(Author's Note: Sorry for the large time gap between updates, guys! Sorry! Please read & review! Big quotes from the Maze of Bones. More than 90% of quotes belong to Mr. Rick Riordan! Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues, or Rick Riordan's words!)
Chapter 9
No Pain, No Gain
"What did he just say?" Uncle José turned to Cousin Phyllis.
"I don't rightly know," she whispered back. Uncle José cupped his hands around his mouth and stood up from his seat.
"I thought this was about the money!" he yelled," A quest? Who does she think we are? We're Cahills, not adventurers!"
Hamilton Holt turned to Uncle José and shushed him. Uncle José closed his mouth tight; he didn't like the size of Hamilton's muscles.
About forty other Cahills bellowed in agreement of Uncle José's words.
Irina Spasky tried to inconspicuously whisper something to Alistair Oh, but it did not go unnoticed by Hamilton Holt. He also noticed Ian and Natalie Kabra look pointedly at each other.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please," Mr. McIntyre spoke. "If you will direct your attention to the screen, perhaps Madame Cahill can explain things better than I." The old lawyer indicated to a projector screen on the ceiling of the Great Hall. All Cahills went silent and had to crane their necks to view the whole projection.
The screen flickered to life to show the late Grace Cahill. She sat on her bed with her cat on her lap and she smiled at the camera expectantly.
"Fellow Cahills…" she began slowly.
"Mom, I have to go to the bathroom!" Madison whined.
"Shhh, Mad, I can't hear!" Reagan complained.
"Girls, shut up!" Hamilton hissed. He could barely hear any of the tape.
"Yeah, Reagan, shut up!" Madison whispered a bit louder than Hamilton would have liked.
"No, you shut up!" Reagan growled. Hamilton flicked them both on the back of the neck and told them to be quiet again. He tried to focus on the tape.
"…close your mouths and listen." Grace smiled.
"See," Madison whispered to Reagan," even the old dead lady wants to shut up!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" her father protested. Hamilton stifled a laugh when his mom shushed him. Hamilton turned back to the projection screen. From what he could gather, and that wasn't much, considering his sisters' constant bickering, was that Grace Cahill had devised a hunt for some stuff that could lead to some mucho power things because the whole Cahill family had mucho power and stuff. Something along the lines of that. Oh and there would be teams.
Hamilton rubbed his hands together happily; this was his kind of game. Destroying those who lie in your path to winning? That was his favorite.
"Stubborn?" his father yelled, outraged. "She called us stubborn?"
Hamilton smirked at his father. He closed his eyes and tried to think about how great it would feel when he won as more shouts came bounding towards Mr. McIntyre. Hamilton heard the voices, but he was consumed in his own thoughts.
Alistair Oh spoke. I'd get my own private gym… Mr. McIntyre replied. I'd have all the girls… Natalie Kabra spoke. I could get a helicopter… Mr. McIntyre responded. I could move away from my family… Next, one shrill voice stood out among the rest.
"But what's this about sacrificing our inheritance?" an old woman complained. "Where's the money? It's just like my sister to come up with some foolishness!" Hamilton shook his head and looked to the voice. He shuddered. It was batty old Beatrice Cahill.
"Madam," Mr. McIntyre spoke slowly, "you may certainly decline the challenge. If you do, you will receive what is under your chair."
The second the words left Mr. McIntyre's lips, everyone in the room anxiously felt underneath their chairs. Hamilton watched in amusement as his father picked up Reagan's chair as she still sat in it. She screamed as her father ripped the taped envelope off from beneath her chair. Hamilton reached under his chair and found an envelope identical to the ones his family waved around enthusiastically.
"What you hold now is a bank voucher," Mr. McIntyre informed. "It shall be activated if and when you renounce your claim to the challenge. If you so choose, each of you may walk out of this room with one million dollars and never have to think of Grace Cahill or her last wishes again. Or… you may choose a clue-a single clue that might lead you to the most important treasure in the world and make you powerful beyond belief…"
Hamilton watched as Mr. McIntyre's eyes settled on the Cahill siblings. "…or it might kill you. One million dollars or the clue. You have five minutes to decide."
"It is time," Mr. McIntyre's old voice sounded over the room. "I must warn you that once the choice is made, there is no turning back. Not changing minds."
"Wait a moment, William," Alistair Oh stood, leaning on his sparkling cane. "This isn't fair. We know almost nothing about the challenge. How are we to judge whether or not it is worth the gamble?" Alistair sat back down, but he still held the attention of the room.
Mr. McIntyre pursed his lips at Alistair's question. "I am limited in what I can say, sir. You know that the Cahill family is very large… very old. It has many branches. Some of you, until today, did not even realize you were Cahills. But as Madame Cahill said in her video address, this family has been instrumental in shaping human civilization. Some of the most important figures in history have been Cahills."
A buzz of excitement sped through the room.
"Historical figures?" Hamilton turned to see his dad with hands cupped around his mouth to make himself heard, "Like who?"
The old lawyer cleared his throat. "Sir, you would be hard-pressed to name a major historical figure in the last few centuries who was not a member of this family."
Cahills left and right began shouting out suggestions.
Mr. McIntyre calmly answered each outburst with a 'yes'. The crowd was stunned silent.
Hamilton had to strain his ears to hear the rest of what Mr. McIntyre had to say; his family just couldn't keep their mouths shut for one second!
Cahills accepted the challenge. Others, Beatrice Cahill, for instance, declined. Mr. McIntyre pronounced Natalie and Ian Kabra as Team One. Hamilton gazed up at his monstrosity of a father, knowing he wouldn't like that.
"Hey!" Eisenhower Holt objected. "Our whole family's taking the challenge! We want to be Team One!"
Hamilton joined his sisters in the shouting of "We're number one!" only half-heartedly. His sisters didn't really notice. Hamilton's shouting increased when the family's pit bull, Arnold, began to jump in the air and bark. Hamilton laughed and shouted with his family.
"Very well, Mr. Holt. Your family's vouchers, please. You shall be Team… uh, you shall also be a team," Mr. McIntyre tried weakly to reach somewhat of a compromise. The Holt family's five million-dollar vouchers when up in smoke in exchange for one envelope encasing the first clue of thirty-nine. Reagan Holt bumped Amy Cahill's shoulder as she and her family made their way back to their seats.
"No pain, no gain, wimp!" she said. Hamilton laughed. Amy's cheeks burned.
The Holts waited excitedly as more Cahills gave up their millions. Alistair Oh, the Starling triplets, Irina Spasky, Jonah Wizard and his father, and lastly, the Amy and Dan Cahill, became teams.
After all Cahills were either instant millionaires or members of the Hunt, Grace's old lawyer announced," You may now open your envelopes."
The Holt family eagerly tore open their envelope, as did the other teams. The Holt clan gazed wordlessly at the confusing clue:
RESOLUTION:
The fine print to guess,
Seek out Richard S_.
(Author's Note: Thank you for reading, please review! ;D )