Brass Monkeys Page 17

  The kids in the stands began moaning and crying softly. I felt the same way, and I had to clamp a hand over my mouth. The drone band thundered into the main part of the march and my heart beat like a fiery hammer against my ribs.

  I thought at any moment I was going to lose control and simply go nuts. The band reached a climatic moment in the music, and Ming opened her arms to the kids and beckoned to them.

  “Come down to me, students. Don’t be frightened. We’re going to some special classrooms now. And let’s begin with Section A!” cried Ming. “Please stand for me!”

  The kids in the section opposite to Harriet’s stood and began marching down to the gym floor. I watched fearfully as Strobe and Fundabore began leading them out through the doors. There was something so hideous about it that I wanted to cry out, “Don’t go! Don’t go!”

  I bit my hand to keep from yelling and simply watched helplessly as the kids marched into the hallway. The drone band fell in behind the throng and seconds later they had all disappeared.

  Only Ming remained. She strode back toward Harriet’s group.

  “Don’t worry,” she whispered loudly, “I haven’t forgotten Section B. Do you know why I’m saving Section B for last? I’m saving it because you’re in it, Harriet Grove. My favorite little critic from Grindsville.”

  Harriet continued to stare ahead helplessly.

  “How exciting it’s going to be when I take your Amberlight,” Ming whispered loudly. “And yours too, Alvin and Walter.”

  She was looking to Harriet’s left, so I knew the guys were close by. Then, laughing, Ming minced across the wavy gym floor and disappeared through the door.

  I held on tightly to the stanchion for a few more seconds and then let go, slumping to the floor like a rag doll.

  It was deathly quiet in the gym. On the stage curtain the brass monkeys continued to flit about. I simply sat for a few moments, listening to my rapid breathing. Then I sat up straight. Even with fear still swirling through me, I knew this was my chance to make a move. All I had to do was walk to the door in the pipe and turn the wheel … Then down the pipe and find McGinty. It would be easy.

  “C’mon, son,” I whispered. “Time to make your move.”

  Holding the trumpet tightly in one sweaty hand, I got to my feet and inched out into the alleyway between the stands. Then I started slowly toward the wavy floor. I took a timid step out onto the floor and glanced up into the stands. I saw Harriet and a shock went through me.

  She was looking right at me. Alvin and Weeser sat slumped to her left, their eyes locked on the glimmering patterns on the curtain. Slowly, Harriet raised her hand in a last desperate call for help. I knew right then that my original plan was a fizzle. I couldn’t leave Harriet and the others in that building. Not now.

  Without a solid thought in my head, I bounded up the steps toward her. Alvin and Weeser never blinked, but Harriet watched me the whole way.

  “Harriet,” I whispered, stopping directly in front of her. The kids sitting near her didn’t seem to notice me at all. She didn’t move, but deep in those golden-brown eyes I saw a look of recognition. “It’s me.”

  “Eugene?” She spoke slowly. She stared at the trumpet in my hand, and her eyes began to gleam faintly. “It is you.”

  In the next instant my arms were around her and I was holding her tightly. The monkey fur on her forehead brushed my cheek.

  “I’m going to get you out of here,” I said. “Can you understand me?”

  I felt her nod weakly. I stood quickly and reached over to shake Alvin’s shoulder, then Weeser’s, but they wouldn’t look at me. I squeezed in front and got right in their furry faces and shook them hard.

  “C’mon Weeser, Alvin. You’ve gotta help me here.”

  Harriet got up and moved slowly, painfully, to my side. “No,” she whispered. She reached over and took Alvin by the hand and gently pulled at him. He rose like an obedient giant. Now she did the same thing with Weeser.

  “Great,” I said to her. “Just keep moving and follow me.”

  That’s how we went down the steps, me leading slowly with Harriet pulling Alvin and Weeser along. All the way down a little voice kept shouting at me, “You fool, what are you doing? This is never going to work. How are you ever going to get them into the drainage pipe?”

  Crawling along like that, we must have looked like a zombie basketball team who’d left their fifth player at home. The pipe looked about a mile away, and we hadn’t gone three feet before I heard the low, throaty sounds of the Stormies.

  Then Ming’s voice drifted in from the hallway. They were coming back.

  “Back!” I hissed at Harriet. “Back!” Frantically, I began tugging at her arm.

  She seemed to know something was wrong and helped draw Alvin and Weeser along. With me pushing and shoving like a madman, I managed to get them into the shadowy area of the bleacher alley.

  Just then, several Stormies strode in and began handing out small cups filled with some liquid. One of the Stormies barked out, “Zorca time!” It was the tranquilizer they had used back in Grindsville. While they were handing the stuff around, I slowly eased Harriet, Alvin, and Weeser farther back and pulled them, one by one, under the bleachers.

  I figured we were safe for a moment, but then the Stormies began lumbering about in the stands, passing out cups, and I knew in a few moments they’d be right overhead.

  I thought of trying to go outside, but I knew the minute we did the camera would spot us. I could hear the Stormies working their way up the stands and a terrible panic surged through me.

  Where could we hide? I turned suddenly and hit my mouth on a metal stanchion. Normally I would have screeched and danced around like a nitwit, but this time I had to hold it in. While the pain raged through me, Harriet and the guys just stood there, staring at nothing, but it was through my tears of pain that I actually spotted the small door at the far end of the bleachers. I had no idea where it led, but right at that moment it seemed like the door to heaven, if I could just get my zombie ball team over there.

  I gestured for Harriet to follow and somehow we got Alvin and Weeser moving again. As we inched our way toward the door, I could hear the Stormies rustling around and coming up to the next row, the one right overhead.

  I grabbed the door handle and the door swung open, revealing a small storage room. In the dim light I could see a bunch of folding chairs, a speaker’s podium, and an old movie projector. Quickly, I pushed Weeser inside. Harriet seemed to understand what was going on and went in without any urging. The bleachers creaked and groaned.

  Two Stormies were right overhead.

  I pushed Alvin, trying to get him inside, but he refused to move. I shoved harder. It was like trying to move a cement truck. He wouldn’t budge. The Stormies were laughing about something and some Zorca splashed down onto the floor. They were going to see us. There was no doubt in my mind.

  33

  the awful facts we face

  I leaned into Alvin with all my might and whispered in his ear, “Move, you big fardex!” Slowly he inched his way toward the door. Harriet reached out and took his hand and pulled him inside. In a flash, I leaped in and eased the door shut.

  For a moment we stood like dazed sheep. A shaft of light streamed in through a window in a second door at the other end of the storage room. The dusty beam fell right on the old film projector that sat on a rolling cart.

  I scuttled over to the second door and peered out the window. I found myself staring into a steamy hallway filled with bustling Stormies. At that moment the floor shuddered with the same sound of heavy machinery as before, followed by that piercing scream. The mist cleared for a moment, and I saw a moving passenger sidewalk that ran the length of the hall. Evidently it was this steam-driven walkway, stopping and starting, that caused all the racket.

  It began moving forward now with a loud rumble, and riding into view I could see the Grindsville kids from Section A, guarded by Stormies whose whips were cracking
loudly.

  While I stood there, I heard a wheezy moan from Weeser. I glanced over in time to see him slump to the floor and begin throwing up. Or at least he was trying, because nothing was coming up.

  “What is it?” I whispered to Harriet, but she only shook her head mutely, then groaned and sank to a sitting position. Now Alvin fell forward on his knees and began to retch. Weeser started drumming his feet wildly on the floor.

  I moved over quickly and tried to hold him down. I was terrified the Stormies would hear him. Alvin doubled up now and his feet lashed out.

  “Alvin, quit it!” I hissed. Trying to smother Weeser’s heels with my body, I grabbed Alvin’s legs and held on for dear life. As I jounced about, I found Harriet staring at me. She tried to say something, but only one word came out—”Zorca.”

  In a flash, I understood. That’s why the Stormies were handing it out. It kept the kids in their trance, and if they didn’t get it they went into a withdrawal fit.

  “What can I do?” I asked Harriet desperately.

  She shook her head and bent over, holding her stomach. For the next several minutes the three of them continued to retch dryly and periodically thrash about in pain. I was pretty much helpless. At one point, Alvin kicked me in the stomach and Weeser elbowed me on the chin.

  While all this was happening one horrible thought kept swirling through my head: how would I ever get into the drainage pipe while hauling along my zombie team? “No way,” I muttered. “It can’t be done.” Trying to rescue them now had been a fatal error.

  At last the three of them seemed to overcome their nausea. They stopped groaning and holding their stomachs. Harriet looked at me and smiled faintly.

  “That was so awful,” she whispered.

  I unscrewed Ray’s canteen and handed it to her. “Maybe this will help a little.”

  She took a few swallows and then nodded gratefully. “That’s so good.” She was looking at the monkey fur on her hands and I could see her lips trembling.

  “What’s happened to us?”

  Before I could answer, Weeser piped up, his voice hoarse from disuse. “I could use some of that water.” He was sitting up, his glasses hanging crookedly.

  “Weese,” I said, scootching over to him quickly and handing him the canteen. I popped his glasses into place. “How you feeling, buddy?”

  He didn’t drink, but only stared strangely at Harriet and Alvin. “I feel like an elephant sniffed me, snuffed me, and shot me out his behind.” He reached down and touched the fur on his hands. “And now I’m a stupid monk—?“

  I managed to clap my hand over his mouth in time to stifle the last part.

  Just then, Alvin let out a groan and sat up. “Coach, I hate dodgeball,” he mumbled. “And I hate getting hit in the head, ‘cause then I feel.” He looked at Weeser and Harriet and his eyes widened. “I feel like a big, furry monkey butt!”

  “Sshh! Alvin, listen to me,” I said. “Take it easy. You can’t talk so loudly in here.”

  He stared at me, his body tense. “Tonka-buddy. Hey, okay, what’s the deal? I’m dreaming, right?”

  “Oh man,” moaned Weeser, “I’ve got a tail!”

  Now all three of them began to whimper, and I fell into a panic trying to shush them up. “Guys, stop it! This is dangerous! Ssshhh!”

  Harriet joined me in trying to calm Weeser and Alvin. It must have taken a ton of nerve on her part because she couldn’t have known what was going on either. Finally the guys stopped whimpering, but I could tell they were on the verge of open panic. I reached out and pulled all three into a tighter group.

  “Listen to me,” I began, and I knew my expression was grim. “We’re a long way from Grindsville, and this is probably the most dangerous moment of our lives. Do you understand what I’m saying so far?”

  I could tell by Harriet’s expression that she understood completely. I couldn’t tell if Weeser and Alvin understood or not. They were staring rigidly at me.

  “So where are we?” Weeser’s voice sounded tight and shrill.

  Before I could answer, Harriet spoke up. “Ming took us somewhere, didn’t she? Like to some other school?”

  I looked at her in amazement. “You’ve got it, exactly,” I said.

  Weeser and Alvin were deathly still. There was something about the way Harriet said things—you never doubted her.

  “What other school?” asked Weeser faintly.

  “She calls it the School of the Brass Monkeys,” I said. “It’s in some weird underworld place. Right now, we’re hiding in a storage room near the gym.”

  Alvin groaned and shut his eyes for a moment. “And why do we look like this?”

  “You guys changed on the trip down here,” I replied. “You started getting—”

  “I think we started changing months ago,” said Harriet. She frowned thoughtfully. “I knew something was happening to us. I could feel it.”

  “A friend of mine says it was Ming’s classes,” I said, “along with the incense and music that did it. Then the ride down, and the Zorca kind of caps the whole deal off and keeps you helpless while you’re here.”

  “Helpless?” Alvin repeated.

  I could tell he was really struggling.

  “And we were helpless, but Eugene saved us,” broke in Harriet. “We were sitting in the gym and getting ready for something awful and he saved us.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know about that. I may have just made it worse. If you want to see what we’re up against, take a peek out that window.” I pointed at the second door at the other end of the room.

  I watched as the three of them inched over to the window and peered into the hallway. Alvin and Weeser dropped back down almost immediately.

  Harriet, her face ashen, did the same thing a few seconds after.

  “Du-wanger,” said Weeser softly.

  “Man, the guns …” whispered Alvin. “And those dudes are mean-looking.”

  “They’re called Storm Teachers,” I said. “They work for Ming. And the guns are really bad.” Briefly I told them what happened if they got hit with one. I could see the panic returning. “Look,” I added quickly, “I know this is all scary and confusing, so let me try to explain.”

  Swiftly, I sketched a picture of what had happened so far. I went through the whole thing starting with Webster’s escape from the underworld and how he had sent the note to Harriet about me. When I said this, her eyes glowed and she nodded and whispered, “I knew it was you right from the first day I saw you.”

  I told them about the mysterious McGinty and how he was the only person who could save us and how it was my mission to find him and deliver the book. I took compete blame for my cowardly behavior in Ming’s class and how it had caused the actual kidnapping, but all three quickly disagreed with this.

  Harriet said, “It would have happened anyway. You were only trying to help.”

  “And you ain’t no coward, Tonka-buddy,” Alvin added.

  I hesitated. I wanted to tell them what a gutless wonder I was, but the desperation in their eyes stopped me. I was all they had now, and I couldn’t dash their hopes. I just nodded in a dumb wonky way and went on.

  I told them about the scary ride down, and then I described Jack, Lilah, Teddy, and Ray and how they had helped me, and I know I bragged them up big time.

  “It was Lilah who gave me the trumpet,” I said. “For inspiration. And Ray gave me this shirt.”

  “Exotic,” murmured Weeser, his old self coming through briefly.

  I explained how we only had three days to get everyone out of Ming’s school before the awful Amberlight thing. I didn’t exactly explain the Amberlight problem because I thought it was too frightening. Instead, I rushed on and talked about our return and loss of memory. I finished by showing them the book and the map and telling them about my plan to find McGinty. I said he was hiding in the Blue Grotto with the legendary Adjana, who was running a little school for her followers. I mentioned the drainage pipe and the “no way
out of the Grotto” problem, but I left out how I had started calling myself Billy Bumpus. That part sounded too braggy.

  “McGinty’s the only one who can read the map,” I said, “and on top of that he’s working on a weapon to blow Ming’s wig off.”

  “So the plan is to go to the Blue Grotto and find him, right?” said Harriet.

  “Exactly,” I said.

  For a moment they stared at me. Finally Weeser spoke up in a faint voice. “So what about this Amberlight deal. Explain that a bit more. You kinda of quibbled, ducked, and prevaricated on that.”

  “Okay, that’s the bad part.” I took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “I’ll try and show you what it looks like.”

  I pushed back Alvin’s unruly monkey fur and revealed his amber spot.

  Harriet and Weeser gasped and instantly began feeling behind their ears.

  “I guess it was the awful education you were getting at Grindsville,” I said, “that sort of pushed it into a little pocket.” And then I added in a low voice, “They tell me the Stormies need the Amberlight—all that youthful fire and stuff—and they … they drink it.”

  For a moment the three of them seemed frozen.

  “That’s disgusting,” muttered Alvin

  “And sick,” whispered Harriet.

  Weeser had grown pale through all this. “So what about our fur and all that?” he asked. “Are we going to be monkeys the rest of our lives?”

  “No. I guess you lose the fur and tails as soon as graduation is over and the Zorca stuff wears off.”

  “And you’re saying we won’t remember any of this later?” said Harriet.

  I nodded bleakly. “That’s the way I understand it. The ride back erases everything. But even worse, if Ming manages to put us through graduation down here and takes our Amberlight, we’ll be doomed to live like a bunch of burn-outs back home. We not only won’t have any memory of this, we won’t have our hopes and dreams either.”

  Harriet made a little mewing sound of fear. “Then we’re in terrible danger.”

  “The worst,” I replied. “That’s why I’ve got to get you out of here, and fast.”