Think it through, Max, said the Voice. It’ll come to you.
I frowned suspiciously. Is this one of those metaphor things? Would it kill you to just come out and tell me?
Silence.
Of course.
“Max?” Angel asked.
I held up a finger. “One sec. Voice imparting unnecessary knowledge.”
Total flopped down in the grass and rested his head on his front paws.
Okay. Hydra, I thought. I remembered the cartoon I had seen, where a big muscular mouse dressed in a lion skin had been trying to lop catlike heads off this giant dragon thing.
But I wasn’t getting the connection.
Oh, wait. A head got cut off, and two grew back in its place.
We were planning to destroy this Itex headquarters. Did that mean if we destroyed it, two would grow back in its place? Or, like, two others would become more powerful? Hmm.
The Hydra itself must be killed, Max. The whole thing at once. This is just one head. Find the body and kill it.
I thought. I remembered the map I had glimpsed through an open door back at the School, when Ari had been taking me around. It was a map of the world. Almost every country had had an Itex symbol somewhere on it, and many had had smaller stars as well.
Because I’m smarter than the average recombinant bear, I realized that we needed to check out some of the other Itex branches, in other countries, to find the heart of the beast. Thanks a lot, Voice, I thought a little sarcastically, to no reply. Will you make up your mind about just where the heck we’re supposed to be going? God, I was so tired. A world saver’s work is never done.
I hunkered down next to the hedge and motioned everyone closer.
“Guys, I do believe that France is calling our names.”
Nudge frowned. “They’re yelling for flying bird kids?”
“Yes.” I stood up and held out my arms for Total. He jumped up, and I zipped him into my jacket. “Does anyone know any French?”
“I know how to ask for a spunky Chablis,” said Total, his voice somewhat muffled. I unfolded my wings and stretched them out, ready to take off.
“I know some Spanish,” said Nudge. “Cerrado and abierto. Stuff like that.”
“That’ll be good in Spain. In France, I guess we’ll find out if Angel can read minds in French.”
Angel shook out her wings, looking intrigued. “I don’t know,” she said. “But you know what? I want some pastry while we’re there.”
“Ooh, I second that emotion,” said Total.
I stifled a response—had Madame Tussauds taught them nothing?—and took off into the chilly night, kind of feeling like Harry Potter escaping from the Dursleys. Except in our world, Dursleys were everywhere, were heavily funded, and had a strong scientific bent.
74
Los Angeles, gangbangers, huh!
“If they’re not the Crips or the Bloods, does that mean they’re the Cruds?” Iggy asked in all seriousness.
“Shh!” Fang told him. “Keep it down! Don’t throw gas on this particular fire, okay?”
“Okay,” said Iggy, but Gazzy chuckled and slapped him a high five.
“Besides, they’re the Ghosts,” Fang reminded him. “They have it on all their jackets.”