by Gloria Gage
We were all stunned for a long minute. “Aaah, thank you very much, Mr. Brontosaurus, sir,” Josh called, watching the little animal walk away with his nose held straight up in the air.
Josh and Chris helped me to my feet and back through the gate. We all collapsed by the fountain where we sat resting gratefully. “Whew! I don’t ever want to try that again!” I admitted.
“Hey guys, you’re doing great!” Amy shouted from the window above us. “You’re halfway—only three more keys to go. By the way, is there an engraving on this one?”
Josh looked down at the very dirty key still in his hand. After brushing the dirt away he turned it over and over. “I don’t think…wait…yes it’s here!”
“Don’t tell me,” Amy said quickly. “It’s gotta be F3, right?”
“You’re right! Here we go…”
We all waited to see what new power would be bestowed on Josh, but nothing happened. “Well,” I said at last, “Do you feel anything?”
“I’m not sure. It’s kind of weird. My mouth feels really cold.”
Chris laughed. “I guess so. There’s frost coming out of it.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Josh blew his breath out against his hand, and then yelled as the frost instantly began to freeze his fingers. “Geesh, that’s like ice!” We laughed as he shook his hand hard trying to get the feeling back in his fingers.
“Well, that’s another handy talent to have, don’t you think?” Amy asked.
“Just call me the ‘Frost Man’!” Josh bragged. “Better turn it off for now though. My tongue is beginning to feel numb!”
We all felt encouraged by our newfound powers, and the three keys we had found, but were a little too tired and bruised to show much enthusiasm to continue. “You know,” Chris mused, “I wonder why all the goats—and the dinosaur—are closed up in the pen with only dried grass to eat, while all around the fountain here there is lots of fresh green grass, and water too?”
“What if we leave the gate open between? They’ll still be enclosed since the fence goes all around the front of the house,” Josh added.
“That’s a great idea. Let’s do it!” I agreed. Just as we had opened the gate and propped it carefully with a large rock, we heard a strange noise.
“What on earth is that?” Josh asked.
A bicycle appeared just down the road with the plump and perky Mrs. Bathelwaite pedaling hard as she could, and singing at the top of her lungs. That is, if you could call it singing. “She really does sound quite awful, doesn’t she?” Chris whispered as she came closer.
“Hallo, children! I thought perhaps you might be in need of some more familiar refreshment by now,” she sang out in her very off-key singsong voice. She stopped her bike and reached into the basket swinging from the handlebars. When she pulled out several cold sodas and a container of freshly baked cookies, we quickly forgot our pains and dived into the goodies.
“Oh, you’re a lifesaver!” Chris said, wiping crumbs from her mouth and giving her a big hug.
“This is wonderful! Thank you so much,” I agreed heartily.
“You’re quite welcome. We thought perhaps you’d like some refreshments more familiar to your world. I just wanted to remind you that there are still many good people here who want to help you. We are so very desperate to rid ourselves of both the dangerous Rats and the Faceless Ones. You’re our only hope of doing that.”
Chris had a question, “I understand that the Rats want us to find the keys and the treasure for them. But if it’s so valuable, why has it stayed hidden away for so long? Couldn’t you have used the treasure yourselves?”
Mrs. Bathelwaite smiled as she answered, “Our king long ago created the keys as symbols of the principles our galaxy was built upon, like faith, courage, and love. Those are the true treasures of our galaxy.”
I was shocked to hear her words. “You mean…you mean there’s not a real treasure in gold or anything?”
“That’s right. Our treasure is our people and the love and faith we share. Little by little as the evil ones crept into our land, they brought greed, selfishness, and envy. They convinced themselves that the treasure was really gold and precious stones. Then some of our own people allowed that greed to take over their lives. And they became the ‘Faceless Ones’. They are so evil they even fight among themselves. They are the ones who are trying to lead you astray. They want the map and the keys. They think if they have those, they’ll be able to find the treasure themselves.”
“Then how are we supposed to trust anyone?” I asked. “Everything is so strange here.”
“Perhaps, this will help.” Mrs. Bathelwaite reached out and placed something in Chris’s hand. It was an oval seashell, covered in precious stones. There were three green sapphires in the center surrounded by a group of small, perfect pearls.
“It’s beautiful!” Chris whispered intrigued by the beauty of the shell.
“Turn it over,” Mrs. Bathelwaite suggested.
Her fingers were shaking as she turned the shell over to reveal a small mirror on the other side.
“If you check carefully, reflections will let you know the true motives behind the faces you meet. The Rats will always show their wicked selves, but the ones who would trick you will show no features in their reflections at all…as I believe you have already learned. Use it well, my brave friends, use it well.”
“We’ll try our best,” I assured her. “This is just what we needed.” With that advice, the kindly Mrs. Bathelwaite rode away on her sturdy bike, singing again in her off-key voice.
“Chris,” I said. “I want you to be in charge of the mirror. You can let us know who we should trust, okay?”
“I’ll do it,” she replied solemnly.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
After our much-needed refreshment, we were eager to resume our journey again, getting ever closer to the castle. There were no more houses now, just a few dried bushes, rocks, and occasional fences. Around the next bend, we came to a heavily wooded area and crossed a dry creek bed. Once we passed through the last of the trees, all three of our scooters settled to the ground at the same time, and would not go another inch.
Chris asked, “Do you think we’re out of fuel or something?”
“I don’t know,” I said, “but it’s odd they’d all stop at the same time. I think perhaps it has to do with where we are. But we can’t stop. We really have to hurry on. It’s getting late.”
With no other option, we left the scooters behind and continued on foot. As we climbed a steep hillside, the road curved again, and the landscape became even more rugged and harsh. Chris was feeling weary. “Logan, how much further is it, do you think?”
“The cave should be just ahead. Let’s get there and then maybe we can stop for a minute…wait, do you hear something?”
Josh stopped to listen. “It sounds like whistling.”
Sure enough, a young man with a fishing pole over his shoulder came over the hill ahead. He was whistling as he walked but he jumped when he looked up and noticed us. “Oh! I didn’t see you. You startled me,” he said.
“Sorry,” I said. “We’re heading for the castle. Do you know how far ahead it might be?”
“It’s not far. Just across this meadow and over one more hill. The road splits ahead. You’ll need to take the left fork to get to the castle. But why are you going there, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Josh had a funny feeling, like a tingling on the back of his neck. The boy’s face looked friendly and innocent, but something in his eyes made Josh uncomfortable. He spoke up quickly. “We’re looking for a friend who’s visiting the castle. Have you been fishing?”
“Yes, but no luck today. I guess the fish are hiding. Well, good luck! And don’t forget, the left fork leads to the castle.”
As soon as the boy had walked out of hearing, Amy interrupted from the clubhouse, “Hey, guys, for some reason, I don’t think I trust that boy.”
“Me either,” Josh a
greed. “Something about him didn’t seem right.”
“You’re both right,” Chris added, “I checked the mirror. His reflection was blank. He’s definitely one of the Faceless Ones.”
“And, Logan,” Amy called. “I checked on Marty again. He’s okay, but they’ve locked him in a room in the castle. He told me he thinks the ‘mean guys should be put in jail!’ But he’s doing okay for now.”
“Thanks, Amy. I’m so glad you were able to talk with him. He must be pretty scared and lonely.”
“He’s being very brave. I told him you’ll be there soon to take him home.”
“Thanks so much, Amy. We just MUST get him back safe and sound. We have to get him home safe and sound!”
Chris patted my shoulder, “We’ll get him. Don’t worry!”
We trudged on along the dusty road until I stopped suddenly. “Look at those bushes over there. There’re waving as if a strong wind is pushing them, but there’s no breeze at all. What’s moving them? It could be a wild animal or something. Be careful!”
“I don’t think so,” Josh said, walking cautiously toward the scrawny branches that were waving wildly while everything around was perfectly still. “It’s a crevice, and there’s a strong breeze coming from it. That means an underground cave…the opening must be close by. This is what we’re looking for.”
We spread out and looked for the cave opening. A minute later I found it. “Here it is!” Almost hidden by a sprawling thorn bush, it was just large enough to crawl through.
“Let’s check it out,” Josh said, eager to show off his prowess as a cave explorer. After all, he had been to Carlsbad Caverns, and had also explored a couple of small caves with his uncle who worked for the Parks and Wildlife Service—all of which made Josh the definitive ‘expert’.
After reminding us of his ‘vast experience’, Josh crawled in first. We followed hesitantly. The narrow tunnel entrance went about fifteen feet, then opened up into a good-sized grotto. Gratefully, we stood up, stretched, and dusted off our knees. The light was dim, and it took a few minutes for our eyes to adjust.
“Hey, check this out.” Josh had found a wooden crate that held a variety of equipment for caving. “This is great! We’ve got H.I.D. arc lamps and battery packs, and seat harnesses with belaying equipment. Man, this is awesome!”
“Sounds scary to me,” Chris said. "Josh, why do we need all this stuff?
“And why would anyone leave it here? It must be expensive,” I wondered.
“Yeah, it is… I think someone is trying to help us. Like maybe Dr. Philadelphia, or doctor or Mrs. Bathel…whatever.”
“Perhaps. Or, maybe someone like Mr. Trabboli sending us down the wrong road,” I said reluctantly. “But do you really think we need all this? It sounds dangerous. You’re the only one with any experience at this, and you’re not exactly an expert, right, Josh?”
"Yeah, okay. But I know how to use this equipment, and it’s not that hard. Honest!
“Look, you just put on the headgear, and the arc lamp lights everything in front of you.” He put one on and turned on the lamp.
“That does help a lot,” Chris admitted. “I never really thought about how absolutely dark it can get in a cave.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Josh showed us the other items. “The battery pack will fit in your pocket like this. They should give us at least an hour’s worth of light.” He helped us with ours and showed us how to turn on the lamps.
“What are the harnesses for?” Chris asked.
Josh explained, “You step into them like this, and they fasten around your shoulders and waist. Then we use the ropes to keep us together. Just in case, one of us should fall, the others can pull you back.”
“That’s a lot of rope,” I said, feeling a little doubtful.
“Well, these are belaying ropes,” Josh was enjoying showing off a bit, displaying his limited knowledge. “Chances are we may need them. Most caves have many levels, and often an underground stream or water table lake. That’s because over hundreds of years, water carves its way through the soft layers of limestone, and creates hollows under the solid cap rock near the surface.”
“Thanks, professor!” I said, grinning. “So, let’s get started.”
Josh looked down at his feet. “Sorry, I get carried away sometimes.”
“No kidding!” Chris teased. “But actually it is interesting. I didn’t realize you knew so much about ‘spelunking’. Isn’t that what you call it?”
“That’s right. Spelunking, or caving,” Josh answered. Then looking over with a sheepish grin, “But this is me shutting up now!”
Once all three of us were buckled up with our headlamps working, we explored the grotto and found tunnels leading off in two directions. I checked the map and, though it wasn’t very clear, we decided the right tunnel appeared best. At least, this one was tall enough that we could walk standing up. We hadn’t gone far when Josh paused to inspect a rock formation. Chris was a few yards ahead when she noticed a shiny object on the rock wall ahead and moved to get a better look. I was watching her when I spotted a thin wire stretched across her path.
“Chris, wait!” I shouted, but too late. Her foot caught the wire and she stumbled, catching herself against the wall. Seconds later, we heard the thundering sound of crashing rocks in the entrance tunnel far behind us.
Josh raced back toward the sound, but quickly turned back again as a great puff of smoke and dirt billowed out into the tunnel.
“Oh no. It’s a trap!” I said.
Josh was spitting dirt and wiping his eyes. “The entrance is sealed off!” he sputtered.
We all coughed and rubbed the dust from our eyes. “What do we do now?” I asked. We just stared at each other for a long moment.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“I’m so sorry!” Chris was about to cry, feeling responsible for our predicament.
“It’ll be okay,” Josh assured her. “We can go on. There has to be another way out. The air is still fresh, not stale. We just have to find the key and then look for the exit.”
“But we better watch out, just in case there are more traps,” I warned.
Josh took the lead from there, and we moved more cautiously along the tunnel. “I hear water ahead,” he said. “We’re probably near the main grotto.”
Abruptly, the tunnel ended, opening into a huge room, and we found ourselves standing on a sharp precipice. There was more light here, allowing us to see all around us for the first time. Far below, there were dozens of stalagmites, like inverted ice cream cones, rising from the floor of the cavern, and icicle-shaped stalactites dripping down from the roof overhead. The waterfall Josh had heard poured out of the rock wall across from us and splashed noisily into a moving stream below.
“It’s beautiful,” Chris exclaimed. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“It is pretty incredible,” I agreed.
Josh was grinning at us. “This is where our belaying ropes come in. See, there’s already a metal ring secured into the rock.” He fastened each of our ropes to it before he went on. “But this part can be tricky. You have to wrap the ropes like this,” he said, showing us just how to do it, “and the hitch controls your movement. It’s just like a rock-climbing wall.”
Next, he showed us how to secure the rope to our harnesses. “My uncle taught me to use a French wrap. You push, or hold down the hitch as far as you can reach, and the rope lets you descend freely. You can control your speed by moving your hold up or down. If you move it all the way up—or if you let go altogether—it will stop. It looks like only about twenty feet down to the cave floor, so we can’t get in too much trouble. I’ll go first. Watch how I control the rope with the hitch.”
Josh held the rope up high as he backed up against the ledge. We watched as he lowered his hand, still gripping the hitch, and moved down the cliff wall letting his feet bounce off the rocks as he went. He stretched his arm down and moved swiftly, then raised the angle for a slowe
r descent. He let go completely once to show us that it would stop and hold him in that spot. A moment later, he was safely at the bottom.
“Okay, Chris. Are you ready?” he called up to her.
“I guess so,” she answered weakly. Just as Josh had instructed, she started a slow descent. As her confidence grew, her hand went lower with the hitch, and the final six feet she went a little faster than she intended, landing hard on her backside, but safely. “That was actually fun,” she said with a relieved smile.
“Yeah! We’ll have to try some more caving together sometime. Okay, Logan, you’re next.”
I managed the descent fairly easily, and soon we were making our way along the rocks heading upstream. Getting closer to the waterfall, we stopped and sat down to rest a minute.
I checked the map once again. “The key should be close by,” I said. “It’s near the waterfall. Hidden on something that resembles a triangle or pyramid. Do you see anything that looks like that?”
There was silence for a second and then we all laughed as we gazed around at about a thousand stalagmites all over the grotto floor, each one stretching upward like a tiny pyramid.
Josh shook his head. “Man, we just can’t catch a break! What I’d really like is a pyramid-shaped slice of pizza right now.”
“You can say that again,” Chris agreed. “Say, I think there’s a candy bar in my jacket pocket.” She unzipped her pocket and found the chocolate, pretty smashed after all they had been through, but still edible. She divided it into three small portions and passed them out to us. “It’s been crushed, pounded, and a little water-logged, but it’s still chocolate right?”
“Way to go, Chris!” Josh exclaimed. “Maybe this will give us the energy we need to go on.”
After we finished the candy and drank some of the clear water rippling over the rocks at the edge of the stream, we began our search once again for Key Number Four. We stepped carefully over the slippery rocks, inspecting each stalagmite we saw.
