The Fairy Swarm

Ben tapped his fingers on the desk. “So if Maximus got hold of a sugar fairy, he could collect the dust and ride the Portal whenever he wanted.”

  “Correction, he could summon the Portal whenever he wanted,” Mr. Tabby said. “He would still require a pilot. Or he would have to fly it himself.”

  “I saw him flying a giant moth,” Pearl said. “Is that anything like flying the Portal?”

  Mr. Tabby didn’t answer. Everyone looked at Dr. Woo. She’d been sitting quietly, deep in thought. “Doctor?” Mr. Tabby said.

  “Max is fully capable of flying the Portal,” she said quietly. “He can do anything.” Then she straightened her shoulders and narrowed her eyes. “But we are equally capable. There is an ancient Chinese warfare strategy that goes something like this—lure your enemy onto the roof, then take away the ladder.”

  Pearl didn’t know anything about ancient Chinese warfare, but what Dr. Woo had said made sense. “If the sugar fairies came here, then Maximus couldn’t get any dust,” Pearl said. “And that would mean he’d be stuck in the Imaginary World, like someone on a roof with no ladder.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Ben said. “If Maximus can’t travel to the Known World, then he can’t sell anything. Then there’s no reason for him to take any horns or hurt any creatures.”

  Twanabeth rose into the air, her wings beating frantically. “Dr. Woo, is it true? The fairies will be safe with you?”

  “Yes, they will be safe,” Dr. Woo said. “But it will be a temporary visit. Ultimately, we must figure out how to get Max out of the Imaginary World once and for all.”

  Mr. Tabby opened the office door. “It seems we will be having houseguests,” he said. “I shall prepare the fifth floor. When will they be arriving?”

  At that moment, a gruff voice shot out of a speaker that was set into the wall. “Emergency code red, emergency code reeeeed.” The voice belonged to Vinny, the satyr who worked the night shift on the tenth floor. “We got an unauthorized Portal arrival, folks.” The office trembled and items on the shelves rattled as the Portal touched down on the tenth floor. “Uh-oh,” Vinny said. “What are you doing here? Hey, you can’t do that! You can’t go outside! Come baaaaack!”

  “What’s going on up there?” Pearl asked.

  “Look!” Ben cried, pointing out the window.

  It was well past midnight. Outside, the sky was still dark and cloudless. But as Pearl gazed out Dr. Woo’s window, a little cloud appeared. A cloud made, not of water molecules, but of tiny flying creatures.

  “They’re here! They’re here!” Twanabeth sang. Then she flew through a crack in the window and joined her swarm.

  9

  Where are they going?” Ben asked as the fairy swarm flew beyond Button Lake, toward the surrounding forest.

  “To make mischief,” Mr. Tabby replied.

  Pearl watched as the swarm tightened into a writhing ball, then dove into the trees. “At least they didn’t head to town,” she said. “That would be a disaster.”

  “My dear girl, it is only a matter of time before the sugar fairies realize that a Known World forest is nothing like an Imaginary World forest. The trees around here are not made of spun sugar. There are no teacup flowers filled with butterscotch syrup, nor do sprinkles rain from the sky. As soon as they get hungry, they will head into town in search of sweets.”

  Pearl thought of the syrup bottles at the diner, the cherry licorice at the movie theater, and the candy aisle at the Food 4 Less Market. Even the Dollar Store sold candy. How terrifying it would be for her parents if the swarm invaded. The wiener dogs would go ballistic!

  “Mr. Tabby is correct.” Dr. Woo turned away from the window. “Though the fairies have come here seeking protection, we can’t have them flying free. Even without magic, they will wreak havoc on your town. Until we figure out how to get Max out of the Imaginary World once and for all, Twanabeth and her sugar fairies will need to stay in the hospital, where we can keep an eye on them.” She grabbed her coffee mug and took a big sip. Then, with a resolute expression, she said, “They must be caught, right away.”

  “How will we catch them?” Ben asked.

  “We have one thing working in our favor.” A strand of long hair fell across the doctor’s face. She pushed it aside. “Sugar fairies aren’t nocturnal. They will most likely nest in the trees for the night. But once the sun rises, there will be trouble.”

  “So that means we need to catch them before sunrise,” Pearl said.

  “We’re going into the forest?” Ben asked with a gulp. “In the dark? Do you think that’s safe?” He shuffled nervously. “Aren’t there wolves? Or bears?”

  “Don’t be silly,” Pearl told him. “Wolves are just overgrown dogs. And we haven’t seen a bear around here since last summer. Or maybe it was this summer. I can’t remember. But it was just a grizzly.”

  “Those are the worst!” Ben exclaimed.

  Mr. Tabby picked up his creature calculator and typed on its little keyboard. “A grizzly bear rates a five on the danger scale, but that is only if you wander into its territory or threaten its cubs.” Ben didn’t look relieved. Five was the highest rating.

  Dr. Woo didn’t flinch at the mention of a grizzly. She’d clearly dealt with much more dangerous creatures. She looked calmly at Ben. “Neither you nor Pearl is expected to venture into the forest against your will. But I could certainly use your help.”

  Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, what do sugar fairies rate on the danger scale?”

  “With magic, they rate a five. Without magic, they rate a two,” Mr. Tabby said. “Their mischief will result in theft and vandalism, mostly. And, as you now know, they bite if provoked.”

  The pain hadn’t been as bad as an actual bee sting. If it meant saving the Imaginary World, Pearl could handle a few more bites if necessary. “I’ll do it!” she said. Then, despite her excitement, she yawned. And, because yawns tend to be infectious, Ben yawned, too.

  “This may turn into an all-nighter,” Dr. Woo warned.

  “No problem,” Pearl said. Though she’d never had any luck staying awake all night, she wouldn’t miss this opportunity, even if she had to tape her eyelids open. “My parents know I’m here, so they won’t worry about me. And Ben left a note for his grandpa.” Ben nodded. “So how do we catch them? With this?” She picked up the butterfly net that Dr. Woo had used to catch Twanabeth.

  “I have something better in mind. Follow me.” Dr. Woo led them into the hallway and stopped at the elevator. It was already there, waiting. “I want you and Ben to bring the sasquatch to the fifth-floor Fairy Lounge. We’ll meet you there.”

  “The sasquatch?” they both asked.

  “Yes, we’ll need help collecting the fairies and containing them.”

  “But that means the sasquatch will be going into the woods, and I thought creatures weren’t supposed to leave the hospital,” Ben said. The last time the sasquatch had gotten loose, it had caused a lot of trouble at the senior center.

  “Under normal circumstances that is correct, but this is a dire situation. We need as many hands as we can get, even if they are furry.” She and Mr. Tabby waited while Pearl and Ben stepped into the elevator. Then Dr. Woo reached in and pushed the third-floor button. “See you soon,” she said.

  Just before the doors closed completely, Pearl overheard Dr. Woo say to Mr. Tabby, “I fear my time here is nearing an end. We must…” As the elevator ascended, Dr. Woo’s voice faded away.

  “Huh?” Pearl turned to Ben. “Did you hear that? What does she mean, her time here is nearing an end? Is she going to move? I don’t want her to move.” Pearl felt panicky, but Ben yawned again. His eyelids closed halfway. “Don’t you care about Dr. Woo moving?”

  “Sure I care. I’m just so tired.” He wobbled a bit.

  She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “Don’t fall asleep. This could be the most important day of our apprenticeship ever.”

  “You mean night,” he corrected. The elevator stopped and
the doors opened.

  Each time they stepped into the Forest Suite, Pearl was amazed. The entire third floor had been turned into a natural habitat for forest-dwelling creatures. A little stream ran through the center, curling past trees that grew to the ceiling. Dew dripped from branches, mushrooms sprouted from moss, and somewhere in the depths, a tree frog croaked its hellos. A row of windows on the far wall revealed the starless night sky.

  “Here, sasquatchy,” Pearl called as she pushed past some ferns. It didn’t have a name other than Sasquatch. In fact, they didn’t even know if it was a boy or a girl. “Here, sasquatchy!”

  “I bet it’s sleeping,” Ben said. Mist swirled around his head. He buttoned his pajama top all the way to his chin.

  They’d visited the Forest Suite many times in bright daylight—to give the sasquatch a flea bath, to trim its nails, to do yoga—but Pearl had never noticed a cave, a nest, or a regular sort of a bed. “Where do sasquatches sleep?” she wondered.

  “Maybe there’s a light switch,” Ben said. He felt around the wall. “Oh, here it is.” He and Pearl squinted as light instantly flooded the room. “Yikes, that’s bright.” Then a growl pierced the air, followed by cracking branches and thundering footsteps. “Uh-oh.”

  “There’s nothing to worry about,” Pearl assured Ben. The sasquatch had proven, time and time again, that it was not to be feared. It was a chocolateloving, goofy sort of creature.

  “But it sounds mad. I woke it up. I hate being woken up. Especially if I’m in the middle of a nice dream.”

  He had a point. The sasquatch was seven feet four inches tall and strong enough to pick each of them up with one hand. The growling grew louder. Pearl began to feel a little shaky.

  A couple of frogs leaped out of the way as the sasquatch stomped over a huckleberry bush. When Pearl saw the creature, she stopped worrying and giggled. It was wearing a nightcap and holding a teddy bear. And it had a terrible case of bedhead all over its furry body. The sasquatch stood in front of them, opened its mouth, and growled again.

  “We’re sorry we woke you up,” Pearl said, “but Dr. Woo needs your help.” The sasquatch closed its mouth, took off its nightcap, then scratched its brown nose.

  “Yeah,” Ben said. “We’re supposed to meet her on the fifth floor.” He stepped into the elevator. “Come on,” he motioned. But the creature wouldn’t budge. Ben tried taking its hand and pulling. Pearl tried pushing. But it wasn’t easy to move four hundred and ten pounds of fur. “Do you have any chocolate?” Ben asked. “Or gum?”

  Pearl almost always had gum on her, and she and Ben had learned that the best way to motivate the sasquatch was through its stomach. “I’m in my pajamas. I don’t have—” She reached into the pocket of her pajama pants and pulled out a pack of Fruity Chews. “Oh, I guess I do.”

  The sasquatch dropped the teddy bear and tried to grab the pack. Pearl stepped back.

  “Oh no, you don’t. I’m not picking this out of your fur again.” The creature grunted, pointing to its mouth. “Okay, just one piece. But only if you come with us.”

  As she backed into the elevator, Pearl waved the gum. After the sasquatch had lumbered inside, she handed it a single piece. Ben quickly pushed 5. As the elevator made its ascent, the sasquatch happily chewed, wrapper and all. It took another piece to get the creature out of the elevator, but so far, so good. They’d followed Dr. Woo’s instructions.

  The fifth-floor hallway looked much like the hospital’s other hallways, with dim lighting and lots of closed doors. Pearl and Ben glanced up and down, wondering where they were supposed to go. While Pearl held the sasquatch’s hand, Ben began to wander, trying the doorknobs to see if any would open. “Here it is,” he called upon reaching the last door.

  “Come on,” Pearl told the sasquatch. She was excited to see the fairies’ special room, but Dr. Woo’s words still rang in her mind.

  I fear my time here is nearing an end.

  The sign on the door read, FIRST CLASS FAIRY LOUNGE. Below the sign, in the center of the door, a tiny door had been built. And it had a tiny doorknob. Ben’s knuckle was too big for the fairy-sized door, so he knocked on the bigger one. No answer. “Did Dr. Woo tell us to meet her inside?”

  “I think so,” Pearl said. Ben turned the knob.

  And what they found was a wonder to behold.

  10

  The room looked like an old-fashioned candy store, the kind Pearl wished would open in Buttonville. Floor-to-ceiling shelves held dozens of clear bowls filled with different confections. Marshmallows, peanut brittle, and white chocolate kisses caught Pearl’s eye. There were jelly beans in every color and flavor. The jars were labeled LEMON DROP, TANGERINE, PINEAPPLE, GUAVA, SUGARPLUM, and KIWI, to name a few. A cotton candy machine stood in one corner, a caramel corn machine in the other. But the most beautiful thing in the room was the stone unicorn fountain that spouted rainbow sprinkles from its horn.

  “Wow,” Pearl said as she walked across the black-and-white-checkered floor. “Look at this.” She pointed to a tree growing in the center of the room. It looked ordinary, but upon closer inspection, she saw that its leaves were actually shaped like tiny chairs, tables, sofas, and beds. “Fairy furniture.”

  Ben’s stomach growled. “Do you think we can eat some of this stuff while we’re waiting for Dr. Woo?”

  Pearl shrugged. “I don’t see why not. There’s no sign saying it’s against the rules. Besides, we can’t catch a whole swarm of fairies on an empty stomach.” The sasquatch was already enjoying a bowl of dark chocolate truffles. It made happy grunting sounds as it ate handfuls. Pearl tried to grab one of the truffles, but the sasquatch growled at her. “Hey, I always share my gum with you.”

  Its eyes widened, as if considering her comment. Then, after a shrug, it pulled a truffle out of its left nostril and handed it to her.

  “Uh, thanks?” she said.

  “I wouldn’t eat that if I were you,” Ben told her.

  Pearl rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m not going to eat it,” she whispered to him. “I’m just trying to be polite.” When the sasquatch wasn’t looking, she quickly dropped the gooey truffle into a garbage can that was filled with candy wrappers. Then she pointed to the top shelf. “But I’d sure like a few peanut butter cups.”

  Ben climbed onto a stepladder and reached into a bowl. He tossed a few of the foil-covered cups to Pearl, then took some gumdrops for himself. “Sugar fairies are so lucky. My mom never lets me eat candy,” he said with a huge grin.

  “My dad says sugar makes me hyper,” Pearl said. “I don’t think that’s true. I’m always hyper.” She ate three peanut butter cups, then reached into a jar of papaya-flavored jelly beans.

  “Attention, please.” Mr. Tabby stood in the doorway, wearing his usual serious expression. He was holding a big plastic container.

  Pearl dropped the beans. Would they get a stern lecture from Mr. Tabby and then be assigned some sort of punishment, like cleaning earwax from the sasquatch’s ears or flossing its teeth? “Did we break a rule?” she asked, ready to defend her actions. After all, how could they be expected to work all night without some sort of food?

  “Not that I am aware of. But as past behavior predicts future behavior, I expect you will break a rule or two before the night is through.” He strode into the room and removed the truffle bowl from the sasquatch’s chocolate-covered hands.

  Ben jumped off the stepladder. “Where’s Dr. Woo?”

  “Dr. Woo is answering a telephone call from the Imaginary World.”

  “What’s wrong?” Pearl asked. “Is the call about Maximus Steele? Did he do something bad?”

  “Did he hurt another creature?”

  Mr. Tabby didn’t respond. Pearl fidgeted. It drove her nuts when Mr. Tabby ignored their questions. “Why would he hurt another creature?” she asked. “There’s no way for him to sell horns if he can’t travel through the Portal.”

  “Right,” Ben said. “He’s stuck on a roof with no ladder, just like
Dr. Woo planned.”

  “Indeed.” Mr. Tabby glanced away, which made Pearl sense that he was hiding something. Then he smoothed his vest, the way he often did before launching into a series of instructions. “Now, listen very carefully. Tonight you will venture into the forest beyond Button Lake and catch as many fairies as you can. Sugar will serve as your bait.” He opened the container that he’d brought into the Fairy Lounge. It was the size and shape of a barrel. He filled the bottom of the container with kiwi-flavored jelly beans, then closed the lid. “This is a special trap, designed by Dr. Woo. If you shake the trap, the kiwi scent will be released through microscopic pores. The fairies will fly in through this one-way chute. They will be distracted by the jelly beans, and by the time they realize they can’t get out, you will be carrying them back to the hospital.” Mr. Tabby handed the trap to Ben, who could barely fit his arms around it.

  “What if they bite us?” Ben asked.

  “It is highly likely that they will. Fairies are notoriously temperamental. Are you allergic to fairy bites?”

  “Obviously I’m not,” Pearl said, pointing to her earlobe, which felt totally normal again.

  “Uh, I don’t know,” Ben said with a shrug. “I’m allergic to other things.”

  “Well, if after a fairy bite your eyeballs get itchy, then return to the hospital immediately for a fairy antivenom shot.”

  “I hate shots,” Ben grumbled.

  “Me too, but itchy eyeballs sound way worse,” Pearl told him.

  The sasquatch had grabbed a bowl of milk chocolate coins and wasn’t bothering to remove the gold foil. Mr. Tabby swiftly took the bowl from him. “That is quite enough. It is time to get to work.” He led the sasquatch into the hallway, with Pearl and Ben right behind.

  “Why is the sasquatch coming with us?” Ben asked, waddling as he carried the trap.

  “In case there are forest predators, the sasquatch will protect you.”