“How?” both children asked together.
“You must administer yourself a dose of water steeped in moonlight. That’s all. Tonight should provide that opportunity.”
Kaliko, the Nome King’s former chamberlain, stepped forward. “You will not need to wait,” he said, producing an emerald vile from his coat pocket. “I was instructed to carry moonwater, always.”
Tug paused before holding out the spoon to Kaliko. There was a lot of tragedy woven into his fate blanket and he wondered if it might be better for these events to remain forgotten. But even without remembering who he was before he came to the Scribe, he was certain that this desire to bury his life troubles was something he would have done in the past, but it was not something he could do anymore, not after all he learned from the Scribe. Now he would face his fate, whether it be an army of Nomes, or great sadness from his past. Without hesitating further, he held out the spoon, and Kaliko poured a dose of water into its recess.
“A word of advice before you swallow,” Oscar said, and Tug paused with the spoon at his mouth. “Try to remember who you have become since you lost your memories. Hold onto what it is you don’t want to lose. Old ways have a habit of dragging us down.”
Tug ran his free hand over the images on his fate blanket and thought about the new awareness he carried with him. He thought of Plato, and the stones, and Nan’s lessons in the tree cottage. Keeping these memories playing through his head, Tug brought the spoon to his lips and drank the sweet portion of water.
The sensation of falling water rushed over Tug, and for the briefest moment he felt like bursting into tears with the memories that exploded into his head like fireworks. These memories did not complete him, as he had thought they would since he lost them. Indeed, they felt like the ideas and dreams of a boy that was no longer him. Somewhere he had outgrown these thoughts, even though he wasn’t there for it.
But the loss he felt for this boy was replaced by the gratitude he felt when he saw Jodie. She brought him out of his sadness before they met Uncle Oscar and Leopold, or even heard of the Nome Kingdom. Everything that Nan had taught him continued what Jodie had already awakened within him.
He looked at Jodie and recognized a feeling he already had before he drank from the spoon. Tug reached out to hug her, and Leopold hugged both of them while their uncle looked on, grinning at the sight of their reunion.
The Nomes continued to stand about them, looking dazed and uncertain of where they belonged or what they should be doing. Tug couldn’t help feeling responsible, and thought for a moment how he might help them.
The answer came to him when Plato swooped down and stood on the ground between the children and Uncle Oscar.
“Plato,” Tug said. “Can you lead the Nomes to the Scribe?”
The bird cocked his beak up and cawed in affirmation.
“Thank you,” Tug said to Plato before standing up to address the Nomes ranging about the forest.
“I can imagine you all feel lost right now.” The Nomes all stopped and looked at Tug, waiting for his last words of guidance. “There is a woman who will teach you how to become Gnomes of the forest. I promise, your life will be richer for it. You may not even miss the treasures you left behind.”
Feldspar made his way to Tug and held out his small hand, and Tug shook it within both of his.
“No words,” the little Nome said.
“You’re their leader now,” Tug said. “Let this bird guide you, and you can lead the rest.”
“Yes,” Feldspar answered.
Tug watched Plato fly off, but felt certain he would see him again. The Nomes walked behind Feldspar through the forest, and the animals all followed them on their journey, as if they had been waiting for the Gnomes all along.
After they left, Oscar clapped his hands together.
“Now that that’s settled, we should make our way back to Three Chimneys. We’ll get you home, safe and sound, though I’m afraid I still have a journey to make. The Princess will be wanting the spoon back, now that it has been reclaimed.”
“What princess?” Jodie asked. “And why does she want it?”
“She is the ruler of a marvelous land on the other side of this Eastern Veil. She is the rightful owner of the spoon— Leopold and I were only keeping it safe for her, though I managed to bungle that up.”
“We opened the trunk and let the Nomes into the farmhouse,” Tug said, apologetically.
“No matter,” Oscar said. “I’ll see you young travelers back to Three Chimneys, and from there I can continue on to the Princess.”
“Can’t we go with you?” Jodie asked.
“I did not imagine you would want to, after your underground internment. I’m sorry to say there are greater dangers than Nomes along the road I will be traveling.”
Tug couldn’t imagine a worse fate than being trapped in the Nome Kingdom, and Jodie crinkled her nose at the suggestion of staying in Vermont now. “I can’t see just sitting in a farmhouse by ourselves, waiting for you and not knowing.”
Tug agreed, “I don’t know how we can go back to our plain, old lives after this.”
Oscar frowned and scratched the back of his head. “You know, the spoon can be used in many different ways. With the right elixir, I can help you forget all the distasteful episodes since you went underground.”
Jodie considered it, but Tug had already learned that you can never really escape unpleasant memories.
“I think it’s better to live with the truth,” Tug said. “We can’t go back to who we were before, but that’s okay. We don’t have to let go of the good parts of ourselves, even if we feel we’ve outgrown them.”
As he said this, he held Leopold tight and knew he would never again be embarrassed to have the teddy bear as a friend.
“Well, old bear,” Oscar said to Leopold. “It appears you have a new traveling companion.” Leopold growled in agreement and smiled up at Tug.
Then to his nephew Oscar added, “Whatever you decide, you’ll have to take Leopold with you. He belongs to you now. Whatever distracts you in your coming ages, never forget your love for him. It happened to that bear once before, and I’m not sure his heart could withstand being broken twice.”
“How did it happen?” Jodie asked.
“Some young scallion, long ago. That’s how he came to be, you know— through a child’s love.”
“But where are they now?” Tug asked, afraid he or she might come back someday to reclaim Leopold.
“Sadly, that child forgot about Leopold long ago. Sometimes we forget who we are without having our names stolen. Even though the Princess has made Leopold a baron of great esteem in her country, he still chose to go back to Three Chimneys with me. Not to protect the spoon, but in hopes that the child might come back for him.”
“But Tug went back for him,” Jodie added.
“He certainly did.”
The decision whether to stay at Three Chimneys or continue on with Uncle Oscar to deliver the spoon hung heavy in the air. Jodie gave Tug a look. Her raised eyebrows seemed to say she was keen to stick with their uncle, if Tug was as well.
“I want to meet this princess,” Tug said.
“Me, too,” Jodie added. “Maybe we can keep you out of trouble this time, Uncle Oscar.”
Oscar nodded, visibly pleased. “Good-oh, then let’s off.”
“Is it far?” Tug asked.
“Well, it’s not walkable. We will have to take to the air.”
“An airplane?” Jodie asked excitedly, never having flown before.
“No, no. Nasty projectiles! We’ll have to see a man about a balloon. He isn’t far; a day, maybe two.”
“What about the Princess?” Jodie asked. “Should we let her know we’re coming this time?”
“No need,” Uncle Oscar said. “Thoughts have wings.”
About the Author
J.C. Nusbaum lives on Three Chimneys Farm in Vermont. This is his first novel.
For more information, v
isit http://www.jcnusbaum.com
For more information about The Mystic Travelogues, including news about upcoming books in the series, visit http://www.mystictravelogues.com
Acknowledgments
Many nurturing souls helped this story come into being. I would like to thank Allison Van Lare for buoying my spirit throughout the process, supplying insights to the bigger story, and reading drafts to her teddy bear; my editor and friend, Cathy Ryan, for believing in this story enough to build a new publishing house behind it; Lisa Buell, for coaching me in the way of all things conscious and intentional; Sue Mehrtens, for teaching me about alchemy, dreamwork, archetypes, and friendship; and my critique group, “The Londonderries,” (Chris Tebbetts, Barbara Gregorich, Jan Donley, Vicki Hayes and Barbara Fisler) for critiquing early chapters and helping me to grow as a writer.
I am also indebted to innumerable books whose inspired truths— and some characters— made their way into The Mystic Travelogues. The list is legion and impossible to relate, but in particular I am indebted to the following:
L. Frank Baum’s Oz books (various editions, 1900-1919).
George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin (Books of Wonder, 1986).
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, translated by Richard F. Burton (The Burton Club, 1885).
L.M. Boston’s Green Knowe series (Harcourt Brace, 1955).
M-L. von Franz’s Shadow and Evil in Fairytales (Spring Publications, 1974).
Susan Mehrtens’ Developing Intuition and Introduction to Dreamwork (Eltanin Publishing, 2011).
Table of Contents
Front Matter
1. The Stray Boy
2. A Call from Uncle Oscar
3. Into the Emerald Valley
4. A Bear Named Leopold
5. A Key to Unknown Places
6. The Trap Door
7. Becoming Real
8. The Right Way to Light
9. Stolen Names
10. Nome Trickery
11. Capital Vices
12. The Bear in a Vase
13. Plato’s Hat
14. The Fabric of Time
15. A Dream Within a Dream
16. Trouble Underfoot
17. A Promise Kept
18. Parting in a Yellow Wood
About the Author
Acknowledgments
The Mystic Travelogues Page 13
