Aru Shah and the City of Gold - Roshani Chokshi Page 0,19

tour group back in the eighties. I believe they became mole people. Anyway. Do follow me! We’ll go through our souvenir shop, where there’s a lovely view of all three roads, then head to the galleries, and finish up at the café….”

Sonu scampered happily down the steps.

Kanak sauntered with utmost slowness, muttering about “the scourge of tourists.”

“So, once we see the road to Lanka, we split?” whispered Brynne.

“That feels mean,” said Mini. “Maybe we can buy a souvenir first so their feelings aren’t too hurt?”

Aiden patted his camera and headed down the stairs. “Good work, Kara,” he said.

Kara beamed, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and flashed a smile at Aru. “Come on, Aru,” she said, winking. “No doom yet!”

Aru knew Kara was just being nice…. So why was it starting to annoy her?

No doom yet! mocked Aru through the Pandava link.

Brynne snickered.

I like that she has a good attitude, said Mini defensively. It’s refreshing!

I have a good attitude! said Aru.

Brynne responded: You have attitude, Shah. Big difference.

Aru grumbled and followed them down the staircase.

The shining gold-and-marble staircase spiraled down into a dirt-floored cave.

It was cold and damp; the air was filled with the smell of rain-washed rocks and turned earth. In the half darkness, the marmots’ fur gave off a soft glow, illuminating the rocky walls and high ceiling, which were adorned with roots and cloudy gemstones, rusty license plates, and grimy pennies. A sound like a low moan echoed through the dark, and the hair on Aru’s arms prickled. What was that?

Sonu scampered up to them, handing out brochures.

“Tourists!” it squeaked again. “So exciting! I hear you like things called pamphlets, so we have a multitude on hand for your entertainment and pleasure!”

Aru took one. Her mom’s museum offered brochures with information about current and upcoming exhibitions, events, and a brief history of the collection. The marmots’ pamphlet was a rectangular piece of paper that read:

this

is

a

pamphlet!

:)

Aru turned over the paper. There had to be more to it….

Nope. Blank.

“Do you like it?” asked Sonu excitedly.

“Uh…” started Aru.

Mini shot her a look.

“It’s really…efficient.”

“Thank you!” said Sonu.

Kanak raised one side of its lip in disgust, tore up the pamphlet, and trotted toward a pair of ginormous glass doors. The glass seemed frosted, but Aru could still make out the blurry shapes of three glittering archways beyond it.

“The gold roads!” whispered Kara.

Now they needed to figure out which one would take them to Lanka. And fast. Time was running out. According to Kubera’s invitation, they had only two more days to get there before they’d risk losing the powerful Nairrata army, not to mention the other weapon the Sleeper was looking for. If that happened, the Otherworld would be doomed.

A molten gold sign shimmered above the doors:

SOUVENIR SHOP!

WE KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE HUMAN WASTE!

“Human…waste?” Mini said, looking disgusted.

Sonu beamed, the fur on its cheeks glowing brightly. “We heard all about how humans love to waste time and money on frivolities, and that inspired our motto!”

“But the phrase doesn’t mean what you think—” Mini started to say.

Aiden let out a cough. Its import was very clear: You ain’t gonna win this one.

“It makes quite a…statement?” said Mini weakly.

“I am so very pleased!” said Sonu. “Well, that’s quite enough about our humble operation. Let the tour begin! Kanak?”

The other marmot, who was waiting in front of the glass doors, glared at them, then reached into a pouch at its side for a party hat that it jammed onto its head. “Hooray.”

Sonu coughed. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Kanak rolled its eyes, reached into the pouch once more, and threw a tiny pawful of confetti into the air. “Yippee.”

Sonu clapped excitedly, gesturing them to the souvenir shop. The doors swung open and a stream of bright light washed over Aru as the gold roads rose into view beyond the checkout counter. Kara, Brynne, Aiden, and Mini walked into the shop, but Aru stayed back and let the glass doors close in front of her again. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she spied an uncanny white wisp moving across the door’s panels. When the golden light from inside the shop hit them, Aru could just make out the shapes of groups of people trudging along a winding trail. They carried children and belongings on their backs. Some of them dropped to the ground, exhausted, and did not stir again. The low moan she had heard when they’d first stepped below ground now filled her ears. It was the sound of unimaginable pain and