The Great Gastby

Chapter 1

Amy Cahill liked to be the first one up in the morning. But not if it was becausesomeone was screaming outside her hotel-room door. "Telegram for Mr. Cahill!"Thewords were accompanied by a thunderous knocking. Amy bolted upright in a panic, aterrifying thought racing through her mind. Madrigals!The yell came again."Message foryou!"Amy, her brother, Dan, and their au pair, Nellie, had fled to a different Cairo hotelin the night, afraid they might be attacked by the mysterious sect they knew so littleabout. The Madrigals couldn't know where we are, could they?Dan rol ed off the fuzzygold couch he was sleeping on and landed on the floor with a thud."No, Irina! Not theCatfish Hunter!" he yelled. Amy sighed. Once again, her brother was locked in a dreamin which their cousin Irina Spasky was shredding a beloved baseball card with herfingernails.2"Wake up, Dan. You're dreaming." Amy had never felt so tired in her life,and her brother was, as usual, acting like an idiot. "Telegram!"The knock at the doorcame again. "Dan! Get... the ... door!"Amy stuffed her face in a pillow and screamed.She was awake for good and she knew it. Peering past her pillow, she saw that Nelliewas still totally dead to the world."Coming!" cried Amy. "Hold your horses!"When shereached the door, she hesitated, a familiar fear gripping her insides. What if she letsomeone dangerous in?Come on, Amy, get a grip.Amy opened the door, her eyessettling on an Egyptian bellboy standing in the hall. He was shorter than she was by amile, wearing a spiffy red uniform with gold buttons up the front that was at least twosizes too big. In his hands was a sealed envelope."For you, madam, from the desk.Someone has leaved it."Amy took the envelope, and the bellboy stepped a tiny bitcloser, beaming at her expectantly."I bring message from the desk," said the bellboy."For you, madam."His feet were halfway in and halfway out of the room, which madeAmy nervous."Is there something else you have for me?" asked Amy.3"Someone hasleaved it for you," he said, pointing at the envelope with a happy grin."Give him this,"said Dan. "Then I can go back to sleep."Dan's voice was muffled, and when Amy turnedaround, she saw that he was talking into the carpeted floor, too lazy to lift his head. Hewas holding up a five-pound Egyptian note, worth about one dollar.Amy shut the door.Curiosity had killed any hope of going back to bed. The envelope had been addressedon an old-style typewriter that appeared to be missing the capital A. The underline wasalso randomly stuck on some of the letters. CAIROMODERNTELEGRAMDaN aND aMYCaHILLShe tore it open and sat on the couch, her face whitening as she scanned thenote. Saladin meowed hungrily and raised his back, claws bared on the goldbedspread."Dan, you better get up here."Dan didn't move, so she yelled."TELEGRAMFOR DAN!"4Dan lifted his head as if mustering the energy for a comeback, but Amycould tell her brother was still clawing his way out of dreamland. He stood up from thefloor and dropped heavily onto the couch. Nellie was still curled up under the covers onone of the two beds in the room, the thin white cord of her iPod ear-buds snaking outfrom under a pile of seven pillows covering her head."That girl could sleep through ademolition derby," said Dan."Dan! Listen!" Amy said, holding the telegram as she beganto read. '"Cairo International Airport, locker number 328. 56-12-19. NRR.'""Sounds likea lame trap set by one of our competitors. Let's order room service and go back tobed.""I don't think so," said Amy. She held out the message so Dan could examine it.What he found on the paper took his breath away. CAIROMODERNTELEGRAMTO: DANCAHILLCairo International Airport, locker number 328. 56-12-19. NRR.Under the birchtreeSix inches deepLies a treasure of bottle capsA child did keep.5Lazy Dan left thebuilding and was replaced by Alarmed Dan."No one knows about this, not evenNellie.""Grace knew," said Amy. "You, me, and Grace. Whoever sent this must haveknown Grace well enough to get this out of her."Dan was still too dumbstruck torespond, but Amy knew what he was thinking. Just last year he'd brought his prizedcollection of bottle caps to Grace's mansion -- everything from Dr. Pepper to vintageCoca-Cola -- and all sixty-three caps in a super-cool old-school cigar box. Grace hadgiven him a spade and told him he could bury it on the property if he wanted. He'd toldAmy and Grace where the treasure was hidden, even how deep he'd buried the box,just in case he died unexpectedly, snowboarding or skydiving. As he said at the time, itpaid to be safe with a bottle cap collection.Dan looked at his sister, his green eyesbrimming with hope."Do you think Grace is helping us again?"Amy and Dan both usedGrace's name as if their grandmother were still alive, and for a moment it felt like shewas. Their beloved old Grace, who'd given her heirs a choice: a million dollars or one of39 Clues leading to immense power. Amy still couldn't believe where the chase had ledthem in such a short time. They'd traversed four continents and been nearly killed morethan once by their own relatives. If there was even a6chance Grace Cahill was stilloffering help from the grave, Amy knew they had to follow the trail. "Come on. We'regetting out of here."* * *Ten minutes later, Dan and Amy made their way down to thebustling hotel lobby with nothing but a backpack between them. Dan had insisted onbringing his precious laptop, and Amy had grabbed Nellie's cell phone, just in case."Ileft Nellie a note saying we went looking for doughnuts. Let's just hope this doesn't takeall morning. What we need right now is a way to the airport," said Amy."No worries, Igot it covered."Dan opened their backpack and removed a wad of money, stuffing therumpled bills into his pocket. It didn't amount to much, about fifty American dollars'worth of Egyptian pound notes."Yo! Cabby! Yo!"Dan held out a few bills andwaited."We're not in New York," Amy hissed. "Try to act like you have a clue."As if by magic, ablack-and-white car with a monstrous luggage rack pulled up and skidded to astop. An Egyptian man jumped out and waved Dan and Amy over."Come, come! I havenice car for you!"7Dan tossed Amy an I-told-you-so look and marched for the car. Thecabdriver hopped out and opened the door, then quick as a rabbit, snatched thebackpack from Dan and headed for the trunk."No thanks, amigo. I'll keep the bag onme if you don't mind."The driver didn't seem to understand, so Dan grabbed thebackpack, handed the cabby a ten-pound note, and dove into the backseat, commandostyle.Amy turned bright red and stammered an apology. She had a feeling Dan waswarming up for a long morning of humiliating his sister."We're in a hurry, my man,"said Dan, confirming Amy's suspicions. "The airport, double time.""Fast is middlename!" The man laughed, slamming the door just shy of Amy's foot and racing for thefront seat."You see there, sis? Everything is fine. This guy is perfect. Just sit back andre-laaaaaaah-- !"The cab (and Dan) screamed into traffic, weaving and dodging like anamusement park ride gone haywire. Amy was tossed into Dan, then against the door,then back into Dan as they dodged honking buses and irate pedestrians. When they hita slow patch, Amy caught sight of a big problem behind them. She turned to herbrother, wide-eyed and worried.8"He does leave a little to be desired in the safetydepartment, doesn't he? I'll ask him to take 'er down a notch.""N-N-NO! Tell him tospeed up! Speed up!"Dan glanced past his sister's stricken face to the bright yellowVespa zigzagging between cars behind them. Someone in a purple sweat suit was ridingit, and that someone was huge."Hamilton Holt!"It was Hamilton Holt of the Holt clan, afamily of nitwits also in search of the 39 Clues. The last time Amy had seen him,Hamilton had left her for dead in a Tokyo train tunnel."Step on it!" yelled Amy, but thedriver didn't seem to hear her. Dan pul ed out another precious ten-pound note andtossed it into the front seat.That seemed to get the driver's attention. His foot camedown on the gas pedal like a hammer and the cab swerved violently into high gear. Forthe next ten minutes, Dan threw more and more money into the front seat until, at last,they looked back and Hamilton Holt was gone. When the cab lurched to a stop outsidethe Cairo airport, Dan checked his pockets. They were empty."Is okay," said the driver,grinning from ear to ear. "You pay plenty already!""Nicely done, dweeb. Now we'restuck at the airport with no money. Nellie's going to love us when we wake her up andshe discovers we've stolen her phone, spent9most of our cash, and need a ride fromthe airport. And we don't even have any doughnuts yet! Could it get any worse?""Ithink it just did," said Dan.Amy's heart sank as a black stretch limo pulled up to thecurb behind them, and a door opened.Ian and Natalie Kabra, a Clue-hunting teaminfinitely more dangerous than the Holts, had arrived on the scene.10CHAPTER 2Mostof the time, Dan Cahill would rather show up to school in his underwear than getinvolved in his sister's love life. But this was different.Ian Kabra emerged from thelimousine with a smirk the size of Texas plastered on his face, as self-assured as ever.Dan glanced over at his sister. Amy was glaring at Ian, but Dan could see her handswere trembling. This guy-- this ogre-- had not only lied about liking his sister, he'd triedto trap them in a cave. And leave them there forever.It was time to lower theboom."You've got a lot of nerve showing up here after you tried to kill us!" Danshouted."Let's not get carried away. Your little brother has a big imagination," said Ian,taking a step toward Amy. "You know I'd never actually hurt you."Dan knew if Amytried to talk it would come out all stutters. He wasn't going to let Ian Kabra anywherenear his sister.11"Hold it together, Amy," he whispered."I'm fine," said Amy, but now her lip wasquivering ever so slightly. Dan lashed out at Ian."Get back in yourmonstermobile and leave us alone!"Ian gave Amy a sideways smile, then sauntered upto the cabdriver."Well done, my lead-footed friend. We had quite a time keeping upwith you. Although I suppose it wouldn't have mattered.""What's that supposed tomean?" asked Dan, eyeing the revolving doors into the airport terminal."You childrenplay expensive games!" said the driver as he took a roll of rubber-banded bills from Ianand handed over a slick new phone in return."Espionage must have been so muchharder before GPS, don't you think?" asked Ian.Ian's sister, Natalie, emerged from theblack limo like a model about to stroll down a media-frenzied red carpet."Did you sleepin those pathetic things you call clothes?"Dan looked down at his zip-up hoodie, whichwas wrinkled beyond all imagining. Oops. He actually had slept in his clothes."Wrinklesare the new thing. Ask Jonah Wizard. He'll tell you."12"Make this easy on yourself andtell us why you're here," said Ian, moving closer to Dan and Amy. Amy's eyes werelocked on Ian's face, like a mouse confronted by a cobra.The cabdriver laughed at thescene playing out, got in his cab, and cranked it alive. A plume of black smoke burstfrom the tailpipe as he sped off, covering Natalie with a thin layer of soot. She howledand clutched protectively at her hair, which was just the diversion Dan needed."Comeon, Amy!" he yelled. He grabbed Amy by the hand and bolted for the revolving doors,but Ian was quick on his feet and snatched Amy's other hand. Dan pulled one way, Ianpulled the other. People were starting to take notice of the ruckus."Let my sister go!"yelled Dan."I think she likes it when I hold her hand," said Ian. "Don't you, Amy?"Amy didn't say aword. She reeled back and kicked Ian in the shin harder than she'd everkicked anyone. There was a loud crack and Ian lost his grip, bouncing up and down onone leg as Dan and Amy ran for the revolving doors."Direct hit!" cried Dan."So long,suckers!" Amy yelled over her shoulder. "Get them!" howled Ian, hobbling toward theterminal entrance with Natalie and their driver, a guy who13looked like he could crackconcrete with his forehead, close behind.Once inside, Dan and Amy darted among a seaof people with rolling luggage, but the Kabras stayed on their tail."This way!" said Amy,taking Dan by the elbow and dragging him into a busy travelers' store filled with candybars and magazines. Seconds later, they were out the other side and into another store,through a web of foreigners. Dan was sure they'd lost the Kabras, but when he peeredcarefully around a corner, he saw Ian limping toward them, staring into hisphone."Uh-oh," said Dan. "I think we've been had."Dan took off his backpack andstarted unzipping compartments. Hidden in the front pocket was another cell phone,the GPS blinking their position."Double-crossed times two!" said Dan. "That cab-drivermust have planted it when he got ahold of my backpack at the hotel."Amy lookedaround the corner once more. The Kabras were getting really close."Give it here," shesaid, taking the phone from her brother. "I know just what to do with Ian's preciousgadget."Amy moved back into the flow of oncoming people with Dan close behind. Sheswept quickly across the wide corridor and dropped the phone into a passing14babystroller, then ducked into a bookstore and opened the first book she could find. Thestroller was attached to a mother who was clearly late for a flight, parting traffic as sheran for her gate.The Kabras were so intent on watching the screen on Ian's phone thatthey walked right past Dan and Amy, then broke into a run themselves."Nice play!" saidDan. "I hope that kid drools all over their expensive technology before they get itback."Amy shot Dan a triumphant smile. Clearly, outsmarting the Kabras -- especiallyIan -- had put some Cahill sizzle back in her step."Let's find that locker," she said.* **The locker wasn't very big, about one foot square. But it was plenty full. There werethree items inside, which Amy removed one at a time."This looks like a paperweight,don't you think?" she asked, holding a honey-colored glass ball in the palm of herhand."Let me see," Dan said, reaching out to grab it."No way! Knowing you, it'll getdropped on the floor and smashed into a thousand pieces. Let me have a look first."Dandidn't protest. He had already imagined what a marble that size would look like rollingdown the long airport corridor.15"Try holding it in the light a little more," said Dan.Amysquinted up at it. "It looks like a room, and there's a mother inside, sitting on achair.""How do you know it's a mother?" asked Dan. "She's holding a baby, stupid."Amy looked closer."There are three letters on one of the walls -- TSV-- and ew! I thinkthat's an eye staring back at me from another wall.""Creepy," said Dan.Amy held outthe glass paperweight and told Dan to put it carefully in the backpack for futureinvestigation. He hated it when she treated him like a three-year-old, and thetemptation to roll the honey-colored ball down the airport corridor returned. He held itin the light again instead."Did you see the key?" asked Dan."What key? What are youtalking about?""On the bottom," said Dan, rolling the paperweight over. Under the floorof the room there was a small key hidden in the glass. "When the time comes, I get tobust it open.""The paperweight was holding something down," said Amy, lifting out athin piece of parchment about the width and length of her own hand. It was filled withornately drawn letters, numbers, and lines.16"It looks like someone spent a lot of timemisspelling words," said Dan. Something about the way the letters were groupedlooked oddly familiar to Dan, but he couldn't pinpoint what. Especially with his stomachgrumbling."Is there any food in that locker? I have got to get something to eat. Brain ...needs ... candy."Amy ignored her brother and reached one last time into the smallspace. At the very back of the locker there was a ten-inch-square box."I hope it's full ofRice Krispies Treats," said Dan, yanking the box out of Amy's hands."Hey! Be carefulwith that."Dan looked like he wanted to give Amy a wedgie, but she was quick to calmhim down."Sorry, okay? I'm just nervous. Open it up."Dan removed the lid, riffledthrough the contents, and then busted out laughing."Check me out! I'm anineteen-year-old beatnik from San Francisco!"