Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21 "Don't trust them." Amy's last words still echoed in Dan's ears. Everything had happened so fast: Hamilton and Eisenhower jumping down from the cliff, Hamilton grabbing Dan, Eisenhower waving his ax at the others and proclaiming, "We're taking Dan with us to get the prize. Everyone else— stay back." Amy had run to Dan's side, crying, "Let me kiss my brother good-bye!" —ewww—and Dan had known she was going to whisper something in his ear. He expected one last attempt to cram Shakespeare info into his head or something about being careful climbing the mountain. But, "Don't trust them"? Hamilton's carrying me up the side of a cliff. We're thousands and thousands of feet up in the air. If he lets go, I'm dead meat. And I'm not supposed to trust him?

Dan did trust Hamilton— when he wasn't around his father. But Eisenhower was just a few feet away, ascending the cliff right beside his son. Eisenhower could easily reach over and slash a knife through the ropes that held Dan on Hamilton's back. Or Eisenhower could easily tell Hamilton to cut those ropes himself. Dan shivered. "Do you mind not moving?" Hamilton asked. "It throws me off a little." Below them, chunks of stone plunged down the cliff. Dan's shiver had made Hamilton lose his footing and kick away the stones. Hamilton was hanging on to the cliff by only two fingers. Dan held his breath while Hamilton found toeholds for both his feet. "Don't you dare do that again!" Eisenhower barked at Dan. "Don't you endanger my son!" Dan took a very small breath. He imagined what it would be like to have a father protecting him that way. Now was not a good time to think about stuff like that, though. Because he might slip and say

something to Eisenhower like, "You know, I could be climbing this cliff with my own father right now—if you hadn't helped kill him." Eisenhower glared harder, and for a moment Dan feared he had spoken aloud. No, he's just straining to reach the next handhold, Dan told himself. Chill. You're safe until you get to the top of the cliff. Dan figured the two Holts had come back for him because they really did think they'd need him to solve whatever puzzle waited at the top of the cliff. But what would happen after that? What would Eisenhower do to him then? It was a long, slow climb. After going halfway up, down, and then up again with Dan on his back, Hamilton had entered the zone where he could think about nothing but rock. Rock above him, rock below him, rock smashed against his face as he inched higher and higher. Then came a moment when he reached up and

touched only air. He brought his hand down flat, spreading his fingers freely for once. They were at the top. Now what? The three of us will solve a puzzle, Hamilton told himself. We'll win the prize. And— we Holts will share it with Dan and Amy. Dad promised. He and Eisenhower crept carefully onto the narrow rock ledge that lay before the door. They began pulling up ropes, unclipping carabiners. As soon as he was free of his own ropes, Dan scrambled toward the door and the keypad. "G-guess I'd better start solving this thing," he said in a thin, reedy voice. His mouth must have gotten really dry on the climb. "Th-then I bet there are a lot more puzzles you'll need me to solve, after the door. You'll probably need Amy and Nellie's help, too." Dan wobbled a little as he walked— like he had climbers' legs, even though he hadn't been doing the climbing. Then he tripped.

Dan fell straight toward the door and the keypad, his hands outstretched. The palm of his left hand slammed directly against the keypad, smashing it in. The door slid open. "Whaddya know," Hamilton grunted, looking up from his ropes. "Guess there wasn't any special trick to that. No puzzle or math skills required." Dan jerked back from the keypad as if it'd been electrified. He whirled around, his eyes wide and terrified. He glanced once at Eisenhower, then he darted toward Hamilton. "No!" he screamed. "You'll need me later! You still need my help!" He grabbed Hamilton's arm and cowered behind his bulk. Hamilton would have been fine if he hadn't been so surprised. Or if he hadn't just climbed up an entire cliff. Or if Dan hadn't been so off-kilter. But Dan's yank was just a little too hard. Hamilton had to jerk back in the opposite direction to keep from crashing down onto the narrow rock ledge. He over-corrected. Both he

and Dan lost their balance. They fell— and kept falling. Right off the edge of the cliff.