The Medusa Plot facts for kids
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| Author | Gordon Korman |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel Adventure novel |
| Published | August 30, 2011 |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Pages | 222 |
| ISBN | 978-0-545-29839-1 |
| Preceded by | Vespers Rising |
| Followed by | A King's Ransom |
The Medusa Plot is an exciting adventure book written by Gordon Korman. It was released on August 30, 2011. This book is the first in a series called Cahills vs. Vespers. The story takes place two years after the original The 39 Clues series. It follows the Cahill family as they try to rescue their relatives who have been kidnapped. They must follow strange instructions given by a mysterious person known as Vesper One.
Contents
A Dangerous Start
The story begins with a series of shocking kidnappings. Several important Cahill family members are taken. These include Fiske Cahill, Reagan Holt, Natalie Kabra, Nellie Gomez, Alistair Oh, Ted Starling, and Phoenix Wizard.
Then, the book jumps to Dan and Amy Cahill waiting for their school bus. The bus driver suddenly tells all the kids to get off. A truck is blocking the road ahead. Soon after, armed men try to kidnap Dan and Amy. But the quick-thinking Dan covers them with oil. He threatens to set them on fire, and the kidnappers run away.
A Mysterious Message
When Dan and Amy get home, William McIntyre tells them about the kidnappings. Then, they receive a strange message on a phone. It demands that they travel to Florence, Italy, by the very next day. If they don't, one of the kidnapped people will die. The message is from an unknown person called Vesper One.
McIntyre explains about the Vesper Council of Six. He says they want to finish something called Damien Vesper's Dream. Amy is asked to talk to the Cahill family. This is to stop everyone from panicking. Amy asks Ian Kabra and Sinead Starling to stay at Grace's house. This house is their command center. Ian and Sinead will keep Amy and Dan updated while they are in Florence.
The Florence Mission
Once in Florence, Dan and Amy get another text message. It tells them to steal a famous painting called "Medusa" by the artist Caravaggio. This painting is located in the Uffizi Gallery. With help from Hamilton Holt and Jonah Wizard, the group successfully steals the painting. They give it to the Vespers.
However, the Vespers say the painting is a fake. They shoot Nellie, but luckily, she is not badly hurt. The Vespers then demand that the real painting be found in 96 hours, which is four days. If not, another hostage will die.
Finding the Real Painting
With this new deadline, the group starts looking through old papers. Hamilton discovers that the Uffizi Gallery was once emptied out. The "Medusa" painting left the building during that time. With this important clue, the group figures out that the real painting is probably with a man named Gregor Tobin.
Amy sends a text to Tobin with pictures of an Egyptian statue. She says they want his opinion on it. Tobin agrees, letting Dan and Amy into his house. Inside, they find the real "Medusa" painting. They manage to steal it and get away safely from Tobin.
A Phone Problem and a New Friend
Once they are safe, Amy sees her phone battery is very low. She tells Ian and Sinead about the problem. They are still back at Grace's house. Amy asks them to get a new charger. Ian goes to a local shop. There, he meets Amy's boyfriend, Evan. Ian realizes Amy's phone is a special DeOssie phone. Only a few people, like those in the military, can buy them. With this information, Ian convinces Evan to come help the Cahills. He tells Evan that "Amy needs you."
Clues from the Painting
Back in Italy, Dan discovers something on the wood canvas of the "Medusa" painting. There are words written in Italian or Latin. Dan takes a photo and sends it to his online friend, Atticus Rosenbloom. Atticus tells him the words are about the Roman Colosseum.
Dan and Amy meet Atticus and his older brother, Jake, at the Roman Colosseum. There, they find an original copy of a famous book called Il Milione. Atticus and Jake chase Dan and Amy. They want the copy for the world, but Dan and Amy want to keep it. Realizing time is running out, and that Jake and Atticus might tell the authorities, Dan and Amy quickly leave for Florence.
An Explosion and a New Task
In New York, Ian, Sinead, Hamilton, and Jonah go to the DeOssie factory. They find the phone chargers there. After looking around the factory, the place suddenly explodes. This forces the Cahills to stop their investigation early. Sinead calls Dan and Amy to tell them about the factory explosion. She also says the chargers are on their way.
After the phone call, Dan and Amy receive another text from Vesper One. It tells them to go to a circus for the drop-off. The siblings make the drop. But Vesper One says they will not release the hostages. Dan and Amy must complete another task in Lucerne, Switzerland. Angry, the two get ready for their next journey.
