The Pillars of Ponderay (3 page)

Albert laughed, but quickly composed himself—he wanted to get back to the tremors. Birdie took her cue.

“Well,” Birdie said, chewing on her bottom lip. “Albert—I know you've been obsessed with this earthquake data for a while, so I've been keeping track, taking a few notes.” She lifted up a notebook full of scribbled pages. “And I think you're right.”

“A few notes?” Leroy laughed. “That's practically a novel!”

“It's not
that
much.” Birdie waved him off. “Anyway. Albert, have you heard from your dad? Maybe he could let us know if something's going on?”

Albert shook his head. “He texts me every now and then. But not lately.” It had kind of hurt Albert's feelings, but he understood. Professors were always kept busy in the Core, and they didn't exactly have stellar service down there.

Leroy smiled. “I'm sure he'll get in touch soon.”

“Yeah,” Birdie said, catching on. “No worries.”

Albert wanted to change the subject, and fast. “What are you guys doing for Christmas break?”

“I'm going snowboarding,” Birdie said, grinning like the Cheshire cat. “I can't wait to try out the new half-pipe they just installed!”

“My mom signed me up for a cooking class,” Leroy groaned. “She said if I'm going to eat all of her food, I might as well learn how to help make it.”

Albert wasn't too excited about visiting Aunt Suze, but at least San Diego had a ton of beaches. Last time
they'd visited, Albert's half siblings had made him pretend to be a dolphin, and cart them across the waves on his back. Maybe Farnsworth could take over that role this year. . . .

Albert's phone chirped from his pocket. While Birdie and Leroy chatted, he checked the screen. “Hey, I have a text from my dad!”

“Open it!” Birdie and Leroy said at once.

Albert's heart skipped half a beat. He opened the text. And what he saw made him yelp in a very Farnsworth-like way.

Hey, kiddo. I know you're probably all packed and ready for your trip to California, but how do you feel about spending Christmas break in the Core instead?
We need you.

I
t took some tough convincing and about ten phone calls from Albert's dad, but Albert's mom finally agreed to let Albert leave for Christmas break. After a few hours of begging
almost
as skillfully as Farnsworth, Albert was on his way to the airport with his family. Albert would head to Herman, and his family would head to California as planned.

Rick was catching a flight later in the week, so Albert even got to sit in the front seat of his mom's minivan, which was great, considering that Sam and Peter were playing a game of “who can scream the loudest” in the backseat.

“They're having a rough winter in Herman,” Albert's mom said as she drove the car through the winding streets of New York City. It was snowing big fat flakes of
white, dusting the sidewalks just in time for the Christmas season to roll around.

“I know!” Albert said. “Dad said I could start snowboarding!” He hoped the made-up activity seemed genuine.

His mom nearly veered off the road and hit a biker.

“With a helmet, of course,” Albert added, but what he was really thinking was,
Mom, if you only knew the dangerous stuff I was doing in the Core you'd never let me out of New York
.

They stopped at a red light, then passed by Albert's favorite place in the city, Central Park. It was the one place in New York that Albert had memories of going to with his dad when he was just a little boy. They'd gone hiking all through the winding trails, and when Albert was too tired to walk, sometimes his dad actually paid for them to ride in one of the pedicabs.

“You'll call me, right?” Albert's mom asked. She gunned the engine, and soon Central Park was just a speck of snow-covered trees in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, of course I will,” Albert said. “Don't worry, Mom.”

“You're growing up, I understand,” his mom said. A taxicab cut them off, and she laid on the horn, then smiled sweetly as soon as the driver sped away. “But you're my firstborn, and this will be my first Christmas without you.”

“I'll send you lots of pictures,” Albert said. “And I'll be
back before you know it.”

His mom sighed. “Just promise me you'll be careful?”

Albert reached across the center console and touched her arm. “Always.”

It was a sweet moment, and Albert's face got red. Just then, a sticky wad of gum flew from the backseat, landing itself right into Albert's mom's coffee. It splashed everywhere, and Farnsworth howled.

His mom gave Albert's half brothers her best evil eyes in the rearview.

The drive to the airport was going to take a while at the rate things were going. The snow was really picking up, too.

Albert leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, dreaming of the second he would set foot in Herman.

This was going to be the
best
Christmas ever.

The plane ride wasn't bad, and taking off in the snow was exciting. It was one of those really cool two-story planes, the
huge
ones that had a staircase in the middle. Albert loved hearing the engine roar. His heart raced faster than a flying Guildacker the second the wheels left the runway.

Because he was an unaccompanied minor, the flight attendant, Annie, kept sneaking him free cookies every time she passed by. She even gave Farnsworth a handful of pretzels. When they landed, and all the passengers
were clear, Annie drove Albert through the airport on one of those indoor baggage trucks, whizzing through the halls to deliver him right to his dad.

Except Bob Flynn wasn't waiting at baggage claim.

It was an old man, one with white hair and wrinkles on his face, and what looked like a permanent
I know all of your secrets
type of smile.

It was Albert's grandfather, Pap.

Albert knew from experience that sometimes the elderly weren't the best of drivers. On that score, Pap had long been in a league of his own. Herman, Wyoming, was covered in five feet of snow. Most people would drive with caution, slow as a turtle. But Pap drove his old, rusted pickup truck like a race car, whizzing through the snowy streets as if he were behind the wheel of a brand-new Ferrari.

“So,” Pap said, watching the road with squinted eyes, “I hear you've become interested in seismology. Been keeping up with the news in Southern California?”

Albert clutched Farnsworth as the car soared down a big hill, tall snow-covered firs racing past them in a blur. “Yep, and I think that's why my dad asked me to come. It's probably an Imbalanced Realm. My mom and siblings are going to California. Do you think they'll be okay?”

“That's what Balance Keepers are for.” Pap winked,
then swerved around a corner. A rabbit dove out of the way just in time.

To anyone else, Pap looked like a normal old man, but Albert could see the difference. There was something quite otherworldly in Pap's blue eyes. As a retired Balance Keeper, he knew lots of secrets about the Core, secrets that Albert had yet to discover. Maybe he even knew why things were going so strangely in the Core these days.

“Why are the Realms so messed up lately?” Albert asked. “It seems sort of soon for another Imbalance, doesn't it?”

Pap clicked his teeth, then swerved around another corner. The back tires of the truck hit the curb, and Farnsworth's eyes flashed a brilliant, electric blue.

“Only the Core knows the truth,” Pap said. He reached over and patted Albert on the shoulder. “But the Flynns are curious, and smart, and if you search hard enough, the secrets might unravel.”

Albert was about to ask what in the heck Pap was talking about, when a lonely street sign came into view.

E
NTERING
H
ERMAN
. P
OPULATION
, 512.

“Almost there,” Pap said. “You've never seen Herman in the winter, have you?”

“Nope, I haven't.” Albert pressed his face to the window
as Pap pulled off the interstate. His breath fogged up the glass, and when he wiped it away, he gasped.

Herman was
way
cooler this time of the year.

Pap gunned the engine, and they turned right into the familiar ring of evergreen trees, then down the bumpy little road that spat them out onto the edge of town. Night was falling, and all the multicolored houses in Herman were covered in twinkling lights.

There was a man in a Santa suit passing out candy canes on the main road, where shoppers were all bundled up, towers of gifts in their arms.

A little girl with her dog ran past. Farnsworth whimpered like he felt sorry for the other animal—it was wearing reindeer antlers on its head.

“The tree lighting was last night,” Pap said, and as they cleared Main Street, Albert saw a glimpse of a tall fir tree, lit up as bright as the Chrysler Building, ornaments and tinsel on its snowy branches.

They stopped at the one traffic light in Herman to let a few kids run past. Then they were on their way to Albert's dad's house. It was the only one on the street that didn't have lights on the roof, and Albert knew it was because even though the townspeople
thought
he was their mailman, Bob Flynn really spent most of his days in the Core, overseeing the Calderon Realm. It was more than a full-time job. It was a way of life.

“Hey, at least there's a wreath on the front door,”
Albert said as he and Farnsworth jumped down from the truck.

Inside, Bob Flynn's house was warm and cozy, a fire crackling in the corner of the living room. There was Pap's favorite recliner, a permanent indentation on its cushions.

“Dad! I'm here!” Albert set his bag down and raced to the kitchen, expecting to see Bob Flynn with his
Kiss the Cook
apron on, stirring up his favorite deer stew.

Instead, the kitchen was empty. An untouched fruitcake was sitting on the wooden table, along with a single white envelope.

Albert slumped into his usual chair, the one with the uneven legs that always sat crooked. “He's not here? I thought we'd have dinner and watch TV. You know, the usual.”

Pap hobbled into the room, Farnsworth on his heels. “He wanted to be here. But he has duties.” He crossed to the table and scooped up the envelope. “He
did
leave you this. An early Christmas present.”

Albert looked at the envelope. Sure enough, Bob Flynn's horrible handwriting was on the front, in bright red ink.

Albert ripped open the envelope, and something fell into his lap. It was a silver key.

“What's this?” Albert asked Pap.

Pap winked. “Read the letter.”

So Albert did.

Hey, Kiddo
,

Sorry I couldn't be there to greet you. Things are a little demanding right now in the Core, and you'll understand soon enough. Take tonight and get some rest—you leave first thing in the morning. The rest of Hydra will meet you in the Core.

Because there's so much snow, you and Farnsworth will have a little trouble finding the Troll Tree. Which is why I picked up a little surprise for you. Pap will show you in the morning.

See you soon!

Love, Dad.

P.S. Wear a helmet.

Albert didn't know what it meant.

But if helmets were involved, tomorrow was going to be one of the best days of his life.

A
lbert couldn't sleep.

He tossed and turned all night, holding the silver key. He imagined all sorts of things where a helmet would be required.

Most of them, like skydiving, or bull riding, or snowboarding, wouldn't be very helpful in getting Albert to the Troll Tree.

But hey, a boy could dream, right?

When morning came, Albert and Farnsworth wolfed down their eggs and toast. Pap stood there the whole time, patiently waiting.

Finally, he spoke.

“Let's go to the garage, shall we?”

Albert swallowed his last sip of milk, then threw on
his gloves, boots, and coat, and followed Pap out the back door.

He almost tripped over his own feet.

Sitting right across from him, parked next to his dad's mail truck, was one of Albert's dreams come true.

A
snowmobile.

And not just any snowmobile. It was an IceBlitzer 3000, jet black and sleek as a stallion, just waiting for Albert to hop on and speed away.

“That's for me?” Albert's voice squeaked.

Pap laughed. “If the key fits.”

Albert crossed the garage in two steps, hopped up onto the seat of the IceBlitzer, and put the key in the ignition.

It roared to life, louder than a lion.

“Can I drive it?” Albert shouted to Pap over the sound of the rumbling engine.

“It's yours for the day!” Pap nodded, then scooped a helmet off of the tool shelf up against the wall. It was black to match the snowmobile.

“Don't go too crazy, all right?” Pap put the helmet on Albert's head and fastened it tight.

He showed Albert how to work the controls, then guided him as he backed out of the garage.

“How about a hug for your old Pap before you go?” Pap asked.

Albert put the IceBlitzer in neutral, then gave Pap the best hug he could. “You can't come with me, can you?”

Pap laughed and shook his head. “The Core doesn't need me any longer. But you, Albert . . .” The wind blew, and snow started to fall. Pap shivered and pulled his robe tighter around his body. There was a strange look in his eyes, something Albert hadn't seen before. “Something tells me you're going to be needed more than ever. And soon.”

His voice was strangled, and it gave Albert a chill that didn't come from the snow. Pap shook his head and smiled. “When you get there tell the Path Hider that old Pap wants a rematch in Tiles. He's the only one to ever beat me.”

“You should play Leroy,” Albert said. “And Birdie.”

At the thought of his friends, warmth spread over Albert. He'd see them in just a few hours!

“Ride fast,” Pap said, and with a mischievous smile, he waved Albert away. “See you soon! And use the shovel in the compartment under the seat when you get to where you're going!”

“Bye!” Albert clicked the snowmobile into gear. Farnsworth leaped into Albert's lap, and together they sped away.

Albert had to drive slowly across town, winding around an old woman who walked with a stack of books balanced in her arms.

“Cold days ahead, my dear Francis,” she said to Albert as he passed.

“This place gets weirder and weirder.” Albert laughed.

Soon enough, the edge of the woods came into view. The trees blew in the wind, and they seemed to whisper secrets to Albert, beckoning him to come closer, to have more adventures. He stopped just before the tree line. There in the snow, somehow surviving through the cold, was a cluster of tulips. Springtime flowers, and these had purple tiger stripes on them.

It was the magic of the Core, seeping through the cracks of the earth into Herman.

“You ready for this, Farnsworth?” Albert asked.

The little dog yipped.

“Hold on tight!” Albert called out. He gunned the engine, angled the IceBlitzer into the trees, then sped off.

It was amazing. The wind whipped Albert in the face, and he felt like a pro, one of those guys who could do backflips and crazy spins all over the mountain. He could probably even outrun an avalanche on this thing!

Farnsworth put his paws on top of Albert's hands as if he wanted to help steer. Then Albert really laid on the speed. The IceBlitzer purred beneath him, running like a champion. It carried them up the hill, and they got big air on the way down. Almost ten feet, at
least
, launching Albert right over a frozen stream.

The snowmobile hit the ground on the other side and kept going. “Yeehaw!” Albert screamed, channeling a little bit of Leroy's Texas flair. “I'm in the lead!”

They went left between two fat trees, dodged right, nearly missing a thornbush, and then zoomed up one
hill and down another.

Up ahead, there was the familiar slingshot tree that had once been a path marker on Albert's first journey through these woods.

“We're halfway there!” Albert yelled.

He squeezed the gears as hard as he could. Farnsworth barked. His ears flapped like a bird's wings in the wind.

Sometimes, the path ahead seemed to blur. Trees appeared in places that they hadn't been, only seconds before.

“This is getting tricky,” Albert groaned.

He knew the Path Hider was at work here, hiding the paths to the Core. Farnsworth, being the clever Core dog that he was, knew how to read those hidden paths. Every few seconds, Farnsworth barked, alerting Albert of the changes.

A few times, Albert thought he saw the shadowed figures of his friends, walking through the woods, but he couldn't be sure. The Path Hider was also concealing Birdie's and Leroy's paths as they moved, but only for a second or two.

Finally, Albert saw a clearing up ahead.

“I think that's it,” he said, and angled the IceBlitzer toward it.

Sure enough, as they got closer, Albert felt that strange lightness in his body, sort of like he was sitting on a cloud. The Troll Tree loomed in front of him, a ghostly
being with its branches all dressed in white. The trunk of the tree was three times as large as it was tall, and with the snow so deep, the secret door that led to its hollow center was probably out of sight.

“We made it,” Albert breathed.

He turned off the engine, removed his helmet, and slid off the seat. When he lifted it, inside, just like Pap said, sat a portable snow shovel.

“I don't think I've ever had to shovel snow,” Albert laughed. Farnsworth barked in agreement, and together they approached the Troll Tree.

In the summer, Albert had had to circle the trunk several times before the door appeared. He did just that, walking as best he could in the deep snow. When he was sure he'd circled at least three times, he saw it.

The top half of the door.

“Oh, man, this is gonna take all day,” Albert groaned. He looked down at Farnsworth, who was wagging his tail. “Help me dig, will you?”

They began, Albert with the shovel, Farnsworth with his paws. It was exhausting, and before too long, Albert's shirt had grown damp with sweat.

If only Tiles worked outside of the Core
, Albert thought.
I'd use that Fire symbol I saw in the Black Book and melt this snow to smithereens!

Over an hour later, when Albert was sure his hands were going to fall off, the digging was done. The door
stood before him, its old brass handle just begging for Albert to turn it and go inside.

“Farnsworth?” Albert looked down at his dog. “Lights on, please.”

The dog barked joyfully, and as Albert turned the handle and swung open the door to the Troll Tree, Farnsworth's laser eyes were burning a bright blue.

“After you.” Albert smiled.

Farnsworth scurried inside, and Albert followed.