Kendra concluded she should save testing random potions as a last resort.
She needed to find a way to free her grandparents. There were tools in the cottage, plenty of items she could use as weapons, but if Vanessa was still controlling Tanu, Kendra had a hard time picturing herself succeeding. Mendigo could help, but Kendra would be surprised if the puppet was able to enter the yard, since he could not enter the cabin. She was pretty sure Grandpa had to grant special permission to any nonmortal visitors. The fairies were permitted in the garden only by his consent.
Mendigo started tapping on the window. She had told him to warn her if anyone approached. What could she do?
Mendigo, protect Warren and me from harm, but stay out of sight until my command.
Mendigo crouched behind a bush near the porch as
Kendra made her way to the window. She peeked out, moving her head slowly, and could not believe what she saw.288 Seth was emerging from the trees, walking up the path tothe cottage.
Initially she was shocked. When she recovered, Kendra ran to the door and flung it open, tears of happiness and relief springing to her eyes. Seth! she cried.
Kendra? he said, stopping in his tracks.
You're not dead!
Sure I am. I'm a ghost. I've been sent back with a warning.
Kendra could not stop smiling. I thought I'd never hear you say something idiotic again!
Who else is with you?
Just Mendigo and Warren. Hurry, come inside.
Ha-ha, Seth said, continuing toward the cottage at a leisurely pace.
I'm serious, Kendra said. Come inside. Bad things have happened.
And I'm serious too, he said. Muriel called me back from beyond the grave to deliver a singing telegram.
Kendra put her hands on her hips. Mendigo, show yourself.
The limberjack jumped out from behind the bush. Holy cow! Seth exclaimed, recoiling. What's he doing here?
And why is he taking orders from you?
Get inside and I'll tell you! Kendra said. I've never been gladder to see anybody. We have a big problem on our hands.288 289Satirical Assistance
Seth sat across the table from Kendra, looking totally shell-shocked. After he had told Kendra about the cocoon and passing through Olloch, she had explained how
Vanessa had been revealed while he was absent. So Vanessa was controlling Coulter, he said. That was why he suddenly seemed so disoriented. He woke up with the revenant right on top of us, and still managed to save me.
If we fall asleep, she may be able to control us, Kendra said.
How? He picked up another cookie from the plate
Kendra had left at the center of the table. She had discovered the cookies in a cupboard.
Since she's a narcoblix, I think the drumants were a diversion so she could bite us in the night without anybody290worrying about the marks. You were bitten by drumants. Sowas I. So was Coulter. So was Tanu. But who knows if all those bites were actually drumants?
I bet you're right, Seth said, munching on the cookie.
You know, I fell asleep inside the cocoon a couple of times.
Once for quite a while. She might know I'm still alive.
To be safe, we better not fall asleep until we solve this problem, Kendra said.
You look tired, Seth said. Your eyes are getting bloodshot.
Vanessa gave me a sleeping drug yesterday, and I slept most of the day. But then I was up all night, and didn't want to risk napping today. Kendra yawned. I'm trying not to think about it.
Well, I had a good sleep after Olloch... got rid of me, so I should be able to go all night, Seth said. I agree we need to free Grandpa and Grandma, but we also need to find the key and keep it away from Vanessa. We have to protect the artifact.
For all we know, she may already have the key, Kendra said. She might even have the artifact!
I doubt it. It will be hard to get past that revenant. I
mean, the thing just froze me with pure terror-there was nothing I could do. But maybe Vanessa knows a trick.
It can't be too easy for her, Kendra said. I think she sent you and Coulter to the grove as an experiment. I'm not sure she knows what she's doing.
Well, if she sent Coulter, she might send others, Seth said. She and that Christopher Vogel guy are here to get the291 artifact. They're going to find a way if we don't stop them.And they might hurt everybody they captured in the process.
You think we should go spy on them?
Right away. While we still have light. We don't have time to waste.
Kendra nodded. Okay, you're right. She stood and put a hand on Warren's shoulder. We're going to the house,
Warren. We'll be back. He smiled up at her blankly.
I know some of these potions, Seth said, indicating the potions on the table.
Do you know which emotions are which? Kendra asked.
I'm pretty sure, he said. And I know these ones turn you small. Like under a foot high. And this one is an antidote for most poisons. And this one makes you resistant to fire. Or was that this one ?
Do you know which one was fear? Kendra asked.
That might come in handy.
This one is fear, Seth said, picking up one of the bottles. But we should bring all of them. He began placing the potions in the pouch. Oh, and this jar has something important. Seth unscrewed the lid of a small jar. He dipped his finger in and withdrew it with a pale yellowish paste on it. He sucked the paste off his fingertip.
What was that? Kendra asked.
Walrus butter, Seth said. From a walrus on a preserve up in Greenland. Works like the milk. It's what Tanu uses out in the field.292 Hopefully they haven't found the key yet, Kendra said.Grandpa hid it in a new place. Of course, we might not be able to find it either.
We'll figure something out, Seth said. We can't really plan until we check out what's going on. I should be able to use the glove to get a good look.
Kendra walked to the door, opened it, and spoke to the giant puppet. Mendigo, obey all the instructions Seth gives you as if I were giving them. She turned back to Seth. You ready?
Just a second, Seth said, carefully placing the final potions into the pouch. He kept the fear potion in his hand.
I lost my emergency kit, but gained a bag of magical potions and an invisibility glove. Pretty good trade.
They went outside. Mendigo, Kendra said, carry Seth and me to the yard as fast and as comfortably as you can, trying not to let us be heard or seen.
The wooden puppet slung Seth over one shoulder and
Kendra over the other. Showing no sign of strain, Mendigo trotted briskly down the path away from the cottage.
Crouched, choosing their steps carefully, Kendra and
Seth approached the yard. Mendigo waited several paces behind them, with orders to retrieve them and retreat to the cottage if they called. Kendra had tried to send him into the yard, but he had been unable to set foot on the grass. The same barrier that had kept Olloch out of the yard was in full effect for the limberjack as well.293 Seth squatted behind a leafy shrub near the edge of thewoods. Kendra settled in beside him. Look on the porch, he whispered.