28 Chapter 28

Chapter 28 "Now then," said Mr. Lemoncello, "are you ready to play Risking Everything for Five Little Library Cards?" Kyle swallowed hard. Then he nodded. "All right, you Maniac Magees, here is your picture puzzle. The category is Famous Quotes. You have sixty seconds to solve this rebus." "Wait a second," said Akimi. "What's a rebus?" "You figure out the words in a phrase by looking at pictures and symbols," said Kyle.

"For instance," added Miguel, "the letters 'R' and 'E' plus a picture of a school bus would equal 'rebus.' " "Oh. Okay," said Akimi. "If you guys say so." "Are you ready to play?" asked Mr. Lemoncello. Kyle looked at his teammates, who nodded. "Yes, sir." "Then on your mark … get set … go, dog, go!" Mr. Lemoncello's image disappeared. Ticktock clock music started playing. The video screens all projected the same picture:

"We're officially dead," said Akimi. "Fifty-five seconds," said Mr. Lemoncello.

"Okay, we break it up four ways," said Kyle. "The first and third rows are similar, I'll do them." "I'll do the last one," said Akimi. "I'll take the second row," said Miguel. "I'm four," said Sierra. "Fifty seconds," said Mr. Lemoncello. Everyone went to work. "Mine is some guy hitting himself in the thumb but with a 'gr' and an 'o'?" muttered Akimi. "Then the male symbol where the 'le' equals 'rx'? 'Marx'? Does that make sense? Hello? Kyle? Is my second half 'Marx'?" Kyle didn't answer. He was too busy deciphering his own clue lines. " 'Outlet,' change the 'let' to 'side,' " he mumbled. " 'Golf' minus the 'g' and the 'l.' The letter 'A.' " "Forty seconds." " 'Dog.' " He dropped to the third line. He just needed the first word. " 'Bowling pins' without the 'p' but add an 'ide.' " "Thirty seconds." Kyle glanced at Miguel. He was moving his lips, mouthing out his part of the quote. Sierra, too.

"You guys ready?" Kyle whispered. "Hang on," said Miguel. "Twenty seconds." "Okay. Go." Kyle read the first line: " 'Outside of a dog …' " Miguel picked up the thread: " '… a book is man's best friend.' " Kyle continued. " 'Inside of a dog …' " Sierra took over. " '… it's too dark to read.' " Akimi brought them home: " 'Groucho Marx!' " "Is that your final answer?" asked Mr. Lemoncello. "Yes," said Kyle, and then he repeated the entire quote: " 'Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.'—Groucho Marx." Bells rang. Chaser lights flashed. The audience went wild. Akimi and Sierra actually squealed and hugged each other. "You are correct!" shouted Mr. Lemoncello. "There's no dead end in Norvelt, not today! Take

those five library cards, Team Kyle! You won them fair and square!" Charles and Andrew heard a commotion on the third floor. Bells ringing. An audience whooping it up. Girls squealing. "Come on," said Charles. They raced up the stairs and peeked into the Electronic Learning Center. Kyle Keeley and his teammates were all hugging each other and slapping high fives. On every video screen in the game room, Charles could see a pictogram puzzle. "What's going on in there?" whispered Andrew. "They might be gaining on us," Charles whispered back. "We need to pick up our pace. Quick—where would I find a book called Hoosier Hospitality written by Eve Healy Aresty?" "The nine hundreds room." "Let's go." Charles and Andrew scurried back to the second floor and the 900s room.