“Don’t be too harsh, Sam,” Mrs. Jordan said wearily. “Maybe they are who they claim. That crown looked very royal to me.”
“All right,” he said with a hint of challenge in his voice. “Maybe our king here can’t prove himself to be a real king.” He pointed a finger at Artemas. “But you, sir, should certainly have no problem proving yourself a magician. Show us some magic!”
Mr. Jordan sat next to his wife. Christopher, Molly and little Vergil were now eager and wide awake, taking seats on the floor in anticipation of a genuine magic show.
“I should have thought of that myself,” Artemas said. “What a wonderful idea! Now what should I do?”
“Make an elephant appear in the room!” Molly said.
“No smelly elephants in the house!” shouted her father. “That goes for rhinos and hippos, too!”
“Change all the leaves in the backyard into gold,” Christopher suggested.
“Now that idea I like,” he said.
“All very good suggestions, but something simple should do the trick.” Artemas walked over to a coffee table on one side of the room. A bowl of decorative green and purple grapes rested on top. “Do you all see these?”
“They’re plastic grapes,” Molly said.
“Let me guess,” muttered Mr. Jordan sarcastically. “You’re going to turn them into real grapes? Hardly a convincing trick. You might have switched them while we were upstairs.”
“I did no such thing. My trick is better.”
All sat eagerly as the magician backed a few steps away from the coffee table. Everyone stared at the bowl of plastic grapes. Then Artemas raised his hands, mumbled a few words and pointed his fingers sharply at the bowl crying findelgundygro!–but nothing happened. He tried a second time with the same results.
“Some magician,” Mr. Jordan said with a smirk.
“My powers seem a tad rusty,” said a puzzled Artemas. “How odd. Please let me try one more time.” The magician gritted his teeth and squinted his eyes as he concentrated, whispered a few more words and waved his hands as quick as a bird in flight. “FINDELGUNDYGRO!” he commanded.
Suddenly a sprawling, leafy, sweet-smelling grapevine sprouted out of the fruit bowl and branched off as quick as rockets and as wild as weeds, some shoots taking root in the floor while others climbed up the walls and across the ceiling. Green fleshy leaves bloomed everywhere, covering the living room with a rich and wondrous canopy. Soon glistening bunches of green and purple grapes popped out along the curling vines, the largest, sweetest and most delicious grapes that the Jordan family had ever tasted.
Christopher and Molly ran around the leafy branches, laughing and chasing each other. Even little Vergil joined in the act, squealing hysterically as he jumped up and down in an attempt to grab a huge cluster of grapes hanging above. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan were as delighted as their children, walking hand in hand through the grapevine in wonderment. All doubts about the visitors were dispelled.
Artemas was equally pleased with his performance, and it took King Rupert several minutes to bring everyone back to their senses. “Please sit down. We still have one big problem to solve!”
In the end, Artemas cast another spell to make the grapevine disappear, though this took as much effort as it did to create it. He couldn’t understand why. But before he did that, the children gathered enough grapes to fill a dozen large bowls. Mrs. Jordan suspected that she would be making grape juice and jam until Christmas.
With the excitement over, King Rupert again related his tale of the timedoor. Molly and Christopher listened attentively, though they had heard it all before. Their parents were fascinated with details about the magic door, the sorcerer Malaban and his invading troops, and the fact that only two chances remained for King Rupert and Artemas to return to Endora.
Mr. Jordan interrupted the King at one point. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you say that you and Artemas ran through the timedoor because Malaban was chasing after you?”
“That’s correct,” he said.
“Well, if a sorcerer was chasing after me and I had a magician handy, why not simply confront the sorcerer and have the magician deal with him properly?”
King Rupert turned pale. “Do you know what you’re saying?”
Artemas took it upon himself to answer Mr. Jordan’s question. “You need to understand the difference between a magician and a sorcerer. I do have some magical powers, but compared to a sorcerer, why–there is no comparison! My spells and illusions are no match to what a sorcerer can do, especially one as crafty as Malaban.” Artemas shuddered at the thought of a confrontation between himself and Malaban. “I had no choice but to flee with my King.”
“I had no idea this Malaban fellow was so powerful,” Mrs. Jordan said. “Why did he attack your kingdom? How much power can one person want?”
King Rupert wrung his hands. “Malaban attacked us because–that’s what evil sorcerers do, I suppose. Who can see into the mind of such a person? But Malaban wasn’t always evil.”
“He wasn’t?” Molly climbed on her father’s lap to listen to the rest of the story.
“Malaban was once a magician like Artemas,” the King explained. “A good person, loyal to King Alexander in lands not far from Endora. Malaban was also fond of traveling, and years ago met a sorcerer in unexplored lands. Malaban learned some of his magic and his powers grew tremendously. When he returned to his King, Malaban seemed quite the same magician he always was. For a while anyway.”
“What happened?” Mrs. Jordan asked, holding little Vergil who was fast falling asleep.
“Unfortunately, Malaban excelled in the magic he had learned. He grew so powerful that his mind was twisted, turning him away from everything good. All he desired was more power over other people. He turned some of King Alexander’s men to his own side and recruited scores of trolls and goblins from the nearby mountains. In time they seized the King’s castle and his entire kingdom, banishing King Alexander and his only son Jeremiah into the wilderness. But that wasn’t enough for Malaban. His appetite for power still grows.” King Rupert shuddered. “He craves even more land to spread his evil. That is why he attacked my kingdom. Though my troops defeated his army once, I fear he may attack my castle again in even greater numbers. I must get back to Endora to stop him!”
King Rupert’s story moved Mr. Jordan and he offered to assist the King in any way possible. When Christopher suggested using the planetarium in the museum to determine when the timedoor would reopen, his father agreed that it was an excellent idea. Mr. Jordan would take Artemas there at once so he could begin his calculations.
“Now will be the best time to go. There’ll be nobody around to bother us or to get suspicious,” he said.
King Rupert thanked Mr. Jordan again and again. “I’m beginning to feel there is some hope after all.”
Mr. Jordan drove King Rupert and Artemas to the museum in the city that very hour. Mrs. Jordan allowed Christopher and Molly to tag along since tomorrow was Saturday and there would be no school. After parking the car, Mr. Jordan led them through a back door. He turned off the museum alarm system and then guided them through the shadowy hallways.
The floors were made of smooth glassy tiles that looked like dark rich marble. A series of narrow windows on the right stretched all the way to the ceiling. Moonlight streamed through, bouncing off the slick floor and dancing on the glass display cases against another wall.
“Luckily there’s a full moon tonight. We’ll have plenty of light to reach the planetarium,” Mr. Jordan said.
“Everything feels spooky,” Molly whispered, staying close to her father as they walked. Their footsteps echoed through the vast chambers of the building.
“This is more fun than playing in Mrs. Halloway’s barn!” Christopher said.
“We’re not here to have fun,” his father reminded him. “We have serious work to do. Remember that.”
When they at last reached the planetarium, the group milled abou
t as Mr. Jordan searched for the correct key to unlock the door. King Rupert wandered a few steps and glanced down an adjacent corridor, freezing in fear. “Oh my!” he whispered, running back to the others. “The enemy has discovered us! We must leave at once.”
Christopher and Molly grabbed the King’s arm as he tried to flee, holding him back until their father could figure out what was troubling him. “There’s nothing to be afraid of in here,” Molly assured him.
“But I saw him in that hallway!” the King insisted. “We’re doomed! Now I shall never get home.”
After some convincing from Mr. Jordan, King Rupert was persuaded to take a closer look down the corridor. Artemas and the children stood at his side. To his relief, the only enemy waiting there was an ancient suit of knight’s armor, though Christopher admitted it did look sinister in the dim light.
“I told you there was nothing to be afraid of,” Molly said. “Who did you think it was?”
“Why, uh–nobody, of course!” King Rupert snapped. “My eyes played a trick on me. Let’s forget it and move on.”
All agreed, though Christopher thought there was more to the King’s behavior than he let on. “I still think King Rupert is hiding something,” Christopher whispered to his father. “He’s still as jittery as he was in the barn.”
Mr. Jordan turned on the lights in the planetarium, allowing everyone to find a seat while he stood at the control panel. The large circular room had a white domed ceiling and two concentric rings of comfortable cushioned chairs. With everyone in place, Mr. Jordan dimmed the lights until the room was bathed in blackness. Molly couldn’t even see her brother, though he sat right next to her. King Rupert and Artemas sat in the row behind them. All gazed up at the ceiling, watching, waiting. Then it happened.
The stars slowly appeared, first dull and dim, and then growing to bright shining dots like white hot coals. Soon the northern constellations were alive and spinning. The Milky Way band splashed across the ceiling. Pegasus and Andromeda took center stage. Orion stood with his sword. Mars loomed with a fiery redness and Venus blazed white as snow. The sun, moon and stars rose and set again and again as the days became seconds. All watched with giddy fascination, forgetting where they were and for what reason, only pleased that the heavens honored them with such a spectacular performance.
A gentle voice beckoned the stargazers back to reality. “Will this help you?” Mr. Jordan asked, still at the controls. “Artemas, will this help you?”
“What?” the magician asked as if awakened from a trance. “Oh yes, it should help a great deal.” Artemas straightened up in his chair. “I seem to have been lost in thought. What an amazing invention you have here.”
“I’ll bet your timedoor is even more amazing,” Christopher said.
“It does have its charm,” he admitted. “Now I’ll have to study your sky much more carefully than in that first demonstration.”
“No problem,” Mr. Jordan said. “I can control the rising and setting of the sun and stars at any speed you’d like. I also have star charts and astronomical tables to aid in your calculations.”
“Will your work take very long, Artemas?” the King asked anxiously.
“Several hours at least. I never had to do this before. Never got stuck in another world,” he said, a bit embarrassed.
“Well, hurry if you can. I have to find out what’s happening in my castle. I need to help my people. And I must save my daughter!” he cried, realizing too late the words he had spoken.
Molly turned to the King. “Why didn’t you tell us you had a daughter? Is she in trouble?”
King Rupert sat quietly for a few moments and took a deep breath. “Yes, I do have a daughter. Rosalind is her name. She is very young and very beautiful. I didn’t speak of her before because I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary worry,” he said, his voice trembling. “And yes, she is in trouble. A lot of trouble.”
“In what way?” Mr. Jordan asked as he gathered up a small pile of star charts.
“I might as well tell you now,” he said. “Do you remember when I mentioned that Ulric, my chief guard, told me we were winning against Malaban’s army?”
“Yes,” said Christopher. “You said Malaban’s troops had left your castle.”
“Ulric, however, had other news for me which I neglected to tell you,” the King continued sadly. “Ulric told me that Malaban’s retreating soldiers had kidnapped my daughter Rosalind and were taking her back to their fortress. That’s why I ran to get Artemas. I needed his help. But since Malaban was chasing me soon after, the two of us had no choice but to flee through the timedoor.” King Rupert wiped a tear from his eye. “I feel so helpless and miserable. I’ve deserted my daughter when she needs me most. She must think I’m a complete failure.”
“Nonsense!” Molly said. “You had no choice but to run away. If you faced Malaban, he might have turned you into something dreadful. Then you would never be able to save Rosalind.”
Christopher agreed. “At least now you can put up a good fight. We just have to get you back to Endora first.”
“Thank you for being so understanding,” he said. “You’ve been more help than I deserve.”
Artemas and Mr. Jordan immediately went to work to determine when the timedoor would reopen. King Rupert watched in silence, pacing the room as the two men studied star charts and numerical tables and scribbled out page-long calculations. Occasionally they took some observations of the stars and planets projected onto the planetarium ceiling.
Molly and Christopher waited in the hallway, not wanting to bother the others. The corridor was dark and shadowy, looking like a long empty cave this time of night. Their thin whispers echoed off the walls.
“Do you think King Rupert’s daughter is all right, Chris? I think it’s terrible that she was kidnapped by a mob of horrible soldiers.” Molly sat on the floor with her back to the wall and her legs bent, resting her chin on her knees. She yawned. Christopher sat next to her.
“I hope she’s okay. I’ll be steaming if that sorcerer Malaban hurts her.” He thought for a moment. “I wonder if anyone rescued her yet. Do you think so?” He waited for a reply. “Molly. Molly, do you–?” He glanced at his sister and noticed she had fallen asleep. He removed his jacket, draped it over her, and very soon after, though he tried his best not to, Christopher fell asleep too.
They were awakened an hour or so before dawn by their father. The children stretched and yawned before recalling where they were. “The timedoor!” Christopher said when realizing he was still in the museum. “Where are King Rupert and Artemas? They didn’t leave, did they?”
“They’re hiding out in the museum basement,” Mr. Jordan said. “This way I’ll be able to look in on them.”
“Does that mean that Artemas couldn’t figure out when the timedoor will reopen?” Molly asked.
“Not at all. Artemas figured out everything. He said the door will reopen next Saturday, a week from today, right at sunrise. They’ll be going home soon,” Mr. Jordan said delightedly. “Very soon!”
CHAPTER FOUR
Return to Endora
The week turned gray, cold and wet, making time crawl as slowly as a snail across a garden. Blustery rains pasted orange and yellow leaves onto the roads and lawns. Molly and Christopher sat in agony at their school desks, required to read and write and figure out math problems when all they really wanted to think about was the timedoor. They couldn’t wait to help King Rupert and Artemas return home, wanting so much to see how a magical timedoor worked. And though the children never told anyone, they both secretly desired to see Endora for themselves.
Then like magic itself, the rain ceased and Saturday finally rolled around. Since Artemas figured out that the timedoor would reopen at sunrise, he, King Rupert and the entire Jordan family drove down to the river half an hour before the sun peeked over the horizon to wait. They wanted plenty of time to spare before the magical event.
It was a damp and misty morning, chilling to
the bone. King Rupert insisted several times that they needn’t stand right at the bridge until sunrise, so Mrs. Jordan suggested that they wait in a nearby diner. “A cup of hot coffee would taste wonderful right now.”
The group of seven walked over to the diner situated between the river and the road. The brown clapboards on the building were badly chipped and peeling, and the windows were grimy and cracked. But inside it was toasty warm and all were grateful for that as they slid into a booth. Mr. Jordan ordered hot chocolate for the children and coffee for himself and his wife. King Rupert and Artemas weren’t in the mood to drink anything.
Being the only customers, they were served right away by the owner, Mr. Smithers. He was a rumpled looking man, with his hair uncombed and his face unshaven. He didn’t say much, though appeared quite curious as to why such a strange looking group had gathered down by the river so early in the morning. He was happy for their business nonetheless, rarely having many customers anymore. After serving the drinks, Mr. Smithers wiped off the counter by the cash register while trying to listen to their conversation.
King Rupert kept looking out the door, trying to get a glimpse of the bridge through the mist. “I appreciate all the help you’ve given us,” he said. “But it isn’t really necessary for you to wait here until we leave. Why don’t you all go home and get some sleep.”
“Nonsense,” Mr. Jordan said. “We’ve seen you this far through your ordeal and we won’t abandon you now.”
“That’s kind, but you really don’t have to stay.”
It seemed to Christopher that King Rupert didn’t want them around, though he hoped it was only his imagination. “We’ll be with you to the very end.”
The Endora Trilogy (The Complete Series) Page 3