Fablehaven_ Rise of the Evening Star Part 19

It's a start, Newel said. But let's face it, they'll run out before long. I a.s.sume there are more where those came from?

Lots more, Seth a.s.sured him. This is just a test run. If I remember right, you said something about batteries being worth their weight in gold.

Newel and Doren shared a glance. We think we may have figured out something you'd like more, Newel said.

Follow us, Doren said.

Seth walked with the satyrs over to a little white shed not far from the net. Newel opened the door and ducked inside. He came out holding a bottle. What do you say?

Newel asked. A bottle of fine wine for those eight batteries.

Potent stuff, Doren confided. It'll put hair on your chest in no time. Good luck getting something like that from your grandparents.

Seth looked back and forth at the two satyrs. Are you serious? I'm twelve years old! Do you think I'm an alcoholic or something?199 We figured something like this might be tough for youto get, Newel said with a wink.

Good wine, Doren said. Primo.

That might be true, but I'm just a kid. What am I going to do with a bottle of wine?

Newel and Doren shared a nervous glance. Well done, Seth, Newel said awkwardly, ruffling his hair. You...

pa.s.sed our test. Your parents would be very proud.

Newel elbowed Doren. Yeah, um, sometimes we test people, Doren said. And play jokes.

Newel went back into the shed. He returned holding a blue frog with yellow markings. Seriously, here is what we really had in mind, Seth.

A frog? Seth asked.

Not just any frog, Doren said. Show him.

Newel tickled the frog's belly. Its air sac swelled up to the size of a cantaloupe, and the frog let out a tremendous belching sound. Seth laughed in surprised delight. The satyrs laughed with him. Newel tickled the frog again and the thunderous belching sound repeated. Doren was wiping away mirthful tears.

So what do you say? Newel asked.

Eight lousy batteries for one incredible frog, Doren said. I'd take it.

Seth folded his arms. The frog is pretty cool, but I'm not five years old. If it's between gold and a burping frog, I'll take the gold.

The satyrs frowned, clearly disappointed. Newel nodded200 at Doren, who slipped into the shed and returned holding abar of gold. He handed it to Seth.

Seth turned the bar over and over in his hands. It was about the size of a bar of hotel soap. An N was embossed on one side. Otherwise it was a plain, golden rectangle, a little heavier than it looked. Probably enough gold to be worth a lot of money.

This is more like it, Seth said happily, placing the gold inside his emergency kit. What does the 'N' stand for?

Newel scratched his head. Nothing.

Right, Doren said hastily. Stands for 'nothing.'

Nothing? Seth said dubiously. Why would somebody write an 'N' for 'nothing'? Why not just leave it blank?

Newel, Doren tried. It stands for Newel.

Used to be my favorite belt buckle, Newel added wistfully.

You wore pants? Seth asked.

Long story, Newel explained. Let's not dwell on the past. Fact is, there are more-um-belt buckles where that came from, all pure gold. You bring us more batteries, we'll keep trading with you.

Works for me, Seth said.

This could be the beginning of a spectacular partners.h.i.+p, Newel said.

Doren raised a cautionary hand, halting the conversation.

You hear that?

The three of them paused, listening. Something's corning, Newel said, eyebrows knitting together. No matter how the satyrs behaved, they usually had an air about them that201 everything they said was tongue-in-cheek. That air wasgone.

They kept listening. Seth heard nothing. Are you guys fooling with me? he asked.

Newel shook his head, holding up a finger. I can't place it. You?

Doren was sniffing the air. Can't be.

You better scram, Seth, Newel said. Get back to the yard.

With the gold, right? Seth suspected they might be trying to trick him out of his reward.

Of course, but you better hur- Too late, Doren warned.

A creature the size of a pony burst out of the bushes onto the tennis court. Seth recognized it immediately. Olloch?

Olloch the Glutton? Newel asked Seth.

I thought it smelled like a demon, Doren groaned.

Yeah, Seth said. He bit me.

Grotesquely toadlike, Olloch reared back and opened his mouth. It looked like the demon had swallowed a squid, so many flailing tongues emerged. Sitting upright, Olloch was nearly as tall as Seth. After a triumphant roar, the demon lowered his head and charged, advancing in a jerky, scrambling crawl.

Newel grabbed Seth's hand and hauled him away from the demon. Run! Newel yelled.

For television! Doren cried, brandis.h.i.+ng his tennis racket and holding his ground. Olloch pounced at the satyr, but Doren lunged aside, swatting away a pair of tongues with202 the racket. Several more tongues lashed out, wrenching theracket from Doren's grasp. The tongues pulled the racket into a gaping mouth, and moments later expelled it with the strings missing and a crack in the frame.

Seth had reached the bushes at the edge of the court when Olloch, ignoring Doren, took a huge leap toward him and then charged with frightening speed. Seth knew he wouldn't make it back to the path, let alone to the yard. His mind raced, trying to think if there was anything useful in his emergency kit.

Tongues writhing, the demon sprang. For batteries!

Newel cried, intercepting the glutton in midair and wrapping both arms around its middle.

To the shed! Doren called, retrieving his unstrung racket and running toward the demon.

Seth turned and dashed toward the shed. Growling and s...o...b..ring, Olloch squirmed free from Newel and raced after Seth, staying low and gaining quickly. Over his shoulder, Seth glimpsed the demon drawing near, rapidly closing the s.p.a.ce between them despite moving with such a choppy gait. The shed was still several steps away.

Jumping into the demon's path, Doren raised his damaged racket. A mult.i.tude of tongues snaked around the satyr and slung him aside. His efforts barely slowed Olloch, but bought Seth just enough time to lunge into the shed and slam the door. The demon crunched against the door an instant later. Some of the whitewashed planks split, but they held. The demon crashed against the shed again, rattling the small structure.203 Hang on, Seth, Doren yelled. Help is coming.Seth searched for a weapon. The best he could find was a hoe. The door shattered open and Olloch entered, snarling, wet tongues thras.h.i.+ng. Behind the slavering demon, Seth saw Hugo bounding across the tennis court.

Grasping tongues stretched toward Seth, and he swung the hoe viciously. A tongue adroitly coiled around the hoe, ripping it from Seth's grasp. And then Hugo arrived.

The golem grasped the demon from behind with one hand and hurled it away from the shed. Olloch landed, rolled, and came charging back toward Seth, who now stood in the empty doorway alongside Hugo. The golem stepped forward, blocking access to Seth.

Dripping tongues whipped toward Hugo. The golem grabbed several tongues, yanked the demon into the air, and began spinning Olloch above his head. The tongues elongated as the golem whirled the glutton faster and faster, finally releasing him, sending Olloch sailing away over the treetops.

Doren whistled, clearly impressed.

He'll be back straightaway, Newel said. He had gra.s.s stains on his chest and arms.

You should hurry to the yard, Doren agreed.

We better get some free batteries out of this, Newel said, brus.h.i.+ng himself off.

And a new racket, Doren added.

We'll talk about it, Seth said, clutching his emergency kit with the gold inside. Hugo unceremoniously lifted Seth and started running, leaving him no opportunity to say or204 hear another word. Seth could not believe how fast thegolem raced through the trees, ma.s.sive strides eating up ground. Ignoring trails, Hugo bulldozed his own path through undergrowth and tangled limbs.

Before long, they were back in the yard. Grandma stood there, fists on her hips, along with Coulter, Vanessa, and Kendra. Hugo gently set Seth on his feet in front of Grandma.

Are you all right? Grandma asked, grabbing his shoulders and checking him for injuries.

Thanks to Hugo.

You're lucky Hugo was in the yard, Grandma said. We heard something roaring in the woods and found you missing.

What were you doing in the woods?

I was playing tennis with the satyrs, Seth said. Olloch found me.

Olloch! she cried. The others looked shocked as well.

How could he have gotten onto the preserve? Coulter asked.

Are you sure it was Olloch? Grandma asked.

I recognized him, Seth said. He's a lot bigger. He has a bunch of tongues. He went right for me, didn't hardly care about the satyrs.

They heard something rustling in the woods and turned to face whatever was approaching. Olloch scrambled up to the edge of the yard before stopping. The demon reared up, tongues waving like meaty banners, and let out a mournful bellow. He lunged forward but could not step onto the gra.s.s.

He can't enter the yard, Vanessa said.205 Not yet, Grandma agreed.Then how did he get onto the preserve? Coulter repeated.

I don't know, but we better get to the bottom of it quickly, Grandma said.

Can Hugo kill it? Kendra asked.

Not likely, Grandma said. In fact, I expect even at this size, if Olloch put his mind to it, he could devour Hugo piece by piece.

Olloch was shaking his head, wagging his tongues, and pawing the ground, obviously furious at having his prey so near yet utterly unreachable. Now, there's an unusual sight, Coulter murmured.

Incredible, Vanessa said.

What do we do? Seth asked.

For starters, Grandma said crossly, you are officially grounded.206Betrayal Kendra sat on the love seat beside Seth, resting her elbow on the arm of the couch and her chin on her hand. Ever since Hugo had rescued Seth earlier in the day, an uncomfortable new tension had filled the house. Grandpa had been poring over books and making phone calls.

Vanessa and Coulter came and went several times, often accompanied by Hugo. There were many hushed conversations behind closed doors. Now it was getting late, but Grandma had informed everyone they had to meet about something that could not wait until morning. Which could not be a good sign.

Kendra's chief consolation was that she was not Seth.

Wandering off into the woods without permission had almost gotten him killed. The thought of what had almost207 happened had terrified everyone, and he was getting an earfulas a result. Undoubtedly he would hear plenty more about it in the impending meeting.

Seated in a chair beside Seth, Tanu was showing him potions, explaining what they did and how he marked the bottles to distinguish them from each other. Only Tanu, who had returned not long ago from an all-day excursion, had refrained from reprimanding Seth. Instead, the Samoan seemed intent on distracting him from his misery.

This one is for an emergency, Tanu was saying. It's an enlarger, doubles my height, makes me big enough to wrestle an ogre. The ingredients for enlargers are extremely hard to come by. I've only got one dose, and once I use it, I don't expect to own another. Shrinking is easier. Each of these little vials carries a dose that makes me eight times shorter. I end up just under ten inches tall. Not so helpful in a brawl, but not bad for sneaking around.

Coulter and Vanessa sat on opposite ends of an antique sofa. Dale was perched on a stool he had brought in from another room. Grandma wheeled in Grandpa and took a seat in the last armchair.

Grandpa cleared his throat. Tanu fell silent, returning his potions to his pouch. Getting to the point, we probably have a traitor among us, so I thought we should talk this through.

n.o.body spoke. Kendra made brief eye contact with Vanessa, then with Coulter, then with Tanu. Ruth and I are fairly certain how Olloch got onto the property, Grandpa continued. Somebody signed him in on the register within208 the past two days. He probably waltzed right through thefront gate. And he didn't come alone.

What's the register? Kendra asked.

The register is a book that controls access to Fablehaven, Grandma said. When you come to visit, we write your name in the register, and that action disarms on your behalf the spells guarding the gate. Unless they were signed in on the register, it would be effectively impossible for anyone to get past the fence.

Somebody signed in Olloch? Dale asked.

Between now and two evenings ago, the last time we checked the register, someone signed in Christopher Vogel and Guest, Grandma said. We blotted out the names, but the damage has been done. Christopher Vogel, whoever that is, came onto the property and turned Olloch loose.

Therefore we must a.s.sume we have two enemies out there, Grandpa said, motioning toward the window. And one in here.

Could somebody from outside have gotten to the register?

Dale asked.

The register was hidden in our room, Grandma said.

Only Stan and I knew where it was. Or so we thought. Now we've moved it. But coming into the house unnoticed after we shut it down for the night is almost as difficult as getting through the gates. Let alone writing in the register right under our noses.

Whoever wrote in the register is more than likely the same person who released the drumants, Grandpa said. Is209 it possible that somebody outside this room accessed ourbedrooms twice? Yes. Probable? No.