“So maybe the Reddimus agent works in the museum!” Violet said, excited by the discovery. “That would make sense. Let’s go!”
The City in the Sky
Inside, a young woman sat at a desk issuing tickets for the museum. “We can ask her if she’s part of the Reddimus Society,” Benny suggested.
“I don’t think we should be so obvious,” Henry said. “The person we need to find is supposed to speak of lost things. I have an idea.” He went up to the woman. “Hello, do you have a lost and found?”
“What did you lose?” the woman asked. “Found items are in a bin in the director’s office. I can call and find out if your item is there.”
“Oh.” Henry said, suddenly at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected the woman to ask him about a specific item.
“I didn’t lose anything,” he told her. “I was just wondering. Thank you.”
The woman gave a confused look and then shrugged, turning to help the next person in line.
They walked away so she couldn’t overhear them. “We can’t just walk around asking museum employees if they know about lost things,” Henry said.
“Let’s look around,” Jessie said. “I’m sure we will find a clue here.” As they explored the museum, the Aldens were amazed to see all the beautiful pottery on display. Some of it had geometric designs in elaborate patterns. Others had images of animals.
“I like the animal ones,” Benny said, “But I also like the little pottery people.”
“What little pottery people?” Jessie asked, coming over to Benny. Inside the case in front of Benny were pottery figures of people with lots of tiny children sitting on laps and heads and shoulders.
Violet looked at the plaque next to the case. “The description says these are storyteller figures. See how the biggest figures have their mouths open like they are singing or talking? It says the storyteller figurines were first developed by an artist in another pueblo, the Cochiti Pueblo, to honor the artist’s grandfather. He was a storyteller who told about the history of their nation. Some Acoma potters started making storyteller figures too.”
“Oh, I like this one too,” Benny said. “Look, the children who are listening are sitting on a turtle…” His voice trailed off.
“A turtle,” Henry said, leaning over the case to get a better view.
“It’s got the same black and orange lines in the same pattern as our turtle!” Violet said. “But we already knew it came from Acoma. That doesn’t help much.”
Henry pointed at the plaque underneath a photograph of an elderly woman at work on a large clay pot. “Look at the name of the artist. Isabel Keene.”
“That’s a nice name,” Jessie said.
“It is a nice name, but I meant look at the capital letters, I and K. Just like the I and K on the bottom of the turtle. I K A C O M A. I think it stands for Isabel Keene, Acoma. She made the turtle. We need to find her and give it back to her.”
Violet read the information on the plaque aloud. “Isabel Keene has won many awards for her distinctive pottery. She began to make pots as a child and has continued to experiment with forms and patterns. She uses both traditional designs and those that she developed on her own.”
“I don’t know if she still lives there, but we can ask if anyone knows her,” Jessie said.
They asked the girl at the ticket counter. “She is up on the mesa on some days. I don’t know if she is there today,” the girl said.
“I’ve already got tickets for us,” Grandfather said. “Let’s find our bus.”
They boarded the small bus and sat down with the other tourists. Right before the bus pulled away from the parking lot, a young man got on and stood at the front. He talked as the bus headed for the mesa. “Hello, my name is Brian and I am a member of the Acoma Pueblo,” he said. “I’ve lived in this area my whole life. Part of the year, I’m a student at the University of New Mexico. The other part of the year I come home and give tours. I’m studying history at school and plan to become a teacher, so I hope you will have lots of questions for me.”
“Do you live on top of the mesa?” a woman asked.
“No. There is no regular supply of electricity and no running water. A few people live at the pueblo full time but most families live in other towns close by. They come up to the mesa to stay for holidays and special ceremonies.”
“Why isn’t there electricity?” a boy sitting in the front of the bus asked.
“Good question,” Brian said. “The Acoma Pueblo is a special place to us. We keep it the way it was in the past to remember and preserve the original Pueblo culture. We want to keep a sense of our history. The pueblo had been occupied for nearly a thousand years, and our people went through many hardships to hold onto the mesa when other peoples tried to conquer the land. Much of the land below the mesa was taken away from us, so we are determined to protect Sky City.”
They pulled into a small parking area at the top of the mesa. Before they got out, Brian said, “You will see many pieces of pottery being sold by local potters. We have a very long tradition of making pottery. Many times, the method and steps an artist uses to make the pottery is part of a culture too. So once an object is completed, it can hold a story of its own, both of the artist and of the culture.”
One of our most famous potters, Isabel Keene, used to search for pottery shards, which are broken bits of pottery, so that she could learn what designs our potters used hundreds of years ago. She took those designs and then used them to create her own, but in doing so, gave them a special link to the past.”
Benny whispered to the other Aldens, “He said the name, Isabel Keene, and he talked about stories. Do you think he is the one?”
“No, remember Benny, we are looking for a girl. The clue said The story on the back will help you find her last name.”
“Oh, right, I forgot.”
As soon as they got out of the bus, they were surprised at how cool the air felt and how strong the wind was blowing. Bits of sand swirled around their legs.
“It’s because we are so high up,” Brian explained.
Benny turned slowly around in a circle, as he looked up at the sky. “The sky is very big here!” he declared.
The tour guide laughed. “It does look big with so much open space around us.”
“What a terrific view,” Jessie said. Everyone agreed.
They followed Brian around as he told them the history of the pueblo. There were many artists sitting at tables displaying their work. The Aldens walked up to one man.
“Hello,” the man said. “Are you enjoying the tour?”
“Very much,” Violet replied. She picked up a small pot. “These are terrific. They remind me of the designs Isabel Keene did. We saw a display at the museum about her.”
The man nodded. “She is a great artist, and has influenced many of the potters here.”
“Do any members of her family live here now?” Jessie asked. “We have something that might belong to her.”
Just then the screen door to one of houses opened and a young woman walked out. The first thing the Aldens noticed about her was her purple sweater. The second thing was the silver owl necklace she wore. The children looked at each other. They were all thinking she might be the person they were supposed to find. She brushed her black shiny hair away from her face and they saw her earrings. The earrings had the same black and white pattern that was on some of Isabel Keene’s pottery.
“Hello,” the woman said. “I could hear you from inside. My name is Christina Keene. I’m Isabel’s grand-niece.”
“We have something that might belong to Isabel.” Jessie took the turtle out of the bag, unwrapped it, and handed it to Christina.
A big smile appeared on Christina’s face. “I recognize this. It was stolen from an exhibit of Isabel’s work that was on display at a museum in Santa Fe. I swore that if we ever got it back I would help return other lost things,” she said. “There are people who do that, you know. It’s an important job.?
??
The children exchanged a look: This must be the agent they were looking for! “Speaking of lost things,” Henry said. “Have you ever heard of the Reddimus Society?”
Christina winked and then took a cellphone out of her pocket. She punched in a number and then spoke into the phone. “This is Christina Keene, and I’m reporting for duty, Mrs. Silverton.” She listened and then said, “I understand. I’ll call again before I board the plane.”
“So this belongs to you.” Jessie handed her the duffle bag that contained all the boxes.
Christina took it and put the strap over her head so the bag rested on her hip. “I’ll take good care of it,” she said.
Brian walked over to them. “Hi, Christina. It’s time our group moved along,” he said to the Aldens.
“Hi, Brian,” Christina put her phone away. “I’ll take charge of this family and have them back to the bus on time,” she told him. “They are friends of a friend, and I’d like to talk to them.”
Brian hesitated and then said, “Okay, I suppose. Don’t lose them. I’m responsible, you know.”
“I know. Don’t worry. I used to give these tours when I was younger. I never lost anyone.”
“All right. See you in a bit. This way,” he said, leading the group away.
“If you don’t want to take the bus back, I can take you down the original steps cut into the cliff,” Christina said to the Aldens. “It’s quite an experience, but I have to warn you, the steps are very, very steep. Sometimes you have to use handholds cut into the walls.”
Grandfather shook his head. “Not a good way down for me, but it would be fun for the children.”
“Yes! Let’s do it,” Henry said. The others agreed.
“Wonderful.” Christina turned to Grandfather. “Mr. Alden, did you get the message from Emilio?”
“I did,” he said. “We’d be happy to give you a ride.”
“Are you coming with us back to Connecticut before you leave?” Violet asked.
“No. I thought I wasn’t leaving for a few days, but the departure has been moved up. The Reddimus plane is waiting for me at a private airfield near the airport. You’re going to drop me off there and pick up your dog. Emilio told me Watch is fine. He’s made friends with the airfield manager.”
“I’m sure he did,” Grandfather said. “You’d better start down so we can get to Albuquerque in time. I’ll see you in a little while.”
After Grandfather went to rejoin the group, Christina led the Aldens to the top of the path. “We’ll go single file,” she said. “I’ll go first. Just take your time and you won’t have any trouble.”
Jessie wasn’t so sure. She looked down the stone steps that had been notched into the cliff. There were handholds carved into the stones on either side of the path. “Benny, you’ll have to be very careful,” Jessie warned.
“I will,” Benny said.
They started down. Jessie went last, so she could call out to Benny if she thought he was going too fast.
The steps turned out to be easier to get down than they looked, and soon Jessie was happy they’d decided to take the path. She was listening to Violet describe the colors of the stone when a sound came from behind them, and then a woman’s voice cried, “Ouch!”
Jessie looked back but the path had curved and she couldn’t see anyone. “Are you hurt?” she called, thinking someone might have fallen.
No one answered. Jessie and Violet stopped. They listened but didn’t hear any sound.
“That’s strange,” Jessie said. “Should we go back and look?”
“That voice sounded familiar,” Violet said. Jessie didn’t understand why Violet suddenly looked scared. “I think it’s Anna Argent’s voice,” Violet whispered. “She’s following us! Let’s catch up to the others!”
They hurried down. Jessie kept checking over her shoulder but she didn’t see or hear anything else. When they got to the bottom, Grandfather was waiting for them. Jessie hurried everyone into the car and then told them about Violet recognizing Anna’s voice.
Christina looked out the window as they drove off. “I don’t see anyone coming down the path,” she said. “Even if it were Anna, she’d have a hard time catching up with us now. Let’s just enjoy the scenery on the way to Albuquerque.”
“You’re really going all the way around the world?” Henry asked. “That’s very exciting.”
“That’s the plan,” Christina said. “I’m eager to get out of the office and do something new. I’m a lawyer, so most of the time I help the Reddimus Society with legal matters. This trip will be quite a change for me.” Her phone rang. She answered and then sighed. “All right. Let me know if there is an update.”
“Is there a problem?” Grandfather asked.
A Sudden Change in Plans
Christina sighed again. “I hope it doesn’t turn into a problem. The pilot has been delayed. I’m to wait at the airport until he arrives.” She settled back in her seat.
“I have a question,” Henry said to her. “What would you have done if we hadn’t found you?” he asked. “How would you have gotten the turtle and the other items?”
“We had a backup plan.” She smiled. “The Reddimus Society always has backup plans. I was to call your grandfather and arrange a meeting place. But you passed the test with flying colors. Mrs. Silverman is very pleased.”
After that, everyone spent the rest of the trip enjoying the scenery. Eventually they pulled into the parking lot of a small airport and went into the main building. A man came out of the office. Violet thought he might be a pilot because he wore a white shirt and a black tie with little silver airplanes on it. She liked that the tie almost matched his hair, which was curly black with little speckles of gray in it and cut short.
The man smiled at Christina and then at the Aldens. “I believe I have a friend of yours in my office. Watch, wake up!” he called. Watch came bounding out, wagging his tail happily when he saw them. Benny ran over and hugged the dog.
Christina said, “Hi, Jamal. Thanks for taking care of things for us. These are the Aldens. This is Mr. King, the manager here,” she said to them.
“Hello,” Mr. King said. “Watch has been doing a good job of keeping me company. We might need our own airport dog. Though if you want to leave Watch here, I’ll be glad to keep him.”
“No!” all the Aldens said at once.
The man laughed. “Okay, okay. I just thought I’d offer.” He took Watch’s leash out of his pocket and handed it to Benny. He took a piece of paper out of his other pocket. “Here’s the address where you can pick up the dog crate for your flight,” he said, giving the paper to Grandfather. “And your bags are over there.” The bags were piled on top of a table in the corner.
While the others were talking, Henry and Jessie walked outside so they could get a better view of the airfield. There was only one plane on the tarmac, at the very far end near the last hangar. It was a gleaming white private jet with very long wings that turned up on the ends. Silver stripes on each side caught the sunlight so the plane almost glowed.
Everyone else came outside. “Is that the Reddimus plane?” Jessie asked. “It’s incredible.”
“It is,” Christina said. “Would you like to take a closer look? You have quite a bit of time before you need to check in. And since my pilot has been delayed, I have plenty of time.”
“Could we get a snack somewhere first?” Benny asked. “I’m really hungry.”
Christina smiled. “We have some great snacks on board.”
“I want to make sure there aren’t any problems getting the crate,” Grandfather said. “And I need to return the rental car, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no. We’ll get something to eat at the Albuquerque airport, Benny.”
Christina nodded and looked down at Benny. “Maybe another time,” she told him.
Jamal spoke up. “Well, wait a minute. I’ll be going over to the Albuquerque airport when my wife gets off work. That’s half an hour from
now.” He looked at Grandfather. “You can return the rental car right now. Then the children can stay here to look at the plane for a little while. Then I can give them a ride over to join you at the big airport.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Henry said, looking hopeful. “Could we stay here?” he asked.
Grandfather looked around at the children. He knew they wanted to see the plane. “Yes, if you are sure you don’t mind, Mr. King,” he said.
“No problem at all. I’ve got a few things I need to finish up inside.”
“Wonderful.” Grandfather checked his watch. “Why don’t you children keep your luggage with you, since I’ve got Watch and my own bag. You can meet me at the check-in counter in about an hour.”
Grandfather drove off while the children went inside to get their backpacks.
They came back out and walked toward the plane. As they drew closer, Henry whistled. “That is one sleek plane.”
“I thought you’d like it,” Christina told them. A man waved at them from the steps. “There’s the copilot,” she said.
There was a stack of boxes on the ground blocking the steps and a hatch open on the bottom of the plane.
“Sorry about that. Just step around them and up into our flying palace,” the man said in a deep voice. He spoke in an accent they didn’t recognize. They also didn’t think he looked much like a typical pilot. His shaggy brown hair was long enough to stick out in funny angles from underneath his hat. He had a mustache that was shaggy too, but more black than brown. They couldn’t see his eyes because he wore sunglasses. Even his sunglasses were a little odd. They were bright red plastic, and there was a tiny sticker of a yellow duck on one corner of one of the lenses.
Jessie stared at the man. There was something familiar about him.
“I’ve got to put the rest of the cargo away,” he said. “I can answer any of your questions when I am done.” He bounded down off the steps. Jessie still couldn’t figure out where she had seen him before.