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  “Eons.”

  “We didn’t mean to wake you. We’re very sorry,” George said as she sank to the ground beneath the tree and drew her knees up to her chin.

  “Did you make the rain come, human children?”

  “Yes, sort of, and we’re sorry. It must be a drag waking up to a storm and a flood,” Caleb said, sitting next to George.

  “This was once a paradise, before the dust turned blue and the dragons went away. The rain left with the dragons. Everything has been sleeping since then.”

  “Are you mad at us?” Mikal asked.

  “Mad? No. I would be so happy, except that you are so sad.”

  “We lost something,” George said numbly. “We lost our friend. There are consequences to losing things.”

  “I, too, have lost things, and friends. I was the only one left here. But I am no longer alone. Look at my branches.”

  The children looked up and saw that the tree’s branches were now covered with tiny buds that burst into sweet-smelling blossoms even as they watched.

  George gasped as one drifted down to land in her hair.

  “Yes,” the tree said. “You made the rain come, and the rain is bringing us back to life. We will remember what you’ve done.”

  “We?” Caleb asked.

  “I am not the only thing coming back. Look to the water.”

  The children obeyed and saw water lilies blooming in the pond, which was all that remained of the storm. Frogs burrowed from beneath the mud, cattails sprouted around the bank, and in the shallows of the sparkling pool lay a blue plastic bundle.

  “Cavendish!” George leapt up and ran to the bundle, dropped to her knees beside it, and pulled the raincoat away.

  Cavendish was streaked with dirt and dripping water.

  George held him in her lap and gently wiped him clean with the hem of her dress.

  “We should take him with us. Back to Mr. Neptune,” Mikal said, joining her in the shallows.

  “We won’t leave him, Mikal,” Caleb said.

  “Maybe Mr. Neptune will be able to repair him,” George said hopefully.

  George gave Cavendish to Mikal to hold while she and Caleb searched their backpacks for something to put him in. “Nothing I have is dry,” George said.

  “Me either,” Caleb said.

  “I guess we will just have to wrap him in something wet,” George said.

  A sputtering sound came from Mikal’s chest. “No … more … wetness…”

  “Cavendish?” Mikal asked frantically, turning him over. His screen was black.

  “Let me see.” Caleb took the map gently and thumped Cavendish on the side. “Cav?”

  Nothing happened, and Mikal’s face fell.

  “It always worked before,” Caleb said sadly.

  “Why must … you always … resort … to hitting … me?” Cavendish asked.

  George covered her mouth with both hands as his screen sputtered on.

  A huge grin covered Caleb’s face. “Cav! You’re alive!”

  “No thanks … to you.…”

  “I dropped you,” Mikal said. “I was scared you had drowned. I was so scared.”

  “I haven’t drowned.… Apparently, my creator made me … waterproof … which makes sense … when you think about it … puddle travel … and such.…”

  “He might have told you that! I’m so happy you’re okay,” George said, smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. “But you’ve had an awful day. Can I do anything for you?”

  “I have had a terrible day. I need to be cuddled,” Cavendish said.

  Caleb offered Cavendish back to Mikal, who held him tightly to his chest and looked at his friends with wide eyes.

  “Now that you are happy again, I think I might be able to have a quick doze,” the tree said, and then its trunk split into an enormous yawn and tiny white butterflies fluttered from its mouth, their wings sparkling as they rose in the moonlight.

  “You just— When you yawned! You just—” Mikal said, pointing to the butterflies.

  “It happens when one has been sleeping for so long. I’ve been saving them. If I had released them before, they wouldn’t have been able to live. I have something for you in there too. Come nearer to me.”

  The children gathered beneath the tree’s heavily drooping branches. The cavernous mouth that had released the butterflies opened again. Nestled inside the gaping maw was a long silver chain with a key on the end.

  “Sweet!” Caleb said, and began rolling up his sleeve. “You’d think we’d learn to not go sticking our hands in strange mouths, wouldn’t you?” Caleb reached in, trying to avoid the dripping strands of sap. He snatched the gift and yanked his hand safely free just as the tree’s jaws snapped together and it began to snore.

  George clapped her hands happily. “Our second key to Astria. Thank you, tree! You led us to the right place again, Cavendish. And you were closer than a hundred yards again. Next time we’ll just look exactly where you stop. What would we do without you?”

  “Wander hopelessly lost until the end of your days, I reckon,” Cavendish said.

  George bent down to grab a handful of mud, which she wrapped in a handkerchief and tucked in her pocket. “Everybody ready?”

  “I’m not ready,” Mikal said, staring at the shallow pond with a look of dread. “I don’t want to go back to the Door Way. There’s nothing under the Touries, and I’m scared I’ll fall.”

  “I don’t want to go back through the water. I’m scared I’ll drown,” Cavendish said. “But you’re getting braver, remember? And so am I.”

  “You’re waterproof, though. We’ve learned that,” Mikal said. “Humans aren’t gravity proof.”

  “You could fall, and I could drown,” Cavendish said. “But maybe this is our chance to rise above our fear. Do you think everyone gets a chance to do that? Besides, I need you to take me through the water.”

  Mikal was silent for a moment. “All right,” he said finally, and walked to where Caleb and George were waiting ankle deep in the pool that would serve as their mud puddle to the Door Way. When he reached his friends, he looked over his shoulder at the sleeping tree. “It seems rude to leave without saying good-bye. I would like to thank it somehow.”

  “I think it would understand, Mikal. Besides, we’re leaving this place better than it was when we got here. Right, George?” Caleb said.

  George smiled at Caleb and took Mikal’s hand. “Right. Three for backpack, four for Caleb, five for Mikal, six for Cavendish. Nothing’s missing.”

  The water pulled at their ankles, and they found themselves balancing awkwardly on Touries, once again in the tunnel.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “I’m starting to get used to this,” George said as she settled onto her pantry door Tourie.

  Mikal swallowed hard and clutched Cavendish close. “I’ll never be used to it.”

  “Where to, Cav?” Caleb asked.

  “I told you already—the third key is in Obsidia.”

  “Well, I was just a little stressed out when you said it,” Caleb said.

  “Nobody ever listens to me,” Cavendish complained.

  “I listen to you, Cavendish,” Mikal said.

  “At least there’s that,” Cavendish conceded. “Anyway, you were supposed to go to Obsidia next, but I’ve received a notice that says that world is currently unavailable.”

  “What does that mean? How can a world be unavailable?” George asked.

  “What am I, an oracle? Anyway, we’ve been rerouted. There’s an emergency in the Children’s Republic, and we’re heading there now. Did you hear that, Touries?”

  “Got it, boss,” Mikal’s Tourie said, and then reversed.

  Caleb’s and George’s Touries followed suit.

  “The Children’s Republic sounds like a nice place. Maybe they’ll have food,” Mikal said.

  “I hope it doesn’t delay us too much. We don’t have time for detours,” George said.

  * * *

  They ar
rived at the Children’s Republic and knocked upon the Moor, which was opened by a chubby young boy wearing a tuxedo. When he saw the bedraggled trio, his eyes grew wide. “I can’t believe you’re here!” He bent low at the waist. “I’m Zed. How do you do?”

  George attempted an awkward curtsy. “Hi, Zed. We do fine, thank you.”

  “I take it you’ve heard of us,” Caleb said.

  “Of course I’ve heard of the Snaffleharp Company! The Timekeeper himself let me know to expect you. I’m just surprised you’ve made it, is all. Has it been awful dangerous?”

  “No, it’s been a real piece of cake,” Caleb said tiredly. “Can we come in?”

  The boy’s face fell, and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, but not without proof. We’re not allowed to play with strangers, and you might not be the Snaffleharps at all. You could be dastardly villains!”

  “We have the Timekeeper’s watch. Would that be proof?” Mikal asked.

  The boy’s mouth fell open. “Jeepers! It certainly would. Show me.”

  George dug the watch from her backpack and was delighted to see the plastic bag had kept it and twelve for Istanbul safe from the flood. She held it up for the young boy to see.

  He blinked dramatically. “Amazing! Please come in!”

  “Thank you,” they all said at once.

  They stepped into the Children’s Republic, and their mouths immediately began to water as the scent of hot funnel cake and fresh cotton candy washed over them. The air rang with laughter as children of all ages frolicked about. Some rode a miniature train on a track made of peppermint sticks, while others trotted by on ponies. A young girl in blue overalls tinkered with the engine of an airplane that was just the right size for her, while a tiny girl still in diapers handed her tools. A group of boys and girls in pirate costumes ran by shouting and carrying wooden swords. Fairies fluttered to and fro, their wings shimmering in the sunlight, while gnomes scurried about, taking care to avoid playful feet. Knights jousted in the middle of a busy boulevard, and hot-air balloons floated above their heads in a myriad of colors.

  “It’s every story I’ve ever read,” George said, gazing around in awe.

  Zed straightened his shoulders and smiled proudly, exposing two missing front teeth.

  “Wow, are those real cowboys and Indians?” Caleb asked, pointing in the direction of an ice cream parlor designed to look like an Old West saloon.

  “A trapeze artist!” Mikal said as he noticed a group of circus performers bustling into a towering circus tent.

  “What is this place?” George asked as a team of reindeer raced by, pulling a jingling sleigh. A cloud floated just in front of the team, sprinkling snow upon the ground.

  “Let’s walk as I explain, if you don’t mind,” Zed said, leading them by an aquarium. “The best way to describe this place would be to say it’s a type of heaven specifically for children.”

  “A heaven?” George asked, confused. “Is everyone here dead?”

  “No. Some of us are, but not all. This is a place for children who haven’t been born yet or children who have died and can’t be reunited with their parents yet.”

  George stopped in her tracks for a moment, then rushed to catch back up.

  “Why can’t they be reunited with their parents?” Caleb asked.

  “Their parents are still living in the worlds and aren’t yet ready to rejoin their children.”

  “How sad,” Mikal said.

  “It may be sad for those still alive, but not for those who live here. We are happy, and we await our loved ones patiently.”

  “You know, we’re kind of in a hurry. Cavendish, how long do we have?” George asked.

  “The time is now five twenty-three PM DWT. You currently have twenty-nine hours and forty-eight minutes until the sky falls in.”

  “Please, could we maybe grab a few sandwiches and just be on our way?” George asked.

  “But Obsidia is closed, so we can’t go on our way, remember?” Caleb asked.

  “That’s why you were sent here,” Zed said. “You have to do something to open Obsidia so you can access it and gain your third key to Astria.”

  “Then can you take us to whoever’s in charge so they can tell us what to do?” George asked.

  “Oh jeepers,” Zed said. “I should probably have said so earlier, but I’m the Master of Passage, and I’m in charge here.”

  “You?” George asked. “But where are the adults?”

  “There are no adults here. It’s just us kids.”

  “But who takes care of you? Who feeds you? Who does the laundry?” George asked.

  “The gnomes feed us, and wash our clothes, and tuck us in at night. The fairies doctor our scrapes and bruises, and read to us, and make sure we floss. In return, we keep their flowers watered and let them have our teeth when we’re finished using them.”

  “Can you tell us how to fix Obsidia so we can go?” George asked.

  “I can, but we’ll talk about it after we eat,” Zed said. He had led them to the middle of a wide grassy field checkered with colorful picnic tables piled high with all their favorite desserts. There were little groups of children here and there, eating and joking together.

  “Oh … my,” Mikal breathed. “This really is heaven.”

  “Sweet. Who makes all of this stuff?” Caleb asked, moving to an empty table and sticking his finger into the meringue topping of a lemon pie before licking it off.

  “The gnomes do. They’re master bakers and take a lot of pride in their cooking,” Zed said, eyeing the cakes and pies greedily.

  “Where are the gnomes now?” Mikal asked.

  “Everywhere!” Zed said, waving a hand in the air. “They’re in their bakeries or laundries, or tending the babies, or playing in their gardens, or just looking after us. They take turns doing all that, and they’re always doing something.”

  Caleb took the seat nearest to him and piled his plate high.

  Mikal followed his lead, but George remained standing with her arms crossed over her chest as she looked around anxiously.

  “Would you please take a seat?” Zed asked her, and when she had, he sighed in relief and sat down on the other side of the table, where he began to stuff himself.

  “You don’t have a very healthy menu to choose from,” George said as she began to serve herself from the mountain of sweets.

  Caleb rolled his eyes as he mumbled around a mouthful of cherry tart, “Jeez, Georgina.”

  “Mmm,” Mikal said, then sank his teeth into a deliciously soft cookie.

  “We usually have very healthy food. Broccoli and fruit and stuff,” Zed said, wrinkling his nose. “But the gnomes have decided to spoil us these past few days, what with the worlds ending and all.”

  “We’re trying to keep that from happening,” Mikal said.

  “I know, but don’t tell the gnomes. I want to enjoy these goodies as long as I can!”

  “You said you’re the Master of Passage. What does that mean?” Caleb asked.

  “I open the doors to and from the other worlds so the other children can come and go. It’s a very important job,” Zed said, his chest swelling with pride.

  “Sounds like it,” Caleb said.

  The boys ate ravenously, but George barely touched her food. As soon as Caleb and Mikal began to slow down, she pushed her plate away. “Zed, can you tell us about the emergency now? I’d really like to get going.”

  “You’re supposed to spend the night,” Zed said. “You can wake up early in the morning and tend to the emergency. There’s nothing you can do until tomorrow.”

  George slouched back in her seat and stared at her uneaten food.

  “Why don’t you explore and try to enjoy your time here? They’re already setting up for the evening carnival,” Zed said, pointing at the other side of the field, where boys and girls and gnomes and fairies were working together to assemble rides and game booths and food stands. Carnival music started to thrum and drift toward them.

&
nbsp; “I’m going to go check out the rides!” Caleb said, hopping up and loping away.

  “And I want to play some games!” Mikal said as he ran off, leaving Cavendish forgotten on the picnic bench.

  “Wait for me!” Zed called, and scurried after them as fast as his chubby legs would go.

  George was left all alone.

  Even Cavendish was silent, his screen black except for little white letters that read Currently updating systems.

  George heaved a deep sigh, collected the map, and moved to sit in the sweet-smelling grass. In the distance she saw the carnival setup had already been completed, thanks to so many helping hands.

  Caleb was wearing a huge grin and waiting his turn to ride a Goliath roller coaster. He was chatting with the other children in line and seemed to be making friends.

  Mikal was standing in front of a game booth with a bouquet of cotton candy in one hand and an orange plastic ring in the other. There was an expression of fierce concentration on his face as he reared back to throw the ring, and then a shout of jubilation as he hit the target straight on. He jumped up and down with excitement, pointing to a prize hanging on the wall of the little booth, and was then handed a stuffed green dinosaur.

  Now Caleb was on the roller coaster, silver hair shining in the flashing lights, arms waving in the air, and whooping with delight as he sailed through loop after loop.

  Then Mikal was chasing a pretty girl. When he caught up to her, he touched her on the shoulder and then spun around and took off again, the girl in hot pursuit.

  George looked away and saw the sun setting behind a rainbow of hot-air balloons. Everywhere there was joy and beauty and laughter.

  She stared down at her lap, eyes stinging. She ran her palms over the blades of grass, and her vision began to blur. She tried to ignore a tiny origami dragonfly as it flitted around her head and then landed in her curly hair. It flicked its wings several times before George brushed it gently away.

  “Shoo,” she whispered.

  She heard panting and running feet as Caleb and Mikal returned.

  Mikal’s face was flushed and smeared with blue cotton candy.

  The boys flopped down beside her to catch their breath.