Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19 The fine for dropping a cat off the Great Wall of China turned out to be four hundred yuan— about fifty-nine US dollars. Amy and Nellie also paid a hundred-yuan tip to the soldier who went down to bring Saladin back to them, plus another forty-three and change to buy ointment and bandages for the scratches he received. Their hotel was really more of a guest cottage— just barely adequate. It was called the Golden Monkey. It didn't have monkeys, but a couple of the cockroaches could have passed for pygmy marmosets. Amy barely noticed the dingy, cramped room and the bugs. The only thing on her mind was Dan. "We blew it, Nellie," she exclaimed, staring out the fly-specked window at the distant ramparts of the Great Wall. "We took a gamble and we lost.

For some reason, Jonah blew off that trip to the Wall. Or we were in a different part. And by now he could be anywhere. They might not even be in China anymore. For all we know, we're on the wrong continent." Nellie was at the tiny desk, hunched over Dan's laptop computer. "Hey, come and look at this." "You found Jonah?" Amy asked eagerly. "No. But I've been thinking about your idea— that Puyi was working on something Cahill when he got turfed out of the Forbidden City. And that we might be able to take a guess at it by looking at major world events around 1924." "I don't care," Amy groaned. "I just want Dan back." Nellie looked up sharply. "Hey, little girl, you get a grip. The clue hunt isn't over, and it's doubly important now. Remember, Jonah's still on it, which makes it the best way to pick up Dan's trail. Now, I've made a list of some of the top news headlines from the early 1920s. See if any of this rings a bell in the Cahill world." Chastened, Amy got up to join her. Of course

her au pair was right. Without a lead pointing directly to Dan, all they could do was pursue the 39 Clues in the hope that Dan would do the same. She peered down at the screen: 20-ton meteorite lands near Blackstone, Virginia. Egypt gains independence. President Harding dies in office. Construction begins on Yankee Stadium. George Mallory and Andrew Irvine lost on Mount Everest. Great Kanto earthquake devastates Japan. First US execution using poison gas. J. Edgar Hoover appointed head of FBI.

Amy read the full three-page list and sat back with a sigh. "I don't know. I think Grace may have mentioned some of these things over the years, but I can't be sure. The truth is, she's only been dead a couple of months, and already I'm having trouble remembering the sound of her voice." Saladin rubbed up against her leg and emitted a sympathetic "mrrp." "So what should we do?" she asked worriedly. Nellie shrugged. "We'll go back to the Wall. We're already here. We might as well give it one more try." Amy nodded. They had no other leads— for Dan or the Clue hunt. If they came up empty today, they would be completely adrift. The pounding punk rock chords were tinny and distorted through the tiny speaker. "Hi, this is Nellie. I'm probably off tasting food you've never heard of, or listening to music that would blow your mind. So what are you waiting for? Leave a message." The beep cut right to Dan's heart. He slumped

against the glass of the pay phone booth, hoping against hope that the cell phone problem had been fixed— that the message was a mistake, and the au pair's familiar voice would cut in. "It's me— Dan," he stammered. "Sorry I haven't called sooner. I thought Jonah's dad was leaving messages for me. It's a long story. I'm in— well, I guess that doesn't matter because I have to find you guys now. Uh… see you later— I hope." He hung up and immediately wrenched the receiver from its cradle and added, "I miss you!" But it was too late. The connection was already broken. The streets of downtown Xian had been deserted when Dan had stormed out of the Bell Tower Hotel. They were crowded now, like Boston at the height of rush hour. Peddlers clogged the sidewalks; bizarre food smells issued from every storefront; plucked chickens hung next to state-of-the-art cell phones in display windows. The sounds were loud and discordant. Bicycles and motor scooters battled buses for road space. Being alone, a foreign kid amid all this chaos,

should have been frightening to Dan. Instead, all he felt was anger, most of it directed at himself. What have I done? He had trusted Jonah, who had always proved to be untrustworthy. And he had run away from Amy when he should have stuck by her. Standing alone on this street, it seemed like the ultimate no-brainer— she was all he had in the world, and he was the same for her. Now it was too late. He had no way of finding Amy, no way to know what leads they were following, no way even to surrender to Social Services— or worse, Aunt Beatrice. Possibly the most dangerous of all, he had spilled the beans about their deepest, darkest secret. Now the word was out that he and Amy were Madrigals. And for what? The pleasure of seeing the Wizards look shocked for two or three seconds? He grinned in spite of himself. It was a pretty great two or three seconds. But stupid. He was a target now. Amy, too. I should have warned her. Of course, who knew if Nellie was even