The Trap (The Magnificent 12 2)

Then Thor clapped his hands together and said, “Hey! You guys thirsty? Flagon of ale?”

Mack left it to Jarrah to decline the offer of a beer.

Xiao gave Mack a significant look and began a whispered conversation with Nott.

Mack checked his message:

Don’t worry, Mack; Mom says she will replace laptop since I need it for school. Next time: no chisels!

Mack sighed deeply. He’d loved that laptop. All his files would probably be lost. All his games. None of which, he realized with a secret smile, were nearly as cool as hanging out with the gods of Asgard. Even this decrepit Asgard.

Xiao left Nott’s side and came back to Mack. Smiling all the while, Xiao whisper

ed, “We are being deceived.”

Before he could ask what she was talking about, Thor launched into an earsplitting solo. So what Xiao said next had to be shouted into his ear.

“NOTT SAYS IT’S ALL A TRAP!”

“WHAT?”

“THEY’RE GIVING US TO THE PALE QUEEN!”

Odin had left, muttering something about the music. Thor whaled on his guitar. Nott carefully avoided meeting anyone’s eye.

“WHY?”

“I DON’T KNOW!”

You know how sometimes you’ll be at a party and the music is really loud, so you have to shout to be heard? And then suddenly the music stops, and you’re still shouting?

Thor’s guitar solo ended abruptly on the word “I.”

Which left Xiao yelling, “DON’T KNOW.”

The giant blond god took off his guitar and laid it aside. “What is it you don’t know?” Thor demanded, with a sidelong glance at Nott.

“So many things,” Mack said. “Such as . . . well . . . such as, where’s the bathroom?”

Cold blue suspicion filled Thor’s eyes. He shot a distrustful look at Nott. “We’re not that formal around here. There’s a jar over there.”

Mack saw a flower vase he recognized from his own living room. Definitely IKEA.

“No. It’s number two,” Mack said.

“Ah.”

“In fact, we all have to go number two.”

Jarrah, Dietmar, and Stefan stared at Mack.

Fenrir sauntered toward them. His wolf breath reached them first.

“That’s right,” Mack blustered. “We all need a bathroom.” He tried out a weak smile. “It’s all the travel. You know.”

“I’ll show them where to go,” Nott volunteered.

There followed a very long pause during which Thor looked nervously toward the doorway through which Odin had disappeared. He licked his giant lips uncertainly. Then he shrugged.