James Frey - Sky Key

This book is a puzzle.

Decipher, decode, and interpret.

Search and seek.

If you’re worthy, you will find.

First published in hardback in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books 2015

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

Sky Key: An Endgame Novel © 2015 by Third Floor Fun, LLC.

Puzzle hunt experience by Futuruption LLC.

Additional character icon design by John Taylor Dismukes Assoc.,

a Division of Capstone Studios, Inc.

Cover design and logo by Rodrigo Corral Design

Additional logo and icon design by John Dismukes

Map art © 2015 GettyImages/chkkicx

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. You do not need to prove that you have purchased this book to enter. Copies of the book may be available to you through other resources, such as your local library. Contest begins 9:00 a.m. EST, October 20, 2015, and ends when the puzzle has been solved or on October 20, 2017, whichever is earlier. Open to ages 13 and older. Entrants under 18 must have consent from a parent or guardian. Void where prohibited. There are twelve prizes of $5,000.00, ten prizes of $8,000.00, one prize of $10,000.00 and one prize of $100,000.00. Sponsor: Third Floor Fun, LLC, 25 Old Kings Hwy N, Ste 13, PO Box #254, Darien, CT 06820-4608. For Contest details, prize description, and Official Rules, visit www.endgamerules.com

HarperCollins Publishers is not responsible for the design or operation of any contests related to Endgame, and is not the sponsor of any such contest.

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James Frey asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

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Source ISBN: 9780007585229

Ebook Edition ISBN: 9780007585243

Version: 2015-09-24

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Little Alice Chopra

Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt, Eben Ibn Mohammed Al-Jukan

Alice Ulapala

An Liu

Maccabee Adlai, Baitsakhan

Aisling Kopp

Jago Tlaloc, Sarah Alopay

Alice Ulapala

Shari Chopra and the Leaders of the Harappan Line

An Liu

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt, Eben Ibn Mohammed Al-Julan

An Liu

Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc

Aisling Kopp

Maccabee Adlai, Ekaterina Adlai

Sarah Alopay

Alice Ulapala

Aisling Kopp

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

All Players

Alice Ulapala, Maccabee Adlai, Ekaterina Adlai

Baitsakhan

Shari Chopra

An Liu

Jago Tlaloc, Sarah Alopay, Renzo

Aisling Kopp, Greg Jordan, Bridget McCloskey, Pop Kopp

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

Maccabee Adlai, Baitsakhan

Jago Tlaloc, Sarah Alopay

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt, Stella Vyctory

An Liu

Greg Jordan

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Bridget McCloskey, Griffin Marrs

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

Aisling Kopp, An Liu, Kilo Foxtrot Echo

Sarah Alopay

Jago Tlaloc

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

Maccabee Adlai, Baitsakhan

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Bridget McCloskey, Griffin Marrs

An Liu

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

An Liu

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Bridget McCloskey, Griffin Marrs

Jago Tlaloc

Maccabee Adlai, Baitsakhan

Shari Chopra and the Leaders of the Harappan Line

Sarah Alopay

Baitsakhan, Maccabee Adlai

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Bridget McCloskey, Griffin Marrs

Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc, Renzo, Maccabee Adlai, Baitsakhan

An Liu

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Bridget McCloskey, Griffin Marrs

Maccabee Adlai, Baitsakhan, Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc, Renzo

Aisling Kopp

Shari Chopra, Jamal Chopra, Jovinderpihainu Jha, Paru Jha

Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc, Renzo

Little Alice Chopra, Jamal Chopra

Sarah Alopay, Maccabee Adlai, Jago Tlaloc, Renzo, Baitsakhan

All Players

Little Bertha

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Bridget McCloskey, Griffin Marrs

Shari Chopra

Baitsakhan, Maccabee Adlai, Sarah Alopay, Renzo, Jago Tlaloc

Shari Chopra, Little Alice Chopra, Jamal Chopra

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Griffin Marrs

Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc

Little Alice Chopra

Shari Chopra

Baitsakhan

Maccabee Adlai

Sarah Alopay, Jago Tlaloc, Maccabee Adlai

Little Alice Chopra

Aisling Kopp, Pop Kopp, Greg Jordan, Griffin Marrs

Jago Tlaloc, Maccabee Adlai, Sarah Alopay, Aisling Kopp, Little Alice Chopra

Little Alice Chopra

Hilal Ibn Isa Al-Salt

Endnotes

Endgame Series

About the Publisher

i

90 days.

“Tarki, Tarki, Tarki …”

Clouds drift over the Himalayas, sun reflecting off their snowy slopes. Kanchenjunga, the world’s 3rd highest peak, looms over Gangtok. The city’s residents go about their day—working, shopping, eating, drinking, teaching, learning, laughing, smiling. One hundred thousand peaceful, unknowing souls.

Little Alice struts across her back lawn, blades of grass tickling her toes, the smell of a brushfire rising from the valley. Her fists are at her hips and her elbows jut behind her like wings. Her knees are bent, her head forward. She moves her elbows together, apart, together, apart, clacking and cawing like a peacock. She calls, “Tarki, Tarki, Tarki,” which is what they call the old peacock that’s lived with her family for the last 13 years. Tarki eyes the girl and does a half turn and ruffles his bright neck feathers and clacks back. His tail fans, and Little Alice dances with glee. She runs to Tarki. He takes off, Little Alice chasing.

The hard lines of Kanchenjunga are in the distance, hiding the Valley of Eternal Life below its frozen slopes.

Little Alice knows nothing of this valley, but Shari knows it intimately.

Little Alice follows Tarki to a rhododendron bush. She is less than a meter from the brilliant bird when he bows his head and blinks his eyes and scratches at something under the bush. The bird pushes into the leaves. Little Alice leans closer.