Read Online The Pillars of Ponderay by Lindsay Cummings - Free Book Online

the Tile on top. If he could just jump far enough . . .
    â€œAnother two Tiles for Argon!” Tussy yelled into theMegaHorn, and it was enough to distract Albert from picturing the symbol he needed to make the leap. He saw Slink and Mo both waving Tiles in the air, smiles on their faces.
    â€œNo!” Albert stood and tried to leap, but the momentum from the spinning pillar threw off his jump. He knew he wouldn’t land on the next pillar, but he wouldn’t go down that easy. As he began falling toward the Pit floor, Albert stretched with all he had left in him. His hand scraped the top of the next pillar, and his fingers closed over a Tile. He clutched it to his chest as he continued falling to the floor.
    â€œHydra barely snatches a Tile!” Tussy cheered. “Four total points!”
    Seconds later, Hoyt grabbed a final Tile. “That makes six for Argon!” Tussy shouted, just as Albert landed hard on the Pit floor, his legs crumpling beneath him. Ten Tiles were claimed, four for Hydra, and six for Argon.
    The pillars slowed to a stop, signaling that the competition was over. Argon had actually won.
    â€œWe were so close, bro,” Leroy said, helping Albert up. Birdie stumbled over. Her ponytail looked like a giant cat had just used it as a toy. Across the Pit, team Argon was celebrating.
    Tussy barked out a command. “What are you doing, teams? I didn’t tell you to stop competing!”
    Albert’s jaw dropped. He wanted to say something,but Hoyt was quicker to react.
    â€œBut all the Tiles are gone! We won!”
    Tussy laughed, but it sounded more like a dog’s deep bark. “Not so. You need to learn the meaning of exhaustion, Balance Keepers. I’ve given you one minute to take a break, while the Pit resets itself. When it’s ready, you’ll begin again. You’ll go until I tell you to stop.”
    The pillars stood at the ready, and somehow they looked even bigger to Albert.
    Tussy took a deep breath, and blew her whistle. As the Balance Keepers began again, Albert thought he saw her smile.
    The competition went more slowly this time. Exhaustion began to settle in.
    After another hour had passed, everyone was injured in some way. Leroy had lost a shoe and stubbed several toes. Birdie’s nose was bleeding, and Albert had a big gash on his shoulder.
    Still, they put everything they had into it.
    It was Birdie who grabbed the ninth Tile, and Hoyt who grabbed the tenth.
    Finally, Tussy blew her whistle.
    The pillars sank to the bottom of the Pit and Albert’s knees went out from under him. Everyone was lying, all broken and bent, on the trampoline floor.
    Hoyt hardly had the energy to celebrate when Tussyannounced that Argon had won the second round 6–4, too.
    Albert put his head in his hands, and Leroy muttered something about needing a strawberry milk shake.
    â€œI can’t believe it,” Albert whispered, still gasping for a good breath.
    Last term, they’d won so many competitions in the Pit that Hydra became a First Unit. They were pros now, a part of the big leagues in the Core. They’d saved the world.
    But today was different.
    Today Hydra lost.

CHAPTER 8

The Guildacker Float
    A lbert felt a strange sense of déjà vu as he and his friends left the Pit.
    â€œI can’t believe that just happened,” Birdie said.
    She clenched her jaw so tightly that Albert was afraid her hair was going to rip out. “They beat us. They actually won !”
    â€œWe’re just a little rusty is all,” Albert offered. But he felt downright defeated. “Hoyt’s a Pure, remember? He’s probably been sneaking into the Pit like we used to do, training up for this while we’ve all been on the surface. And it’s not really fair. If we would’ve known Tussy was going to make us work so hard . . .”
    â€œWe can’t use that as an excuse,” Birdie countered.
    â€œYou’re right,”