The Wish Stealers (9 page)

She reached for a huge loop of keys behind the counter. Down two creaky flights of stairs, Garrett and Griffin followed behind Mrs. Eve. Underground caverns of books appeared in long rows stretching like a silent city beneath the library.

“I never knew this existed,” said Griffin. Sounds of a metal door being unlocked echoed through the crypt of books.

“Ancient Alchemy,” said Mrs. Eve, pointing to the last row of books by the wall. “Amazing things inside. You two may never want to leave!”

“Thanks,” said Garrett and Griffin at the same time.

WISH!
she wanted to shout, but bit her tongue instead. She didn’t even want to think about that.

Just then the phone rang inside the ancient book vault. Mrs. Eve reached to answer it. “Hello?” she said. “I’ll be right there.” She hung up the receiver and said to Garrett and Griffin, “I have to run. We usually don’t let people unsupervised down here, but, Griffin, I’ve known you and your family for years.” She smiled at them. “I’ll be back in ten minutes, okay?”

Griffin nodded her head. “Thank you so much.” Mrs. Eve’s footsteps echoed through the silent underground room as she walked up the stairs.

Griffin stared at Garrett when the door slammed. They were left alone.

“Cool,” said Garrett. He pulled a giant book from the shelf. “
The Dictionary of Ancient Alchemy, 1785
.”

The book weighed a ton. Dust flew off it like a poisonous cloud. Garrett opened the antique book and placed it on a reading stand set up at the end of a bookcase. Griffin and Garrett stood side by side in front of the book. Garrett read,
“‘We start with
Z
. Zosimos of Panopolis.’” His voice bounced off the walls of the tomblike room.

“It’s kinda creepy down here, don’t you think?” said Griffin.

“Not really. I stay at home by myself all the time,” replied Garrett, shrugging. “Look at this!” He continued reading. “‘Zosimos, called the father of alchemy, believed only
four
metals could be changed into gold.’”

“What are the four metals?” asked Griffin, now centimeters away from Garrett.

“‘Lead, tin, silver, and copper,’” read Garrett.

“Copper!” said Griffin, leaning her head over the book. Her long, shiny hair brushed the page.

“‘Maria Prophetissa, the most famous woman alchemist, made the first laboratory equipment. It was called a
tribikos
, to make gold,’” she read excitedly.

“Your hair smells like strawberries,” said Garrett.

“Really?” said Griffin, jerking her head away.

Garret and Griffin stared at each other across the book, and they both blushed at the same time.

“I—I guess it’s my shampoo,” she said, her face now bright red like a giant strawberry.

Do I have green food stuck in my teeth?
thought Griffin, and she suddenly became self-conscious. Quickly she looked
down and continued reading. “‘Basil Valentine, said to have lived in Paris in 1394, believed in the properties of a metal called antimony. This strange, poisonous metal fascinated Isaac Newton.’”

“Look at that,” said Garrett, pointing to a picture. A black shiny circle was drawn on the next page. He read, “‘This circular black ob-sid-i-an mirror can be seen today in the British Museum. It was believed to have been stolen from Aztec priests by the conquistadors, who transported it to Europe. This magic mirror was used by the ancient alchemists to see the future.’”

Griffin glued her eyes to the page. The magic mirror was just like the one she’d seen in Mr. Schmidt’s shop.

Turn something ordinary
into something extraordinary.

S
ix times the town bell rang outside, reminding Garrett and Griffin they had been researching for two hours. “Wow! That went by fast,” he said. Pushing through the heavy wooden doors, they emerged into the library’s front courtyard, each with a stack of books.

“CDs! Buy your violin CD here,” called a sad-looking sidewalk musician standing by the flagpole. In one hand he clutched his violin and bow, in the other he held up his self-produced CD for sale. Before him lay a stack of unsold CDs and an open violin case. Not a single coin had been tossed inside. People walked in and out of the library and passed by
him as if he were a lamppost. With his head bowed to the ground, he picked up his violin. Slowly he played a haunting, melancholy song. Griffin stared.

“Griffin?” said Garrett. “You okay?”

“Yeah. His violin case is empty,” she said.

“What are you going to do?” Garrett said. “Give him some leftover lunch money?”

When the violinist stopped playing, Griffin walked up to the forlorn man. Although he wasn’t that old, his face sagged. “You play really great.”

“Thanks,” he said, not meeting her eyes.

“I play bass guitar.”

“Good for you. Hope you don’t end up a failure like me.”

Griffin’s mouth fell open. “You’re not a failure,” she said. “Your music sounds incredible!”

The man smiled sadly.

“Griff! I’m parked right here,” called Dr. Penshine from the open car window.

“I gotta go,” she said, turning to Garrett. “That’s my mom. Do you need a ride home?”

“No, I’m gonna walk,” he said.

“Don’t you have band practice like you said on the phone?” asked Griffin.

“Nah, we bailed,” said Garrett.

“Okay. Well, we got a lot done. Thanks. See you tomorrow,” she said.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” he said, and smiled.

“Oh, yeah.” She blushed.

“Hey, are you going to Samantha’s party?” he asked.

“Uh, no. I …,” she said.

“Yeah, it will probably be lame. I ate that cookie anyway.”

Griffin laughed.

Garrett smiled at her again.

“Griffin!” called her mom.

“Gotta go,” she said, running to the car and slipping into the front seat.

“Hi,” said her mom. “Is that Garrett over there?” Her mom pointed to Garrett, who was talking to the sidewalk musician.

“Yes,” Griffin said.

“Does he want to have dinner with us?” her mom asked.

“Who?” Griffin said.

“Garrett,” said her mom.

“I don’t think so.”

“How is he getting home?” asked her mom.

“He said he’s walking,” said Griffin, staring out the window.

“At night? By himself? I don’t think so!” said her mom.
“Why don’t we eat across the street at Friendly’s? Dad’s working late. Maybe Garrett would like to have dinner with us? I can drop him off afterward.”

“It’s okay, really,” Griffin said.

“He shouldn’t be walking home in the dark,” her mom persisted.

“All right,” Griffin said. She got out of the car and walked up to Garrett. “Hey, Garrett. Do you want to go to Friendly’s with us? Then my mom can drop you off.”

“Friendly’s?” he said with a huge smile. “I love their Reese’s Pieces sundae.”

“Yeah,” said Griffin.

“Okay,” he said.

Settled into the restaurant booth, Dr. Penshine asked Garrett, “Do you want to call your parents and let them know you’re eating with us?”

“It’s okay. My mom works late most nights, so she won’t even know the difference.”

“Does your dad work late too?” said Griffin.

“He doesn’t live with us,” said Garrett, studying the menu.

“Where does he live?” asked Griffin.

Garrett shrugged his shoulders and shifted uneasily.
“Alaska. He’s a fisherman. Hey, the double-decker looks awesome!”

Clanking dishes and clinking glasses spun circles around Griffin.

“What can I get you all?” asked the waitress, chewing gum.

“A double-decker and Reese’s Pieces sundae,” said Garrett.

“All-righty,” said the waitress. “And you, young lady?”

But Griffin just stared at Garrett.

“Griffin, the waitress is talking to you,” said her mom, raising an eyebrow.

“Sorry. A veggie burger, please,” she said, returning her focus to Garrett. “Have you ever
wished
for your dad to come back, Garrett?”

“Griffin!” said her mom. “That’s a very personal question!”

“It’s okay,” said Garrett. “I don’t care. He left two years ago. I was ten. I used to wish on my birthday cake for him to come back. But now that I’m older, I don’t wish for such stupid things.”

“I don’t think it’s a stupid wish at all, Garrett. I know lots of people who have wished for amazing things! Crazy things!” said Griffin, leaning across the table.

Cackling laughter caught Griffin’s ear from a few booths
away. In full costume the three witches from
Macbeth
gnawed on chicken bones, with spinach and chicken flapping in their teeth.

“Oh, my gosh,” gasped Griffin, spotting them. “It’s the witches!”

“Who?” said her mom.

“What?” said Garrett.

Griffin’s heart raced.

One of the witches noticed Griffin staring at her. She waved her bony fingers and called to her, “‘In the cauldron boil and bake …
Lizard’s
leg and owlet’s wing …’ Right, my dear? ‘For a charm of powerful trouble.’”

“My goodness, they look lifelike,” said Griffin’s mom.

“They performed for my English class. Actors from some traveling theater company doing
Macbeth,
” Griffin said, and gulped.

“Gnarly!” said Garrett.

“I’d love to hear what you two picked for your science night project,” said Dr. Penshine, changing the subject.

“Alchemy! Turning lead into gold!” said Garrett.

Just then the three witches left their table, heading for the exit. As they passed Griffin’s table, one of the hags leaned over and whispered, “‘When the hurlyburly’s done, / When the battle’s lost and won,’ ehh, my dear?”

The crone’s eyes swirled yellow.

When the three weird witches exited the restaurant, a cold gust of wind snuck through the doors.

“What does that mean?” Griffin asked her mom, shivering.

“I think it’s a line from the play. ‘Hurlyburly’ means everything’s upside down, lots of confusion. My goodness, those are either the oddest or most committed actors I have ever seen! They must be in character rehearsing their parts,” she said.

“What does the second line mean?” asked Garrett.

“‘When the battle’s lost and won’? I think it means someone emerges victorious from a battle between good and evil.”

Turn a single penny into gold.