Gathering the Clans
An Unofficial 39 Clues Novella
Cassandra DayPrefaceHollywood. Alcratz. Area 51. Fort Knox. Manhattan. Attleboro. Charlottesville. The Bermuda Triangle. Mariana Trench. The United States Clue locations. Janus, Tomas, Lucian, Lucian, Madrigal, Madrigal, Janus, Ekaterina, Tomas. Nine Clues I desperately needed.
The Tomas and Janus ones would be simple enough. Lucian though…..difficult. Having to break into Area 51 and Fort Knox, two of the USA's most guarded government bases ever, were not good ideas. Neither was trying to get Madrigal ones.
A shudder raced down my body at the thought. Lucians were terrible, but they were nothing compared to Madrigals….
Two years later, after the Clue hunt….
I gritted my teeth when I heard the ring. It was unavoidable. If I didn't answer this one, they'd soon send another. And another. Again and again until I responded. There was no point in waiting.
"Call from Cahill Command Center, Attleboro, Massachusetts, Sinead Starling, to Salt Lake City, Utah, Cassandra Day. Accept, deny, or ignore?" a robotic voice said.
My throat was dry, so I swallowed. "Accept."
A beep came in response. An image flickered onto the screen. A redheaded girl teenager with her hands clasped and leaning back in a chair.
"Hello, Cassandra Jade Cahill Day. Also Alyssa Prince, Lorean Macallin, Kristy London, and many more aliases," she said.
I glared at her. "How'd you find me so fast? Most of my information is classified."
She shrugged. "Wasn't that hard to look up a genius author that's a Tomas on the Message Board."
I continued to glare and muttered, "Ekats and their inventions."
"You know what I'm going to ask, don't you?"
I nodded.
"Then your first assignment is to go to the LA stronghold. You have high security clearance, thanks to the fact of your mother. Keep acting as if you aren't Tomas. Then go to Alcratz and do the same. I suspect you'll have the most trouble there, despite your ranking. You Tomas are the stubbornest of the Cahills."
"Half Janus. And it's true. Tomas put the first man on the moon, not you Ekats," I replied.
"I'm sending all the information you need to know now. Check your fax machine and iPhone. Wanted to make sure you got it."
"Thanks, Sinead. But you now it's not going to that easy. The clans have been squabbling before they were founded."
"Oh, rubbish. I'm already working on it."
"Hello? Earth to Sinead? Or if that's what you're thinking, sky to Sinead? Only the younger generation has united. Even those agent-authors recording the events don't trust each other that well-"
"You'll find everything, as I said before." She turned to another monitor. "We've been talking too long. Contact me later and I'll send in back-up, supplies-whatever you need."
"I already have local contacts-"
"Bye! Text me in Japanese!"
The screen went black. Great. Just great.
I didn't even bother glancing at the fax, I just burnt it. My custom-made Cahill iPhone had a special (Cahills only) app, the Mission, along with the Cahill Web, the 39 Clues, CliqueMe, Cahill Command Center and some other cool ones.
Quickly reading it, I texted Sinead:
あなたは、完全に、どういうわけか、間違いなく狂牛病します。この計画が不正です。私はあなたのおかげで死ぬつもりです。くださいすぐに対応して大きく修正します。
(Translation [Japanese]:
You are completely, inexplicably, undoubtedly mad. This plan is rigged. I'm going to die thanks to you. Please respond immediately and heavily revise.)
I got the text back in less a minute.
Grazie. Nel caso in cui il discendente di orso ha dimenticato, pazza significa anche genio. Svolgere. È fail-safe. Fidati di me. Fallo e basta. E mi lasciano da solo così posso lavorare.
(Translation [Italian]:
Thank you. In case the bear descendant has forgotten, mad also means genius. Carry it out. It's fail-safe. Trust me. Just do it. And leave me alone so I can work.)
Angry, I tapped out another text.
Din sarkasm är irriterande. Varför ska jag lita på er? Dragon och Björn har aldrig blandas, sedan första dragon's svek att första björnen.
(Translation [Swedish]:
Your sarcasm is annoying. Why should I trust you? Dragon and bear have never mixed well, since first dragon's betrayal to first bear.)
It came just as fast.
Bu dallar arasında "ektomaluja" yapın ve v durdurmak için çalışıyor olması gerekiyordu?
(Translation [Turkish]:
Aren't you supposed to be one that's trying to do "EKTOMALUJA" between branches and stop the V?)
That was it. She got me. I typed:
fine. u win. dont expect a stat rpt til wed.
-HorseDelighted2
Chapter1
The sky was a deep, deep blue and wind swept across the landscape, bending long stalks of grass over until they nearly touched the ground.
I gritted my teeth as the salty California air pushed against me. It was not making my sneak to the Janus stronghold any easier.
See, the LA stronghold was located underneath the Hollywood sign. Then Janus have been a major presence in Hollywood since the birth of film in the 1910s. Because of it, they built a stronghold there.
My legs trudged toward one of the "O's", knowing there was the secret entrance. I stood before and let the retina scanner play over me. "Retina accepted. Cassandra Jade Cahill Day, daughter of Mariana Cahill Day, father unknown, high-ranking. To prove you are a Janus, you must answer this question: What Lucian clue was stolen by the Janus, whom and when?" chirped the robotic woman's voice.
"Blood, by Gervais Raoul Lufbery in World War 1, the Eiffel Tower of Paris, France," the words rolled off my tongue.
"Correct. Welcome home, Janus." The secret elevator was revealed from behind a panel. I stepped in and the door closed shut. Lights flickered on. The Janus crest, the wolf, showed up on just about everything. It was carved and had gold plating all over it, the wolf emblazed in a bright emerald. Elevator music came on as I pushed for my floor.
"Hello, art-lovers! I'm Houston Timberlake, your host. If you have a request for a song, just text me at Janus-Radio or drop by my studio. Next up is "The Wolf's Howl" or more commonly known as "The Creature Within" by Cassandra Day, AKA Kristy London, one of your latest, most hip music artists of this time, among other things. And we're playing it the Janus version. You wanna see both versions; just check it up on the official Janus web. This is Janus Radio. All Janus, all the time."
A shiver crawled up my back. A few years ago when I was more interested in my Janus side, I wrote this. It included some real, sweet wolf howls I recorded. I had written it up, sung it, recorded, and released it to the music world. I had no idea they liked it! And so odd on that it was about to be played when I'm entering the stronghold….
"When I see the full Moon in all its glory, I feel a tugging sensation from within. I find myself Howling blood-chillingly (to Humans) at the Moon. I can tell my senses got sharper and I'm down on all fours. I've got a longer nose, pricked up ears, razor-sharp claws, coarse paws, and glistening, silky fur. My dazzling, emerald eyes are the same, except glinting with a cleverness and wildness I always try to conceal. I am a Wolf…."
My body swayed to the music and I sang it along with the radio, perfectly. The Moon was representing inspiration, howling as art, humans are supposed to be non-Janus, and wolf is Janus. It's meant to be saying how awesome it is to be a Janus.
The elevator halted and dinged, the doors sliding open. iPhone in hand, I walked out.
"I am a Beast, a Monster; at least that's how They picture me. Everyone fears me, thinking I'm a ghastly omen. To Them, my cunning is frightening and my shape-shifting unnatural, dubbing me supernatural.
I hide a secret life. The life of being free, untamed, hunting, tracking, leading and ruling my pack and the world…."
Steven Spielberg strode by. "Good song. You're in the finals of getting the position of Amy in The 39 Clues, the movie!" I nodded.
Dozens of text buzzed on my device.
JustinBieberFever: sweet. c u 'round?
The3JonasBros: could use u in r songs.
HannahMontana/MileyCyrus: good thng u didnt write cahill. Wolf rules over all.
Jonah"TheWiz"Wizard: fosho, Miley. She got some mad, mad skills. does it matter if she write wolf or cahill? no. gr8 job, grl!
CORAWIZARD: C ME ASAP. NO EXCUSES. MY OFFICE. DAWDLING-RESIGNATION FROM VOTING POLLS & STATUS.
My throat tightened when I read Cora's text. Hardly anything good would come out of it. But I continued on my way.
The beat continued. "I despise trying to pass off as a Human. Their ruthless ways of modernism is leaving the Earth in Chaos, wrecking its Heart and Soul of Charity and Living (and they call me a monster!). No longer believing in Magic and the Good and Evil, Light and Darkness, from it. The Key to saving Earth."
Passing several exhibits and offices, I made my way to a big, artistically covered door. The light was on. I knocked twice.
"Enter," barked a voice from inside and I entered the wolf's den.
Chapter 2"How I long for the Night of the Full Moon. On that Wonderous Day, I tremble with eagerness. It's the only time I can release myself at Dusk for all Night, under the Moon's beams, until Dawn and become what I truly am. A Wolf." The track ended with a chorus of wolf howls, beautifully bringing the song to a close, just as I wrote and planned it.