Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus Page 20

“Their bite has truth serum in it?” said Waltz.

  “Yes.”

  “What useful creatures,” said Waltz admiringly. “And where do we find these little lie detectors?”

  Amanda hesitated. Once she told them she wouldn’t be able to take it back. Was there any way she could keep the truth from them?

  “It’s on another page,” she said. “We don’t have it.”

  “David, come here,” said Waltz, grabbing the boy roughly and putting the blade to his neck.

  “All right, all right,” said Amanda. “Let him go and I’ll tell you.” She felt utterly defeated.

  “Good girl,” said Waltz. “Where are the spiders?”

  “Ambleside,” she said breathlessly. She hoped she wouldn’t cry.

  “Where in Ambleside?”

  Amanda told him.

  “You’ve seen them?”

  Amanda glanced at David. “Yes.”

  “Tested them?”

  Did she really have to tell them everything? She could see Simon sitting there confessing his love for Ivy, Holmes admitting that he sometimes got tired of being good, Nick maintaining that she didn’t love him, even though the venom was coursing through his veins. Then she looked at David and knew the answer.

  “Yes.”

  “They obviously work or you wouldn’t be trying so hard not to tell us,” said Waltz. “Excellent.”

  “We’ll go get them at once,” said Blixus. “Banting, you will be our new knight. Please kneel.”

  Suddenly one of the contestants stepped forward and lunged at Waltz with a knife. Waltz whipped around and cut her down within one second and she fell to the ground, dead.

  “Julie Pantaloon!” cried Blixus, turning her over. “What’s she doing here?”

  “Who’s Julie Pantaloon?” said Editta.

  “Her daughter was a student at the Schola Sceleratorum,” said Blixus. “Why in the world—”

  “I think I know,” said Waltz. “She’s very close with Taffeta.”

  “You think Taffeta sent her?” said Blixus incredulously.

  “I’m sure of it,” said Waltz.

  “That harpy,” said Blixus. “First she kills Mavis, and then she tries to kill me.”

  Amanda wasn’t about to correct Blixus but it had been Waltz the woman was aiming for, not him.

  Blixus snapped his fingers and one of his henchmen came running from nowhere. He pointed at the body. The man lifted the dead woman over his shoulder. Blixus rummaged in her pocket and pulled out her phone. Then the henchman and the body disappeared while Blixus typed.

  “’Hello, Taffy,” he read aloud. “Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Your friend Julie Pantaloon is dead. Hope to see you soon. Love and kisses, B.’ There. That should do it. Now, Banting, as I was saying . . .”

  20

  JUST THINK OF THOSE EYES

  The wunderkind Hugh, who had been holed up with his computer during the contest, decoded the pages in an outrageously short amount of time, and the “king” and his new knight went to look for the red spiders, entourage in tow. Now the bad guys had access to the same information the detectives did. If Blixus hadn’t been able to defeat them by demolishing logic, as he’d tried to do a few months earlier, he might ruin them now. The prospect was terrifying.

  Amanda still couldn’t believe Waltz knew where the rest of the Bible was. A man like that—completely without scruples—probably lied ten times a day. If the peacocks hadn’t found more pages, it was unlikely he had.

  Still, what if he did have it? She needed to know. What she’d do when she found out she had no idea, but she’d think of something. As far as she was concerned, the only way to tell for sure, absent Waltz producing the book, was to get one of the spiders to bite him and ask. She would have to engineer that as best she could.

  It seemed that Waltz had arrived at the ruins in a conveniently spacious van, and the group took that to Ambleside. Once again Amanda was drugged, which implied that Blixus feared she’d be able to tell where his hideout was. That meant it wasn’t far from Penrith or Legatum, which was valuable information in itself.

  The area where the spiders lived was windy, and when Amanda climbed out of the van, still a bit woozy, she managed to get her hair caught in a bush. Editta had so much trouble getting her untangled that David came over and lopped off the lock with a penknife, leaving a flag hanging off the plant and a weird space in her mane. Then he snapped a picture and laughed, but Hugh laughed harder.

  This time the spiders were even less cooperative. Whether they were angry on behalf of their kidnapped fellows, waking up from hibernating, or something else wasn’t to be known, but they were feisty little devils and no one could manage to catch them. They ran, jumped, hid, and just generally evaded.

  Blixus, Waltz, David, and Editta took off their jackets and attempted to round up the spiders with them while Hugh guarded Amanda. But the clothing was heavy and the spiders were delicate, and it didn’t take long for the group to declare that method too hazardous. Then Blixus said, “Too bad Alfie Kingsolver isn’t here with one of his butterfly nets,” which for Amanda was a big duh, but seemed to be a revelation to the others. So Waltz bundled everyone back into the van in search of a place to purchase butterfly nets.

  Of course it wouldn’t do for the Moriartys, David, or Editta to be seen in public, so Waltz had to do the shopping while everyone else lay low in the van. Hugh found the lull a great opportunity to needle Amanda.

  “Do you kiss my brother a lot?”

  “Shut up,” she said. He was such a little rat. She couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to kiss him—ever. Although he was kind of attractive in a warped sort of way.

  “Do you make googoo eyes at each other? Is Binkle jealous?”

  Amanda decided it would be better to keep silent. Maybe he would run out of steam.

  “Who’s a better kisser—Nicky or Holmes?”

  “Be quiet, Hugh,” said Editta.

  “Still jealous, eh?” said Hugh. An equal opportunity needler.

  “Enough,” said Blixus. “I’m trying to think.”

  “But, Dad,” said Hugh.

  “Who was that girl who beaned you?” said Amanda. It was Basilica Pashmina, but she didn’t know if Hugh knew that.

  Hugh stuck out his tongue.

  At that moment Waltz came back with nets and jars and they took off again.

  Now that Amanda was awake, she realized that the road was bumpy and began to get nauseous. Blixus had taken her bag, though, and she didn’t have any gingersnaps, so she tried to distract herself by thinking about how she was going to get out of this predicament.

  What would Blixus do with her after he caught the spiders? Kill her? He’d tried before, so that was the likely conclusion. This time, though, there would be no police coming to her rescue, or would there? Everyone had to know she was missing by now. Surely they were looking for her. Perhaps they would arrive in time.

  But she couldn’t be sure of that and she needed to improve her chances of escape. Which meant that she’d first have to get her hands free, and next get away from two strong, ruthless men and three kids who wished her harm. Did David and Editta actually go along with Blixus’s violence though? It was hard to see how. Maybe they didn’t like her but they might be turned, especially David, who was still vulnerable.

  The problem with this idea was that there would be immediate repercussions for anyone who helped her, and the two Legatum kids would know that. Even if they were sympathetic, the risks to themselves would be too great. Turning Blixus, Waltz, or Hugh would be impossible, so that meant Amanda would have to make a move on her own.

  She eyed the door handle and wondered if she could turn it and jump out of the van. With her hands bound it seemed unlikely. Cause an accident and jump out during the confusion? She’d have to charge Waltz, who was driving, from her position in the back. Chances were she’d never get close enough. Scream for help when they were passing a cop? All the windows were shut. Would anyone
even hear her while the van was moving, and if so, would Blixus kill her before the cop could get to her?

  What if she were to offer Blixus or Waltz something they wanted in exchange for her freedom? Unlikely. The only thing she had to offer was Nick and she’d never do that. Unless . . . maybe there was something she could pretend to offer them—something she didn’t really have but seemed to. The Bible?

  “You don’t have the rest of the Bible, Waltz,” she said. “He’s trying to put one over on you, Blixus.”

  “Wha?” said Waltz, looking in the rearview mirror.

  “Just what I said,” said Amanda. “You’re lying.”

  “Shut up,” said Hugh. He was picking at a fingernail again. She saw that all of them were ragged. How had she never noticed that before? Sidebotham wouldn’t have been pleased with her.

  “Banting?” said Blixus.

  “I’ve got it and you’ll see it,” said Waltz. “It’s in a safe place.”

  “Yes, it is,” said Amanda, “because I have it.”

  “You found it!” said David. “Where was it?”

  Now she had to think fast. She didn’t want to mention the peacocks in case Blixus or Waltz went after them, but maybe . . .

  “Otters,” she said.

  “Otters?” said Blixus.

  “Yes. They found it and made off with it.”

  “You’re kidding,” said David.

  “Ignore her,” said Waltz. “We all know she’s a fantasist.”

  “Am I?” said Amanda. “Are you sure?”

  “Take us to it,” said Blixus.

  Now she was really on shaky ground. She hoped her bluff would work. “I don’t have it.”

  “You just said you did.”

  “I do, but I don’t. I mean someone else does. I don’t personally have it.”

  “You’re quite a piece of work, you know that?” said Waltz.

  “Oh, I do,” said Amanda. “I strive to be a piece of work. Glad to hear that I’m so good at it.”

  “Shut up, Amanda,” said Editta.

  Amanda strained her head toward the girl. “Your mom misses you.” She hadn’t been able to get through before, but it didn’t hurt to try again.

  Editta smirked. “I’m not going home, so you can stop trying.”

  How cold-hearted she was. Amanda had never realized how much. Perhaps something practical then. “She gave money to the school so they could look for you.”

  Editta started. “That’s impossible. She doesn’t have any.”

  “Five hundred pounds.”

  Editta laughed. “Nice try. My mum never had that kind of money in her life.”

  “Well she does now. Or she did, anyway. She gave it to Thrillkill.”

  “You’re such a liar.”

  “I want to hear more about the Bible,” said David, who after all had been the one to lose it in the first place.

  Aha! She’d got through to him. “All I can tell you is that it’s safe,” said Amanda.

  “Balderdash,” said Waltz into the mirror.

  Amanda craned her neck forward to talk to him. “You’re not really married to my mother.”

  “I will be,” said Waltz.

  That answered that question. He wasn’t her stepfather—yet.

  “Do you ever stop talking?” said Hugh.

  “Let me go and you can have the Bible,” said Amanda.

  Blixus swiveled his head to look at her. “Go on.”

  Amanda would have given Waltz a smug look if she hadn’t been behind him. She smiled at Blixus sweetly. “Just what I said. I will exchange the Bible for my freedom. You must also promise never to hurt Nick.”

  “She’s lying,” said Hugh.

  “Perhaps,” said Blixus. “However, there is a way of telling. We’ll let one of these truth spiders bite her and then we’ll see.”

  That didn’t sound good but at least she’d bought herself some time. Whether she could beat the spiders as Nick had she didn’t know, but she was sure going to try.

  The nets made it relatively easy to catch the spiders, if by relatively easy you meant that it took only half an hour instead of half a day. Blixus wanted to return to the ruins and interrogate Amanda, but Waltz suggested they go inside the building and see what accommodation might be available on the spot.

  They found that the place was actually a bed and breakfast. Why it looked so run down and didn’t have a sign Amanda couldn’t imagine. But an inn it was, so Blixus decided to ask for a room. He figured they could use it to conduct their experiment, since it would contain the spiders better than the tunnels.

  The proprietor, a fit older woman named Kate Scavenger, said that all her rooms had but one bed so she could not rent to more than two people. Waltz asked for a cot, which she said she didn’t have. A sleeping bag? None of those either. Then they began to argue and Kate asked them to leave, whereupon Waltz went around to her side of the desk, grabbed her by the wrists, and wrenched while Blixus slipped a twist-tie over them. Kate screamed bloody murder but Waltz gagged her, tied her feet, and threw her into a closet. Amanda could hear her struggling and moaning through the door.

  “I’m hungry,” said Waltz as if nothing had happened. “Let’s see what we can find.”

  Kate gurgled. Amanda was sure she didn’t want them to invade her kitchen.

  “Shut up, lady,” said Waltz through the closet door. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “I want to see the inn,” said Editta. “It’s cute.”

  “Bah,” said David. “It’s a shack. Who cares?”

  “Amanda, cook us something,” said Blixus. Amanda glared at him. “Editta will help you.”

  “I’ll do it,” said Editta. “She doesn’t know how.”

  That wasn’t true but Amanda was glad she wouldn’t have to cook for those thugs. Although if she’d had some tranquilizers to put in the food, it would have been interesting.

  While Editta rustled up some spaghetti, David ran around stabbing all the fruit with a fork. When pineapple juice hit Editta in the eye, she grabbed the implement out of his hand and brandished it.

  “You’re a twit, you know that? Get out of here.”

  David stuck his tongue out and ran into the great room, where Waltz and Blixus were watching the spiders try to get out of their jar.

  “It won’t be much longer,” said Blixus. “I’m quite looking forward to this, Lestrade. There are so many things I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

  Amanda felt like spitting at him but didn’t dare. Instead she decided to brave it out. “Ask me anything,” she said much more confidently than she felt.”

  “Ho ho!” said Waltz. “That’s quite an invitation.”

  “I mean it,” she bluffed, hoping that she’d be able to beat the spiders the way Nick had. She called up his face in her mind’s eye to give her strength. The image winked at her and she felt stronger.

  But when it came time to let the spider bite her, Amanda wasn’t feeling quite so confident. The bugs were really ugly—much worse than any gluppy thing—and scary. Now that she was face to face with one its teeth looked huge, its body bulbous, and its eyes, if that was what they were, evil. Old Earful must have been a gutsy fellow to have experimented with these guys. But then she realized that if Nick, Holmes, and Simon had all got through their bites she could too, so she gritted her teeth and reached into the jar.

  Within about half a second she felt a stabbing pain streak up her arm. Then she felt sick to her stomach. These were some powerful spiders for their venom to act that fast. She could feel herself getting woozy and her whole body heat up as if she had the flu.

  She looked up at Waltz and felt an overwhelming urge to tell him exactly what she thought of him. “You’re an ugly jerk.”

  “Yup,” he said. “It’s working.”

  “You aren’t half the man my dad is.”

  “She’s drunk,” said David, giggling. “This is funny.”

  “I wonder if you can plant suggestions in her mind wh
en she’s like this,” said Editta.

  “I thought you were over Nick,” said David.

  “Not that,” said Editta. “I do think about other things, you know.”

  “I don’t see what’s so great about him,” said Hugh. “Say, Lestrade, what do you see in my brother?”

  “He isn’t your brother,” said Amanda drowsily.

  Hugh peered at her. “I don’t think the venom is working.”

  “Oh it is,” said Amanda. “Didn’t your dad tell you? Nick is adopted.”

  “Maybe it hasn’t got into her bloodstream yet,” said Hugh. He came over and thwacked the site of the bite. Amanda flinched.

  “I don’t know about that,” she said, “but I’m telling the truth. Nick isn’t your brother.”

  Hugh’s head slued around so fast it looked like it would spin off. “Dad?”

  Blixus sighed. “It’s true. We adopted him before you were born.”

  Hugh was aghast. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Well you’d better,” said Blixus. “It’s the truth.”

  “But why—”

  “It’s complicated,” said Blixus with a wave of his hand.

  Hugh thought for a moment. He looked as though he was calculating. “Does Nicky know?”

  “He does now,” said Amanda.

  “I don’t get it,” said Hugh. “Why didn’t you tell us, Dad?” Then a look of horror came over his face. “Wait, I’m not adopted, am I?”

  “No,” said Blixus. “You’re my son.” He seemed proud. Who could be proud of a kid like that Amanda couldn’t imagine.

  “And Mum’s too?”

  “Mum’s too.”

  “Amanda, are you in love with Nick?” said Editta, evidently bored with the subject.

  “Hey,” said David. “I thought you didn’t care about him.”

  “I don’t,” she said. “I’m just curious.”

  Amanda turned to Editta with dilated eyes. Was there even a chance she could lie? She couldn’t think straight. She found herself saying, “Yes. I love him.”

  “So you lied to everyone when you said you were just friends.” Editta looked triumphant.