A snorting noise cut the air.
Ahab growled low in his throat.
Sarah set a hand on his head to try to calm him.
Marco held the weapon up as if he planned to use it.
Leo set a hand on Marco’s arm and vigorously shook his head.
Marco lowered the weapon and set it aside. Then he crawled forward and peered out through a gap. He beckoned to them. Slowly, Leo and Nacho joined him.
Sarah held Ahab’s collar with both trembling hands. She didn’t want to know what made that sound. Whatever creature was out there probably wanted to eat them.
Nacho gasped and covered his mouth.
After another snort, the crashing started up again. Everyone was still as the noise began to retreat. The boys sat up.
His eyes huge, Nacho whispered, “That looked like a rhinoceros with a unicorn horn!”
Sarah glanced at Marco.
He nodded. “Our rhinocorn.” He turned to Leo. “Where did it come from?”
It sounded as if the rhinocorn was tearing branches from trees. Leo whispered, “Well, we’re stuck here until that thing goes away. I might as well show you.” He held up his hands.
Sarah grabbed his hand and held her free hand to Nacho. Nacho took it and held out his hand to Marco, who took it and hesitated for a moment before holding out his other hand to Leo, waiting for the boy from the stars to complete the circle.
Sarah felt a lurch as Leo connected with all of them.
They stood in the clearing by the little cabin from before. The sun was hot. A slight breeze rippled the leaves of a nearby palm tree. A bald man knelt on the ground, his back to them as he seemed to struggle with something.
He stood up and faced them. The man had gills, tiny ears, and webbed fingers.
Nacho sucked in a sharp breath.
Leo’s hand stiffened in Sarah’s as the door opened. He marched down the stairs, only he wasn’t their Leo. He was the Leo from the stars, with gills and webbed hands like his grandfather’s.
Leo spoke softly. “Grandfather had begun to try and replicate creatures to fill the empty modules so our ship would take us back to our people.”
Leo’s grandfather held something in his hand. Sarah squinted, trying to see what it was, but like some of the other memories, the object was blurred.
“Only the eyes of my people can look directly at the progenitor. I’m protecting you,” said Leo.
Sarah focused on the bald man’s hands. A moment later, a flutter of feathers flew from them. Red feathers. Four wings flapped as the bird took flight.
Marco said, “My bird!”
Sarah gasped. “You made all those weird creatures?”
“You’ve seen others?” asked Leo.
Sarah blew out a breath. The image of that shark on crocodile legs rushing toward Marco flashed in her mind. She shivered. “We got a very good look, believe me.”
“Why did they turn out so … freaky?” asked Nacho.
Leo said, “With only half the progenitor, my grandfather was guessing.”
Marco asked, “But did you even see if it would work? Putting them in the modules?”
“Tricking the codes?” Leo nodded. “We tried. But the technology is smarter than we are.”
Sarah asked, “Then how did you get my dad and Nacho and Ahab in the modules?”
Leo said, “There were some blanks. In case we discovered species our people were unaware of. So I put them in and set the lock and…”
Marco said, “And it’s just like the other codes.”
Leo nodded. “None of the extras count for the final tally.”
Sarah was about to ask if her dad counted for the final tally when a black squirrel with a red-and-white-striped tail brushed by Sarah’s leg. She screeched. “So you just let them run around the place?”
Leo’s eyes narrowed. “No. We didn’t just let them run around.” He let go of her hand and Marco’s.
The four of them were seated, surrounded by bamboo, as if they’d never left.
The rhinocorn still rustled around nearby.
A fat tear slipped down Leo’s cheek and he brushed it away. He sighed. “Grandfather would make one creature at a time. I’d shoot a net to immobilize it, then we’d take it to the cave to see if a module would accept it.”
“What did you do with the ones that didn’t work?” Nacho pointed toward the noises. “Like that one.”
Marco said, “Nacho, I think he’s trying to tell us that none of them worked.”
Leo shook his head. “But we kept trying. And my grandfather made a valley for them.”
Marco glanced at Sarah. “We saw that too.” He cleared his throat. “But some of them weren’t in the valley.”
“I know.” Leo was quiet for a moment.
Sarah set a hand on the boy’s arm. “Show us what happened.”
Once more, the four joined hands.
But this time, instead of the clearing by the cabin, they were deeper in the woods. Leo’s grandfather was hunched over the same blurred object as before.
The other Leo, the alien version, clutched a white tube aimed straight at the old man.
His grandfather said, “I know the last one got away, but this one will be slower.” His voice was calm and reassuring.
“I’m ready.” Leo narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the weapon.
A hum began. The vibrations increased until they rippled down Sarah’s neck. Suddenly, a flash of black fur burst from the object.
Sarah gasped.
A black panther crouched before them, with a beard of scarlet and an equally red tail. The creature turned toward Leo and growled low in her throat.
Sarah recognized the big cat from earlier, in the valley.
Leo’s hand tightened in hers.
“Stay calm,” said Leo’s grandfather. “Take care of her now.”
The other Leo concentrated, and then frowned. “It didn’t work!” He shook the tube.
The monstrous cat snarled and took a step toward him.
He froze. “What do I do?”
“Try again,” said his grandfather.
Again, Leo aimed. But again, nothing happened.
The tube trembled in his hands as the cat took another step toward him.
Sarah’s own heart pounded faster. If she didn’t know that Leo was safe beside her, she would think she was about to see the boy’s demise.
Crack!
Sarah jumped at the sound as the cat bolted, disappearing into the woods. Leo’s grandfather held a stick that he had smacked against a nearby tree.
Leo dropped the white tube. He ran to his grandfather and threw his arms around the man’s middle. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault.” His grandfather patted his head. “Nothing we can do now.”
“What if it comes back?” asked Leo.
“I’ll scare it off again.” His grandfather ruffled his hair.
Sarah waited for Leo to do something, but he dropped her hand. They were back in the bamboo, the sounds of the rhinocorn finally beginning to fade into the distance.
Sarah studied Leo as he simply stared at the sand. She wanted to know what happened, even if that something was awful. “What happened after that?”
“I don’t want to know,” said Nacho.
Marco shook his head. “Me neither.”
“But it’s necessary for you to know.” Leo sighed heavily. “I’m not sure you all believe how much I need your help. Seeing will be—”
“Believing?” asked Marco.
Leo nodded.
“Wait.” Nacho held up a hand. “Someone needs to explain why the old guy”—he pointed at Leo—“and you, had gills.”
Marco said, “Leo, you don’t have to keep pretending for us. You can be yourself.” He met Sarah’s gaze. “Right?”
As much as Sarah was freaked by Leo’s true appearance, the boy shouldn’t have to pretend to look human, just because he thought it made them more comfortable. So she nodded. “You are who you a
re. That won’t change just because you look different.”
Leo faced Nacho. “Please don’t—”
“Freak out?” Marco grinned.
Leo nodded.
Nacho’s forehead creased.
Leo’s face slowly changed. Gills appeared as his ears decreased to small holes on the sides of his head. He held up his hands and spread out his fingers, revealing webs between them.
Nacho’s eyes grew large and he whispered, “Aquatic apes.”
Leo frowned. “What?”
“Never mind.” Nacho shook his head. “As long as you don’t try to freeze me again, I can deal with this.” He shrugged. “It’s pretty cool actually.”
Leo smiled a little.
“Show us the rest?” Sarah didn’t really want to see what happened, but not knowing was worse.
Leo held up his hands. “Ready?”
Sarah held her hand out to Leo. He took it in his webbed one and squeezed.
But Marco and Nacho just looked at each other.
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Babies.”
Nacho took Sarah’s hand, then Marco’s. “It’s okay.”
“Fine.” Marco reached out for Leo.
Sarah took a deep breath as they closed the circle again. She hoped she wouldn’t regret coming along for the ride.
10
They were back in the clearing by the cabin. Marco shivered at the sight of it. The odd squirrel ran past the four of them, darting deeper into the trees. Then Leo on the porch called out, “Dinner!”
The bald man grinned, causing the gills on his face to flutter slightly. “Will I like it?”
The boy laughed. “It’s the same as the last meal and you liked that.”
Marco felt Leo shift uncomfortably beside him as the memory played out. The boy’s grandfather said, “Here, take this.” He held out the blurred object.
Leo held it firmly in his arms.
His grandfather said, “I want to pick a little fruit. Unless you already made dessert?”
Leo shrugged. “Dinner was hard enough.”
A sudden rustle in the brush on the other side of the clearing caused the old man to halt. The boy on the steps turned back.
A flash of black fur rushed past Marco.
Leo’s grandfather whirled about to face the trees, and then froze. The panther with the red tail screamed, then pounced on the old man and knocked him to the ground.
Marco cringed.
Leo’s hand tightened around his so hard it hurt.
The cat pinned Leo’s grandfather and bared her fangs. Then she lowered her head and began to—
“No!” Sarah cried.
Leo dropped their hands.
Marco was back in the bamboo, cross-legged, sweating. His hands shook at what he’d just seen. No wonder Leo had run from the cabin without stopping to take the perfume bottle. Or anything else.
Sarah covered her face and peeked out through her fingers.
Marco touched Leo’s knee. “We’ll do whatever we have to. But we’ll get you back to your family.”
“You mean what’s left of it,” said Leo quietly.
Marco didn’t want to say it, but yes, that’s what he meant. His eyes went to Nacho, then over to Sarah. At least, technically, he still had everyone he’d arrived with. Leo couldn’t say the same.
Sarah stood up.
Marco grabbed her arm and tried to yank her back down. “We don’t know if that thing is still around!”
Sarah pulled away. She snatched the white tube and then pushed through the bamboo, Ahab at her heels.
The other three followed. Marco said, “Careful!”
Sarah turned. “It’s gone. And we need a plan.”
“A plan for what?” asked Nacho.
Sarah scowled. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe a plan to get my dad unfrozen and get us OFF THIS STUPID ISLAND before one of us gets eaten!”
Leo frowned.
Sarah quickly said, “Sorry.”
Marco swallowed. As soon as they got back to their camp on the beach, Leo would know they didn’t have the progenitor. And then what?
Nacho said, “I want to go back to Mom.”
Marco knew he couldn’t stall. Plus, he wanted to get back to their camp as much as Nacho did. He’d have to deal with Leo when they got there; there would be no more putting it off. He’d come up with something. He reached out for the weapon. “Sarah, I’ll take that back.”
“Oh, right. And one more thing.” Before anyone could stop her, she ran down to the beach and flung the white tube into the waves.
“Hey!” yelled Marco. “We needed that.”
Sarah brushed her hands together. “No we didn’t. Let’s go.” Sarah set off, Ahab trotting beside her.
“Stupid.” Marco kicked at the sand. He yelled after her, “Why would you do that?”
Sarah turned to face him, walking backward. “Because when you had it, you were in charge. When Leo had it, he was in charge. We’re supposed to all be working together, so now nobody can be in charge!” She whirled around and kept walking.
Leo and Nacho fell in behind her and the dog.
Marco shook his head and stared out at the water. The tube had sunk beneath the waves. Even if he found it without getting eaten by anything, there was no guarantee it would work.
Maybe Sarah was right. When he held the weapon, he was in charge. But only because he held the weapon. Not because he knew the most or had the best plan. Maybe this would turn out better if they had to rely on something other than a weapon’s threat.
He ran to catch up to the others.
The four walked at a brisk pace along the water’s edge. Nacho wandered closer to the waves, but Marco pulled on his shirt to bring him farther up the beach. He was worried about the sharkodile making a return appearance.
Not long after that, Marco recognized the curve before their beach.
“Come on!” Sarah began to run.
The others followed. They turned the corner.
Cashmere Bouchard sat near the waves, staring out toward the horizon. Ahab ran to her and licked her face. The girl appeared to startle, then she put her arms around him.
Sarah reached Cash first and stopped to catch her breath as the others caught up.
Marco was sweaty, his throat dry and parched. The hot day was taking its toll.
Cash’s hazel eyes widened, but didn’t seem to focus. “Who’s there?”
Sarah’s hands went to her hips. “Who do you think?”
Cash made no move to get up, but she reached out an arm. “I need help.”
Marco stepped closer. A book he’d pulled off the Moonflight lay in the sand beside her. The pages of Lost Treasures of the World flapped in the breeze. He picked it up.
Cash’s eyes still stared straight ahead. “I think something’s wrong with me.”
Sarah dropped to her knees in the sand. “Are you sick?”
Cash shook her head. “I was sitting here, reading, and then…”
“What happened?” Marco sunk to the sand on the other side of her, as Nacho stood by his side.
Cash turned her face in their direction, but her eyes remained unfocused. “The lights went out.”
Leo took one slow step back from the group.
Marco started to ask Cash what she meant, but then, instead, he waved a hand in front of her face. No reaction.
Cash had gone blind.
11
Sarah gulped. What were they going to do now that one of them couldn’t even see?
Nacho asked, “Does it hurt?”
Cash shook her head. “I just can’t see.”
Leo cowered behind Nacho.
Marco noticed. “Leo! Do you know anything about this?”
“Who’s Leo?” asked Cash.
Nacho said, “He’s with us.”
Leo took a step back, but Marco grabbed his arm. “Did you do this to her?”
Cash frowned. “Who’s Leo?”
Nacho said, “The Curator.”
Cash’s mouth fell open for moment, then she spat out, “What’s he doing here?”
Leo glanced up at Marco. “I told you that I didn’t know what the atmosphere of my ship would do to humans…”
Sarah tried to make sense of it all. “So she’s blind forever?!”
“What?” Cash started to cry and tried to get to her feet, but she stumbled and fell.
Sarah helped her up.
Leo said, “No, not forever. Just for a while. I think.”
“You think?” Cash lunged toward his voice.
Leo stepped back out of her reach. Sarah grabbed Cash’s arm. “Listen! He may be our only hope.”
“Are you kidding me?” Cash yanked her arm back in a huff and stood there, looking wobbly on her feet.
Nacho asked Leo, “Are you sure it’s temporary?”
Leo nodded. “Fairly sure.”
“What am I supposed to do until then?” yelled Cash. “I’m blind and it’s your fault!”
Ahab barked, obviously impatient with all the yelling.
Sarah set a hand on his head. “Cash, we’ll stay with you. It’ll be okay. The good thing is that we totally believe everything you told us.”
“Oh, now you believe me.” Cash plopped to the sand and hugged her knees to her chest. Sarah felt bad that they’d doubted her, but she felt worse that they couldn’t do anything to help her. But getting mad at Leo wasn’t going to make things better. Or help them free her father.
Marco turned to Leo. “Maybe if you showed her everything you showed us—”
“I can’t see!” said Cash. “How can he show me anything?”
As if to answer, Leo sank to the sand beside her and took her hand.
Nacho asked, “Hey. Where’s Mom?”
Marco sprinted toward the trees, Nacho and Sarah and Ahab at his heels. They arrived at the camp to find Yvonna curled up on her side on a blanket from the Moonflight.
Marco realized he still held the book and tossed it aside as he knelt beside her. “Mom?”
Yvonna reached out and grasped Marco’s hand. “Did you find them?”
“I’m here.” Nacho knelt on her other side.
Their mom attempted a smile. “I was worried. Where’s John?”
Sarah crouched beside them. Ahab shoved his head under her arm, and she hugged him.
Marco’s gaze flicked to her, then back to his mom. “He’ll … be here later.”