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The Sword Thief (39 Clues #3)

by Peter Lerangis

3.94 · rating details · 7,768 ratings · 585 reviews

ATTENTION! Amy and Dan Cahill have been located once again, this time in the company of the notoriously unreliable Alistair Oh. Could they have been foolish enough to make an alliance?

Spies report that Amy and Dan seem to be tracking the life of one of the most powerful fighters the world has ever known. If this fearsome warrior was a Cahill, his secrets are sure to be w

...more

Hardcover, 160 pages

Published April 1st 2009 by Scholastic

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Mar 06, 2009

Cathy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical, juvenile, young-adult, read-in-2009

A fun, fast adventure, but no where near as substantive or satisfying as the first 2 in the series. It felt like watching a Disney TV series, each chapter ending in a cliffhanger; thank goodness there were no commercials. I really miss the strong historical bent of the first 2 books. There was some info here about the Japanese historical figure, but not nearly as much as in the past books. There was some nice character development, humor, and, as I said, terrific adventure. If this had been the ...more

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Apr 06, 2011

Lindsay Natural disaster rated it

Shelves: mrs-veit-lit-study-books

This book was really exciting and interesting. It had a lot of action and suspense. It is about two children Amy and Dan Cahill. They are apart of this huge family that includes famous people from our past like Benjamin Franklin, Mozart and other famous people. They are racing to find the 39 clues before all of their other relatives. They make an alliance with their Uncle Alistar who had abandoned them in the beginning. He took them under his wing. They also all made an alliance with their enemy...more

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Mar 12, 2009

Sara rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, middle-grade, series

What struck me about this book before I even started reading it was how short it was compared to the first two books in the series. Then, while I read this, I thought about how the writing in this book isn't nearly as good as the writing in the first two. I know, each book has a different author, but that doesn't mean that even though the writing might be different, it necessarily has to be worse. Unfortunately, I thought that was the case with this book. It didn't flow as nicely, there were...more

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Feb 04, 2012

Jeremiah Yohannan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: done-3

Entry 1-

Amy and Dan Cahill are the protagonists and they are all on their own in the hunt for the 39 Clues started by their grandmother, Grace Cahill. They must depend on their own instincts to beat their wealthy cousins to the final product, the serum including all of the 39 Clues, which makes whoever drinks it the most powerful person in the world. The antagonists are the other Cahill members taking part in the hunt for the 39 Clues.

Entry 2-

The setting is a...more

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Feb 01, 2012

Bridgette Redman rated it

· review of another edition

The 39 Clues series reveals that all of the great names in the world--whether athletes, artists, politicians, or warriors--were all part of the same family, the Cahills. When the matriarch of the Cahill family dies, members of the Cahill family are given a choice between inheriting a million dollars or searching for 39 clues that will lead them to ultimate power, glory, and wealth.

Each book in the series will be written by a different author, though the central characters remain Amy an...more

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Jan 06, 2012

Yis2017 rated it

· review of another edition

A Book Review of 39 Clues: Sword Thief
by Jerome, Grade 7, Yangon International school
Imagine being a part of the most powerful family full of unreliable relatives and famous
inventors. Two options exist: take one-million dollars and live normally or participate in a clue
hunt to discover the secret of the Cahill power and become the most powerful person in the
world. Amy and Dan have chosen to participate in a serious quest to discover the secrets of the
Cahill...more

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Jul 27, 2010

Chris rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

As the third book in the 39 Clues series, this book picked up where the last ones had left off both in terms of plot/story and in terms of expectations.

Another new author took over this time and did a great job of continuing the adventure in Japan and Korea. With the various details included, I wonder if part of the choice of author is based on his/her knowledge of the proposed setting for the book. In this book, we're given a fair amount of good details about the Japanese landsc...moreAs the third book in the 39 Clues series, this book picked up where the last ones had left off both in terms of plot/story and in terms of expectations.

Another new author took over this time and did a great job of continuing the adventure in Japan and Korea. With the various details included, I wonder if part of the choice of author is based on his/her knowledge of the proposed setting for the book. In this book, we're given a fair amount of good details about the Japanese landscape, cityscape, culture and society.

The way the plot was handled in this book was interesting to me and more believable in terms of the globetrotting done by the kids. In book 2, they were essentially on their own (along with their au pair) racing around Europe. In book 3, they hesitantly take on first one alliance and then a second alliance with fellow clue seekers who help the kids maneuver through various countries.

The alliance aspect helped with the believability of travel but stretched a little thin in terms of the interactions with the temporary allies. The first alliance felt generally logical and believable especially with the subtle and enigmatic character development given during the story (I'm still not sure what to make of the guy…he generally seems "good" and like he cares about the kids, but at the same time, he seems brutal and frightening). The alliance that came a little later was less believable when considering the general character traits of the new allies. It seemed to me that they would have dropped the kids by the side of the road and stolen the kids' ally. Still, it played out well. The one character I was left a little confused about was Irina…what exactly was her initial role in the airport and with regards to those who took Amy and Dan's tickets? If she was involved in the ticket theft, why did she stay out of the picture further on in the book. I was a little confused as to where she was and why she never turned up again.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns and especially the new revelations that came. The story continues to be intriguing. The reading is quick and simple (to be expected as a children's book) but is still a lot of fun.

****
3.5 stars out of 5(less)

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Apr 09, 2010

Karina rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, young-adult

As usual too short :p At this point, I think it's going to take 39 books for them to find all the clues, because they are only finding one per book with exception of the first where they got one clue at the start and found another by the end. Unless all that extra-book content is going to come into play (more clues have been discovered by those playing along)...

Dan in this book was just so dumb. It didn't seem like him at all. At one point where he was talking about stuff he'd figure...more

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Dec 14, 2009

Jelinas rated it

· review of another edition

When I was younger, I used to despise Koreans. I would get really embarrassed when all the other Korean kids started drawing Korean flags on their backpacks and notebooks and writing “KP” (“Korean Pride”) on everything they owned (I still think I was a tiny bit justified in that embarrassment. That’s pretty lame, yo).

But, as I grew older, I realized that, whether I liked it or not, being Korean was part of my heritage, and trying to cut that off was like cutting off my nose to spite ...moreWhen I was younger, I used to despise Koreans. I would get really embarrassed when all the other Korean kids started drawing Korean flags on their backpacks and notebooks and writing “KP” (“Korean Pride”) on everything they owned (I still think I was a tiny bit justified in that embarrassment. That’s pretty lame, yo).

But, as I grew older, I realized that, whether I liked it or not, being Korean was part of my heritage, and trying to cut that off was like cutting off my nose to spite my face. I learned to accept the good things that came with the culture (the emphasis on diligence, integrity, and respect) and to watch out for the bad (arrogance in achievement, undue emphasis on success in the eyes of the world, and the tendency to bury emotions and affection down where no one can find it, not even you).

Besides that, I realized that Koreans have the best cuisine in the world. Seriously, Korean food is tha BOMB.

And then I read The Sword Thief and now I hate Koreans again.

The third book in the 39 Clues series (I can’t believe I’m only one-thirteenth of the way through this series. Kill me now) contains two elements that I find absolutely repulsive. The first is a mysterious Korean uncle to two white kids (you still haven’t explained this to my satisfaction, writers), who alternates between wanting to help the kids and wanting to hurt the kids to help himself. Through it all, he’s creepy as creepy gets, and the picture of an actor posing as him on one of the collectible cards was even creepier because the book makes him sound like an old man, but the man in the picture was youngish. Creepy uncle of eternal youth? Creepy.

And his name is supposed to be Alistair Oh? Shenanigans. Strike three, writers.

The second creepy-as-all-get-out element is Amy Cahill’s crush on her COUSIN. Ew, ew, and EW. I don’t care that they’re probably not that closely related. There’s even a scene where Ian Kabra, the handsome cousin (GAG) “lightly brushes her lips with his” or some crap like that. EEEWWWW!!!! Excuse my while I puke!!! That is so not appropriate, I don’t know what to say. And the worst part of it is that it’s not even being played for laughs, or with any hint of irony. When the writers of “Arrested Development” put romantic tension between George Michael (the adorable Michael Cera) and his cousin Maeby (the also adorable Alia Shawkat), at least there was a chance she was adopted and it was all played for laughs anyway. But The 38 Clues is taking this über-seriously. As serious as the hereditary diseases that result from inbreeding.

Other than that, the adventure part of this novel was pretty much the same old schlock I’m getting used to seeing from this series. Kids race around exotic foreign location, avoid baddies, run into baddies, somehow elude their grasp and manage to be the first to find the next clue in the series.

Three down. Thirty-six to go. *sigh*(less)

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Apr 10, 2009

Jennifer Wardrip rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Amy and Dan have been waylaid at the airport en route to Japan. Instead of boarding the plane, they're taken to a room for a random search.

Meanwhile, Natalie and Ian Kabra board the plane in their place. Nellie, their au pair, has already boarded. Unsure of the next step, Amy and Dan leave the airport and find a car waiting for them. Uncle Alistair wants to work with them again, but can they trust him?

Together th...more

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Apr 07, 2009

Katrina rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Middle school reluctant readers and pretty much everyone else.

Shelves: juvenille, fiction, mystery

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Peter Lerangis, the third author in the series, takes the characters in directions that perhaps even Rick Riordan did not envision. For example, Alistair Oh, who began life as a vaguely untrustworthy cipher in the first book and continued as a doddering comic non-entity in the second, flowers here as a doting relative, filled with concern and even love towards the other characters. He has inner dialog, an intriguing and tragic backstory, a home, and formidable sk...more

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Aug 22, 2009

Lion rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 22, 2009

Mike rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, childrens-books

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Oct 18, 2010

Kara Ripley rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 30, 2010

Danielle rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-ya, thriller, suspense-mystery

This book just wasn't as good as the others. While the last book focused more on Natalie, this book is mostly about Alistair with some inner thought from Ian thrown in. While not as fast-paced as the others, there was still a lot going on in a short span of pages. Much of the content in this book is based in mental monologue, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Usually inner dialogue helps the reader become closer to the character, allowing us to better understand what's underneath the surf...more

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Jan 25, 2010

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

Unlike The 39 Clues Book Two: One False Note where the action is non-stop, in The 39 Clues Book Three: The Sword Thief things slow down, and we get to know the characters better, especially the rivals, as they pursue their quest for the 39 clues. I liked this change. It reminded me of The 39 Clues Book One: The Maze of Bones, where all the characters were introduced and we got a good picture of them.

With this book the reader gets a chance to get his bearings and to recap all the even...more

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Nov 12, 2011

Kayla Beck rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: kid-lit, fiction-pleasure

Where One False Note focused more on the relationship with Dan, Amy, and Nellie, this one centered on the larger family. It was refreshing to see the other Cahill family branches make an larger appearance in one of the books. Uncle Alistair's relationship with Dan and Amy is one of the major themes. There is also an interesting spin done on the Cahill-Kabra dynamic.

Although I had been wanting to see more of the family, this is my least favorite book in the series so far. There was fa...more

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Jan 24, 2012

Franz Gillian rated it

· review of another edition

I chose to read this book because after the second book, I wanted to read what happens next after a cliffhanger. The Sword Thief is about Amy and Dan who goes to Japan to seek their next clue. They made an alliance with Alistair and later teamed up with the Kabras. The Kabras later betray them and leave them in a cave. My favorite quote was "Somehow Uncle Alistair was alive. And he had ditched them again." I like this quote because I actually thought Alistair died in the cave and ...more

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Feb 19, 2010

Brett rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-childrens, adventure-childrens

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I would have given this book two and a half stars, if I could have. But that's not the book's fault. The reader of the kids' book just happened to be an adult.

---SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER---

I had some problems with the Japan stuff. Yeah, I lived there for a long time, so maybe it isn't fair, but nevertheless, I will put it on the record.

Here are the various problems:

1. They don't have back yards in Japan, and espec...moreI would have given this book two and a half stars, if I could have. But that's not the book's fault. The reader of the kids' book just happened to be an adult.

---SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER---

I had some problems with the Japan stuff. Yeah, I lived there for a long time, so maybe it isn't fair, but nevertheless, I will put it on the record.

Here are the various problems:

1. They don't have back yards in Japan, and especially not in the vicinity of Nagatacho/Yotsuya.
2. They don't have chain link fences around houses in Japan.
3. They don't have Chevy Cobalts in Japan (although I once saw a Toyota Cavalier, just like the Chevy model in the States).
4. There are no third rails on Japanese subways. All power is delivered from overhead wires.
5. The only train line that runs from Nagatacho to Yotsuya is the Namboku Line. There is no way that the characters could have hopped down onto the tracks there, because there is a floor-to-celing barrier at that station that runs the entire length of the platform, just like on airport trams. (These barriers prevent suicides.) On the other hand, if they had actually entered from Akasaka-Mitsuke (a station direcly connected to Nagatacho, which also has a train line (the Marunouchi Line) whose next stop is Yotsuya), then I don't think there would have been a barrier, since the Marunouchi Line is the oldest subway line in Tokyo. But . . .
6. Whether they were coming from Nagatacho or Akasaka-Mitsuke, trains arrive more frequently than every 25 minutes or so. In fact, at the time of day mentioned in the book, trains arrive every 4 to 6 minutes on the Namboku Line and every 2 to 4 minutes on the Marunouchi line, no matter the day of the week. Plus . . .
7. There would have been dozens or hundreds of people (depending on whether it was a weekend or weekday) on the platform watching the crazy foreigners hopping down onto the tracks.
8. The Yakuza (pronounced YAkuza, not yaKUza) don't carry ninja stars. (Did that really need to be said? :))
9. I just remembered that the Marunouchi Line comes above ground at Yotsuya (just for the length of the platform before diving back underground), but the Namboku Line doesn't. This is significant, because the book said that the characters could see the next station's lights, so they doubled back. That could have only happened if they had been on the Namboku line, because they would have seen sunlight if they had been on the Marunouchi Line. Which confirms the #5 problem.
10. Who cares? It's a kids' book! :p

BUT

1. The Engrish on page diamond-with-a-diamond-inside (40), was very authentic, as far as Engrish goes. I laughed.
2. The reference to Arisugawa Park was great. (Arisugawa Park is the center of the gaijin (foreigner) universe in Tokyo.)
3. Despite all of the problems above, almost no foreigner living in Tokyo has been to any of the stations listed above, so most of my gripes would probably pass under the radar, even for seasoned Tokyo veterans. (The only reason I know any of this is because I worked right in the neighborhood of these three stations, once upon a time.) (less)

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Jun 25, 2010

Lady Knight rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: childrens, mystery, contemporary, asia-india-middle-east

Yet another delightful effort in the 39 Clues series. I love the fun and adventure this series has, but I was rather disappointed with this effort. The book is very short, about half the size of the other two, and felt somewhat disjointed. Maybe having each installment of the series written by a different author is finally catching with it.

Amy and Dan are back, as is the rest of the crazy family. This time Allastaire Oh seems to be on their side and definitely helps them out in the ...more

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Apr 29, 2009

Cindy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 999, adventure, childrensbooks

This is the third in the kids adventure story series, The 39 Clues. Each book comes with cards and a chance to solve an online mystery and win actual prizes.

I like them for the fun story. Each book is written by a different author. The only one I had heard of before was Rick Riordan, who writes the Percy Jackson series, which I totally love.

This one starts off with our heroes Dan and Amy Cahill trying to reach Tokyo before any of the other competitors. And with a title li...more

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Dec 01, 2011

Dana Persson-zora rated it

· review of another edition

This book is one of the books in the series 39 clues. Im on the 4th book and I'm planning to read the rest of the books. I think this book is very good because it has action, mystery, and some parts are making me think what's gonna happen next. Right now the main people are in Egypt. The book has different sides of the story. One chapter may have the main person's thoughts. The next might have the enemies' thoughts, or the second main persons thoughts. This book is also funny at some parts like...more

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Oct 22, 2011

06chrise rated it

· review of another edition

The Sword Thief, by Peter Lerangis
This third book in the 39 clue book series is a magnificent addition, with fiction and true facts intertwined in an unexpected plot. Dan and Amy have found a hint that leads them forward in their hunt for the 39 clues! They are on their way to Japan, but neither of them knows Japanese! It is a very dangerous choice, but they may need to have an alliance with their tricky distant cousin, Alistair Oh. But one of the last things that they heard from their g...more

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Jan 13, 2011

Barbara rated it

· review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 08, 2010

Dominic rated it

· review of another edition

Amy and Dan are forced to make a deadly alliance with their uncle Allister and their arch rivals, Ian and Natalie Kabra. The Kabras give the Cahills one of their clues that is a coin that supposedly belonged to the ancient warrior that they are following. As they get to Tokyo, they find another clue and the clue tells them to go to the place where Hidehoshi had his final battle which takes them to uncle Alistair's house. The Kabras are the richest competitors that the cahills are competing again...moreAmy and Dan are forced to make a deadly alliance with their uncle Allister and their arch rivals, Ian and Natalie Kabra. The Kabras give the Cahills one of their clues that is a coin that supposedly belonged to the ancient warrior that they are following. As they get to Tokyo, they find another clue and the clue tells them to go to the place where Hidehoshi had his final battle which takes them to uncle Alistair's house. The Kabras are the richest competitors that the cahills are competing against but, when they see his house the Kabras start to make rude remarks like "it's amazing what you can do with a limited amount of space", and "Wow, your house has nice....ummmm....ummm window plasters." The old but wise uncle Alistair chooses to just ignore them. Soon as they continue to find clues, they find Hideyoshi's hiding place by putting the coin into a slit. They find out he has a whole bunch of stuff, like swords and soon the find treasure chests that have stashes of gold inside them. A mirror on the wall makes Amy seem suspicious, soon after they celebrate of what they just found, they discover that the mirror has symbols on the side of it. As they are trying to figure out what the symbols mean, Amy sees that if you split the symbols in half, there is half of an english letter. They finish translating and they letters spell "Lake Tash". Dan tells everyone that lake tash is in a country in the middle east. The Kabras suddenly ditch the cahills and uncle Alistair, insert the coin into the slit and leave them there in the forbidden hideout of Hidehoshi. After a couple minutes stuck, Dan says that he made the whole thing up about lake tash and he says that the answer is sakhet as he remembers the unit that they did on Egypt. Dan trips and discovers that the ground is charcoal. They think it has to do with a way to get out and they realize it does after finding fuses hanging from the ceiling and the smell of sulfur (sulfur and charcoal make gunpowder). They light the fuses and it blows the ceiling off. Uncle Alistair helps Amy and Dan get out but, when it was his turn to get out, a rock slide comes and kills uncle Alistair. Amy and Dan are mad as their Au pair arrives to pick them up, and the police come and ask Amy and Dan questions. Amy and Dan go to uncle alistair's house and are talking about their trip to Egypt. Suddenly Amy and Dan see uncle Alistair alive. Uncle Alistair is alive and he ditched Amy and Dan agian.(less)

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Mar 09, 2009

Jackie rated it

· review of another edition

Recommended to Jackie by: Tyler A.

Shelves: adventure, children-fiction, heroes-heroines, good-vs-evil, mystery, interactive

Dan and Amy Cahill are on their way to Toyko when Uncle Alistair Oh shows up and attempts to form an alliance with them. They need his help because Natalie and Ian Kabra stole their boarding passes and separated them from their au pair, Nellie Gomez. Uncle Alistair gets them to Toyko and they find that another clue leads them to South Korea. As an unseemly alliance forms between Dan and Amy, Uncle Alistair, and Natalie and Ian, dangers mounts and Dan, Amy and Alistair are tricked and supposedly ...more

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May 24, 2011

Sterling S. rated it

· review of another edition

This was a quite of a cool book, because I had heard that it was a good series. Too bad that I got the third one of the series , because I always like to start with the first one. I really liked it along with my PLAYAWAY. It really helped me understand it in the beginning, because it gets boring until the climax. My favorite part in the book was when Allistar picks the kids up in the limo and he is on their side. I like this book because it has adventures in the book and that is the books that I...more

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Aug 18, 2011

Samantha rated it

This 3rd book in the 39 Clues series was probably my least favorite so far. One of the things that I liked about this series up to this point was the history that the kids learn through reading it. This book was severely lacking in any kind of educational value. I also enjoyed how international locations have been described giving kids a bigger picture of the world beyond there own little corner. Unfortunately, this book's description of Tokyo was a little too much in the style of a B-movie ...more

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Dec 21, 2011

Max.d rated it

· review of another edition

This book in my opinion is one of the best 39 clues novel of all time.
Once you pick this book up you cant set it down until you have finished. They are just so good they are filled with mystery and crime.
One of my favorite parts is when nellie gets so exited that they are going to go to Japan or china. The thing about nellie is that she is always happy no matter where the go and the think I dislike the most is when she is in a pond/lake area she is swimming and she feels somthing wi...more

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Mar 10, 2009

carissa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: j-mystery-4th-6th

Recommended: grades 3-6

"ATTENTION! Amy and Dan Cahill have been located once again, this time in the company of the notoriously unreliable Alistair Oh. Could they have been foolish enough to make an alliance? Spies report that Amy and Dan seem to be tracking the life of one of the most powerful fighters the world has ever known. If this fearsome warrior was a Cahill, his secrets are sure to be well-guarded . . . and the price to uncover them just might be lethal."

...more

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About Peter Lerangis

Lerangis's work includes The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief, two titles in the children's-book series The 39 Clues, the historical novel Smiler's Bones, the YA dark comedy-adventure novel wtf, the Drama Club series, the Spy X series, the Watchers series, the Abracadabra series, and the Antarctica two-book adventure, as well ghostwriting for series such as the Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys ...moreLerangis's work includes The Viper's Nest and The Sword Thief, two titles in the children's-book series The 39 Clues, the historical novel Smiler's Bones, the YA dark comedy-adventure novel wtf, the Drama Club series, the Spy X series, the Watchers series, the Abracadabra series, and the Antarctica two-book adventure, as well ghostwriting for series such as the Three Investigators, the Hardy Boys Casefiles, Sweet Valley Twins, and more than forty books in the series The Baby-sitters Club and its various spin-offs.[1] He has also written novels based on film screenplays, including The Sixth Sense, Sleepy Hollow, and Beauty and the Beast, and five video game novelizations in the Worlds of Power series created by Seth Godin.[2] As a ghostwriter he has been published under the name A. L. Singer.[3]
Lerangis is the son of a retired New York Telephone Company employee and a retired public-elementary-school secretary, who raised him in Freeport, New York on Long Island. He graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry, while acting in musicals[4] and singing with and musically directing the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes,[5][6] before moving to New York. He worked there as an actor[7] and freelance copy editor for eight years before becoming an author.[8]
In 2003, Lerangis was chosen by First Lady Laura Bush to accompany her to the first Russian Book Festival, hosted by Russian First Lady Lyudmila Putina in Moscow.[9][10]Authors R. L. Stine (Goosebumps) and Marc Brown (the Arthur the Aardvark series) also made the trip with Bush.[9]
Also in 2003, Lerangis was commissioned by the United Kingdom branch of Scholastic to write X-Isle, one of four books that would relaunch the Point Horror series there.[11] A sequel, Return to X-Isle, was published in 2004.
In 2007, Scholastic announced the launch of a new historical mystery series called The 39 Clues, intended to become a franchise.[12] Lerangis wrote the third book in the series, The Sword Thief, published in March 2009.[13][14][15] On March 3, 2009, Scholastic announced that Lerangis would write the seventh book in the series, The Viper's Nest.[14][16]
Lerangis lives in New York City with his wife, musician Tina deVaron, and their sons Nick and Joe.[17](less)

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Trivia About The Sword Thief

1 trivia question
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Quotes from The Sword Thief

“GGRRROOCCCCK...
Ian's knees buckled. The rock outcropping shook the ground, sending a spew of grayish dust that quickly billowed around them.
Shielding his eyes, he spotted Amy standing by the figurine, which was now moving toward her. She was in shock, her backpack on the ground by her feet.
"Get back!" he shouted.
Ian pulled Amy away and threw her to the ground, landing on top of her. Gravel showered over his back, embedding into his hair and landing on the ground like a burst of applause.
His second though was that the shirt would be ruined. And this was the shock of it-that his first thought had not been about the shirt. Or the coin. Or himself.
It had been about her.
But that was not part of the plan. She existed for a purpose. She was a tactic, a stepping stone. She was...
"Lovely," he said.
Amy was staring up at him, petrified, her eyelashes flecked with dust. Ian took her hand, which was knotted into a fist. "Y-y-you don't have to do that," she whispered.
"Do what?" Ian asked.
"Be sarcastic. Say things like 'lovely.' You saved my life. Th-thank you."
"My duty," he replied. He lowered his head and allowed his lips to brush hers. Just a bit.” — 34 people liked it

“I g-g-guess...I'm dead?" she heard her own voice call out, strangely high-pitched and thin.
For a long time, she heard nothing else. And then:
"Hi, Dead. I'm Dan.” — 25 people liked it

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The Sword Thief (39 Clues #3)

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