“You may go now,” Mr. Tabby said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Go? Was it over? Ben’s shoulders slumped.
“Wait a minute,” Pearl said. “We just brought back a sasquatch. And we did it without anyone in town seeing it. Don’t we get a reward or something?”
“Reward?” A low growl vibrated in Mr. Tabby’s throat.
Ben’s face started to feel hot. “Uh, we don’t need a reward. I’m the reason the sasquatch escaped. It was my fault.”
“Well, it wasn’t my fault,” Pearl said. She put her hands on her hips and stared right into Mr. Tabby’s half-moon eyes. “I know this isn’t a worm hospital. I’m not stupid. I know you have a dragon living on your roof. And I know about the hatchling and the sasquatch. I want to meet Dr. Woo, and I want to ask her some questions. That can be my reward.” She nudged Ben with her elbow. “Our reward.”
“That’s not possible,” Mr. Tabby said. “Dr. Woo does not speak to anyone. She’s—”
The loudspeaker crackled, and a soft voice said, “Send them to my office.”
20
The elevator still smelled like sasquatch, even though the creature was long gone. Ben tapped his feet nervously as he and Pearl rose to the second floor. “Take a left,” Mr. Tabby had told them. “Dr. Woo’s office is the last room at the very end of the hall. Do not open any doors along the way. This you must promise.”
“We promise,” both Ben and Pearl had vowed.
There were no windows in the second-floor hallway, and no overhead lights. The only light trickled from the end of the hall, where a door stood open. “That must be her office,” Ben whispered.
Pearl led the way, her steps confident and loud, her ponytail swinging. They passed door after door, all closed. Ben wondered if the sasquatch was behind one. Or the dragon hatchling. Or another equally amazing creature. But he’d promised not to open any doors, so he kept his hands tucked into his jeans pockets.
About halfway down the hall, Pearl’s footsteps slowed. Then she stopped walking. “My mom and dad will be wondering where I am,” she whispered. “Maybe we should leave.”
Even in the dim light, Ben could see that Pearl’s eyes were as wide as golf balls. “You’re the one who wanted to meet her,” he said, his voice hushed.
“I know. But I’m kinda scared. What if she’s mean?”
He wasn’t going to admit that he also felt a bit scared. He figured that a doctor who worked with dragons had to be fierce, strong—maybe even a bit crazy. “Don’t you want to find out about the Imaginary World?”
Pearl nodded. But she didn’t budge.
“Come on,” Ben said. “We’ll walk together.” And so, with matching footsteps, they started walking again. A few moments later, they arrived at the open doorway.
“Come in,” a gentle voice said.
Sunlight streamed in through Dr. Woo’s windows, which overlooked a small lake. The water sparkled, the factory reflecting on its calm surface. The office itself was a mess, cluttered with baskets, crates, and moving boxes. A huge wooden desk, its legs carved like dragons, sat in the center of the room. Papers and books covered the desktop. Glass jars filled with cloudy liquids and odd floating things crowded the shelves.
A woman stood next to a coatrack, unbuttoning a white laboratory coat. As she hung the coat on a hook, yellow glitter drifted through the air. The woman shook her head, and glitter fell from her long black hair. She removed her stethoscope and set it on the desk. Then she folded her hands behind her back and gazed at the kids. “You wanted to see me?”
Ben held his breath. Dr. Woo was nothing like he’d imagined. She wasn’t a towering superhero. She stood about his height, which wasn’t very tall. Her face was as pale as the moon, her almond-shaped eyes as black as ink. She was beautiful, even with the big scar that ran across one cheek. Another ran down her neck.
“Hi,” Pearl said. Then she nudged Ben. He released his breath.
“Hi,” he said.
“Please, sit down.”
Ben settled on a stack of boxes, as did Pearl. After brushing yellow glitter from her skirt, Dr. Woo sat at her desk and faced the kids. “I’ve just returned from a house call, so I haven’t had time to clean up the fairy dust.”
“Fairy dust?” Pearl whispered.
Dr. Woo tapped her fingers on her desk. Her right index finger was missing. Ben remembered the paper he and Pearl had signed about not blaming Dr. Woo if something crushed, stomped, vaporized, or bit them. Had something bitten off Dr. Woo’s finger?
“Mr. Tabby informed me that you were sent to retrieve the sasquatch,” Dr. Woo said. “Clearly you’ve been successful.”
“Yes,” Ben said. “I’m sorry I didn’t bolt the door. It was my fault it got out.”
“I also understand that you found our missing wyvern hatchling.”
“Yes,” Ben said again. “My grandpa’s cat hurt it. I’m sorry about that, too.”
“Did you say fairy dust?” Pearl asked. “Fairies are real?”
Dr. Woo didn’t answer that question. Instead, she stifled a yawn. “Excuse me. I’ve had a long journey, and I need to get some sleep.” She leaned back in her chair. “What is it you wished to see me about?”
Pearl looked at Ben. He nodded encouragingly. She scooted to the edge of the box and spat out the following questions at rocket speed. “Who are you? And where is the Imaginary World? And how do you get to it? And how come no one else knows about it? And if dragons really exist, then how come everyone says they don’t? And if there are sasquatches and dragons, then are fairies real? And what about unicorns? ’Cause I’d really like to meet a unicorn. Can I meet a unicorn? And why do you have yellow glitter in your hair? And”—she paused for a millisecond—“can we go to the Imaginary World with you?” She took a long breath, then closed her mouth.
Silence filled the room. Ben could barely keep himself from wiggling as they waited for the doctor’s answers.
Dr. Woo suddenly sat up very straight. “It is always a challenge to keep my hospital a secret, and you two already know more than you should.” Her gentle voice turned dark and serious. Something flashed in her eyes. “I’m not sure what to do about it.”
Were they in trouble? Ben shifted nervously. Was Dr. Woo going to tell his parents that he’d caused that big mess in the senior center? And that he’d captured the Mulberrys with a net? “You don’t have to do anything,” he said. “We won’t tell anyone about the hospital.”
“That’s right,” Pearl said. “And we won’t tell anyone about the sasquatch.”
“Or the hatchling,” Ben said.
“We promise,” Pearl said.
“Yeah, we promise.”
Dr. Woo did not appear convinced by these eager promises, for her brow remained furrowed, her lips pursed. She looked from Ben to Pearl and back to Ben. Ben smiled, trying to look like a boy who always told the truth—not like a boy who made up stories. What was the doctor thinking? She looked at Pearl again. Pearl smiled, too, the big gap looking like a piece of black licorice stuck between her teeth.
Dr. Woo pressed a button on her desk intercom. “Mr. Tabby? We have a serious breach in security. Do you have any suggestions?”
Mr. Tabby’s voice drifted from the speaker. “We could have the dragon carry them away and leave them somewhere, a mountaintop perhaps, or a deserted island.”
“That is an option,” Dr. Woo said. “But what if they were rescued? They’d still know our secrets.”
“Very true. Hmmmmm.” Mr. Tabby paused for a moment. Ben was about to assure Dr. Woo, once again, that he’d tell no one about the hospital when Mr. Tabby said, “I have a brilliant idea. We could leave them with the cyclops. He’s always hungry.”
“You’ve got a cyclops?” Pearl asked. “That’s so amazing.”
Ben couldn’t believe Pearl was more interested in the fact that Dr. Woo had a cyclops than the fact that she might feed the kids to the cyclops. “Uh”—he slid off the boxes, then took a coup
le of steps backward—“I think we’d better be going.”
“I don’t think feeding them to the cyclops is a good idea,” Dr. Woo told Mr. Tabby. “Too messy.”
“Too messy?” Ben mumbled. How far was that elevator? If he made a run for it, could he get there before Dr. Woo changed her mind?
“And if the children went missing, we’d have to deal with the local police. There must be a better way to handle this situation,” Dr. Woo said.
“Hey,” Pearl said as she also slid off the boxes. “What are you talking about? You don’t need to do anything. Ben and I promised. We promised.”
Once again, Dr. Woo’s gaze traveled from Ben to Pearl and back to Ben. “I wonder…” She leaned her elbows on the table. “I wonder…” She tapped her fingers again. “I’ve only done this one other time, but I wonder if…”
Ben took a few more steps backward. He was in the doorway now, his legs poised and ready to bolt if the dreaded words feed them to the came out of Dr. Woo’s mouth.
“Mr. Tabby?” Dr. Woo said.
“Yes?”
“I think I have the solution.” Dr. Woo’s face relaxed. “They seem like nice kids. And it takes skill and cunning to catch a sasquatch. Since they already know too much, and since we could use some extra hands around here…” She smiled. “I will make them my apprentices.”
21
What?” Pearl said with a gasp. “You want us to be your apprentices? Really? That’s so cool!”
Ben stepped back into the room. “Apprentices?”
“That’s right,” Dr. Woo said.
“I’ll do it!” Pearl cried. “When can I start? Can I start right now?”
Mr. Tabby, who remained on the other end of the intercom, cleared his throat. “Dear me, dear me. Are you certain you want the responsibility of two children? Human children require so much care. They do not respond well to commands. Their curiosity leads them astray time and time again.”
“They won’t be my responsibility,” Dr. Woo said. “Since you are my assistant, they will be your responsibility.”
“Oh.” Mr. Tabby’s voice turned cold. “More work for me. How delightful.” Then the intercom went silent.
Pearl nudged Ben with her elbow. “Can you believe this? Apprentices!”
Ben’s legs wobbled with excitement. Apprentice to a veterinarian for Imaginary creatures? He could hardly believe it. But then he remembered. “I don’t think I can do it,” he said, disappointment settling over him like a rain cloud. “I’m only here for the summer. Then I go back to Los Angeles.”
“I’m not going to Los Angeles,” Pearl said. “I live here. I never go anywhere. I can do it for sure.”
“You can both do it,” Dr. Woo said. “We can make this a summer apprenticeship, to begin with. But you must get permission from your parents.”
“What do we tell them?” Ben asked.
“Tell them that you will be working at Dr. Woo’s Worm Hospital. I will expect you to be here Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will expect you to arrive each morning at eight AM precisely, and you will leave at three PM precisely.” She shuffled through a desk drawer, then slid a piece of paper to the edge of the desk, along with a pen. “But first you must sign the contract of secrecy.”
Another thing to sign? Pearl didn’t argue this time. She signed immediately. Ben leaned over the paper, squinting. “The print is really small. I can’t read any of it.”
Dr. Woo pushed the pen toward Ben. “It simply states that you will not tell anyone that this is actually a hospital for Imaginary creatures. And that anything you see, hear, feel, touch, smell, or taste while working as my apprentice will be kept a secret.”
Ben thought about it. As cool as the apprenticeship sounded, eight o’clock in the morning was really early. He’d never been a morning person. He had two alarms in his bedroom back home just so he wouldn’t be late for school. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday were a lot of days. And then there was the whole crushing, shredding, vaporizing thing. “What will we be doing?” he asked, staring at Dr. Woo’s missing finger.
“You’ll be doing whatever needs to be done,” Dr. Woo replied. A few stray pieces of yellow glitter fell from her hair.
“Come on,” Pearl said. “Sign it. What are you waiting for? What else are you going to do all summer? Hang out at the senior center?”
Ben picked up the pen. Had he already broken the contract of secrecy by telling Grandpa Abe he was searching for sasquatches? But his grandfather hadn’t believed him, so no harm had been done. He signed,
Dr. Woo collected the contract and tucked it in the top desk drawer. Then her expression and voice turned serious again. “There are consequences for breaking the contract,” she told them. “Just so you know.”
Before Ben could ask what kind of consequences, a buzzer sounded and the same nasal voice shot out of the loudspeaker. “Dr. Woo, the hatchling is scheduled for departure.”
“Thank you. I’ll be right there.” Dr. Woo stood. She collected her lab coat from the rack and slid her arms through its white sleeves. Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the scar on her face and casting a shadow that made it look twice as large.
“Are you sending the hatchling back to the Imaginary World?” Pearl asked. “Can we see it before it leaves?”
“Can we say good-bye?” Ben asked.
Dr. Woo gathered her long hair and tied it into a knot at the back of her neck. Then she slid her stethoscope over her head. “Dragon hatchlings become easily attached to humans. It is best that it not see you.”
Too bad, Ben thought. He wished he’d taken a picture of the hatchling when he’d found it, before he’d signed that contract of secrecy. Now he’d never see the little sea horse face again.
“Sometimes the hardest part of this job is saying good-bye,” Dr. Woo said, as if reading Ben’s mind. Then she ushered them to the elevator door. “Mr. Tabby will see you to the gate. Good day.”
Mr. Tabby was waiting in the lobby, a pocket watch in his hand. “So? You are going to be apprentices?”
“Maybe,” Ben said. “If we can get permission.”
Mr. Tabby tucked the watch into his vest pocket. “Today is Saturday. The apprenticeship begins on Monday. That gives you one day to get permission.”
“We’ll get it,” Pearl said with a confident nod.
“Follow me. It’s time for you to go home.” The big ring of keys swung from Mr. Tabby’s hand as he hurried down the driveway, the kids at his heels. “It is beyond my comprehension how Dr. Woo expects me to do my job and babysit you two at the same time.”
“We don’t need a babysitter,” Pearl said huffily. “We’re old enough to take care of ourselves.”
“I hope you are old enough to take care of yourselves, because being an apprentice for Dr. Woo will not be like working at an ice-cream parlor or in a candy shop. It will be dangerous work, I tell you. And I do not have time to watch over you.”
The scars on Dr. Woo’s face and neck and her missing finger were like neon warning signs. Ben remembered how the hatchling’s flame had nearly burned off his face. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” he said, common sense tugging at his thoughts. His parents wouldn’t be pleased if he came home missing a foot or covered in claw marks.
“Too late for you to change your mind,” Mr. Tabby told him as they reached the gate. “You have agreed. You have signed the contract of secrecy.” He raised his eyebrows and stared down at Ben. “Are you a man who keeps his word? Or are you a liar?”
“I’m not a liar,” Ben said.
“Ben tells a lot of stories,” Pearl said. “But that’s different from lying.”
“Stories?” Mr. Tabby frowned. “Well, you are forbidden to tell any of Dr. Woo’s stories. Do you understand?”
Ben nodded.
“Then, if you are able to obtain your parents’ permission, I shall see you here Monday at eight o’clock in the morning. Do not be late.” Mr. Tabby opened the gate.
“Should we bring anything?” Pearl asked. “Like a backpack or a sack lunch?”
Mr. Tabby’s nose twitched. “It is always a good idea to bring bandages. Lots and lots of bandages.” He reached into his vest and pulled out two rolled-up pieces of paper, each tied neatly with a ribbon. “I almost forgot. Each of you has earned a certificate in Sasquatch Catching.”
“Thanks,” Ben and Pearl said as they took the certificates.
“Eight in the morning,” Mr. Tabby repeated as he locked the gate behind them. “Do not be late or I shall be most displeased.” Then he turned on his heels and headed back to the old factory.
“Look,” Pearl whispered, nudging Ben with her elbow.
As Mr. Tabby walked away, a tail slid out from under his vest—a long red cat’s tail. But it was there for only a moment, then disappeared as if…
As if it had been…imaginary.
22
Do you think we should go into the forest and check on Mrs. Mulberry and Victoria?” Ben asked.
“I guess so,” Pearl said.
They hurried across the road and were just about to head up the forest path when a horn honked and a blue-and-white patrol car pulled up alongside. The darkened window rolled down, and Officer Milly stuck out her head. “Hiya, Pearl. Hiya, Ben. What are you two up to?”
“Nothing,” Pearl said.
“Nothing,” Ben said.
Ben’s reflection stared back at him in Officer Milly’s sunglasses. He looked exactly the same as he’d looked when he’d gotten up that morning. But he’d just had the most amazing adventure of his life. Shouldn’t I look different? he wondered.
Officer Milly stared over the rims of her glasses. “It’s been a strange morning. A stray dog got loose in the senior center and made a real big mess. But no one got hurt. You two wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
“No,” Pearl and Ben said.
The Sasquatch Escape Page 8