Lavender-Green Magic (27 page)

After they had eaten dinner Grandpa seemed restless. He
did not sit down to leaf through his pile of old garden catalogs, which he always did when he was settled for a quiet time.

Grandma asked finally, “What's got into you, Luther? You're like a cat on hot bricks. There's somethin' a-botherin' you.”

“I know it's Sunday, Mercy. But I've got me the need to go lookin' at that there maze. Not to do any work on it, just give it a look. I don't know why it sticks in my mind this here way, only it do.”

Grandma did not answer him at once. She got up from the chair where she had settled herself with a number of
National Geographies
to hand.

“Funny you should say that, Luther. Th' very same thing's been runnin' in my mind. All right, suppose we all go an' take us a look. Tomorrow I'm to fetch some cookin' herbs over to Mrs. Holmes. Could be if I had somethin' real to tell her, she'd come out for a look 'fore the town meetin'.”

So they all followed Grandpa to where he had found the break in the maze wall. Holly looked for the two cats on guard. And she was sure, though the brush had grown up a lot, that she could still trace there the old outlines of both. She did not know how they could be drawn to Grandpa's attention later, or whether he could make anything of them again, but they
were
there, only waiting to be freed from what had grown about them.

Between those hidden guardians was the entrance, where they could indeed see a paved walk through a tunnel of green, far more open than one would think upon viewing
the matted and tangled outer wall. There was nothing alarming or forbidding about that opening, and Grandpa stepped right in.

“Might as well see,” he said over his shoulder, “just how far in we can get. But it's clearer than outside—”

He took the first right turn. Again the way was reasonably open. It was as if the maze had been waiting just for them to come exploring. Now and then Grandma stopped to stoop and finger a stalk of frost-killed plant or pick up a dried leaf.

“There was a regular wall of lavender here, Luther,” she cried excitedly. “An' here's mint, I do believe; an' that there's surely thyme! The bushes must give all this shelter. Rosemary—that there's true rosemary!”

Again they made a turn. At the fourth turn some failure of the growth made the tall cats stand out clearly. Grandpa stopped short to stare at them.

“Now whatever's here?” he demanded. “Lookit this, all of you: the bushes cut to make them! I never seen th' like.” Suddenly he paused. “That ain't quite so—'member that
Geographic
picture, Mercy? Th' one about that garden what's in England where all them bushes were cut up careful to be birds, an' animals? Tomorrow”—he was clearly growing more excited—”I'm goin' right in an' get Mr. Correy. He ain't no gardener, but he knows 'bout old things. He'll sure be surprised to see this here.”

“Maybe there're others,” Crock suggested. “They might be grown over some. If they were to be cut again—”

“Surely!” Grandpa nodded excitedly. “Only it will take
some figurin' how to do that just right, without spoilin' 'em none. It would have to be done real careful.”

Grandma held her glasses tightly in place as she viewed the brush cats.

“Now that there,” she announced, “wasn't in that Virginia maze. This beats that other maze all to pieces. Luther, you can get Mr. Correy, but you'll have to bring out Mrs. Holmes, too. She will sure be taken back to find you don't have to go clear to Virginia to see this!”

Grandpa seemed reluctant to leave the cats, but Holly urged him on. She was sure that there was no longer any house caught within the maze, but she was eager to see what did lie there now.

Three more turns and they came out into the open. Though there was a thick growth here now, of sere and withered plants, lines could still be traced to show Tamar's ordered garden. And there was the pool, a small slick of ice still at its bottom.

Grandma fell upon the remains of the plants, excitedly identifying them from brittle leaves, or stalk.

“This was just a big herb garden, Luther. 'Course a lotta what was once here must be dead. But lookit all what kept growin' all these years. It's hard to believe it could, Luther, 'cept we know there weren't no way anyone could get in to plant an' tend it. Why, we can plant it again. An' it will be somethin' as no one hereabouts has ever seen in their born days!”

A hand slipped into Holly's. She turned her head, Judy was smiling broadly. Crock, his hand holding Judy's other
one, was grinning. Without quite knowing that she said it, Holly whispered, “So mote it be!”

She was as sure at that moment that Dimsdale was safe as she was that someday their father would come. She remembered Tamar's farewell to them:

“Blessed be!” And she did say that more loudly, but neither Grandpa nor Grandma seemed to hear her. Only Judy and Crock nodded with vigor and certainty that that would come true—Dimsdale was no longer cursed, but blessed.

ROSE BEADS

Choose fully open roses with a strong scent; dark red are best. Remove petals only and put these in a strong crockery bowl. Using a heavy utensil (the handle of an all-metal ice-cream scoop is excellent), crush the petals into a thick paste.

Roll the paste into beads, which can then be strung on thread with a sharp needle. Or put them in a small nylon net bag for use in drawers as sachet. But dry them well first. The fragrance will last a long time.

TASTIES FOR TEA

Take a good-sized, thick-skinned orange and mark the skin with a knife into quarters. Peel these away from the fruit. With the knife, scrape the white inner side of the peel as clean as you can. Then cut into small squares about three-quarters of an inch in size.

Into each square push a stick of clove. And then allow to
dry. Keep in a closed tin box or jar. Drop into hot tea for special flavor.

SUGARED MINT LEAVES

Pick mint before the flowers bloom. Select the medium-sized leaves, not the large ones near the bottom of the stem, nor the too-small upper ones. Wash and dry by laying out on a paper towel.

Take the white of one egg and beat it slightly, until it is frothy. Dip the leaves into the egg and then into a saucer of sugar.

Spread on a sheet of foil and put in oven at the lowest degree of heat until each leaf is dry. Keep in tightly closed bottle or jar. These may be eaten as candy, or used to flavor either hot or cold tea.

POMANDER BALL

Select a well-shaped, medium-sized orange. Using Scotch tape, mark it off into halves lengthwise. Get two small boxes of whole cloves.

Using an ice pick, make holes between the tape lines very close together and insert a clove into each until no skin can be seen at all.

Pull off the tape and put ribbon in its place, so that the ball may be hung in a closet if you wish. This will last for a long time and give a fine spicy scent. Pomander balls were often used in linen cupboards.

TOR BOOKS
Reader's Guide

ANDRE
NORTON

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

The information, activities and discussion questions which follow are intended to enhance your reading of
Lavender-Green Magic
. Please feel free to adapt these materials to suit your needs and interests.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alice Mary Norton was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 17, 1912. Read to by her mother from an early age, she grew up loving books and began writing in high school. She published her first book,
The Prince Commands
, at the age of twenty. Norton wrote under a pseudonym which she felt helped her gain footing in male-dominated publishing markets, legally changing her name to Andre Alice Norton in 1934. She worked as a librarian, briefly owned a bookstore, and served as a reader and anthologist for publisher Martin Greenburg before devoting herself exclusively to writing. Norton's work spans decades and literary genres—her list of books, stories and poems numbering into the hundreds—though she is best known for her fantasy and young adult novels, including the Witch World series. Her Magic books, including
Lavender-Green Magic
, were largely written during the
Vietnam era and feature young outsiders struggling to fit in and make sense of their worlds through fantastical journeys to times past. Norton received numerous accolades, including the Nebula Grand Master Award (1984), the Daedalus Award for Lifetime Achievement (1986), and the World Fantasy Convention Life Achievement Award (1998). In 1997, “The Lady” as she was known to her myriad fans was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame and moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where she lived until her death on March 17, 2005. Her last novel,
Three Hands for Scorpio
, was published by Tor Books in April, 2005.

RESEARCH AND WRITING ACTIVITIES

I. The Dimsdale Dump

A.
The Wade children are surprised to discover that their grandparents maintain the Sussex town dump. In the character of Holly, Crock, or Judy, write a journal entry describing your feelings upon realizing where you must now live.

B.
Where do old, broken, or unwanted objects go in your community? Go to your local library, town hall, or online to learn about how garbage is managed in your city or town. What recycling practices are in place? How are old televisions, computers, and other technological devices disposed of? Prepare a poster or diagram describing the journey trash takes out of your home or community. Include detailed annotations and illustrations.

C.
The Wade grandparents have found and repaired discarded items that actually have great value. Visit a local antique shop to learn about some of the old treasures that can be found in your own community. Or go to the library or online to learn more about an antique or collectible item of interest to you. Draw or make a replica of one of these items. Use a large index card to label your
replica with information on the age, origin, use, and value of the item. If desired, combine your replica and label with those of friends for a classroom display.