Fablehaven: The Complete Series (97 page)

“I’m not swearing one way or the other. Don’t push me, Warren. I’ll already have to converse with the Captain about your sudden interest in his or her identity. Don’t make it worse. I took an oath. For all of our sakes, I can’t expose anything about the leader of the Knights.”

“Then Kendra isn’t going to Lost Mesa,” Warren said. “If necessary, she’ll resign her knighthood.” Warren turned to face her. “Would you mind having the shortest career in the history of the Knights of the Dawn?”

“I’ll do whatever you think is best,” Kendra said.

“I don’t appreciate being strong-armed,” Dougan growled.

“I don’t like being kept in the dark,” Warren countered. “Dougan, you know me. I don’t ask for intelligence just to satisfy my curiosity. I’ve got a reason.”

Dougan rubbed his forehead. “Look, will the two of you swear to keep the following information private? Not a word to anyone!”

“I promise,” Warren said.

Kendra nodded.

“The Captain is not the Sphinx,” Dougan said. “We like that rumor, because it distracts people from the truth, so don’t spoil it. Now you tell me, what would it matter if the Captain were the Sphinx?”

“What do you know about the events at Fablehaven earlier this summer?” Warren asked.

“Were there events out of the ordinary?” Dougan asked.

“Then I can’t tell you,” Warren said. “None of this is a huge deal, just me being overly cautious. Which I tend to be when the fate of the world is on the line. If the Captain sees fit to fill you in on what happened, maybe we can talk more.”

“I hear you. I told you what you wanted. Are you ready to step aside and allow Kendra to come to Lost Mesa with me?”

“Who else is going?”

“Just me, Kendra, and Gavin.”

“The new kid?”

“Gavin was recruited because we need his help negotiating the caverns,” Dougan explained. “Will you step aside?”

“No. But if you promise to keep Kendra far from the caverns, and if you let me join you, and if she agrees, I’ll think about it. I may even come in handy. I’m not too shabby at bypassing traps myself.”

“I’ll have to check with the Captain,” Dougan said.

“Understandable,” Warren allowed. “I’ll need to speak with Kendra privately to gauge her willingness.”

“Very well,” Dougan said, replacing his mask and striding to the door. “Sit tight. I’ll be back soon.” He exited.

Warren crouched next to Kendra. “What do you think?” he whispered.

“Could the room be bugged?”

“Doubtful. But not impossible.”

“I don’t know,” Kendra said. “I keep worrying that Vanessa may have us jumping at shadows. If the Sphinx were a friend, and if you came along, I would totally go, no hesitation.”

“Here’s my take,” Warren whispered. “If the Sphinx is a friend, sure, I’ll be glad to help, but if he’s an enemy, it will be even more important for me to get onto that preserve. I find the fact that they are after another artifact incredibly suspicious, especially since they seem intent on charging it. I’m still not convinced that the Captain is not the Sphinx. Dougan is a good guy, but he would lie to protect a secret of such magnitude. Even if the Captain isn’t the Sphinx, he could just as easily be a puppet. At the very least, the Sphinx frequently trades secrets with the Knights.”

“The Sphinx might be on our side,” Kendra reminded him.

“He might,” Warren said. “But if he were on our side, I don’t picture the Sphinx wanting anyone, himself included, to know the location of so many artifacts. On top of Vanessa’s accusations, the idea of seeking multiple artifacts in such a short period of time smells fishy. After all, they were hidden separately for a reason.” He leaned closer, his lips almost touching her ear, and spoke in the quietest whisper Kendra could imagine. “I need to get onto the preserve, not to help them recover the artifact, but to recover it myself. It will surely mark the end of my association with the Knights of the Dawn, but no one person should know the location of so many artifacts, especially when there is an implication that he may be our enemy.”

“So we should go,” Kendra concluded.

“This makes things very complicated for you,” Warren continued in his faint whisper. “It would be risky to simply go to Lost Mesa and help them extract the artifact, let alone to try to steal it from them! You can play innocent. I won’t involve you directly. I’ll make it look like I was using this role as your protector for my own ends. There’s a chance Dougan may try to hold you responsible. I can’t guarantee your safety, but we’ll make sure Tanu, Coulter, and Stan all know where you are, so they can ensure that you end up back home.”

Kendra closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her forehead. The thought of trying to pull this off made her stomach twist. But if the Society ended up opening Zzyzx, it would mean the end of the world as she knew it. Preventing that was worth taking a gut-wrenching risk, right?

“Okay,” Kendra said. “If you can come, let’s do it.”

“I hate to put you in this position,” Warren whispered. “Stan would wring my neck. But even though I hate the risk, and even though we might be wrong, I think we have to try.”

Kendra nodded.

They sat in silence, listening to the logs snap and pop in the fireplace. Although the wait stretched much longer than Kendra had anticipated, she experienced no boredom. Her mind continued reexamining the situation, trying to foresee how everything would play out. It was impossible to predict, but she found herself holding firm to the resolution that she and Warren had to go to Lost Mesa and see what they could learn. And perhaps what they could steal.

Nearly an hour later, Dougan returned, removing his mask as he came through the door. “Sorry about the wait,” he said. “The Captain is swamped right now. The Captain mentioned that there were circumstances I could not know involving trouble at Fablehaven that would have justifiably made you extra cautious. Warren, if Kendra is willing to embark for Lost Mesa in the morning, you will be welcome to join her.”

Warren and Dougan looked to Kendra. “Fine with me,” she said, feeling a little sorry for Tanu and Coulter. No matter how this was explained to Grandpa and Grandma, they were going to be furious!

Chapter 6

Plague

Seth threw the baseball as high and hard as he could, deliberately making it a tough catch for Mendigo. The primitive wooden puppet sprang into action the instant the ball took flight, dashing across the lawn. The human-sized limberjack wore a baseball glove on one hand and a cap on his head. The golden hooks that served as joints jingled as he dove over a hedge, stretching out to trap the ball in his mitt.

The nimble puppet landed in a somersault, then whipped the ball back at Seth as soon as he rolled to his feet. The ball hissed through the air, streaking straight instead of arcing high, and slapped into Seth’s glove, stinging his hand. “Don’t chuck it so hard,” Seth instructed. “My hands have nerves!”

The limberjack stood in a crouch, ready to make the next impossible grab. After playing catch with Mendigo in the yard and having a few rounds of batting practice, Seth was convinced Mendigo could land a multimillion-dollar contract in the major leagues. Mendigo never dropped the ball and never threw wild. When pitching to Seth, the puppet would put the ball wherever Seth asked, at whatever speed he wanted. Batting, Mendigo could smack line drives in any direction he was told, or he could just as easily smash home runs with his quick, fluid swing. Of course, eligibility might be an issue. Seth wasn’t sure about Major League Baseball’s policy regarding giant magical puppets.

“Showboat,” Seth called, throwing the baseball high. Mendigo was already running before the ball left Seth’s hand. As the puppet closed in on the baseball, he shifted the glove from his hand to his foot and performed a smooth cartwheel, catching the ball with his gloved foot while upside down. The limberjack tossed the ball back to Seth, still with some zip, but not as hard as his previous throw.

Seth winged the ball sidearm in a new direction. Playing with Mendigo was a fun distraction, even though he knew the puppet was really his baby-sitter. Things had been tense since Coulter and Tanu had returned with news that Warren and Kendra had embarked on a mission for the Knights of the Dawn. Even without knowing all of the details, Seth felt sick with envy.

Grandpa and Grandma had taken the news hard, becoming even more protective of Seth than usual. Technically, his three-day period prohibiting even chaperoned excursions was over, but they had forbidden him from accompanying Coulter and Tanu on their assignment this afternoon.

Grandpa had been monitoring the nipsies while the others were gone, and had found that the warlike nipsies were relentless in their thirst to conquer the others. Nothing he tried could dissuade them. In the end he decided that the only way to save the untainted nipsies was to relocate them. Coulter and Tanu were currently searching for a new habitat for the good nipsies. A routine assignment, but Grandpa had suspended Seth from the woods until they figured out the story behind the new subspecies of dark creatures.

Mendigo returned the ball to Seth, who threw it to the right, lower than his previous toss. Mendigo started after it and then halted, letting the ball drop to the grass and roll into a flower bed. Seth put his hands on his hips. Unlike Hugo, Mendigo had no will—he only followed orders. And the current order was to play catch.

Continuing to ignore the ball, Mendigo rushed toward Seth at full speed. The action was baffling. Once, Mendigo had served Muriel the witch, but some fairies had helped Kendra break that connection earlier in the summer. Mendigo only took orders from the staff of Fablehaven now. He had proven so useful that Grandpa had arranged for Mendigo to be allowed past the barriers protecting the yard and house.

So why was Mendigo charging him? “Mendigo, stop!” Seth cried, but the puppet paid him no heed. Grandpa had issued Mendigo a standing order not to allow Seth out of the yard. Was the limberjack confused? Seth was nowhere near the edge of the lawn.

When Mendigo reached Seth, he dipped a shoulder, wrapped both arms around his legs, hoisted him into the air, and sprinted for the house. Slung over the wooden shoulder, Seth looked up and saw a group of dark fairies streaking toward them. They were unlike any fairies Seth had ever seen. Their wings did not glisten in the sunlight. Their raiment did not sparkle. In spite of the clear sky and the hot sun, each of the dozen fairies was shrouded in shadow. Faintly, a thin, dark contrail followed each one. Instead of light, these fairies radiated darkness.

The fairies gained swiftly, but the house was not far away. Mendigo swerved to avoid inky streaks of shadow hurled from the fairies. Wherever the black energy struck, vegetation instantly withered. Grass turned white and sere, blossoms wilted and faded, leaves crumpled and dried. A dark streak zapped Mendigo on the back, and a black circle appeared on the brown wood.

Bypassing the stairs, Mendigo clambered over the railing of the deck and clattered to the back door. The puppet dropped Seth, who thrust the door open and ordered the limberjack inside. Yanking the door shut, Seth hollered for Grandpa.

Seth now understood Mendigo’s behavior. The puppet had one permanent command above all others—to protect the people of Fablehaven. The limberjack had sensed the fairies coming, and had known they meant trouble. Seth had a queasy feeling that if not for Mendigo, he might be a brown, shriveled corpse out on the lawn, the human version of a spoiled banana.

“What is it, Seth?” Grandpa asked, emerging from the study.

“I was just attacked in the yard by evil fairies,” Seth gasped.

Grandpa glowered at him. “Have you been trapping fairies again?”

“No, I promise, I didn’t do anything to provoke them,” Seth insisted. “These fairies are different. They’re wild and dark. Look out the window.”

Seth and his Grandpa went to a window. The dismal flock of fairies were working their magic on a row of rosebushes, turning green leaves brown and vivid petals black. “I’ve never seen such a thing,” Grandpa breathed, reaching for the door.

“Don’t!” Seth warned. “They’ll come after you.”