It wasn't long before Mayor Heart came around the corner. She spotted the family and gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"We've come to pay our taxes, of course," Granny said, setting a bag of money on the countertop.
The woman snatched her megaphone and raised it to her crooked mouth. "THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE! NOTTINGHAM!" she shouted, then slammed the device down on the countertop so hard Sabrina thought it might break.
"Someone's having a bad day," Daphne said with a grin.
Seconds later, Sheriff Nottingham hobbled into the room. "What is it, woman? Don't you know I have my hands full? The phone is ringing off the hook. Apparently some fool in a civil war uniform is over on Applebee's farm firing a musket!"
"The Grimms have come to pay their taxes... AGAIN!" Heart said, pointing an angry finger at the family.
The sheriff nodded, but his face was dark and angry. "I know."
"It's all there, Sheriff, and like before I'm going to need a receipt," Granny Relda said. "You're enjoying this!" Heart shouted.
"What? Paying taxes? I doubt there are too many people who enjoy it," Granny said.
"Well, you can come in here with a million dollars next time and it won't change the inevitable. I want you out of this town, Relda Grimm--you and your filthy brood. I want every human being out of Ferryport Landing, and what I want I get."
Suddenly, the door flew open and one of the playing-card soldiers raced inside.
"Sheriff, we've got a situation!" he yelled.
"Calm yourself down, you idiot!"
"There's a ship coming up the river," the soldier said. "I just heard about it on my radio. The witnesses say it's pretty old."
"So what," Nottingham said. "Ships come up and down the river every day."
"This one has cannons mounted on it," the guard said.
"Cannons?"
Granny repeated.
Just then, the walkie-talkie strapped to the guard's waist squawked and a voice came on. "Seven of Clubs, you're not going to believe this ship. There must be a thousand people on it, and they're all dressed like they're going to a costume party. Plus, you gotta see this storm. It just came out of nowhere. Wait a minute... I think the boat has a name painted on the side. It looks German...
'Neuer Anfang.' "
"New Beginning," Granny translated.
"It can't be!" Mayor Heart shouted.
Nottingham leaped over the counter that divided the room and pushed through the family as he raced out the door. Mayor Heart was hot on his heels.
"What?" Sabrina cried. "What's the big deal about this ship?
Uncle Jake shook his head in disbelief. "It's impossible. It can't be the
New Beginning."
Mr. Canis was already out of the car and hurrying to join them when they exited the courthouse. "You've heard?"
Granny nodded. "It must be some kind of prank."
"It's not," Canis said. "I can smell the boat. I'll never forget that smell."
The family raced down the street as fast as they could. By the time they reached the tiny marina, Granny Relda was out of breath and there was a huge crowd of people looking out on the
river. The Grimms weaved through the mob until they got to the front. There it was: a massive sailing ship with several white flags fluttering in the cool spring breeze. Even from the shore Sabrina could see a crowd on board staring back at them. A tiny rowboat was already cruising toward the shore with a lone man at the oars.
"Who is it?" Daphne wondered, looking across the river.
Granny reached into her huge handbag and took out a pair of binoculars. "Oh dear," she said when she peered through the lenses.
"What? Who is it?" Sabrina asked, and Granny handed her the binoculars. She adjusted them and looked out toward the ship. The deck was filled with princes, princesses, witches, ogres, dwarves, oddly dressed people, and numerous hairy and feathered creatures. She searched the water for the rowboat. A man with brown hair and a rather large nose was approaching the shore. He seemed oddly familiar, as if she had seen a picture of him before, or maybe a drawing... Then it dawned on her who it was.
"Children, that's your great-great-great-great-greatgrandfather. That's Wilhelm Grimm," Granny said.
Chapter 9
Sabrina glanced at the sky. A swirling black storm--another tear in time--was rapidly vanishing from above the river.
The little rowboat drifted to the shore and Wilhelm leaped out. He was shorter than Sabrina expected. He was wearing a long brown coat and a wide-brimmed hat. His eyes were almost black and quite small. He turned and gazed at the crowd with awe and wonder.
"Ist das Amerika?" Wilhelm asked.
"Ja, das ist Amerika. Willkommen, Wilhelm. Willkommen,"
Granny said.
"What did you just say?" Daphne asked.
"I just welcomed him to America," Granny said, then turned back to Wilhelm. "Do you speak English?"
"Ja, a little," Wilhelm said. "Is this New York?"
Granny nodded.
Wilhelm studied the crowd. He spotted Briar Rose on the shore and rushed to her. Confused and excited, he took her hand, then looked back at his ship. "
Wie sind Sie hier herkommen? Waren Sie auf dem Schiff?
he asked.
"What is he saying?" Ms. Rose asked.