CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The group stuck close together as they hurried through the streets of Havana toward the new Schmoke Hotel under the heavy gray sky. Elliot led the way. Uchenna followed close behind, the backpack containing Jersey pulled tight against her shoulder blades. Elliot had objected to bringing him (“my sweater just can’t take it”), but Uchenna pointed out if they were going to save the Madre de aguas, they should probably bring along the only thing she was afraid of. In case she tried to eat them again.

Behind them came Yoenis and Professor Fauna, who was still recovering from his caffeine infusion and was therefore walking like he’d stepped on an electrified sewer grate.

They came to the plaza with the Schmoke International Hotel. The gleaming marble building with sparkling glass windows towered over old cobblestones, reflecting the clouds that refused to rain overhead.

In front of the hotel, dozens of people stood around in the sunshine, greeting one another, shaking hands, slapping backs, laughing. Some of them were wearing olive-green military uniforms, others were government officials dressed in khakis and nice shirts, while still others wore the faded jeans and guayaberas of farmers and ranchers who’ve just changed after a long day in the fields.

“The Captains of Agriculture,” Elliot said, gazing across the plaza at them.

“I guess so,” agreed Uchenna.

Jersey chirruped.

“Shh,” Elliot told him.

Uchenna studied the hotel and considered their options. They could try to blend into the crowd entering the hotel—but there was probably a guest list. Besides, who would believe that two kids were Captains of Agriculture?

Yoenis tapped Uchenna on the shoulder and indicated that they should follow him.

Around the side of the hotel there was a service entrance tucked away behind a row of royal palms. Servers in black and white uniforms rolled carts laden with silver platters up a ramp and into the hotel. The members of the Unicorn Rescue Society loitered casually, watching them work.

Uchenna spoke softly to Elliot, “You don’t happen to have four black serving uniforms with you, do you?”

“Nope.”

“I do,” said Yoenis. They all looked at him like he was joking. “I brought them from the States. They’re in my suitcase at my mom’s.”

Elliot said, “I swear you are Mary Poppins.” He pointed. “That cart is pretty big.” Near the base of the ramp, a server was carefully arranging a frilly white cloth over a cart.

“And we’re pretty small. . . .” Uchenna added. “If Yoenis or Professor Fauna could create a distraction . . .”

“Professor Fauna would be delighted to create a distraction!!!” Professor Fauna announced. “It is his specialty!!!” He strode forward with an enormous smile.

“Buenas,” he said to the server who had been arranging the cart. “¡¡¡¿¿¿Tremendo evento esta tarde, no???!!!”

The server wiped his brow on his shirtsleeve. “Sí, señor.”

“¡Me encantaría si me invitaran!”

The server looked confused.

“What’s he saying?”

Yoenis turned away so the server wouldn’t see him stifling a laugh. “He says he wants to be invited to the party.”

“¿Me puedes conseguir una invitación? ¡Y ropa elegante, claro! No conozco a los capitanes de la agricultura, pero si los conociera seríamos buenos amigos!”

“He says he doesn’t know the Captains of Agriculture yet, but he’s sure they’d be great friends.”

Elliot muffled a guffaw in his sleeve. Uchenna said, “C’mon.”

Uchenna and Elliot darted forward and hurried into the hollow bottom of the serving cart. Elliot crouched, making himself as small as possible, while Uchenna arranged the white frilly cloth to hide them.

Only the slightest bit of gray light filtered through the cloth, and it was dark and cramped in the cart. Elliot was sweating. Not a moment too soon, they heard Fauna say, “¡Una pena! ¡Un día de estos tienen que pasar por mi casa! ¡Adiós! ¡Nos vemos pronto!” and the cart began to move. They could see the server’s shoes as he pushed them up the ramp, grunting from the weight and mumbling to himself about “El hombre loco.” With one more big push, the cart rolled swiftly through the side door.

Through the white cloth Uchenna and Elliot saw a thousand flickers of golden light. They had made it into the grand, chandelier-filled lobby of the Schmoke International Hotel.