3 The Oasis at Noon

CHAPTER Three The Oasis At Noon Moments later, the sun began to rise over the distant dunes. "It's time!" Keeah said. They all climbed to the rim of a tall, curving sand dune. Galen pointed to the sandy plains where the sun was rising. "The door to Kano lies in the East," the wizard said. "According to a legend, it can be seen where it is not." Eric nodded slowly. "Okay. Got it. Great. Um… could you say that again?" "It's a riddle," Max said, scurrying back and forth in the sand. "No one knows exactly where Sparr's palace is."

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Julie began biting her lip again. "Then how are we going to find the door to Kano?" But Galen was already walking back down the dune. "By finding the answer to the riddle!" "First things first," Khan said. "Our journey of many miles begins with a single sniff!" He sniffed the air, then pointed. "East is that way!" Within moments, Khan and his Lumpies packed up the tent and supplies. "Into the East!" Max chirped. Hrrr! Galen's shaggy pilka, Leep, whinnied in excitement as the kids piled onto her back. "We're off!" cried Julie. They rode for hours over the hot dunes. Mile after mile, they saw nothing but burning white sand. "I think we're lost," Neal said, wiping his forehead. "I mean, I guess we're in the East, but I don't see any doors. All I see are two things. Sand, and more sand." Eric pointed into the distance. "What's that?" It looked like a shadow against the faraway dunes, a grove of trees waving in the breeze. "Is it a mirage?" Julie said. "You know, the imaginary things you see in the desert that aren't really there?" "Imaginary," Eric sighed. "Right now I'm imagining the town pool filled with cool water."

"You want water, you got it," Neal said. "I'm gonna be a puddle in about three minutes." "No, you won't," Keeah said. "That's an oasis! We can rest there and get some real water!" They rode quickly and soon reached a group of tall palm trees sprouting up from the dunes. In the center was a pool of cool, blue water. Eric and his friends slid down from Leep and moved into the shade of the waving palm trees. "This isn't the pool in my dream," Julie said. "There's nothing yucky about this." "Good!" Neal exclaimed. "Because I'm way past thirsty." He and Julie and Keeah went to the near side of the pool and began to drink. The Lumpies led the pilkas over. They all bent their heads to the water. "Drink up," Khan said. "It may be many miles before we find water again." Eric scrambled to an open spot on the side of the pool. He breathed in the sweet air under the trees, then bent down, cupping his hands together. The shimmering water looked so refreshing. He stooped to take a big sip. He froze solid at what he saw. "What is it?" Keeah said, looking up.

Eric stared into the pool. "My reflection—" Neal laughed. "Yeah, you look pretty grimy!" "We all do," Julie added. "No, that's not it," Eric mumbled. In the surface of the pool he saw his face. Behind his head were the tops of the palm trees that he knew were waving in the wind behind him. And behind the palm trees… was an enormous gate! A gate made of black iron, towering up behind the palms. Eric whirled around and looked up. There was no gate behind the palm trees. He turned back to the pool. The gate was there, in the reflection, standing as huge and as plain as day! "An invisible gate!" he gasped. "Like the riddle says—it can be seen where it is not!" "What?" Neal said, slurping from his hands. "We're here!" Eric cried. "I see it in the pool. The door to Kano. But it's not in the pool. It's there!" He pointed up behind him, beyond the palm trees. "The entrance to Kano is right there!" Galen rushed over. Max scurried across the sand. Keeah, Neal, and Julie ran to Eric. They all stared at the open air behind the palms, then at the pool.

"It's there, all right," Keeah said. "But it's still invisible. How do we get in?" "I have an idea." Neal stooped to the pool and filled his hands with water. He hurried through the palm trees to where the gates would be. He tossed the water across the air. Sssss! The water struck something in midair and spilled down it. Suddenly, there it was! A patch of black iron! Julie tried it next. Sssss! More of the black gate appeared. Everyone joined in, even the Lumpies. They cupped their hands. They used buckets. They even filled their boots with water. Splish! Splosh! Splursh! Soon, the entire gate dripped into shape before them. It stood huge and glistening behind the tall palm trees of the oasis. Galen stood back in awe. "Behold! We have discovered the way to Sparr's secret realm! This is the door to Kano!"