Jason scratched his forehead. “Should we leave?”

“I don’t think so,” Rachel said. “If we take off before tomorrow, it will just make us look more suspicious. But we should be on guard.”

“I hear you,” Jason said. “We’ll lay low, stay in our rooms. Do you think they have HBO?”

“Only in the fitness center,” Rachel replied.

“I’m a little tired,” Jason said. “Might be a decent time to sneak a nap.”

“I think I have you figured out,” Rachel said. “When in doubt, sleep.”

“No fair,” Jason complained. “Aren’t you tired too? We’ve been hiking for days and staying up half the night on watch.”

“I’ve been too keyed up to sleep well since I got here,” Rachel said. “It might feel good to rest behind locked doors.”

“Okay, I’ll be in my room.”

“Just a second. Quick question. Do you think you’re the hero the Giddy Nine were trying to summon?”

Jason paused, pondering the story Tark had shared. It had been the music of the Giddy Nine that had caused him to topple into the hippo tank. Could he possibly be the hero they were hoping to call? After all, he had already begun a quest to destroy Maldor.

“If I was the hero they were looking for, those musicians were crazier than anyone ever realized.”

“It is quite a coincidence,” Rachel said softly. “Galloran seemed to think we were the people the oracle wanted.”

Jason shrugged. “Just in case, I’ll try not to die.”

“Probably smart.”

On returning to his room, Jason locked the flimsy door and tried out the hammock. Lying back comfortably, swaying gently, he closed his eyes. How could he be the hero they wanted? What had he ever done? Pitch a few shutouts? Get good grades? What about Rachel? The lady working with the Giddy Nine had apparently called her to Lyrian as well.

Could the fate of an entire world really depend on them? Did either of them stand a chance of succeeding? Galloran seemed to have faith in them. Could they possibly live up to his expectations?

The hammock was seductively comfortable. Content to rest for the moment, Jason let his worries melt away.

Somebody was knocking on the door. Jason realized he had dozed. He hadn’t slept long. It was still bright outside. Did Rachel need him? Or did his hostess have a question? The soft knock was repeated. He tipped clumsily out of the hammock and opened the door.

It was Ned. “Hi, blue eyes,” the tall man said, stepping into the cramped room.

Jason backed into his room as Ned pressed forward presumptuously, eyes roving, one of them twitching a bit. “What do you want?” Jason asked.

“You’re a man on the move. Or maybe on the run?” Ned smiled. His gums looked pulled back too high. A few teeth were missing. “You ever swallowed a swallow? Ever badgered a badger? Ever outfoxed a fox?”

Jason found he had backed into his hammock. “What are you talking about? This is my room. I’m a friend, Ned.”

Ned eyed him knowingly. “They are all looking for you. I found you, though. Tell me true—you seen the book?”

“What book?”

“The one that saw you.”

Jason swallowed. “What do you mean?”

“Keep playing the fool, and I lose the glove.” Ned held up a gloved hand, and put his other hand in position to remove it. “Last chance: Tell me true.”

This was insane. “Yes, I have seen the book.” Jason had no idea what danger there was in Ned removing his glove, but he did not wish to find out.

Ned showed his smile. It reminded Jason of a picture his dad had shown him to scare him into brushing his teeth. “I once defied Maldor. Bad choice. Worst choice. The more you defy him, the more you deify him. He is the puppet master. He holds all the strings.”

Jason was speechless. His hand strayed beneath his cloak.

“Want to see my string?” Ned asked, tugging at his glove.

Jason pulled out his knife. The sheath was still on it. Quick as a mousetrap Ned chopped Jason’s wrist with one hand and stole the knife with the other. Jason pressed back against the hammock, rubbing his wrist. Ned calmly inspected the sheath. “Where’d you get this?”

“None of your business.” Jason prepared himself, muscles tense, ready to spring. The guy was tall and quick, but skinny. If he could just get a hold of him, he would slam him around the room a bit.

“Violence will not serve you. Answer me. Answer right, and the glove stays on.”

“Forget it.”

“You stole it.”

“No.”

Ned yanked the sheath off.

“Found it.”

“No.”

“Your silence is not loyalty. Don’t protect information I already know. Tell me who gave it to you.” Ned pointed the dagger at Jason, thumb covering the trigger that could eject the blade.

Jason did not want to get Galloran in trouble. “I won’t tell you.”

Ned licked his lips. One eyelid fluttered. “As a lad I served one man I would never betray. His mark lies upon the sheath.”

This surprised Jason. He wavered. “Galloran gave me the knife.”

The dagger dropped to the plank floor. Ned’s lips trembled. “He lives?”

Jason nodded.

Ned plunged his fingers into his orange curls. Emotions warred on his freckled face. “I pity you. Poor dupe. Poor gull. Listen. Ned never saw you. Leave in the night. A road departs town to the northeast. The Overland Loop. Or a trail leads southeast.”

“What’s under your glove?”

Ned grimaced. “My string. I will come in the night.” He cackled. “I’ll scout for you.” He rushed out of the room.

Jason collected his knife and sheathed it, returning the weapon to his pocket. As he locked his door, he heard a soft knock.

“Jason?” Rachel asked from the far side.

Jason opened the door. “Did you hear my visitor?”

“Thin walls,” she said, entering. “I missed a few words, but I got the gist.”

“He knows who I am,” Jason said. “He knows about our quest.”

“Should we leave?” she asked.

Jason thought for a moment. “We should stay. If Ned knows who we are, others will figure it out too. We may need somebody who knows the area. He said he would scout around and come for us after dark.”

“He seems nuts. I’m not sure we can trust him.”