Free The Magical Flight of Dodie Rue by F.C. Shaw Page A

doing.”
    â€œThanks,” said Dodie, taking a swig of water.
    â€œDoesn’t mean I can stand you though,” Axel grinned and downed his cup of water.
    â€œRight,” Dodie grinned back.
    He left Axel at the well and traipsed back among the racers, most of whom were asleep. He was about to rejoin his kinsmen at their campfire when he noticed Zinnia sitting alone at a campfire farthest away from everyone. He walked over to her.
    â€œMind if I sit with you?” he asked.
    Zinnia shook her head, gazing into the fire. She still wore her mask.
    Dodie plopped down next to her and set his rolled up Phoenix beside him. He watched the flickering flames light up her masked face with an orange glow. Now that night had set in, the desert had cooled considerably, and the fire’s heat felt soothing and helped him relax.
    The black sky looked bigger than it did back at home, and the stars shined brighter. Dodie thought about his family, wondering if there had been any change in Taj. He thought about his grandfather, and was already looking forward to telling him how he had used his secret map twice on the first day. As he lay there star gazing, his body suddenly felt exhausted and all he wanted to do was roll over and sleep for a long time. But Nadar had warned him about sleeping too soundly, and he wondered how to go about not doing that.
    Oban approached them, and both Dodie and Zinnia scrambled up to show respect.
    â€œRue!” he chimed with enthusiasm. “I need to send a brief report back to Turah, and would like to ask you a few questions. Your family will want to know how you are. It’s good publicity. Follow me.”
    Dodie left Zinnia to follow Oban into the officials’ yurt. There was another stone well, slightly smaller than the one outside. A faint wisp of golden dust wafted up from its opening, and Dodie knew it was a Wishing Well. He stepped up to it with Oban.
    â€œBe sure to speak up so our correspondent at Turah’s Wishing Well can hear you,” Oban instructed. He cleared his throat and barked into the well, “Come in, come in, this is Oban. Do you hear me, Jamar?”
    There was a pause, then a hollow voice echoed up from inside the well. “I hear you loud and clear. Begin your interview.”
    Oban turned to Dodie. “How was your first day?”
    â€œIt was alright,” Dodie said at first, then thought more about his day. “Well, it didn’t start out too good. I didn’t take off fast enough and was in last place.”
    â€œReally! How did you manage to catch up?”
    Dodie hesitated, remembering his grandfather’s order to keep the secret map hush-hush. “I had a little stash of stardust and used it for extra speed.”
    â€œWhat was that last part?” the voice inquired from inside the well.
    â€œRepeat that last part again for Jamar,” muttered Oban.
    Dodie leaned his head over the well and repeated the bit about using stardust to catch up.
    â€œThat’s brilliant!” Oban praised. “Tell me more about your brother Taj and the reason you’re racing in his stead.”
    With some effort to keep his emotions at bay, Dodie told him all he knew, except for the part that his brother would die if Dodie didn’t win. He had to repeat a few words into the well. When he was finished with the interview, Dodie returned to Zinnia and sat back down by the campfire.
    â€œI’m sorry about your brother, really—I couldn’t help eavesdropping,” Zinnia told him quietly. “It’s horrible that he was poisoned.”
    â€œThat’s not the worst of it,” muttered Dodie. “Taj is gonna die.”
    Zinnia inhaled sharply. “There’s no antidote?”
    â€œNo. He’ll die by the end of this week .  . . unless . . . ”
    â€œUnless you win and wish for his life,” finished Zinnia.
    â€œYeah. I never would’ve taken his place and raced for