CHAPTER 13 - HONORED
Toby blinked. The sun was bright, but the air was cool and crisp. Something rubbed up against his leg. Looking down he saw Sirius.
"Hello there," he said as he reached down tentatively and stroked his back. Breathing deeply, he smelled the wood fire from the hut mixed with the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread. He was surprised to see his breath in the cool air.
Sirius walked primly to the door, and turned around to see if he was following. "Coming," Toby chuckled, and walked up to the doorway.
Inside, Caedman was bending over the fire. Without looking up he said, "Welcome back Toby. Come in. This is a day for travelers." Toby entered the dimly lit room. "How are things in your world?" Caedman said as he passed him a drink.
Toby took a big gulp of the cool, fruity water. "That's why I'm here," he blurted out. "Carson has the book and is planning on coming back here."
Caedman set a plate with a small steaming loaf of bread on the firewall in front of him.
"He's the imposter governor," Toby said, "and he means to take over the village." The smell of the yeast from the freshly baked bread made his mouth water. He picked it up and broke it open. "He's been stealing from the school. The police came today, and locked up his office." He stuffed a piece into his mouth. It was sweet and crunchy.
There was movement in the corner of the room. A familiar voice said urgently, "When did this happen?"
Toby turned towards the voice and saw Nitika. Swallowing hard he stared speechless at her.
"Toby," she said firmly, "When did the authorities come to Carson's office?"
"How did you get here?" Toby choked out. He took another drink and turned back to Caedman, "How did she get here?"
Caedman smiled, "She has traveled here many times, but what of her question? Do you know when the authorities arrived?"
"Lunch time. I was in his office trying to get the book back when he came in and found me."
Nitika drew her breath in sharply. "What did he do?" she asked in a low intense voice.
"He threatened to bring me here with no way to return, and to make me his servant."
Caedman grimaced. "It is as I suspected. His thoughts are only for himself and his own gain."
"But we have to warn the real Governor," Toby said urgently. "Carson has the book, and he's coming here. He may already be here!" Toby looked around half expecting to see Carson step out of the shadows too.
Nitika smiled. "Do not worry, Toby," she said as she picked up something from the shelf beside her. "Here is the book. He will not be coming here."
Toby's eyes widened as he saw she held Worlds Within. "How'd you get that?" he asked. "I saw him put it into his pocket just before the authorities came into his office."
Nitika then told him about their meeting at the train station. Caedman had warned her about him. It was just luck that she saw him getting into a cab with suitcases. Since she didn't know about the court order, she could only follow him and try to find out what he was doing. When she overhead the clerk call him Mr. Pointe, she knew he was using a fake identity. In his confusion he left the book on the counter, and she picked it up. Then she called a friend of hers at the police station, and told him the story.
"I hope they will be able to catch him," she said. "But he is crafty, and may yet slip through their fingers. But what about you? Did he harm you in any way?"
Toby shook his head. "My biggest problem is how many classes I've been missing unexcused. My record is looking pretty bad, and I'm afraid the school is going to call my grandmother. She's going to think I'm turning into a delinquent."
Nitika smiled reassuringly. "I think perhaps I can talk to Mrs. Hightower and reconcile your record."
"You could do that?" Toby asked hopefully.
She nodded. "I think it can be arranged." She held out the book to him, "I believe this book is now yours."
He took it and said, "But it's not mine. I was trying to get it back from Carson so I could return it." He turned to Caedman. "It's really your book," and he held it out to him.
Caedman gently pushed it back to Toby. "The book long ago passed from my possession. I gave it to my daughter. She has now given it to you."
Toby looked confused, and turned back to Nitika in astonishment.
"If you still have the page you removed, my father is skilled in book repair," she said. "Perhaps he could restore it."
The pieces started falling in place for Toby. He began to understand the mystery behind Nitika's childhood, and why books seemed to be as natural to her as breathing. He pulled the picture of the hut out of his backpack, and held it out to Caedman with the book.
"Do you think it can be repaired?"
Caedman carefully smoothed the page, and looked at it critically. "It will take some time, but it can be put right."
Toby turned to Nitika. "If the book was yours, how did it get into Carson's office?"
Nitika looked sad. "I was not as attentive as I should have been with such a gift. One day I left it lying on my desk at the library, and it came up missing. I can only assume that Carson picked it up. You have now been entrusted with the book. Be careful it does not fall into the wrong hands."
Sirius suddenly stood up, fluffed his tail and lay back his ears. He then shook himself, and lay back down.
"I believe we have a visitor," Caedman said.
Toby heard running footsteps and Marnie burst through the door. She stopped suddenly when she saw Toby and Nitika.
"You're here!" she said surprised.
Toby wasn't sure if she was talking to him or Nitika.
"Is it ready?" she said to Caedman excitedly.
"Yes," he said. "It is ready." He went to the shelf he used for a desk. Reaching into the back, he pulled out a small object and placed it on her palm.
Her eyes sparkled as she turned to Toby. "This is for you," she said holding it out to him.
He opened his hands, and she carefully placed it into his waiting fingers. He held it close to the light. It was a silver sentinel inlaid with turquoise. The eyes were amber quartz.
"It's Sirius!" he said amazed. The sentinel stretched and sat up. Toby thought he looked smug.
"Turn it over," Marnie said, "but don't look too close."
He turned it over. There were two pictures etched on the back.
"One to get you here. One to get you home," Marnie said happily. "Now you can come anytime you want without the book."
Toby looked up at Caedman, "Can I keep it?"
Marnie interrupted, "Of course you can keep it. That's why he made it for you." Then she added shyly, "You can put it on your key ring if you want."
He pulled out his key ring, and it went on smoothly.
"Thank you," he said as he closed his hand protectively around it.
Nitika said, "This is a wondrous gift, but it does not take the place of the book. You have been chosen as the caretaker until the time comes for you to pass it on. Do not take this responsibility lightly."
Toby looked up at her. The flickering firelight dancing across her features hinted at a power and strength that he had not seen before.
He didn't know what to say. Finally he blurted out, "I am honored."
"Yes, Toby," she said. "You are honored."