Fablehaven2-Rise of the Evening Star Page 37

  overcame the revenant. Kendra and Warren told of the

  descent into the tower and the battle with the cat. Tanu,

  Coulter, and Dale told of the rescue they had mounted, how

  when they had approached the grove with the Sphinx, the

  imp who appeared to be guarding it had turned and fled, and

  how Dale had been injured by the hobgoblin.

  The Sphinx explained that he had been on the move

  because of evidence that the Society of the Evening Star was

  closing in on his location. Once he was clear, he became

  worried that nobody at Fablehaven was answering his calls,

  and doubly concerned when he found the gates locked and

  nobody responding to his solicitations for entry. He had

  waited there until Tanu finally answered the phone after

  freeing Grandpa. Tanu had opened the gates for him.

  In the end, the conversation had turned to Vanessa. The

  problem was, as a narcoblix, she would forever have power

  over those she had bitten whenever they were asleep. She

  must be shut away in a prison that will inhibit her power,

  the Sphinx had said emphatically. We cannot expect Mr.

  Lich to spend the remainder of his life watching her. At the

  time, Mr. Lich was in the dungeon, stationed outside her

  cell.

  Can't the sand from the artifact cure those of us she

  bit? Kendra asked.

  I have been studying the artifact, the Sphinx said. Its

  healing powers appear to affect only the physical body. I do

  not believe it can cure maladies of the mind. The dust

  instantly removed the marks from her bite, but it is powerless

  against the mental link the bite forges.

  Do you know of a prison that would curtail her power?

  Grandpa asked.

  The Sphinx paused and then nodded to himself. I have

  a simple answer. The Quiet Box in your very own dungeon

  will suit our needs perfectly.

  What about the current occupant? Grandma asked.

  I know the history of the current prisoner inside your

  Quiet Box, the Sphinx said. He has great political significance,

  but no talents that require such a mighty cage. I know

  a place where he will be no more likely to cause harm.

  Who is he? Seth asked.

  For the safety of all, the identity of the prisoner must

  remain a mystery, the Sphinx said. Let your curiosity take

  comfort in the reality that for most of you, the name would

  hold little meaning. I was present when he was sealed in the

  box, trussed up and hooded, disguised and unknown to the

  others who attended the event. I worked long to ensure his

  capture, and to keep all knowledge of him hidden. Now I

  will provide the anonymous captive with new confinement,

  so the Quiet Box can be used to secure the type of villain for

  which it was designed. Morally, with her as our prisoner, we

  cannot execute Vanessa. But neither can we reward her

  treachery with leniency, or provide her the slightest opportunity

  to inflict further harm.

  All had agreed that it was a sound plan. Seth had asked

  to be present for the prisoner exchange. Kendra had seconded

  the request. The Sphinx said he saw no harm in it,

  since the current occupant of the Quiet Box was unrecognizable

  beneath his mask and bindings. Grandpa had

  granted permission.

  As Kendra followed Grandpa and Seth down the stairs,

  she reflected that this punishment was in many ways worse

  than an execution. From what she had gathered, imprisonment

  in the Quiet Box meant centuries of uninterrupted

  solitude. The Box put the occupant in a suspended state but

  did not render the prisoner entirely unconscious. She could

  not imagine complete sensory deprivation for a day, let alone

  a year, but this was potentially many lifetimes standing

  upright inside a snug container. She could only guess at the

  psychological consequences of such extended isolation.

  Kendra was hurt that Vanessa had betrayed her, and glad

  to see her come to justice, but the prolonged confinement of

  the Quiet Box struck her as a heavy price for even the most

  heinous crime. Even so, the Sphinx was right-Vanessa

  could not be permitted to exert further control over those

  she had bitten.

  They met Grandma in the kitchen and descended

  together into the dungeon, where they found Mr. Lich

  escorting Vanessa from her cell, with a firm grip on her

  upper arm. The Sphinx nodded gravely. Once again we prepare

  to part ways, he said. Hopefully our next meeting will

  be under less duress.

  Tanu, Coulter, Dale, and Warren had all opted not to

  attend, so the small party set off down the hall in silence

  toward their destination. Mr. Lich led the way with Vanessa,

  so Kendra could not see her face. Vanessa was dressed in one

  of Grandma's old housecoats, but she held her head erect.

  Before long they reached the tall cabinet that reminded

  Kendra of magicians making lovely assistants vanish. The

  Sphinx turned and faced them. Let me stress one last time

  what exemplary courage and character all of you showed in

  thwarting this insidious attempt to steal a potentially

  ruinous artifact. Kendra and Seth, both of you displayed

  remarkable valor. Words cannot convey my sincere admiration

  and gratitude. Once we release the prisoner, Mr. Lich

  and I will need to make a hasty departure. Rest assured that

  we have a safe home in mind for both the artifact and the

  captive from the Quiet Box, and that we will telephone you,

  Stan, to confirm that all is safe and secure. When the prisoner

  emerges, make no sound until we are gone. My cautious

  nature would rather he not hear your voices or receive any

  other clues about who you are.

  The Sphinx turned to face Vanessa. Have you any final

  words before you learn why we call it the Quiet Box? Take

  heed-any utterance that passes your lips had best be words

  of apology. His voice held a menacing edge.

  Vanessa looked at them in turn. I apologize for the

  deceit. I never meant any of you physical harm. A false

  friendship is a terrible thing. Kendra, though you might not

  believe it, I remain your pen pal.

  Enough, the Sphinx said. Make no professions of continued

  fidelity. We pity your fate, and collectively wish you

  had not brought this evil upon yourself. You have sought

  forbidden knowledge and committed unforgivable betrayals.

  You once had my trust, but it is now irretrievable.

  The Sphinx opened the cabinet. The inside was lined

  with purple felt. The box was empty. Seth craned his neck,

  then gave Kendra a befuddled glance. Where was the current

  occupant?

  Mr. Lich ushered Vanessa into the box. Her eyes were

  cold, but her jaw trembled. The Sphinx closed the door, and

  the cabinet rotated 180 degrees. Mr. Lich opened a door

  identical to the first, providing a view of the same space

  from the opposite side. But the view was not of Vanessa.

  Instead, a figure clad entirely in burlap stood in the box.

  A coarse sack
covered his head, chained snugly around his

  neck. Thick ropes bound his arms to his sides. Shackles

  gripped his ankles.

  Mr. Lich laid a hand on his shoulder and led the mysterious

  captive out of the box. The Sphinx closed the door.

  Kendra, Seth, Grandma, and Grandpa watched as the prisoner

  shuffled away down the hall between the Sphinx and

  Mr. Lich. Grandma put an arm around Kendra, giving her a

  comforting squeeze.

  That night, Kendra found she could not sleep. Her mind

  was whirling with the events of the past few days. They had

  been through so much, it seemed she had returned to

  Fablehaven a lifetime ago.

  Midsummer Eve was a few days away. Grandpa had

  emphasized to Seth that they were putting their lives into

  his hands by permitting him to remain on the preserve during

  that perilous evening. Her brother had assured everyone

  that he had learned his lesson, that he would stay far from

  the windows unless otherwise instructed. Kendra was almost

  surprised to discover that, like her Grandpa, she absolutely

  believed him.

  One particular thought kept recurring as Kendra lay

  awake in the dark. Vanessa's last words kept striking her as

  increasingly peculiar: I remain your pen pal.

  Kendra knew she might be crazy, but she felt certain the

  statement was more than a platitude. It sounded like

  Vanessa might be hinting at a secret message.

  Deciding she had to know, Kendra kicked off the covers.

  Opening the nightstand drawer, she removed the umite wax

  candle that Vanessa had given her. She padded across the

  attic floor and down the stairs to the hall.

  Kendra eased open the door to Grandpa and Grandma's

  room. Like everyone else in the dark house, they were sleeping

  soundly. There were the dungeon keys, on a peg near the

  bed. Grandpa had sworn he was going to make copies and

  hide them in strategic locations in case of another takeover.

  Kendra hesitated. This was a disturbingly Sethlike thing

  to do. Shouldn't she just tell her grandparents her suspicion

  and have them accompany her? But she was worried they

  would not want her reading a farewell message from Vanessa.

  And she was worried they would be right, that the message

  would be cruel. And she was also worried that she was

  wrong, and there would be no message, and she would look

  foolish.

  Quietly removing the keys from the peg, Kendra left the

  room. She was getting good at sneaking around. Being able

  to see in the dark certainly helped. Kendra tiptoed down the

  stairs to the entry hall.

  Would there really be a message? In many ways, she

  would be relieved if the cell wall was blank. What could

  Vanessa have to say? A sincere apology? An explanation?

  More likely something spiteful. Kendra steeled herself

  against the possibility.

  Whatever the message, it was hers to read. She did not

  want others going through her mail, at least not until after

  she had a look.

  Kendra took matches from a kitchen cupboard and

  descended the stairs to the basement. Getting to Vanessa's

  cell would be simple-they had held her in the fourth cell

  on the right, not far from the dungeon entrance.

  With Mr. Lich watching her, could Vanessa have written

  much of a message? Maybe. He was only there to prevent

  her from going into a trance and taking over people. He

  might not have had his eyes glued to her every second.

  Kendra unlocked the iron door to the dungeon and

  entered. The goblins could make no complaint against her.

  They had received six dozen eggs, three live geese, and a

  goat for aiding Kendra and Seth when they had showed up

  in miniature. As long as she went straight to Vanessa's cell

  and then left, visiting the dungeon secretly could not possibly

  cause any harm. Maybe the idea wasn't quite as

  Sethlike as it had seemed.

  She unlocked Vanessa's cell and entered. As had become

  routine for Kendra since the fairies had altered her vision, it

  was dim but not terribly dark. The cell was like the others

  she had seen-stone walls and floor, crude bed, hole in the

  corner for waste. She struck a match and lit the candle, suddenly

  certain there would be no message.

  Beneath the glow of the umite candle, words flared into

  view, cramped but legible, covering multiple patches of the

  floor-a much longer message than Kendra had anticipated.

  The words were oriented so that they must have been written

  while Vanessa crouched with her back to the door, with

  most of the writing concentrated in areas that were hard to

  see from the little window.

  In mounting wonder and alarm, Kendra read the following

  message:

  Dear Kendra,

  I have vital information to share with you. Call it

  a final tutorial, and a parting shot at my treacherous

  employers. You should have learned the lesson I shared

  when we first met. What is the textbook Society infiltration?

  Set up a threat, then come to the rescue in

  order to build trust. Errol did it to you and Seth. Then

  I did the same thing to you and your grandparents,

  pretending to be part of the solution rather than the

  cause of the problem, legitimately helping most of the

  time until the moment of betrayal arrived. Others

  have been using that model for a long time, with infinite

  subtlety and patience. Namely, the Sphinx.

  Your reflex will be to doubt me, and I cannot

  prove that I am right. My gifts made me privy to

  secrets that piqued my curiosity, and when I dug

  deeper, I unearthed a truth that I should have left

  undiscovered. He suspects I know his secret, which is

  why he will confine me to the Quiet Box. He would

  prefer if he could have me executed. I work for him,

  but I am not supposed to know the identity of my

  employer. Few know the enigmatic leader of the

  Society of the Evening Star. For months, I believe, the

  Sphinx has suspected that I have guessed his true identity.

  The kind of fraud he is perpetrating could endure

  only with supreme discretion and meticulous attention

  to detail. In his mind, I have become a liability.

  The Sphinx could have claimed he had a prison

  that would hold me and impede my powers. He could

  have taken me with him. And if he had, he would

  have earned my undying loyalty. At present, I would

  still be in doubt as to his intentions, but Lich, not fully

  understanding the dynamics of the situation, hinted

  about the Quiet Box, and so I scrawl my revenge on

  the floor.

  Consider the coup this is for the Sphinx. As a

  known traitor, I am a spoiled asset for the Society, and

  therefore of much less use. He gets to look like the

  hero and the sure friend of Fablehaven as he locks me

  in the most secure prison on the property, further

  obscuring the duplicitous truth. In case his suspicions

  are correct and I know his true identity
, I am permanently

  out of the equation.

  What else? He frees a prisoner who is undoubtedly

  a powerful ally! And he walks away with the artifact

  I was sent here to retrieve for him!

  This could be a fabrication. Keep your eyes open,

  and time will confirm my version of things. The reason

  the Sphinx knows so much, and anticipates danger

  so well, is because he is playing both sides. He is causing

  the danger, and then providing relief and advice

  until those perfect moments of betrayal arrive. Who

  knows how many artifacts he has collected? He has

  been at it for centuries! Considering his actions at

  Fablehaven and in Brazil, he has apparently decided

  that the time for aggressiveness has arrived. Beware,

  the Evening Star is rising.

  Had he trusted me, his secret would still be safe.

  But he spurned me, and underestimated me, and so

  his secret is revealed. My loyalty is no longer his. I

  know much more that could be useful to you and your

  grandparents.

  If not your friend, your disillusioner,

  Vanessa

  Adventure Continues

  in Book Three

  To contact the author, request a school visit,

  or find out more about the Fablehaven series,

  visit FABLEHAVEN.COM

  ALSO AVAILABLE:

  THE CANDY SHOP WAR

  A NEW CHILDREN'S FANTASY BY BRANDON MULL

  COMING FALL

  CANDY WARNING:

  Consumption may cause magical side effects. In case of enchanted

  reaction, consult your local confectionery magician immediately.

  Acknowledgments

  Writing a book is a private endeavor, but sharing a book

  with others becomes a public enterprise. There are many

  people to thank who have helped the Fablehaven series

  come this far.

  My wife is the person closest to the process. She reads

  my work chapter by chapter, providing my first feedback and

  encouragement. Not only is she my best friend, she also

  helps me find time to write and makes our household

  function ---- the thanks I owe to her are incalculable.

  Chris Schoebinger at Shadow Mountain spearheads the

  marketing and keeps everything on track. Emily Watts edits

  the book ---- the polish she adds really helps it shine. Brandon

  Dorman turns words into striking images, and designers

  Richard Erickson and Sheryl Dickert Smith use those images

  and their own skills to give the book a visual identity. Jared

  Kroff and friends make Fablehaven.com look cool. My sister