Polly Shulman - The Grimm Legacy

“That’s to be expected.” Doc took out a paper knife—it looked like a small dagger—and slit the wrappings. Inside was a plain wooden box. “Let’s take a look first, shall we?”

I craned forward. Doc lifted the lid, revealing a stack of paper dolls. Before my startled eyes, layer after layer sprang to life, puffing into three dimensions and leaping out of the box. They threw themselves into the most beguiling acrobatics, dancing around the room like Doc’s freckles on fast-forward.

A pair of the acrobats balanced a pencil across the stapler and used it as a seesaw, catapulting each other into the air. Another pair shimmied up the desk lamp and cannonballed into the water carafe below. A third pair unrolled tape from the tape dispenser and stuck the other end to the desk lamp. They held both ends of the tape tight while half a dozen of their friends took turns cavorting across in a series of leaps, flips, and cartwheels, like gymnasts on a balance beam.

“I see you were telling the truth,” said Doc.

“I was. But how can you tell?”

Doc smiled. “Try to get them back in the box.”

“All right.” I turned to the little people. “Enough, now. Back in the box with you,” I told them.

Ignoring me, they lined up to dance the Virginia reel.

“Come on, now. Back in the box!” I held it open near them, as invitingly as I could.

Still ignoring me, they began prancing up and down the desk.

Quickly, before they could get away, I picked up the head couple and put them gently in the box. But the lid wouldn’t close—their heads were too thick. I had to let go and try to pick up another pair. But they wouldn’t let me catch them at all. They joined hands and skipped just out of my reach.

“I give up,” I said at last.

“Feisty little critters, aren’t they?” Doc took a thin stick out of a drawer and tapped the dancers with it one by one. As soon as the stick touched them, they lost their girth and fluttered down to the desk, paper thin again. Doc stacked them in the box and snapped the catch shut.

What a good thing I hadn’t opened the box! Or let the man with the beard take it. “Dr. Rust? Did a man bring you a package yesterday that looked just like this one?” I asked.

“I was out yesterday, but I did get some packages—I often do. One or two of them might have been wrapped like this one. Why?”

“I ran into a man on the way home from school yesterday when I was carrying this package. Literally ran into him. I dropped the package, and he tried to take it. He said he was on his way to give you some other packages just like this. When I told him to give it back, he said he was a repository member and it would be safer for me to let him give you the package. He tried to switch them, but I wouldn’t let him.”

“That was the right decision.”

“But there actually was a flying creature following me. We saw it a few days ago too—me and Anjali and Marc and Aaron. Did Ms. Callender tell you?”

Doc nodded. “Yes, she did. That’s very serious! Did the man tell you his name?”

I shook my head.

“What did he look like?”

“Short, with a beard. I’ve seen him in the Main Exam Room.”

“Will you come and find me if you see him again?”

“Of course. Why do you think he wanted my package so badly? Do you think he’s the guy who’s stealing things from the Grimm Collection?”

“I wish I knew. But right now I’m more concerned about the creature. Can you describe it?”

“It definitely looked like an enormous bird. It was bigger than me and it came flying right at me. But then another huge bird—or something, I couldn’t see too clearly—showed up and then I bumped into the guy with the beard, and then the bird or birds were both gone. Do you think the man was right—were they after the package? Would they have hurt me?”

“I’m very glad they didn’t, at any rate. Probably the man was right and they were after the package.”

“But what were they?”

“The bird sounds like the one we’ve heard about before. This is the first I’ve heard of the other creature, though. Was this the first time you saw them?”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the bird before—through the skylight in Preservation and through Anjali’s window.”

“What did Stan Mauskopf have to say—did you tell him?”

“Just that I thought I had seen the bird—but that was before it chased me and I got a better look and the stuff happened with the package.”

“Did Stan give you a charm or a ward or anything?”

“No . . . well, yes, I almost forgot; he gave me a feather.”

Doc’s face brightened. “Good—that’s just the thing. Make sure you keep it with you. I’m sorry about all this. I knew it would be challenging for you to bring me the acrobats, but I had no idea it would be dangerous too. You can be proud of yourself. You’ve passed a harder test than we intended.”

“What do you mean? What test?”

“For borrowing privileges.”

“You don’t mean—the Grimm Collection?”

Doc nodded. “Stan asked you to bring me the dancers to see whether you’re responsible enough to be trusted to take care of Grimm items outside the repository. Clearly the answer is yes.”

“You mean it? I can borrow things now? Magic things?”

“Yes. Whenever you feel ready.”

“Can I take out anything I like? Even, like, I don’t know—a genie bottle?”

Doc smiled. “I wouldn’t go straight for the genie bottles right away. The Grimm objects can be pretty tricky. Best to start with something small.”

“All right. Thank you!” This was so exciting!

“Meanwhile,” said Doc, “given the recent thefts and that bird, I’ll be changing the door codes and the procedures. Librarians have master keys, but you pages will need two keys to get in, yours and another page’s—Anjali, Aaron, or Marc—as well as the key song. You’ll have to go down there in pairs so you can keep an eye on each other. Never lend your key to anyone, and let me know if anyone asks to borrow it.”

“I will. I’ll do everything I can to keep the collection safe,” I said fervently.

I hoped I could keep myself safe too.

I was excited the next day when Ms. Callender sent me to work in the Grimm Collection with Aaron.

“What will we be doing there?” I asked. “Running slips?”

“Yes, if you get any. I mostly just want someone down there keeping an eye on things. Until we catch the thief, at least we can try to make things harder for them by guarding the collection.”

Aaron was at the door when I arrived. He looked different in the bright, fluorescent light. I realized I had only spent time with him in the half darkness on Stack 2. He was surprisingly normal-looking without all the dramatic shadows. Handsome, even—I made myself do him the justice of admitting it. He had pronounced, chiseled features, like a prince in a fairy tale. High cheekbones, a single dark curl tumbling gracefully over an upright forehead, and a cleft chin. “There you are,” he said. “Where’ve you been? I can’t get in without both keys.”

“Sorry I kept you waiting!” I held my binder clip against the door and sang, as softly as I could. I didn’t want to risk any sarcastic comments about my singing voice.