The Infinity Box (Tourist Trap Book 3)

Chapter 34

"Why did that guy you were talking to run off into the desert so quickly?" Felipe asked.

"What guy?" Zeke scratched his head. "Oh, you mean Dave? Wait, was his name Dave? Did he even tell me his name? You're talking about that guy I was just chatting with a minute ago who ran off into the desert, right?"

"Yeah. That's why I mentioned the part about him running into the desert."

"Oh, right. You did, didn't you? Yeah, that was Dave. Or at least that's what I'm deciding to call him. We were just having a nice friendly little discussion about, um, barnacles when he suddenly had some sort of bathroom emergency and excused himself and took off in a heap big hurry." Zeke cupped some more water into his hands and brought it up to his mouth to drink.

"Oh. That's a funny coincidence," Felipe said. "I just had a bathroom emergency myself a minute ago, but I just let it rip right here in the oasis."

Zeke spat out the water in his mouth and started coughing.

"Look, who cares about Dave?" Max said. "That guy's inconsequential to the matter at hand, which involves you retrieving our canteens, which you are completely responsible for us misplacing. Now go on! Vamonos!" He clapped his hands in Felipe's face.

"Oh yeah, I see them," Felipe said as he walked a few feet away and pulled the canteens out from under the water. "They're pretty much full already from being submerged. That worked out conveniently, eh? So what's the deal, did you guys find the clue to the treasure or what?"

"Do you doubt my investigative abilities?" Max asked. "Of course we did!"

"-N't" Zeke interjected.

"Huh?" Felipe scrunched up his face.

"We didn't find the clue. We looked high and low, but there weren't any clues anywhere. I think we misinterpreted the last clue all together. We're not supposed to be in the middle of this godforsaken desert. We're supposed to be back in town. Sorry for wasting your time, Felipe, but we need to get back to Quartzwater City post haste."

"Right, of course," Max said. "That's what I meant. By utilizing my keen detective skills I naturally sussed out that we were on the complete wrong track out here and I solved the riddle of where the next clue actually is and it's most definitely back in town. Not here. There never was any sort of clue out here to begin with. No sir. Talk about wild goose chases. This is an even bigger one than the time an actual goose stole my wallet and I had to pursue him halfway across town before single handedly bringing him to justice. That was pretty wild."

"Say, does anyone else hear that sound?" Felipe asked. "Kind of like a low rumbling? Is that thunder or something?"

"Yeah, I hear it," Zeke said. "It seems kind of steady to be thunder. And I think it's getting louder. Uh, is it just me or is there like a big old dust cloud off in the distance?"

"Uh oh," Max said. "I think we might be about to get caught in a dust storm. I've read about these things. They can whip up suddenly and then last for days on end. Also they can sometimes be powerful enough to rip the skin right off your bones, but I'm sure that's nothing to be worried about."

"I don't think it's a dust storm," Zeke said as he squinted his eyes. "It looks like there's some kind of object coming towards us. Like a big spinning disc or something."

"Wait a minute," Max said. "It's not purple, is it?"

"Yeah, it looks like it is. Why?"

"Damn it, I was wondering if this guy was going to show up. He seems to have a knack for making an appearance every time I find another clue."