The Binkle and the Catawampus Compass (Binkles and Magic) by Faith [fantasy] Lynella Read Free Book Online Page B

propped on a nearby crate, Jeep assumed they wouldn’t be leaving for a while.
    “Where are we, Grikkl? I feel like I said ‘Open sesame!’”
    “You’re righter than you know, Laddie. Some of this stuff was in that fabled cave as well.”
    “But why?”
    “We’ll get to that soon enough. I’ve brought you to a place with priceless and irreplaceable treasures—every one of them remarkable in its way. These objects are one of a kind and most of them influenced the course of history in a positive way. They’re not mine, just so you know. I’m merely their caretaker, sworn to protect them.” He sounded a bit in awe of the responsibility, as he gazed across the vast collection with respectful amazement.
    “Wars. Battles. Quests. These things you see here were often present, sometimes as the prize. Or at least they were nearby as a witness to events that were changing the world of their day. Many of those stories have been faithfully retold in history texts and legends—no doubt with some exaggeration. Grand stuff...” His attention wandered off to the ancient past. Jeep waited in respectful silence—although not patiently. Later, with a shake of his head, Grikkl pulled himself back into their present place and time.
    “Before we go on, there’s something I need from you. Grikkl assumed a solemn expression. “Promise me... Promise me, Jeep, you’ll never tell anyone that this place exists or what you see in here. Even to know about this chamber puts you in a very small group—most of them not human.”
    “You can trust me not to tell.”
    “Tskkk! What kind of vow is that? Make your words more resolute! More determined—it’s an oath I’m asking for. This chamber and all it represents is dead-serious. You might have to defend your pledge someday. People have died defending this secret.”
    “I get it. My lips are sealed! I will not tell anyone about this place or what I see or hear in here.”
    “Certain?”
     “You can trust me, Grikkl. Honest.”
    “I think you’re right. That’s why we’re down here, Laddie. I am trusting you.” Grikkl’s face brightened and twinkled as he dropped his stern manner.
    “The official business is done. So go have a look around. Just be careful—many objects are very old and fragile. Put whatever you handle back exactly where it was.”
    Jeep didn’t need to be told twice. Poking through piles stirred up a billow of dust. He sneezed and reached into his pocket for a tissue. Instead he found his compass and pulled it out without thinking. From long habit, he tried to get a fix on North. The compass needle kept spinning around, and never stopped. Jeep shook it several times but the needle wouldn’t slow down.
    Grikkl had been watching and laughed out loud. “That won’t work down here, you know. There’s no way you’ll ever get an accurate reading.”
    “Because we’re way underground?”
     “No—it’s the unusual concentration of high-vibration energy here. That’s what’s making your compass go catawampus. A lot of other things can’t work here either, like clocks and radios. Nothing that used electricity”
    “Because it’s magic¼?” Jeep ventured. Anything strong enough to mess with magnetic forces has got to be pretty powerful—or magical.
     “Something like that.”
    Jeep’s attention was attracted to a pile of swords, shields, and helmets stacked as though ready for a tournament. He fingered a badly scratched shield, feeling the coldness of the coarse texture and the deep gouges along its surface. Wow! These scrapes probably happened in battles where ordinary people fought—maybe even died.
    He imagined himself as a daring knight in early England as he strutted about holding a round shield and swinging a short sword. When he put on a helmet he could see hardly anything through the narrow slit before his eyes. He could barely hold his head up because of the weight, and the helmet’s sharp bottom edge gouged into his shoulders. So