On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (16 page)

32

The Making of a Maggotloaf

A
s trouble escalated with the Fangs, Nia knew it was time to turn her attention to preparing Gnorm's maggotloaf.

She laid two slabs of henmeat on the compost pile, where bugs were sure to find them. When she checked on the meat the next day, it was putrid and sweating. She nodded to herself and tried to think of other repulsive ingredients.

At dinner she announced that all members of the Igiby clan were to cut their fingernails and place them in a bowl by the kitchen door for the remainder of their lives, or until Gnorm was transferred to another town. Nugget sniffed out a firebug nest at the base of a tree, and Nia made a thick paste by mashing a bowlful of the bugs with a rock. She would never have admitted it, but she was enjoying trying to make a meal as disgusting as possible.

Then it rained for two days. The rain kept the children inside and miserable, so they had no choice but to work on their T.H.A.G.S. for hours at a time. But Nia was glad for the rain because it bade worms from the ground. She had Tink and Janner collect bowls full of the crawlers and added them to the firebug paste.

On the third day, the rain blew over and the sun shone hot again. Nia donned a pair of gloves, wrapped a scarf around her face, and gathered the spoiled henmeat from the compost pile. The meat was whitish, moist, and to Nia's relief, teeming with maggots. She baked it all into a plump, moist loaf and garnished it with a dash of Nugget's fur.

Nia placed the oozing loaf on a platter, covered it with a rag, and she and the children set out down the lane for town. A foul odor trailed out behind them like a black cloud and summoned flies to follow. The children were to wait in Oskar's bookstore while she delivered the loaf to Gnorm at the jail.

“If, and only if, I discover that Slarb hasn't returned, may you be permitted to stay at Oskar's for the afternoon,” Nia said, holding the maggotloaf at arm's length. “Whatever you do, stay clear of the Fangs. And stay together.”

She looked at Janner, who nodded. He wouldn't let Leeli or Tink out of his sight again, no matter what.

They walked the rest of the way without speaking, the only sound the buzzing of flies that floated from beneath the cloth.

Once in town, Janner herded Tink and Leeli into Books and Crannies, where they watched from the window. Zouzab dangled upside down, spider-like, from a rafter and peeked out as well. Boldly, Nia walked up the steps of the jail and with the slightest bow presented her sordid meal to Commander Gnorm.

Janner, Tink, and Leeli shifted to see more clearly. Nia's back was to them and all they could see was Gnorm sitting in his rocking chair, sharpening his dagger, his boots propped upon the porch railing. Nia stood before him for what felt like hours while the children and Zouzab watched in tense silence. Finally, she turned and walked away. She looked directly at the window of Books and Crannies and nodded with a tight smile. Janner, Tink, and Leeli sighed in unison with relief. They could see Gnorm gobbling away in a cloud of flies, his face buried in the maggotloaf.

“It would appear that your mother has pleased the Fang,” said Zouzab. He flipped up into the rafters, hopped over to a high shelf, and smiled down at the children. “Perhaps now you'll visit more often?” he said, and without waiting for an answer, he disappeared.

Janner felt a wave of relief wash over him. The nod from Nia meant that Slarb was gone. Life just might return to its normal slow pace, and to Janner's surprise, he was glad. But he had questions—and many of them about the lanky fellow with the socks on his arms now rolling head over heels down the dusty street before them. Janner studied Peet like never before. Used to be Peet only came to mind when he was skipping through town with a stick in his mouth or juggling buckets by the cliffs. Now Janner couldn't help watching for him and wondering about him.

“Tell us about his tree house,” Janner said, staring after Peet.

“And his smell,” Tink added.

“And his books,” Janner said.

Leeli looked annoyed at her brothers.

Janner pulled her and Tink to the floor near the window, where they could hunker, watchful of Peet in the distance. Outside, Nugget wagged his tail and stared at the door, patiently waiting for Leeli.

“Did he say anything the whole time you were with him?” Tink wanted to know between bites on a length of tumtaffy.

“No, I already told you,” Leeli said. Her defensiveness about Peet reminded Janner of the way she was about Nugget before he learned not to lift his leg indoors. “When he got me up the rope ladder and into the tree house, he said I was safe. Other than that he just sat in the corner like he was afraid of me. I tried to talk to him but he just sat there, wrapping and unwrapping a piece of string around his wrist. He started rocking back and forth and humming something, and I think it was the most beautiful song I've ever heard. It made me sleepy, so I curled up against the wall. I guess I fell asleep. Like I said, the next thing I heard was an awful screeching sound.”

“The quill diggle,” Tink said.

“Yes, and that's everything. I called to Grandpa when I saw him, then Peet carried me down. Grandpa doesn't seem to like Peet very much, but he did tell him thanks. Then we got out of the forest as fast as we could.”

“But what kind of books were they?” Janner pressed.

Leeli huffed. “I couldn't tell. They had leather covers with designs on them. There was an old chest in the corner and a pile of junk. I wasn't there long before I fell asleep.” She smiled to herself. “And when I woke up he had put a blanket on me.”

After a moment Tink whispered, “Do you think you could remember how to get to his tree house again?” Leeli looked at him like he was crazy. “Even if I could I wouldn't tell you. Grandpa was on a horse, and he was still attacked by a blat and a diggle. What if he'd been attacked by a toothy cow? It's miles into the forest. Don't be silly.”

“I didn't say I was going out there,” Tink said, taking another bite of tumtaffy.

“Well then, why did you ask?”

Tink shrugged.

Janner was quiet, staring in the direction of the forest.

“What are you thinking about?” Leeli asked.

Janner thought for a moment before he spoke. “That makes twice now that Peet has come to our rescue—first with the rocks in the alley, then with you in the forest. I think he's looking out for us.”

“You don't know that it was Peet who threw those rocks,” Leeli said, glancing at the ceiling. She lowered her voice. “It could have been Zouzab. It could have been anyone.”

Janner looked out the window to see Peet rolling around the corner at J. Bird's barbershop. “All I'm saying is it's a little strange.”

“Leeli, how far away was that snapping diggle when Peet threw the rock at it?” Tink asked.

“I don't know, maybe…from here to…” Leeli squinted at the building across the street. “Here, to the jail.”

“There's something I haven't told you,” Janner said, voice lowered. “The night we got out of jail I overheard Ma and Grandpa talking—talking like they knew who threw the stones, and they didn't want us to know.”

“Look.” Leeli pointed out the window at their grandfather making his way up Main Street.

Podo stomped along at a steady pace with his arms swinging and a nasty scowl on his face. He stopped and looked up and down the street before turning up the narrow alley at J. Bird's, the same alley where Peet had just gone.

“What's he doing?” Janner asked, as he peered above Tink and Leeli.

A few moments later, Peet the Sock Man flew around the corner, weeping like a child and bleeding from his lip. He was running like a frightened animal, and Leeli's heart broke for him.

Podo reappeared at the corner and brushed himself off before marching back in the direction of the cottage.

“What was that all about?” Janner wondered aloud. “Did Grandpa just hit him?”

“I'm following him,” Tink said, looking in the direction that Peet had run.

“No!” Leeli said.

“I'm following Peet,” Tink repeated, wiping taffy-covered hands on the front of his shirt. “You can stay here if you like, but I want to know where he's going.” Before anyone could stop him, Tink stepped away from the window, opened the front door, and started down the street.

“Tink,” Janner yelled. “Tink!”

But Tink kept walking.

“Come on,” Janner growled. “We have to get him.”

“What about Mister Reteep?” Leeli asked.

Janner stopped. “Just wait here.” He shot down the aisle that he thought might lead to Oskar's desk and came back a few minutes later, out of breath. “Let's go. I just told him we finished and we were leaving. He didn't even look up from his book.”

“But—”

“I know it's ridiculous, but I can't just let Tink go by himself. We have to stay together.” Janner handed Leeli the crutch and held the door for her. “Feel free to try to talk him out of it, but you know Tink. He's following Peet, whether we come or not.”

When they caught up with him, Tink was peeking around the corner of The Only Inn.

“I thought you guys would never make it,” he said with a wink.

“This isn't a good idea,” Leeli said. “You know, Mama said—”

“There he goes,” Tink whispered, looking over Leeli's shoulder, and he was gone.

Leeli watched Tink jog north, up Vibbly Way.

Nugget whined, eager to run.

With a sigh of resignation, Janner held out an arm to his sister. “After you.”

33

Bridges and Boughs

T
ink raced up the slow rise of the land, past the last houses of Glipwood, with Janner, Leeli, and Nugget just a few paces behind. Now and again Tink would catch a glimpse of Peet's white hair dashing through a field, and he would speed up to keep the Sock Man in sight.

Janner didn't like how close they were getting to the forest. They weren't as far from town as Anklejelly Manor, where the forest was older and wilder, but the trees here were thickening, and they made Janner nervous.

After several minutes Tink stopped before a run-down house, roofless and charred, standing in a cluster of mossy oaks. Janner and Leeli caught up to him and the three of them stood, panting in the middle of the dusty road.

“You see him?” Janner asked, hoping that they'd lost Peet.

The three Igibys peered through the boughs that covered the way to the building.

“We probably should turn back.” Janner nervously eyed the forest. “I think you're forgetting our little incident with the
you-know-whats
at the
you-know-where.
”

“What are you talking about?” Leeli asked.

“At the manor?” Tink asked, scanning the yard for signs of the Sock Man. “Aw, this is nothing like that. Besides,” he looked at Janner, “if you're so sure Peet's looking out for us, we shouldn't have anything to worry about, right?”

Leeli thumped her crutch on the ground. “
What
manor?”

“I'll tell you later,” Janner said, and she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Look!” Tink said. A short distance to their right, Peet was running through the trees behind the old house. But as suddenly as they had seen him, Peet disappeared.

“Now how did he do that?” Tink wondered aloud.

Silence, except for the songs of a few strange birds and an occasional growl from Tink's stomach.

“Let's go,” Janner whispered, though he too was scanning the area for Peet. “There's no telling where he went. Now come on.”

Tink stared into the treetops, paying Janner no mind.

“Fine, then,” Janner said. “Come on, Leeli. Let's go home.”

Leeli didn't argue.

Janner took her hand and they turned to go, hoping Tink would give up and follow once he saw they meant to leave. But within ten paces, Janner realized the threat of leaving Tink alone wasn't working.

Tink was still scanning the trees, still looking for Peet.

“Tink, I'm serious,” Janner said.

“Don't be such a ninny,” Tink said over his shoulder, never taking his eyes from the trees. “I just want to see if I can figure out how he disappeared like that. He might have a tunnel or something. I'll be right back.”

And without a word, Tink was running. Again.

“Tink,
no!
” Janner cried.

Janner watched from the side of the old house as Tink tiptoed between the twisted roots and trunks of the trees. He turned and waved at Leeli with a wide grin as Janner shook his head and motioned him to come back. Tink moved toward the trees, closer to the forest's edge.

With a frustrated sigh, Leeli plopped down beside Nugget.

Suddenly, Nugget tensed and raised his hackles. He looked at the woods and growled.

“Oh no,” Janner moaned.

Something was coming, and from the sound of it—something big.

Janner and Leeli waved frantically, trying to get Tink's attention without making any noise. Janner wanted to run and grab him but was afraid to leave Leeli alone.

Tink, hunkered over, paid them no mind. He was investigating something on the ground, but then he heard it too.

A crashing noise came from the forest, the sound of something large and moving fast. Leeli and Janner were too terrified to move. They saw through the knot of trees a dark creature the size of a horse—bounding directly toward Tink.

Janner had heard Podo speak of toothy cows, and he had read a description of one in one of Oskar's books.
¹
Janner knew from the creature's size and speed that the dark beast now only a few yards away from his little brother was the same.

Tink had no way of outrunning it.

He whipped his head around in time to see the fearsome cow bearing down on him, its long teeth bared, its girth trembling.

Janner, Leeli, and Nugget sat frozen with fear, unable to move and yet unable to take their eyes away from the sight of Tink's impending death. Leeli started to scream but Janner clapped a hand over her mouth and pulled her to the grass, behind the wall of the house. He didn't want her to see, and Tink was simply too far away to be helped. If she screamed, the toothy cow would make quick work of all three of them. Not even Nugget would make it home.

So they lay in the tall grass, hearts pounding, waiting with dread for Tink's final scream.

But it never came.

They heard the cow skid to a halt, followed by a scraping, snuffling sound. Then came a low grumble that wasn't at all the sound one would expect from a monster feasting on a boy. Janner closed his eyes and tried to sort out what he was hearing. He didn't want to risk being seen by the creature, but the faintest hope that Tink might be alive fluttered in his heart. He could stand it no longer. Janner held a finger up to his lips and moved ever so slowly to peek around the corner.

The beast was standing on its hind legs, scratching and nosing at the tree.

Toothy cows, it seemed, were not good climbers.

Janner breathed a long sigh of relief. “He's okay,” he whispered. “I don't know how he did it, but he's okay. He climbed the tree before it got him.” Leeli sighed and smiled at Nugget, who licked her face and wagged his tail. “Stay quiet,” Janner whispered. “We have to wait until it leaves.”

Janner peeked again and saw the toothy cow give one last swipe at the trunk of the tree before lumbering back into the woods with a moo of discontent. A long moment passed. Janner scanned the tree line, praying to the Maker that Tink was unharmed.

Suddenly, Tink's head appeared upside down from the upper branches of the tree. He waved at Janner, who waved in return, unable to repress a smile.

“He's okay, Leeli. Look.”

Leeli erupted in giggles at Tink dangling from the tree. It was hard to stay mad at Tink for long.

“I guess his fear of heights isn't so bad when something's about to eat him,” Janner said. He motioned for Tink to come down, but to his amazement, Tink shook his upside-down head.

“What is he doing?” Janner muttered, remembering how angry he had been at his brother just moments ago. “He almost got killed and he's still acting like a fool.”

“Maybe he found something to eat up there,” Leeli suggested.

“That cow could still be around. We need to get out of here while we can.” Janner eyed the trees suspiciously.

Tink whistled from the tree and beckoned again for them to join him.

Unable to believe that he wasn't running like mad for home, Janner pulled Leeli to her feet, and they moved carefully toward the trees. He marveled at Tink's ability to coerce him into bad situations. They stood at the foot of the tree, looking up at Tink, but the canopy was so dark, they could barely see his figure in the branches above.

“Look around on the other side,” Tink whispered, brimming with excitement.

At first, Janner saw nothing but a vine-covered tree trunk. Then he realized that the leaves and vines were disguising a rope ladder dangling against the tree trunk. Janner's stomach fluttered at the discovery, and again he was torn between his responsibility and his undeniable urge to find out what was up the ladder, hidden in the leafy branches. He looked, worried, at Leeli.

“Do you think you can climb?”

Leeli didn't reply but answered by leaning her crutch against the tree and patting Nugget on the head. She shinnied up the ladder like she had six good legs, not just one.

“I'll be back in a minute, boy,” she whispered down when she had reached the limb where Tink was standing.

Janner followed after, muttering to himself. “Always causing problems… just once…wish…he'd use his brain…”

Tink was delighted, standing on a limb about thirty feet in the air, completely unbothered by the height.

“Tink, aren't you scared?” Leeli asked.

“Why?”

“You're in the top of a tree!” Janner said.

Tink blinked at his brother, looked down, and went as white as a cloud. He hugged the nearest branch and closed his eyes tight.

Leeli shook her head. “Well done, Janner.”

Immediately filled with regret, Janner tried soothing his brother's shattered nerves. “Tink, it's okay. You climbed all the way up here without a problem. We just have to climb back down. Remember the cliffs last week? Remember when you heard the dragon song and you weren't afraid at all? Be brave like that again. Let go.”

At the mention of the dragon song a slight change came over Tink—and Janner glimpsed a stronger, different Tink, like Janner had seen at the cliffs. Tink peeled himself from the tree and took a steady breath. He even looked down at the ground and forced a laugh.

Leeli and Janner exchanged glances.

“All right,” Janner said. “I'm sure you're proud of your discovery. Now let's get down from here and go home.”

Janner turned to descend the ladder.

“Wait!” Tink smiled again. Before Janner could protest, Tink edged out farther onto a fat limb and pushed a leafy branch out of the way.

“Take a look at this,” he said as he stepped aside.

Beyond the leaves swayed a bridge of wood planks suspended by ropes stretching to the next tree. Through the branches they could see yet another bridge leading from that tree to the next one, and so on, deeper into the shadowy leaves of Glipwood Forest.

“This is how he gets to his tree house without having to worry about the forest critters,” Leeli said.

“This must have taken years,” Janner said slowly, with awe. Janner and Tink gazed at the bridges, aching to explore the forest from the heights of the trees. But not with Leeli. Janner didn't see how she could cross the bridges with a crutch even if she wanted to come, which he doubted.

“Leeli—” Janner said, but she cut him off.

“I'll need my crutch.”

Her brothers looked at her with surprise. “Well, I can't go traipsing through the forest without it, can I?”

Breaking into a grin, Tink scurried down the ladder, retrieved the crutch, and scrambled back up.

Janner didn't like it, but he was once again as curious as his brother.
Why does this keep happening?
he thought.

Gripping the ropes that stretched across what seemed a sea of leaves and branches—and land far beneath, Tink inched out onto the bridge. He reached the drooping middle, bounced a little, and nodded. Janner had Leeli go before him, and she was surprisingly agile and able. Before long all three Igibys were strolling from bridge to bridge, climbing with confidence through the limbs of the trees in between.

Now and then they saw curious fazzle doves watching them pass. Below, the toothy cow, or one like it, trudged through the glipwood trees with a dead cave blat in its maw. The forest was boiling with life, both below and above them. Janner suddenly felt like an intruder, some rude houseguest who had entered without permission.

The bridges zigzagged for what seemed like miles before they came to a fork. Two bridges angled off into the leafy canopy in different directions. Tink stopped high in the arms of a sweeping oak, and Leeli and Janner sat for a moment to rest.

Janner was about to suggest that they start back. Who knew how far into the woods Peet's tree house was? And even if they found it, he was beginning to wonder how Peet would feel about trespassers.

“Leeli, are you sure we can trust him?” Janner wasn't so confident. True, Peet had saved Leeli and maybe saved all of them from the Fangs before that, but he still seemed crazy. “You don't think he'll be upset with us if he finds us…or if we find him?”

“I saw his eyes.” She smiled, staring at the memory of it. “He won't hurt us; you'll see.”

“Still, I think we've come far enough. We shouldn't even be here,” Janner said.

“You guys don't have anything to eat, do you?” Tink asked.

A voice from behind them scared all three Igiby children out of their wits: “Perhaps you could join me for broiled rump of snapping diggle.”

There in the middle of the bridge, with the ratty knitted stockings pulled up to his elbows, stood Peet the Sock Man. A skinned diggle carcass dangled from one socked hand.

He bowed low and smiled at the children.

“Would you like to see my castle?”