"Shame you won't be coming," Watren said, eyes on the ball.
"I'm used to it," Seth replied. "I always miss the coolest stuff."
"Think fast." Warren chucked the ball at him. Seth caught it and tossed it back briskly. "How bad do you want to stow away?" the man asked.
"Stow away?"
Warren grinned. "Don't bother with the innocent routine. I can spot fake innocence a mile away. Must be pretty tempting when you think about that knapsack. We'll have to bring it for supplies, of course. Lots of room in there. Lot of places to hide."
"You're a jerk," Seth said.
"Take it easy. I'm not here to rub it in. I kind of hope you do it."
"What?"
Warren stood, dribbling the basketball between his legs.
"I think you're right. You've got unusual abilities that could come in handy. If you hadn't pulled the nail from the revenant, I'd still be a mute albino. If you hadn't been at the old manor when we went to retrieve the Chronometer, we never would have found Patton and Fablehaven would have fallen. I'm a believer, Seth. I'm not here to make you go. But if you want to go, I'm not going to discourage you. In fact, tomorrow afternoon, I'll leave the knapsack in the backseat of the SUV, and I'll make sure a door is unlocked."
"This is some sort of trick. Grandpa put you up to this. It's a trap."
"No trick, I swear. We can't afford to blow it at Wyrmroost. The Sphinx has the Oculus. We can't let him have the Translocator. Think what will happen if the Sphinx can see anywhere and go anywhere! What will pre-vent him from grabbing all of the artifacts? How long will it be before he opens Zzyzx and none of us have anywhere to hide? Like it or not, we're past playing it safe. If you want to be at Wyrmroost, I'd rather have you there than sitting idle at Fablehaven."
That conversation had been all it took to thoroughly convince Seth. He had written the note to explain his absence, and, as Warren had promised, after Christmas dinner, the back of the SUV was unlocked, the knapsack waiting.
Since Seth had entered the knapsack, Mendigo had been his only company. Unlike Hugo, the overgrown puppet had no will, no identity. It did not speak. The big limberjack existed only to carry out orders. Once, the wooden figure had obeyed orders from the witch Muriel. Now it was loyal to the Sorensons.
Seth continued to wait inside the crate, perspiring in the stifling darkness. Aside from the ample provisions packed for the others, Warren had stashed extra food inside an old trunk for Seth. When he felt certain the others were asleep, his reward would be to grab some granola bars and peanut butter. But before Seth could teach that conclusion, he heard the rasp of wood scraping against wood, as if the lid of a container had slid open. He had heard nobody descend the ladder. Peeking out from under the carpet, he saw no light. He heard the faint creak of a trunk opening, the rustle of a bag, and the crunch of an apple.
Somebody was getting into his private food stash!
The noisy munching was loudest right after each new bite. The chewing would gradually dwindle until the volume increased again with a fresh crunch. Who could be eating the apple? Certainly not Mendigo. The puppet didn't eat. Seth felt sure he would have heard somebody come down the ladder, and anyone but Kendra would require a light. Could Coulter have missed a stowaway spy from when Kendra had first obtained the magical knapsack?
Shifting his position slightly, Seth got out his flashlight. There was a wooden baseball bat near his crate that he could use for a weapon. He hesitated, worried what he might see. He would spring into action on the next new bite, he told himself.
The unseen food thief bit into the apple again, and Seth stood up, flinging off the lid to the crate and switching on the flashlight. The beam spotlighted a stocky little goblin with an oversized head; grimy, greenish skin; long, pointed ears; and a wide, lipless mouth. The goblin stared into the light, an apple core cupped in one pudgy hand, eyes flashing like bronze coins.
"Who are you?" Seth asked in a hard voice, groping for the bat.
"I might try the same question," the stout goblin replied calmly, his voice grumpy.
Seth's fingers found the handle of the bat. "You're eating my supplies."
"You're invading Bubda's home."
"This knapsack belongs to my sister." Keeping his flashlight beam on the goblin, Seth began to climb over barrels and boxes toward the uncluttered portion of the room. The squat goblin stood barely taller than Seth's waist. "If I tell her you're down here, they'll boot you out."
"But you're hiding too," the goblin said with a sly smile.
"Maybe. But I'd happily give myself up to get rid of a spy."
"A spy? You're an ally of the night. You speak good Duggish. I took it you knew what Bubda was."
"Which is what?"
"A hermit troll."
"I've heard of hermit trolls," Seth said. "You're the kind who hide out in attics and under bridges. I've never met one."
. "Bubda didn't want to meet you. But you wouldn't leave, and Bubda got hungry." The troll stuffed the apple core in his mouth, seeds and all.
Seth reached the open floor. He held the baseball bat at his side. No need to act threatening if he could keep this friendly. "How long have you lived here?"
"Long time. No need to move once you find the right place. Dark. Well-stocked. Private. Places to hide. But two is a crowd."
"Your name is Bubda?"
"Right."
"I'm Seth. I'll only be here a few days. Then you can have it back. How come Coulter never found you?"
Bubda crouched, tucking in his arms. The troll was gone. He looked exactly like a barrel. When he stood up straight again, the illusion ended. "Bubda hides well."
"That was cool," Seth said. "Can you look like other stuff?"
"Bubda has lots of tricks. Bubda never shows them all."
"Did you collect all this stuff?" Seth shone his light around the room.
"Some was here. Some Bubda brought. Bubda finds what Bubda must."
"You're down here most of the time?"
"Almost always. Better that way."
"What about a rest room?"
"Careful what barrel you open."
Seth snickered. "I could use a rest room. I was thinking about sneaking out."
"Up to you. Maybe you leave for good?"Seth shook his head. "You're stuck with me for a few days. Don't you get lonely?"
"Bubda likes to hide. Bubda likes to rest."
"We should be friends. I'm an ally of the night. We speak the same language."
"Bubda likes to be alone. Other people are a pain. You're other people, Seth. Better than some. Maybe better than most. But no people is best."
"Will we get along?" Seth asked. "Are you going to try to harm me in my sleep?"
Bubda shrugged. "Bubda didn't bother you yet. Bubda waited for you to go. Bubda can wait more."
Seth glanced at the giant wooden puppet. "Okay. Try not to eat too much of my food. And don't eat any of the other people's food. If they notice it missing, we're finished. Understood?"
"Bubda knows. Bubda only took food from where you took food. Bubda has other food."
Seth wondered what other food Bubda meant. Did he eat the spoiled goo in the old barrels? The thought triggered Seth's gag reflex. "All right. I guess we're roommates."
"More?" Bubda asked, pointing at the trunk.
"Sure, Bubda. Have a little more. You give me my space, and I'll give you yours."
The troll pursed his lips and nodded. "Deal."
Bubda was no taller than Seth's chest, but he looked heavy, and he had long, sharp fingernails. Seth sidled over to Mendigo and dropped his voice to a soft whisper. "Keep Bubda under constant watch. If he comes within ten feet of me while I'm sleeping, pin him to the ground. Same if he sneaks up on me at any time. You hear me?"
Mendigo gave a nod.
Chapter 17 Wyrmroost
The helicopter soared through the clear sky, rotors beating at the cold air. Sitting up front with the pilot, Kendra enjoyed a breathtaking view of the snowy forest below through the large, curved windows. She had never seen beauty to compare with this rugged panorama of frozen summits and icy lakes.
Not long after they had taken off, Kendra had decided she never wanted to be a helicopter pilot. The numerous dials and gauges intimidated her. Aaron Stone controlled their direction with a stick that projected up between his legs. He used a second stick to take them up or down, and foot pedals to swing the tail from side to side. The coordination and know-how required seemed hopelessly beyond her. "Go more to the right, Aaron," Kendra said. Once again, the pilot was veering away from the pair of lofty peaks that dwarfed all others. Trask had said the mountains were actually the two highest points in North America, but were unrecognized as such because of the potent distracter spell shielding the sanctuary.
"You sure you see two tall mountains?"
"I'm staring right at them."
Aaron lifted the visor on his helmet and squinted. "Are you looking at those summits?" He pointed away from their heading.
"No, the ones I see are much bigger. They're by far the tallest mountains out here."
He flipped down his visor. "This is odd. I can usually think my way around a distracter spell."
As they drew nearer, Kendra noticed that the shoulders of the imposing mountains were virtually clear of snow, along with much of the surrounding wilderness. She scoured the hills and valleys for dragons or other creatures, but saw none. She began to notice a faint rainbow shimmer in the air ahead of them, reminiscent of the aurora borealis. The soaring mountains drew ever nearer.
"We're getting close," Kendra said.
"You see the valentine?"
Kendra scanned the snow-choked forest below for a heart-shaped clearing. The helicopter was supposed to set down in the cordate meadow so they could continue the journey on foot. "Not yet."
They continued forward, but the helicopter began to slowly lose altitude as Aaron eased them closer to the ground. Below, the shadow of the helicopter rose and fell with the contours of the terrain. On many slopes, the snow sparkled in the sunlight. Kendra spotted a clearing shaped vaguely like a kidney. "Could that be it?" she asked, pointing.
Aaron followed her finger to the ground. "I don't think so."
"You're veering off course again. Go back to the tight."
Less than a minute later, the desired meadow came into view, an unmistakable white valentine amidst the trees, smaller than Kendra had expected. "Here we are," Kendra announced. "Aaron, bring us more to the right. See it?"
"I've got it. Sharp eyes. Good job, Kendra." He raised his head, surveying the horizon. "I still don't see those mountains."
"They're straight ahead. Their summits are much higher than we are."
"You're kidding."
"Along with plenty of lower ones," Kendra reported. "Rocky ridges and steep hills. Looks like rugged terrain inside the sanctuary. Some unfrozen lakes. It isn't snowy in there, just at the tops of the peaks."
"Weird," Aaron said.
"Think you'll be able to find your way back to pick us up?"
"We're leaving a radio and a beacon in the clearing. I've been studying the topography, scouting for landmarks outside the sanctuary. I think I could get back on my own. If not, I'll rely on Trask and instruments."
Based on how often he had swerved away from the sanctuary, Kendra had her doubts about his ability to return unaided. Hopefully the gadgets would work.
Aaron brought the helicopter down softly in the snowy field. Once they were on the ground, the clearing no longer looked much like a valentine. Trask, Dougan, Warren, Tanu, Mara, and Gavin poured out of the helicopter and began unloading gear. Kendra climbed out as well.
The rotors never stopped spinning. Once the gear had been unloaded, Trask ducked into the cockpit to have a few words with Aaron. Afterwards, they all backed away and watched as the rotors sped up and the red and white helicopter ascended noisily into the sky, sending windy waves of snow flying across the field.
Despite the bright sun, the air was bitter cold. Warren helped Kendra adjust her hat, goggles, and collar to reduce exposed skin. Bundled in her bulky coat, Kendra felt like an astronaut. Warren helped her strap her boots into snow-shoes. Dougan put a harness on her and clipped it to a climbing rope. Kendra would lead them, and hopefully the rope would help the others keep moving in the right direction.
Tanu tapped his gloved fists together. "Are we sure we don't want to just climb in the knapsack and let Kendra carry us to the gate?"
"We've been over this," Warren replied hastily. "We need to be out and ready in case of danger. There's no reason to have Kendra carry us forward alone. If all else fails, we can try the knapsack."
Tanu shrugged and nodded.
Trask came tromping over the snow. "We ready?" He had finished camouflaging a large plastic container at the edge of the clearing. Everyone behind Kendra was now attached to the rope via harnesses and carabiners.
"Sure," Dougan said.
Trask clipped himself next in line behind Kendra. He spoke over his shoulder to the others. "Remember, don't pay attention to where you're going. Just follow the leader. You see the peaks, Kendra?"
"Yep."
"Anyone else see them?" Trask inquired. "The huge unmistakable mountains? Didn't think so. Neither do I. The more you focus on where we're trying to get, the more you'll find yourself inclined to wander the wrong way. Follow the rope. No matter what you might think, the rope is right. Kendra, lead on."