The door flew open. Jack Hare and Oscar Felix walked into the dining hall. A servant appeared seconds later and held the door open, too late. He looked around as if to announce them but was unsure what their names were.

Jack marched straight to Erec's side. Erec jumped up and grinned. "Hey, Jack! How's it going?"

"Better now." He clapped Erec on the shoulder. "Glad you're back. You gonna get another slice of that amulet filled?"

Erec looked down at the Amulet of Virtues on the chain around his neck. Another of the twelve slices would fill in if he completed the next quest. The thought also reminded him that the quest itself might not be pleasant.

Both Oscar and Jack approached the king, bowing and thanking him before sitting down.

Erec looked at the king, averting his eyes from the scepter. "What problems are happening in Upper Earth, King Piter?"

The king looked down as a servant whisked a plate of what looked like green slop before him on a golden plate. "Bees, Erec. The latest problem is the bees. I've had some very upsetting news about them from my plants in Upper Earth."

Erec, Bethany, Jack, and Oscar all looked at one another as if they must have heard wrong. "Killer bees?" Bethany asked.

48."Swarming, wild bees?" asked Oscar.

"No." King Piter shook his head. "Worse. Vanishing bees."

Erec frowned. "You mean invisible attack bees?"

"No, Erec," the king said. "Disappearing bees. They're not even leaving a trace. No dead bodies, nothing. The bees in Upper Earth are just going away somewhere and not coming back."

Oscar raised an eyebrow as if the king had gone crazy, then quickly stopped before the king noticed. "So what's wrong if they disappear? They just sting people anyway, right?"

"No, Oscar." King Piter sighed. "They do much more than sting people. Bees are vital to life in Upper Earth, at least as we know it. You like apples, strawberries, melons, cherries, pears? Bees pollinate most of the crops out there, and many wild plants as well. If the bees disappear and the crops don't make it, it would affect the food chain and many other species would die out. It would be hard to say how people would survive if those plants and animals start to go.

"But the problem is even worse than that," he said. "If the bees are vanishing, it can just mean one thing. The Substance is starting to drain out of Upper Earth. The bees are the most sensitive to it. They fly along the network of the Aitherplanes that hold the Substance. It helps them find their way around. But if bees are starting to disappear, they will not be the only ones. Another creature will be next. And then another. It won't happen right away. But if things keep going this way with the Substance, one of these days Upper Earth won't be able to sustain life at all."

Erec, Bethany, Jack, and Oscar walked down into the catacombs below the castle after dinner. The maze of twisty passages had been covered by the wall of the castle when it was on its side for ten years, keeping everyone out.

"I just can't believe it," Bethany said. "Upper Earth is dying? The 49.bees are disappearing, and soon other animals will too? We have to help King Piter stop whatever is going wrong there."

Erec nodded. "It has to do with the Substance. I'll talk to the dragons about it. They can see the Substance all the time. Maybe they have some ideas."

"Don't you think King Piter already tried talking to the dragons?" Oscar asked.

"I guess." Erec shrugged. "I know the Substance is different on Upper Earth than here. When I have cloudy thoughts I can see it hanging in the air like ropes here. There is a lot more of it. On Upper Earth it looks more like cobwebs."

"King Piter said it's draining away from there," Bethany said. "What if it's gone soon?"

Erec sighed. "What is it about the Substance that makes it so important?"

"It carries the magic we all need to live," Jack said. "We learned that in grade school. You can't survive without the Substance around you."

That made Erec remember the Nevervarld. In the Nevervarld there was absolutely no Substance. No magic could enter it at all. And no living things could stay alive in it except dragons--and even they could not live there for long. So would Upper Earth turn into a Nevervarld?

"That's why it feels so awful to come to the Kingdoms of the Keepers from Upper Earth," Bethany said. "There is so much more Substance here it makes us feel all heavy and depressed."

Jack nodded. "But it's not just that there is more of it here. It's that it's messed up here. Sad or something."

They all nodded, each knowing the feeling the upset Substance gave them. Erec was glad that he was finally starting to adjust to it.

"You know, there is one other person who knows a lot about 50.the Substance," Oscar said. "Maybe Baskania could figure out what's happening in Upper Earth."

Erec stared at him in shock as they walked, and almost hit his head as he rounded a rocky corner. "Baskania? My mortal enemy? The guy who almost tore my eyes out and killed me just before I came here? I don't think I'll be going to him for help." Erec shook his head. "It wouldn't surprise me if he was the cause of the problems."

"Here we are! The coolest room in the castle," Bethany announced with a grand swish of her arm. Before them was a door with a gold handle. She opened it, and they walked into a cavernous room. A golden glowing figure materialized before them. He looked like a cross between a man and a cloud. It was the golden ghost guarding King Piter's most treasured possession, his Novikov Time Bender.

The ghost's voice wavered. "Hello, Erec."

"Hi, Homer." Homer was the only golden ghost that Erec had ever met. As far as Erec knew, he never left this room.

"A golden ghost!" Oscar looked whiter than usual, which was impressive given his pale skin typical of the people from underground Aorth. "I never thought I'd see one. This is such good luck!" He stepped forward, arm outstretched. "Can you help me, ghost?"

Homer, the ghost, seemed to radiate warmth, drawing them all closer. A chuckle arose from the glowing apparition. "I'm afraid we're not good luck charms, Oscar Felix. It's true we may help humans at times, if we so choose. And that would be only if we feel those humans are right in their motives. But really, the only one who can help you, and bring you the luck you need, is yourself."

Oscar did not look disappointed, only amazed, as he stepped closer to the smiling image.

"And look." Bethany pointed at a tall, thin box that looked like an upright coffin. It was made of solid gold, except for the front, which was a sheet of glass. "There is King Piter's time machine."

51.They all turned to look at the Novikov Time Bender. It seemed too simple to send people traveling through time. Fascinated, Erec walked closer to take a look. The last time he had been down here, he had just lost his dear dragon friend, Aoquesth. He had been too exhausted to fully take in the concept of a time machine.

A small television screen jutted from the side of the golden box, connected by a tube. The glass front was hinged like a door, with a gold handle. Peering inside, Erec could see some sort of dials hanging against the wall.

Bethany looked around. "Why isn't King Piter here? Last time you called him right when we showed up. Aren't you guarding this for him?"

Homer slid toward the Time Bender. "I do guard this room for the king and keep his Time Bender from the wrong people. I was with King Piter even before he had this built. But I'm not a paid servant with orders to report whoever walks in here. The king trusts that I know how to handle things.

"I called him here the last time you came because Erec and Jam were exhausted and you had a bad case of helmet hair. I knew the king would want to be with you, to help you, and to say good-bye. I did not call him because I thought you were a danger to his Time Bender." The ghost chuckled.

"How does it work?" Jack asked, gazing at the box.

"Simple really," Homer answered. "Neat little device. You just climb in and turn the dials to the date you want to go to. Then you fit into your old body that was there at that time, stay for as long as you like, and come back when you're done.

"Someone in this room could see you in two different ways. We could see your current self, laying in the Time Bender, through the glass. Of course, you change to look like you were at the age you went to. And we could also look through the viewer to see exactly what 52.you are doing while you are there, back in time." He pointed at the television screen.

"I don't get it," Erec said. "You go back into your body at that time? What does that mean?"

"Well," the ghost explained, "say you went back three years. You would appear three years younger through the glass. But also you would be there, back then, walking around in your old ten-year-old body. You'd fit right in with people who knew you at that time, except that in your case, Erec, you were not here three years ago. So people might be suspicious."

This sounded amazing. "You mean I could go to any time that I was alive?"

"Exactly," the ghost said. "But I would not recommend going back to when you were too young. Like an infant. Your mind would stay the same as it is now, of course. But you would not have enough physical strength to get around, or get back into the machine when you were ready. You'd be stuck there for years."

"Could someone go into the future?" Bethany asked.

"Very dangerous," the ghost said flatly. "I don't recommend that at all."

"Why?" Erec asked.

"You might make a mistake and choose a time when you are no longer alive. There are no guarantees on anyone's future, you know."

Oscar looked intrigued. "And what would happen if someone went into the past, before they were born? Or went into the future, after they had died? Could they do it?"

"They could," the ghost answered. "But their body would disappear from the machine. They would be transported to that date, at the age they are now, but they would never be able to get back. You might see them for a little while with the viewer, but their image would soon fade away."

53.That thought gave Erec a chill.

"I guess King Piter has it locked up so nobody can use it?" Oscar asked.

"No." The ghost sounded casual about it. "He trusts me to do what is right, of course."

"So," Erec said, "you would never let anyone use it, I guess?"

The ghost fluttered in front of them in at least ten different shades of gold. "That would be up to me."

CHAPTER FIVE

The Torn Quest.EREC'S MIND KEPT flitting from one thing to another. At one moment he would feel stunned, wondering what new trouble awaited him when he drew the next quest from Al's Well. The last one had thrown him into a battle where he'd almost died and had lost Aoquesth. Then, just as that seemed overwhelming enough, he would start to think about the bees disappearing, Substance leaking out of Upper Earth, and the normal world turning into a Nevervarld death zone 55 55where nothing could live. How long before that would happen? Centuries? Decades? Years?

Then, right when he was sure his head would explode, images of the Novikov Time Bender would pop again into his mind. Now that was one cool device. Imagine, to be able to go back in time like that. Where would he go?

Then an idea hit him. Maybe he could go back and save Aoquesth. It seemed like Homer, the golden ghost, might actually let him use it. Didn't he say that he helped people who were "right in their motives"?

Well, nothing was more right than Erec going back to save Aoquesth's life. That dragon had given up everything for him. The only problem was that Erec had no idea how to do it, even if he could go back to that battle where Aoquesth had lost his life. Baskania's death blade had been coming right for Erec. If Aoquesth hadn't stepped in and intercepted it, Erec would have died. It seemed it was either Aoquesth or him.

Erec, Bethany, Jack, and Oscar met in Paisley Park at ten o'clock in the morning. Bethany and Jack took the day off from their tutors.

"All right, guys," Jack said. "Erec is drawing his quest tonight at seven. We need to figure out a plan in case there are problems. I agree with Erec. Erida's invitation sounded a little too cheerful. What was that? 'Pleased, excited'...?"

Erec smirked. "'Pleased, Inspired, Pleasantly-surprised Service.' And when she flew away she said, 'So long, sucker.' Kinda makes you wonder."

"I know," Oscar said. "I'll pose as you. I'll find someone who can change my looks. Then if anything happens, they'll have the wrong guy."

Erec felt touched that Oscar was willing to protect him. He really was a good friend. "No way, Oscar," he said. "I can't let you risk your 56.life like that. You know what would happen if they captured you?" He shook his head. "Plus, you wouldn't be able to draw the quest, even if you did look like me. It won't work for anybody else."

Bethany stared at the ground, not saying anything. Erec looked at her questioningly. She shrugged. "I'm kind of all mixed-up about all this."

Erec was too. It was hard to charge into something that felt like a setup.

"I mean, I know you have to get the quest," she said. "I just wish there were another way. It's obvious that Baskania expects you to go there. Maybe he's planning on..." Her words hung in the air. It seemed obvious what Baskania planned to do to Erec when he caught him. Take his eyes out and then kill him.

Jack's jaw dropped. "I have an idea. No clue if it will work, but it's worth a try. Oscar, come with me. We'll meet you back here in two hours."

Erec and Bethany brought a lunch basket, packed by Jam, back to Paisley Park to wait for Oscar and Jack. Of course, given Jam's expertise, it had everything they could want. Egg salad, tuna, and turkey sandwiches sat atop cut fruits, snack bars, cheese and cracker stacks perfectly lined up, and bags of fresh, homemade brownies, cookies, and cake slices. And, even though it was healthy, there was not a crumb of cloud loaf in sight.

As they munched sandwiches and popped bites of honeycomb, spun sugar birds nests, and divinity, Bethany kept starting to talk, then stopping. "I mean--" She looked frustrated, sighing.

"Is something wrong?" Erec finally asked.

Bethany nodded, blushing. "I don't want you to go."

Erec twisted to look at her. "But you were the one arguing me into going in the first place."

57."I know. I mean, you have to do it. I think. I just don't want to...lose you." Her face flushed bright red.

Erec looked away, not wanting to embarrass her. "Look, I don't want to lose me either," he joked. "I don't know what the right thing is to do. But hey," he said, offering her a chocolate-chip cookie, "you're my best friend no matter what happens. Always remember that."

Maybe that hadn't been the right thing to say. Bethany's eyes turned red. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just worried something bad will happen."

"Hey, I've got this thing." He held the Amulet of Virtues out toward her. "It's got to help a little."

Jack and Oscar appeared with big grins on their faces. "Problem solved," Jack announced, dusting himself off like he was a trophy. "We got you safe passage, man. Now you owe us."

Oscar beamed. "This'll work extra well, since I'm going on the quest with you too!"

"Huh?" Erec looked at them. "What's going on?"

Jack strutted forward and peered into their basket. "Hmm, I don't know, Oscar. I think they should give us a few brownies and some of those chocolate honey drops if they want to hear our good news. What do you think?"

Oscar reached into the basket. "You're right, Jack. A little food might make me more talkative." He giggled and stuffed a cinnamon cookie into his mouth, but he couldn't wait to tell the story of what had happened. With a full mouth, he said, "We talked to Janus! We can go early today and draw the quest before anyone else knows we're there!"

"What?" Erec could not believe his ears. "How did you get through to Janus? I thought he was locked up in the Labor Society building." He felt better right away. Janus was the odd man who looked like he had been stranded for years on a desert island, who 58.guarded the side door of the Labor Society, the passageway to get to Al's Well. He was the perfect person to help Erec.

Oscar puffed his chest as if it had all been his idea. "You know how Jack's gift is that he can talk to animals? Well, he got a mouse to take a note into the building. Mice can always find a hole or some way in. And it brought our note right to Janus. He opened the door and talked to us."

"He wouldn't let us in," Jack said. "The guy seemed scared by the whole thing. He thought this might make him lose his job. But he knew what was going on, and he wants to help. He said that Baskania took Balor Stain into the Labor Society through the front door. The side door you go through wouldn't let him in. And he marched him right up to Al's Well. Al told him it wouldn't work for Balor, but Baskania pushed Al out of his way and made Balor stick his hand into the well."

Oscar added, "He couldn't find anything in it though. So Baskania performed magic on the well to make something come out of it. And you know how powerful Baskania is."

"Yeah," Bethany said. "But is he more powerful than the Fates?"

"I guess not," said Jack. "Because the thing that Balor found and grabbed out--" Jack and Oscar burst into laughter.

"Yeah?" Erec leaned forward.

"Well," Jack said, still laughing, "you know how Al's Well looks just like a toilet?"

Erec's eyes widened. "You don't mean he pulled out a..."

"Yup!" Oscar said gleefully.