“I had a visitor last night,” Tasker said slowly. He face was sad as he rubbed his face.
Jane looked at him and wondered what was troubling him, he had obviously not slept all night, and she wondered why.
“A representative of the Seele Court showed up,” Tasker said finally. “He said the court has been watching what we’ve done. They’ve decided to act against the Temple. I guess the thought of what would happen if the worlds were brought back together was so great they could not ignore it anymore.”
“What are they doing?” Jane asked.
The powers that control the court have decided to mount an expedition to the center of the world. If they make it there, they’re going to try and make the Divide impenetrable. They want to block all attempts to travel between the worlds,” Tasker blurted out finally. “Forever.”
“What!” Jane exclaimed. Her mind started whirling. If they succeeded in turning up the power of the Divide she would once again be cut off from her sister forever. “Can we convince them to stop?”
“The good news is that this expedition will take years to accomplish,” Tasker said. He looked at her and smiled. “We have plenty of time to try and convince them to change their minds.”
“I’ll fight them if I have to,” Jane finally growled.
“You can’t fight the court, Jane,” Tasker said with a shake of his head. “We’re talking about those with the power to gather the warriors of every major race in the old world and under the oceans. I don’t think even the Temple can stand against the Court for long if the court’s united. The thing is the court’s never united, at least until now.”
They sat on the wall staring at the ruins for a long time as the sun came up and slowly tracked down the nearby tower towards them. A rustle behind them, and Jane turned to see Bella hop and flutter up the steps towards them. Slowly the fairy approached them and sat down on Jane’s knee.
“I heard what you’re saying,” Bella said slowly. She waited while they both looked at her, and then made up her mind. “If the Seele Court really does carry through with their plans there’s a way to stop them.”
Bella smiled coyly at the two bigger beings as they stared at her in surprise.
“Jane,” Bella said to the girl. “Before I left your world I hid the Golden Book of Knowledge in your grandfather’s house. Inside the book is a map that’ll guide you to where the machine that powers the Divide is located. If it comes to it, you can go there and reset the machine.”
“But how, if I can’t pass through the Divide,” Jane said bitterly.
“Well, that’s not entirely true,” Tasker said finally. “My grandfather was present when the Divide was put in place. In order for the device to work it had to in a place present in both worlds. There are some places yet the Divide doesn’t touch, and they are present in both places at once. All you need to do is find them.”
Epilogue
Jane leaned back into her bed at her grandfather’s house. It had been almost two weeks since she and Jacob had returned to their side. Her mom had stayed for a week and helped Grandpa Able put the house beck together. Duluth was slowly returning to normal, but rumors still swirled. Everyone wondered where the mysterious ships had gone. The Coast Guard and the governor’s office took to the TV and radio stations and blamed it on terrorists. Divers searched every part of the harbor looking for the remains of the Goliath but found nothing. The lake floor was empty, and they finally gave up in frustration. There were signs of a great explosion on the lake bed but no remnants of any ships.
Fragments of cannon balls were found scattered about the old part of the city, and the damage to some buildings was heavy but estimates said within a year everything would be repaired.
Jane finally got up and took a long shower. It felt wonderful. She and Jacob were going out for lunch, and they were both looking forward to having a quiet day together. When she was done getting ready, she looked around her room again but nothing different stood out to her.
Bella had said the book was here somewhere, but Jane was stumped. During a visit to her sister on the other side of the Divide, she had asked the little fairy, but Bella refused to answer. Instead she smiled and said, “If you really need it, I believe you and your sister can find it.”
Finally Jane shrugged and walked to the stairs leading to the main floor. Outside the windows was a beautiful day, and she was going to enjoy every moment of it.
The End
The Map Maker's Quest Page 19
