"No. But that was different," Erec said. "I knew that. I don't know this."

"You decide who to trust. Up to you!" The Hermit pretended to think hard. "So, you can trust Baskania, enjoy your vacation, and try to make the next ten years good ones, or you can trust the three Fates and do your quest. It's dangerous. No guarantee you will succeed or survive. You might be better off in Hawaii."

Erec kicked a rock in frustration. It spun through the air and knocked the top off of a wide blue daisy with a yellow center, and sent it whirling into the air. Then he growled, "All right. Fine! I'll do it. At least whatever part of it I can. But afterward, it's Hawaii."

There was another reason Erec could not go to Hawaii, when he thought about it. Balor Stain was going to blow up the Castle Alypium, and he still had not figured out how to stop him. It was time he gave it another try. He sat on his bed in the west wing and closed his eyes.

Soon he was entering the small, dark room in his mind, and 233.

the two smaller, darker ones within it. Inside he again saw the box on the table, the part of him that knew everything his future had to hold. If only he could choose what it showed him. He wanted to see what would happen with this crazy, impossible quest. Then again, the Hermit had said he was was choosing what to show himself. A different part of him was. If only he could make those two parts of himself meet and talk. choosing what to show himself. A different part of him was. If only he could make those two parts of himself meet and talk.

He ran his hand over the box, feeling the life pulse within it. Then, bracing himself, he opened the shades on the windows of his dragon eyes.

He was there again. Castle crashing down. People screaming and running. This time, before he rounded the corner, he turned back to look where he had come from. There he saw himself again, transfixed, holding the scepter.

He could feel the scepter's power streaming through his body, shooting from his fingers and toes. He could do anything at all that he wanted. The scepter pulled him closer. Soon he stood right next to the future version of himself, admiring the gleaming gold in his hand. He raised a finger to touch it, but it fell right through. The scepter, like everything here, was a mirage.

It was frustrating being so close to the scepter yet so far. He managed to pull himself away and walked around the corner to find Balor Stain.

There Balor stood, holding his bronze whistle and laughing. How could he rewind time? Find out what had happened before this moment? He walked up to Balor and passed a hand through him, not able to feel a thing. "You menace," he said to Balor's image. "I'll figure this out, one way or another."

Then he closed his eyes and concentrated. Move back time. Push it further. Move back time. Push it further. He knew it was all in the box. He just had to show it where to go. He knew it was all in the box. He just had to show it where to go. Think. Back. See back... Think. Back. See back...

234.

It was working. Everything was a blur, but he could feel that time was going where he wanted. Backward.

Balor was laughing and pointing to the castle. Damon and Dollick were behind him. "Look," he said. "It's crumbling."

The castle begin to crash down. A massive spire trembled, then tipped, falling through a roof.

Balor's face lit with delight. "I love it! Hey, I know, guys." He turned to his brothers. "Just the thing to help this along." He picked up his bronze whistle and blew it.

Suddenly, swarms of bronze wraiths flew through the air. One hovered in front of Balor, red eyes burning.

"In there," Balor said, pointing. "Go to it!"

The bronze ghosts sailed into the castle. Balor watched, laughing, still holding his whistle.

This was where Erec had first seen him. There would be nothing new from here. But, just in case, Erec stayed a while longer and watched the castle cave in. When it was nearly gone, and he couldn't take it anymore, he pulled the shades on the windows and left the small room in his head.

So, Balor really had called the bronze ghosts there. King Piter had been right about his whistle. Now if Erec could figure out how to change the future, not just watch it, he'd be set. But he comforted himself with the knowledge that he would be there, at least, with the scepter. He would use it afterward to fix whatever bad thing happened to the castle. No problem.

Erec looked in his backpack for the singing crystal that Swami Parvananda had given him in India. The Swami had said he knew Erec would need it. He felt guilty remembering that. He had 235.

wanted to walk away from his quest too easily, give up too fast.

He picked up the tall, clear crystal. If this was the master of the five Awen, he might as well go on the Path of Wonder and find them. The crystal wasn't so difficult to get, so maybe the Awen wouldn't be either. How he would ever find the Twrch Trwyth, though, was beyond him.

Jack and Bethany were eating lunch in the west wing dining hall. Erec waved to them. "Listen, I've made a decision. I'm going to try to find the five Awen. If you guys could help me learn about them first, I'd really appreciate it. But I'd like to go on this quest with Jam, I think, if you two don't mind."

Jack and Bethany shrugged, but neither of them looked happy. "Why is that?" Jack asked. "I haven't gone with you since your first quest. And I already took the time off with my tutor."

"I don't know," Erec said. "Just seems like a good idea." He didn't want to bring up the real reason for his decision. He had put them--Bethany especially--in enough danger. After she appeared in Artie's house the night when the manticore could have shredded them all to bits, he was through jeopardizing her life.

Bethany's lip pushed out, but she didn't say anything. The three of them walked to the library tower in silence. Finally, she said what was on her mind. "Are you sure you even want me to go to the library with you? Since you're that sick of me?"

"That's not it," Erec protested. "Really. I just--"

"Don't want to hang out with me anymore. I know."

"No! I wish you could go. But--"

Her chin crinkled. "No biggie. I guess I just had us pegged as better friends than we really are."

"Look." Erec gave up pretending. "I do want you to come. But it drives me nuts to put you in danger. Please, just this time, wait here for me. I almost lost you in Otherness."

236.

"And I almost lost you. What's the difference? I'll be fine, Erec." She had perked up considerably.

"The difference is that I have to go, and you don't."

"This sounds familiar," she said with a hint of a smile. "Isn't that what you said to me when we first met? You said you had to go through the sidewalk, into the unknown, and I didn't. It was too dangerous for me to risk it." She paused. "But remember what I said? I'm going with you. That was the deal. You needed my help to get in. And I'm glad I did come. Imagine if I was still stuck there with nasty Earl Evirly."

Just like back then, Erec worried about what would happen to her, but he also didn't like the idea of going alone without her. But this time he would stay firm. It wasn't the same. "No, Bethany. I'm glad you were with me before. But this might be more risky. If something happened to you I'd never forgive myself."

Carol Esperpento, the librarian, sat at her desk. She lifted her squinting eyes to them over the narrow granny glasses that jutted out far from the sides of her face. She pointed at the third floor after they asked where they might find books about the Awen. "The books must stay here," she warned sternly.

On the third floor, they found books about the Awen in the sections "The Great Magic of Upper Earth," "History Mysteries," and "The Awen of Celtic Poetry."

Jack pulled a book off the shelf called Ah, When? When Were the Awen Discovered, and How You Can Discover Them Too. Ah, When? When Were the Awen Discovered, and How You Can Discover Them Too.

"Look at this." Bethany laughed, pointing at a book called Get Your Stinkin' Awen Away from Me. She took The Total Loser's Guide to Capturing the Awen and Not Losing Your Mind The Total Loser's Guide to Capturing the Awen and Not Losing Your Mind and and How the Five Awen Ruined My Life How the Five Awen Ruined My Life off the shelf and sat down. Erec picked up a book called Aptly Named? Awen: Beauties or Beasts. off the shelf and sat down. Erec picked up a book called Aptly Named? Awen: Beauties or Beasts.

"Hey, Erec," Jack said. "Bad news, bud. Looks like these Awen 237.

are kind of bad luck charms. At least that's what they seem like." He read some more.

"I don't know," Bethany said. "Here it says they hold really powerful magical spells made by an ancient druid. But they're stuck where they are. It's really hard to collect them...." She ran her finger down the page. "Oh, wait. Unless you have a singing crystal. It finds them like a metal detector and draws them in."

"Yeah." Erec saw the same thing in his book. It looked like bringing back the Awen would be easy with the singing crystal. "It says the crystal is the master of the Awen. Cool."

Jack pointed. "The druid who created the Awen was called Bile. He did it by capturing huge amounts of power and putting them in really small packages. But the things caused a lot of damage. I mean a lot lot of damage. His whole land was ruined. So he made this Path of Wonder, a magic passageway that led to some of the most beautiful places on Earth, and he spread the Awen through it." He frowned. "That way each of those spots had some of the problems, but they weren't all in his place, piled on top of one another." of damage. His whole land was ruined. So he made this Path of Wonder, a magic passageway that led to some of the most beautiful places on Earth, and he spread the Awen through it." He frowned. "That way each of those spots had some of the problems, but they weren't all in his place, piled on top of one another."

"Why didn't he just destroy them?" Bethany asked.

"Probably too greedy," Erec said. "Seems like all these old sorcerers were. Maybe he wanted to use them for something."

"Or maybe he couldn't destroy them," Jack added.

They read for a while longer before Bethany said, "Erec, you've got no choice about taking us with you. It's impossible otherwise. The only people who have succeeded have been in groups, the larger the better."

Erec found that same information in several places, then he dropped his head into his hands. This was not the news he wanted. He was going to have to take along a bunch of people to help him. If he put Bethany in danger another time he'd never forgive himself. But then again, the Awen had been collected before. It was not 238.

deadly, he hoped. At least it was possible, unlike getting the Twrch Trwyth from Olwen Cullwich or hooking the Awen to it. Maybe it wouldn't be too dangerous after all.

"The druid dumped the first Awen on an island called Avalon, near England," Bethany read. "And the Path of Wonder starts there."

"No problem, then," Erec said. "We'll just have to find Avalon."

Jam fitted them all with backpacks, slipping the Serving Tray into Erec's. "I do wish I could come help you, young sir."

Erec studied him a moment. "You are coming, Jam. That is, if you're sure you're up for more danger."

Jam's eyes lit up. At the same time, Bethany and Jack looked uneasy.

"Are you getting rid of one of us?" Bethany asked.

"No. We're all going together."

"I thought you couldn't do that," Jack said. "You can only have two other people on your quest."

Erec said with confidence, "This isn't my quest yet. I'm sure of it. It's just getting things ready for my quest. I could have ten people help me with this. So far I've really done the quests alone, anyway. At least the parts that mattered, that made the Amulet of Virtues light up." He thought a moment. "Well, except for the second quest. Aoquesth did that one with me."

He grimaced. "It's all messed up now, anyway. King Piter's triplets were really supposed to do these quests, if only they were alive. I still don't get why I was chosen. And where those other two are who should be helping. I can't be in charge of all three kingdoms myself."

"Well, if you get one throne, and Balor and Damon Stain take the other two," Bethany said, "then try and get Alypium if you can."

Jack laughed. "If Damon Stain becomes king of Aorth, I'm moving for sure."

239.

A silence settled over them as they thought about the Stains taking over. "Why am I doing this?" Erec asked. "Even if I do become king, the other two thrones are open for the taking. I don't see how that will help anything."

"Well," Bethany said, "we'll just have to find the other two rightful rulers...wherever they are."

The idea was wonderful, having two other people to shoulder his burden. But it also sounded impossible. It was easier to think about the task at hand. "It seems like the more people helping with the Awen the better. It's a shame Oscar can't come. Think Melody would want to join us?"

Melody Avery had been Bethany's roommate during the contests in Alypium last summer. Bethany was still friends with her, and she lived in the apprentice boardinghouse in Alypium. Bethany's eyes lit up. "That would be great! I'll go find her. She'll be in Paisley Park now with her tutor." Then her eyes narrowed. "You better not be trying to lose me. Leave without me and you're dead, buster."

Erec held his hands up in protest, then Bethany took off. "So?" he said to Jam and Jack. "Ready to leave without her?"

They looked at him quizzically, and he smirked. "Just kidding," he said.

Bethany and Melody met Erec, Jam, and Jack in a sitting room near the west wing Port-O-Door. Melody smiled shyly, her tight black curls draping around her dark brown face. "I swore her to secrecy," Bethany said. "She won't tell Oscar or anyone else that you're here or where we're going. Her tutor gave her time off, and nobody else will know."

"Thanks for asking me, guys," Melody said. "I'm ready for some adventure."

"Cool." Erec nodded.

240.

Jam handed Melody her own backpack and put one on himself. Then he passed out winter parkas, scarves, and gloves to everyone. Typical Jam, Erec thought. Prepared for everything. They crowded into the vestibule of the Port-O-Door and searched the Upper Earth map of Great Britain for Avalon.

"Cardiff, Oxford, Birmingham, Sheffield. I don't see an Avalon here," Jack said.

"It's an island," Jam said, scanning the ocean. "But I can't find it on this."

"You won't find it on the map," a bouncy voice piped up behind them. The Hermit was dressed in a thick down coat that went down to his sandaled feet, and his head was topped with a red stocking cap. Erec had not seen him enter the vestibule. Everybody scooted aside and let him through to the map. He touched a spot on the Isle of Man, a small island nestled among Northern Ireland, the North of England, and Scotland. Then he moved their Port-O-Door to a small secluded spot in the north of the island, past the town of Cranstal.

Cold air blasted them as they walked out onto a rocky beach. Their Port-O-Door had shrunk to fit into a boulder near the base of some cliffs that hung overhead. In the distance, icicles sparkled on the naked tree branches in a nearby glen. Beyond, on a heath, the purple moor grass, heathers, and gorse tossing in the wind had turned gray from the cold. A skylark twittered and a seagull swooped by, impervious to the cold.

The ocean before them swelled and sank against the rocks in a fierce rhythm, roaring like a tyrant as it came in. The dusky gray sky seemed immense. Erec shivered under his parka. It had been a while since he had experienced cold weather, and it actually seemed nice, at least with the stark ocean before him.

The Hermit motioned for them to follow him to the water's 241.

edge. He closed his eyes and held a long stick in front of him with both hands. An eerie melody spilled from his lips over the roar of the waves. "Am gaeth tar na bhfarraige. Am tuile os chinn maighe. Am dord na daithbhe. I am a wind across the sea. I am a flood across the plain. I am the roar of the tides." His voice rang starkly among the pounding waves. The melody sounded foreign, something from an alien world. He paused, and waves drizzled the noise of a thousand tiny, tinkling shells.

The Hermit struck another haunting chord. "oig dar mhuir, mile laoch lionfas ler. Barca breaga bruigfidid. "oig dar mhuir, mile laoch lionfas ler. Barca breaga bruigfidid. Let these youths float across your ocean, thy thousand heroes fill your sea. Bring your magic ships to moor." Let these youths float across your ocean, thy thousand heroes fill your sea. Bring your magic ships to moor."

In the distance, a hazy image appeared. It resembled a boat and a cloud at the same time. Erec thought it was the sea mist, but as it approached it looked like a ghost ship. Wispy figures manned the deck and brought the vessel onto the pebbled beach without a sound.

Erec and his friends followed the Hermit up a plank of blurred wood. Although Erec could see the water right through it, the boat felt firm beneath his feet. Everybody was quiet and somber as the boat left the shore. Cold mist shrouded their faces as they sped away. Soon they could not see the island they came from, only swirls of white and the sea below. The figures steering their vessel were as hard to make out up close as they had been from shore. Erec chose not to look at the--they just made him nervous.

Bethany wrapped her arms tightly around herself, shivering, and Jam's teeth chattered. Only the Hermit looked confident and serene.

Soon a wooded island loomed into view. It was gorgeous, with lush ferns and tangled arbors beyond the small sandy beach. They headed down the plank onto the shore. Erec turned to wave thanks, but the boat had vanished.

242.

"Is this Avalon?" Erec asked.

"It is." The Hermit nodded. "You will want to find the druids' cave in the center of the island. They will help you find your way."

"You're not coming with us?" Jack asked.

"Yes, of course," the Hermit answered with a grin, perfectly aware that his answer could be taken either way.

"Do you mean--?" Jack swung around to ask him, but the Hermit had vanished.

243.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN