The Lonely Whelk (20 page)

“
My office?” Quin asked,
looking up at the screens quickly. “What is this random person
doing?”

“
He left something on your
desk. It looks like a magazine,” Clyde said. “I’m not completely
sure, but it looks like he’s talking to himself.”

“
Okay,” Quin said. “Help me
with this and then I’ll go and head him off. We’ll worry about
Boris later. Hit the black button over there.”

“
This one?” Clyde pointed
to a button that sat by itself on a board. It must be important if
it had its own spot.

“
Yes,” Quin
confirmed.

Clyde pressed it and an alarm began to sound
all around him. The individuals on the screens looked up in
surprise, but quickly continued along their trajectories.

“
Pull up the program titled
‘Rose’ on the computer,” Quin instructed. He had somehow magically
appeared over by the wall switches.

Clyde moved over to the computer and found
the program. He waited while it booted up.

“
Password?” Clyde
asked.

Quin was suddenly behind him, rapidly keying
in the code. “Shutdown is complete,” he said. “Movement is now
limited to individual floors, unless you have master keys to the
building. There is a set in the cupboard over there for you –
you’re lucky we keep an extra one around. They go to the elevator
and the stairs. Stay here until I tell you otherwise, and keep your
eyes on the screens.”

“
Of course, sir,” Clyde
replied.

“
If you see anything else,
let me know immediately.”

“
Of course. The strange man
who was in your office appears to be heading towards John’s
office.”

“
Great. I’ll head him
off.”

The next moment, Quin was gone. Clyde looked
everywhere, but somehow, without making any sound, Quin had
completely disappeared. Feeling a bit nervous, Clyde returned to
his post. He began to run through Ivanna the Bard quotes:
High
emotion can lead to better focus or worse mistakes. Know yourself;
know your weaknesses; know your strengths.

When alone and faced with difficult
situation, make the best or go home.

Find peace in every situation and an escape
route will magically appear.

“
Well, hello there,” a
voice from behind Clyde said smoothly.

Clyde jumped. No one was supposed to be in
here. He took a deep breath and turned around.

“
I’m sorry,” Clyde said
calmly. “Can I help you?”

“
Oh, just browsing,” the
man replied. He smiled slowly, his lips curving around his teeth
like a wave over a rock which crashes back again where it came
from. “Please, continue on with your work. Really. I can entertain
myself.”

Clyde frowned at the dapper-looking
gentleman in the long pinstriped suit. He wore a hat – an old-style
hat with the fur in the back. How had he gotten in here without
Clyde noticing? He glanced back at the screens: the crew of three
heading towards the Door Room was now a crew of two. How had he
missed that? And how had this person gotten up here if the stairs
and elevators were locked?

“
I’m sorry,” Clyde
answered. “But I really must ask you to leave.”

“
Look at all these
screens!” The man wandered towards the console. “It’s incredible,
really. You can see everything! Oh, look – what are those people
doing?”

Clyde turned his attention immediately to
the screen at which the man was pointing. The woman in the tight
dress and awful hair and the big ugly man were walking down the
hallway. They had nearly reached the door to the Door Room.

Clyde held the box up to his mouth. “Quin.”
he began.

“
Oh no you don’t.” All of a
sudden, the man stood behind him with a sharp blade pressed against
Clyde’s neck. “I have something else I need, and I don’t want you
telling anyone about it.”

The knife pressed a little further in as
Clyde flinched slightly. He tried to stay calm and remember all of
his training: don’t antagonize; look for an opportunity; get help.
If only he could hit a button on the comm.

“
And don’t try anything,”
the man said, “because I’ll wager my life I’ve got you beat in any
little trick you can come up with. Just watch the show, and maybe
you’ll get your mother back alive.” His grin was nearly audible,
and Clyde’s expression turned into a scowl. The man clearly didn’t
know: you don’t ever threaten people’s mothers.

At least this is the right floor,” Maxwell
said. “We’re almost there. It should be right around this
corner.”

“
What are we going to do
when we get there?” Maddy asked.

Maxwell’s laugh filled the empty hallway.
“You’ll see.” His grin stretched from ear to ear. His moment had
finally come.

“
Okay,” Maxwell continued.
“If you see anyone coming, scream and run off. If they chase you,
just keep running! As fast as you can, just run, okay?”

“
Why do you want me to
scream?” Maddy asked.

“
I think it will help
distract them. But you have to run really fast so they don’t catch
you.” He felt a little nervous asking her to do this. “Actually,
maybe it would be better if you just hid.”

“
Oh, no!” Maddy argued. “I
will do it! I think it will be fun! And I haven’t done anything
wrong, right?”

“
No, of course not!”
Maxwell exclaimed. “You’re perfect!”

Maddy blushed.

“
Here it is!” Maxwell said,
shifting his focus away from his lovely companion. The door was
right in front of him. Excitement surged through his head and he
began to feel a bit giddy and nervous at the same time. “You stand
watch out here, Maddy. And remember what I told you!”

He opened the door, surprised to find it
unlocked.

“
Oh,” he gasped as the
lights came on around him. His eyes narrowed in on the pencil
immediately, hanging on the wall in front of him in a beautiful
case. “He must have so much power he doesn’t need to wield it
anymore,” Maxwell whispered. “Why else would he keep this wonderful
tool in a box like this?”

He stepped forward, but froze when suddenly
Maddy began to scream. This was not good. Time was running out.

Maxwell leaped forward and pulled the frame
off the wall. There was no time for his original plans. He pulled
out the three extra pencils – which he had planned to use as decoys
– and tossed one on the desk. Maybe John would think that only the
frame had been stolen. He slipped the frame into his bag and darted
out into the hallway.

In front of him stood the biggest black man
he had ever seen. Bulging muscles, shiny bald head, and a glare
that would wither a winter death cactus: it was Quin, John’s
protector. The glue must not have worked – or else Quin was even
more powerful than he realized. Maxwell’s biggest fear had come
true.

“
You were in my office,”
the man said. “I think you should come with me.”

“
No!” Maxwell replied
shakily. He didn’t want to go with this man in the slightest. “I’m
going home, you horrible person!”

“
Maxwell!” Maddy scolded.
“Don’t be rude!”

“
Sorry, sir,” Maxwell said
penitently, “but I am unable to go with you at this
time.”

“
I’m afraid you don’t have
a choice about that,” Quin replied calmly, whipping out a pair of
handcuffs. Then next instant, Maxwell found himself thoroughly
bound. He glanced over at Maddy.

“
She’s a girl!” he
protested. “You can’t tie her up! What happened to
chivalry?”

“
I don’t know what you’re
talking about,” Quin answered. “But you can come this
way.”

Maxwell scowled and tried to cross his arms,
but the handcuffs made this impossible. Quin dragged him out into
the hallway.

“
We just need to stop by a
different section of the building and grab another problem so we
can get all of our challenges in one place,” the man
stated.

“
That doesn’t even make any
sense,” Maxwell said huffily. “You can’t keep me like this. I get
one phone call! I am going to call the police!” He couldn’t believe
the nerve. He knew that Quin was a big, scary man, but hadn’t
expected this kind of abuse at his hands.

“
You were breaking and
entering,” Quin replied, “and trespassing. I’ll call the police for
you. This way.”

They turned down a hallway to see another
man coming towards them.

“
Boris!” Maxwell said. “I
mean, who are you?”

Boris shot a glare at Maxwell. “I can’t find
my keys to turn them in,” he said to Quin.

“
What were you doing in
John’s office?” Quin asked.

“
Looking for my
keys.”

“
Why?”

“
Because this guy took them
and I thought he might leave them there.” Boris crossed his arms
and turned his attention back to Quin.

“
Perla stole them from me!”
Maxwell complained. “It’s not my fault!”

“
It’s your fault I got
fired,” Boris said sullenly. “My little diversion didn’t work and I
got fired. You’re a weasel, Maxwell, and tell Maddy I hate
her.”

Maxwell gasped. He had never heard anyone
say anything so cruel.

“
Maddy,” he said, turning
to the woman next to him. “Don’t listen to him. He’s lying. He’s
just trying to be mean.”

“
Who is Maddy?” Quin
asked.

“
His imaginary friend,”
Boris replied.

“
Ah.” Quin
nodded.

“
Cover your ears!” Maxwell
said loudly to Maddy. “These men don’t know what they’re talking
about.” He turned his back to Quin and reached out to awkwardly
cover Maddy’s eyes with his handcuffed hands.

He heard Quin snap another set of handcuffs
on Boris and then order Maxwell’s first cousin once removed to come
with him. How many sets of handcuffs did this guy carry around with
him anyway?

“
I won’t,” Maxwell said
stubbornly when Quin ordered him to come. “Not until you apologize
to Maddy.” He turned to look at Quin’s raised eyebrow.

“
Sorry, Maddy?” Quin
asked.

“
Close enough,” Maxwell
muttered, and followed Quin and Boris down the hall.

All of the canisters had been pushed through
the Doors, and John had, of course, won the race. Kaia twiddled her
fingers and pushed her glasses up her nose. Last they had heard,
potential hostiles were heading towards the Door Room.

“
What are we supposed to do
now?” Kaia asked

“
Lock the door,” John
said.

“
You can do that?” Kaia
asked. “Lock them?”

“
No!” John chuckled. “That
door.” He pointed to the door leading into the Door
Room.

“
Ohhh.” Kaia laughed too
and began to walk towards it.

At that moment, the door burst open. In
strode a tall woman in a fitted black dress. “Hello, John.”

“
Mrs. Brothard. The Queen
of Thieves.” He scowled at her and crossed his arms, stopping
halfway between the Doors and her. “So you’re the cause of this
mess. I should have guessed. I presume you are here to take a
Door?”

She looked out across the massive room
filled with Door after Door and a small smile flitted over her
lips. “Well, clearly none of these.” Her hand stretched out
elegantly, gesturing at the rows of sheer blue rectangles in front
of her.

“
I don’t know what you’re
talking about,” John said slyly.

“
Yes, you do.” A small
smile slithered across her lips. “But I will refresh your memory.”
She stepped forward and began to tell a story, using her hands to
gesticulate meaninglessness.

“
It was a warm day in the
spring, and I was lackadaisically wandering down Main, looking for
a graduation present for my wonderful son. Imagine my surprise when
I discovered a brand new tourist shop that had never been there
before. Even more surprising was that it didn’t seem to take up the
normal amount of space that a shop should; it was stuck to the side
of a building which I knew very well, but didn’t appear to take up
any space inside the building! And yet, when you stepped inside the
cute little shop – adorable, in fact – it was quite large and even
contained living quarters in the back!

“
I visited for a few
moments, bought a trinket, and then just happened to bump into you
on the way out. Do you remember?”

“
Yes,” John said with
irritation, reaching up to straighten his tie angrily.

“
I came back not fifteen
minutes later, and the shop had mysteriously disappeared! There was
no construction, there were no moving trucks, there wasn’t anything
that would make any sense. So I did some digging.”

“
And what did you
find?”

“
My theoreticians
postulated that it was a Door which could move itself! Imagine
that. A Door which you could put things inside of, and then,
essentially, drive to any other Door in the universe. Imagine what
I could do with that! Now, I expect you will give it to
me.”

“
I can’t do that,” John
replied.

Kaia was frowning.