harriet in that clear, logical way of hers.

“Yeah, Lilah!” I said, happily. “And that guy to her right, the one with the bushy brown hair and the gappy teeth. That’s Teddy!”

“He looks like he’s hurt bad,” said Alvin.

“But Lilah’s still looking around,” commented Weeser. “She looks smart.”

“Listen,” I said, “she’s like the most intelligent, fabulous, musical …”

As we watched, a passing Stormie snapped his whip at Lilah and I heard her even-toned voice rise in pain.

I stiffened with anger and started to grab the handle of the door.

“Easy, Tonka-buddy,” Alvin whispered quickly. “Don’t get carried away.”

Jack was approaching our hiding spot now and he was standing in a slumped way, as if he were about to pass out. When he went by he looked up and saw me. Right away he stopped the phony slump. He straightened and made a “What?” gesture with his hands. It was Jack, tough as ever.

That did it. “I’ve got to help him,” I blurted out.

The other three gaped at me fearfully.

“Tonka-bud,” began Alvin in a nervous voice.

“What can you do?” Harriet broke in.

I shook my head. “I don’t know, but I’ve got to do something. Jack is the only person who can get all of us out of here in one piece. I just know it.” I started to pace in the little room, my mind racing. I crossed to the film projector and grabbed up a tin film container. I opened it and it was empty. I stuffed
Brass Monkeys
in and replaced the cover, then put the container on the cart.

“What are you doing?” Weeser said. “You’re scaring us with all this.”

I eyed them. “Listen, the book is the only thing that can save us.

Remember where it is, but tell no one except McGinty.” I rejoined them by the door.

“Somehow I’ll get Jack back here,” I went on in a rush.

Alvin was already shaking his head and Weeser piped up nervously, “Don’t do it, man. Don’t go out there. I mean, that’s crazy, insane, dumb!”

Harriet gave me a piercing look. “Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely. If I don’t act now, it’ll be too late. I gotta go.” I grasped the door handle, but Alvin grabbed my arm in a powerful grip.

“Whatever you do, Eugene,” he pleaded, “don’t leave us here.”

I eyed them. “I’d never do that. Never. I’m going to get you out of here.”

Harriet put her arms around me in a sudden hug, and Weeser and Alvin joined in clumsily. I picked up my trumpet and saw Weeser eye it with a puzzled look.

“Inspiration,” I whispered. I peered out the window and saw nothing. I took one last look at Harriet, at the tense but encouraging look in those golden-brown eyes. Then I opened the door and slipped out.

For a brief moment I simply stood there, feeling lost in the steamy hall. A small voice inside said,
Now what, you fool?
I had no answer. I found the edge of the moving walkway, stepped aboard, and found myself nose-to-nose with Principal Plumly. He stared at me, his orangish orangutan hair sticking up in a little cowlick. His nose sniffed up and down once, but that was all I could recognize from his old “Thumper” personality. He seemed totally gone on Zorca.

I pushed on past him, walking quickly ahead on the walkway. I went by other groups of teachers and saw several Stormies along the way, but I always managed to jam in behind somebody and stay hidden. Now there was a squeal and we ground to a halt. I heard yells and the sound of whips behind me.

I took a deep breath and walked ahead through the steam. Where were Jack and the others? And what would I say to Jack when I found him? I felt panic creeping into my guts and I walked faster and faster. I heard the guttural voices of Stormies coming along behind me. That panicked me, and I broke into a headlong rush along the walkway.

I didn’t even see Jack until his hand came out of the mist and grabbed me. Talk about fright. I thought my heart had stopped.

“Bumpus, you biscuit-head,” he whispered. His eyes glinted with that wild blue light. “What are you doing here,
in that shirt
, and carrying that stupid trumpet?”

“Hey, the Wild Bunch came to get you out,” I said in a cocky voice.

“You crazy kid.” He laughed softly, but this obviously hurt and his laughter trailed off. I could see his nose was still bleeding. “In case you haven’t noticed,” he said, “you’re the only one left.” He nodded toward Lilah and Teddy who stood slumped behind him, staring at nothing.

“Yeah,” I said, “but I’ve got a bunch of new recruits and we’re going to spring you guys out of here.” I grinned.

He gave me a pained look. “Look kid, let’s not joke around, okay?”