"Shh!" whispered Curious Janie Query as she stepped behind a huge oak tree, drawing her friend Prudence Leery with her. Somewhere to their right they heard the sounds of leaves rustling, muffled talk, and labored grunts.

This gnarled oak tree, their hiding place, had stood guard in the Garden of Eternal Peace for hundreds of years. The initials J Q for John Query, Janie's grandfather, were etched high in its bark. He was a small boy when he carved them. The tree had grown and with each passing year the initials were higher on the tree trunk. Her father had often lifted Janie up to view her grandfather's handiwork.

Prudence, who was known by everyone as Pru, was Janie's best friend and constant companion. Now she huddled closer to Janie and whispered, "What is it?"

For answer Janie reached out and luckily found Pru's face, hoping to cover her mouth, and whispered "Shh" again. They didn't dare use their flashlight even though it was nearly nine o'clock. With no moon the area was so dark that they could only dimly make out a form, but could not really see each other. Janie could see the tombstones, but now they looked like threatening ghostly silhouettes standing guard.

Janie took her hand from Pru's face, but suddenly covered it again and pulled Pru tighter against her as she shrank into the tree's rough bark.

A thud was heard as if something had fallen, followed by a minced "Drat" and the sounds were not that far away. As they shrank into the tree afraid to breathe, slow muted footsteps moved step by step, closer and closer, directly toward their hiding place.

"I'd like to know what's in this thing, wouldn't you," said a voice so close that Janie drew in a quick breath and held it. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she just knew it could be heard. She sucked in air as she felt Pru go limp and start sliding toward the ground. It was then she heard a hoarse guttural whisper.

"You don't get paid to be nosey," or that's what it sounded like to Janie. The voice was so rough and hoarse and she was holding Pru so tightly against her that she wasn't sure if she'd heard correctly.

The darkness and being dressed in indigo denim jeans and jacket were a bonus to their secrecy, as was the breadth of the tree trunk behind which they were hiding. Janie didn't think they could be seen, but unexpectedly a sliver of the moon sailed from behind a cloud, casting a dim silvery light over the scene.

Janie stood almost petrified with fear. Her arms ached with trying to hold Pru upright, but she had to keep Pru from falling. Any noise would reveal their hiding place. When the moonlight spread, Janie tried to shrink further into the tree and pulled Pru against her more tightly.

Afraid to get a deep breath, Janie stood rooted to the spot. Fear wasn't the only problem though. Breathing had become very difficult with her effort to keep Pru on her feet. Making her effort worse was Pru's elbow, which had somehow gotten against Janie's windpipe, making her feel faint. She moved her head slightly and drew in a big gulp of air just as the footsteps halted. Only the tree separated the two girls from the voices.

Janie started shaking as panic skittered through her, making her scalp tingle. She gritted her teeth, determined to withstand whatever would happen next. Pru and I will never leave the Garden of Eternal Peace, she thought and cringed inside.

She felt a nervous impulse to chuckle. Peace was certainly not what she was experiencing right now, for tears were slowing seeping from her eyes.

Peeping around the edge of the tree, Janie saw a tall man with a slouch hat of some dark material, drawn low over his forehead. He was breathing heavily. He stood silently turned away from their hiding place for a few seconds then groaned painfully and bending down he picked up his load. Again, he started walking slowly and heavily with each step a labored, bent-forward thrust.

That must be really heavy, thought Janie, as she listened to his labored gasps for air and watched him straining with every step. As he moved on past the tree, Janie realized that he was only carrying one end of a long box or crate. His partner on the other end of the load was hidden behind a large tombstone, but he would soon come into view.

Janie didn't get to see him though. The night was suddenly dark again as a cloud hid the moon once more.

"We'll have to lug this crate back the same way, but I'd rather do this than be down there, wouldn't you?" asked the tall man and Janie waited for the other man to answer.

When he did, his voice was the same guttural rough whisper she'd heard before. The sound came out as whispered spurts or rough whistled rasps.

"You do what you're told. It's a lot safer," or again that's what Janie thought he said. She was so scared, and as before, his spastic rough whisper was hard to understand.

Janie was becoming numb in her cramped, stilted position, and felt she might faint if she didn't soon get relief, but the footsteps finally faded away. The tall man's voice became fainter and fainter as it moved toward the main entrance of the cemetery and then was heard no more.

Janie stood still, holding Pru close to her, but when the moon slid from behind a cloud again, she released her. She fell to the ground ker-plunk.

"Ouch! Why did you knock me down?" demanded Pru as she jerked awake.

"I didn't knock you down. You fainted and I've had to hide and hold you on your feet the whole time. You're no help at all. You didn't get to see a thing," scolded Janie.

Pru lay on the ground for a moment with a strange puzzled look on her face. Suddenly she sat up and Janie reached for her hand to help her to her feet.

"Are they gone?"

"Of course they're gone. I wouldn't have let you fall if they were still here."

Janie had forgotten to whisper, but now she lowered her voice. Suddenly it was dark again. "Let's go. We can't see a thing tonight anyway."

"Wait, my legs won't work. They're asleep." Pru whispered.

They stood waiting until Pru was recovered enough to walk. The moon slid into view again and Janie looked up at the sky. "I hope it doesn't rain. We need to come back when it's daylight and see where those two men came from. If it rains it will wash out their footprints."

"What if they are still here? They could be hiding so they can catch us," whimpered Pru softly as they were again plunged into darkness.

"Pru, it's too dark for them to see us. They wouldn't have to hide. They can't see us and we can't see them. Come on. They're gone. I guess I'll have to start believing some of Kyle Jester's wild tales."

"Turn on your flashlight, Janie. I can't see my hand in front of me. We'll fall into one of these tombstones and knock our brains out trying to walk in the dark," cautioned Pru.

"If we do, we won't have to be carried too far to be buried. After all, this is the Garden of Eternal Peace," said Janie, chuckling as the beam from her light penetrated the smothering darkness.

Pru was eleven to Janie's twelve years, but heavier built and taller than Janie. Prudence had never been as daring as Janie, though.

"Why do we need to come back and see anything? Those men aren't bothering us. I don't like the dark especially in a cemetery. Why do you always want to check out everything you hear about, Janie?"

Just then the moon made another appearance to reveal the owlish stare of...