فصل سیزدهم

chapter-13

“But…”

“Sorry, Mr. Keeley,” said Mr. Lemoncello. “You and Miss Hughes were the sixth team to report to the reference desk. We’re only looking for five because we’re only doing five new exhibits.” “Our famous foursome was Mount Rushmore,” mumbled Akimi.

“We know that,” said the super-serious research librarian. “We know all the answers.” “And,” said Mr. Lemoncello, “we also know you two were—and will forever remain—the first runners-up!” Kyle couldn’t believe it. He was the board of trustees’ biggest gamer, and he wouldn’t even be playing the main game? That just wasn’t right. Of course, he had no one to blame but himself. He’d kept slowing Akimi down. She probably would’ve finished in the top five if she’d flown solo.

“Thanks,” said Kyle. “And thanks for the third clue from the Nonfictionator. That was neat.” “We gave one of those to every team,” reported Ms. Waintraub. “It seemed only fair.” Overhead, the Wonder Dome was filled with floating images of the first five Famous Foursomes: the suits of cards, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the yellow-brick-road travelers from The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion), the four sides of a ship (bow, stern, starboard, port), and, of course, the Houses of Hogwarts (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin).

Drifting along the bottom rim of the dome like the news scroll on a TV screen were the names of the “Top Ten Research Assistants”: Diane Capriola, Jamal Davis, Miguel Fernandez, Angus Harper, Katherine Kelly, Andrew Peckleman, Pranav Pillai, Sierra Russell, Elliott Schilpp, and Abia Sulayman.

All the Alexandriaville kids had made the cut.

All except Kyle and Akimi. They’d be going home.

“Way to go,” Kyle said to Miguel, knocking knuckles. “You too, Andrew.” “Don’t punch me!” shrieked Andrew when he saw Kyle’s raised fist. “It’s not my fault you lost.” “I know,” said Kyle, lowering his hand. “It was mine.” “Yes,” said Akimi. “It was.”

“I kept jumping to bad conclusions.”

“Yes,” said Akimi. “You did.”

“You’re never going to let me off the hook for this one, are you, Akimi?” “No. I’m not.”

“Thank you all for playing!” announced Mr. Lemoncello. “And congratulations once again to our ten winners. Your Fabulous Fact-Finding Frenzy will start tomorrow morning, here in the rotunda, before the library is open to the public, at eight o’clock sharp unless it’s foggy—then it will be eight o’clock dull.” One of the shoulder boards on Mr. Lemoncello’s band uniform started blinking bright red.

“Sorry,” he said. “That’s the hotline, direct from Moscow. I have to answer that.” Kyle heard the rip of Velcro as Mr. Lemoncello pulled the phone off his shoulder.

“Hello, Yanina! How is your mother’s birthday party progressing? Have you cut the pickled fish pie yet?” Mr. Lemoncello drifted off into the Book Nook Café to continue his conversation with the world-famous librarian Dr. Yanina Zinchenko. Ms. Waintraub addressed the winners and losers under the dome.

“Those of you who lost…”

Kyle wondered why she had to look directly at him when she said that.

“…will find airplane tickets and travel vouchers waiting for you in your rooms at Mr. Lemoncello’s guest chalets. Unless, like Mr. Keeley and Miss Hughes, you live here in Ohio. Then you will just go home with lovely parting gifts.” “I’m sorry I lost this for us,” Kyle whispered to Akimi.

“You’re forgiven,” she said. “Barely.”

Finally, they both smiled.

“We’ll get ‘em next time,” said Akimi.

And before Kyle could say, “If there is a next time,” Mr. Lemoncello flew through the Book Nook Café door.

“Stop the presses, hold your horses, and hang on to your hats! Not all at the same time, of course. That might prove dangerous. You’d need both hands to hang on to those ponies, so—WHOOSH!—there goes your hat. I’ve just received an urgent phone call from our head librarian, who, as you know, is visiting family in Russia this week. She insists that a sixth name be added to the list of new exhibits. Not only that, but her mother concurs. In fact, when Dr. Zinchenko’s mother was blowing out the candles on her pickled fish pie, she made a wish and told everybody, because apparently in Russia that isn’t against the rules.” He caught his breath.

“Anyway, at the insistence of all the Zinchenkos, foreign and domestic, we will add a sixth name to the exhibit list. That means we need six teams of research assistants, not just five. Kyle and Akimi? Congratulicitations. You were the sixth team to correctly identify your famous foursome. Thereforesome, since we are now doing six exhibits, you two will also be moving on to the next round!” YESSSSSSSS!

Kyle had just pulled a “Free Spin” card. Thanks to Dr. Zinchenko’s mother, he was no longer eliminated. He was moving on to the big show.

He hugged Akimi, but only for a second. Then he slapped her a high five because that’s what best friends do.

“Who, may I ask,” said Ms. Waintraub, “is our sixth famous person?” “Me! Luigi L. Lemoncello! I told Dr. Zinchenko, ‘There’s already enough Lemoncello in the Lemoncello Library,’ but she insisted. Said we needed an interactive hologram of me. One that patrons could pepper with pertinent questions.” “That is so awesome!” cried Kyle. “In round two, I definitely want to research you!” “Dr. Zinchenko thought you would,” said Mr. Lemoncello. “And you might get that chance. Especially since you will be partnered with…let’s see…” Mr. Lemoncello scanned the faces of the eleven other players who would be moving on.

“Ah, yes. Perfect. Abia Sulayman!”

“But I was kind of hoping I could keep working with Akimi….” “You’ve already done that. I like to mix things up. Because the same old, same old isn’t just the same and old—it’s also boring.” “B-b-but…”

Mr. Lemoncello cut off Kyle’s stammering with an arched eyebrow. “Dr. Zinchenko and I were both hoping you’d want to continue playing, Kyle. However, if you’d rather sit this game out…” Kyle looked at Akimi.

She shrugged. “It’s cool by me.”

He looked at Abia.

She didn’t look so happy.

Kyle turned to Mr. Lemoncello. “I’m in, sir!”

“Wondermous!”