Page 80 of Monster's Pet

My first impressionof Australia was the heat.

It was still in the wet, rainy season back home, in the middle of March, so it hadn’t occurred to me that Australia was in the middle of summer.

The ley lines’ presence was strong, and I could feel their energy filling me. I used a drop of magic to change my clothes into something more fitting for the weather, and the others followed suit.

“Now that we’re properly attired, let’s find this mine that Paige told us about.”

She shaded her eyes, squinting into the sun. “It’s west and north of us. Not too far. We could probably walk it.”

“We could, but it would be more comfortable if we traveled in style,” Grandfather said, pulling a toy car from his pocket. He winked at her. “It’s much cheaper to buy the toy version, don’t you think?”

“Umm,” she replied, flustered.

He put it on the ground, and after a flourish, it grew into a full-size limousine. “Everyone in,” he said cheerfully.

“I think a helicopter would have worked better, Declan,” Professor Dunlop teased.

“Nonsense. There are far too many people here to fit in a helicopter.”

We all piled into the back. Grandfather tapped the steering wheel and gave it directions, before settling back in his seat.

“Why do you have a chauffeur if you can do this?” I asked him.

“I like the company,” he said. “Besides, he has a job. If I used magic for everything, everyone who worked for me wouldn’t have income. Just because itcanbe done with magic, doesn’t mean it should.”

“Okay, game plan. We need to come up with one.”

The rest of the trip devolved into arguments, nobody able to agree on how best to defeat the giant.

I sat back and stared at the surreal landscape out my window. I knew there was a desert in central Australia, but the orange sandy view felt like it belonged on Mars, not Earth. There were scrubby bushes scattered around. I caught glimpses of lizards and a few other creatures. Once, I was certain I saw a phoenix, but the car was moving too fast to point it out to anyone.

“We’re here,” Grandfather announced loudly, and the car fell silent. “After that unproductive meeting, shall we get the lay of the land? Find out what we’re dealing with, and then reconvene for a better planning session.”

“My friend, you are as sensible as ever,” Professor Dunlop said.

“It almost sounds like you missed me, Edwin,” Grandfather teased.

The professor’s eyebrows furrowed as he glared at his old roommate. “I didn’t say that was a good thing.”

Grandfather chuckled as he left the car. “You keep telling yourself that.”

Once everyone was out, Grandfather shrank the car back to the size of a toy and put it back in his pocket.

“Do you always carry cars in your pocket?” I asked him.

“Only when I think I’ll need one,” he replied. “I drove myself to the ferry, and rather than park, I thought it would make more sense to bring it with me.”

“You drove yourself?”

“The car drove itself,” Grandfather acknowledged easily.

“Fancy,” I murmured.

“Paige, lead on,” Professor Akhtar said, gesturing for her to move forward to the cave. “Show us this hidden doorway.”

“It was around this way,” she said, taking us past the main entrance. She waved her hand over the rocky face and a perfect entrance appeared. “Are we really going in without a plan?” She sounded terrified.

“We are going in there while invisible, and after scouting the place out, we’re coming back here to make our plan,” Professor Akhtar stressed. “Ready?”

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