“I don’t want to leave tomorrow,” said Benny. “Watch and I want to stay here forever.”
“I wish we could stay too, Benny,” Grandfather Alden said. “But it’s time to go home. We’ll come back again, though.”
“You are always welcome,” Nora said. “In fact, I’m thinking of renaming Black Bear Cabin. I thought I might call it Lucy’s Cabin.”
The Aldens all laughed. So did the rest of the crowd assembled on the porch of the lodge after dinner. They were waiting for Drew to serve a special cake that he had made just for the occasion.
“Am I too late for cake?” a gruff voice asked from the darkness outside the screened porch.
“Not at all, Carl,” Nora said. “Come on up.”
Carl came up the stairs, pushed open the screen door, and walked onto the porch with Wildman at his heels. He pointed to a place by the door. “Wildman, stay,” he said.
Wildman wagged his tail slightly, lay down, and put his head on his paws.
“We should have brought Watch to dinner,” said Benny.
“That’s okay, Benny. I think Drew made a special treat for Watch. And for Wildman, too,” said Nora.
Just then the lights in the dining room behind them dimmed. They turned to see Drew and Jason walking toward them, holding between them a huge cake decorated with candles. They put the cake on the porch table and said, “Everybody blow out the candles for luck.”
So everyone blew out the candles. Then Drew cut the cake and passed the pieces around.
“This is delicious, Drew,” said Dr. Lin. “What do you call it?”
“It’s the new specialty of the lodge,” said Drew. “Monster cake!” Everyone laughed again — even Jason, who looked a little sheepish. Nora and Drew had forgiven him — and given him a job helping them with the lodge for the rest of the summer. He was already working in the kitchen, learning how to cook. He looked happier than the Aldens had seen him look since they’d arrived at Lake Lucille.
“I like it!” Benny declared.
Everyone agreed with him.
Nora came over to stand next to the Aldens. “Thank you for solving the lake monster mystery,” she said softly.
“We didn’t solve the whole mystery,” said Jessie. “I still don’t know who erased the footprints.”
“Or who turned over Carl’s canoe,” added Violet.
Nora looked a little embarrassed. “I’m the one who erased the footprints,” she said. “I was afraid there really might be a monster — and I didn’t want any proof around.”
“Oh!” said Violet.
A gruff voice said, “And I guess I never really had the monster turn me over in my canoe.”
“You didn’t?” Henry asked. “You made that up?”
“Well, I’ve turned over in my canoe before,” said Carl. “But I made up the story because I was afraid the Parkers were gonna fancy up the lodge and have a lot of careless tourists who didn’t care about the wilderness come up here trampling things and scaring the animals.”
“But we weren’t, Carl. You knew I wouldn’t let that happen,” Nora protested.
Carl nodded. “I realized it after a while. That’s why it shook me up so much when I saw that paddle. I almost felt as if I’d made up a monster and then it had come to life.”
Suddenly a long, low sound echoed across Lake Lucille.
Everyone stopped talking. Wildman raised his head.
“A bear,” said Dr. Lin. “Right, Carl?”
The sound came again, more softly now, before it faded away.
Carl put down his cake plate in amazement. He stared out into the darkness. “It doesn’t sound like any bear I’ve ever heard — or any other animal around these parts.”
“No,” said Dr. Lin softly. “It doesn’t.”
Benny bounced up from his seat. “It’s Lucy,” he said. “See? I knew she was real. It’s Lucy and she’s saying she’s not a monster. She would never bite a paddle or turn over a canoe or hurt anybody.”
“Maybe you’re right, Benny,” said Nora. “Maybe you are right after all.”
Everyone laughed — everyone except Benny. He waved at the darkness in the direction of the lake. “It’s okay, Lucy,” he called. “See you next year!” |