The Magic Misfits - Neil Patrick Harris Page 0,45
might encounter,” Leila said, shaking her head in amazement.
“Whoa,” said Izzy, using the other oar panel to steer the boat toward the houses settled on the far shore of the lake. “You’re an actual genius, Ridley.”
Ridley’s skin warmed. Her instinct was to blurt out something rude to change the subject and take the focus off herself. “Thanks, Izzy,” she said with a smile instead. “Thanks, all. I’m just glad it worked.”
As they reached an empty beach made of multicolored pebbles (and just in time, I might add), Ridley turned around to catch a glimpse of her friends stumbling off the raft. As she unhooked herself from the back, she noticed Carter had not moved. He sat at the front, hanging his head.
“Carter?” Ridley asked. “You okay?”
“I saw something,” he said. “Back at the cave entrance.”
“We all saw lots of things,” said Leila. “But we made it out of there. We’re safe now.”
“We’re not safe,” said Carter. “We’ll never be safe. Not until we stop him.” The others were quiet, not knowing how to comfort him. Ridley had never seen Carter so despondent. “I saw his face,” Carter added with a whisper. “I know who he is.”
“You saw Kalagan?” Izzy asked.
“We already know who he is,” said Olly. “He’s Kalagan!”
Carter shivered, plucking his wet shirt and jacket away from his torso. “The man in the cave… in the top hat and the cape… The man who threatened us… who has been tormenting us for months… His face… it was my uncle Sly.”
“Wait,” said Leila. “What?”
Cogs turned in Ridley’s mind as little events and coincidences started to fit together. She maneuvered her chair out of the shallow water and onto dry land so she could think better.
“When the man in the top hat crouched over me, his collar slipped. I saw his eyes. I would recognize them anywhere. They were the eyes that glared at me when I was little and wouldn’t or couldn’t do what my uncle asked. They were the eyes that went dull and blank whenever I made a suggestion about where to stay, what to eat, or how to live. They were the eyes that were filled with glee when they saw how fast I could shuffle a deck of cards. Those eyes, that face… how could I ever forget it?” His shoulders began to heave, and he covered his own face as he cried.
“Oh, Carter!” said Leila. “There’s got to be some sort of explanation.”
“What if the explanation is that Kalagan has been masquerading as Carter’s long-lost relative for Carter’s entire life?” said Ridley. Leila widened her eyes, pleading silently for Ridley to be sensitive. But there were times for sensitivity, and then there were times to make everyone see clearly. “It makes sense. All of our troubles with Kalagan started when Carter came to Mineral Wells.”
Carter whipped his head around, red streaks running down his cheeks. “This is not my fault!”
“That’s not what I meant!” Ridley retorted. “We know that Kalagan’s plans have centered on Mr. Vernon. And getting the names of Vernon’s magic club. What I’m saying… what we already know… is that Kalagan can manipulate people. What if, Carter—what if that night you ran away from him… what if that’s what he wanted you to do?” Carter shook his head in disbelief. “What if he chased you through that train yard so you’d end up hopping onto one train in particular? One that would terminate here in Mineral Wells?” Now Carter’s eyes glazed over as if he were looking inward, remembering. “What if he made sure you would find Mr. Vernon? And the magic shop? And us?”
“How?” asked Leila. “How could Kalagan do all that?”
Ridley shrugged. “People have been telling us for months how terrifying his power is. What if what we’ve seen him do here in Mineral Wells has only been the tip of the iceberg?”
“Iceberg?” Olly said, glancing out at the water they’d just traveled through. “Where?”
“Not now, Olly,” Izzy chastised him quietly.
“He had access to your dad’s puzzle box, Carter. He could have slipped Vernon’s confession letter inside at any time while you were still together, then scattered the other boxes here in Mineral Wells, so that we’d find them exactly when he wanted us to.”
“Why now?” asked Theo.
“Because he’s used up all his other options,” Ridley finished. “He needed us to go through everything with Bosso and Sandra and Vernon and the magic shop so that we’d understand where he’s coming from. He needed us to see that Vernon can