The Key

The Key
Michael Grant

Sometimes one hero isn't enough – sometimes you need a full dozen. Mack’s search for his dazzling dozen continues in the third instalment of this hilarious, action-packed fantasy series by the New York Times bestselling author of GONE.Time is short for Mack MacAvoy! He has less than 30 days to round up the rest of the magnifica and defeat the Pale Queen and her evil daughter Risky.It seems that the only way to do this is to learn the magical language of Vargran, and to do THAT they must travel to Europe to find the Key – an ancient engraved stone that will unlock its power.But can Mack, Jarrah, Xiao, Dietmar and Stephan locate the invisible castle of William “Blisterthong” MacGuffin, who guards the Key?And will The Key hold the power to save the world?The Magnificent 12: The Key is another fast-paced episode in bestselling Michael Grant’s hysterical fantasy adventure.

For Katherine, Jake, and Julia

Contents

Cover (#u133f5e8b-9fbc-5459-b25b-5d3bcafbaab3)

Title Page (#uadd86f92-ba91-5c1e-b578-756b18237242)

Dedication (#u892748c8-058f-5d4b-b91b-3f051c08f782)

One (#ulink_bdd306ef-ee56-5b21-a52d-bf0b2a59beeb)

Two (#ulink_81d5ff3d-5007-57ef-abc4-c78213dfa553)

Three (#ulink_3e3bd737-db7e-5c23-a850-d697b6d0a197)

Four (#ulink_71bb280e-5951-564d-bc38-827eb9b26299)

Five (#ulink_ba6b8448-4626-50ed-843d-b979cc897184)

Six (#ulink_e69c8c4c-074e-564e-bd87-9d8b49044251)

Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-one (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-two (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-three (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-four (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-five (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-six (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Last Chapter Before the Next Book (#litres_trial_promo)

Notes (#litres_trial_promo)

Other Magnificent 12 books by Michael Grant (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

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Let me out of here, you crazy old man!” Mack cried.

“Ye’ll ne’er lea’ ’ere alive. Or at least ye wilnae be alive fur lang. Ha-ha-ha!” Which was Scottish, more or less, for, “You’ll never leave here alive. Or at least you won’t be alive for long. Ha-ha-ha!”

The Scots are known for butchering the English language and for their ingenuity with building things. The first steam engine? Scottish guy invented it. The first raincoat? A Scot invented that, too. The first television, telephone, bicycle—all invented by Scots.

They’re a very handy race.

And the first catapult designed to hurl a twelve-year-old boy from the top of the tallest tower in a castle notable for its tall towers? It turns out that, too, was invented by a Scot, and his name was William Blisterthöng MacGuffin.

The twelve-year-old boy in question was David MacAvoy. All his friends called him Mack, and so did William Blisterthöng MacGuffin, although they were definitely not friends.

“Ye see, Mack, mah wee jimmy, whin ah cut th’ rope, they stones thare, whit we ca’ th’ counterweight, drop ’n’ yank this end doon while at th’ same time ye gang flying thro’ th’ air.”

Mack did see this.

Actually the catapult was surprisingly easy to understand, although Mack had never been good at science. The catapult was shaped a little like a long-handled spoon that balanced on a backyard swing set. A rough-timbered basket full of massive granite rocks was attached to the short handle end of the spoon. The business end of the spoon, where it might have contained chicken noodle soup or minestrone, was filled with Mack.