Jinx On The Divide by Elizabeth Kay Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Kay
Tags: Fiction, Humorous stories, Children's Books, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Magic, Fantasy & Magic, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Science Fiction; Fantasy; & Magic, Children: Grades 4-6
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pretend magic turned into powerwords with the capacity to do both great good and enormous harm. Fortunately, the jinx box would be able to remember these words only if a suitably scientific event reminded it of their existence -- an unlikely occurrence in this world.
The jinx boxes of old could be extremely malicious, and deliberately tampered with anything stored inside them. They also tricked people into saying and doing things they would later regret. These days, however, the malice has been removed, and jinx boxes are used simply for entertainment.
70
For a moment, Felix wondered if taking the jinx box was such a good idea. It was very possible that it was the sole survivor of the malicious boxes of old -- forgotten about because it had been stored inside a magic lamp. He did feel uneasy every time he looked at it or touched it by accident -- but it also had a kind of magnetism, which he couldn't explain. He closed the encyclopedia and slid it back onto the shelf. Then he put the quill in his backpack, slipping it between the pages of his notebook to keep it from getting damaged, and started to wonder what deprivations might lie ahead. He forgot all about the jinx box and led Betony back to the greenhouse to pocket a few more fertle fruits.
"It hasn't been much of a vacation for you, has it?" he said. "Back in your world again, chasing Rhino all over the place."
Betony didn't say anything.
"I'm sorry," said Felix, feeling really guilty. "I'm always dumping my problems on you. We never get the chance to just chill out and talk about stuff; there's always some crisis going on. Your world's much more exciting than mine, you see."
"Only when you're around," said Betony, giving him a playful push.
The tickling match that followed lasted until neither of them had sufficient breath left to continue it.
71
***
5
***
Rhino had stopped being dumbstruck by the extraordinary things that had happened to him. There wasn't much point -- they kept on happening, so he might as well go with the flow. He couldn't begin to explain any of it, so why waste time and effort trying?
Once he'd realized that the brandee had turned back into a gas and left the lamp via the spout, he started to feel scared. Life wasn't playing by the rules anymore, and now he was on his own. Being held hostage by a nutcase was bad enough; but at least the weirdo had been company. Then Rhino had remembered the X303/D49 Battle-Monger box, so he went back into the greenhouse.
"Hello there," said the box. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to get out of here," said Rhino.
"So do I," said the box. "Places to go, plans to blow, you know how it is."
72
"Tell me how to get out, then, and I'll take you with me. And don't bother suggesting that magic stuff again. The brandee nearly throttled me last time. I'm not risking it. He's got a dagger."
The box paused. "If you were touching the brandee's cloak when he was summoned, you would turn to a gas and leave as well," it said finally.
"Too late. He's gone."
"But he's got a spare cloak."
"Really?" said Rhino. "Where?"
"Say abracadabra and I'll remember," the jinx box replied in a dulcet tone.
But Rhino remembered the feel of the brandee's hands around his throat and the point of his dagger in his back only too well. "Maybe I'll just go and look for it," he said.
"Oh, all right. In the bottom drawer of his desk. You can put me in your pocket now; I'll shrink myself to fit."
Rhino smiled broadly and shut the lid of the box, thereby silencing it, and left it in the greenhouse. Keeping a promise to a lump of cardboard wasn't one of his priorities. Then he went back to the brandee's study and retrieved the cloak. It was as black as night, and surprisingly warm for something that seemed so thin. He put it on.
He was in luck, too. No sooner had he returned to the main room than it turned upside down. The cushions seemed to inflate like airbags, breaking his fall, and the room turned over and over. The moment it
The jinx boxes of old could be extremely malicious, and deliberately tampered with anything stored inside them. They also tricked people into saying and doing things they would later regret. These days, however, the malice has been removed, and jinx boxes are used simply for entertainment.
70
For a moment, Felix wondered if taking the jinx box was such a good idea. It was very possible that it was the sole survivor of the malicious boxes of old -- forgotten about because it had been stored inside a magic lamp. He did feel uneasy every time he looked at it or touched it by accident -- but it also had a kind of magnetism, which he couldn't explain. He closed the encyclopedia and slid it back onto the shelf. Then he put the quill in his backpack, slipping it between the pages of his notebook to keep it from getting damaged, and started to wonder what deprivations might lie ahead. He forgot all about the jinx box and led Betony back to the greenhouse to pocket a few more fertle fruits.
"It hasn't been much of a vacation for you, has it?" he said. "Back in your world again, chasing Rhino all over the place."
Betony didn't say anything.
"I'm sorry," said Felix, feeling really guilty. "I'm always dumping my problems on you. We never get the chance to just chill out and talk about stuff; there's always some crisis going on. Your world's much more exciting than mine, you see."
"Only when you're around," said Betony, giving him a playful push.
The tickling match that followed lasted until neither of them had sufficient breath left to continue it.
71
***
5
***
Rhino had stopped being dumbstruck by the extraordinary things that had happened to him. There wasn't much point -- they kept on happening, so he might as well go with the flow. He couldn't begin to explain any of it, so why waste time and effort trying?
Once he'd realized that the brandee had turned back into a gas and left the lamp via the spout, he started to feel scared. Life wasn't playing by the rules anymore, and now he was on his own. Being held hostage by a nutcase was bad enough; but at least the weirdo had been company. Then Rhino had remembered the X303/D49 Battle-Monger box, so he went back into the greenhouse.
"Hello there," said the box. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to get out of here," said Rhino.
"So do I," said the box. "Places to go, plans to blow, you know how it is."
72
"Tell me how to get out, then, and I'll take you with me. And don't bother suggesting that magic stuff again. The brandee nearly throttled me last time. I'm not risking it. He's got a dagger."
The box paused. "If you were touching the brandee's cloak when he was summoned, you would turn to a gas and leave as well," it said finally.
"Too late. He's gone."
"But he's got a spare cloak."
"Really?" said Rhino. "Where?"
"Say abracadabra and I'll remember," the jinx box replied in a dulcet tone.
But Rhino remembered the feel of the brandee's hands around his throat and the point of his dagger in his back only too well. "Maybe I'll just go and look for it," he said.
"Oh, all right. In the bottom drawer of his desk. You can put me in your pocket now; I'll shrink myself to fit."
Rhino smiled broadly and shut the lid of the box, thereby silencing it, and left it in the greenhouse. Keeping a promise to a lump of cardboard wasn't one of his priorities. Then he went back to the brandee's study and retrieved the cloak. It was as black as night, and surprisingly warm for something that seemed so thin. He put it on.
He was in luck, too. No sooner had he returned to the main room than it turned upside down. The cushions seemed to inflate like airbags, breaking his fall, and the room turned over and over. The moment it
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