Sabrina's hand. The vile stuff felt as bad as it smelled. Her head started spinning and an odd sensation ran up and down her arm, as if someone had poured an icy-cold glass of water into her cast. After a few seconds, the tingling stopped. Unfortunately the smell remained. "Feel better?" Uncle Jake said.
Sabrina wasn't sure. The constant pain in her arm was gone. She tried to move her fingers and found they wiggled easily. Uncle Jake rushed into the kitchen, opened a drawer, and rummaged through it, then ran back to Sabrina. In his hand was a pair of heavy kitchen scissors.
"The proof is in the pudding," he said and he started cutting her plaster cast off. He removed it and tossed it to the floor. "Give that arm a try."
Sabrina turned her arm slowly. She quickly realized she could move it in any direction she wanted. It felt fine. In fact, it felt better than it ever had. "It worked!" she cried.
"Of course it worked. It's magic. I just can't understand why my mother wouldn't have done this for you already. Mirror's got rooms of this stuff. Haven't you and your sister come across the pharmacy in the Hall of Wonders, yet?"
"I'm not allowed in the Hall of Wonders." Sabrina sighed.
"You're kidding."
"No, I'm not. I was swiping Granny's keys and making copies without her permission. I've been banned."
"Wait! You don't have your own set of keys?" Uncle Jake exclaimed. "How do you and Daphne learn about all the stuff inside?"
"We don't. Granny says we're not ready."
"Not ready! You're practically over the hill! C'mon." Uncle Jake grabbed her arm with one hand and his overcoat with the other and rushed up the steps. Once they got to the landing, they stopped at the door to Mirror's room, which Granny Relda always kept locked. Uncle Jake searched his pockets and quickly found a set of keys as large and impressive as the old woman's.
"I don't know about this," Sabrina whispered as he unlocked the door. "She really doesn't want me in there. When she found out what I had done, she went ballistic."
"Yeah, she does that a lot," Uncle Jake said as he opened the door. The two stepped inside and closed the door behind them.
Just then, a blinding bolt of lightning struck inches from their feet, leaving a black smoldering spot on the hardwood floor.
"Who dares invade my sanctuary?"
a horrible voice bellowed. Sabrina jumped back. A menacing face appeared in the mirror hanging on the opposite wall. It was filled with anger and power and a thunderstorm raged behind it.
"That was a little close, don't you think?" Sabrina complained, walking right up to the mirror.
"Starfish? I'm so sorry," the face said, softening. "I thought I was being attacked by a pirate. Hang on for a second."
The face vanished and when it came back it was wearing a pair of glasses with smart tortoiseshell frames.
"Oh, I
am being attacked by a pirate," Mirror said, eyeing the girl's black-marker goatee and mustache closely. "Would it be safe to say that Puck had something to do with this particular accessory?"
Sabrina nodded.
"He's just delightful, isn't he?" Mirror replied sarcastically. "Mirror?" Jake said.
Mirror turned and focused his eyes on Uncle Jake. A huge grin appeared on his face. "Well, look what the cat dragged in!" he cried.
Jake rushed forward and did something most people would find impossible--he stepped into the reflection and vanished. Sabrina wasn't surprised in the least, though. After all, the mirror was more than just a reflective surface. It was also a doorway, and she followed her uncle through it.
On the other side was an enormous, barrel-vaulted hallway that reminded her of Grand Central Station in New York City. The ceiling was held up by massive marble columns. Rows and rows of arched doorways lined both walls. Each led to different rooms, all packed with magical and otherworldly items. Granny called it "the world's largest walk-in closet." The man known as Mirror called it "the Hall of Wonders" and it was where he lived.
Jake hugged the little man tightly, causing him to drop a small book he was carrying. "It's good to see you, Mirror."
"It's good to be seen," Mirror said as he squirmed to break from the younger man's embrace.
"You're looking great," Uncle Jake said, finally releasing him.
"Well, I do what I can. I drink a lot of water, and of course my Pilates instructor has really helped."
Sabrina leaned down and picked up the man's book. It was a paperback collection of word games like crosswords and jumbles.
"What's this?" she asked.
"Oh, Relda picked it up for me at the supermarket. She said she thought it might help pass the time. I could just kill her. I'm addicted to it now. Next time you see her, tell her to get me some more of them," Mirror said, turning his attention back to Uncle Jake. "What's with the family reunion, Jakey?"
"Jabberwocky stuff," the younger man said, gravely. "Yes, I heard it was back," Mirror said, turning to Sabrina. "That thing has been running loose for far too long. Unfortunately, there's nothing in any of these rooms that can stop it."
"Oh, I knew that." Uncle Jake sniffed. "No, the reason we're here is I've got a niece in desperate need of a little experience with magic stuff."