We wandered around Manhattan, looking for the house that Alden, Brontë, and Mr. Forkle, a.k.a. Magnate Leto, had arranged using birth fund withdrawal. I thought about the address: it was somewhere on Farm Road 3.141, Montauk. That was on Long Island, next to a place called Delphi Strawberry Service. We came to a crosswalk, and the light turned red. My friends tried to cross, but I held them back.
"Guys, there are rules about when and when not to cross the street. See those speeding cars? Those can kill you. Wait for me to tell you."
We managed to get across the street to a bus station alive, where I rummaged through my backpack pockets.
"Man, I don't have bus fare. Dex, could you make a withdrawal if I get you to an ATM?"
"Sure, Lady Fos-Boss!" he said with a dimpled grin, then scooted away before I could smack him.
"That is not my name!" I protested. I
"Keep telling yourself that," everybody on Team Valiant said in unison, because they absolutely had to annoy me 24/7. I spotted an ATM inside a store.
"Hey Dex," I said. "go get us some money." I ordered. He went in and pressed some buttons on the machine and a pile of coins and a roll of cash came out.
"Is this enough?" He asked. Oh, yeah, it was enough to buy Long Island!
"Uh, yeah, sure, I guess..." I said. His face fell. "Oh, Dex, I'm just teasing!" I assured him.
We sat on the bus stop bench, talking and teasing. Wylie snuck his arm around Linh's shoulders, which made Tam lean over from the other side of Linh and smack his hand away. Linh whispered something to Wylie, and they both cracked up.
I'm worried about them, Fitz transmitted.
I know. Without Keefe... I thought. Keefe. His sense of humor and teasing personality was really what held the group together.
He always made- makes, I corrected myself. Keefe wasn't gone. He was just sleeping. I had to believe that.
He always makes things better, I thought.
I know, Fitz thought, he's like our glue.
I felt tears well up in my eyes. I miss him.
Me too.
I reached for his hand. He took it. and it wasn't awkward. It was comfortable. Friendly. And it made me want to cry and made me feel better at the same time.
Oh no! I bolted to my feet. "We can't meet up with Percy and Annabeth. Not today. But I have an idea." I whispered the plan to my friends, and they all agreed. "Dex, do you have an extra Imparter?" I asked.
"Yeah. Hold on." He dug through his leather satchel and fished out the square gadget. I pulled a notebook from my backpack and wrote a note:
Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase:
this is an Imparter. Say "show me Sophie Foster" and
It will contact us. We can't meet on the terms we agreed on,
so let's make some new arrangements. Call us.
Sophie Foster, Fitz and Biana Vacker, Tam and Linh Song, Wylie Endal,
Marella Redek, Dex Diznee, and Maruca Chebota
"Why doesn't it rhyme or riddle?" Dex complained.
"Just because we're part of the Black Swan doesn't mean we act like them." I replied.