Chapter Seventeen (part c)

Then a very strange thing happened. All at once Jennifer saw the world in two different ways at the very same time. The pedestrian bridge stayed right where it was, but suddenly she could see what it looked like in the inside world. They were standing on a rickety rope bridge that stretched between two cliffs in some high mountain place. The wind was blowing. The ropes were creaking. Jennifer began to sway a bit too.

Then suddenly she caught her breath. She could feel something dangerous was about to happen. It seemed almost crazy. With one way of seeing things she could tell there was nothing strange going on at all. But still, in another way she could tell they should all move away, and quickly too. Then, just as suddenly as they had appeared, the mountains, the rope bridge and the two great cliffs vanished and everything looked quite ordinary again. The pedestrian bridge became solid wood once more and she was back in the everyday world.

"I think we should get back to your house now," Jennifer told her great-grandfather as she quickly pushed the source stone back into her pocket.

"Good idea," said Moffat and he stood up to go. Unfortunately, he forgot about the chair and the balloon. As soon as he got to his feet they floated away.

"So much for flying," he said as he watched them go. "Well, let's go home, I can make another some other time."

"How's your leg?" Jennifer asked him.

"Like new! I can walk just as well as you!" he said.

He took a few steps to show that he could, then he winced in pain when he discovered he couldn't.

"Your leg isn't any better at all," said Rachael.

It was obviously true and everyone wondered how Moffat would ever get home. Then Jennifer remembered the wolf

"Jamie!" she cried. "Your new-moon stone!"

Jamie had it out in a flash. Another flash later Rachael and Jennifer were rolling up Moffat's pants.

"Hold still!" Jennifer told him.

"Hold still for what?" asked Moffat, then suddenly he smiled as he felt the healing energy of Jamie's new-moon stone. 'Ahh! A little bit to the left! That's it! Mmm!"

A few moments later his smile was a grin. He tried out his leg and found it was completely better. In fact it was better than better, it was wonderful! He did a little dance and then rolled up his other pant leg.

"Quick, do this one too!" he told Jamie.

"I didn't know you hurt both legs," said Jamie.

"I didn't," said Moffat. "But my bad leg feels so good now my good one feels bad. Gad man, do the other leg too, don't make me beg. I haven't had relief like this since my dog thought my phone was a bone and buried it."

So Jamie healed his other leg as well. Jennifer became increasingly impatient as she waited for him to finish.

"I really think we should go home now," she said.

She turned and started to walk off the bridge. To her great relief, everyone was quite content to follow her and start back towards Moffat's house.

"What does your new-moon stone do?" Moffat asked Rachael as they walked away.

"Hey, that's right!" said Rachael. "It may not be the source stone but it's still a new- moon stone so it has to have power for something. We don't even know what it's good for yet. It could do anything!"

"I'll bet it does something neat!" agreed Jamie.

"Maybe our stones somehow work together," said Jennifer

"They might," agreed Moffat. "We'll have to experiment!"

They walked off the bridge and away down the road towards Moffat's house, talking about all the magic they'd do now that they had their own new-moon stones.

And not a moment too soon either...Whack! Whomp! Two rock hammers suddenly swung up from under the bridge and smashed the wooden boards right next to where Jennifer had stood just a short time ago. A few seconds later the two dwarves looked out from under the bridge. When they discovered there wasn't anyone there to smash anymore they cursed and swore and tore at their hair, then they jumped up onto the bridge and sniffed at the air.

"Which way did they go?" demanded the fat dwarf.

"That way!" growled the one with the warts and he pointed off the bridge towards Moffat's house.

"They won't get away this time!" growled the fat dwarf.

"No way, we'll get them!" vowed the wart-faced dwarf.

The two dwarves stomped angrily off the bridge, arguing together about all the damage they'd do as soon as they knew where to find what they wanted.