The Magic Misfits - Neil Patrick Harris Page 0,12
stealing their valuables. As a precaution, he had them all place their most cherished belongings in a safe. You can probably figure out what happened next.”
“He took off with everything?” Carter said, a sneer marking his mouth.
“Bingo!” said Ridley. “One more step on his journey to becoming a full-blown villain.”
“But they caught him,” said Theo. “He didn’t get away with it.”
“He was testing his limits,” Carter suggested. “Seeing what he could get away with. I watched my uncle Sly do the same thing every time we moved to a new town. Asking people for change for a dollar and then switching out the coins until he ended up with at least two more bucks than he’d had. Then there was the cup-game scam. And then there were the flat-out robberies. That was when I decided to take off, because—”
The Misfits spoke in unison: “You don’t steal.”
Leila patted his back. “We know that, Carter.”
His face turned pink. “Just sayin’.”
Ridley closed her notebook. “So, what do we think? Olly? Izzy? Did any of that help you make a decision?”
“What were we deciding again?” asked Olly.
“We were deciding whether or not to join up with Kalagan, silly!” Izzy answered.
Ridley gritted her teeth. “I seriously hope you’re joking.”
Izzy smiled. “When am I not joking?”
“I think you’re right, Ridley,” said Olly. “At the very least, we should check in on those people who came after us. See if we can get them to tell us if they’ve encountered a strange man in a dark cloak and a big top hat.”
Ridley’s rabbit shifted on her lap and gave a sleepy wheeze, reminding Ridley that he was still with her and available for petting.
“But,” said Izzy, “we should do it discreetly. Keep to the shadows. You know? Like Kalagan.”
“That’s the second most intelligible thing I’ve heard the two of you say today,” Ridley answered. She still sort of thought that her idea of coming out, blasters blaring, would be the best course of action. But after glancing at Theo, Carter, and Leila, she asked, “What do you all think? Do we follow up with our attackers, see if they can point us to where Kalagan is hiding?”
They all nodded tentatively.
“Great,” Ridley said with a big nod. “Now… where do we start?”
They agreed to begin tomorrow with the librarian who destroyed Ridley’s invention presentation with the garden shovel of the future. Carter and Leila would bring items from the lost and found at the resort for disguises. They’d meet at another of their secret locations—the custodial shed behind the Parks and Recreation Department at the town hall, which was almost always left with the padlock not fully latched. There, they would dress up and make their way to the library a few doors down.
Leaving the room at the back of the old movie theater, the Misfits came out into the alley to find that the sky had already begun to darken. Ridley knew she should head home before her mother started to worry, but she also didn’t want to leave her friends just yet. She’d missed them, the squabbling included. She wished they could at least run through a few more tricks, like during a proper meeting. But before she had a chance to mention it, a figure appeared at the end of the alley, blocking their way out.
A low and crinkled voice called out, “Carter Locke? Is that you?”
SIX
A thought shot through Ridley’s head: Kalagan! He’s here!
Carter threw his hands to the sides of his face. “Oh no, oh no, oh no!” He grabbed Leila’s wrist, pulling her back toward the theater. The others followed quickly.
“Carter!” The voice came again. “Wait! Don’t run!”
Back inside the shadows, Ridley flipped her chair’s light on again.
“Who is that man?” Leila whispered, pausing with Carter, who looked dazed.
“My uncle Sly,” he answered slowly. “How did he find me?”
“You guys?” Ridley said, trying to mimic Leila’s ability to be ever cheery. “Either we need to vanish right now or come up with a plan of attack. Because there’s no ramp leading down from this stage to the seating area.”
The group was quiet for a moment, listening to harsh footfalls echo closer in the brick alleyway outside.
“We fight,” said Carter, whipping two decks of cards from his sleeves and palming them like throwing stars. “Uncle Sly is clever. Hiding will only give us a few seconds to regroup before we have to keep running.”
Leila sidled up next to him. She pulled on one of her jangly buttons and a long piece of white