Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand Read online

  “Fly with you,” Tink said, forgetting, too.

  Rani wanted to weep happy tears. Fly with you, esteemed Tink and Prilla and Beck. Fly with you!

  Beck said, “I know a Never fairy whose name is Rani. She is of the water-talent fairies.” Beck probed Rani-bat’s mind and found significant unease. If the bat became more distressed, she might stop talking. Beck tried to make her feel more comfortable. “I hope your hunt was successful last night.”

  Tink tugged her bangs. What was Beck waiting for?

  “My hunt was successful.”

  Beck said, “I am glad to hear it.”

  Tink burst out, “We’re here because our friend Rani is missing. Rani is very emotional—”

  Wanting to throttle Tink, Beck said, “Hush, esteemed Tink.”

  But Tink didn’t hear. “—and sometimes she carries things too far, but she’s the kindest fairy in Fairy Haven, and she’ll do anything for a friend, and she’s the best water-talent fairy there is.” She stopped. It was the longest speech she’d ever made.

  Oh, Tink! Rani wished she could hug her.

  Rani-bat disliked outbursts.

  Prilla made it worse by saying, “Rani didn’t mean to become a bat.”

  “Honorable fairies, I will return to bed now,” Rani-bat said. Fairies turning into bats had nothing to do with her. She began to fly.

  Tink wanted to slap herself. She’d ruined everything.

  Rani begged, Please, esteemed bat, listen to my friends. Please talk to them. Um, esteemed bat, if you do, I’ll teach you to use water to catch insects.

  That had an effect. Rani-bat flapped her wings uncertainly. Two wasps had gotten away last night, and she’d been furious.

  Beck flew after Rani-bat. She had decided to use shock. “Esteemed bat, what is your earliest memory?”

  Rani-bat landed in the center of the residence floor. Tink and Prilla flew close enough to hear, but far enough away to be inconspicuous.

  “A mermaid was singing. I don’t care for music. I was in the sea.”

  “When was that, esteemed bat?” Beck said.

  “A long time ago. When I was born.”

  Esteemed bat, Rani said, it was yesterday.

  Yes, Rani-bat thought. It was yesterday. I wasn’t born yesterday, was I?

  Rani said, Esteemed bat, don’t you remember being laughed up? Don’t you remember blowing over the sea to Never Land? Don’t you remember wanting to touch the water on the way? You had your talent already, even though you were still just a laugh. Don’t you remember?

  Rani-bat wasn’t certain. The events did sound familiar. She was so startled she spoke out loud. “I think I may be a fairy. There is certainly a fairy inside me.” Then, for the first time, she spoke to Rani in her mind. But I’m also a bat.

  I know, Rani said. Esteemed bat, it’s a mess.

  T W E N T Y - T W O

  SOOP SAID, “Pah, wish something terrible on me. I deserve it. Take away my new nautilus shell. Turn me into a sea urchin or a tuna’s tooth, or whatever you like.” Soop closed her eyes and waited, terrified and brave.

  Pah mouthed, I could turn yooo intooo the biggest nautilus shell ever, or the smallest. I could turn yooo intooo a speck of sand. But those wouldn’t suit what Soop had done to her. She drank her squid ink, ate a slice of toast, and thought until she arrived at the perfect revenge.

  Make Sooop unable tooo hear anything anyone says tooo her. Make her unable tooo read. She raised the wand.

  Rani-bat conceded that since she was really a fairy she should have a fairy’s body. It was logical, but…

  “Esteemed Rani-bat,” Beck said, “will you allow Rani-fairy to become herself again?”

  Yes! Esteemed bat, I beg of you, please say yes.

  Rani-bat didn’t answer Beck or Rani. She didn’t want to lose herself.

  “Esteemed Rani-bat,” Beck said, “will you favor me with a reply?”

  Tink had once fixed a teapot that had turned itself into a coffeepot. Its owner hadn’t wanted a coffeepot, but the coffeepot wouldn’t change back until Tink had made a metal coffee bean to adorn the teapot lid.

  “Beck? Can I talk to you?” Tink didn’t want to risk offending the bat again.

  Beck came over.

  Tink whispered, “Maybe Rani could let the bat live inside her. They could change places.”

  “Excellent!” Beck made the suggestion to Rani-bat.

  Rani-bat pondered for a long minute. It was fair, but she’d have to give up her body, her song, her authority. The fairy would be in charge, and Rani-bat had noticed that the fairy was less than logical.

  Still, it was right for Rani to have her fairy form back. Finally, she asked Rani, Will you let me stay inside you?

  If Rani had had her own throat, she would have gulped. She wanted to be rid of the bug-eating politeness maniac. She didn’t want to carry Rani-bat around forever.

  But she said yes. Of course she said yes, and she said it gratefully and graciously. Rani-bat was making an enormous sacrifice. Rani planned to cry for her as soon as she could. Esteemed bat, she said, I will be honored to have you within me.

  Rani-bat said, “Esteemed Beck, I won’t stop Rani-fairy from becoming herself again.” She paused, then said, “How is it done?” She wondered, with a flutter in her belly, if it was painful.

  Yes, how is it done? Rani thought. She didn’t care how much it hurt.

  Beck was silent.

  “Esteemed fairy, you don’t know?”

  You don’t know? Rani screamed.

  Rani-bat was relieved. “I shall return to my rest, esteemed fairies.”

  “Wait! Er…Please wait!” Beck said. “Esteemed Rani-bat, please allow me a moment to think.”

  Prilla approached Beck. “Maybe clapping would help.”

  Beck nodded. It might. “We’re going to try something, esteemed Rani-bat.”

  Prilla was in Sara Quirtle’s nursery-school playroom. “Clap if you believe in Rani the fairy.” Sara Quirtle led the clapping, and the other Clumsy children followed.

  Prilla flew over a line of Clumsy children waiting to ride on a roller coaster. “Clap if you believe in Rani the fairy.”

  Rani felt a surge of energy. She was still a pinprick, but she had some power. She buzzed inside Rani-bat’s brain.

  “Did it work?” Prilla asked.

  “Do you feel any change, esteemed Rani-bat?” Beck said.

  “Esteemed fairies, I feel a churning…” Rani-bat touched her wing to her temple. “…here. It’s tunneling down. Perhaps it will fly through my mouth.”

  “Come, Rani!” Tink shouted. “Come out!” Rani felt herself floundering near the top of Rani-bat’s throat. Then she fell, down Rani-bat’s windpipe into her chest.

  She tried to rise again but couldn’t. “I’ll do more.” Prilla blinked away. Beck thought about tadpoles. She had helped several turn into frogs. Perhaps that technique would succeed now. Beck said, “May I speak to Rani-fairy, esteemed Rani-bat?”

  “Honorable Beck, she hears you.” Beck said the words that had set the tadpoles going. “Push! Push!”

  Rani tried to push, but she didn’t have enough substance to push with. She remained a pinprick.

  “Honorable Beck, Rani-fairy is too small to push.”

  Prilla jumped out of a Clumsy magician’s hat. She shouted to the audience of Clumsy children, “Clap if you believe in Rani the fairy.”

  Rani gained more power, but not enough.

  Tink flew to Beck. “Maybe fairy dust will help.”

  After obtaining Rani-bat’s permission, Beck sprinkled her with fairy dust. The dust did help.

  “Esteemed fairies, she’s growing!”

  Rani pushed. She swelled to the size of an acorn and then stopped. With enormous effort, and with the help of the dust and the clapping, she found her voice and propelled it through Rani-bat’s throat. “Help! I’m stuck.”

  “Rani!” Tink cried, elated to hear her friend’s voice. “Oh, Rani!”

>   “Esteemed fairies,” Rani-bat said, “I apologize for complaining, but she’s a lump now, and she’s hurting me.”

  Beck sprinkled on more fairy dust. Rani grew again and then became stuck again, and a whole cup more fairy dust did no good. Prilla persuaded more Clumsy children to clap, but their clapping had done as much as it could.

  The hawk landed on Beck’s head. “If the bat won’t bite me, I will fly to her. My feathers may help.”

  Beck said, “Esteemed Rani-bat. This is the golden hawk. He is not an insect. He regrets he has no letter of introduction. He wishes he had an appointment. He may be able to help Rani-fairy emerge. May he approach and do what he can?”

  Rani-bat consented.

  The hawk flew to Rani-bat. He spread his wings. The golden underside of his feathers gleamed in the dimness of the residence. He brushed the gold against the fur on Rani-bat’s back.

  Rani felt her power grow. She pushed. She swelled until she filled Rani-bat’s chest and stomach. Rani-bat’s wings tingled.

  The hawk ran the gold of his feathers across Rani-bat’s face and belly. He flew back to the residence entryway.

  Rani pushed.

  T W E N T Y - T H R E E

  PAH had held the wand, her hand raised, unmoving, for the last ten minutes while she considered her friend, next to her on the bed, eyes squeezed shut, face blank with fear.

  Finally, Pah dropped the wand. She hugged Soop. I can’t dooo anything bad tooo yooo.

  Rani pushed.

  Rani-bat’s wings curled into themselves and re-formed as arms and fingers. Her fur fell to the floor in clumps. Rani’s wand-inspired wings sprouted from her shoulders. Rani-bat’s scalp itched ferociously as hair grew there. Finally, Rani-bat’s eyes changed, and they filled with tears, and Rani was back.

  She fell into Tink’s arms and wept and laughed. Tink patted her awkwardly, feeling as happy to see Rani as Rani was to be seen.

  Prilla returned from blinking. “Rani’s here!” She turned a cartwheel, then flew out to the balloon carrier for Rani’s dress.

  “The flood! Did it go down? Is Fairy Haven dry?”

  “Yes,” Tink said. “It’s dry.” She guided Rani’s wings through the dress’s wing slits.

  “I’m so glad you found me. I thought no one would come.”

  Inside her, Rani-bat said, Esteemed fairy, I suggest you say thank you.

  Rani’s glow turned pink. “Rani-bat wants me to thank you, and you know I do.”

  Tink and Beck looked uncomfortable.

  Prilla said, “You’re very welcome.”

  Rani turned to the golden hawk, heeding Rani-bat’s urging. “Thank you.”

  He inclined his head majestically.

  Tink said, “Did you tell Soop that wishes are—”

  “—permanent?” Rani shook her head, scattering tears. “No. I was enjoying myself too much. Then, when she started to sing, I couldn’t. I’ll go now, but it’s probably too late.”

  “Rani…” Tink said. “You have to get the wand—”

  “—back. Back? I do?” She felt the stirrings of wand greed. “Then I will.”

  A magic wand, esteemed fairy?

  Tink sensed Rani’s eagerness. “You can’t use—”

  “—it.” Rani recognized her symptoms. “I’ll want to use it. I don’t want to want to, but I’ll want to.”

  “Bring it to Mother Dove,” Beck said. “Keep thinking, I have to bring it to Mother Dove.”

  Rani echoed, “Bring it to Mother Dove.”

  “At the nest, I’ll try to wake it up,” Tink said.

  “I may be able to help,” Beck said. “I think a wand may be like a dormouse.”

  “Then we’ll reverse the wishes,” Tink said.

  “Not my Sara Quirtle wish!” Prilla said.

  The others looked at Prilla.

  She blushed. “I waved the wand. When you were pulling the balloon carrier, before I helped you. Remember?” She told them her wish.

  Rani hugged her. “You do have a talent for being sweet.”

  Tink would have hugged her, too, if she’d been prone to hugging. Prilla had made the only wish that didn’t need fixing. “I won’t reverse your wish. After I reverse the others, we have to return the wand to the Great—”

  “—Wandies.” Rani nodded.

  “But,” Beck said, “will Soop give you the wand?”

  “Maybe mermaids don’t get wand madness,” Prilla said.

  Tink tugged her bangs. “Soop sent us a flood to get a wand. What does that sound like?”

  Pah mouthed very slowly, Drink your squid ink, Sooop. She pantomimed drinking, with her thumb straight up, which is the way mermaids drink squid ink.

  Soop thought Pah wanted more hot ink, so she wanded up some more. A silver urn wrapped in a towel appeared on the breakfast tray.

  Pah shook her head. She pointed at Soop. Yooo drink.

  “I drink?”

  Pah nodded.

  “I understood you?”

  Pah smiled.

  Soop smiled back. “We can talk without talking, right?”

  Pah nodded. Now drink.

  “What?”

  At the edge of the residence, Rani-bat said, Esteemed fairy, before we leave, you must thank the matriarch, who kindly took us in when we had no home.

  Tell me what to say.

  Please tell me what to say.

  Rani sighed. Please tell me what to say.

  Blushing, Rani spoke as Rani-bat dictated. “Esteemed matriarch, thank you for your hospitality. I shall revere your memory forever.”

  She stepped outside, and, for the first time, Rani-bat saw the world with Rani’s excellent eyesight.

  Oh! Oh! Rani-bat cried. What is that, esteemed fairy?

  Rani smiled. Those are cherry blossoms, esteemed bat.

  What’s that, esteemed fairy?

  Rani’s happy tears flowed again. That’s the blue sky, esteemed bat.

  What’s that, esteemed—

  —fairy? That’s the sun, esteemed bat.

  What’s that, esteemed—

  —fairy? That’s a green leaf, esteemed bat.

  Esteemed fairy, it’s rude to interrupt. What’s that, esteemed—

  —fairy? Oops! That’s a fly, esteemed bat.

  Rani wasn’t ready for Rani-bat’s response. Rani’s head jerked forward. She snapped at the fly and missed, to her great relief.

  Don’t do that! Esteemed bat, fairies don’t eat bugs.

  “Rani?” Prilla said.

  “I’m fine.”

  What do they eat, if I might ask, esteemed…

  Rani conquered the impulse to interrupt.

  …fairy?

  We eat honey, esteemed bat, and other food.

  Esteemed fairy, honey is not a bee.

  Beck said she was leaving to tell Mother Dove that Rani had been restored. She flew off, with the golden hawk on her head.

  Prilla, Tink, and Rani flew toward the lagoon. On the way, Rani shared her memories concerning the wand with Rani-bat.

  Esteemed fairy, when you get the wand, would you set me free?

  Rani wondered if bats were susceptible to wand madness, too. I must have the wand, esteemed bat, before I decide what to do with it.

  They arrived at the lagoon.

  Tink said, “We’ll meet you at the nest.” She didn’t trust herself to be there when Rani emerged with the wand. She was already thinking of wishes. Terence could replace Ree. He’d be a perfect king.

  “Don’t go, Rani!” Prilla wrung her hands. “Soop could sing again. She could wave—”

  “She has to go,” Tink said.

  “I have to.” She dived.

  T W E N T Y - F O U R

  TAILS SWISHING, Soop and Pah faced each other, floating above Soop’s walk-the-plank table.

  Soop yelled, “Move your lips slower!”

  I’m moooving them so slowly they’re getting cramps.

  Of course, this was not a simple sentence to decipher.


  “What?”

  Mermaids swam along the corridor outside Soop’s room. No one paid attention to Soop’s shouts or Pah’s pantomimes. Soop and Pah were always playing or quarreling. No one noticed the wand, either, lying next to the squid-ink mugs on the table.

  I…Pah pointed to herself.…think…Pah tapped her head.

  “You…” Soop pointed at Pah. “…think,” Soop said. “Right?”

  Rani swam in just beneath Soop’s ceiling and just above Soop and Pah, whose bodies blocked the wand from sight. Neither mermaid saw Rani.

  Pah nodded.…You’re…She pointed at Soop.…not…She mouthed the word trying very slowly.

  “I am so trying!”

  Esteemed fairy, I don’t see a wand.

  Esteemed bat, that one’s my friend. Rani pointed. I should greet her, esteemed bat. It’s only polite.

  If you greet the mermaid, esteemed fairy, she probably won’t give you the wand.

  Pah blew Soop a kiss. Good. They had worked out that blowing a kiss meant good.

  “Say something else,” Soop said.

  I still want to share the wand.

  “What?” Soop said.

  Rani breaststroked to Soop’s concealment forest and saw the heap of tail rings, combs, and doubloons.

  Esteemed fairy, we’ll spend hours searching in there. Please look elsewhere first.

  Pah pointed at herself. I…

  “I?”

  Pah nodded and skipped the word still as too hard.…want…She clasped her hands to her chest.

  “What?”

  Pah clasped her hands to her chest again and mouthed want very slowly.

  “Want?”

  Pah blew a kiss.

  “I got ‘want’!” Soop was delighted. She clasped her hands to her chest. “This means ‘want’! What do you want?”

  Rani tried to lift Soop’s pillow, but it was too heavy. She swam down to the reed rug. No wand. She snaked upward.

  “You want us to do something?” Soop said.

  Share. Pah gestured back and forth between them.

  “What?”

  Rani swam over Soop’s wicker bureau.

  There it is! Esteemed fairy, I see it with my—your—our—eyes. Rani-bat had never found anything by sight before.

  Rani swam to the wand. She held it tight against her body, stroked her wings, and kicked her feet as hard as she could. She swam out through Soop’s archway.