The Trimoni Twins and the Shrunken Treasure (13 page)

“Beezel! Mimi! Quick!” Hector collided with the
twins as he came back to get them. “It's got Wiliken!”

The girls ran with Hector toward Wiliken's voice.

“Where is he, Hector?” Mimi asked frantically. The wooden beam was empty. The string lay slack on top of the timber. Next to it was the backpack with the Shrinking Coin, and Wiliken's flashlight.

“He's over there!” Hector turned his flashlight's beam down the passage. Beezel saw an enormous black rat. It had grabbed Wiliken by his pants leg and was dragging him deeper into the darkness. Wiliken slammed his fists against its side, but the rat seemed unaffected.

I hope ka-poofing works while I'm shrunk
, Beezel thought as she raised her hand and pointed at the rat. “Keep your head down, Wiliken!” she shouted. Ka-poof. The rat was a beetle. It scuttled off as Hector and the twins rushed to Wiliken's side.

“Whew! Thanks,” Wiliken said, his hand over his heart. “That was a close one. I dropped the pack when he came after me, thinking I could outrun him that way. But that rat had plans to make me his late-night snack.”

“Did he bite you, Wiliken?” Beezel asked. “Check your leg and make sure the skin isn't broken.”

Mimi held the light while they inspected Wiliken for teeth marks.

“It's just my pants,” Wiliken said as he stood up. “No harm done.”

“Oh, I'm so glad you're okay. Wil!” Mimi hugged him. Beezel felt that tiny pang again.

Wiliken ruffled Mimi's short hair. “Hey, I'm fine, kiddo.”

“Let's get out of here,” Hector said, nervously glancing around him. “That rat might have friends.”

They helped Wiliken put on the heavy backpack, handed him his flashlight, and then followed Uncle Hoogaboom's string back to the opening in the studio wall.

Once inside the studio, Hector and Wiliken pushed the medallion closed, concealing the tunnel opening.

“That will keep any of his furry friends out of Hoogaboom's models,” Wiliken said, brushing his hands together.

“Uncle Hoogaboom said he'd wait for us by the studio door,” Hector said. “Let's go.” He motioned to the girls. “Come along, ducks, don't dawdle.”

“But you said we could look around a little,” Mimi said. “We want to see the houses.”

Hector studied the girls. “Oh, all right,” he said. “You can go to the end of the studio. Stay on the Prinsengracht. Then turn right around and come back to the market square.” He shook his finger at them. “But that's
it
. Don't you two go off exploring! I don't want to have to come looking for you.”

“Thanks, Hector!” Beezel said. “We won't be long.”

Their little band hurried down the Anjeliersstraat until they came to the Prinsengracht. Hector and Wiliken, carrying the Shrinking Coin, turned left toward the studio door where Uncle Hoogaboom was waiting for them. Beezel and Mimi turned right and lazily strolled down the street to where it butted up against the studio wall.

“Beezel,” Mimi said, “I've been thinking about Wil.”

“Wiliken”
Beezel said as she felt the color come back to her cheeks. If Mimi wanted to argue about him again, well, then, she would.

“You know …” Mimi twirled her hair as she walked. “Some day, Wil is going to be twenty-four and we'll be eighteen. That sounds a lot more reasonable, doesn't it?”

Beezel thought about it. “I guess it does, now that you mention it.”

“So,” Mimi said as she eyed Beezel carefully, “when we're eighteen, we could see who likes him more. And that way, we won't fight now.”

Beezel stopped and grinned at Mimi. “Okay, we'll wait and see who likes him more in seven years. Whoever does, gets him.”

Mimi put out her hand. “Deal.” The twins shook hands. Beezel let out a deep sigh. At least she didn't have to worry about fighting over Wiliken again for seven years. That was a relief.

“I'd love to go inside this one,” Mimi said as she ran up the steps of the last house and peeked in the window.

“Don't even think about it,” Beezel said as she yanked her sister back down the stairs. “Remember what Hector said. We'd better go back.”

They turned and headed back toward the Noordermarkt and Uncle Hoogaboom. While they walked, Beezel thought about the hidden treasure.

She wondered where Wiliken's grandpa had rehidden it. He had said that he put it in his den, but Wiliken had told them he and Uncle Hoogaboom had looked for weeks without finding
anything. She sighed. And what did the old clue mean, anyway? Beezel ran over it in her mind.

Through walls like ice
Past wood and metal
Guarded by souls of sailors lost
Lies the Spanish treasure
Safe in Magda's capable hands

They reached the part of the street where Uncle Hoogaboom lived. She saw the café on the corner where they had had dinner. She peeked inside the front window.

“Look, Mimi!” Uncle Hoogaboom had even placed the tables inside in the exact spots they were in the real café.

“You almost expect to see people eating inside,” Mimi said.

They came to Pieter Riebeeck's house. Uncle Hoogaboom's red door with the sign on it that said HOOGABOOM'S ORIGINELE POPPENHUIZEN was there. The shop window on the ground floor that held his doll furniture display was just the same as the real one.

Mimi whistled. “Uncle Hoogaboom even has
miniatures of his miniatures.” She rubbed her forehead. “That kind of makes my head hurt.”

Beezel stood in front of the house and thought about the two families. The Riebeecks and the Hoogabooms had gone through a lot together with the Shrinking Coin. And Uncle Hoogaboom and Pieter had tried so hard to find the treasure. If only it had been in the den like he said it would be. It would have made Wiliken and Uncle Hoogaboom so happy to find it. The only other thing that seemed to make Uncle Hoogaboom truly happy, besides treasure hunting, was model building.

Uncle Hoogaboom's models! Beezel grabbed Mimi's arm. “Mimi, I just thought of something!”

“What?”

“Remember what Pieter wrote to Wiliken in his letter?”

“He said the treasure was in his den … which it
wasn't.”
Mimi sighed. “Oh well, maybe Fieffie ate it.”

“And then he wrote that little thing.” Beezel scrunched up her face. “What was it? ‘The greatest treasures are in the smallest pleasures.'”

“Whatever.” Mimi snorted. “A lot of help
that
was.”

“Think about it, Mimi. Where did Uncle Hoogaboom and Pieter both love to spend time?”

Mimi thought for a minute. “You don't think?” She stared at Beezel and her eyes widened. “But he said it was in the den.” Her eyes widened even more. “You think he hid the treasure in
there
?” She pointed to Uncle Hoogaboom's model house.

Beezel nodded. “It makes sense. He'd have a den in the model that was just like the one he had at home, wouldn't he?” She was getting excited now. “And the treasure would fit right in, wouldn't it? The greatest treasure would be hidden in their smallest pleasure!”

Mimi jumped up and down. “Let's go in! Come on!” She put her hand on the doorknob.

A loud crash and the sound of two men bellowing at each other caused Mimi to drop her hand and the two girls to turn toward the studio door.

“What on earth is
that?”
Mimi asked, looking down the Prinsengracht toward the source of the uproar.

“Let's go see!” Beezel grabbed Mimi's hand and the twins raced down the street.

When they reached the Westerstraat, Beezel
pulled Mimi behind a stoop. “Listen!” she told her twin.

“Make sure you tape his hands,” a man's voice said. “And keep his fingers pointed down. Or you'll find yourself turned into a flea, or a rock.”

“It was a
clam,”
Mimi whispered. “That sleazeball has got to be Slear.”

“I've completely taped his arms to the chair,” another man said sarcastically. “I really don't think we have to worry.”

“That's Edwin,” Beezel said.

“Hector! Wiliken! Girls!” Uncle Hoogaboom shouted. “They've tied me up! Run!”

“For Pete's sake! Gag the old guy, Edwin,” Slear said. “Although it's good to know those little girls are in here. We're going to have to be careful.”

“Look!” Edwin shouted over the muffled cries of Uncle Hoogaboom. “It's Riebeeck!”

“He's been shrunk!” Slear yelled. “There he goes! Grab him! Blast it! He got away.” He burst out laughing. “Did you see him? He's the size of a rat!”

“Slear, did Hoogaboom say those twins are inside here?” Edwin said.

“Keep your shorts on. Let me take a look.” Slear sounded irritated.

The twins hid behind the stoop and listened as Slear made his way across the studio. “I don't see them,” he said. “I'll bet they're shrunken, too.”

There was silence, and then Edwin spoke. “Those twins are in here with us
and
they're
shrunken?”
He sounded afraid. “This is more than I signed up for. I won't be able to see them coming. Those girls could change me into a stray cat and leave me to wander the streets of Amsterdam.”

“Good idea,” whispered Mimi.

“Listen, pal, we're in this together,” Slear said. “And if you don't help me, I don't care what your little piece of paper says, it's all gonna be m-i-n-e, mine.”

The twins looked at each other. “We seriously have to ka-poof them,” Mimi said.

Beezel nodded in agreement.

Another loud clatter caused both girls to flinch. “I got one of them!” Slear said. “He's under the bucket!”

A scuffling noise followed.

“Now, that's enough of that, you old geezer,” an angry Slear said. “Edwin! Stop hiding like a coward and get over here! Tape his legs to the chair. He kicked over the bucket and let the little white-haired guy out.”

“Hector!” Beezel's hand flew to her mouth.

“Don't worry, he got away from them, Beez.” Mimi patted her shoulder.

They heard an ominous click as someone closed the studio door.

“Now they can't get out of this room,” Slear said. “Come on, Edwin. We'll grab star boy and the other guy, and if we have to, we'll just leave those girls here with the old man.” He laughed. “Can you imagine? We could bring the press gang back in here and let
them
find them. I'll film the whole thing. Oh, oh, and how's this? What if they hocus-pocus one of the guys on camera? Now,
that
would be news at eleven!”

Mimi turned to her sister. “Beez, that creep wants to
film
us ka-poofing some reporter!”

Beezel heard a rumbling sound, followed by a tremor. She peeked down the street and saw the front of a row house leaning back and forth in a dizzying way.

“You flush them out like this, see? And I'll bag ‘em!” Slear shouted. “Hey, there goes one now! Grab him!”

The twins eyed each other and listened as Edwin and Slear moved down the Prinsengracht, shaking each of the row houses in turn.

They crept out from behind the stoop. “I can't see them, can you?” Mimi asked.

“I think Edwin is hiding behind the models,” Beezel said as she looked up. “And I don't see Slear anywhere.”

“
Now
what are we going to do?” Mimi asked her.

“I don't know,” Beezel said as she saw a section of the roof from a model a few doors down crash into the street. “But we'd better get out of here.”

The twins raced back to Uncle Hoogaboom's shop, opened the door, dashed inside and slammed the door behind them. It grew silent outside, and Beezel's heart sank. Maybe Edwin and Slear had caught Hector and Wiliken. What if they had? Would they just leave the twins here while they went to the press with their find? If so, it would just be a matter of time before reporters flooded Uncle Hoogaboom's studio and found two shrunken eleven-year-old magicians hiding in a model.

“Boy, are Mom and Dad going to be mad when they hear about this,” Mimi said as she tried to catch her breath.

Beezel nodded in agreement.

“What should we do?” Mimi asked.

The crashing and bashing had started up again
down the street. Beezel sighed with relief. That could mean they
hadn't
caught Wiliken and Hector.

“Let's go upstairs,” Beezel said. “Maybe we can find a spot with a good view and see what's going on.”

“Good idea,” Mimi said. The twins ran up the first flight. Beezel stopped on Wiliken's landing.

“Mimi,” she said. The curiosity was killing her. Was she right about Pieter's clue? “Maybe we should just take a quick peek in the den.”

“I was hoping you'd say that!” Mimi said as she opened the door. “We'll go fast!”

The twins raced down the hall to the den and opened the door. Everything was the same as it was in the real house. They quickly inspected the bookshelves for treasure chests. They checked the desk drawers and under the furniture. Nothing. Outside, they could hear Edwin and Slear's shaking edging closer.

“Let's go,” Beezel said as she grabbed Mimi's hand.

But the twins froze when they heard a new sound: feet trudging up the stairs. The footsteps plodded down the hallway. The girls watched the den door.

“Hey! You're all right!” Wiliken said as he rushed over, dropped the pack that held the coin onto the floor with a thud and enveloped them in a big hug. “I thought you might come to Hoogaboom's shop. I was really worried about you two!”

“Where's Hector?” Beezel asked. “Is he okay?”

Wiliken ran his hands through his hair and leaned against the fireplace to catch his breath. “I'm sure he's fine. Hoogaboom got him out of the bucket, and he went running off into the models. Then they spotted me and I had to sneak through a few of the row houses. But I'm positive Hector got away from them.”