Arcade Catastrophe
Page 75

“He might,” Mr. Stott observed grimly.
“Could he use her simulacrum to restore her memory?” Summer asked quietly.
“Not by any means known to me,” Mr. Stott said. “But I’m unwilling to rule out anything. Jonas White has proven himself disturbingly resourceful.”
Bowing his head, Nate covered his eyes with his hands. “This is a giant mess. Jonas has to suspect I’m up to something. He could use my simulacrum at any time.”
Summer scowled thoughtfully. “But if we all stay hidden in this sanctum, who’ll stop him from getting Uweya? That could make him invincible, right?”
“I wish we knew more about the true nature of Uweya,” Mr. Stott murmured.
Summer brightened. “William Graywater seemed to know a lot about it. More than he told us. Maybe if we went back to him and explained everything, he could give us some pointers. He definitely doesn’t want Uweya found.”
Ziggy gave a heavy shrug. “Might be worth a shot. Want me to head over there? Jonas has no simulacrum of me.”
“I’m not sure he’d open up to an engineered apprentice,” Mr. Stott said.
Ziggy straightened his tie. “Technically, I’m not engineered. I’m cursed.”
“Whatever the distinction,” Mr. Stott clarified, “you’ve been permanently altered and you work for Mozag. I can’t imagine the Graywaters dealing with you.”
“I’ll go,” Nate offered. “The Jets won the contest. Jonas might suspect me, but he has no official grounds to come after me.”
“That might not stop him,” Summer warned. “You bailed. There’s no telling what he might do. What if he freezes you while you’re flying?”
“I’ll hope I’m over water,” Nate mumbled. “I’m not sure what else we can do. Jonas is in a strong position. Seems like the surest way to get steamrolled by him would be to do nothing.”
“Kid’s got a point,” Ziggy said. “Whatever measures we take will be risky. Gathering info about Uweya could be our best chance.”
Mr. Stott leveled his gaze at Nate. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”
“I’m willing,” Nate said. “We have to try something.” He held up a hand. “But I need to lose this bracelet. Otherwise Jonas will be able to track my movements easily.”
“I can take care of that.” Mr. Stott shifted his gaze to Summer. “Can you show Nate how to reach the Graywater home?”
“Can you get me a map?” Summer asked.
*****
Air whistled past Nate as he rocketed through the night at his maximum speed. He had paused only once to consult the map. Ahead, light shone from just a few of the windows at the Devil’s Shadow Mobile Home Park.
Nate had decided to visit the Graywater family first. A trip to the Hermit would also be important, but information about Uweya seemed like his most urgent need. Another hour or two of vulnerability would hopefully make little difference. If Jonas White had meant to incapacitate Nate with his simulacrum, he probably would have already done so.
Nate easily spotted the nice trailer with the tidy yard at the far side of the park. He landed on the front porch, feet pounding heavily against the artificial turf. Although light glowed from the windows, Nate could hear no activity inside. He pulled open the screen and knocked.
William answered, wearing a snug black T-shirt and faded jeans. “Who are you?”
“I’m your last hope of protecting Uweya.”
William closed his eyes, his mouth tightening. For a moment, Nate got the impression that he was restraining harsh emotions. When his eyes opened, William appeared calm. “What do you want from me?”
“I want to know how I can help,” Nate said. “Jonas White has the Protector.”
The muscles at the sides of William’s jaw bulged conspicuously. “So it was Jonas.” He stepped aside. “Come in.”
Nate entered the trailer, mildly surprised by how much it looked like a regular house on the inside. “You alone?” Nate asked.
“The others left,” William said. “Probably wise. Not that there will be anyplace to hide if Jonas succeeds.”
“Why’d you stay?”
Moving with an easy grace, William slumped into an armchair. “Maybe I’m punishing myself. Maybe I think ground zero is the best place to face an atomic blast. Maybe I still harbor a shred of hope. One of the girls who stole the guidestone seemed torn. It seemed as though she wanted to help. Maybe I wanted her to be able to find me.”
“Summer,” Nate said. “She sent me. She couldn’t come because her club lost the assignment to retrieve the Protector. Jonas has a simulacrum of her. She has to stay in a shielded place.”
“I take it your club won?”
Nate tried to think of an evasive reply. He failed. “We did.”
William shook his head. “How does it feel?”
“What do you mean?”
“Changing the course of human history. Making the whole planet slaves to the whims of a maniacal mage.”
“It isn’t over yet,” Nate said firmly.
“What can you do? Are you super strong? Super quick?”
“I can fly,” Nate said. “Through air or water.”
“You need to work on your landings,” William advised. “It sounded like you dropped a bowling ball out there. Was the Protector underwater?”
Nate nodded.
“Thought so.”
An uncomfortable silence ensued.
“We need to learn about Uweya,” Nate finally said.
“We?” William taunted. “You and Jonas? Did he send you?” William regarded Nate intently.
“No. I’m working with a magician called Sebastian Stott. I’ve been against Jonas White from the start. He kidnapped some of my friends.”
“Go on,” William invited.
Nate related all that had happened. He told how Mozag and John Dart were abducted. He shared how he and his friends became involved with the clubs in order to spy on the operation. He explained about the Battiatos. William said little. He listened impassively, occasionally asking clarifying questions.
After Nate finished, William leaned forward in his chair, palms together, thick veins visible on the backs of his long hands. “Quite a story. Of course, you may not have spoken a word of truth. You might have cooked up that tale to help Jonas White learn more about Uweya before he goes after it.”