Understand the Unknown by Katherine Applegate

Author:Katherine Applegate [Applegate, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic
ISBN: 9780590879866
Google: gcQ2DYTX1Y0C
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2000-12-15T08:00:00+00:00

Jalil closed his eyes. "It was nice knowing you, April, David. We are chum. Fish food. Bait. History."

XII

But Neptune, sick and childish Neptune, liked the song and demanded Christopher sing it again. And again. April joined in, hesitantly at first, but more aggressively when she saw Neptune smile and wink. None of us were above buying the god's favor, at least until he let us offstage.

And while we sang, me more mouthing the words than making any noise, I suddenly saw the sailor, the lone survivor of the shark attack, Merlin, walking slowly, slowly along the sidelines, Senna at his side. Damn it, I should have forced her up onstage when Neptune bellowed for a performance. Some weak, soft spot in me had decided to let her stay where she was, let her rest. Now I was losing her.

I couldn't break away, rush Merlin; Neptune would kill me for ruining his personal party. Senna wouldn't go with Merlin willingly; she was under his spell. It was clear after the attempted kidnapping in Egypt, after the display with the self-powered boat, now this disguise, his leading Senna away, that Merlin had regained all of his strength after the monumentally losing battle with Loki, after failing to keep Galahad alive.

But Merlin wasn't going to get far with Senna not if I could help it, and I would. Somehow. Think, David. Observe. The fact that they were moving so slowly, that they were walking so closely together, made me think maybe it was costing Merlin to keep Senna so completely under his thrall, especially while maintaining his own disguise.

I kept the wizard in my sight. And continued to play the performer. We segued to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” sung in rounds. Neptune tried to get the hang of the rounds, coming in at the end of the first line with the beginning of the first line, but obviously this proved too much of a creative or intellectual challenge for him. And gods don't like to look foolish.

“Enough!” the god bellowed. “Enough of the songs. They begin to bore me. I want the fool, what is his name? Let him come forward! I have decided I would like to hear some amusing tales. I have decided I am in the mood to laugh.”

April shot me a worried look. I froze. I could pretend to sing. I could pretend to dance. But being funny? That wasn't something I could do, not easily, anyway, not on command. I was no Dennis Miller, no Chris Rock, no Jerry Seinfeld.

“Life or death, David,” Jalil whispered. “Think knock-knock jokes anything ”

“Hey,” Christopher hissed, “why don't you recite him that poem you wrote for English that time? It cracked me up.”

The others were not helping. And not one of them said anything about Senna's being no longer with them. Was it a part of Merlin's magic? Or just that they didn't care?

“Fool! Speak!” Neptune roared.

Think think think, David, you idiot, think! And then, I came up with a way

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