“Are we going to let them try?” Zeke asked. When everyone looked at him a little funny, he added, “Well, we have the advantage on them right now, but once they figure out their explosives didn’t work, they’ll know we’re on to them.”

Houjin pondered this a moment and replied, “The Station fellows … and whoever else is coming along … should time it as close as possible. It’ll confuse the heck out of the tower men, if they try to blow us up and their tower goes up in smoke instead. We’ll have more of an advantage than just surprise: We’ll shock them silly.”

“Let’s not worry about that right now,” Angeline said. “The other thing I learned from the tower men is that they’re worried about some oversized rotter, hanging around about halfway down Denny Hill.”

“The sasquatch! Let’s hope he stays there. Now all we have to do is track him and catch him,” Rector said. When he put it out there like that, the task sounded big. It sounded frightening. It sounded like something he’d rather skip in favor of picking live dynamite out of cubbyholes.

The princess said, “I’ve got my net, that helmet you found, and some fresh fish. How about you boys? You got your weapons?”

They didn’t, but these things were stashed at the Sizemore House tunnel entrance, so they could be retrieved easily enough. Angeline was satisfied by this, and after making sure they all had masks and the usual supplies, she led them away from King Street Station and under the city, along the hand-cart tracks, and up the incline toward Denny Hill and the Sizemore House.

They emerged ready for battle.

Chapter 27

Twenty-seven

Everyone was masked and armed. The boys carried their usual weapons, and the princess had her knives—but, as she’d told them, she hoped they wouldn’t be necessary. On the way, they’d discussed the state of Zeke’s fox, and she was encouraged by the creature’s progress. Not healed in a day, certainly. But any sign of improvement was cause for optimism, and perhaps it wouldn’t take so much to bring the sasquatch back around.

As they began their stealthy quest, Angeline reminded them: “We’re here to save him, not hurt him. Don’t you forget that. But at the same time, I expect you to defend yourselves if you need to. I’d rather have the three of you alive than the sasquatch.”

Rector followed along behind her, and then near her as they spread out from one another by just a few feet.