Chapter 4

“It will keep you safer.”

Mrs. Natcher had come to represent the irony in Spencer’s life. Last night, he was fighting evil Sweepers in some far-off library, watching Professor DeFleur get swallowed whole. Now he was taking a spelling test, writing down words like amphibious, hygienic, and malevolent.

Spencer was a good speller, and Mrs. Natcher gave enough time between words that he found his mind wandering all over the place. Spencer hadn’t seen his dad or Walter since being dropped off at home last night. He wondered what had become of Ted, the blind Sweeper. Was he still being held in the basement of Welcher Elementary?

But above all, Spencer’s mind was swimming with thoughts of what the translated Manualis Custodem might say.

He thought of Sach, Aryl, and Olin, the three boys who had been named Dark Aurans. They had saved him from the curse of the Broomstaff—of forever wandering the landfill with a bronze dustpan strapped around his neck. V and the other Auran girls would be angry about the Rebels’ escape. Spencer wanted to go back to the landfill and fulfill his promise. He could use his powers to de-Glopify the Pan around the Dark Aurans. He could set them free.

But Sach had said to wait for Rho.

The thought of Rho sent a shiver down Spencer’s neck. He had met her at New Forest Academy as Jenna, seemingly helpless and innocent. The truth had come out at the landfill when Rho had admitted to spying on Spencer and leading him to the Broomstaff to be Panned.

Spencer had come frighteningly close to wearing one of those cursed Pans, just like the three Dark Auran boys. The Pan suppressed their magical abilities, only allowing them to Glopify and de-Glopify at the bidding of the Auran girls. They’d been trapped for 198 years in that horrible landfill, and Spencer had almost joined them with a Pan of his own.

But Rho had helped him escape. In the midst of the conflict at the Broomstaff, she’d suddenly changed. Something about Spencer had sparked her to forgive the Dark Auran boys and put the feud behind her. Spencer had expected to hear from Rho by now. But 198 years’ worth of bad feelings weren’t likely to be resolved in two months.

It was better to focus on the task at hand. The translated pages of the Manualis Custodem would tell them how to find the source of all Glop. Alan had given years of his life to find it, and his partner, Rod Grush, had literally given his life. The Dark Aurans explained that the Founding Witches had been trapped in the source, waiting for mortals to rescue them. If the Witches were set free, they could help the Rebels in their fight against the Bureau of Educational Maintenance.

They were nearing the end. Spencer could feel it.

Mrs. Natcher was in the middle of saying the word deceive when Mrs. Hamp’s voice crackled through the intercom speaker.

“Spencer Zumbro and Daisy Gates, please report immediately to Mr. Campbell in the janitorial office.”

For once, Spencer was pleasantly surprised by the secretary’s announcement. If Walter wanted to see them, then he would finally get some answers.

Mrs. Natcher looked far less enthusiastic about the announcement. The sixth-grade teacher peered over the rims of her glasses, daring anyone to move during her spelling test.

“Shouldn’t we go?” Spencer finally asked.

Mrs. Natcher sighed. “You can make up the test during afternoon recess.”

Spencer leapt to his feet, maybe looking a little too excited. Daisy joined him at the door right as Mrs. Natcher called out her usual line.

“Take the hall pass!”

Spencer grabbed the blackened piece of plastic that was once Baybee’s leg. The doll had given its life in a Texas high school, exploding like a chalk bomb and buying the Rebels time to get away from the huge Extension Toxites and the Pluggers who rode them.

The two kids moved silently down the hallway. They were almost to the steps that led into the janitorial storage area when a familiar voice squeaked out.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

It was Principal Poach. He was leaning against a drinking fountain, breathing as heavily as though he had just run a marathon. His walrus mustache still had droplets of water clinging to it from a drink he must have just taken.

It was indeed a rare occurrence to see Principal Poach standing, instead of spilling over the arms of his office chair. Rarer still to see him outside his office, wandering the hallway like a responsible administrator.

“The janitor wants to see us,” Spencer explained.

“Don’t worry,” Daisy offered. “We have a hall pass!” She grabbed Spencer’s arm and made him display the blackened chunk of doll leg that had belonged to Baybee. It was hardly a hall pass anymore. Now it looked more like a piece of shrapnel.

Principal Poach narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I’m sure you’re up to no good. If I weren’t so busy, I’d follow you.”

He didn’t look busy, leaning for support on the drinking fountain. Principal Poach wiped his brow. “I’ve been down to the school gym,” he said, but Spencer was sure he wasn’t exercising. “I got word this morning that the P.E. teacher quit. She moved to Mexico with hardly a moment’s notice.” He shook his head. “Now I’ve got to hire someone new to finish out the year. And good help is hard to find.”

“Good luck with that,” Spencer said, not seeing what it had to do with Daisy and him.

Principal Poach studied them over. “You didn’t scare off the P.E. teacher, did you?”

“What?” Spencer said. “No way!” Whenever anything bad happened in the school, Spencer and Daisy were Poach’s prime suspects.

“Maybe she got tired of running laps,” Daisy said. “I know I do.”

Principal Poach gestured for the kids to move along. Then he bent over the drinking fountain to take another sip, rallying his strength to make it back to the comfort of his office chair.

Spencer and Daisy moved quickly down the steps into the janitorial storage area. The stack of boxes was already slid aside. Chunks of wood were lying on the floor, remnants of last night’s shattered portal that were no longer glass after the Windex wore off.

Walter welcomed them into the hidden room, and Spencer immediately noticed the open binder on the table, showing the translation of the Manualis Custodem. Other than that, the closet was empty.

“Where’s Ted?” Spencer asked. “And my dad?”

Walter walked around to the other side of the table. “Your dad took Ted away. We’re turning him over to some other Rebels. We can’t afford any distractions right now.”

“Did you read it?” Spencer asked, his eyes falling to the open binder.

Walter nodded. “Your dad and I pored over every word last night.” He touched the open pages of the translation. “It’s now clear what we must do.”

“I hope it’s not a crossword puzzle,” Daisy said. “I’m really bad at those.”

“I’m afraid it’s going to be a bit more dangerous than a crossword puzzle,” Walter said. “We have to go back to New Forest Academy.”

Spencer shuddered at the name. That place held very bad memories. New Forest Academy was a private school created by the BEM to handpick and educate only certain students while letting the rest of the nation rot out on Toxite breath.

“What does New Forest Academy have to do with finding the source of Glop?” Daisy asked.

“Meet me here at ten o’clock tonight,” Walter said. “I want you to be part of the team.”

“Who else is coming?” Daisy asked.

“We’re keeping it small,” Walter said. “Just the three of us, plus Spencer’s dad and Penny.”

“So you’re going to tell Penny about the Manualis Custodem.” Spencer asked. They’d kept it a secret since the landfill.

Walter shook his head. “Not yet. Which is why I pulled you from class so I could talk to you two first.” He carefully closed the binder. “The BEM will stop at nothing to find out what is written in the Manualis Custodem. They have Sweepers now, in addition to the Pluggers, making them more deadly than ever before.” He leaned across the table. “Alan and I are the only two people who know what this book says. From translating it, Professor DeFleur had to know also. In a way, I suppose it is for the best that he didn’t survive last night. One less person to protect.”

Spencer was shocked by Walter’s words. The warlock was so serious, he seemed almost uncaring.

“No one else can be given this dangerous knowledge,” Walter continued. “I don’t want you to know specifics, and I don’t want you to mention the Manualis Custodem to Penny or anyone else. Understood?”

Daisy nodded promptly, but Spencer took a moment to process it all. Walter was expecting a lot and not giving them specifics.

“You have to trust me on this,” Walter said. “It will keep you safer.”

Spencer did trust Walter, but he hated being shut out like this. He nodded at last.

“Ten o’clock tonight,” Walter repeated. Then he gestured for the two kids to hurry up the stairs. There would still be time to write the word confidentiality for the spelling test.