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Grand the path Sorry if I have been antisocial since leaving Nero, she said after they had walked in silence for a couple of minutes I needed to devise a plan You kids really did an exceptional job back there Nobody should have to spend an afternoon rubbing a troll’s feet Seth was heroic on the logs, and Kendra did sootiations You both surpassed my expectations

I never knew you were a masseuse, Kendra said

I learned frolobe If you ever get a chance to receive a e from her, don’t turn it down Grandma tucked some errant strands of hair behind her ear She beca remotely as she walked I have a few questions for you two, things we can talk about in the open Have you met a man named Warren?

Warren? Seth repeated

Handsome and quiet? White hair and skin? Dale’s brother

No, Kendra said

They ht him to the house on Midsummer Eve, Grandma prodded

We ith Grandpa, Dale, and Lena until after sundown, but never saw anybody else, Seth said

I never even heard him mentioned, Kendra added

Me neither, Seth agreed

Grandma nodded He o?

Yeah! Seth said He’s awesolance I trust he has been attending to his chores in the barn

I don’t think so, Kendra said We had to milk the cow yesterday

You milked Viola? Grandma said, plainly astonished

How?

Kendra described how they had set up the ladders and slid down her teats Seth added details about how otten

Resourceful children! Grand about her?

We found her because she wasthe whole barn

It looked like her udder was going to explode, Kendra said

Viola is our milch cow, Grandh not all are bovine She is older than this preserve, which was founded in 1711 At that tiht over from Europe by ship Born from a milch cow on a preserve in the Pyrenees Mountains, she was about 100 years old when she er than an elephant She has been here ever since, gradually gaining size each year

Looks like she’s about to outgrow the barn, Seth said

Her growth has slowed over the years, but yes, she may one day become too colossal for her current confines

She provides the milk the fairies drink, Kendra said

More than the fairies drink it Her ancient breed is nourished and worshipped by all creatures of fairydom

They place daily enchants to honor and strengthen her In return, her milk functions as an ambrosia central to their survival It is no wonder that cows are still considered sacred in certain parts of the world

SheHerplants to mature much more quickly than usual and sometimes to reach incredible proportions

By the power of her dung we can reap multiple harvests from a field in a season, and many tropical plants flourish on this property that would otherwise perish Did you kids happen to put milk out for the fairies?

No, Seth said We spilled it all down the drain We wereto calht et over it We’ll see they get sooorder, so therethe past couple of days

You have not seen hined to watch over Warren and the cabin until su have happened to hioleranted eleence, but o Few could har your grandfather

What about Warren? Kendra asked Will he help too?

Chapter Twenty-One

Grandma frowned You have not met him because his mind has been ruined Dale has remained on this preserve mainly in order to care for him Warren is lost in a catatonic stupor Fablehaven haswhere he did not belong

Warren will be no help to us

Anybody else? Seth asked Like the satyrs?

Satyrs? Grandma exclaimed When have you randfather e find him

We met the stew from what looked like a well, and they warned us that ere actually stealing fro their underhanded operationher stew for years The scoundrels didn’t want to have to rebuild their thieving device-probably sounded too much like work Satyrs live for frivolity The ultirandfather and I share a s on this preserve, but there is not much more loyalty than one would find out in the wild The herd looks on as the sick or injured are brought down by predators If your grandfather is to be rescued on such short notice, it will be our doing, with none but Hugo to aid us It was late afternoon when they reached the yard

Grand in the scene The ruined tree house The dalassless s

I’o inside, she muttered

You don’t remember how bad it is? Kendra asked

She was a chicken, res

Creases appeared on Grandma’s brow It feels like such a betrayal to have your home violated, she said softly I know sinister evils lurk in the woods, but they have never crossed that boundary

Kendra and Seth followed Grandma across the yard and up the porch steps Grand it to a hook hanging fro a the wind chile by a chain of beads Grandle