“I’m so sorry. Seasickness is the worst,” Theo’s mom said. “Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you some water. Or maybe some ginger tea? That could settle your stomach.” She hustled into the kitchen.

Theo’s dad said, “Where did you guys go boating?”

“Here and there,” said Aunt Esther. “Mostly, we hung around the bay. Did a little fishing.”

“Really? Were the fish biting?”

Theo remembered the dark shapes in the water, the lurching boat. “They weren’t biting us, anyway.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Theo’s dad, laughing. “Though I don’t suppose you were fishing for piranha.”

“They weren’t biting for us, you mean, Theo,” Aunt Esther said. “Still, it was a nice afternoon until the children started to feel a bit queasy.”

“Ah,” said Theo’s dad. “I don’t much care for fish anyway. We could have something else for dinner. Maybe order in. That is, whenever you’re feeling better. And you’re welcome to join us, Jaime. As always. Stay the night if you like.”

“Thank you, Mr. Biedermann,” Jaime said.

“You are looking a bit green around the gills, though,” said Theo’s dad. “Ha-ha. I’m going to get you a cool cloth for your head. That always helps me when I’m feeling a little sick.”

After Theo’s parents were out of the room, Aunt Esther said, “I probably don’t have to tell you not to mention this to your parents. Not just yet, anyway.”

It seemed odd to Theo that Aunt Esther would suggest that they not tell their parents that they were attacked by wild and probably illegal animals, threatened by strange men, and saved by a woman allegedly dreamed up by Jaime, but then Aunt Esther was deeply odd. And she seemed to understand that some things were better kept to yourself until the moment was right. If they told their mother what happened today, she would go to the ends of the earth to find the perpetrators. She would also put her kids under house arrest to keep them safe. As confused and angry as Theo was, as worried as he was, he didn’t want to be trapped in the house. He still wanted to solve the Cipher if they could. And they wouldn’t be able to do that sitting in Aunt Esther’s living room, eating Lance’s endless oatmeal cookies.

“We won’t say anything,” said Theo. Tess and Jaime nodded in agreement. Theo’s dad came back with the cool cloth and laid it on Jaime’s forehead. Jaime accepted this gratefully, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. Theo’s mother set Jaime’s tea on the table in front of him. She sat next to Tess, picked up Tess’s hand.

“I do have some promising leads on the animals,” she said.

“What animals?” said Tess.

“Nine and Karl. Are there others?”