“So you can’t stop them?”
The Editor shook his head. “When an intruder makes a change, I open a door and send them through. When they get to their destination, they do things their way.”
Daphne and Puck looked to Sabrina for guidance, but she felt too paralyzed to make a decision. Having the Editor’s help with Mirror could be just what they needed to stop him, but could they trust the Editor? She used to think she could read people, but now she wasn’t so sure. What if he was leading them on a wild-goose chase?
“I’m in,” Puck said, interrupting her thoughts. “If it gives me a chance to punch Pinocchio in his stupid, pointy nose, then I’m all for it.”
Daphne nodded. “He should be easy to find, too. We know he’s eager to change his past. He wants to convince the Blue Fairy to let him grow up. We snatch the little toad before he changes the story and bring him back here. Sounds like a piece of cake.”
“And you swear you will help us stop Mirror?” Sabrina said. She eyed the strange man closely. She wanted him to see her gaze. She wanted him to feel as if she could see through him.
“You have my word,” the Editor said. “Stop Pinocchio and I will do everything in my power to help you with the magic mirror and the boy.”
The Editor waved his hand and a door appeared. With another wave, the door opened and a gust of wind blasted Sabrina’s hair into her face. The air was sweaty and pungent, like a landmark case of bad personal hygiene.
“Use the ball of yarn to move quickly through the stories,” the Editor said, handing it back to the little girl. “When you find our enemy, shout for me. I can hear you and open a door. Don’t forget his annoying marionettes, either. They are just as damaging to the Book as their master.”
“We’ll do our best,” Daphne said.
“I’m confident. One last thing. The Munchkin told you to stay inside the margins of the story, and he was correct. Don’t run about in the parts that aren’t in the tale. The margins are filled with loose memories and things that have been forgotten by history. Something lives there that you do not want to encounter. You experienced it, didn’t you, Sabrina?”
Sabrina nodded. Something had grabbed that reviser in The Jungle Book—something she could not see.
“The invisible thing that killed my reviser will do the same to you if it gets a chance. Stay inside the events of the story,” the Editor said. His face was grave with worry.
On the other side of the door, Sabrina found herself sitting in a milky fog. As she turned to look around, the fog danced and swirled. There was so much of the stuff that she could barely see her hand in front of her, but it was quiet and the fog was beautiful so she took a moment to calm her nerves.
When her breathing slowed and her heart stopped threatening to pound out of her chest, she stood up and looked at her new surroundings. She had never seen anything like it. The fog was thick and came up to her kneecaps. It glided around with the slightest movement or breath. There was nothing else but crystal blue sky as far as she could see. The ground beneath her was strange as well. It felt spongy, like she was standing on a giant slice of angel food cake.
“Uh, are we in heaven?” Daphne said, sitting up in the fog.
“No chance,” Puck answered. “I highly doubt they would let me in.”
They got to their feet and joined Sabrina, bouncing on the mushy ground beneath them.
“It’s like we’re walking around on someone’s belly,” Puck said.
Knowing Puck’s joke was completely possible, Sabrina snatched her sister’s hand and pulled her to her side. “Stay close.”
Daphne shrugged. “It’s more like I’m walking on the moon. This is one small step for man, one giant leap for Daphne.”
“Cool it!” Sabrina said. “The less attention we draw to ourselves, the better off we’ll be.”
The little girl jumped one last time and came down with a jingle. “Ouch!”
“What happened?”
“I just landed on something,” she said. Daphne reached down into the fog and pulled up the end of a heavy burlap sack tied with twine. She untied it, dipped her hands inside, and pulled out a fistful of gold coins.
“We’re rich!” Puck said. “I say if we have to be stuck in this book, we should at least get to keep the treasure we find. We’ll use it for our wedding reception, dear.”
Sabrina turned pink and struggled to come up with a suitable insult.
Puck bent over and farted, then scratched his rear. “I’m no detective, but I’m sure that bag is a clue.”
“And all this fog?” Daphne added. “Does any of this sound familiar?”
Just then, there was an enormous crash and the ground shifted, and all three of them toppled over like bowling pins.
“What was that?” Puck cried, but his words were drowned by another monstrous thud and shake.