فصل 47

CHAPTER 47

MOLLY’S DECISION

TINK, ZOOMING THROUGH the darkening evening sky, found Peter and Molly where she’d left them—in a narrow alley between two buildings close to the outer palace wall. Ignoring Molly, Tink landed on Peter’s shoulder and chimed into his ear for a full minute, Peter’s frown deepening all the while.

“What is it?” asked Molly.

Peter, to her annoyance, held up a hand to quiet her, then said to Tink, “What did he mean by that?”

Tink chimed a few short tones.

Peter shook his head and said, “Strange.”

“What?” said Molly, exasperated.

“Tink says your father doesn’t want us to rescue him right now,” said Peter.

“What? Why not?”

“He wants us to stop the rocket from going up.”

“What rocket?”

“There’s another rocket in the palace courtyard. Your father says if we don’t stop it from going up, there will be no more…” Peter hesitated.

“No more what?” said Molly.

“No more…world,” said Peter.

Molly stared at him. “What on earth does that mean?”

“I don’t know,” said Peter. “But he told Tink we haven’t much time to stop it…the rocket. However it is you stop a rocket.”

Molly looked at Tink, then at Peter. “Whatever Tink thinks she heard my father say,” she said, “I still intend to go to him first.”

The soft, golden glow that Tink usually radiated quickly turned to a deep maroon. She fired off a blast of bells.

“Molly,” Peter said, “Tink says—”

“I don’t care what Tink says,” Molly snapped. “I’m going to find my father. I’m going to rescue him, with or without you!” She drew her locket out from under her robe.

Peter grabbed her arm. “Listen, Molly,” he said, “we’ll rescue your father, I promise. But he told Tink we have to stop the rocket first. Think about it. He wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t important.”

Molly shook Peter’s hand off. “You do as you please,” she said. “I’m going to find my father now.” She opened the locket. Instantly the alley filled with a golden glow. She raised the locket and carefully poured a small amount of starstuff onto herself. As the glow traveled the length of her body, she began to rise up into the sky, which was now a deep blue black.

“Molly!” Peter shouted. But before he could say another word, she leveled her body and disappeared over the rooftops. Peter braced to launch himself after her, but then stopped. He turned to Tink.

“Were there people working on the rocket?” he said.

Yes, chimed Tmk.

“All right,” he said. “We’ll go see about the rocket first. Then we’ll help Molly rescue her father.”

If there’s still a world, chimed Tink.

“Right,” said Peter softly. “If there’s still a world.”