Darwen Arkwright and the School of Shadows
Page 33
“So what’s the alternative?” asked Rich.
“We turn Silbrica over to the people who live here,” said Darwen. “We build a council of dellfeys and mammoth herders, pouncels and zingers, snorkies and whatever else can think and communicate and share a vision for what Silbrica is.”
Rich whistled. “That’s a pretty tall order, Darwen,” he said. “They have lived separately for a long time. Not sure how well they’ll work together.”
“That’s for them to determine,” said Darwen. “They came together to protect not just their own loci but the whole world. I think they can keep it up. Mr. Peregrine will help.”
“And you?” said Alex. “What about you? What about us?”
“We did what we had to,” said Darwen. “Greyling is gone and our fight is over. Now we get to explore, to enjoy the world we helped save. I don’t know if Mr. Peregrine is right, if I’ll be able to open the portals forever, but I, for one, intend to use the gift as if I might one day lose it.”
“Me too,” said Rich.
“Try and stop me,” said Alex, grinning. She took each of their hands. “Mirroculists together forever, whatever happens.”
“The Peregrine Pact,” said Darwen, pulling them a little closer.
“I told you,” said Alex. “First day you arrived, I knew we’d be best friends. You didn’t believe me, but I was so on the money.”
“That’s right,” said Darwen, grinning at Rich. “I didn’t believe you.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Alex sneered. “Laugh it up. You didn’t see it coming, but now I’m the most important person in both of your lives. It was inevitable, really.”
“That’s right,” Rich agreed, rolling his eyes. “You are the star of the show.”
“And don’t you forget it,” Alex shot back. “So what do you say we pick a locus we’ve never visited before and see what it has to offer?”
“Maybe tomorrow,” said Darwen. “I promised my aunt I’d bring you guys over for dinner tonight.”
“She still feeling just guilty enough to give you whatever you want?” asked Alex.
“Pretty much,” said Darwen. “She’s not sure why, but she can deny me nothing.”
“You should ask for pulled pork,” said Rich. “With Texas toast and baked beans.”
“Seriously?” said Alex as they began to walk down to the Great Apparatus and the chute up to Darwen’s room. “She’s reeling from nearly killing him and you want to exploit that by asking her for barbecue? That’s just sad. You should ask for a car. Something sleek and fancy that I’ll look good in. Heck, Rich can already drive, so long as we don’t have to cross any bridges in traffic. . . .”
“I did just fine on the bridge,” Rich inserted.
“Whatever, tractor boy,” Alex returned. “If I hadn’t been navigating and yelling every time you almost bashed a cop car, we would have been in the ocean.”
As Rich sputtered his protests, Darwen smiled to himself, casting a long look over the circle of portals in the center of the room, all leading to strange and astonishing places, a near infinite network of wonders to explore. Without him and his friends, none of this would be here. They had stood their ground against Greyling and his scrobbler army and they had won. Silbrica at last knew peace and freedom.
“You coming, man?” Alex shot back from the chute. “I thought we were having dinner.”
“I’m coming,” said Darwen. “Just taking it in.”
“It will all still be here tomorrow,” said Alex. “You can check it out then.”
“Yes,” said Darwen, turning his smile upon her. “Yes, I can.”
THE END
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my wife and son, who read early drafts of the manuscript and provided invaluable feedback, to my agent, Stacey Glick, to Ben Schrank, Sarah Van Bonn, Natalie Sousa, Kristin Logsdon, and— especially—Gillian Levinson at Razorbill. I am also particularly grateful to the teachers, students, and booksellers whom I have met in the last couple of years as I toured schools. You remain a constant inspiration.