Alistair flipped the book to the correct page and started reading where they left off... Chapter 1
Dan Cahill thought he had the most annoying sister in the world.
Grace forced a smile, she didn't know why her grandchildren were in the book but she would've thought this line is the most normal thing in Cahill history.
And that was before she sat fire to two million dollars.
It all started when they went to their grandmother's funeral. Secretly, Dan was excited, because he was hoping to make a rubbing of her tombstone after anyone else was gone.
Hope and Arthur came back in with worried faces. They stared at Dan, shocked their son was thinking of that. Isabel stuck up her nose at the thought Ian and Natalie following her lead. Little Dan stuck out his tongue at them.
He figured out Grace wouldn't care. She'd been a cool grandmother.
Dan loved collecting things. He collected baseball cards, autographs of famous outlaws, Civil war weapons, rare coins, and every cast he'd ever had since kindergarten (all twelve of them).
Now everyone was staring at Dan who was playing happily on Grace's lap. Amy scooted a few centimeters away from her brother. Dweeb, she thought.
At the moment, what he liked collecting best were charcoal rubbing of tombstones. He had some awesome ones back at the apartment. His favorite read:
PRUELLA GOODE
1891-1929
I'M DEAD. LET'S HAVE A PARTY.
The room was silent in shock, though everyone (not including the Cobras, er sorry Kabras) inwardly laughed agreeing it was hilarious.
He figured if he had a rubbing of Grace's tombstone in his collection, maybe it wouldn't feel quite so much like she was gone forever.
Hope's eyes started welling up again but she blinked them away as Arthur put his arm around her. Grace was sad and happy that Dan cared for her so much but was going to be hurt after she was gone.
Anyway, the whole way from Boston to the funeral in Worcester Country, his great-aunt Beatrice
Hope and Grace frowned looking at the children, "Why are they with Aunt Beatrice?" Hope asked incredously and Arthur frowned he didn't know a Beatrice. Grace shrugged "Alistair, read so we can find out."
Alistair for a change complied to another Cahill's wish.
His great-aunt Beatrice was driving like a very slow lunatic. She went twenty-five miles an hour on the highway and kept drifting across lanes so the other cars honked and swerved and ran into guardrails and stuff. Aunt Beatrice just kept clutching the wheel with her jeweled fingers.
Everyone couldn't help but to shudder. Isabel looked disgusted, that many jewels was an outrage!
Her wrinkly face was made up with Day-Glo red lipstick and rough, which made her blue hair look even bluer. Dan wondered if she gave the other drivers nightmares about old clowns.
Even though they shouldn't the other Cahills excluding of course the Co-er Kabras and Irina let out a few laughs.
"Amy!" she snapped, as another SUV careened down the exit ramp because Beatrice had just pulled in front of it. "Stop reading in the car! It's not safe!"
They stared the book, Reading was unsafe but recklessly driving isn't? Grace rolled her eyes, Beactrice like always was such a hypocrite.
"But, Aunt Beatrice –"
"Young lady, close that book!"
Amy did, which was typical. She never put up a fight with adults. Amy had long reddish-brown hair, unlike Dan's, which was dark blond. This helped Dan pretend his sister was an alien imposter, but unfortunately they had the same eyes – green like jade, their grandmother used to say.
Eisenhower leaned forward until he could see Amy and Dan's eyes. "The book's right." His loud and deep voice bellowed. Mary-Todd lay a hand on her husband's shoulder "I'm sure it is dear, how about coming a bit back? The children look squished." Eisenhower grunted before falling back allowing Dan and Amy to once again breathe.
Amy was three years older and six inches taller then Dan, and she never let him forget it – like being fourteen was such a big deal.
Usually, she wore jeans and some old T-shirt because she didn't like people noticing her, but today she was wearing a black dress so she looked like a vampire's bride.
Irina rose a brow, an interesting description.
Dan hoped her outfit was as uncomfortable as his stupid suit and tie.
Hope and Arthur softly smiled at their son's antics. Tears forgotten Arthur picked Dan up who gave a cheeky grin.
Aunt Beatrice had thrown a fit when he tried to go to the funeral in his ninja clothes.
Cora rolled her eyes at the young Cahill's immaturity. Jonah will never act like that she promised herself.
Grace frowned, why was Beatrice in charge? She shrugged, maybe Hope and Arthur were too upset to take care of Amy and Dan.
It wasn't as if Grace would care if he was comfortable and deadly, the way he felt when he pretended to be a ninja, but of course Aunt Beatrice didn't understand. Sometimes it was hard to him to believe she and Grace were sisters.
"Remind me to fire your au pair as soon as we return to Boston," Beatrice grumbled. "You two have been entirely too spoiled."
"Nellie's nice!" Dan protested.
"Who's Nellie?" Broderick asked. Of course no one knew the answer.
"Hmph! This Nellie almost let you burn down the neighbor's apartment building!"
"Exactly!"
Eisenhower grinned, "You know your kid's turn'in out to be okay." hope and Arthur nodded unsure whether or not it was a compliment.
Every couple of weeks, Beatrice fired their au pair and hired a new one. The only good thing was that Aunt Beatrice didn't live with them personally. She lived across town in a building that didn't allow kids, so sometimes it took her a few days to hear about Dan's latest exploits.
Now Grace was getting worried. Every couple of weeks? They lived in an apartment across from her? Isabel scoffed "There's no building that doesn't allow kids. Dogs maybe, but not kids."
Nellie had lasted longer than the most.
Dan liked her because she made amazing waffles and she usually cranked her iPod up to brain-damage level.
She didn't even hear when Dan's bottle rocket collection went off and strafed the building across the alley.
"Irresponsible." Irina muttered.
Dan would miss Nellie when she got fired. Aunt Beatrice kept driving and muttered about spoiled children. Amy secretly went back to her huge book.
Grace smiled at her granddaughter. She shared her mother's love of reading.
The last two days' since they got the news about Grace's death, Amy had been reading more than usual. Dan knew it was her way of hiding, but he kind of resented it because it shut him out, too.
Mary-Todd frowned "They shouldn't be hiding like this."
"What are you reading this time?" he asked. "Medieval European Doorknobs? Bath Towels Through the Ages?"
Hope gave a soft smile, Dan was just like his father.
Amy gave him an ugly face – or Uglier-then-usual face.
Amy glared at her younger brother, even though he had no idea what was going on. Broderick smiled, he only wished Jonah could act like that too.
"None of your business, dweeb."
"You can't call a ninja lord dweeb. You have disgraced the family. You must commit seppuku."
Amy rolled her eyes.
Eisenhower frowned "The kid knows what seppuku is?" Then smiled "Oh yeah, that kid is definitely okay by us, right Holts?!" "YES SIR!" Grace was confused for a second before remembering that seppuku was created by the Tomas.
After a few more miles, the city melted into farmland. It started to look like Grace country, and even though Dan had promised himself he wouldn't get sappy, he began to feel sad. Grace had been the coolest ever.
Once again tears filled up in Hope's eyes.
She'd treated him and Amy like real people, not kids. That's why she'd insisted they simply called her Grace, not Grandmother or Gran or Nana or any silly name like that. She'd been one of the only people who'd cared about them.
Grace frowned "That doesn't sound right." Cora cut in "Grace if I remember correctly, then in the first chapter we read, it said "the children," and "their parents didn't" so if this book is about Amy and Dan, the parents might be Hope and Arthur." Isabel rolled her eyes that didn't help, it only brought more questions.
Now she was dead, and they had to go to the funeral and see a bunch of relatives who had never been nice to them...
The family cemetery sat at the bottom of the hill from the mansion. Dan thought it was kind of stupid they'd hired a hearse to carry Grace a hundred yards down the driveway. They could've put wheels on the coffin like they have on suitcases and that would've worked just as well.
The other Cahills rolled their eyes even though they agreed that Grace would've like that a lot better. "What?!" Grace yelled when everyone started staring at her, she sighed. "Alright, I guess I might have liked that."
Summer storm clouds rumbled overhead. The family mansion looked dark and gloomy on its hill, like a lord's castle. Dan loved the place, with its billion rooms and chimneys and stained glass windows.
He loved the family graveyard even more.
All the Cahills shuddered, what was there to like about graveyards? Well other than getting rid of your enemies of course.
A dozen crumbling tombstones spread out across a green meadow ringed in trees, right next to a little creek. Some of the stones were so old the writing had faded away. Grace and Amy would spend the afternoon on a picnic blanket, reading and talking, while Dan explored the graves and the woods and the creek.
Stop that, Dan told himself. You're getting sentimental.
"So many people," Amy murmured, as they walked down the driveway.
"You're not going to freak out, are you?
Amy fiddled the collar of her dress. "I'm – I'm not freaking out. I just –"
"You hate crowds," he finished. "But you knew there'd be a crowd. They come every year."
Grace noted something. When Madeline was in hiding she developed a fear of talking to crowds. Perhaps it was given on to her descendants.
Each winter, as long as Dan could remember, Grace had invited relatives from all over the world for a weeklong holiday. The mansion filled up with Chinese Cahills and British Cahills and South African Cahills and Venezuelan Cahills. Most of them didn't even go by the name Cahill, but Grace assured him they were all related. She'd explain about cousins and second cousins and cousins three times removed until Dan's brain started to hurt. Amy usually go hide in the library with the cat.
Grace smiled as said cat,who sat near her leg and glared at C-Kabras.
"I know," she said. "But… I mean, look at them all."
She had a point. All four hundred people were gathering at the grave site.
"They just want her fortune," Dan decided.
"Dan!"
"Well? It's true."
They just joined the procession when Dan suddenly got flipped upside down.
A look of confusion came on Broderick's face "What happened." No one could answer.
"Hey!" he yelled.
"Look, guys," a girl said, "We caught a rat!"
Dan wasn't in a good position to see, but he could make out the Holt sisters – Madison and Reagan – standing on either side of him, holding him by his ankles.
Look of confusion gone, and Eisenhower and Mary-Todd looked proud.
The twins had matching purple running suits, blond pigtails, and crooked smiles. They were only eleven, same as Dan, but they had no trouble holding him. Dan saw more purple running suits behind them – the rest of the Holt family. Their pit bull, Arnold raced around their legs and barked.
Yeah, those two were really proud.
"Let's fling him into the creek," Madison said.
"I wanna fling him into the bushes!" Reagan said. "We never do my ideas!"
Their older brother, Hamilton, laughed like an idiot.
Not so proud anymore.
Next to him, their dad, Eisenhower Holt, and their mom, Mary-Todd, grinned like this was all good fun.
"Now, girls," Eisenhower said. "We can't go flinging people at the funeral. This is a happy occasion!"
"Happy occasion?" Grace asked offended. Eisenhower looked at the book in surprise "I wouldn't-say..."
"Amy!" Dan called. "A little help here?"
Her face had gone pale. She mumbled, "Dr-dr-drop…"
Dan sighed in exasperation. "She's trying to say 'DROP ME'!"
Madison and Reagan did – on his head.
"Ow!" Dan Said.
"M-M-Madison!" Amy protested.
"Y-y-yes?" Madison mimicked. "I think all those books are turning your brain to mush, weirdo."
Eisenhower looked guilty at what his kids were doing. Just the slightest.
If it was anybody else, Dan would've hit back, but he knew better with the Holts. Even Madison and Reagan, the youngest, could cream him.
Forced smiles came on.
The whole Holt family was way too buff. They had meaty hands and thick necks and faces that looked like G.I. Joe figures. Even the mom looked like she should be shaving and chewing on a cigar.
Mary-Todd was a mixture of proudness and being offended.
"I hope you losers took a good last look around the house," Madison said. "You're not going to be invited back here anymore, now that the old witch is dead."
"Sorry," Eisenhower muttered.
"Rawf!" said Arnold the pit bull.
Dan looked around for Beatrice, but as usual she wasn't anywhere near them. She'd drifted of to talk to the other old people.
"Grace wasn't a witch," Dan said. "And we're going to inherit this place!"
The big brother, Hamilton, laughed. "Yeah, right." His hair was combed toward the middle so it stuck up like a shark fin. "Wait till they read the will, runt. I'm going to kick you out myself!"
"All right, team," the dad said, "Enough of this. Formation!"
The family lined up and started jogging toward the grave site, knocking other relatives out of their way as Arnold snapped at everyone's heels.
"Is your head okay?" Amy asked guiltily.
Dan nodded. He was a little annoyed Amy hadn't helped him, but there was no point complaining about that. She always got tongue-tied around other people. "Man, I hate the Holts."
"We've got worse problems." Amy pointed toward the grave site, and Dan's heart sank.
"The Cobras," he muttered.
Isabel frowned, "Who does he mean?"
Ian and Natalie Kabra were standing by Grace's coffin, looking like perfect little angels as they talked to the preacher. They wore matching designer mourning outfits that complemented their silky black hair and cinnamon-colored skin. They could've been child supermodels.
Isabel smirked at her children's description.
"They won't try anything during the funeral," Dan said "They're here for Grace's money like the rest of them. But they won't get it."
Amy frowned. "Dan… did you really believe what you said, about us inheriting the mansion?"
"Of course! You know Grace liked us the best. We spent more time with her than anybody."
"Amy sighed like Dan was too young to understand, which Dan hated.
Grace nodded remembering what Beatrice was like.
"Come in," she said. "We might as well get this over with." And together they waded into the crowd.
The funeral was a blur to Dan. The minister said some stuff about ashes. They lowered the coffin into the ground. Everybody tossed in a shovelful of dirt. Dan thought the mourners enjoyed this part too much, especially Ian and Natalie.
The other Cahills rolled their eyes, like parents like children.
He recognized a few more relatives: Alistair Oh, the old Korean dude
Alistair looked hurt at his description. Grace laughed "Alistair please continue reading."
with the diamond-tipped walking stick who always insisted they will call him Uncle;
Still unhappy with his description, held said diamond-tipped walking stick and continued in a upset voice.
the Russian lady Irina Spasky, who had a twitch in one eye so everybody called her Spaz behind her back;
"Russian lady, Spaz?" Irina asked. The others looked away.
the Starling triplets – Ned, Ted, and Sinead, who looked like part of cloned Ivy League lacrosse team. Even that kid from television was there.
He stood to one side, getting his picture taken with a bunch of girls, and there was a line of people waiting to talk yo him. He was dressed just like on TV, with lots of silver chains and bracelets, ripped jeans, and a black muscle shirt (which was kind of stupid, since he didn't have any muscles). An older African-American guy in a business suit stood behind him, punching notes in a BlackBerry. Probably Jonah's dad. Dan heard that Jonah Wizard was related to the Cahills, but he'd never seen him in person before. He wondered if he should get an autograph for his collection.
Cora and Broderick looked upset and Jonah's and his description. "Flattering, isn't he." Cora muttered.
After the service, a guy in a charcoal-gray suit stepped to the podium. He looked vaguely familiar to Dan. The man had a long pointed nose and a balding head. He reminded Dan of a vulture.
Grace laughed "On second thought maybe it was a good thing William isn't here."
"Thank you all for coming," he said gravely. "I am William McIntyre, Madame Cahill's lawyer and executor."
"Executor?" Dan whispered to Amy. "He killed her?"
Cue eyes rolls. Even for Dan that was stupid. the other Cahills thought based on their descriptions.
"No, you idiot," Amy whispered back. "That means he's in charge of her will."
"If you will look inside your programs," William McIntyre continued, "some of you will find a gold invitation card."
Excited murmuring broke out as four hundred people leafed through their programs. Then most of them cursed and shouted complaints when they found nothing. Dan ripped through his program. Inside was a card with a gold-leafed border. It read:
Dan and Amy Cahill are hereby invited to the
reading of
the last will and testament of Grace Cahill
WHERE
The Great Hall, Cahill Manor
WHEN
Now
"I knew it!" Dan said.
"I assure you," Mr. McIntyre said, raising his voice above the crowd, "the invitations were not done randomly, I apologize to those of you who were excluded. Grace Cahill meant you no disrespect. Of all of the members of the Cahill clan, only a few were chosen as the most likely."
The crowed started yelling and arguing. Finally, Dan couldn't stand it anymore. He called out, "Most likely to what?"
"In your case, Dan," Ian Kabra muttered right behind him, "to be a stupid American git."
Isabel looked proud and Ian smirked. Dan glared and stuck his tongue out. Amy watched the scene happen and was surprised her brother understood what was happening.
His sister, Natalie, giggled. She was holding an invitation and looked very pleased with herself.
Before Dan could kick Ian in a soft spot,
Alistair couldn't help it, he laughed. So did everyone else except of course the Kabras.
the grey gray-suited guy answered. "To be the beneficiaries of Grace Cahill's will. Now, if you please, those with invitations will gather in the Great Hall."
People with invitations hurried toward the house like somebody had just yelled, "Free food!"
Natalie Kabra winked at Dan. "Ciao, cousin. Must run collect our fortune."
Then she and her brother strolled up the drive.
"Forget them," Amy said. "Dan, maybe you're right. Maybe we'll inherit something."
But Dan frowned. If the invitation was such a great thing, why did the lawyer guy look so grim? And why had Grace included the Kabras?
As he passed through the main entrance of the mansion, Dan glanced at the stone crest above the door – a large C surrounded by four smaller designs – a dragon,
Alistair straightened as he read.
a bear,
The Holts grinned with pride.
a wolf
Cora looked extremely pleased
and two snakes entwined around a sword.
Isabel looked as proud as ever. Maybe more.
The crest always fascinated Dan, though he didn't know what it meant. All the animals seemed to glare at him, like they were about to strike. He followed the crowd inside, wondering why the animals were so mad.
Grace's eyes widened that was true, and a good analysis for someone who doesn't even know about it.
The great hall was as big as a basketball court, with tons of armor and swords lining the walls and huge windows that looked like Batman could crash through them any minute.
William McIntyre stood at a table in front with a projector screen behind him, while everybody else flied into rows of seats. There were about forty people in all, including the Holts and the Kabras and Aunt Beatrice, who looked completely disgusted to be there – or maybe she was just disgusted that everybody else had been invited to her sister's will reading.
Mr. McIntyre raised his hand for quite. He slipped a document from a brown leather folder, adjusted his bifocals, and began to read: "'I, Grace Cahill, being of sound of mind and body, do hereby divide my entire estate among those who accept the challenge and those who do not.'"
"Whoa," Eisenhower Holt interrupted, "What challenge? What's she mean?"
"I am getting into that' sir," Mr. McIntyre cleared his throat and continued: "'You have been chosen as the most likely to succeed in the greatest, most perilous undertaking of all time – a quest of vital importance to the Cahill family and the world at large.'"
Isabel rolled her eyes "The clue hunt isn't perilous." The others deadpanned at Isabel's words.
Forty people started talking at once, asking questions and demanding answers.
"'Perilous undertaking?'" Cousin Ingrid shouted. "What is she talking about?"
"I thought this was about money!" Uncle Joseyelled. "A quest? Who does she think we are? We're Cahills, not adventurers!"
Cora rolled her eyes. Was Jose really part of the Janus?"
Dan noticed Ian and Natalie Kabra exchange a meaningful look. Irina Spasky whispered something in Alistair Oh's ear, but most of the other spectators looked as confused as Dan felt.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please," Mr. McIntyre said, "If you will direct your attention to the screen, perhaps Madame Cahill can explain thing better then I."
Dan's heart did a flip-flop. What was Mr. McIntyre talking about? Then a projector on the ceiling hummed to life. The shouting in the room died down as Grace's image flickered on the screen.
She was sitting up in bed with Saladin on her lap. She wore a black dressing gown, like she was a mourner at her own funeral, but she looked healthier than the last time Dan had seen her. Her complexion was pink. Her face and hands didn't look as thin. The video must've been months ago, before her cancer got bad. Dan got a lump in his throat. He had a crazy urge to call to her: Grace, It's me! It's Dan!
Grace's eyes softened.
But of course it was just an image. He looked at Amy and saw a tear trickling down the base of her nose.
"Fellow Cahill," Grace said, "If you are watching this, is means I am dead, and I have decided to use my alternate will.
Isabel looked at her "What was the original will?" Grace shrugged.
No doubt you are arguing amongst yourselves and giving poor Mr. McIntyre a hard time about this contest I have instituted." Grace gave the camera a dry smile. "You always were a stubborn bunch. For once, close your mouths and listen."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Eisenhower Holt protested, but his wife shushed him.
Eisenhower looked annoyed at himself in the future.
"I assure you," Grace continued, "this contest is no trick. It is deadly serious business. Most of you know you belong to the Cahill family, but many of you may not realize just how important our family is. I tell you the Cahills have had a greater impact on human civilization than any other family in the history."
More confused shouting broke out. Irina Spasky stood up and yelled, "Silence! I wish to hear!"
Irina gave a soft smile. It was nice to hear they listened to her.
"My relatives," Grace's image said, "you stand on the brink of our greatest challenge. Each of you has the potential to succeed. Some of you may decide to form a team with other people in this room to pursue the challenge. Some of you nay prefer to take up the challenge alone. Most of you, I'm afraid, will decline the challenge and run away with your tails between your legs.
Only one team will succeed, and each of you must sacrifice your share of the inheritance to participate."
She held up a manila envelope sealed with red wax. Her eyes were bright and hard as steel. "If you accept, you shall be given the first of thirty-nine clues. These clues will lead you to a secret, which, should you find it, will make you the most powerful, influential human beings on the planet. You will realize the destiny of the Cahill family. I now beg you all to listen to Mr. McIntyre. Allow him to explain the rules. Think long and hard before you make your choice." She stared straight into the camera, and Dan wanted her to say something special to them: Dan and Amy, I'll miss you most of all. Nobody else in this room really matters to me. Something like that.
Grace looked sorry and confused at the same time. Why didn't Dan mention his parents?
Instead, Grace said, "I'm counting on you all. Good luck, and good-bye."
The screen went dark. Amy gripped Dan's hand. Her fingers were trembling. To Dan, it felt like they'd just lost Grace all over again. Then everyone around them started talking at once.
"Greatest family in the history?" Cousin Ingrid yelled. "Is she crazy?"
"Stubborn?" Eisenhower Holt shouted. "She called us stubborn?"
"William!" Alistair Oh's voice rose above the rest. "Just a moment! There are some people here I don't recognize, people who may not even be members of the family. How do we know –"
"If you are in this room, sir," Mr. McIntyre said, "you are a Cahill. Whether your surname is Cahill or not doesn't matter. Everyone here has Cahill blood."
"Even you, Mr. McIntyre?" Natalie Kabra asked in her silky British accent.
The old lawyer flushed. "Tat, miss, is beside the point, Now, if I might be allowed to finish –"
"But what's this about sacrificing our heritance?" Aunt Beatrice complained. "Where's the money? It's just like my sister to come up with some foolishness!"
"Beatrice cares so much." Grace lamented sarcastically.
"Madame," Mr. McIntyre said, "you may certainly decline the challenge. If you do, you will receive what is under your chair."
Immediately, forty people felt around under their chairs. Eisenhower Holt was so anxious he picked up Reagan's chair with her still on it.
Eisenhower shrugged.
Dan discovered an envelope under his, stuck on with tape. When he opened it, he found a green slip of paper with a bunch of numbers and the words ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND. Amy had one, too. So did everybody else in the room.
"What you now hold is a bank voucher," Mr. McIntyre explained. "It shall only be activated if and when renounce your claim to the challenge. If you choose, each of you may walk out of this room with one million dollars and never have to think about Grace Cahill or her last wishes again. Or… you may choose a clue – a single clue that will be your only inheritance. No money. No property. Just a clue that might lead you to the most important treasure in the world and make you powerful beyond belief…"
William's gray eyes seemed to settle on Dan particularly. "… or it might kill you.
One million dollars or the clue. You have five minutes to decide."
"Well isn't that an easy decision?" Mary-Todd asked rolling her eyes. Alistair closed the book "That was end of the chapter." Broderick took the book "I'll read." Suddenly the doorbell rang. Grace and everyone else were surprised no one else knew of this then? Grace got up to open the door...
Well, the first chapter of many. I'm going to try my best to upload every week or so. This is my first 39 clues fic so please let me know if I get something wrong. Again I do not own the 39 Clues at all. Review this chapter, (really helps with updates) and I'll be seeing you around. By the way you can check out my other account CelestialTitania for my other stories. Especially if you're a Percy Jackson fan or Fairy Tail fan.
~Sakuya~