“This must be where the old folks hang,” said Julie.
“And I see Jabbo’s been here,” said Neal. “Either that, or pies are the only food in Pesh.”
When the four friends stepped in, the goblins stopped what they were doing.
Heads — sometimes two on a neck — turned.
One large, two-headed creature stood up. The left face was flat and green, the right one was pale and lumpy. It growled at the children, showing four rows of sharp teeth.
“Uh-oh,” said Eric. “Trouble …”
Some of the other goblins stood up as well.
“I wish Galen were here,” said Keeah. “Wait. I think he told me something once that might help.” She whipped out a small notebook from her tunic pocket.
Neal blinked. “Crusty goblin types want to eat us and you want to drop everything and read?”
“Reading is educational,” she said, flipping the pages. “You know I’ve been keeping a notebook of all my adventures. Here’s the page I was looking for. I hope it works!”
As the goblins slouched over to them, Keeah murmured softly and sent a wreath of blue sparks around each of their heads and then across the whole room.
The goblins growled at them. “Grrrr —”
“You don’t see us,” Keeah said. “No one sees us. You all want to sit back down and eat.”
The creatures stopped where they were. The one in front nodded both heads slowly. “We see no one. We think we’ll sit down now. We’ll eat some more pie.”
As if in a trance, the goblins slumped back to their chairs and resumed eating their juicy pies.
“Keeah, that was very cool,” said Julie.
“Thanks,” she replied. “But we’d better hurry. Sooner or later, these spells wear off.”
Tucking her notebook away, the princess led her friends across the crowded room and up a set of rickety stairs.
At the very top stood a lone door.
Taking a deep breath, Eric knocked. There was no answer.
He lifted the latch. And the door swung open quietly.
The room inside was small and tidy but empty. On a table near the bed, a thick candle flared, casting golden light over some curled papers. Julie went over to them.
“Your stranger guy left his light on,” said Neal. “Do you think we should wait?”
“I think so,” said Keeah. “At least until the spell fades and the goblins chase us out.”
Eric went to the large round window and looked out over the crowded city. All across the sky, goblins on flying carpets were diving down to Salamandra’s black fortress. Each goblin held a brown pack filled with stolen magic.
Eric guessed that the Wand of Urik was in one of those packs.
Down below, boats heaped with even more magical objects roared through the twisting canals and toward the docks under the fortress.
“What is this place, anyway?” Eric mumbled. “I mean, I never even heard of Pesh. This is our world —the stars tell us that — but there aren’t goblins in our world. Where are we?”
“Um … maybe that’s the wrong question, Eric,” said Julie. “I mean, maybe it’s not exactly where we are, but sort of, like … when….”
Everyone turned to her.
She was staring at the papers on the table.
“This is a map,” she said, running her fingers across one parchment. “A map of our world. Well … sort of.”
“Sort of?” said Eric, leaning over her.
“I mean, we study these countries and oceans in social studies. Look, here’s Italy.” Julie pointed to a shape like a long, wrinkled boot.
“Here’s Africa,” Neal added. “I know that.”
“But this is the weird part,” said Julie, pointing to the corner of the map. “The date here says 1470. That’s more than five hundred years ago.”
Neal squinted down at the paper. “Why would the guy carry an old map around —”
“Because maybe it’s not old?” said Julie. “I mean, what if this map has just been made? What if we, you know … went back in time?”
The gang stared at one another.
“Wait a sec,” said Neal. “You mean into the past? Like some kind of time-warp thing?”
Keeah took a breath. “You said you never heard of Pesh, and goblins and magic don’t exist in your world. Well, maybe they don’t exist here anymore. But … maybe … they once did.”
The princess flipped open her notebook again. “According to what Galen told us, Ko built the Dark Stair more than five hundred years ago. Galen himself was just a boy. Well, what if the stair is stuck in that time? If it was, and we came up it, it would take us back to that time. The time when Ko first used it.”
“I guess that would explain … this,” said Eric. He ran his hand across the blue ocean to a green shape at the left edge of the map. “On this map, America hasn’t been discovered yet. It’s just a blob of land. No cities. No towns. No people. No us!”
The four friends stared at the map.
“Then we have gone back in time,” said Keeah. “More than five hundred and thirty years.”
“That would explain why Sparr didn’t expect to come here,” said Neal. “He came to the wrong time. He’s stuck here. I mean now. I mean then. I mean whatever. Anyway, it’s good —”
“Yeowwww!” A green lump suddenly shot through the window, struck the bed, and bounced under the table at their feet.
“A goblin!” cried Eric, jumping back.
“A captured goblin!” announced a voice at the window.
The stranger with the blue cape and boots grinned from the windowsill, then sprang to the floor, holding a big brown satchel. “I got me one!”
The goblin bolted up and pushed through the kids. “Salamandra will hear of this!” it howled. Then it leaped out the window and into the night.
“You get back here, Pointy Ears!” yelled Neal.
“Let it go,” said the stranger. “I got what I wanted.” He tossed the goblin’s pack to the bed.
Eric gasped when he saw what was sticking out of it. “The wand! You found it!”
He reached for the golden wand, but — fwoot! — it shot across the room and into the stranger’s hand.
“What?” said Eric, startled. “But —”
The stranger held up the wand. Its purple flower, nearly without petals, was folded to a point. “I lost it in a goblin battle yesterday and looked for it everywhere,” he said. “I thought I’d lost it forever.”
“You lost it?” said Keeah. “But Eric lost it.”
The stranger’s forehead wrinkled. “How could Eric lose what’s mine?”
“But that’s the Wand of Urik,” said Julie.
“Sometimes I call it that, too,” said the man, an amused look creeping across his face. “But mostly I just call it — my wand. After all, I made it.”
For what seemed like forever, no one spoke. Eric’s mind reeled with confusion until finally he understood. Then he blurted it out.
“Oh, my gosh — you’re him! You’re — Urik!”
The stranger bowed low. “At your service!”
Everyone stared at the man.
“Wait. You made this wand?” asked Neal.
“I did.”
“This wand created the rainbow stairs to Droon!” said Julie.
Urik blinked. “The what to where?”
Keeah gasped. “Oh, my gosh. It really is true! It hasn’t happened yet. We must have gone back in time to before the rainbow stairs were made.”
Then the princess spoke silently to her friends.
Urik has never heard of Droon!
“I can hear you, you know!” said Urik, laughing. “In fact, I invented that little trick —”
“I thought Galen invented it,” said Julie.
“Galen?” said Urik, suddenly serious. “Have you seen him? Is he all right?”
“Hold on,” said Eric. “You know Galen Longbeard?”
Urik laughed again. “Galen Longbeard? But he
’s only twelve years old! Galen Nobeard is more like it. And I ought to know him. After all, he’s my pesky little brother! But what is this Droon place?”
Eric staggered back, staring at Urik.
“You and Galen are … brothers?” said Julie. “This is too much!”
The young man nodded. “Galen and I come from a family of wizards. For years, we have kept our origins secret, to protect each other. Our mother, you see, is the most powerful wizard in our world. Well, she was, until she was kidnapped —”
“Kidnapped?” said Keeah, glancing at Eric.
Urik glanced out the window. “I believe Salamandra had something to do with it.”
“Uh-oh,” said Neal. “Hold on to your chairs, folks. I feel another bombshell coming —”
“Your mother,” said Eric. “Her name isn’t by any chance …”
“Zara,” said Urik. “They call her the Queen of Light.”
“Oh, my gosh …” whispered Keeah.
At the mention of Zara’s name, Eric felt a sharp pain in his chest. He had felt it before.
But there was something else.
“If Zara is your mother,” said Eric, “then … oh, man, how do I say this? … Then you and Galen — Galen! — have another brother, don’t you?”
Urik nodded. “A baby. His name is Sparr.”
The room went as quiet as a tomb.
Finally, Keeah spoke. “Eric, we have to tell him.”
“Tell me what?” said Urik, his eyes darting from one to the other. “Do you know what happened to my mother and the baby?”
“You’d better sit down,” said Julie.
As the candle flickered wildly on the table, Urik sat there, wide-eyed at first, then in tears as the kids told him what had happened.
They told him how Emperor Ko built the Dark Stair from Droon to the Upper World to kidnap Zara for her power. They told how she grew ill in Droon, while his baby brother, Sparr, came to learn the wicked ways of Ko. They told how Galen had become a great wizard, while Sparr turned to evil sorcery. And finally, how Sparr was up here now, seeking even more power.
When the children finished, Urik breathed in deeply. “I can’t believe Sparr becomes what you say. I must believe there is hope for him. As his mother’s child, there must be good in him somewhere.”
“He wants to rule Droon,” said Keeah. “If there is good in him, it’s buried deep. And it all began when Ko stole him and your mother from here.”
Urik rose and went to the window again. “It makes sense to me now. Three nights ago, we set up camp on the coast east of here. We came to try to battle Salamandra. That night, I was awakened by a cry. Galen and I rushed to my mother’s tent. I saw a dreadful beast —”
“With a big hairy head full of horns?” said Neal. “And shaggy black fur and four nasty, creepy arms? That’s Emperor Ko.”
“Yes. He must have kidnapped my mother and Sparr, then put a spell on Galen and me,” Urik said. “When we woke up hours later, we were sure Salamandra had ambushed us. We came to Pesh last night, but Galen was captured. I was trying to find him when I found you, Eric.”
Eric nodded slowly. “I’m glad you did. But who exactly is Salamandra? Is she connected to Ko?”
“I don’t know. She claims to be the Princess of Shadowthorn,” said Urik. “If you can believe that.”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” asked Keeah.
“Because the empire of Shadowthorn vanished from the face of the earth thousands of years ago. Not a trace was left.”
Urik turned from the window to the kids. “You see, our world is — was — a place of wondrous magic and joy. Then, one year ago — a year to this very day — Pesh appeared. Salamandra and her goblins began robbing our world, stealing magic to increase her own power.”
Julie, Neal, and Eric glanced at one another.
“My mother feared no magic would survive. That’s why we came here —”
Wump! Thud! There was a sudden scuffling noise outside the room.
In a flash, Urik blew out the candle. “Hush!”
Everyone froze. Keeah put her finger to her lips, stepped to the door, and yanked it open.
A bundle of furry legs and orange hair came tumbling in. “Oh, my! Oh, my!”
“Max?” cried Julie. “Max!”
It was Max, the spider troll, his eight legs all in a tangle. Laughing, Neal helped him up from the floor.
“Oh! My dears, I’m so glad to see you,” Max said breathlessly.
The kids quickly introduced Max and Urik.
The spider troll extended a trembling foot to the wizard. “The brother of my master? Oh, but you are so young!”
“And Galen’s even younger,” said Urik. “If what your friends say is true, you’ve all come back in time. More than five hundred years!”
Max blinked. “Oh, dear. Then there are two Galens here. I lost the older one in the crooked streets outside.”
“Urik thinks young Galen is trapped in that dark fortress,” said Keeah. “So, of course, we’re going there.”
“There is another reason to go that way,” said Max. “I have just spotted Lord Sparr crossing the water, heading to the fortress himself.”
“I knew it,” said Eric, gritting his teeth. “He’s going to join forces with Salamandra.”
Urik stuffed his map and wand into the goblin satchel. “If Sparr has even a tenth of my mother’s powers, and he uses them for evil, then he and Salamandra together could quite simply take over our world.”
“Both worlds,” said Keeah. “That’s why we need to stop them now.”
“That pie maker guy, Jabbo, said Salamandra was having a big party in the morning,” said Julie. “Let’s go bust it up.”
Urik laughed. “I can see you all like adventure. Well, I think we’re heading for one.”
“Speaking of Jabbo,” said Neal. “That big purple pie I ate isn’t sitting too well.”
Urik stared at him. “Purple pie? You don’t mean to tell me … but only goblins eat those!”
Neal’s face fell. “Uh-oh. Now I did it.”
“Typical Neal,” said Julie, shaking her head. “Only you would eat a goblin pie.”
“As I recall, he wanted two,” said Keeah.
“But it was so tasty!” Neal protested.
A roar came from below, then a howl, then heavy feet tramping up the stairs.
“Sounds like my spell has faded,” said Keeah. “We’d better get out of here.”
Urik slung the satchel over his shoulder and jumped to the window. “We could steal some carpets, but I don’t think we want to tangle with any more goblins. That means we go by boat.”
Neal peered out the window at the choppy waves splashing in the canals. “By boat? With my stomach? Now I really don’t feel good!”
As the small troop clambered out the window, Eric put his hand into his pocket. The gem was as cold as ice. He began to tremble once more.
We’re coming for you, Sparr….
A moment later, the six friends were scampering across the rooftops and down to the docks of Pesh.
A thick mist was rising off the water when the small group approached the docks. The only boat there was an old narrow one. The paint on its sides was peeling and chipped.
“Looks like the goblins took all the good boats,” said Keeah. “We could swim….”
“Not in that water,” said Julie, looking down. “It looks like fudge.”
Neal groaned. “Please don’t mention food.”
Urik looked up and down the docks. “I wonder if my brother got this far before he was captured. He likes danger and loves boats.”
“That’s my master!” Max chirped. “Does he do disguises? My master loves disguises.”
Urik chuckled. “Sounds like my brother. Twelve years old and always wearing beards and tall cone-shaped hats. Stay here, I’ll find us a captain.” He crept away quietly.
The old boat bobbed in the dark water.
“Keeah, can’t you use
your magic to get us a better boat than this thing?” asked Neal.
The princess looked around. “There may be goblins nearby who are collecting more magic. We’d better lie low.”
“Good. Because my powers are acting weird,” said Eric.
“Because you don’t have the wand anymore?” asked Julie.
Eric wagged his head. “I guess.”
But he knew what it really was. It was having Sparr’s evil gem in his pocket that was messing up his powers. He hoped he’d get them back when he needed them.
“Humf!” said Max. “This boat is ancient. I wonder if it will make it to the end of the dock.”
“I wonder if the captain will,” said Julie.
Urik was walking back to the dock with an old man. A very old man. He was bent over like an aging tree. He wore a long, ragged coat and a floppy hat that sank down over his eyes.
While the man untied the boat, Urik took the children aside. “I know he’s old, but he says he knows the way. It’s too dangerous to go alone.”
The kids looked across the water. The canals snaked like a maze around the black fortress.
“Well, get in, if you’re getting in!” the boatman boomed. “It’ll be light soon.”
One by one, they climbed into the boat. When they were all aboard, the old man dipped a long wooden pole into the water and pushed away from the dock.
Slooosh-ooosh! Soon, the boat was bobbing over the waves toward the entrance to the canals.
“Beware,” said the boatman. “We are entering dangerous waters. These canals crisscross one another like a thicket of thorns. Salamandra has protected her fortress well.”
“Thank you, sir, for helping us,” said Keeah. “But why are you doing this?”
Without taking his eyes off the water, the boatman pushed his pole again. “Because you need help. Because our world needs help.”
The small, slender boat glided into the canals. Ranged atop the walls on either side were cauldrons filled with burning coals. Golden flames cast wobbly splashes of light onto the waves.
The dark fortress loomed closer.
“I wonder what we’ll find in there,” said Julie. “Sparr and Salamandra swapping evil plans?”
Max snorted. “Him with his fish fins, her with her thorny hair?”