“He does seem rather playful today,” the magician said, pivoting on one foot and taking a few awkward steps backward to get away from the dog. “Down, Magic! Down!”
“Should have left you inside,” Christopher muttered as he grabbed Magic by the collar to keep him from burying his nose in the folds of Artemas’ cloak. He held Magic in place until Artemas reached a shady spot along the back wall.
“Ah, this will do nicely,” he said, sweeping off a pile of snow into the yard. “Now I need something to start with.”
“Plastic grapes perhaps?” Molly joked. She fondly recalled the night when Artemas had produced a sprawling grapevine in the living room of their old house.
“I’ve got it!” Christopher said, grabbing hold of the tip of a pine branch leaning over the wall. He released Magic and removed the glove from his free hand with his teeth, stripped off a few of the soft green needles and handed them to Artemas.
Artemas held them carefully in his palm and set them gently on top of the wall just as Magic jumped upon him. The dog stood on his hind legs and pawed at Artemas’ cloak, pinning the magician against the wall.
“Magic! What is the matter with you?” Molly cried, pulling the dog away and holding him in place. “I’ll send you inside if you do that one more time.”
“No harm done,” Artemas said. “I think he’s as excited about this test as we are.”
Christopher knelt beside Magic and stroked his fur several times, whispering into his ear. “Now behave, Magic, and maybe I’ll give you a treat when we get inside. Deal?”
Magic looked at Christopher upon hearing the word treat, but that only grabbed his attention for a moment. The dog remained as antsy as ever while he sat in the snow, gazing at Artemas the entire time, panting heavily with his tongue hanging out.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into that mutt,” Molly said with an apologetic shrug.
“No matter,” Artemas replied. “Let’s proceed. Hopefully the adjustments to my spell will work.”
“So you had to tweak it a bit, eh?” Christopher asked.
Artemas peered at him out of the corner of his eye. “Tweaked?”
“Fine tune,” he explained.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I did!” Artemas said with a nod. “Tweaked. What an interesting word. Now let’s see if all that tweaking produces a positive result.”
He carefully swept the pine needles into a pile with his index finger before leaning back to examine the formation like an artist gazing upon an unfinished canvas. Christopher and Molly watched in silence, wondering what would happen next. Magic stood restlessly for a moment before sitting down again and licking his nose. He would have lunged at Artemas had not Christopher kept an arm gently around him.
Artemas placed one hand above the pine needles and whispered a series of nearly inaudible words which Christopher and Molly couldn’t understand. The strain on the magician’s face was apparent as he closed his eyes. Artemas then placed both hands above the wall and continued to speak before going utterly quiet. The shadows deepened in the thickening silence as if darkness had fallen in the middle of the morning. Suddenly the magician’s eyes snapped open and he raised his hands, clearly enunciating the final word of the spell.
“Corénifórsegro!”
Immediately the small pile of pine needles started to wiggle as if ready to scatter in a mini explosion. But an instant later the tiny green spikes melted into one another, forming a liquid droplet about the size of a quarter that reflected the tree branches like a darkened mirror. The green liquid slowly migrated along the stone wall in a narrow stream about the width of a pencil, eventually forming a circular tube a foot in length that solidified into the stem of a rose. Several sharp thorns developed up and down the sides, making the stem roll back and forth as the emerging points took turns pushing off the stone. As the last thorn pierced through the woody fibers of the stem, a scarlet bud emerged at the tip, growing to the size of a large grape before blossoming into a fully developed and sweet-smelling red rose. The fresh flower lay tenderly upon the cold stone wall, a hint of spring quietly defying the bitter chill of the winter landscape.
Artemas took a step back, staring at his magical handiwork with subdued enthusiasm. Christopher and Molly, however, looked on in jaw-dropping amazement, shifting their stunned gazes between the magician and the rose. This simple demonstration was more spectacular than the sprawling grapevine which had overrun their living room five years ago. Artemas carefully picked up the rose and examined it.
“So far, so good,” he said, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. “Unfortunately the effort hasn’t lessened my headache any. It feels like a team of horses galloping around up there.”
“Maybe you should rest before we go on,” Molly said.
“No, I’ll be all right.” Artemas held up the rose. “Care for a closer look?”
Christopher and Molly stepped up to inspect the red rose in all its stunning detail, for an instant ignoring Magic. With no one holding him by the collar, Magic scrambled to his feet and squeezed between Christopher and Molly, charging directly at Artemas. He jumped up on the magician, pinning him against the wall once again and whimpering.
“Magic!” Artemas cried as he was pushed uncomfortably backward.
“Magic!” Christopher echoed as he and Molly raced toward the dog.
While Magic pawed at Artemas’ cloak, the magician flailed his arms in the air, trying to prevent himself from performing a back flip over the wall. But just as Christopher and Molly secured Magic by the collar, the rose slipped out of Artemas’ hand and fell into the next yard on the opposite side of the wall. Christopher and Molly tumbled backward into the snow with Magic falling on top of them, freeing Artemas from his canine captor. He couldn’t help but laugh as Christopher and Molly got to their knees, trying to restrain Magic who wiggled like a fish in shallow water.
“Dear me, but if he doesn’t like my magic tricks he should just leave the audience. No need to cause a riot!” Artemas joked as he scurried to the cast iron gate on the right side. “I better retrieve that rose before my entire act is ruined.” He pushed open the gate into the piled snow just far enough to squeeze through, then walked along on the other side of the wall to where he had dropped the flower.
Magic calmed down as Molly rubbed the dog behind his ears. Christopher held him gently by the chin and stared into his eyes.
“What’s with you, wild one?” he playfully asked before turning to Artemas. “Sorry about Magic. I don’t know why he’s acting so weird.”
“Just being himself,” Artemas said with an unconcerned shrug. He bent down and disappeared behind the wall for a few moments before popping up again like a jack-in-the-box. “But no harm done! Look, my experiment is still safe and sound,” he added, holding up the rose he retrieved from the other side. He held it out for Molly as he casually leaned against the wall.
Molly jumped up and took the rose from Artemas, then closed her eyes as she smelled the fragrant flower. “I feel like I’m walking through a garden in summertime!” she said, examining the rose cradled in her hands. “This smells as lovely as the ones you created in Endora.”
“Until you destroyed them,” Christopher replied with a snicker. Molly inhaled deeply again, ignoring her brother’s comment.
Artemas reentered the yard and closed the gate, keeping a watchful eye on Magic. As he swept past, the dog sniffed at the magician’s cloak one time before swiftly turning away. Magic was no longer in the mood to bother Artemas and contentedly chewed at the bits of snow lodged in his paws instead.
Molly handed the rose to her brother and leaned against the wall to address Artemas. “Ready for the real test now?”
“I suppose,” he softly said, stroking his beard. Broad patches of sunlight flooded the front section of the yard, yet Artemas seemed reluctant to leave the shadows.
Christopher walked over to Artemas and handed him the rose. “It’s up to you now. Time to see if all that tweaking
of your magic spell pays off.”
Artemas stared at the rose for a moment then slowly looked up. “I’m almost afraid to go ahead with my test,” he admitted. “If it’s another failure, then…”
Molly noted the apprehension upon his face and grabbed the sleeve of his cloak. “Let’s go to the front of the house,” she suggested to buy a little time so Artemas could collect his thoughts. “It’s much sunnier out there. We can stand under one of the pine trees until we’re ready.”
“Good idea,” her brother agreed, calling to Magic.
Christopher trudged through the snow near the wall as Magic followed, then continued along the shady side of the house opposite the driveway. Artemas and Molly hurried to catch up. Soon the three stood underneath a canopy of pine branches on the side of the front lawn while Magic ran about in crazy circles in the snow. Artemas slowly twirled the rose stem in his fingers, contemplating his next move. Molly looked up and offered an encouraging smile.
“Ready?”
Artemas smelled the rose and gently touched the tip of his finger to one of the thorns. “I still haven’t the courage,” he said. He handed the rose to Molly. “You do it for me, if you please. It’ll be less of a disappointment if it, well, you know.”
“All right,” Molly said, taking the flower and gently touching the petals. “I’ll be happy to help, Artemas. Wish me luck.”
“Much luck,” he whispered.
“Times ten,” Christopher added, smiling at his sister. He indicated with a slight turn of his head that she should proceed at once.
Molly took a breath and nodded. Holding the rose close to her chest, she stepped out of the shadows of the fragrant pine tree and into the blinding sunshine. Molly closed her eyes when the blast of heat and light hit her face, but continued to walk toward the center of the lawn. A moment later she stopped. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times in the snowy brightness. Molly turned to face Christopher and Artemas, still sheltered in the shade, before looking down at her hands. Her heart leapt. The fragrant red rose stared back at her, its thorny stem secure in her grip. Molly looked up with a mile-wide grin. The test had succeeded.
“Look at that!” Christopher cried, running into the sunshine to join his sister. Magic ran over to them upon hearing the excitement in Christopher’s voice. Artemas remained standing under the pine branches, watching in subdued silence.
“I guess this means I redeemed myself,” Molly said, handing the rose to her brother. “Now not another joke about that incident in Endora!”
“A deal,” Christopher promised, holding up the rose directly in front of the sun. The tips of its petals glowed ruby red against a deep blue sky. “Besides, I still have a boatload of other jokes in reserve.”
Molly walked over to Artemas, motioning for him to join them. “Time to enjoy your success, Artemas. If that rose hasn’t disappeared by now, it’s never going to.”
“I suppose you’re right,” he said, stepping into the light for a closer look. He carefully took the rose from Christopher and held it up for scrutiny.
“Pretty amazing,” Christopher said, patting him on the back.
“That’s one way to look at it,” Artemas softly replied, lines of exhaustion and disbelief etched upon his face. He tried to smile as a weary sigh escaped through his lips. “Well, that’s that, I guess, for what it’s worth. I still can’t believe it though.”
“A fine accomplishment,” Molly insisted. “First the timedoor and now this. You’re quite the inventor, Artemas. How do you do it?”
“You know better than to ask that,” Artemas replied, bending down on one knee and petting Magic who sat contentedly in the snow wagging his tail. “A magician never reveals his secrets.”
They basked in the joy of the moment and the warmth of the sun for several minutes, for a while forgetting their battle against Belthasar. Magic ran circles through the snow as Christopher, Molly and Artemas took turns holding the delicate red rose. In time they retreated indoors, eager to recount the details with their parents and Vergil as soon as they returned. In the meantime, Molly made hot chocolate for everyone to celebrate while Artemas placed the rose in a small vase on the kitchen table.
And as the late morning hours drifted into afternoon, the blazing sun arched slowly through the sky beyond the towering pines, eventually sinking in the southwest. Warm splashes of sunlight filtered through the evergreen branches and glistened upon fluffy piles of snow along the stone wall on the opposite side of the Jordans’ backyard. The heat of the sun’s rays focused upon the white flakes and melted them down a bit.
Water droplets also drizzled down the side of the wall as the snow on top thawed. The constant dripping formed tiny pools of water which encouraged more melting along the base of the wall. Layer by thin layer of snow disappeared in the progressive melting, eventually revealing an unusual object–a small strip of grilled steak that Artemas had earlier concealed in his cloak pocket and then hastily buried while retrieving the rose.
CHAPTER TEN
Dinner at Rupert’s Place
The New Year’s Eve bonfire gushed with warmth and light during the final chilly hours of the year, casting a ruddy glow upon the swirl of faces gathered nearby in the city park. Children drank hot chocolate from foam cups as parents sipped steaming coffee and strolled about. Helium-filled balloons swayed in the brisk air and glass bead necklaces sparkled in anticipation of a brand new year. Food vendors sold grilled burgers and hotdogs as folksingers, acrobats and storytellers performed to applause. Light posts resembling nineteenth century gas lamps were scattered throughout the park, softly illuminating the gentle waves of snow along the walks.
Near one large pine tree still adorned with Christmas lights, a face painter catered to a line of eagerly waiting children. One child sat proudly on a bale of straw while having a butterfly applied to her left cheek and a frog to the right. Others gawked and chattered as they waited their turn, discussing what color paint went best with a particular shade of glitter.
“So how do we look?” Molly asked as she and Vergil marched past the popcorn seller’s tent. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan were talking to Artemas nearby.
“One dinosaur here and another one here!” Vergil exclaimed as he turned his face from side to side to display the fresh face painting to Artemas and his parents. “And look at this!” he added, pulling off his hat and raising the hair over his forehead. “A third eye! How’s it look?”
“I-mazing!” his father joked.
“Molly only has butterflies and bumble bees on her face,” he said with a smirk before pointing to the stegosaurus on his left cheek. “Too late now, but she could have had one of these!”
“I think you both look perfect,” Mrs. Jordan said, placing the hat back upon Vergil’s head. “Now how about a hot drink? It’s freezing!”
“Perhaps we should get closer to the bonfire,” Artemas suggested, pointing toward the dancing flames in the distance surrounded by a ring of large rocks. The bright light reflected off the crowd gathered near it who were listening to a woman spin a tale about a grand adventure in a hot air balloon floating through the stars.
“I see Lucy and Miss Mayfield over there,” Molly said as she excitedly waved to the two women. “They arranged the event for the library.”
“What time is it?” Artemas asked. “Mina said she would be finished with her duties around eight-thirty. We’re to meet afterward for a stroll through the park.”
Mr. Jordan glanced at his watch. “It’s only a few minutes after eight.”
“This will give me a chance to introduce you to Lucy,” Molly said to her father. “Did you find a good time to arrange a tour at the museum?”
“Thursday would be perfect. Around three o’clock,” he said. “I’ll be cataloging items in the basement storage area that day. It should be quiet then.”
“Terrific!” she said, waving her hand again in an effort to get Lucy’s attention. She signaled for Lucy to walk over and join them.
&nb
sp; “Thursday afternoon is when the timedoor reopens for the second time,” Artemas said, glancing at the bonfire. Mina Mayfield remained near the story time activities as Lucy approached. “It opens precisely at five o’clock and closes at eight. So if you don’t mind, I’ll stop by the museum shortly before then to meet you. And I won’t have trouble finding you either,” he added with a chuckle, recalling how he and King Rupert had spent many hours hiding out in the museum basement on their first visit to this world.
“That would be wonderful if you could stop by,” Mrs. Jordan said. “This way we can accompany you back for a brief visit. I’d love to see Endora again.”
“And I would love to show you,” Artemas replied, glancing again toward the bonfire. “Coincidentally, that very day in Endora is the last day of our year, and also the last day of winter. But we don’t celebrate the new year the same way as you. None of the fireworks or raucous celebrating that Christopher told me about. We usually sit down to a lovely breakfast to greet the first spring sunrise of a brand new year.”
“Christopher will stay up until midnight no matter how cold it gets,” Molly said, again waving at Lucy who swiftly approached. “He’s running around with Henry and Robert, no doubt stuffing his face.”
“I’m staying up until midnight too!” Vergil demanded. “I am seven after all.”
“If you can keep those eyelids open that long, young man, you’ve got a deal. And that’s a promise!” his father said, certain that his son would be asleep well before eleven.
“And I promise to give you all a brief yet thorough tour through parts of King Rupert’s castle you haven’t seen yet after we go through the timedoor,” Artemas said, raising his cup of hot chocolate with a smile before taking a sip.
“And what exactly is a timedoor?” asked Lucy with a smile as she arrived at their small gathering, squeezing in between Mrs. Jordan and Molly. She wore a long brown leather coat and matching boots with a heavy beige knit scarf wrapped about her head and neck. The soft glow from a nearby lamppost reflected off the deep blue lenses of her eyeglasses. Everyone stared back at her, momentarily at a loss for words.
The Endora Trilogy (The Complete Series) Page 53