The Search For WondLa

by DiTerlizzi, Tony

  “Orbona was Earth,” Rovender whispered.

  “Earth is Orbona.” Eva nodded in agreement.

  “Oeeah!” Rovender was amazed. “This explains a lot.”

  Eva sat down on the cold marble floor. She drew her knees up and leaned her head back against the desk. “It doesn’t explain what happened to all of humankind, or why I am the only one left here.”

  “Does it matter?” Rovender sat next to her and leaned his staff against the desk.

  “What do you mean?” Eva sniffed.

  “Are you alone, Eva Nine?”

  “Well, Muthr’s gone . . . and Otto had to leave to be with his herd.” She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

  “But?”

  “But what? I mean, you’re here with me,” she said, looking over at the lanky creature.

  Rovender Kitt put his arms around her. “And I will always be here for you, Eva. I’ll take care of you and teach you everything I know.”

  “You promise?” she snuffled. “You . . . you won’t leave?”

  “I promise.” Rovender held her tightly.

  The two got up from the marble floor behind the desk. Eva looked around at the great vault of books.

  “Well”—she took a deep breath—“I guess I’ve got a lot of books I could read . . . and a lot of history to learn. Where should we start?”

  “Let’s start with this.” Rovender pulled out the charred WondLa from his pocket. He set it down on the desktop and slid it over to Eva.

  Before she could pick it up, the desk chimed and stated, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz pffft L. Frank Baum. Published pffft 1900. Child-pffft Literature, second pffft.”

  The actual cover, in perfect undamaged condition, was displayed on the screen. Eva slid the WondLa over it, lining it up to view the missing letters and words. She stared at the picture of the little girl, arm in arm with a robot and a man with a wide-brimmed hat, walking about in the wondrous world. They were smiling. They were happy.

  Eva tapped an icon in the corner of the screen and the desk displayed a diagram of the library, showing exactly where the book was shelved. Eva left the WondLa lying on the desk and looked over at Rovender.

  “Well, Eva Nine,” he said, “what are you waiting for?”

  Eva awoke the following afternoon in the campsite. She and Rovender had explored the rotting tomes in the large domed vault until exhaustion had finally overtaken them. For lunch they dined on roasted turnfins that Rovender had caught and dressed that morning. Just as he’d said, they were quite delicious.

  Later, as the orange sun began to set, a haunting humming sound neared where Eva was sitting. Besteel’s glider, now piloted by Rovender, set down next to the camp. Rovender hopped off and held out a hand to Eva. “It is time. Come,” he said.

  Eva climbed onto the glider. She sat behind Rovender as he navigated the craft higher and higher into the fading sky. They soared over the ruins in the coming twilight until he brought the glider down onto the rooftop of the largest standing structure. With lanterns in hand the two hopped off the aircraft and made their way across the flat roof through roosting turnfins in great growths of lichens and moss.

  At the center of the rooftop, lying on her back and surrounded by brilliant flowers, was Multi-Utility Task Help Robot zero-six.

  Eva stared down at the closed eyelids and the silicone rubber face. Her busy mind settled and became quiet as dusk soaked everything in the land. Rovender put an arm around her. “I hope it is as you have wished it, Eva Nine,” he said, his voice soft.

  Eva sniffed. “Now she can always see the real sun—the real moon—forever.”

  Rovender knelt down in front of Eva. “Your mother contained a good spirit. A loving spirit. A spirit that will not cease to exist.”

  Eva looked at him, her brows furrowed.

  Rovender placed his arm around Eva’s shoulders. “You see, she lives within you now, in all of the lessons that she taught you. Lessons you will never forget. Lessons you will always carry with you . . . and will one day pass on.”

  Eva nodded. From her satchel she pulled out the old tome, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. She bent down and placed the book, pristine and untarnished, in the robot’s rubber-tipped hand. Over her heart.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “Your WondLa.” Rovender looked down at the book. “You do not want it?”

  “It’s okay, Rovee,” Eva said, and took his hand. “I’ve found what I was looking for.”

  EPILOGUE

  So, do you think this thing will get us there? Back to your village?” Eva and Rovender were back at camp loading their few supplies onto the glider.

  “Yes. It may take a couple of days, and we’ll need to refuel from time to time, but if the weather is good, then it should be a pleasant trip,” Rovender replied as he cinched up his rucksack. Eva noted that his pack was considerably smaller as he pulled it over his narrow shoulders. She could also see that he had changed in color. The washed-out cerulean markings on his skin had become a striking blue, similar to the color in the holograms that she had seen of peacocks. Peacock blue.

  “Are you okay with flying?” he asked.

  Eva thought of the first time she’d been above-ground and her wish to soar above the world and see it from the safety of the clouds. It had been only a little more than a week before, but it felt like a year ago. “Yeah,” she said with a smile. “I think I’ll be okay.”

  “Good.” Rovender grinned back.

  Look. Up. Stars.

  Eva closed her eyes. Far away, she could hear the faint thoughts of Otto singing to her.

  “What is it?” Rovender looked at Eva.

  Eva opened her pale green eyes. “It’s Otto. He wants me to look up at the stars.”

  Eva and Rovender looked up into the nighttime atmosphere. The waning gibbous moon was glowing brightly in the heavens, far beyond the Rings of Earth. Like a band of diamonds, the asteroid fragments and space dust glittered as they orbited the planet, each fragment sparkling like a brilliant star.

  One of those stars, shimmering close to the horizon, dropped.

  “Did you see that?” Eva squinted in the fading light, trying to get a better view.

  “A meteorite perhaps,” Rovender said, and pulled out his spyglass.

  The luminous dot fell, down close to the earth, but did not hit the surface; instead it got brighter, more intense . . . and larger.

  In the gentle desert breeze of the night, Eva heard a distant whine. It was an electronic-sounding whine . . . almost like the Goldfish. “Do you hear that?” she asked.

  “This is no meteorite.” Rovender dropped his goggles. He narrowed his eyes at the approaching star.

  A large orb-shaped ship descended from the blackness above, causing dust and sand to billow up from the ground. As Eva and Rovender shielded their eyes, they watched the craft touch down on three stout landing pads.

  “Is this from Solas? Queen Ojo?” Eva asked.

  “Queen Ojo has no large ships.” Rovender studied the scratched and chipped painted insignia. “None like this.”

  The ship was battered, decorated in bright yellow and black checks, and had a round clear cockpit window set in the nose. A pair of large engines poked out from the back, their noisy turbofans whining as they slowed. Numerous tiny boosters lined the craft’s entire body. With a hiss a hydraulic ramp opened up from the belly.

  Next to Rovender, Eva stood motionless, in awe, waiting for the driver of the craft to emerge.

  Loud music blared out from the interior of the ship, then was silenced. A pair of dirty checkered sneakboots appeared at the top of the ramp. As they made their way down the platform, Eva saw that they belonged to a boy.

  A human boy.

  “Hello,” the boy said. He looked a couple of years older than Eva. His skin was tan, and his brown-and-blue-dyed hair was windblown and tousled. “My name is Hailey,” he said as he extended his hand out to shake.

  Eva and Rovender exchanged glances. />
  A sideways grin grew on Hailey’s freckled face. With a chuckle he said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ve tracked you down from far away. I’m here to bring you back home.”

  THE ORBONIAN ALPHABET

  A common alphabet is used by the inhabitants of Orbona. The chart that follows is the key to unlocking their written language. The main alphabet consists of thirty-two characters (as opposed to the English alphabet, which comprises twenty-six), and many of these are derived from symbols of familiar objects, actions, or ideas. They are shown in alphabetical order with the compound letters at the end, although this is not the order Orbonians would use. Orbonians would align similar symbols alongside one another so that their youth could identify different characteristics more easily.

  Orbonians write in a vertical manner and from left to right. Compound words are often broken up, with their individual parts written alongside one another as seen here in “the Wastelands”:

  Capital letters are larger versions of the lower-case letters. Proper nouns use a large version of the letter with the remainder of the word written to the right of it, as can be seen here in the word “Lacus”:

  There are many shortcut symbols for small words like “of” and “the,” both of which are included on the chart. However, the focus here is on the main alphabet so that readers may be able to decipher Orbonian writing in this and future books.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Every book has a journey of its own—a quest the storyteller must take to find the purpose of his or her tale so that others may fully enjoy what he or she has to say. Despite there being only one name on the cover of this book, there were many friends along the way who helped me craft the story you have just read.

  First there was my wonderful manager, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, and her business partner, Julie Kane-Ritsch, who were enthusiastic about the notion of Eva’s story from the start. Along with Rick Richter and Kevin Lewis, WondLa secured its home at Simon & Schuster.

  The team at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers has always been incredibly supportive of me, and I am proud to mark a decade of bookmaking with them with the publication of this story. From my editor, David Gale, and art director, Lizzy Bromley, to my copyeditor, Dorothy Gribbin, I thank you for helping me with the words and pictures. Chrissy Noh also inspired me with her tireless enthusiasm and innovative marketing ideas. To Jon Anderson, Justin Chanda, and Anne Zafian, I am humbled by the passion you and your staff have infused into Eva’s world.

  As the story came into focus, I had feedback and support from family and peers, who helped me come to understand what this story was truly about. I had many fundamental conversations with my mom about what the point of this story was, and many more coffee chats with my old assistant Will Lisak about what the future of Earth may hold. My mother-in-law, Linda DeFrancis, and my good friends Donato Giancola and Holly Gibson also offered their thoughts and cheered me onward.

  I had early supporters—writers whom I greatly admire—like Kate DiCamillo, Guillermo del Toro, and Holly Black, who gave me the encouragement to write this tale. There were two amazing writers who were my go-to readers—Ari Berk and Steve Berman. Your insight and challenges as I worked on the various drafts allowed me to become a better storyteller. I am indebted to you both.

  A couple of other dear friends, who happen to be teachers, offered insight into the world of a twelve-year-old girl. Lauren Decker reminded me of what life is like when one is twelve, with one foot planted in childhood while the other steps into adulthood. Kim Pilla offered up several ideas for timeless pastimes, including making friendship bracelets. (Rovender is still wearing his.)

  I also had some incredibly experienced bibliophiles come in at the end of the writing and share their vast reading experience with me. Lisa Von Drasek, Joan Kindig, Ed Masessa, and Heidi Stemple pointed out those last little story scuffs and scratches that allowed me to polish it to a brilliant luster.

  Illustrating a book that harkens back to the spot-color processes at the turn of the century is no easy task. I received substantial inspiration and understanding of the richness of this style with help from Peter Glassman, who shared original Oz art from his collection and allowed me to pore over his treasured first editions. The creation of the art itself had help in the form of Bryant Paul Johnson and John DesRoches, both of whom aided me in creating the two-color plates. A tremendous thanks goes to John Lind, who was with me from the beginning in creating the art, as he helped with design, illustration, and constant suggestions to help me fully realize my vision. You were right, John, a logo designer would really make the title look outstanding, and Tom Kennedy did a fine job.

  As I neared completion, words of excitement were spread through the amazing publicity of Maggie Begley and the team at Media Masters.

  Lastly, there are the two most important people in my life who were with me every step on my journey to create this book. A big hug goes to my wife, Angela, and a kiss to my daughter, Sophia. Your love, support, and patience sustained me day in and day out. You are my WondLa.

  Never abandon imagination.

  TONY DITERLIZZI WOULD LIKE TO THANK

  EVERYONE AT SIMON & SCHUSTER WHO

  WORKED ON The Search for WondLa:

  President

  JON ANDERSON

  Publisher

  JUSTIN CHANDA

  Deputy Publisher

  ANNE ZAFIAN

  Editorial

  DAVID GALE

  NAVAH WOLFE

  Design

  LIZZY BROMLEY

  TOM DALY

  Managing Editorial/Copyediting

  AMY BARTRAM

  DOROTHY GRIBBIN

  Production

  FELIX GREGORIO

  CHAVA WOLIN

  Marketing

  LAURA ANTONACCI

  CHARLIE CORTS

  MICHELLE FADLALLA

  JOHN MERCUN

  MICHELLE MONTAGUE

  HOLLY NAGEL

  CHRISSY NOH

  MATT PANTOLIANO

  LUCILLE RETTINO

  CATHARINE SOTZING

  ELKE VILLA

  Publicity

  PAUL CRICHTON

  ANNA MCKEAN

  Sales

  TERESA BRUMM

  JIM CONLIN

  MARY FARIA

  VICTOR IANNONE

  BRIAN KELLEHER

  LORELEI KELLY

  SCOTT KERKIS

  KAREN LAHEY

  MARY MAROTTA

  CHRISTINA PECORALE

  LYNDA WOJCIK

  JILL YNGVE

  Subsidiary Rights

  BETH SUE ROSE

  SY SUNG

  STEPHANIE VOROS

  Legal

  VERONICA JORDAN

  EMILY KEYES

  KATHLEEN NOLAN

  JESSICA SANTIAGO

  JENNIFER WEIDMAN

  Supply Chain

  BRIDGET COONEY

  IAN REILLY

  Audio

  CHRIS LYNCH

  MICHAEL NOBLE

  CAROL SHAPIRO

  ELISA SHOKOFF

  LOUISA SOLOMON

  TONY DITERLIZZI

  is the visionary mind that conceived of the Spiderwick Chronicles. He has been creating books with Simon & Schuster for a decade. From fanciful picture books like The Spider and the Fly (a Caldecott Honor) to young chapter books like Kenny and the Dragon, Tony has always imbued his stories with a rich imagination. His series the Spiderwick Chronicles (with Holly Black) has sold millions of copies worldwide and was adapted into a feature film.

  Inspired by stories by the likes of the Brothers Grimm, James M. Barrie, and L. Frank Baum, The Search for WondLa is a new fairy tale for the twenty-first century.

  Books by TONY DITERLIZZI

  JIMMY ZANGWOW’S OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD

  MOON-PIE ADVENTURE

  TED

  THE SPIDER AND THE FLY

  Written by Mary Howitt

  G IS FOR ONE GZONK!

  KENNY AND THE DRAGON

 
ADVENTURE OF MENO

  by Tony DiTerlizzi and Angela DiTerlizzi

  BIG FUN!

  WET FRIEND!

  YUMMY TRIP!

  UH-OH SICK!

  THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES

  by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

  THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES

  THE FIELD GUIDE

  THE SEEING STONE

  LUCINDA’S SECRET

  THE IRONWOOD TREE

  THE WRATH OF MULGARATH

  ARTHUR SPIDERWICK’S FIELD GUIDE TO

  THE FANTASTICAL WORLD AROUND YOU

  CARE AND FEEDING OF SPRITES

  BEYOND THE

  SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES

  THE NIXIE’S SONG

  A GIANT PROBLEM

  THE WYRM KING