Fablehaven2-Rise of the Evening Star

by Brandon Mull

  to eat. The paste was pretty good. It melted in her

  mouth and was a little sweet. She swallowed.

  Seth edged over to Tanu and whispered something to

  him. Kendra realized he was probably asking what emotion

  to expect. Kendra focused on remaining aware that a phony

  emotion was about to surface. If she concentrated hard

  enough, she should be able to keep it under control. She'd

  feel it, but she wouldn't let it overwhelm her. Tanu whispered

  something back to Seth. They were both staring at her

  expectantly. What was their deal? Did she have a piece of

  the leaf caught in her teeth? Seth whispered something else

  to Tanu.

  Why are you whispering? Kendra accused. It came out

  a little harsher than she intended, but they were being so

  secretive all of a sudden. Had she whispered to Tanu? No!

  She had spoken so everyone could hear her. It seemed obvious

  they were no longer talking about the potion-they

  were gossiping about her.

  Seth laughed at her question, and Tanu grinned.

  Tears stung Kendra's eyes. Did I say something funny?

  she challenged, her voice cracking a bit. Seth laughed

  harder. Tanu chuckled. Kendra ground her teeth, her face

  flushing. Once again, she was the outcast. Seth always made

  friends so quickly. He had already turned Tanu against her.

  It was fourth grade all over again; she was eating lunch

  alone, silently hoping for somebody to talk to her. Hoping

  somebody besides a teacher would notice and include her.

  It's all right, Kendra, Tanu said kindly. Remember, it

  isn't real.

  Why was he trying to reassure her? All of a sudden she

  realized what Seth must have whispered to him. He had

  pointed out the pimple on her chin! Seth had said that her

  face was erupting like a volcano, that grime was clogging her

  pores and turning her into a freakish sideshow. That was why

  they had laughed! Seth had probably accused her of not

  washing enough, even though she scrubbed her face every

  night! But of course Tanu would believe Seth, because the

  evidence was right there on her chin, as subtle as a lighthouse.

  And now that Tanu had noticed, the pimple would

  be all he saw. She hung her head. Tanu would almost certainly

  tell Grandpa. And all the others! They'd laugh behind

  her back. She would never be able to show her face again!

  Her cheeks burned. She began to weep. Grudgingly, she

  glanced up. They both looked astonished. Seth was

  approaching her. It's okay, Kendra, he said.

  She buried her face in her arms, sobbing. Why did they

  keep staring at her? Why wouldn't they leave her alone?

  Hadn't they done enough? Enduring their pity was much

  worse than suffering their scorn. She wished she could just

  disappear.

  It'll be over soon, Tanu assured her.

  What did he know? This could be just the beginning!

  She had been lucky so far, with only the occasional pimple

  now and again, but soon she might be disfigured by vast constellations

  of acne. Red lumps would pile up until she looked

  like she had thrust her head into a beehive. Now that Seth

  had set the tone of mocking her, things would never be the

  same. From here on out, all she could look forward to were

  cruel jokes and false sympathy. She had to get away.

  Kendra jumped to her feet. I hate you, Seth! she

  yelled, not caring what anyone would think of the outburst.

  Her reputation was already damaged beyond repair. She ran

  from the room. Behind her, she heard Tanu telling Seth to

  let her go. Where could she hide? The bedroom! She raced

  to the stairs and started charging up them two at a time.

  And suddenly she realized how ridiculous it would look for

  her to run away. She stopped, her hand gripping the banister.

  The situation abruptly seemed much less tragic.

  Was she sure Seth had pointed out the pimple to Tanu?

  Even if he had, was it that big of a deal? Almost every teen

  got pimples from time to time. Now that she thought about

  it, was it even likely that Seth had mentioned anything

  about the pimple? No! She had jumped to that conclusion

  on her own, with very little evidence. It was the potion!

  This was just like when Seth assumed he had been poisoned!

  Even though she had tried to anticipate it, the emotion had

  blindsided her. It seemed ridiculously obvious now.

  Kendra returned to the parlor, wiping away the tears.

  She had cried a lot. Her sleeves were damp, and her nose

  was congested. That was incredible, she said.

  What emotion do you think it was? Seth asked.

  Embarrassment? Kendra guessed.

  Close, Tanu said. It was shame. A hybrid of embarrassment

  and sorrow.

  I thought, Kendra said, hesitating for a moment to

  divulge her ridiculous assumption, I thought that Seth was

  pointing out the pimple on my chin. And it suddenly

  seemed like he had revealed the guiltiest secret of all time. I

  thought you two were making fun of me. Not that I love getting

  pimples, but it was suddenly blown all out of proportion.

  Again, your mind was seizing on something to try to

  make sense of the emotion, Tanu said. Can you see the

  power emotion has to distort our outlook? Makes you wonder,

  did you have a bad day, or did you make it a bad day?

  I thought if I stayed focused I could keep the emotion

  under control, Kendra said.

  Not unreasonable, Tanu said. We can exert a lot of

  control over our emotions. But sometimes they run away

  with us. These bottled-up emotions hit you with a lot of

  force. It would take a shockingly strong will to resist them.

  In large enough doses, I don't see how anybody could.

  What do you use them for? Seth asked.

  Depends, Tanu said. Sometimes people need a little

  dose of courage. Other times you want to cheer somebody

  up. And every now and then, you can avoid an unwanted

  confrontation with a little fear, or use a mix of emotions to

  extract information. We save those uses for the bad guys.

  Can I try some courage? Seth asked.

  You already have plenty, Tanu said. You don't want to

  overuse these emotions. Their potency wears thin if they're

  overused, plus you can put your natural emotions out of balance.

  Artificial emotions are useful only in certain situations.

  They must be combined by an expert. If you drink

  straight courage, you can become reckless and foolhardy. For

  a good result, you have to temper the courage with a little

  fear, a little calm.

  That makes sense, Kendra said.

  I know my trade, Tanu said, vials and jars clinking as

  he collected them into his pouch. I hope that you weren't

  too shaken up by the experience. An occasional dose of fear

  or sorrow can be cathartic. Same with a good cry.

  If you say so, Kendra said. I'll probably pass next

  time.

  I'd do the fear again, Seth said. It was sort of like a

  roller coaster. Except so scary, you don't really like it till after

&n
bsp; the ride is over.

  Tanu folded his hands on his lap and adopted a more formal

  air. Now that I've let you glimpse what I can do, I want

  to establish some common goals. They are the same goals I

  have set for myself, and if we're going to work together, I

  think we should share them. Assuming you want to work

  with me.

  Kendra and Seth both enthusiastically agreed that they

  were excited to learn from Tanu.

  My first goal is to protect the integrity of Fablehaven,

  Tanu said. I want to keep this preserve safe from any dangers

  without or within. That includes protecting the people

  who live here. That objective stands as my top priority. Will

  you commit to help me do that?

  Kendra and Seth both nodded.

  Second, Tanu continued, I want to find the missing

  relic. It may be a tedious hunt, but working together I know

  we will succeed. And in accordance with our top priority, we

  must find the relic without putting Fablehaven or ourselves

  at risk. Which means we use sense and caution. Sound

  good?

  Yes, Kendra and Seth said together.

  And third, without jeopardizing our other missions, I

  want to find a cure for Dale's brother, Warren. I understand

  you two have not met him?

  Nope, Seth said.

  Grandpa told me about him, Kendra said. He said

  Warren vanished into the woods. When Warren showed up

  a few days later, he was white as an albino, and catatonic.

  Those are the basics, Tanu said. It happened almost

  two years ago. Truthfully, I think your grandparents have

  almost given up on ever healing him. But they are willing to

  let us try. If anybody can find a cure, I think we're the team

  to do it.

  Do you know what happened to him? Seth asked.

  Not yet, Tanu said. And it is hard to cure a malady

  without diagnosing the problem. I have put some thought

  into it, and I remain puzzled, so the cabin where Warren

  lives will be our main stop today. Dale has been waiting in

  the other room to take us. Sound like a plan?

  Sounds perfect, Seth said.

  Then we're agreed on our goals? Tanu asked.

  All of them, Kendra said.

  Tanu grinned. We have a lot of work ahead of us.

  The June sun glared down as Kendra, Seth, Tanu, and

  Dale rounded a corner on the grassy cart track. Up ahead, a

  picturesque log cabin rested on the side of a slope, not far

  from the rounded crest of a gentle hill. A dilapidated outhouse

  stood a fair distance from the cabin, and Kendra spotted

  a hand-operated water pump near the porch. Off to one

  side of the cabin, the ground had been leveled, and numerous

  vegetables flourished in tidy rows. As a consequence of

  the slope, a retaining wall encompassed three sides of the

  garden, low in the front, high in the back. The area immediately

  around the cabin had been cleared, but trees bordered

  the yard on all sides.

  That's where he lives? Seth asked.

  Warren doesn't do well around people, Dale explained.

  He doesn't respond well to commotion. We'll want to speak

  in low voices inside.

  I thought you said he was catatonic, Seth said.

  Dale stopped. He hasn't spoken since he turned

  albino, he said. But you can sometimes read reactions in

  his eyes. It's subtle, but I can tell. And he responds to touch.

  If you guide him, he'll move around. If you put food to his

  lips and prod the corner of his mouth, he'll eat. Left to himself,

  he'd starve.

  Tell them about the hoeing, Tanu prompted.

  That's right, Dale said. One evening I started him

  hoeing out in the garden. I put the hoe in his hands and

  started moving his arms. After a while he was doing it on his

  own. I'd had a long day, so I sat down to watch him. He kept

  going and going, hoeing and hoeing. I rested my eyes, leaned

  back against the retaining wall, and fell asleep.

  Next thing I know, I wake up in the dead of night, during

  the chill before dawn. Warren was still hoeing. He'd

  churned up the whole garden, and much of the yard beyond.

  His hands were a bloody mess. I could hardly get the gloves

  off.

  How terrible, Kendra said.

  Can't say I'm proud of dozing, Dale said. But it taught

  me never to let him do anything unsupervised. Once you get

  him started at something, he just goes on and on until you

  stop him.

  Is it safe for him to be here? Kendra asked. I mean,

  with all the creatures in the woods?

  The cabin enjoys the same protections as the house,

  Dale said. Although creatures can come into the yard.

  What if he has to go to the bathroom? Seth asked.

  Dale looked at him as if the question were perplexing.

  Then the lanky man tipped his head back in realization.

  Oh, you mean the outhouse. The cabin has an indoor toilet

  now.

  Dale started walking again. They reached the plank

  porch of the cabin, and Dale used a key to open the front

  door. The cabin had a large central room with a door in the

  rear that led to another room, and a ladder that granted

  access to a loft. On pegs beside the front door hung a sombrero,

  a slicker, and an overcoat. A long table dominated the

  room, surrounded by six chairs. Pyramids of firewood flanked

  the dark fireplace. A bed stood against the wall, and a man

  was curled up under the covers, eyes staring flatly toward the

  door.

  Dale crossed to Warren. You have some visitors,

  Warren, Dale said. You remember Tanu. And this is

  Kendra and Seth Sorenson, two of Stan's grandkids. Dale

  pulled back the covers and straightened his brother's legs.

  Then he placed a hand behind Warren's head and guided

  him into a sitting position. Warren wore a dark orange T-shirt

  and gray sweatpants. Contrasted against the shirt, his

  arms looked white as milk. Dale turned him so that he was

  seated on the edge of the bed. When Dale let go, Kendra

  half-expected Warren to topple over, but he remained seated

  upright, eyes vacant.

  He looked to be in his twenties, at least ten years

  younger than Dale. Even with pale skin, white hair, and

  empty eyes, Warren was unexpectedly handsome. Not quite

  as tall as his brother, Warren had broader shoulders and a

  firmer jaw. His features were more finely sculpted. Looking

  at Dale, she would not picture his brother handsome.

  Looking at Warren, she would not picture his brother plain.

  And yet seen together, a family resemblance persisted.

  Hi, Warren, Seth said.

  Pat him on the shoulder, Dale suggested. He's more

  aware of touch.

  Seth patted Warren. The action elicited no response.

  Kendra wondered if this was how people acted after a

  lobotomy.

  I like to think that in some corner of his mind, he

  might be aware of us, Dale said. Although he doesn't show

  much recognition, I suspect he absorbs more than it seems.

  Left to himself, he curls up into a fetal position. Does it
<
br />   faster if things get too noisy.

  I've tried some doses of different emotions, Tanu said.

  I was hoping something might pierce the fog. But that style

  of therapy looks like a dead end.

  Kendra gently patted his shoulder. Hi, Warren. Warren

  turned his head and looked at her hand, a slow smile creeping

  onto his face.

  Would you look at that! Dale gasped.

  Kendra left her hand on Warren's shoulder, and he kept

  staring at it. He was not smiling with his eyes, they still

  appeared far away, but the grin on his face was as wide as it

  could be. He lifted a hand and placed it over Kendra's.

  In all this time, this is the biggest reaction I've seen,

  Dale marveled. Put your other hand on his shoulder.

  Standing in front of Warren, Kendra rested her other

  hand on his other shoulder. The action caused Warren to

  take his eyes off her hand. Instead, he looked up into her

  face. The grin appeared artificial, but for an instant, Kendra

  thought she saw a flicker of life in his gaze, as if he almost

  focused on her.

  Dale stood with his hands on his hips. Wonders never

  cease.

  She was fairystruck, Tanu said. It must have left a lingering

  effect that Warren can sense. Kendra, come stand by

  me.

  Kendra walked over to Tanu. Warren did not follow her

  with his eyes. He stared directly ahead, unmoving, as if the

  flicker Kendra noticed had been only her imagination. Once

  again, Warren looked utterly mindless-except tears were

  welling up in his eyes. It looked peculiar, those vacant eyes

  brimming with tears above a slack expression. The tears

  overflowed and streamed down both white cheeks.

  Dale had a fist in his mouth. Warren's tears stopped

  flowing, though his cheeks remained damp. Warren made no

  move to wipe the tears away, showed no evidence he knew

  he had cried. When Dale pulled his fist from his mouth,

  there were teeth marks on his knuckles. What does this

  mean? Dale asked Tanu.

  Kendra transmitted something to him by touch, Tanu

  said. This is very encouraging. Somewhere deep inside, I

  believe his mind is intact. Kendra, take his hand.

  Kendra approached Warren and took his left hand in her

  right. Again, he came half to life-glancing down at her

  hand, the dazed smile returning.

  See if you can pull him to his feet, Tanu said.

  Kendra did not have to pull hard before Warren arose.

  I'll be jiggered, Dale said. He never moves so