How was she feeling? How could anyone possibly answer such a huge question? She was so terribly sad, but also so terribly relieved. Confused, alone, and grieving, she still couldn’t fully appreciate the loss. And yet she also had her teammate with her. He had called her family. Catherine had called her family. And for the first time, she realized that after all this searching and everything, she did have people who had her back. Who were loyal to her.
It was a rainbow of feelings drowning in a sea of emotion. There was only one kind of answer to that. A Sebastian answer. “That’s a very complicated question,” she said.
He stared at her for a moment. Then he nodded. He understood. Because if anyone understood her, it was him.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Yeah.”
This is a story that ends with a pig wearing a teeny hat. Or more like a story that ends with a pig in a teeny hat curled up in the lap of a boy who had always thought he knew exactly what his life was going to be and now had no idea whatsoever. And a girl sitting next to him who had finally figured out that totally by accident she’d found the family she’d been looking for all this time. Or really it’s more like a story that ends with me telling you that this is a story that ends like that.
You’d think I’d be a bit better at this by now.
The point is…
Sebastian sat at the wrought-iron table in the tea tree house, staring down at the pig in the teeny hat in his lap as Myrtle poured him a cup of tea.
“The hat is a little off,” said Evie, leaning over and straightening it.
“Thanks,” said Sebastian.
“Well, your parents are certainly very interesting people,” said Myrtle, picking up her teacup and taking a sip.
“Yes, they always have been interesting,” replied Sebastian.
“I’ve never heard of punishing a child by putting him directly in the path of the very kinds of people who led him to make trouble in the first place. Cookie?” She indicated the apple and jalapeño cookies sitting on the flowery plate beside her.
“I’m good,” said Sebastian.
“Me too,” said Evie.
“Yes, well, I mean, they were obviously extremely angry with me,” Sebastian explained, “especially because they had gotten the police involved and everything.” That hadn’t been fun, and Sebastian had been quite relieved not to be taken to jail for causing mischief even though he had offered to go willingly. After all, it was only right, wasting their time and everything. But evidently that wasn’t the sort of thing they put twelve-year-olds in jail for.
“The weird thing was,” he continued, “despite all the fear and problems I caused, my folks were also irrationally loving at the same time, which I did not expect. Anyway, after hearing the story, they understand no one here was to blame. It was all my own fault. And they think that my learning the proper way to adventure instead of the inappropriate way is the way I need to educate myself.” He was trying to appear as rational as possible, but truthfully he, too, had been stunned to learn that his parents’ punishment for him was that he was to continue working for the Explorers Society. But it did make sense. Even if it really didn’t feel like he was getting punished for anything. He didn’t tell his parents that, of course. Because he was becoming a bit of a rebel that way.
“Obviously,” said Myrtle, “we appreciate any help, and, as you know, I’ve always liked you, Sebastian.” She glanced down at the pig. “As many here seem to.”
“What about the Filipendulous Five?” asked Evie. She was shifting anxiously in her seat beside him.
“Well, that took a great deal of conversation, but considering the great sacrifice your grandfather made, and how much they care for you, Evie, and after some conferencing with the board of directors, with West Coast operations, and with some of the international branches, we have, yes, decided—”
“To un-ban them?” asked Evie, jumping to her feet.
Myrtle smiled a tiny smile. Sebastian was impressed. He hadn’t really seen the Ice Queen melt before.
“Yes,” she said.
“Well, that was nice of you, to make us wait this long to tell us,” said the Kid, leaning over to grab one of the cookies.
“What fun is there in life if there isn’t any drama?” replied Myrtle.
Sebastian looked at the team, sitting squished side by side around the little tea table. He thought back to the puzzle box, when he’d first seen their faces. They had been strangers, people who didn’t seem real. Almost like characters in a book. But they weren’t that anymore. They weren’t just Catherine the animal expert, Benedict the cartographer and photographer, the Kid the adrenaline junky, and Doris the engineer. They were…his friends.
And then there was Evie.
He’d always thought he’d known what a best friend was with his cousin Arthur. It was someone you spent time with and did things with. But he’d never shared his innermost feelings with anyone before. He had never been so honest with anyone before. He never had trusted anyone in the same way he trusted his parents before.
Not until Evie.
“You’re getting sentimental,” she said just then, looking at him.
“I’m not,” he said. The pig looked up and snorted at him. “I’m not!”
“It’s okay. I am too.” She grinned at him.*1
“It’s time,” said Benedict suddenly. He stood abruptly, and Sebastian exchanged a glance with Evie. Now what?
“Time?” asked Doris.
“I’m ready.” Without further explanation Benedict pulled out his chair and placed it at the far end of the platform, then took his camera from around his neck and balanced it carefully on the seat.
“He’s taking a picture!” said Evie, her voice filled with excitement.
“Really, Benedict, are you?” asked Catherine.
“I am,” he said, leaning down and adjusting the lens. “Everyone, get close together. Get into the frame. Doris, I’m going to stand right behind you.”
Doris nodded.
Sebastian leaned over to get in close.
“Everyone, smile,” said Benedict, pressing a button and then walking quickly to his spot.
Sebastian stared into the lens of the camera. He felt a new sensation come over him. Not fear, not worry, not adrenaline or excitement. It was a calm feeling of being at the beginning of something new. A picture to add to the puzzle box. And he was in it.
“Sebastian,” whispered Evie.
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad I met you.”
“I’m glad I met you too.”
The camera went off, and they all gave a little round of applause as Benedict rushed over to see the image. “One more time, everyone,” he said.
“Sebastian,” whispered Evie again.
“Yeah?”
“This time hold up the pig!”
Sebastian looked down at the pig in the teeny hat. It seemed resigned to the idea of being in the photograph.
So.
Sebastian held up the pig.
THE END*2
*1 I am as well.
*2 Huh. Well, look at that. It is.
Ditto all the thanks in books one and two.
Plus a huge thank-you once more to Krista, Monica, my agent Jess, and everyone at Penguin Random House for their help making this series shine! Of course another big thank-you to artist Matt Rockefeller for so consistently and creatively bringing my words to life.
(And as always, thank you to Team Kress, Scott and Atticus, for the support!)
ADRIENNE KRESS is a writer and an actress born and raised in Toronto. She is the daughter of two high school English teachers, and credits them with inspiring her love of both writing and performing. She also has a cat named Atticus, who unfortunately despises teeny hats. She is the author of The Explorers: The Door in
the Alley, The Explorers: The Reckless Rescue, and The Explorers: The Quest for the Kid. To find out more about Adrienne, visit AdrienneKress.com and follow @AdrienneKress on Twitter and Instagram.
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The Quest for the Kid Page 29
