Book Scavenger

Back at home that evening, Emily is forced to use the family computer because she can’t go up to James’s room. Matthew is online and refuses to let her research the Maltese Falcon clue. Emily lashes out at her brother, saying, “You used to be fun. I used to think you were cool!” (221). Matthew relents and lets her use the computer. When she finds information related to the Maltese Falcon, Matthew agrees to go with her to investigate the next clue. 

At school, James still isn’t speaking to Emily, and she feels lost. In Quisling’s class, James turns in a strange-looking cipher with vertical lettering that seems to worry Maddie.

Later, Emily solves part of her next clue. She must go to the house where Dashiell Hammett was living when he finished writing The Maltese Falcon. Matthew goes with her. On the bus ride, Matthew talks about his periods of adjustment to their parents’ frequent moves. He points out that a person would miss out on things whether they moved or stayed in the same place. Emily decides that he might be right.

Emily and Matthew search outside of Hammett’s former home but can’t find anything. Then, Emily notices a large bird sitting motionless in a tree. She gets Matthew to climb the tree and retrieve what turns out to be a statue of a raven. In a concealed compartment, they find a copy of The Maltese Falcon. Instead of a Book Scavenger tracking number, the back page contains a new cipher for Emily to solve.

Emily and James still aren’t talking, and Emily has no idea how to solve her newest cipher. She decides to reach out to Babbage since she knows this player also attends Booker Middle School. They communicate via the Book Scavenger site, and Babbage agrees to meet Emily at school the following morning, which is Halloween. Emily is shocked to learn that Babbage is really Quisling. Before they can discuss the cipher, Quisling spies the Poe book in her backpack.

Emily explains the book’s importance in Griswold’s new game. As a scavenger himself, Quisling is sympathetic, but he confiscates it anyway, intending to return it to Remora. Crestfallen, Emily wanders over to Hollister’s after school. While there, she learns that Hollister and Griswold were once co-owners of the bookstore. Hollister explains, “My vision was to keep the bookstore small, a community place. [Griswold] wanted to spread his energy and enthusiasm for the arts to as many people as he possibly could” (261). The two parted ways angrily, though Hollister seems to regret that they lost touch because they couldn’t see eye-to-eye. He encourages Emily to reconcile with James by simply being there for him. 

When Emily leaves Hollister’s, she is accosted by Barry and Clyde, who demand the Poe book. Although Quisling confiscated Griswold’s special copy, Emily realizing that she still has another published copy of “The Gold-Bug.” Emily gives this copy to Barry and Clyde. The thugs can’t tell the difference and walk away happily with their prize.

The next day in the school cafeteria, Emily and James exchange furtive looks. Emily thinks of Hollister’s advice not to give up on their friendship. James walks over as Emily is working on her latest cipher. He recognizes it as a pigpen cipher, in which letters are replaced by a code of symbols, and tells her so. Later, Emily finds the cipher key and decodes the message. It spells the word “scarab.” 

Emily realizes that “scarab” is the word Poe used to describe the beetle in “The Gold-Bug.” She believes she will need the original copy of the book to solve the next clue. Back at school, James’s latest cipher stumps the class, and he wins a homework pass. He and Emily speak briefly. At home, Emily gets the idea of sending an apology to James in code using their bucket-and-pulley communication method. He sends an apology of his own in return.

After this, the two concoct a scheme to catch Maddie in the act of cheating on the next round of ciphers. She takes the bait and is caught by Quisling. James is now safe from having to cut off his lock of hair. Maddie probably won’t consent to dye her hair as promised, but James concludes, “Watching her squirm was better than the toadstool hair” (282).