Frederik Sandwich and the Mayor Who Lost Her Marbles by Kevin John Scott

Author:Kevin John Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2019-04-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Taking Stock

The walls of the gift shop were sloping glass. A little transparent pyramid. Outside was midevening and grass and trees. Fading postcards on racks, books on a shelf, and a layer of dust over everything. There was a desk with an ancient cash register. And a sign. The Cisterns, it said. Closed to the Public. Strictly No Admittance.

A thin man with a pale face, a clipboard, and a bunch of keys stood before them. “Who are you?” he asked. “Where did you come from?”

“No one,” said Frederik. “Nowhere.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to go home.”

The man was wearing brown overalls. Nordmaend Logistics, it said on his breast. He peered down the stairs to see if anyone else was coming. “What were you two doing down there?”

“We were locked in,” said Calamity.

Frederik shushed him. “What my friend means is, we were looking in. To something. For someone.”

The man stared back. “Who?”

“The mayor.”

The man’s forehead creased. “Oh. Well, that’s all right then. I suppose. She sent me too. I’m here to take stock. Of the items. Down there.”

“Us too,” said Frederik. “Taking stock. Exactly.” He tried a smile.

“But that’s a duplication of effort, surely?”

“True,” said Frederik, nodding. “But she can’t be too careful, can she?”

The man looked unimpressed. “Do you know who I am? Apparently not. Anders Andersen. Chartered stock taker, thirty-seven years. Accurate Anders, they call me. I’ve never miscounted in all my career.”

“I see,” said Frederik. “Well, we certainly can’t compete with that. We should leave you to it.”

The man nodded, somewhat placated. “Just out of interest, how many did you count?”

“Hundreds.” Calamity shivered.

“It’s hard to be exact,” Frederik added. “With so many of them in pieces.”

Accurate Anders groaned. “I knew there’d be a catch. There’s always a catch. All right, I’d better get started, if we’re going to get those marbles out of here on time.”

Frederik was edging for the door, but now he stopped abruptly. “Out of here?”

“Didn’t she tell you? All of them. Every one. We’re shipping them out on midsummer night. While she’s having that big festival in the park. Strange night to do it, if you ask me. But it’s her choice. She ordered the Deluxe Expedited Service—no mess, no trace, no questions.” He shrugged. “The customer is always right. If they’re paying enough.”

“Where are the marbles going?” Frederik asked. “Where are you taking them?”

The man chuckled. “Can’t divulge,” he said. “No trace, no questions, like I said. Anyway. Better get on.” And he headed down the stairs with his clipboard.

Frederik and Calamity limped outside. Evening air flooded Frederik’s chest. A riot of birdsong, a dazzling sunset. They had survived. At the far side of the flat lawn that covered the underground Cisterns was the street and the curving, yellow front of King Frederik’s Castle. The summit of Frederik’s Hill. They were out.

But out, he realized instantly, wasn’t safety. Out was exposed. Detectives were out here somewhere, hunting for him. Pernille was still in Municipal Hall, cruelly separated from her papa. What could

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