Elliot and the Pixie Plot (11 page)

Elliot smiled. “Maybe super humans. But I don’t think they’re real.”

Mr. Willimaker shrugged. “Not long ago, you didn’t think Brownies were real either.” He checked his map. “What say we stop here for supper?”

“Sure.” Elliot dropped his bag to the ground and untied the knot holding it together. Inside were apples, blueberries, cucumbers, and carrots. Naturally, Patches had also snuck in a large bag of pickles. Elliot pulled one out and began munching on it. “Mr. Willimaker,” he asked, “what do you know about Shadow Men?”

Mr. Willimaker, who was eating something that looked like an orange artichoke, stopped chewing. He swallowed hard, then in a low voice said, “They’re Kovol’s army. They guard him in his sleep, which means they haven’t left Demon Territory in over a thousand years. Few creatures live through an encounter with the Shadow Men, so most of what we know is from the old writings. My own great-grandfather was killed trying to fight them.”

“Sorry,” Elliot mumbled.

“It happened a thousand years ago, so it’s an old memory now. There was a great war in which all Underworld creatures united against the Demons. They would’ve lost too, if not for an agreement Kovol made that put him to sleep.”

“What agreement?” Elliot asked.

“A human sorcerer named Minthred got involved in the war. I don’t know the terms of the agreement, I’m afraid, just that Kovol went to sleep, and the Shadow Men have watched over him ever since.” Mr. Willimaker paused to finish his artichoke. Then he added, “How will we get past the Shadow Men, Your Highness?”

Elliot shrugged. “We’ll go in the daytime. I figure Shadow Men are probably night creatures, since in the daytime there aren’t as many shadows where they can hide.”

“How do you know about Shadow Men?”

“Harold the Shapeshifter turned into one when I was still on the surface. He was scary, but I beat Grissel trying to scare me to death. I can beat the Shadow Men too, if I have to.”

“Even in the form of a Shadow Man, he was still just a Shapeshifter,” Mr. Willimaker warned. “And there was only one of him. Kovol’s army is probably much larger.”

“How much larger?”

Mr. Willimaker held out his hands. “I don’t know. It’s been a thousand years since anybody’s seen one. I’m sure their numbers are smaller than before, but you could face an army of fifty or more.”

Fifty was a lot. Elliot sighed and tried not to think about that. Because if he did, he would have to admit that he didn’t know how an eleven-year-old kid and a Brownie had any chance against fifty of the scariest creatures he’d ever met.

Mr. Willimaker finished his supper at about the same time Elliot decided he might have lost his appetite for good.

“Didn’t you like the food Patches packed for you?” Mr. Willimaker asked. “I tried to tell her.”

“No, the food was good,” Elliot said. “I’m just not hungry.”

“You have Shadow Men on your mind?”

“A little.” Elliot pressed his lips together. “All we have to do is sneak past them, get a hair from Kovol, and sneak out.”

Mr. Willimaker smiled. “I wish it were going to be as easy as you make it sound. But if we do survive, it’ll make a grand story for the Brownies.” He stood and brushed off his clothes. “It’s getting dark. Are you cold?”

Elliot wasn’t. If anything, the clothes the Brownies had made for him locked heat in. “Did you want to make a fire?”

Mr. Willimaker shook his head. “It’s usually warm in the Underworld, but a little light would be nice.”

“I have the flashlight from Agatha,” Elliot said. “Though with my luck, the next eclipse will happen five minutes after I turn it on, so let’s wait until we really need it.”

Mr. Willimaker snapped his fingers together. When he did, a spark of light remained on his thumb. He pressed his thumb to a stick, and it lit. Then Mr. Willimaker gathered a few other sticks together in a pile, and the light passed to them as well.

“Is that a magic fire?” Elliot asked.

“It’s only light.” Mr. Willimaker passed his hand through the center of the light. “There’s no heat, and it won’t burn anything. The light won’t last long, but it’ll do until we fall asleep.”

“Can you make another fire?” Elliot wanted one to play with.

“Not for a few minutes. I need to recharge.”

Elliot ran his hand through the center of the light as well. It was no warmer than the air, and yet it flickered on the sticks as a fire would. “Cool,” he whispered. “I wish I had magic.”

“All Underworld creatures have their own kinds of magic,” Mr. Willimaker said. “Brownies aren’t that powerful compared to Pixies or Fairies, or even Goblins. Elves have only a little magic but are more powerful in other ways. Same with the Dwarves. A Leprechaun has quite a bit of magic, and yet a human could easily overcome one if he knew how.”

“How many Underworld creatures exist?” Elliot asked. “Are all the myths true?”

“There are creatures down here that humans know nothing about and some creatures that you know more about than you think.” Mr. Willimaker shrugged. “I’m not sure how many of us there are. The Underworld is very big and not very well explored. Most of us keep to ourselves.”

Elliot used his bundle as a pillow and laid back on it. Had he been sleeping on the surface, he would have expected to see stars, but the sky here was only black.

“I miss the moon,” he said.

Mr. Willimaker lay on his own bundle near Elliot. “Wait for it to get a bit darker. The Star Dancers, creatures of the night, provide us with the night sky. I think you’ll like it.”

And he was right. After about a half hour, the Underworld became dark enough that Mr. Willimaker’s cool fire was the only light around. Elliot stared at the sky again, but now it became painted in streaks of thin neon colors. Bright lines of blue, green, and orange raced across the sky, slowly fading as new colors were drawn over the top of them.

“Those are Star Dancers?” Elliot asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them.”

“They never go to the surface world,” Mr. Willimaker said. “Why would they when they can have this much fun down here?”

“I like the Underworld,” Elliot said. “If I survive Kovol, I might come back again one day. Fudd said the Brownies would build me a home here that’s my size.”

Mr. Willimaker was quiet for a moment, and then he said, “Your Highness, I want to talk to you about Fudd.”

Elliot leaned up on his elbows. “What’s the matter?”

“I hope it’s nothing. Ever since the Goblin war ended, I believe Fudd has been sincere in trying to earn back your trust. But last night, after the royal feast, I overheard something that worries me. I believe the Fairies had a meeting with Fudd. He worked with them for years under Queen Bipsy, you know.”

“I didn’t know,” Elliot said. That wasn’t a question he had even thought about asking.

“Yes, well, the Fairies know you’re down here. They asked Fudd why.”

“What did he say?” Elliot asked.

“He said he couldn’t tell them anything, but then they said they already knew the Pixies brought you here and they weren’t happy about it. You see, the Fairies want the Glimmering Woods too. If they think you’re helping the Pixies, they’ll be upset.”

“But I don’t have a choice,” Elliot said. “The Pixies have Tubs.”

“I know, but the Fairies might not understand that,” Mr. Willimaker said. “Fairies aren’t the most forgiving creatures. They reminded Fudd about an old treaty the Brownies have with both the Pixies and Fairies, promising not to get involved in any fights between them. They told Fudd to stop you, or else they would.”

Elliot groaned. “And what did Fudd say?”

Mr. Willimaker shrugged. “He told them he’d think about it. I don’t know what he’s decided.”

“Doesn’t sound good,” Elliot said.

“No, it doesn’t,” Mr. Willimaker agreed.

They stared at the streaks for a while longer, although now that Elliot wondered whether Fudd had betrayed him again, the streaks didn’t seem so bright and colorful. He sighed and said, “I don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight.”

“Cheer up, Your Highness,” Mr. Willimaker said. “Other than the Brownies, I can think of at least five Underworld creatures who aren’t trying to kill you right now.”

“Great.”

“Try to get some sleep,” Mr. Willimaker mumbled. “I’ll have breakfast ready when you wake up, and sn…”

Whatever “sn…” meant, Elliot wasn’t going to find out. Mr. Willimaker was asleep before he finished the word.

Elliot slept better that night than he thought he would. He woke up to a cheery sunrise, or whatever it was in the Underworld that provided light. Morning magic, perhaps. He would have liked another cup of Fudd’s Mushroom Surprise, although if Mr. Willimaker was right and Fudd couldn’t be trusted, he probably shouldn’t take anything else Fudd offered him.

Mr. Willimaker greeted Elliot when he sat up. “Awake, Your Highness? My apologies, I expected you to sleep awhile longer.”

“Hard to sleep when you’re hunting a Demon,” Elliot said.

“Ah, yes.” Mr. Willimaker said. “My cousin once said the same thing about hunting for delicious burbleberries. Although to be fair, burbleberries won’t rip your arms off if you get close to them.”

Elliot turned to Mr. Willimaker, who was finishing getting dressed. He looked as fresh and clean as ever. Elliot, on the other hand, thought he could smell his own body odor, and something sticky was on his cheek.

Mr. Willimaker hurried over to unwrap his bundle. “I saw a stream a little ways back. Maybe I can heat some water for a warm mint broth.” As Mr. Willimaker pulled two cups from his bag, his ears suddenly perked up at the side of his head, the way a dog’s might when it hears something.

“I don’t mean to alarm you,” Mr. Willimaker whispered, “but is there any chance that noise came from you?”

Elliot hadn’t heard anything. “What noise?”

“That rustling noise. I was hoping that perhaps it was you over in those bushes.”

“It’s not me,” Elliot said.

“Are you sure?” Mr. Willimaker’s ears were at full attention now, then they relaxed and he added, “It was probably nothing. A rodent or a snake perhaps.”

Elliot pulled his feet in close to him. He didn’t like snakes. He didn’t trust anything that could move on the ground without legs.

Mr. Willimaker tapped the cups. “I’ll get some water. Won’t be long.” Then he walked away toward the stream.

Only a minute later, Elliot heard a “Hamph!” and a loud “No!” Then a small puff of smoke rose in the air and everything went silent. Elliot hoped it wasn’t a snake that had gotten to Mr. Willimaker, because that would have to be some freaky large snake. He ran in the direction Mr. Willimaker had gone, calling his name, but there was no answer. Then he ran to the stream, but it didn’t look as if Mr. Willimaker had gotten this far. At least, no footprints were in the mud other than Elliot’s.

Elliot turned back the way he had come. Under a bush he saw the two cups Mr. Willimaker must have dropped.

“Mr. Willimaker?” Elliot called again. What had happened to him?

He picked up the cups and then saw a small note hanging from a branch of the bush. He plucked it off and read:

To the king of the Brownies—

By helping the Pixies, you are in violation of a treaty agreeing to stay out of any fighting over Glimmering Woods. Therefore, we have taken the Brownie, Mr. Willimaker, and will hold him as our captive until you also do something for the Fairies. We want a sock off the foot of the Demon Kovol. It shouldn’t be a problem for you. We hear you’re going to see him anyway.