Kingdom Keepers VI(32)

Then he discovered a five-inch length of coarse hair. Animal, not human. Thick and inflexible. A whisker?

He found another, and another, all stuck to dried beads of glue.

Impossible!

The evidence supported the boys’ claim. Clayton collected the hairs. No choice but to show them to Bob.

No choice but to consider this a legitimate investigation.





PRIOR TO LEAVING the ship for the day, the early risers met on the deck of Cabanas for breakfast before sunup.

Philby, Storey, and Finn listened as an excited Willa explained to Storey and Philby what the other Keepers had figured out the night before.

“K’an is gold, yellow, or precious. Ch’en is cave. Janaab is flower. Pet is island. We have nearly all the pieces of the journal’s second clue.”

Philby said, “Yes. Finn told me last night.”

“But?” said Willa, contesting him. The friction between them was palpable.

Finn answered, trying to keep the fireworks to a minimum. “Philby points out that now that the OTs have the flash drive with their DHI data, all they need is a new server, since I fried their other one.”

“If I were them,” Philby said, avoiding eye contact with Willa, “I’d replace it in Aruba. After Aruba we have a day at sea, then the Panama Canal passage, then another night without a stop. It’s several days before anyone gets off the ship again.”

“Today is the final island stop on the cruise,” Storey said.

“‘Island’ is one of the four words from the journal,” said Willa. “Not ‘computer.’”

Ouch, Finn nearly said. Instead he tried to keep them focused. “Let’s consider the four words—”

“Twenty-four different combinations,” Philby said proudly, and made an unpleasant face at Willa, who winced and blinked.

“Actually,” she snapped, “it’s three times that when you consider the two added definitions for k’an of yellow and precious.”

Philby looked crushed.

“In my opinion,” Willa said, “the most promising is: island cave, gold flower—or maybe yellow flower. I don’t see ‘gold cave’ or ‘gold island’ or ‘island flower’ or ‘precious flower,’ though who knows?”

“Okay, so let’s start there,” Finn said hastily.

Philby glanced down below the edge of the table where he held a printout of an e-mail sent by Amanda. It showed a shadow on a wall of what might be a cave. He nearly showed it to them, but looking across at the defiant Willa, he shook his head, refolded it and slipped it into his pocket. “I think we should consider their need for a server.”

Finn said quickly, “So…island cave, gold flower. Any luck with the look of the caves?”

Storey slid an excursion brochure across to Philby, followed by some computer printouts of Aruban caves.

“None are an exact match with Jess’s drawing, but what’s interesting is the similar formations and the surrounding landscape. She was definitely dreaming of a cave on Aruba.”

Philby compared Jess’s drawing to the various photographs. “Agreed. So we’re in the right place at the right time, and we know what they’re looking for.” He fingered the vacant space framed in the copy of the journal page and glanced up at Willa. “You’re going with flower because of this.”

“Yes. There was a pressed flower in there, like Charlene said. Has to be.”

“And the OTs have it,” Philby said.

“Could have it. Might not,” Willa said.

“We are outnumbered once again,” Philby said. “Forward following could work, should work, but it won’t if we’re watching the wrong cave.” He turned to Storey. “There are what, five important caves?”

“Yes. And many more up and down the north-eastern coast,” Storey said.

“Divide and conquer,” Finn proposed.

“No other choice,” Philby said. “Five caves. Six of us, including Storey. Not to mention the need to cover the computer stores.”

“Then let’s not mention it,” Willa said, and drew a scornful look from the boys.

“What if you stay behind and watch the cameras for a computer box being brought aboard?” Finn suggested to Philby. “We’d know where to look, who to go after.”

“Hmm.”

“There are two others we could ask to help us,” Storey said, somewhat tentatively.

Dillard? Finn wondered. He was fairly certain his neighbor, who’d helped the Keepers in the past, was on the ship, but how could Dillard possibly know Storey? And how could he possibly find the kid anyway? He kept quiet.

She said, “Their names are Kenny and Bart. I work with them.”