The Secrets of Ordinary Farm

Chapter 16

Hot sun. Chores to do. Animals to feed. Maybe a nap before dinner if she was lucky and got her work done early. Lucinda wouldn’t have gone so far as to say things were back to normal, but as she and Tyler hiked across the fields toward the Reptile Barn she realized that for the first time in several days she didn’t feel frightened.

Their great-uncle Gideon was still in the hospital but he’d be coming home today. The doctors at Liberty Medical Center still didn’t know what was wrong with him, but Ragnar said Gideon was almost himself again, even though the time of his disappearance remained a blank.

“Okay, so what’s he doing?” Tyler said. “I still don’t get it.”

Lucinda had been admiring her new bracelet, the gift from Carmen, which made a very nice companion for the unicorn-hair bracelet the Three Amigos had given her. She shook her head. “Who? Doing what?”

“Kingaree! What’s he up to with that Dankle guy, that lawyer?”

“How should I know? And what makes you think it has anything to do with us?”

Tyler stared at her. “Duh! He’s a really bad guy and he came out of the Fault Line. Anything he does has something to do with us, or at least with the farm.”

Lucinda frowned. The only problem with the new bracelet was that when she lowered her arm it slid all the way to her hand and the charms interfered with picking things up. She pushed it up her forearm until it felt snug. “That doesn’t mean it’s anything to do with all the other stuff going on-Gideon and everything else you’re obsessed with-Alamu and the fire and Octavio’s Crazy-o-scope.”

“ Continuascope. Yeah, that’s the other thing.” Tyler frowned, trying to get his thoughts in order. “Okay, so Gideon disappears, and just at the same time Kingaree comes back after all these years. Meanwhile, Colin’s all “I’m researching the Continuascope” “-he did a terrible imitation of Colin’s careful speech-“which has been missing since the night of the laboratory fire. Which is also the night Kingaree disappeared. And you’re telling me it’s all coincidence?”

“I’m not saying it’s all coincidence… ” she began.

“So shut up, then.” But he smiled to show her he was mostly kidding. For a moment she remembered both why she loved her little brother and why she often wanted to kill him. “See, it would make sense that Kingaree stole the Continuascope and set the fire to cover up. But Mr. Walkwell says no-he says it was Alamu the dragon who burned the lab down.” He grabbed his head like it hurt. “Man! Am I missing anything?”

Lucinda smiled. “Just your sanity.” She could see the Reptile Barn in the distance now and her heart rose a little. I’m coming! she thought, trying to send the idea ahead like a beam of light. I’m bringing carrots! A moment later she realized what she was doing-accusing her brother of being crazy while she tried to talk to a dragon with her mind.

“What are you laughing about?” Tyler didn’t wait long for an answer. “ Anyway, something’s missing here. I don’t know what it is, but there’s totally something missing. Why would Alamu be hanging around the lab? Why would he burn the place down?”

“Maybe it was the only way he could get somebody to shut up.”

For a moment Tyler actually looked puzzled, trying to make sense of what she’d said. Then he stuck his tongue out at her-something he hadn’t done for a few years. “Oh, yeah, thanks, Luce. You’re a fat lot of help.”

Desta knuckle-walked on her folded wings and rear legs toward the front of the pen, head turned sideways as she slyly watched the bag of carrots in Lucinda’s hand.

I know you see them, Lucinda told her-or at least thought at her. It was hard to tell sometimes how much of Lucinda’s meaning Desta was receiving. Yes, they’re for you, greedy girl! ! It was scarcely more than a wordless impulse, but it had meaning and Lucinda understood it clearly: I want!

Haneb trundled past with a wagon full of sheep carcasses for Meseret, who was sleeping underneath the banks of sun lamps that helped to keep the Reptile Barn even warmer than the California summer outside. “She wait for you, the young one,” he said. “She know what time you here.”

“But I don’t come here the same time every day,” Lucinda said.

Haneb shrugged. “She know when you come, still. Very smart, the illujankan.” The strange word sounded like he was getting ready to spit. He smiled a little, embarrassed again, and translated. “Dragons.”

“How do you know so much about them?” she asked, and held out the first carrot for Desta. The blue tongue curled, gently tugged, and the carrot disappeared from Lucinda’s hand. Good, she thought. Good girl!

“I… I come with them. From where I was.”

What Ragnar had said was true, then. “Will you tell me about it?”

He gaped at her, his one visible eye wide, the other hidden by his curtain of hair. “I have work. Sorry, Miss Lucinda. The big one must be fed.” He gestured to the wagon and the sheep carcasses that were already drawing flies on this hot day. “I have work.”

Which, Lucinda could tell, really meant: “Please don’t make me talk about it.” Ragnar had said he was already scarred when he came to Ordinary Farm as a child. “Of course, Haneb, I’m sorry… ”

“Oh, man,” Tyler said loudly. “What are you doing here?”

She turned to see Colin Needle, who had stopped many yards away from Lucinda and the others, as if a deadly swamp lay between him and them.

“Don’t start with me, Jenkins.”

“No, really, every time I turn around, there you are. You spying on us?” Tyler walked toward Colin, his hands dangling down at his sides, shoulders back, chest out.

“Stop it, Tyler.” Boys, thought Lucinda. Always posturing.

Yes-males. So foolish, so fierce.

For a moment Lucinda thought someone had said it out loud-a deep, resonant voice with a bass hum like a church organ. Then she realized it was in her head, and only in her head, and that it hadn’t been words but only ideas. Meseret? Lucinda asked. Is that you? It was the first time she’d had a real communication from the big dragon since the night they had flown together.

Well, you flew, Lucinda corrected herself. I mostly screamed and hung on. Do you remember?

A faint impression of amusement touched her, then was followed by something much more harsh-an angry thought that scalded like acid. Night they stole my egg. Night that creature stole my egg. Meseret clearly knew who Colin was. The massive dragon stretched, suddenly restless in her harness, and the heavy industrial fabric creaked.

But she’s here now, Lucinda thought hurriedly-she didn’t want to see Colin Needle burned to ashes. Your baby, your egg, she’s alive and safe. See?

Carrots. This nudging thought drifted over from Desta. Have more. Give!

Tyler and Colin were still staring each other down. “What are you babbling about now, Jenkins?” the older boy said. “Do you think I want to be here? With these monsters?” He cast a quick, fearful look toward Meseret. “I was sent to get you. Personally, I’d be happy to leave you to your little games and your… ” he looked from Lucinda to the baby dragon, “… animal friends.”

He could be nice if he wanted to, Lucinda thought. Every now and then he showed it. Why did Colin Needle always turn back into such a creep?

Angry. It was feelings that came to her, not words, and they came from Desta. Frightened. Tangled.

Lucinda almost dropped the bag of carrots. It was the first time she had ever had anything but the simplest communication from Desta, anything but childlike greed, pleasure, or discontent.

“It’s about Gideon,” Colin continued sullenly. “My mother called to say they’re bringing him home from the hospital. If you really want to be off doing something else when he comes back, fine, be my guest. But it will look pretty bad.”

Desta, tell me that again, Lucinda thought, but the dragon was distracted now by the carrots in Lucinda’s hand. After a few more fruitless attempts to communicate, she gave Desta the last of them as Colin watched.

“Huh. She really does like you.” The tall boy sounded a little wistful. Of course, it was his own fault if the dragons didn’t like him, Lucinda thought-he had kidnapped Desta when she was in her egg, after all. But to be fair, he hadn’t known there was a live baby dragon in it.

“You look nice today, Colin,” she said, trying to be pleasant in turn. Tyler, who had been ready to slug the older boy a moment before, stared at her in disgusted disbelief. “Very dressed up.”

He seemed surprised by the compliment. “Thank you. Well, since it’s Gideon’s first day back, I thought… ” He stopped abruptly and shook his head as though he had caught himself doing something dangerous. “Anyway, I’ll wait for you outside. I don’t really want to be set on fire today.” He backed toward the entrance.

“I guess we’d better follow him,” said Lucinda. She had one last carrot for Desta, but had to dig deep into her pocket. When she found it and extended her hand, the charm bracelet slid down and clinked to a stop around her wrist.

Desta lunged so swiftly that Lucinda barely even saw her, striking like an angry rattlesnake, but instead of grabbing at the final carrot the dragon’s long teeth snagged in Lucinda’s bracelet and snapped it loose from her wrist. The bracelet dropped into Desta’s pen even as Lucinda staggered back, shocked by the sudden attack.

Desta, no! she thought as forcefully as she could, angry but also fearful that the young dragon would swallow the bracelet and harm herself. Don’t you dare! But Desta ignored her, moving toward the shiny thing as though nothing else existed in the world.

I said NO! It happened so quickly Lucinda didn’t understand it for a moment: the young dragon jumped back as if burned, then crouched down, hissing as though she had been struck. But it wasn’t just that Lucinda’s angry thoughts had scared her.

I made her do that, Lucinda realized. I made her move back just with my thoughts…! It hadn’t felt good at all, forcing the young dragon away from the bracelet against her greedy will, but somehow Lucinda had reached out and… and made her do it.

Wow, she thought. What just happened?

While Lucinda and Desta stood staring at each other, the alarmed dragon’s fins erected and quivering at the side of her head, Haneb leaped forward and pulled the silver bracelet out with the handle of his rake, then shoved it into Lucinda’s hand as if it was stolen property. “Hide it, or else she will try again to take it. Don’t bring things like this here.” He sounded mad, as if Lucinda had done something very foolish.

“Things like this?” She stared at the young dragon, who was pretending not to care, but whose orange eyes stared hungrily at the silvery object as it disappeared into Lucinda’s pocket. “What do you mean?”

Stop why? Scare Desta! Pretty. Love that. The smallest dragon was sulking.

“Dragons like all shiny things-silver and gold and metal and glass.” Haneb gently steered her farther back from Desta’s fence. “Alamu is worst bad of all. His nest must be full of all shiny things he find or steal.”

Lucinda didn’t even resist as he hurried her and Tyler out of the barn. She wasn’t worried about the bracelet, which could be fixed, but she was very excited about what else had happened.

The dragons were talking to me! she thought. I was really learning something about them! But how did I make Desta move that way? It was like she was… a puppet or something…

Colin Needle was waiting for them outside. He looked so pathetic on his own that Lucinda said, “You missed all the excitement. It wasn’t quite the same as Meseret spitting fire at you, but Desta just tried to pull my arm off!”

“Don’t, Luce,” said Tyler in a sharp, warning tone that made her angry-what right did he have to stop her talking to Colin?

“Well, she did! She grabbed this bracelet on my arm. Haneb said that dragons love shiny things-that they’ll steal them any chance they get…!”

“Lucinda, stop…!” Her brother was obviously upset.

She turned on him. “No, you shut up, Tyler Jenkins! I’m tired of you telling me what to do.” She half-expected to find Colin looking at her gratefully because she’d stuck up for him, but instead the older boy was staring at her brother. Colin stared right back at him, both of them showing their teeth and glaring like puppies playing tug-of-war with a toy.

Boys! she thought. Meseret was so right…

Strangely, Hector Carrillo and all three Carrillo children were waiting out in front of the farm’s main gate when Lucinda and Tyler and the others from the house pulled up in the horse cart. Lucinda couldn’t help wonder who had told them Gideon was coming back.

“I offered to drive Gideon home from the hospital,” said Mr. Carrillo, patting the fender of his truck. “But your Mrs. Needle wouldn’t hear of it. ‘Too much trouble,’ she says. ‘We’ll just take a cab.’ ”

“She’s not our Mrs. Needle,” growled Tyler. Still angry, Lucinda shushed him. Colin was standing only a short distance away, craning his neck to look for Gideon-or was it Patience Needle he was waiting for so anxiously? Colin might be a strange, difficult boy, Lucinda thought, but his mother was a complete nightmare. How could anyone expect the poor kid to be normal?

They saw the plume of dust from the farm road long before they saw the cab, but soon it appeared, a white and red smear against the brown of the hills. A few moments later it pulled up beside the tall fence and the gate. It took a little while for big Ragnar to unfold himself from the back seat, then more time to help Gideon out while Mrs. Needle paid the driver. Judging by the look on his face as he pulled away, Lucinda guessed she hadn’t given the man much of a tip, if any.

Gideon looked small and unwell, but what was worse was that he almost didn’t seem to notice what was going on, letting Ragnar help him but scarcely even looking up as the folks from the farm gathered around. Mr. Carrillo stepped forward with his hand extended.

“Nice to see you back, Gideon,” said Mr. Carrillo. “I hope when you’ve had a few days to recuperate we can have that conversation I’ve been waiting for.”

Gideon looked down at Hector Carrillo’s hand as if he didn’t know what it was, then turned away and continued trudging toward the gate.

“He is still not well,” Mrs. Needle said-not apologizing, but in a tone that suggested Mr. Carrillo should know that and should leave him alone. “I’m sure he will be happy to speak to you when he’s feeling better.” She hurried after Gideon as the old man shuffled toward the gate on Ragnar’s arm, as though she could not bear to be separated from him for long.

“Wow,” said Carmen Carrillo. “He looks weird. I thought somebody said he was better.”

Mr. Walkwell looked troubled. “I apologize for Gideon, Hector,” he told Carmen’s dad. “Ragnar said he was much better, but now he seems ill again. Perhaps the ride made him that way. Those cars are foul things.”

“Yes, but somebody has to talk to me soon, Simos,” said Mr. Carrillo. “Stillman’s calling me every day. I can’t wait forever. I’ve been begging for Gideon to deal with this for months!”

Mr. Walkwell pulled him aside for a quiet conversation. Colin and the other farm folk stood watching as Ragnar lifted Gideon onto the wagon, then followed after as it creaked back toward the house, all of them on foot this time as though walking behind a funeral procession. The thought made Lucinda shiver.

“So what’s going on with him, anyway?” Steve Carrillo asked. “Dude, he looked like a zombie.”

“He didn’t even look like himself,” said little Alma. “Like the real Gideon is lost in there somewhere.” She hugged herself as if the hot day had made her shiver.

Mr. Carrillo returned, his conversation with Mr. Walkwell finished. He did not look happy. “ Vamonos, kids,” he said. “In the truck. We’re not going to get anything done here today.”

Lucinda waved as they drove off, but the Carrillo kids just looked embarrassed. As Mr. Walkwell turned the cart back toward the house, Lucinda realized her brother had been silent the whole time since the Reptile Barn, deep in thought-Tyler hadn’t even said anything to Steve Carrillo or asked what he was playing on his GameBoss.

That proves it, she thought gloomily. The world really is coming to an end.