“And the smartest too,” said Mrs. Zimmermann with a dry little laugh. “Lucky for me that I had learned the little tidbit about Pele. You know, to fox a vampire, you need to scatter about a bushel of rice in his way. He gets obsessed with picking up every single grain and can’t chase you until it’s done. My challenge worked the same way with Pele. Once she agreed to match me in the riddle contest, she had to stay in until one of us won, or until we both agreed to call it a draw. There are powerful rules that even ancient spirits must follow. She nearly stumped me on an easy one, though. I realized the answer was ‘pineapple’ just in time to save my wrinkled skin!”
“Shall I tell them the real news, your most purple majesty?” asked Jonathan.
With an amused chuckle, Mrs. Zimmermann said, “Go ahead.”
Uncle Jonathan half turned in the front seat. “Well, we think that Pele has pulled up stakes and returned home for good. In fact, we’re all but certain of that. No dreams of drums lately, right, David?”
David shook his head. “Nuh-not since th-that night,” he said.
Uncle Jonathan gave a pleased nod. “But to make sure, we’re going to take the little ship in a bottle to Pele’s home—all of us. We plan to go next year, the very first day you kids are out for your summer break. Rose Rita’s parents are thrilled that she’ll have the chance to visit Hawaii, David’s parents have agreed that I am not really a nut case and can serve as a good chaperone, and I know Lewis will like it once he gets over his fear of being seasick.”
“Please,” groaned Lewis, imagining a heaving sea and a tiny, tempest-tossed ship.
“Buck up, nephew! It will be a grand voyage to Hawaii and back on a comfortable modern ship,” finished Uncle Jonathan. “We are going to visit Mount Kilauea, just to be sure that everything on the Pele front is as calm and peaceful as it should be. I will place the model of the Sword in a fine museum on the island. If I am not very much mistaken, that will seal the deal that old Abediah Chadwick made, and I hope that it will let the couple find eternal happiness together at last. I plan to buy myself a red and yellow and green and purple Hawaiian shirt and I will wear a grass skirt, plunk out a tune on the ukelele, and dance the hula on the beach at Waikiki. If Pele enjoys a good laugh, that should last her for a long time. And if any spirits should disagree and act up in an unpleasant way, I’m simply going to hand Rose Rita a baseball.”
“And I’ll give them the fastball,” said Rose Rita. “High, hard, and inside!”
“Strike’em out, champ!” cheered Lewis.
David chuckled at that, and Lewis felt good himself as the car rolled through a bright November day, heading back to New Zebedee and home.
The House Where Nobody Lived Page 12