The Pillars of Ponderay Read Free Page A

minor, the flight attendant, Annie, kept sneaking him free cookies every time she passed by. She even gave Farnsworth a handful of pretzels. When they landed, and all the passengerswere clear, Annie drove Albert through the airport on one of those indoor baggage trucks, whizzing through the halls to deliver him right to his dad.
    Except Bob Flynn wasn’t waiting at baggage claim.
    It was an old man, one with white hair and wrinkles on his face, and what looked like a permanent I know all of your secrets type of smile.
    It was Albert’s grandfather, Pap.
    Albert knew from experience that sometimes the elderly weren’t the best of drivers. On that score, Pap had long been in a league of his own. Herman, Wyoming, was covered in five feet of snow. Most people would drive with caution, slow as a turtle. But Pap drove his old, rusted pickup truck like a race car, whizzing through the snowy streets as if he were behind the wheel of a brand-new Ferrari.
    â€œSo,” Pap said, watching the road with squinted eyes, “I hear you’ve become interested in seismology. Been keeping up with the news in Southern California?”
    Albert clutched Farnsworth as the car soared down a big hill, tall snow-covered firs racing past them in a blur. “Yep, and I think that’s why my dad asked me to come. It’s probably an Imbalanced Realm. My mom and siblings are going to California. Do you think they’ll be okay?”
    â€œThat’s what Balance Keepers are for.” Pap winked,then swerved around a corner. A rabbit dove out of the way just in time.
    To anyone else, Pap looked like a normal old man, but Albert could see the difference. There was something quite otherworldly in Pap’s blue eyes. As a retired Balance Keeper, he knew lots of secrets about the Core, secrets that Albert had yet to discover. Maybe he even knew why things were going so strangely in the Core these days.
    â€œWhy are the Realms so messed up lately?” Albert asked. “It seems sort of soon for another Imbalance, doesn’t it?”
    Pap clicked his teeth, then swerved around another corner. The back tires of the truck hit the curb, and Farnsworth’s eyes flashed a brilliant, electric blue.
    â€œOnly the Core knows the truth,” Pap said. He reached over and patted Albert on the shoulder. “But the Flynns are curious, and smart, and if you search hard enough, the secrets might unravel.”
    Albert was about to ask what in the heck Pap was talking about, when a lonely street sign came into view.
    E NTERING H ERMAN . P OPULATION , 512.
    â€œAlmost there,” Pap said. “You’ve never seen Herman in the winter, have you?”
    â€œNope, I haven’t.” Albert pressed his face to the windowas Pap pulled off the interstate. His breath fogged up the glass, and when he wiped it away, he gasped.
    Herman was way cooler this time of the year.
    Pap gunned the engine, and they turned right into the familiar ring of evergreen trees, then down the bumpy little road that spat them out onto the edge of town. Night was falling, and all the multicolored houses in Herman were covered in twinkling lights.
    There was a man in a Santa suit passing out candy canes on the main road, where shoppers were all bundled up, towers of gifts in their arms.
    A little girl with her dog ran past. Farnsworth whimpered like he felt sorry for the other animal—it was wearing reindeer antlers on its head.
    â€œThe tree lighting was last night,” Pap said, and as they cleared Main Street, Albert saw a glimpse of a tall fir tree, lit up as bright as the Chrysler Building, ornaments and tinsel on its snowy branches.
    They stopped at the one traffic light in Herman to let a few kids run past. Then they were on their way to Albert’s dad’s house. It was the only one on the street that didn’t have lights on the roof, and Albert knew it was because even though the townspeople thought he was their