captured by a witch and transformed into spotted eggs.”
“I wouldn’t mind that for Burdock,” Kendra said. “I’d crack him.”
“We don’t know what might happen,” Oki insisted. “If you tell Gayla that you’re her daughter, she probably won’t even believe you! What if she decides to do the opposite of what you tell her is going to happen just to be stubborn? She might never marry your father. You’d never be born! Then what’s going to happen to you? You might just suddenly vanish into thin air!”
“You’re making my head hurt,” Kendra said, tugging extra hard on a braid.
“That’s the trouble with time travel,” Oki said. “It’s one big ball of confusion. A real hooglegum .”
“We have to get Kazah back, Oki,” Kendra said. “It’s the only way we can get back to the right time. Otherwise we’re stuck here.”
“Well, my parents aren’t born in this time yet,” Oki said thoughtfully, “which means I don’t have sisters here either . . . .”
“You’re the one who was just fretting about the timeline,” Kendra pointed out.
“I know, I know,” Oki said. “We have to find the ring.”
They had been talking so intently that they failed to notice that the music had stopped and now—suddenly—Gayla was standing in the room. She had slipped inside quietly to catch the tail end of their conversation.
“What are you two dish-diddling dewberries mumbling about now?” Gayla asked, hanging her narfoo back on the wall. “Why do you keep fretting about this ring?”
Kendra turned to face Gayla, her cheeks burning red. She felt as if she had been caught in the moment of telling a secret—and those of us familiar with Kendra’s past adventures know her feelings about secrets. She had experienced enough problems with them to fill a lifetime. The difference now was that Kendra wanted to tell the truth—but she couldn’t. And so she stammered, “I t-told you already. It’s just important.”
Gayla glared at her suspiciously. “Why is it important? What aren’t you telling me, Braids?”
Oki gave a quiet eek and Kendra cast him a frown.
“Hmph,” Gayla muttered. “You’re a real pair of sneaky snirtles. I tell you what—cough up what’s so special about this ring and I’ll help you find it.”
“We don’t need your help,” Kendra said quickly.
“Sure,” Gayla said. “You’re going to find it yourselves, are you? In the Forests of Wretch? You’re just lucky I was there today! Otherwise, you’d both be Goojun snacks.”
“Eek!” Oki squealed again, clinging to Kendra’s leg. “Oh, don’t think of eggs!”
“You know, Eeks, you’re a real worry-whisker,” Gayla growled, shaking a fist at the little mouse. “And you’re beginning to get on my nerves.”
“Leave him alone!” Kendra shouted. “Why do you always have to be so mean?”
“Why do you have to be so annoying?” Gayla demanded. “I didn’t ask you to come here! You dropped on my head, remember?”
“Then just give me back my ring and we’ll get out of your way,” Kendra said, giving one of her braids a strong tug.
Gayla took a long, slow step forward. “What did you say?” she demanded, crossing her arms.
Kendra glared at her.
“If you want to accuse me of something, just come out and say it,” Gayla uttered.
Kendra gulped, and tried to collect her courage. “D-did you take it? Did you take my ring?”
Gayla stared at her straight in the eye. “No,” she said finally, her voice calm and even. And with that, she turned on one heel and stormed up the stairs.
Kendra realized she had been holding her breath and let out a long exhale. She turned and looked down at Oki. “What now?” she asked, suddenly realizing that a single hot tear was streaming down her cheek. “Do you think she’s lying?”
“I don’t know,” Oki said quietly. “But if she is, she’s really good at it.”
THERE IS NO FESTIVAL in the world quite like Jamboreen. If you are ever so
“I wouldn’t mind that for Burdock,” Kendra said. “I’d crack him.”
“We don’t know what might happen,” Oki insisted. “If you tell Gayla that you’re her daughter, she probably won’t even believe you! What if she decides to do the opposite of what you tell her is going to happen just to be stubborn? She might never marry your father. You’d never be born! Then what’s going to happen to you? You might just suddenly vanish into thin air!”
“You’re making my head hurt,” Kendra said, tugging extra hard on a braid.
“That’s the trouble with time travel,” Oki said. “It’s one big ball of confusion. A real hooglegum .”
“We have to get Kazah back, Oki,” Kendra said. “It’s the only way we can get back to the right time. Otherwise we’re stuck here.”
“Well, my parents aren’t born in this time yet,” Oki said thoughtfully, “which means I don’t have sisters here either . . . .”
“You’re the one who was just fretting about the timeline,” Kendra pointed out.
“I know, I know,” Oki said. “We have to find the ring.”
They had been talking so intently that they failed to notice that the music had stopped and now—suddenly—Gayla was standing in the room. She had slipped inside quietly to catch the tail end of their conversation.
“What are you two dish-diddling dewberries mumbling about now?” Gayla asked, hanging her narfoo back on the wall. “Why do you keep fretting about this ring?”
Kendra turned to face Gayla, her cheeks burning red. She felt as if she had been caught in the moment of telling a secret—and those of us familiar with Kendra’s past adventures know her feelings about secrets. She had experienced enough problems with them to fill a lifetime. The difference now was that Kendra wanted to tell the truth—but she couldn’t. And so she stammered, “I t-told you already. It’s just important.”
Gayla glared at her suspiciously. “Why is it important? What aren’t you telling me, Braids?”
Oki gave a quiet eek and Kendra cast him a frown.
“Hmph,” Gayla muttered. “You’re a real pair of sneaky snirtles. I tell you what—cough up what’s so special about this ring and I’ll help you find it.”
“We don’t need your help,” Kendra said quickly.
“Sure,” Gayla said. “You’re going to find it yourselves, are you? In the Forests of Wretch? You’re just lucky I was there today! Otherwise, you’d both be Goojun snacks.”
“Eek!” Oki squealed again, clinging to Kendra’s leg. “Oh, don’t think of eggs!”
“You know, Eeks, you’re a real worry-whisker,” Gayla growled, shaking a fist at the little mouse. “And you’re beginning to get on my nerves.”
“Leave him alone!” Kendra shouted. “Why do you always have to be so mean?”
“Why do you have to be so annoying?” Gayla demanded. “I didn’t ask you to come here! You dropped on my head, remember?”
“Then just give me back my ring and we’ll get out of your way,” Kendra said, giving one of her braids a strong tug.
Gayla took a long, slow step forward. “What did you say?” she demanded, crossing her arms.
Kendra glared at her.
“If you want to accuse me of something, just come out and say it,” Gayla uttered.
Kendra gulped, and tried to collect her courage. “D-did you take it? Did you take my ring?”
Gayla stared at her straight in the eye. “No,” she said finally, her voice calm and even. And with that, she turned on one heel and stormed up the stairs.
Kendra realized she had been holding her breath and let out a long exhale. She turned and looked down at Oki. “What now?” she asked, suddenly realizing that a single hot tear was streaming down her cheek. “Do you think she’s lying?”
“I don’t know,” Oki said quietly. “But if she is, she’s really good at it.”
THERE IS NO FESTIVAL in the world quite like Jamboreen. If you are ever so
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