The half bear―half gorilla man opened a cell door. “Get in.”
Lexi did as she was told. Inside the cell stood a young man with a kind expression. “I will not hurt you,” he said. “I’m here to help you, and in turn, perhaps you can help me. It’s what Teddy would have wanted.”
THE FUNKOMETER
Anni froze on the landing when a rotund little man dressed in a fine silk tunic and flashy shoes stumbled out of Krizia’s office. He was muttering something under his breath. Anni pulled her garden hat down and pretended to fluff the flowers on a nearby table. Krizia followed the man out into the hall and she said, “Van, you’re underfoot. I need you to go and leave me to my business.”
Anni had never met Van, but she knew he was Zelda Scurryfunge’s brother. When his face broke into a grievous expression, he reminded her of a frog, but looked nothing like his sister. Anni felt a little sorry for him being married to Krizia, until she heard his simpering voice. “But Ornellipoo, you need rest. You’re not well. I’ll do your—”
The steely glint in Krizia’s eyes made her look like a bull in front of a red flag. “You will do no such thing. I’ll finish my own work. Leave now.” Anni thought she might drag Van away by his ear when she hissed, “Never call me that in public, and turn on the Funkometer.” She went back into her office and slammed the door.
Squirt giggled as he exited Krizia’s office a second later. His eyes were round and excited as he said, “It’s done.”
“Really? That was fast,” Anni whispered as she started pushing the hover cart back in the direction they had come. “Krizia told Van to turn on the Funkometers. We should go.”
“Leave the cart,” said Squirt. “I’ll get it later. Quick, follow me.”
They left the cart in the hall by the table. Squirt took Anni’s hand and raced down the Manor’s main staircase as fast as their feet could carry them. Anni was worried they might look suspicious, even though Squirt could barely hold back giggles. They zipped past Van, who was still mumbling to himself in the foyer. Squirt was fit to burst with laughter when they noticed that Van’s hand loomed over a small wooden box inset in the wall; Anni guessed it must have been a Funkometer switch.
The floor of the Manor’s foyer lit up with a message that said, “Goodbye Squirt, Goodbye Anni,” as they darted out the front door, almost running right into Oliver, who was walking up the Manor’s front steps. A ringing sound pinged their ears. They ran until they reached the nearest greenhouse.
“Did you hear that?” asked Squirt, followed with copious laughter he could no longer hold back. “Ha ha, that was the Funkometer.” Anni could have guessed it herself, and although she was more nervous than humored, Squirt’s laughter was contagious. “That…was…the most fun…I’ve ever had. Ha ha!”
Once they crossed the Manor’s lawn, they laughed together. It was the most exciting thing Anni had done on the Zephyr, yet it reminded her of the times when she and Lexi used to sneak off to the clock tower when they were supposed to be inside the school.
“We did it,” said Squirt, catching his breath.
“You’re right, it—” she said.
They fell silent and stared at one another, wide-eyed. Krizia was talking to her secretary through the Eaves-Dropus ear buds. Krizia said, “One more thing, see to it that the eastern conference rooms on the seventeenth and nineteenth floors are cleaned and the woodwork polished, and be sure to put in a daily order for flowers.”
“You heard that, right?” asked Anni. “Could one of those be the meeting room?”
“Not sure,” said Squirt. “I’ll check when I fill the flower orders, but I hope so.”
Anni had to leave Squirt to his duties, because she was due to meet Mackenzie at Basil Boggle Tea Shoppe. When she arrived, he showed her how to wash the dishes, stack them, and how to organize the tea tins. Under Mackenzie's tutelage Anni was able to whip up several customers’ orders whether it was a Fruet-frizzwizzbee, a Sprakanberie, or even a Cocopanakos. Mostly, she worked in the back room, which she liked because there was a one-way mirror she could look through to watch the patrons. It was terrific for avoiding Miranda and Oliver, both of whom came in more than once.
Before Anni headed back to Spadu Hills, Daphne came in looking frazzled; her normally sleek hair was a tangled mess, and she didn’t even blush when she passed Mackenzie. Anni took her to the back room, where Daphne whipped out her tape measure and said, “Don’t even ask. I don’t have a lot of time to explain.” Daphne took Anni’s measurements, including her head. “I can’t believe Spongincork lied about the Funk breach. Diana’s furious with him. She even sent Miranda a strong message, once I told Diana what she said about Brat. I’m only sorry it took so long. I’ve got to get back to Haberdashers in five minutes, but I had to tell you, Diana said Brat might be cleared with the Fleet in a week, but only on the condition that he keeps a low profile and doesn’t get caught.” Anni was relieved to hear this. “The Manor’s hosting some kind of InterElemental Elofficium party the night before,” she whispered, “the S.E.C. meeting, that’s why I’ve been sewing at Haberdashers all day.”
“Ouch,” said Anni as Daphne pinched her skin.
“Whoops, sorry….” Daphne’s eyes looked heavy. “I haven’t slept much these past few days…Squirt told me about the chute and I think it’ll work, but he’s still mad at me for arranging his date with Betty. I told him that everyone has to do their part, but I’m not sure we can shift your Funk with tonics alone. I have another idea, a backup, but it’s not foolproof….Okay. Done. Now I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Uh, okay. Bye.” Anni watched Daphne bump into three tables and the door on her way out of the Tea Shoppe.
Anni walked through the village on her way back to Spadu Hills alone, but relieved her escorts Fort and Knox had abandoned her. About 300 yards from Fortensia’s house she spotted two Elementals standing in the middle of the woods with their backs to her, talking animatedly with their hands. One of them briefly turned around.
“Zelda?” Anni yelled and ran toward her. A large crack echoed in the trees. When Anni got to the spot where she had seen them, the Elementals were gone. The whole thing gave her a weird feeling. She raced back to Fortensia’s, opened the office door, and locked it behind her. When she turned around, she jumped. Someone was already inside.
“Ah, it’s you,” said Fortensia, dropping herself into her chair in front of the fire. “Don’t know about you, but I’ve had a rotten week.”
“Why?” asked Anni, calming down.
“Elofficium seized all my bags of guano in LimBough. No explanation. And to add fat to the frying pan, all my orders were mysteriously canceled. It’s that Spongincork fella; he’s up to no good. Now I know why them kids call him Leach. Parasite. He left me a note that they’re gonna inspect my caves, and all the Raterons, you name it.”
Anni felt guilty for her attempted escape in the guano bags. Then she thought about Brat and the fact that she hadn’t seen him for days. Miranda must have said something about him to someone at the Elofficium.
“I see your mind turning. And no, I knew about your escape plan—well,” she chuckled, “everyone at the dock saw you. Gave me a laugh more than anything; don’t worry, you’re not the reason for the canceled orders. And while we’re on the subject of secrets, I know about your little friend Brat. Met him down in the cave this afternoon.”
Anni’s forehead beaded. “You did, I mean, you do?”
“Nice little fella, proper as all get out, but a nervous chap; turns out he has good reason, too. Spongincork wants to inspect my caves, calling it quality control; he wants a working inventory of all the legally registered Raterons. I told the Pirats about the inspection and they’re taking off as we speak, but your friend stayed behind, that’s how I met him, and it turns out the Pirats think your friend Brat is a brave little fellow, too, go figure. If I was you, I’d get him somewhere safe where he can lay low for the next couple days.”
An
ni nodded. She had no idea what to do with Brat and prayed that between Daphne, Squirt, and even One-eyed Nimmy—if he stayed behind, too—they might figure something out.
“Oh, and another thing. You’re not workin’ in the caves anymore. Generally, I like to work alone; it helps me think. You’ll be livin’ here, and that’s that. Spongincork can sit on my pitchfork before I follow any more of his orders. Are we square?”
Anni laughed. “Yeah, okay.” She genuinely liked Fortensia.
For dinner, Fortensia made a kind of stew over the hearth. As they ate, Anni asked questions about LimBough and what it was like to travel to different countries through TreeTransport with huge loads of guano.
Fortensia gave her the brief version. “You need to check your E-pass and Opus Stone to cross the bridge, then you enter the Orb. You gotta move quick and make sure your guano flats are on the right platform. You need to know your Rootways, which TreeTransport you’re taking, too.”
It was enough to boggle the mind. Anni realized then that she really did need Daphne’s help after all. First thing in the morning, she decided she would find Jay and tell him he’d need two E-passes.
It was a long and exciting day, and she had no trouble falling asleep. However, the next morning, when she woke, a face hovered a few inches over her head with two ghostly, whitish-blue eyes.
She screamed.
It couldn’t be! But it was. Rufous Finnegan was in the attic! He leaped away, flipped open the attic door, and made to run, but not before he grabbed Lexi’s backpack.
A combination of shock and fatigue overwhelmed her. She couldn’t let Finnegan steal Lexi’s backpack after she vowed to protect it; she couldn’t let him get away.
Before she gave chase, she realized there was no need. Rolled up inside the pair of clean overalls she had used as a pillow the night before was Lexi’s patchwork doll. She scrambled to check her tank top. The bee patch Daphne had reattached for her was still in place, and Mabel’s key was still hanging from the chain around her neck. Everything was fine, but was it? Anni realized too late that her journal was still inside the backpack and now in Finnegan’s possession.
Did Finnegan know about Lexi’s doll? Was that what he was after? What did he want with it? Finnegan had to be the one at her window the day before, but was he the one with Zelda in the woods, too?
Anni raced outside. Fortensia had just caught sight of Finnegan running out of her house and was on her Omninav reporting it; however, she refused to let Anni chase after him. Fortensia said it was too dangerous to chase him alone and gave Anni her Omninav instead. In no time, Daphne and Squirt were at Spadu Hills.
The trio walked into the village, but Anni was dejected. She explained what happened that morning, but the loss of her journal gripped her in way she couldn’t hide. It was like losing Mabel all over again and only highlighted the fact that Lexi was gone, too. What Daphne seemed most interested in was the color of Finnegan’s eyes. She kept asking, “Are you sure they looked whitish blue? What color are his eyes?”
“I don’t know. Why does that matter?”
“Whitish-blue eyes indicate an addled brain, and a loss of mental control.”
They had a late breakfast at Basil Boggle Tea Shoppe in a booth to themselves. Anni had wrapped up Lexi’s doll and slung it under her arm the whole time; she wouldn’t let it out of her sight. Daphne and Squirt agreed that it was best if they spent the next four nights with Anni at Spadu Hills. They told her it would give them time to go over their plans, reviewing the air ducts on the 3-D map, but Anni knew they wanted to cheer her up.
As sure as their word, that evening, Daphne and Squirt arrived at Fortensia’s with their pillows, sleeping bags and clothes in hand. Anni couldn’t shake the loss of her journal, but she appreciated their company all the same.
The next morning when Anni awoke, Daphne, Squirt and Brat were waiting downstairs with Fortensia around the hearth. Sitting on the table was a huge pot of Chadulcis tea, a freshly baked oat loaf, and a present wrapped with a blue bow.
“Someone told me,” said Fortensia, “that we missed your birthday.”
Before Anni could ask how they knew, Squirt jumped up and shoved the present into her hands. “Open it. Open it! I can’t wait. We’ve been working on it all night!”
Anni smiled and unwrapped the gift. It was a beautiful new journal. In truth, she knew it couldn’t replace the one Mabel gave her, or the last three years of her life that she had recorded in its pages, but it was a very kind gesture.
“Actually, it’s not a replacement,” said Daphne, her ears pink. “It’s a fresh start.”
Anni opened the journal and laughed aloud. On the title page it said: Anni Moon’s Compendium To The Elemental World, with love from Daphne, Squirt, Fortensia, and Brat. The pages were filled with Elemental words and their written meanings, each one written by hand and initialed by the author, and all of Brat’s included hand-drawn pictures.
“Look.” Squirt flipped some pages. “There’re blank pages for you to write stuff too!”
Brat flew onto her shoulder. He wrung his hands. “Do you like it?”
“I love it.” Anni grinned. “I never knew you were an artist.” Brat blushed.
Anni hugged each one of them in turn. Daphne poured the tea while Brat passed out napkins. Squirt’s cheeks were stuffed with cake before Fortensia divided up the rest of the loaf. Anni sipped her tea, watching them, feeling so happy and lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends in her life, and even though Lexi wasn’t there, she was in her heart.
The next three days passed like clockwork; they ate breakfast in the village, Daphne headed to Haberdashers, while Anni and Squirt worked at the Manor; late afternoon they met up at Basil Boggle Tea Shoppe and walked back to Spadu Hills for dinner with Fortensia. Even Brat joined them, and didn’t mention his digestion once. However, on the fourth night, Daphne and Squirt slept at Moon Manor since they were expected to work late into the evening for Krizia’s hosted InterElemental Elofficium Social Extravaganza.
The next morning, Anni went to the Tea Shoppe for breakfast, but it was closed. Anxious, she went to the Manor and did her chores early. When she came back to the village it was deserted; many of the shops along the cobblestone walk had closed signs in their windows, too. She couldn’t believe her luck when she spotted Jay, but all excitement faded a second later when Miranda walked out of Mooncakes Café with a woman Anni assumed was their mother, as they all had the same fiery red hair. They were headed in her direction.
She dashed inside Haberdashers, and for once, it wasn’t crowded. Ms. Thimble, the old lady from the back storeroom, was sitting at the register, smiling at her. Anni thought she must have been blind because Elementals never smiled at her.
“Picking up an order, honey?” asked the lady. “Daphne, this lady has an order.”
Daphne looked exhausted. Her sleek, straight hair was a mess and her clothes were wrinkled. She mumbled, “Order number? Anni!”
Daphne pulled her into the back of the shop. “I’m glad to see you. I was going to come find you, look…” She pulled out a long, shimmering length of cloth. “It’s a somasuit, it’s like a glove for your body that fits over your clothes. It should mask your Funk.”
Anni pulled the somasuit over her clothes. It fit like a second skin. Even the hood covered her head perfectly, and once on, it was weightless. “How does it work?”
“The secret is in the threads, a Dwarrow secret, I guess. I’ve been working on this suit for ages, but I haven’t had anyone to try it out on until now. We need to test it at Yugi’s. Dwarrow hair works like metal, but it’s flexible so you can move in it. Basically, it should hold in your Funk. It also does something else, but I’ll show you that part later. It should work in LimBough, too. And speaking of that―” she pointed to two small backpacks sitting on the floor. “There are enough supplies, tinctures, food, sleeping bags, and a tent in those two bags to keep ten people happy for a week.”
Grateful, A
nni flung her arms around Daphne but ended up knocking her to the ground; Daphne was so tired, she fell over. They laughed and Anni offered to help Daphne finish up with her duties. Together, they organized the last five wrapped packages ordered for pickup that morning.
Anni carried the packages to the front where Ms. Thimble said, “Thank you, Daphne,” just as the woman who looked like Miranda and Jay’s mother came into the shop. Anni ducked behind a giant pillar of spooled threads. The woman came in alone and collected her order, which was, strangely, under the name “Sune,” then she left the shop.
Anni went into the back where Daphne had finished tidying up.
“What’s Miranda and Jay’s mother’s name? It isn’t Sune, is it?”
“It’s Firestone, just like theirs,” said Daphne. “Why do you ask?”
“I must have been wrong. This woman just picked up the last packages, and I thought she was their mother.”
“If the packages are gone, I can go,” said Daphne. “Let’s get over to Yugi’s.”
Daphne handed Anni her brand-new backpack, which she stuffed Lexi’s doll into, along with the somasuit. They got to Yugi’s before Squirt arrived, so Daphne decided to surprise him with Anni wearing the somasuit. They waited in Yugi’s garden shed downstairs. When they heard him whistling at the door, Daphne said, “Slip your thumb into the cuff and squeeze. Don’t move.”
The fabric shimmered like liquid mercury, and maybe it was her imagination, but she thought it grew tighter, too. The somasuit reflected just like a Queen’s Mirror.
“Hi, Daph!” said Squirt, smiling as usual. “Where’s Anni?”
Brat flew out from his inside pocket and said, “But she’s here. I can smell her.”
“No, you can’t,” said Anni, pulling the fabric off her head.
“Moppins!” yelled Brat, and he flew into Squirt’s chest.
Daphne giggled.
“Y-y-you…” Brat stuttered. “You almost scared me to my Death Date. How long have you been sitting there?” He flew over to the table and touched the cloth. “Is that Dwarrow hair? It is. Where’d you get this?”
Anni Moon & The Elemental Artifact: An Elemental Fantasy Adventure Series: Book For Kids Ages 9-12 (Anni Moon Series) Page 20
