"I hope so too," Kendra said.
Chapter 12 Rescue
The next day, peering out the kitchen window, Kendra spotted Hugo sitting on the lawn, legs straight out, shoulders slumped, big hands folded in his lap. In harmony with the springtime atmosphere at Fablehaven, the golem looked more colorful than usual, with an abundance of wild-flowers, blossoming creepers, and tufts of grass sprouting from his earthen body. Dale stood beside Hugo, hands on his hips. Kendra realized she had never seen the golem sitting down before.
Kendra went out the back door and crossed the lawn to Dale. "Something wrong with Hugo?" she asked.
"Hey, Kendra," Dale said, wiping his damp brow with a handkerchief. "I've never seen him like this. The big guy has been sluggish all day. Then I came out of the barn to find him picking grass."
Kendra noticed the small pits and discarded divots in front of the golem. "You okay, Hugo?"
The big head swiveled toward her, cavernous eyes regarding her solemnly. "Hugo okay," he said wearily. His gravelly voice was becoming more expressive and intelligible every day.
"Well, get up then," Dale prodded. "We have chores to do. You're making everybody nervous." Dale looked uncomfortable.
Kendra wondered if Dale missed the way Hugo used to be. In the past, Hugo had done nothing but follow orders. But after the fairies had tampered with him, the golem had developed a will of his own. He still almost always followed commands, but on occasion he would deviate or improvise.
With a grunt like rolling boulders, Hugo rose to his feet, mouth bent in a frown. He looked down at Dale.
"That's the spirit," Dale said, as if encouraging a child. "Let's go see to those stables."
Powerful arms at his sides, Hugo bent at the waist and then toppled forward. His head hit the ground hard, digging a short furrow in the lawn. Propped up by his head and feet, he rigidly held his bowed position, arms at his sides, rear end pointing skyward.
"What's wrong, Hugo?" Kendra asked. Could the golem be ill? He looked absolutely pathetic.
Heaving with his arms, Hugo rocked back to a sitting position. "Seth gone," he said, a forlorn rumble.
"You miss Seth?" Kendra said. "He'll be back." Hugo shook his heavy head. "Seth taken."
"Who told you Seth was taken?" Dale asked. "Doren."
Kendra blinked. Suddenly Hugo's behavior made much more sense. He was concerned about Seth.
"Is that what has you out of sorts?" Dale asked. "You miss your buddy?"
Hugo patted his chest. "Miss buddy."
"Seth will be all right," Kendra said encouragingly. "He's survived tough situations before." She wished she could fully believe her words.
Hugo regarded her with an unnerving, eyeless gaze. "Hugo want help."
"Best way you can help is to keep Fablehaven running," Dale urged. "Otherwise there won't be a preserve for Seth to come home to."
Once again, Hugo stood up. He gazed down at Kendra. "You help Seth."
"We'll figure out something," Kendra promised. She couldn't explain that they already had a rescue planned. They were only allowed to discuss plans in the past. Maybe the golem needed a distraction. "Want to play catch, Hugo? Or hit a baseball? You can throw me in the pool."
The golem forced a craggy smile. He rubbed his stony chest. "Not feel right. Maybe later. Stables first."
"I've never seen him all emotional like this," Dale muttered out the side of his mouth.
"It's sweet," Kendra said, fighting back tears.
"Come," Hugo said, picking up Dale and cradling him in one arm. The golem gently patted Kendra on the shoulder, then turned and loped out of the yard.
Kendra was left standing alone. She sat down on the grass, which had been squashed flat by the golem's rump. The rescue operation would commence within the hour. Trask and Elise had still not arrived. But they were ready. Warren would teleport them to Fablehaven at the last moment.
A quartet of fairies fluttered over and began replacing the grassy divots into the corresponding pits. Kendra focused on the nearest fairy. She had short blonde hair and wore a simple shift the color of sunflower petals. Her translucent butterfly wings ended in fanciful curled points. Kendra marveled at the tiny hands packing the clod of earth back into place. How strange to quietly observe a beautiful woman the size of an insect!
Aware of the attention, the fairy glanced up at Kendra, her expression uncertain as she brushed soil from her dainty palms. The miniature woman checked her radiant slip for stains.
"You look lovely," Kendra said.
The fairy beamed, twirled, and leaped into the air, flitting off toward the nearest rosebush. The other three fairies smoldered with jealousy.
"You all look fabulous," Kendra assured them.
The other fairies took flight as well. "And you said she was too big and clumsy to recognize style," one chirped to another.
Kendra smiled. This unlikely, magnificent world of magical creatures was certainly worth protecting. She could understand why her grandparents had devoted their lives to the cause. She just wished the job came with less danger.
Kendra considered how she might use the fairies of Living Mirage to help the assault force. Since the fairies would obey any order she gave in the name of the Fairy Queen, Kendra took the responsibility seriously. Her commands could cause innocent fairies to perish without any choice in the matter.
The fairies of Living Mirage could at least provide assistance as guides and sentries. Since stealth was the key to this mission, that extra guidance might give the strike force the edge they needed. Kendra ran a hand over the grass the fairies had just replaced. The repaired portions blended seamlessly with the rest of the lawn. Fairies possessed strong restorative magic. Kendra wondered if fairy magic could somehow benefit the upcoming mission.
Wearing a dark outfit, "Warren came out of the house and vaulted the back porch railing. "Meditating?" he asked.
"Something like that," Kendra answered, rising.
"I just set up Bubda in a storage room in the dungeon," Warren said. "I left him with a deck of cards, taught him how to play solitaire. Little guy really resisted leaving the knapsack room. But as soon as he dug into a bag of overripe tomatoes, he was feeling much better."
"How did Vanessa take her transfer to the Quiet Box?" Kendra asked.
"Like a pro," Warren said. "She may not love the idea, but she gets it. With a bunch of us heading off to Four Pines, she knows we can't have her loose."