SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED

A week had passed, and all discussion of Paragon Engines and Otto Von Strife had given way to the excitement of the upcoming Round Table tournament.

Max and the other Griffins had grown up thinking Round Table was just another game. They had no idea that in Templar culture, it was a phenomenon.

Top players were treated like rock stars, which explained—at least in part—why Xander Swift was so popular. Before he transferred to Iron Bridge, he had won the Merlin Cup. That was the trophy given to the best amateur player in the world. At only fourteen years and three months, he had been the youngest person ever to win.

Along with Xander, Max was one of sixteen students left in the school tournament, but there were only eight spots on the varsity team. Harley, who had been eliminated, wanted to get Max a gift for good luck.

“I don’t really need a new pair of knucklebones,” Max said.

“People don’t give you gifts because you need something,” Harley said. “Otherwise all you’d get for Christmas is underwear and socks.”

“It’s your money.”

“Exactly, so stop complaining.”

As the boys walked down Avalon’s Main Street, Sprig skittered across the awnings overhead as a rambunctious raccoon.

Max looked up at the clock tower. “We better hurry,” he said. “The Spider’s Web is supposed to close in five minutes. Besides, it’s freezing out here.”

“You live in Minnesota—it’s supposed to be cold,” Harley said.

In order to reach the Spider’s Web, they had to walk past the Shoppe of Antiquities. It was an odd little store that offered everything from antique lamps to knight’s armor, but it closed when the proprietor, Olaf Iverson, went missing. Now the windows were boarded up, and there was police tape across the door.

Max could feel his chest tighten as the powerful feeling of loss became unbearable. Iver, as that’s what everyone had called him, was more than a simple shop owner. Like Monti, he had also been a part of the secret Templar society. More important, Iver had become a surrogate grandfather to Max and his friends, and there wasn’t a day when Max didn’t think about him.

Iver had been the one who’d introduced the Grey Griffins to Round Table. All the while, he was teaching them how to protect themselves against goblins, werewolves, and trolls without any of them realizing it.

“I was wondering,” Harley said. “Maybe we should go back in there. You know, to see if we can find what that clockwork was looking for.”

Before the winter break, Max and Harley had ventured into the Shoppe of Antiquities, hoping to find clues that would tell them Iver was still alive. After all, there were strange circumstances surrounding his death. Most notably, that Max’s father supposedly killed Iver, and the body was never found.

Once inside the store, the boys had found a clockwork rummaging through Iver’s belongings. They chased it off, but the commotion attracted the sheriff, and they had to leave before they became suspects. Neither one had been back since.

“Not tonight,” Max said.

Harley looked at him. Then he patted Max on the back. “Yeah, maybe another time.”

When the boys reached the comic shop, Ken was already locking the front door. Monti had hired him to help out until things slowed down in the workshop, but it was starting to look permanent, which Max found depressing.

The store wasn’t the same without Monti. Ken was the kind of employee who liked to show up late, and he wasn’t afraid to leave early.

He usually sat behind the counter reading comic books or surfing the Internet, and when someone had a question, all Ken would do was grunt. Business had suffered, but Monti couldn’t find it in his heart to fire Ken. After all, Ken had been out of work for three months before Monti hired him. Max was starting to see why Ken couldn’t get a job.

Harley grabbed the handle just as the bolt clicked. He jiggled the door a few times, but Ken simply pointed at his wristwatch. “Sorry, we’re closed.”

“Come on,” Harley said. “All I need is a pair of knucklebones.”

Ken brushed a long strand of black hair out of his face and scratched his straggly beard. “Come back tomorrow. We open at ten.”

“I can’t. We have school.”

“That’s not my problem.” With that, Ken flipped off the lights before disappearing into the back of the shop.

“What a jerk,” Harley said as he leaned against the door with his arms crossed.

Max was about to suggest that they head over to the arcade to wait for their ride when he saw someone with a cane limping down the sidewalk. “Is that Monti?”

“Where?”

“What are you troublemakers up to?” Monti asked when he saw the boys standing under the awning of his comic shop.

“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Harley asked.

“I was craving Leonardo’s bow tie pasta with the garlic cream sauce,” Monti said, holding up the white paper bag in his hand. When he saw that the lights were off inside the store, he frowned. “Have you seen Ken?”

“Yeah, he slammed the door in my face before he went home,” Harley said.

Monti raised his eyebrows.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Max said, “but he did close a few minutes early.”

“Were you going to pick up your subscriptions?”

“No, we got those on Wednesday,” Harley said. “The Round Table qualifying tournament starts back up tomorrow, and I wanted to grab a new pair of knucklebones for Max. I was even thinking about getting some for Ernie, but I’m not sure. He’s still acting like a jerk.”

“You’re a good man, Harley,” Monti said before turning to Max. “So who are you going to be dueling against?”

“Catalina Mendez.”

Monti narrowed his eyes as he tried to put a face with the name.

“She’s the one with the Digger imp.”

“Ah, yes,” Monti said. “The last time she was in the store, her Bounder had… well, let’s call it an accident.”

“What kind of accident?” Harley asked.

“It wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t come out of both ends,” Monti said. “I replaced the carpet, but on a hot day, I can still smell it.”

“I wonder how Catalina got stuck with that thing,” Harley said.

“She’s never talked about it,” Max said.

“Speaking of Bounders, where’s yours?” Monti asked.

A cat screeched as they heard a trash can being tipped over. Its lid clanked on the ground, followed by the sound of glass breaking. Then something howled.

“I’d say she’s torturing the strays that live in the alley.”

“Let’s get inside,” Monti said. He placed his cane between his knees so he had a free hand to fish for his keys. As Monti pulled out a thick ring, he started to cough.

“I hate traditional keys. They’re so last century,” he said as he fumbled to find the right one. “Come on in.”

“Are you sure?” Max asked as Monti flipped on the lights.

“Of course,” Monti said. “I’d love the company.”

The Spider’s Web wasn’t a big store, but it still held over 250,000 comic books, not to mention vintage toys and action figures and an impressive collection of Round Table trading cards that he kept in the glass case next to the cash register.

“Is it just me, or does it smell like a dog in here?” Monti asked. He set his food on the counter before he had another coughing fit.

“No, it definitely smells like a dog,” Max said. “I think Ken’s German shepherd has a gas problem. Why do you let him bring that thing in here?”

“I don’t know,” Monti said as he knelt down to check what was left in the minifridge behind the counter. He took out three bottles of root beer and set them on the display case. “Well, then,” he said. “Did you have some knucklebones in mind?”

“Those,” Harley said, walking over to the glass case. He was pointing to a pair that looked like they had been taken from the knuckles of a dragon, which was exactly how the dice got their name.

“I had a pair just like that when I played for Stirling Academy,” Monti said. He unlocked the display to pull the knucklebones out and slipped them into a black velvet bag. “Not a bad choice.”

Harley continued to scan the display case until he spotted a red pair with silver numbers. “I guess I’ll take those for Ernie. They match his Agent Thunderbolt costume.”

“An interesting choice,” Monti said. He pulled them out and tossed them up and down in his hand. “Nice balance, metallic finish. Bartameaus Butler used a pair just like this to beat me in the quarterfinals my senior year.”

“I could pick another set.”

“No, no,” Monti said. “He went on to win the Merlin Cup that year. Let’s hope they bring Ernie some luck as well.”

Harley pulled out a wallet connected to his belt loop by a length of chain. “Here you go,” he said as he handed Monti his money.

“Much appreciated,” Monti said. He started coughing.

“You still sound terrible,” Harley said.

“It’s nothing.”

The front door opened, and Ross and Todd bounded into the store. Their cheeks and ears were bright red. Their teeth were chattering.

“How do people live in Minnesota?” Todd asked. “It’s so cold that I can’t even feel my tongue.”

“What are you two doing here?” Harley asked.

“Looking for Max,” Ross said before handing Max a large manila envelope.

“I already have a Toad Report on Catalina,” Max said without bothering to open it.

“This is an update,” Todd said.

“You could have sent it to my DE Tablet.”

“We needed to make sure you got it,” Ross said. “Catalina has a new battle deck, and from what we could gather, it’s nasty. I guess she’s pretty upset after what you said.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know, how you called her Bounder disgusting,” Ross said. “She’s out for blood.”

“I didn’t say that,” Max said. Then he pointed to Harley. “He did.”

Harley just shrugged.

“Ouch,” Monti said. “You shouldn’t talk about people’s Bounders like that. Especially not to their faces.”

“I didn’t think she’d hear me,” Harley said.

“How bad is it?” Max asked.

“Bad, but you still have fourteen hours before the duel,” Ross said.

“More like thirteen and a half,” Todd said.

“Either way,” Ross said. “That’s plenty of time to put together a deck that can counter hers.”

“I’ll take a look at it when I get home.”

“What’s with Monti?” Todd said after he glanced over at the counter.

“He’s been sick,” Harley said.

“I know, but look at him,” Todd said. “I mean, I don’t think people are supposed to have skin that color. It looks like chalk.”

Max turned in time to see Monti sway before he fell backward into a table behind the cash register. By the time Max reached Monti, Monti was lying on the floor, unconscious.