her. Then he withdrew and reappeared higher up, eyes shining mischievously. "I'm ssssending down some sssstairs."
A rope ladder tumbled out of the tree. It swung invitingly beside her.
"Come on up," called the cat. Lindy placed a foot carefully on the first rung and climbed until she found herself in an amazing and ingeniously built room.
It was like the inside of a cocoon. The floor, walls and ceiling were a continuous curve of geometrically woven yarn in rainbow colors. Yellow leaves in the tree pushed through the weaving and the room looked as if it were sprigged with flowers. The bottom of the cocoon was low-slung, like a hammock, and it held a large, luxurious pillow. It was easily as big as a bed and it was made of silk and satin patchwork squares. It had a beautiful orange tassel at each corner.
"Come and ssssit by me." The Splintercat padded into the middle of the bed and settled down. "Mm. It'ssss good to be home."
He held out a large box of delicious-looking candies. "Have some wodge."
Lindy was very hungry. She gratefully took one of the candies. It tasted of marzipan and honey and sweet caraway seeds. "What are these? They're terrific," she said, taking another one.
"They are the Whangdoodle's favorite food," grinned the Splintercat. "He has a very ssssweet tooth, you know."
Lindy ate six more pieces of candy and felt a lot better.
"Well, how do you like my pad?" The cat gazed at her and his tail brushed softly across her forehead.
She blinked sleepily. Her eyelids felt heavy. "I think," she said, yawning, "that it's the loveliest . . . and the most beautiful place . . . that I have ever seen."
A great drowsiness overcame her. She lay back and gazed up at the domed ceiling where patches of persimmon-colored sky showed through the latticework of wool. The sun shone onto the yellow leaves and they caught the light and sent reflections dancing around the room. A breeze stirred the tree. Lindy felt herself being rocked. She slipped down, down, down, into the warmth and luxury of welcome sleep.
SEVEN
The professor and the boys were standing in the middle of the Blandlands plain. The waving sea of brightly colored flowers stretched ahead for miles and miles. In the distance the Whangdoodle's palace sparkled in the early-morning sunlight.
The professor leaned on his umbrella and said, "Now this is the way I see it. The Prock said the High-Behind Splintercat took Lindy away. What would he do with her? Where would he put her for safety? He wouldn't take her to the palace because the whole point is to keep us away from the palace. My hunch is—Lindy is still with the Splintercat."
"But how do we find the Splintercat?" asked Ben.
"I only know he lives in the mountains," replied the professor, "but it could be those mountains, or those mountains, or those." He pointed north, east and west.
Ben's heart sank. "Oh, gosh. She could be anywhere. It's going to take ages to find her."
"Perhaps not. Let's use our heads and work this out. The Splintercat is probably just like any other mountain cat. He would need a rocky terrain, with trees—perhaps a cave or two. Those mountains to the west have a forest, but it looks a bit dense. Too dark and gloomy for a Splintercat."
"Those mountains are open and grassy," said Ben, pointing north.
"Right. So I'll bet that the Splintercat's lair is in the east, somewhere beyond Ploy. Probably in the Gambit region. That's perfect cat territory. Come on, boys. We've got a long way to go!"
They walked for what seemed like hours. They grew hot and thirsty and it was a relief to hear a soft singing sound that told them they were near a stretch of the Golden River. The boys ran to it and drank their fill of the cool refreshing water.
"Can you two swim?" the professor asked suddenly. "It occurs to me that we could reach the mountains faster if we crossed the river."
"Let's do it," said Ben enthusiastically.
They took off their clothes and rolled them with their shoes into tight
A rope ladder tumbled out of the tree. It swung invitingly beside her.
"Come on up," called the cat. Lindy placed a foot carefully on the first rung and climbed until she found herself in an amazing and ingeniously built room.
It was like the inside of a cocoon. The floor, walls and ceiling were a continuous curve of geometrically woven yarn in rainbow colors. Yellow leaves in the tree pushed through the weaving and the room looked as if it were sprigged with flowers. The bottom of the cocoon was low-slung, like a hammock, and it held a large, luxurious pillow. It was easily as big as a bed and it was made of silk and satin patchwork squares. It had a beautiful orange tassel at each corner.
"Come and ssssit by me." The Splintercat padded into the middle of the bed and settled down. "Mm. It'ssss good to be home."
He held out a large box of delicious-looking candies. "Have some wodge."
Lindy was very hungry. She gratefully took one of the candies. It tasted of marzipan and honey and sweet caraway seeds. "What are these? They're terrific," she said, taking another one.
"They are the Whangdoodle's favorite food," grinned the Splintercat. "He has a very ssssweet tooth, you know."
Lindy ate six more pieces of candy and felt a lot better.
"Well, how do you like my pad?" The cat gazed at her and his tail brushed softly across her forehead.
She blinked sleepily. Her eyelids felt heavy. "I think," she said, yawning, "that it's the loveliest . . . and the most beautiful place . . . that I have ever seen."
A great drowsiness overcame her. She lay back and gazed up at the domed ceiling where patches of persimmon-colored sky showed through the latticework of wool. The sun shone onto the yellow leaves and they caught the light and sent reflections dancing around the room. A breeze stirred the tree. Lindy felt herself being rocked. She slipped down, down, down, into the warmth and luxury of welcome sleep.
SEVEN
The professor and the boys were standing in the middle of the Blandlands plain. The waving sea of brightly colored flowers stretched ahead for miles and miles. In the distance the Whangdoodle's palace sparkled in the early-morning sunlight.
The professor leaned on his umbrella and said, "Now this is the way I see it. The Prock said the High-Behind Splintercat took Lindy away. What would he do with her? Where would he put her for safety? He wouldn't take her to the palace because the whole point is to keep us away from the palace. My hunch is—Lindy is still with the Splintercat."
"But how do we find the Splintercat?" asked Ben.
"I only know he lives in the mountains," replied the professor, "but it could be those mountains, or those mountains, or those." He pointed north, east and west.
Ben's heart sank. "Oh, gosh. She could be anywhere. It's going to take ages to find her."
"Perhaps not. Let's use our heads and work this out. The Splintercat is probably just like any other mountain cat. He would need a rocky terrain, with trees—perhaps a cave or two. Those mountains to the west have a forest, but it looks a bit dense. Too dark and gloomy for a Splintercat."
"Those mountains are open and grassy," said Ben, pointing north.
"Right. So I'll bet that the Splintercat's lair is in the east, somewhere beyond Ploy. Probably in the Gambit region. That's perfect cat territory. Come on, boys. We've got a long way to go!"
They walked for what seemed like hours. They grew hot and thirsty and it was a relief to hear a soft singing sound that told them they were near a stretch of the Golden River. The boys ran to it and drank their fill of the cool refreshing water.
"Can you two swim?" the professor asked suddenly. "It occurs to me that we could reach the mountains faster if we crossed the river."
"Let's do it," said Ben enthusiastically.
They took off their clothes and rolled them with their shoes into tight
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