6.

THE LAST LYMRILL.

The clanging chorus of Old Tom's chimes brought Max from his slumber with a shout. He had been dreaming of the hound again, and it was several moments until he remembered where he was. Lying back on his bed, Max watched the constellations rotating slowly, their golden contours fainter from the tints of pink and gold peeking from the dome's bottom rim. The chimes counted seven.

Max yawned and swung his feet over the side of the bed. Stumbling downstairs, he found his fuzzy yellow towel hanging from a hook by his dresser. David was already downstairs, coughing hard.

"Hi," said David, turning his back to slip on a T-shirt.

"Hey-I guess this is as close to morning as it gets in this room!"

David laughed and pulled on a pair of shorts.

"Are you gonna shower?" asked Max.

David turned around quickly with a nervous expression. "Oh, no. I'm okay," he said.

Max left the room and walked barefoot down the hall carrying his towel and toiletries. Hearing his name, he turned to see Connor trotting after him.

"Morning, Max! Reckon they could have told us Old Tom would turn up the volume for the bell."

Connor grinned and pushed through the door to Room 301. Max followed and saw him standing speechless.

The bathroom was a huge s.p.a.ce filled with cedar lockers, slatted benches, and tropical plants. Max could hear cla.s.sical music over the light babble of a marble fountain. One long wall was lined with gleaming sinks and silver faucets shaped like leaping dolphins. Across the room were three archways with bra.s.s signs indicating toilets, showers, and spa.

The door opened behind them, and Max turned to see Rolf, Jesse, Omar, and several other boys.

"Wow!" exclaimed Omar, his eyes widening behind his gla.s.ses. "Did you guys configure configure this?" this?"

"Someone had to," said Connor humbly, examining his nails. He slung his towel over his shoulder and headed for the spa.

Max remembered the time and hurried to the showers. Stepping inside a stall, he was puzzled at what he found. Instead of normal faucets, there were six small silver levers protruding from the marble wall. Max pulled the one on the far left, then hopped up and down as cold water sprayed from a showerhead above him. He turned it off and tried the next only to have hot water-much too hot-pin him into the corner until he could kick the lever upright with his toe. Wincing a bit, he pulled the third lever and let out a sigh of relief as a heavy jet of warm water burst from the showerhead. too hot-pin him into the corner until he could kick the lever upright with his toe. Wincing a bit, he pulled the third lever and let out a sigh of relief as a heavy jet of warm water burst from the showerhead.

A frantic shriek sounded from several stalls over.

"Third from the left!" Max shouted.

"Thank you!" piped a grateful voice in reply.

After tugging at the fourth lever, Max jumped back as soap bubbles ran out of a little hidden spigot and quickly filled the stall, cascading over the door before Max could slow the stream. Lever five produced an emerald dollop of shampoo that he caught in his hand. Lever six sputtered once before releasing a steady stream of warm shaving cream. Max laughed and dabbed a bit on his chin, then sculpted a white beard of foam. He peered out the shower door to look at himself just as Omar did the same. The two burst into laughter and disappeared into their respective stalls.

Standing in puddles of water, dozens of boys were brushing their teeth and chatting when they heard a loud "Ahem!" Turning, Max was startled to see a bald three-foot-tall man who looked like a leprechaun wearing an old blue suit and ma.s.saging his jowls as he surveyed them. He smelled very strongly of musky cologne, and he looked angry.

"Enjoying yourselves, are you? Fun business making a mess of Jimmy's bath, is it?"

The little man stepped toward them.

"Well, what's the matter, lads? Mum got your tongues? Old enough to shave, but too young to answer for yourselves?" He flashed a dark look at Omar and Max, who shrank against the wall. Several faucets continued running behind them.

Connor stepped forward.

"Sir, we didn't mean-"

"Silence!"

Max shot a glance at Connor, who looked just as frightened and confused as Max felt. The man took another step toward the group, his face turning crimson.

Just then, the door swung open and Nigel's head popped in.

"Hurry up, boys. Ms. Richter's already in the orientation-Jimmy! How are you? Long time."

The little man rolled his eyes.

"Oh, you had to come just now and spoil my fun! I was going to get these tadpoles to mop this place for a month!"

Nigel chuckled and walked into the bathroom. Taking a silver dollar from his pocket, he went to the last sink, lifted the lid off a fat porcelain Buddha, and dropped the coin inside.

"Sorry, Jimmy. Next time, I'll leave them to you."

"Oh, it's all right. Need to get hopping anyway if we're gonna spiff 'em up for the morning session. You want a little zing of the good stuff, Nigel?"

Nigel smiled politely.

"No, Jimmy. No, thank you. I'll, eh, tell the Director the boys are...just making your acquaintance." Nigel paused before adding, "Boys, be sure to bring Jimmy a present later. Remember-it's the thought thought that counts!" that counts!"

"Okay, then! See you later!" Jimmy called out. He was already bustling about, gathering armfuls of spray bottles and jars that he laid out on a folding table. Turning to the boys, he clapped his hands.

"Right, then, who are gonna be the lucky lads to get spruced up, Jimmy-fashion?" the little man inquired. "I can't get to you all, so who's it gonna be?"

"Er...I don't understand," said Rolf, sniffing at his armpit. "We just showered."

Jimmy looked at Rolf as though he must be daft.

"It's your first full day, isn't it?"

The boys nodded.

"And there're some lookers among the ladies, aren't there?"

The boys looked at one another and shrugged.

"Well, then, a shower's just a start! You need the old Jimmy treatment to make 'em sit up and take notice! Quick! You six into a chair."

Jimmy snapped his fingers, and six wicker chairs zoomed across the room and arranged themselves in a row.

"Ugh, I knew we'd be the lucky ones," moaned Connor as Jimmy showed Max to his seat. Those without a chair before them made a hasty retreat out the door.

Max squirmed while Jimmy went to work, running up and down the line and slathering their hair, cheeks, and necks with a variety of gels and sprays. Frowning with concentration, he produced a comb and parted each boy's hair carefully down the middle. The boys watched themselves in the mirror, sitting in silent horror as Jimmy clapped in sudden satisfaction.

"Well, boys! Now you're looking dandy. Good material to work with, of course, but now you've got the special Jimmy touch!"

He whistled merrily and rearranged his bottles as the six boys filed out, looking glum.

Max ran to his room and dressed quickly, rejoining the others in the hallway as Old Tom's chimes started ringing. They sprinted down the stairs and skidded to a halt in the little theater. All of their other cla.s.smates were already seated. Several girls giggled as they saw the boys' old-fashioned hairdos. Even Ms. Richter, leaning against a piano, had an amused expression on her face as she casually reached for a handkerchief.

"Be seated, gentlemen. As I was telling your cla.s.smates, today is a very important day. You will be visiting the Sanctuary for the first time. There you will be paired with a good friend for the next six years. Perhaps even longer."

Ms. Richter frowned and waved the handkerchief before her face. A group of girls giggled as they whispered to one another. Pinching their noses, Cynthia and Lucia moved several seats farther away while David coughed into his hand and blinked at the boys. Avoiding his cla.s.smates' stares, Max reached up and patted the sh.e.l.lacked ma.s.s on his head. He was amazed that hair could be so smooth and brittle.

After a momentary silence, Ms. Richter breathed deeply into her handkerchief and continued. "Yes, well, after this morning's visit to the Sanctuary, you'll receive your semester schedules and meet with your cla.s.s advisors, who will-oh dear Lord, it's simply overpowering overpowering!"

The girls shrieked with laughter. Max blushed and turned to Connor, whose neck was now bright red from scratching.

Ms. Richter rose from the piano. "Boys, I a.s.sume that Jimmy is responsible for your...grooming?"

They nodded. Cynthia's shoulders pumped like pistons as she laughed. Lucia's face was scarlet. Ms. Richter motioned for quiet.

"Jimmy has been with us for some time and he means very well, but the sad truth is that his sense of smell seems to be waning. Strike that-it is gone. In the future, I'd recommend that you politely decline his grooming services. He will undoubtedly pressure you, but you must be strong-for all our sakes. Now, let's continue this conversation outside."

Handkerchief pressed to her nose, Ms. Richter led them through some French doors and out onto the orchard patio. Their cla.s.smates ran ahead giggling; Jimmy's victims shuffled sheepishly in tow.

Exhaling, Ms. Richter folded her handkerchief and waited for the students to gather round. Clouds were building in the sky; the wind had picked up.

"That's better! Now, as I was saying, the Sanctuary is a very special place at Rowan. There is nothing more important on this entire campus. You see, children, we champion not only our fellow man, but many other creatures and spirits that inhabit this world. Not all mystical creatures are aligned with the Enemy. Those that wish may find refuge here at Rowan-in fact, you've already met some of them. Unfortunately, many of these creatures are very young or vulnerable and require your care. Today, you will be paired with one of them."

Ms. Richter fixed a stern eye on the students.

"This is a great honor being conferred upon you. Many of these creatures are exceedingly rare. Some may be the last of their kind. It is important that you take this responsibility very seriously; it is a critical aspect of your education. There is no greater shame than having to relinquish one's charge."

The idea that Max would have to care for something mystical made him very nervous. He had never even owned a pet. Most of his cla.s.smates, however, looked enchanted and gossiped in excitement as Ms. Richter led them through the woods. When they reached the high, mossy wall near the stables, Ms. Richter stood by its stout wooden door set with a heavy bra.s.s ring.

"I know you are nervous, children. After all, there are so many new things! Take a deep breath and enjoy this next experience. For many students, the Sanctuary is their favorite place. Many forge lifelong bonds with their charges. Just be yourselves and trust your charge's instincts."

The door creaked open. Beyond it, Max saw a narrow way hemmed so closely by low trees and hedges that it was more of a dark tunnel than a path. Following after the others, Max stumbled along for twenty or thirty yards when he suddenly felt a drop of rain on his nose. They had emerged into an enormous clearing whose tall gra.s.ses rippled in the wind.

Max looked back through the tunnel; it hadn't been raining on the other side of the door. Several of his cla.s.smates were already commenting on it.

Turning back to the clearing, Max squinted at a distant backdrop of forest and the surprising sight of snowcapped hills. Clumps of trees and great rock formations dotted the clearing at irregular intervals. A herd of cows grazed and lowed in the distance. Directly ahead was a long, low building set near a lagoon that was bordered by a strip of beach and royal palms.

Suddenly, something enormous plummeted from the sky to seize one of the distant cows in its talons. With a screech, a bird the size of a small airplane soared off with its struggling prey, making for the far hills.

"Good to see Hector's eating again," exclaimed Ms. Richter with satisfaction. "He hasn't touched a thing in weeks!"

A number of children retreated into the leafy tunnel until the Director beckoned them back out.

"Don't worry about any Sanctuary inhabitants mistaking you for food," she a.s.sured them. "Nothing here normally preys upon humans, and they're all very well fed."

Rolf scoffed loudly, drawing a warning glance.

"Hey," said Connor, trotting a few steps and peering east. "Where's the ocean?"

Max was startled to see Connor was right; instead of the ocean there was a series of sand dunes that rose in gentle swells for miles until they stopped at a wall of dark rock that extended to the horizon. Ms. Richter smiled.

"As Connor has noticed," she said, "our Sanctuary is a very different place from the world back through that tunnel. Like many things here at Rowan, the Sanctuary has its own s.p.a.ce: s.p.a.ce that is 'borrowed' from other places in the world. This provides our guests with a safe haven and a variety of habitats reminiscent of their homes. The only way in or out of this Sanctuary is through this tunnel. Remember, Old Magic can be raw and unpredictable, and thus it is important not to wander too far."

Max elbowed Connor.

"Is there anything here that can't hurt, kill, or eat us?" he whispered.

Connor grinned. "Keeps you on your toes, don't it?"

"Do you think we could ask not to not to have one of these?" have one of these?"

"I highly doubt it," Connor replied quickly as Ms. Richter glided past them.

"Ah," said the Director, glancing at her watch. "I think Nolan's ready for us."

A lanky, tanned man was walking toward them from the building near the lagoon. He had something that seemed to be wriggling in his arms. At fifty yards, he laughed and placed it on the ground. Max grinned with recognition. Lucy's head bobbed up above the tall gra.s.s as she quickly closed the distance, barreling into Max with a snort. Max hoisted her in his arms.

"Hey there, Lucy!" he exclaimed. "Good to see you!"

Lucy squirmed in his arms, scrambling up his chest to sniff at his cheek. Max laughed and turned toward the others.

"Ah," said Ms. Richter. "I'd almost forgotten that Max has met Lucy before! Cla.s.s, come and meet Lucy. She's been Nigel Bristow's charge since he was an Apprentice, some thirty years ago."

"This is more like it," Cynthia breathed as she scratched Lucy behind the ears.

"h.e.l.lo, Lucy," cooed Omar, patting her belly.

"There's a good girl," chirped Connor, shaking her foot.

Lucy tossed frantically, trying to look at each student as they introduced themselves. It was too much. With a grunt of shock, she released a burst of gas, looking hurt as the children fled with shrieks of laughter. She buried her head in Max's armpit.

"Now, now, you've hurt her feelings!" the man said with a laugh. He had dark hair, a mellow drawl, and bright blue eyes with crow's-feet at the corners. He wore jeans, a thick leather ap.r.o.n, and gloves that bore a variety of deep gashes and punctures. Max recognized him as the man they had seen the previous day on the beach when they had taken their tour with Miss Awolowo.

"Hey, students," he said, waving at them. "You ready to make a friend for life?" he inquired with a loud clap of his gloves. Taking Lucy from Max, he whispered something in her ear and placed her on the ground. She trotted back toward the lagoon.

"Children," said Ms. Richter, "this is Mr. Nolan, Head Groundskeeper at Rowan."

"Just 'Nolan' is fine with me," he said with a wink. He glanced over at Cynthia, who had looked petrified ever since the predatory bird had appeared. "Will you be my a.s.sistant, young lady?"

She nodded slowly.

"Thank you." He smiled at her, offering his arm and starting toward the building. "Let's all head over to the Warming Lodge. We've got some beautiful creatures that are dying to meet you!"