The Endora Trilogy (The Complete Series)

by Thomas J. Prestopnik

  “How’s your headache, Artemas?” asked Molly, warmly bundled in a yellow ski jacket and wearing a sky blue hat and a matching scarf. She adjusted the sunglasses on the bridge of her nose.

  “Slightly better,” he replied, his face partially concealed in the hood of his cloak. “The aspirin your mother gave me last night is starting to kick in with the two tablets I took this morning. The drum-like throbbing in my head has been replaced with a dull pang. I guess that’s an improvement.”

  “Try slapping a handful of snow on your forehead,” Christopher joked, hoping to make him feel better.

  “I’ll keep that trick in mind.”

  They crossed the road at the end of the block and turned a corner. “Almost there,” Christopher said, pointing to the library down the street. “Getting out of this bright sunlight might lessen your headache.” He removed a pair of sporty sunglasses and offered them to Artemas. “Want to borrow these?”

  “Thank you, but I don’t think they’re quite my style,” Artemas said with a chuckle. “My hood is shielding my eyes well enough.”

  “Bet you’d impress Mina Mayfield wearing them!” Christopher slipped the glasses back on and raised the collar on his red fleece vest to fend off a biting breeze.

  “That may be, but we have important business to attend to first,” he replied. “Locating Belthasar is on the top of our list.”

  “I’m still not sure what good that’s going to do,” Molly said, her boots squeaking as they passed along the snow-caked walks. “Then what do we do? Go after him? Or make him come after us?”

  “Very good questions indeed,” Artemas said. “And when I think of an answer to either one, I’ll let you know.”

  “Better start thinking!” Christopher said. “We’re here.”

  They bounded up the library steps and entered the toasty warm building. Christopher and Molly shed their hats, gloves and sunglasses and looked for a computer on one of the tables against the far wall. Artemas removed his hood and scanned the area around the main desk, hoping for a glimpse of Miss Mayfield. He frowned when he saw an older girl with short black hair and tinted blue glasses checking out some picture books for a mother and her two young daughters.

  “Plenty of free computers,” Molly said, tugging on Artemas’ sleeve.

  Christopher noted the disappointment on the magician’s face, realizing that Miss Mayfield wasn’t around. He nudged his sister and Molly quickly suggested that they inquire at the front desk first before attending to their business about Belthasar.

  “This way,” Christopher said, walking up to the checkout desk just as the mother and her daughters departed with a handful of books. Artemas and Molly followed as the girl behind the desk greeted them.

  “May I help you?” she asked, intrigued by Artemas’ long beard and flowing gray cloak lightly embossed with intricate designs.

  “We’re looking for Miss Mayfield,” Christopher replied. “Is she–”

  “What an awesome pair of glasses!” Molly interrupted, admiring the blue-hued spectacles the young lady was wearing. “They go great with that necklace.”

  “Thanks,” she said, holding up the piece of jewelry so Molly could get a better look. “It’s a string of strawberry pink topaz I received for my twentieth birthday last month. Amazing shade of color, don’t you think?”

  “Without a doubt!” Molly whispered, closely examining the gemstones.

  Christopher glanced at Artemas and shook his head. He cleared his throat to get both of the girls’ attention. “Uh, any idea where Miss Mayfield is today?” he politely asked, trying not to appear too impatient.

  “Mina has the day off, but she’ll be back tomorrow,” she replied. “I’m helping out over the next few weeks between semesters in college.”

  “Perhaps I’ll return tomorrow if it’s not an inconvenience,” Artemas suggested.

  “Sure. Suit yourself,” she said, touching the cuff of Artemas’ sleeve. “Nice threads, by the way.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “She likes your cloak,” Christopher quietly said.

  “Oh.”

  “You don’t see a getup like that everyday, at least not around here.”

  “This is, um–our great uncle Artemas,” Molly chimed in. “He’s from–Finland.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she said, offering her hand. “My name is Lucy Easton. I’m a history major, but I must confess that I know very little about Finland.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t dream of boring you with the details just now,” Artemas said, looking askance at Molly.

  “We’re here to use the computer,” Christopher said, “so we’ll stop bothering you. I’m sure you have more important things to do.”

  “No bother,” Lucy replied. “I enjoy talking to visitors. It beats putting all the returned books back where they belong. So many numbers and letters!”

  Molly laughed. “In that case, do you mind if I try on your glasses for a second? They’d go great with my scarf!”

  “Molly!”

  “Sure.” Lucy removed her reading glasses and handed them to Molly, revealing a pair of soft brown eyes. “Let’s see how they look.”

  “Don’t mind my brother,” Molly said as she slipped on the glasses. “He gets that way sometimes. Oh, but I do look good in these!” she added, admiring herself in a small compact mirror that Lucy had fished out of her purse under the checkout desk.

  “If we applaud lightly and you take a bow, can we go?” Christopher muttered.

  Molly smirked. “Told you he’s like that,” she whispered to Lucy as she handed back the glasses.

  “My brother, too,” she softly replied.

  “Then you know what I mean.” Molly sighed as she turned to her brother and Artemas. “I’m ready now, gentlemen, if you would care to lead the way.”

  “Gladly,” Christopher said, shaking the scowl off his face as he made a beeline for the computer. Artemas smiled a goodbye to Lucy and followed Christopher.

  “Thanks,” Molly said with a wave as she departed. Then she spun about for a brief moment. “By the way, my dad is a curator at the local museum. Since you’re a history major, maybe I could get him to give you a special tour. There are lots of items in the museum cellars that aren’t on display to the public.”

  “That’d be great!” Lucy said. “I’ve visited before, but I’m sure there’s lots I missed. I’m on vacation for a few weeks. Stop by here if you can arrange something.”

  “Will do!” Molly said as she hurried to catch up with Artemas and her brother.

  Christopher sat in front of the computer, already on-line. Artemas pulled up a chair next to him. Molly popped up behind them and glanced over their shoulders.

  “Anything yet?”

  “I just typed Elvin L. Cooper’s name in the search box,” Christopher said as he scanned the information on the screen.

  “Let me offer you my chair, Molly,” Artemas insisted.

  “I’m fine,” she whispered, gazing at the data Christopher had retrieved.

  Artemas tugged at his chin as he stared in amazement. “All that information from a few touches of the keyboard. Astounding! But what does it all mean?”

  Christopher leaned back in the chair and folded his arms. “Well, mostly it’s information about Cooper’s movies–plot summaries, reviews from critics, et cetera–some biographical material, links to fan websites and his own official site, lists of articles written about him and his films, and well–just tons of stuff.”

  “Where do we start?” Molly wondered aloud.

  “Good question,” Christopher said, drumming his fingers on the table. “Maybe we can find out where he lives.”

  “And go after him?” Molly skeptically inquired. “If Belthasar still inhabits Cooper, then he’s probably hanging out at his California estate. Meanwhile, we’re stuck in the middle of New York State, in case you haven’t noticed.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Christopher replied, staring at the screen. “So flying across count
ry is apparently not a convenient or inexpensive option.”

  “So what do we do?” Molly said.

  Artemas looked his two companions in the eye. “Going after him is out of the question. It wouldn’t be feasible, especially given his ability to move around at will.”

  Christopher shrugged. “So what are our options?”

  A shrewd smile spread across the magician’s face. “We let him come after us!”

  Molly’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me? Isn’t that what we’re trying to avoid?”

  “For the most part–yes. But if we don’t force the issue soon, Belthasar could spend years in your world destroying lives and acquiring untold wealth right under our very noses. He may enjoy that more than getting his revenge upon you two.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Christopher asked.

  Artemas lowered his voice, not wanting to attract the notice of the other library patrons. “We need to get his attention! Belthasar knows you’re both here and he can bide his time enjoying whatever life he chooses. But Belthasar isn’t aware that we know he is in this world. Once we inform him of that fact, then his current situation is compromised. He’ll want to make a move against us as soon as possible.”

  “Oh, great plan,” Molly said sarcastically. “Why don’t we stir up a hornet’s nest with a stick in our spare time as well?”

  “Rest assured,” Artemas said with a wink. “We’ll be doing exactly that!”

  Christopher thought for a moment and nodded. “You’re right, Artemas. I don’t see any other way to find him. We have to let him know we’re wise to his game and then wait until he makes his move.”

  Molly sighed in resignation, knowing that Christopher was right but not enthusiastic about waiting for Belthasar to catch them by surprise. She grabbed the mouse and scrolled down the computer screen, finally double clicking on a link to Elvin L. Cooper’s official website. Up popped the homepage displaying a photo of the actor flashing a huge welcoming smile to his worldwide fans.

  “What are you doing, Molly?” Artemas asked.

  “If we’re going to inform Belthasar that we know he’s here, the easiest way is to e-mail him–over and over and over!” Molly located an e-mail address made available to his movie fans, briefly explaining to Artemas how they would be able to send messages to Elvin L. Cooper with the click of a button.

  “Not meaning to sound negative, Molly–”

  “Then don’t, Chris.”

  “–but Belthasar, I mean Cooper, must receive hundreds of e-mails a day. Maybe thousands! Most of them probably aren’t even read by him or his staff.”

  “That’s why we have some major work to do when we get home,” she replied matter-of-factly. Molly removed the penlight she had won at the carnival last summer from her coat pocket and copied the e-mail address on a piece of scrap paper.

  “Don’t you ever go anywhere without that pen, Molly?”

  “Never. I might get a brilliant idea for a poem that I’ll have to jot down. Or maybe there’ll be a blackout,” she added, playfully clicking the light on and off.

  “A blackout, maybe,” Christopher said. “But a brilliant idea?”

  “Oh, so clever a comment, big brother,” she dryly replied as she folded the piece of paper and slipped it into her pocket with the pen. “And I’d offer you a single laugh, but that would be way overpaying for such a microscopic joke.”

  Artemas suppressed a laugh by clearing his throat, hoping to get the discussion back on track. “Molly, explain your e-mail plan in detail. What exactly are we to do?”

  “It’s simple. We send Belthasar dozens upon dozens of e-mails, even hundreds if necessary in order to get his attention. In fact, it can be the same two or three messages sent over and over,” she said. “We just want to get noticed.”

  “What should we write?” Christopher asked as he deleted the information from the computer screen.

  “We mention all three of our names somewhere in the note as well as Belthasar’s. We could put his name in the subject line. With luck, someone on his end is sure to notice and bring it to his attention.”

  “It’s an excellent plan,” Artemas said with an encouraging tone in his voice. “Good work, Molly.”

  “Yeah, not bad,” Christopher agreed.

  “Thanks,” Molly said, slipping on her hat and scarf. “Now let’s go home and get started. We have some writing to do!”

  “What do you think of this one?” Christopher asked.

  FROM: Christopher, Molly and Artemas–Your three favorite fans!

  TO: Elvin L. Cooper

  SUBJECT: Great Movie Idea–“Belthasar Versus the World”

  Dear Mr. Cooper,

  We certainly love all your movies and can’t wait to see you in more! So we’ve come up with a great concept and title we’d like you to think about. Please feel free to use either. No charge!

  Belthasar, the self-absorbed multi-trillionaire protagonist with a slight anger management problem, decides to buy up all the land in the world and move everyone else to the moon. (FYI: It’s that big round thing in the sky that keeps changing shape, not the bright hot yellow one.)

  Please let us know what you think. Good luck!

  Sincerely,

  Chris, Molly and Art

  “I like it,” Molly said. “You have better writing skills than I give you credit for, Chris. Who would have thought? Send it!”

  Christopher clicked the SEND button. “Done.”

  “Now it’s my turn,” she said, staring at the keyboard. “What should I type?”

  “You’re very creative,” Artemas said. “Astound us!”

  Molly grinned. “I’ve got it!”

  FROM: Christopher, Molly and Artemas–Your three favorite fans!

  TO: Elvin L. Cooper

  SUBJECT: Dog Sidekick Named Belthasar

  Dear Mr. Cooper,

  As three of your biggest fans (and dog lovers, too!) we think your next movie should feature a dog as your co-star. It’ll make millions!

  Far be it from us to suggest a canine breed to share top billing with you, but we certainly feel that we have come up with the perfect name for you to consider using for the mutt–Belthasar! We can almost hear it growling now! And if you really want to stretch as an actor, perhaps you could play that part. Think about it.

  Looking forward to your next movie!

  Sincerely,

  Chris, Molly and Art

  “That’s even better than mine!” Christopher said as Molly repeatedly clicked the SEND icon. “How about it, Artemas? Want to send Belthasar an annoying note?”

  Artemas sat in front of the computer set up in the spare side room of the Jordan household. He gently touched his fingers to the keyboard, carefully considering his words.

  “I could devise an elaborate e-mail to taunt our miserable friend,” he said. “Then again, a succinct note might have the same effect.”

  FROM: Christopher, Molly and Artemas–Your three favorite fans!

  TO: Elvin L. Cooper

  SUBJECT: Belthasar

  Dear Mr. Cooper,

  Hope to meet you soon!

  Sincerely,

  Chris, Molly and Art

  “Hmmm… That should get his attention,” Artemas said with a satisfied grin as he sent his electronic message on its merry way. He glanced at his co-conspirators. “Not bad for an amateur, don’t you think?”

  “Right on the mark,” Molly agreed. “But do you think Belthasar will reply?”

  “Do you think he’ll even see our e-mails?” Christopher asked.

  “He will if we send him hundreds of copies!” Molly cheered. “Shall we get started?”

  Christopher nodded. “I’m ready, Molly, but I’m wondering about Artemas’ plan.” He glanced at the magician with a mix of curiosity and anxiety. “What will we do once we get Belthasar’s attention?”

  “Let’s hope we’re so lucky,” Artemas said. “And after that, well–I’m making this up as we go along.”

  Mrs. Jorda
n prepared a spaghetti dinner early that evening, looking forward to a pleasant get-together with Artemas on his first full day in their world. Christopher and Molly bubbled with excitement though, hardly touching their tossed salad and garlic bread as they explained their latest tactic in the battle with Belthasar. Artemas listened for the most part and ate little from his plate, still silently suffering from a throbbing headache. Mrs. Jordan took note of his unease and offered him more aspirin.

  “Thank you, Sally, but no. Perhaps I’ll take a short walk later tonight before retiring. That might ease the pain,” Artemas said. “I’m sure it’ll pass.”

  By meal’s end, Artemas felt better and asked Mr. Jordan if he could utilize the basement to work on a few spells. Though his magical abilities didn’t seem to fade as fast the more often he visited the Jordans’ world, Artemas was still not immune to losing his powers completely if he stayed here beyond a single opening of the timedoor. He needed to return to Endora to recoup his full strength or risk enduring the same fate that Malaban had suffered. Artemas couldn’t imagine losing his powers forever like the sorcerer, hoping to practice and perfect his craft for as long as he should live.

  The sun lingered above the western horizon three time zones away. Elvin L. Cooper relaxed in his study, perusing some movie scripts while sipping red wine. He leaned back in a swivel chair, his feet propped up on the desk. Mrs. Cooper was enjoying the month-long vacation in Europe that he had encouraged her to take with some friends while he searched for his next staring role. A tiny parakeet sat quietly inside a silver cage in the corner of the room, curiously watching its owner.

  “Garbage!” he said, tossing a script into a wastebasket to join three others. “Who writes this drivel? I bet you could produce something better by tapping at a keyboard,” he said to the parakeet, grabbing the next screenplay from a pile on his desk. He sighed when he heard a knock at the door.