The Legend Thief (29 page)

"Solomon Rose is the second," said Andrew, nodding appreciatively.

"It's a double-bogey trap," said Sky.
"Very risky.
Hunters don't believe Solomon is the Arkhon. Nobody trusts the Arkhon. So if they learned Morton had tried to free him, Phineas could make a case for imprisonment."

"And if Solomon escapes?" Hands asked.

"That's the risky part," Sky replied. · "With Solomon free, and Morton backing him, he might be able to sway the hunters to his side. If he manages to convince them of who he is, things will go against Phineas."

"So why take the risk?" T-Bone asked.
"Seems stupid to me."

"I didn't give them an option," Sky admitted. "I was sup posed to leave Exile. By staying, I forced Errand and Phineas to give up the monocle to save me. If Solomon escapes, it's my fault."

"So the first trap's a flop, and the second trap might blow up in our faces." T-Bone shook his head in dismay. 'This is giving me a headache. Remind me not to play pinochle with any of you."

"Pinochle?" said Hands, raising an eyebrow. "What? I like pinochle," said T-Bone defensively.

"So what's next?" asked Andrew. "Do we go to the manor to help Phineas?"

Sky shook his head. "Phineas will have to hold off Morton, and Malvidia and the hunters will have to deal with Bedlam's army. We need the blade and Bedlam's body. Ambrosia and Gourmand-Morton's allies-are hiding Bedlam's body deep beneath the earth in Paragoth the earth eater's tunnels. And we need to figure out how to free Bedlam, something I'm hoping will be apparent once we have the other two things."

"So what first?
Blade or body?" asked Hands.

" Blade
," said Sky. "We're going to the homecoming game." "Why?" asked Andrew.

Sky looked at Andrew and came to a decision; for better or worse, Andrew deserved to know. "Because that's where we'll find your dad."

Andrew took it better than Sky had expected. Sky explained everything-about Nikola, about Em, and what had happened. Andrew listened silently. Sky finished with the story about Em at the bowling alley.

Andrew stared at him. Sky couldn't tell whether Andrew was on the verge of tears or maniacal laughter.

"I thought she looked familiar," Andrew muttered. Andrew was in shock, then, it appeared.

"You don't have to come with us, Andrew," said Hands.

"We understand if you don't want to see your dad right now." "''ve seen my dad almost every day since I started going to Arkhon Academy," said Andrew bitterly. "I just never knew it, and my stupid uncle and his stupid family never saw fit to tell me. I don't see what's so different now."

Sky glanced at T-Bone and Hands, not sure what to do. This wasn't quite the reaction he had expected.

"You're okay?" Sky asked.

"Can we just not talk about this right now?" Andrew snapped. ''I'd rather forget it until this is over."

"Sure, Andrew," said T-Bone. "If that's what you want
- "

"IT IS!" Andrew shouted.

T-Bone held up his hands defensively. "Okay. Sorry I asked." Andrew stormed ahead, setting a brisk pace.

Sky wandered after him, lost in his own thoughts, wondering if he'd done the right thing by telling him.

As they passed by the First Hunter's broken stone sword, a dark shadow flashed overhead, blotting out the moon. Hands, T-Bone, and Andrew went for their weapons, but Sky held up his hand. "Hold it! I called her here!"

"Called who?" T-Bone asked warily.

A gigantic jet-black horse, with a mangled horn on her forehead and a ball of light dangling from the horn, landed on the gaudy tomb of Esteban, the one-named hunter.

''I've called the Darkhorn," said Sky. Since he had crawled out of Alexander's grave, he'd been opening his mind and reaching out with his senses, broadcasting his location to any thing capable of sensing it, searching for the Darkhorn. "If you have any more barrow weed, shove it up your nose now, and whatever you do, don't look at her horn."

The Darkhorn neighed and stomped a hoof, shaking the ground. She sniffed at the air like a bloodhound taking in a scent, and suddenly Sky was looking at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen before, an angel, wreathed in flowing light.

The Darkhorn reached out and touched Sky's forehead, and Bedlam suddenly appeared, standing next to him. Sky jumped, but then he saw Bedlam's eyes-distant and unfocused, and his voice came through like a recording. And Sky realized that Bedlam had somehow implanted a memory of himself in Sky's head. Sky glanced at T-Bone, Hands, and Andrew; they didn't seem to notice Bedlam at all. They just stared dumbly at the Darkhorn. "
assist
them, my love. Let their thoughts guide you. Soon we will be together again," Bedlam whispered.

The Darkhorn-the beautiful woman-smiled and then emitted a horrible neighing sound that Sky took for happiness.

Bedlam turned to Sky, his eyes unfocused. "Betray me, Changeling, and I will skin you and wear you to dinner parties."

"That's really disturbing," Sky replied. "I hate dinner parties."

The Darkhorn reared, and then Bedlam was gone, as was the image of the beautiful woman.

Sky walked up and slowly put his hand on the Darkhorn's leg. She lowered her head close enough for him to pat her on the nose.

"Looks like it's time to fly," Sky said. "Bedlam said to guide her with our thoughts."

T-Bone tossed a duffel bag in front of Sky. "You'd best suit up."

Sky put on his gear. He ached all over, and it hurt to pull it on. The music of the nearby Grove did little to soothe or rejuvenate him, as it had before. It wasn't discordant, as when Cass had been shot, but it wasn't quite peaceful, either.

"All right," Sky said as he pulled on his battered cloak with a quiet, painful groan. "Let's go."

Since the Darkhorn's back was easily three times his height, Sky hit his Jumpers and sailed up and on, followed by Andrew.

''I'm not getting on that thing," T-Bone declared.

"You fly all the time with your Jumpers," said Hands. "What's the problem?"

"I don't fly on things with big spears sticking out of their foreheads!" T-Bone exclaimed.

Hands shook his head, hit his Jumpers, and landed on the Darkhorn behind Sky. "Just get on, you big baby."

"Fine," said T-Bone. "But I get to drive."

T-Bone hit his Jumpers and landed in front of Sky. There was plenty of room.

The Darkhorn's hair was longer than Sky had expected. It wrapped around his legs and hips and tightened snugly. Sky yelped.

The Darkhorn leaped into the air, rocketing out of the Grove and the surrounding cliffs.

"How do you steer this thing?" T-Bone yelled as the ground flashed by below them.

"With your mind!"
Sky yelled back.

The Darkhorn darted and veered, swooping toward the trees, only to level out again and climb higher and higher. She whinnied in complaint.

"Who's doing that?" T-Bone screamed. "Sorry, that was me," yelled Hands.

"What were you thinking?" Andrew yelled.

"I was thinking how that bog really does look like soup, and how those clouds look like salt shakers!" yelled Hands.

"You know ... I think you're right!" Andrew yelled. The Darkhorn veered down again, and then up. "Would you stop
that!
" T-Bone shrieked.

Hands and Andrew laughed, but as quickly as Andrew's smile appeared, it disappeared even faster.

Looking down, Sky saw Morton and his hunters cutting through the swamp.

"How much time do you think we have before they reach the manor?" Hands asked.

Sky looked at the manor in the distance. "I don't know-maybe a half hour, and then it's up to Phineas. Plus, Morton still has to figure out how the keys open the prison, and I suspect Phineas didn't make it easy!"

They veered east toward Arkhon Academy.

T-Bone pointed at the ground as they swooped over the Argraves' crypt. "What is that thing?"

A giant spiderlike creature climbed out of the earth and shook itself, sending dirt everywhere.

Sky groaned. "It's a Gossymer! They shouldn't be here! The Gnomon
were
supposed to lead them to the Finger of Erachnus!"

"Maybe this one got lost!" Andrew yelled. "I hope so
.. . ."

Ahead, they saw the lights of the football stadium and heard the roar of fans. The stadium was packed with spectators.

Sky spotted two more Gossymers as they swooped toward the stadium, but the Gossymers burrowed back into the earth at the sight of the Darkhorn. Sky steered the Darkhorn around the stadium, feeling sick as he took in the crowds of people.

"I think we're in trouble, guys," said Sky.

"We're only down by seven points," Hands yelled, apparently watching the scoreboard. "Touchdown and a field goal and we pull ahead-that's not so bad!"

"I was talking about the monsters and those crowds!" Sky yelled.

"Oh. Yeah. That's pretty bad," said Hands.

They circled the stadium once, flying higher and hoping the lights would blind the spectators. Sky scanned the bleachers, looking for Nikola. Nikola had left a message for him at Alexander's grave. Sky felt certain of it; he just didn't know what that message meant. He had to jog Nikola's memory to help him recall where he had put Alexander's shimmering blade.

The crowd went wild. Looking down, Sky saw Tick complete a spectacular pass.

"I can't see Nikola from up here! We're going to have to land!" Sky yelled. He steered the Darkhorn to the forest on the west end of the field, a forest that spread up the hill to Pimiscule Grounds.

They landed and used their Jumpers to dismount. The Darkhorn let out a loud neigh and then seemed to slip back into the shadows, disappearing completely from view.

"So how are we going to do this?" Andrew asked. "We can't just walk out there dressed like this." He gestured at his cloak. "Got it covered
, "
said T-Bone. He pulled the duffel bag from his shoulder and set it on the ground. Opening it, he withdrew two nasty football jerseys and threw one to Sky and one to Andrew.

Sky caught a whiff of it and nearly gagged. "What is this?"

"Practice jersey," said T-Bone, pulling off his cloak and put
ting on his own, less disgusting jersey over the top of his gear. Hands did the same.

Sky and Andrew stared at their jerseys in distaste.

"It's huge," Sky complained, holding up T-Bone's practice jersey. "It's like a pup tent."

"And they smell like football rolled in hockey," Andrew added, curling his lip.

"At least you didn't get T-Bone's," Sky moaned. "Seriously, I could prop this up and sleep under it.
Rainstorm?
No problem.
Perfectly dry.
Fall from the sky? Not an issue-I've got a parachute big enough for us all."

"Just put them on and stop whining," T-Bone snapped. "They're not that bad."

"Says the guy with a properly sized jersey," said Sky. He slipped out of his cloak and pulled on the jersey while T-Bone and Hands wrapped their arms in KT Tape to hide the more obvious bits of gear.

"You guys need some of this?" Hands asked, offering Sky and Andrew the athletic tape.

Sky looked down at himself. The bottom of the jersey went to just past his knees, while the sleeves reached nearly to his wrists. Andrew looked a bit better. He was only a few inches shorter than Hands, so the bottom of his jersey wasn't too far off from where it should be. Unfortunately, Hands had much broader shoulders, so the shirt hit Andrew mid forearm.

"Thanks, but I think we're more than covered," said Sky sarcastically.

Hands grinned. "I think you look pretty." T-Bone snickered.

"Might I have the next dance?" Hands asked, giving Sky a formal bow.

T-Bone burst out laughing.

"You guys are both jerks, you know that?" said Sky. Glancing over, Sky saw that even Andrew was grinning. "Let's just get this over with," Sky declared, storming off toward the field.

"As you wish," said Hands breathily.
"Milady."

"Jerks, all of you," Sky muttered, leaving them laughing hysterically behind him. Despite his pique, he was glad to hear Andrew laughing. He knew Hands and T-Bone were trying to cheer up Andrew. The laughing wouldn't change things in the long run, but it might make Andrew forget about his parents for a while, and that was worth being the brunt of a few jokes.

Sky tried to tuck in the jersey as he walked, but he ended up with awkward bulges. Finally he tied the bottom of the shirt in a knot and let it dangle to the side.

He was nearly to the bleachers when he felt the ground rumble slightly. Andrew, T-Bone, and Hands quickly caught up to him.

"That can't be good," said Hands.

Sky placed his hand on the ground and heard all sorts of random vibrations through the Hunter's Mark. To the northeast around the finger of Erachnus, he guessed-there
were
terrible rumblings. And closer-far too close-he detected a smaller number. He focused on the more immediate threat. Something was burrowing up beneath the field. Lots of somethings.

"I think we're too late," Sky muttered and sprinted for the stadium.

Bedlam's army had finally arrived. Just in time for homecoming.