FORTY

The roar of engines disappeared, replaced by the warbling rush of the nearby river. Dense heat enveloped Thomas, the fresh humid air tousling his hair and moistening his cheeks. He looked around in amazement at the landscape captured by Akhil’s photograph. Craggy walls sheared upward on either side of the canyon, angling into a deep blue sky. The river rushed past, partially hidden by the tangle of trees and bushes.

“Well, I suppose that wasn’t so bad,” said Professor Reilly, patting himself up and down as if to make sure all his parts had arrived intact. “Better than riding in that clunky old jet, anyway.”

“Yeah, ’cause that would have been awful,” said Enrique. “I mean, who needs the hassle of riding in a luxury jet. Maybe you guys should just give it to me. You know, to save you all the headache of having to take care of it.”

Thomas laughed. “Fine with me. I didn’t even know the thing existed ten minutes ago.”

Squat stood silently, surveying their surroundings. A lush jungle landscape sprawled on all sides of them, with trees climbing the steep canyon walls almost as high as the eye could see. Tropical flowers bloomed everywhere, tiny explosions of purple, red, blue, orange, yellow, and dozens of other shades. Huxley ignored the scenery, focusing instead on the GPS unit in his hand.

“The crystal is that way,” said Huxley. “We’re just over three miles from the coordinates Garibaldi gave us.”

Professor Reilly groaned.

“Three miles? I can’t see past the first thirty feet.” Enrique looked skeptical. The terrain was intimidating, covered with thick shrubs, jagged rocks, and narrow passes. If there was an easy path to their goal, Thomas didn’t see it.

Squattapus was undaunted. He was peering into the distance through hands that had been curled up like a child’s telescope. His head shifted back and forth, then stopped on a massive stone that jutted through the trees and shrubbery just above the banks of the river. “There.”

“How in the blue blazes are we supposed to get there?” asked Professor Reilly. “It’s a bloody jungle in between. Snakes and bugs and poisonous plants and what not.”

“Hold on,” said Squattapus. His voice was cool, his expression calm. Without waiting for a reaction, he disappeared, materializing on the stone almost instantaneously. He looked around for a moment and was back with the group almost before Thomas could blink. He took Enrique by the wrist and nodded for the others to link up. “On three.”

“What?” Professor Reilly’s eyes were wide, his expression fearful. “Again?”

Squattapus started the countdown without hesitation or explanation. Thomas stared at the top of the wide stone, willing himself to focus.

The countdown hit three, and Thomas projected himself forward. The ground under his feet shifted from loose dirt to solid stone. He opened his eyes and had a moment of vertigo. The wide stone rose above the river, which plunged through a maze of boulders. The whitewater tumbled over stones, sending a thin mist into the air. Sunlight caught in the spray, creating a shimmering rainbow.

“Bloody hell,” breathed the professor. “You should give a little more warning before whisking me through space like that. I almost wet myself.”

“You’re in the company of magicians, Professor,” said Huxley. His smile was amused but genuine. “Lord only knows what they might do next.”

“The drawing, please.” Squat stood motionless, his right hand extended to Huxley. His voice was soft and confident, his presence strangely powerful. There was a freshness about him, as if the layers of grease and grime were falling away. For the first time, Thomas felt like he might be seeing hints of the man behind the untamed and grubby exterior. Sensing the attention, Squat glanced at Thomas and winked. It was a subtle gesture, accompanied by the faintest of smiles, but it was enough. A fresh wave of vertigo washed over Thomas, as once again his world shifted in a meaningful but indescribable way.

Squat shaped his hands into a telescope and stared into the distance. Thomas watched, motionless, suddenly realizing that he didn’t know anything about his unlikely teacher.

“There’s a cave,” said Squat. “You can see the edge, hidden in the rock wall about halfway up. We’re going to have to get closer to find a way in.”

“Through that mess?” said Enrique. The underbrush was thick and tangly, without the faintest hint of a proper path.

“Unless you’d prefer to teleport blind,” said Squat.

“Blind?” Professor Reilly shook his head so vigorously his beard shook. “Absolutely not!”

“I’m with the professor on this one,” said Thomas. One of his mom’s pet phrases popped into his mind. Risk can be managed. Stupidity can’t. “I’d like to get there in one piece.”

“Agreed,” said Huxley. “It’s a mess, but we’ll manage.”

“Follow me,” said Squat. “Carefully.”

Thomas followed, climbing and scrambling down the rocks to the ground below.

Squat ducked between the trees and kept going. The vines and shrubs warped around him as he walked, shifting and moving until the way was clear and passable. The rest of the group followed, moving into the canopy of trees. The shrubs and vines sprang back into shape behind them, erasing the opening as if it had never existed. Squat walked forward, slowly, the path forming around him like a bubble.

“Okay, that’s a cool trick,” said Enrique.

“Super cool,” agreed Thomas.

Squat glanced over his shoulder, a half smile playing at his lips, then angled through the trees, climbing over rocks and skirting around deadfall even as the path took shape around him. The sheer canyon walls flickered in and out of sight, disappearing and reappearing as they passed through the lush foliage.

The group paused frequently, allowing Professor Reilly to catch his breath and wipe his brow. Thomas didn’t mind. The constantly changing landscape was fascinating. Vibrant and unfamiliar flowers appeared at every turn. Strange birds sang as they fluttered through the canopy, their wings flecked with color. Bizarrely large insects climbed the trunks of the multivariate trees. In the background, constant yet ever-changing, the rushing of the river made fresh music. Thomas had never been in a place so spectacularly vibrant with life and color.

By the time they reached a clearing below the three-rock formation from Garibaldi’s drawing, the sun had moved past the upper edge of the canyon. Thomas stared at the massive stones jutting out from the canyon wall. They were tall and jagged, the top edges piercing the sky at least two hundred feet above them.

There was only a tiny corner of the cave visible amongst the crags, its dark entrance almost indistinguishable from the shadows cast by the shifting light. As far as Thomas could tell, there was no way up to climb up the face of the rocks without proper gear, and climbing down from the upper rim of the canyon seemed equally unlikely. The cave was inaccessible, and even the ledge in front of it impossible to see.

“What now?” asked Enrique.

“Wait here.” Squat looked strangely renewed, as if the hike had washed away another layer of grime and enchantment. “Rest. Have a drink. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

He vanished almost before the last syllable was out of his mouth. Thomas squinted up at the canyon entrance but didn’t see where the magician reappeared.

“Finally, the man says something sensible,” said Professor Reilly. He plopped down on a rock and wrung out his handkerchief. “I’ve never been so hot and exhausted in my life.”

“Snack, anyone?” asked Enrique. He dug inside his backpack and pulled out a bag of trail mix.

“Yes, please.” Thomas scooped out a handful and chased it down with an entire bottle of water.

“We can get to the cave from up there,” said Squat, reappearing as quickly as he’d vanished. He pointed at a boulder at the top of the steep slope. “From the top of that rock, we can see directly across to the entrance. It’s not an easy climb, but we can teleport from there.”

“Not bloody likely,” said Professor Reilly. “Look at me. There’s no way I can climb up there.”

“No, I imagine not,” said Huxley. He flashed a wry smile. “I’m not sure I’d do much better. I think, Professor, that you and I should stand watch and leave the retrieval to those with magical abilities. We’ll all meet here afterward and teleport home.”

“Praise the Lord!” said Professor Reilly. “I mean yes, right. That’s a very good idea. We’ll stay here and keep an eye out for Arius. Team spirit and all that.”

“Come with me,” said Squat, gesturing for Thomas and Enrique to follow. “Take a drink and leave your backpacks here. Where we’re going, you aren’t going to need them.”