Peabody had explained that the Carnival had been constructed and concealed in the Underworld tunnels soon after the Curtain closed. It occupied a vast chamber and looked like a real, working carnival, right down to a fortune-telling booth and a hot dog stand.
The museum had been designed and built by one Aloysius Jones, a historian who had been obsessed with preserving the Old World history of the Arcane Society. In the chaotic years following the closing of the Curtain, the First Generation colonists had been focused on survival.
When the machines and computers had failed, much of the past had been lost or had morphed into the realm of legends and myths. Aloysius Jones had feared that the descendants of the founders who had ties to Arcane would forget their own secret history. He had concluded that the safest way to preserve it was in the form of a visual story—the Midnight Carnival. His theory had been that, while the historical record might disappear altogether, legends had a way of surviving.
“All security systems are vulnerable to an inside job,” Gabriel said to Peabody. “The first line of defense is thorough employee background screening. After that you should review your systems. Unfortunately, none of the high-tech gear will work down here. Normally I would advise you to hire a Guild security consultant to evaluate your situation, but considering that the Carnival is a unique museum, I think you’d be better off bringing in a Jones and Jones consultant.”
Peabody sighed. “It’s been on my to-do list ever since the Society acquired the rights to the Carnival, but I haven’t had time to get to it. Obviously it will now go to the top of my ever-lengthening agenda.”
“Yeah, I’ve got one of those lists, too. Which reminds me, I have a question for you.” Gabriel took out the two pendants he had confiscated. “Ever seen anything like this amber?”
Lucy paused to listen to Peabody’s response.
The curator examined the glowing amber, brow tightening into heavy lines. “No. Very unusual color. Signal or identification rocks, I assume. Clubs and biker gangs use them. So do scout troops and sports teams.”
“Try walking about twenty feet away,” Gabriel said. “That will take you out of range.”
Peabody walked across the space and stopped next to an exhibit marked, HEADQUARTERS OF NIGHTSHADE. BEWARE THE DRUG. He stopped and held up the pendant. It no longer glowed blue. Instead it had returned to a murky gray.
“Fascinating,” Peabody said. “I’ve never seen amber like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if it came from the Ghost City. It’s the same color as everything else that has been coming out of those ruins.”
“You’re sure it’s not Arcane?”
“Well, I can’t be one hundred percent positive without running some tests, but I don’t think so.” Peabody paused and closed his hand around the pendant. He concentrated for a moment and then shook his head. “No. It doesn’t have the feel of an Old World object. That vibe is very distinctive.”
“Thanks,” Gabriel said.
Lucy wandered down the main street of a miniature town named Scargill Cove. She stooped to read the small sign in a window. JONES & JONES. PSYCHIC INVESTIGATORS.
She straightened quickly when she heard Otis chortle. He sounded excited. She looked over the rooftops of Scargill Cove and saw a flash of gray fur disappear into what looked like a tunnel ride fashioned of some sort of purple crystal.
There was more chortling, muffled now. Probably not a good sign.
Lucy exited Scargill Cove and headed for the entrance to the crystal tunnel. She went past a full-sized carousel populated with creatures she had only seen in children’s books featuring Old World fairy tales. There was something ominous about the crystal eyes of the animals.
More muffled chortling echoed from inside the purple tunnel. When she reached the entrance, she saw a sign: THE SECRET LAB OF SYLVESTER JONES.
The tunnel curved immediately past the entrance. Lucy could not see around the corner, but she could hear thumps and increasingly irritated growls.
“Otis, come out of there. You’ll break something. This is a museum. This stuff is super valuable.”
Otis growled some more. There was a significant increase in the thumping.
Gabriel materialized at Lucy’s side. “What’s going on?”
“Otis just went into that exhibit.”
The crystal walls of the tunnel started to glow an eerie shade of purple.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Lucy said.
Peabody rushed across the room to join them. “Did the dust bunny go in there? You must stop him. That exhibit is the most valuable one in the entire collection.”