The Nixie’s Song

BOOK ONE OF THREE

Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright © 2007 by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black • All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
• S
IMON
& S
CHUSTER
B
OOKS
FOR
Y
OUNG
R
EADERS
is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
• Book design by Tony DiTerlizzi and Lizzy Bromley • Manufactured in the United States of America

20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

CIP data for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN-13: 978-0-689-87131-3 • ISBN-10: 0-689-87131-7
eISBN-13: 978-1-442-40357-4

To my grandfather, Harry,
who liked to make up stories.
—H.
B.
To all my friends and family back in Florida.
These images of my old home are for you.
—T.
D.

toried old New England is where this vast tale was born.
Three kids, an antique house, a book, a dad from daughter torn,

an unexpected escapade into a tricksy land— with dangers unpredictable so very close at hand.

The kids were tested fearless.
The book was lost then found.
The dad was reunited then passed on without a sound.

Evil was soundly thwarted like in fairy tales of old, but there’s no happy ending.
No!
Because the tale was told .
.
.

.
.
.
to Tony DiTerlizzi and his partner, Holly Black.
They took the story coast to coast, around the globe, and back.

Then that pair took the secrets and put them into a book, a guide to the fantastical for all who cared to look.

Now each and every single day the story grows and roves.
It wanders beneath maples, birches, pines, and old mangroves.

So when you walk among the trees, look close and do not blink, because the world you’re entering

is

BIGGER

THAN YOU THINK.

L
IST OF
F
ULL
-P
AGE
I
LLUSTRATIONS

M
AP OF
M
ANGROVE
H
OLLOW

C
HAPTER
O
NE
: IN WHICH
T
HERE
A
RE
M
ANY
D
IFFERENT
S
ORTS OF
D
EVELOPMENTS

C
HAPTER
T
WO
: IN WHICH
N
ICHOLAS
G
OES FOR AN
I
LL
-F
ATED
W
ALK

C
HAPTER
T
HREE
: IN WHICH
N
ICHOLAS
L
IFTS
M
ORE
T
HAN AN
E
YEBROW

C
HAPTER
F
OUR
:
IN WHICH
N
ICHOLAS
S
EES FOR THE
S
ECOND
T
IME

C
HAPTER
F
IVE
:
IN WHICH
N
ICK
S
TEPS ONTO
M
ORE
T
ROUBLE

C
HAPTER
S
IX
:
IN WHICH
L
AURIE
R
ECONSIDERS
T
HINGS

C
HAPTER
S
EVEN
:
IN WHICH
W
E
N
EARLY
B
REAK THE
FOURTH
W
ALL

C
HAPTER
E
IGHT
:
IN WHICH
A P
LAN
I
S
H
ATCHED

C
HAPTER
N
INE
:
IN WHICH
T
HEY
G
O
A
CCORDING TO THE
P
LANS, BUT THE
P
LANS
G
O
A
WRY

A
BOUT
T
ONY
D
ITERLIZZI AND
H
OLLY
B
LACK

“T
HEY’RE FAERIES!”

M
AP OF
M
ANGROVE
H
OLLOW

“W
HAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?”

“A
FIELD GUIDE.”

“W
HAT ARE YOU DOING?”

N
ICHOLAS SAW A PALE BODY.

H
E TOOK A DEEP BREATH AND PUSHED.

“G
ET A WHEELBARROW.”

T
HE CREATURE LIFTED EASILY.

S
HE SANG THE WORDS.

I
T GAZED AT HIM WITH SAND-COLORED EYES.

T
HEY SET OUT EARLY THE NEXT MORNING.

O
NE DARTED OUT IN FRONT OF HIM.

H
E PEDALED HARD.

I
T DROPPED THE THING INTO ITS MOUTH.

L
ISTENING AS IF TRANSFIXED

J
ULES WAS ON HIS PHONE.

J
ULES DROPPED THEM OFF.

T
HEY WERE MIRROR IMAGES OF EACH OTHER.

“N
OT MY PROBLEM.”

T
HE GIANT ROARED, BEATING ITS CHEST.

I
T LOOKED LONG ABANDONED.

“T
HEY’RE FAERIES!”

J
ARED STOOD ON THE SLOPE.

“Y
OU BETTER SHUT UP, LARD ASS.”

I
TS ENORMOUS EYES FIXED ON TALOA.

N
ICK’S PALMS WENT DAMP WITH SWEAT