فصل پنجاه و چهارم

chapter-54

On the first floor, Charles was at long last video chatting with his uncle, James Willoughby III, the librarian of Congress, who had finally shown up for the Ask an Expert call.

“Sorry for the delay, Charles.”

“That’s okay, Uncle Jimmy,” Charles said, straining to smile and not scream.

“The time is now ELEVEN a.m.,” announced the annoyingly placid lady in the ceiling. “This game will end in ONE hour.” Charles had to hustle.

“Sir, I know you’re a very important, very busy man, so I just have one quick question: If I were a book on true crimes in the state of Ohio, where would you shelve me?” “Library of Congress classification?” “No, sir. Dewey decimal.”

“Ah. Easy. 364 point 1. What comes after the one will depend, of course, on how many books a library …” Charles didn’t stick around to hear the rest of his uncle’s answer.

He took off running for the closest spiral staircase up to the second floor. As he ascended the steps, two at a time, he saw Kyle Keeley and his entire entourage running down a staircase from the third floor.

Charles reached the second-floor balcony first.

He darted around the bend, past the door to the 500s room, the 400s.

Keeley and his crew were coming from the opposite direction, but Charles reached the door to the 300s room before them.

He swiped his library card, yanked on the handle, and dashed into the room.

He scanned the shelves and headed to his right.

He heard Keeley enter the room.

Glancing over his shoulder, Charles saw Keeley go left.

Charles dashed up an aisle between bookcases. He read the number at the end of each row of shelves.

310.

320.

330.

One of those robots with the book baskets came rumbling across his path, but Charles was able to dodge it.

340.

350.

Keeley’s footsteps pounded up the passageway on the other side of the shelving units to his left.

In the middle of the 300s room, they entered an open space with a judge’s bench and witness box.

Charles was getting closer to the True Crime section.

But so was Kyle.

Charles saw Keeley read something off his palm.

He had the whole call number!

It was time to change tactics.

Charles hung back and let Keeley take the lead.

Kyle rushed toward a bookcase.

Charles sprinted after him.

“Got it!” Kyle shouted as he reached for a book on the shelf.

But before he could completely pull it out, Charles grabbed hold of the book, too.

They both yanked it off the shelf.

Kyle had the spine; Charles had hold of the top.

They tugged it back and forth.

While they wrestled with the book, Keeley’s teammates caught up to them.

“Careful, Kyle,” cried Sierra Russell. “Don’t hurt the book.” Charles grinned. Keeley, the sentimental sap, was listening to the silly, bookish girl and easing up on his grip.

Giving Charles his chance.

He body-checked Keeley. Slammed into him with his shoulder. Sent him flying, the book tumbling. Charles snatched it off the floor.

He had the book. He quickly flipped through the table of contents. Saw chapter 11 was about a robbery at the Gold Leaf Bank in Alexandriaville.

He knew he’d won the game.

Charles used his free hand to slap an “L” on his forehead.

“Loser,” he sneered at Keeley.

A tiger roared, a whistle blew, and Mr. Lemoncello entered the room, accompanied by Clarence, Clement, and what looked like a rare Bengal tiger.

“Mr. Chiltington?”

Charles smiled. He knew Mr. Lemoncello was about to congratulate him for defying the odds and winning the game. He had single-handedly defeated Kyle Keeley’s entire team! “Yes, sir, Mr. Lemoncello?” “Do you remember Dr. Zinchenko’s number one rule?” “You bet, sir. No food or drink except in the Book Nook Café.” “No,” said Mr. Lemoncello, touching the tip of his nose and making a buzzer noise. “Dr. Z? Tell him what he should’ve said.” Dr. Zinchenko’s voice purred out of the ceiling speakers. “Be gentle. With each other and, most especially, the library’s books and exhibits.” “I know,” said Charles. “That’s why I had to stop Kyle Keeley. He was ready to rip the cover off this poor book. Heck, sir, everybody at school knows that Kyle Keeley is a maniac. He’ll do anything to win a game.” Mr. Lemoncello turned to Keeley.

“Is that true, Kyle? Would you actually destroy property if it stood between you and your prize?” “W-well, sir …”

Keeley was stammering. The fool didn’t know how to lie.

Charles quickly opened the book to chapter 11 and slipped in his library card to bookmark the location.

“You should ask Keeley about the window he broke, sir.” Mr. Lemoncello turned to face Charles again.

“The window?”

“Yes, sir. The whole school heard about it. See, Kyle Keeley and his two brothers were playing some sort of wild scavenger hunt game and …” Mr. Lemoncello pointed at the book. “That’s clever. You use your library card as a bookmark?” “Yes, sir, I sure do,” said Charles, turning on the charm. “Of course, I can’t take full credit for such a clever idea. On Friday night, I saw Sierra Russell doing it and …” “You told Andrew Peckleman to ‘borrow’ her card.” Charles blinked. Several times. “I beg your pardon?” “You broke Dr. Zinchenko’s number one rule. You were not gentle with your teammate Andrew. In fact, you bullied him into stealing Miss Russell’s library card, which you knew she always used as a bookmark.” “No, sir. I did not.”

“Yes, Charles. You did.” Mr. Lemoncello touched his right ear. “In fact, Dr. Zinchenko has spent the past few hours combing through security tapes, and guess what she just found?” Charles heard his own voice ringing out of the ceiling speakers: “Have you noticed what Sierra Russell uses for a bookmark?” “No.”

“That was Andrew,” said Mr. Lemoncello. “This is you again.” “Her library card, which, of course, doubles as a key card for Meeting Room B. Find a way to borrow it.” “You told Andrew to steal Sierra’s library card.” “How could you record that?” said Charles. “I was whispering!” “And I have very good microphones. You’re done, Charles. Dr. Zinchenko? Tell our departing guest what he has just won.” “Absolutely nothing,” said the voice of the Russian librarian. “But please, Mr. L, tell Charles the correct answer to the final pictogram.” “Ah, yes!” Mr. Lemoncello reached into his back pocket, pulled out a four-by-four card, and showed it to Charles.

Charles stood there fuming.

“Anyone care to help Charles out?”

“Hmmm,” said Kyle. “Is it ‘six eat’?” “You are very close,” said Mr. Lemoncello.

There was a pause and then Haley laughed. “Did it come after the football player?” “Yeah,” said Charles. “So?”

“Andrew was right all along,” said Haley. “The football player clue wasn’t ‘past,’ it was ‘nineteen.’ ” Mr. Lemoncello shifted into his game show voice. “So, Haley Daley, would you care to solve the puzzle?” “Sure: ‘You can walk out the way bandits crawled in in nineteen six ate.’ ” “I don’t get it,” said Charles.

“Nineteen, six-ate,” said Akimi. “You know: 1968.” “Ah, yes,” said Mr. Lemoncello. “The year From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature. Another clue you completely missed, Charles.” “Wow,” said Miguel. “And I thought Chiltingtons never lose.” “There’s a first time for everything,” said Mr. Lemoncello. “Clarence? Clement? Kindly escort young Mr. Chiltington from the building.” “Buh-bye,” said Akimi. “There goes this game’s biggest loser.”