“I think she’s serious,” Sally observed.
“Perhaps we could discuss terms of surrender,” Watch said.
“No,” Adam said. “You don’t want to bargain with a witch. And maybe we don’t have to. Something just occurred to me. The clocks run backward here. Time moves backward. Everything here is backward. Maybe walking forward here is the same as walking backward at home.”
“Huh?” Sally said.
“We should go through the tombstone straight on!” Watch said excitedly.
“Exactly,” Adam said.
“Why did you have to think of that now that the witch is blocking our way?”
Sally asked.
The witch mocked them as she moved directly in front of the tombstone. “Yes, Adam, your brilliant idea came a few seconds too late,” she said. “Now what are
you going to do? Search for another witch’s tombstone? I’m afraid the only way you can find another is if you kill me and erect a stone over my grave.” Her left hand caressed the ring on her right hand. The fire within the jewel continued to grow. Her smile broadened as she added, “A blind boy might find that hard to do, don’t you think?”
Adam was sick and tired of her threats.
“I’m not blind yet!” he cried, and rushed at her with the sword.
Unfortunately, he didn’t get too far.
A tongue of flame leaped out from the glowing ruby. It struck the tip of the sword and licked down the shaft of the blade. Feeling his hand burning, Adam dropped the sword to the ground. At his feet the knight’s weapon melted into a silver puddle. Adam stared at it for a moment, amazed. He didn’t even see the witch reach over and grab him by the throat. But he saw her eyes, oh yes, as she pulled his face up to hers. Her green eyes shone like lasers, and he had to blink to see. Out the corner of his eye, he saw the sharp nail on her free hand approach.
“I think I will gouge out your eyes here and now,” the witch said grimly. “In front of your friends. Let them have a good look at what becomes of those who defy me.”
“Just one second!” Adam pleaded. “I have something for you. I stole it from your castle.”
The witch paused, her sharp nails now only inches from his face. “What did you steal from my castle?” she demanded.
“I’ll show you,” Adam replied.
He reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful of the dust from the hourglass.
The diamond dust. The magic stuff.
He opened his palm and held it in front of her face.
The witch stared at it, shocked.
“You will pay for what you did to my clock,” she swore.
“Sure,” Adam said. “But not today.”
Adam took a deep breath and blew the dust in her eyes.
The witch screamed and dropped him. Staggering back, rubbing her now burning eyes, she tripped over the head of the black knight—which was all that was visible of the poor guy. Letting out another bitter cry, the witch fell to the ground. Bony hands thrust up through the soil and grabbed her by her red hair.
They pulled hard, and the witch began to go under.
Adam did not wait to see if she was able to break free.
“Come on!” he shouted to the others.
Holding hands, with Sally in the middle, they leaped toward the tombstone.
The world spun, the universe turned. The earth became the sky and the sky became the ocean. They fell without moving. They flew without wings. Finally everything went black and time seemed to stop.
Then they were standing on the other side of the tombstone.
A blue sky shone overhead.
They were home. Safe in Spooksville.
Epilogue
Adam walked Sally home. Watch had gone off to buy another turkey sandwich and talk to Bum. Watch wanted to know if there was another Secret Path. As if the first one had not been enough for one day. Adam and Sally wished him good luck.
“Take your glasses with you this time,” Adam had told him. “I’m not bringing them to you again.”
As they walked the peaceful streets of the real Spooksville, they both noticed that the sun was almost directly overhead.
“It looks like the same time of day as when we met,” Sally said.
“It probably is,” Adam said. “I think the whole time we were on the other side, we were moving backward in time. I wouldn’t be surprised if we run into ourselves leaving my house.” He paused. “Maybe we should hurry and stop ourselves. Save ourselves all the trouble.”
