The Door in the Forest (18 page)

“Did you say something before about witnesses?” said Emily.

“Oh yes, quite.” The little man straightened his bow tie. “It has to do with your new duties.”

Emily looked around at Daniel for help.

“I saw you had the pearls,” said Jakob. “I thought that meant you knew why you were here.”

She looked down at the necklace. “I came here to see my mother.”

“Of course you did. But that wouldn’t be enough to get you here.”

“It wouldn’t?”

“You were allowed to disable the protections and cross over. That’s a privilege given to few. The real reason …” He glanced at the boys. “I suppose they can hear this, since they’ve come this far.”

“Anything you tell Emily,” declared Wesley, “you’re going to tell us.” His tone was a little grand, but then he was coming off his success with the clouds.

Jakob looked amused. “I see the way it is. Well, then. The
real reason you’re here, dear Emily, is to prepare you for later, when you return home.”

“But I’m not going home.”

He stroked his beard. “A wonderful place, the island; yes, I know.”

“I don’t care about the island. I want to stay with my mother.”

He nodded. “I can see the Byrdsong in you. Strong will. You’ll need it out There.” He held up a hand to keep her from interrupting. “Come now. No more questions. We need to get on our way.”

Emily was not entirely sure about this long-lost relative of hers. “Where are you taking us?”

“To the spring, of course! Climb aboard your leopard.”

“What for?”

She felt Wesley nudge her. “Em,” he murmured, “don’t argue with a dead guy.”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“It makes me nervous.”

She gave him a look.

“You don’t know.” He lowered his voice even further. “He might haunt us or something.”

Emily turned to Jakob Byrdsong. “You’re not planning to haunt us, are you?”

He looked too surprised to laugh. “What an idea!”

“See?”

“I might
hound
you a bit,” he said, “to get you to go along with me. What do you say?”

She looked at Daniel, who shrugged and nodded. With a
sigh, she climbed on the leopard’s back, and they started off. Uncle Jakob took the lead, stumping along sturdily with his walking stick, while the boys strode alongside Emily and her animal. Daniel noticed the sharp square impression his stick made in the soft leaf mold underfoot. He shot a glance at his brother, but Wesley hadn’t noticed.

The land rose up on either side as they entered a thickly wooded valley. Shadows outflanked sunlight here, and the air was cooler. A magpie, perhaps the same one as before, flapped down onto Snowball’s head.

Daniel grew thoughtful.

“What is it?” said Emily.

“I’m thinking about Mom and Dad. They’ve got to be worried.”

Wesley looked over. “I told Mom we might be in the woods for a day or two, until the captain simmers down.”

“And if he doesn’t simmer down?” said Daniel.

Emily looked at them. “Let’s not talk about him, if you don’t mind.”

“We can’t just ignore what’s going on,” said Daniel.

“Why not?”

“Because they’re my family. And they’re my neighbors. I grew up there, and now Sloper …”

“I really don’t want to think about it.”

Daniel didn’t want to think about it, either. He just couldn’t help it.

The valley deepened, and the leopard led them down to a boggy depression where giant ferns towered overhead. Emily ducked her head to avoid the fronds. The magpie flew off, crying harshly: “
Wock, wock-a-wock, pjur
!”

A little farther on, they came to a moss-encircled pool with water so clear you could see right down to the rocks, which appeared studded with mussels and oysters. Shadows of small fish darted about in the shallows.
Strange
, Daniel thought,
a spring-fed pool in the middle of an island
.

The leopard bent its head and drank gustily.

“Here we are, children,” said Jakob.

It was indeed a beautiful glade, with violets and moss of deepest green, the sunlight complicated by a thousand trembling shadows.

“What is this place?” said Daniel wonderingly.

“The center. It’s why we call the island Here.”

Wesley squatted at the edge. He cupped his hands and dipped them in. The water was icy.

Jakob stopped him with a look. “I’m afraid it’s only for Emily.”

“But I’m thirsty!”

“Here,” said Daniel, taking out his canteen. “We’ve still got some water.”

Wesley’s lips compressed. After his brief time of power over clouds and who knows what else, he was back to being treated like a kid.

“He’s probably got a reason,” Daniel said.

“I do.” Old Jakob leaned his stick against a tree. A wicker basket hung from a low bough; he reached in and took out a silver dipper.

“What’s the idea?” Emily said.

“Our family has always tried to protect the island. Your mother can’t do it, because she’s Here. Are you willing to take it on?”

Emily looked pained. “How can I? I’m just a kid.”

“Your grandmother will help you. A drink of this water will help you.”

She looked at him doubtfully. “What’s it going to do to me?”

“Nothing bad.”

“Will I grow ten feet tall, like Alice in Wonderland?”

He shook his head with a smile. “There’s nothing magic about it. It just makes things clearer.”

“You mean I’ll know everything? Like a genius?”

Again the head shake. “It doesn’t make you smarter. It just dissolves the barriers. It helps you know what you already know.”

“You’re talking in riddles.” She looked at the brothers.

“What do you think?”

“Well,” said Daniel, “do you trust him?”

“I guess so.”

“You’d better know so.”

She looked at the kindly, infinitely wrinkled, wildly bearded face of her great-great-and-even-greater-granduncle.

“Yes,” she said.

“Then,” said Daniel, “go ahead.”

She took the dipper, scooped up some water, held it to her lips, and hesitated. “If I turn into a monster, will you still like me?”

“Better than ever,” he said.

“Me too,” Wesley added.

She sipped. Nothing happened. She looked around. “What?” she said.

“What were you expecting?” said Jakob.

“Something. A puff of smoke maybe.” She took another drink, deeper this time. “That
is
good!”

The boys watched her. “How do you feel?” said Daniel.

“I still don’t want to go back, if that’s what you mean.” She looked around. “Hey,” she said, “I can’t understand you if you’re all talking at once.”

“I didn’t say anything,” said Wesley.

“What do I care if you ride Snowball?”

“I didn’t say that.” He flushed.

“I heard you mumble about getting to ride Snowball.”

“I only thought it.”

She turned to Daniel. “As for you …”

That was when they heard the first distant boom, more a thud than a boom, like a bass drum wrapped in cotton.

Then a second one. A third. They all looked up.

“The tank!” said Daniel.

There was a screaming across the sky and then a sudden shattering of branches as the first shell hit. Leaves and splintery twigs showered to the ground.

Emily looked around in panic. “They’re shooting at the island!”

Emily jumped to her feet, muttering something that Daniel half heard. She said it again: “
Mama.
” Another cannon round punched through the air, ripping branches and exploding into the earth. “We’ve got to get back to her!”

Daniel nodded. “But which way?”

“Snowball will know,” said Wes.

Daniel glanced at Jakob Byrdsong.

“Don’t worry about me,” said the old man, picking up his walking stick. “I’ll meet you there.”

Emily held the leopard for Wesley. “She’s all yours.”

“Really?”

“Be quick.”

He jumped on and they started out, Daniel and Emily running alongside. The leopard knew the shortcuts, and within minutes came in sight of the ceiba tree at the entrance to the blue pavilion. Miranda and Bridey were outside, talking earnestly with an old man. It turned out to be none other than Jakob Byrdsong!

It registered with Daniel that it was impossible for Jakob to have beaten them there. But that wasn’t the only surprise. At their feet, patient as house dogs, lay two beautiful white leopards.

“You’re safe!” Miranda cried, taking Emily into her arms.

Daniel went over to Jakob. “How did you
do
that?”

“Be glad to explain,” said the old man. For the first time, there was a slight tremor in his voice. “Under calmer circumstances.”

Wesley was looking at the cats. “More leopards!”

Miranda nodded. “They’re to bring you home.”

Another explosion, closer and louder, made them all turn. This time the shell came whistling right overhead, cracking several branches in the ceiba tree and exploding against a rocky hummock. Everyone scrambled to get away from the falling debris.

“That was a little too close,” said Bridey.

“Let’s get inside,” said Wesley, heading for the pavilion.

Jakob waved him back. “No use. I designed the building for beauty, not defense. It won’t keep out a fly.”

More shells thudded into the spongy air.

“Why don’t we just hide out on the island,” said Emily, “until they stop shooting?”

“And let the island be destroyed?” said Jakob, giving her a sharp look and waving his walking stick for emphasis. Emily noticed that the top of it was a carved heron’s head. “Remember,” he said, “you took the protections off when you came here.”

“You mean with the mud …?” said Emily.

“Yes. You blocked the signal with it. That’s why the artillery can reach us. Now you need to
unblock
it.”

“Can we do that?” she said.

“As soon as you’re off the island.”

“There are three leopards here,” said Daniel. “What about Mrs. Byrdsong?”

“My uncle,” said Bridey, “has kindly offered to escort me home. I’ll meet you back at the house.”

“The house? But Sloper’s soldiers are all over the place!”

She smiled and briefly closed her eyes, as if to savor the smile. “Look in Uncle Jakob’s book.”

“He wrote a book?”

“In the library,” said Emily suddenly. “Red binding. Is that right, Grandma?”

“That’s right, chickadee. How did you know?”

Emily shrugged. “I just knew.”

Another artillery shell, higher than the others, whistled overhead.

Daniel nodded. “Library. Uncle Jakob’s book. Right.” He noticed Emily looking down at her shoes. “It’s time,” he said gently.

“
You go
,” she said. “You and Wes can unblock the protections. You can find the book, too—the second-to-top shelf.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m not going. It’s not that I don’t care about what’s going on out There,” she said, “but what can I do? Am I going to fight an army? Here at least I have my mother.”

“Is that what you’ve decided?” said Daniel.

She looked defensive, but stood her ground. “Yes, it is.”

“Oh, my dear, no!” cried Miranda.