The Afterlife Academy (21 page)

W
alter wasn't sure if he had heard Darwin correctly. “I'm not a natural? But you said—”

Darwin stomped his foot. His face had grown hard, and his eyes burned. He looked altogether different from the man Walter had first met. “And you certainly made a mess!”

“I just did what I was supposed to do.”

“What you were
supposed
to do was leave things alone! What is it with you? Do you have a death wish? Any right-minded Agent would've realized he was in way over his head when he saw the Dark Omen summoning and would've sat it out until he could be rescued. But no!” He flailed his hands about in the air with disgust.

“What are you talking about? Why wouldn't you want me to do anything? Do you know that the demons are about to get possession of
The Summoner's Handbook
?”

“Of course I do. I am the head assigner of Agents for the HLTA.”

Walter shook his head. “So Alton had nothing to do with it? You're the one who's behind everything? Why would you let the demons get ahold of the book? Don't you know what they'll do with it? Isn't the Afterlife Academy supposed to fight
against
the creatures from the Underworld?”

Darwin massaged the bridge of his nose. “That's a lot of questions for an insignificant, meddling, troublesome boy.”

“You sent me to do a job you didn't want me to do! Why?”

“You really are stupid, aren't you? Do you think I can just allow a demonic summoning to transpire without offering protection? There are rules and procedures. Those sorts of things don't go unnoticed by the higher-ups! I had to send an Agent. So I picked one I
thought
wouldn't be any trouble.”

“But weren't they going to notice that I'd barely died and had no training from the Academy?”

“Not if I fabricated your records. On paper, you graduated at the top of your class. No one would know. The plan would've worked perfectly because only Alton had any idea of your true status, and he's a bumbling idiot. He's too busy applying for positions at the Academy to have any idea what's going on outside his office.” Darwin smiled, and Walter realized the man was actually
proud
of what he'd done. Walter felt sick.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why? I'll tell you
why.
” Darwin ripped a slip of pink paper out of his coat pocket and waved it in Walter's face. “Do you know what this is?”

Walter squinted. “Uh, a love letter?”

“It's termination paperwork.
My
termination paperwork. I'm being forced into early retirement.” He glanced down at the slip, and Walter saw a hint of sadness in the madman's eyes. “Three hundred years of stalwart service down the drain. I climbed the ranks at the Academy. I transformed it into one of the most prestigious organizations in the Afterlife. I did that. Me! And now do you know what's going to happen? There will be a ceremony—I'm certain to receive some sort of medal or trophy or other nonsense—and then I'll be ushered into heaven. End of story.” Creasing the pink paper, Darwin returned his termination slip to his pocket. His lower lip quivered as if he were on the verge of tears.

“Am I missing something?” Walter asked. “Isn't that what you want? To go to heaven?” Wasn't that what everyone wanted?

Darwin narrowed his eyes. “I was a member of the board, and they were going to make me director. I was primed to have true power and position. And because of a few paltry mistakes and what some people call ‘poor decisions' on my part over the past decade, instead of a promotion I'm getting the ax! How was I supposed to know that sweet Romanian princess would end up igniting a border war? I couldn't have known that! She didn't register on any of my reports!”

Walter had been backing slowly away from Darwin and was now flat against the wall. He was too far from the door, though, and by the time he made it over, Darwin would be able to get to him. He would just have to hope that someone in one of the other rooms would hear Darwin ranting and come in. But all the doors remained closed, and Alton was taking full advantage of his break.

“Now they'll hand over my job to some pip-squeak rookie,” Darwin continued. “And I'll spend the rest of eternity strumming a harp.”

Walter didn't dare ask Darwin what other questionable decisions he had made the last ten years to land him in hot water, but the most recent incident involving Charlie and a one-eyed demon couldn't be helping his case.

“But you said we were linked. You said that I was the first person to score that high on the exam since when you joined the Academy. Was that another lie?”

Darwin licked his lips. “I'm afraid so.”

“You could've gotten me killed—worse than killed. Ronald told me that a demon could destroy me, that I'd hardly exist for eons, and then my spirit would have to be rebuilt.”

“Ah, yes.”

“I guess I'm sorry you're being forced into heaven, but this still doesn't explain what any of this has to do with
The Summoner's Handbook.
”

“Isn't it obvious? Job security. Increase the amount of demon attacks on earth, and suddenly the need for a seasoned veteran at the helm of the Academy becomes a necessity. They wouldn't dare place someone with zero experience in charge of recruiting and training Agents if they realize how desperate things have become. If I can control the Underworld, I can control my destiny.”

All the attacks, all the problems, the run-ins with Hoonga and the rest of the monsters, and now Charlie's capture and eventual death, all boiled down to one pathetic man's attempt to keep his job? “But how are you going to control the demons? Once they have the book, that's it. They'll be in control,” Walter protested.

“Ah, this is where you'll see the workings of a true genius.” Darwin grinned.

“The demons aren't
going
to use
The Summoner's Handbook.
I knew that I needed to increase demon activity without things getting out of hand. The problem was that I couldn't possibly control
The Summoner's Handbook
myself. Too much contact with the book would destroy my aura. I needed a human being who would control it for me.”

“But the one-eyed demon—Hoonga—he said they were going to kill Charlie. That in order to open the Gateway for the demons, Charlie's soul had to be absorbed into the book.”

The intensity in Darwin's eyes softened. “Ah, a sad situation, I agree, but a necessary sacrifice.”

“I thought you were kind and good—that you would be a mentor to me! But you're twisted and evil!” Walter yelled at the top of his lungs. He lunged at Darwin, but a bolt of electricity zapped Walter's body. The energy forced him to his knees, and his hands shook out of control.

“Don't!
Ever!
Touch! Me!” Darwin boomed.

“You're crazy. Your plan is crazy!”

“It's not crazy, thank you very much. It's brilliant. And Arnold is well versed in these matters and will take every precaution. He'll perform the ceremony and gain control of the demons. And I will be in control of him and have a long and happy career.”

“Who's Arnold?”

“Arnold Featherstone, of course.”

“
Who
is Arnold Featherstone?”

“Oh, right. Arnold is known under a different name by his faithful followers. I believe you know him as Wisdom Willows.”

So
that
was how Wisdom was involved.

“You won't get away with this,” Walter hissed. It was the only thing he could think to say.

“Actually, I believe I will. Just as soon as I can figure out what I'm going to do with you.”

Just then, the door opened, and they heard a familiar voice.

“I am
not
a bumbling idiot, and I never take breaks!”

Darwin and Walter turned around. Standing in the doorway was Alton. And by his side, weary and bruised from battle, were Ronald, Riley, and Reginald Logan.

“A
lton, don't be foolish.” Darwin's fingers trembled at his sides as he squared his shoulders and stared down the office worker and three young Agents. “This won't turn out the way you hope. I assure you.”

“I can't believe you're behind all this,” Ronald said. He looked at Darwin for an explanation. “Why?”

“Oh, shut up!” Darwin grabbed Walter and held him in front of him. “As long as I have Walter as my hostage, I have a— Oof!” Walter had elbowed him sharply in the stomach, and he buckled over.

Breaking free from Darwin's grasp, Walter barely had enough time to move out of the way before Alton plowed headfirst into the Head Assigner of Agents. The two old men scrambled on the floor. Darwin tried desperately to get free, but Alton pinned Darwin's arms to the floor with his knees.

“How's that for ambition?” Alton demanded confidently, though he was shaking like a leaf.

A squadron of Agents escorted Darwin away with glowing manacles latched to his wrists. “Internal Affairs is going to have a field day with this!” Alton grumbled. “Which will ultimately mean more paperwork for me. Ho-hum.”

“Walter, are you okay?” one of the senior-ranking officials asked.

“I think so.”

“Darwin managed to successfully throw everyone off his tracks for almost a week,” said the same Agent. “Until your reappearance in Alton's office, no one here knew about the resurfacing of
The Summoner's Handbook
or Wisdom's involvement. Luckily, Alton put two and two together very quickly, and the Agent Ronald Logan explained the rest. Now that we know what's been going on and how the most lethal book on earth has fallen into the possession of the demons, we are elevating Charlie's case to a class five—the highest priority.”

“What's going to happen?” Walter asked Ronald. The other Logan brothers stood with the Agents.

“We've located Charlie and his parents. They're being held by Wisdom in the football locker room of Conrad High School,” Ronald said.

“Are you going with them?”

“Yeah.” Riley rubbed his hands together. “It's going to be a full-scale ambush!”

“I'm coming too,” Walter said.

Reginald shook his head. “Sorry, man. We can't let you do that.”

“You can't stop me!”

“Walter!” Riley grabbed his arm. “You're not an Agent. You haven't even completed one day of the training course.”

“So? I've done more this past week than any of you have done in four years. There's no way I'm going to sit this out. Charlie is
my
assignment!”

“It's against regulations,” Reginald reasoned. “You'll just get in the way.”

“No, he's right,” Ronald said. “Walter has done more than all three of us combined. How he survived a week protecting
The Summoner's Handbook
is nothing short of a miracle. And technically, Charlie is still his HLT. If anyone deserves to be down there, it's Walter.”

Walter nodded. “Thanks, man.”

“There's just one problem,” Ronald continued. “There's no way we can let you go down there looking like that.”