Kendra Kandlestar and the Crack in Kazah by Lee Edward Födi Read Free Book Online Page B

Oki.
    He still has his favorite chair, Kendra thought. Or I suppose it was his favorite chair and still will be in the future. Oh, it’s all so confusing! She looked up at the cantankerous wizard and flashed him a weak smile.
    “Humph,” he grunted. Then he promptly closed his eyes and began to snore.



THERE’S NOTHING WORSE than being in an uncomfortable situation in someone else’s house. You can’t just quietly sneak off to your room; really, the best you can do is to just politely excuse yourself and leave. Of course, in a way, Kendra was already at home—she and Oki had no place else to go.
    So instead, Kendra did as she had countless times before: she made dinner for Uncle Griffinskitch. Oki helped her, and when it was ready they called Gayla and the crotchety wizard to the table. Uncle Griffinskitch sputtered awake, but Gayla ignored the summons altogether and simply continued playing her narfoo in the front garden. When Kendra suggested she fetch her, Uncle Griffinskitch only humphed. It was the type of humph Kendra knew all too well: it meant leave it be . So it was just Kendra, Oki, and Uncle Griffinskitch at the table and there they sat, without the slightest word between them. Not that they would have heard each other anyway, for Gayla played her narfoo so raucously that Kendra couldn’t hear the slurp of her own soup. She was sure the racket was meant to irk Uncle Griffinskitch, but if he was perturbed, he didn’t show it. Indeed, he barely looked up from his dinner.
    Days of Een, Kendra thought. The uncle I know is merry as the River Wink compared to this curmudgeon.
    After dinner, Uncle Griffinskitch disappeared up the stairs (to his study, Kendra presumed), leaving Kendra and Oki to tidy up.
    It was the first time the two friends had been given a chance to talk in private since their arrival at the house, and they instantly began speaking in hushed whispers.
    “We’ve traveled through time, Kendra,” Oki squealed.
    “I kind of figured it out,” she replied. “It was the Kazah stone—that much is obvious. Remember? Lurk said it took him on a great journey.”
    “Then where is Lurk from?” Oki wondered. “Or should I say when ? It gives me the shivers just thinking about it.”
    “I know,” Kendra said. She carried the dinner bowls over to the washtub, which was overflowing with dirty dishes. Someone hasn’t done this job in a while, she thought. She began to pump the water and found her gaze wandering out the window, where she could see Gayla sitting on a large toadstool, a dark and wild figure against the rising moon. She was still playing her narfoo, but her tune had turned solemn and woeful.
    “I can’t believe that’s my mother,” Kendra said after a moment. “She’s not exactly the kindest person I’ve ever met. She called Krimson—well, er . . . my dad—a bore!”
    “I think she just says things like that,” Oki said. “She’s tough on the outside, but on the inside I think she’s all ishymoosha .”
    Kendra raised an eyebrow.
    “It means soft and sentimental,” Oki explained.
    “Maybe you’re right,” Kendra said. Then, after a pause, she added, “Do you think I should tell her who I am? That I’m from the future? That I’m her daughter?”
    “NO!” Oki squealed. “You can’t do that, Kendra. That would be . . . disastrous!”
    “Why?” Kendra asked.
    “We don’t belong here!” Oki exclaimed, throwing his paws in the air. “Remember when Ratchet was inventing his time boots, the ones that never ended up working? He said you have to be careful with time travel. You can’t go fiddling with the timeline. If you change something in the past it could change the future.”
    “What if it’s a good change?” Kendra countered. “What if we warn Gayla about what’s going to happen? Maybe she won’t run away from Een with my family! Maybe Kiro will never become Trooogul!”
    “Or maybe everything turns out far worse,” Oki argued. “We could all be