Page 53 of Search for the Lost

That made Leo grin because Crispin was right and he was being thoughtful. Very few people had ever known or cared about his preferences. He stowed the backpack on the empty seat, and Minkis curled up on top of it and immediately went to sleep.

Crispin leaned back. “You first, Aspin. Since you’re the oldest and the strongest.”

Leo was momentarily confused by this, until he saw Aspin roll his eyes and tap the table immediately in front of himself, at which point a set of pedals appeared beside his feet and a thick lever popped out near his hands. Aspin started to work the pedals and the lever, and the bahn-bahn began to roll. Its movement was smooth and nearly silent, but not much faster than a bicycle.

“It’s not powered by fuel or magick?” Leo asked, surprised.

Crispin shook his head. “No. And it’s the only way to reach Mother. I suspect that’s one of the reasons she chooses this refuge—hardly anyone will make all the effort to get to her. Now, get some rest, because it’s a long way and we’ll need to take turns.”

It looked like it would be hard work, in fact, but Leo didn’t mind. He could use the exercise. “Okay. Now that we know she Freaky Fridayed us, do you want to talk about why? And also what’s the deal with all my childhood stories landing on us? And the whole thing with Mom II? I have the feeling that all these things are related, but I don’t get how.”

Crispin leaned over to squeeze Leo’s shoulder. “Yes. I have some ideas, but I’m not sure about them.”

By now they’d reached the edge of the room, and it appeared that they were going to crash into a wall. Leo braced himself for the impact… which never came.

They passed through the wall instead, just as they had the ceiling in Ous, making him briefly shiver. Now they were in what looked to be a grassy valley, with towering snow-capped peaks and a bright blue sky . Brown-and-white cows placidly grazed nearby, the bells around their necks tinkling as they moved. There were some white goats too, and a huge dog—a Saint Bernard?—wagged its tail as the bahn-bahn rolled by. Up on a nearby ridge, a blonde girl in a dirndl skirt waved at them before breaking into an excellent yodel.

“Um… Heidi?” Leo asked. His mother had read the book to him when he was very young.

“Never mind that!” Aspin was pedaling uphill now and was slightly out of breath. “Crispin, by the Four Poky Prongs of Forkton, where are we going?”

It was clear that Crispin didn’t want to answer, but it hardly seemed fair not to at this point. Besides, Leo was curious as well. “Yeah, Crispy. Spill.”

When Crispin replied, he did so loudly, as if making an announcement. His chin was high and back straight, but his knuckles were white and—dead giveaway that he was nervous—the tips of his ears vibrated just a little.

“We’re going beyond the End of the Worlds,” he said. “We’re going to the Black Forest.”

He appeared to ignore Aspin’s gasp.

19

Crispin

The bahn-bahn exploded into chaos.

“You can’t be serious!” Aspin’s face was a confused mix of horror, disbelief, and anger.

Minkis chittered into Crispin’s ear. “Fae daddy crazy. Even squirrels not go into that dark place anymore.”

“This isn’t in my contract,” Thea chirped from his pocket.

Only Leo seemed unfazed. “The Black Forest? Sounds like a lovely place. Is this the one in Germany?” He was munching on one of the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches Mom II had packed for him, and had adorably managed to get a dollop of bright red raspberry jam on both the side of his mouth and his left earlobe.

Crispin snagged the bit from his ear and popped it into his mouth. Delicious.

Aspin rolled his eyes and looked outside the bahn-bahn window.

“Germany?” Crispin frowned. “No, this world is called Bahn-Bahnhof. There’s Northern Bahn-Bahnhof, Central Bahn-Bahnhof, and Western Bahn-Bahnhof.”

Leo raised an eyebrow. “But that’s… there’s… what about Southern…?” Leo blinked. “Never mind. Anyhow, it all sounds very German.”

Crispin decided that this “Germany” must be a place on Earth. Maybe a city? “‘Sometimes the Connected Worlds rhyme.’ It’s something mother used to tell me when I’d ask why one place was so much like another.”

Aspin nodded. “There’s always been a lot of bleed-through.” Then he frowned again. “But come on. You can’t be serious about going in there.”

Leo looked from one brother to the other, his forehead creasing in confusion. “What’s so bad about it?”

The bright and pleasant cow-covered green valley had given way to farmland. Fields of grain were segregated by bright white fencing into regular plots that retreated in neat rows into the distance, where a cluster of picturesque buildings with red shingle roofs sat amidst a scattering of trees.