(A/N: Wow. I know I haven't updated in awhile. And I mean a while, like, more than six months. And I am reeeeeeaaally sorry about that. I kinda forgot I even started writing this tbh. I'll try to update a bit more regularly. Okay, that's all, sorry again. T_T)
Greg pounded on the massive, wooden door of Mr. Endicott's mansion. Wirt flinched at the loud noise, and I floated above. A minute went by, then two.
"C'mon, let's go, the guy obviously isn't home," Wirt insisted.
"No, no, it's fine, just knock again Greg," I countered, glaring at Wirt. Wirt sighed. I wondered if he'd actually thought he could change my mind with some feeble words. I scowled.
Greg knocked again, this time banging his teapot against the door. The door suddenly swung wide open. Out stepped a lively old man with purple coat and a top hat.
"What can I do for you young lads?" he asked sincerely. Upon noticing me, he added, "And you, Ms. Bluebird?"
"These two boys have been wandering through the woods for days to find you," I informed him with as much charm as I could. He just nodded, not at all surprised by the fact that I was a talking bird. "You are their long-lost great uncle!"
He gasped in surprise. "I never knew that I had great nephews! Come in, come in! We must have a feast to celebrate this splendid occasion!" he exclaimed. He skipped inside, overflowing with joy. Greg followed him, and the two of them began talking immediately. Greg's frog was tucked snugly between his arms, and he appeared to be contently listening to their conversation. Wirt hesitantly took a step inside. I flew ahead of him.
As soon as I saw the inside of the mansion, I knew for sure that we'd have no problem finding the money we needed. The foyer was so ornate and decorated that I couldn't help but imagine how fancy the other rooms were. I had known this guy was rich, but I didn't know he was this loaded. I glanced at Wirt and Greg to see how they were reacting. Greg's eyes were practically sparkling with amazement. Even his frog looked stunned. Or maybe Greg had just been shaking him around too much. Wirt was also excited, but it seemed different than Greg's excitement. He was muttering to himself, and the few words I caught among his mumbling were "architecture," "structure," and "Georgian." What a nerd.
Mr. Endicott watched us all, waiting for us to finish ogling at the house. He looked like he'd expected this to happen. He'd probably experienced it many times. Once we'd all gotten a good look at our surroundings, Mr. Endicott led us onward to his dining hall. Portraits lined the walls of the hallways we passed through, mostly depicting the old man himself. The others were of forests and scenes of nature. The guy sure did like his paintings.
We finally reached the dining hall. The walls were painted with stripes of two different shades of green. There was a humongous oak-wood table in the center of the room. It looked as if it could seat 30 people. "We shall have a feast! I am so glad to have some company!" Mr. Endicott exclaimed jovially. He bustled into another room. It occurred to me that the old man probably didn't get a lot of visitors, and the thought of him eating by himself at this huge table saddened me.
We sat down at the table to wait for Mr. Endicott to bring out the food. How he was going to make a feast all by himself was beyond me, but I sat on the table, prepared to wait patiently. Greg was rambling on and on about how nice "Unkie Endicott" was, and how he couldn't wait to get some food because his tummy had been rumbling all day. I sat quietly, appreciating Greg's happiness and energy. I peeked at Wirt, and saw that he was deep in thought. I wondered what he was thinking about. I wondered if it was me.
Within ten minutes, Mr. Endicott came running out with two large platters of food, bustled into the kitchen, and retrieved two more. Greg wasted no time in grabbing all of the food his tiny fists could carry. "Wow, Mr. Endicott, this is really impressive! How did you get all of this food ready so quickly?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Oh, it was nothing. I prepare lots of food every day in case any one comes to visit!" the old man explained. I was hit with another pang of sadness for Mr. Endicott and his solitary life. We all ate rather quickly, and made small talk. Then, a rather strange topic came up.
"So this place is haunted?" Greg exclaimed in wonder, after Mr. Endicott had finished talking about a pretty ghost that lived in his mansion. "That's so cool! Can I see her?" He didn't seem at all frightened with the idea of a ghost.
"Er, no I… I don't think that's a good idea," Mr. Endicott faltered. This was the first time since meeting him that I'd seen his exuberant nature slip.
"Oh, c'mon Unkie, it'll be fun! We'll be ghost hunters!" Greg prompted. I realized how convenient this would be. If Greg went off with Mr. Endicott on a ghost hunt, it would give Wirt and me some time to find some loose change. But I could sense Mr. Endicott's hesitation. We would all have to persuade him.
"It would be some quality bonding time with your nephew!" I suggested. As soon as I'd said it, I could tell that Mr. Endicott would do it. He was so desperate for companionship that he'd pretty much do anything to have someone to be with, even if it meant looking for a ghost he was obviously terrified of.
"Okay, I'll do it," he relented. "But what about you and my other nephew?"
"We'll just stay here and relax," I fibbed. "It's been a long day of travel." I looked at Wirt and winked, and then Wirt nodded quickly. He then yawned dramatically, emphasizing how tired he was.
"Alright, we'll be back soon," Mr. Endicott said, voice trembling. He left the room, Greg pulling him along by the hand. As soon as they left, Wirt and I looked at each other.
"Hey, the yawn was a nice touch," I told him, trying to sound aloof.
"Thanks!" he said, surprised that I wasn't being sarcastic or mean towards him. "So what's the plan?"
"We're going to look through the house for some loose change, take it, and go on our way," I explained. He looked shocked.
"We're going to steal from him?" he exclaimed.
"Shhhhhhh!" I scolded. "Don't say that so loud! Besides, it's not like he's going to miss the money very much."
"Fine," he groaned. "Man, I really hope this Adelaide woman is going to be worth all of this trouble."
My stomach lurched as I thought about Adelaide. "Yep, she sure is," I assured. "But let's get to work. We've got some coins to find."
