Chapter 32
“Hurry along now,” said the queen. “Travel well.”
“Thanks again.” Winnie strode toward her cart but paused to allow the last of the palm to walk by. She heard them mumbling among themselves about the greatness of the voice that had called them. When the pathway finally cleared, the rows upon rows of began and mel-yew troops stood as tall as their commander, Fynn. She’d have to pass him to reach her cart. With breath held, she cautiously moved forward. Her entire body went on alert. Would he let her pass or order her shot?
Their eyes met. Commander Fynn blinked first. He faced his men.
She recoiled. Uh-oh. Here it comes.
“Company, salute!” he shouted.
As one, the warriors crossed their arms in front of their chests, fists clenched.
She stopped. Her mouth formed a surprised, “Oh.”
A salute? In all the time she’d known him, she never expected that. Well, she’d never imagined the queen might have a good side either. The salute from Fynn, though, was just as good as a medal.
For half a second Winnie considered showing him the way they saluted in her world. But only for half a second. She balled her own fists and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Fynn gave a curt half nod. One general acknowledging another. She nodded back and hurried away.
Her two-wheeled palm cart stood just where she’d left it. The driver bowed. “Please forgive me for briefly abandoning the cart, General, but a large voice called my name.”
She grinned. “It’s always important to listen to large voices.” She climbed into her seat.
“When it stopped calling, I knew it didn’t need me after all, so I came back.”
“I’m glad you did. Can you run to the castle? I’m in a hurry.”
Pall bowed again. “It is my honor to serve you.”
He trotted along the forest path at a smooth pace. She checked her watch. The face was blank! How would she know when the time tear moved?
“Could you go a little faster, please?”
He galloped. Her watch chimed twice. Oh good, it still works. But that meant the time tear had just risen to the main hall. She urged Pall to run faster.
He charged around a curve just as a skitter darted onto the path. Pall swerved to avoid it. The cart tipped over, pulling him with it. Winnie sailed out of her seat and sprawled into the dirt.
She rolled over, shaken but unhurt. Surprisingly, the binoculars, still around her neck, weren’t damaged either. Before she could celebrate her good fortune, a bent wheel wobbled past.
She turned in the direction it came from. Pall lay on his side, struggling in a tangle of harness straps. “Please forgive me, General.”
She hurried to help him remove the straps and sit up. “You didn’t break anything, did you?”
He puffed for breath. “It is only a small pain.” He winced. “I shall—” He tried to stand but fell back down. “—be all right.”
“You better sit here for a few minutes.”
“But, General, you must reach the castle.”
“I’ll be fine. I still have this.” She pulled her wig get whistle from her tunic and blew it twice. “I’ll send help as soon as I reach the castle.”
Two wig gets soared overhead. They circled her but didn’t land. “Sorry-sorry,” they squawked. “Too-big, too-big.”
“Wait!” she cried out. “I’ll call one more.”
The birds flapped away without looking back.
She kicked the ground. “Now what?”
“If you don’t mind my saying, General,” the palm said from the ground, “your own legs look quite strong indeed. Can you run?”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? She stretched to limber up. It was time to put her workouts to the test. She started out at a brisk jog. As she warmed up, she increased her speed. She ran through the woods, arms pumping in rhythm with her long strides. She raced down a hill into the valley and through a mel-yew village. Peasant onlookers came out and cheered her on.
Fifty yards from the castle, a muscle knotted in her left calf. She gritted her teeth and kept going. Finally, she burst through the gates. She dashed across the courtyard. A mel-yew doorman pulled open the front door for her. Gulping for breath, she bounded down the staircase to the dungeon.
“Kip?”
“This way,” he called back. “It’s about time.”
His arms waved between the cell bars. She slid her hand into her tunic pocket for the key. Nothing. Her heart rumbled in panic. She slapped her pockets, hoping to feel the outline of the key.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to be letting me out?”
“The key. It must’ve fallen out of my pocket when the cart tipped over.”
“Call a guard,” he said calmly. “They carry extras.”
“What guards?” she shouted over her booming pulse. “Everybody’s at the beach.”
He poked his head between the bars. “There’s probably a spare on a nail.”
She charged back to the alcove near the first cell where a candle gave off minimal light. As promised, a key hung from a hook. She snatched it and raced back to Kip’s cell. Her trembling fingers struggled a few times before the key fit in the lock.
Kip stepped out. “If you don’t mind me saying so, I rescued you from the dungeon within hours if you’ll remember. You took nearly a week.”
“Didn’t know you were here. Time tear’s in the main hall,” she said in one breath.
“Oi. You defeated the lurkin, then?”
“Yes, come on.” She grabbed his hand. “It’s moving fast.” She pulled him through the dungeon corridor.
“What about the war?”
“Later. We have to go.” She tugged harder. “Now.”
They raced up the staircase. At the castle’s main level, Kip stopped. Winnie bumped into him with an “oof.”
“Where’s Willum?” His eyes grew wide with worry. “What if they executed ’im?”
She huffed. “They wouldn’t. Come on.”
He whistled through his fingers.
She yanked his arm. “Hurry up. We don’t have time for this. What does he come to?”
“Food mostly. Meat pies.”
“Willum!” she called. “We have meat pies!”
A black bird flew toward them. “Meat pies?”
“There you are,” Kip said in a relieved voice. “Where ya been?”
“Looking for another wizard and meat pies.”
“I like that. I lose me wand, and off ’e goes.”
Winnie’s watch beeped three times. The time tear had risen to the balcony.
“Faster.” She panted.
They darted up another long staircase. By the next one, she felt the strain from all the running and slowed to a half jog. At the top she hunched over and clutched her knees. She’d barely caught her breath when her watch beeped four times.
“What’s that mean?” Kip asked, gasping.
“Southeast turret.”
“Blimey. That’s two more levels away!”
She slowly straightened up. “We can make it.”
She inhaled deeply, then jogged upward, level by level. He plodded behind her. She stumbled through the open doorway to the southeast turret and into the arms of a female voga. Winnie looked into her glowing, red-purple eyes. “Maggenta?”
The oracle pulled Winnie to her feet. “No time for rest, child.”
Kip burst onto the turret and fell to his knees. Willum glided through the doorway.
“The time tear is still moving. You both must return to your world as you came.” Maggenta held out two sets of clothes. “Change back into these.”
Winnie looked toward Kip. “I can’t change with a guy up here.”
Maggenta mumbled a spell, and two privacy screens materialized. She pushed the clothes bundles into Winnie’s and Kip’s arms. Each ducked behind a screen.
“There’s a wounded palm at the clearing,” Winnie said as she changed into her shorts and T-shirt. “Hurt his ankle.”
“I’ll tend to him after I’ve seen you off.”
“Couldn’t you find me shorts and me shirt?” Kip cried out.
Winnie didn’t spot her own problem until she jammed her bare feet into her running shoes. “I’m missing a shoelace.”
“I did that,” Kip said.
She stepped from behind the screen. “I won’t even ask. This doesn’t matter, does it? No socks and a missing lace?”
“No, child.” The oracle draped the canteen straps around Winnie’s neck.
Kip edged away from his screen, dressed in green plaid shorty pajamas. Willum sat perched on his shoulder. The sight of them sent Winnie into a laughing fit. Willum flapped into the air.
Her watch beeped five times.
Her smile turned to a horrified grimace. “We missed it.”
“It’s still within reach,” Maggenta said. “You’ll have to jump.”
“What?” she and Kip said in unison.
“Trust me,” Maggenta said.
Winnie climbed onto the crenel. She strained her eyes, searching for the time tear. “I can’t see anything.”
Kip joined her on the stone battlement. “Neither can I. Is it really out there?”
“Jump,” Maggenta ordered.
Winnie cringed at the sight of the courtyard so far below. It reminded her of the time she’d been stuck in a tree. “I don’t want to fall.”
“The door is still rising,” said the oracle. “Jump high. Now!”
Kip gripped Winnie’s hand. They took deep breaths, flexed their knees, and jumped together. An invisible web tightened around her, squeezing the breath out of her. Then she began to drop. Her mind cried out with dread not again.