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1 A Death at the Needle

WE ONLY HAVE A FEW HOURS, so listen carefully

If you’re hearing this story, you’re already in danger Sadie and I ht be your only chance

Go to the school Find the locker I won’t tell you which school or which locker, because if you’re the right person, you’ll find it The co, you’ll knohat those numbers mean Just remember the story we’re about to tell you isn’t complete yet How it ends will depend on you

The e and find what’s inside, don’t keep it longer than a week Sure, it’ll be terant you al, it will consume you Learn its secrets quickly and pass it on Hide it for the next person, the way Sadie and I did for you Then be prepared for your life to get very interesting

Okay, Sadie is telling uess it started in London, the night our dad blew up the British Museum

My name is Carter Kane I’m fourteen and my home is a suitcase

You think I’ht years old, my dad and I have traveled the world I was born in LA but ist, so his work takes hiypt, since that’s his specialty Go into a bookstore, find a book about Egypt, there’s a pretty good chance it ritten by Dr Julius Kane You want to kno Egyptians pulled the brains out ofTut’s tomb? My dad is your man Of course, there are other reasons my dad moved around so much, but I didn’t know his secret back then

I didn’t go to school My dad ho when you don’t have a hoht was iypt and basketball stats and my dad’s favorite et my hands on, from dad’s history books to fantasy novels—because I spent a lot of ti sites in foreign countries where I didn’t know anybody My dad was always telling me to put the book down and play soaypt? It’s not easy

Anyway, le suitcase that fits in an airplane’s overhead compartment My dad packed the sa for his archaeology tools Rule nu That’s a rule I never broke until the day of the explosion

It happened on Christmas Eve We were in London for visitation day with my sister, Sadie

See, Dad’s only alloo days a year with her—one in the winter, one in the surandparents hate hirandparents) had this big court battle with Dad After six lawyers, two fistfights, and a near fatal attack with a spatula (don’t ask), they won the right to keep Sadie with theer than me, and they couldn’t keep us both—at least that was their excuse for not taking me So Sadie was raised as a British schoolkid, and I traveled around with my dad We only saw Sadie twice a year, which was fine with me

[Shut up, Sadie Yes—I’ to that part]

So anyway, my dad and I had just flown into Heathrow after a couple of delays It was a drizzly, cold afternoon The whole taxi ride into the city, my dad seemed kind of nervous

Now,couldbrown eyes, a bald head, and a goatee, so he looks like a buff evil scientist That afternoon he wore his cashmere winter coat and his best brown suit, the one he used for public lectures Usually he exudes so much confidence that he dominates any room he walks into, but sometimes—like that afternoon—I saw another side to hi over his shoulder like ere being hunted

“Dad?” I said as ere getting off the A-40 “What’s wrong?”