The 39 Clues: Book 8 by Gordan Korman Page B
Authors: Gordan Korman
Tags: Fiction, General, Historical, Historical - General, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, YA), Children's Fiction, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Orphans, Brothers and sisters, Other, Children: Grades 4-6, Siblings, Adventure stories (Children's, Mysteries; Espionage; & Detective Stories, Family - Siblings, Ciphers, Historical - Other, Family & home stories (Children's, Juvenile Historical Fiction
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CHAPTER 1
Alistair Oh was absently doodling on his paper place mat at the dim sum restaurant when Amy and Nellie joined him.
"Nice calligraphy," Nellie commented.
Startled, the older man leaped to his feet, upending his walking stick, which clattered to the floor. "Good morning!" He seated them in his gallant old-world fashion.
"What does it say?" Amy asked listlessly.
"I beg your pardon?"
She indicated the Chinese character on his place mat, elaborately formed despite the fact that he was using a ballpoint pen rather than the customary paintbrush.
68
"That word. What does it mean?"
"Oh, this. It says -- 'charm,'" he replied, looking a little uncomfortable. "Never mind that, Amy. Where is your brother?"
"We didn't find him." Amy was working hard to hold it together, but the dark circles around her eyes revealed the depth of her worry. "I'm getting really freaked. What if Isabel Kabra has him?" Isabel, the human worst-case scenario.
"Calm down." Nellie put an arm around her shoulders. "It doesn't help Dan if we panic."
"Isabel is not the problem." Alistair held up a copy of the Beijing Daily, featuring a picture of Jonah at the Bird's Nest. "This is what I called you about."
Nellie shook her head sadly. "Old news, Uncle A. Bad music. Good riot. No Dan."
"Jonah's keeping an eye out for him," Amy added. "I know he's the enemy, but I think he really cares."
Alistair was unimpressed. "Allow me to translate." He read from the middle of the article. '"Police broke up the altercation before there were any serious injuries. But one member of the Wizard entourage, Mr. Daniel K. Hill, was treated for a minor cut above his left eye. Mr. Hill, a young cousin of the superstar, described the scene as Ladies' Night Smackdown ..."'
"He's alive!" Amy exploded. "Who else could think of wrestling at a time like this?"
Nellie's powerful sigh of relief sent paper napkins aloft. "Thank God! He's still lost, but at least he's okay.
69
I mean, he's with Jonah--" Her face twisted. "That stuck-up tin-plated little hip-hop freak show! I should have known he was lying!"
Alistair clucked wanly. "How little our Janus cousins have changed over time. In the years leading up to the Second World War, Puyi became a Japanese puppet in exchange for the chance to be emperor again --just as Jonah has become so obsessed with his own purposes that he can't see the anguish he's inflicting."
"Or he sees it fine and flat-out doesn't care," the au pair suggested darkly.
Amy struggled to keep her emotions in check. "But why would Jonah kidnap Dan? And more important, why would my idiot brother play along with it?"
"The second question you've answered yourself," Alistair replied. "He has nowhere else to go. He probably believes he's an invited guest. As for Jonah's motive--isn't it obvious? The search for the thirty-nine clues."
Nellie frowned. "He's got money up the wazoo and connections everywhere. What does he need Dan for?"
"Don't you know?" Surprised, Alistair turned from the au pair to Amy. "You children have created quite a stir in the hunt."
"Why?" asked Amy. "We've outsmarted a few people, but I don't think we're winning." She paused. "Are we?"
"Perhaps not, but you're younger than the rest of us, with fewer resources, no branch to support you, and almost zero knowledge of our family history. Many predicted you wouldn't last a week. Yet here you are, right
70
in the thick of things. Maybe you've inherited some of Grace's abilities, or perhaps your outsider status allows you to see the big picture. Whatever it is, Jonah seems to believe it can help him."
"I don't care about the contest," Amy said impatiently. "Not until we've got Dan back. Who knows what Jonah's going to do when he's through with him? They've got crocodiles here, too!"
"At least now we know where to look," Nellie reminded her. "Find Jonah and we've found Dan. One thing about being a world-renowned jerk-face --he can't hide. Wherever
67
CHAPTER 1
Alistair Oh was absently doodling on his paper place mat at the dim sum restaurant when Amy and Nellie joined him.
"Nice calligraphy," Nellie commented.
Startled, the older man leaped to his feet, upending his walking stick, which clattered to the floor. "Good morning!" He seated them in his gallant old-world fashion.
"What does it say?" Amy asked listlessly.
"I beg your pardon?"
She indicated the Chinese character on his place mat, elaborately formed despite the fact that he was using a ballpoint pen rather than the customary paintbrush.
68
"That word. What does it mean?"
"Oh, this. It says -- 'charm,'" he replied, looking a little uncomfortable. "Never mind that, Amy. Where is your brother?"
"We didn't find him." Amy was working hard to hold it together, but the dark circles around her eyes revealed the depth of her worry. "I'm getting really freaked. What if Isabel Kabra has him?" Isabel, the human worst-case scenario.
"Calm down." Nellie put an arm around her shoulders. "It doesn't help Dan if we panic."
"Isabel is not the problem." Alistair held up a copy of the Beijing Daily, featuring a picture of Jonah at the Bird's Nest. "This is what I called you about."
Nellie shook her head sadly. "Old news, Uncle A. Bad music. Good riot. No Dan."
"Jonah's keeping an eye out for him," Amy added. "I know he's the enemy, but I think he really cares."
Alistair was unimpressed. "Allow me to translate." He read from the middle of the article. '"Police broke up the altercation before there were any serious injuries. But one member of the Wizard entourage, Mr. Daniel K. Hill, was treated for a minor cut above his left eye. Mr. Hill, a young cousin of the superstar, described the scene as Ladies' Night Smackdown ..."'
"He's alive!" Amy exploded. "Who else could think of wrestling at a time like this?"
Nellie's powerful sigh of relief sent paper napkins aloft. "Thank God! He's still lost, but at least he's okay.
69
I mean, he's with Jonah--" Her face twisted. "That stuck-up tin-plated little hip-hop freak show! I should have known he was lying!"
Alistair clucked wanly. "How little our Janus cousins have changed over time. In the years leading up to the Second World War, Puyi became a Japanese puppet in exchange for the chance to be emperor again --just as Jonah has become so obsessed with his own purposes that he can't see the anguish he's inflicting."
"Or he sees it fine and flat-out doesn't care," the au pair suggested darkly.
Amy struggled to keep her emotions in check. "But why would Jonah kidnap Dan? And more important, why would my idiot brother play along with it?"
"The second question you've answered yourself," Alistair replied. "He has nowhere else to go. He probably believes he's an invited guest. As for Jonah's motive--isn't it obvious? The search for the thirty-nine clues."
Nellie frowned. "He's got money up the wazoo and connections everywhere. What does he need Dan for?"
"Don't you know?" Surprised, Alistair turned from the au pair to Amy. "You children have created quite a stir in the hunt."
"Why?" asked Amy. "We've outsmarted a few people, but I don't think we're winning." She paused. "Are we?"
"Perhaps not, but you're younger than the rest of us, with fewer resources, no branch to support you, and almost zero knowledge of our family history. Many predicted you wouldn't last a week. Yet here you are, right
70
in the thick of things. Maybe you've inherited some of Grace's abilities, or perhaps your outsider status allows you to see the big picture. Whatever it is, Jonah seems to believe it can help him."
"I don't care about the contest," Amy said impatiently. "Not until we've got Dan back. Who knows what Jonah's going to do when he's through with him? They've got crocodiles here, too!"
"At least now we know where to look," Nellie reminded her. "Find Jonah and we've found Dan. One thing about being a world-renowned jerk-face --he can't hide. Wherever
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