“All of Frieda’s supporters have gone inside,” said Sky. “They’re being assigned duties now to guard the windows and doors.”

“But where’s the rest of us?” asked Florence, growing alarmed. “Our allies? Is this it?”

The others looked all around. There were perhaps twenty-five or thirty of them remaining outside on the torn-up lawn.

Something caught Sky’s eye, and she turned. A few small groups of people were leaving the mansion carrying rucksacks and travel bags, heading for the lagoon where Artimé’s ships were anchored. “Looks like some of the people aren’t buying what Frieda is saying, and they’re leaving.”

“Should we go after them?” asked Fifer. “Convince them to stay and help us?”

“I’ll do it,” said Lani. “They might not want to be seen talking to you, Fifer.”

Fifer grimaced. What Lani said hurt, but Fifer knew it was true. Lani rolled swiftly across the lawn, trying to catch up to the departing groups before they made it to the lagoon.

Florence turned to study the mansion. Now stationed at every window and door were Frieda’s people, glaring out at them. Some of them seemed scared or unsure. But others wore expressions filled with spite, warning those who sided with Aaron to never return to the mansion they called home.

“Gather everyone who’s firmly with us,” said Florence, her voice quiet. “Be discreet. We’ll meet near the rock’s lair in an hour.”

Samheed, Sky, and Fifer all nodded. “I’ll relay the instructions to Lani,” said Samheed.

“Good. I need to talk to Panther and the rock. I’ll see you out there.” Florence turned and strode purposefully out of sight of the mansion toward the entrance to Quill, where the gate once stood. When she reached the road, she turned sharply to the right and headed for the jungle.

“Why is she going the long way around?” asked Sky, watching her go.

“Maybe she doesn’t want the people inside to know what we’re doing,” Fifer guessed. “Let’s talk to everyone and sneak into the jungle by way of the lagoon. We have to figure out how to beat Frieda Stubbs without anyone…” She trailed off. “Dying,” she was going to say.

Sky nodded, looking increasingly troubled. She and Samheed and Fifer did as Florence had told them. But no one had any idea how they were going to manage taking on the majority of Artimé’s people, who were all extremely well trained to fight. Trained by the very people and statues they were now ready to attack. This was not going to be easy.

A Stealthy Invasion

An hour later the last of the stragglers, having followed a path from the lagoon through the jungle, reached the base of an enormous living rock. The rock had come alive after Mr. Today had enchanted it many years before. Its mouth was a large cavern from which Florence had been carved. Fifer, Thisbe, and Crow and all the other young children of Artimé had once been kept safe inside the rock’s mouth during the battle against Queen Eagala and the pirates.