Fern Verdant and the Silver Rose by Diana Leszczynski

Author:Diana Leszczynski
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780375891458
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2008-11-11T00:00:00+00:00

Meanwhile #2

What on earth could Olivier Verdant, a botanist specializing in ferns, do in the face of all this adversity? He tried to hide his emotions, but truth be told, he was heartbroken when Fern began to fall apart. He had felt useless and spent a great deal of time, like many other Frenchmen, staring mysteriously into space. But as soon as Olivier discovered that everyone at NITPIC had been hypnotized by Dr. Marita Von Svenson, that the horrible Hubrises had disappeared, and that Fern had run away because she believed her mother was still alive, Olivier became a man of action.

He pieced together the clues surrounding his family’s disappearance. After the sighting by the overweight lifeguard from Dollop, Fern had evaporated.

“How coincidental,” said Olivier to Grandmamma, “that both my wife and daughter disappeared at the ocean’s edge.” He admitted to her that he believed there was a possibility Lily could be alive.

“Why would someone want to kidnap Lily?” Grandmamma mused. “She’s a wonderful botanist, but kidnapping seems extreme!”

“There’s no note. No ransom. Very peculiar!” Olivier said. “I’m going to search the world until I find them.”

Grandmamma felt the pain and suffering of her son. She fell into deep and silent thought for a few minutes.

“Sit down, Olivier. There are some things I must tell you.” She looked very serious. “Things I had never planned to tell you, about your father and me. I think it might be important to do so now.”

Olivier sat down, unprepared for what was about to come next. Grandmamma took a big breath.

“Many years ago,” she began, “I was part of a very secret society called the ‘Resistance.’ We resisted anything that was bad or evil. We skulked around in trench coats, having secret meetings, using strange passwords, trying to eliminate evil in the world. We tried our best to get rid of the bad and protect the good. It was very dangerous.” Olivier’s mouth fell open.

“You were…a spy…?”

“Actually, more like a secret agent. I learned how to fly a plane and pilot a submarine. And once, undercover”—Grandmamma allowed herself a giggle—“I posed as an ostrich-back-riding polo player in Argentina. I was very good at bareback ostrich riding, and even took it up as a hobby for a while.” Olivier’s mouth had practically come unhinged.

“I was young, and it was a very adventurous way to live. All of this was great fun until I fell in love with, and married, a dashing and handsome fellow agent—your father, Luc Verdant.”

“My mother and my father were secret agents!” Olivier was incredulous.

“Oui, your father was as famous as he could be without blowing his cover. He was nicknamed L’Homme Invisible. The Invisible Man. Luc trained as a botanist, just like you, and he used that cover to protect his secret-agenting life. I opened a bakery. We botanied and baked and agented together quite happily. After your birth I refused to agent anymore. It was too dangerous. Luc loved it and couldn’t give it up. It was in his blood.

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