“You’re giving up too easily,” Mindy complained. “Why not race back to Arcadeland and see if we can intercept it? One of the Jets got hurt. We’ll probably outnumber the ones with the Gate.”
“Sure, they can fly,” Drew said. “But they’ll have to enter through a door. Maybe they’ll get sloppy.”
“Worth a try,” Pigeon said, trying to hide his lack of enthusiasm. He didn’t want to beat the Jets. And he didn’t think the Subs had much chance of doing so even if they tried their hardest. “Lead on.”
Pigeon followed the others, trying to enjoy the swim. They should have explored big, open water before tonight. It was a whole different experience from the training room pool or the canal where they had sometimes practiced after hours. It felt amazing to zoom effortlessly through the water, breathing easily. He had no fear of colliding with obstacles or encountering danger because he could sense everything around him more clearly than with sight on a bright day. He could feel the textures of surfaces he was not touching. He could sense tiny particles in the water hundreds of yards away. When he lost his stamp, he would miss the experience of flying through water with his senses enhanced.
Drew backtracked toward Arcadeland at top speed. Pigeon tried not to worry about Nate and Lindy. The Hermit had run off into the trees at an unmatchable pace. After the Subs had lost him in the darkness, there had been nothing they could do to catch him.
Nate and Lindy had tranquilizer guns, they could fly, and they were smart. He had to trust that they would be all right.
As they glided through the water, the other Subs talked about what Arcadeland doors they would cover to try to intercept the Gate. Pigeon chimed in just enough to make it seem like he cared. He wasn’t worried about the Subs stopping Nate. He doubted whether any amount of planning would make any difference.
When they finally exited the water, a car awaited to take them to Arcadeland. The ride had been prearranged through Todd, for a small fee. All of the Subs had chipped in.
Pigeon let Drew claim shotgun, content to sit in the back with Steven and Mindy. What would he do without any future stamps? For one thing, he could start working more closely with Mr. Stott and the Battiatos again. Also, once his latest sub stamp wore off, he should be able to use magical candy again.
The car came to a stop in the Arcadeland lot. The facility was closed. Todd and Cleon stood out front.
Drew and the other Subs hurried out of the car, but Cleon raised his hands calmingly. “No rush,” he said. “The Jets beat you here with the Gate.”
“It’s over?” Mindy asked.
“This phase of the contest is done,” Todd explained. “But your involvement hasn’t ended yet. Mr. White wants to speak with you all about a special assignment.”
“And take away our stamps,” Pigeon said.
Cleon held up an objecting finger. “That’s for him to decide.” He opened one of the front doors.
Katie Sung awaited them inside, clipboard in hand. The arcade had only a fraction of its normal lights on. The games created a flickering twilight, mostly blues and reds. Katie smiled professionally.
“Welcome back, Subs,” she said. “We all really appreciate your hard work and dedication. Rest assured, you won’t leave without some impressive consolation prizes. Mr. White wants to meet personally with you all regarding a bonus assignment.”
“Are we losing our stamps?” Drew asked unhappily. “I worked hard for my stamp.”
“Mr. White is calling the shots,” Katie said. “Let’s go find out how he feels about the matter.”
Pigeon wasn’t sure he wanted to know how Jonas White felt.
They followed Katie through an EMPLOYEES ONLY door, then down a hall to a room they hadn’t previously visited. Mr. White was not awaiting them. Instead, the four Subs waited together in the empty room with Katie.
“He’s coming?” Pigeon asked.
“He’ll just be a moment,” Katie replied. “The Jets didn’t beat you four by much. I expect that he’s still congratulating them.”
“And telling them that they’ll get our stamps,” Mindy grumbled.
“Don’t be a sore loser,” Katie chided. “You would have happily taken theirs.”
“How is Risa?” Pigeon asked. “It looked like she got hurt.”
“She’ll be fine,” Katie said. “She’s already good as new. Mr. White can work wonders with healing if he has a simulacrum of you.”
“Wait a minute,” Steven said urgently. “What’s going on? I can’t move!”
“He can do other things too,” Katie said. “Don’t panic, or he’ll render you incapable of speech as well.”
“I can’t move either,” Mindy announced.
Pigeon flexed his fingers and toes. He still felt fine. Should he run?
Drew made a dash for the door, falling rigidly to the floor before he was halfway there. “What’s happening?” he cried, lying in an unnatural pose.
“You should keep still,” Katie advised. “There is no escaping this. You’ll be more comfortable if you relax.”
Pigeon was trying to decide what position would be least annoying when he felt his body lock up. He retained sensation in his limbs, but nothing would move. He couldn’t turn his head. He couldn’t even glance around—his eyeballs were frozen in place. He could breathe. He could swallow. He could blink.
“What’s he doing?” Pigeon asked, fighting to keep the panic out of his voice. At least his lips and jaw could move. At least he could speak.
“I expect he’s preparing you for unwelcome news,” Katie answered. “We’ll know shortly.”
“Can I at least stand up?” Drew asked.
“You forfeited that right when you attempted to flee,” Katie said.
Focusing all of his will to the task, Pigeon tried to twitch his thumb. Nothing happened. It was as if his extremities were no longer accepting messages from his brain. He tried to shift his glance, but his eyeballs remained fixed.
A door opened, and Jonas White toddled into the room. Unable to look directly at him, Pigeon had to content himself with monitoring the magician peripherally. Jonas wore slippers and a silky robe embroidered with a pattern of gold, purple, and black diamonds. He came to a stop facing them.
“My Subs,” he said affectionately. “It would have been quite a coup had you brought home the Gate. But your presence was necessary. Without you there, the Hermit might have fled deep underwater and escaped. Your aquatic abilities may still play a role in upcoming challenges, but alas, those talents will be wielded by others.”