Ben laughed, glad to see that the dispute had been resolved amicably.
The two kingdoms also agreed that the olive trade would be overseen by foremen from both sides of the wall, and that the Stone City and Agrabah would both take care of harvesting the olives and pruning the trees. The desert farmers even offered to teach the villagers how to nurture and care for the trees, and in turn the villagers offered to trade recipes and other spices. A few Stone City farmers even suggested planting olive trees on their side of the wall, although the Grand Vizier told Ben in confidence that he wasn’t sure that was a feasible idea, since the climates of the two kingdoms differed greatly. Olive trees were a desert fruit, and the Stone City’s mountainous terrain would not be conducive to its flowering. But who knew? Ben reminded them they lived in Auradon after all, where the impossible had a way of becoming possible: where street rats married Sultans’ daughters, and awkward girls grew up to be great warriors.
Ben and Lonnie bade their goodbyes to Charlie and the Grand Vizier. “You must come visit us again, especially during harvest season,” said Charlie.
“I will.”
“See you at the Agrabah Festival,” said the Grand Vizier.
“I look forward to it.”
“And thank you again, young lady, for being brave enough to change an old man’s mind,” said the Grand Vizier to Lonnie.
Lonnie bowed low in appreciation.
“They’re bringing your horses now,” said Charlie. “Safe journey back.”
Ben thanked them again, and watched as Charlie and the villagers retired to their side of the wall and the Grand Vizier and his entourage exited to their side. But a few workers from both cities stayed at the site, finishing up the construction of the Great Wall’s first Great Door.
“Where did you get the idea to apologize like that?” Ben asked Lonnie, when their new friends were out of earshot.
“From my mother,” said Lonnie. “I realized not every dispute has to be resolved with a sword. She said that sometimes a good apology can also do the trick. Mushu is always apologizing, by the way.”
“Of course he is,” said Ben, chuckling.
They headed toward the royal jet, when all of a sudden a strange whirlwind surrounded Ben.
“Don’t be afraid!” a voice boomed. “Just stay still.”
“Ben?” Lonnie called fearfully. “What’s happening?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, as the whirlwind around him twirled faster and faster. “But I think it’s okay.” He recognized that voice, so he remained still and wondered where this next journey would take him.
“Foggy,” said Harry, as he steered the ship away from the Isle of the Lost and toward the Isle of the Doomed, where the treasure chest containing Ursula’s necklace was supposed to be buried. “I don’t recall ever seeing this much fog in the bay.”
“Do you think it’s a bad sign?” asked Uma, who was still perched against the rail, gazing out at the bowsprit. A gorgeously carved mermaid adorned the long wooden pole. Sculpted with almost lifelike detail, it was painted in shades of teal and coral, the colors of the sea.
“I don’t think it’s any sign at all. Sometimes a fog is just a fog.” Harry shrugged.
“I’m sure you’re right, but it still gives me the chills. I know there’s no magic here, but it’s not much of a start. How we will navigate through all this fog?” Uma asked. They had sailed into a dense patch of gray. It was all around them, on their arms and in their noses. It left a cool, damp feeling on her face, like cold perspiration.
“I don’t mind, and there are many ways to sail in the fog. Leave the navigation to me,” Harry continued. “There are far worse things in the sea than a gray sky. Try sailing through ten-foot waves or one-hundred-mile-an-hour winds.”
“I see your point.”
Harry was trying to sound optimistic. He was the one with the sea legs. He wasn’t supposed to be afraid, not out here. But it wasn’t the sea that bothered him. Their destination was another matter. The Isle of the Doomed wasn’t exactly a paradise. That was probably why Yen Sid had hidden the broken necklace in a treasure chest on the smaller island in the first place. No one from the Isle of the Lost ever visited the Isle of the Doomed—not if they could help it. It was rumored to be haunted, and Maleficent’s fortress loomed, tall and forbidding, over its desolate landscape. The island’s only inhabitants were the descendants of goblins loyal to the evil fairy. There must be some reason they call it the Isle of the Doomed, Harry thought. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out what it was—or if the rumors he heard about it were true.
Even with the fog, they sailed smoothly. The winds were light, but the ship moved at a respectable clip, cutting through the waves, edging ever closer to the shore.
“I wish the fog weren’t so dense. I’d like to get a better sense of the beach before we set anchor. There could be rocks or…” said Harry. Then he stopped.
“What?” asked Uma.
“I don’t know. This is a forbidden place. There could be anything hiding in those waters, and this fog isn’t helping. There could be spikes—iron ones, submerged below the waterline—obstacles to keep boats from landing on the island. This might not be as easy as we expect, Uma.”
Harry thought about what else could be out there. Goblins swarming over that beach, or traps, or who knows what. Anything could be hiding in a fog this thick.
“Let’s stop here,” Harry announced. “We’ll drop anchor and row out in small boats. We’ll make a smaller target, harder to spy on, and if there’s anything in the water we’ll be able to see it more easily.”
Uma protested at first. She didn’t like his suggestion. It would only slow things down. She was ready to be bold and take chances, and she told him so. But she went along with Harry, for now. “Fine,” she said at last. “We’ll do it your way.”
So they rowed out with the crew in small wooden boats, hugging the sea, creeping toward the dark beach, their hulls grinding against the sand as they made shore. Uma was the first out of the boat, her feet falling into the cold water. It drenched her up to the knees. The sand here was gray, like the sky and the fog that still choked the air. Goblin Beach was dark and deserted, ghostly under the moonlight.
“At least it’s empty. No goblins,” said Uma.
“Not yet,” Harry said.
“All right, Sophie said Yen Sid left some sort of clue, a trail,” said Uma.