dbl fablehaven #1 ch 11-15

Wielding a knife, the satyr charged straight at them.

“Special artifacts of great power are hidden on those five preserves.”

Grandma slid off the stool, walked down an aisle, opened a trunk, and withdrew an ornate box
embossed with vines and flowers.

Seth crossed the floor to the flustered hen.

“They mean he was abducted,” Doren clarified.

A common restriction is that they are not permitted to leave the
preserve, so the Society considers many of these creatures also incarcerated.

“We are on a magical preserve.”

Let me
summarize some history to bring the ramifications into view.

The front door
hung askew, an arrow protruding from the frame.

The rope slackened a bit.

She gawked at the colossal bovine in amazement.

Pulverized memorabilia littered the floor.

The satyr led them into a shallow ravine, where they found the wide entrance to a dark tunnel.

The gargantuan cow cocked its head, staring down at the newcomers to the barn.

And at the end of the hall, a gaping rectangle
instead of a window.

He rummaged in the cereal box and
withdrew the flashlight.

Muriel glowered at Grandma, the joy in her gaze eclipsed by spite.

She gawked at the colossal bovine in amazement.

I could give you a full massage, kneading and soothing every muscle in
your body.

Kendra moved down the hall, appalled by the aftermath of the violent night.

“Size C,” Newel clarified.

They consider
the majority of humanity expendable.

“They have been pilfering her stew for years.

Shredded drapes dangled in tattered ribbons.

“We doused the whole barn,” Seth said.

They both scrutinized the same segment of the path multiple times
before Seth began to search off the trail.

The experience would redefine your understanding of pleasure.”

Shambling a couple of steps away from the well, she squatted down and sniffed at the ground where
Seth had thrown his salt.

101
“No time for bickering,” Grandma said.

“Charming as that may be,” Muriel said, “I would require the energy of a knot unraveling to
work any spell capable of restoring your grandmother to her former state.”

He made a complete search of the
perimeter of the meadow, finding neither holes nor trails.

Seth showed up in his camouflage shirt, carrying the cereal box.

Both of them strained, but Dale did not budge.

And
Kendra could very clearly envision Grandma Sorenson crumpled in a lifeless heap at the base of a
log.

Mutilated furniture bled
stuffing onto mangled carpeting.

“My predicament is simple.

They opened the door by the kitchen and stared down into the gloom.

A lethal edge was creeping
into his voice.

“I’m not that gullible.”

Seth crept ahead, staying low, using the bushes for cover, gradually making his way toward the
meager line of smoke.

After scouring the yard for half an hour, Kendra and Seth had come across various articles of
furniture from the house or porch in unexpected locations, but they had found no other life-sized
painted statues.

“I suppose you sometimes
mistake icicles for carrots?

Crude pictograms defaced the far side of the door, along with an abundance of less
orderly nicks and scratches.

Indenture him to me for fifty
years.”

Shambling a couple of steps away from the well, she squatted down and sniffed at the ground where
Seth had thrown his salt.

“Salt,”
Seth blurted, dipping into his pockets.

Ragged gouges furrowed the walls
of the stairwell.

Back under the trees, the line of sight to
both hill and meadow was disrupted.

But if the worst-case scenario
transpires, and I fail, Fablehaven could fall.

She huddled beside him
behind a wide bush twice her height, trying to breathe quietly.

She waddled
from side to side as she walked, and she was breathing heavily through her mouth.

After scouring the yard for half an hour, Kendra and Seth had come across various articles of
furniture from the house or porch in unexpected locations, but they had found no other life-sized
painted statues.

Let me
summarize some history to bring the ramifications into view.

86
CHAPTER TWELVE
Inside the Barn
Kendra and Seth located the path just as the satyrs had instructed, and soon reencountered the
nickel-sized holes that served as a perfect trail of breadcrumbs toward home.

We aren’t equipped to deal with her now.”

Every day would become like
112
those fearful festival nights, and this property would be forever uninhabitable for all but the
denizens of shadow.

84
“Still,” Newel said, “a guy has to eat, and free stew is free stew.”

They had loaded food, clothes, tools, and utensils in the wheelbarrow, in case they might be able
to barter with comforts instead of freedom.

They saw no
hulking behemoth capable of the enormous sound they had heard.

In return, her milk functions as an ambrosia central to their survival.

Leaning close to the ground, he worked his way back past
Kendra.

The herd looks on as the sick
109
or injured are brought down by predators.

“I trust he has been attending to his chores in the barn.”

“You will voluntarily sunder my last knot, the final impediment to my independence, if I restore
your grandmother to her human form?”

“You must vacate this property immediately.”

Instead of falling to the ground, he swung into the cliff,
colliding roughly with the stone wall.

They had loaded food, clothes, tools, and utensils in the wheelbarrow, in case they might be able
to barter with comforts instead of freedom.

“First let’s make sure there aren’t any other statues in the yard.”

Not far beyond, they wandered into
a little meadow.

Pulverized memorabilia littered the floor.

“Your actions require retribution,” Grandma warned.

This is where we guard our most prized weapons and
talismans.

“Your recompense is coming, my bold little whelp.

“Just say ‘of my own free will I sever this knot’ and then blow on it.

“I can wait while you retrieve the payment, if you leave the girl as collateral.”

“I’m exhausted,” she announced.

They dashed over to
the figure lying supine near an overturned birdbath.

If she
reaches the Forgotten Chapel first, which she may have already done, assuming her imps have
apprised her of the situation, we will have to neutralize her in order to save your grandfather.

105
Grandma continued expertly rubbing his palm and the back of his hand.

“A massage will take me thirty grueling minutes.

“Don’t!” she warned.

Behind them, the
ogress skidded to a halt and changed direction, coming after them.

A tiny
nibble of a single petal carries you away into a lethargic trance populated by vivid hallucinations.”

“I thought I recognized her,” she mused.

It
could be total mayhem.”

Muriel appeared distorted, first stretching
broad, then tall.

And at the end of the hall, a gaping rectangle
instead of a window.

I’m saying, we might be in an emergency situation where
we have no other options.

In the corner on the floor, more than
a hundred feed kernels had been arranged to form six letters:
I M
GRAM
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Kendra said.

Treasure hoarders.

From behind the same bush they had used as their final hiding place when approaching the well,
a creature emerged.

“They might have brought him to the house on Midsummer Eve,” Grandma prodded.

To interact with you like a person, even for a moment, required tremendous
concentration.”

Your glands will secrete a cocoon.”

Cliff trolls are miserly creatures.

He returned to the ring around the bed and filled his hands
and pockets with the salt that had scorched the intruder the night before.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aftermath
Kendra knew it would be bad the moment she opened the door.

The monstrous groan blared a third time.

Your glands will secrete a cocoon.”

“It can’t hurt to take a look,” Seth insisted.

“Yeah,” he whispered.

You realize we’ll probably have to construct a
whole new rigging?”

“Not here,” Grandma admonished.

I’ll show you my trophies sometime.”

“I bet she misses her cage.”

Propelled by her downward momentum, Kendra found herself taking larger steps than she
wanted.

She
wasn’t sure how they would pull off a rescue if scalding the monster with salt failed, but Seth was
right about one thing — they couldn’t just abandon Grandpa.

It was a painted statue of Dale.

If she
reaches the Forgotten Chapel first, which she may have already done, assuming her imps have
apprised her of the situation, we will have to neutralize her in order to save your grandfather.

Kendra started searching for clues.

Both Kendra and Seth turned in alarm at the sound of his hooves racing up the slope.

It could have been a
serious disaster, because none who remained on the preserve possessed the resources or knowledge
to contend successfully with an entity of his power.

“You don’t happen to have any… batteries?”

But if the worst-case scenario
transpires, and I fail, Fablehaven could fall.

“Then we have reached an impasse,” the witch apologized.

“Having her on the loose certainly complicates the
situation.

“Did Grandpa Sorenson try to restore you?”

A faithful replica, except the paint was more simplified than his
actual coloring would have been.

Grandma frowned.

After a tense minute
or two, Kendra broke the silence.

She moved to the rear of
the ledge, standing beside the low mouth of a dark cave from which wafted a cool draft.

And then the hen flapped her wings, moving away.

The shock jolted me out of my stupor.

Imprisoned in this shack, I am curtailed in my
abilities.

Goldilocks strutted over to the corner and
started clucking.

She wore a dour, thoughtful expression and
hushed any attempts at conversation.

When Kendra reached the bottom, Seth was squatting near a cluster of blossoms at the edge of
the stream.

Spell books, ingredients for potions, all the good stuff.”

“It will take more than florid words and grandiose promises to persuade
me.”

As she fumbled for salt, Kendra dashed around the well, placing it between herself and the
attacker.

We just like to bluster.

Tiny, sleek scales covered his sinuous body.

A broken rocking chair balanced atop a fountain.

“A cliff troll.

I would not solicit
information from him if our situation were less dire.”

Nero looked even more intimidating up close.

The front door
hung askew, an arrow protruding from the frame.

Despite her cumbersome size and apparent exhaustion, the misshapen
ogress was rapidly gaining.

A little finesse.

Off to one side rose a feeble
column of smoke — a thin, wavering distortion.

Grandma tucked some errant strands of
hair behind her ear.

The entire room was dominated by a single gigantic
cow.

Seth slapped at her, missing as she wove around his
intended blows.

“Somebody transformed you?”

“We can probably track it.”

Kendra and Seth wound their way up the
moderate slope toward the crest.

If we can successfully bargain with him, he should be able
to reveal Stan’s location.”

“Resourceful children!”

I suggest you depart before I regain authority
here.”

“The most violent and malevolent demons are imprisoned, yes, but that is for the safety of the
world.

“You think it’s just a well full of stew,” Kendra scoffed.

Kendra wandered to the back porch.

“I’m starving,” Seth announced.

If we fail to reach an arrangement, Nero will not let us leave unscathed.”

At the bottom the flashlight beam illuminated a short, barren hallway ending at an iron door.

The damaged furniture strewn about the garden.

I’ll not let you
waste your generosity on me; I would not know what to do with such niceties.”

Grandma exclaimed.

“Who has such an urgent need?” the resonant voice inquired.

Members of
the Society of the Evening Star mask their true intentions with rhetoric, alleging that we wrongfully
imprison creatures of darkness.”

And clearly the fiends who abducted
him are ultimately the most culpable.”

“Wait patiently,” Grandma chided, wiping perspiration from her brow.

Her avocado skin had a
ridged texture like corduroy, her graying hair was shaggy and matted, and her build bordered on
obese.

“The floor has drains, but I don’t think much of the milk is
going down.”

“I take it you already possess great caches of treasure.

A row of sharp
spines ran from the center of his forehead to the small of his back.

Her misshapen bosom drooped inside a coarse, homespun tunic.

“It looks like a demolition team came through here with sledgehammers.”

Wind chimes lay in tangles.

“I know sinister evils lurk in the woods, but they have never crossed that boundary.”

“Aided by mighty allies and potent magic, the Europeans successfully subdued and imprisoned
the demon.

My mind wanted to slip away, to relax.

Seth crept ahead, staying low, using the bushes for cover, gradually making his way toward the
meager line of smoke.

Trolls can be violent and unpredictable.

He had a snout rather than a nose, and bulging eyes that never blinked.

A tiny
nibble of a single petal carries you away into a lethargic trance populated by vivid hallucinations.”

The bathroom door was off its hinges and had three splintery holes of different sizes.

The day was waning.

Cliff trolls are cunning and ruthless, but their avarice can
be a weakness.”

If I held any malice, it would be toward those who initiated my incarceration, enemies
who passed from this life decades ago, not those who set me free.

The furniture was scattered
around the garden.

“Stan has kept the rules pertaining to bloodshed, and so, even on their night of revelry, the dark
creatures of this preserve would not be able to kill him.

It surprises me
that such a meager financial offering as I could supply would entice you to trade.”

We all pursue wealth,
and those who gather the most can afford certain comforts unavailable to the masses.

“You might be surprised who administers the penalties.”

With some salt from his pocket clutched in one hand and the flashlight in the other, Seth led the
way.

“This dart will slay any being that was ever mortal, including the enchanted or undead, if I can
lodge it in a lethal place.”

“We have the salt,” Seth reminded her.

“Amazing!” he said.

The ogress pivoted and stumbled toward the ruckus with a quick, awkward gait.

His voice was
suave and rich.

The hen bobbed her head, as if in affirmation.

We try not to discriminate against creatures of shadow —
we want them to survive as well.

The scene grew dim, as if clouds had blocked the sun, and a dark
aura gathered around Muriel and Grandma.

The damaged furniture strewn about the garden.

After proceeding gingerly at first, she grew in
confidence and increased the speed of her descent.

His is another tragic tale of a mortal venturing where he did not belong.

There was a small hatch at the base of the door.

Grandma slid off the stool, walked down an aisle, opened a trunk, and withdrew an ornate box
embossed with vines and flowers.

Some years later, they founded Fablehaven on the land they wrested from Bahumat.

In the corner on the floor, more than
a hundred feed kernels had been arranged to form six letters:
I M
GRAM
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Kendra said.

You realize we’ll probably have to construct a
whole new rigging?”

In the early 1800s, a community comprised chiefly of extended family had
developed on this preserve.

It looked as if an anvil had fallen on
the desk.

“New crimes will entail new punishments,” Grandma warned.

They smell great; take a whiff.”

Grandma tucked some errant strands of
hair behind her ear.

Most of the clothes had been mangled on Midsummer
Eve, but they found a few unshredded items for Grandma to wear in case they succeeded in
transforming her.

Kendra remained alert, searching the trees for
mythical beasts, but spotted nothing more spectacular than a goldfinch and some chipmunks.

A
few bright yellow markings decorated his glossy black body.

Together they pried the door
open.

“People pay exorbitant sums for an expert
massage.

She gawked at the colossal bovine in amazement.

Her ancient breed is nourished and worshipped by all creatures of
fairydom.

Every muscle in Kendra’s body clenched
in horror.

Her manure is the finest fertilizer in the world, coaxing plants to mature
much more quickly than usual and sometimes to reach incredible proportions.

86
CHAPTER TWELVE
Inside the Barn
Kendra and Seth located the path just as the satyrs had instructed, and soon reencountered the
nickel-sized holes that served as a perfect trail of breadcrumbs toward home.

“Don’t provoke new enmity.

“You thought a chimney was a well?” the redhead complained.

It confirmed that the new
course was perpendicular to the trail.

However, I give you my word as a practitioner of the ancient art
that I will not inflict any harm upon you or your grandmother upon my deliverance from this
confinement.

All the cunning had vanished
from his bulbous eyes.

They were far enough from the summit that she could not see anything on
the far side of the hill, but they were high enough that she commanded an expansive view of trees
and terrain when she looked down the slope.

“We would forfeit
the protection afforded by the foundational covenants of the treaty.”

She breathed in damp, wheezing gasps and cursed periodically, reverting to her
83
unintelligible native tongue.

Their premise is that chaos and bloodshed are preferable to
just regulations.

Digging in his pockets,
Seth withdrew the remnants of his salt.

A hayloft spanning an entire side of the building served as a feedbox.

With little cover surrounding the well, she worried that
unseen eyes might be spying from the foliage below.

Depart in peace.”

“It was a little tricky finding him and sneaking a good look, considering who else is confined
there, but yes, I am certain.”

It was difficult to say
from which direction it had originated.

With little cover surrounding the well, she worried that
unseen eyes might be spying from the foliage below.

The hen made no acknowledgment of comprehension.

Seth stepped off the ladder, embracing the teat.

“Our destination draws near,” Grandma said.

“This proposition is unorthodox, and against my better judgment, but the
idea of a massage intrigues me, and I am rarely intrigued.

The old mansion still stands deep within this
property, though most of the flimsier structures around it have been swallowed by time and the
elements.

When Kendra reached the bottom, Seth was squatting near a cluster of blossoms at the edge of
the stream.

We should have foraged for food in the pantry.

“A couple
inches deep.”

The sun blazed overhead, the air
was heavy and humid, and the forest remained unnaturally silent all around them.

It had a keyhole below the handle.

The prone figure did not move.

“I don’t eat fish with the heads still attached.”

Trunks and boxes were arranged in rows on the floor,
leaving just enough aisle space to access them.

She ended up kneeling on the small of his back, careful to avoid
the spikes along his spine, squeezing and kneading and applying pressure in diverse ways.

“It will take more than florid words and grandiose promises to persuade
me.”

Spell books, ingredients for potions, all the good stuff.”

Grandma said, plainly astonished.

For a
moment he hovered on the brink of regaining his balance.

“Not a good day,” a voice answered, deep and silky.

Grandma flipped a switch, and several
lights dispelled the dimness.

She demonstrated how and where to use their knuckles and the heels of their hands.

“You will voluntarily sunder my last knot, the final impediment to my independence, if I restore
your grandmother to her human form?”

An instant after they ducked out of sight, a bulky, hideous woman lumbered into view and
approached the well.

“You will voluntarily sunder my last knot, the final impediment to my independence, if I restore
your grandmother to her human form?”

Tenacious vegetation clung to the steep walls.

“A golem may seem like little more than animated matter granted elementary intelligence, but
most creatures on this preserve fear Hugo.

Kendra resisted the urge to bolt.

Again, it would require loosing
my knot in order for me to marshal sufficient power to discern his whereabouts.”

Eviction from this preserve is the consequence of prior indiscretions.”

“Those rogues were protecting their underhanded operation more than you,” Grandma huffed.

Plus, if we get up there, we’ll have a better view of the area.

“No.”
“He was probably assigned to watch over Warren and the cabin until summoned.

Again the walls had been savagely raked
by claws.

“I’m starving,” Seth announced.

A bar of gold means
much more to a pauper than to a king.

Kendra realized it was just
about the only undamaged door in the house.

I cannot describe the concentration it
required to write that message to you.

She
employed a variety of techniques — probing with her thumbs, rubbing with her palms, pressing with
her fists, digging with her elbows.

This is the wrong moment to cling to antiquated
protocol.

Which is precisely why those areas are prohibited.”

“Stop distracting me,” he said.

She roamed the gutted house in a somber daze, occasionally pausing to pick up a damaged frame
and examine the torn photograph inside or to run her hand along the remnants of a beloved piece of
furniture.

He still looked affable and relaxed, though not quite as loopy as
before.

“I can wait while you retrieve the payment, if you leave the girl as collateral.”

There are
powerful limits to how any outsider can intrude on a preserve.

I would not solicit
information from him if our situation were less dire.”

In pursuit of endless carnage and unlawful dominion, they clashed anciently with good
humans and creatures of light, and are paying a heavy price for losing.

“Then ignore her and maybe she’ll leave.”

It was a struggle to cling to my elevated consciousness.

Kendra remained alert, searching the trees for
mythical beasts, but spotted nothing more spectacular than a goldfinch and some chipmunks.

It let out a long
moo, making the barn shake simply by shifting its stance.

“I bet she would do just about anything to be released.

To interact with you like a person, even for a moment, required tremendous
concentration.”

Kendra picked up a stick and used it to poke around.

It was a longer flight than would ordinarily lead to a basement — more than twenty steep
stairs.

“Charming as that may be,” Muriel said, “I would require the energy of a knot unraveling to
work any spell capable of restoring your grandmother to her former state.”

The sound of timbers
splitting filled the air, followed by another mournful moan.

Seth followed Grandma, and then Kendra started down, desperately hugging the side of the
ravine, taking tentative steps, hunting blindly for the next place to rest her foot.

“I know sinister evils lurk in the woods, but they have never crossed that boundary.”

When a group of Europeans offered to
overthrow the demon in exchange for a claim to the lands it haunted, the incredulous local leaders
consented.

She considered moving
around the bush to take a peek, but could not muster the courage.

If so, it was done with great subtlety.

“Consider my offer in perspective,” Grandma said.

When I urged you to take
me to Muriel, I assumed she still had two knots remaining.

Seth waved her up to him.

An instant after they ducked out of sight, a bulky, hideous woman lumbered into view and
approached the well.

“No light switch?” he asked.

“So normally Hugo milks Viola,” Kendra surmised.

“Your candor is appreciated,” Nero said, “although you have much to learn about bargaining.

After a tense minute
or two, Kendra broke the silence.

The damaged furniture strewn about the garden.

“A sobering reminder that none of us are immune to
the dangers here, even when we imagine we have the upper hand.

When they arrived at a clearing with a tiny pond, the redheaded satyr stopped and faced the others.

Seth reappeared in the opening wearing an inscrutable expression.

Kendra reluctantly followed.

Chandeliers lay in
shattered ruins.

Meetings there ceased a few months after that, and
in the intervening years it has become known as the Forgotten Chapel.”

“If I wanted bug bites and a rash.”

“Maybe it took all she had to answer your first question,” Seth speculated.

Leaving the wheelbarrow, Seth carried the chicken, while Kendra
collected an armful of bartering items.

“We were just being satirical.”

At
times this becomes a hindrance.

They paused, listening.

From the time the milking began in earnest, the cow made no more noise and displayed no more
interest in them.

They dragged the ladders into position, one beside each of two teats on the same side of the
mammoth cow.

A common restriction is that they are not permitted to leave the
preserve, so the Society considers many of these creatures also incarcerated.

The fun-house Muriel began to ripple, as did the startling image of Goldilocks shedding feathers
as she expanded into a person.

The ogress pivoted and stumbled toward the ruckus with a quick, awkward gait.

A great tension rests upon Fablehaven today.”

It was made of metal, clothes and all.

Six coffers of gold, twelve puncheons of silver, three casks of uncut gems, and a bucket of
opals.”

Kendra started searching for clues.

When a group of Europeans offered to
overthrow the demon in exchange for a claim to the lands it haunted, the incredulous local leaders
consented.

“I need my stuff,” he said, bolting for the stairs.

Heedless of obstacles, the ogress pursued them noisily, trampling bushes and tearing through
branches.

Kendra glanced back, catching a glimpse of the burly ogress surging to her feet.

The causes are myriad, usually stemming from human folly.

She walked through the rooms, but encountered no hints to explain
the fate of either Lena or Grandpa.

Cliff trolls are cunning and ruthless, but their avarice can
be a weakness.”

Seth crawled on hands and knees along the edge of the path, sifting through the mulch beneath
the undergrowth.

“People pay exorbitant sums for an expert
massage.

Concede or go acquire your information elsewhere.”

When the proximity
earned no reaction, the fairy landed on his head.

You both surpassed my expectations.”

This is the wrong moment to cling to antiquated
protocol.

“And our supplier is no longer employed here.”

Primitive drawings marred the walls, some scored,
others scrawled.

Kendra glanced back, catching a glimpse of the burly ogress surging to her feet.

The fun-house Muriel began to ripple, as did the startling image of Goldilocks shedding feathers
as she expanded into a person.

Whether my assistance can compensate for her interference remains to be seen.”

Kendra glanced back, catching a glimpse of the burly ogress surging to her feet.

Primitive drawings marred the walls, some scored,
others scrawled.

The print was big enough to suggest that it came from a creature at least the size of a grown
man.

I wanted to eat the
delicious kernels, not arrange them into bizarre patterns.”

Hopefully she would have a heart attack and collapse.

Sampling a lotus blossom awakens a craving that will never be
silenced.

Heedless of obstacles, the ogress pursued them noisily, trampling bushes and tearing through
branches.

“Grandma,” Kendra said, “can you still respond to us?”

Even up close, the rising smoke remained vapory and indistinct.

Doren extended an arm.

“You thought a chimney was a well?” the redhead complained.

We aren’t equipped to deal with her now.”

Seth moved forward in the direction the toes pointed, scanning the ground.

Many have wasted their lives pursuing and consuming the petals of those bewitching
flowers.”

“Her growth has slowed over the years, but yes, she may one day become too colossal for her
current confines.”

The fun-house Muriel began to ripple, as did the startling image of Goldilocks shedding feathers
as she expanded into a person.

Heedless of obstacles, the ogress pursued them noisily, trampling bushes and tearing through
branches.

“If your need is dire, you will scale them,” observed the troll.

“I do not fear a feud with you.”

“The law of diminishing returns applies to massages, as it does to most things.

I see no harm in a demonstration.”

A long, plaintive moan, comparable to a blast from a foghorn.

“We would forfeit
the protection afforded by the foundational covenants of the treaty.”

“No.”
“He was probably assigned to watch over Warren and the cabin until summoned.

The problem has nothing to do with my willingness to compromise — the dilemma is that
the only way for me to fulfill your request would be to harness the power stored in the final knot.

The towering structure rose
a good five stories tall, topped by a weather vane in the shape of a bull.

“Creatures were invading our territory,” Grandma explained.

The pause stretched mercilessly.

She began to chuckle, tears brimming in her eyes.

Fragments of timber and ivy
whistled in all directions, clattering against the trunks of trees and slashing through the undergrowth.

I would probably have to banish myself from the preserve.”

Kendra studied the area with sudden
alarm.

The trembling shaft of smoke grew nearer.

The gargantuan cow cocked its head, staring down at the newcomers to the barn.

Tiny, sleek scales covered his sinuous body.

Foremost
among these luxuries is the indescribable release and relaxation of a massage at the hands of one
skilled in the art.”

“I take it you already possess great caches of treasure.

Wouldn’t Grandpa have tried to leave them a message?

Seth gripped with his legs and leaned the other
way, regaining his equilibrium.

Nonsense, child, I would
not dream of exacting a toll for my hospitality.

“The quilt is gorgeous, but it would be ruined in my humble dwelling.

“We would forfeit
the protection afforded by the foundational covenants of the treaty.”

The wealthy and powerful can afford to indulge their
wants and whims.

Only when I looked up and observed the
single knot did I begin to fathom the actual predicament.

Learning his location should dictate how
best to proceed.”

Patches of carpeting were burned and stained.

She
employed a variety of techniques — probing with her thumbs, rubbing with her palms, pressing with
her fists, digging with her elbows.

Learning his location should dictate how
best to proceed.”

“Your recompense is coming, my bold little whelp.

A
few bright yellow markings decorated his glossy black body.

A constant
stream of drowsy compliments flowed from his lips.

Bending over, she pawed at the well, stroking the wooden frame.

The cow mooed, and he recoiled, crouching
and grabbing the ladder with both hands to steady himself.

“Climbing them looks precarious.”

He motioned for them to follow.

I think she’s in pain,” Kendra observed.

“If we’re supposed to possibly inherit this place someday, you won’t always be able to protect
us from danger,” Kendra said.

“Some batteries
to repent for disrupting our stew siphoning—”
“Then we can trade for more.

When they arrived at a clearing with a tiny pond, the redheaded satyr stopped and faced the others.

“I told myself, if the boy makes it past fifteen logs, I will assist him if he falls.

In the flowerbed was a clear footprint — three large toes and a narrow
heel.

Cliff trolls are cunning and ruthless, but their avarice can
be a weakness.”

The highest log granted
access to a rocky ledge.

“Regrettably we lack the time to shuttle treasure to you, unless you would reveal Stan’s location
before receiving compensation.”

“You mustn’t assume all the blame,” Grandma insisted.

They stealthily circled the entire building, finding no doors unlocked.

Kendra descended the stairs to the entry hall.

“Was Muriel in the vicinity?”

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Kendra tried to push away images of the pallid woman with the swirling black garments.

The entire room was dominated by a single gigantic
cow.

They were far enough from the summit that she could not see anything on
the far side of the hill, but they were high enough that she commanded an expansive view of trees
and terrain when she looked down the slope.

For several minutes, she did nothing to suggest abnormal intelligence and
offered no recognizable reaction to any questions.

Killing a mortal
is not quite as grievous a crime as killing a mystical being, but it would still dissolve most of the
protection afforded me by the treaty.

Chips of wood continued to
fall like hail, along with fluttering bits of ivy.

She noted the obvious set of large double doors in the front, along with
some smaller access doors along the side.

However, I give you my word as a practitioner of the ancient art
that I will not inflict any harm upon you or your grandmother upon my deliverance from this
confinement.

When the proximity
earned no reaction, the fairy landed on his head.

The incline was not completely vertical, but most of the descent was quite steep.

Many have wasted their lives pursuing and consuming the petals of those bewitching
flowers.”

Imprisoned in this shack, I am curtailed in my
abilities.

Incidentally, how
did you end up as a walrus?”

Kendra remained alert, searching the trees for
mythical beasts, but spotted nothing more spectacular than a goldfinch and some chipmunks.

It let out a long
moo, making the barn shake simply by shifting its stance.

“The demonstration is concluded,” she announced.

“You issue evictions in order to build a case for wrongdoing and thereby justify retaliation,”
Muriel said.

She considered moving
around the bush to take a peek, but could not muster the courage.

“I needed to
devise a plan.

“It feels like such a betrayal to have your home violated,”
she said softly.

“Yes, without guarantees, once free I could probably use my
abilities to shed light on the location of your grandfather.”

He went forward again more slowly, kicking aside any leaves or branches on the trail.

They scooted the ladders over and repeated the process.

A long, plaintive moan, comparable to a blast from a foghorn.

Meetings there ceased a few months after that, and
in the intervening years it has become known as the Forgotten Chapel.”

The holes were spaced roughly five feet apart and followed a generally straight line, passing the
barn and eventually leaving the yard along a narrow path into the woods.

The problem has nothing to do with my willingness to compromise — the dilemma is that
the only way for me to fulfill your request would be to harness the power stored in the final knot.

“But many would die inexplicably.

I could give you a full massage, kneading and soothing every muscle in
your body.

Muriel glowered at Grandma, the joy in her gaze eclipsed by spite.

The problem has nothing to do with my willingness to compromise — the dilemma is that
the only way for me to fulfill your request would be to harness the power stored in the final knot.

“Don’t provoke new enmity.

It will be dangerous, but at
present he is probably our best alternative.

From behind the same bush they had used as their final hiding place when approaching the well,
a creature emerged.

Besides assisting with his legs and feet, Grandma labored on his
head, neck, shoulders, back, arms, hands, chest, and abdomen.

“Looks like a normal stew,” Kendra said.

There were many handholds,
including scrawny bushes with well-anchored stems.

“The law of diminishing returns applies to massages, as it does to most things.

95
“Lamentably, I would have the opportunity to accomplish only one feat or the other.

But I suppose he was searching for an alternate cure for my condition.”

Back in the house, Kendra found Seth in Grandpa’s office.

His meager lips quivered.

79
“Don’t make any holes,” Seth cautioned.

Muriel appeared distorted, first stretching
broad, then tall.

The ogress pivoted and stumbled toward the ruckus with a quick, awkward gait.

Propelled by her downward momentum, Kendra found herself taking larger steps than she
wanted.

Up ahead, in a clear area near the summit of the
hill, she saw the source of the thin smoke — a waist-high cylinder of stone with a wooden windlass
and a dangling bucket.

“Carefully,” Grandma said, taking a seat at the edge of the precipice.

Over time, I lapsed into a twilight consciousness, incapable of rational
thought, unable to interpret my surroundings as a human would.”

“We try
to be free with our assets.

Kendra studied the area with sudden
alarm.

Rather than head back toward the house, they had
continued on the trail beyond the ivy shack, venturing deeper into the forest.

“Your candor is appreciated,” Nero said, “although you have much to learn about bargaining.

“No, I mean what if he keeps ferocious creatures in there?

“I’ve never seen the yard so devoid of life.”

When a group of Europeans offered to
overthrow the demon in exchange for a claim to the lands it haunted, the incredulous local leaders
consented.

Yes, you made him
vulnerable through your disobedience.

No longer obscured by grass, the tracks were even easier to follow.

“Look at all the lovely gifts you brought me,” the witch gushed, clasping her veiny hands
together.

“I thought I was going to puke, that was so foul,” complained Seth.

Almost all
the windows were destroyed.

Spanning a
ravine, the bridge was composed of dark wood.

“I know the mistakes
you made were not deliberate or malicious.

She has collected expert instruction from around the globe.

Kendra focused on climbing the ladder and landing as lightly as possible.

The stump split down the center.

Muriel glowered at Grandma, the joy in her gaze eclipsed by spite.

Over time, I lapsed into a twilight consciousness, incapable of rational
thought, unable to interpret my surroundings as a human would.”

“I’m sure he knew your parents would return soon, leaving insufficient time to discover another
remedy.”

Large dots and X’s were located on diverse portions of the map, aside from the labeling
of major cities.

Killing a mortal
is not quite as grievous a crime as killing a mystical being, but it would still dissolve most of the
protection afforded me by the treaty.

Any mortal trapped here would fall prey to horrors too terrible to contemplate.”

“Grandpa would be furious.”

Seth indicated where tar appeared to have been slopped against the wall.

“Lots of commitments,” Doren confirmed, backing away.

Muscles bunching powerfully, Nero hauled Seth up to the ledge.

The herd looks on as the sick
109
or injured are brought down by predators.

The scoundrels didn’t want to have to rebuild their
thieving device — probably sounded too much like work.

“I ask, what value is treasure to a wealthy troll?

They relish
the thrill of besting an opponent.

Seth and Kendra related the particulars about turning the fairy into an imp and the subsequent
retribution.

They emerged through a small
gap into a bowl-shaped depression.

“I might be embittered by long years of imprisonment and eager
to work mischief once released.

They emerged through a small
gap into a bowl-shaped depression.

Crude pictograms defaced the far side of the door, along with an abundance of less
orderly nicks and scratches.

The sound of timbers
splitting filled the air, followed by another mournful moan.

We don’t want to see the magnificent
magical creatures of the world go extinct.

Foremost
among these luxuries is the indescribable release and relaxation of a massage at the hands of one
skilled in the art.”

If you seek trouble here and
now, in front of the little ones, I will oblige you.

The goat-man pitched the bucket
of stew into a tangled patch of thorns and bounded over a fallen log.

I could give you a full massage, kneading and soothing every muscle in
your body.

A table reduced to kindling.

By the power of her
dung we can reap multiple harvests from a field in a season, and many tropical plants flourish on
this property that would otherwise perish.

106
Nero was obviously in ecstasy.

The silence was an ominous answer.

Members of
the Society of the Evening Star mask their true intentions with rhetoric, alleging that we wrongfully
imprison creatures of darkness.”

In return, her milk functions as an ambrosia central to their survival.

It could have been a
serious disaster, because none who remained on the preserve possessed the resources or knowledge
to contend successfully with an entity of his power.

Ascend the stairs and we will discuss terms.”

“If we don’t milk this cow, we could end up with a new
disaster on our hands.”

The incline was not completely vertical, but most of the descent was quite steep.

Soon they fell into a rhythm, both of them landing on their feet most of the time.

You would assume the
104
burden of training him as a servant, and find yourself yoked to his incompetence.

She made a line with her hand connecting the two dots and continuing into the
woods.

She roamed the gutted house in a somber daze, occasionally pausing to pick up a damaged frame
and examine the torn photograph inside or to run her hand along the remnants of a beloved piece of
furniture.

He
plucked out a potato and offered a similar report.

If you seek trouble here and
now, in front of the little ones, I will oblige you.

Then they could base their
final decision on the facts of what Muriel would be willing to do, rather than conjecture.

It must have been at least seventy jumps
each before the output began to slacken.

The prone figure did not move.

“But I could exchange my service for something more enduring!

“The children have their
instructions, Nero.

“You must vacate this property immediately.”

Seth was examining singed hairs in a damp stain on the floor.

Kendra imitated his movements, impressed that his hours of playing army
were finally paying off.

A
narrow stream trickled along the bottom.

The massage takes thirty minutes, versus mere moments for you to
peer into your stone.”

You saw it torch those guys last night.”

I’ll try to yell if I get captured or anything.

Kendra resisted the urge to bolt.

A second or two later, the deafening moaning ceased.

Bahumat never agreed to the treaty that protects this
sanctuary.

Up ahead, in a clear area near the summit of the
hill, she saw the source of the thin smoke — a waist-high cylinder of stone with a wooden windlass
and a dangling bucket.

The mystical creatures that seek
asylum here are not afforded that luxury.

Kendra reached for the hen, but the flustered bird dodged her grasp.

Seth gestured
for Kendra to wait.

The penetrating sound came from outside.

Inside the wooden bucket, bits of meat, cut carrots, potato fragments, and
onion floated in a fragrant yellow broth.

Kendra focused on climbing the ladder and landing as lightly as possible.

Although it looked spacious enough for the ogress to
enter, Seth and Kendra followed without question.

Stan allowed you to come here to do your parents a favor, but also
110
because we need to start selectively sharing this secret with our posterity.

I also question what value a frail human servant would have
to a master infinitely more wise and capable?

Her manure is the finest fertilizer in the world, coaxing plants to mature
much more quickly than usual and sometimes to reach incredible proportions.

I do not ask much, an insignificant trifle for the proprietress of this illustrious
preserve.

Kendra hesitantly laid her hands on the troll’s bulging calf.

The holes were spaced roughly five feet apart and followed a generally straight line, passing the
barn and eventually leaving the yard along a narrow path into the woods.

In the closets they found a variety of tools and equipment, but no obvious gear for milking
gargantuan cows.

You kids really did an exceptional job back there.

Hopefully she would have a heart attack and collapse.

While they were sliding, the teats sprayed like fire hoses.

It could have been a
serious disaster, because none who remained on the preserve possessed the resources or knowledge
to contend successfully with an entity of his power.

The satyrs shared an uneasy glance.

“The trail we followed went northwest,” Seth assured her.

It let out a long
moo, making the barn shake simply by shifting its stance.

“Do you think the Evening Star people are involved in kidnapping Grandpa?”

99
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Trolling for Grandpa
“Have you ever heard people conversing while you’re falling asleep?”

“I thought I recognized her,” she mused.

The scene grew dim, as if clouds had blocked the sun, and a dark
aura gathered around Muriel and Grandma.

“If you fail, the first thing Dad will do is go straight to your house and
investigate.

They saw no
hulking behemoth capable of the enormous sound they had heard.

Again, it would require loosing
my knot in order for me to marshal sufficient power to discern his whereabouts.”

Presently they identified the leafy
structure where the witch lived.

He slid down it and fell to the floor along with
an impressive jet of milk.

“I most assuredly do.”

Kendra felt exposed.

The print may not even be a
relevant clue.

“Aided by mighty allies and potent magic, the Europeans successfully subdued and imprisoned
the demon.

Seth was heroic on the logs, and Kendra did some well-timed
bluffing during the negotiations.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aftermath
Kendra knew it would be bad the moment she opened the door.

I’m sorry this calamity befell us
during your stay.”

“I’m exhausted,” she announced.

“Maybe it wanted to throw off pursuit.”

Inside the wooden bucket, bits of meat, cut carrots, potato fragments, and
onion floated in a fragrant yellow broth.

“As a chicken, thinking clearly becomes an exhausting challenge.

He still looked affable and relaxed, though not quite as loopy as
before.

The more
riches he possesses, the less each new acquisition improves his total worth.

The enormous barn contained just one cavernous
room with a few closets around the perimeter.

“The chapel is neutral ground.

Kendra despised working on Nero’s feet the most, from the roughness of his cracked
heels, to the smooth pads of his calluses, to the lumpy bunions on his toes.

The chicken seemed serene.

His head was turned to one side, eyes squinted shut, arms raised
protectively.

He has a claim to this land and is a being of sufficient power to
overthrow the treaty, plunging the preserve into endless darkness.

CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aftermath
Kendra knew it would be bad the moment she opened the door.

“The quilt is gorgeous, but it would be ruined in my humble dwelling.

“I’m never going to the playground,” Kendra vowed.

The hose was long and had good water pressure, and the drains seemed to have plenty of
capacity.

“You have your reward for the services you rendered.

“Your candor is appreciated,” Nero said, “although you have much to learn about bargaining.

76
Kendra approached the window.

“Yes, without guarantees, once free I could probably use my
abilities to shed light on the location of your grandfather.”

80
Kendra tried to push away images of the pallid woman with the swirling black garments.

If she
reaches the Forgotten Chapel first, which she may have already done, assuming her imps have
apprised her of the situation, we will have to neutralize her in order to save your grandfather.

A short copper rod was linked to the triangle
by a chain of beads.

“Things were already dismal,” Grandma said.

If I held any malice, it would be toward those who initiated my incarceration, enemies
who passed from this life decades ago, not those who set me free.

She removed a handful of
photographs.

Each time her foot touched the ground became a fresh opportunity to lose her balance and
tumble forward.

This
same principle could work against you if you were to venture into certain forbidden areas of
Fablehaven.

She
resumed walking.

But if I lose the protections afforded by the treaty, the
consequences of my vulnerability would inevitably follow.”

“Our only chance is clever bargaining.

She noted the obvious set of large double doors in the front, along with
some smaller access doors along the side.

You would assume the
104
burden of training him as a servant, and find yourself yoked to his incompetence.

Or wagons for outhouses?”