“Wow!” said Henry.
“Ned shouldn’t have these,” said C.D. in a serious tone.
“Is it the secret?” asked Soo Lee.
“They look like pictures of people who work at QuestMaster,” Jessie said. “And some of their dogs. I’m confused. Why shouldn’t Ned have them?”
C.D. didn’t answer right away. When he did, he spoke very carefully. “I can’t really tell you every detail. These photos are part of Jane’s new idea. It’s too complicated to explain here, but there’s no reason Ned should have these.”
C.D. walked over to Jane’s workstation.
He clicked to open a file on her computer screen and the same row of photos appeared. “Ned must have copied her files,” he said.
“He was spying on Jane at the Brass Horn Restaurant,” Benny blurted out before anyone could stop him. “We saw him spying when we were hiding behind our menus.”
“Benny!” Jessie interrupted. “We don’t really know what was going on, C.D. All of us were just having lunch today at the Brass Horn, and so were Jane and Ned.”
“What?” C.D. said, his voice rising. “Jane is in Hampstead. She left a couple hours ago. As for Ned, I sent him over to your place to drop off a new computer mouse that works better with Ringmaster II. Then I asked him to run some errands for me. Of course, he can go anywhere he wants for lunch, so I guess he did.”
“So that’s why Ned was at our house today,” said Benny. “He came to our door, but Watch started barking, then Ned went away.”
C.D. smiled. “Well, Ned gets kind of grouchy with the way I run QuestMaster, what with dogs and kids and all. And he didn’t want to go to your house in the first place.”
“How long has Ned been at QuestMaster?” Henry asked.
“Since before there even was a QuestMaster,” C.D. said. “I brought him over from another computer company. And when I realized how good Andy was with computers, I asked him to work for us, too. Ned’s always been the one with the big ideas,” C.D. continued. “Now Jane is coming up with some amazing things to do with our games. But it looks like Ned is spying on Jane’s work.”
The dogs began barking. They raced to the hallway. A door banged.
Ned Porter walked in, carrying a pile of boxes. “Call the dogs away, if you don’t mind,” he said to C.D. and the Aldens in a grouchy voice. “Is this an office or a dog pound?”
“Both!” C.D. said.
If C.D. hoped this would make Ned smile, he was wrong. Ned set the boxes down on a nearby table. He gave one of them to the Aldens. “I was supposed to give you this new computer mouse this morning, but that dog of yours chased me away.”
“It’s because you ran away,” Benny said. “Once Watch meets most people, he’s friendly.”
“I came back to get a few things from my desk before I head home,” Ned told C.D. “I’ve been fooling around with some new things on my home computer.”
C.D. paused before he spoke. “Anything you want to share with the staff, Ned?”
“Nope,” Ned replied. He stuffed the photos on his desk into a folder and headed for the door.
“Had lunch yet?” C.D. asked.
Same answer. “Nope,” he said, then he left the studio.
C.D. shook his head. “I’m going to have a private talk with Ned about those photos and about the ‘Head Shots’ file. I hoped he’d tell me on his own, but no such luck. And he lied about having lunch, too. I don’t know what I can say about that.”
Violet looked a little upset. “Maybe Ned didn’t lie about lunch. He was just standing in the restaurant right behind Jane Driver and the two people she was with.”
C.D. straightened up. “What two people? Do you remember what they looked like, Violet?”
Violet wasn’t sure.
“I remember,” Benny said. “I think one was tall with a bushy beard.”
C.D.’s face went pale. “A man with a beard and ... was the other man bald?”
“We couldn’t tell,” said Benny. “He was wearing a hat.”
“I hope they don’t turn out to be who I think they are,” said C.D.
“Who?” Henry asked.
C.D. looked upset. “They’re two people I used to work with a few years back. Now they’ve founded a game company, too. It’s called Comet Interactive Games. We went our separate ways when I discovered I couldn’t trust them.”
“Do you trust us?” Benny asked. “We were hiding behind our menus and spying in the restaurant.”
C.D. smiled a little. “Everybody enjoys people-watching in restaurants, Benny. I think that’s okay if you don’t stare or make them uncomfortable.”
“They didn’t see us,” Benny continued. “Then lunch came, and that was more fun. And now we’re here.”
C.D. thought about this. “Yes, you’re all here. Now I wish Jane were here, too. I need to get to the bottom of this.”
CHAPTER 7
The Computer Talks Back
Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor were back home when the children returned from QuestMaster.
“I read your note about your meeting at QuestMaster,” Grandfather said to the children. “So how did Watch do on his first day of work?”
“Watch took a long doggie break instead of a coffee break,” Henry said, trying to look serious. “C.D. isn’t sure he wants to hire Watch unless he learns how to type with his paws.”
Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor laughed at the thought of Watch sitting at the computer instead of under it.
“Seriously, though,” Henry continued, “there wasn’t any meeting. C.D. thought someone at the studio was playing a prank on us.”
“You know, I wondered about this meeting,” Mrs. McGregor said, “since Andy Porter came by again while you were gone. It seemed odd that he wouldn’t be at the meeting, too. Since he worked on the computer before, I let him in. Oh, dear, I hope there isn’t a problem.”
Jessie felt sorry for Mrs. McGregor. She was only trying to help. “That’s okay. We were having a bit of trouble with the computer. Now maybe Andy fixed it. Thanks.”
The computer was still on in the den.
“Gee, why is the Ringmaster II screen on if Andy was working on the network?” Jessie asked.
Henry tried to check his e-mail, but the QuestMaster network still didn’t work. “I guess Andy didn’t have any luck. Now, I wonder why he booted up Ringmaster II.”
Henry hit the start button. The Magician came on-screen. “I’m not going to play a real game,” Henry said. “I just want to try a few things, like finding Nadje again. When we were with C.D., I was beginning to think we imagined her.”
“There she is, Henry,” Soo Lee said when she saw the two-faced woman again.
“Good. I guess our minds weren’t playing tricks after all,” Jessie said, looking on.
An amazing thing happened when Henry slid the computer mouse over to Jessie. When she mistakenly brushed the right button on the mouse key, a message came out of Nadje’s mouth. Henry read it to the others:
“I need to discuss the situation as soon as possible. Let’s meet at 3:00 Tuesday. I just hope no one follows me.”
“What does that mean?” Soo Lee asked her cousins. “Is Nadje a real person? Is she going to come over here?”
Henry sat back in his chair. “Something is definitely going on that isn’t part of Ringmaster II. Part of a real message got mixed up with the game.”
“This is getting spooky,” Soo Lee said.
Violet put her arms around Soo Lee and Benny. Soo Lee was right. This game was getting spooky. The computer seemed to be giving the Aldens messages somehow!
“Okay, there’s Arthur, the older boy character,” Jessie said. “He’s watching Nadje chase the Magician, and he looks really worried.”
“Let’s see if Arthur has any spells to rescue the Magician,” Henry said. When Henry clicked on the boy’s saddlebag, a stone fell to the ground and a message appeared.
Violet read the words:
“Now the son
must save the father,
So use the spell to help another.
Nadje’s watching, so take care,
To use the stone that’s fallen there.”
Before the Aldens had time to use the computer mouse, Nadje grabbed the stone.
“Should we call C.D. and have him come over to see what’s going on with this game?” Henry said. “He didn’t even know about Nadje.”
“Not yet,” Jessie answered. “I have a funny feeling this game is just for us.”
“The only character who can move now is Arthur,” Violet noted. “He must be the one who has to save the Magician.” The children studied the screen for clues.
Benny noticed a fountain by the side of the road. “Maybe the fountain has magic water. But be careful in case the water is poison like in the other game.”
Like Benny, Soo Lee had sharp eyes. “Look, there are birds drinking the water and flying around. That probably means it’s safe to drink.”
When Violet clicked on the fountain, the children heard the tinkling sound of water on the computer speaker. This meant the boy, Arthur, could drink the water.
“The water’s safe!” Henry said. “Good for you for figuring that out. Maybe you can even figure out how to help him get the magic stone away from Nadje.”
Jessie had some ideas. “Can I try? I have a feeling Arthur is the key to freeing the Magician from Nadje.”
Because of the many odd sounds coming from the computer speaker, the children barely heard the phone ring.
Finally Henry realized the ringing sound was coming from the hallway, not the computer speaker. He raced to answer the phone. The children heard him talking to someone.
“That was C.D.,” Henry said when he returned to the den. “He’s curious about how we’re doing with the game, but he won’t have time to meet today. He said he’s driving up to Hampstead to get the special chip Jane was supposed to pick up. It turns out she never showed up. And know what else? He can’t find Ned or Andy, either.”
“Did you tell him about all the strange things happening in Ringmaster II?” Violet asked.
Henry shook his head. “Not yet. I want to figure out a few things on our own first. But he said there’s a meeting tomorrow when he gets back. He wants everybody there. Let’s talk with him then.”
“Sure thing. Hey, you know what?” Jessie asked. “We’re not getting anywhere with this game right now. Why don’t we go into town and pick up a copy of Fix-It software so we can fix the network?”
Henry agreed. “Good idea, Jessie. I’ll shut down Ringmaster II.”
“Wait! Not yet!” Benny cried. “Look at the water fountain again. Doesn’t it look just like the one on Old Post Road?”
The other children stared at the screen.
“You know what? You’re right, Benny,” Jessie said. “It’s a copy of the stone fountain they used to use for horses in the days before cars—the one on the road between Greenfield and Burrville.”
“Can we go see it? Maybe it’s a clue. Please? Please?” Benny begged.
“And what about the ‘three o’clock’ message that came out of Nadje’s mouth?” said Violet. “Maybe that is part of the clue, too!” Jessie agreed. “You could be right, Violet. Let’s be at the fountain at three. We can walk. It’s only about a mile away. We’ll stop by Computer City on the way back.”
Henry shut down the game. “I suppose the fountain could be some kind of clue in the game. Or else the designers are copying stuff from around Greenfield, like the Brass Horn or this fountain, just because they like it.”
Benny was ready for an adventure. “Now we can be in the game, too.”
CHAPTER 8
A Mysterious Fountain
The children set out to find the old drinking fountain on Old Post Road. As they walked along, cars whizzed by in both directions. Gas stations, stores, and office buildings lined the busy road.
“Grandfather said when he was a little boy, farmers and peddlers still drove their horse carts along this road,” Violet said. “I guess the fountain is the only landmark left from those days.”
Along the way, the children passed the Big Dipper, their favorite ice-cream stand.
Benny licked his lips. “Can we stop for ice cream on the way back? I might be hungry by then.”
“Might be hungry?” Henry asked, laughing.
A few minutes later, the Aldens spotted the fountain up ahead. Clumps of roadside daisies and overgrown grasses nearly covered the old landmark. It hadn’t been used as a watering stop for travelers for many years.
Soo Lee wrinkled her nose when she looked down into the fountain. “The old rainwater is all yucky and green.”
Henry walked around the fountain. “Why would anybody include this old thing in a computer game? It’s all covered over with moss and weeds.”
“I think it’s pretty,” Violet said. “Maybe there’s some other reason it was in the game. Let’s look around.”
“What does that sign say?” Soo Lee asked a few minutes later. She pointed to a nearby sign no one else had spotted.
“‘Comet Interactive Games,’” Jessie answered. “That’s the name of the company C.D. told us about—the one with those two people he doesn’t trust. Let’s follow that side road where the sign is pointing.”
The Comet Interactive Games building was set way back from Old Post Road, up a hill and past some trees.
“You can’t really tell that the building is here,” Henry said. “Uh-oh. There’s a gate. I don’t think we can go inside.”
Sure enough, a security guard came over. “You kids have business here?” he asked in a sharp voice.
“Sort of. We’re curious to find out if this is where Comet Interactive Games are made,” Jessie said truthfully.
This information didn’t make the guard any friendlier. “You and a hundred other kids pestering us all the time,” he said. “You need an appointment to go inside.”
Jessie and Henry motioned for the other children to head back down the hill.
“Sorry,” Henry said. “We didn’t know.”
“Well, now you do,” the guard said.
“He didn’t like us,” Soo Lee said as the children walked away. “Can we go home now?”
As they walked along the side of the driveway the Aldens heard a car coming up fast from behind. Henry and Jessie pulled the younger children behind some bushes.
A white convertible whizzed past. A woman with a ponytail was driving.
“Did you see that? It had a QuestMaster parking sticker on the bumper,” Jessie said after the car went by. “I could have sworn that was Jane Driver at the wheel.”
A minute later, the children saw a green car pull onto the road from a clump of trees. It followed the convertible down the hill. Like the white convertible, this one had a QuestMaster parking sticker on its bumper. Only this time the children were positive who the driver was.
“That’s Ned Porter’s car!” Henry said. “I’m sure of it. He must have been visiting the Comet Interactive offices, too. Only why did he park in the woods?”
Jessie thought about this. “Do you think he and Jane are up to no good? Now we really have to figure out what’s going on, so we can tell C.D.”
From where they were standing, the children could see all the way down to Old Post Road. They noticed that the green car followed the white convertible at a distance until the Aldens couldn’t see either car anymore.
Henry stepped ahead of the other children. “Let’s leave a message for C.D. about this as soon as we get home.”
“Do we still have time for ice cream?” Benny asked when he saw the Big Dipper ice-cream stand up ahead.
Jessie took Benny’s hand. “We always have time for ice cream.”
When the children entered the Big Dipper, there was only one customer inside. As the Aldens got closer, they realized who it was.
“Andy Porter!” Henry whispered. “Of all people.”
Andy held a cone in one hand, but it was drip
ping all over, as if he’d forgotten he was holding it.
“How many times have you seen that white convertible go by here?” the Aldens overheard Andy ask the girl behind the counter.
“I told you, I don’t know,” the girl answered impatiently. “Why do you keep coming here and asking me all these questions about that car?”
Andy tapped on the metal counter nervously “I just need to know, that’s all. Have you seen that woman around here with a bearded man and a bald man?”
“A few times.” The girl looked over Andy’s head at the Aldens. “Look, I can’t talk right now. Some other customers just came in. May I help you?”
Andy whirled around. When he saw the Aldens, he seemed to want to speak to them. But he stopped himself, nodded quickly as a way of saying good-bye, and left. The Aldens saw him race off on his bike, which had been parked outside.
“May I help you?” the ice-cream girl repeated, this time louder.
“What was that all about?” Henry asked the girl.
“Do you know him?” the girl asked. “He’s been in here a bunch of times. He’s always wanting to know about some people who work at Comet Interactive Games up the road.”
“The woman in the white convertible?” Jessie asked.
The girl nodded.
“What about a tall man who looks like that boy?” Henry asked. “He’s got a green car.”
The girl shook her head. She was tired of all these nosy customers. “Look, I’m just here to serve ice cream, not spy on people or watch what cars go in and out of the parking lot. Now, if you want to order, please tell me what you want.”
The Aldens ordered their cones and went outside to eat them.
“Why did Andy leave so fast when he saw us?” Benny asked. “He didn’t even finish his cone. But I’m going to finish mine.”
Benny and Soo Lee licked up every last drip.
While he was finishing, Benny picked up a piece of paper blowing near his feet.
“What does that say?” Soo Lee wanted to know.
“Boring stuff, like a list or something,” Benny said. “Let’s see. What’s that word, Violet?” he asked when he got stuck.