Dweebo’s stone.
“Bring it here, girl,” Baba One Nostril commanded. She was sitting at the table, sucking the marrow out of a small bone.
Feenix bent over reluctantly and picked up the rock and brought it to her.
Baba stopped eating. She stared at the stone without moving. She sniffed the air. She turned to Feenix. “Who gave this to you?”
This was an uncomfortable question. “Well, nobody gave it to me. I found it.”
Baba eyed her coldly. “I believe you’re lying. But that is of little importance.” At first she touched the stone very cautiously with just the tips of her fingers. When it didn’t blow up in her face, she lifted it into her palm and examined it more closely. She muttered to herself, “Here is the answer to the puzzle.” Then she looked up at her sisters, but hardly seemed to see them. She gave a little grunt and leaned forward and blew out the lamp.
In the darkness the stone glowed in her hand.
“What is it?” Skuld asked.
Baba One Nostril did not seem to hear her. She kept turning the stone around and around, staring at it with a frown. She lifted it to her ear, then sniffed at it.
“I do not think this has been brought to us by chance,” she said at last softly.
“Well, what is it?” repeated Skuld.
“I believe it is a Fetch.”
A look of disbelief mixed with excitement came over Skuld’s face. “A Fetch? How could this child have come into possession of such a thing? The last one was hundreds of years ago, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. They keep themselves well hidden.”
“Smell it!” Gorgo exclaimed. “Have you ever smelled anything more delicious!”
It was true. The smell that filled the room made Feenix shiver with delight. It didn’t remind her of anything you would want to eat, but made her think of waking on the first day of summer vacation with the windows wide open and knowing she was going to live forever.
Baba One Nostril laid the stone carefully down on the table. She touched it with her fingertips and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. When she opened them again, she spoke with decision. “Such a chance may never come our way again. The foragers will be sleeping now.”
“But if you wake them?” Skuld asked sharply. “If any were to get loose—”
“Quiet! Do not presume to advise me! I am trying to think.” Baba tapped very lightly on the stone with a long fingernail. “The treasure is protected with great cunning.”
“I know!” cried Gorgo. She hobbled to the other side of the room and brought out a small ladder that Feenix had not noticed before. She balanced it against the wall and climbed to the top. On a high shelf she found what she was looking for. She carried it down and brought it to the table and laid it in front of Baba One Nostril. A dusty wooden box.
Baba nodded, smiling. She unlatched the lid. She drew out a long black needle. Feenix shuddered. It was longer than a finger. “Yes,” Baba said. “The Darning Needle. I had almost forgotten it. How many centuries since we have last taken this down?” She wiped the needle on her gown and then held it up to the light. “A bottle,” she ordered. “Bring a bottle.”
Gorgo hustled obediently and placed a small crystal bottle on the table.
“With great care,” Skuld whispered. “Go slowly.”
Old Baba’s single nostril quivered with excitement. She lifted the needle over the stone then plunged it downward. It slid into the rock as if into a bar of soap. Feenix thought she saw two tiny sparks of light explode from the hole and then vanish.
“What was that? Did you see?” Skuld asked fearfully.
“It was nothing,” One Nostril answered. “A release of gases. The nectar is volatile on the inside. Now let me concentrate. The thing will close itself up quickly.”
She held the stone over the crystal bottle.
Feenix saw that a sticky golden substance had began to ooze out of the small hole left by the needle. The scent that spilled into the room was nearly overpowering.
“Bring it here, girl,” Baba One Nostril commanded. She was sitting at the table, sucking the marrow out of a small bone.
Feenix bent over reluctantly and picked up the rock and brought it to her.
Baba stopped eating. She stared at the stone without moving. She sniffed the air. She turned to Feenix. “Who gave this to you?”
This was an uncomfortable question. “Well, nobody gave it to me. I found it.”
Baba eyed her coldly. “I believe you’re lying. But that is of little importance.” At first she touched the stone very cautiously with just the tips of her fingers. When it didn’t blow up in her face, she lifted it into her palm and examined it more closely. She muttered to herself, “Here is the answer to the puzzle.” Then she looked up at her sisters, but hardly seemed to see them. She gave a little grunt and leaned forward and blew out the lamp.
In the darkness the stone glowed in her hand.
“What is it?” Skuld asked.
Baba One Nostril did not seem to hear her. She kept turning the stone around and around, staring at it with a frown. She lifted it to her ear, then sniffed at it.
“I do not think this has been brought to us by chance,” she said at last softly.
“Well, what is it?” repeated Skuld.
“I believe it is a Fetch.”
A look of disbelief mixed with excitement came over Skuld’s face. “A Fetch? How could this child have come into possession of such a thing? The last one was hundreds of years ago, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. They keep themselves well hidden.”
“Smell it!” Gorgo exclaimed. “Have you ever smelled anything more delicious!”
It was true. The smell that filled the room made Feenix shiver with delight. It didn’t remind her of anything you would want to eat, but made her think of waking on the first day of summer vacation with the windows wide open and knowing she was going to live forever.
Baba One Nostril laid the stone carefully down on the table. She touched it with her fingertips and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. When she opened them again, she spoke with decision. “Such a chance may never come our way again. The foragers will be sleeping now.”
“But if you wake them?” Skuld asked sharply. “If any were to get loose—”
“Quiet! Do not presume to advise me! I am trying to think.” Baba tapped very lightly on the stone with a long fingernail. “The treasure is protected with great cunning.”
“I know!” cried Gorgo. She hobbled to the other side of the room and brought out a small ladder that Feenix had not noticed before. She balanced it against the wall and climbed to the top. On a high shelf she found what she was looking for. She carried it down and brought it to the table and laid it in front of Baba One Nostril. A dusty wooden box.
Baba nodded, smiling. She unlatched the lid. She drew out a long black needle. Feenix shuddered. It was longer than a finger. “Yes,” Baba said. “The Darning Needle. I had almost forgotten it. How many centuries since we have last taken this down?” She wiped the needle on her gown and then held it up to the light. “A bottle,” she ordered. “Bring a bottle.”
Gorgo hustled obediently and placed a small crystal bottle on the table.
“With great care,” Skuld whispered. “Go slowly.”
Old Baba’s single nostril quivered with excitement. She lifted the needle over the stone then plunged it downward. It slid into the rock as if into a bar of soap. Feenix thought she saw two tiny sparks of light explode from the hole and then vanish.
“What was that? Did you see?” Skuld asked fearfully.
“It was nothing,” One Nostril answered. “A release of gases. The nectar is volatile on the inside. Now let me concentrate. The thing will close itself up quickly.”
She held the stone over the crystal bottle.
Feenix saw that a sticky golden substance had began to ooze out of the small hole left by the needle. The scent that spilled into the room was nearly overpowering.
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