Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers (5 page)

IN THE END, Professor Bumblebean selected more than a dozen books to take with him on the quest. These covered a wide variety of topics and had titles such as
The Illustrated History of Krodos
and
The Comparative Book of Creatures from Beyond the Magic Curtain
. By the time the professor had picked the last book, it was getting quite late, and Kendra had to scamper to make it home before dark.

Despite her haste, the moon was just beginning to cast its crescent smile upon the sky when Kendra turned the last corner in the path and came upon the cottage where she lived with Uncle Griffinskitch. The house was round and squat, encircling the trunk of an ancient yew tree. To Kendra, it seemed as if the tree grew right out of the roof. It was the very core of the cottage, and she could even see its trunk from the inside, for no interior wall had been built to separate the dwelling from the tree. When she was walking through the cottage, Kendra often ran her hand over the bark. It seemed magical to her.

As for the house itself, well, if you have ever been to a wizard’s home, you know that they are normally cluttered and somewhat untidy. Uncle Griffinskitch’s house was no exception. It was cozy and old, decorated with furniture that had carvings of strange wooden faces, and dusty paintings that told the stories of Een in days long forgotten. The house had many floors and rooms, though several of these could be reached only by enchanted doors and secret passwords. It was in these rooms where Uncle Griffinskitch kept his telescopes, books, cauldrons, and other enchanted items.

When Kendra stepped into the house, Uncle Griffinskitch had already returned from his private meeting with Winter Woodsong. He was sitting at the kitchen table, his nose buried deep in a large book. Without bothering to lift his eyes from his manuscript, the old wizard spoke to her. “How many times have I told you to come home before dark?” he grumbled.

“Well, I was with Bumblebean, after all,” Kendra said.

“Professor Bumblebean,” Uncle Griffinskitch corrected gruffly.

Kendra noticed a heap of carrot peelings on the table, next to her uncle’s elbow. On the hearth, a pot simmered softly, bubbling orange.

“Oh! The giant carrots,” Kendra said.

“Hmmm?” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered, finally raising his eyes from his book. “Oh, yes. I was able to reverse your badly placed spell and thought we would have carrot soup for dinner. Though I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to arrive.”

Uncle Griffinskitch rose slowly and dished out the soup. Kendra quickly washed up and joined him for dinner.

The old wizard was quiet, even by his standards, and Kendra began to feel uncomfortable.

“Uncle Griffinskitch?” she asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.

“Hmm,” her uncle grunted, slurping his soup.

“What exactly is the Box of Whispers?” she asked. “How come I’ve never heard of it?”

“It is a matter for elders only,” the old Een replied simply.

“But what’s in it?” Kendra persisted.

“Once again,” Uncle Griffinskitch said, “a matter for elders only.”

“Oh,” Kendra murmured, staring down at her soup. “But why did everyone look at me when Elder Brown mentioned the magic curtain?”

Uncle Griffinskitch paused, his spoon lifted halfway to his mouth. For a long time he said nothing, and Kendra could see him shift uncomfortably. “You are full of questions tonight,” he grumbled. “More so than usual.”

“Please,” Kendra implored. “Why doesn’t Elder Brown like me?”

“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch grunted. “It’s not that. He was referring to your . . . to your family. Your brother and your parents.”

“But they died,” Kendra said. “A long time ago. When I was just a baby.”

Uncle Griffinskitch stroked his whiskers, as if he were in deep thought. “Yes, Kendra,” he said finally. “Most likely.”

“What do you mean ‘most likely’?” Kendra asked, leaning forward across the table. “They might still be alive?”

“I doubt it,” Uncle Griffinskitch murmured. “They disappeared beyond the magic curtain. No one knows for sure what happened.”

“Disappeared!” Kendra cried. “So they could be alive.”

“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered. “It’s doubtful.” He lifted his spoon to continue with his supper. But Kendra noticed that he wasn’t really eating, just sort of holding the spoon in his hand and staring into his bowl.

Kendra didn’t feel so hungry anymore. After a moment she said, “Do you think we will find them, Uncle Griffinskitch? Outside the curtain?”

“I don’t know.” The old wizard suddenly looked very tired. “Listen, Kendra. Your mother was much younger than I; in some ways, like my own daughter. When she and the rest of your family disappeared, I devoted all my energy to finding them. But you were just a baby then, and ultimately I had to look after you. I wish we could continue looking, but . . .”

“But what?” Kendra prompted.

“It’s the Box of Whispers we need to find,” the old wizard said, a tone of reluctance in his voice. “That and that alone.”

Kendra stared at her uncle, questions still burning in her mind.

“Maybe you should go start packing your things,” Uncle Griffinskitch said. “I’ll be up shortly.”

Kendra slid off her chair and climbed the stairs to her room. Halfway up, she paused and stared at the painting that hung there of her family. They were all in it—her mother, her father, her brother Kiro, and even Kendra herself, a tiny baby, wrapped in a green blanket, with tiny braids poking out of her head. She sighed. She could never seem to get her uncle to talk about her family. But why?

She stared at the painting for a moment more, then went on to her room. Sometimes she felt guilty for not missing her family more. But how could she miss them? She couldn’t even remember them. In many ways, they weren’t even real to her. Oh sure, she sometimes dreamed about them, wondered what it would be like to live with them instead of old Uncle Griffinskitch. Would her mom be grouchy like him? Kendra didn’t think so. She imagined her as a cheerful and kind mother. And what about the rest of her family? Would she like her brother? Or would she fight with him like Oki always fought with his little sisters?

Once in her room, Kendra began pulling out belongings and stacking them on her small bed. Where to begin? The most important thing, she decided, was to be warm, so she started with her long green cloak, throwing it around her shoulders and taking a look at herself in the mirror.

“Do I look like an adventurer?” she asked her reflection and then shrugged. She didn’t even know what an adventurer should look like.

She began collecting other articles of clothing that she thought would be good for traveling, then added to the pile some other essentials: a canteen for water, a small sleeping bag, a bit of rope (one could always use rope, she reasoned), and a small pouch of bandages.

When she was done, Kendra stepped back and stared at the pile. Something was missing.

“I wish I had some magic,” she said to herself. In the stories she had read about great quests, the heroes always had some enchanted item to help them along, like a sword or a wand. But she had nothing of the sort.

Then Kendra remembered the magic carrots.

“That’s it!” she exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. She reached into her pocket and pulled out five tiny seeds, all that were left from her morning’s gardening experiment. Ratchet had given her the seeds a few weeks ago. But the carrots hadn’t started growing until she was able to find the right incantation in Uncle Griffinskitch’s
Gardening with Magic
book.

Kendra put the seeds into the bottom of her small belt pouch. She wasn’t sure what use giant carrots would be on a long and dangerous journey, but they were the only magic items in her possession.

After a time, Uncle Griffinskitch came to check on her.

“Not a bad job,” he murmured with grudging approval when he saw the belongings she had collected. “Now let’s off to bed. We have an early start tomorrow.”

Kendra didn’t need to be told twice. It had been a long, adventure-filled day, and she was so tired that she thought she might fall asleep standing up. She crawled into bed and was soundly asleep before her long braids touched her pillow.

WHEN UNCLE GRIFFINSKITCH woke her, Kendra felt as if she had been asleep for only a few minutes. It was still so dark outside that she could see stars shining through her bedroom window.

“So early?” Kendra murmured groggily.

“Humph,” her uncle muttered. “We need to be at the Elder Stone by dawn. And we’re collecting Oki along the way.”

After a hastily gobbled breakfast, Kendra and Uncle Griffinskitch locked up the house and set off down the path towards Oki’s. The whiskery mouse and his family were awaiting them on the porch of their tiny home.

Oki’s parents seemed to be in fine form, with his father saying such things as “Now you be careful” and “Put on a brave face,” while his mother was working herself into a nervous frenzy about her son’s upcoming adventure.

“Oh, it’ll be horrible!” she exclaimed with gushing tears. “You’ll contract Goojun pox or the squeezles! Or some Unger will eat you between pieces of toast for breakfast!”

“Oh, gee,” Oki gulped.

“Or maybe you’ll get squished by some giant!” Oki’s mother wailed. “He could squeeze you until your eyes pop out of your head!”

“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered impatiently, as he ushered Oki off the porch. “I’m quite sure that won’t happen. Now say your good-byes, Oki. The others are waiting.”

Oki quickly waved his paw at his parents and tiny sisters and scampered down the path, ahead of Uncle Griffinskitch and Kendra.

“Mother’s been like that ever since she found out I was going on this darn quest,” Oki said once Kendra had caught up to him. “I think she’ll actually be disappointed if something doesn’t happen to me!”

It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Elder Stone, where Ratchet, Captain Jinx, and Professor Bumblebean were waiting for them. The professor looked as if he were on his way to study for some important exam, for he was carrying an enormous pack with books, scrolls, and maps poking out of every seam. As for Jinx, she looked to be marching into battle, for in addition to her trusty sword, she was strapped with all sorts of weapons: daggers, knives, and even a small axe.

“Well, we’re all here now,” Ratchet declared, waving them over to one of his jack-o’-lantern boats at the bank of the River Wink. “Let’s get a move on.”

“I hope you picked a happy boat,” Oki said to the raccoon. “If he starts yelling and cursing, he’ll wake up the whole town.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Ratchet assured the mouse. “I stayed up late last night making a special boat!” He pointed to the pumpkin, and Kendra could see that it had been carved with no mouth. The boat glared angrily at Ratchet, but of course, it was helpless to say anything.

“That will do the trick all right,” Kendra said with a laugh, as she and the rest of the company boarded.

Once everyone was settled, Ratchet pushed off from shore, and they started down the river. Uncle Griffinskitch, Captain Jinx, and Professor Bumblebean chatted quietly about the task ahead. Kendra and Oki leaned over the edge of the pumpkin and watched the water go by. Ratchet concentrated on steering the boat.

They floated for over an hour in the darkness. Then, just as the sun was beginning to peek its amber face over the horizon, they heard the roar of the mighty Wishing Falls, which spilled over a cliff at the very edge of Een. As the falls came into sight, Ratchet steered the boat ashore and brought it to rest on the bank.

“Well, here we are,” Ratchet told his passengers. “Nothing between us and the outside world except the magic curtain.”

Kendra found herself trembling, but she wasn’t sure if it was from fear or excitement. She had never imagined she would go beyond the borders of Een, and now, here she was, only eleven years old and beginning a grand adventure.

“This is where we take leave of you, Ratchet,” Uncle Griffinskitch announced, turning to the raccoon.

“I know, I know,” Ratchet said.

“Good-bye, Ratchet,” Kendra said, hugging the raccoon. “I wish you were coming.”

“Now don’t you worry—I’ll be closer than you think,” Ratchet told her with a wink. He patted Oki on the head, gave a nod to the others, and was soon on his way back down the river.

“Well, let’s get going,” Jinx said, pacing eagerly before the magic curtain.

Kendra nervously approached the curtain. She couldn’t hear or see it, but she could certainly feel it. It was like a sheet of energy suspended in the air.

“Come on,” Jinx said. “What’s the holdup?”

“There’s no way I’m going through that thing!” Oki declared. “I’ll get zapped!”

“No, you won’t,” Jinx told the mouse. “Now march on.”

But Oki wouldn’t budge.

“If Oki’s not going through, neither am I,” Kendra announced.

“Maybe Elder Griffinskitch could put a spell on us,” Oki suggested.

“What’s that?” Uncle Griffinskitch asked.

“You know, to protect us . . . kind of,” Oki stammered.

“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered, stroking his long white beard.

“I tell you what, Elder Griffinskitch,” Jinx said. “I’ll just throw each of these little twerps over a shoulder and carry them through myself.”

“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch grunted again. “Now listen, Kendra and Oki. The curtain is safe, I assure you. But it is still a magic thing. So you must concentrate very hard as you go through it.”

“How do you mean?” Kendra asked.

“It’s simple,” her uncle replied. “Whatever you do as you cross through, don’t think of onions.”

“Onions!” Oki cried. “That doesn’t make any sense at all.”

Uncle Griffinskitch turned and glared down at the mouse. The old wizard’s ears poked out from his white hair, burning red with anger.

“But I’m sure it’ll work,” the tiny mouse gulped.

“Now get on through,” Uncle Griffinskitch commanded in his deep voice. “And remember: whatever you do . . . DON’T THINK OF ONIONS!”

Oki and Kendra turned and faced the curtain.

“Well, here goes nothing,” Kendra said.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stepped through the curtain. She could feel her long braids buzzing with a crackle of energy, but it didn’t hurt. Indeed, it felt as if the curtain were alive and tickling her. Then, just as suddenly, it was over, and she was standing safely on the other side. She turned and found Oki following close behind her.

“Don’t think of onions, don’t think of onions,” the small mouse was murmuring, as if in some sort of trance.

“We made it through!” Kendra told Oki, shaking him to alertness.

“What a strange feeling,” Oki remarked. “My whiskers are tingly.”

“It’s my braids that are feeling it,” Kendra said, giving them a good tug.

The rest of the company was soon standing with them on the other side of the curtain.

“I don’t get it,” Oki said. “I know I wasn’t supposed to think about onions, but in fact, that’s the only thing I could think of!”

“You’ve been fooled,” Jinx told him. “Old Griffinskitch just said that business about onions so you’d forget about how frightened you were.”

“Is that true?” Kendra asked, turning to her uncle. The old wizard didn’t reply, but Kendra couldn’t help to notice a slight twinkle in his blue eyes. She had never known her uncle to play a trick of any sort before. She didn’t even know he had a sense of humor. “How strange,” she said to Oki.

“You know what’s even stranger?” the mouse said. “Look back . . . I can’t see Een anymore.”

Kendra turned around and, sure enough, she could see nothing of the River Wink or anything else from home. The landscape seemed to just continue on as if Een didn’t even exist.

“It’s an illusion of course,” Professor Bumblebean explained. “You see, the land of Een is invisible from the outside. Now you or I could march directly through the magic curtain and find ourselves home. But if a Goojun or some other monster were to blunder into the curtain, he’d just appear on the other side of Een without even knowing what had occurred.”

“But if we can’t see Een and we can’t see the curtain, how will we find our way back?” Oki asked worriedly.

“You just have to know where you started from, of course,” Professor Bumblebean replied. “Take a good look about you, Honest Oki, and mark the spot in your mind.”

Neither Oki nor Kendra wanted to be stuck in the outside world. While the other members of the company consulted the professor’s maps and did one last check of their supplies, the two young friends set about trying to memorize the landmarks around the curtain.

“We proceed due north,” Professor Bumblebean declared shortly, pushing at his glasses. “We shall embark on a straight course towards those mountains. In those rocky pinnacles we will find our castle and—hopefully—the Box of Whispers.”