by Sheila Grau
“How do you know about the key?”
“Because it’s mine!” Grandpa spun the key around in his hand. “It’s a funny gizmo I picked up at the fair. I was waiting in line, a line that got longer when the Vilcots cut in, and a lady came by selling these. They open up, so you can stick a note inside. You can give it to your girlfriend and tell her it’s the key to your heart. Or give it to a friend and call it the key to happiness. It’s just a fun novelty.
“Anyway, after we made our deal, I gave it to Plenthy with a note inside that said, ‘It’s our key to success!’ Ha! What a fool I was.”
“How did Davardi get it?” Jaq asked.
“Hmm . . . I have no idea. What did the note inside say?”
Jaq showed him the note.
“This was meant for me,” Grandpa said. “Jaq, you numbskull—you do know my name is Greggin, don’t you? It’s not ‘Grandpa.’”
“It’s such a common name, I didn’t put it together,” Jaq said. “Plus, it says only someone with ‘your resources and unwavering courage’ could help him.”
“What are you saying?”
“Um. That you don’t have either.”
“Well, not anymore, I’ll grant you,” Grandpa said, waving a finger in the air. “But back in the day I would have fought as hard as Klingdux for a worthy cause—”
“Why would Davardi have a key with a note for you? It doesn’t make sense.”
“I wonder . . . ,” Grandpa said. “Let’s see. This is what we know: You got this key from Davardi, who was working for Vilcot when he stole Klingdux. He probably got the key from Vilcot. But how did Vilcot get it? Hmm. If Plenthy wanted to send me a note, he’d send it to my old farm. Wait! That’s it! Plenthy didn’t know that I’d sold it.” Grandpa pointed back toward the Vilcots’ farm. “So Plenthy’s messenger gave this key to Vilcot, thinking that Vilcot was me. Vilcot never opened it, because he doesn’t know the secret.”
“Is the secret having your mother throw it out the window?”
“Ha-ha, no. There’s a twist here, and then you push this prong. Presto.” The key split apart, revealing the hollow tube in the shaft. Grandpa twirled the pieces in his hands. “Well, he’s got some nerve, doesn’t he?”
“What do you mean?”
“Plenthy took my money, he took Vilcot’s money, and then he disappeared. Not a word for years. And now that he’s in trouble, he asks for help. Promising me riches! Ha! I’ve heard that before.”
“Grandpa, this bird and the glug inside it are from Earth.”
Grandpa looked down at the bird. “Is that so?”
“Yes. But Earth is scary,” Jaq said. “It’s filled with giants. And the place is a sensory explosion of the worst kind. So many sounds, smells, tastes, sights, and feels. Everything is so loud and bright and harsh. It’s crazy.”
“But you went before,” Grandpa said. “If you did it once, we can do it again. You and I together—we can go back and find Plenthy. I’d love to see Vilcot’s face when Plenthy tells him I didn’t steal his money. That’s all I want out of that old swindler! We have to go.”
Jaq kicked a rock and hurt his toe. “I know,” he said. “When I think of being trapped there, it’s awful. Nobody deserves that. We should rescue him. I did meet one nice giant. Her name is Fiona, and she seemed to know Plenthy. She might be able to help.”
“All right, then,” Grandpa said. “We’ll sell this glug, buy a few rescue supplies, and then go save Plenthy. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find more glug. Enough to buy my farm back.”
Jaq smiled. Grandpa seemed to have filled up with energy. This was fantastic. The two of them could rescue Plenthy together. It would be great to have Grandpa with him. Jaq knew he would feel a lot less scared.
They walked down the road, faster now, their steps buoyed with excitement. If this plan worked, their problems would be over.
And then Jaq noticed a group of hoverbikes heading their way.
They were police hoverbikes.
Jaq and his grandfather stood aside to let the police officers pass, but the hoverbikes surrounded them. Jaq looked from one stern face to another. Something was very wrong here. Jaq felt his heart beat hard and fast, like it was trying to warn him.
“Put the bird down, young man,” the officer in front said. The rest dismounted.
More hoverbikes approached from the other direction. Jaq saw Tormy Vilcot and his grandfather racing right for them, followed by two of their ranch hands.
“There he is! And that’s my bird!” Tormy shouted. He and his grandfather looked angrier than an 84.
Jaq turned to Grandpa, who was shaking his head.
Once the Vilcots reached the group, Ripley Vilcot dismounted and charged right at Grandpa. “This is because of the farm, isn’t it?” he said. “You two see us with anything, and you have to try to steal it.”
“That’s not true,” Jaq said. “My grandfather never stole anything in his life.”
“Your grandfather has been caught stealing fruit from Mr. Vilcot’s orchard multiple times,” the policeman said. “Mr. Vilcot kindly hasn’t pressed charges, but this is a different thing entirely. Stealing from a little kid.”
“I’m a little kid,” Jaq said. “And I didn’t steal this. It was a gift.”
“From whom?” Ripley Vilcot asked. His greedy eyes bored right into Jaq, just begging him to keep talking.
Jaq looked to Grandpa, wondering if he should say anything. If he told them about the wormhole and Earth, then the greedy Vilcots would go there and steal all the glug for themselves.
“Listen,” Vilcot said. “I can see what’s up, Greggin. You’ve found Plenthy. You’ve gotten your money back. Well, I want my money back, too. Tell me where he is, and I’ll let this go.”
“Let this go?” Grandpa said. “Let this go? You must be joking. You’re not owed anything, you greedy old coot! I paid you back in full.”
What happened next was a blur to Jaq. Grandpa lunged at Vilcot, his rage overtaking him completely. Jaq had never seen Grandpa move so quickly. While Jaq stood watching in shock, Tormy tackled him from behind and pinned him to the ground. The policemen were busy trying to break up the grandfathers, so Tormy got in a few punches to Jaq’s ribs before anyone noticed.
Once Tormy was off him, Jaq rolled to his side and moaned.
“It’s my bird,” Tormy said. He grabbed it and handed it to one of the ranch hands. Then he noticed Jaq’s backpack.
“What else of mine have you taken?” Tormy opened the pack and pulled out the blue glug egg. “Also mine,” he said, smirking.
“Take him away,” the elder Vilcot said. He was pointing to Grandpa. Vilcot’s hair was mussed up, and he smoothed it down with his gloved hands. “Lock him up for stealing and assault. And then go arrest the boy’s mother. She was an accomplice.”
“No!” Jaq said. If they arrested his mother, she’d lose her job. Then they’d be worse off than ever.
Jaq’s grandpa kept swinging at Vilcot, so the policemen cuffed his hands and shoved him into the criminal trailer, which was a small cell attached to one of the hoverbikes. Grandpa kept swearing at the policemen and Vilcot until the door was closed and the sound cut off.
“I’m a compassionate man, Roamy,” Vilcot said to one of the policemen. “You know me. I don’t want this poor, misguided boy to be left alone, and I’m satisfied with the return of our property. As long as the boy apologizes for stealing, we won’t press charges against his mother.”
The policemen looked at Ripley Vilcot as if he were the nicest guy they’d ever met. It made Jaq want to vomit.
He didn’t know what to do. He hated the Vilcots. Why did they think they could just take whatever they wanted? The chicken was Jaq’s dream of a better life for his mother and grandfather, and now selfish Tormy Vilcot had snatched it from his grasp. Jaq knew he should fight them, but if he did, they’d just take the chicken anyway and his mother would lose her job. He had no way to prove it was his.
“I’m sorr
y for stealing it,” Jaq said.
Tormy leaned in close and whispered in Jaq’s ear. “You don’t even put up a fight, do you? You’re such a coward.”
The Vilcots took their loot, got back on their hoverbikes, and headed home. The policemen also drove off, in the opposite direction, with Jaq’s grandpa. Jaq ran after them, screaming, “He didn’t do anything!”
But soon they were out of reach.
19
FORGIVENESS IS A SUPERPOWER
Jaq sat at home, wondering what to do. He had to save his grandfather, and he knew the only way to do that was to rescue Plenthy and bring him back to Yipsmix. That meant going back to Earth, a prospect that terrified him.
How could he go back to Earth alone? The giants were so big, and the planet was so overwhelming.
As he sat there hunting for some courage, his mother came home.
“Jaq,” she said, “I just got back from town. They won’t release Grandpa.” She dropped her bag and paced. “I told them he’s not going anywhere, but they want to keep him in jail until the judges can rule on his case. That could take forever! And what if they find him guilty? What are we going to do?”
“They stole my chicken,” Jaq said. “Those Vilcots. They told the police that I’d taken it from Tormy. And the police believed them.”
“Of course they did. Ripley Vilcot has bribed everyone in town. Grandpa is never going to be free.” Mom shook her head. “I have to get back to work. I’ll be home late, to make up for the time I took off this afternoon. Will you be okay?”
Jaq nodded. After a pause, he said, “What if I could get another one? Another glug-filled bird.”
Mom stopped pacing and looked at him. “How?”
“It’s a long story,” Jaq said. “But to do it, I need to ask you a question.”
“What?”
“When you’re working at the factory, how do you handle all the noise? Doesn’t it fill your mouth with flavors and your vision with colors and shapes? Doesn’t it make it impossible to fuction?”
She opened her bag. “They give us these,” she said, pulling out a package of earplugs and some thick earmuffs. “And this,” she said, holding up a nose plug on a rubbery string. “And sometimes I wear these,” she said, putting on a pair of sunglasses. “And this.” She shook out a package of Blandie Biscuits—The Biscuit That Fights Off Flavor. “Eat one of those, and no unpleasant tastes will pop into your mouth unexpectedly.”
“To get another bird, I have to go up by the waterfall,” Jaq said. “It’s really hard to walk next to it.”
Mom nodded. “Take them,” she said. “And, Jaq”—she grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye—“tell me that the waterfall is the only danger. Promise me. I could not bear it if anything happened to you.”
“I promise,” Jaq said. “I’ll be fine.”
It was the hardest lie Jaq had ever told.
The Vilcots may think that they’ve won. But I’m going to show them. I’m not done fighting.
Jaq knew that’s what Klingdux the superhero would say in this situation, but Jaq was having trouble finding the same resolve.
Easy for him to say, Jaq thought. Klingdux is an indestructible superhero. It’s much harder to be brave when you are small and very, very destructible.
Jaq knew that if he had superstrength or speed or a magical suit, he probably wouldn’t be afraid of anything, either. But he didn’t, so he was. Still, he had to go back. If there was even the smallest chance that he could save his family by bringing Plenthy back to testify for Grandpa, or by bringing home more glug, he had to try.
He raced past the Vilcots’ farm, not wanting to see a single member of that evil family. He slowed to a walk once he’d passed it. That was when he noticed the pack shift on his back. He stopped and opened it up. Inside he saw the earplugs, earmuffs, sunglasses, nose plug, the Blandie Bisquits, the key, the map, and a furry nose.
“I’m hungry,” Bonip said.
“Bonip! What are you doing in there?”
“I was looking for some crispy-stick crumbs. And before I know it, you’ve dropped these earmuffs on my head and we’re bouncing along. I’m still hungry. Did I mention that?”
“Yes, you did,” Jaq said. He dumped his backpack upside down, catching his earmuffs but letting Bonip fall to the ground.
“Hey!”
“Go on.” Jaq pointed. “Go back to your friends. I’d rather be alone than with a traitor like you.”
“Come on, Mr. Seventeen Senses, don’t you have a sense of humor?” Bonip asked. When he started laughing, Jaq pulled his leg back to kick the rotten little rodent.
“No, really. I’m truly, truly sorry,” Bonip said, serious now. “I’m sorry I teased you. It’s just . . . they make me feel so . . . so . . . like if I don’t join them, then I must be the biggest loser, you know? I’m really sorry.”
Jaq scowled at him.
“Let me come. I can help,” Bonip said. “I’ll get you past the waterfall.”
Jaq showed Bonip his earmuffs.
“I’ll look right when you look left. Okay?”
Jaq sighed. As much as he hated wippers, and especially this little traitorous one, he had to admit that he felt a little less afraid when he had someone with him. “All right, you can come. But you have to promise to listen to me. And if we do get to Earth, you can’t have any crunchy sticks until I say so. We have to find Fiona and then find Plenthy. Then we eat. Got it?”
“I promise.”
“Okay, hop in.” Jaq held open the backpack. Bonip jumped in, and Jaq put it back on.
Bonip peeked out the top. “Did I mention I was hungry?”
Among his seventeen senses, Jaq had a terrific sense of direction, and he found his way straight back to the wormhole. He came prepared this time, wearing both earplugs and earmuffs as he approached the waterfall. The muffled roar was no more than a faint echo of color in his vision, and he navigated through it easily.
He approached the swirly gateway and put up his hands, like before. Then he pulled off his earmuffs. He had to make sure Bonip understood the plan.
“Bonip, here we go. Remember, we have to find that nice girl giant. She can tell us what she knows about Plenthy. Then we’ll find food.”
“I know, I know. Let’s get going.”
Jaq resecured the earmuffs. He put on the nose plug and the sunglasses. He popped a biscuit into his mouth. He nodded at Bonip and stepped through. This time he felt a little more squished, a little more tugged, and his breath was sucked out of him a little faster. Then he was in the soil again, and he took in a big breath of air.
“That was so much worse than the first time,” he said. “Hey, does the wormhole look fainter to you?”
It looked like Bonip agreed—he was nodding and talking, but Jaq couldn’t hear him because of the earmuffs.
Jaq stood and regained his sense of balance. With his other senses muted, he was able to concentrate on closing off the connections in his flexible brain. He breathed deeply and removed his protection one by one: first the earmuffs, then the earplugs, then the sunglasses, and, finally, the nose plug. As much as he wanted to keep them on, he knew that he’d need his senses to survive on Earth.
Poor Earthlings. They had to filter out so much unnecessary information every second. If there was one thing Jaq had noticed about this alien world, it was that Earth was filled with unnecessary information, all of it fighting for attention: sounds crashing into brightly colored signs, smells charging through a confusion of tastes, hums and clicks and odors and chatter. It took some time to mentally mute it all, but at last Jaq felt stable and in control.
“Let’s go find some food,” Bonip said.
“Bonip, I told you—we have to find Fiona. But I have to hide my stuff first.” Jaq made a pile of his gear and put his empty backpack back on. He planned to fill it with glug. The soil was soft, so he started digging a hole. “Why don’t you look out for Fiona while I hide everything?” he said.
“Okay, but hurry.” Bonip hopped over to the edge of the plants. “Oooh, there’s some sort of show going on. There’s a small crowd of giants watching a guy on a stage. He’s dressed in black and waving a long stick in the air . . . Snorks! The stick just turned into a bunch of flowers. Ha!”
Jaq was rethinking his hiding place. He didn’t want his mom’s stuff to be smothered in dirt. He looked around for a leaf to cover them with, but all the leaves were still clinging tightly to plants. “Any sign of Fiona?” he asked.
“No. I want to watch this guy. Now he’s got a long rope . . . He’s folding it in half . . . He’s cutting the rope . . . What’s he going to do now, I wonder?”
“If you’re not going to look for Fiona, you could help me rip off this leaf. It might go a little faster. I know you have sharp teeth.”
“Worm cakes! He’s made the rope whole again! Like magic.”
There was some unenthusiastic applause. The audience clearly wasn’t as impressed with the performance as Bonip was.
A new song drifted out of the loudspeakers flanking the stage.
“This is going to be good, I can tell,” Bonip said. “Okay, now he’s bringing out a giant glass cage.”
Something besides the annoying voice of the wipper caught Jaq’s ear. “Be quiet for a second,” he said. “I want to listen to that song.”
“I tell you, that’s a tough crowd. They’re barely even clapping. Some of those giants are walking away, shaking their heads.”
“Shh!”
“All right, all right. Sorry.”
The song was unlike anything Jaq had ever heard, and he stopped pulling at the leaf to listen. It filled his brain with such vivid pictures and sensations. He found that he was holding his breath to the very end, when the music built up to a crescendo and made him cover his ears.
Wow! he thought when it was over.
The memory of the song echoed in his brain, like a slide show of sensations.
A deep voice boomed through the air. “And now, ladies and gentlemen . . . for my final act, I, Morgo the Magnificent, will perform a trick never before seen by human eyes.” His voice was so loud, it seemed to echo off the walls. “Behold, the Incredible Shrinking Magician!”