The Quests of Underice: 11 Quests, #1

By Barnaby Quirk

Something big is brewing in a world encased in ice.

Eleven-year-old Carla and her friend James chase a thieving gnome … all the way into the hidden land of Underice. There, they discover magical creatures they never knew existed and rumors of a mysterious gathering in the north! Carla has an "11 Quest" to solve, which her mother explains is a special kind of quest for some eleven-year-olds. Can Carla and James unravel her 11 Quest? Luckily, they don't need to adventure alone as they are joined by two Underice natives that also happen to be on their own quests.

This volume combines the first three books in the fast paced adventure series which touches on ways that climate change affects even the magical among us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blazing Things
• Release date: Apr 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386085393

Book preview

Chapter One

Red Hat Man

Carla was playing in her backyard when she saw the little man. She wouldn’t have seen the man at all if she hadn’t been swinging as high as she could and leaning back so far she was nearly upside down. From her perch on the swing, the man’s hat caught her attention. It was bright red and nearly a foot tall.

A one-foot-tall bright red hat would be noticeable on its own, had it suddenly appeared out of nowhere and landed near her house. This bright red hat sat atop the head of a man who could not have been more than three feet tall. The man would have looked like a small boy were it not for his long, white beard. He wore a green shirt and brown trousers, and looked exactly like the garden gnome statue in Mrs. Kimble’s yard across the street.

Carla didn’t know what to do. She didn’t think the man was paying any attention to her. While swinging, she caught only brief glimpses of him, which were not enough for her to figure out what he was up to. She decided to slow herself down enough to jump off the swing. She thought that the little man might not notice if she crept away while the swing continued swinging.

One … two … three … , Carla counted to herself before leaping from the swing. She got down on all fours and crawled behind her jungle gym’s slide so that she could peek out and see what was happening.

The man had climbed up on top of their air conditioner. Carla had asked her dad just the day before what the big, green box behind their house was. She had noticed it because it had a fan that was rather loud. And now, the man in the red hat was peering into the air conditioner, looking at that very same fan. The fan must have been off at that moment, otherwise his hat would have been blown off of his head.

Carla was quite sure that no one was scheduled to come to fix the A/C. It was time to check with her mom. She crept quickly along the row of evergreen trees that separated her yard from that of her best friend, James. She made sure to keep the trees between her and the little man. As she moved, Carla couldn’t believe that Red Hat Man hadn’t spotted her. Her shoulder-length black hair blended in well with the trees, but her white T-shirt and bright pink skirt certainly didn’t. Whatever the reason, Red Hat Man just continued looking into the A/C. Now that Carla was a bit closer, she could see that he had some tools on his belt.

When Carla reached the deck behind her house, she climbed the steps and ran toward the sliding door. She wasn’t worried about being spotted there, because a part of their house stood between her and Red Hat Man. Carla nearly ran into her mother as she darted into her house.

Tabitha, Carla’s mother, had been setting the table for dinner. It was the middle of summer, so the sun was still high in the sky even though it was early evening.

Carla, dear, what’s the matter? Tabitha looked concerned when she saw Carla’s expression.

Mom! There’s-a-short-man-with-a-long-beard-and-a-red-hat-outside! Carla was speaking so quickly that it would have been a miracle if anyone could have understood her.

Slow down, honey, Tabitha said. All I could understand was ‘Mom.’

I said, there’s a short man with a long beard and a red hat outside. He’s standing on our air conditioner. And he has tools.

Tabitha looked surprised. So soon? she asked no one in particular.

Were you expecting him, Mom? Carla looked even more surprised than her mother.

Well, sort of. You see, Carla, you just turned eleven last week. For some people, some time between their eleventh and twelfth birthdays, they are chosen for a Quest. An adventure. They don’t go seeking the Quest, it just finds them. I had one when I was eleven and a half. Your father didn’t have one.

I don’t get it, Mom. How do you know this is a Quest? Did you see a Red Hat Man when you were eleven?

"Oh, no. Every Quest is different. The only thing these Quests have in common is that they’re completely out of the ordinary. I have no idea what that man is doing with our A/C, but he certainly sounds out of the ordinary."

He sure is. But what do I have to do for this Quest?

Tabitha shrugged. I don’t know. That’s the trouble with Quests. Since they’re all different, we don’t have any clues. We just have to figure it out as we go along.

Carla looked concerned. Do I have to do this Quest all by myself?

Some people do them alone, but many do their Quest with a friend. The only rule that I’ve heard is that the friend must also be eleven years old.

Carla sighed with relief. James! He’s eleven also!

If you don’t want to miss your Quest, you’d better get going! I have no idea how you’d catch up if he gets away!

Carla ran to the phone and dialed James's number. James! It’s Carla. Get over here, quick. Stay close to the house and come up on the deck. I’ll meet you at the back door.

Uh, hi Carla. James sounded more than a little confused and worried. Okay, I’ll be right over. Bye.

Bye, Carla replied and hung up the phone.

Tabitha handed Carla her cell phone. We didn’t have cell phones when I was your age. I don’t know if you’re allowed to use them while on a Quest, but I’ll feel better if you have it. Take care, sweetheart. Call if you need anything. Stick with James. Have fun, and be safe. Oh, and take this.

Tabitha handed Carla a backpack. I packed this backpack with a few useful things, figuring that there was always a chance that a Quest would come your way. I still can’t believe that my little girl is already going out on an 11 Quest!

Carla put her arms through the straps of the backpack. Thanks, Mom. I have no idea what this Quest is all about. Until just now, I had never even heard of one!

Well, you’re generally not supposed to talk about them. I have no idea why, but that’s what my uncle told me when my Quest came along.

James appeared at the sliding door and was inside in a flash.

James caught his breath and said, Hi Carla, hi Mrs. R. What’s up?

James! You won’t believe what I have to tell you, Carla began. But I don’t even have time to tell you right now. We’ve got to go.

Go where? James asked.

On a Quest! I’ll explain it all on the way. Mom, can you give James's parents the scoop?

Sure, Tabitha said. You kids have fun, and do be careful. I love you, Carla. Come home safely!

I love you, too, Mom! Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.

And, with that, Carla and James stepped cautiously through the sliding door and into their Quest.

Chapter Two

The Chase

Carla and James walked quietly along the outside wall of the house on the deck. Carla took the lead, because she hadn’t had a chance to tell James anything. They peered around the corner of the house. From where they stood, they couldn’t see the air conditioner or Red Hat Man.

Shh, Carla whispered. It wasn’t necessary. James had no idea what was happening, but he could tell that this was not the time to make noise.

The two children tiptoed along the back of the house until they neared the corner before the air conditioner. Carla peeked around the corner while James stood behind. Red Hat Man was still there, but he had clearly been busy.

Carla stepped back behind the wall and motioned for James to take a look. He saw Red Hat Man standing on top of the air conditioner. A round covering made of thin metal bars lay on the ground next to the A/C, and Red Hat Man was busily unscrewing something that had previously been under that covering.

James squatted down so that Carla, who was an inch taller, could lean over him and peek around the corner as well. They were just a few feet away from Red Hat Man and were trying not to be seen.

Red Hat Man put his screwdriver back into his belt, reached down, and gave a little grunt as he pulled up the fan from the A/C. The fan was as wide across as Red Hat Man was tall. He eyed the fan critically for a moment, examining the edges. Satisfied that everything seemed to be in order, he did the most remarkable thing yet to happen on this already remarkable day.

Red Hat Man stood on the air conditioner. He was holding the fan up with one hand on one of the blades and another of the blades sitting on the rim of the A/C. With his free hand, he lifted his hat off his head, and put his hat on top of the fan blade that he had been holding with his other hand. He slowly lowered the hat onto the fan blade. As he did so, the other blades seemed to melt and bend in toward the middle of the fan. Within a few seconds, the entire three-foot-wide fan was somehow in his one-foot-tall hat.

Whoa, James said in wonder, forgetting the need for silence. Carla looked sharply at James, but it was too late.

Red Hat Man looked their way quickly. His eyes widened and he jumped off the air conditioner and was off and running in a flash. Red Hat Man had short legs, and the white beard made him look positively ancient, but he was fast.

Carla and James took off after the Red Hat Man. They rounded the corner that led to the side of the house. Red Hat Man was already out of sight, so the pair ran as fast as they could to the front of the house. Within seconds, they were in front of Carla’s house, looking this way and that, completely confused. Red Hat Man had vanished.

As they looked around, Carla suddenly had an idea.

Hey, James! Carla said. Let’s go check around back. Maybe he looped around. It seemed to James that Carla was speaking unusually loudly, especially for someone who was chasing a runaway gnome.

What? Why would he do that? James asked.

Just follow me, Carla said. She ran off, leaving James little choice in the matter.

James was close behind when Carla suddenly ducked behind a tree beside her house. He followed and found that they were in a position where they could see the street and Mrs. Kimble’s house without being seen.

Carla, shouldn’t we be looking out front? James asked.

I’m certain we’re looking in the right place, Carla replied. She pulled James a little farther behind the tree. Look! She pointed across the street.

There, in the midst of Mrs. Kimble’s landscaping, stood the garden gnome. He seemed to be a few feet away from where he normally stood. Even from their spot across the street, Carla and James could see that the gnome was breathing heavily.

Oh! What do we do now? James said.

"I guess we wait. Sooner or later, he’s bound to do something," Carla answered.

Who is that guy? And why did he take that fan from your air conditioner?

I don’t know and I don’t know. I’ll tell you what I do know, and why I called you. We’re on a Quest!

A Quest? James felt more than a little confused by what was happening. Carla was always looking for action and adventure, and happily adapted to whatever situation was in front of her. James took some time to warm up to new situations, and he hadn’t begun to get a grasp on what was happening.

Yes, a Quest! Some kids get chosen for a Quest sometime between their eleventh and twelfth birthdays. And this is my Quest! Isn’t that cool?

Um. James felt he should say something, but this whole Quest-coming-out-of-the-blue business left him speechless. He stood there in his sneakers, blue jeans, video game T-shirt and baseball cap, looking and feeling like someone who was not ready to be on a Quest. Unless that Quest was on a screen, of course.

The most important thing right now, Carla continued, is that we need to keep an eye on that gnome. If he gets away, I don’t think there’s any way we can complete this Quest.

A breeze blew James's sandy hair lightly. His blue eyes met Carla’s deep brown ones. "Wait, so you’re inviting me along on your Quest and we need to follow this gnome and figure out what’s going on?"

Yeah! That’s it exactly!

Okay, I think I can handle that. And your mom is going to talk to my mom? You’re sure this will be all right?

Sure, don’t worry about it! Carla knew that her mother was indeed going to talk to James's mother, but she couldn’t say for sure how this adventure was going to turn out. Carla’s father liked to tell her, Having anything starts with having confidence. At this moment, at least, she was feeling confident.

Carla and James both turned to look over at Red Hat Man, who was still standing in Mrs. Kimble’s garden.

You know, I never realized just how big that crazy looking garden gnome is, James said. Why would Mrs. Kimble want something like that in her garden?

Yeah, good question, Carla replied. "Maybe it was a gift. Or should I say he was a gift, since we know that he’s alive."

Mrs. Kimble’s kind of old. Maybe he just showed up one day and she never noticed.

Could be.

They stared some more at Red Hat Man. His breathing was no longer noticeable and his cheeks had gone from red back to pale pink.

Carla started to fidget, and James knew there would be trouble if she went from fidgeting to full-fledged boredom. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long.

Red Hat Man slowly turned his head. He was squinting, despite the fact that the sun was low enough in the sky that it wasn’t too bright outside. He appeared satisfied with what he saw, and carefully stepped around Mrs. Kimble’s flowers as he exited her garden. He walked casually to the sidewalk and started down the street.

Carla and James lived on a street with nothing but houses. At this time of day, most of the neighbors were having