فصل چهل و پنجم

chapter-45

“Zap!” said Mr. Lemoncello, waving his arms like a magician. “Zip! You’re now on Kyle Keeley’s team!” “Haley?” said Charles. “How can you desert me?”

“The same way you just deserted Andrew.”

“Um, do we get her library card, too?” asked Kyle.

“Indeed you do. Plus any and all information she chooses to share with you. And so, Charles, I ask you: Would you like to quit your team and join Kyle’s?” “Excuse me?”

“You know, all for one and one for all?”

“Sir, with all due respect, that may have worked for those three musketeers in a trumped-up work of fiction, but I’m sorry, that is not how things work in the real world. Out here, it’s every man for himself. What good is a prize if everyone wins it?” “I see. But Haley knows all the clues you’ve collected.” “True, sir. But I doubt she realizes what any of them mean.” Kyle could see Mr. Lemoncello’s nose twitch when Charles said that. And it wasn’t a happy-bunny kind of twitch, either.

“It was a joke, sir.” Charles must’ve seen the nose twitch, too.

“Oh. I see. Like the one about the boy named Charles. Hilarious. Remind me to tell it to you sometime. Anyway, be that as it may, I insist that you be given a few extra clues to compensate for the fact that all your teammates are either being kicked out of the game or abandoning your ship.” Mr. Lemoncello reached under the desk and pulled out a white envelope. “This, Charles, is for your eyes only.” Charles stepped forward and took the envelope.

“Thank you, sir. That is very generous.”

“I know. You may also ask me one question. But please, don’t waste your question asking me, ‘Where is the alternate exit?’ because I do not know.” “You don’t know?” Kyle said it before Charles could.

“Haven’t a clue. This entire game was designed by my head librarian, Dr. Yanina Zinchenko, as my birthday present.” “But,” said Akimi, “you could just ask Dr. Zinchenko how to get out, right?” “Akimi Hughes? Are you one of those people who read the last chapter of a book first to see how it ends?” “No, but …”

“Good. It’s much more fun when the ending is a surprise. Dr. Zinchenko is the only one who knows how and where to exit this building without setting off all sorts of fire alarms. Any clues I personally delivered during the course of this game were completely scripted for me by Dr. Z.” “Okay,” said Charles, “here’s my question.…”

Mr. Lemoncello raised a hand. “Before you ask it, be advised: Your opponents will also hear my answer.” “Fine. Why is the book on the bedside table in your private suite From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg?” “Because when I was your age, Mrs. Tobin, my local librarian, gave it to me.” Miguel raised his hand.

“Yes, Miguel?”

“Can we have one bonus question, too?” he asked politely.

“No,” said Mr. Lemoncello. “However, I will give you one bonus answer, which Charles, of course, will also hear. Your bonus answer is ‘lodgepole, loblolly, and Rocky Mountain white.’ ” “What are three different kinds of pine trees?” said Charles, just to show off—and to let Kyle’s team know their bonus answer didn’t give them any kind of advantage.

“I am told that is correct,” said Mr. Lemoncello, touching his ear.

He reached under the desk again and this time pulled up a three-foot-tall hourglass, a giant version of the red plastic timers that came as standard equipment in a lot of his games.

He turned it over.

“It’s the jumbo, three-hour size,” he said as the sand started trickling down. “Because it is now nine o’clock and you have only three more hours to find your way out of the library. Good luck. And may the best team—or, in Charles’s case, the best solo effort—win!”