 
WORLDS WITHIN

Copyright 2006 by Steven & Margaret Larson

Smashwords Edition

Published by Margaret Larson at Smashwords

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold. Thank you for respecting the work of the authors.

Other books available by these authors

CHILDREN'S FANTASY BOOKS

Murky Manor

Cave of Discovery

The World Beyond the Door

A COLLECTION OF WRITINGS

Thoughts on the Wind

Print versions available at: www.lulu.com/larsonworlds

Visit us at our web site www.home.earthlink.net/~larsonworlds

CONTENTS

1 The Edge of Discovery

2 Nitika

3 Book Possession

4 Catch a Falling Star

5 St. Elmo

6 Dinosaur Dreams

7 Encountering the Hulk

8 Alarming Events

9 Ghouls and Specters

10 Score! Score! Scorpions

11 Ressa

12 Lost Kingdom

13 Honored
Epilogue

Notes

CHAPTER 1 - THE EDGE OF DISCOVERY

The bell rang, and all the students headed to the cafeteria in a vast, jumbled mass. Being shorter than many of the other kids, Toby Traverse disappeared quickly in the crowd. They swarmed into the lunchroom, and Toby was squeezed into line. Numbed by the chaos around him, he opened the book he was carrying and tried to escape into the story. Bumped and jostled he gave up and reluctantly tucked the book into his backpack. The classic two-dimensional story of Flatland would have to wait until he was out of this three-dimensional nightmare.

Across the room he spotted the hulking figure of Buz and his sinister shadow Arnie, leaning against the wall. Magnus soon joined them. Even from across the room his face had a menacing leer. Buz, Arnie and Magnus - he just thought of them as BAM.

Turning away, Toby glanced at the back of the line and recognized Ressa by her short dark hair. She was entertaining a group of laughing girls who surrounded her like adoring fans. As she turned to face his way, her hair swirled around her face in loose curls. He sighed. It must be nice to be popular.

He read the menu for Monday – spaghetti. As he picked up a tray he tried not to think about the boys across the room. Maybe they wouldn't notice him this time.

The plump elderly woman behind the counter dished up a glob of spaghetti and slid it towards him. He placed it on his tray and added a salad. It wasn't salad as he'd come to know it since staying with his grandmother. Her salads were always an exotic mixture. She added bean sprouts, seaweed, goat cheeses, strange mushrooms, and other vegetation that most people would only eat on a survivor show. After the first month he had stopped asking about the strange plants that inhabited his bowl from places he couldn't pronounce and couldn't find on a map.

Reaching for a bowl of pudding, he was jerked back to the present as a hand darted past him. "I believe this one is mine," said Magnus.

"Filling my tray for me Tobias?" said the oily voice of Buz. Looking up, Toby was dismayed to see the three of them. The older boys from 7th grade towered above him.

Arnie picked up the salad. "I don't much like salad Tobias, why don't you just keep it?" He thrust the bowl at Toby spilling lettuce down the front of his shirt.

Startled, Toby cried out, "Hey!" and stepped back, pulling on the tray. But Buz was still holding the other end.

"Where you going with my food, kid?" Buz sneered. He jerked on the tray. The sudden movement knocked the bowl out of Magnus's hand and pudding splattered everywhere. The empty bowl spun noisily on the floor. Spaghetti flew across the room in a solid lump with the sauce separating like the saucer section of the Starship Enterprise. It landed in two separate spots on the floor and slid, leaving a greasy trail behind. The plate skidded across a nearby table spilling drinks. Chairs toppled backwards as kids jumped up in alarm.

There were shouts from the cafeteria staff. Kids were screaming. The sound of the salad bowl dropping from Toby's shirt to the floor was barely heard.

He brushed the lettuce off his shirt. As he bent down to pick up the bowl, the noise faded. The room became deathly quiet. He felt a chill down his spine as he stood up. Closing his eyes, he wished desperately that he could turn invisible. He stiffened as he felt the iron grip of fingers pinching his shoulder. A cold voice said, 'What's going on here?"

Opening his eyes he noticed that BAM was nowhere to be seen. Somehow they had managed to pull off the invisibility trick. They had left him in the middle of this wreckage with his life in havoc. The fingers, of course, belonged to the Principal, Mr. Carson.

In a commanding voice he ordered several of the boys to clean up the mess. Everyone else immediately took their seats. All that could be heard was the soft sound of forks scraping across plates as everyone pretended to eat. No one wanted to be singled out by "Kick" Carson. It was a nickname that he had earned as a star player on his college football team. Although he no longer kicked footballs, the students at Sierra Middle School thought it still fit his style.

"Come with me young man." Toby winced as the fingers bit deeper into his shoulder. Carson turned him around and maneuvered him down the hall. They walked past a table full of girls, and Toby saw Ressa staring wide eyed at him. His face flushed as he realized she had finally noticed him. Too bad she probably would never have anything to do with him now. At the doorway, he met the sympathetic gaze of a tall lanky kid. Jason was a transfer from out of state, and one of his few friends at this new school. Jason smiled and Toby tried to smile back.

He had managed to make it though Christmas before having this encounter, but the New Year wasn't starting out so well. Being at a new school was more difficult than he had thought it would be.

They passed a glass case filled with trophies won by the school's Scorpion Soccer team. It was no use trying to explain about Buz and the others. Carson thought all athletes were ideal students, and Buz and the others were star athletes. They entered the office, and Carson pushed him into a faded green chair.

"I'm disappointed in you Toby. If you'd show half that much energy in your gym class you'd go a lot farther. You should channel those destructive impulses into sports. Learn some teamwork and you could get along better with others instead of causing this kind of scene."

There was a knock on the door, but Carson's stare never wavered. The overhead light glinted on the closely cropped silver hair at his temples. Toby waited, not knowing what to say. There was another knock, and he began to squirm under the scrutiny. At the third knock, Carson's secretary, Mrs. Hightower, looked in and said, "Sir?"

Carson finally said, "Don't leave that chair. Sit there and think about it till I get back."

He left the room. There were muffled voices, and then Toby could hear footsteps echoing down the long, tiled hall. Her chair squeaked softly as Mrs. Hightower sat down. Then there was only the steady clicking of the computer keys.

Toby leaned back in the chair. The books in his pack pressed into his shoulder blades. He brushed the damp hair off his forehead. Here he was in Kick Carson's office while those jocks were loose. Life was so unfair. If he had to sit here in this office, why couldn't it at least have been during his hated gym class instead of having to miss lunch?

He pulled Flatland out of his backpack and tried to read. It was a classic science fiction book about a two-dimensional world. But the book required too much concentration. He put it back in his pack.

I shouldn't even be in this position, he thought. If my parents hadn't gotten that promotion, the University would not have sent them to Antarctica for a year. They were there now studying penguins with other scientists, while he was stuck here living with Janie, his grandmother. He felt as out of place here as a penguin. The only claim to fame that this small town in the southwestern desert had going for it was the DNA institute. The Family Ancestry Studies and Testing Institute, known as FAST, was the nationally acclaimed lab where his grandmother worked.

Then again, things were not too bad. Living with Janie was an adventure in itself. She certainly kept things from being boring. He sat up and checked out the office.

The carpet at his feet was worn from years of kids sitting where he was now. On Carson's desk was a paperweight. It was a scorpion sealed in Lucite. Fascinated, Toby was drawn out of the chair towards the desk. He leaned closer to see all the details of the imprisoned creature. Its eyes stared back at him menacingly.

He reached out to pick it up. The sudden ringing of the phone shattered the silence making him jump and jerk his hand back. Mrs. Hightower answered it from her office. The tension eased from his back as he slowly relaxed and looked around the room.

He was surprised to see a bookcase. Unable to resist the attraction of books, he glanced quickly at the closed door. Moving around the desk he began to read the titles. Baseball Greats, Football Heroes, Wrestling Superstars, How To Be A Marathon Winner. Figures, he thought. On another shelf were assorted autobiographies of sports heroes.

He should have known there wouldn't be anything worth reading in this office. Football trophies from various years were used as bookends. They were all engraved "Will 'Kick' Carson."

He was just about to return to the chair, when he noticed a small, leather bound book. It was sandwiched in between the autobiographies. Gold lettering on the spine read "Worlds Within – A Traveler's Journal." On impulse he pulled the book out. Listening carefully for returning footsteps, he opened the book.

He couldn't believe that Carson would own a book like this. It looked like some kind of travel book, but he couldn't figure out what country it described. It wasn't like a Frommer's guide with listings of hotels and restaurants. Instead it gave information on plants and animals, and there were short descriptions of different people's travel experiences. But he was strangely draw to the pictures.

He paused at one of an ancient arena with a dark, starless sky. Thin clouds covered a gibbous moon giving it an eerie glow. Crumbling stone walls surrounded an open field like bleachers at a racetrack. He could almost hear rats scampering through the debris. He quickly turned the page.

A red sandstone arch filled the frame. It would have looked more natural in a desert setting, but instead was surrounded by tall pine trees. Yellow flowers poked their heads through the thick grass that completely hid the base of the arch. A petroglyph of a lizard was carved into the rock just above the tall grass. Looking closely he saw a bee perched on a flower petal. He heard a faint buzzing and rubbed his ear. The buzzing stopped. The view on the other side of the arch was in shadow, but there were shapes that might have been short dumpy trees. The opposite page had facts about the size and habitat for the lizard, and height and growing season for the flowers.

He flipped several pages and came to a section titled Rock Marmots. They were described as small animals that could pull in their heads and legs so they resembled rocks when frightened or threatened. It listed foods they ate, how long they lived, their limited eyesight and keen sense of hearing. He felt prickles on his skin and the feeling that someone was watching him. Looking up he glanced around the room, but he was still alone. He skipped over the rest of the details.

On the next page was a picture of a primitive hut with several tall trees. For a moment the leaves blurred as if they were moving. He blinked and wiped a hand across his eyes.

The hut was made from pine logs covered with daub. A dirt path led up to the door where an old man sat on a stone bench. He was leaning against the wall and holding a book. The writing on the cover was too small for Toby to make out.

He dug out his house key from his pocket. On the key ring were two of last year's birthday presents from Janie, a tiny flashlight and a magnifying glass. Using the magnifying glass he focused on the book cover in the picture. Long fingers with neatly trimmed nails zoomed into focus. He scanned up to the title of the book and read "The Fall of the Tyrant."

Hearing a rustling of paper, he dropped the magnifying glass. When he bent down to pick it up, he saw dirt instead of the worn carpet. Suddenly the air felt cooler. With shaking fingers, he grasped the key ring and looked up fearing to see Carson. To his amazement he was standing on the path outside the hut. The man in the picture was looking at him questioningly.

"Hello traveler," the old man said. His voice was rich and smooth. A slight breeze stirred the thick white hair, which fell to his shoulders. The corners of his clear green eyes crinkled into a multitude of lines as he smiled.

Toby hesitatingly smiled back. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You are on the edge of discovery," he replied.

Toby raised his eyebrows and nodded, "Yeah, okay...but does this edge have a name?"

"Like me, it has many names, but you can call me Caedman. What name do you go by traveler?"

Toby stared at him and thought, why me? This day is just getting stranger and weirder. Out loud he said, "Toby."

Caedman smiled. "Well, Toby, welcome to my home."

Could be it's like the Wardrobe thing, he thought. He turned around and looked behind him half expecting to see the school office. But the road wound off into the distance and disappeared over a hill.

"I see you've brought a book," Caedman said.

Spinning back around Toby said, "What?"

Caedman nodded at the book in Toby's hand. "Many books have found their way to my door," he said.

Toby looked down. "Oh, the book. Well, it's not actually mine. I just, um, I was just, ah, looking through it."

"Does any book really belong to just one person? Do not the ideas within the pages belong to the greater world and to those who embrace them?"

As Toby tried to comprehend this strange question, he was distracted by sounds from inside the hut. There was a shuffling noise and the soft thud of a heavy falling object.

"Are you hungry? I was about to take some nourishment." Caedman stood up, opened the door, and looked back questioningly.

The mention of food made his stomach suddenly feel very empty. The idea of eating was enticing.

He shrugged. "Sounds okay, I guess," he said and followed Caedman into the hut. He could always change his mind if the food looked funny.

After the bright sunlight, it was dark inside. As his eyes adjusted, he saw shelves of books lining the walls of the round room. At the top of the shelves the walls curved inward forming a domed ceiling. In the middle of the room was a fire pit encircled by a low stone wall.

Movement caught his eye. He turned to see a girl about his own age. She was replacing a large book on one of the shelves. Two long braids of dark red hair hung down her back. A camel colored tunic was belted at her waist and hung down below her hips. Dark brown pants covered the tops of her leather boots.

She turned around and stopped suddenly when she saw Toby. They stared uncertainly at each other.

"Marnie, we have a visitor. Toby is joining us for our meal."

Toby smiled shyly, and Marnie's face broke into a grin.

They sat on the dirt floor next to the wall surrounding the fire pit. It was about a foot and a half tall, making a convenient table. Caedman sat on a small stool. A hammered copper tube fanned out in a funnel above the fire forming a chimney that directed the smoke up and out through the roof.

Caedman brought out a bowl filled with small loaves of bread about the size of muffins. Thick slices of cheese filled another plate. There were small cups of steaming tea and goblets of water.

Picking up what he thought was a grape, Toby was surprised to find it tasted more like a plumb. He bit into the bread. It had a crunchy crust coated with a honey glaze and encrusted with nuts. Inside it was soft and sweet. The cheese crumbled in his fingers when he picked it up. It had a sharp tang, and the tartness lingered on his tongue. Caedman was eating small, wrinkled, purple peppers with his cheese. Toby decided not to try them.

Taking a sip of the hot tea, he grimaced at the strong, bitter taste. It was even worse than the strange herbal stuff that Janie bought at Alice's Food Emporium. He managed to swallow it down to be polite. Living with Janie had given him a lot of practice in being polite when it came to eating. The water was much better. It was cold and refreshing, and had a faint fruity flavor.

"Your book has a fine cover," Caedman said. "It looks much like a book I had when I was just a few years older than you. It appears to be bound in sheepskin."

Toby studied the hermit. The old man was relaxed and comfortable in his humble surroundings. Green eyes looked steadily at him from a face wrinkled and brown from the sun. His presence gave the room a safe and comfortable feeling. Without hesitation he handed him the book.

Caedman smiled and tenderly stroked the cover. "In my book," he said softly, "the inside cover had an inscription. He closed his eyes and slowly recited:

Upon each page a world awaits,

Not merely what it seems.

Explore and visit for a time

Where waking blurs with dreams.

Within are worlds, to be revealed,

Some set a time apart.

May it be, that you will see,

The dreams within your heart.

A faint smile touched his lips, and he opened his eyes.

"What happened to your book?" Toby asked.

"It was passed on to my daughter." He handed the book back.

As they ate, Toby found himself telling Marnie all about his life with Janie and his problems at school. Marnie told him that she and her older brother, Berren lived in the village with their uncle.

Their talk drifted, and soon they were discussing their favorite stories and books. Before Toby realized how much time had passed, Berren arrived to take Marnie home.

He was a couple years older than Toby and at least a foot taller. He was carrying a massive wooden staff. Its top had been carved into a ram's head with sharp horns. The middle was smooth, dark wood, and the bottom had been shaped into a ram's hoof.

As he leaned the staff against the door, the muscles in his arm rippled under skin that had been tanned a golden brown. His tousled hair was the same dark red as Marnie's. It was wavy and looked uncombed.

Caedman introduced them and the older boy held out his hand in greeting. Toby's small hand was swallowed up in the friendly but powerful grip. Berren's light brown eyes sparkled, and his voice was deep and quiet. Toby liked him immediately.

When they left, Berren carried the heavy staff in one hand and a book he had borrowed in the other. As he watched them walk together down the road, Toby suddenly felt very lonely. He shivered and wondered how he was going to get home. He felt fingers on his shoulder. Unlike Carson's harsh grip, this touch was warm and comforting. Turning around he looked up at Caedman.

"Probably time you were heading back home too," the old man said.

"But how? I don't even know how I got here!" Toby said.

Caedman chuckled. "There's only one road. You need merely retrace your steps. The book will show you the way."

Toby ran inside, grabbed his backpack, and snatched up the leather book.

"This is a traveling book," the hermit said as he opened the cover. "Your heart led you to the picture you chose to follow." He turned to the picture of the hut, and drawing Toby close he pointed. "There are two books in the picture. The one in my hands brings you here. The one on the bench takes you home."

Toby now noticed the second book in the picture. "You'll need your eye piece," Caedman said.

Pulling the key ring out of his pocket, Toby adjusted the magnifying glass. He focused on the second book in the picture. On its cover was a building that looked like the library at home. He could see a bush covered with purple flowers swaying gently against the wall. He took a deep breath. The air was filled with the strong perfume of lilacs. He looked up. To his great relief, the massive stone structure of the library stood firm and solid in front of him. He glanced up at the turret where a clock was surrounded by elaborate carvings in the stone. If he hurried he could make it home just before Janie did. Hopefully the mess at school would be forgotten, and she wouldn't have to find out.

He didn't notice that he was being watched from a dimly lit upstairs window. The slim figure of a woman stood framed in the opening. She watched as Toby turned and ran home. For several moments she stood motionless. Then she moved, and a small glint of light twinkled briefly at her neck. A cloud of long dark hair flowed out behind her as she turned and melted into the shadows of the room. The light went out. Above the darkened window, a stone gargoyle leered at the parking lot below where a mud-spattered jeep was parked.

Back at the school, Carson was just returning to his office. The buses had all left, and most of the teachers had gone home. He was not surprised to find that Toby was not there. Mrs. Hightower probably sent him home, he thought.

That was the least of his concerns. When the former principal had retired at the end of the last school year, the board had told him to be patient while they went through the process of filling the position. That was over six months ago. He was so certain they were going to offer him the job today when they asked him to come to their meeting. But they passed him over! He burned with the indignation of it. Not only was he not given the promotion, but they had the nerve to ask him to do the work until they filled the spot. He had to find a way to get that promotion!

It should be easy to intimidate the head of the school board. Morris Simmons was a spineless jellyfish. He must have a weakness to exploit. All he had to do was find something to use against him.

CHAPTER 2 - NITIKA

Janie had overslept. She rushed around the kitchen. Although she would probably be late for work, she was determined that Toby would have a good breakfast before school. He had seemed so distracted last night. Hopefully school wasn't getting harder for him she thought. It worried her that he was burying himself in books like a hermit instead of making new friends at school. The only friend he seemed to have made was Nitika, who worked at the public library.

As Toby sat down, she pushed yesterday's paper aside to make room for his plate. He picked it up and said, "Look, there's a story about Nitika."

Janie flinched, "What does it say?"

He read:

... _A local librarian, known only as Nitika, is waiting for results from the DNA lab at the Family Ancestry Studies and Testing Institute, known as FAST. She is hopeful that the tests will prove her claim that she is in fact one quarter Navajo. Over thirty years ago, the woman she claims as her mother disappeared for six years. When she reappeared, she had a husband and a little girl she called Nitika, but there was never a birth certificate..._

Toby paused. "Wow, I thought I had a hard time fitting in. Are you doing this one at work?"

Janie nodded, "But I can't talk about it you know."

Toby rolled his eyes, "I know."

They ate in silence. Janie thought about the team at work that was assigned to the case. They all wondered about the young woman's history. Her life was clouded in mystery. People were naturally drawn to her, but she kept to herself a lot. The team would be finishing up the report today, and Janie was hoping for positive results.

After breakfast, Toby went to school. He waited with dread for a summons from Carson about leaving the day before. Several of the kids asked him about Kick Carson's office. His status at school had definitely improved. If he survived this, he might actually become popular.

He didn't tell anyone how he had gotten out of the office. The book was tucked deep in his backpack. He knew he had to return it. But taking the walk down that hall was more than he could face.

At the end of the day he felt nervous relief. Perhaps this whole thing would blow over. Maybe Carson had forgotten him. As he closed his locker, he overheard two girls talking. It was the Davis twins from his science class.

"I know why she doesn't have a birth certificate. It's because she's an alien," one of them said.

"You mean like from Mexico?"

"Nooo," she giggled. "Like from outer space, you silly." She blinked her eyes rapidly, wiggled her fingers at the sides of her head like antenna, and made weird noises.

Her sister sputtered and snorted as she suppressed laugher. Doubled over they giggled their way down the hall.

Toby took a deep breath and tried to "consider the source" like his mom was always telling him.

On the way home he decided to stop at the library. The building fascinated him with its antique stone architecture and gargoyles perched on the top of the drain spouts. During one of his first visits to the old building he had discovered a little used alcove. The tiny room was hidden at the end of a hallway behind the stacks of books. It soon became his secret place to get away from the world. He had spent a lot of time reading in that room.

Part of his fascination with the library was Nitika. She had introduced him to a lot of different books. When she talked about a story, it seemed to come alive no matter what the time period or subject. It was almost like it was history instead of fiction, and she was a character in the plot.

As he entered the library, Nitika emerged from behind a stack of books. Her dark gray skirt flared slightly, and the air stirred the fringe of the scarf tied around her waist. Light reflected off the delicate necklace that stood out against her dark blue T-shirt. It was a silver owl pendant with eyes made of pink quartz and a body of turquoise. Toby recognized it as the one she always wore.

Her feet made no sound as she lightly stepped across the floor. With slender brown fingers she pushed back her long dark hair. Her smile hinted at some secret, and her voice was musical as she said, "Hello Toby."

She sat down with him at one of the tables.

"How are you enjoying Flatland?" she asked.

"They've been visited by a creature from another dimension," Toby replied.

"I've often wondered what it would be like to be the invading creature instead of one of the other characters," she said.

Toby squirmed. He had been so caught up in his own feelings of being displaced it hadn't occurred to him to wonder how Caedman and Marnie felt about him dropping in on their world. Nitika's green eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him carefully.

"Perhaps you think there aren't any other worlds but this one." Her smile taunted him.

Almost against his will he whispered, "Have you ever traveled to another world?"

She seemed to look through him as if she were seeing something far away and said, "Some people believe this world is merely a shadow of another. Each person's world is different, even though we may be in the same place. We each have our own worlds to explore. It is what makes us unique."

Loud whispers and giggling made Nitika turn to look behind her, breaking the spell. The Davis twins stood huddled together laughing and rolling their eyes. Getting up, Nitika excused herself. Toby was left to ponder her cryptic remarks and wonder about the sanity of the twins.

When he got home that night, he checked his e-mail. First he deleted the spam and the advertisements. Then he read an update from his dad. The weather was very cold. They were doing fine. The penguins were fascinating. They sent their love and hoped he was making new friends. Toby grimaced. Yeah, right. Making friends everyday.

There was also an e-mail from Pete, his best friend from back home. His class had been on a field trip to the Very Large Array, a group of large antenna dishes used for collecting radio waves from space. Toby felt a twinge of jealousy. Pete was exploring the universe without him while he was stuck dealing with monsters at school. Sometimes he thought Buz and his friends must be invaders from outer space. Probably sent here to take over the world by terrifying the population – starting with him.

He wanted to tell Pete all about Caedman, Marnie, and the book. But Pete always laughed at stories about space aliens. He certainly wouldn't believe in a book with pictures that took you to another world. Toby didn't understand it himself. So first he wrote about his encounter in the cafeteria. Then he added....

You'll never believe how I got out of Carson's office. There was this book on his shelf.... Toby then told him the whole story. He ended with...Well, what do you think? Better than the Roswell alien stories?

He signed off and went to bed.

CHAPTER 3 - BOOK POSSESSION

The week crawled by, but Friday finally arrived. Janie had asked him to stop by Alice's Food Emporium after school and pick up her order. Fresh mysteries for tonight's salad, he thought.

The day started the same as every other day at school – with science class. In Toby's mind it was the best part of the day. Settling back in his seat, he forgot all about the book and the other world. BAM was only a dim memory. All his thoughts were concentrated on the wonders of the natural world.

Mr. Hernandez droned on about the mystery of St. Elmo's fire, an eerie weather related phenomenon. He told about ancient sailors and their superstitions about fireballs and strange lights that looked like flames traveling up the masts of their ships. Some of the other students were bored, but Toby was fascinated. He imagined the ship rocking beneath his feet. The wind blew harder making bigger and bigger waves on the sea. Lightening flashed, and the sky darkened. He felt the fear of the sailors as they cringed in terror of a natural spectacle they didn't understand. The hour passed all too quickly.

The only bad thing about Fridays was that after science class he had to go to gym. He hid the book in his locker before going to the dreaded class. Basketball today. Great. Wasn't it obvious he was short? Did he have to face the further humiliation?

Jason met him on the gym floor. It was good to have a friendly face in the confusion, but it was still hopeless. He could never remember the rules to these stupid games. Three steps, four steps, dribble the ball, and pivot on one foot. It was worse than learning to dance. He felt as short as a two dimensional Flatlander. He could never tell when the three dimensional monsters were going to suddenly appear in front of him and stomp on him. The game was just dumb.

He suffered through the ordeal, managing to avoid the ball most of the time. Finally it was over. As they left the class Jason said, "Why don't we get together Sunday afternoon, and I'll help you get the hang of this."

"I was that bad?"

"You were pretty bad. But nothing we can't fix."

He slung his backpack over his shoulder and left the class feeling relief. Weaving his way through the other kids as he headed to his locker, he thought about the weekend ahead. His spirits began to rise, but as he rounded the corner he was confronted by Buz.

"What's your hurry, Toe-bias?" Buz drawled. Toby's shoulders slumped. First basketball, then this. He took a step back and bumped into Magnus.

"Watch where you're going squirt," Magnus said as he pushed him back toward Buz.

Toby looked around for a way of escape. Dismayed he saw a shadow move away from a dark corner. It was Arnie, of course. Trouble comes in threes.

Buz looked over Toby's head and said to Magnus, "What do you think of someone who tries to get his friends in trouble? We wanted to have lunch with him, and he made a mess of the place."

Magnus shrugged. "Not very sociable."

Arnie slipped up silently behind Buz and said, "Probably just needs a little instruction on his manners."

Seems like everyone wants to teach me something today, Toby thought.

A boy passing by them bumped into Arnie. He snarled and the boy stepped back quickly. Seeing the opening, Toby ducked between them and squeezed his way into the crowd. Being small was now his advantage. He squirmed and wriggled his way through the mass of bodies. Suddenly there was an opening before him and a clear path. He ran for it.

Maybe he could escape into the book. If only it would work again. He slid to a stop at his locker. With fumbling fingers, he turned the dial on the lock. His mind froze. What was the combination? All he could think about was Magnus reaching out to grab him. He heard his name being shouted. Think. Think. He forced himself to relax. The numbers came back to him, and he spun the lock. It opened, and he grabbed the book. As he fumbled through the pages, he could hear running footsteps. He focused the magnifying glass. Please work. Please work. The title on the book came into focus...

Buz and Arnie ran up to the locker. Arnie jerked back the door expecting to see Toby cowering inside. It was empty. Buz slammed the locker and kicked it leaving a large dent. "Where did the little runt go!"

Toby looked up and saw the hut. He collapsed on the path breathing heavily. After a minute he caught his breath, and his muscles relaxed as he realized he had once again escaped BAM. Looking around he saw the door to the hut was open. The hermit was nowhere to be seen.

He started to get up, but suddenly froze. Golden eyes were looking at him. They appeared to be part of the wall next to the door. The eyes blinked, and part of the wall moved. Then Toby realized it was an animal lying on the rock bench. Its fur was the same mottled beige color as the wall. It blended so perfectly that it was invisible until it moved. Why, it's only a cat, Toby thought. He walked over to the ledge and sat down. The cat sat up watching him.

"Hello kitty," Toby said. He cautiously extended a hand. The cat sniffed his fingers. Then slowly it reached out its paw and laid it on Toby's palm. His fingers tingled, and he felt a little dizzy. In his mind he saw a picture of Caedman walking through a maze of giant boulders. He pulled his hand back. The cat shook itself and began washing its face.

"Toby!" Marnie said as she stepped out of the hut.

He jumped at the sound of her voice. Her face looked worried and tired. There were dark circles under her eyes as if she hadn't been getting enough sleep. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She flopped down on the bench with the cat between them. "Berren has been arrested."

"Arrested?" Toby said, thinking he must have heard her wrong. "What for?"

"Book possession," she said glumly.

"What do you mean book possession? He stole a book?"

"Don't kid around, Toby. This is serious."

"I don't understand. Why would he be arrested for having a book?"

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Toby said, "Where I come from they bribe kids to read books. What's the deal?"

"Well, I guess you wouldn't know," she said.

"So why don't you tell me? What's going on?"

Marnie paused and then began her story. It started when the old governor of the village retired. The King sent word that a new governor would be appointed. Everyone waited wondering what he would be like. Several months passed. When the replacement arrived, he was not at all what they expected. His hair was streaked with gray hinting of age, but his strong and muscular body suggested youth. The journey from the King's City in the south had been a long one. His clothes were strange. He spoke with an odd accent as he told the story of how road bandits attacked them. Although he had escaped with two of his men, they didn't know what had happened to the others.

For his first act as governor, he posted a guard on the road to watch for the bandits. No one ever showed up.

He had many new ideas and made many improvements. There were new ways to irrigate crops, and safer ways for the miners to tunnel. That was all good, and after awhile everyone forgot about his strangeness.

Then he moved into the village library and made it his office. At first he just limited who could come in and look at the books. Then he setup his two companions as his personal assistants. They soon became the Literary Council. Then he started monitoring who was reading books and what they were reading. The Literary Council became the Literary Security. They posted laws that banned having a book that was not on the approved list. Anyone who was caught with an unauthorized book would be locked in the mining shed. They would then have to appear before the Governor and would not be released until he was satisfied they were not dangerous.

"After you left, Berren and I went home with books. He was caught and is locked up waiting to be taken before the Governor."

"But what about Caedman?" Toby asked. "Surely all those books he has can't be on the approved list."

"Oh, the Literary Security would never come here. Everyone just thinks Caedman is a crazy old hermit, and they don't give him much thought. I don't think there's too many people who even know that he has books. There's only two paths that lead to Caedman's home. One is through the Valley of Rocks and the other goes past the haunted racetrack."

"Haunted racetrack? You mean with ghosts?"

"Well, maybe not real ghosts," she smiled, "but it's not anyplace you want to go. Just outside of town is the road that leads over the mountains to the sea. Thieves, robbers and smugglers come in on that road and meet at the old racetrack. Stories are told about how they capture ships and steal the gold, silver, jewels and other stuff. Then they haul the loot over the mountains down to the racetrack where they set up camp and divvy up the loot. Sometimes they spend several days fighting and quarreling over the treasure and planning their next raid."

"But why would they hang out at a old racetrack? Isn't that just a big field with a circular track on it?"

"Well, there's a bit more to it than that. Old stone terraces surround the track, if that's what it really is. The structure is so old no one is really sure what it was originally used for. Some people think it was a place for people to sit and watch whatever was happening on the track. The stone is all crumbling now, and there are piles of rubble where whole sections have collapsed. Underneath the terraces there are lots of rooms and holes where the bandits hide out, but it can't be very safe. I'd be afraid the roof would fall on my head while I was sleeping."

Toby said, "Hey, wait a minute," and started flipping through the travel book. "Here, look at this." He showed her the picture of the arena he had seen while looking through the book in Carson's office.

"That's the place," she said. "You never know when it's going to be deserted and when it's going to be full of outlaws. You don't want to go there."

"Yeah, I think you're right. It gives me a bad feeling with or without ghosts." He closed the book. "So tell me about the path through the Valley of Rocks."

"Do you have a picture of that too?" she said curiously.

He shook his head.

"It's a valley filled with lots of huge boulders. There are plenty of paths that twist and wind around the rocks, but only one path takes you through. It's easy to get on the wrong trail and just walk in circles. Only the rock smiths go there, and that's because they want quartz and turquoise. No one would go there just to come out here and bother Caedman."

Toby felt a chill as he remembered the image of Caedman walking among the boulders. "Where is Caedman now?"

"Now? Probably in the Valley of Rocks. He used to be a smith, and he still collects quartz for his work." Toby looked startled and she said, "What's the matter?"

"I saw him. In the rocks," Toby whispered.

"Who?" Marnie whispered back as she glanced around.

"Caedman. I saw him in my head. He was walking around the boulders."

"Oh," Marnie laughed. "You must have touched Sirius."

"Who?"

"The sentinel." She pointed to the cat. "Did you hold your hand out to him?"

Sirius stopped washing his face and stretched.

"The cat? Oh, well...yes...but..."

"Sirius is a sentinel. He has a link with Caedman. When you held out your hand, he responded by reaching out his paw, and giving you an image of Caedman. At the same time, he sent Caedman an image of you so he knows you are here."

Toby looked at her suspiciously, "You're making this up aren't you? Cats don't think pictures in your head."

Marnie frowned. "I don't know about cats. Sirius is a sentinel," she said indignantly. Sometimes a sentinel will link with a person, and then they can share images."

"You mean they talk in your head?"

"No, not in words. Just images. It's like hearing a bird and knowing what the bird looks like. They send pictures. Caedman says no one can sneak up on him because Sirius would let him know who was coming."

They both turned as they heard the sound of soft footsteps. Caedman came around the corner of the house. "Ah, Toby. Welcome back. I see you have met Sirius. A most worthy companion." He reached out and scratched the sentinel's ears.

Toby had not noticed before, but they were rounded at the top like the ears on a teddy bear. As the sentinel stared at him, he realized that except for the color, the eyes were more like a dog's than those of a cat. Now that he looked close he could see it was not like any real cat he had ever seen. It reminded him of the ceramic cat that Janie had made in that senior class she had taken at the college. It had weird ears too. Janie loved art classes, but sometimes Toby thought she didn't have a lot of talent. Some of her stuff looked pretty abstract.

They went inside. Caedman put a kettle of water over the fire, and began slicing up fruit. Marnie filled Toby in on the week's activities. After she and Berren had left the hut they hurried home to do their chores. Everything was normal until yesterday, when Berren was caught reading an unauthorized book. He was taken to the old mining cabin and locked in the utility shed.

"He's been there since yesterday afternoon," Marnie said. "They let me take him some food and a blanket, but we have to get him out."

"Didn't you say the Governor would have to question him before they would let him go?" Toby asked.

"Yes, of course. But who knows how long it will be before that happens. We can't wait. And what happens if the Governor decides Berren is dangerous? No one has been accused of book possession before. We don't know what the Governor will do."

"Aren't there laws? What about a trial?" Toby said.

Marnie sighed exasperated.

"The Governor has ultimate authority, Toby," Caedman said. "He speaks for the King. Whatever he says is the law."

Toby shuddered. "That's not a good system."

"Perhaps you are right. But that is how it has always been," Caedman said.

He set a bowl in front of each of them that contained a small crunchy biscuit. On the top was a clear golden pool of honey that dripped down the sides of the biscuit. Sliced fruit floated around the bottom of the bowl in a moat of cream.

"The old governor was kind and fair," Caedman said. "He let us elect a council of village elders, valued their wisdom, and accepted their advice. But the new Governor only listens to the men who came with him. No one can understand why the King sent us this man for our leader."

Toby hesitatingly tasted the mixture. It was delicious. He took another large bite. This was nothing like the stuff they served in the school cafeteria.

"You could rescue Berren," Marnie said softly.

Toby choked and looked up to see Marnie staring at him. He swallowed hard. "Me?" he squeaked.

"You're not from here," she said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked. His appetite had left him.

"You have the ability to travel back to your world. You could sneak into the shed and take Berren back to your world with you," she said excitedly.

Toby looked appealingly at Caedman, hoping for a way out.

Caedman sadly shook his head. "You cannot go in pairs. Only one can pass through the portal at a time."

He relaxed, and took another bite. Marnie slumped back disappointedly.

"How many people are guarding the shed, Marnie?" Caedman asked.

"Two at a time. They stay in the cabin. I'm afraid that the Governor will question Berren and send him away." Her voice trembled and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Caedman put his hand on her shoulder. "Do not fear. Your friends will help you. It is getting late. You must both go home, or you'll be missed. After dark, we can meet and discuss our plans. Come back here two hours after sunset. I have a plan that I will share with you then. Are we agreed?"

Marnie said, "I'll be here."

They both looked at Toby. He slowly nodded.

"Then it's settled," Caedman said.

Toby once again found himself outside the public library breathing in the pungent perfume of the purple lilacs. It was still early enough for him to stop by Alice's and pick up Janie's order.

Unnoticed, a slim shadow with long hair stood watching from the upstairs window. There was a faint twinkle at her throat as something caught the fading rays of the sun. Her long skirt brushed against the casing as she turned and slipped between the stacks of books.

Questions swirled through Toby's mind as he raced up the street and around the block. Why did I agree to go back tonight? I was looking forward to a weekend without worrying about BAM, and now this. What am I going to do now? How do I get out of this?

He slowed to a walk as he came around the corner. In front of him was an old adobe building that had once been a saloon. On the roof was a large fiberglass mushroom. It was tilted towards the street with the store's name on the top.

Alice's Wonderland Cafe & Food Emporium

Better Living through Better Eating

Well, that's a matter of opinion Toby thought.

In the side yard there were several round tables where the lunch patrons hung out. In keeping with the wonderland theme, they too were painted to look like mushrooms.

Swinging doors had been replaced with a real door, and the entire structure was painted the typical salmon color of the southwest. White patches showed through in several places where the façade had crumbled off. An overhang extended over the doorway supported by evenly spaced wooden beams.

As Toby entered the store a metal bell clanged noisily on the inside of the door announcing his arrival. He passed by the bins along the wall that were filled with an assortment of strange mushrooms. Fungus among us, Toby thought. Cheeses from around the world were piled haphazardly in hanging baskets.

Along the other wall in neat orderly rows were earthenware crocks of tea and small burlap bags filled with coffee beans from different countries. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room. Too bad it doesn't taste as good as it smells, he thought.

Hanging beads covered a doorway in the back. Just in front of it was a long, highly polished counter that had once served as a bar. The front of the counter had been converted into a myriad of shelves that were now adorned with spices and exotic herbs.

Toby made his way to the counter. A bowl at one end held small purple peppers next to a carafe of freshly brewed coffee. He was just leaning over to examine the peppers when he heard the soft rustle of the bamboo beads. He looked up to see Alice standing behind the counter.

"Ah, Toby. You're very late," she said. "I thought maybe you forgot." Tiny mushroom earrings wiggled as she moved her head.

"Yes, late for a very important date," he recited dutifully. He was rewarded with a big smile and a giggle, which made her tiny mushroom earrings bounce and sway. She reached under the counter and pulled out a bag.

"Here's your grandmother's order. Oh, and something for you." She opened a large cookie jar that was shaped like a white rabbit holding a pocket watch. Pulling out a large cookie, she handed it to him."

"Thanks," he said with a smile. "What kind is it?"

"That would be telling," she smirked. "Let's just call it Friday Surprise."

More natural ingredients he thought ruefully. The bell clanged and an old man walked in. Toby saw his opportunity and said, "I gotta run or Janie won't have this stuff for her salad tonight." He hurried out.

There was a brown jeep and a car parked in front of the store. As he hurried around the back of the car he came face to face with a bulldog. It barred its teeth and growled. Toby stopped and tentatively took a step. The dog barked and growled again. Toby impulsively tossed it the cookie. "Alice's Friday surprise," he said. The dog caught the cookie in mid air and chomped it down. He then noticed with relief that the dog was tied to a pole. Probably belongs to the guy in the store, he thought. The dog wagged its tail slightly. Toby took another step and the dog let out a muffled woof. "You're welcome. It'll be our secret," Toby said. He hurried past and headed home.

CHAPTER 4 - CATCH A FALLING STAR

Toby arrived home before Janie. There was a note on the table.

Toby,

Put the lasagna in the oven at 5:00. I hope you remembered to stop by Alice's. Be sure to do your homework.

Love, Janie

He looked at the clock. It was 5:10. Well, close enough. Hurriedly he turned on the oven and slid the pan of lasagna onto the oven rack. As he set the temperature, he thought a moment, and then bumped it up ten degrees to compensate for the late start.

He rushed upstairs to his room and threw his pack on the bed. On the dresser, his latest mineral project was growing on an old dinner plate. It had a picture of a loaf of bread in the center surrounded by sheaves of wheat. Green crystals spread across the bread making it look like it had sprouted mold.

Next to the plate was a shoebox with a butterfly cocoon nestled in one corner. He looked it over carefully, but so far there was no sign that the butterfly was ready to emerge.

As he dumped the contents of the backpack on the bed, Worlds Within fell out on top. He carefully picked it up and put it on his desk.

Turning on his computer, he checked his e-mail. This time his mom had written. She wanted him to write and tell them all about school and his new friends. Was he eating well and getting enough sleep? How was he getting along with Janie? He wrote back and told her about science class, Janie's salads, and that he was learning to play basketball. Then he opened Pete's message.

Cute story. Giving up on sports and planning on being a writer are you? Maybe the stress of the new place is getting to you. What you need are some good solid friends to keep you straight. Someone like me. Try spending more time with Jason. He sounds like a pretty sensible kid. So what really happened when Carson came back?

Toby replied:

I did meet this guy that seems pretty levelheaded. He's a couple years older than us and even has a job. Unfortunately he got arrested last week. It's a bad rap though. He's from that other world I told you about. Well they have a book ban and he got caught with a book. He borrows them from the Hermit. Oh yeah, and the Hermit has this strange cat that has round ears and can think pictures into your head. They want me to come back and help break him out tonight – but I'm not sure I'm going. Gotta run. I have homework I have to get done first.

The rest of the hour went by quickly as he whipped through the math assignment and moved on to history. He heard the lock in the front door and knew Janie was home. It was 6:00. He glanced out the window. It looked like it was getting dark out. Thoughts raced through his head. What time did the sun set anyway? And how was he to know if it was the same time there as it was here?

Why should he go back? He couldn't even face the bullies a grade above him. Besides, Berren had so many muscles he should be able to break that shed apart without any help from him. Anyway, how was he supposed to get around the guards? They might have guns. They might lock him up too. Pete would never know what had happened to him, or would never believe it.

"Toby," his grandmother called up the stairs.

I probably won't get a chance to go back and help even if I wanted to he thought. It's a silly idea for a kid. He shook off the thoughts and hurried down the stairs to the kitchen. Janie was just taking the lasagna out of the oven.

"Do you think you should leave it in a little longer?" he suggested.

"We don't want it to be mushy," she said as she set it on the stove. The corner of her mouth twitched as she tried to suppress a smile. Toby looked at her suspiciously. When she got in one of her moods, he never knew what to expect. It might be something fun, and it might be something embarrassing. He had to keep alert.

She danced around the room as she placed the salad on the table. Toby sat down carefully keeping his eye on her. He wasn't going to be distracted by checking out what new mysteries Alice had sent home for tonight's salad.

The microwave chirped. Janie took out a steaming cup of coffee, and stirred in some cream. Pulling out the spoon, she watched the liquid intently.

"Something wrong with the coffee?" Toby asked curiously.

"Look," she said. "It's a spiral galaxy."

Toby leaned over and looked in the cup. Some of the cream had not dissolved completely and was swirling on top of the coffee.

"Yeah....ookay," he said.

"Wonder if that's where scientists got their notions of how galaxies were formed...." she mused.

Toby raised his eyebrows, and settled back in his chair. Tonight was starting out interesting, he thought.

Janie turned back to the stove. When she spun around again, she had something hidden in her cupped hands and was grinning.

"What?" Toby asked.

She stood straight and commanded, "Stand, Sir Toby."

Toby warily got up and started to smile in spite of his apprehension.

She made an elaborate curtsey and held out her hands. A gold chain slithered off her palm and hung from her fingers. Suspended on it was a small dark object. She placed the chain around his neck, and in a solemn commanding voice said, "I pronounce thee Star Man. Use your power wisely," and she winked at him.

Toby smirked. Lifting the object at the end of the chain, he looked at it closely. "What is it? A shark's tooth?"

She snorted derisively. "Nothing so mundane. It is mystery encapsulated in the ordinary. A world within a world. A messenger from the depths of time."

"Could you be a bit more down to earth?"

She laughed happily. "Oh yes, of course. A way out gift that's now down to Earth."

"But what is it?"

"A chip off the primordial block, so to speak." She lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "A fragment of a meteorite."

"Wow! For real? Where did it come from?"

She said slowly, spacing out the words, "outer...space."

"Yes, but how did YOU get it?"

"Oh, that!" she said. "Well, your parents sent it to you from Antarctica. They found several of them just lying out there on the ice from a recent fall. Since they are black, it's hard to miss them on the white surface. It came in a package along with some other things they sent me. The hole in it is natural. Seemed too good to pass up, so I put it on the chain. You can take it off if you want."

He could see that she looked a little nervous about it. He smiled. "Thanks. It's great just the way it is." He let it fall gently against his shirt.

She relaxed. "How was school today?"

"School? Oh...fine."

"Gym class go okay?" she looked concerned.

"Uh, basketball. I managed not to get trampled."

She chuckled. "Never mind. Basketball is not a cosmic event. Just something to be endured. Maybe you'll even like it someday.

He grimaced. "Not likely."

She shrugged. "Then again, you may not. You know your dad didn't like sports when he was in school either. But the last few years he has enjoyed watching the Super Bowl with you," she added brightly.

Toby realized he missed not watching the game with his father this year. "Well, Jason has offered to give me some pointers Sunday."

Janie sighed with relief. "Great idea!" she exclaimed. "That's what friends do. Help us out of messes."

She then told him about her day at work. As she talked about blood work and DNA testing, he tried not to pay attention to the details. It made his stomach queasy. His mind wandered to Marnie and Berren.

It was crazy to think about going back. He would just return the book and forget the whole thing. Caedman and Marnie would be able to rescue Berren without him. He wasn't very good at that kind of thing, and would only be a hindrance. But the thought of Jason helping him nagged at his conscience.

"...so," Janie was saying. "The DNA testing proved that Nitika is part Navajo.

Toby sat up surprised and grinned, "Really?"

"Here's the article," she said triumphantly, waving the latest issue of the Sierra Sentinel in the air. She dropped the paper down on the table, and Toby read the headline "Local Librarian Proved Native American." Janie was quoted in the article.

"There was only one person on the tribal council that believed in her all along. You don't often find a friend who will stick with you even when everyone else is skeptical."

Toby sat thinking.

"You're very quiet tonight," Janie said.

"Just thinking about friendships."

"Friends and family. Better than anything else when they are loyal and dependable."

He smiled weakly.

They both ate silently for awhile. He stirred the food on his plate absentmindedly. He didn't feel hungry. There must be a reason why he had found the book and discovered the secret of traveling. Of course he would have to go back now. He might not be much help, but he couldn't let his new friends down.

"Do you believe in things just happening by chance?" he asked. "I mean, do you think we are put in situations for a reason?"

"I personally think there's a reason for everything, but we can't always see the whole picture. Some people think things are just chance happenings, but I think that's only because they are shortsighted. Things come into our lives to give us an opportunity to become more than we are."

She looked at her plate. "It is a bit chewy. Maybe you were right about letting it cook a little longer."

"Okay if I go finish my homework?"

"Sure, go ahead. It will taste better tomorrow. There's cookies in the jar."

He rinsed his plate. Grabbing a handful of cookies, he ran up the stairs. Once in his room he stacked the cookies on his desk and glanced out the window. It looked dark. He guessed he had a couple of hours.

There was an e-mail response from Pete.

These fantasies are fun, but don't get sucked in. Keep a grip. Soon you'll be back here, and things will be normal again. Hey, we're supposed to make up a story for English class. How about I use some of this stuff – it's pretty weird. It's not like we're cheating or anything. We're not even in the same class – or state – or maybe even universe! Speaking of different universes – you remember we have Kyle staying with us this year as an exchange student from Ireland. He's not as savvy as you, but still pretty smart. You'd like him. He likes Enya. Go figure. It's like an infatuation or something. I should have sent him out to stay with you and your grandmother when you went to that Enya concert last month. You could have all gone together. I got so sick of hearing "May it Be" that we had to agree he would only listen to it with a headphone!

By the time he finished his homework it was 8:15. He was thumbing through Worlds Within when he heard Janie coming up the stairs. She knocked on his door and he said, "Come on in."

Opening the door she looked around the room, and saw the cookies stacked neatly on the desk. "Everything okay?"

"Yep, just finished my homework."

"I have to go in to work tomorrow for a few hours. I'll probably be gone when you get up." She reached over and closed the book so she could read the title. "That's a very nice leather cover," she said running her fingers over it. "Feels almost like..." she paused, then read, "Worlds Within, A Traveler's Journal. Is that science fiction like the Hitchhikers Guide, or are you planning a trip?"

He grunted. "More like fantasy I think. It's about traveling between worlds."

She looked at him for a long moment. Then she smiled and kissed him goodnight. "It's the weekend, but don't stay up reading too long tonight."

"I won't," he said.

She left and closed the door.

When the house got quiet, he slipped off the bed. He changed into an old black T-shirt with "Star Wars" printed on it in gold writing. Over this he pulled on a hooded sweatshirt jacket. He wrapped the cookies in a napkin and stuffed them in the pocket.

Opening the book to the picture of the hut, he laid it on the bed. Then he put on his tennis shoes, and turned out the light. As he reached into the pocket of his jeans to get his key ring, he looked down at his shoes and saw they had reflective stripes. He frowned and flipped the lamp back on. Then he fumbled under the bed until he found the box filled with odds and ends from his last science project. Rummaging through the contents he found a roll of black electrical tape. After turning the light on and off several times to check his progress, he finally managed to get the stripes covered with the tape.

Finally ready, he set the open book on his lap. Using the flashlight and magnifying glass on his key ring, he focused in on the book. Suddenly it was cold, and he was no longer sitting on the soft bed. It was so dark he couldn't see anything. The beam from the small flashlight barely penetrated the mist surrounding him. He stood up hoping he was in the right place. The soft chirping and buzzing of insects occasionally broke the silence. A chill breeze ruffled his hair and he shivered. Then a thin vertical line of light appeared in front of him and slowly grew wider. It took him a moment to realize it was a door opening. Two figures stood silhouetted by the firelight behind them.

"Come in Toby," Caedman called.

"I was wondering if you were coming." Marnie said. "You're late."

"Probably Daylight Savings Time," he muttered.

"What?" Marnie asked.

"Nothing. I had some problems with my shoes that took longer than I thought."

She looked down at his shoes and saw the strange pattern of tape on them. "What's wrong with your shoes?"

"Never mind."

She followed him into the hut confused.

"How did you know I was out there?" he asked as he entered the hut.

Caedman said, "Sirius was watching for you. Come, let us make our plans." As Caedman was closing the door, Sirius walked primly through the opening with his tail up. He jumped on the ledge by the fire and wrapped his tail around his feet safely out of reach of the flames.

Toby laid Worlds Within on a nearby shelf and joined the others around the fire. Its warm glow made him relax and forget about the night outside.

Caedman explained his plan. "It will take us about an hour to get through the Valley of Rocks. The shed is just on the other side. There will probably be two guards in the cabin. The shed is close enough that they will hear any noise."

"How are we going to get the door to the shed unlocked without making any noise?" Toby asked.

"I believe the rock marmots will help us," Caedman replied.

"Marnie looked doubtful. "How will the rock marmots help? They don't trust people."

"They are merely wary of strangers. You come through the Valley of Rocks all the time. Do you feel their presence?"

"Not so much any more," she said slowly. "They made me very uneasy at first, but I hardly think about them now."

Toby remembered seeing the page in the book about rock marmots. He wished now that he had read the description more carefully. He interrupted, "What are rock marmots?"

They both turned to him. Marnie said, "You don't have rock marmots in your world?"

Toby shook his head.

"You seem to be missing a lot of things in your world," she said.

"They are small animals with smooth hide," Caedman said. "We call them that because when they pull in their feet and head, they look like rocks. When they feel threatened they send out strong emotional thought waves that make people nearby feel uneasy. Depending on how many of them are together, they can make people panic. Sometimes people have been so scared they don't care where they run to get away and have gotten hurt. That's why not too many people like to go into the Valley of Rocks. Only the smiths go there regularly. The rock marmots get used to them. After awhile they just ignore them, the way they do Marnie."

"But how is that going to help us?" Marnie asked.

"That's where Sirius comes in," the hermit said. "He can communicate with them on a very basic level. My plan is to get enough of them together to scare off the guards. Then you can get Berren out and escape back here."

Toby looked doubtfully at the sentinel. This was turning into something right out of a fantasy book or a bad dream. Pete could be right. Maybe he was loosing his grip on reality.

"The rock marmots will not react to Marnie or to me," Caedman said. "They know us and do not fear us. But they have never encountered someone like you, Toby. You will be very strange to them, and you will make them very uneasy. You will feel their fear. I can only protect you partially, and I will not be able to stay with you all the way. My presence would be a distraction to the marmots. There is a danger that you will feel the fear too greatly and become irrational. The marmots will try to herd you out of the valley. More and more of them will join together, and they will follow you. The fear will build the longer we are in the valley. By the time you get to the cabin everyone around you, including Marnie, will feel it. But it will be directed at you.

That is when Sirius will try to project to the marmots that it is the guards who are the danger, and not you. If he is successful, the guards will be overcome with irrational fear and will run away. You and Marnie can free Berren. The marmots will no longer see you as a threat, and you can all join me back in the valley."

Toby shrugged. "Sounds okay, I guess." He thought it would never work, but was willing to go along. Maybe they'd find the guards sleeping and could get the door open without waking them up. If not, he could just go home and sleep in.

"Then you are prepared to take the risk?"

"Huh? Oh, sure."

Marnie looked admiringly at him. Caedman smiled wryly. "It will take a couple minutes for Sirius and me to shield your mind."

"Okay."

Caedman closed his eyes. Sirius stared across the room and blinked slowly. A faint rumbling noise came from his chest. He's purring, Toby thought. The idea gave him a feeling of contentment. He thought about Janie and making cookies with her last Saturday. All the stress from school faded away. He could feel the warmth of the kitchen oven and smell the scent of the crisping sugar and cinnamon from the batch of snickerdoodles. They broke apart in his hands as he picked up the still warm cookies, and popped the pieces into his mouth.

"There," Caedman said. "I think we're ready."

Toby was back in the hut with the fire warming his back. He met Caedman's eyes, and said, "I brought some cookies." He pulled the napkin out of his pocket and opened it. "That's odd. They must have cooled already," he said. "They just came out of the oven...."

Marnie leaned over and looked at the bundle. "What are they?"

"Snickerdoodles," Toby replied. He smiled, "You probably don't have them in your world." He handed her one. "Try it."

She bit into the cookie and her eyes brightened. "They're wonderful," she mumbled with her mouth full.

He handed one to Caedman. "They are even better when they are hot."

"Yes, they would be," Caedman said. "Thank you."

Toby wrapped up the remaining cookies, and put them back into his pocket. "For when we return with Berren," he said. They both nodded.

Caedman stood up. "We are ready. Let us proceed."

CHAPTER 5 - ST. ELMO

Caedman trimmed a small lantern. The globe was shielded so it only allowed a thin sliver of light to penetrate the darkness. They walked in single file with Caedman leading, Toby next, and Marnie last. Behind them the sentinel followed, blending into the night and making no noise.

As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Toby found the light from the lantern was just bright enough so he could see where to put his feet. The moon was starting to peek out from behind the clouds. With this additional light he could make out the figure of the hermit in front of him. Behind him he could hear Marnie's soft breathing.

After they had walked for awhile the path began to twist and turn. Toby could see they were now walking between and around large boulders. Sometimes the rocks leaned over the path like hooded figures. He imagined he could almost make out faces in the shadows. Some of the rocks balanced precariously like gargoyles perched on a ledge waiting for their prey.

It seemed like they had been walking for hours. How far did Caedman say it was? Surely they should be there by now. His feet were heavy, and he stumbled on the loose rocks.

The night was getting damp. Pulling his jacket closer around him, he shivered. His hair was sticking to his forehead. Chill air clung to his feet making his ankles cold. They climbed to the top of a mound and passed through a narrow crevice in the rocks. Caedman finally stopped and turned to them.

"This is where I must wait," he said. He settled into a hollow in the rock, which made a natural chair. From this position he could look out over the valley, though it was too dark to see much. Pointing ahead he said, "Follow the path to your goal." It was straight for the next few feet. Then it descended sharply into a swirling mist. A breeze cleared the fog briefly. Then the mist flowed back, and the trail was swallowed up again. Sirius jumped down from a nearby rock startling Toby.

"There," Caedman pointed to a pinpoint of light. "That is the cabin. Your path will not lead there directly, but that is your destination. Marnie has traveled this way many times." He handed her the lantern. She started down the path and the light grew fainter as she descended into the fog.

"Believe and you will find your way," Caedman said.

Toby turned and plunged down the path. Fearing he would get lost in the fog and the maze of rocks, he hurried to catch up with Marnie. The cold damp fog closed in around him. Hearing a scuffling behind him, he turned quickly. He caught a shadowy glimpse of Sirius, but nothing more. The moon was now high in the sky. The clouds were clearing and the moonlight cast eerie shadows. The ground was covered with pools of fog that hid the path and clung to the rocks. He heard the scuffling noises again. Small pebbles rattled overhead. Several skidded down the side of a nearby boulder vanishing into the fog on the path. In spite of the cold air he was beginning to sweat. As his muscles tightened, a burning ache spread from his shoulders down his back.

If I can get through gym class, I can get through this, he thought. He relaxed a little. The wind blew the fog off the path. Something scampered across the trail in front of him. He stifled a cry. Ahead of him was a large figure. That couldn't be Marnie. The person was too tall and too thin. He heard a far off voice saying, "Come on Toe-bias. I'll get you through. We're all waiting for you." This was followed by distant hollow laughter. He put his hands over his ears and closed his eyes. "They can't be here!" he thought. "It must be my imagination."

When he opened his eyes, there was no sign of Marnie or the light from the lantern. The clouds had covered the moon again and he was alone in the dark. He began to run down the path, but stopped when he saw a glint of light moving at his feet. Figures, he thought, the tape is coming off my shoes.

He reached down to adjust the tape and saw that his hand was glowing with a bluegreen light. Panic started to well up inside him. Then he heard the calm reassuring voice of Caedman saying, "Believe and you will find your way."

The clouds parted slightly allowing a thin shaft of moonlight to shine down on the path like a spotlight. The rest of the words from the closing song of the first Lord of the Rings movie filled his head. Enya had sang it at her concert a couple months ago. The memory of being in the theatre was vivid. Fog machines filled the stage with mist. Toby could hear the music. The theatre was dark and packed with people. The plush seat pressed against his back. They were so close to the orchestra he could see the expressions on the faces of the musicians. Enya's clear Celtic voice flooded the room, and the audience was spellbound.

He began walking down the path again, humming with the music that was playing in his head. He joined his voice with hers on the second verse and they sang together.

"May it be you journey on, to light the day...." The bluegreen glow now traveled in waves up and down his body, and he had no difficulty in seeing the path. It's like St. Elmo's fire, he thought, except the only storm is the one inside me, and I'm the mast of the ship. The music grew louder in his head, and he sang louder with it. Enya started the second verse again, and he joined her.

Inside the cabin the two guards, Ran and Garan were talking.

"I tell you I don't like it. The Governor is late. He was supposed to be back two days ago. Then one of his assistants went and arrested this kid. I don't trust him. Ever since the Governor showed up with those strangers, they've been lording it over the rest of us, and throwing their weight around," Garan complained.

"I think they make up rules just to give them a sense of being in power. We all have real jobs to do," Ran agreed, "and here we are guarding a kid who's cooped up in the shed instead of out working in the field. If the Governor isn't put out about this, the rest of us should be."

"What's that noise?" Garan interrupted scraping his chair across the floor as he stood up.

Ran went to the window. "Seems to be a strange light coming from the Valley. 'Peers to be dancing in and out among the rocks. What do you make of that?"

Garan joined him at the window. "Kind of an eerie glow ain't it? I told you those rocks were haunted. We're too close to those standing stones. It ain't a healthy place."

"I don't know. I think that's singing, but can't make out the words. Could be just the wind."

"You're crazy. There's no wind out there! That's some ghost singing, probably about our demise. We've got to get out of here while there's still time."

"Yes....I think you're right," Ran said slowly. He rubbed his hand across his face. "Grab the keys, and we'll take the kid with us."

Garan's hand shook as he fumbled to get the keys off the hook. Ran wrenched open the door. "Hurry up Garan. That ghost is almost here. He's singing loud enough to wake the dead."

They stepped outside, and froze in terror. The keys fell from Garan's limp hand, and clanked to the ground. Toby came into view as he stepped around an enormous boulder. The cabin loomed in front of him. Although he was singing with all his might, the music in his head was now so loud he could barely hear himself. The door to the cabin was standing open, and the light from inside silhouetted two figures. Their mouths were open, and they were pointing at him. Following the flow of the music, Toby raised his hand.

Bluegreen light extended from his outstretched fingers like a short sword. Another shaft of light circled around his left hand where he was clutching the meteorite. The light fanned out like a shield across his chest. As he sang the last lingering note with Enya, the music faded from his head and blended into the cry of terror coming from the guards. Toby called, "I've come for Berren." Garan and Ran turned and fled towards the village.

A small figure with a crude lantern dashed from around the corner of the cabin, and snatched up the key. Toby stood stunned as he watched the last of the light fading from between his fingers. As the glow dwindled away, Sirius brushed up against his leg. He reached down to stroke the sentinel's back, and sparks flew from his fur. He jerked his hand away. Sirius made a spitting noise, and then sat down and looked annoyed.

"Sorry," Toby said.

Berren's staff was leaning against the wall outside the cabin door. Thinking Berren would want it, Toby grasped the staff and started to walk towards the shed. He had no idea it would be so heavy. Instead of being able to lift it, all he did was knock it off balance. He barely caught it in time to keep it from crashing on his head.

Using both hands, he managed to pick it up and stagger to the shed where Marnie was talking through the closed door to Berren. She was struggling to unlock the door while holding the lantern, and was not making any progress.

He balanced the staff with one hand and took the lantern with the other. With both hands now free, she managed to turn the key. The door opened and Berren tumbled out.

"Let's get out of here," he said. He smiled broadly when he saw Toby. "Oh good! You found my staff." He reached out one hand and effortlessly picked it up. Toby stared in amazement at the older boy.

"Keep Toby between us," Marnie instructed firmly, and took the lantern back. The breeze had picked up, and most of the fog had cleared. They hurried back to where Caedman was waiting for them. It was midnight when they got to the hut.

Sirius took up his accustomed spot on the firewall ledge as they gathered around the fire. The warmth felt good after the cold damp air. Toby put his hand into his pocket and felt the napkin. While Caedman was pouring steaming mugs of strong bitter tea, he pulled out the small bundle. Placing it on the ledge, he opened it up. There were three cookies left. Marnie and Berren bent closer and looked at them curiously.

"What is it?" Berren asked.

"Nickerdoos," Marnie said smugly.

Toby grinned and handed one to Marnie and one to Berren. "Try it," he said.

Berren carefully bit into the cookie, then smiled and chewed slowly. Toby gave the last cookie to Caedman who very carefully broke it in two and gave him back half. They munched silently and sipped their tea. Toby was surprised that the tea wasn't nearly as bad as he remembered. Must be getting used to it, he thought. After they had recovered somewhat from the events of the evening, they all talked about the adventure.

Marnie said, "You should have seen Toby when he came into the clearing. He looked like a phantom warrior with a sword and shield made of fire. It's no wonder the guards ran."

"Fire?" Caedman asked surprised. "What do you mean fire?"

Marnie described the eerie bluegreen light that covered Toby's body.

"That was unexpected," Caedman said when she had finished. "I'm sorry Toby. I did not anticipate that development. Perhaps it is a result of the weather, and because you are not from here."

He glanced at the meteorite hanging from the thin chain. It still shown faintly like a plastic glow-in-the-dark toy that had almost faded out.

He looked closely at Toby. "Are you sure you have not taken any hurt from this?"

Toby shrugged. "I feel fine. It was a little unnerving at first. But then the music started, and I forgot all about the light."

"Music?" Caedman asked. He turned to Marnie. "Did you hear this music also?"

Marnie giggled. "No music, but Toby can really belt out a song. I never heard anyone sing so loud." Seeing Toby blush and look uncomfortable she hurried on, "He sings better than anyone in the village. It was a strange tune, but very effective."

"The song was from you," Toby said to Caedman. "I heard you in my mind saying believe and you will find your way. That's a line from the song, and that's when the music started."

Caedman looked surprised. "Well, I guess it all worked out. But now we must think about tomorrow. Berren will have to stay here until we decide what to do next. Marnie can sleep here tonight and return home early in the morning." He turned to Toby, "Where does the book take you when you return to your world?"

Toby said, "The library." Suddenly he realized what a problem that was going to be. He hadn't thought about how he was going to get back into his house when he returned. Walking the mile from the library to his home in the middle of the night was not a comforting thought. But he couldn't stay here all night. What if Janie went to his room in the night, or found him missing in the morning?

Caedman laid his hand on Toby's shoulder. "Do not fear. We will prepare a new portal for you."

He went over to an empty shelf. Toby watched as the hermit made a small table by pulling down the back of the shelf. A storage space full of a strange collection of items was revealed. Caedman took the shield off the globe of the lantern, and hung it on a nail. Pulling his stool up to the table, he sat down and began arranging things. He had his back to them, and they couldn't see much of what he was doing.

"You can gain entrance to your home once you are in your own yard?" he asked.

Toby stifled a yawn and nodded. "I have a key."

Sirius jumped up on Toby's lap and lay down. Toby cautiously touched him. When there were no sparks, he gently stroked the soft fur.

Caedman said, "Tell me about your house. What are the walls made of? What color are they? Are there windows?" He held up a crystal to the light and peered through it before leaning over the desk again.

Toby began to describe his house. He started with the big oak tree near the street, and told about the driveway that led past it to the back of the house. The details were sharp in his mind; the wrought-iron screen door, the kitchen window with the yellow curtains, the brass doorknob that was worn from use. Caedman kept asking questions, and Toby remembered more and more details. The only sounds were the occasional pop of the fire, the soft rumbling from Sirius, and a scratching noise as Caedman worked.

Finally the questions stopped. Toby closed his eyes almost falling asleep. He jerked awake as Caedman pushed his stool back and stood up. Sirius jumped to the floor.

The hermit said, "Come, the portal is prepared." Toby got up and dug in his pocket for his key ring.

"Wait!" Marnie cried. She hurried over to the shelf where earlier Toby had placed Worlds Within. She handed him the book. "Don't forget this or you won't be able to come back."

Toby realized what he had almost done. As he took the book, he said, "Thank you." Suddenly Marnie threw her arms around him in a quick hug and stepped back. On impulse Toby pulled the chain with the meteorite over his head. Placing it around Marnie's neck he said, "Something to remember me by. It's a star from the sky in my world."

She shyly closed her hand around the stone.

Berren shook hands with him. "Thanks for the help," he said. "You do sing with enthusiasm." He grinned. "Hurry back. There's still lots we need to do."

This thought startled him, and he decided he was ready to go home. He turned back to the hermit. "Is the picture in the book different?" he asked.

"No, I have prepared a new picture," Caedman answered. He stepped aside. There on the desk was a paper with what appeared to be a small smudge in the middle. "You'll need your eye piece," he said.

Toby pulled it out. "What will I see?" he asked.

"Your home," he said.

Toby glanced back at Marnie and Berren. "We'll be waiting for you," Marnie said. Berren nodded.

Toby turned back to the paper. Looking through the magnifying glass at the smudge, he was amazed as the picture came into focus. He was looking at the back of his house. It was perfect right down to the crack in the doorframe. A leaf blew across the back porch. Toby shivered and looked up. He was standing outside his back door. Tucking the book under his arm, he unlocked the door as quietly as possible and slipped inside. As he turned the lock, he heard Janie moving about upstairs.

"Toby?" she called out sleepily.

"Yes, Janie. Just getting a glass of milk," he said as he opened the refrigerator. I'll be right up."

"Okay dear. Hurry back to bed. It's very late."

Toby poured a glass of milk, grabbed a fist full of snickerdoodles, and hurried to his room.

CHAPTER 6 - DINOSAUR DREAMS

It was late the next morning when Toby finally woke up. He rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but his stomach rumbled. Breakfast was usually several hours earlier, and his body was letting him know that it noticed missing that meal. He looked at the clock. 10:15. Munching on a snickerdoodle, he headed for the shower. Afterwards he sat down to write to Pete.

The fantasy continues. You can use it in your English assignment, but don't blame me if they lock you up because they think you're on something!

Well – I decided I should go help out the new friends. So I used the book and headed back to the other world....

He then told him the highlights of the evening's adventure.

... _Jason is coming over tomorrow and we're going to shoot some hoops. Haha Bet you can't picture me shooting hoops! Or rescuing people. Or glowing in the dark. Maybe I'm just not getting enough sleep._

Then he wrote a quick note to his parents thanking them for the meteorite. When he got downstairs he found a note from Janie asking him to dust, empty the dishwasher, and put the towels in the dryer. As he set the timer on the dryer, he briefly considered emptying the lint filter. Shrugging, he decided to get it next time around. How often could it need emptying anyway?

He went back upstairs. Picking up the Swifter he started on the dusting. He hated dusting. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for Janie's ornate knickknacks. She was always adding another cat to her abundant collection.

There were cats made of wood, glass, pewter, ceramic, brass, plastic and even rock. Painted rocks. They were a result of another of Janie's senior classes at the community college. It was a big fad a few years ago to paint rocks to look like animals. It was a strange hobby, but she was actually pretty good at it in an abstract sort of way.

There were a dozen of these around the house in all sizes and shapes. It made him think of the rock marmots and he wondered what they looked like. He hadn't seen any last night. As he dusted a cream colored rock, he thought it was a bad choice for making a cat. The shape of the rock made its ears look stubby.

While he was busy cleaning up the house, the school board across town was meeting to clean up the school finances.

The Chairman, Morris Simmons, called the meeting to order. "Priscilla, would you please read the audit report?"

Priscilla Michaels stood smugly, and picked up a fat report.

"Just the summary page will do," he said wearily.

She looked disappointed, but laid down the heavy report. Then she proceeded to read just the two-page summary. There were numerous items that suggested fraud and misuse of funds. All the evidence started about the time when Will Carson was put in charge. Small conversations started all over the room.

"We don't have enough firm evidence," Morris was saying. "We can't tarnish someone's reputation without proof." The room quieted down.

"But it's all there in the audit report," Priscilla said.

Others around the room shook their heads. They had to hear Will's side of the story. It was necessary to get reports from him. He deserved an opportunity to explain the problems found in the audit.

Priscilla finally gave in. "Okay," she said, "but there are obviously things out of order, and we have to respond to the auditors. The last thing we want is the newspaper to get wind of this and run with the story. This Board put Carson in charge, and it will all come back to haunt us if there's a problem."

With resignation Morris said, "Let's tell Will we need a full report. We'll meet on Friday and have him come to the meeting and explain everything."

"I believe a formal letter is in order," Priscilla said. Morris was annoyed with her smugness. But as he looked around the table, everyone reluctantly agreed. A letter was sent summoning Carson to appear before the Board on Friday, and answer all the issues raised in the audit.

Back at the Traverse house, Toby was unloading the dishwasher when Janie came home. She burst through the door waving an envelope in the air.

Toby looked up. "Did you win the lottery?"

"Better than that," she smirked. "I have two tickets to the new Science Center. I won the drawing at work today. Want to go?" She cocked her eyebrows invitingly.

"You bet!" He had been hoping to go to the Science Center ever since it had opened a couple months ago.

"We'll have to stop at the bank to get cash for lunch. Leave the dishes. We'll take care of them when we get back."

Toby closed the half-emptied dishwasher, grabbed his jacket, and they raced to Janie's car. The customized 1967 vintage Volkswagen beetle had been repainted in a modern pearl yellow. Authenticity was of no interest to Janie. She was unapologetic about the changes she had made and referred to it as a customized antique.

He always felt a little silly getting into the car. It made him think of climbing into an Easter egg. But the windows were tinted gold, and once inside he was hidden from the outside world.

He sank down into the plush, sheepskin seat and fastened his seat belt. At his feet was a floor mat with a picture of a cat sunning itself in a garden. The highly polished wooden gearshift was made of holly and resembled carved ivory. The ball on the top was sculpted into a cat's head, and fit Janie's hand perfectly.

There were digital readouts giving information on all the vitals of the engine. A touch screen had been installed in the oak veneer dash complete with speaker for a hands free cell phone.

A state of the art CD player had been added with custom speakers, but Janie seldom needed recorded music. She usually provided the music herself. When they got to the intersection at the end of the street she asked, "How's it look your way?"

"Okymyway," he answered.

"Then hold on to your kabooska!" she called.

"That's babushka!" he called back, bracing himself as she pulled out into traffic.

"Whatever." She then launched into one of her silly songs sung to the tune of the William Tell Overture.

"To the bank - to the bank - to the bank, bank, bank

To the bank - to the bank - to the bank, bank, bank

To the bank - to the bank - to the bank, bank, bank

To the baaaank. To the bank, bank, bank!

Take out all your money, spend it quickly in a bunch

Take out all your money, spend it on a lovely lunch

A lunch – a lunch – a very lovely lunch.......

To the bank to the bank to the bank, bank, bank...."

Toby joined in and they sang boisterously.

When they arrived at the Science Center they parked next to a brown, mud-spattered jeep. They bypassed the long line of people waiting to purchase tickets, and went to the "Member's Only" entrance where they were greeted elegantly. They were ushered in, and given courtesy passes to the Planetarium. Once inside, they worked their way through all the presentations.

First they stopped at the bed of nails. He lay down on the Plexiglas covering the nail points. Janie pushed a button. The shield lowered, leaving him suspended on thousands of sharp points. It didn't hurt because his weight was distributed evenly. Then the Plexiglas raised again, and he was able to get up unharmed.

In the section about weather, there was a tall glass tube with a wheel outside. Toby cranked the wheel faster and faster, and finally was gratified to see a small tornado form inside the tube. They moved to the next display. It was a large bowl filled with fog created from dry ice. As he passed his hand through the fog, it was supposed to simulate the movement of clouds caused by changes in air currents. It reminded him of last night's trek through the Valley of Rocks with the mist swirling around his feet.

He was glad to move on to the prehistoric area. A reproduction of a dinosaur trackway was the center attraction. The exhibit was a reproduction of a trail showing two sets of dinosaur tracks next to each other. One possible interpretation of the tracks was a meat eating allosaurus chasing a plant eating brachiosaurus. The outcome of the chase was portrayed at the end of the trail where life size models were shown in combat.

Toby said, "All this mayhem is making me hungry."

"Well then it's off to the Jurassic Eatery," and they made their way to the cafeteria.

Janie read from the menu. "Let's see what delicacies they offer here. There's a Brono Burger, Stegosaurus Salad, Fossil Fries, Primordial Soup – oh that sounds intriguing." Toby grimaced. She turned back to the menu. "Okay, we also have Spicy Pterodactyl Wings, Triceratops Chili, or perhaps you're a very hungry paleontologist and would like the T-Rex Platter?"

"I think I'll just go with a Brono Burger and Fossil Fries," he said.

"A bit cautious, but a good choice. I'll be healthy and go with the Stegosaurus Salad. Probably tastes like chicken. Interested in any Deep Fried Dino Eggs?"

"The ones rolled in cinnamon sugar? Wouldn't want to pass those up," Toby said.

After lunch they explored more exhibits, and finished with the planetarium show. They entered the dimly lit theatre and settled back in the reclining chairs.

To his surprise, Nitika entered the room dressed in a Second Generation Star Trek uniform. In her musical voice she introduced the show. It started with the discoveries that were made by the Voyager space crafts a generation earlier. Then there were pictures from Pathfinder, the Mars Rovers, and speculation about the future.

After the show, they stopped at the gift shop. Toby picked out a science kit with experiments on buoyancy and water tension. Janie chose a wooden carving of an endangered wild cat. Something else to dust, Toby thought with resignation. When they got to the checkout, Nitika was filling in for the cashier.

"I didn't know you worked here," Janie said as she dug through her purse for her credit card.

Nitika smiled. "Just one weekend a month. It's a nice break from the library, and I make a little extra money. It's an interesting place to work, and occasionally I get free IMAX tickets."

"Really?" Toby said.

"Sure," she laughed. "Perhaps I'll give you a couple so you and a friend can go sometime," she added.

"That would be great," he said. Maybe he could invite Ressa he thought.

"There's a new one coming out on the possibility of traveling to parallel worlds," Nitika continued. "That might be something that would interest you." She fingered her owl necklace. Her green eyes watched him closely.

Toby looked away nervously. He was relieved when Janie interrupted by handing Nitika her credit card to pay for the purchases.

On the way out they stopped at a penny-squashing machine.

"You could get the saber-toothed tiger," Janie said as she squinted to read the writing on the display.

"I think the solar system is a higher goal," Toby said.

"hmmm... There's also a dinosaur track and Einstein."

"Not Einstein," they both said together.

"Okay, let's go with the solar system. It sort of takes in everything," Janie said as she dug in the bottom of her purse. She pulled out several dimes and a nickel before finding the two quarters and a penny required. Toby lined up the right picture, and turned the crank till the squashed penny fell in the cup.

"Ah, here we are," Janie said triumphantly as Toby picked up the elongated penny and examined it. "Enough for the saber-toothed," and she handed him more change.

Toby grinned, and cranked out the tiger coin. Another feline to add to the pride, he thought.

It was late when they got home. After a supper of leftover lasagna, they watched a show on public TV about how the dinosaurs were destroyed by a meteor hitting the earth.

When Toby went to bed he dreamed he was in the Valley of Rocks, and riding on some kind of large animal. It had a long neck and very large legs. It was some kind of dinosaur. He looked down. On the path far below he could see Janie's rock cats. They were scampering around the feet of his dinosaur. He wondered if he should go down and dust them, but couldn't remember where he put the Swifter.

Then he heard the snapping and crashing of tree branches. He glanced back and saw the large gaping jaws of an Allosaurus reaching for him. Its tongue lay between rows of large sharp teeth. He heard a hiss, and its hot breath swept over him. He yelled, and sat up in bed.

A soft glow of moonlight pooled on the floor. He ducked as something flew past the window blocking the light for a moment. Probably just an owl he thought. The house was quiet. He must not have yelled out loud.

He lay back down, and felt his heartbeat return to normal. As he drifted off to sleep again, he faintly heard his name being called. It was dark, and he was lying on something round and thick. He thought it might be the neck of a dinosaur, but it felt cold. The clouds parted, and he was covered in moonlight. He saw he was on the top of one of the boulders in the Valley of Rocks. The piece he was lying on stretched out like a finger over the path.

He heard his name called again. Looking up he saw a Pterodactyl. A woman was perched on its neck. Her long hair floated out behind her. She was calling his name. As they got closer he could see patches of mud on the brown leathery skin of the flying dinosaur. The woman leaned down and reached out her hand. Something glittered at her neck. Closing his eyes, he ducked his head. He felt strong fingers on his arm pulling him up. When he opened his eyes, he was clinging to the feathers of a great eagle with the woman riding behind him. He woke up clutching the sheet tightly. It was quite a while before he went back to sleep.

The next morning Toby was still tired when he went downstairs for their traditional Sunday breakfast. Sunlight was shining brightly through the windows. The kitchen was already filled with the sweet odor of waffles cooking. He slid into his chair just as the light on the waffle iron slowly faded out followed by a faint 'click' indicating the waffle was ready. Janie expertly loosened the waffle and lifted it out. Steam rose from the plate as she placed it in front of him. He slathered on the margarine and smothered it in syrup. All memory of his dreams of the night before was forgotten as the waffles melted in his mouth.

After breakfast they drove the five miles to church. As they entered the sanctuary the organ was playing softly. They walked down the long aisle, and sat about half way back. The music swelled majestically as the choir filed in. Surprised, he saw the Davis twins in the front row. It was hard to imagine them being able to stop giggling long enough to get through a whole song.

The choir began to sing, and the congregation was enveloped in the rich sound. He scanned the rest of the choir and focused on Mrs. Hightower. She was singing enthusiastically, her head bobbing with the beat. Toby imagined the notes springing out of her mouth in a rainbow of colors. Eighth notes, quarter notes, whole notes, all bouncing off the walls and floating up to the high ceiling where they hovered, creating a faint echo. Everyone stood and joined the choir in the hymn. As the last notes faded they were seated.

Half way through the sermon Toby's mind began to drift. He looked around and spotted Alice by her dangling mushroom earrings. Across the aisle, Mr. Hernandez sat next to his wife. His arm was draped behind her on the back of the pew and he looked like he might start whistling at any moment.

The minister's voice seemed far away. It was warm, and he struggled to stay awake. He looked at the stained glass windows. They were not elaborate pictures, but just many small squares of different colored glass. He tried to find a pattern to the colors.

Then the minister's voice seeped through into his consciousness. He was talking about Zacchaeus the tax collector.

"...and Zacchaeus said, if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Toby sat up suddenly awake. What was he going to do about the book? If he kept it, wasn't that stealing? And if he returned it, he wouldn't be able to go back to the other world. He knew that wasn't a good reason to keep the book. But giving it back also meant Carson might find out about the picture and how it worked. Who knows what he might do there? They already had a bad governor. They didn't need another tyrant. If he admitted he had the book, would Carson suspend him? He could just hide it in Carson's office, but how long would it stay hidden. That would be returning the book, but would it keep Carson from using it. And how would he even get into the office to hide it?

Across town, Will Carson was having thoughts of his own. On Friday, Buz and his buddies had told him about chasing Toby. Arnie was really on edge about not finding Toby at the locker.

"The door was swinging back and forth, and he just wasn't there," Arnie had said.

Magnus had laughed, "Little runt just disappeared into thin air."

Carson had sent them away disgusted. Now he was reconsidering their story. The only explanation was that Toby had the book, and must have figured out how the picture worked. He had to get that book back. He might need to disappear himself.

CHAPTER 7 - ENCOUNTER WITH THE HULK

On Monday morning Toby was feeling pretty good about school. He had spent Sunday afternoon with Jason playing one on one. To his surprise he had really enjoyed it, once he understood the rules of the game. He just might be learning to enjoy sports.

However, the problem of what to do with the book still worried him. He stuffed it deep into his backpack and headed to school. Walking down the hallway to his locker, he was jarred out of his thoughts as he rounded the corner. Carson was waiting for him.

"It seems we need to have another talk," Carson said. "Let's go to my office."

Toby sat down in the same faded green chair as before. Carson leaned on the big desk, towering over him. "There is a large dent in your locker Toby. Destruction of school property is a serious offense. Can you explain why you put a dent in your locker?"

Toby looked surprised. "I didn't"

"Are you saying you don't know anything about that dent?"

Toby thought quickly. He remembered being chased, opening the locker and...but of course it would do no good to blame BAM. He shook his head.

Carson sighed in mock disappointment and ran his hand over his short, cropped hair. "I'm sorry to see you going down this path Toby. You used to be such a good student." He paused. "I suppose you don't remember cutting classes and leaving early on Friday either?"

Toby's stomach lurched. He had forgotten about leaving early on Friday. "I was..uh..I was...sick. I left early because I wasn't feeling well after gym class." He wasn't feeling too well now either.

"You know that you are supposed to see the school nurse if you're not feeling well. That's why we have a school nurse. We can't have students just leaving whenever they – think – they're sick." Carson turned his back and walked over to the bookcase.

Toby's eyes traveled to the desk where Carson's coffee mug was sitting. He blinked, and stared hard at the cup. It was a picture of the Incredible Hulk! A line from the old show came to his mind, "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." That was a pretty tall order – not making Kick Carson angry!

"I don't know if you have heard, but there have been some thefts in the school," Carson said interrupting his thoughts.

Toby tried to make his face look passive as Carson turned around, but he could feel the flush creeping up his neck.

"A very valuable book was stolen out of my office last week. I don't suppose you know anything about that?"

Toby watched with fascination as Carson's neck muscles tensed and pulsed. His thoughts went back to the mug. Would Carson turn into the Hulk? His clothes looked a little tight, but that could be normal. At least he didn't look green yet. He certainly had a lot of muscles for an old guy. Maybe he takes steroids he thought.

Carson stared at him for a moment then said, "Friday's incidents will go on your record of course. If there is any more trouble, I will have to notify your grandmother."

Toby gasped as this threat brought him back to reality.

Carson smiled a slow, cruel smile. "Of course I don't want to bother your grandmother." He raised his hands in a sign of resignation. "But I have no choice." He dropped his arms. "You can go to class."

Toby got up to leave. He stopped when Carson continued.

"If you do think of anything that might help with the return of my book, you will let me know won't you? That sort of thing would certainly help clear up any misunderstandings on your record."

Without answering, Toby hurried out the door and went to class.

After he left, Mrs. Hightower brought in the morning mail. On the top was the letter from the school board. When he was alone, Carson read the letter. He paced up and down the room planning what to do. Toby obviously had the book. How was he going to get it back without being directly involved? Those three misfits might be of use. They could waylay Toby and find out where he'd hidden the book. He waited till lunch, and then had Buz come to his office.

The visit with Carson had shook Toby up. He had to do something before Janie got pulled into this mess. On the way home from school he came up with a plan. That evening after supper he went to his room and took the book out. Turning to the picture of the hut, he very carefully cut the page out of the book using an Exacto knife. Unless someone was looking very closely they would not notice a page was missing.

As he was closing the book, a piece of paper fell out. It was a handwritten list of figures with one or two words next to each number. Looking closer, he decided the words were probably abbreviations, because they didn't make any sense. Setting it aside, he decided to check his e-mail. There was a message from his dad.

So glad you liked the meteorite. You remember us telling you about the meteor shower about a month ago? Well we were out a few weeks later observing the penguins. It was a cold cloudy night, but for once there was very little wind. The moonlight shinning through the clouds was reflecting sharply off the ice like a faint bluegreen spotlight. Must have been something in the atmosphere that caused the strange color. Quite odd. We never figured it out. Maybe it was something like the northern lights. Anyway, we noticed black things on the ground like someone had sprinkled pepper on the ice. At first I thought I was just seeing spots from the reflected light, but your mother saw it too. Our team decided to check it out and to our great delight we found it was meteorites! We forgot all about the penguins and were busy for the next hour picking them up. We were like kids collecting loot at Halloween. We love you and miss you. Dad

There was also a message from Pete.

You've GOT to stop eating those salads your grandmother makes. I think there might be some hallucinatory mushrooms or something in there. You're starting to worry me. On the bright side - I worked some of your fantasy into my essay and Kyle thought it was pretty good. He wanted me to use the Enya part, but I said no way! How'd the basketball practice go? Did the exercise clear your head?

Toby chuckled and wrote back.

I think I'm going to be a professional basketball player when I grow up. Get it? Grow up? Jason thinks once I grow a few more feet I should be a shoo-in. Or I could go into detective work. Check out this page that fell out of THE book. You're pretty good with math and puzzles. Is this a formula for time travel or could it be some kind of treasure map?

He scanned in the page and attached it to the e-mail. Before shutting down, he wrote to his parents and told them all about the trip to the science center.

Tomorrow he would return the book. The picture was gone, so Carson would not be able to use it. Maybe once he had the book back he would forget all about the other problems and even clear up his record. Maybe.

CHAPTER 8 - ALARMING EVENTS

Toby put on his backpack, and headed out to school. Today was the day. He would have to face Carson and give him back the book. But how should he approach it? As he was passing the public library, he had an idea. He could say he found it in the library. Technically speaking, he did find it in a library of sorts – Carson's library. Then a flaw in that plan occurred to him. If he was claiming he didn't take the book, then how did he know which book it was that was taken? Bummer. He could say the person who took it asked him to return it. Or, he could say, "Hello, is this the book you're looking for?" This wasn't going to be easy.

He was close to school when Arnie and Magnus stepped out from behind a tree. He stopped. Almost made it. What new scheme did they have planned for him today he wondered.

Arnie stepped up, "No vanishing act today, runt. You won't give us the slip this time."

He tried several ways to get around them. But it was just like playing basketball. They were too quick for him.

Magnus grinned. "What's the hurry? Going to be late for school? That won't look too good on your spotless record will it?"

At the mention of his record Toby panicked. Being late wasn't part of his plan for returning the book. He surprised them by turning around, and running back the way he had come. This gave him a slight lead, but pounding footsteps and laughter told him they were gaining on him.

The library was right ahead. He dashed up the stairs. As he reached for the door it suddenly opened. He was barely able to stop before stumbling into a startled Alice. Before she could say anything he mumbled, "'scuse me," and slipped past her.

"Very curious," she said as she continued on down the steps glancing back several times.

Toby tried to walk casually as he passed the front desk. Nitika looked up and raised her eyebrows.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to school?" she asked.

Great. It would have be Nitika. His mind raced as he tried to think of an answer. "Uh...just remembered...needed a book for...uh...study hall." Moving quickly into the stacks of books, he paused to listen. I'm breathing like Darth Vader, he thought as he tried to quiet his panting.

The front door slammed as Magnus and Arnie bolted into the library. Nitika's soft voice was calm as she said with authority, "Slow down boys. Where are you headed? No, let me guess. You need a book for study hall?"

Toby didn't wait to hear any more. If anyone could handle those two, Nitika could. If his luck held, she would give him the delay he needed. The library was an old mansion that had been converted. There were many small rooms, halls, and alcoves branching off in all directions with very little rhyme or reason. It was a virtual maze until you knew your way around. Toby knew the layout perfectly.

He quietly made his way to a back room where the shelves were filled with old books from before World War II. Some of them had never been opened. The books muffled all sound. The silence was so complete it was almost tangible. He walked to the end of one of the stacks and turned. Ahead of him was a dark area about two feet wide. Light from the overhead fixture didn't quite reach that far. He stepped into the darkness. It was a narrow hallway that went several feet before it turned and opened into a tiny alcove with one window. This was his special place.

Sunlight streamed in revealing the rich grains in a highly polished mahogany bench. On the opposite wall was a framed picture. It was a stark, nineteenth century black and white print of a sandstone arch. Ponderosa pine trees grew on both sides of a path leading up to the arch. He sometimes imagined following that path, and walking under the arch into the shadows on the other side.

He had discovered this room shortly after he arrived in town at the end of last summer. It was still hot then, and he had worked carefully on the old window until he could open and close it almost soundlessly. With the window open he could sit on the bench and feel the breeze as it blew through the lilac bushes and filled the room with cool, fragrant air. The alcove was an oasis from the heat and confusion of the world outside. But right now all his thoughts were on escaping though that window.

He climbed up on the bench, and slid the window open. The windowsill was dirty from the last rain. He sat down, swung his legs over the edge, and scooted outside. Balancing on the narrow ledge, he closed the window.

He turned to look down on the parking lot about twelve feet below. There were several cars including a brown, mud spattered jeep. A real adventurer, he thought with a smile, would simply drop down into that jeep and drive away. As a wave of dizziness swept over him, he reconsidered his plan. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, he thought, and turned back to the window. But now that it was shut, there was no way to open it from the outside.

He inched his way to the corner of the building where a drain spout ran from the roof. Swinging his leg around the rusty spout, he started to make his way down. It creaked and groaned and started to give way. Frantically he grabbed at the ivy that was covering the building. Debris trickled down his hot sweaty arm and inside his sleeve. Something wet fell on his hand. Looking up, he saw the leering face of one of the gargoyles. A small pool of water from the last rain had collected in the statue's mouth and was dripping from one corner. Gross, he thought. The gargoyle is drooling on me. He jerked his hand as another drop fell. The movement threw him off balance. He slid about a foot before his flailing feet caught on one of the stones in the wall. The ivy made it hard to find footholds as he continued to work his way down.

Dropping the last couple feet to the ground, he landed hard and brushed off his arms. His fingers were now stained green, and he had a scrape on one cheek. He rubbed his hands on his jeans, dusted off the seat of his pants, and raced off to school.

The bell was ringing as he panted up the school steps. He pulled off his backpack as he pounded down the hall. Rounding the last corner, he ran full force into Buz. The backpack was knocked out of his hand and fell on the floor. Buz picked it up.

"Special delivery boy," Buz snickered. "Wouldn't have any rare and valuable books in here would you?" He shook the bag. Toby grabbed for it, but Buz jerked it out of his reach, grinning. "Not so fast little boy. Old Kick Carson has a fancy for a book that has come up missing. Maybe we should just run this through the Lost and Found." He twisted his face into a goofy grin at his own joke, and reached for the fire alarm on the wall. "Lo–ser," he chanted as he pulled the alarm and turned to leave.

Desperate, Toby scrambled to his feet and made a dive. The freshly waxed tile threw him off balance. His hands fumbled on the pack, but missed gripping it. The floor came up fast as he landed hard on his left arm. He just missed being kicked in the head as Buz spun around. Toby's efforts had managed to jostle the pack from Buz's grip, but it landed out of reach and skidded across the hall. With the alarm blaring, Buz turned and ran.

From his prone position on the floor, Toby could see the pack sliding to a stop at someone's feet. He raised his eyes. Carson picked up the pack as he looked down at him disdainfully. Pain shot up his shoulder as Carson gripped his arm in an iron grasp, and hauled him to his feet. As the halls filled with students heading outside in response to the fire alarm, Toby again found himself making the long trek to the Principal's office. Thoughts raced through his head. How long had Buz been working for Carson? No wonder they got away with everything!

Carson released him and shut the door. Slumping into the now all too familiar chair, Toby rubbed his throbbing arm and waited for the inevitable. Carson sat down behind the big desk and set the bag on the desktop.

"You look like you've been in a brawl. You arrive late and disrupt classes by setting off the fire alarm. Care to explain?"

"It wasn't me," Toby declared sullenly as he tried to hide his dirty hands. He thought about adding it was your henchman, but decided against that show of defiance.

"Sit up boy." Toby reluctantly drew himself up in the chair. "You were the only one in the hall. The alarm had just been pulled. Do you expect me to believe it turned itself on?"

Toby said nothing. No one else would have seen Buz running away. Even if they had, they wouldn't be likely to speak up.

Carson fingered the zipper on the backpack. "This is the third time you've been in my office in the last couple weeks. The fire alarm is a serious offence. I'll have to make a report to the fire department and to the school board over this. Of course I don't want to suspend you, but unless you can give me some reason to think you're moving towards improving your behavior, I'll have no choice."

He laid his hand on the bag where something was bulging through. "You know my book came up missing the same day that you had that little problem in the cafeteria. Imagine that. It will go bad for the student that is found with that book." Toby tried not to stare as Carson poked at the bag.

"You were the only one that day who was alone in this office. Logically the evidence points in your direction. Of course if you return the book on your own, I think I could avoid making any mention of the incident on your record."

There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Hightower looked in. "Mr. Carson? Mr. Simmons is here to see you."

Carson scowled.

"He said it's urgent." She picked up the bag from the desk and handed it to Toby. Carson glared at her and started to say something. Then he turned away disgusted.

"Think about what I said, Toby. I want to see you first thing in the morning before classes. Now get out."

Toby clutched the bag and ducked through the doorway. His heart pounding, he hurried through the deserted hall. The alarm had finally quit blaring. He stopped and looked around. Walking through the front doors with everyone outside staring at him was the last thing he wanted to do. He turned down another hall, and went out a side door.

Buz and the others were leaning lazily against a tree. Their attention was focused on the front door where they obviously expected him to appear. Giving them a wide berth, he circled around. When he reached the edge of the crowd he thought things were turning in his favor. It was then that one of the girls spotted him. It was Ressa. Her short curls were ruffled by the breeze making a dark halo around her head. She was smiling and waving,

"Hey Toby! Over here!"

His heart sank. Not now, he thought! How come she only notices me when I'm in trouble or about to be beat to a pulp! He turned and ran the other direction.

Buz shouted, "There he is!"

"I see him," Magnus said.

"Get the pack," Arnie called. "That's where he'll have the book!"

The sound of heavy running feet spurred him on. A small pebble had gotten into his shoe, and was poking different parts of his foot as it rolled around with each step. Carson must have sent them after him to get the book. It didn't matter now, because he had the picture at home. His breathing was getting more labored as a pain developed in his side. Realizing he could never stay ahead of them, he made his decision. He shrugged off his pack, and let it fall to the ground. They descended upon it like vultures as he escaped around the corner of a house.

With his load lightened, he easily leaped over a chain link fence and cut across the yard. Loud barking gave him a sudden burst of energy he didn't know he had left. He made the last dash to the back fence and vaulted over the gate. Something big hit the fence making the chain links rattle alarmingly. As he raced down the alley he glanced back. A large black dog with its paws on the fence was barking ferociously. Even one of Alice's cookies wouldn't have tamed that monster he thought.

He dumped the pebble out of his shoe and shuffled on towards home. No books, no homework, no backpack, and leaving school early again. He was beginning to feel like the delinquent that Carson insinuated he was.

The trees in his backyard shaded the entrance through the kitchen door. Fortunately he carried his key in his pocket instead of in the backpack. The house was eerily quiet as if it knew he shouldn't be home this time of day. Digging an old backpack out of the closet, he filled it with some sandwiches, snacks, and water.

He checked his e-mail. Pete had either written late last night or early that morning.

Let's not add time travel to your fantasies! I have trouble enough keeping track of your adventures as it is without adding a time travel dimension. I'll take a look at this in study hall today.

Toby took the picture of the hut out of the drawer. He looked around the desk for the cryptic paper, but it was no where to be seen. Guess I put it back in the book, he thought. Carson must have it by now. Then he realized he didn't need the paper. He had a scanned copy in the computer. He quickly printed out a copy and stuffed it into a pocket of the backpack.

Focusing on the picture, he once again found himself outside the hut. He tucked the picture into the pocket with the scanned paper.

The hut was empty. A few glowing embers were banked against one side of the fire pit to keep them burning until the hermit returned. There was no sign of Sirius.

Adjusting his backpack, he headed out through the Valley of Rocks. It wasn't nearly as ghostly in the daylight, but he felt a faint apprehension like someone was watching him. He tried to ignore the feeling as he moved deeper into the rocks. The path wove and twisted around the huge boulders. As he came around one of the large stones, he stopped.

There in the middle of the path was a rock about the size of a football, but it was moving slowly across the path. He felt prickles on his neck. His uneasiness increased, but he tried to stand still. The rock marmot stopped. Pulling in its feet and head, it became motionless. He could not distinguish it from the other rocks. How many of them are alive too Toby wondered anxiously.

Sitting down on the path, he closed his eyes. Enya's song ran through his mind along with memories of the last time he was in the valley. He focused his thoughts on Janie, snickerdoodles, and the Science Center. The fear began to subside. Concentrating on breathing normally, he waited for his muscles to relax. When he opened his eyes, the rock marmot's tiny head was turned towards him. Small dark eyes were looking his way.

He sat very still and waited. It extended first one foot and then another. Then it scuttled across the path and into the shadows. Still he waited. A slight movement caught his eye followed by a shower of pebbles as another marmot scampered into a crevice. He sat there for about half an hour trying to guess which rocks were rocks, and which were marmots. Several more times he caught a glimpse of one running away, but the fear did not return.

His legs felt numb from sitting in one spot so long. He got up slowly feeling the tingles as the circulation returned. Trying to think calming thoughts, he continued on his journey. A couple times he lost the path, but was able to retrace his steps and find the missed turn. The sun rose higher in the sky chasing away the chill of the morning. He finally arrived at the path that led down to the cabin. Giving the building a wide berth, he turned and walked away from the village.

Music from what sounded like a pipe faded in and out with the breeze. All thoughts of school faded away. He left the rock valley behind and enjoyed the pleasant walk through the grass. The sun warmed his back. A faint breeze stirred his hair bringing with it the faint intermittent sound of bleating sheep. The ground started to rise gently. He found himself climbing a small hill. When he reached the top he looked back. The Valley of Rocks stood like giants gathered together for a big meeting.

Off to the side he could see the village spread out before him. Sounds drifted up. People in the streets called to each other as they hurried in and out of shops and homes. A horse whinnied in the stable. The rhythmic ringing of a hammer hitting an anvil echoed from the blacksmith shop.

Someone was calling his name, and he turned to look down the other side. A giant oak tree with red and orange leaves still clinging to the branches dominated the little dell. A boy was lying in the shade on a large flat rock at its base. Next to him, a girl with long braids was waving and calling. He hurried down the slope to join them.

Marnie rushed up to meet him, and slipped her arm through his as she led him to the rock. She chattered in one long stream of words about the governor appearing and disappearing and Berren being pardoned. Toby couldn't follow it all.

They sat down on the rock, and Toby pulled off his backpack. Berren and Marnie were just thinking about eating, so they all spread their lunches out on a cloth and everyone dug in. In addition to the sandwiches, Toby had brought granola bars, potato chips, and tangerines. There were nuts, cheeses, sweet and crusty rolls, and grapes. After they had eaten everything, they lay back on the rock.

Toby said, "Now tell me everything again. You said the governor appeared and disappeared? How did that get Berren a pardon?"

Marnie rolled her eyes. "Did you follow anything I said?"

Toby smiled sheepishly.

Berren laughed. "The governor has been missing for days," he began.

"The imposter Governor you mean," Marnie interrupted.

"Let me tell the story, Marnie," Berren said with a smile. "We've already confused Toby enough."

She grimaced, and curled up her feet. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she rested her cheek on her knee and said, "Alright. You tell it."

Berren turned back to Toby. "As I was saying, the governor hasn't been seen for over a week. Then this gentleman shows up in town, and claims he's the real governor. He was very surprised that we already had a governor in place. So he had a meeting with all the elders of the village. After that they called everyone to gather outside the library. I can tell you we all showed up to hear what he had to say. He was furious about the new laws and all that had been going on. Said he would deal very harshly with that imposter if he ever showed up again."

"What about the men the imposter brought with him?" Toby asked.

"They have been sent to the King for questioning."

"And the guards and other villagers who helped him?"

"Well, they didn't really break any laws. There are a few people who still grumble about them, but most seem willing to overlook it."

"So does anyone know what happened to the imposter?"

Berren shook his head. "Some folks say that he got wind of the Governor arriving and ran off. Most just say good riddance."

The afternoon passed quickly. Toby missed hanging out at home with Pete, and it felt good to be with friends again. Before long it started getting cooler, and he realized he had to get home.

"I almost forgot!" Toby said. "I found a paper in the Worlds Within book and brought it with me."

"What does it say?" Berren asked

"I don't know. I couldn't figure it out." He zipped open the pocket, and pulled it out. They peered curiously at the paper. Along one side was a list of figures. Next to each number was what looked like an abbreviation. It still didn't make any sense to him.

"Maybe Caedman will know what it means," Marnie said. "Do you want me to ask him?"

"Good idea," Toby handed it to her. "I really have to get home. Who knows what tomorrow's going to be like? I don't want to make it any worse by getting home late."

Berren looked sympathetic. "Do you want to just stay here with us?"

Toby smiled. "Thanks, but Janie will be expecting me. It will be okay." He pulled the hut picture out of his backpack.

"Where's your book?" Berren asked.

Toby stammered, "Well, actually, the book was...well the book wasn't mine." He looked up to see their reaction.

"We know that," Berren said confused.

Marnie added, "The book belongs to Caedman. He told you that when you first showed it to him."

Toby said, "He did?"

"Didn't you read the inscription in the front of the book? He told you what it said."

Toby shook his head. "I thought the book belonged to Carson, and I was going to give it back to him. But I didn't want him finding this place, so I cut the picture out of the book." He held up the page.

"So you gave the book back to Carson?" Berren asked.

"Not exactly. I was having a run in with some bullies at school," Toby said. They were chasing me to get the book for Carson. I'd already taken the picture out."

They looked at him surprised.

"Well, it was me or the book. There were three of them. They were going to get the book anyway. It was just a matter of whether or not they pulverized me in the process."

"So Carson has the book?" Berren asked.

Toby nodded. "I was feeling bad because it was like I stole it. Now that I know it isn't his, I should get it back."

Marnie smiled. "You're goofy. If Caedman wanted the book, he would have said something to you."

"She's right," Berren said. "Go home and don't worry about it."

"Okay," Toby said still unconvinced.

They said goodbye, and soon Toby was standing outside the library.

CHAPTER 9 - GHOULS AND SPECTERS

Carson's meeting with Morris Simmons had not gone well. He had tried to make light of the whole situation, but Morris was not convinced.

"The School Board meets on Friday morning, Will. We need a full report from you and all the backup documentation," Morris had told him.

After he left, Carson fumed for awhile. He paced up and down on the worn carpet. It didn't give him much time to alter the books. The only thing that had gone well that day was that those misfits had managed to get the book back from the brat.

He sat down and pulled the book out of his desk. Flipping through the pages, he searched for the loose paper where he had written his notes on how he had misused the school funds. It wasn't there! He shook the book. Nothing fell out. His frustration growing, he carefully turned each page. It just wasn't there. The little rat was either very clever or very clumsy. The notes were written in my code, he thought, but he must have figured it out. He plans to use it against me. I have to get that paper back. He yanked open the door.

"Mrs. Hightower! Find Buz and get him in here." He slammed the door. This time they won't be so gentle.

Marnie and Berren headed to Caedman's house. Darkness was setting in, but it was still early. They showed the paper to Caedman and told him where Toby had found it. Folding down the shelf, he laid the paper on the desk in the pool of light cast by the hanging lantern. For a long time he sat in thought, or jotted down notes as he consulted the paper. Marnie stroked Sirius, and Berren banked the fire while they waited.

Suddenly Caedman got up.

"Do you know what it says?" Marnie asked.

"I believe so," Caedman replied. "It seems that our Mr. Carson is a crook. If I interpret this right, he has been embezzling money and this is his accounting. But there's more."

They waited expectantly.

"I think Carson is our imposter governor."

Marnie and Berren both looked stunned.

"Is Toby in danger?" Berren asked.

"I think he could be. We have to warn him, and he needs to get this paper to the authorities in his world."

"How can we do that?" Marnie asked.

"Can we go to his world?" Berren asked hopefully.

"Yes, you can go to him," the hermit answered.

Toby picked up the trash bag and carried it out to the street. Cold damp air seeped through his thin jacket making him shiver. Patches of fog hung in the yard. It's January, and we're having Halloween weather he thought. Spooky. He froze as he heard a rustling behind the pine trees. Three shadows emerged from the darkness, and stepped out in front of him.

"Where you goin' Santa Claus?" Buz said. "Got your bag of toys for all the good girls and boys?"

Toby dropped the bag. Perfect, he thought. Now we have ghouls.

"Don't you have enough fun at school?" he asked. "There aren't any fire alarms around here that you can pull and blame me."

Buz laughed and swung Toby's backpack in front of him. "Just – doin' – a good – deed," he chanted in time with the swaying of the bag. "Something for you – something for us."

"What do you want?" Toby said suspiciously. He watched the bag wondering if he could catch it, and make it back to the house before he got throttled. Probably not.

"We came all the way over here to return your pack," Magnus said.

"You dropped it this afternoon, and we thought you might need your books tomorrow for school," Arnie said. Toby could imagine the smirk on his face. He waited silently.

"We returned Carson's book," Buz said. "But he says you took a page out of it." In spite of the cold, Toby felt sweat trickle down his back. Carson had noticed the missing picture, and had sent these goons to get it back.

"I'm sure you remember the loose page in the book? Perhaps it fell out while you were reading."

Toby laughed with relief. It was the scrap paper they wanted, not the picture he had removed. But why did Carson want it? And if it wasn't in the book, where was it?

"He seems to find us amusing," Magnus said. His voice was sullen and threatening.

"No, no, not at all," Toby hastened to say.

The bag stopped swaying. "So where's the paper funny boy?" Buz said flatly.

Toby's mind raced. Why was the paper important to Carson? Maybe it really was a code. "I don't have it," Toby said.

Buz started walking towards him, but stopped suddenly.

Toby shifted uneasily. What was he up to? Why had he stopped? He slowly took a step backward wondering if he could make it to the house if he turned and ran. A faint greenish glow was coming from behind him. As it grew he could dimly see Buz's face. His eyes were narrowed suspiciously. The light flickered and danced across his features giving them a ghostly glow. Arnie's eyes, which were seldom more than half-open, became wide with alarm. He and Magnus retreated into the trees.

"Having some trouble Toby?" said a voice behind him. Toby stopped and slowly smiled. He knew that voice.

He turned and stepped to one side so he could see Marnie. He sucked in his breath. She was covered in the same greenish light that he had experienced himself in the Valley of Rocks. A few seconds later a large dark hooded shape stepped up behind her. Berren was not glowing, but his tall muscular frame was menacing. In the eerie light, the staff looked more alarming than usual. He felt a shiver of fear as he looked at them. Even knowing who they were, and what the glow was, did not diminish the effect.

"I believe you said you were just returning my pack Buz?" Toby said.

Marnie was clutching something at her breast. She raised her other arm, and bluegreen sparks fell from her fingers. The greenish light cast shadows that swayed and danced in the trees giving the impression of more dangers just out of sight.

"Just leave the bag," Berren said in a low sinister voice. He leaned the staff forward, and the ram's head was illuminated. The eyes were dark menacing shadows and the shiny points of the horns flickered.

Toby heard a thud, and turned to see that Buz had dropped the pack and was running away. There was much rustling of leaves and excited exclamations as the three bullies stumbled over each other in their haste to get away.

He turned back to Berren and Marnie. The glow was fading from her skin, and they looked almost normal.

"How did you do that?" Toby asked.

Marnie shrugged. "I think it may be the star you gave me combined with the weather. It's much like the night we rescued Berren. Sure came in handy."

"Sure did. Thanks for showing up and getting me out of that mess." He moved the trash to the street, and picked up his backpack.

"Glad to be able to return the favor," Berren said. The fog was getting thicker.

"I'm really glad you're here – but how did you get here without the book?" Toby asked.

"Remember the picture Caedman made of your house?" Marnie said. "He put it on medallions so we could come. She showed him a disk about the size of a quarter. It was hanging from a shorter chain around her neck, just above the meteorite.

Berren said, "We told Caedman about Carson having the book. There are other pictures in it that work as portals."

Toby shivered. "That means that Carson could still get to your world."

Marnie nodded. "Caedman also thinks he figured out the paper. He thinks..." She was interrupted by Janie calling from the front door.

"Coming," he answered. He turned to his friends. They heard running footsteps coming down the street. "You've got to go," he said. "They're coming back."

They stepped under the streetlight and grasped the medallions. Marnie squeezed Toby's arm and pressed a paper into his hand.

"Please be careful, Toby," she said. "Give this to the right people. The governor's a crook!"

She let go. Focusing on the medallion, she vanished followed immediately by Berren. There were shouts of alarm from the street. Toby turned and ran for the house. Janie was waiting in the doorway. He slipped inside, and she closed the door shutting out the night.

CHAPTER 10 - SCORE! SCORE! SCORPIONS

The next morning Morris Simmons looked around the room at the other board members. Their solemn faces were reflected in the dark polished surface of the table. Pricilla was presenting her case for requesting a court order. It was evident to Morris that Miss Prissy, as he thought of her, was only interested in ruining Will Carson. Still, she made a good case. If Will actually was guilty of embezzlement, a court order was probably the only way to get the evidence.

"What do you think, Morris?" one of the members interrupted his thoughts. "The report is pretty thorough and incriminating."

He shook his head. "I don't like the thought, but I suppose it is the safest course. Shall we vote on it?" He looked around at each of them. "All in favor of getting a court order?" Every hand was raised. Pricilla was the last to raise her hand. Her thin smile was one of pious regret, but her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

Morris said, "Very well. I'll go to the courthouse as soon as they open." The meeting was dismissed.

Across town, Toby was just opening Pete's e-mail.

Now this is more like it. Reminds me of playing clue last summer and all those detective novels you kept trying to get me to read. Ok, I looked over the paper. Definitely looks like some kind of code, but I haven't broken it yet. You say it was in Carson's book? He's into sports. Could be his betting sheet for a crooked basketball pool. Hey, we could be famous if we expose a crime ring right there in your school. Might be smuggling something. Send more clues!

On the way to school, Toby thought about Marnie's cryptic remarks from last night. The paper she had given him was the scanned copy of the loose page from the book. Why had she given it back to him? Wasn't she supposed to talk to Caedman about it? And what was that comment about the governor being a crook? Had the new governor turned bad?

One thing he did know. He had to get the book back. It was simply a matter of getting into Carson's office, finding the book, sneaking back out, and mingling with the rest of the students. Should be no problem. Right, he thought. No problem if he was a super hero like one of the Fantastic Four.

If he could stretch like Reed he wouldn't even have to leave class. Just sit by the door and slide his arm down the hall and into the office. No, that wouldn't work. Wouldn't be able to see which book he was picking up. How about the Human Torch? Fly in, burn a few spots on the carpet, and fly out again with the book. No, that wouldn't work either; too hot for the book. He could just stomp down the hall like the Thing and demand the book. It would be the Thing against the Hulk. He smiled at the thought. No, that wouldn't work either. The Thing wouldn't be able to pick up the book with his fat fingers. That only left being invisible which would work great except for that no clothes thing. Maybe a real idea would occur to him when he got there.

In any case, first class was science and he wasn't going to miss that. He entered the room to the sound of laughter and loud popping noises. Standing in the doorway, he scanned the room. Everywhere he looked, kids were shouting and popping pieces of bubble wrap of all different colors and sizes. Jason called to him waving a large green piece. Toby headed over to where his desk and Jason's desk were side by side. He picked up the blue bubble wrap lying on his chair.

"Maybe you're right about science class," Jason said. "This may not be too bad."

"Beats basketball," Toby said.

Jason made a face. "Not hardly."

Toby said, "You get me through gym, and I'll get you through science."

"Deal!" Jason said as they high fived one another.

Ressa interrupted them. "Hey, where did you run off to yesterday? Didn't you see me wave at you? And then you didn't show up for math class."

"You skipped class?" Jason said surprised.

"I...I had to go home." Toby stammered.

She frowned. "You sure you weren't avoiding me? It's not like you could have missed seeing me."

Toby's voice cracked as he said, "No, no way."

Mr. Hernandez entered the room whistling an off key tune. He moved to the front of the room and loudly announced for everyone to take their seats. Ressa drifted back to her desk across the room. The noise settled down to a low murmur and an occasional "pop".

"Today," Mr. Hernandez announced, "is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day." There were squeals of delight from the Davis twins in the front row. Toby cringed at the sound. Mr. Hernandez then proceeded to explain the properties of bubble wrap, how it was invented, and how it was made. He asked all kinds of questions making the class work through the logistics of stretching plastic with air, sealing the bubbles, and coating them against leaks.

He then had them break up into groups of twos and threes and create something original out of their bubble wrap. Jason and Toby were just deciding on a dinosaur when Ressa walked up.

"Mind if I join your group?" she asked.

Jason frowned. "We've pretty much decided on a T-Rex," he said decisively.

"Hmmm," she said looking down at her yellow piece. "I was thinking of something delicate like a butterfly." She glanced up and her dark eyes sparkled mischievously. "But I guess a dinosaur will do. Since we wouldn't want to have a yellow bellied T-Rex, how about I make the head or tail?"

Jason smirked. "Okay," he conceded. "Make the head. Yellow works. It's been eating something that didn't agree with it. We'll make the body blue and green."

There was much excitement in the class. Laughter was punctuated with an occasional "pop, pop" when someone's artwork failed the test of being molded into an animal or an abstract design.

They had just attached the head and were admiring the finished result when an announcement came over the loud speaker. It was Carson.

"As you all know, tonight is our big soccer game against Central. To show our support for our excellent team, the Sierra Scorpions, we will all gather at the soccer field bleachers for a pep rally. When the bell rings, please file out in an ORDERLY manner and gather..."

The ringing bell drowned out his voice. Kids howled and shouted as they poured out of the classrooms, and headed for the main doors in a chaotic mob of enthusiasm. Chants of Si-er-ra Scor-pions! Score! Score! Scor-pions! Ssssssssssss," reverberated off the walls. Toby was separated from Ressa and Jason. He managed to force his way out of the crowd and duck into the boy's restroom.

This was his chance to get into the office while Carson was outside leading the rally. He waited for the noise to die down in the hall. The cries were getting fainter. Only the running footsteps of an occasional straggler could be heard. He wiped his sweating palms on his jeans, and tried to breathe naturally. Finally it was quiet outside. He opened the door, and looked out in what he hoped was a casual manner. The hall was empty except for a few dropped papers here and there on the floor.

The rubber soles of his sneakers made very little noise as he walked to Carson's office. His heart raced, and anxious thoughts filled his mind. What if Mrs. Hightower was still at her desk? How would he get past her? What would he say to her about what he was doing there? His steps slowed as he got near the office. He strained his ears to hear the shuffling of paper or the clicking of computer keys. All was quiet. Deathly quiet. The only noise was the muffled distant chanting from the soccer field. Peeking around the corner he saw the desk was empty.

Starting towards the open door of Carson's office, he froze at the sound of approaching footsteps and whistling. Mr. Hernandez! There was no mistaking that whistle. It was getting louder. In panic Toby raced into the office, and pushed the door partly closed. The window shades were drawn, and it was dark inside. Through the crack he could see bright sunshine streaming in through a window in the outer office.

Mr. Hernandez came into view, and laid a folder on Mrs. Hightower's desk. As he glanced toward the office, Toby shrank back and tried not to move. The whistling stopped. Toby's head started to pound with his heartbeat and he closed his eyes. Then he heard retreating footsteps and far off whistling.

He collapsed in the chair with relief, and then jumped back up. He had to find that book. His eyes had adjusted to the dimness of the room, and he scanned the bookshelf. Not there. Of course it wouldn't be in plain sight. Carson must have hidden it.

He turned on the desk lamp. The big desk was clean enough to be in a showroom. On the corner was an in-basket with a short letter. Toby leaned over and quickly read it. It was from the school board requesting financial reports.

Large polished brass handles gleamed on each of the drawers. He pulled open the top middle drawer. Pens, paper clips, post it notes, and loose change were neatly separated in a tray. It slid noiselessly as he closed it. Outside, cheers from kids in the bleachers blended with the music from the marching band.

He opened drawer after drawer. They contained papers, notebooks, and business cards. All were precisely organized. The band had stopped playing, and someone was leading a cheer. "Score, Score, Scorpions!"

He pulled open the last drawer on the bottom. Hanging folders filled the drawer with typed labels in perfect sequence. He was just reaching in to check the back of the drawer when he heard someone clear his throat. Jumping back he hit his hand on the top of the drawer, and fell back into the big leather chair. Shaking his hand and grimacing, he looked up to see Carson. The cheers outside had stopped, and he could hear voices in the hallway outside.

Light flooded the room as Carson flipped on the overhead light. "Decided to try out my chair instead of joining us at the pep rally?"

Toby scrambled out of the chair, and hit his knee on the open drawer as he tried to get out from behind the desk.

"Have a seat," Carson said pointing to the familiar faded green chair. Toby limped over and sat down.

Carson moved behind the desk and carefully pushed the drawer closed before sitting down. "What is it you were looking for?" he said.

Toby didn't answer.

"I think I can help," he said. "Let me see...." He looked at the ceiling and pursed his lips. "You like to read. Perhaps you were looking for a book."

Toby shuffled in his seat. It was warm in the room. His pack was hot against his back. Carson knew why he was here. He was just playing with him, like a cat with a mouse.

"Not just any book, though. A precocious boy like you wouldn't be interested in just any book. You'd want a book with adventure. Something about far away places. A village with strange animals and interesting people. A book with pictures that draw you into the story."

Toby looked up surprised.

"Ah, I see that kind of book would interest you." He reached into the pocket of his sports coat, and pulled out the book.

Toby sank back in the chair and his shoulders drooped. He felt nauseous, but knew that throwing up on Carson's perfectly polished desk was not a good move. All this for nothing. He didn't have the book, and now he was in real trouble.

"Yes, a book like that would be quite special," Carson said as he caressed the leather cover. "Not something you would want to just leave lying around." He laid it on the desk and leaned back. Placing his elbows on the arms of the chair he clasped his fingers together and looked at the ceiling.

"A book like that would need a bookmark. Something like a paper with soccer scores or football statistics. I don't suppose you came across anything like that in any books you might have been reading recently?" He looked piercingly at Toby. "I seem to have misplaced a paper like that. One with sentimental value. Nothing that would mean anything to anyone else of course."

Toby met his eyes. He must mean the paper that Buz had been asking about. What was it? Surely not sports statistics! What could it be?

Carson leaned across the desk. "The return of something like that would certainly go a long way towards proving that you didn't mean any harm by being in my office. An inquisitive and fearless boy like you, who has shown a strong interest in investigation, should have no trouble locating a simple piece of paper."

Toby shrugged and tried to look blank.

Carson leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers irritably. "Let's stop pretending Toby. You've somehow managed to put a scare into Buz and his cronies. They aren't good for much, but they have been useful. Now they aren't even good bullies. I'm thinking about taking a trip. Maybe I'll take you with me. Of course if you don't have the book, it might be a one-way trip for you. I'm sure you won't mind living in that other world permanently. I think I might enjoy being a ruler of a small village on a full-time basis. You can be my servant boy."

Toby sat up and burst out, "You can't do that! The Governor would never allow it."

"The Governor? You silly boy. I'm the Governor."

Toby stared at him astonished as the truth sunk in. It was so obvious. Carson had known about the other world all the time, and had been posing as the governor there. Marnie had been warning him about Carson, but he had been too dull to understand.

"That's right Toby," he said smoothly as if reading his thoughts. "In the village, I rule supreme."

Toby shivered, but then had another thought. Did Carson know the real governor had shown up? Would the villagers be ready and waiting when Carson arrived? He smiled, as he imagined an unsuspecting Carson walking into the village. He would arrive thinking he was going to be honored, but they would drag him away and lock him up.

Carson frowned and leaned forward. "You don't seem to understand that I am the law there. There will be no one to come to your rescue. Of course if you cooperate, we could work out a deal. I just need that piece of paper."

There was a knock at the door, and Carson turned. Toby's gaze moved across the desk to the letter from the school board – the letter about financial reports. What was it Marnie had said? The governor's a crook. Then it clicked in his mind. The figures on the paper had something to do with the way Carson was juggling the school's finances!

Mrs. Hightower stood in the doorway. Her face was pale and concerned. Behind her stood two police officers.

"Toby," Mrs. Hightower said sternly. "Come here."

But Toby couldn't move. His legs felt like lead. Oh no, he thought. I'm going to get locked up for breaking and entering.

"I didn't take anything," he said. "Honest, I was just looking..." He turned back just in time to see Carson slipping the book into his jacket pocket as he stood up.

"Toby! For goodness sake come out of there," she said. When he didn't move, she came over and took him by the arm. To his surprise, the police walked past him, and placed some papers on the desk. Mrs. Hightower hurried Toby out of the room and told him, "Go on down to the cafeteria, and get some lunch. And don't say anything about this. Do you understand?"

Toby nodded. All he really understood was that he was free, and he made good his escape. As he turned to go, he heard the police saying something about impounding financial records.

CHAPTER 11 - RESSA

He hurried down the deserted hallway intending to go out the side door. He had to get to the other world and let them know what he had discovered. Lunch at home seemed like a much better idea than the cafeteria.

He reached for the door. Hearing his name called, he jerked his hand back. He spun around quickly and almost fell over Ressa.

"Whoa," she said. Her books fell as she stumbled back.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" he said.

"Who's a sneak?" she said indignantly. "And why are you so cantankerous?"

"Who's cantankerous? And what kind of a word is that? No one says cantankerous."

"Sure they do. Actually, I just did." She smirked. "I heard it in an old movie." She reached down and picked up one of the books she had dropped.

He hurriedly picked up the other one. As they stood up, he glanced at the title."

She tugged on the book, but he was still holding onto it. He read slowly, "1-2-3 Infinity?"

"It's sort of about math and science puzzles," she said blushing and pulled harder on the book.

"Sounds interesting," he said letting go. She quickly tucked the books into her backpack.

"It's..well..kind of a classic I guess."

"I like classics. Maybe I'll check it out at the library sometime. Sorry I snapped at you," he added.

"Probably just hungry," she said. "You were headed for the cafeteria weren't you?"

"Well, I was headed for lunch," he said slowly.

"Good. We'll go together. They're having spaghetti again. This time you might actually get to eat some."

"Thanks a lot," he said grimacing.

As they walked down the hall together Toby was feeling like things were finally starting to look up. The meeting with Ressa had started out a little shaky, but they seemed to be getting along okay now. As they entered the cafeteria, even the line was short. But then his heart sank. BAM was in line ahead of them. Yet another humiliation waiting for him in front of Ressa.

Arnie looked around, and his eyes got big as he saw Toby. He turned back quickly and nudged Buz. "That spaghetti doesn't look too good. Let's go out for something."

"Knock it off Arnie," Buz said as he brushed him aside.

Magnus glanced back to see what was going on, and spotted Toby. He stared for a moment before saying, "I'm with Arnie. Let's get outside for awhile."

"What's wrong with you..." Buz started to say as he turned to see what they were staring at. He stopped. "Maybe you're right. A little fresh air sounds good."

They all stepped out of line, and hurried through the side door.

Ressa looked at Toby impressed. "What got into them? They looked like they saw a ghost."

Toby shrugged. "I guess spaghetti wasn't challenging enough for them this time."

She laughed, and they took their trays to a table. While they ate, he convinced her to let him look at her book. She filled him in on yesterday's math class. The teacher had brought up the classic problem of the minimum number of colors needed for a map. Ressa turned to that puzzle in the book, and showed him the problem. They spent the last part of the lunch period hunched over the book discussing it. The bell rang, and they scrambled to get their stuff together. They barely made it to class on time.

Just as he was sliding into his seat, the teacher called his name. He jumped up and said, "Yes sir?"

"You've been missing a lot of classes lately. Did you bring an excuse?"

Toby's mind raced. As he hesitated, the teacher repeated slowly, "Did – you - bring - an – excuse, from Mr. Carson's office?"

"I..um..I was just there before lunch. Mrs. Hightower sent me away, and told me to go to the cafeteria. I don't think she wants me to come back there today," he said.

The teacher raised his eyebrows cynically. "Interesting."

Toby shuffled his feet hoping he didn't look as nervous as he felt. Until the last few days he hadn't been noticed much by anyone. Now he was turning into a delinquent. Is this how Buz started out, he wondered.

The teacher cleared his throat. "Okay Toby. Take your seat. We wouldn't want a great mind to go to waste. I'll talk to Mrs. Hightower."

Toby dropped down in his seat, and tried to ignore the fact that everyone in the room was staring at him. Too bad he couldn't just fade out of sight. That made him remember the other world. All the urgency came flooding back to him. As soon as this class was over he had to get away and warn everyone.

The teacher said, "Last class we discussed the classic map problem. Does anyone remember the problem?" He looked around the room, but no one volunteered an answer. "Not surprising," he said half to himself. "Okay here it is again." In a singsong voice he recited, "How many colors would you need to color the countries on a map, without two countries of the same color touching?"

As the class worked through proving that neither two nor three were enough, Toby's thoughts shifted to the other world. How many countries did it have, and what would a map look like? In his mind he started drawing points on a map; the hut, the Valley of Rocks, the village, the field where he'd spent the afternoon with Marnie and Berren. He was just starting to color each section, when the teacher called on him.

"How about you, Toby? Can you think of a way to prove that four colors would be enough?"

His mind snapped back to the room. Anticipation was heavy in the air as the rest of the class waited for his answer.

He glanced at Ressa. Her eyes danced mischievously. They'd already worked through this problem at lunch, and she obviously remembered the answer.

He cleared his throat, "I don't think I can," he managed to croak out.

"Well, you're not alone," the teacher said. "So far, no one has been able to write a mathematical proof of the four color theory. However, it is commonly accepted that four colors are the minimum amount needed.

Toby felt relief as attention shifted back to the teacher. Only five more minutes left of class. They dragged by as he planned his escape route. Finally the bell rang. The class erupted in a swarm of moving bodies squeezing through the door.

"Toby, don't forget to bring that pass tomorrow!" the teacher called. Ressa waved as she went through the door, and headed in the opposite direction for her next class. Toby was pulled along into the hall with the other kids. Breaking away from the group, he went out a side door with several others who were taking a shortcut across the yard. Hoping no one was watching, he slipped around a tree, headed for the street, and cut down an alley. Instinctively, he swerved away from the fence as the big dog hurled itself against the chain links barking ferociously. At least he wasn't in the yard with it this time.

Hot and panting he arrived at home. He raced up the stairs two at a time. Racking his brain, he tried to think what he might have done with Carson's paper. He had the scanned copy, but the original would be much better evidence.

He tossed his pack on the bed, and hurried over to the desk. One by one he opened each drawer and rummaged through it looking for the paper. Pulling out the last drawer, he dumped the contents. Ticket stubs, postage stamps, birthday cards, and pages he had saved from his daily science calendar spilled across the surface. As he pawed through the mess, his eyes focused on his printer. He stopped. Reaching out slowly, he opened the lid. There on the glass was the paper. Right where he had left it when he scanned it for Pete's e-mail. Laughing at himself, he carefully picked it up, and put it into his shirt pocket.

Doing a quick search on the Internet he found an address for the school board. Then he typed a short note:

This paper belongs to Mr. Carson. I thought it might be of interest to you. A Friend.

Placing the note and the coded paper into an envelope, he sealed and stamped it. Before leaving he dashed off a quick e-mail to Pete.

Looks like you were right about the crook part. I think he's been fudging the school financial books. I'm sending the paper to the school board. If you don't hear from me in 24 hours be sure to notify someone. You have the only other copy of the code sheet. I'm heading off to warn Caedman, Marnie and Berren about Carson.

Locking the door behind him, he hurried out and dropped the letter into a mailbox just outside the library. His plan was to use the picture to get to the other world, but he couldn't just vanish out here in broad daylight. Then he thought of the back room in the library. Perfect.

He sauntered into the building, and smiled at the woman behind the Reference Desk. His luck was holding. It wasn't Nitika. She looked confused and glanced at her watch.

"Independent research project," he said.

He darted into the stacks of books as she called out, "Just a minute young man!"

Quickly he made his way to the back room, and through the narrow passage. He pulled out his magnifying glass and the picture. Seconds later the reference librarian stepped into the little room, puzzled to find it empty. She checked the window, but it was still locked. Hands on her hips she looked around the room bewildered.

CHAPTER 12 - LOST KINGDOM

Carson locked the door to his apartment, and walked to the waiting cab. "Train station," he barked as he lifted the heavy suitcases into the seat beside him. The driver left him alone during the long ride to the station. That was fine with Carson. He was busy planning his departure.

After the two security officers had locked down his office, they cautioned him that it would be in his best interest not to leave town. An investigation was in progress, and it wouldn't help his case if his actions were questionable.

Well it wouldn't help his case to stay around and get arrested either, he thought. Fortunately he had a backup plan for this kind of situation. He had been through this drill before.

He removed his driver's license from his wallet. Then pulling a leather pouch out of his inside jacket pocket he opened it to reveal two rows of licenses and credit cards. Each license had his picture on it with a different name. There was a credit card with a name that matched each license.

He sorted through them and decided on one with the name William W. Pointe. Taking out the matching credit card, he put them both into his wallet.

He patted his coat pocket where Worlds Within was safely stored. This wasn't the first time he had changed identities and towns, but this was the first time he had an escape route to another world. Soon he would be starting a new life, and he wasn't going to go empty handed. With the credit card he would pick up some necessities. He could live life there like a king. He was made for greater things than paltry school administration. Now that he considered it, why stop at governor of a small village? He might even become king of that whole country. But he had to plan carefully. First a trip to a large city where he wasn't known so he could make all the preparations. This time things would be different.

As they pulled up to the train station, a brown, mud spattered jeep passed them and turned into the parking lot. Carson gave the driver his new credit card, adding a generous tip.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Pointe!" the driver said. With a big grin, he hurried around to help unload the bags. Carson put the credit card into his jacket pocket, picked up the bags, and strode into the terminal.

The cab driver started to pull out into traffic, but slammed on the brakes to avoid a pedestrian. A slim woman with long hair flashed an apologetic smile at him. She hurried in front of the car and entered the terminal.

Carson was purchasing a ticket at the counter. He frowned as he flipped through his wallet looking for the credit card. Then he remembered he had put it into his jacket pocket. He pulled out Worlds Within and laid it on the counter. Reaching into the pocket again he found the credit card, and handed it to the clerk.

A soft voice behind him said, "Mr. Carson?" Startled, he turned around and saw Nitika. His mind raced as he tried to think how to get rid of her without the clerk taking notice.

"No need to be formal. Call me Will."

"Will then," she said. "Funny we should we meet here. Planning a trip?"

"Just a short one. I'm meeting a friend of mine, and we're going to a special soccer game this evening."

She glanced at the two bags. "Traveling light?"

The clerk handed him a ticket and said, "Here you are Mr. Pointe."

Carson snatched the ticket. "Sorry to rush off, but I don't want to miss that game." He grabbed his bags and hurried off.

Nitika smiled at the clerk, and picked up the book. "My friend seems to have forgotten this. I'll just return it to the owner."

"Thanks miss," the clerk said.

She turned and walked out.

As the train pulled away from the station, Carson placed his bags into the storage area. Feeling shaken, he collapsed into a nearby seat. Hopefully that would be the last he'd see of anyone from that town. Smiling confidently, he patted his jacket. Startled he sat up and thrust his hand into the empty pocket. The color drained from his face. No book. No book! In a flash he remembered placing it on the ticket counter. The train rushed on relentlessly, carrying him further and further away from his dream.

The brown, mud spattered jeep headed back to town. On the passenger seat next to Nitika lay a small leather bound book. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. Off in the distant the mournful wail of a train whistle could be heard faintly over the noise of the traffic.

CHAPTER 13 - HONORED

Toby blinked. The sun was bright, but the air was cool and crisp. Something rubbed up against his leg. Looking down he saw Sirius.

"Hello there," he said as he reached down tentatively and stroked his back. Breathing deeply, he smelled the wood fire from the hut mixed with the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread. He was surprised to see his breath in the cool air.

Sirius walked primly to the door, and turned around to see if he was following. "Coming," Toby chuckled, and walked up to the doorway.

Inside, Caedman was bending over the fire. Without looking up he said, "Welcome back Toby. Come in. This is a day for travelers." Toby entered the dimly lit room. "How are things in your world?" Caedman said as he passed him a drink.

Toby took a big gulp of the cool, fruity water. "That's why I'm here," he blurted out. "Carson has the book and is planning on coming back here."

Caedman set a plate with a small steaming loaf of bread on the firewall in front of him.

"He's the imposter governor," Toby said, "and he means to take over the village." The smell of the yeast from the freshly baked bread made his mouth water. He picked it up and broke it open. "He's been stealing from the school. The police came today, and locked up his office." He stuffed a piece into his mouth. It was sweet and crunchy.

There was movement in the corner of the room. A familiar voice said urgently, "When did this happen?"

Toby turned towards the voice and saw Nitika. Swallowing hard he stared speechless at her.

"Toby," she said firmly, "When did the authorities come to Carson's office?"

"How did you get here?" Toby choked out. He took another drink and turned back to Caedman, "How did she get here?"

Caedman smiled, "She has traveled here many times, but what of her question? Do you know when the authorities arrived?"

"Lunch time. I was in his office trying to get the book back when he came in and found me."

Nitika drew her breath in sharply. "What did he do?" she asked in a low intense voice.

"He threatened to bring me here with no way to return, and to make me his servant."

Caedman grimaced. "It is as I suspected. His thoughts are only for himself and his own gain."

"But we have to warn the real Governor," Toby said urgently. "Carson has the book, and he's coming here. He may already be here!" Toby looked around half expecting to see Carson step out of the shadows too.

Nitika smiled. "Do not worry, Toby," she said as she picked up something from the shelf beside her. "Here is the book. He will not be coming here."

Toby's eyes widened as he saw she held Worlds Within. "How'd you get that?" he asked. "I saw him put it into his pocket just before the authorities came into his office."

Nitika then told him about their meeting at the train station. Caedman had warned her about him. It was just luck that she saw him getting into a cab with suitcases. Since she didn't know about the court order, she could only follow him and try to find out what he was doing. When she overhead the clerk call him Mr. Pointe, she knew he was using a fake identity. In his confusion he left the book on the counter, and she picked it up. Then she called a friend of hers at the police station, and told him the story.

"I hope they will be able to catch him," she said. "But he is crafty, and may yet slip through their fingers. But what about you? Did he harm you in any way?"

Toby shook his head. "My biggest problem is how many classes I've been missing unexcused. My record is looking pretty bad, and I'm afraid the school is going to call my grandmother. She's going to think I'm turning into a delinquent."

Nitika smiled reassuringly. "I think perhaps I can talk to Mrs. Hightower and reconcile your record."

"You could do that?" Toby asked hopefully.

She nodded. "I think it can be arranged." She held out the book to him, "I believe this book is now yours."

He took it and said, "But it's not mine. I was trying to get it back from Carson so I could return it." He turned to Caedman. "It's really your book," and he held it out to him.

Caedman gently pushed it back to Toby. "The book long ago passed from my possession. I gave it to my daughter. She has now given it to you."

Toby looked confused, and turned back to Nitika in astonishment.

"If you still have the page you removed, my father is skilled in book repair," she said. "Perhaps he could restore it."

The pieces started falling in place for Toby. He began to understand the mystery behind Nitika's childhood, and why books seemed to be as natural to her as breathing. He pulled the picture of the hut out of his backpack, and held it out to Caedman with the book.

"Do you think it can be repaired?"

Caedman carefully smoothed the page, and looked at it critically. "It will take some time, but it can be put right."

Toby turned to Nitika. "If the book was yours, how did it get into Carson's office?"

Nitika looked sad. "I was not as attentive as I should have been with such a gift. One day I left it lying on my desk at the library, and it came up missing. I can only assume that Carson picked it up. You have now been entrusted with the book. Be careful it does not fall into the wrong hands."

Sirius suddenly stood up, fluffed his tail and lay back his ears. He then shook himself, and lay back down.

"I believe we have a visitor," Caedman said.

Toby heard running footsteps and Marnie burst through the door. She stopped suddenly when she saw Toby and Nitika.

"You're here!" she said surprised.

Toby wasn't sure if she was talking to him or Nitika.

"Is it ready?" she said to Caedman excitedly.

"Yes," he said. "It is ready." He went to the shelf he used for a desk. Reaching into the back, he pulled out a small object and placed it on her palm.

Her eyes sparkled as she turned to Toby. "This is for you," she said holding it out to him.

He opened his hands, and she carefully placed it into his waiting fingers. He held it close to the light. It was a silver sentinel inlaid with turquoise. The eyes were amber quartz.

"It's Sirius!" he said amazed. The sentinel stretched and sat up. Toby thought he looked smug.

"Turn it over," Marnie said, "but don't look too close."

He turned it over. There were two pictures etched on the back.

"One to get you here. One to get you home," Marnie said happily. "Now you can come anytime you want without the book."

Toby looked up at Caedman, "Can I keep it?"

Marnie interrupted, "Of course you can keep it. That's why he made it for you." Then she added shyly, "You can put it on your key ring if you want."

He pulled out his key ring, and it went on smoothly.

"Thank you," he said as he closed his hand protectively around it.

Nitika said, "This is a wondrous gift, but it does not take the place of the book. You have been chosen as the caretaker until the time comes for you to pass it on. Do not take this responsibility lightly."

Toby looked up at her. The flickering firelight dancing across her features hinted at a power and strength that he had not seen before.

He didn't know what to say. Finally he blurted out, "I am honored."

"Yes, Toby," she said. "You are honored."

EPILOGUE - A WEEK LATER

The next week passed in a blur for Toby. As promised, Nitika had talked to the school. All his recent problems had been erased from his record. He had been attending his classes regularly and was almost caught up in all of them.

He had sent an e-mail to Pete telling him about Carson leaving town, and how the real governor had put things right in the other world. He didn't mention the silver sentinel on his key ring or that he was now the keeper of Worlds Within. The leather bound book was lying on his bookshelf. The picture of the hut had been safely restored.

He was hunched over his PC deleting spam and advertisements from his e-mail. Finally he reached the reply from Pete:

Did you catch the news last night? Dad called me in and made me watch it. Carson made national news. Someone sent an anonymous tip to the local school board with evidence against him. (Gee, I wonder who that could have been??) Guess they wanted to make sure he didn't go to another state and start over. They showed his picture and listed all the names he used. Wow – I hope he doesn't end up at school here! Wouldn't that be scary? Just when you thought you got rid of him you'd come back home and there he'd be! Like one of those Twilight Zone stories.

The news said all those trophies he had in his office were fakes! He dropped out of college. His grades were bad and he wasn't all that great at sports. Seems the only thing he was really good at was fake ID's – and messing with your life.

This whole thing must have been hard on you to make up all that stuff about another world. It was some fantasy! It did help out in my English class though – I got an A in creative writing! Bet that surprises you! Guess you won't be able to use it next year. Sorry about that. Maybe we can make up some stuff together.

Anyway, it won't be much longer and you'll be home and we can go camping again this summer. Dad said he'd take all of us before Kyle has to go home. You can show him that trail you found last year by the lake. Just as long as the two of you don't sit up all night singing Celtic songs around the campfire. Pete

Toby chuckled and opened a message from his dad.

Toby,

We're starting to wrap things up here and should be home about the time you get out of school this spring. We'll have the summer off and we'll do lots of great things together.

We've been offered another assignment for next fall, but insisted on a base camp close enough to civilization so you can be with us and go to school. A new lizard has been discovered in the American desert and we might get to be the ones to study it! It will be quite a change going from a frozen world to an arid desert. Here's some links so you can check out the new lizard and the area. Let us know what you think. We miss you and love you lots.

Dad & Mom

P.S. – if you hate the idea, let me know and we'll talk it over. We know it's not easy moving around all the time. We thought the trade off of new adventures might make up for it some. Dad

Toby clicked on one of the links. It brought up a picture of the southern Utah desert. In the center was a natural sandstone arch that had been formed thousands of years ago from erosion. Etched into the stone on the bottom of the arch was an Indian petroglyph of a lizard.

Looking through the arch was like looking through a porthole. The scene on the other side was hidden in shadows, but he could see dark blobs. He squinted at the screen and thought they might be tall trees. But it didn't make sense that there would be trees like that in the desert.

Then he remembered the black and white picture in the library. It clearly had pine trees along the path that led up to the arch, but he didn't remember seeing any on the other side of that arch.

But there was also something about that lizard. It looked strangely familiar. He had seen something like it recently. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the wall trying to think where he had seen that arch and that petroglyph. His eyes came to rest on Worlds Within.

Slowly he reached for the book. His heart beat a little faster as he turned through the pages. There it was – almost. The arch was the same as the one on his computer screen, but it wasn't in the desert. This arch was surrounded by tall pine trees just like in the library. An abundance of yellow flowers and tall grass grew around the base. The view through this arch was also in shadow. Could that be more trees on the other side, or was it tall standing stones? He looked closely at the bottom of the arch and smiled with satisfaction as he located the petroglyph of the lizard. There it was, but just below the lizard was something he couldn't quite make out. He reached for his magnifying glass...

NOTES

The pictures on the front and back cover were taken in a small state park in New Mexico called City of Rocks. The park is located in the southwest part of the state near Silver City. If you're ever in that area, it's a great place for a picnic and for spending the day wandering through the boulders and climbing on the rocks.

In Toby's first trip through the Valley of Rocks he sings the song "May It Be" by Enya. It is the ending song on the 2002 Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Rings song track. It was written and performed by Enya and was nominated for several awards. If you watch the movie, be sure to let it run through the credits at the end. Enya's song completes the film and leaves you with a haunting memory of the movie.

1-2-3 Infinity by George Gamow is a book full of delightful scientific facts and speculations. A classic. It is printed by Dover Publishing Inc. New York.

Flatland is a classic science fiction book written by Edwin A. Abbott in the 19th century. It is the story of a two-dimensional world where the people are squares, triangles and circles. The main character, A. Square, is challenged to see things differently when he meets a three-dimensional sphere. Published by Penguin Books.

Steven and Margaret Larson live in a row home with a library and a telescope. They have a cat that is at least 18 years old (when asked she refuses to give her exact age). Their small side yard has several trees, a few gnomes, a Brownie, a Pixie and a Sprite.

