39 Clues - 05 - The Black Circle (8 page)

my kind of kid," said Dan."But she came to an awful end. She was murdered, Dan.

They all were. Her brother, Alexei, and her three sisters. And her parents. It was a

firing squad, bullets flying everywhere, ricocheting off walls. But there's a bright spot,

something I think is connected to all this. There are a lot of people who think Anastasia

didn't die with the rest of her family.""When did she die, then?""Who knows? But some say when they went to examine the grave site years later, her body wasn't there."

"Cool!" said Dan."You know what I think? I think Rasputin was a Cahill. I think he might

have tried to save Alexei and Anastasia. Maybe he gave them whatever it was that

made him so hard to kill. First Alexei, to cure him of his illness, then Anastasia, to save

her86From a firing squad. Maybe they couldn't kill her."Dan was silent, his eyes huge,

and Amy knew he was lost in superhero daydreams again.Super Dan. That's all I

need.They kept driving in silence as St. Petersburg disappeared and the countryside

started to take over. Rolling hills on either side marked their way, and with the windows

rolled down, they smelled the fresh air."The village was one of the last places where

Alexei and Anastasia played. Alexei's playroom was a favorite place in the palace. And

I'll tell you something else. Right before they took her, at the very end, Anastasia and

her sisters hid their most valuable jewels. They sewed them into their clothes so no one

could find them.""How'd you know about that?" Dan said, turning toward her with a

skeptical look. "Don't tell me this guidebook has a section on hiding

valuables.""Wikipedia," said Amy. "I checked it out while you were sleeping. They hid a lot of jewels in the hems of their dresses and pants. Hamilton Holt said that at the

Dostoevsky statue there was a jewel on the brick along with the words Alexei's

Playroom. I think we should keep our eyes peeled for an article of clothing in this

playroom. I bet that's where we'll find what we're looking for."The royal village was

coming into view and Amy tapped on the brakes, shifting Tiny Tim into low gear as it

spluttered to a crawl.87"Let's leave Tiny as far away from the security guards as

possible. I'd hate to see him get towed away."They parked the car and walked along a

lengthy row of gardens and opulent buildings. Grand white fountains trickled

everywhere and the flowing lawns were perfectly trimmed."Pretty nice place to be

banished," said Dan. "It's not exactly a prison cell.""No kidding," said Amy. The royal village was even more spectacular than Amy had imagined. She'd seen pictures, but

they hadn't come close to capturing the endless lawns and beautiful buildings."That one

is Catherine Palace," said Amy, pointing to a building that went on for what seemed like

a mile."The Russians like their buildings long," said Dan. Catherine Palace looked to Dan

like an extended doll-house. It was bright blue with white accents and gold trim, about

fifty feet tal and ten times as long."And that's our destination," said Amy, pointing

down the long row of gardens in the center of the royal village. "Alexander Palace.

Come on, maybe we can get in and out fast."Alexander Palace was completely different

from Catherine Palace. Ancient white columns of stone stood before pale yellow walls

that seemed to go on forever in a wide U-shape. Behind the circular driveway lay a

sprawling green lawn leading to a shimmering pond.88"I hope you know where we're

going," said Dan. "This place is gigantic. It could take hours to find one room.""I've got it covered," said Amy. She had taken down notes on a piece of hotel stationery, which

she pulled out of her pocket."According to a travel blog I read, Alexei's Playroom is on

the second floor in the children's wing. We go past the Crimson Room, which will put us

in the Marble Hall, then to a Portrait Hall..."Amy kept reading off elaborate directions

until they arrived at the arched front door and entered the palace. A uniformed tour

guide nodded and smiled."Can you point us in the direction of Alexei's Playroom?"

asked Dan."Certainly." The man turned and pointed to a wide set of stairs. "Up there,

down hall, left. Is great room."Amy put away her directions and scowled at Dan.

"Show-off."Within minutes, they were standing at the doorway of one of the most

incredible playrooms Amy had ever seen."This kid had it good," said Dan. "I'd never

leave unless I had to eat or use the bathroom."Alexei's Playroom was a vast space filled

with handmade toys of every imaginable kind. There was a miniature tepee at the

center of the room with two child-size canoes standing by. An elaborate train set with

tracks running every which way, a giant stuffed89sheepdog, sailing ships, and crates of

blocks. The ceiling was hung with airplanes and gliders, and toy houses lined one entire

wall."I don't see any clothes, do you?" asked Amy. The exhibit was designed to allow

viewers to walk through the middle of the playroom on a narrow red carpet and exit on

the other side."Come on," said Dan. "Let's get a closer look.""Your parents are

nearby?"Amy was on edge already and the voice startled her. When she turned, she

saw that the tour guide from downstairs had followed them up."Children are not

allowed without parents. Little hands are tempted."Amy wished Dan had left the goatee

on, but it was too late now.Dan glanced at her, then started talking. "This whole

vacation has been the pits. Booooring. Just our luck we finally find something really cool

and we can't go inside."Amy caught on quickly and jumped in. "Our mom and dad are

still over at Catherine Palace, looking at paintings. Ugh."The tour guide seemed to

understand."My children love this room also.""Can you take us in?" pleaded Dan.The

tour guide glanced back down the hall. It was early yet and the palace was relatively

empty. No one else appeared to be coming.90"Hands in pockets, please! No

touching!"Amy and Dan reluctantly pocketed their hands, and the tour guide entered

the room in front of them. He was showing them the ships when a rambunctious set of

very young British children appeared in the doorway."Mummy! Look at the toys!" yelled

one of them, and they were off on a tear, heading straight for the tepee."Stop! Stop!

Stay on red carpet!" protested the tour guide. The parents tried to intervene, but the

two children raced from one item to the next, just out of reach of the guide.This is my

chance, thought Amy, spying a closet door. Dan stood his ground, trying his best to

obscure her escape from the chaos in the room. Before the guide could turn around,

Amy had slipped into the closet and closed the door.It was dark inside but for a sliver of

light seeping through the bottom of the doorway. Amy felt around and discovered that

the closet was full of hanging clothes. Could these really be items from such a long time

ago? Her fingers searched through silky soft and lacy cloth for a jewel along the hems.

She reached into a pocket and latched her fingers around something hard. It was small

and round, solid and firm, but when she lifted it out and held it close, she felt a fizzy

sting in her nose.Mothball!91"Eeeww," she whispered, dropping the round white ball

back in the pocket where she'd found it. Amy dug her fingers into all the pockets she

could find: nothing but more mothballs and pieces of fuzz.The sound of the tour guide's

muffled voice returned."Where is sister?""She's gone up ahead. I think I'll do the

same," said Dan.Amy's eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness as she kept at it,

scrunching each article of clothing between her fingers. She couldn't be sure, but it

seemed as if the tour guide was still just outside the door, making sure everything was

properly in place.What's this? She had reached into the back of the closet to feel along

the hem of a child's dress. Amy got down on her hands and knees and crawled in

deeper, keeping a tight grip on the small lump she'd discovered.Just then, the handle

on the closet door turned and the door opened. Amy stayed perfectly still at the back of

the closet, hidden in the forest of coats and dresses. She could see the silhouette of the

tour guide."Any chance you could let me have a closer look at the train? I'm big into

railroads."It was Dan, who'd come back into the room in the nick of time."Oh. Yes,"

said the tour guide. "But then I must find others. Bad children should be kept on

leash!"92The closet door closed once more and Amy breathed a sigh of relief. She tore

at the hem of the dress, feeling terrible for having to damage such a precious item. For

all she knew, it had actually been worn by the grand duchess Anastasia herself. The

mere thought of it made her hands shake."Got it!" she whispered, feeling the smooth

stone between her fingers. She placed it in her pocket, returned to the door, and

listened for voices. It sounded as if they'd gone."Dan?" she whispered, opening the

closet door a tiny crack and peering into the room. The door burst open and Amy fell

forward, landing hard on the floor and nearly crushing a toy playhouse filled with

miniature figurines."I knew it!" said the tour guide.Dan sprang into action, jumping on

the stuffed sheepdog. "Ride 'em!" he called. Amy's eyes bugged out. Her brother was

always ready to humiliate himself for a cause.The tour guide marched toward Dan, his

jaw clenched. Amy bolted for the exit, running as fast as she could. "C'mon, Dan!"She

didn't have to wait long."Run!" Dan howled. "He's right on my tail!"Amy and Dan shot

down the staircase with the tour guide close behind."Don't stop, Amy! Just keep going!"

said Dan. Tour guides were converging from three directions now, but93Dan and Amy

were just fast enough to reach the front door of the palace first. They dashed out into

the bright light of the sunny Russian morning and kept right on going."Do not come

back!" yelled the tour guide they'd tricked. He stood fuming between his two

coworkers. "Children! They wil kill me!"Amy and Dan slowed to a walk and caught their

breath. Before long, they were convulsed with laughter."I found some candy in there,"

said Amy. "Kept it for you."She held out a round white mothball, but Dan wasn't taking

the bait. "You first!"Amy wound up and threw the mothball toward the pond. She'd

driven a car for the first time, touched the clothes of a princess, and found their next

lead -- it was a great morning by anyone's standards.94CHAPTER 9Irina Spasky's

thumb hovered over the send button on her phone. She couldn't seem to bring herself

to make the call. She took a deep breath and put the phone back in the pocket of her

thin black coat. The Kabras can wait, she thought, turning away from Alexander Palace.

Irina began to walk, alone as usual, toward the pond at the other side of the palace

grounds.She had watched Dan and Amy enter the palace, seen them run out toward

that wreck of a car they'd purchased. They had been laughing. That bothered her. They

were happy, these two. They would get into their tiny automobile and continue on until,

eventually, they would lead Irina to trouble of the worst kind. A Lucian double agent.

Perhaps a Madrigal.They'd found something in the palace, this much was obvious. They

were in deeper trouble than they realized.It doesn't have to end badly, she tried to

convince herself. Another child flashed before her eyes, younger, blonder. Why do I

remember him best as a toddler?95She remembered little of the last days, and almost

nothing about the funeral. Almost everything had faded away but the weather. She

would never forget the low, oppressive clouds and soft snow as they lowered the casket

into the ground. Since then, there had been too many days and nights alone, too much

time to think, and far too much compromised. Lose a child, and you lose your soul.Irina

took the phone in her hand again and this time she didn't hesitate to press the

button."Finally," snapped Ian Kabra. "Have we got anything to worry about?""Yes," said Irina. She'd arrived at the pond and stood staring into the algae-covered water.

"Someone helps them. Someone high up in the Lucian branch. It must be.""What

makes you think so?" Ian asked."They've just left Alexei's Playroom. They must know

about the Lucian connection to the Romanovs.""Make sure they don't find themselves in

possession of sensitive material. You know what's at stake. One step closer and you'll

have to remove them.""I know."Irina paused, but the temptation to goad was too

strong."It won't be just me your father punishes," she warned softly, and clicked off her

phone.At least she wasn't being asked to do anything too drastic to the children yet.

She took a device out of her96pocket and turned it on. A small screen came to

life."Where are you off to now, Dan and Amy Cahill?" she said.Irina had already placed

the coordinates from the parking lot into the device. A distant satellite beamed images

onto her screen, zooming in closer and closer until the top of a blue car came into

view."Not bad," Irina said, pleased with the clever device the Lucians had only recently

put into use in the field. The car was blurry and lacking detail on the screen, but the

tiny blue top was unmistakable.This will be easier than I thought.Irina got in her own

car, keeping the blue on-screen as she took chase. Two minutes later, the small car