Enter a Glossy Web by McKenna Ruebush

Author:McKenna Ruebush
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781627796576
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“What a nice dragon,” George said.

“I’m glad we helped him,” Mikal said. “But we still don’t have the second key to Astria.”

“And he dried up our escape route.” Caleb gestured to where the pool of tears had been. “I was planning on using that puddle to get back to the Door Way. We can’t find our way back the way we came. The wind blew over our tracks, and everything looks the same here.”

“I don’t think that would have worked anyway,” Mikal said. “The Hag said you need rain to make a proper mud puddle.”

“Seems like the Engineer could have come up with a better plan than mud puddle travel,” George said. “Maybe, like, a really small Moor you could keep in your pocket. Then whenever you needed it, you’d just take it out, and it would grow and open right into the Door Way.”

“Maybe you should be the new Engineer, George,” Caleb said.

“What you’re talking about is a Portable Moor,” Cavendish said. “And those are outrageously illegal.”

“Why are they illegal?” Mikal asked.

“Because Portable Moors could go nearly anywhere you wanted them to. All you had to do was open them while thinking about the location you wanted to end up at. That made some very important people nervous, because security was nearly impossible. Dozens of restrictions were placed on them, but it was ultimately decreed that all Moors must have a static destination, which means they have to be programmed to go to a single, known place. That rendered Portable Moors illegal, and their production ceased and became a punishable offense, along with many other technologies both useful and sinister.”

“Leave it to you to come up with a great idea that’s against the law, Georgina,” Caleb teased.

“They weren’t very practical anyway,” Cavendish said. “They were only good for one-time use, and very spendy.”

“One-time use would be good enough for us,” George said with a sigh. “Oh well. Can you show us the way out, Cavendish?”

“Nope, can’t do it. And not just because I’m being difficult, though that is a bonus. The inside world doors are hidden for security purposes.”

“So we have to wait for rain?” George asked.

“I don’t think that happens very often here,” Caleb said, looking around.

“You’re forgetting the Hag’s gift,” Mikal said. “She said it would make rain.”

George retrieved the glass vial from her backpack. The vapor inside had changed from pink to light green. She pulled the stopper from the vial, and the vapor trailed out, twisting and curling as it disappeared into the twilight.

“You probably should have waited to do that until we found the key,” Caleb said.

“It isn’t doing anything, though,” Mikal said.

“Maybe it takes time to work,” George said. “Let’s look for the key while we’re waiting.”

The children scoured the area near where Cavendish’s map had led them. Nothing was to be found but dead brush and parched earth.

* * *

“This is ridiculous,” George said finally. “Cavendish, can’t you be more specific about where we’re supposed to find it?”

“I told you, I can get within a hundred yards of the key.

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