The Orphanage of Miracles (The Kingdom Wars Book 1)

by Amy Neftzger

  “Where’s your friend?”

  “On his way to meet me.”

  Kelsey sighed as she climbed over a log blocking the path back to the main road. Megan crouched down and then took a huge leap over the log, shaking the earth as she landed. She could have easily stepped over the log, so Kelsey suspected that Megan was showing off. Once she had landed on the other side, she turned around and grabbed the back of Silence’s collar with her teeth to pull him over like a cub. Kelsey pretended not to notice. She knew the boy was capable of walking.

  “Do you have a specific place where you’re meeting this friend?” Kelsey asked as she looked for her markings on the trees to guide them back to the main road.

  “On the other side of the desert. The eastern edge.”

  “There’s a desert?” she asked as she ducked under a few low branches.

  “Of course,” Megan replied as she swatted her paw at the branches, breaking them off and clearing the way.

  “And we have to cross it?”

  “Of course.”

  “Have you crossed it before?”

  “Of course.”

  “Please stop saying ‘of course.’ It’s getting old.”

  “Certainly.”

  When they reached the path, there were already a few people journeying in the other direction, toward the city in the rocks. Most of them went along minding their own business, but even the ones who greeted them didn’t seem to think that a giant snow leopard traveling on the road was anything out of the ordinary.

  “Do you know where the orphanage is located? Is it near the desert? Maybe on the other side?”

  “Yes. No. Yes, but much farther.”

  “What?”

  “I answered your questions in order,” Megan explained. “Yes, I know where the orphanage is located. No, it’s not near the desert. And yes, it is on the other side of the desert but much farther away. Try to keep up, girl.” Kelsey rolled her eyes.

  “Look, I just want to find the orphanage.”

  “Then you will.”

  “But you already know how to get there. Can’t you give me directions?”

  “No.”

  “You won’t tell me?”

  “No.”

  “Son of a snow leopard!” Kelsey cursed and did not apologize. Megan remained quiet. “Well, at least tell me how long it will take to get there so I’ll know if I get lost or if I take a wrong turn.”

  “Can’t do it.”

  “Look, I’m trying to help your friend here,” Kelsey explained as she pointed to Silence. “I’m taking him to the orphanage.”

  “You’re not going for yourself?”

  “That, too.”

  “I thought so.”

  “So you’re going to give me directions?”

  “Can’t.”

  “Can you do anything?” Kelsey demanded.

  “Of course. I can stand on one leg and whistle. I can fish and hunt. But those things are irrelevant right now.”

  “All I’m saying is that it would cut so much time off our voyage if I knew exactly where I was going. Then I could budget my money and food so that I don’t run out of them,” Kelsey sighed. Then she added in a frustrated tone, “Please.”

  “I’m sure that would make the trip easier.”

  “Exactly! So you’ll tell me?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “First of all, I’m a rather large and elegant snow leopard. You’re an awkward, furless creature without any functioning claws. We may not be able to travel the same roads, and you may need to use a different path. I don’t want to restrict you by giving you my directions. In addition, my advice will probably be useless, especially the parts where I tell you to climb using your claws or rip the lungs out of someone with your teeth and powerful jaws.”

  “You’re not being helpful.”

  “That’s good because I’m not a helper. I’m a healer. As I’ve told you before, there’s a huge difference.”

  “I don’t need a healer,” Kelsey replied flippantly.

  “It doesn’t take objectivity to know what you want, and you’re not objective enough to know what you need.”

  “Are all healers as mean as you?”

  “Only the good ones,” Megan replied smugly as she took the lead on the path and led them out of the forest.

  Chapter eleven

  Miracles Change Everything

  Nicholas, Jovan, and Maggie sat together at their lab table, uncertain about what to do next. They still couldn’t believe what they’d heard Ms. White say or what had happened. The children working at all the other tables were whispering among themselves in confusion. None of them had seen exactly what had happened, but they had all witnessed Ms. White taking the beaker from Nicholas and every one of them was speculating on whether Nicholas was in trouble or possibly going to be rewarded for something. It didn’t occur to any of them that he had actually made a miracle. They only knew what they saw, and their imaginations filled in the rest of the story. Nicholas and his friends tried to ignore the other children’s stares as they huddled around their work area to talk, but Maggie felt every eye in the room upon them.

  “Was she joking with me?” Nicholas asked his friends with concern as he stared without focusing on anything. He was replaying the scene in his mind. It still didn’t feel as if he had done anything special.

  “I don’t think she knows how to joke,” Jovan responded solemnly.

  “She was very serious,” Maggie interjected. “I can hardly believe it, but I heard what she said.” She paused to think as she glanced over her shoulder and caught Junko’s eye. Junko reached up with her hand and flipped her black hair aside dramatically, catching the flowing, purple sleeve sticking out from underneath her lab coat on her earring. They exchanged glares, and Junko turned away to detach her sleeve from her earring.

  Maggie turned back to her friends. “I’ll bet she took it to the Pontiffs to show them. Maybe she’ll take credit for your work!” The thought didn’t even occur to Nicholas when Maggie suggested it. He was still thinking about the swift and mysterious way Ms. White had suddenly appeared when she almost never came out of her office. Whole workdays had gone by when she never showed herself, and the children wondered if she was on vacation or lost in the enchanted forest. But this time she came out of nowhere as if she knew what had happened before anyone else - before even Nicholas knew what he had done.

  “And what did she mean by saying that it was the beginning of a miracle and that it needed to be examined?” Nicholas continued as he reflected. “The beginning of a miracle ... ” he repeated as he thought about the significance of the words.

  “We know as much as you do,” Jovan replied. “This is all very strange. She just left without giving any instructions. So, what are we supposed to do while she’s gone? Does she think we’re still working?” Despite the unusual circumstances, he was still worried about breaking the rules - his concern never seemed to go away. Maggie turned to Nicholas and placed her hands on his shoulders as she studied his face.

  “Do you remember what you did?” she asked. The thought had already occurred to her that they might be expected to produce more. When Nicholas didn’t respond, she continued, “What were you heating up in that beaker?”

  “I don’t remember,” Nicholas confessed. “I wasn’t paying attention or seriously trying to do anything. I was just sort of goofing off.”

  “Well, you goofed yourself right into a miracle,” Jovan said, laughing nervously.

  Maggie saw that she could not help Nicholas shake his confusion, and she let go of his shoulders. It was no use trying to force someone to remember what they had already forgotten. Jovan suddenly became more serious as he examined the table in front of Nicholas. “Maybe you should write down whatever you do remember.”

  “Colors,” Nicholas replied after he thought for a moment. “I just wanted to make something colorful. That’s all I remember. I can’t even recall what ingredients I used
or how much.” Nicholas stared at the mess on the table. He had spilled a lot of things. There was multicolored dust everywhere. Part of the dust might have even floated into the beaker so that the ingredients he mixed weren’t everything that went into producing the miracle. He tried to recall the process he had gone through, but it was useless. He wasn’t thinking when it happened.

  “Let’s make a list of everything on this table right now before we forget,” Jovan suggested. “We know that you used something that was here, so this will at least give us a place to begin figuring things out.”

  They were in the middle of making the list when Taro arrived. His face was rosy with excitement, and he was breathless. The threesome had a feeling that Taro had pushed hallway speed limit - if there was such a thing - on his way to see them.

  “This has been a banner day!” Taro exclaimed as he rushed across the lab and sat down next to his apprentices. The stool he was sitting upon squeaked whenever he moved, and he was unable to keep still. He was just beginning to speak when he was interrupted.

  “Do we have to stay here?” Maggie abruptly asked. The constant squeaking of Taro’s stool was grating on her nerves. It had already been a stressful day. She wanted to get away from the lab. The children in the other work groups were staring at them - especially Junko - and Maggie still had a lot of issues with her. The whole situation was making Maggie very self-conscious and uncomfortable.

  “Heavens, no!” Taro exclaimed happily as he looked around the room. His chair squeaked louder as he turned to glance at everyone. “In fact, we should leave. We should go somewhere private so that we can talk.” Maggie felt relieved and stood up to follow Taro. Anyplace but the lab, she thought.

  They left and walked through the hallways, with Nicholas staring up at the vaulted ceilings. They walked through several halls that he had not seen before, and he read the signs above the doorways as they went through them. One of the signs said “Patientia” and another said “Humanitas.” He had seen these in other places in the orphanage, and he wondered why the same sign was used in more than one place because it seemed like a good way to get lost or confused. Directions should be simple, he thought, and the same name should not be used for more than one location, or people could get lost easily. Nicholas suddenly wondered if the orphanage wanted them to get lost. Maybe that’s why the exact same signs were in different places. It sounded strange, but so many things were strange here, and Nicholas couldn’t explain why.

  They finally reached an empty lounge with tall windows, and Taro invited them inside to sit down. Nicholas stared at the pale blue silk curtains framing the windows as he waited for Taro to speak. Jovan and

  Nicholas both sat at the edge of their large, overstuffed chairs, but Maggie scooted all the way back into a pile of green and blue striped decorative pillows and immediately relaxed. It felt good to be out of her normal environment, and she already felt as if the earlier trauma of the day had never happened.

  “There’s so much to tell you that I can’t think of where to start!” Taro exclaimed.

  “Where’s my miracle?” Nicholas asked with concern.

  “Alleged miracle,” Taro corrected him.

  “Alleged?” Jovan asked. “Ms. White said it was the beginning of a miracle, and then she took it away. Now you’re telling us it isn’t real?”

  “All miracles need to be tested by the Pontiffs. It’s standard procedure,” he explained. “There have been cases when someone tried to fake a miracle, but that hasn’t happened in years. The policy states that we should not call anything a miracle until it has been tested and verified. But I’m not worried, and you shouldn’t be, either.”

  “What did you mean by calling this a banner day?” Maggie asked as she put her hands behind her head.

  “Well, I met with the Pontiffs this morning and told them about your plant and how you’ve been walking it. I couldn’t believe how beautiful your plant looked when I saw it. In fact, it looked healthier than Nicholas’ plant!” Maggie was about to laugh out loud when Nicholas glared at her. Taro didn’t notice as he turned to Nicholas and spoke in a serious tone, “Nicholas, I think even you may be able to learn something from Maggie on caring for plants.”

  “I’m teaching him,” Maggie lied with an outwardly calm expression. Inside, though, she still wanted to laugh and she was enjoying playing with Nicholas.

  “Is that right?” Taro asked as he looked at Nicholas.

  “Yes,” Nicholas replied stiffly.

  “Well,” Taro continued. “The Pontiffs were so impressed that they’re adding a policy that all children will walk their plants daily!” Nicholas felt his heart sink. Maggie’s plant was near death, and it would take at least a week before it looked presentable. He had been hoping he could hide the plant for a month or so until it looked healthy again.

  “When will this policy go into effect?” Nicholas asked with concern.

  “Yes,” Jovan interjected. “When will we begin walking our plants? Will everyone be required to walk their plants at the same time every day?”

  “It will be a few weeks. We’re still working out the details,” Taro answered. “We hadn’t finished discussing the policy and how it would work when we heard about the alleged miracle.” Nicholas felt relieved. Even if it was only two weeks, that little bit of time would be helpful in restoring Droopsilla. “But there’s more!” Taro exclaimed.

  “More?” asked all three of the children in unison.

  “Yes. I had previously suggested that the entire orphanage have a gathering once a week to discuss the motto of the week.”

  “What’s the motto of the week?’ Jovan inquired with skepticism.

  “It’s a phrase that the Pontiffs share with all the mentors once a week to motivate and instruct us,” Taro explained. “They give us the motto of the week, and then we’re required to find ways to follow the intent or meaning of the motto. For example, this week’s motto is ‘Miracles first’ which is supposed to help us remember that creating miracles is our first priority. And then today Nicholas created a miracle!”

  “Alleged miracle,” Nicholas corrected him.

  “Thank you,” Taro smiled sheepishly in his excitement. “Alleged miracle. Of course. Anyway, I had suggested that we begin sharing the weekly motto with the whole orphanage so that we’re all thinking about it and working together.”

  “Share the love,” Jovan interjected sarcastically. The last thing they needed was another policy to follow.

  “Exactly!” The sarcasm was lost on Taro. “Well, the Pontiffs were going to reject my suggestion because they thought that too much information may be distracting for the apprentices. But as soon as I told them about Maggie’s plant, they changed their minds.”

  “Why did my plant change their minds?” Maggie asked.

  “Because of your plant and Nicholas’ alleged miracle, they’re starting to appreciate my mentoring technique,” he explained. “You three are doing better than any of the other apprentices in the entire orphanage.” The children quickly exchanged glances. They had no idea that anyone was watching them so closely.

  “What exactly is your technique?” Jovan inquired politely. He wasn’t trying to be obnoxious by asking this question. He only wanted answers, and Taro was so excited that he might give them some information. Taro was just about to speak again when Maggie sat up.

  “Because it often seems that no one is helping us,” she blurted out. “We’re left on our own to figure out how to do jobs and make miracles and grow our own plants.” Nicholas and Jovan cringed at this outburst. It was typical of Maggie, and they were used to it, but Taro didn’t see her every day and might not understand. They watched Taro’s expression quickly change from one of excited happiness into one of concern.

  “I’d just like to be clear that the reason it appears that no one is helping you is because no one wants to get in your way,” Taro explained slowly and thoughtfully. “None of the mentors wants to put limitations on you by telling you how t
o get the job done.”

  “Get in our way?” Jovan asked with a confused expression. “Limitations?”

  “Let me explain.”

  “We’d love that, Taro. We really would,” Jovan replied, “because it’s frustrating to have so many expectations placed upon us and so little knowledge on how to do things.”

  Taro looked around the room for anyone who might overhear the conversation before continuing. The children saw his caution and leaned in closely to listen. “I was picked to be a mentor because I’ve never made a miracle. None of the mentors have made one,” he confessed. “But we’re not supposed to talk about it. The guardians want to find miracles that are unique and not copies of other miracles. So they don’t want us to provide guidance that you could copy to produce the same result. They don’t want a recipe for miracles. They’re looking for originality.”

  “Why?” Nicholas asked. “Why is originality so important?”

  “I don’t know,” Taro shrugged as he spoke. “I’m doing what I’ve been told to do, just as you’ve been doing what you’ve been told to do.”

  “It just seems that we’d be more successful if we knew a little more about miracles and what has worked and what hasn’t,” Nicholas explained.

  “Perhaps,” Taro agreed. “But the guardians know more about miracles than anyone here. They don’t always share their information with the mentors, either.”

  “And there are no books in the library on the subject,” Jovan remarked.

  “You’ve noticed that, too?” Taro asked reflectively. “When I first came to the orphanage, I spent a lot of time in the library. I learned a lot of things, but I never learned how to create a miracle.”

  “And none of the other mentors have made a miracle?” Nicholas asked.

  “None,” Taro confirmed. “The Pontiffs chose the mentors for other qualities.”

  “Such as ...?” Maggie inquired with a hand motion that indicated, “Go on.”.

  “They’re different qualities,” he explained. “Each mentor has a different philosophy on how to encourage the creation of miracles. There are some mentors who believe that we can build miracles using bricks and hard work. Some others think that miracles are a natural reaction that takes place in the environment. Others believe that the essence of miracles needs to be extracted and then grown, like replicating plants from their genetic material. There are a few who believe that water produces miracles, since it’s a substance essential to life. Some also believe that miracles come from nature or from other planets. Still others think that tiny fragments of miracles can be found and then nurtured into full miracles. There are as many theories as there are mentors - maybe more.”