Patrick Carman - The Black Circle - 39 Clues 05

It was moving a thousand times a second, creating a 2-D hologram of a snake as it slid along the stones.

"NRR has some cool toys," said Dan as the snake cleared the rail and arrived on the palace wall behind them."It's jumped the street!" said Amy.

"We're going to lose it!"The snake was moving faster now. It flew past the main door, along a row of windows, then crawled up the wall to the second story. When it hit the third window from the end, it slithered back and forth along the sill.Amy glanced back in the direction of the window across the river. It made her nervous to think that someone was probably watching them through binoculars.

"Come on," Amy whispered, tearing her attention back to the palace. "I bet that window's our way inside.”

Dan and Amy stood below the window, which was a good ten feet over their heads. The palace wall was as flat as a pancake."Even Spider-Man couldn't climb this thing," said Dan."Oh, yes he could," said Amy.

The orange snake had moved up another level, where a third row of windows hung low over a decorative facade. When the snake stopped, they heard a pop from the other side of the river.

A split second later, something hit the facade and a spark flew."That thing is attached to a gun!" said Amy."Not a gun," Dan corrected her.

"A gun would have been way louder. Look!"A coil of rope was falling from where the snake had been.

It rolled all the way down the side of the wall and dangled straight over the window they were to enter."Sweet!" said Dan."Dan, wait!" said Amy. She could hear a couple talking as they passed by, and a set of headlights was coming toward them."Just act casual," said Amy. "Pretend it's not there."Dan and Amy started walking away from the rope until they passed the couple, nodding hello as they went.

The car moved on as well.

"Um, Amy," said Dan. "Yeah?""I think NRR wants us to get up that rope right now."Dan was staring down at his own heart, where the orange snake had come to rest."The coast must be clear.

He can see a lot better than we can from up there. Come on!"Amy went first, holding the rope as she walked up the wall to the wide windowsill."Hurry, Dan!"Amy pushed on the window, and it opened like a door on hinges. She darted through, leaning her head out to watch for cars as Dan pulled himself up.

"Headlights!" she said, grabbing Dan by his hoodie and yanking him inside. Dan lost his balance and toppled inside onto the marble floor, bashing his knee and howling in pain."Shhhhh!" said Amy, closing the window behind them. "There might be a security guard in the palace."

"I can't help it if you tried to break my neck getting in here!"Dan stood up and tried to put pressure on his knee. "I'm going to have a monster bruise, but everything's still working. Where to now?""The main floor in the east wing," said Amy. "This way."

Amy had already scanned the guidebook and figured out the general location of the Rasputin exhibit. They passed through darkened rooms filled with expensive art and furniture."Looks like these royals liked nice stuff," said Dan.

"The Yusupovs were known for their good taste. They spent millions on redecorating and rebuilding projects."As they made their way down a wide flight of purple-velvet-carpeted stairs, Amy heard a thump behind them."Did you hear that?" she asked."I think someone followed us in here. Hurry!"Amy and Dan bolted down the stairs and turned a hard right.

They passed under a tall archway and hung a left, ending up in front of a roped-off hallway."This is it," said Amy. She ducked under the rope and Dan followed. Another turn to the left and they arrived in an open, dimly lit room.

It was as if they'd stepped back in time to witness a murder. Everything from the night of Rasputin's death was meticulously re-created. There were sculptures and pictures, and best of all, two rooms with life-size wax figures.

"There he is," said Amy. In a room behind a yellow rope, Rasputin was sitting down at a table, eating the poisoned cakes that had been set before him."Come on, Dan. The trail leads to Rasputin. I'll check his pockets."

“I'll check under the table."Amy braced herself and then reached into the thick black robes, her face just inches from Rasputin's wax head with its bushy beard and fixed, staring eyes.A deep Russian voice behind her said,

"You have made a grave error in coming here."* * *

Dan tried to stand up from under the table and banged his head, sending saucers and cups clinking in the quiet room."Come away from there, both of you."Dan recognized the voice immediately.

"Irina! What are you doing here?""Children do not outsmart me in my own country.

"Dan looked at Amy and tried, without much luck, to read her frightened face. Did you get anything?"Come, show me what you have found," said Irina.

"I do not plan to hurt you."Even in the shadowy light, Dan could see Irina was in her usual cheerless mood. He didn't trust her for one second."I think we'll stay right here if you don't mind," said Amy."Suit yourself. But you do not leave without answering a few questions. And you will give me what you have found."

Dan didn't have the map NRR had given them, and he wondered when Amy was going to spring it on Irina.

What's she waiting for?"Who is helping you?" asked Irina. She deliberately toyed with her fingernails, and Dan flinched at the reminder of the poison they contained."No one's helping us.

We're just smarter than you are," said Dan, his eyes on his frozen sister."You think I didn't see the snake? You think I didn't hear everything you said on the train from Volgograd? You're not so smart, little man.

"Dan started. She's tailed us since Volgograd?!"You believe someone is trying to help you? Ridiculous!" continued Irina. "It's a trap! If you persist with this game, it will only lead to disaster.

This person you are following? They will kill you once you've done their bidding."Like you tried to kill us in Paris? thought Dan. He spotted a butter knife on the table and wondered if it would do any good to grab for it. If only he had real ninja moves."I ask you once more. Who is helping you?"

"Here," said Amy, finally emerging from her trance. She held out the map. "This is what we just found. You can have it. I haven't even looked at it yet. But can we at least share the information?"Irina snatched the paper from Amy's hand and held it open in the soft light of the room. She let out a furious hiss.

"It is worse than I thought," she warned, raising her arctic eyes to the children. "You two are in grave danger.

You must believe me. Tell me! Who is helping you?!"For a second, Dan was almost taken in. He couldn't possibly trust her, and yet ... something in her face registered a different kind of distress.

The moment passed in a flash, and Irina reverted to her typical grim resolve. She took a step toward Dan and Amy and curved one hand, her fingernail injectors gleaming menace."He didn't give us a name," said Dan.

"We're following a lead, that's all. But if you don't share that piece of paper with us it's over. We'll lose the trail. Just tell us what it says and we'll go!"Irina seemed almost satisfied. "If this person contacts you again, don't listen to him.

He will kill you in the end. You must leave Russia and never come back. If you do not believe me, it is not my fault. But it is your death."Irina backed off, shoving the map into her coat."Let's go, both of you. March!"

Dan and Amy hustled out of the exhibit with Irina close behind. She barked out directions until they reached the main entrance. Irina tapped out a code on her phone, held it up to an electronic alarm on the wall, and the huge wooden door clicked. She ushered Dan and Amy out into the cool night.

Once on the street, Irina hesitated, then seemed to make up her mind. "That map leads to secrets people would kill to protect," said Irina. She shut the door and started walking away.