“Dr. Woo only sees sick worms,” Ben said.
“Right,” Pearl agreed. Good point. Problem solved. “Well, we gotta go.”
“Hold on. There’s bound to be one sick worm in the box.” Mrs. Mulberry glanced around, then asked, “How can I tell if a worm is sick?”
“Coughing,” Ben said.
“Sneezing, too,” Pearl added, clenching her jaw so she wouldn’t laugh.
“Coughing? Sneezing? I knew that.” Mrs. Mulberry dropped the catalog back into the wagon. “I expect to see both of you at Victoria’s ceremony tonight. Membership in the Red Wagon Club is highly selective. This is an important moment for the Mulberry family. Don’t be late.”
“Late?” Pearl cried. She grabbed Ben’s wrist and stared at his fancy watch. “We gotta go!”
4
Ben and Pearl skidded to a stop outside the tall wrought-iron gate that guarded the old button factory. A heavy padlock hung from the bars, along with a sign that read:
Fortunately, Pearl and Ben had an appointment. Their apprenticeships were scheduled to begin at precisely 8:00 AM.
“We’re two minutes early,” Ben reported.
“Early is better than late,” Pearl said. She didn’t want to give Dr. Woo a reason to fire her. With her hands wrapped around the bars, Pearl peered through the gate, watching for the hospital’s front door to open. Would Mr. Tabby come get them, or would Dr. Woo?
The concrete building, which had once housed the Buttonville Button Factory, stood ten stories high. Many of the windows were broken. The grounds surrounding the structure had been neglected, so weeds grew up to Pearl’s knees. In its glory days, the button factory had been filled with the sounds of machinery grinding, people chatting, and delivery trucks coming and going. Now only an occasional growl escaped through the broken panes. The place looked like a hotel for ghosts.
At eight o’clock precisely, the doorknob turned. Pearl’s heart did a little flutter. This was always an exciting moment, anticipation building like steam in a kettle. The front door opened and out stepped Dr. Woo’s assistant, Mr. Tabby. He always looked like a butler, and today was no different. He wore a pair of perfectly pressed black pants, a crisp white shirt, and a burgundy velveteen vest. His long red hair was tied back in a ribbon, and his mustache was waxed into individual strands. As he strode down the driveway, gravel crunched beneath his polished black shoes.
“What’s he carrying?” Pearl asked.
“Looks like a suitcase,” Ben said.
Indeed, while one of Mr. Tabby’s hands held a ring of keys, the other pulled a wheeled plaid bag. Pearl and Ben stepped back while Mr. Tabby unlocked the padlock. The brass key ring reminded Pearl of the kind that bulls wore in their snouts. Then Mr. Tabby swung open the gate. “Good morning,” he said, his nose sniffing the air. A low growl vibrated in his throat. “Do I detect the scent of dachshund?”
“Dach-what?” Pearl asked.
“That’s the official name for wiener dogs,” Ben explained. Then he held his palms up to Mr. Tabby’s nose. “I petted a pair of them.”
“They belong to my great-aunt Gladys,” Pearl told him. “Wow, you’ve sure got a good sniffer.”
“I am not fond of dogs, wiener or otherwise.” Mr. Tabby’s upper lip curled with disgust. “Canines are drooling creatures that do their business on public sidewalks. Very distasteful.” He leaned close to Ben. “What sort of hat is that?”
“Oh, I forgot I was wearing it,” Ben said, pulling the knitted yellow cap from his head.
“My great-aunt Gladys made it,” Pearl said. “She’s made me one in every color. Do you want her to make you one?”
Mr. Tabby stroked one of his mustache sections. “I am not fond of hats, knitted or otherwise. They tend to mess up my hair.” He rolled his suitcase onto the sidewalk.
“Are you leaving?” Ben asked, stuffing the hat into his back pocket.
“Indeed. I am taking my once-a-year vacation.”
“Where are you going?” Pearl asked. She and her family rarely took vacations. They worked so hard at the Dollar Store that it was difficult to get away.
“I am visiting a luxurious spa, where I will get a manicure, a pedicure, and a relaxing scalp massage.” Was he making a purring sound? “It is very stressful being the assistant to the world’s only veterinarian for Imaginary creatures. Too much stress can make my fur fall out.”
“Fur?” Pearl asked. “Did you say… fur?”
Mr. Tabby glanced away. “I never said such a thing.”
A taxicab pulled up to the curb. The driver got out. “You the gentleman I’m supposed to take to the airport?”
“That is correct, my good man.” Mr. Tabby smiled politely. He handed his suitcase to the driver, who put it into the taxi’s trunk. While the driver climbed back into the cab, Mr. Tabby gave the key ring to Ben. “Be certain to lock the gate, and do not forget to—”
“I know, I know,” Ben interrupted. “Don’t forget to lock the front door. You don’t have to keep reminding me.” Ben was a bit sensitive about this subject. He’d neglected to lock the front door the first time he and Pearl visited the hospital, resulting in the escape of a sasquatch.
Mr. Tabby’s mustache twitched. “It is my duty to remind you of such things, especially in light of the new situation.” His yellow irises flashed.
A little shiver tickled the back of Pearl’s neck. “What situation?”
“My trip is ill-timed, I’m afraid, but Dr. Woo insists I go.” Mr. Tabby looked over his shoulder. The taxi driver sat inside the car, paying no attention to the conversation. Mr. Tabby motioned for the kids to gather close. As they looked up at him, he lowered his voice in a secretive way. “There has been a sighting.”
“A what?” Ben asked.
“A sighting. In the Imaginary World. Of a human.”
Pearl and Ben looked at each other. Mr. Tabby had said the word human as if he were talking about a piece of food that had gone rancid.
Mr. Tabby continued. “Because we do not know how the human entered the Imaginary World, we must increase our security efforts. The hospital gate and front door are to remain locked at all times.”
Ben’s cheeks went red. “I won’t leave it unlocked again. I promise.”
“And rules are to be followed at all times. Do you understand?”
Pearl didn’t argue. She and Ben had been apprentices for less than a week, and already they’d broken more rules than she could remember, including traveling through the Portal without permission and taking the leprechaun out of the hospital.
“Yes,” they both replied. “We understand.”
“Very good. Now, do you remember your task for today?” He tapped his shoe against the sidewalk as he waited for their reply.
“Yes,” Ben said. “We have to trim the sasquatch’s nose hairs.”
“To precisely one-fourth inch in length,” Mr. Tabby added.
Pearl groaned. “Ugh. That sounds super disgusting. Do we have to?”
“Do you have to?” Mr. Tabby’s mustache twitched again. “Need I remind you that on Wednesday you did not dispose of dragon droppings in the correct manner—hence, your punishment?”
“Okay,” Pearl said. She really couldn’t argue about this. After all, it had been her idea to toss the droppings over the edge of the roof.
“You will find the trimming device in the Supply Closet. It requires ten batteries. Sasquatch nasal foliage is very stubborn and thick.” He turned briskly on his heels and strode toward the cab. After slipping inside, he rolled down the window and gave Ben and Pearl one last piece of information. “In light of the dangerous situation, I installed extra security behind the front door. Good day.”
“Dangerous?” Ben asked. He and Pearl watched as the cab drove away. “How dangerous?”
One thing Pearl had learned about Ben Silverstein was that he didn’t like danger. He didn’t like breaking rules, either. “I’m sure he was exaggerating,” Pearl said, trying to make Ben feel bette
r. “Come on. Let’s go in.”
Ben locked the gate, checking it twice to make sure it was secure, and then they headed up the driveway. “Do you think the situation is dangerous because the human is dangerous?” The ring of keys dangled from Ben’s fingertips. “Or do you think it’s dangerous because someone else knows how to get into the Imaginary World?”
“I’m not sure,” Pearl said with a shrug. “But I had nothing to do with it.” She was so used to people pointing fingers, accusing her of making trouble, that defending herself was a natural reaction. “I would never tell anyone how to get into the Imaginary World.”
“Me neither,” Ben said.
Pearl believed him. She had no reason not to. Sure, Ben liked to make up stories, but it made no sense that he’d spill any of Dr. Woo’s secrets. Neither one of them wanted to risk losing their apprenticeships.
They walked up the steps and stood facing the front door. A familiar sign was taped to the outside:
But there was something new about the door—a small hole had been drilled into it.
“A peephole?” Ben said. “That’s the extra security?”
Pearl was about to tell Ben to use the key, but that was when an eyeball appeared on the other side of the peephole.
A loud growl slithered out the crack at the bottom of the door.
5
The ominous growl sent a vibration up Pearl’s legs. What was behind the door?
Had something nasty escaped from one of the treatment rooms? Or had Mr. Tabby placed a monster in the lobby to scare off possible intruders? Pearl’s heart kicked up its rhythm. Ben’s face went pale. He stepped back as the beast stared through the peephole. But Pearl wasn’t so quick to retreat. There was something familiar about that eyeball.
The growling stopped and the eyeball disappeared. Then came the sound of a dead bolt sliding open.
“Maybe we should go,” Ben whispered.
“We’re supposed to be here,” Pearl whispered back. “Mr. Tabby wouldn’t send something to hurt us.” Yet how could she be so sure? She’d only known Mr. Tabby for a week, and he was usually quite grumpy. Maybe they’d broken another rule and this was their punishment?
The second dead bolt released. Then the third, fourth, and fifth.
The door opened.
“Did I scare you with my big, mean growl?” a voice asked. “Did I, huh? Did I?”
The black dragon who lived on the hospital roof stood hunched in the doorway. Pearl and Ben exhaled at the same time. This was no monster.
“Metalmouth!” Pearl exclaimed. “You nearly scared the pants off Ben.”
“No, he didn’t,” Ben said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
The dragon smiled and thwapped his tail. “I’m supposed to guard the front door while Mr. Tabby’s gone.” He stepped aside so Pearl and Ben could enter. Pearl still couldn’t believe that she knew a dragon. And this one talked! He slammed the door shut. Then, using his claws, he slid all the dead bolts into place.
“Did you hear about the human who got into the Imaginary World?” he asked. “Did you?”
“Yeah. Who do you think it is?” Pearl asked.
“Beats me.” Metalmouth sat on his haunches. His head nearly reached the ceiling. He wasn’t the largest dragon the kids had met, but he was big enough to take up most of the lobby. “I don’t like watching the front door. What if an angry peasant wants to get in?” He’d seen a picture of rake-wielding villagers in a book called History of Dragons by Dr. Emerald Woo. There was also a drawing of a knight in shining armor attacking a dragon with a sword. No wonder Metalmouth was scared. Pearl figured it was a good thing he was living in Buttonville, where no one owned a sword—at least, not as far as she knew.
Pearl didn’t want to scare Metalmouth, of course, but he needed to know something very important. “There is one person who might try to get inside the hospital. Her name is Martha Mulberry. She’s a busybody.”
Ben nodded. “My grandfather says she kvetches too much.”
“Kvetches?” Metalmouth scratched his left ear. “What’s that?”
“She complains. She whines. Grandpa Abe says we need Mrs. Mulberry about as much as we need holes in our heads.”
“Oh, I don’t want a hole in my head.” Metalmouth flattened his ears and glanced at the door. “Do you think we should get some more locks? Huh? Do you?”
Even though he was big enough to sit on anyone who might try to sneak in, Metalmouth was about as gentle as a butterfly.
“I’m sure everything will be okay,” Pearl told him. But she wasn’t sure. What if Mrs. Mulberry brought the police? Or what if the human who’d been spotted in the Imaginary World tried to get in? Ben, who’d been frowning since Mr. Tabby had used the word dangerous earlier, didn’t seem sure, either.
“We have a security system in our house in Los Angeles,” Ben said. “It sounds an alarm if any windows or doors are opened. I think Dr. Woo should get something like that, don’t you?”
“But what happens if you open a window or door?” Pearl asked.
“I’m supposed to type a password into the keypad to turn off the alarm. But sometimes I forget, and then the guards come.” Ben shrugged. “I usually tell them a story. One time I said that we had a ghost who couldn’t make up his mind if he wanted to haunt the house or the yard, so he kept going in and out.”
Pearl thought that was a funny story and might have laughed if Metalmouth’s ears weren’t still flattened. “I don’t think I can watch all the windows and all the doors. I wish Mr. Tabby would come back,” Metalmouth said.
Pearl reached out and patted the dragon’s paw. “It’ll be okay. Just make that big, mean growl, and no one will come anywhere near the hospital.”
“Like this?” The dragon opened his mouth, exposing a row of teeth sharp enough to bite through metal. Pearl and Ben plugged their ears as a roar filled the lobby. Hot breath blew across their faces. If the building weren’t made of concrete, the walls might have collapsed.
“Yeah,” Pearl said after the roar stopped echoing. “Just like that.”
Ben checked his watch. “We’d better get to work.” He held out the ring of keys. “I guess I should leave this with you.” Metalmouth opened a front paw. Ben slipped the ring over one of the dragon’s claws.
“Don’t melt it,” Pearl said. The dragon had a habit of stealing metal objects and melting them into works of art. “Mr. Tabby wouldn’t like that.”
“Okay.” Metalmouth tucked the key ring beneath one of his scales. Steam wafted from his nostrils. Thanks to his hot breath, the lobby was heating up like a sauna. Pearl wiped sweat drops from the back of her neck. The dragon pulled a yellow tennis ball from behind another scale. “Wanna play fetch?” His tongue rolled out of his mouth, and his tail thwapped again. “Huh? Wanna?”
“We can’t,” Ben said. “We have to go up to the Forest Suite and trim the sasquatch’s nose hair.”
“Sorry,” Pearl said, feeling bad that they didn’t have time to hang out. She really liked Metalmouth. He was like a gigantic puppy. She couldn’t have a dog, because her dad was allergic. But playing fetch with a dragon was a million times better.
Metalmouth sighed, and more hot air filled the room. “Okay. See you guys later.”
He pressed his paw against the EMPLOYEES ONLY door, which used some sort of fingerprint-recognition technology. It clicked open.
“Thanks,” Ben and Pearl said. They stepped through, and the door closed behind them.
Ben and Pearl walked down a long hallway until they reached the time clock, where they punched in. The time cards kept track of the apprentices’ comings and goings. Violet, the switchboard operator, had already punched in. She worked on the tenth floor, where she fielded calls from the Imaginary World. Her card was thumbtacked to the ON DUTY side of the bulletin board. Ben placed his card and Pearl’s card next to Violet’s. Mr. Tabby’s card was tacked to the OFF DUTY side, as was Vinny’s. Pearl and Ben hadn’t yet met him. Or her. Or it, as the
case might be.
The next step was to put on their white lab coats. They’d been soaked after the trip to the Land of Rain, but now they were nice and dry. “Hey, what’s this?” Pearl asked. A note was taped to her lapel.
“I wonder what’s going on in the basement,” Pearl said.
Ben buttoned his coat. “Do you think we should take care of the sasquatch first?”
“No way.” Pearl would do practically anything to get out of sticking her finger up a sasquatch’s nose.
“But Mr. Tabby said—”
“Dr. Woo is the boss,” Pearl interrupted. “Besides, aren’t you dying to see what she keeps down there?” She smiled. “Maybe it’s something that likes to live underground, in the dark. Or something so big it won’t fit in one of the regular rooms. Oooh, what could it be?”
Ben chewed on his lip. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
6
Pearl and Ben hurried down the hallway to the stairwell. Pearl was so excited she felt like dancing. On Wednesday, they’d gone all the way to the roof, where Metalmouth lived. Then they’d visited the tenth floor, where they’d met Violet and encountered the amazing fairy-dust-powered Portal. But on this day, they’d be traveling in the opposite direction. What would they find?
The basement staircase was narrow and wound around and around like a corkscrew. No overhead lights guided the way. “I can’t see anything,” Ben complained.
“Use the railing,” Pearl told him. She’d taken the lead, which she tended to do. As she reached out carefully, right foot, then left foot, her eyes began to adjust. Water dripped down the stone walls. The dank air was heavy with the scent of rust. The corkscrew tightened. Just when Pearl began to feel dizzy, the staircase took its last turn. At the bottom, Pearl and Ben stepped onto a stone platform.
“Wow,” Pearl said.
They were standing at the edge of a cavern the size of a football field. Torches burned along the perimeter, casting an orange glow on the water. The entire room was like a giant indoor swimming pool. Pearl instantly imagined filling her great-aunt Gladys’s basement apartment with water. What fun that would be. The wiener dogs could float around on air mattresses, and Pearl could go swimming anytime she wanted. She might even raise koi fish, like the ones in Mr. Mutt’s backyard pond. Those things were the size of cats.