The Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe was not as busy as it had been during their previous visit. But considering the rainstorm, there was still a respectable crowd. The guy with the wine-colored birthmark was helping customers, but the dwarf was not behind the counter today. Instead there was a big, round guy. He had thick, shiny lips, and his cheeks and jowls were bloated with fat. His black eyebrows almost met above his knoblike nose. Pockets of blubber bulged from the backs of his huge hands.
The guy with the birthmark ducked through the batwing doors into the back of the store and returned with Mrs. White, who waved the kids over. She raised the countertop and led them into the back.
Today the rear of the store was immaculate. Everything looked freshly scrubbed, the shelves appeared orderly, and no ingredients cluttered the worktables. “I’m very excited to see what you discovered,” Mrs. White said, taking a seat at the table with the purple covering.
Trevor opened his backpack and placed the ivory box on the table. Mrs. White undid the latch. They had rewrapped the spyglass in the silky material, trying to make it look exactly as they had found it. Mrs. White unfolded the fabric and held up the spyglass, peering into it. “Excellent,” she said, twisting the end of the spyglass. “Well done.”
“What is it?” Nate inquired.
Mrs. White lowered the spyglass. “This is a teleidoscope, undoubtedly fashioned by Hanaver Mills. I expect it will prove useful locating the treasure.”
“Teleidoscope?” Pigeon asked.
“You mean you don’t know?” Nate asked, enjoying the moment.
Pigeon rolled his eyes.
“A teleidoscope is a hybrid between a telescope and a kaleidoscope,” Mrs. White elaborated. “A normal kaleidoscope uses optical trickery to create patterns out of bits of material built into the device. A teleidoscope uses similar optics to reconfigure whatever you point it at. Teleidoscopes work best when aimed at vivid backgrounds—for example, a bright floral arrangement.”
“Is it a clue?” Trevor asked.
“I suspect it is a tool for unlocking a clue,” Mrs. White said, setting the teleidoscope aside.
“Do we get some reward candy?” Nate asked.
“You get a new magical edible to use in completing a new assignment. While I strive to unravel the secret of the teleidoscope, I have a new mission of some urgency for the four of you.”
“Do we have to do it at night?” Pigeon sighed.
“Nighttime would probably be best, but you can wait until the weekend.” Mrs. White held up a grainy gray cube. “As you know, most of my confections work best on children. But a few function equally well on adults, like the white fudge. Interestingly, adults tend to remain most susceptible to magic that dulls their senses and reduces their vision. This masterful creation exploits that weakness, wiping out the memory of anyone who ingests it.”
“Like amnesia?” Nate asked.
“Total amnesia,” Mrs. White said. “Those who consume it retain their language abilities, but lose all the specifics of their identity. They start again with a clean slate, which is where the substance derives its name. Since the effects are permanent, and each Clean Slate is indescribably difficult to produce, I do not administer it lightly.”
“You want us to erase somebody’s memory?” Summer verified.
“A villainous man,” Mrs. White affirmed. “An enemy to me and to all humanity. Letting him start again with a clean slate will be a service to him and to the world.”
“What makes him evil?” Summer asked. “Is he after your treasure?”
“He is after the treasure, and would do terrible things with the power it would grant,” Mrs. White said. “Whether or not I succeed in finding the treasure, he must be stopped. We need to get him to voluntarily consume the Clean Slate. If we try to force it upon him, the magic will fail. The Clean Slate dissolves almost instantly into any liquid, so I will need you to sneak into his house and taint a drink in his refrigerator.”
“That sounds really dangerous,” Summer said. “Who is he?”
“I’ll tell you once you agree to the assignment,” Mrs. White said.
“Can you prove that he’s evil?” Summer challenged.
Mrs. White pressed her lips together for a moment before regaining a look of calm. “This relationship requires trust,” Mrs. White said. “I trust you with candy so powerful that most grown, responsible adults would misuse it. You trust me that the assignments I select are in our best interest. Otherwise we should end the relationship.”
“You can’t just expect us to blindly do whatever you say,” Summer said. “You have to earn trust. How do we know you won’t misuse the treasure as much as this other guy? We earn your trust by fulfilling the tasks you give us. Can’t you give us some proof to earn ours?”
All eyes were on Mrs. White. “If I had evidence, I would share it. All I have is knowledge and experience. I could tell you stories about this man, but I have no tangible proof to show you.”
“Can we see the note on the back of the watch face?” Summer asked.
“Now you doubt that?” Mrs. White asked. “You found the teleidoscope right where the note described!”
“Can we see the note?” Summer repeated.
“If there is no trust in this relationship, perhaps you should turn in your candy,” Mrs. White said.
“My dad says people who insist that you trust them usually don’t deserve it,” Summer said. “You don’t need to give me more candy, but I earned the candy that I have. Everything you’ve had us do so far has seemed shady, and this new assignment is the shadiest yet. I just don’t trust you.” Summer looked at her three friends. “Any of you guys coming with me?”
“I am,” Pigeon said. “You probably have good intentions, Mrs. White, and your candy is amazing and fun, but I’m not cut out for this sort of stuff. I don’t have all my candy with me, but I can bring it back if you want.”
“Summer has a point, you earned the candy that you have,” Mrs. White conceded. “You can keep your share, as long as you use it in secret, and stay out of the treasure hunt. How about you, Nate? Trevor?”
Nate cleared his throat. “I’ll keep working for you,” he said.
“Me too,” Trevor agreed. “Sorry, Summer.”
“It’s okay, you guys can do whatever you want.” She felt tears welling up in her eyes. “I better go. Come on, Pidge.” They started walking away.