On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson Page B

me?”
    Janner and Tink looked at one another. Janner was still anxious about being so close to the Fangs, but he was determined to show his grandfather that he could be trusted. “Yes sir, we’ll be fine.”
    â€œIf anything happens,” Tink said, “we’ll call for Leeli and she’ll come kicking.”
    This brought a hearty laugh out of the old pirate. “Ho! Let the lizards beware of Leeli Igiby and her deadly dog!” Podo looked them both in the eye. “You lads just keep to yourselves and come straightaway home, eh?” And with a clap to Janner’s shoulder that nearly knocked him over, Podo was gone.
    The last crate was smaller than the others. It appeared to be much older too. On the lid was one horrifying word: DANG .
    Janner and Tink gasped. Even Zouzab, who had been watching so quietly all day, gasped.
    â€œAha! I’ve been waiting all day to look through this one, my boys,” Oskar said, appearing behind them. He looked to his right and left and whispered,
“It’s from Dang.”
    â€œBut—how? Who—who do you know in Dang?” Tink asked.
    â€œShh!” Oskar put a finger to his lips and looked around again. “There are Fangs afoot in Skree if you haven’t noticed. Do you want to be thrown in jail again?”
    It was the first time he’d shown any sign of knowing about the Igibys’ troubles the night before, and Janner noticed it.
    Tink lowered his voice, “Sorry, Mister Reteep. Who do you know in—”
    â€œI don’t know anyone in Dang. I found this old box along with the others, but I didn’t want to draw any attention to it, so I piled it at the bottom of the wagon. I opened it long enough to see that it’s full of books. That’s all I know.” He rubbed his hands together like a happy child about to eat a piece of cake, then lifted the lid. The brothers took a step closer to the crate and looked inside. They looked like ordinary books, but knowing that they were from a faraway land of danger and mystery made them fascinating to behold.
    â€œJust bring these to me one at a time so I’ll be able to record them properly.” Oskar smiled and stared at the books longingly, “I mean to read them all tonight.” He came to himself, cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. “The afternoon is nearly spent, boys. These may be from
you know where,
but they’re still just books after all. As the great explorer Jinto Qweb said, ‘Hurry! Reading is fun!’” Oskar lit his pipe and shuffled back to his desk, humming as he went.
    Janner pulled the first book out of the crate. It was worn and heavy, the cover decorated with intricate loops and knots. In the center, flowing letters said
Ridgerunner Rhyme: Poetry of the Mountains.
1
    Zouzab squealed with delight and leapt to the ground. He was back on the roof of the building in the blink of an eye and left Janner standing there, empty-handed. Already the book was open and the little ridgerunner’s lips were moving while he read.
    â€œYou asleep out there?” Oskar called from his desk.
    As Janner and Tink scampered to bring Oskar book after book, he sat at his desk with pipe smoke drifting about his head, scribbling notes in his ledger, and mumbling.
    â€œMmm. Fascinating!
Nasal Dysfunction in the Woes of Shreve
…”
    Janner tried his best to inspect each of the books as he carried them, and he only accidentally dropped four. Some of them were written in strange runes. Others contained maps of lands of which he had never heard. One book was titled
Mostly True Tales of the Pirates of Symia.
Janner thought of his grandfather and cracked it open. On the first page was a picture of a sleek ship lifting over a giant wave. The deck of the ship was full of pirates in flamboyant clothing clutching swords and daggers. He could barely contain the delight he felt holding that book in his hands, imagining salty