Grandpa covered a yawn with his fist. He held the envelope in his other hand. I'm feeling a little under the weather today-might go lie down for a spell. As you were. He shambled off, scratching his thigh.
You kids may want to play outside this morning, Lena said. Your grandfather was up until forty minutes ago. He had a long night.
I'm going to have a tough time taking Grandpa seriously when he tells us to show respect for the furniture, Kendra said. It looks like he drove a tractor through here.
Pulled by horses! Seth added.
Maddox enjoys a celebration, and your grandfather is an accommodating host, Lena said. Without your grandmother here to rein in the merriment, things got a little too festive. Didn't help that they invited the satyrs. She nodded at the muddy hoofprints.
Satyrs? Kendra asked. Like goatmen?
Lena nodded. Some would say they liven up a party too much.
Those are goat prints? Seth asked.
Satyr prints, yes.
I wish I could have seen them, Seth mourned.
Your parents would be glad you didn't. Satyrs would only teach you bad manners. I think they invented them.
I'm sad we missed the party, Kendra said.
Don't be. It was not a party for young people. As caretaker, your grandfather would never drink, but I can't vouch for the satyrs. We'll have a proper party before you leave us.
Will you invite satyrs? Seth asked.
We'll see what your grandfather says, Lena said doubtfully. Maybe one. Lena opened the refrigerator and poured two glasses of milk. Drink your milk and then run along. I have some heavy cleaning ahead of me.
Kendra and Seth took their glasses. Lena opened the pantry, removing a broom and dustpan, and left the room.
Kendra drank her milk in several deep swallows and set her empty glass on the counter. Want to go for a swim? she asked.
I'll catch up, Seth said. He still had milk in his cup.
Kendra walked away.
After finishing his milk, Seth peeked into the pantry.
So many shelves packed with so much food! One shelf featured nothing but large jars of homemade preserves. Closer investigation revealed that the jars were lined up three deep.
Seth backed out of the pantry and looked around.
Reentering the pantry, he removed a large jar of boysenberry preserves, pulling another jar forward from the second row to disguise the absence. They might miss a half-empty jar from the fridge. But one of many unopened jars from an overstuffed pantry? Not likely.
He could be sneakier than Kendra knew.
The fairy balanced on a twig protruding from a low hedge beside the pool. Arms extended to either side, she walked along the tiny limb, adjusting as it wobbled. The further out she got, the less stable she became. The miniature beauty queen had platinum hair, a silver dress, and glittering, translucent wings.
Seth sprang forward, slashing downward with the pool skimmer. The blue mesh struck the twig, but the fairy darted away at the last instant. She hovered, shaking a scolding finger at Seth. He swung the skimmer again, and the nimble fairy evaded capture a second time, soaring well out of range.
You shouldn't do that, Kendra said from the pool.
Why not? Maddox catches them.
Out in the wild, Kendra corrected. These already belong to Grandpa. It's like hunting lions at the zoo.
Maybe hunting lions at the zoo would be good practice.
You're going to end up making the fairies mad at you.
They don't mind, he said, creeping up on a fairy with wide, gauzy wings fluttering inches above a flowerbed.
They just fly away. He slowly moved the pool skimmer into position. The fairy was directly beneath the mesh, less than two feet away from captivity. With a flick of his wrists, he slapped the skimmer down sharply. The fairy dodged around it and glided off.
What are you going to do if you catch one?
Probably let it go.
So what's the point?
To see if I can do it.
Kendra boosted herself out of the water. Well, obviously you can't. They're too fast. Dripping, she walked over to her towel. Oh my gosh, look at that one. She pointed at the base of a blossoming bush.
Where?
Right there. Wait until she moves. She's practically invisible.
He stared at the bush, unsure whether she was teasing him. A bobbing distortion began warping the leaves and blossoms. Whoa!
See! She's clear like glass.
Seth edged forward, clutching the pool skimmer.
Seth, don't.
Suddenly he charged, opting for a rapid assault this time. The transparent fairy flew away, vanishing against the sky. Why won't they hold still!
They're magic, Kendra said. The fun is just looking at them, seeing all the variety.
Real fun. Kind of like when Mom makes us go on drives to look at the leaves changing color.
I want to grab some breakfast. I'm starving.
Then go. Maybe I'll have better luck without you squawking.
Kendra walked to the house wrapped in her towel. She entered the back door and found Lena dragging a broken coffee table into the kitchen. Much of the surface of the table had been made of glass. Most of it was broken.
Need a hand? Kendra asked.
Mine are plenty.
Kendra went and grabbed the other end of the table.
They set it in a corner of the spacious kitchen. Other broken objects rested there as well, including the jagged fragments of the ceramic pot Kendra had noticed earlier.
Chapter Nine
Why pile everything here?
This is where the brownies come.
Brownies?
Come look. Lena led Kendra to the basement door, pointing out a second little door at the base, about the size a cat would use. The brownies have a special hatch that admits them to the basement, and they can use this door to enter the kitchen. They are the only magical creatures with permission to enter the house at will. The brownie portals are guarded by magic against all other creatures of the forest.
Why let them in?
Brownies are useful. They repair things. They make things. They are remarkable craftsmen.
They'll fix the broken furniture?
Improve it if they can.
Why?
It is their nature. They will accept no reward.
How nice of them, Kendra said.
In fact, tonight, remind me to leave out some cooking ingredients. By morning, they will have baked us a treat.
What will they cook?
You never know. You don't make requests. You just leave out ingredients and see how they combine them.
How fun!
I'll leave out a bunch. No matter what strange combinations you leave, they always invent something delicious.
There is so much I don't know about Fablehaven, Kendra declared. How big is it?
The preserve stretches for many miles in some directions.
Much bigger than you would suppose.
And there are creatures throughout?
Through most of it, Lena said. But as your grandfather has warned you, some of those creatures can be deadly. There are many places on the property where even he does not dare venture.