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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family," Jonah approved. "Cahills think alike, yo. Got a good feeling about us working together. We make a fly team."
114
If this were Amy, Dan reflected mournfully, she'd be telling him how stupid he was, calling him dweeb while she went to some library to check out six hundred books on terracotta warriors.
His mood darkened abruptly. Then she'd accuse their poor parents of deserving their fate. How could she even think that about Mom and Dad? He patted his pocket where the picture from Bodhidharma's cave lay hidden. "You know, Jonah," he ventured, "it's been--uh--two days, four hours, twenty-one minutes--"
"Since you last saw your sis," Jonah finished sympathetically.
"Not that I'm keeping track," Dan added quickly.
"Must be hard," the star agreed. "I've got to tell you, cuz, I'm amazed we haven't come up with her yet. By now-- it's almost like she doesn't want to be found."
Dan recoiled as if he had just been slapped.
His distress was interrupted by a knock at the door. The entertainment had arrived.
Dan had little appetite at first. He sat at the table, viciously dismantling dumplings with his chopsticks, eating next to nothing as he mulled over the devastating notion that Amy might have written him off. Was that possible? She called him annoying often enough. Yet he said the same about her, and he would have given anything to be reunited with his sister.
The show turned out to be Chinese acrobats who executed an unbelievable climbing-and-tumbling routine. It was off the chain -- Jonah's words. Even Dan
115
began to climb out of his funk, especially for the grand finale -- a dragon dance performed upside down while hanging from the ceiling.
Jonah's father invited a few local entertainment reporters to join the fun, so Jonah was sure to get good press in Xian -- as if Jonah got bad press anywhere.
The man of the hour was at his schmoozing best, laughing and joking with the media. No way could anybody tell that, as soon as this was over, he was off to burglarize the most important archaeological site in Asia. Yet when no one was looking, Dan couldn't help but notice a glazed expression on the famous face.
Funny--I think the rock star lifestyle is amazing, but it has to be brutal twenty-four/seven. For Jonah, this was the normal routine. It was probably exhausting to be at fever pitch, day after day, week after week.
It was past midnight by the time the acrobats had gone home and the reporters had finished their interviews. Dan was rummaging through the minibar when the sound of distant music reached him. Not Jonah's music --in fact, the melody was classical. To Dan's astonishment, he recognized the piece. It was by Mozart, perhaps the greatest of Jonah's Janus relatives.
He followed the sound to the suite's smallest bedroom and peered inside. Broderick Wizard perched on the edge of the bed, an acoustic guitar in his arms, his fingers a blur over the nylon strings. It was obvious -- even to Dan, who knew nothing about music--that Jonah's father was playing with great skill.
116
"You're awesome."
Broderick looked up in surprise. "Oh --it's you." He set the guitar down on the comforter, picked up his BlackBerry, and began self-consciously scrolling through e-mail.
"Does Jonah know how good you are?" Dan asked.
Jonah's father cleared his throat uncomfortably and tried to hide behind the pocket-size device. "I was quite the rising star in college. But then I met Cora, and ... well, I'm decent, but, you know, compared to them --"
Them. The Janus. Why play music if you can't be Mozart, or Scott Joplin, or John Lennon, or Jonah Wizard? What a Cahill attitude!
Dan was surprised to feel genuine sympathy for Jonah's father. Whatever dreams he might have had were gone, traded for a spot on the red carpet a half step behind his famous son. And what was left for Broderick? Thumb cramps, maybe, from texting.
It made Dan wonder about his own father. He remembered very little about either of his parents, but, like
114
If this were Amy, Dan reflected mournfully, she'd be telling him how stupid he was, calling him dweeb while she went to some library to check out six hundred books on terracotta warriors.
His mood darkened abruptly. Then she'd accuse their poor parents of deserving their fate. How could she even think that about Mom and Dad? He patted his pocket where the picture from Bodhidharma's cave lay hidden. "You know, Jonah," he ventured, "it's been--uh--two days, four hours, twenty-one minutes--"
"Since you last saw your sis," Jonah finished sympathetically.
"Not that I'm keeping track," Dan added quickly.
"Must be hard," the star agreed. "I've got to tell you, cuz, I'm amazed we haven't come up with her yet. By now-- it's almost like she doesn't want to be found."
Dan recoiled as if he had just been slapped.
His distress was interrupted by a knock at the door. The entertainment had arrived.
Dan had little appetite at first. He sat at the table, viciously dismantling dumplings with his chopsticks, eating next to nothing as he mulled over the devastating notion that Amy might have written him off. Was that possible? She called him annoying often enough. Yet he said the same about her, and he would have given anything to be reunited with his sister.
The show turned out to be Chinese acrobats who executed an unbelievable climbing-and-tumbling routine. It was off the chain -- Jonah's words. Even Dan
115
began to climb out of his funk, especially for the grand finale -- a dragon dance performed upside down while hanging from the ceiling.
Jonah's father invited a few local entertainment reporters to join the fun, so Jonah was sure to get good press in Xian -- as if Jonah got bad press anywhere.
The man of the hour was at his schmoozing best, laughing and joking with the media. No way could anybody tell that, as soon as this was over, he was off to burglarize the most important archaeological site in Asia. Yet when no one was looking, Dan couldn't help but notice a glazed expression on the famous face.
Funny--I think the rock star lifestyle is amazing, but it has to be brutal twenty-four/seven. For Jonah, this was the normal routine. It was probably exhausting to be at fever pitch, day after day, week after week.
It was past midnight by the time the acrobats had gone home and the reporters had finished their interviews. Dan was rummaging through the minibar when the sound of distant music reached him. Not Jonah's music --in fact, the melody was classical. To Dan's astonishment, he recognized the piece. It was by Mozart, perhaps the greatest of Jonah's Janus relatives.
He followed the sound to the suite's smallest bedroom and peered inside. Broderick Wizard perched on the edge of the bed, an acoustic guitar in his arms, his fingers a blur over the nylon strings. It was obvious -- even to Dan, who knew nothing about music--that Jonah's father was playing with great skill.
116
"You're awesome."
Broderick looked up in surprise. "Oh --it's you." He set the guitar down on the comforter, picked up his BlackBerry, and began self-consciously scrolling through e-mail.
"Does Jonah know how good you are?" Dan asked.
Jonah's father cleared his throat uncomfortably and tried to hide behind the pocket-size device. "I was quite the rising star in college. But then I met Cora, and ... well, I'm decent, but, you know, compared to them --"
Them. The Janus. Why play music if you can't be Mozart, or Scott Joplin, or John Lennon, or Jonah Wizard? What a Cahill attitude!
Dan was surprised to feel genuine sympathy for Jonah's father. Whatever dreams he might have had were gone, traded for a spot on the red carpet a half step behind his famous son. And what was left for Broderick? Thumb cramps, maybe, from texting.
It made Dan wonder about his own father. He remembered very little about either of his parents, but, like
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