spot about four houses away. Our time was running out. If mom didn't get her phone call soon, she'd get suspicious.
"One other option," Claudia said. "We call your mom and say we're coming back because there's no adult supervision. We miss the party, but it's better than admitting the truth to the Populazzi. And it makes you look astoundingly responsible."
I heard her, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was distracted by the two guys racing around the front yard next to us.
Two guys in BeastSlayer cloaks.
"Cara?" Claudia said. "What do you think? Should we call your mom?"
"Not yet. I might have an idea."
I got out of the car and beelined for the guys, who had unsheathed giant swords and were now in the heat of battle.
"Hey," I said, then screamed and leaped away as the follow-through from a parry nearly gutted me.
"Are you crazy?" Gabe Friedman screamed, throwing back the hood of his cloak. "I could have killed you! These are real broadswords!"
"They're fairly dulled," Robert Schwarner said, "but at the right angle and velocity, they could still offer a decent disem-boweling. I have another if you'd care to join. Or perhaps you and your fellow damsel might prefer the quarterstaff." He turned to Claudia. "My lady?"
"Hi," Claudia said. "Cara, can I talk to you?"
She pulled me several feet away and whisper-hissed, "Two words: Happy Hopeless."
"I'm aware. But this particular Happy Hopeless also has a deep voice my mom won't recognize."
"So you want to bring an uninvited Happy Hopeless to a Populazzi party, then ask for the phone so he can call your mom? What are you trying to do, immolate the Ladder?"
A high-pitched growly voice piped up from behind Claudia. "Help you I can. Yes! Mmmmm!"
I blushed bright red. Yes, Robert was a Happy Hopeless, but I would never call him that to his face. I liked him. But with the stealth of a true BeastSlayer, he had crept into earshot of our conversation and was now answering us as Yoda.
"Robert, oh my God—I am so sorry. You weren't supposed to hear that. I know, that sounds even worse. You have every right to be angry—"
"Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Robert looked me in the eye. "I sense much fear in you."
I gaped. For not the first time, I wondered if Robert was my own personal Dalai Lama.
Claudia didn't share my curiosity. "We need to leave," she said.
"You don't," Robert said in his regular voice. "Eddie and I used to be friends. I know the house. We can go in the side door, I'll use the laundry room phone to call your mom, then you go join the party and I'll slip out. No one will know I was there with you."
"Are you kidding?" Gabe said. "Why would you do anything to help them? They're users!"
Robert ignored him. "I'll be right back."
"Fine," Gabe retorted. "You're only giving me a chance to perfect my technique. When you return, you'll eat cold steel!"
But we were already crossing the street toward Eddie's house. I still felt guilty.
"You're not horribly insulted by what we said?" I asked Robert.
"Why?" he replied.
I couldn't answer without insulting him even more, so I didn't bother.
Robert, Claudia, and I kept to the shadows. No one saw us approaching Eddie's side door. It was locked, but Robert knew the extra key was hidden behind the bushes, in the casing for an outdoor electrical outlet. We went right into the laundry room. Sure enough, there was a phone on the wall.
Robert said the Riegerts didn't block caller ID, so I gave him the number and he dialed. I worried a little that someone might hear us, but music blared so loudly from the other room that we had to be okay.
"Hello, Mrs. Leonard?" Robert asked.
"Ralston." I hissed Karl's last name at the same time my mom must have.
"Ralston, of course—I'm sorry. This is Brad Riegert. Your daughter, Cara, asked me to call you and let you know she arrived safely ... Yes, my wife and I are here for the night ... Not at all. I appreciate your concern ... Of course. Take care now."
Robert handed me the phone. Apparently Mom wanted to talk to me. I hoped it was something quick. I was in awe that Robert had managed to say so much without once invoking Star Wars—I didn't want to push my luck.
"Hi, Mom."
"I'm proud of you, Cara," Mom said. "Thank you. Have a great time."