The Empress's Tomb by Kirsten Miller

Author:Kirsten Miller
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Published: 2007-03-25T16:00:00+00:00

Betty and DeeDee pounced on us as soon as we entered the Golden Lotus.

“I’m so glad you’re back!” Betty couldn’t stand still. She had been pacing the floor and was finding it difficult to stop.

“Where’s Yu?” asked Oona, barreling past her.

“He was working too hard,” DeeDee explained, as Oona frantically checked the waxing rooms. “He nearly fainted. Luz took him home in a cab.”

“Oona, come back,” Betty called. “Something’s happened.” It was then that I nearly sat on a Malaysian giant squirrel that had curled up in one of the manicurists’ chairs.

“Did he come to pick you up for your date?” I teased.

“What’s that thing doing here?” Oona snapped. “This isn’t a zoo. Get your boyfriend’s beast out of my salon.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. Would you listen? I’m trying to tell you something. The squirrel snuck through the door while we were helping Yu into the taxi. It came to deliver this.”

Betty handed me a scrap of paper that was still damp with squirrel spit. On it were written the first few lines of a love letter that ended abruptly with one scrawled word: Help.

“I think Kaspar’s in trouble,” said Betty. “The squirrel won’t leave. We’ve tried to let him out, but he won’t go.”

“Squirrel boy lives in Central Park. If he didn’t know how to take care of himself he’d be buried with all the John Does on Hart Island by now,” said Oona dismis-sively. “He’s probably just trying to get your attention. It doesn’t matter, anyway. We don’t have time to worry about him right now. I need your help.”

“Oona,” I said in my most soothing tone. “We’ve got to look into this right away. We can go to the Shadow City later. Yu isn’t even here. What do you expect us to do?”

“I expect you to get your priorities straight. Who’s more important, Ananka? Me or some kid who let a bunch of squirrels attack Luz?”

“Of course you’re more important,” DeeDee tried to explain. “And if you were in trouble, we’d drop everything. But if your problem can wait for a little while, we’ve got to help Kaspar.”

Oona’s energy disappeared in an instant. “Whatever. Do what you want. What good are you guys, anyway? You’re never around when I need you. Kiki doesn’t even show up half the time, and the rest of you are more interested in a kid you barely know. So go ahead, get out of my salon.”

“You’re kicking us out?” Betty muttered in disbelief. “You’re not going to help us find Kaspar?”

“I’ve got my own problems,” Oona announced, stomping toward her office. On the wall behind her desk, the mural of the Irregulars was almost complete. “I’ve always had to do things on my own, and I guess I always will.” With that, Oona slammed the door. Betty, DeeDee, and I traded incredulous glances.

“Impressive temper tantrum,” said DeeDee.

“She’s just stressed out,” I replied. “She’ll come around.”

“Always the optimist.” DeeDee didn’t believe it for a minute.

• • •

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