The Candy Shop War, Vol. 2: Arcade Catastrophe (14 page)

“Sounds interesting,” Nate said. He hoped he didn’t seem too eager.

“More than interesting,” Jonas promised. “The hunt will be challenging, frightening, astonishing, and perhaps even deadly. It will provide a once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the miraculous. The relics of Iwa Iza are among our most potent talismans of protection and healing, guarded alongside other wonders by the Unseen Magi. By all accounts, Uweya should surpass his other creations in splendor and power.”

“You want Uweya so you can help people?” Nate asked, trying not to sound doubtful.

“Iwa Iza devoted his life to uplifting his followers and protecting the natural world. Uweya is allegedly his crowning achievement. Yet it does no good while lost.”

Nate folded his arms. “What exactly am I agreeing to do?”

“To become one of my Jets,” Jonas said, producing a pad of ink in a wooden case. “The power of the stamp should remain in full effect for two days. Over the third day, the enchantment will dwindle to nothing. I will stamp you once for making the purchase with your tickets. Renewing the stamp depends on my receiving your cooperation. If you do not wish to join the club, I will offer a jet stamp to another and deny you access to the ink.”

“I’ll be the last to join?” Nate checked.

“You would complete the club. Each club will have four members.”

“That’s a lot of kids,” Nate said.

Jonas shrugged. “There will be multiple stages to finding Uweya. The clubs will compete against each other. You’ll learn the details later. The winning club will have the honor of retrieving Uweya.”

“You’ll accept me if I commit?” Nate asked.

“You worry that I would deny you because of your involvement with Belinda. I am bound to my sister by blood, but she is no friend of mine. I was always much fonder of my other sister, Camilla. Belinda’s disappearance helped spawn this opportunity for me. She was also pursuing Uweya. Acquiring water from the Fountain of Youth was merely a step along that path. By foiling her, Nate, you aided me immeasurably.”

Nate frowned. Something was off. Why was Jonas making this so easy? “You mentioned you were worried I might be involved with other magicians. If I helped stop Belinda, doesn’t that make me a potential threat?”

Jonas laughed, tapping the side of the inkpad with one finger. “If I can’t handle the hazards posed by a child, I should pack up and go home. Don’t overestimate yourself. I’ll grant that you’re probably more capable than many others your age. I need capable people to find this treasure. It will not be simple. It is quite possible that all of my clubs will fail and I will have to start again from scratch. You let me worry about the threat you pose. I’ll take measures to protect my interests. All you really need to know is that I’m willing to accept the risks if you’re willing to work with me.”

Nate considered the insultingly frank response. Jonas White’s open attitude made Nate hungry for information. He felt tempted to ask about Mozag and John Dart, but worried it would push the magician too far. If he worked for Jonas, he would sooner or later end up in a position to learn about his captured friends. “All right. I’ll be a Jet.”

“Just like
West Side Story!
”
Jonas gushed. “Hand over the stamp and hold out your hand.”

Nate obeyed. Jonas pressed the stamp against the inkpad, then stamped the back of Nate’s hand. Tingles rushed up his arm and spread across his body.

“Welcome to the team.” Jonas grinned.

Nate looked at the simple jet insignia on his hand. Something had changed, but he couldn’t quite recognize the difference.

“Try to fly,” Jonas prompted.

Nate stood, and his feet rose off the floor. He levitated a few feet into the air. He hovered, looking down at Jonas in surprise. It felt as natural as walking. He swerved to the left, then back to the right. Deciding where to go felt as simple as commanding his arms to move or his fingers to grasp. The force suspending him in the air existed throughout his body but seemed centered in his chest. Nate slowly dropped back to the ground.

“Ever experience anything like it?” Jonas asked.

“No,” Nate replied.

“I can’t tell you I’m surprised,” Jonas chuckled. “I’m a perfectionist. Are you a perfectionist, Nate?”

“I try to do good work,” Nate said. “I like to win.”

“I didn’t think so,” Jonas said smugly. “Most people refer to perfectionism much too casually. Being a perfectionist has advantages and drawbacks. My enhancers are not exceptionally diverse. Lesser magicians have broader catalogs. But my creations work unusually well for an uncommon amount of time. For example, real flight is a very difficult enhancement to produce. As a Jet, you will benefit from my thoroughness.”

“It feels amazing,” Nate said, impressed by the new ability. “I’ve had dreams about flying. Sometimes it’s like swimming clumsily through the air. Other times I can zoom around however I want. This feels like my best dreams.”

“Wait until you try it outside,” Jonas said. “I can imagine nothing more exhilarating. Makes me wish I were young enough to use it. A word of caution: You have the ability to fly, but your body is no stronger than usual. In a car, you have a metal shell to protect you in a crash. A motorcyclist has much less protection. Think of yourself as a flying motorcyclist.”

“I could really get hurt,” Nate realized.

“There are limits to how fast you can fly,” Jonas said. “But you can go plenty fast enough to get killed.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” Nate replied.

“Take care not to use any other magic while the stamp is in effect,” Jonas cautioned. “The magic involved with flight is delicate. Attempting to mix in other magic could prove disastrous.”

“Good to know.”

“You’re not new to magical enhancers,” Jonas said. “That could work either for or against you. Don’t take any of this lightly. To seal our agreement, the day after tomorrow you must bring me an inanimate object to which you feel a strong attachment.”

“Like what?”

“A stuffed animal. A book. A trophy. A photograph. I have the ability to measure your attachment to the item. If you comply, I will restamp you every other day. If the connection between you and the object isn’t strong enough, you will not get restamped.”

“Will you keep the object?”

“For as long as our association lasts.”

“Do I need to bring something every time I get stamped?”

“Just next time,” Jonas said. “Are you ready to meet your fellow Jets? Together you are the first complete group of four.”

“Sure,” Nate said, knowing that he had met all of them already.

Jonas rose and crossed to the far door. He moved slowly, as if ill or arthritic. When he opened the door, three kids came through—Chris, Risa, and Lindy.

Nate gaped in surprise at his friend. “Lindy?” His gaze darted to Jonas and back to Lindy. She might appear young, but surely Jonas had recognized his sister! What had transpired between them? What had he told her?

Lindy smiled sheepishly. “I hoped it would be one of you guys. I was worried Roman would beat you.”

“Thanks a lot, Nate,” Chris grunted, shaking his head.

Glaring, Risa took an angry step toward Nate. “Did you shut out Roman on purpose? He’s been working so hard for this! He even helped you! He thought you’d make a good teammate.”

“Lindy was never part of the plan,” Nate explained hastily, hoping they would believe him. “She acted alone. She wasn’t even supposed to come to the arcade! Todd wouldn’t reveal who had the third stamp. I assumed it was Roman. I didn’t even know that Lindy was trying for a stamp.”

“I don’t really care how it happened,” Chris said. “Together, you two stole his stamp.”

“Now, now,” Jonas chided. “This is a competition. Nobody has a claim on any stamp until they earn the tickets and trade for one. Chris, your friend Roman came close, but these two finished ahead of him. There are other stamps he can choose from.”

“How’d she earn the tickets?” Risa grumbled. “I’ve never seen her playing at Arcadeland.”

“She won’t talk about it,” Chris said.

“Perhaps she accomplished the task more cleverly than you,” Jonas replied serenely. “Do you imagine that I owe you an explanation? Some days I wish that children had no tongues. Life would be less wearisome if the power of speech were withheld for the first forty years. How Lindy succeeded is not your concern. With four members, your club is complete. If you wish to remain Jets, learn to get along. If not, feel free to join the rest of humanity in their mediocrity.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you,” Chris backpedaled.

“Which makes it so much more offensive,” Jonas yawned. “The four clubs will soon compete against each other. The winners will keep their stamps. The losers won’t. Before you know it, Roman and others will try to take your stamps away. I’ll be interested to see how your foursome measures up.”

Chris folded his arms and stared at the ground. Risa glowered. But they kept quiet.

Nate glanced at Lindy. She and Jonas were not acknowledging each other as more than new acquaintances. Either she didn’t know they were siblings or she was doing a good job covering it up. Surely he knew? And if he knew, he probably would have told her, right? But Nate couldn’t ask about it in front of her, in case she didn’t know. And he supposed there was a small chance that Jonas didn’t know either. Maybe they hadn’t been together much as children.

Jonas pointed at Nate. “He just received his stamp. Lindy got hers last night, when I refreshed Chris and Risa. I’ll restamp you all again the morning after next. Come at nine. Until then, I suggest you train together. You have the ability to fly, but practice will be required to fly well and to work as a team. Any questions?”

Nate couldn’t think of any questions not involving Mozag or John Dart.

“A friendly reminder,” Jonas continued. “If you tell any prospective candidates about what the stamps can do, you will lose all privileges and your slot will be filled by another. You have no right to let magical secrets spill into the nonmagical world. Don’t test me. I’ll know. I have many ways of gathering information. Keep your abilities private. That is all.”

Jonas shuffled over to his chair and sat.

“Come on,” Chris said. “I’ll show you where we practice.”

“One more thing, Nate,” Jonas said. “You’ll want to avoid my nacho cheese. It has a numbing effect on the ability to use and perceive magic. Old family recipe. The people at my concession counter know to keep it away from my candidates. They’ll use other cheese for you. But don’t try any if a family member brings some home.”

“Family member?” Nate asked.

“You should encourage your family to sample it,” Jonas said. “The cheese will simplify things for you, free you up to pursue your new opportunities.” He waved a casual hand. “Dismissed.”

Nate followed the others out of the room. They passed through a break room with a few vending machines, a sink, a microwave, some cupboards, and a few tables. One employee sat reading a hiking magazine. Another nibbled at a burrito.

Beyond the room they passed into a hall. Nate walked beside Lindy. “Are you all right?” he muttered.

“I’m fine,” Lindy said.

“Your dad has been worried,” Nate told her.

She winced a little. “I slept in one of the little tunnels at the Monument Park playground. It wasn’t comfortable. I’ll go home tonight. Not much he can do now.”

“Except ground you forever,” Nate pointed out.

“It’s hard to ground somebody who can fly,” Lindy said.

They reached a door that led directly outside. The far side of the door held an EMPLOYEES ONLY sign. Across the patio, a group of teenagers were putting at a hole designed to look like Stonehenge.

“You ran away from home?” Risa asked Lindy.

“Maybe,” Lindy said.

“Lindy hasn’t been very talkative,” Chris told Nate.

“She’s probably not sure whether she can trust you,” Nate replied. “Which is probably smart.”

Chris shrugged. “Like I care. Instead of one team of four, maybe we can be two teams of two.”

“Fine with me,” Lindy said.

“You heard Mr. White,” Risa said. “If we don’t work together, the other teams will beat us and we’ll lose our stamps. We need to make the best of this.”

“Then let’s go,” Chris said.

“Wait,” Nate said. “My friends know I just received my stamp.”

“So?” Risa asked.

“We watch out for each other,” Nate said. “If I don’t come back, they might freak out. Let me go tell them that I’m okay, then I’ll catch up.”

“We’ll catch up,” Lindy added. “You guys can go ahead. I’ll show him the way.”

“Fine, but don’t slip up and spill any secrets,” Chris said. “Mr. White is serious about keeping this quiet.”

“Believe me, I get it,” Nate replied. “See you soon.”

Chris and Risa walked away. Nate and Lindy started looping around Arcadeland toward one of the regular entrances. Before they reached the doors, Nate checked that Chris and Risa were out of sight, then pulled Lindy to a halt.

“So what happened?” he asked.

Lindy glanced around. “Nobody included me, so I included myself.”

“How did you win 50,000 tickets so quickly?”

“Who says I won them?”

Nate hit his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Katie Sung asked me about stolen tickets.”

“You talked to her too?”

“She let you get away with it?”

Lindy leaned against the wall. “She was mad. After I traded for the stamp, they brought me to her. She told me how their cameras never showed me winning a single ticket. She told me seven rolls of 8,000 tickets had been stolen the night before.”

“You stole them?”

“I didn’t admit it. Not to her. I told her maybe I was wearing a disguise when I was here playing. I told her I was tricky.”

“But you stole them.”

Lindy looked Nate in the eye. “You know I see differently from most people.”

“Right.”

“I can usually see through walls and floors, at least for a ways. But a lot of Arcadeland is shielded from my sight. I don’t know if they used magic or special materials, but I can’t see underground here, and I can’t see certain areas of the building.”