“Oh, if you must...” he sadly said.
Mr. Smithers heard all of this and was greatly intrigued, though he couldn’t make any sense out of it. “What a strange bunch,” he thought. “I wonder what they’re up to.”
As the minutes ticked away, King Rupert grew more glum and uneasy while Artemas sat quietly. Then the King’s eyes lit up. “Dear me! After all this time, I don’t have my crown and sword. I can’t return without them.”
“They’re still in the apple sack in our cellar,” Mrs. Jordan said. “I’ll drive home and get them at once. You wouldn’t be a proper king without those.”
“Good idea,” he hastily agreed. “Take the entire family with you. Artemas and I will wait here.”
“That’s not necessary,” Mr. Jordan said. “I’ll go home and get the items myself. I’ll only be a minute.”
Before King Rupert could say another word, Mrs. Jordan decided that she and little Vergil would accompany him. “The weather is damp and I want to get Vergil a heavier jacket. Do you kids care to come along and grab some warmer clothes?”
“A marvelous idea!” the King said.
“We’ll be fine, Mom,” Molly replied.
“We’d rather stay here with King Rupert and Artemas,” Christopher added. “We’ve been waiting for this day the entire week.”
“Very well,” she said. “Your father and I will return in a few minutes. Behave now.”
Molly and Christopher were thrilled to wait in the diner on their own, though the King and Artemas were less than enthusiastic. As the minutes passed, King Rupert grew more and more agitated. He looked as fidgety as a hamster in a cage. The children sensed that something troubled their friend, but kept quiet after receiving a stern glance from Artemas. When it appeared that King Rupert was ready to burst, he promptly stood and took a deep breath.
“I need a dose of fresh air. Artemas, I want you to accompany me. You children wait here,” he commanded. “Goodbye,” he softly added, exiting the diner with the magician. Mr. Smithers, who had been watching all the while, quietly slipped out the back door.
Molly shook her head in wonder. “Now isn’t that the oddest thing, Christopher. King Rupert acts as nervous as on the night we found him in Mrs. Halloway’s barn.”
“I’ve noticed it too. There’s something he’s holding back from us, but I just can’t place my finger on it.”
Molly sipped her hot chocolate. “And did you notice how he said goodbye? He sounded as if he’d never see us again.”
A horrible thought ran through Christopher’s mind and he looked at Molly with a frightful stare. “You don’t suppose–!” he began, when Mr. Smithers rushed inside through the back door. He went to the children’s booth and sat down, completely out of breath.
“Pardon me for intruding,” he said between gasps for air, “but I overheard your two friends outside.”
Molly raised her eyebrows. “Overheard?”
“Okay! Okay! So I spied on them. It’s my diner after all, and they both seem kind of odd if you ask me. I mean, check out those outfits! Where’d you find those two? In a discount Halloween shop?”
“What did they say?” Christopher asked.
“Weird things. The one with the beard kept saying that there wasn’t much time. Something about a door closing at any minute.” Mr. Smithers grabbed one of the mugs of coffee on the table and took a deep gulp. “Excuse me for helping myself, but I needed that!” He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “That tastes awful!”
“Go on. What else?” Christopher asked, drumming his hands on the table.
“They said they needed to get away without being discovered. By who, I’m not sure. Or is it by whom? I always get those two mixed up. Do you? Owls never have that problem.”
“Who cares, mister! What else did they say?”
“The name is Mr. Smithers, young man, and I’ll tell you exactly what else they said.” Then he scratched his head sheepishly. “Well, ummm, actually they didn’t say anything else. I followed them toward the bridge though, but lost them in the mist. I rushed back here hoping you two could tell me what’s going on. As much as I hate this rundown place, I don’t want any shenanigans in my diner.”
Christopher assured him that nothing would happen to the diner, and then he said a quick goodbye and dashed outside. Molly chased after her brother. They had only run a few yards through the wet grass along the misty river when Molly demanded that they stop.
“You’re rushing so fast, Chris, that I can’t catch my breath! Slow down. Where are you going in such a hurry? We’re supposed to wait for Mom and Dad at the diner. What’s going on?”
“Don’t you know?” her brother said. “I just figured it out. King Rupert and Artemas have already left through the timedoor. It’ll probably close up any second.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Molly crossed her arms. “Artemas said that the door won’t even open until sunrise. That’s still a few minutes away.”
Christopher knew he didn’t have time to stand there and convince his sister, so he ran to the bridge while he talked, with Molly chasing after him. “Artemas lied about the door! He said it would open at sunrise. But after what Mr. Smithers overheard, I think the timedoor will close at sunrise! It must be open right now. King Rupert didn’t want us to know that.”
“But why?” she shouted.
Christopher shrugged in response as he ran. At last they arrived at the bridge, barely visible as it extended across the river. White mists curled around its gray metal beams, coating them with droplets of icy water. Christopher and Molly hurried down a grassy embankment and walked along the river’s edge until they were underneath the bridge near a stone wall support.
“They’re not here!” Christopher punched his hand, angry and saddened that King Rupert and Artemas had deserted them. “And after all we did to help.” He sat down in the grass and leaned against the stone wall. “I just can’t believe it...”
Molly was as crushed as her brother and wanted to go home and forget the entire week. She took her brother’s hand, trying to get him to stand up. “Let’s go, Chris. There’s nothing we can do now.” But Christopher wouldn’t budge as she tugged on his arm. “We’re just going to freeze here if we–” Molly went silent, her mouth opening wide in surprise as she let her brother’s hand slip out of her own. She pointed to a section of the stone wall a few feet to the left of her brother. “Look at that, Chris!”
A slight breeze had stirred up the mist under the bridge, exposing part of the stone wall. That section appeared wavy and weak like the steamy air above a hot asphalt road in summertime. The surrounding stone was solid. Christopher noticed it too and jumped to his feet. He carefully pressed his fingers against the wall and slowly moved them toward the section Molly had spotted. He yelped like a frightened pup when his hand disappeared through the stone and he quickly pulled it out.
“The timedoor! It’s still open, Molly! We have to follow King Rupert if we’re going to find out what’s really going on. We have to hurry before it closes.”
Molly’s spirits soared. She wanted to rush through the timedoor at once and then remembered one simple fact. “We can’t leave. Mom and Dad won’t know what happened to us.”
“No problem.” Christopher found a small rock lying nearby and scrawled a message on the stone near the timedoor. WE FOLLOWED KING RUPERT AND ARTEMAS TO ENDORA. WE’LL BE BACK WHEN THE TIMEDOOR OPENS AGAIN. LOVE MOLLY AND CHRIS. He drew an arrow indicating where the door opened, then tossed the stone into the river. “Mom and Dad will eventually search for us here. They’ll know we’re okay.”
“I suppose,” Molly said timidly, beginning to have second thoughts. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“King Rupert and Artemas arrived in our world in one piece, so I’m certain we’ll be fine too,” her brother assured her. “What do you say, Molly? It’s now or never.”
She glanced at the timedoor and nodded confidently. “All right! Let’s go, Chris. We won’t get another chance.�
�
After taking a deep breath, Christopher placed one foot through the wavy section of the bridge support and watched in amazement as it disappeared. He then stepped all the way into the timedoor and Molly followed, clutching his hand like a vice. All was as black as coal as if somebody had turned out the lights, and then slowly, thousands upon thousands of stars appeared around them. They felt a solid path beneath their feet but could see nothing holding them up as they walked through a dizzying and magical whirlpool of stars.
“I feel like I’m walking in space,” Molly said. “I’m a little bit scared, yet for some reason I know everything will turn out just fine.”
Christopher moved them along. “Keep walking. I think the door was starting to close after we entered. It appeared to be getting more solid around the edges. I can’t imagine what would happen if it closed completely while we were still inside.” The thought scared Molly too, so she quickened her pace.
The stars faded as they neared the other end, and the blackness slowly dissolved into grays and whites. After a few more steps, Christopher and Molly emerged through another stone wall into a small stuffy room lit by several drooping candles and a few burning logs crackling in a fireplace. They turned around and saw the faint outline of the timedoor still visible.
“This must be Artemas’ chamber,” Christopher guessed. “Let’s see if we can find King Rupert.” They opened a door and peered out into an empty corridor. Blazing torches hung from the smooth stone walls, sending wisps of smoke to the high ceiling. Dead silence.
Molly suddenly spun around. “I thought I heard someone behind us!”
The children stepped back into the magician’s chamber and looked about. A table near the fireplace overflowed with stone jars and glass vials of colorful liquids, powders and potions. Shelves of parchment scrolls lined the room. There was even a coat tree near the empty stone wall where they had entered. Piles and piles of cloaks and scarves hung upon it, and several pairs of large boots were crowded around the base. All in all, every object appeared well used and stuffed snugly into place. A set of double doors, opposite the door leading into the corridor, was slightly ajar.
“There’s nobody else in here,” Christopher assured her. “You’re imagining things.”
As soon as he uttered that last word, a deafening crack stung their ears like a sharp clap of thunder. The glass vials rattled on the table. Though fearing the worst, they soon discovered what had happened. The bare wall near the coat tree now appeared cold and gray, the stone as solid as iron. The timedoor had closed.
“I guess we’re trapped here for a while,” he said. “So we might as well have a look around.”
Before stepping out into the hallway again, the children decided to look behind the double doors. The one on the right was partially open, letting in a cool draft. Christopher opened it wide, making the candles flicker and the flames in the fireplace dance wildly.
The doors led onto a large stone balcony overlooking the lands to the north. It was a winter day in Endora as the sun climbed across the cloudy gray sky. Christopher estimated that it was probably midday. Very little snow covered the vast brown patches of ground that stretched out as far as they could see.
Molly walked over to the low railing around the balcony and looked down. “Chris, we must be a million feet high!”
The children realized they stood in one of the uppermost chambers in the castle. Christopher wondered why Artemas needed a balcony overlooking the kingdom and soon discovered the answer. Off to one side stood a bulky object covered by a heavy piece of canvas. Christopher lifted a corner and saw a crudely made telescope underneath.
“So Artemas studies the stars after all,” he concluded, realizing what a spectacular view of the sky the magician would have from this vantage point. He replaced the canvas over the telescope to keep it safe from the cold.
“Let’s get inside again. I’m freezing,” Molly said, her teeth chattering.
So they warmed themselves by the fire for a few minutes before daring to leave the magician’s chamber. Then gathering up their courage, they stepped into the corridor to begin their search for King Rupert and Artemas.
This proved to be quite a task. The upper corridors of the castle were deserted and seemed like a maze. For several minutes the children traveled in circles. Not even a guard was spotted who might give them some help. But since they were trespassing, Christopher thought that he and Molly were better off not being seen until they found the King. In time, Molly discovered a stairway that led to the lower levels of the castle.
Soon voices could be heard, but not having any idea which direction they were coming from, Christopher decided that they should look inside every door, one corridor at a time. If a guard approached, the children agreed to hide out in the nearest empty room. So the monotonous game of search-for-the-King continued.
In the next half hour, they looked inside at least thirty rooms, dodged six guards and even managed to indulge in a snack of dried bread, fruit and water in one of the unoccupied kitchens. Soon they rounded a corner which led to a wide stone passageway with several more doors on each side. Christopher checked the doors on one side and Molly did the same on the other. After a glance into one of her rooms, Molly quickly closed the door and called her brother.
“Chris! Hurry! I think I found it!”
He dashed across the corridor and Molly carefully reopened the door. A small tunnel-like archway stretched along for about twenty feet, opening up into a large chamber. Since there were no torches along the tunnel walls, the children were able to sneak inside and observe, undetected in the shadows.
The circular chamber was lined around the perimeter with tall marble pillars. Torches fastened to each pillar cast away much of the gloom that seemed a common sight in the rest of the castle. In the center was a long oak table with many of the King’s soldiers seated on either side. At the head of the table, farthest from where the children were hiding, sat King Rupert. Ulric, the King’s chief guard, sat at the opposite end. Artemas was on the King’s left, and to his right, sitting primly but with a look of dismay, was King Rupert’s wife, Queen Eleanor.
“I see he made it back safely,” Christopher whispered sarcastically.
“We should march right out there and demand to know why he ran away!” Molly said.
“Let’s listen to what they have to say first. Maybe we’ll learn something about the sorcerer who attacked his castle.”
As Christopher suspected, the meeting concerned the recent invasion by Malaban. They overheard that the King’s daughter, Princess Rosalind, had been kidnapped by Malaban’s soldiers before they retreated. What surprised them most was that none of King Rupert’s men had any idea where Malaban himself had gone. Since the sorcerer hadn’t left Endora with his own army, his whereabouts remained a mystery. A few of the King’s soldiers suggested that their army should attack Malaban’s fortress at once and rescue Princess Rosalind. But as much as King Rupert wanted to do that, he immediately dismissed the idea.
“You forget that we defeated Malaban’s army because he didn’t send all of his troops. Overconfidence on his part. However, if we attack now we shall be greatly outnumbered. We wouldn’t stand a chance.” He sighed and held his wife’s trembling hand. “If I am to save our dear Rosalind, it will have to be done in secret and with few people. That is the only way.”
All were silent. As the King had made up his mind, there seemed nothing left to discuss. Everyone patiently waited to hear the details of his plan, but he remained quiet as if deep in thought. Christopher and Molly couldn’t stand waiting in the dark tunnel for another instant, so they decided to confront the King.
“It’s about time we get some answers,” Christopher said to his sister. “It’s about time we ask the questions!”
Gathering up every bit of courage they possessed, Christopher and Molly emerged out of the shadows and into the circle of pillars, marching right up to King Rupert’s side. The astonishment on his face rendered him
speechless. Queen Eleanor and the soldiers, though, were quite amused at the two determined strangers barging into their midst.
“What is the meaning of this?” King Rupert finally sputtered. “You children follow me like my own shadow. Why are you here? How are you here?”
“You lied to us!” Christopher said, throwing a glance at Artemas, too. “You ran away from the diner without so much as an explanation. Is that how you thank us for all our help?”
The King was speechless once again and quite ashamed of himself. As all eyes were fixed on him, he knew it wouldn’t be to his advantage to discuss the matter here. So he briefly explained the children’s presence and dismissed everyone except Queen Eleanor, Artemas and Ulric.
Before Christopher could spout another word, King Rupert introduced his wife, if only to gain some time to think. “This is my lovely wife, Queen Eleanor of Endora.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” Molly said. She curtsied, feeling it was the proper thing to do.
“Hi,” Christopher said, almost blushing. Somehow meeting royalty in a castle rather than in a barn seemed a much more sobering experience.
“I am pleased to meet both of you,” Queen Eleanor said. “Yet my husband has never mentioned you before,” she added, glancing suspiciously at King Rupert.
The King cleared his throat nervously. “You see, dear, I hadn’t planned on ever seeing these children again. It seems I was quite wrong.” He briefly told Queen Eleanor of his encounter with Malaban and the escape through the timedoor before addressing the children again. “Forgive me and Artemas for running off without saying goodbye. I wish I could tell you more, but I simply can’t.”
“You mean you won’t,” Christopher said. “And even if you don’t tell us why you left, you won’t get rid of us so easily. The timedoor closed right after we walked through. Now we’re stuck in your world for a time.”
The King’s eyes lit up. “It’s closed? How wonderful! That means it will only open up to your world one more time. We’re safe for now.”
The Endora Trilogy (The Complete Series) Page 4
