Fire Dreams by Mallory Loehr

Fire Dreams by Mallory Loehr

Author:Mallory Loehr [Loehr, Mallory]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-55612-7
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2001-05-15T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER EIGHT

Silver

“What do you mean you see a few problems?” Joe asked suspiciously.

“You didn’t go in the order of the first set of directions,” Smith answered.

All three kids opened their mouths to defend their actions. But Smith raised his hand, and their mouths shut. “You may have scram-bled the magic,” he went on.

After a moment, Polly spoke. “What do you mean we ‘didn’t go in the order’?”

“You didn’t start at dawn,” Smith replied. “You skipped it and worked the day magic.”

“What’s going to happen?” asked Sam.

Smith shrugged his big shoulders. “I’m not sure,” he said. “Riddles aren’t my strong point. I’m a straight thinker, not a twisted one.”

The kids were quiet again.

“Might I make a suggestion?” Junior asked. His words were polite, but his tone implied that the rest of them were idiots.

“Speak,” said Smith with a smile.

Junior waved his hand at the fire beside him. “Put the parchment in there. At least we’ll find out what comes next.”

“I don’t know about that,” said Joe, looking dubiously at the fire. “The fire really chose when to do the parchment things. We didn’t make it happen.”

“We have to put the silver ladle in a fire next,” said Sam. “When the moon comes up.”

“Yeah,” said Polly. “Then I bet a silvery Fire Child will be made and then we can fire-travel again.”

“Do you know where we’re going?” Joe asked Smith.

Smith shook his head. “I am the one who helped the fire with the magic. But I don’t know what is intended.” He looked into one of the big fires. “The moon should be rising about now. Perhaps you should go aboveground and try out some of your ideas.”

“Why can’t we do it here?” asked Joe.

“There’s no moonlight down here,” scoffed the robot. “Obviously, you need natural light for these things to work.”

“I thought the firelight would be enough,” said Joe.

“I believe Junior is right,” said Smith. “You will need the light of both fire and the moon.”

Joe looked up. “I guess that means we should go.”

“I will stay here,” said Smith. “But Junior and Dimitri will go with you to the top. There are plenty of fires up there.”

“Yes, yes,” said the Cyclops. “And I won’t forget the backy pack.”

* * *

The moon was a bright crescent, but it left enough darkness in the sky for the stars to shine sharply. Three human kids, a gold robot, and a Cyclops stared up at it from the mouth of the volcano. Their faces were lit with the golden red light.

Joe turned away and looked around at the little fires on the dark ground. One looked bigger than the others. Joe walked over to it.

Another fire a few feet away made a snapping sound. Joe glanced over. It was a smaller fire, but brighter and livelier.

“Let’s use that fire,” he called.

“Yes,” said Junior. Joe was startled to find the robot was right next to him.

“It seemed like it was talking,” Joe said to him, feeling a little sheepish.

“I know,” Junior replied in his usual haughty voice.



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