Free The Pillars of Ponderay by Lindsay Cummings Page A

now?”
    â€œI’m confused,” Albert said.
    â€œYou lost today. The great Albert Flynn, the boy who wears the Master Tile around his neck. Part of the heroic team that saved Calderon. And today, you failed your first Pit exercise.”
    Albert felt like Tussy had just slapped him across the face.
    â€œWe haven’t been here in months. It’s natural to be a little out of touch.”
    Tussy clicked her teeth. “If you say so.”
    Albert could feel his face grow hot. “My team and I work really well together. You’ll see.”
    â€œI’m expecting you to win in the Pit tomorrow,” Tussy said with a pointed glare. She nodded her head across the lake, where Hoyt and his cronies were making gross faces. “I’d hate to see the fate of the world land in their hands.”
    â€œI can agree with you on that.” Albert nodded.
    â€œOne week.” Tussy took a gulp of her drink. “You’d better be ready.”
    Then she raised a scabbed eyebrow, stood up, and walked away.
    Whimzies began to swoop down from overhead, carrying baskets full of steaming hot food. The smell alone made Albert’s stomach rumble. As the rest of the tablestarted loading their plates, thoughts of Albert’s conversation with Tussy faded away.
    He ate spaghetti and meatballs until he felt like he was going to explode.
    Leroy, as usual, filled his plate three times, and left not a scrap of food to spare.
    â€œYou’re such a glutton,” Birdie said, shaking her head at Leroy. “It’s really quite something.”
    Leroy shrugged. “Wha—oo—uh—mean?” A noodle hung from his chin.
    â€œShe means,” Albert said, flicking the noodle away, “that you eat like a pig!”
    Leroy swallowed, then laughed. “Pigs are usually fat and happy!”
    As plates started to empty, Albert felt himself growing excited. Free time was next. And then, finally, a good night’s sleep back in Cedarfell inside his warm tent.
    But before anyone could stand up to leave, Tussy took the stage. A MegaHorn sat on a podium there, and she tapped it. A squeal reverberated throughout Lake Hall.
    â€œAs you may well know, we’ve brought several surface-dwelling Balance Keepers back to the Core, something we don’t usually do on such short notice.”
    Heads nodded. Companion creatures hooted and roared and hissed.
    Tussy went on. “I’ll let Professor Asante relay thenews, as she has just recently returned from the Ponderay Realm. Everyone, give her a warm welcome.”
    Everyone clapped as Professor Asante took the stage. The sound was strangely weak compared to last summer, when Lake Hall was so packed with people that not a single dock or chair was left empty.
    Professor Asante looked even larger today than she usually did. Albert had to crane his neck to look up at her.
    â€œSometimes I wonder if she’s fully human,” Birdie whispered to Albert and Leroy.
    The boys both nodded. “Half giant, maybe,” Albert said.
    â€œOr half cyclops,” Leroy mused, pushing his glasses farther up his nose.
    Birdie sighed. “She has two eyes, Memory Boy. Cyclopses have only one.”
    Albert sighed and turned back to the stage. Professor Asante was covered in scars and cuts, just like Tussy. But she also had tattoos that wrapped around her neck and arms. There were tons of them, all a bunch of Core symbols. Albert knew some of the symbols; others he’d yet to study in the Black Book.
    Professor Asante waved a large hand, and the room fell silent. “Welcome, Balance Keepers, especially those who were able to arrive so quickly. And greetings to everyone else in the Core, whose importance is not to be forgotten.”
    She gave the crowd another moment to cheer before silencing them again. Her eyes glittered as she surveyed the room. “These are dark times. I won’t hide that from any of you. Rumors spread quickly in