CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

ALISTAIR BARTHOLOMEW BARNABY

Back on the road the next morning, Jack studies the tracks near the river more closely as a pixie flutters by. Filomena waves her down to ask if she’s seen a group of trolls.

“Trolls?” the pixie repeats. “I don’t think I’ve seen trolls. I did see a lost girl, though.”

“Gretel!” yelps Filomena.

“Who is she?” asks the pixie.

“She’s the Cobbler’s daughter,” Jack explains.

The fairy gasps. “As in … the Cobbler?! He’s back?”

“Not quite,” says Jack.

“Could you please tell us where you last saw her?” Filomena begs. “It’s really important.”

“Hmm,” the pixie coos, pointing in every direction as she flits above them. “I saw her opposite of west; she was not dressed the best. Perhaps on foot, bare and bloody. Distressed and dirty, though fair even while muddy. Lost but soon to be found, sitting on the ground.”

With that, she takes off into the sky, soaring with poise and ease. She pauses and yells back to them, “Please tell the Cobbler to make me a pretty new pair of flats if you see him! Pointy and green, to match my wings!”

Then she shrinks until she vanishes from their sight.

“I hope Gretel’s okay. Do you think the trolls let her go?” Filomena asks. “It seems so unlikely.”

“I was wondering the same thing,” Jack replies. “Anyway, the pixie said she saw her opposite of west, which is this way. Let’s go.”

He turns east and Filomena follows close behind, both all but running as they shout Gretel’s name into the air, listening for an answer in the breeze.

“Here! I’m over here!” comes Gretel’s unmistakable voice.

“Gretel!” Filomena exclaims once she sees her friend, who is sprawled on the ground and looks a bit worse for wear. Gretel stands and Filomena hugs her tightly. “Are you okay?”

Gretel is disheveled and exhausted but mostly seems annoyed by the whole experience. “I’m totally fine. Stupid trolls.”

“What happened?”

“Well, they carried us here. I heard splashing, so I figured we went through some sort of river. When we got to this bank, they let me go. They just dropped me. A couple of them were whining about having to carry me and my bag. Said I was useless and heavy, and so the leader said to just leave me.” She shrugs. “Stupid trolls. They all need makeovers.”

“What about Alistair?” asks Jack. “Where is he?”

“They kept Alistair. They think he has something they want—I heard them. They kept saying something about the treasure, the treasure … the wishes that promise pleasure.”

“Treasure … and wishes?” asks Filomena. “Why would Alistair have those?”

Jack shuffles his feet and looks down at the ground.

Filomena raises her eyebrows. “The trolls were talking about Aladdin’s Lamp, weren’t they? You said the ogres were looking for it, that they invaded Parsa in search of it.”

She shrugs off her backpack and takes out the Never After book with the lamp on the front cover. She stares at the pages. “The books always hint that Alistair is not quite who he appears to be. I figured we’d find out in the thirteenth book. And this is the thirteenth book. We’re in it.”

“What’s she talking about?” asks Gretel.

Jack doesn’t answer. Finally he mouths, Long story.

“This isn’t the first time the ogres tried to take Alistair, either,” says Filomena, feeling a rush of certainty. “It’s not a coincidence. They know who he is. You know who he is.” She glares at Jack.

Jack looks miserably guilty. “We didn’t mean to deceive you.”

“In the books, after Aladdin’s wedding, the lamp is placed back in the good care and keeping of Ali Baba,” says Filomena.

“Come again?” asks Gretel.

“Alistair Bartholomew Barnaby,” says Filomena. “Alistair is Ali Baba! He has the lamp!”

“Well, not quite,” says Jack. “But he is the key to finding it. All they have to do is point him to the right cave and he can say the magic words.”

“Cave! That’s where they’re taking him. Some kind of cave they found in the deserts of … Parsa?” says Gretel.

“But why do the ogres want the lamp? Why do they need so badly to make a wish?”

“Who knows? All we do know is that we have to get to Alistair and the lamp before they do,” says Jack. “And remember what the dragons said? We’ll need the wolves to defeat the ogres. Maybe we should ask them to help us now.”

For once, Filomena doesn’t argue.