“Is it very old?” Kendra asked.
“Oh, indeed,” the professor replied, seeming all too pleased that she had asked. “Do you not know the story of the library? You see, it was my ancestor, the legendary Byron Bumblebean, who was responsible for the beginnings of the library. Byron once traveled to a distance land of giants, where he engaged in a crooked game of cards with a gargantuan scoundrel. Despite the cheating nature of giants, Byron won the match. When his colossal opponent could not pay his bet, he gave Byron a barrel of pickles. Well, as the story goes, when he finished eating all the pickles, he donated the empty barrel to Faun’s End, and the town used it to build the library.”
“Sounds like the ancient Eens really got themselves out of a pickle,” Ratchet said, and Kendra and Oki started to giggle.
“I’m not sure I understand your meaning,” Professor Bumblebean said, puffing out his chest with pride.
“It was just a joke,” Ratchet said.
“A joke?” Professor Bumblebean asked. “I don’t see the fun in it. Myself, I descend from a long line of scholars, and I believe I would know if something were funny.”
“Okay, okay,” Ratchet muttered. “There’s no need to get your knickers in a twist. Let’s just get on with our business.”
“My word,” the professor said, rolling his eyes and turning towards the tall arched door of the library. “No wonder Elder Burdock is always referring to you as a scalawag.”
“What’s a scalawag?” Kendra whispered to Oki as they followed Professor Bumblebean.
“I think it’s the same as a rascal,” Oki replied.
The professor opened the mighty wooden door of the library. The door swung inward with a creak, revealing a vast and magical interior. Kendra gasped. No matter how many times she visited the library, she never failed to be awed. Eens, you see, aren’t the type to clutter their libraries with racks and shelves and such. And why would they? Book trees do just as well, if not better, as long as you can find the seeds. Of course, there’s no shortage of such seeds in Een, and the library seemed more a garden than a place of study. And what a garden! It bore no fruit or flowers, but books—more than you can imagine—with each tree sprouting forth with wonderful volumes of text.
The trees stretched up to the domed roof of the library. (Thankfully, book trees are small—Een-sized, if you will—and fit snugly.) Staircases spiraled up many of the trees so that the taller branches could be reached, and there were many balconies and galleries suspended high above the main floor. The space was warm and inviting, for sunshine filtered through the dome and the fragrance from the trees was delightful.
“Ah,” Professor Bumblebean said, taking a deep breath, “the glorious aroma of knowledge. Well, come now, we’ll ascend to the section on creatures from beyond the magic curtain.”
As they crossed the floor, they could see a great many Eens bustling about the book trees.
Ratchet expressed amazement that the Eens were still at work after seeing the dark shadow, but Kendra wasn’t so surprised. Eens may be easily startled, she knew, but they were also just as happy to forget any danger as soon as possible. “Out of sight, out of mind,” she had heard many of her Een teachers say, and now she watched as the library workers happily went about their tasks. One Een was darting among the orchard groves with a large watering can, though it contained not water, as you may suppose, but rather, all the letters of the alphabet. The cheerful fellow whistled as he sprinkled the letters on the roots of the trees. Another Een was ripping pages out of a small book and tossing them into a hole, which was being dug by two of his co-workers.
“What are they doing, Professor?” Kendra asked.
“I do say!” Professor Bumblebean remarked. “Everyone knows that’s how you plant a new book tree.”
They passed another row of trees, and here they saw still more Eens at work. These were each sitting beneath a different tree, with their eyes closed and their hands stretched out to touch the trunks. They seemed in some sort of trance.
Before Kendra could ask the question on the tip of her tongue, Professor Bumblebean had an answer for her. “They’re fertilizing the trees with knowledge,” he announced.
At last the professor brought them to a tree in the very center of the room. A staircase snaked around its trunk, winding ever upwards.
“The section we are about to visit is normally restricted to the elders and other important Eens,” the professor declared. “I hope you respect the privilege you are about to enjoy.”
He turned and led them up the staircase. It was a long way up. Kendra wanted to pause and peer down upon the library, but Professor Bumblebean kept such a steady pace that she had no time to linger.
At last, the stairway came to an end at a small wooden door, framed with the lush leaves of the very tree they had just climbed. Professor Bumblebean whispered a password, and the door opened inward, revealing a quiet balcony that stretched across the uppermost heights of the dome. The tops of the book trees arched over the long gallery, creating a pleasant green canopy.
“Here we are,” the professor said. “Some of the oldest and tallest trees, containing our most ancient knowledge, reach here. Now, I will attend to some maps. The rest of you search for books about monsters.”
“What type of monsters?” Oki asked.
“All of them, of course,” the professor announced. “We may encounter all sorts of creatures on this journey.”
“I was afraid he’d say that,” Oki told his friends.
Together, Kendra, Oki, and Ratchet set about to explore the gallery. They could see that many of the books were not yet ripe; these were green and closed, their knowledge not yet ready to be read. Other books had blossomed and were eagerly displaying their crisp white pages, inviting the young friends to delight in their words.
“Oh, here’s a good one!” Ratchet declared, calling Kendra and Oki over to a small yellowish book. The raccoon flipped through the pages, only to have a jet of fire shoot out at his face. “Yeesh!” Ratchet cried. “How do you like that business?”
“Careful,” Professor Bumblebean said, rushing over and wrenching the book out of Ratchet’s paws. He closed the book and saw the word “dragons” printed in large capital letters across the cover. “I do say, of all the books to try to open!” the professor scolded. “This volume hasn’t matured yet. It’s very dangerous to go opening books that are still trying to grow their text. The books themselves often possess the characteristics of their subjects, you know. If you had paid more attention in school, you’d know this, Ratchet Ringtail.”
“It’s a good thing you didn’t find a book about tornadoes,” Kendra said, laughing. “You’d be blown to the end of the earth, and we’d have to go rescue you on top of everything else!”
“Yeesh,” Ratchet muttered again, caressing his singed whiskers. “I think I’ll let you look for the books from now on, Kendra.”
IN THE END, Professor Bumblebean selected more than a dozen books to take with him on the quest. These covered a wide variety of topics and had titles such as The Illustrated History of Krodos and The Comparative Book of Creatures from Beyond the Magic Curtain. By the time the professor had picked the last book, it was getting quite late, and Kendra had to scamper to make it home before dark.
Despite her haste, the moon was just beginning to cast its crescent smile upon the sky when Kendra turned the last corner in the path and came upon the cottage where she lived with Uncle Griffinskitch. The house was round and squat, encircling the trunk of an ancient yew tree. To Kendra, it seemed as if the tree grew right out of the roof. It was the very core of the cottage, and she could even see its trunk from the inside, for no interior wall had been built to separate the dwelling from the tree. When she was walking through the cottage, Kendra often ran her hand over the bark. It seemed magical to her.
As for the house itself, well, if you have ever been to a wizard’s home, you know that they are normally cluttered and somewhat untidy. Uncle Griffinskitch�
��s house was no exception. It was cozy and old, decorated with furniture that had carvings of strange wooden faces, and dusty paintings that told the stories of Een in days long forgotten. The house had many floors and rooms, though several of these could be reached only by enchanted doors and secret passwords. It was in these rooms where Uncle Griffinskitch kept his telescopes, books, cauldrons, and other enchanted items.
When Kendra stepped into the house, Uncle Griffinskitch had already returned from his private meeting with Winter Woodsong. He was sitting at the kitchen table, his nose buried deep in a large book. Without bothering to lift his eyes from his manuscript, the old wizard spoke to her. “How many times have I told you to come home before dark?” he grumbled.
“Well, I was with Bumblebean, after all,” Kendra said.
“Professor Bumblebean,” Uncle Griffinskitch corrected gruffly.
Kendra noticed a heap of carrot peelings on the table, next to her uncle’s elbow. On the hearth, a pot simmered softly, bubbling orange.
“Oh! The giant carrots,” Kendra said.
“Hmmm?” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered, finally raising his eyes from his book. “Oh, yes. I was able to reverse your badly placed spell and thought we would have carrot soup for dinner. Though I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to arrive.”
Uncle Griffinskitch rose slowly and dished out the soup. Kendra quickly washed up and joined him for dinner.
The old wizard was quiet, even by his standards, and Kendra began to feel uncomfortable.
“Uncle Griffinskitch?” she asked, finally breaking the awkward silence.
“Hmm,” her uncle grunted, slurping his soup.
“What exactly is the Box of Whispers?” she asked. “How come I’ve never heard of it?”
“It is a matter for elders only,” the old Een replied simply.
“But what’s in it?” Kendra persisted.
“Once again,” Uncle Griffinskitch said, “a matter for elders only.”
“Oh,” Kendra murmured, staring down at her soup. “But why did everyone look at me when Elder Brown mentioned the magic curtain?”
Uncle Griffinskitch paused, his spoon lifted halfway to his mouth. For a long time he said nothing, and Kendra could see him shift uncomfortably. “You are full of questions tonight,” he grumbled. “More so than usual.”
“Please,” Kendra implored. “Why doesn’t Elder Brown like me?”
“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch grunted. “It’s not that. He was referring to your . . . to your family. Your brother and your parents.”
“But they died,” Kendra said. “A long time ago. When I was just a baby.”
Uncle Griffinskitch stroked his whiskers, as if he were in deep thought. “Yes, Kendra,” he said finally. “Most likely.”
“What do you mean ‘most likely’?” Kendra asked, leaning forward across the table. “They might still be alive?”
“I doubt it,” Uncle Griffinskitch murmured. “They disappeared beyond the magic curtain. No one knows for sure what happened.”
“Disappeared!” Kendra cried. “So they could be alive.”
“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered. “It’s doubtful.” He lifted his spoon to continue with his supper. But Kendra noticed that he wasn’t really eating, just sort of holding the spoon in his hand and staring into his bowl.
Kendra didn’t feel so hungry anymore. After a moment she said, “Do you think we will find them, Uncle Griffinskitch? Outside the curtain?”
“I don’t know.” The old wizard suddenly looked very tired. “Listen, Kendra. Your mother was much younger than I; in some ways, like my own daughter. When she and the rest of your family disappeared, I devoted all my energy to finding them. But you were just a baby then, and ultimately I had to look after you. I wish we could continue looking, but . . .”
“But what?” Kendra prompted.
“It’s the Box of Whispers we need to find,” the old wizard said, a tone of reluctance in his voice. “That and that alone.”
Kendra stared at her uncle, questions still burning in her mind.
“Maybe you should go start packing your things,” Uncle Griffinskitch said. “I’ll be up shortly.”
Kendra slid off her chair and climbed the stairs to her room. Halfway up, she paused and stared at the painting that hung there of her family. They were all in it—her mother, her father, her brother Kiro, and even Kendra herself, a tiny baby, wrapped in a green blanket, with tiny braids poking out of her head. She sighed. She could never seem to get her uncle to talk about her family. But why?
She stared at the painting for a moment more, then went on to her room. Sometimes she felt guilty for not missing her family more. But how could she miss them? She couldn’t even remember them. In many ways, they weren’t even real to her. Oh sure, she sometimes dreamed about them, wondered what it would be like to live with them instead of old Uncle Griffinskitch. Would her mom be grouchy like him? Kendra didn’t think so. She imagined her as a cheerful and kind mother. And what about the rest of her family? Would she like her brother? Or would she fight with him like Oki always fought with his little sisters?
Once in her room, Kendra began pulling out belongings and stacking them on her small bed. Where to begin? The most important thing, she decided, was to be warm, so she started with her long green cloak, throwing it around her shoulders and taking a look at herself in the mirror.
“Do I look like an adventurer?” she asked her reflection and then shrugged. She didn’t even know what an adventurer should look like.
She began collecting other articles of clothing that she thought would be good for traveling, then added to the pile some other essentials: a canteen for water, a small sleeping bag, a bit of rope (one could always use rope, she reasoned), and a small pouch of bandages.
When she was done, Kendra stepped back and stared at the pile. Something was missing.
“I wish I had some magic,” she said to herself. In the stories she had read about great quests, the heroes always had some enchanted item to help them along, like a sword or a wand. But she had nothing of the sort.
Then Kendra remembered the magic carrots.
“That’s it!” she exclaimed with a snap of her fingers. She reached into her pocket and pulled out five tiny seeds, all that were left from her morning’s gardening experiment. Ratchet had given her the seeds a few weeks ago. But the carrots hadn’t started growing until she was able to find the right incantation in Uncle Griffinskitch’s Gardening with Magic book.
Kendra put the seeds into the bottom of her small belt pouch. She wasn’t sure what use giant carrots would be on a long and dangerous journey, but they were the only magic items in her possession.
After a time, Uncle Griffinskitch came to check on her.
“Not a bad job,” he murmured with grudging approval when he saw the belongings she had collected. “Now let’s off to bed. We have an early start tomorrow.”
Kendra didn’t need to be told twice. It had been a long, adventure-filled day, and she was so tired that she thought she might fall asleep standing up. She crawled into bed and was soundly asleep before her long braids touched her pillow.
WHEN UNCLE GRIFFINSKITCH woke her, Kendra felt as if she had been asleep for only a few minutes. It was still so dark outside that she could see stars shining through her bedroom window.
“So early?” Kendra murmured groggily.
“Humph,” her uncle muttered. “We need to be at the Elder Stone by dawn. And we’re collecting Oki along the way.”
After a hastily gobbled breakfast, Kendra and Uncle Griffinskitch locked up the house and set off down the path towards Oki’s. The whiskery mouse and his family were awaiting them on the porch of their tiny home.
Oki’s parents seemed to be in fine form, with his father saying such things as “Now you be careful” and “Put on a brave face,” while his mother was working herself into a nervous frenzy about her son’s upcoming adventure.
“Oh, it’ll be hor
rible!” she exclaimed with gushing tears. “You’ll contract Goojun pox or the squeezles! Or some Unger will eat you between pieces of toast for breakfast!”
“Oh, gee,” Oki gulped.
“Or maybe you’ll get squished by some giant!” Oki’s mother wailed. “He could squeeze you until your eyes pop out of your head!”
“Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered impatiently, as he ushered Oki off the porch. “I’m quite sure that won’t happen. Now say your good-byes, Oki. The others are waiting.”
Oki quickly waved his paw at his parents and tiny sisters and scampered down the path, ahead of Uncle Griffinskitch and Kendra.
“Mother’s been like that ever since she found out I was going on this darn quest,” Oki said once Kendra had caught up to him. “I think she’ll actually be disappointed if something doesn’t happen to me!”
It wasn’t long before they arrived at the Elder Stone, where Ratchet, Captain Jinx, and Professor Bumblebean were waiting for them. The professor looked as if he were on his way to study for some important exam, for he was carrying an enormous pack with books, scrolls, and maps poking out of every seam. As for Jinx, she looked to be marching into battle, for in addition to her trusty sword, she was strapped with all sorts of weapons: daggers, knives, and even a small axe.
“Well, we’re all here now,” Ratchet declared, waving them over to one of his jack-o’-lantern boats at the bank of the River Wink. “Let’s get a move on.”
“I hope you picked a happy boat,” Oki said to the raccoon. “If he starts yelling and cursing, he’ll wake up the whole town.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Ratchet assured the mouse. “I stayed up late last night making a special boat!” He pointed to the pumpkin, and Kendra could see that it had been carved with no mouth. The boat glared angrily at Ratchet, but of course, it was helpless to say anything.
Kendra Kandlestar and the Box of Whispers Page 4