Black Water (Pendragon Series) [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

D. J. MacHale (Author), William Dufris (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 12, 2009 | Series: Pendragon Series (Book 5)

Just when fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon thinks he understands his purpose as a Traveler—to protect the territories of Halla from the evil Saint Dane—he is faced with an impossible choice. The inhabitants of Eelong are in danger of being wiped out by a mysterious plague. The only way Bobby can stop it is to bring the antidote from another territory. Since moving items between territories is forbidden by the Traveler rules, if Bobby chooses to save Eelong he could endanger himself, his friends, and the future of every other being in Halla.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

D. J. MacHale is a writer, director, and producer of several popular television series and movies that include Flight 29 Down; Are You Afraid of the Dark?; Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective; Tower of Terror; and Ghostwriter. Pendragon, his first book series, is a #1 New York Times bestselling series. He lives in southern California with his wife, Evangeline; his daughter, Keaton; a golden retriever, Maggie; and a kitten, Kaboodle.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Acolytes.

That's what this was all about.

It was also about saving humanity from being crushed by a villainous demon named Saint Dane, but that was a little much for Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde to tackle right off the bat. They figured becoming acolytes was the best way to ease into the whole universe-saving thing. The two friends sat together on a musty old couch in a small New York City apartment. They were there to learn the mysterious ways of the acolytes. Not exactly dramatic surroundings, considering they were hearing words that would change their lives forever.

"You are the acolytes from Second Earth now," said Tom Dorney, whose apartment it was. "With Press gone, I'm no longer needed. It may be an easy job compared to what the Travelers do, but I think you'll agree it's an important one."

"We do. Absolutely. Yessir," Mark and Courtney assured him.

Dorney turned to look out his window and frowned. He was an old guy with short-cropped gray hair and excellent posture. He was once a soldier. Old habits die hard.

"Is there something you're not telling us?" Courtney asked.

Dorney sighed and said, "It's just a feeling."

"What?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Dorney said, troubled. "I didn't like what I heard about Veelox."

"Yeah, no kidding," Courtney said.

"What I mean to say is, be careful. Saint Dane has finally had a victory, and there's no telling what's next. From this point on, I can't guarantee that the old rules still apply."

This was chilling news for Mark and Courtney on their first official day as acolytes. Dorney's ominous warning was very much on their minds as they left his apartment and took the train back to Stony Brook, Connecticut. Just before the train pulled into Stony Brook Station, Mark announced, "I want to go to the flume."

"Why?" Courtney asked.

"We'll bring some of our clothes to leave there."

"But nobody told us they needed clothes," Courtney countered.

"I know. Just thinking ahead."

"That's just an excuse to go there, isn't it?" Courtney asked.

Mark didn't argue. "I guess I just want to see it again. To prove it's real."

"I hear you," Courtney said. "I do too."

When they got off the train, they both went home and gathered up a bunch of clothes they thought a Traveler from some distant territory might need on a visit to Second Earth. That's what acolytes did. They supported the Travelers on their mission to protect Halla. Courtney picked out a bunch of simple, functional things like jeans, T-shirts, a sweater, socks, hiking boots, and underwear. She debated about bringing one of her bras, but figured that was overkill. Mark gathered up a bunch of clothes that were totally out of style. It wasn't like he had a choice. That's all he had. He found sweatshirts with logos that meant nothing, no-name jeans, and generic sneakers. Style was not something Mark concerned himself with. He hoped the Travelers felt the same way.

Mark brought one extra item, but hoped he wouldn't need it. It was the sharp poker from his parents' fireplace. It was a woefully inadequate weapon to deal with an attacking quig-dog, but it was all he could find.

Shortly after, Mark and Courtney met at the iron gates in front of the empty Sherwood house. They silently walked around to the side and climbed the tree to get over the high stone wall that surrounded the spooky, abandoned estate. Once over, Mark held the fireplace poker out in front of him, ready to ward off a rampaging quig. Mark's hand was shaking like warm Jell-O, so Courtney gently took the weapon from him. If either of them had a chance of fighting off a charging quig, it would be Courtney.

Luckily they didn't run into any of the yellow-eyed beasts. They made it through the big empty mansion, down into the basement, and into the root cellar that held the newly created flume. No problem. They emptied their backpacks and neatly folded the clothes in a pile. Courtney looked at some of the geek clothes Mark brought, and chuckled.

"Oh yeah, Bobby's gonna blend right in wearing a bright yellow sweatshirt with a red logo that says, 'Cool Dude!'"

"Give me a break," Mark said defensively. "It's my favorite sweatshirt."

Courtney shook her head in disbelief. When they were finished, they both gazed into the dark tunnel to the territories. The flume. They stood together, each with his/her own thoughts as to what the future might hold.

"I'm scared and excited at the same time," Mark said.

"Really," Courtney added. "I want to be part of this, but it's scary not knowing what to expect."

"Can you imagine being a Traveler?" Mark asked while stepping into the mouth of the tunnel.

"Well, no," Courtney answered, "to be honest."

"Well, I've thought about it a lot!" Mark declared. "It would be awesome, stepping into a flume and announcing the next amazing place you'd like to go."

"It's pretty unbelievable," Courtney agreed.

"Look at this thing!" Mark said, scanning the flume. "It's kinda like having a jet fighter."

"It is?" Courtney asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah. You know what it's capable of, but have no idea what to do to make it go."

"It's not all that hard," Courtney said. "If you're a Traveler."

Mark smiled, turned to face the dark tunnel, and shouted out, "Eelong!"

He looked back to Courtney and said, "Could you imagine if -- "

"Mark!" Courtney shouted.

Mark saw the terrified look on Courtney's face. She was looking past him, deeper into the flume. Mark spun quickly and saw something he thought was impossible.

The flume was coming to life.

Mark jumped out of the tunnel and ran to Courtney. The two backed away toward the far wall of the root cellar, hugging each other in fear.

"D-Did I do that?" Mark asked.

"Or is somebody coming?" Courtney added.

The light appeared from the depths of the tunnel. The musical notes were faint at first but quickly grew louder. The rocky walls began to crackle and groan. They had seen all this before, but only when the flume was activated by a Traveler. Never, ever had a flume been activated by a non-Traveler -- until now.

"I-I don't really want to go to Eelong," Mark cried. Courtney held him tighter, ready to hold him back if he got pulled in by the power of the flume.

The gray walls of the tunnel melted into glorious crystal as the bright light and sound arrived at the mouth. Mark and Courtney didn't dare put their hands in front of their eyes because they were too busy hanging on to each other. But neither felt the tug of the flume, because someone was headed their way. Through the bright light they saw a tall, dark silhouette appear and step out of the tunnel. Oddly, the sparkling light didn't go away. The jangle of music stayed too. This had never happened before, at least not that Mark or Courtney knew. But none of that mattered as much as the man who now stood facing them.

It was Saint Dane. He had arrived on Second Earth. The two had never seen him before, but there was no mistaking the tall demon with the long gray hair, piercing blue eyes, and dark clothes.

"And so it begins," Saint Dane cackled. "The walls are beginning to crack. The power that once was, will no longer be. It is a whole new game, with new rules."

Saint Dane roared out a laugh. With a sudden burst of light from deep inside the flume, his hair caught fire! His long gray mane exploded in flames, burning right down to his skull. Mark and Courtney watched in horror as the flames reflected in his demonic eyes. Saint Dane laughed the whole while, as if enjoying it.

Mark and Courtney didn't move, except to tremble.

The fire burned away all of Saint Dane's hair, leaving him completely bald, with angry red streaks that looked like inflamed veins running from the back of his head to his forehead. His eyes had changed too. The steely blue color had gone nearly white. He fixed those intense eyes on the two new acolytes and smiled. He tossed a dirty, cloth bag at their feet.

"A present for Pendragon," Saint Dane hissed. "Be sure he gets it, won't you?" Saint Dane took a step back into the light of the flume. "What was meant to be, is no longer," he announced. With that, he began to transform. His body turned liquid as he leaned over to put his hands on the ground. At the same time his body mutated into that of a huge, jungle cat. It was the size of a lion. His coat was brown, but speckled with black spots. The big cat snarled at Mark and Courtney, and leaped into the flume. An instant later the light swept him up and disappeared into the depths. The music faded, the crystal walls returned to stone, and the light shrank to a pin spot.

But it didn't disappear entirely.

Before Mark and Courtney could get their heads back together, the light began to grow again. The music became louder and the gray rock walls transformed back into crystal.

"My brain is exploding," Mark uttered.

A second later the bright light flashed at the mouth of the tunnel to deposit another passenger before returning to its normal, dormant state.

"Bobby!" Mark and Courtney shouted. They ran to him and threw their arms around him in fear and relief.

"What happened?" Bobby demanded, all business.

Mark and Courtney were both supercharged with adrenaline. "It was Saint Dane!" Courtney shouted. "His hair burned! It was horrible!"

"He said the rules have ch-changed, Bobby," Mark stuttered. "What did he m-mean?"

Bobby took a step back from them. Mark and Courtney sensed his tension.

"What did you do?" Bobby demanded. It sounded like he was scolding them.

"Do?" Courtney said. "We didn't do anything!"

Mark and Courtney focused on Bobby. He was wearing rags. His feet were bare, his hair was a mess, and he had a coating of dirt all over his body. He didn't smell so hot either.

"What happened to you?" Mark asked.

"It doesn't matter," Bobby shot back. He was just as charged up as they were. "Did you activate the flume?"

Mark and Courtney looked to each other. Mark said, "Uh, I g-guess so. I said 'Eelong' -- "

"No!"... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on CD Unabridged; Unabridged edition (May 12, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142339903X
• ISBN-13: 978-1423399032
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,780,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

D. J. MacHale is a writer, director, and producer of several popular television series and movies that include Flight 29 Down; Are You Afraid of the Dark?; Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective; Tower of Terror; and Ghostwriter. Pendragon, his first book series, is a #1 New York Times bestselling series. He lives in southern California with his wife, Evangeline; his daughter, Keaton; a golden retriever, Maggie; and a kitten, Kaboodle.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One word for Pendragon: Captivating, August 12, 2004

By 

Robert L. Langguth (Dayton, NV United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Water (Pendragon #5) (Paperback)

I have read all 5 of these books. Pendragon is a constant page turner. I could not stop reading these books. I probably like this series so much because I'm 15 years-old and I can relate to 14 year-old turning 15 Bobby Pendragon. Once you start reading this series you will not be able to stop, unless you don't understand.All that's wrong with this series is that there is a fifteen year-old who has some hardships, so sometime he curses, although it does decrease throughout the series. D.J. MacHale does an excellent job putting these books together. Although "The Reality Bug" book was a bit confusing.

Altogether these books are a great adventure especailly for mid- teenaged guys, not saying that girls won't like it. If you end one book or even one chapter he ends with a captivating word and sends you to go on, it's almost irresistable!

Hobey-ho! Here we go!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rules Have Changed, But The Story Hasn't, July 27, 2004

By 

Dan Hoppel Jr. (Dunmore, PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Water (Pendragon #5) (Paperback)

D.J. MacHale's newest addition to the Pendragon series follows Bobby Pendragon to the jungle territory of Eelong, a world where humans are slaves and intelligent jungle cats rule the land. But there is a plague that is threatening to destroy Eelong, a plague that is hauntingly familiar to Bobby and the Travelers. Bobby soon discovers, after his failure on Veelox, that Saint Dane is changing the rules, and Bobby must make a monumental choice that will either save the territory of Eelong from total devastation, or throw all of Halla into danger.

MacHale is a master storyteller, deftly combining hair-raising action, fantastic adventure, edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting suspense, and a bit of romance into the most surprising and twisted Pendragon story yet. Anyone who is a fan of the series will breeze through this book, eagerly devouring every bit of information and ultimately waiting impatiently for the next jump into the flume. For those who have never read a Pendragon book before, this is a great place to introduce yourself to not one whole new world, but ten whole new worlds that will take your breath away. Mr. MacHale should be commended over and over again on such a wonderful piece of literary art.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can Bobby Pendragon Outsmart Saint Dane yet again?, October 18, 2004

By 

Veronica "JonVon" (P~ville!) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Water (Pendragon #5) (Paperback)

Cats can walk, they can talk, and they keep humans as pets? What's the matter with this picture? And since when are Mark Diamond and Courtney Chetywynde able to flume through space like their dear friend Bobby Pendragon, a fifteen year old traveler from Second Earth? Saint Dane said that the rules have changed, but have they really?

As I picked up the fifth installment of the Pendragon series I didn't really think twice of how weird this one was going to be. Bobby Pendragon has been to some pretty strange places and Eelong is just what I have been waiting for in this suspenseful, exhilarating, and all around great series.

Let's go back a few books: Bobby Pendragon has a normal life, a great family, an awesome best friend, a wonderful reputation at school, and good grades. He has just hooked up with the girl of his dreams, Courtney Chetywynde. His life is going as planned until the infamous Uncle Press shows up at Bobby's house. Uncle Press is the uncle every kid wanted. He has a motorcycle, he takes Bobby skiing, and is so cool. But little did Bobby know that his awesome uncle had a major part in saving all of Halla. Halla, which is everything, every time, and anything that exists, consists of ten planets. Press brings Bobby to an old alleyway in the city. Bobby, still confused as to why he is being dragged from his big basketball game of the season, taken from his house, and stripped of his life, is told the secret that will forever change his life, and everyone else's. Bobby is the next traveler from Second Earth, what we know and call Earth, and must go with Press to try and stop the evil Saint Dane from corrupting Halla, and destroying everything Bobby ever knew.

Unfortunately Press is lost on the planet of Cloral, in trying to save it. Now Bobby is on his own and is still confused to what everything is and why Saint Dane is so evil. Bobby has succeeded in every task so far, except that of Veelox (The planet from book four). There the minds of the inhabitants are lost in a dream world with no escape. Bobby, and the traveler from Veelox, Aja, have tried to save the planet but in doing so created chaos and now everyone on Veelox is back in the game of fantasy, and there is no escape. (If you read book four you know what I'm talking about).

Back to book five. Bobby travels to Eelong in search of the evil Saint Dane. Little does he know what to expect. Back home, on Second Earth, Bobby's closest friends, Courtney and Mark, are awaiting the long expected journal from Bobby. Instead, they receive a message from another acolyte saying they need to go the flume on Second Earth. There, Mark accidentally activates the flume and Saint Dane appears before their very eyes. He tells Mark and Courtney that the rules have changed, leaving them with a small gift. After that experience Mark and Courtney do not know what to do and then all of a sudden, Bobby appears, frantically yelling and asking them what happened.

When he returns to Eelong, the soon to be acolyte Boon is awaiting his return. Things are bad on Eelong, and sadly Bobby has no idea what Saint Dane's plans are for this strange planet. Boon takes Bobby to the city of Leeandra, "a city built in the air. Wooden huts of all sizes doting the sides of the trees, and busy sky bridges everywhere. The structures were high overhead and down low, with the lowest buildings only about twenty yards off the ground. The city was big. It all looked to be manufactured out of natural material. Wood, bamboo and woven vines. Nothing metal or plastic..."

That is how Bobby describes the beautiful Klee city of Leeandra. But what's a Klee? Klee is what the cats on Eelong are called. Humans on Eelong are called gars. What makes this book unique to all the others is that it is the first time Bobby has been to a planet where everything is flipped. Cats are superior to humans, and humans are treated like dirt. And now Saint Dane has genocide in mind. He plans on starting the process by repealing Edict Forty - Six, which states that the Klees cannot hunt the gars. Yikes!

So, Saint Dane believes that once one planet of Halla falls, they will "all tumble like dominoes." Saint Dane has Bobby thinking that this is all about Edit Forty-Six, but in all reality Saint Dane has a second agenda. Mark and Courtney decide that they MUST go to Cloral to find the traveler Spader because they believe that the same poison that was used in book number two will be used again on Eelong. Bobby thinks he has it all figured out.

But does he?

Black Water is an excellent book, one of the best I've ever read. It kept me wanting to know what was going to happen and I couldn't put it down. If you liked the first four Pendragon books, you'll love Book Five: Black Water. If you haven't read any of them yet, I really think that you should get reading!