The Binkle and the Catawampus Compass (Binkles and Magic) (18 page)

“Maybe not for you. But like I said, I’m a pro.” Del gloated, then laughed out loud at Jeep’s baffled expression. “See that machine over there?” He pointed at the large machine with blinking lights, “It’s made special to capture binkle energy. Collects it from the patients here—like milking cows, see.”

“No way!”

“When you started hanging around and doing your little aren’t-I-nice tricks, those meters shot way up. And you didn’t think I’d notice. Stupid kid, you didn’t even know I’d be able to tell.”

“That’s amazing!”

“Of course, that increased my binkle collection—so it’s not all bad.”

Jeep walked up to the flashing machine and tapped on the largest dial. From the way Del tensed up, Jeep could tell that he didn’t like him doing that. “This machine can do all that?” He touched it some more. “Impressive!”

“Buzz off kid. Don’t mess with the machine. It’s none of your business.”

“This contraption pulls the energy right out of the patients, does it?” as Jeep kept touching the machine all over. His detective mode was cranking now.

“I suppose that’s why the patients’ ID bracelets are so heavy. Links them up to this fancy dandy machine, right?”

“So now you know.”

 “Very clever! I never would have guessed. Never. And nobody else knows, right?”

“You’ve got it, kid.” His tone was shifting from bragging to threatening. “So now you see why I’ve got to stop you. Can’t have you messing up a good thing.”

“I see you’re smarter that I thought.”

“Told ya. Now scram.”

I’ve gotta get out of
here. He’s dangerous!
Jeep’s hand nervously fiddled with his trusty compass, and pulled it out of his pocket without thinking about it. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the needle spinning round and round as fast as it could go. Just like in the Chamber.
Hmmm. Strange, must be all the binkles in here.

“One thing I don’t understand. What do you get out of this?”

 “Power. I control everybody who lives here. Besides, you don’t think I spend my whole life down here working, do you? I get my pay-offs, believe me.”

“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.” Jeep wanted to ask him more questions, but Del’s menacing posture made that unlikely.

“Stupid kid! You’re messing with the wrong people. You made a big mistake coming here. Your last mistake.”

He’s dangerous—this is exactly what Grikkl warned me about. Only two things I know—don’t get scared or do anything evil. But Grikkl’s only advice was to trust my krindle. And here I am, without a clue what that means.

Aloud Jeep said, with more determination than he felt, “I’ll put my trust in the krindle.”

“Stupid kid. You don’t deserve to live.”

Jeep did his best to shut out the ugly words. He repeated the chant, “Trust the krindle, trust the krindle, trust the krindle....”

Del yelled ugly insults at him. Yet, for reasons that Jeep was unable to understand or explain later, he could barely hear them. The more Del screamed, the farther he seemed to move away from Jeep. Del threw whatever he could reach at the mumbling boy (glassware, jars of chemicals, lab instruments).

Not a single object hit its mark. But it sure made a racket as it smashed to the floor.
Boy, I’m lucky his aim’s so bad.

Alarmed by his inability to hit the boy, the color drained from Del’s face. He backed away. In two long strides he reached his desk and pushed a large red button. That effort took the last of his stuffing, as he collapsed into his desk chair.

Time seemed to stand still—and so did Jeep and Del.

The room darkened as a billow of dark smoke began to coalesce on the floor. The smoky swirls slowly accumulated until they started to take on a human shape. It gradually became denser. It was nothing less than shadows made solid—the presence of despair. Before long a mammoth bald-headed man in a black robe stood between Jeep and Del. His head almost touched the ceiling. His presence generated a cold blackness that seemed to suck the air right out of the room. Jeep was finding it harder and harder to breathe. The apparition’s spiteful and merciless face seemed to glow against the darkness he carried around him.

“Uuglash, I assume,” said Jeep.

Uuglash glared down upon Jeep as though he were a nasty little insect. “Not amusing,” he hissed. “You are a foolish child and have no idea what you’ve blundered into. You’re nothing more than a lowly worm in my presence.”

Jeep merely nodded in petrified agreement, aware that he was no match for the dark one.

“If you’d dare to oppose me, you’ll learn about pain—pain beyond enduring. I’ll smash you!” Uuglash grew even larger and darker as he spoke, which made Jeep feel as if his own body was shrinking and was indeed becoming insignificant.

“Trust the krindle, trust the krindle¼” Jeep quietly mumbled.

Uuglash was triumphant. “Beg, you worm. Beg for your life. You have lost! Totally and completely lost! And not you alone. Your helpless mother sits at the top of those concrete stairs. She cannot survive her wheelchair crashing down. Do I need to describe how she’s going to look at the bottom? I can, with the flex of my finger—this finger—make that happen.”

“No! You mustn’t!” Jeep cried out.

“And how will you stop me? You can’t!” Uuglash’s form wiggled as a triumphant and merciless snicker played through him.

Too frightened to disagree, Jeep kept on mumbling. “Trust the krindle, trust the krindle¼”

“You dare to resist me? Viday!”

Uuglash pointed both hands at Jeep. That gesture sent a bolt of malevolent energy to zap the helpless boy out of existence. The air crackled with electricity—sparks flew.

Although Jeep saw the bolt coming toward him, he never felt the whack he expected. Instead, he noticed that Uuglash, like Del before, seemed to be moving away from him in slow motion.

The next moment Uuglash himself writhed on the floor, felled by some unseen force.

The evil one slowly rose and yelled at Del, “Help me finish this troublesome snoop.”

Del remained rooted to his desk chair. Uuglash scowled. “Later for you—Coward!”

Uuglash spoke to Jeep, every word dripping with spiteful venom. “I suppose that’s a trick Grikkl taught you. Not bad, really. But it won’t save you. My power is infinitely greater than yours—or his. Did Grikkl tell you how I almost destroyed him? Foolish, foolish little gnome... What can either of you do to stop me?”

His arrogant, hateful words stung. Jeep wanted to argue, to defend Grikkl, but all he dared to say was, “I’ll trust the krindle.” But one of Uuglash’s nasty comments stung Jeep more than the rest. His mother was in danger, and he didn’t doubt that Uuglash could easily topple her wheel chair and send her crashing down. And it was all his fault. Jeep’s choices put her in grave danger, and now he couldn’t save her.

Unable to do anything in his or his mother’s defense, Jeep just kept changing, “trust the krindle..., trust the krindle..., trust the krindle....”

Those words further enraged Uuglash. His shadowy form grew darker still and shook with anger. Once again, Uuglash pointed his hands at Jeep as he directed a burst of evil energy. “Viday!” The air sparkled and crackled.

This time, when the blast of energy again crumpled Uuglash, Jeep wasn’t caught totally by surprise.
Got to get out of here and save Mom. Not much time ’til they get me.

Jeep turned the water tap on full force in the lab sink. Then he pointed the faucet hose at the humming, blinking, binkle-catching machine. Electrical flames shot from it in all directions, as the stream of water shorted it out. Pop! Crackle! Zzzt... And the sparks flew around the room.

All the bright flashes and loud popping sounds scared the lab animals. Their frantic caterwauling added to the racket. Jeep released each latch as he dashed down the row of lined-up cages. As he swung open every cage door he yelled “Run, run, run!”

Jeep grabbed a broom leaning in the corner and swung it around so it forced the terrified animals toward Del and Uuglash.
Gotta keep them busy until I get to Mom
.

The panicking animals created pandemonium in their rush toward freedom. The last thing before running from the lab himself, Jeep shoved over the tall rack of glassware. What a commotion!

The hubbub and crashing glass echoed down the corridor as Jeep galloped along the seemingly endless hallway. His rush of fear-fueled adrenaline played tricks with is mind, with what he was hearing and seeing. He couldn’t be sure that all that noise was behind him. The echoing noises could have been coming from either end.

As in the time warp of a slow-motion movie scene, Jeep felt himself running, but not getting any closer to the stairway. His knees pounded up and down against the unyielding concrete, but without delivering much forward motion.
Am I getting away or stuck in some invisible tether of Uuglash’s making?

Ahead he thought he could hear the sounds of an object crashing its way down the steep concrete stairs. Accompanied by the softer sounds of ripping fabric and smashing flesh. Jeep’s horrible fear of his mother’s wheelchair tumbling down was foremost in his mind. Was that to be the unfortunate outcome of his determination to get her home? Or was it no more than the venomous images that Uuglash had planted in his mind?

Jeep felt a moment of relief when he didn’t come upon his mother’s crumpled body at the bottom of the stairs. But he couldn’t be sure that was real either. He could no longer trust his own senses to be accurate. More fears erupted rather than relief. Is this a trap to slow me down, fooling me into thinking I’ve made it.

Jeep scurried up the stairs, two at a time. At the top landing his mother appeared to sit unmoving in her wheelchair, just as he’d left her. She was totally unaware of their peril since she had long since escaped from all fears, into her own distant world.

Jeep reached forward and brushed his knuckles against her cheek. Senses deeply programmed into him recognized this, his first human tie.
It’s Mom, alright—no illusion fueled by fear or Uuglash’s tricks.
In that moment of unmistakable recognition fear lost its grip on him.

Jeep pushed the wheelchair as fast as it was capable of going. But it wasn’t designed for speed. He rushed frantically forward.
But where can we go to escape Uuglash? There’s only one place...

Jeep gasped for air as he ran. He was desperate for a long, deep breath. That urgent need triggered a memory—one which suggested an uncertain escape plan. Risky? Yes indeed—but also held out a glimmer of hope.

Jeep stopped abruptly. He walked to the front of the wheelchair and bent over his mother’s body. His heart ached to see how shrunken and fragile she was—yet that was precisely the key to their escape.

He picked her up just enough for him to slide under her in the wheelchair. Now she sat on his lap, cradled in his arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. Only by stretching his neck he could bring his head next to hers. His fingers could barely touch the cord around his neck, so he leaned even farther forward. His fingers clutched at the medallion, and he wiggled around until both of his hands could grasp it.

Jeep held his breath as his face grimaced. All his thoughts were focused on Lulu.
This has to work—there’s no time for a Plan B.
(Blip)

~~~

Jeep plopped onto Grikkl’s sofa in the cozy, underground chamber.
Hallelujah! We made it!
His mom still rested in his arms, unaware of their moving across space.

Their arrival disturbed Grikkl. Amazing in its own right since nothing ever caught him by surprise. The wise gnome always acted as though whatever happened was exactly what he’d expected. Not this time.
There’s no way that a slumbering woman falling out of nowhere could’ve been expected—even by Grikkl.

Grikkl said with urgency, “We must get this bracelet off right away. Uuglash’s men can’t follow you into this space. But it’s unwise to let them know where she is.”

Heavy wire cutters couldn’t cut through the bracelet. “That means that there’s a potent spell on it.”

Grikkl started to chant. After several minutes the bracelet fell off her wrist. He continued chanting until the metal melted into a shapeless lump. Even then Grikkl wasn’t satisfied. He summoned Cerberus and placed the lump of steaming metal into the dog’s pack.

“You know where it has to go.” With a nod, the dog leaped forward and vanished.

To Jeep he said, “The evil curse on it may be broken, but it mustn’t be permitted to pollute our energy.” Then he tended to his patient.

Grikkl was wonderfully caring to Helen. Once he was able to assess her condition, he told Jeep, “Although I’ll do my best, dark magic has been used on your mother so long¼ We’ll just have to see.”

Such was Jeep’s trust in Grikkl that he never doubted the gnome’s ability to completely cure her. For days Grikkl spent most of his time at Helen’s side. Lulu was just as attentive, sending her a steady stream of affection. Jeep was surprised that Heather and Yawn actually moved from the place they always stayed to snuggle against her. Judging from their past inactivity, it was likely to be a permanent move.

That evening Grikkl encouraged Jeep to send Cerberus with a message for Anna and Louise.

______________________________________________________

Louise and Anna,

I got Mom out of Elkhorn. But it was dangerous—a close call. Had to abandon

all the plans we made. We’re at Grikkl’s, but Mom is still real sick.

Don’t know how long I need to stay here. Will tell you more when I can.

Thanks for your help. It worked!                                                               

  Jeep

______________________________________________________

The girls were both equally delighted that their weeks of hard work paid off. They sent back a note with just one word, “Hooray!” 

Chapter 17—

THE TRUFFLE SECRET REVEALED

The next day Grikkl said, “Jeep, what I need to tell you should be discussed in the Chamber. But we can’t leave your mother for long. In ordinary times you wouldn’t be ready for what I’m about to explain for a while yet. But these aren’t ordinary times¼.”