Argon stood in front of an open wall safe. Spencer pulled a cloth bag out of the briefcase and handed it to her. She loosened the drawstring.
"This is the unassuming little object that can control the weather? And you're trusting it to me? I'm honored."
A halting laugh escaped from his throat. "Someone's been going through things on my boat. Some valuable things are missing. I can't take the chance of someone finding this."
Tony and Meredith exchanged surprised looks.
"Well, it's doubtful they would recognize it as anything important," Argon said. "It might make a nice vase."
"You must not do that." He reached for the bag but she moved away. She tightened the string and set the bag in the safe.
"You really could benefit from breathing exercises Spencer. You're much too uptight."
"Once I discover the secret to its use," he said, "the weather will be under my control."
Argon narrowed her eyes. "And what do you plan to do with that kind of power?"
The nervous laugh came again. "Why, benefit mankind of course."
"Of course," she said. She closed the safe and hung a picture over it.
Tony tugged on Meredith's arm. They raced up the stairs. At the top, Meredith stopped to look back. She wished she hadn't. Spencer was looking up. His eyes were cold and suspicious. She forced herself to look away and walk down the hall in what she hoped was a normal manner. Tony was waiting at the apartment door.
Once inside, she turned the deadbolt. "Do you think he knows we saw them?" she said.
"I don't know, but we do know where the cup is now."
"Yes. It's locked in the safe."
"True. That is a problem. In the meantime, I'm thirsty. Got anything to drink?"
"How can you possibly be thirsty?" she said.
He shrugged. "Can we check the refrigerator?"
She laughed and opened the frig. "This is it. The last one unless you want diet." She handed him a ginger ale. Edison pushed past her legs and put his paws on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The doorbell rang.
Meredith handed Tony a can of cat food. "Here. Feed Edison while I see who's at the door."
"Don't open it if it's Spencer."
She heard the pop of the can lid and Tony talking to the cat. What if it was Spencer at the door? She moved stealthily across the living room. Holding her breath she looked through the peephole. It was Amari. Releasing her breath in relief, she opened the door.
"I am sorry to bother. . ."
"Nice to see you," Meredith interrupted. She pulled her inside, pushed the door shut, and locked it.
"Ginger ale?" Tony said and held up the bottle.
"If you're thirsty, don't hesitate and don't put the bottle down anywhere," Meredith said.
Amari looked puzzled and took the drink. Disappointment and resignation crossed Tony's face.
"I have come to ask your help in finding the sensor," Amari said. She took a sip of the soda and looked surprised.
"No problem," Tony said. "We know where it is. The only problem is getting it out of the safe."
"Why would we not want it to be safe?" Amari said.
Meredith smiled. "No, no. It's in a safe. Locked in a box in the wall. We don't know the combination."
Tony's eyes got big, and he took a deep breath. "Ah, but Amari has opened combination locks. Isn't that right?" His look was triumphant.
Meredith put up her hands. "Wait a minute. Are you suggesting we break into the safe?"
"We don't have to break anything. Amari can just - well whatever it is she does to open locks. If the cup isn't in the bag, we leave the bag there and close everything up. If it is the cup, we're not stealing because it belongs to you. Actually to Amari. We're just reclaiming it."
"And what happens once we get the cup?"
"We send it home with Amari," Tony said.
Meredith turned to Amari. "And do you know how to get home?"
"Through the Misty Way," Amari said. "The water wisps said it is just beyond the last water bell."
Tony frowned. "There's a string of buoys in the bay. The last one is several miles out. They do ring something like a bell." He looked unsure.
"Supposing you're right. When do you propose we attempt this little caper?" Meredith said. "It's not like the Amazon is going to conveniently step outside while we help ourselves."
"We wait until she's in the inhalatorium," Tony said.
Meredith frowned. "She only meditates in the mornings."
"Tomorrow morning then," Tony said. "We can meet at the back stairway. What time?"
A meeting time wasn't the issue. The whole idea was crazy. What if someone came into the lobby? What if Spencer showed up? What if there was an alarm? What if?
"Let's make it 8:00," Tony said. "Let's hope the Amazon is feeling meditative tomorrow. Don't be late."
CHAPTER 22 - A SAFE STORM
Meredith lingered at the bottom of the stairwell. Her hand trembled as she opened the door. Amari and Tony pushed through.
"We were beginning to think you weren't coming," Tony said. "Did you have trouble getting away?"
"I slipped out while Doris was occupied with her exercise video. We have about twenty minutes before she starts looking for me. What's in the bag?"
He opened a plastic shopping bag, and pulled out a blue cup with no handle.
"What is that?"
"A replacement of course. Everyone knows you always switch a copy for the real thing."
"Spencer will never be fooled by that."
"No, but the Amazon might. Besides, it's the right size. If they don't look inside the bag, it will buy us some time."
"This seems to come pretty natural to you. Are you sure you haven't done this before?"
He gave her an innocent smile. "I watch a lot of crime shows."
"Where did you get the cup?"
He grinned. "At the dollar store. It was half price."
"You were shopping for a bargain at a discount store?" She cringed. A vague picture of long aisles full of cheap knockoffs filled her mind. With a kind of macabre fascination she wondered what else the store sold. For a moment she considered asking.
"We should hurry," Amari said.
Meredith pushed shopping out of her mind. They ascended the stairs and crept down the hall. Like watching eyes, the peepholes on the doors seem to follow their movements. Faint music and voices of TV announcers filtered through the walls as they hurried past. At the top of the main stairs Meredith flattened herself against the wall. Trembling, she sneaked a look around the corner.
Argon was walking toward the rainforest. Meredith could see the sign on the front desk.
"All clear," she whispered. "I'll watch the Amazon. You two switch the cups."
They nodded and slunk down the main staircase. Tony and Amari skirted the desk. Meredith crossed the lobby. She glanced at her watch. Fifteen minutes.
Heather's choice in colors worked out pretty well for this activity. Green would have been better, but her dark blue shirt and jean shorts were better camouflage than pink. She peered through the branches. Argon was sitting on her mat. So far so good. She glanced toward the desk. Amari and Tony were hidden from view.
The room blurred for a moment. She felt lightheaded. Nerves. She blinked rapidly, and pressed her cold fingers against her face. How long would it take Amari to open the safe? Five minutes? What if it took longer? What if Amari made up that stuff about being able to open locks? This was stupid. Why had she let them talk her into this? She took a step back.
A shadow passed over the tall windows. The room darkened. Argon shifted making the mat rustle. Meredith froze. The lights flickered, and a crashing boom blocked out the jungle noise. Had they tripped an alarm? Then she realized it was a storm.
With sudden fierceness, rain pounded against the windows. Meredith ran. When she reached the front desk, her foot slipped. Her elbow smacked the corner. Wind roaring around the building covered her g
asp of pain. Shaking her numb fingers, she looked back.
Argon emerged from the rainforest. Hot wind crashed open the front door, carrying a torrent of rain. It soaked everything in its path and flooded the marble floor.
Argon rushed forward and struggled with the heavy doors. She was soaked immediately. Her hair clung to her face. The sweeping rain plastered her clothes to her body. Branches snapped. Leaves and debris filled the air. The "Manager Out" sign skittered across the desk and flew toward the window.
Meredith turned away. Her eyes widened in surprise and she gasped. Amari was rushing towards her with the cup glowing in her hand. There was no time to get out of the way. They collided.
Meredith floated in weightlessness. She pressed against a wooden railing that swept through the air in a dizzying arc. Far below, sailors clung to ropes and scrambled on a wet ship deck. Their terrified voices cried out to one another. A bank of thick fog swept over the deck and immersed the ship in darkness. She was falling?
Meredith hit the lobby floor. She struggled for breath. The cup rolled past her head, and a hand snatched it.
Coughing and gasping she sat up.
"Come on," Tony hissed. "I've got the cup. We have to get out now."
Amari helped Meredith struggle to her feet. The wind died down, and Argon was latching the doors. They fled up the stairs.
Apartment doors opened all along the hallway. Hank stepped out looking rumpled. Millie was knocking on doors. Doris stepped out. Surprise crossed her face when she saw them. "Meredith? I thought you were inside."
Meredith forced a smile as her mind raced. She was still confused about what had happened. It was so strange. Did she black out? Was it a dream?
"Big storm," Tony said. "We might need to help Ms. Argon clean up."
Everyone crowded up to the railing. The lobby floor was littered with broken branches. Leaves and dirt swirled above the floor in slow spirals.
Millie called for brooms and mops. Soon people were heading down the stairs. Meredith put the cup in her room and hurried to join the others.
CHAPTER 23 - AFTERMATH
It was oddly quiet in the lobby without the rainforest recording. Meredith tracked through the spilled potting soil and debris. Her feet spread the dirt and left a muddy trail as she sloshed through the puddles.
Argon stood in the middle of the floor, her face wet and bewildered. Water dripped from her hair and off the bottom of her skirt. She held a broken plant with dirt still clinging to the roots. Bits of soil broke loose and fell to the floor forming a pool of mud at her feet.
Amari picked up a flowerpot and began scooping up dirt from the floor.
"If we plant it right away. . ." Amari said. She made a hole in the dirt and reached for the plant.
Argon said, "Wait." She moved her finger along the stem and a butterfly fell into her hand. It lay limp on her palm.
Amari gently took the plant and put it in the pot. Pressing the dirt around it firmly she said, "It will grow."
Tony stepped up beside Meredith. "Where's the cup?" he whispered.
Meredith turned to answer when the front doors burst open. Everyone turned as Spencer charged across the room. He marched up to Argon.
"I must see it now," he said.
Meredith pretended to sweep the floor and inched nearer. What would he do when he saw the bargain cup?
Argon laid the butterfly in the pot with the plant. She rubbed her hands on her wet skirt. "Calm yourself. We're rather busy at the moment. Look around."
"Yes, yes, I know. There was a funnel cloud outside. You were fortunate it did not touch down." He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "It must have been caused by IT." He nodded his head towards the front desk.
Argon raised her eyebrows. "Really?"
"I must know it is safe," he said.
Meredith glanced around. Millie had gone back to directing the cleanup. Hank shuffled toward the door dragging a large trash bag. Meredith worked her way around a trashcan.
Argon took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
"Very well," she said and led the way behind the desk.
Meredith grabbed a rag and started wiping down the counter. She could just make out the conversation in the back room.
"I tell you the cup is what caused this storm. I know I can control it. Just let me examine it."
"Here," she said. "Take it and get out if you're not going to help with the cleanup."
"What is this?" His voice had a high pitched intensity. "What have you done with the cup? This is not what I gave you."
"Of course it is. You saw me put it in the safe. Surely you don't think I had any interest in it?"
"That girl. She must have taken it."
"What girl?"
"The runaway. The one with the Atlantean eyes. She recognized the cup for what it really is."
"Don't be absurd. No one could get in this safe without the combination."
"She has powers that you can't guess. She's stolen my cup." His voice deepened and Meredith shivered. "But I'll get it back. I know?"
"You have what you came for. Take it and go," Argon said.
"You could have been a part of this," Spencer said, "but you have proven unworthy. You can keep this worthless imitation." There was a muffled shattering of glass.
Meredith cowered down and pressed against the wall. She wished she hadn't gotten so close, but Spencer stalked past without noticing. He gave a savage shove to the front door. It swung open and hung at a crooked angle. His foot slipped on the wet porch, and he waved his arms erratically like a scarecrow to catch his balance. With an angry mutter, he stomped off.
"Two storms in one morning. Seems our friend has added to the mess," Argon said. She held out her hand and helped Meredith up. "Storms do seem to bring out the best and worst in people. Mind if I borrow that broom?"
As they cleaned up the broken glass, Amari and Tony came in.
"It is important that I get home," Amari said.
Argon shrugged. "I guess I can give you a ride. Where do you live?"
"Over the water," she said. "On the other side."
"Across the Bay? How did you get here?"
"She's been visiting," Meredith said.
"Her boat left without her," Tony said.
Argon hesitated. "Well, that would be a long drive."
"It would be shorter by boat," Tony said.
Argon shook her head. "Get on a boat right after that storm? That's foolhardy. You'll have to wait till tomorrow." She handed the broom to Meredith and went back to the lobby.
With everyone's help it didn't take long to cleanup the floor, but it would take a long time for the plants to grow back. Meredith motioned to Tony, and they slipped outside.
"We have to get Amari and the cup back to her world," Meredith said.
"You mean you believe her story now?" Tony said
"Isn't it obvious? The storm started when she touched the cup and stopped when she dropped it. The same thing happened when we searched the cabin on Spencer's boat. Amari must have been close to touching it then, and we didn't know it."
Tony's eyes widened. "You're right. Spencer was right. The cup did cause the storm."
Meredith was reluctant to tell him the rest. She wasn't sure what happened when Amari ran into her. Was she transported somewhere else? Or was it just another image like the one she saw in the cup? She did know one thing. They had to help Amari.
"So I guess the next step is to get?borrow?a boat." Her voice trembled, and her stomach hurt.
"We can take the Chessy, Gramps' boat. He won't be happy about it, but he won't lock us up."
"You're sure you want to do that?" Meredith said. She didn't want to take Carlo's boat, but she felt relief at not having to steal one.
Tony avoided her eyes. "The real problem is how is she going to take the cup back if she can't touch it?"
"The real problem is where are we going? The bay is a big place. We can wrap the cup in the scarf and
tie it around her waist. That will keep it from touching her skin and also leave her hands free."
Tony looked doubtful. "Are you sure that will be far enough away?"
Meredith nodded, but she really wasn't sure. "We won't give it to her until the last minute. You get Amari. I'll get the cup."
Before he could object, she dashed away and ran up the back stairs. The apartment was empty. Doris must still be cleaning up. She grabbed the cup and her blue jacket. The seed packet crackled softly as she pulled the scarf out of the pocket. She twisted the scarf around the cup and tied it around her waist. Then she hurried back outside.
Tony and Amari were waiting. What if she was wrong and a storm blew up while they were out on the boat? Maybe they should test it first.
"Come on," Tony said. "Let's get going while the skies are still clear."
They headed up the street. Meredith glanced back and caught a glimpse of someone moving into the trees. She wondered where Spencer had gone after stomping out.
CHAPTER 24 - PROCURING A BOAT
Although the air was chilly and damp, there was no evidence the storm had reached the marina. Everything was calm and dry. The fishing boats were all out on the bay.
"There is something I need to tell you," Amari said.
"What's that?" Tony asked.
"I don't know a lot about sailing. I was just a passenger on the Sea Hawk. I do not think the three of us can sail a boat alone."
"Won't need to," Tony said. "We're taking a motorboat."
"Have you ever driven your grandfather's boat?" Meredith asked.
"Not exactly," Tony said. "He let me steer a few times. We'll just go slow."
Meredith's stomach was churning again. Now that she was on the pier, this didn't seem like such a good idea. "Maybe we should go back and try to convince Argon," she said.
"No time," Tony said. "Once Spencer figures out it was us that switched the cup, he'll be after us. Here's the Chessy." He hopped over the railing of a small motorboat into the captain's seat. "All aboard."
"Don't we need a key?" Meredith said as she gingerly stepped in and took a seat.
Tony grinned. "Yep. We keep it hidden." He ducked inside the cabin.
"You'll never outrun Spencer in that." The voice came from the pier.