“You know something else I just now remember?” mentions Sly. “In the pyramid there was an operation for that perfume. The one that we poured on the Thievius Raccoonus book, and the one that I guess in the alternate timeline cured a poisoned Slytunkhamen the Second. I guess the rocks were an additional ingredient, like Slytunkhamen said.”

“Just like now?” theorizes Thornel. “Do you think they’re trying to restart the operation from back in your Slytunkhamen’s era?”

“The pH within the interior of these khamium rocks is off the charts even compared to battery acid. It could make a powerful and lingering liquid for sure,” says Bentley. “And if the rocks were in the same place as this potion, it is almost certain they were used for this kind of perfume.”

“Perfume or potion, it wasn’t common knowledge amongst the raccoons what it could do,” Sly adds. “One thing we do know is the potion is able to be used to make everyday objects a lot more durable. And skin stronger.”

“But forget not the cortisol fumes from the rocks,” says Dimitri. “Theoretically, constant exposure to anything with this substance could keep owners quite, you know, agitated. Anxiety behind their sweaty backs.” Dimitri has a point, and we’re all a little surprised from that.

“So…what’s the endgame here?” I ask. “Is Mz Ruby maybe using her outside connections to establish a market in Haiti with this stuff, and then escape from jail and be untouchable due to this perceived influence?”

“That does make sense,” says Bentley. “She’s familiar with souls and manipulation. She’d be knowledgeable about this.”

“Uh, guys…” That was Branwell who spoke up.

“Come to think of it, you’ve been awful quiet, Branwell,” says Bentley. “Something on your mind?”

“Yeah. This…this cortisol rock. Khamium I guess we can call it. What if…What if I got drugged with it and that’s what led me to set the Silvio’s house on fire?”

Even Bentley’s eyebrows shoot up, and I think mine shoot up the most. “Branwell here did say he was in very extreme emotional distress,” mentions McSweeney.

“I was,” he concurs. “I’ve never done anything violent like that, and then one night I decide to take my revenge, and the same guy I try to burn down is mixed up with a potion meant to cause the anguish I was in?” This would be really hard to prove in court, if it’s actually what happened, but it’s definitely a logical argument with everything we know. “And for that matter, don’t forget how he kept giving me needles while I was in his captivity. Obviously he had to have been collecting my blood for something. But what?”

“Mz Ruby was the one who hypnotized you into sleep,” says Sly. “She must know something.”

“I’m going to contact the warden when we rescue the Guru,” I declare. “We’ll see how solitary has been on her.”

“I have an assumption about that too,” says Bentley. 

“About the Guru or Mz Ruby?” I ask.

“Well, both, plus Branwell’s blood. Cortisol is not just within these rocks. It’s supposed to be a natural hormone inside all of us when we’re stressed. In fact, regular levels of cortisol are actually healthy. What if the potion they’re brewing needs blood with high levels of cortisol to work?”

We’re all frozen at this possibility. “You mean,” says Branwell, “I was kidnapped and put under high distress to power up the potion? How could you even guess that?”

“I’ve looked at the photo Sly took of the cauldron Penelope was stirring again and again. The liquid has a tinge of red.”

Branwell looks at the cauldron’s contents through the ringtail’s photo. “Well, I suppose that does look like red mixed with purple. But would it be enough if it were true that that’s what they needed it for? I mean, they pumped enough blood out of me to make me faint for days, but even then there must be hundreds of pounds of those rocks. Is my blood that powerful?”

“And I don’t remember any of this in Egypt,” says Sly. “I saw the perfume being made, and it wasn’t that color. I also didn’t hear or see anything about raccoons being taken away and having their blood stolen. And I imagine Catra would have wanted ours while we were in prison. But they never gave us any needles and we were the only raccoons incarcerated there.”

Everyone’s staring at Sly, and I sense a mixture of amaze and annoyance for how he’s dismantling the theory.

“Thanks Sly,” Bentley eventually continues. “Good points. So maybe it’s something different they’re fabricating, just also with the rocks. And Branwell, to your point about your blood being so powerful only a small bit could go up against the khamium and turn the entire concoction red. Either Mz Ruby was able to duplicate your blood, or I’m completely wrong. Or…” Bentley trails off.

“What’s up?” asks Thornel.

“Guys, remember how The Shadow Order has been arresting people around here for little or no reasons as of late? And how people have been saying they don’t know where they are? What if…”

“Oh my goodness,” I stutter. “That is just horrible.” Everyone gets it. What if people are being kidnapped to be put under high emotional distress and then they get their spiked blood taken for the mixture?

“It completely makes sense,” says Thornel. “Anyone could have set up shop in the Haitian jungle and kept it on the down low, considering how scared they are of it. But if the secret ingredient is plenty of blood, it not only makes sense to take hostages but to make them terrified to have the blood be legitimately spiked.”

“And it’s not just cortisol in this rock. There’s something magic and juju wise.”

“Then I guess it makes sense why Mz Ruby would be very involved in this,” says Sly.

“But if the Order has really been locking people up for this purpose,” I say, realizing what I’m getting at as the words are forming, “then we have to find out where they are and free them. Or else they could be used as cover. As hostages.”

“I say we snag Roger,” says Branwell. “He should know where they are and since he comes from money, he might be a little easier to intimidate.”

“I’ll take it into consideration, Branwell,” says Bentley. “For now, though, we know what the khamium rocks are primarily made of and we’ve made educated guesses on this potion. One way or another it’s definitely bad news. I’ve been able to fabricate a plan, so everyone listen up. Our goal is to stop the production, and find and free the prisoners. 

“It’s taken time, but I’ve finally tapped into the same frequency as Raleigh’s blimp. Sly finding it there was really beneficial. Penelope and the little frog didn’t make it easy, but knowing their exact location finally got me to do the proper bypass. I originally made the scan in Egypt so we could try and keep an eye on the blimp, something we ironically haven’t been able to do. But now we can instead use it to our advantage. I’m going to manually power it up, and I’m going to fly it above the forest and we can then use it to pick us up here on the ground. Then when we’re over the wall with it, I’ll use my grapple hook and plant bombs. That should allow us to open the door to the Skull Temple without having to wait for it to magically open. 

We are going to have to act carefully and fast at the same time, because once we take control of the blimp, the Order will know something’s wrong. Murray, Thornel, McSweeney, be ready for some fist-throwing.”

“Excuse me,” says Thornel. “I don’t know if I should be involved with this. If I’m caught roughing these guys up, I’ll have to go into hiding and all my friends will be interrogated and tortured.”

“That’s why we’re going to do this thoroughly,” says Bentley. “We aren’t just going to leave after we’re done here. We’re driving this order out and freeing everyone they’ve taken. Once we do so, Haiti will be back under control.”

Thornel takes a deep breath and looks in a random direction in the room to where I know is the forest. “Alrighty,” he mutters.

“Now, there’s a chance the blimp will be shot down. Even with my skills, Penelope and Raleigh aren’t pushovers. So I have a backup plan. After Sly was seen, security’s sure to be tighter so it’s definitely a possibility. If so, we are going to take out that antenna he found, and the strongest of us will lift it up and create a walkway. Chances are only the lightest of us will be able to go on that thing without it breaking, and the only ones who can do that would be Sly and Branwell.”

“As long as I can be armed with something,” says Branwell, “I’ll do it.”

“Before that happens, I will throw some bombs. McSweeney will also, since he is pretty good at throwing them far. I’ll do so on the side of the temple to distract the guards so no one will know where we’re exactly breaking in from.”

“No prob, junior,” accepts McSweeney.

“Now, things could go wrong in this plan so we will have to act fast. Once the antenna is set, anyone will be able to see what we’re doing. Sly and Branwell, if you are unable to get the mouth open, the rest of us won’t be able to come help, and it will be completely up to you in the lion’s den. Be sure to watch out for Penelope’s new glue gun.”

“And Raleigh’s bloated chest,” Sly adds. “Hesitate around that and you’ll be as flat as a pancake.” He nods in Branwell’s direction, who lightly gulps but nods.

“If it is just the two of you,” continues Bentley, “one of you should prioritize taking out the guards and the other should then, if that ends up going well, sneak away to find and free the prisoners. Murray told me just earlier how he senses really frightened and troubled souls up in that temple.”

“My master’s teachings sunk in,” he explains.

“Okay. Let’s head out. We’ve spent enough time sitting around!” says Sly.

“Hold up. There’s just one other thing I wanted to say. Something Slytunkhamen said in his old entry.”

“O-kay…” says Sly. Bentley seems to be directing that primarily towards him.

“It was where he said when he first planted that bomb he accidentally got soaked with something. It must’ve been one of the khamium rocks. One must’ve been cut open and some spilled onto his fur. It only makes sense. Liquid is really hard to come by in those parts of Egypt.”

“Why would that stick with you?” asks Branwell.

“I just finished examining the liquid from the rock’s cores earlier. It has a highly volatile level of entering into your body, but does not actually disrupt blood flow.”

“I’m afraid I’m still lost, Bentley,” says Sly.

“My point is that this liquid has the power, on its very own, to change someone’s DNA. The cortisol is so strong and solvent that it turns the carrier into someone so much easier to fall victim to spiked emotions.”

“Are…you calling Slytunkhamen overly vulnerable?”

“Sly, what I’m saying is, and this is not certain, but, from the levels of how much it has the ability to change DNA, it’s very possible it could get passed on. And when one is angry, which often happens with higher levels of the chemical in your body, you can be prone to actions some may do when both angry and certain they can do it. Commit fires. Yell. …Steal.”