Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 To Dan, The Last Emperor was as boring as the ten-hour flight to Beijing. "You should pay attention," Amy advised. "This will be good preparation for our trip to China." "Mmm," he murmured, eyelids heavy. The only good that could come from being cheated out of Terminator would be if this lousy film put him to sleep. He had just dozed off when Amy suddenly dug her fingernails into his arm. "Dan!" "What's the big idea?" His bleary eyes focused on his sister, who was pointing at the screen. "Come on, Amy. I went to sleep to get away from The Last Emperor!" "Look!" Amy insisted. "On that wall!" Dan squinted. The scene showed the three-year-old Puyi, emperor of China, playing in the

Forbidden City, the vast imperial complex. There were hundreds of ornately decorated palaces, temples, and statues. And there, painted on the side of a small building— "The Janus crest!" he exclaimed in amazement. Amy frowned. "Why's it in The Last Emperor?" "A lot of showbiz people are Janus," Dan suggested. "Maybe the guy who made this movie was one of them." "Maybe," his sister said grudgingly, "but I doubt it. The Last Emperor was shot in the eighties. The paint on that wall looks a lot older than that." "But who else could have—?" Dan goggled. "You mean him?" He pointed to the toddler clad in royal robes on the screen. "Pee-yoo?" Amy was disgusted. "The name is Puyi, and he was emperor of China, not a bad smell." "And you think he comes from one of the Asian branches of the Cahills?" "It doesn't have to be Puyi," Amy reasoned. "The Forbidden City has existed for centuries. And a lot more people than just emperors have lived there. Don't forget the imperial court,

attendants, monks, eunuchs—" "What's a eunuch?" Dan interrupted. "Well…" Amy blushed, choosing her words carefully. "You know how Saladin was neutered to keep him from making any cat babies—" "Yeah, but they don't do that to people—" Dan's face drained of color. "Do they?" "In ancient China they did," his sister replied. Dan was wary. "But they stopped, right?" She rolled her eyes. "A lot of cultures used to do things we'd consider weird today. Including our own. And anyway, China is where our parents went after they left Africa, and Grace traveled there, too. The movie is even more proof that we're on the right track. Ours are the only two seats on this plane getting The Last Emperor. Somebody wanted us to see the Janus crest." "Yeah, but what if it was the competition sending us on a wild goose chase?" Dan asked. "Or the Madrigals, trying to…" The skin around his lips tightened to a grimace. "It's a chance we'll have to take," Amy decided. "At least we know our first stop in Beijing: the

Forbidden City, home to China's rulers a half century before Gideon Cahill was even born." Eyes on the prize. It made sense. It was also a very Madrigal way of thinking. The new Beijing terminal was one of the most advanced airport buildings in the world. It was ultramodern, yet distinctly Chinese, the curves of its soaring glass ceiling incorporating ancient colors and designs. "According to the guidebook, the whole place was inspired by the form of the Chinese dragon," Amy told her travel companions. Dan's eyes were set on the signs leading to baggage claim. "Let's hope the airline didn't send Saladin to Antarctica." The pet carrier circled a luggage carousel, partly hidden by much larger suitcases, boxes, and trunks. Outraged mewing could be heard halfway across the international arrivals lobby. Dan dug the carrier out from beneath a bag of golf clubs. He peered in at the cat. "Chill out, buddy."

He received a sharp mrrp of admonishment in return. As they left the baggage claim, the cat's agitation grew. He clawed nonstop at the mesh of the carrier. Amy was worried. "What's wrong with Saladin, Dan? Is he sick?" "He's probably just stir-crazy," Dan replied. "I'm going to cut him loose, let him stretch his legs." "You can't do that," Nellie protested. "We're in the middle of a crowded airport." But Dan had already sprung the door. Saladin burst from the carrier like he'd been shot out of a cannon, claws skittering on the tiles. He spun around, getting his bearings. Then, before their horrified eyes, he launched himself at a tall, lean older man seated on a nearby bench, reading a newspaper. "Saladin!" Amy gasped. "No!" A cry of shock escaped the victim, and he leaped to his feet, sending his hat flopping to the floor.

Dan grabbed the cat. Amy picked up the fallen hat and held it out to its owner. "Sorry, mister—" Her eyes fell on his diamond-handled walking stick. He accepted the hat with a sheepish smile. It was Alistair Oh, Cahill cousin and competitor in the search for the 39 Clues. "Ah, hello, children. You're looking well." The Egyptian Mau hissed at him from Dan's arms. "You were spying on us!" Amy accused. "Spying?" Uncle Alistair repeated. "No. I'm merely here to welcome you back to Asia and offer my assistance. The language barrier can be quite a hurdle in China, but my Mandarin is excellent." Nellie's eyes narrowed the way they always did when she suspected her charges were being taken advantage of. "And you're making this offer out of the goodness of your heart?" "Of course! Although"—Alistair's gracious smile began to seem slightly forced— "it would be an excellent opportunity to bring one another up to