Lavender-Green Magic by Andre Norton

that shadow was gone from her face, and she was again brisk and pleasant-seeming. “Even time hath an end. Tomkit, rouse thee, it be back again for thee also.”
    Tomkit leaped lightly from the chair where he had been resting, stretched his legs both fore and aft, and trotted to the door. Tamar stood smiling.
    â€œWill we see you again?” Judy resisted Holly’s attempt to hurry her along.
    â€œThat be as will be. All things hath a season. Merry meet, merry part, and blessed be.”
    She raised her hand now and gestured in the air between them. Holly could see that it was not a good-bye wave but must have some other meaning. Then they went out, following Tomkit. At the edge of the maze, without a word among themselves, they turned once to look back. All looked so peaceful under the sun. There was no sign of Tamar. But Holly felt a foreboding. What had they done in allowing Patience to see them—and—and—?
    Crock pulled her arm. “Come on. Better get going before anyone else comes along.”
    As the green walls of the maze closed about them, Holly tried to put in order both her thoughts and her fears.
    â€œWe—we aren’t in the same world—” she ventured.
    â€œNot in the same
time,”
Crock corrected her. “There was a guy that came to science assembly back home last year. He talked about time—and how some people really believe you can fall through time—”
    â€œWe—we can get back?” Judy demanded, her voice suddenly shrill with fear. “We
can
get back to the barnhouse—to Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma?”
    She began to run. They had to race along after her, ahead of the gray shade of Tomkit sliding easily. In and out, back and forth, the way back seemed almost more tangled than it had when they had entered.
    Holly had a stitch in her side, and she could hear Judy crying now as she led the way. Then she was calling out, “Mom! Mom!” in gasps of terror, which her older sister would have echoed had she believed that summons would do any good.
    The green of the walls about them began to lose its coloring. They were gasping so, they had to cut their run to a stumbling walk. Also it was getting colder. Holly pulled on her jacket, made Judy pause long enough to do likewise. Now all signs of leaves were gone as they burst out into the wasteland and caught sight of the barn roof in the distance.
    It was only when she saw the barn-house that Holly was free of her great fear. They
had
gotten back. She turned tolook behind her. There were no tall cats and old gate now. Just a thick mass of underbrush, which she did not believe even one as small and agile as Tomkit could wriggle a way through.
    â€œIt’s—it’s like it never happened,” she said.
    â€œAnd we keep it that way,” Crock declared. “You hear, Judy, Holly, we keep our mouths shut about this. Nobody would believe us and—”
    â€œBut we have this.” Holly pointed to the bag Judy held. “The things to plant.”
    â€œPitch ’em back!” Crock ordered.
    â€œNo!”
Judy came to life. “Tamar said to plant them. We’re going to—we can do that much, I think.” Holding the bag close, she pushed ahead.
    Holly looked at Crock and shrugged. They both knew that Judy was not to be argued with now. Better do some thinking about how they were going to explain the bag and its contents when they got home—a good explanation without telling the whole, unbelievable truth.

5
First Planting
    Holly looked to Crock. “What do we tell Grandma—if Judy gives her all that stuff?”
    He kicked at a clod of half frozen mud. “I don’t know.”
    â€œAnd Tamar—what’s going to happen to her? That Seth Elkins, he talked as if he were mad with her, too.” Quickly Holly explained what she had seen and heard at the window. “And Tamar, she might be called a witch. With that Patience