Fablehaven2-Rise of the Evening Star Page 18

  gone.

  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, brandishing his tennis

  racket and holding his ground. Olloch pounced at the satyr,

  but Doren lunged aside, swatting away a pair of tongues with

  the racket. Several more tongues lashed out, wrenching the

  racket 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

  slobbering, 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

  space 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 multitude 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.

  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 thrashing. 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 grass

  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, brushing 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 or

  hear another word. Seth could not believe how fast the

  golem raced through the trees, massive 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 grass.

  He can't enter the yard, Vanessa said.

  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.

  Betrayal

  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 sever
al 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 almost

  happened had terrified everyone, and he was getting an earful

  as 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.

  Nobody 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 within

  the past two days. He probably waltzed right through the

  front 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 assume 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. Is

  it possible that somebody outside this room accessed our

  bedrooms twice? Yes. Probable? No.

  Can we trace the handwriting? Coulter asked.

  Grandma shook her head. They used a stencil.

  Apparently they weren't in a rush.

  Perhaps all of us should leave, Tanu suggested. The

  evidence is too glaring to ignore. Kendra and Seth are above

  suspicion, as are Ruth and Stan. Maybe the rest of us should

  depart.

  The thought crossed my mind, Grandpa said. But

  now that we have two foes on the preserve, it is hardly a

  good time to send away our protectors, even if one is

  probably a traitor. At least until we can summon replacements.

  I am stuck in this chair, and the children are young

  and untrained. The situation is maddening. As I consider

  each of you individually, you seem above suspicion. Yet

  someone wrote in the register, and since you all appear

  equally innocent, you consequently appear equally guilty.

  I hope we find another explanation, Grandma said.

  For the moment, we must acknowledge the likelihood that

  one of us is a master deceiver working for our adversaries.

  It gets worse, Grandpa said. The phone lines are

  down again. We've been trying to summon aid via Vanessa's

  cell phone, but our chief contact has not been answering.

  We will keep calling, but none of this bodes well.

  The other immediate problem is Olloch himself,

  Grandma said. As he gorges himself on whatever edible

  matter he can find, he will continue to gain both size and

  Power. He quit trying to enter the yard hours ago, which

  means he realizes that if he gets big enough, he could gain

  sufficient power to overthrow the treaty, access the house,

  and claim his prize.

  Like how Bahumat almost overthrew the preserve last

  year, Kendra said.

  Yes, Grandpa said. Olloch could conceivably muster

  sufficient power to plunge Fablehaven into lawless chaos.

  Kendra glanced at Seth, sitting silently. She had rarely

  seen him so quiet and contrite. It looked like he wanted to

  melt away into the love seat and vanish.

  What can we do? Tanu asked.

  Olloch the Glutton will not stop until he has devoured

  and digested Seth, Grandpa said. Slaying Olloch is well

  beyond our power. We have an ally who suggested there

  might be a way to subdue the demon, but we have not been

  able to reach him. The glutton has already reached a size

  that will allow him to ingest just about whatever he chooses,

  and his appetite will not abate. We cannot sit idly by. Our

  peril is literally growing by the minute.

  We must assume our benefactor is on the move,

  Grandma said. He is a heavily desired target of the Society.

  We'll keep trying to telephone him, and assume that he'll

  make himself available as soon as he can. Otherwise, we're

  just not sure how to find him. He moves too frequently.

  How long before Olloch becomes strong enough to

  countermand the treaty? Vanessa asked.

  Grandpa shrugged. With the kind of game he can find

  inside Fablehaven, magical and nonmagical, it is a worst-case

  scenario. He'll grow much faster than he would out in

  the normal world. He must have had help getting to his current

  size, probably from that Christopher Vogel character.

  My best guess? A day, more likely two, maybe three. I can't

  imagine it would take much longer.

  Maybe you should just feed me to him, Seth said.

 
Don't talk nonsense, Grandma said.

  Seth stood up. Wouldn't it be better than letting

  Olloch destroy all of Fablehaven? Sounds like he'll get me

  sooner or later. Why should I make him go through all of

  you first?

  We'll find another way, Coulter said. We still have

  some time.

  He'll have to eat me to get to you, Dale said.

  Whether you like it or not.

  Seth sat down. Grandpa pointed at him. Now is not the

  time to leap to rash solutions. We have not yet spoken with

  our most knowledgeable ally. Seth, I repeat, you are not culpable

  for awakening Olloch. You were tricked and are not to

  blame. You should not have been out in the woods alone ----

  that was a most foolish error in judgment, the exact kind of

  nonsense I hoped you would have abandoned by now-but

  you are far from deserving a death sentence. Since the satyrs

  were involved, I take it you were trading for batteries? I

  haven't asked, what did they give you?

  Seth lowered his eyes. Some gold.

  May I see it?

  Seth went and retrieved his emergency kit. He pulled

  out the gold bar. Grandpa examined it. You do not want to

  be caught out in the open with this in your pocket, he said.

  Why? Seth asked.

  Grandpa handed the bar back to Seth. It was clearly

  stolen from Nero's hoard. What did you suppose the 'N'

  stood for? He will be scrying for it in his seeing stone. In fact,

  the presence of the gold could grant him the power to see

  within the walls of our home. The satyrs must have only

  recently stolen it, or Nero would have already reclaimed it.

  Seth placed a hand over his eyes and shook his head.

  When will I do something right? he moaned. Should I go

  chuck it into the woods?

  No, Grandpa said. You should go set it on the porch,

  and we'll return it to its rightful owner as soon as reasonably

  possible.

  Nodding sheepishly, Seth exited the room. We also

  have some encouraging news, Grandpa said. Coulter made

  an important breakthrough today. We may be close to

  uncovering the relic we have been seeking. The latest revelation

  harmonizes with the information we already possess.

  At this juncture, I believe there is more wisdom in sharing

  this information openly than in hiding it. No matter which

  of us is the traitor, the rest of us must continue functioning.

  Better we make our knowledge common than become paralyzed.

  Not that the traitor will be sharing secrets with us,

  Vanessa said bitterly.