Zac and the Dream Stealers (5 page)

Zac and the others shuffled into The Forty Winks out of the cold night air, and were greeted by the warm, inviting glow of candlelight. The room in front of them was long and narrow, and divided into padded booths furnished with chunky tables and mismatched chairs and benches. The wooden floor looked ancient and rather sticky. The bar was at the far end.

As they trooped forward, a man's head popped up from behind the counter. He had a bushy black mustache and a few wispy strands of hair on his head, and his many chins wobbled as he moved.

“Who's that?!” he yelled.

“Relax, old man.” Cornelius grinned. “It's us.”

“Oh, Cornelius!” said the head. “Thank the stars you're all right!”

The man struggled to his feet. He had very little neck and was wearing a puffy checked shirt under a plum velvet vest. His mouth fell open when he saw Granny.

“E-Eve?” he stammered. “Eve Wonder? Is that you?”

Granny stepped forward. “How are you, Barnaby?”

“By the stars!” he yelled, and rushed over to greet her. “Eve Wonder!” He hugged her tightly. “I can't believe it. For so long we all thought you were . . .”

“Dead?”

“Well, yes. You've been gone for fifty years, Eve! And then the Dream Stealers returned, and Tinn decided to tell us the truth — that you'd been hidden in the Waking World, and he was going to bring you back.”

“Well,” replied Granny, “here I am.”

“And the Dream Stealers won't know what's hit 'em!” said Barnaby. “But where is Tinn?”

“Come,” said Granny. “I think we should all sit down.”

“Good idea. I'll fetch some powder-keg punch,” said Barnaby.

They sat in one of the booths and Barnaby brought a tray full of drinks. Zac lifted a heavy tankard and took a swig of the clear liquid inside. It was wonderfully cold and sweet, and when it hit his stomach, he felt heat burst through his entire body. He gulped the rest gratefully.

“Well?” said Barnaby. “What's happened?”

Cornelius began to recount the evening's events, from Tinn's capture in the Eternal Forest, to escaping through the Gateway, to finding Granny waiting there with her grandson.

“Seems a bit fishy that the Dream Stealers knew where to find Tinn,” said Barnaby. “I wonder if they've been following one of us?”

“It's possible,” said Cornelius.

Barnaby turned to Zac, who became very aware that all eyes were now on him.

“Pleased to meet you, Zac,” he said, reaching a fat hand over the table. “My name is Barnaby Smudge and I am the chief watchman of The Forty Winks.” He puffed out his chest proudly, and because there was a lot of Barnaby to puff out, several candles were knocked over.

“Pleased to meet you,” said Zac, shaking Barnaby's hand. The bartender's fingers were like thick sausages.

“No one gets into HQ without going through Barnaby first,” said Julius.

“And speaking of HQ,” said Gideon, “shouldn't we be heading there now? We must decide what should be done.”

“Right you are,” replied Cornelius. “Barnaby, take us down, will you?”

“Of course.” Barnaby toddled back to the bar. “Is everyone ready?” he shouted. Then he reached over and pulled on one of the large beer taps.

There was a loud
clunk-clank-clunk
, and the floorboards beneath Zac's feet disappeared. He looked wildly at Granny.

“Hold on to your hat,” she said.

The bench in the booth tipped forward, dropping them down through a black hole in the floor.

Zac found himself sliding down a chute so fast he thought his stomach might bump into his brain. He could hear the others thundering along beside him.

“Wheeeeeeeeeheeeeheeee!”

That was Gideon.

Before he knew what had happened, Zac whooshed out of the darkness and landed with a bounce on a soft, springy surface. The floor was a trampoline. They had arrived in a large circular room, brightly decorated in red and gold. There were two heavy wooden doors on opposite sides.

“What now?” he said.

“Follow me,” said Cornelius. He half walked, half bounced to one of the doors, and pulled it open to reveal a grand corridor.

Cornelius led the way along the corridor and through a set of double doors to a remarkable room.

A gold spiral staircase wound up toward the high ceiling, which was painted with a picture of the night sky. In the very center of the picture, a moon actually glowed. A tall window provided a panoramic view over the city and beyond. Every square inch of the walls was covered with books, and there were several ladders on rails attached to the shelves. The room was alive with the sound of ticking, clicking, whirring, and buzzing from intricate devices stacked everywhere. Some devices had been taken apart; others seemed to be in the process of reassembling themselves. Scrolls and parchments were scattered everywhere, and a miniature steam train sped happily around the room.

“Right,” said Cornelius. “Everyone here? Good, good.”

“Where exactly is ‘here'?” inquired Zac.

“Grandmaster's quarters,” said Granny.

“But we're deep underground!” said Zac. “How can there be a window in here with a view?”

Granny grinned. Zac got the feeling that he wouldn't understand even if she told him.

“Grandad!”

A boy and girl around Zac's age came rushing down the spiral staircase. They leapt the final few steps and threw themselves at Cornelius.

“What took you so long, Grandad?” asked the boy, excitedly.

“He won't tell you, squirt,” replied the girl, rolling her eyes.

“Tilly, Tom, there are some people I'd like you to meet,” said Cornelius. He turned to Granny. “Evegenia Wonder,” he continued, “it's my great pleasure to introduce you to my grandchildren, Tilly and Tom Huggins.”

Tom and Tilly stared at Granny.

“Is this the lady you told us about, Grandad?” said Tilly.

“The one you thought was dead?” added Tom.

“Pleased to meet you,” said Granny.

“Hello,” said Tilly. She was tall and skinny, and her messy blond hair fell over her face as she smiled at Granny. She had a gap between her front teeth.

“How d'you do?” said Tom. He was much shorter than his sister, with unruly short black hair, a freckled face, and thick eyebrows.

“And this is Eve's grandson, Zac.”

Tilly and Tom sized him up. Zac stiffened. Whenever he met anyone his own age, the outcome was usually miserable.

“All right?” said Tom and Tilly.

“All right?” replied Zac, nodding slightly.

“Jolly good, jolly good!” Cornelius beamed. “Children, you stay here and chat. Get to know each other and whatnot. We'll head upstairs. Tilly, are your parents up there?”

“Yes, Grandad.”

With that, the Knights of Nod began climbing the golden spiral staircase. Granny squeezed Zac's shoulder as she went by.

“We won't be long, lad,” she said.

When they were out of sight, Tom slapped his hand on his forehead. “That always happens,” he said.

“What does?” asked Zac.

“They always go off and leave us just as things get interesting.”

“They're hardly going to tell you everything, Tom, are they?” said his sister.

“Why not?” replied Tom, looking miffed. “I'm a Knight, too, aren't I?”

“You are?” said Zac, surprised.

“Well, kind of,” said Tom, turning pink. “We've just started our training.”

“Yeah,” said Tilly. “Last month. Grandad was thrilled to bits when Mum and Dad gave permission. He'd been telling them for ages that our magic should be developed. Most people simply don't bother anymore. It's easy not to in a place like Nocturne.”

“It was the proudest moment of his life,” added Tom. “He was crying and everything.” He looked at Zac and raised an eyebrow. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah,” said Tom. “With your granny being such an important Knight, you must have some powers, too, right?”

“Well, I — I don't know,” said Zac timidly. “I — I don't think so. I'm not from here, you see.”

Tilly's brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Zac swallowed hard. They didn't know. They didn't know that he was from another world, that he was an alien. When they found out they certainly wouldn't want anything to do with him. Things here would be just like they were back home. He didn't belong
anywhere
. He found himself backing away. Before he knew it, he was pressed against a huge bookcase.

“That's the thing, you see,” he said. “I'm not from Nocturne at all. I'm from the Waking World.”

This time Tilly and Tom stepped back, their eyes as wide as full moons.

“You mean, you're a Wakeling?” whispered Tom.

“ 'Fraid so,” said Zac with a sigh. “Well, part of me is. Granny was born here, so I suppose part of me is from here, too. I suppose I'm a bit of both.”

Tom's mouth fell open. “Brilliant!” he said.

“Unbelievable,” croaked Tilly.

They both gazed at Zac in the way someone might look at the most interesting animal at the zoo.

“What?” said Zac. “What is it?”

“Sorry,” whispered Tom. “It's just that we've never met anyone from the Waking World before. What's it like there? And how come you're wearing pajamas? Does everyone there dress like that all the time?”

Zac had forgotten about his pajamas. He blushed, tying the belt on his robe a little tighter.

“Oh . . . this is just what I wear to bed,” he babbled. “Usually I wear different stuff.” He fought back a smirk. “Sort of like what you have on, actually.”

Tom was wearing terrible bright blue pants, with a pink shirt and vest.

There was a moment's silence. Zac put his hands in his pockets and felt something cold and metallic. He jingled it between his fingers.

“What have you got there?” quizzed Tilly.

Zac pulled his hand out and opened it. Nestling in his palm were two shiny ten-pence pieces.

“What are those?” said Tom excitedly.

“Coins,” replied Zac. He held out his hand. “Here,” he said. “Now you can say you've got something from the Waking World.”

Tilly and Tom slowly took the coins from Zac's hand.

“Thanks,” said Tom.

“What are they used for?” asked Tilly.

“Coins are money,” said Zac. “If you want to buy something from someone, you give them some of these and they give you something in return.”

“We know what money is,” Tom said with a laugh.

“Yeah,” added Tilly. “But it's a bit strange that people should use lumps of metal. We use teeth.”

“Teeth?”

“Yeah, look,” said Tilly. She pulled a little leather pouch from her pocket and opened it to reveal a pile of teeth. “These were collected by the tooth fairy from under the pillows of sleeping children in the Waking World. That's what we use as money here.”

Zac almost choked.

“They've been cleaned, you know,” she added, noticing his disgusted expression.

“Did you . . . did you say the tooth fairy?” Zac stammered.

“Yeah,” said Tom, still examining his coin. “Surely you've heard of her?”

“Of course I have,” said Zac. “It's just that she's make-believe.”

“Make-believe?” said Tom.

“Yeah,” muttered Zac. “I mean, most children my age think the tooth fairy is a story for babies.”

Tom stared at Zac for a second and then looked at his sister. “Completely bonkers,” he said, pointing to his head. “Hey, you want us to show you around?”

“I'm supposed to stay here,” said Zac.

“Not now! Later, when everyone's asleep.”

“We know HQ inside out,” added Tilly.

Zac only thought about it for a second. This place did seem pretty cool. And he'd just met two kids who didn't think he was a freak. He wasn't going to blow it now.

“OK,” he said. “If you're sure.”

“Only, don't tell anyone,” warned Tom. “We're not supposed to. There's all sorts of weird stuff lying around. An old shoe attacked me last week . . .”

At that moment, Granny and the others reappeared.

Tom nudged Zac in the ribs. “Remember,” he whispered, “don't say anything.”

“Right,” said Zac, wondering what sort of surprises lay ahead.

The dining room of the Knights' headquarters was oval with a polished floor and a round table, on which places had been set for everyone.

Here, Zac was introduced to Tilly and Tom's parents, Humphrey and Holly Huggins, who ran HQ.

“How do you do!” Humphrey beamed as he shook hands with Granny and Zac. “Such a pleasure!”

He was a neat man, tall and lean with sleek, jet-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and a pencil mustache. He didn't so much talk as fire words like a machine gun.

“So pleased to meet you, dears,” said Holly Huggins. She was short and plump with curly blond hair and a round face. Her voice was gentle. “Please do make yourselves at home.”

Mr. and Mrs. Huggins had prepared a feast. Zac's mouth watered. There was hot broth, crusty bread spread thickly with golden butter, cheese, fat sausages, and a large cauldron of melted chocolate in which they could dip fresh fruit and giant marshmallows.

Zac ate until he could barely move.

“Hey, Zac,” said Tom through a mouthful of sausage, “tell us about the Waking World. What's it like?”

“Yeah,” said Tilly. “Is it anything like here?”

“A little, I suppose,” said Zac, tugging nervously at the belt of his robe. It felt strange to be the center of attention. “It's actually a bit dull compared to what I've seen of Nocturne so far. In the Waking World, things just do what they're supposed to. There aren't any dragons, or floating buses, or magical rowboats . . .”

Tom looked disappointed.

“No magic?” asked Tilly

“It's a different sort of magic,” said Zac. “Like television.”

“Telewhat?” said Tom, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Television. It's a little box that shows moving picture stories. Watching television is how most people in the Waking World spend their spare time.”

“What, they just stare at it?”

“I heard about one of those!” said Tilly. “A merchant is supposed to have found one in the Dream Plains. He brought it out and switched it on and sure enough, there were the moving pictures. It was fine for a while, but then one night, he got sucked in! He was trapped. Then the telly-viser thingy went mad. It ran around, sucking people into different stories. It took twenty people to capture it. They tried and tried, but they never could get those people back out.”

“That's terrible!” said Zac. “But in the Waking World, televisions never go around sucking people in. Not in that way. They just sort of sit there.”

“Why bother to have one, then?” said Tom.

“Zac,” said Granny over the chatter, “Holly has volunteered to take you up to the city tomorrow to get you some new clothes. Isn't that kind?”

Zac looked down at his pajamas. He nodded with relief at Mrs. Huggins. “Thanks,” he said.

“No trouble, dear,” she answered cheerily. “I need to collect something anyway.” She glanced carefully at the other Knights.

“Can we come, too, Mum?” asked Tom.

“Yeah,” pleaded Tilly. “Can we? Please?”

Mrs. Huggins rolled her eyes. “All right,” she sighed to her children. “But no fighting and no sneaking off, understand?”

“Yes, Mum,” they chimed.

“What will you be doing, Granny?” asked Zac, dipping another marshmallow.

“Well, lad,” said Granny, “I'll be preparing with the others.”

“For what?”

“The search to find Rumpous Tinn.”

“Can't I go with you?” he asked.

“Yeah!” cried Tom. “Me, too!”

“And me!” said Tilly.

“This is no job for children,” Cornelius concluded firmly.

“Right,” said Mrs. Huggins, before they could argue further. “Come on, bedtime. Zac, you can share with Tom. I've already prepared a bed.”

“Nice one!” said Tom. “Come on, Zac, I'll show you my room.”

They said good night to the others, and Zac followed Tom down the gaudy red and gold corridor, wondering what on earth a bedroom in Nocturne might look like.

“Do you actually live in this place, then?” he said.

“Not usually,” said Tom. “We have a house above The Forty Winks. Knights usually have a home somewhere outside HQ. Mum and Dad own the pub. It's been passed down on my mum's side for generations. Her family have always been sort of honorary Knights. That's how she met my dad. Grandad brought him to the pub and they fell in love. Disgusting, really. Here we are.”

Tom's room was wide and spacious, although just about every inch of the floor was covered in clothes, books, and colorful parchments. The walls were plastered with posters depicting fantastic creatures.

“That's yours,” said Tom, pointing to a comfortable-looking bed in the corner.

“This is great,” said Zac. He leapt onto the bed, sinking into the fluffy duvet.

Tom jumped onto his bed, too. “Just wait until you see the rest of this place,” he said, waving his arms, but shut up as Mrs. Huggins popped her head around the door.

“Get to bed now, boys! We're up early tomorrow. And don't stand on that mattress, Thomas. I've told you before. Good night, Zac.” She left the door open just enough for a little torchlight to dance into the room.

“We'll have a couple of hours' sleep,” said Tom as they climbed into bed. “Then we'll get up and meet Tilly, and we can show you around.”

“All right,” said Zac, yawning. “See you in a bit.”

Within seconds, Tom was snoring loudly, while Zac tossed and turned. Eventually, he got out of bed and began browsing through the books and papers on the floor. A parchment magazine called
Myth and Magic
caught his attention. He picked it up and stared at the cover. A menacing face with huge teeth sneered at him. Zac read the headline:

Zac flipped through the pages. The magazine was crammed full of illustrated articles about the most terrible monsters in Nocturne: goblins, ghouls, mountain trolls, chimeras, and many others. It seemed that most of these monsters had walked straight out of the dreams — or nightmares — of Wakelings, and set up home in dark corners of Nocturne.

“Just a bit of light reading, eh, Tom?” he murmured to himself.

He flipped another page and saw the foul creature from the front cover, then began to read:

The werewolf is one of the most feared monsters in all of Nocturne. Werewolves are known for their ability to blend in among humans, and for their lust for blood. A werewolf will always play with its food. A common misconception is that werewolves only transform during a full moon. This is untrue. They can transform at any time they wish. In
Myth and Magic's
“Most Terrifying Ways to Die” poll last year, Werewolf Attack finished third — behind only Vampire Bite and Dream Stealer Assault.

Danger Level: extreme
Size: huge in werewolf form
Speed: don't even try to run
Weaponry: teeth, strength, guile . . . pretty much everything
Best Defense: silver
Likely Outcome: death — or, if you're lucky, transformation into a werewolf

A door slammed in the corridor. Zac jumped. He stared out into the passageway through the tiny gap in the open door. Nobody seemed to be there. He laughed at himself for feeling startled in a place as safe as the HQ of the Knights of Nod. His eyelids were beginning to feel heavy, and he suddenly realized how exhausted he was. He tossed
Myth and Magic
back on the floor, then climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep with images of monsters swimming in his head.