Nate stopped, peering into the darkness ahead. “If we want to get mugged by a clown.”

  “Not a fun image,” Pigeon said, stepping backward.

  “Let’s turn around,” Nate said.

  They started back toward the brighter end of the alley but stopped short when they saw a young woman approaching them. She wore the white shirt and blue vest of a carnival worker and carried a gunny sack over one shoulder. She halted when the boys drew near.

  “Lurking in alleyways, are we?” she asked.

  “Just looking around,” Nate said.

  “Can’t fault you for that,” the young woman said.

  “Do you know where we can find the Jubilee Wagon?” Pigeon asked.

  She scrunched her brow. “I saw some wagons behind the Fun House.”

  “Thanks,” Pigeon said as he and Nate hurried past her.

  Pigeon walked purposefully after they left the alley and seemed to be heading in the right direction, so Nate let him lead.

  When they arrived at the Fun House, Pigeon led the way around the side. Neon accents made the large building colorful but left the surroundings in shadow. Toward the rear corner of the building, they found three fully enclosed horse-drawn wagons without any horses. Each had different writing on the side:

  Professor Molasky’s Fabulous Tonics

  World-Renowned Palm Reader Madame Zinka

  Jubilee Wagon

  Though the wagons were in good repair, they looked dark and lifeless.

  Nate approached the Jubilee Wagon.

  Pigeon edged closer to Nate. “Do we really want to test our luck, just us, alone in the dark?”

  “We’re not trying to apprehend anyone,” Nate said. “We’re just asking what a Jubilee Wagon is.”

  A door toward the front of the Jubilee Wagon had a portable stepladder out front. Nate approached and rapped on the door. After a moment of stillness, he knocked again.

  “Seems dead,” Pigeon said.

  “We can try again another time,” Nate said. “Should we go?”

  “We had better,” Pigeon said. “I’m already going to hear plenty from my mom.”

  They made their way toward the exits. There were fewer children at the carnival now, more groups of older teens and adults on dates.

  Nate noticed several signs near the exit.

  LOSE SOMETHING?

  OUR LOST AND FOUND HOLDS ITEMS FOR ONE WEEK

  THEN THEY ARE FED TO THE STRONGMAN

  HOWEVER MUCH YOU ENJOYED YOUR STAY

  IT WILL BE BETTER NEXT TIME

  TAKE AN EXIT SURVEY FOR FREE TICKETS!

  YOU AREN’T REALLY LEAVING

  IF YOU KEEP ON DREAMING

  COME BACK ANYTIME

  NO STAMP REQUIRED!

  Nate and Pigeon were almost past the ticket booths when a fast-talking man approached them. “Hey, kids, want to answer a few questions for some free tickets?”

  “Maybe,” Nate said, glancing at Pigeon. “How long will it take?”

  “Just a minute,” the guy said, handing each of them a clipboard with a pencil attached on a string.

  “How many tickets?” Pigeon asked.

  “Twenty,” the man said. “You must answer every question though. There aren’t many. Won’t take long. Easy money.”

  “Any coins?” Nate asked.

  “You drive a hard bargain,” the man said. “For you guys? Two coins plus twenty tickets. What do you say?”

  Nate looked to Pigeon.

  “Sure,” Pigeon said.

  The first questions were simple. They just had to check boxes rating different aspects of their experience from poor to excellent. Nate checked off all categories as either very good or excellent. After that came three questions that required actual writing.

  What can we do better?

  Nate wrote: Provide more places to use coins.

  How would you change any of the existing attractions?

  Nate wrote: Bigger roller coaster. I’d also add other speedy rides that do more than spin.

  What attractions do you wish we had?

  Nate wrote: Log ride. A ride that takes you straight up high and drops you. More food variety.

  Nate handed the man the clipboard.

  “What did I tell you?” the man said, glancing at the answers. “It took almost no time at all.”

  Pigeon offered his clipboard as well.

  The man gave Pigeon and Nate each a slip of paper.

  GOOD FOR TWENTY TICKETS AND TWO COINS

  ON YOUR NEXT VISIT

  “We don’t get the actual tickets and coins?” Nate asked.

  “Sure you do,” the man said. “When you come back. What—are you gonna use them at home? Turn those coupons in at the ticket booth or the Currency Exchange and you’ll have tickets and coins in hand.”

  “All right,” Nate said. “Thanks.”

  “Bye,” the man said. “Get home safe. Happy dreams.”

  Chapter Eight

  Good Buzz

  When Nate reached the lunch line on Monday, he noticed a giant bowling ball taking up the far corner of the cafeteria. Black, with three finger holes and a smooth finish, it was at least eight feet tall.

  Nate joined the crowd around the abnormality. Like many other kids, he stroked the smooth, hard surface and knocked his fist against it. How could anyone have gotten the ball through the doors? Did somebody have a size magnifier?

  Pushing together, a few eighth grade boys got the massive ball rolling, at which point Mrs. Jackson intervened. “Nobody touch the ball,” she ordered. “If it gets going too fast it could crush someone. Does anyone know how this got here?”

  “I didn’t see it this morning,” a girl said.

  “We’ve only become aware of it just now,” Mrs. Jackson said. “Unless anyone knows where this ball came from, please proceed with your regular lunch break. From here on out, anyone touching the bowling ball will be suspended.”

  “Make it our new mascot,” one kid suggested. “The Diablo View Bowlers.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement,” Mrs. Jackson said. “Please, as you were. I’ll get this figured out with the staff.”

  Back in the lunch line, Nate was disappointed to not see John Dart working. Nate joined Zac, Summer, Trevor, Pigeon, and Benji at the end of a long table. Lunch was fish and chips with tartar sauce and coleslaw.

  “What’s with the chicken nuggets?” Zac asked Summer. “This fish is awesome.”

  “I don’t do fish,” Summer said, dipping a vaguely alligator-shaped nugget in ranch dressing. “What’s with the bowling ball?”

  “Maybe our town has a new supervillain,” Zac said. “The Kingpin.”

  “It’s a big calling card,” Nate said.

  “I got some footage with it,” Zac said. “Should play well on my channel.”

  “I did some quick calculations,” Pigeon said. “Assuming the same density, proportions, and volume as a fourteen-pound bowling ball, that ball in the corner weighs around ten tons.”

  “I’d get a strike every time,” Benji said.

  “Unless the pins were of proportionate size,” Pigeon said.

  “How did it get in here?” Trevor asked.

  “Better question,” Zac said. “How do we roll it at the school from a nearby mountain?”

  “How are you kids doing?” came a voice from behind them.

  Nate turned to find John Dart standing behind him in an apron and a skullcap.

  “Lunch Lord!” Zac said. “This fish beats most restaurants.”

  “You have discerning taste,” John said. “Nate, a word in private? About the, ah, tartar sauce.”

  “Sure,” Nate said, rising from the table and stepping aside with John.

  “How was the carnival?” John asked in a low voice.

  “Fun,” Nate said. “Cool. No obvious magic yet, except they know how to cancel our candy. But we found a fortune-telling machine that answers questions. It said that Camilla White is in charge.”

  John nodded. “That confirms a hunch. You haven’t seen her?”

  “Not yet,” Nate said.

  “You left around 9:10 with Pigeon,” John said. “The others departed at 8:05.”

  “You were watching,” Nate said.

  “I’m trying to do what I can,” John said, handing Nate an envelope.

  “What’s in here?” Nate asked.

  “Three hundred dollars in twenties. I don’t want you dependent on Zac for carnival access. The prices could be prohibitive. Forty dollars for fifty tickets and five coins.”

  “Thanks,” Nate said, casually tucking the envelope into his pocket. “What do you know about the bowling ball?”

  “I know it didn’t fall out of my pocket,” John said. “If I had some size 100 bowling shoes, I could do some serious damage.”

  “It would be like bowling with a wrecking ball,” Nate said.

  “I checked it out before it drew a crowd,” John said. “Seems like a standard bowling ball. Except for the size, of course. Let’s talk about this with everybody. Anything else to report?”

  “Not yet.”

  “You’re going back into the carnival?”

  “Sometime soon.”

  “Be careful. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I’m sure that carnival is trouble on a massive scale.”

  “The bumper cars were pretty fun,” Nate said. “And the roller coaster was cool.”

  “Some of the best traps are baited with honey,” John said. He led Nate back over to the lunch table. “Eat the fish while its warm.”

  “So what’s the big secret about the tartar sauce?” Zac asked.

  “That’s classified,” John said. “Here’s what I can tell you. Watch for anomalies like that bowling ball. If you think you see a Siberian tiger around town, run for your life, because unlikely as it sounds, you are probably right. I tranquilized two tigers over the weekend. I also captured a zombie.”

  “An actual zombie?” Zac asked.

  “Dead guy,” John said. “Emaciated. Wanted to eat my brains. I stopped him from breaking into a house.”

  “Are you serious?” Zac asked. “Who are you?”

  “I’m the Lunch Lord,” John said. “And I have hobbies.”

  “Where is the zombie now?” Pigeon asked.

  “That’s for me to worry about,” John said. “I’ve called in reinforcements. I’m still trying to understand what is happening. Things that shouldn’t be here keep showing up. This bowling ball is a textbook example.”

  “And the stagecoach,” Nate said. “The orangutan.”

  “The frequency is increasing,” John said, glancing at his wristwatch. “I have to go. There is a lot to supervise with fried fish. I may not do this lunch too often. Keep me informed as you learn more.”

  John walked away.

  “Was he serious about the zombie?” Benji asked.

  “The bowling ball seems pretty serious,” Nate replied, pointing with his plastic fork.

  “Probably a meth addict,” Zac said.

  “An orangutan could have escaped from the carnival,” Pigeon said. “But how does a giant bowling ball get in here? There’s no way it could fit through the doors.”

  “Maybe somebody brought it in and enlarged it,” Nate said. “Or it could have been teleported.”

  “Right,” Benji said. “Because people can make things grow and teleport stuff.”

  “How is the ball here, Benji?” Zac asked. “Did it appear out of nowhere?”

  “It’s got to be some kind of stunt,” Benji said. “A promotional gimmick. Or an elaborate prank. I bet people brought in pieces and assembled it.”

  Nate nodded. If magic were not real, Benji had just named the most likely scenario. “You’re probably right,” he said.

  “By the way, I have your release forms,” Zac said, producing pieces of paper and handing them out. “You just need to sign them and get a parent to sign.”

  “What does it say?” Trevor asked, squinting at the small print.

  “Mostly that I can use your faces free of charge to promote my new breakfast cereal,” Zac said.

  “As long as it’s sugary,” Nate said. “I don’t want to be associated with whole grain wheat.”

  Zac chuckled. “In reality, it just says if you end up in my videos, you won’t sue me or seek payment. They also have to be signed if you want to help me film.”

  “I’ll get it back to you tomorrow,” Summer said, already signing.

  “I’ll have my attorneys look it over,” Nate said.

  “Perfect,” Zac said. “Want to see the video we’re prepping for release tomorrow?”

  Everybody crowded around his phone, and Zac let the two-and-a-half minute video play. As Nate watched, he realized it was edited so it looked like Zac was at the carnival alone. His best jokes and comments were strung together in a montage. Nobody else was heard speaking. There was a brief shot of Nate failing to knock over the milk bottles, but it could have been any kid—there was little to tie Nate to Zac. Pigeon, Trevor, and Summer were in the background a few times, barely as extras. Many of their comments throughout the day had been entertaining, but none made it into the video.

  “That is tight,” Trevor said when the video was done. “It flows great.”

  “Yeah, good job,” Summer said. “You teased things about the carnival and made it look like a lot of fun. I bet the carnival bosses will love it.”

  “I hope so,” Zac said. “We want to keep those free tickets coming.”

  “My mom is planning a family trip to the carnival next week after school,” Pigeon said. “I guess she heard from a friend that it shouldn’t be missed.”

  “My parents want us to go too,” Trevor said.

  “My math teacher spent the first ten minutes of class praising the carnival,” Benji said.

  “That’s what we want,” Zac said. “Good buzz.”

  When they finished lunch, Zac left to talk to some friends at another table. Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon decided to take a closer look at the bowling ball, leaving Nate alone with Benji.

  “Did you have fun with your family on Saturday?” Nate asked.

  “I guess,” Benji said. “It was just a normal day.”

  “I thought you guys went on a trip,” Nate said.

  Benji rolled his eyes. “Is that what Zac told you?”

  “Yeah.”

  Benji shook his head. “Zac asked me not to come Saturday. He didn’t want too many personalities in the mix while he figured out how much he likes you guys. It was basically an audition.”

  “An audition to be friends?” Nate asked.

  “That’s how it goes with Zac,” Benji said. “He has turned his life into a show, and he doesn’t want boring people around, or anyone who might hog the spotlight.”

  “I guess that makes sense,” Nate said. “He had a job to do with that video. But it’s kind of harsh he asked you not to come. Aren’t you his best friend?”

  “I’m the closest thing he has to a real friend,” Benji said. “You’d never know from watching his clips.”

  “That’s weird,” Nate said.

  “It’s just Zac,” Benji said. “The show is all about him. He deliberately keeps everyone besides his family in the background.”

  Nate thought about how the carnival video focused almost exclusively on Zac. “Does that bug you?”

  “A little,” Benji said. “It also has benefits. The kids who want to hang out with Zac so they can get famous soon learn that isn’t going to happen, which helps keep users and fakers away. I haven’t known Zac forever. I’ll admit I liked him at first because of his videos. I realize he gets self-absorbed. But he’s also so funny and great to hang out with, so it works for me.”

  “I like him too,” Nate said. “Hopefully next time, we can all hang out.”

  “He’s planning to film another video Wednesday,” Benji said. “It sounded like he’d invite all of us—assuming you guys bring back the release forms tomorrow.”

  “I’ve never needed to sign a release form to hang out with a friend,” Nate said.

  Benji clapped him on the back. “Welcome to the club.”

  Chapter Nine

  Regulars

  Nate met Summer at the carnival grounds an hour after school ended on Monday. When his mom had signed the release, Nate had exaggerated how many days he would need to be at the carnival for filming.

  “Trevor and Pigeon?” Summer asked.

  “They both called,” Nate said. “They can’t make it. Did your parents give you a hard time?”

  “No,” Summer said. “They think it’s really cool I get to be involved with Foster Child videos. As if I won a contest or something.”

  “My family feels the same way,” Nate said.

  “I made it sound like a bunch of other girls are helping,” Summer said. “That alone had my mom smiling. Do you have the money?”

  Nate nodded. “It’s as close as John and Mr. Stott will get to saying they need us to do this.”

  “Let’s not waste their investment,” Summer said. “We need to be good detectives today.”

  After waiting in line at the ticket booth for about ten minutes, Nate traded eighty dollars for a hundred tickets and ten Carnie Coins. He had expected to pay tax, but evidently it was included.

  As they walked into the carnival, Nate felt surprised by how crowded it was on a weekday. If anything, it might have been busier than on Saturday.

  “Is that game new?” Summer asked as they strolled down the main boardwalk. At the long counter, ten participants shot water guns at bull’s-eyes. The longer the shooters kept their streams on the targets, the faster the corresponding goats climbed to the top of a mountain.

  “I would have remembered the goat race,” Nate said. “Look, that’s different too.” He pointed at a game where participants tossed darts at backlit balloons.