Pan led them to an incredibly huge pine tree that stood by itself in a meadow in the woods. The pine was surrounded by grass but nothing else, not a bush, not another small tree. The circular meadow was two hundred feet across. It almost looked as if it were regularly attended to. The lawn was manicured. Maybe the leprechauns mowed it every week—that was Sally’s opinion, even though Pan did not confirm it. The king of the elementals gestured to the area as they walked up to the tree.
“Are you familiar with interdimensional portals?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” Adam said. “There’s one in our town cemetery. We’ve been to a couple of different dimensions.”
“Neither of which was very pleasant,” Sally added.
“This portal opens only into the realm of the elementals,” Pan explained. “It’s a beautiful place, or at least it was when I was king. But now that Klandor is in charge I have no idea how things have changed. Anyway, we enter my old kingdom by starting at the edge of the circular meadow and walking backward around the tree seven times. With each revolution, we move a few feet closer to the tree. The last circle will be the shortest. Do you understand?”
Sally waved her hand. “Piece of cake.” She turned to Cindy. “I suppose you’ll have some excuse to stay behind. A sudden attack of the flu perhaps? Or else a nose bleed coming on?”
Cindy scowled. “I feel fine, thank you, and I’m looking forward to seeing this other dimension. But if you want to stay behind and keep looking for your baby blanket, I won’t judge you.”
“Do leprechauns ever fight like this?” Watch asked Pan.
“Only when their treasures are stolen,” Pan replied.
Together, with Pan leading, they began to walk backward around the tree. Despite having four legs, which he had to use in reverse, Pan was a smooth mover. But Adam found it hard to keep his legs moving backward. Seven revolutions around the tree were a lot. By the time they neared the tree, he was feeling tired and sore. He wasn’t even sure which was the seventh turn. For that reason the switch into the other dimension caught him completely by surprise.
They were in the meadow and then they were in deep space.
There were burning stars, shimmering nebulas, spinning planets. All these seemed to be turning on some giant invisible axis. In black outline he could see his friends and Pan nearby. It was almost as if they stood, for a moment, at the center of the universe. Then there was a flash of white light and Adam found himself falling.
But he didn’t fall far and landed on a soft carpet of grass in a new dimension lit by a soft blue light. As Adam rolled he realized that Pan’s realm did not mirror the forest outside Spooksville as the other dimensions he had entered had mirrored Spooksville.
Pan’s kingdom was much grander. They were still in a meadow, true, but the surrounding trees were ten times taller than ordinary trees. Not far away were thundering waterfalls and mountain peaks that seemed to reach the sky. Even the flowers in the bushes were more spectacular, large and radiant with colors squeezed from rainbows. Yet over all a soft blue glow shone. The light seemed to come out of the matter itself, from the blades of grass, even from the dirt. Pan smiled as he looked around, perhaps it was good to be home. He gestured with a wide sweep of his arm.
“All this was mine,” he said.
“Those were expensive coin tosses,” Sally said, obviously impressed by the splendor of the dimension. She pointed to a distant mountain peak that rose straight up like an arrow aimed at the stars. “Have you ever climbed to the top of that, Pan?”
“When I was a young man,” he said proudly. “I am the only person in this entire realm to scale it. It’s called the Point. It reaches all the way into outer space.”
“Cool,” Watch said.
Adam was concerned. “This is a nice place but it’s so big. Is your castle far from here? We want to help you defeat the evil wizard, but we’d also like to be home in time for dinner.”
“I have to cook tonight,” Cindy added.
“It is not far,” Pan reassured them. “We should be able to walk there in less than two hours. It was along the road between here and there that I threw away the crystal necklace.”
“Then let’s hit the road,” Sally said “The sooner we get rid of Klandor—and those nasty leprechauns—the happier I’ll be.”
“Leprechauns are not so bad once you get to know them,” Pan said as they stepped onto a wide dirt road that led through the trees. “They’re just boisterous.”
“There are many kids in the prisons across our country who would say the same thing,” Sally said.
“There are a few people on death row who would also say the same thing,” Watch added.
They had gone about a mile when they were attacked.
Arrows flew out of the trees. One struck Watch in the calf before they knew what was happening. Letting out a painful cry, Watch crumpled to his knees and grabbed his leg. Adam knelt down beside him.
“Can you walk?” Adam asked.
Watch shook his head, trying to pull the arrow out. Already the blood was staining his pants leg. “No. Take cover, save yourselves.”
The arrows continued to fly from the woods.
One struck Sally in her hair, where it got caught, and almost caused her to faint. Cindy hurried to Watch’s side and tried to help him up.
“We have to get him off the road!” she cried.
“It hurts too much!” Watch moaned. “Leave me.
“We won’t leave you,” Pan said, reaching down with a strong arm. “Help him onto my back before another of their arrows hits us.”
Adam and Cindy lifted Watch under his arms and managed to get him onto Pan’s back. Without another word they all dashed into the woods on the opposite side of the road from the flying arrows. The trees were so dense—they were able to hide quickly. They helped Watch off Pan’s back and set him down on the moist earth. Crouching behind thick bushes, they peered back the way they had come. The arrows had stopped, and for the moment the attack seemed over. Pan bent over and studied Watch’s wound. The arrow was still stuck in Watch’s leg, but the bleeding was not too bad. Pan shook his head sadly.
“We were attacked by elves,” he said. “This is an elf arrow.”
“But I thought you said all the elementals followed you into Spooksville’s forest?” Adam asked.
Pan was grim. “Most of them did. But a few didn’t want to leave their lands and were allowed to stay by swearing allegiance to Klandor. The evil wizard probably set them to guard the road beside the portal just in case I did return.”
“We have to get this arrow out,” Cindy cried, sitting beside Watch and holding his hand. “It’s hurting him.”
“It will hurt worse to pull it out,” Pan warned. “And then the wound will bleed more.” He studied Watch. “But it will have to come out soon if it’s not to cause any permanent damage. Do you trust me to operate on you, Watch?”
Watch grimaced. “I trust you more than I trust Sally and Adam.”
“I have no plans to be a doctor when I grow up,” Sally joked, although it was clear she was shaken by the sudden attack, and by the injury to her good friend.
“Even with the arrow out,” Pan said, “Watch won’t be able to walk for some time.”
“Then we have to go back,” Cindy said. “We tried and it didn’t work out. What can we do?”
Pan raised his head and looked back in the direction they had come from. “I had resigned myself to never reclaiming my kingdom. That is until I met you four and you gave me hope. It is hard to let go of that hope, now that I have finally found it.” But then he sighed and lowered his head. “But you are not my subjects. I have no right to lead you into deeper danger.”
“It does seem that we have to go back,” Adam said.
“I agree,” Sally said. “We have no idea how many more of those nasty elves are patrolling these woods.”
But Watch suddenly spoke up. “No. You can’t abandon the quest this easily. Pan, take the arrow out and give me something to bandage the wound. I’ll rest here until you return.”
Pan was grave. “The elves who shot at us might find you and kill you. Klandor has obviously twisted their minds. You would be helpless lying here.”
“I’ll stay with him,” Cindy said. “I’ll guard him.”
Sally was impressed. “That’s very brave of you.” She added, “Or else it’s very stupid.” She reached in her back pocket and took out her Bic lighter and gave it to Cindy. “Keep this in case we’re gone a long time. If it gets dark, and cold, you can always build a fire.”
“If Klandor has ordered elves to shoot on sight,” Pan said, “then the road ahead will be equally dangerous. Perhaps I should go on alone.”
“No,” Adam said, coming to a fresh decision. “Sally and I will stay with you. You’ll need our help with the wizard. Cindy will stay with Watch. Things will work out for the best. They always do.”
Sally looked down at the wound in Watch’s leg. “In all our adventures,” she said anxiously, “this is the first time any of us has gotten seriously hurt. That worries me, it worries me a lot.”