“Agent Bntno…This, Agent Bntno…We are at Four Peaks.…Yes, you hears me? We are at Four Peaks.…”
Lily stood absolutely still, wondering what to do. They would somehow have to lose Bntno before they continued on their way! Otherwise, he would report the whereabouts of the monastery to the government, and the Awful and Adorable Autarch of Dagsboro would plunder its remaining treasures and use its powers for tyrannical evil.
“Children have made it to Four Peaks,” whispered Bntno. “Tonight, I will—”
“Alley-oop!” exclaimed Jasper, raising himself up on one elbow. “Katie, were you about to grab me roughly and startle me awake?” He smiled. “You have to get up pretty early to surprise Jasper Dash.”
Katie covered her face with her hands. Lily stood up straighter.
Bntno stopped talking in his sleeping bag. He cleared his throat.
“The excellent children are awake?” Bntno said, sticking his head out. “I have very strange dream where I talk out loud. Very strange dream.”
“Did I hear,” said Jasper loudly, “that you two have figured out which mountain is which?”
Katie frowned. Lily waved her hands.
“Well?” said Jasper. “Drop the soup, chums! Which is it? Where’s the monastery? I’m ready as an evergreen to spread my limbs up to the sun and say, ‘Hello, happy morning!’” He stretched and crawled out of his sleeping bag.
Katie and Lily didn’t say anything.
Bntno looked a little suspicious. “You know which mountain?” asked Bntno. “How instructive!”
“Which is it, then?” said Jasper.
Katie rocked on her heels. “We don’t know,” she said. “We didn’t figure it out.”
“What’s the fuss, then?” said Jasper.
“I think they knows,” said Bntno. “They are the joking people; they not tell us for joke. But now joke over. Now they tell.”
Lily and Katie looked at each other desperately. How were they going to warn Jasper? How were they going to get rid of Bntno before he found out what they knew and reported it to the government?
“We really don’t know,” said Lily.
“Nope,” said Katie. “We are as dumb as coal.”
Bntno smiled widely. He stepped out of his sleeping bag. In one hand was a small walkie-talkie-like thing: his two-way radio. In the other hand was a gun. “The girls know somethings,” he said. “They know I maybe tell a thing or another thing to Ministry of Silence. But it is time now for talking. Yes? It is time now to tell.”
Bntno pointed the gun at Lily. “Tell us. Which mountain is monastery of Vbngoom on? We would like to go there with helicopter. Make the monks salute our Terrifying and Awful Adorable Autarch. Get some magic powers for our Ministry of Silence. You tell us. Tell us where it is.”
“Don’t, Lily,” said Jasper. “The monastery is depending on you.”
Lily looked straight down the barrel of Bntno’s gun.