Worlds Within

CHAPTER 4 - CATCH A FALLING STAR

  Toby arrived home before Janie. There was a note on the table.

  Toby,

  Put the lasagna in the oven at 5:00. I hope you remembered to stop by Alice's. Be sure to do your homework.

  Love, Janie

  He looked at the clock. It was 5:10. Well, close enough. Hurriedly he turned on the oven and slid the pan of lasagna onto the oven rack. As he set the temperature, he thought a moment, and then bumped it up ten degrees to compensate for the late start.

  He rushed upstairs to his room and threw his pack on the bed. On the dresser, his latest mineral project was growing on an old dinner plate. It had a picture of a loaf of bread in the center surrounded by sheaves of wheat. Green crystals spread across the bread making it look like it had sprouted mold.

  Next to the plate was a shoebox with a butterfly cocoon nestled in one corner. He looked it over carefully, but so far there was no sign that the butterfly was ready to emerge.

  As he dumped the contents of the backpack on the bed, Worlds Within fell out on top. He carefully picked it up and put it on his desk.

  Turning on his computer, he checked his e-mail. This time his mom had written. She wanted him to write and tell them all about school and his new friends. Was he eating well and getting enough sleep? How was he getting along with Janie? He wrote back and told her about science class, Janie's salads, and that he was learning to play basketball. Then he opened Pete's message.

  Cute story. Giving up on sports and planning on being a writer are you? Maybe the stress of the new place is getting to you. What you need are some good solid friends to keep you straight. Someone like me. Try spending more time with Jason. He sounds like a pretty sensible kid. So what really happened when Carson came back?

  Toby replied:

  I did meet this guy that seems pretty levelheaded. He's a couple years older than us and even has a job. Unfortunately he got arrested last week. It's a bad rap though. He's from that other world I told you about. Well they have a book ban and he got caught with a book. He borrows them from the Hermit. Oh yeah, and the Hermit has this strange cat that has round ears and can think pictures into your head. They want me to come back and help break him out tonight - but I'm not sure I'm going. Gotta run. I have homework I have to get done first.

  The rest of the hour went by quickly as he whipped through the math assignment and moved on to history. He heard the lock in the front door and knew Janie was home. It was 6:00. He glanced out the window. It looked like it was getting dark out. Thoughts raced through his head. What time did the sun set anyway? And how was he to know if it was the same time there as it was here?

  Why should he go back? He couldn't even face the bullies a grade above him. Besides, Berren had so many muscles he should be able to break that shed apart without any help from him. Anyway, how was he supposed to get around the guards? They might have guns. They might lock him up too. Pete would never know what had happened to him, or would never believe it.

  "Toby," his grandmother called up the stairs.

  I probably won't get a chance to go back and help even if I wanted to he thought. It's a silly idea for a kid. He shook off the thoughts and hurried down the stairs to the kitchen. Janie was just taking the lasagna out of the oven.

  "Do you think you should leave it in a little longer?" he suggested.

  "We don't want it to be mushy," she said as she set it on the stove. The corner of her mouth twitched as she tried to suppress a smile. Toby looked at her suspiciously. When she got in one of her moods, he never knew what to expect. It might be something fun, and it might be something embarrassing. He had to keep alert.

  She danced around the room as she placed the salad on the table. Toby sat down carefully keeping his eye on her. He wasn't going to be distracted by checking out what new mysteries Alice had sent home for tonight's salad.

  The microwave chirped. Janie took out a steaming cup of coffee, and stirred in some cream. Pulling out the spoon, she watched the liquid intently.

  "Something wrong with the coffee?" Toby asked curiously.

  "Look," she said. "It's a spiral galaxy."

  Toby leaned over and looked in the cup. Some of the cream had not dissolved completely and was swirling on top of the coffee.

  "Yeah?.ookay," he said.

  "Wonder if that's where scientists got their notions of how galaxies were formed?." she mused.

  Toby raised his eyebrows, and settled back in his chair. Tonight was starting out interesting, he thought.

  Janie turned back to the stove. When she spun around again, she had something hidden in her cupped hands and was grinning.

  "What?" Toby asked.

  She stood straight and commanded, "Stand, Sir Toby."

  Toby warily got up and started to smile in spite of his apprehension.

  She made an elaborate curtsey and held out her hands. A gold chain slithered off her palm and hung from her fingers. Suspended on it was a small dark object. She placed the chain around his neck, and in a solemn commanding voice said, "I pronounce thee Star Man. Use your power wisely," and she winked at him.

  Toby smirked. Lifting the object at the end of the chain, he looked at it closely. "What is it? A shark's tooth?"

  She snorted derisively. "Nothing so mundane. It is mystery encapsulated in the ordinary. A world within a world. A messenger from the depths of time."

  "Could you be a bit more down to earth?"

  She laughed happily. "Oh yes, of course. A way out gift that's now down to Earth."

  "But what is it?"

  "A chip off the primordial block, so to speak." She lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "A fragment of a meteorite."

  "Wow! For real? Where did it come from?"

  She said slowly, spacing out the words, "outer?space."

  "Yes, but how did YOU get it?"

  "Oh, that!" she said. "Well, your parents sent it to you from Antarctica. They found several of them just lying out there on the ice from a recent fall. Since they are black, it's hard to miss them on the white surface. It came in a package along with some other things they sent me. The hole in it is natural. Seemed too good to pass up, so I put it on the chain. You can take it off if you want."

  He could see that she looked a little nervous about it. He smiled. "Thanks. It's great just the way it is." He let it fall gently against his shirt.

  She relaxed. "How was school today?"

  "School? Oh?fine."

  "Gym class go okay?" she looked concerned.

  "Uh, basketball. I managed not to get trampled."

  She chuckled. "Never mind. Basketball is not a cosmic event. Just something to be endured. Maybe you'll even like it someday.

  He grimaced. "Not likely."

  She shrugged. "Then again, you may not. You know your dad didn't like sports when he was in school either. But the last few years he has enjoyed watching the Super Bowl with you," she added brightly.

  Toby realized he missed not watching the game with his father this year. "Well, Jason has offered to give me some pointers Sunday."

  Janie sighed with relief. "Great idea!" she exclaimed. "That's what friends do. Help us out of messes."

  She then told him about her day at work. As she talked about blood work and DNA testing, he tried not to pay attention to the details. It made his stomach queasy. His mind wandered to Marnie and Berren.

  It was crazy to think about going back. He would just return the book and forget the whole thing. Caedman and Marnie would be able to rescue Berren without him. He wasn't very good at that kind of thing, and would only be a hindrance. But the thought of Jason helping him nagged at his conscience.

  "?so," Janie was saying. "The DNA testing proved that Nitika is part Navajo.

  Toby sat up surprised and grinned, "Really?"

  "Here's the article," she said triumphantly, waving the latest issue of the Sierra Sentinel in the air. She dropped the paper down on the table, and Toby read the headline
"Local Librarian Proved Native American." Janie was quoted in the article.

  "There was only one person on the tribal council that believed in her all along. You don't often find a friend who will stick with you even when everyone else is skeptical."

  Toby sat thinking.

  "You're very quiet tonight," Janie said.

  "Just thinking about friendships."

  "Friends and family. Better than anything else when they are loyal and dependable."

  He smiled weakly.

  They both ate silently for awhile. He stirred the food on his plate absentmindedly. He didn't feel hungry. There must be a reason why he had found the book and discovered the secret of traveling. Of course he would have to go back now. He might not be much help, but he couldn't let his new friends down.

  "Do you believe in things just happening by chance?" he asked. "I mean, do you think we are put in situations for a reason?"

  "I personally think there's a reason for everything, but we can't always see the whole picture. Some people think things are just chance happenings, but I think that's only because they are shortsighted. Things come into our lives to give us an opportunity to become more than we are."

  She looked at her plate. "It is a bit chewy. Maybe you were right about letting it cook a little longer."

  "Okay if I go finish my homework?"

  "Sure, go ahead. It will taste better tomorrow. There's cookies in the jar."

  He rinsed his plate. Grabbing a handful of cookies, he ran up the stairs. Once in his room he stacked the cookies on his desk and glanced out the window. It looked dark. He guessed he had a couple of hours.

  There was an e-mail response from Pete.

  These fantasies are fun, but don't get sucked in. Keep a grip. Soon you'll be back here, and things will be normal again. Hey, we're supposed to make up a story for English class. How about I use some of this stuff - it's pretty weird. It's not like we're cheating or anything. We're not even in the same class - or state - or maybe even universe! Speaking of different universes - you remember we have Kyle staying with us this year as an exchange student from Ireland. He's not as savvy as you, but still pretty smart. You'd like him. He likes Enya. Go figure. It's like an infatuation or something. I should have sent him out to stay with you and your grandmother when you went to that Enya concert last month. You could have all gone together. I got so sick of hearing "May it Be" that we had to agree he would only listen to it with a headphone!

  By the time he finished his homework it was 8:15. He was thumbing through Worlds Within when he heard Janie coming up the stairs. She knocked on his door and he said, "Come on in."

  Opening the door she looked around the room, and saw the cookies stacked neatly on the desk. "Everything okay?"

  "Yep, just finished my homework."

  "I have to go in to work tomorrow for a few hours. I'll probably be gone when you get up." She reached over and closed the book so she could read the title. "That's a very nice leather cover," she said running her fingers over it. "Feels almost like?" she paused, then read, "Worlds Within, A Traveler's Journal. Is that science fiction like the Hitchhikers Guide, or are you planning a trip?"

  He grunted. "More like fantasy I think. It's about traveling between worlds."

  She looked at him for a long moment. Then she smiled and kissed him goodnight. "It's the weekend, but don't stay up reading too long tonight."

  "I won't," he said.

  She left and closed the door.

  When the house got quiet, he slipped off the bed. He changed into an old black T-shirt with "Star Wars" printed on it in gold writing. Over this he pulled on a hooded sweatshirt jacket. He wrapped the cookies in a napkin and stuffed them in the pocket.

  Opening the book to the picture of the hut, he laid it on the bed. Then he put on his tennis shoes, and turned out the light. As he reached into the pocket of his jeans to get his key ring, he looked down at his shoes and saw they had reflective stripes. He frowned and flipped the lamp back on. Then he fumbled under the bed until he found the box filled with odds and ends from his last science project. Rummaging through the contents he found a roll of black electrical tape. After turning the light on and off several times to check his progress, he finally managed to get the stripes covered with the tape.

  Finally ready, he set the open book on his lap. Using the flashlight and magnifying glass on his key ring, he focused in on the book. Suddenly it was cold, and he was no longer sitting on the soft bed. It was so dark he couldn't see anything. The beam from the small flashlight barely penetrated the mist surrounding him. He stood up hoping he was in the right place. The soft chirping and buzzing of insects occasionally broke the silence. A chill breeze ruffled his hair and he shivered. Then a thin vertical line of light appeared in front of him and slowly grew wider. It took him a moment to realize it was a door opening. Two figures stood silhouetted by the firelight behind them.

  "Come in Toby," Caedman called.

  "I was wondering if you were coming." Marnie said. "You're late."

  "Probably Daylight Savings Time," he muttered.

  "What?" Marnie asked.

  "Nothing. I had some problems with my shoes that took longer than I thought."

  She looked down at his shoes and saw the strange pattern of tape on them. "What's wrong with your shoes?"

  "Never mind."

  She followed him into the hut confused.

  "How did you know I was out there?" he asked as he entered the hut.

  Caedman said, "Sirius was watching for you. Come, let us make our plans." As Caedman was closing the door, Sirius walked primly through the opening with his tail up. He jumped on the ledge by the fire and wrapped his tail around his feet safely out of reach of the flames.

  Toby laid Worlds Within on a nearby shelf and joined the others around the fire. Its warm glow made him relax and forget about the night outside.

  Caedman explained his plan. "It will take us about an hour to get through the Valley of Rocks. The shed is just on the other side. There will probably be two guards in the cabin. The shed is close enough that they will hear any noise."

  "How are we going to get the door to the shed unlocked without making any noise?" Toby asked.

  "I believe the rock marmots will help us," Caedman replied.

  "Marnie looked doubtful. "How will the rock marmots help? They don't trust people."

  "They are merely wary of strangers. You come through the Valley of Rocks all the time. Do you feel their presence?"

  "Not so much any more," she said slowly. "They made me very uneasy at first, but I hardly think about them now."

  Toby remembered seeing the page in the book about rock marmots. He wished now that he had read the description more carefully. He interrupted, "What are rock marmots?"

  They both turned to him. Marnie said, "You don't have rock marmots in your world?"

  Toby shook his head.

  "You seem to be missing a lot of things in your world," she said.

  "They are small animals with smooth hide," Caedman said. "We call them that because when they pull in their feet and head, they look like rocks. When they feel threatened they send out strong emotional thought waves that make people nearby feel uneasy. Depending on how many of them are together, they can make people panic. Sometimes people have been so scared they don't care where they run to get away and have gotten hurt. That's why not too many people like to go into the Valley of Rocks. Only the smiths go there regularly. The rock marmots get used to them. After awhile they just ignore them, the way they do Marnie."

  "But how is that going to help us?" Marnie asked.

  "That's where Sirius comes in," the hermit said. "He can communicate with them on a very basic level. My plan is to get enough of them together to scare off the guards. Then you can get Berren out and escape back here."

  Toby looked doubtfully at the sentinel. This was turning into something right out of a fantasy book or a bad dream. Pete could be right. Maybe he wa
s loosing his grip on reality.

  "The rock marmots will not react to Marnie or to me," Caedman said. "They know us and do not fear us. But they have never encountered someone like you, Toby. You will be very strange to them, and you will make them very uneasy. You will feel their fear. I can only protect you partially, and I will not be able to stay with you all the way. My presence would be a distraction to the marmots. There is a danger that you will feel the fear too greatly and become irrational. The marmots will try to herd you out of the valley. More and more of them will join together, and they will follow you. The fear will build the longer we are in the valley. By the time you get to the cabin everyone around you, including Marnie, will feel it. But it will be directed at you.

  That is when Sirius will try to project to the marmots that it is the guards who are the danger, and not you. If he is successful, the guards will be overcome with irrational fear and will run away. You and Marnie can free Berren. The marmots will no longer see you as a threat, and you can all join me back in the valley."

  Toby shrugged. "Sounds okay, I guess." He thought it would never work, but was willing to go along. Maybe they'd find the guards sleeping and could get the door open without waking them up. If not, he could just go home and sleep in.

  "Then you are prepared to take the risk?"

  "Huh? Oh, sure."

  Marnie looked admiringly at him. Caedman smiled wryly. "It will take a couple minutes for Sirius and me to shield your mind."

  "Okay."

  Caedman closed his eyes. Sirius stared across the room and blinked slowly. A faint rumbling noise came from his chest. He's purring, Toby thought. The idea gave him a feeling of contentment. He thought about Janie and making cookies with her last Saturday. All the stress from school faded away. He could feel the warmth of the kitchen oven and smell the scent of the crisping sugar and cinnamon from the batch of snickerdoodles. They broke apart in his hands as he picked up the still warm cookies, and popped the pieces into his mouth.

  "There," Caedman said. "I think we're ready."

  Toby was back in the hut with the fire warming his back. He met Caedman's eyes, and said, "I brought some cookies." He pulled the napkin out of his pocket and opened it. "That's odd. They must have cooled already," he said. "They just came out of the oven?."

  Marnie leaned over and looked at the bundle. "What are they?"

  "Snickerdoodles," Toby replied. He smiled, "You probably don't have them in your world." He handed her one. "Try it."

  She bit into the cookie and her eyes brightened. "They're wonderful," she mumbled with her mouth full.

  He handed one to Caedman. "They are even better when they are hot."

  "Yes, they would be," Caedman said. "Thank you."

  Toby wrapped up the remaining cookies, and put them back into his pocket. "For when we return with Berren," he said. They both nodded.

  Caedman stood up. "We are ready. Let us proceed."