Carnival quest, p.31
Carnival Quest,
p.31
Uproarious cheers and applause followed. Nate felt a little silly but also appreciated the acknowledgment.
“No event like this is complete without a surprise,” Mozag said. “Would Zac Foster come forward?”
Nate craned to find Zac. He had not seen him since they parted ways unhappily.
Zac approached from a far corner of the room, looking uncomfortable.
“Zac was duped by Carl and Ellen White,” Mozag said. “He advertised for the carnival under the mistaken belief that he was protecting it from unscrupulous attackers. He tried to help Belinda, who he understood was a kidnapping victim. I have talked with Zac extensively, and considering the information he was given, I have concluded that he acted with courage. He asked to be here tonight.” Mozag held out a hand to Zac.
“I wanted to apologize in person,” Zac said, looking at Nate and those seated near him. “I had everything backward. I thought you had gotten mixed up with the bad guys. I feel like a fool for almost ruining everything.”
“Why haven’t you come to school?” Benji called.
Zac flushed. “I’ve been wrestling with some tough feelings. Mostly guilt and shame. I was overconfident with what I thought I knew about the carnival, and I got burned. My face might be all over the Internet, but I haven’t wanted to show it at school. Guys, I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Pigeon said. “Everybody loves you.”
Zac broke into a smile.
“We’ll make room,” Trevor said, scooting his chair. “Come have dessert.”
The room applauded as Zac wedged a seat between Trevor and Pigeon. Nate waved and Zac waved back.
“One last matter before we enjoy our food,” Mozag said. “Camilla, would you mind elaborating on the future of the park?”
Camilla stood again. “As many of you know, when the dream carnival separated from the physical carnival, we lost most of the major ancillary locations, including the Undercarnvial, the Overcarnival, the Lost Moors, the Black Water Rapids, the Grotto, the Pirate Fleet, Enigma Island, and the Gemstone Mines, rendering them unrecoverable. But we are left with a significant quantity of permanent attractions and some of the minor ancillary locations, like the Lux Lounge.”
“Thank heaven for that,” Victor said.
“And for whoever made these desserts,” Ziggy added.
The comments were seconded by several shouts.
“Some of the sleepers were visitors to the carnival who became entrapped,” Camilla said. “They came from near and far, and were disoriented when they awoke from their prolonged dream. The majority of them have already returned to their former lives. But nearly half were staff members who remained involved with the carnival in their dream state. Many of them helped prepare the treats tonight, as did several members of the regular staff.”
Nate clapped and got another burst of applause going.
“Aside from exerting influence through dreams, my father used an old family recipe to make the town more open to accepting the carnival,” Camilla said. “This substance was in the bubble-gum gas during the parade, as well as in the cotton candy. His efforts yielded interesting results. This carnival now owns the ground on which it stands, and we have permits from the city and the state to operate for a minimum of twenty-five years.”
This drew surprise from the audience. Nate looked at his friends. Pigeon shrugged. None of them had heard this news.
“With help from my sister and a few loyal members of the management team, and after some new hires, the Dreams and Screams International Carnival will reopen as Dreamland, a permanent Bay Area amusement park. We’ll no longer augment the experience with the Dreamstone or any other magic, but we will instead use our imaginations to make it an enjoyable destination for all.”
The audience clapped again.
“Anyone seated with us tonight will enjoy free lifetime memberships to Dreamland,” Camilla said. “And if you would ever like to work here, just ask. Enjoy the desserts.”
Nate had already scooped some vanilla ice cream into a bowl, and now he added gooey hot fudge. He loved the combination of hot and cold. The fudge had steam coming off it.
“Can you believe the carnival will keep running?” Trevor asked.
“I’m glad,” Summer said. “There is so much here now—it would be a shame to waste it.”
“Nate, I never heard what you did with the Dreamstone,” Benji said.
“I started a rival theme park across town,” Nate said, grinning. “Insomnialand. You can’t dream if you don’t sleep.”
“Sounds good to me,” Trevor said. “I’ve seriously had clown dreams all week.”
Pigeon patted Trevor’s back. “They still scare me too.”
“Answer his question,” Summer prompted.
“The real story is boring,” Nate complained. “After I escaped the carnival, I took the Dreamstone to the candy shop. Mr. Stott passed it to Sandra and the Council.”
“So she’s going to make the rival theme park?” Zac asked.
“I’m part of a team that will preserve and protect the Dreamstone,” Sandra said.
Zac blushed a little. “I was just kidding.”
“Did we ever find out what Edward was doing?” Nate asked.
“I talked to him,” Summer said. “He was part of a secret movement inside the park. They were trying to solve the mystery of the sleepers, while finding as much treasure as possible. He got caught not long before we did.”
“Zac, will you come back to school?” Pigeon asked.
“Sure, if you guys accept my apology,” Zac said. “Otherwise I’ll probably move to Madagascar.”
“Why punish Africa?” Benji asked.
Everyone laughed.
“We forgive you,” Nate said.
“Some of our best friends have been people who initially worked against us,” Pigeon said, glancing down the table at Lindy.
“Next time I’ll advertise for the right cause,” Zac said. “And maybe help fight against the actual bad guys.”
“How did it feel to knock around some villains for real?” Summer asked John.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin before responding. “I really don’t enjoy violence. But since I was trying to rescue you kids, it felt pretty good to skip the tranquilizer darts. The whole experience seems dreamlike. I mean, I was asleep, but a physical version of myself materialized out of my dream and into the carnival. That magic is over my head.”
“It’s nearly over mine,” Sandra said. “It was only possible while the Dreamstone powered the carnival.”
“You guys have to try the chocolate cream pie,” Pigeon gushed.
“Victor was right about the key lime too,” Trevor enthused.
Nate glanced at the pies. He felt content with ice cream drenched in hot fudge and sprinkled with nuts. There were too many desserts to sample everything.
“John,” Nate asked, “what will you do now?”
John stretched, the sleeves of his jacket pulling up his thick arms. “Me? I found somebody to take over at the cafeteria. She’ll start full time on Monday. Then I’ll try to hide from trouble for a while. Maybe someplace tropical.”
“Will that work?” Summer asked.
“Historically speaking?” John replied. “No. Not as long as I know that guy.” He jerked a thumb at Mozag. “With him in my life, my calendar stays full of problems.”
“At least you’ll get a vacation first,” Trevor said.
John shrugged. “It’s what I tell myself. Sometimes the dream can be enough.”
“What if another villain comes to town?” Pigeon asked.
“I’d be here in a heartbeat,” John said earnestly. “It’s at the top of my priority list. But between you kids, and Sebastian Stott, and now the White sisters . . . I have a feeling word will get out that Colson is protected.”
Acknowledgments
When I wrote the first Candy Shop War book, I did not intend to start a series. But many of my readers really wanted another one, and they were vocal about it. Several years later, I came up with an idea I liked and wrote Arcade Catastrophe. Now, several years after that, I have written this third book to complete the series. If you were a little kid when I wrote book one, you are now an adult. Sorry about that. Kids today can read all three as quickly as they choose! Children of previous years would be jealous . . .
Am I positive this is the final Candy Shop War book I will ever write? Considering how the series came about, I would be foolish to proclaim absolute surety. I’ll just say I currently intend for this to be the last book.
Finishing this series puts me in an odd position. For the first time since writing the first Fablehaven book, all of my series are complete. At every other point in my career, at least one of my series was unfinished.
That means it’s time to start a new series. I have been saving my favorite idea, and now I finally get to write it. More information will be coming as the plans solidify. Follow me on Instagram @writerbrandon, on Facebook, or at BrandonMull.com for updates.
For now, I need to thank the brilliant people who helped me with this novel. My lovely and talented wife, Erlyn, edited every chapter before anyone else saw the story, and she improved the book significantly through her efforts. My one-of-a-kind agent, Simon Lipskar, helped as always. Brandon Dorman did another awesome cover.
My thanks go to the entire Shadow Mountain team. Chris Schoebinger offered great advice as usual. My editor Lisa Mangum has a real talent for streamlining language. She improved the flow of the story and helped correct other problems. Thanks, also, to Heidi Gordon, Richard Erickson, Breanna Anderl, Troy Butcher, and Callie Hansen.
I also owe thanks to my family for their patience and their help with ideas and editing. This includes Clark Baker, Brock Baker, Chet Baker, Ava Baker, Anika Baker, Erlyn Baker IV, Fiona Baker, Sadie Mull, Chase Mull, Rose Mull, and Calvin Mull. Other early readers who helped with feedback include Jason and Natalie Conforto, Tara McKinney, Pamela Mull, Cherie Mull, Lila Mull, Charan Prabhakar, and others.
And of course I have to thank you, the reader! Because you read my books, listen to my books, share my books, buy my books, and request my books from libraries, I get to keep writing more! I hope to bring you even better stories in the years to come.
Reading Guide
1. The carnival in this story could move dreams into reality. In what ways can we make our dreams become real? What is required to make that happen?
2. Do you find clowns funny, scary, or both? Explain your reasons.
3. If you could dream anything into existence, what would you make? Would you ever get tired of having that ability? Why or why not?
4. A theme park can be a fun escape from daily living. Would it stay as fun if you went to the same theme park every day? Why or why not?
5. There were layers to the Dreams and Screams International Carnival. The more the kids explored, the more they found hidden eateries and attractions. Would it be practical to design a real carnival that way? Explain your answer.
6. If you could add new attractions or lands to the carnival in this book, what would they be? Describe your ideas.
7. Mr. Stott was worried that if he let Lindy interact with her sister, Camilla, she might revert to her evil patterns, so he wanted to keep her away from the carnival. In what ways was he justified in his parenting? In what ways was it unfair to Lindy? Do you agree with Mr. Stott’s position on the matter? Why or why not?
8. Why did Camilla White hide from her troubles inside of Dreamland? Do you think she had a responsibility to stand up to her parents? Why or why not?
9. Zac ended up working against some of the main characters in this story. Why did he want to stop Nate, Trevor, Summer, and Pigeon? What convinced Zac to change his position?
10. Would you want to visit an amusement park exactly like the Dreams and Screams International Carnival while it was powered by the Dreamstone? Why or why not?
About the Author
BRANDON MULL is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fablehaven, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms series. A kinetic thinker, Brandon enjoys bouncy balls, squeezable stress toys, and popping bubble wrap. He lives in a happy little valley in Utah with his wife, Erlyn, their eleven children, and a dog named Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Brandon loves meeting his readers and hearing about their experiences with his books. Visit the author at BrandonMull.com.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Mozag
Chapter One: New School
Chapter Two: Zac
Chapter Three: Candy Shop
Chapter Four: Parade
Chapter Five: Early Admission
Chapter Six: First Impressions
Chapter Seven: Fortune Wagon
Chapter Eight: Good Buzz
Chapter Nine: Regulars
Chapter Ten: Fountain
Chapter Eleven: Swindler
Chapter Twelve: Dream
Chapter Thirteen: Relics
Chapter Fourteen: Jumping
Chapter Fifteen: Sandra
Chapter Sixteen: Candy
Chapter Seventeen: Camilla
Chapter Eighteen: Coaster
Chapter Nineteen: Under
Chapter Twenty: Upward
Chapter Twenty-One: Night Market
Chapter Twenty-Two: Circus Act
Chapter Twenty-Three: Field Trip
Chapter Twenty-Four: Dune Hunt
Chapter Twenty-Five: Lux
Chapter Twenty-Six: Fugitives
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fun House
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Growler
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Asleep
Chapter Thirty: Surprise Visitors
Chapter Thirty-One: Preparations
Chapter Thirty-Two: Cemetery
Chapter Thirty-Three: Dreamstone
Chapter Thirty-Four: Contest
Chapter Thirty-Five: Lindy
Chapter Thirty-Six: Dessert
Acknowledgments
Reading Guide
About the Author
Landmarks
Cover
Table of Contents
Brandon Mull, Carnival Quest
