Cogitator? Kendra read dubiously.
Errol glanced at the card and flipped it over.
Wrong side, he apologized with a smile.
The back side said:
Errol Fisk
StreetPerformer Extraordinaire
Now, that I believe, Kendra said.
He glanced at the card and, with a look of chagrin,
flipped it over again.
I already --- Kendra began, but she hadn't.
Errol Fisk
Heaven's Special Gift to Women
Kendra laughed. What is this? Am I on a hidden camera
show?
Errol checked the card. My apologies, Kendra, I could
have sworn I tossed that one out long ago.
I haven't told you my name, Kendra said, suddenly on
guard.
You didn't have to. You were the only one of these
youngsters who looked fairystruck.
Fairystruck? Who was this guy?
I take it you've noticed an unwanted visitor in your
school recently?
Now he had her full attention. You know about the
goblin?
The kobold, actually, though the two are often confused.
He flipped the card again. It now read:
Errol Fisk
Kobold Exterminator
You can help me get rid of him? Kendra asked. Did
my grandpa send you?
He did not. But a friend of his did.
At that moment, Seth came up to them, his backpack
slung over one shoulder. Who's the ringmaster? he said to
Kendra.
Errol held the card up for Seth to see. What's a
kobold? Seth patted Kendra on the shoulder. Hey, you're
going to miss the bus. Kendra could tell he was trying to
give her an opening to get away from the stranger.
I might be walking home today, Kendra said.
Four miles? Seth said.
Or I'll catch a ride with somebody. The goblin who
kissed Alyssa and framed Mrs. Price is a kobold. She had
told Seth about the disastrous incident at lunch. He was the
one person who could understand the real story.
Oh, Seth said, sizing up Errol anew. I get it. I thought
you were a salesman. You're a magician.
Errol fanned out a deck of playing cards that had
appeared out of nowhere. Not a bad guess, he said. Pick a
card.
Seth pulled out a card.
Show it to your sister.
Seth showed Kendra the five of hearts.
Put it back in the deck, Errol instructed.
Seth replaced it so that Errol could not see the face of
the card. Errol flipped all the cards around, so they faced the
kids, still fanned out. They were all the five of hearts. And
there's your card, Errol announced.
That's the lamest trick ever! Seth protested. They're
all the same. Of course you know what I picked.
All the same? Errol said, reversing the cards and
thumbing through them. No, I'm sure you're mistaken. He
turned them back around, and it now looked like a normal
deck of fifty-two different cards.
Wow! Seth said.
Errol held the cards face down and fanned them out
again. Name a card, he said.
Jack of clubs, Seth said.
Errol held the cards up. They were all the jack of clubs.
He flipped them over again. Kendra, name a card.
Ace of hearts.
Errol displayed an entire deck full of the ace of hearts.
Then he tucked the deck away into an inner pocket.
Whoa, you really are magic, Seth said.
Errol shook his head. It's just legerdemain. ,
Leger-what?
Legerdemain. A word of French origin meaning sleight
of hand.
What, you've got a bunch of decks up your sleeve?
Seth asked.
Errol winked. Now you're on the right track.
You're good, Seth said. I was watching close.
Errol tweezed his business card between two fingers,
hand. The card was gone. The hand is quicker than the
eye.
The buses started pulling out. They always left in a caravan
of five. Oh no, Seth said. My bus!
I can give you kids a ride, Errol offered. Or I suppose
calling you a cab might be more appropriate. My treat.
Either way, we need to talk about this kobold.
How did you find out about this so fast? Kendra asked
suspiciously. The kobold only showed up yesterday. I just
mailed my letter to Grandpa Sorenson this morning.
Cogent question, Errol said. Your grandfather has an
old friend named Coulter Dixon who lives in the area. He
asked Coulter to keep an eye on you two. When Coulter
caught wind of the kobold, he called me. I'm a specialist.
So you know our grandpa? Seth asked.
Errol held up a finger. I know a friend of your grandpa's.
I've never actually met Stan.
Why do you wear that weird suit? Seth asked.
Because I'm terribly fond of it.
Why are you wearing gloves? Seth pursued. It's hot
out.
Errol glanced furtively over his shoulder, as if he was
about to share a secret. Because my hands are made of pure
gold and I'm worried somebody will steal them.
Seth's eyes widened. Really?
No. But remember the principle. Sometimes the most
preposterous lies are the most believable. He tugged off a
glove and flexed his fingers, revealing a normal hand with
black hairs on the knuckles. A street magician needs places
to hide things. Gloves serve that purpose. Same with a coat
on a warm day. And a vest with lots of pockets. And a wristwatch
or two. He pulled back his sleeve, revealing a pair of
watches.
You asked me for the time, Kendra said.
Sorry, I needed an opener. I have three watches. A
watch can be a great place to hide a coin. Errol squeezed his
wrist and then held up a silver dollar. He put his glove back
on, and the coin vanished in the process.
So you do have a pocket watch, Kendra said.
Errol held up the empty chain. Sadly, no, that was true. I
Pawn shop. I needed to buy combs for my girlfriend.
Kendra smiled, getting the reference. Errol did not
explain it to Seth. So, do I pass inspection? he asked.
Kendra and Seth looked at each other. If you get rid of
the kobold, Kendra said, I'll believe anything you say.
Errol looked a little concerned. Well, see, the thing is,
I'm going to need your help to do it, so we're going to need
to trust one another. You could call your grandpa, and he
could tell you about Coulter, at least. And then he could get
in touch with Coulter, who would tell him about me. Or
maybe Coulter has already contacted him. For now, consider
this-your grandfather has hardly told a soul that you were
fairystruck, and I am certain he urged you to keep that information
private as well. Yet I am privy to that knowledge.
What do you mean by fairystruck? Kendra asked.
That the fairies shared their magic with you. That you
can see whimsical creatures without assistance.
You can see them too? Seth asked.
Sure, if I use my eyedrops. But your sis
ter can see them
all the time. I got that information directly from Coulter.
Okay, Kendra said. We'll check with our grandpa, but
until we hear back, we'll trust that you're here to help.
Fabulous. Errol tapped his temple. I'm already hatching
a plan. What are the chances of you two sneaking out
tomorrow night?
Kendra winced. That's going to be tough. I have finals
the next day.
Whatever, Seth said, rolling his eyes. We'll pretend
to go to bed early and slip out the window. Would it work to
meet around nine?
Nine would be nearly perfect, Errol said. Where
should we rendezvous?
You know the service station on the corner of Culross
and Oakley? Seth suggested.
I'll find it, Errol said.
What if Mom and Dad notice we're missing? Kendra
said.
Which would you rather do: risk getting grounded, or
keep putting up with your ugly friend? Seth asked.
Seth was right. It was a no-brainer.
Extermination Procedures
The sky was nearly dark when Kendra and Seth entered
the service station's convenience store. Inside, one of
the fluorescent bulbs was flickering, interrupting the harsh,
even glow. Seth fingered a candy bar. Kendra turned around
in a circle. Where is he? We're almost ten minutes late.
Play it cool, Seth said. He'll be here.
You're not in a spy movie, Kendra reminded him.
Seth picked up the candy bar, closed his eyes, and
smelled it from end to end. Nope. This is the real thing.
Kendra noticed the headlights of a battered Volkswagen
van flashing in the parking lot. Maybe you're right, she
said, approaching the window. The lights flashed again.
Squinting, she saw Errol behind the wheel. He motioned her
over.
Kendra and Seth crossed the parking lot to the van.
Are we really going to drive away with him in that thing?
Kendra mumbled.
Depends on how badly you want to get rid of the
kobold, Seth replied.
The creature had not caused any new commotion that
day at school, although he had taunted Kendra with several
knowing looks. The horrid imposter was reveling in his victory.
He kept hanging around with her friends, and there was
nothing she could do about it. Who knew what his next act
of sabotage might be?
Kendra had continued to try to reach Grandpa Sorenson,
and had repeatedly gotten the recorded message that the call
could not be completed as dialed. Had he stopped paying his
phone bill? Maybe he had switched telephone numbers?
Whatever the cause, she had still not been able to speak with
him to confirm whether Errol could be trusted.
Errol leaned across the van and pushed the door open.
Once again he was wearing his rumpled, antiquated suit.
Kendra and Seth climbed inside. Seth shut the door behind
them. The motor was already running.
Here we are, Kendra said. If you're going to kidnap us,
tell me now. I can't handle the suspense.
Errol put the van into gear and pulled out of the service
station onto Culross Drive. I'm really here to help you,
Errol said. Although, if I had kids, I'm not sure I would want
them climbing into a vehicle late at night with a man they'd
just met, no matter what story he told them. But do not fret,
I'll deliver you safe and sound to your home before long.
Errol turned onto a different street. Where are we
going? Seth asked.
Nasty vermin, kobolds, very tenacious, Errol said. We
need to get something that will enable us to drive the interloper
away permanently. We are going to steal a rare item
from a wicked and dangerous man.
Seth leaned forward on the edge of his seat. Kendra
leaned back with her arms folded. I thought you said you
were a kobold exterminator, Kendra said. Don't you have
your own gear?
I have expertise, Errol said, turning onto a new street.
Exterminating a kobold is a trifle more complicated than
spraying your yard with chemicals. Each situation is unique
and demands improvisation. Be glad that I know where to
get what we need.
They rode in silence for a few miles. Then Errol pulled
off to the side of the road and switched off his lights. We're
already here? Seth asked.
Fortunately, what we need is close by, Errol said. He
indicated a stately building half a block down the road. A
sign out front read:
MANGUM
FUNERAL HOME
SINCE
We're going to break into a mortuary? Kendra asked.
Are we going to steal a body? Seth said, sounding too
eager for Kendra's liking.
Nothing so morbid, Errol assured them. The owner of
the mortuary, Archibald Mangum, lives on the premises. He
owns a stylized figurine in the likeness of a toad. We can use
the figurine to drive away the kobold.
He wouldn't just lend it to us? Kendra asked.
Errol smiled. Archibald Mangum is not a kind man. In
fact, he is not a man at all. He is a vampiric abomination.
He's a vampire? Seth asked.
Errol cocked his head. Strictly speaking, I have never
encountered an actual vampire. Not like you see in the
movies, turning into bats and hiding from the sun. But certain
orders of beings are vampiric in nature. These beings are
probably where the notion of vampires originated.
So what exactly is Archibald? Kendra pressed.
Hard to say for certain. Most likely a member of the
blix family. He might be a lectoblix, a species that ages
swiftly and must drain the youth of others to survive. Or a
narcoblix, a fiend capable of exerting control over victims
while they are asleep. But given his residence, my best guess
would be that he's a viviblix, a being with the power to temporarily
reanimate the dead. Like the vampires of legend,
blixes connect with their victims through a bite. All varieties
of blixes are highly uncommon, and here you are, with
one just a few miles from your home!
And you want us to break into his mortuary! Kendra
said.
My dear, Errol said. Archibald is away. I wouldn't
dream of sending you anywhere near his funeral home if it
were otherwise. It would be far too perilous.
Will he have zombie guards? Seth asked.
Errol spread his gloved hands. If he is a viviblix, there
may be a few reanimated corpses about. Nothing we can't
handle.
There has to be some other way to deal with the
kobold, Kendra muttered nervously.
None that I know of, Errol said. Archibald will return
tomorrow. After that, we can forget about procuring the figurine.
The three of them sat in silence, looking down the street
at the gloomy windows of the funeral home. It was an old style
mansion with a covered porch, a circular driveway, and
a large garage. The lighted sign out front provided the only
illumination besides the moonlight.
At last Kendra b
roke the silence. I don't feel good
about this.
Oh, toughen up, Seth said. It won't be so bad.
I'm glad to hear you say that, Seth, Errol said. Because
you will have to go into the house alone.
Seth swallowed. You're not coming with us?
Nor Kendra, Errol said. You're not yet fourteen, correct?
Right, Seth said.
Protective spells guarding the home will prevent anybody
over the age of thirteen from entering, Errol
explained. But they neglected to make it childproof.
Why not protect it from everybody? Kendra asked.
The young enjoy an innate immunity to many such
spells, Errol said. Creating enchantments to divert children
requires greater skill than erecting barriers to foil adults.
Almost no magic works on children under the age of eight.
The natural immunity diminishes as they age.
For the first time since entering the van, Kendra was
amused. Seth looked as sober as she had ever seen him. No
matter what the circumstances, it was always a pleasure to
see him have to eat his words. He shifted in his seat and
glanced at her.
Okay, well, what do I do? he said. The bravado had
faded.
Seth, don't- Kendra began.
No, he said, holding up his hand. Leave the dirty
work to me. Just tell me what to do.
Errol unscrewed the cap of a small bottle. An eyedropper
was attached to the cap. First, we need to sharpen your
vision. These drops will work like the milk you drank at
Fablehaven. Tilt your head back.
Seth obeyed. Errol leaned forward, placed a finger under
Seth's right eyelid to pull it down, and squeezed out a drop.
Blinking wildly, Seth recoiled. Whoa! Seth complained.
What is that, hot sauce?
It tingles a little, Errol said.
It burns like acid! Seth wiped tears from the afflicted
eye.
Other eye, Errol said.
Don't you have any milk?
Sorry, fresh out. Hold still, it will only take a second.
So would branding my tongue!
Isn't the first eye already feeling better? Errol inquired.
I guess so. Maybe I can just look out of one eye.
I can't send you in there blind to the dangers you might
face, Errol said.
Here, let me do it. Seth accepted the eyedropper from
Errol. With his untreated eye squinted almost shut, Seth put
a drop on the eyelashes. Blinking, he grimaced and growled.
Of course, the one person who doesn't need these is too old
to help out.
Kendra shrugged.
I use the drops every morning, Errol said. You get