shadows. “I guess.”
“Then let’s get on with it.”
Lucky handed Greg a walking stick, which Greg clenched to his chest with one hand while he passed back his knapsack with the other. Lucky grimaced. The magic packs of Myrth could carry countless objects far bigger than the packs themselves, and Lucky once told Greg no matter how much he carried inside his, he never once noticed the weight, not even the time he stuffed Princess Priscilla into the bag.
But if Lucky had been surprised by the weight, it was nothing compared to the shock he must have felt when the knapsack in his hand let out a shriek.
“Sorry, Rake,” said Greg, “you need to stay here.”
The whining only grew stronger.
“Sounds pretty serious,” said Lucky. “Maybe you should take him with you.”
“I guess I could.”
Greg took back his knapsack. He removed his text books and handed them to Lucky, then placed Rake in the pack, slipped the straps over his shoulders, and took up his walking stick again. The two boys moved to the center of the room, and Greg fought the urge to run while the magicians moved in to surround them. “Wait.”
“Yes, what is it?” said Mordred.
“How will I get back?”
“The spell we’ve prepared will keep you there a short time only. Complete your business early, because when you’re brought back, it will be without warning.”
“But what if I haven’t found Nathan yet?”
Mordred glanced at Lucky and back again. “I don’t think that will be a problem. Now, we’re wasting time.”
“Yes, sir.”
The magicians joined hands, and Greg instantly felt a charge in the air. Within seconds the space before him split and revealed a hidden dimension beyond. Thousands, maybe millions of stars floated by while Lucky stared intently into the gap. An eternity passed, until Greg was so tense he nearly screamed.
Then Lucky did scream. “Now!”
Instantly the world shifted beneath Greg’s feet. The gloomy chamber full of dark hooded figures disappeared. In its place, Greg faced a world far less cheery.
Nate
The building ahead was buried in graffiti, or perhaps should have been. Boards had been nailed over the lower windows, but shards of glass from those above littered the ground by Greg’s feet, along with bricks and bits of crumbled mortar fallen from the dilapidated wall. Behind, the buildings resembled little more than enormous piles of rubble. At first Greg thought he was in a war zone, but something told him a war zone would have been safer.
A shuffling to his left caused him to spin and raise his walking stick. The familiar feel of wood in his hands restored his confidence, even if the rat that scurried away looked big enough to take it from him.
Then he spotted someone standing atop the rubble. Nathan might look different as a boy, but Greg had an idea this was someone else. For one thing, he was the wrong color. In fact, Greg felt blue was the wrong color for any boy.
“Hello?” Greg called.
The blue-skinned boy stared without speaking. In one hand he carried a fist-sized rock. He tossed it to his other hand and back again. Greg shifted his grip on his walking stick.
Behind came the clink of metal on rock. Greg spun to find a second boy leaning against the closest building. This one was olive-skinned, but not like anyone Greg had ever seen before. The boy’s complexion was actually a bright olive green. He carried a two-foot-long pipe in one hand, and Greg had an idea he and the other boy had not come here to play baseball.
From around the corner stepped a third, larger boy, his skin a bright red. At least Greg could pretend this one was badly sunburned. The boy carried a short length of chain, which he swung in a lazy circle.
“Uh, hi guys,” Greg said. “How’s it going?”
From behind buildings and scattered piles of rubble emerged several more boys, each more threatening than the last. They sported skins of every color of the rainbow, and even the few who had complexions of
“Then let’s get on with it.”
Lucky handed Greg a walking stick, which Greg clenched to his chest with one hand while he passed back his knapsack with the other. Lucky grimaced. The magic packs of Myrth could carry countless objects far bigger than the packs themselves, and Lucky once told Greg no matter how much he carried inside his, he never once noticed the weight, not even the time he stuffed Princess Priscilla into the bag.
But if Lucky had been surprised by the weight, it was nothing compared to the shock he must have felt when the knapsack in his hand let out a shriek.
“Sorry, Rake,” said Greg, “you need to stay here.”
The whining only grew stronger.
“Sounds pretty serious,” said Lucky. “Maybe you should take him with you.”
“I guess I could.”
Greg took back his knapsack. He removed his text books and handed them to Lucky, then placed Rake in the pack, slipped the straps over his shoulders, and took up his walking stick again. The two boys moved to the center of the room, and Greg fought the urge to run while the magicians moved in to surround them. “Wait.”
“Yes, what is it?” said Mordred.
“How will I get back?”
“The spell we’ve prepared will keep you there a short time only. Complete your business early, because when you’re brought back, it will be without warning.”
“But what if I haven’t found Nathan yet?”
Mordred glanced at Lucky and back again. “I don’t think that will be a problem. Now, we’re wasting time.”
“Yes, sir.”
The magicians joined hands, and Greg instantly felt a charge in the air. Within seconds the space before him split and revealed a hidden dimension beyond. Thousands, maybe millions of stars floated by while Lucky stared intently into the gap. An eternity passed, until Greg was so tense he nearly screamed.
Then Lucky did scream. “Now!”
Instantly the world shifted beneath Greg’s feet. The gloomy chamber full of dark hooded figures disappeared. In its place, Greg faced a world far less cheery.
Nate
The building ahead was buried in graffiti, or perhaps should have been. Boards had been nailed over the lower windows, but shards of glass from those above littered the ground by Greg’s feet, along with bricks and bits of crumbled mortar fallen from the dilapidated wall. Behind, the buildings resembled little more than enormous piles of rubble. At first Greg thought he was in a war zone, but something told him a war zone would have been safer.
A shuffling to his left caused him to spin and raise his walking stick. The familiar feel of wood in his hands restored his confidence, even if the rat that scurried away looked big enough to take it from him.
Then he spotted someone standing atop the rubble. Nathan might look different as a boy, but Greg had an idea this was someone else. For one thing, he was the wrong color. In fact, Greg felt blue was the wrong color for any boy.
“Hello?” Greg called.
The blue-skinned boy stared without speaking. In one hand he carried a fist-sized rock. He tossed it to his other hand and back again. Greg shifted his grip on his walking stick.
Behind came the clink of metal on rock. Greg spun to find a second boy leaning against the closest building. This one was olive-skinned, but not like anyone Greg had ever seen before. The boy’s complexion was actually a bright olive green. He carried a two-foot-long pipe in one hand, and Greg had an idea he and the other boy had not come here to play baseball.
From around the corner stepped a third, larger boy, his skin a bright red. At least Greg could pretend this one was badly sunburned. The boy carried a short length of chain, which he swung in a lazy circle.
“Uh, hi guys,” Greg said. “How’s it going?”
From behind buildings and scattered piles of rubble emerged several more boys, each more threatening than the last. They sported skins of every color of the rainbow, and even the few who had complexions of
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