“Sometimes it’s good not to get used to something,” shesaid.“When you do, maybe it means you don’t care enough to notice.”
“I agree with Aru,” said Mini. “It’s usually a good thing!Unless you’re practicing mithridatism.”
“What’s that?” asked Aiden.
Mini brightened. “It’s named after this Persian emperor who was so scared of getting poisoned that he ate some every day to make himself immune.”
“And it worked?” asked Aiden.
“Yep!” Mini said cheerfully. “He didn’t die by poison. He got stabbed instead.”
“Hooray?” tried Aru.
Aiden, on the other hand, looked shocked.
Upahead, Brynne continued to bulldoze her way through the kiosks of meditation groves. By now, yakshas and yakshinis were diving in opposite directions when they saw her approaching.
“You’re terrifying!” called Aru happily.
Brynne bowed. “Thank you.”
The kiosk markedGREAT SWAMP OF NEW JERSEYwas curiously empty. No beaming yakshini or crowd of eager ascetics here—just one sour-looking yaksha.He had whorled ears, a mop of icy hair that seemed all the more stark against his almond skin, and he wore a faded blue Giants sweatshirt. He quickly shut theNew Jersey Monthlymagazine he was reading when he saw them and flashed an oily smile.
“Customers!” he said.
But with his thick Jersey accent, it sounded likecus-tah-maz.
“You looking for a portal to the Morris County, I presume?Stepright up. We arestillmeeting the baseline requirements to qualify as an Otherworld sanctuary, despite increased rates of rakshasa attacks,” he said.
No sooner had he finished speaking than theNfell off his sign. Now it readGREAT SWAMP OF EW JERSEY. What joy.
“Ain’t it a place of beauty?” He swept his hand toward the portal and grinned.
This portal looked nothing like the pristine poolsthey had seen elsewhere. Instead, its lip was ragged and brownish liquid sloshed out. A roach skittered around the edge, then backed away as if sayingYou know what? Never mind. I’m good.
“Increased rates of rakshasa attacks?” asked Brynne.
“Oh yeah. A little dismemberment here and there,” said the yaksha, waving his hand. “I think it adds a certain, uh,characterto the place. You know?”
Mini was horrified.
“Whaddaya say, how ’bout we strike a deal?” asked the yaksha. He grinned and then eyed Aiden’s camera. “You give me that chunk of metal, and I’ll give you complimentary, VIP, executive, first-class transportation to the one … the only …GREAT SWAMP!”
Aiden clutched his camera tightly.
“No deal,” said Brynne. “In fact,youshould be giving us passage forfree. Do you knowwho we are? We’re Pandavas.”
Aru tensed. It was the same tactic she’d used at the Court of the Seasons not too long ago, but it didn’t feel right here. Maybe peopleshouldn’tknow where they were going … because if Takshaka, Queen Uloopi’s right-hand man, could betray her, who was to say what sideanyperson was on?
“Heavens!” said the yaksha, falling to his knees.
A little too dramatic, thoughtAru.
The yaksha thanked them profusely, then bowed and stepped aside, allowing them access to the portal.
Brynne was triumphant. “Nailed it!” she whispered, beaming.
Aiden bumped her fist and Mini bumped her elbow, but Aru hesitated. The yaksha had reached under the desk of his kiosk. Aru had seen Sherrilyn, the head of security at the museum, do the same thing in emergencies. He was pressinga secret alarm button.
