Chapter
One
Michiko
Koyama was grinning as she started up the winding trail, a smile that
spread to her brown eyes. "The rain's finally gone!" she
said, snapping her fingers. The seeming with the yellow sweater and
the black jeans vanished, revealing her "Monkey Queen"
outfit, the black t-shirt and leggings, the yellow karate jacket, the
red pillbox hat with the long matching scarf that snapped in the
morning breeze. It had been a quiet morning, and Michiko treasured
it; being a hero meant that there weren't too many of those.
"Yeah,"
Beth McGill said as she walked alongside Michiko, brushing back her
brownish blonde hair with her fingers and pushing her thick-lensed
glasses up her nose. "So, of course, I'll be stuck inside all
day." She pulled her green army jacket shut against the February
chill, covering her MST3K t-shirt. She was wearing a heavy backpack
and holding a canvas shopping bag with the top of a thermos sticking
out; though her jacket's pockets had been enchanted to hold much more
than even the biggest purses, she still had to carry anything that
was too wide to fit into them.
Beth
was a sophomore at Cooper College, located in the center of the
nearby town of Nortonville, and it had been there on a Friday night
the previous October that she had met the Monkey Queen. Michiko had
shown up in time to rescue Beth from an ogre, just as Beth had
discovered that she had second sight, the ability to see through and
dispel seemings and other illusions. They had worked together to
rescue Puck, an Emigre from Faerie who was an English professor at
Cooper College, after he had been kidnapped.
They
quickly become roommates and best friends, and Beth had joined
Michiko as her partner in adventure. They worked together to help
keep the peace among the various hidden communities of faeries and
other Emigres in and around town, and deal with any threats from
within the communities and from outside—"saving the world,"
as Michiko put it. They had spent time in Faerie for several days on
two recent occasions, and Beth had been trying to catch up and get
ahead on her studying ever since.
"All
day?" Michiko asked.
"Yeah.
I got stuck with two hard-nosed professors this semester." Beth
shook her head.
"So
that means..." Michiko glanced up and down the trail, checking
to confirm they were alone. "I'll have to wait until tonight to
do this again!" She leaned over and gave Beth a quick, soft kiss
on her cheek.
"You
big doofus." A warm smile spread across Beth's face. She reached
down and took Michiko's hand in hers with an affectionate squeeze as
her bright blue eyes sparkled.
Michiko
felt her heart race as she smiled back at Beth. She had fallen for
her the day they had met—"The first time I saw you smile,"
Michiko had said—and she still couldn't believe that Beth had come
to feel the same way, even as they held hands while they walked, even
with the sweet embraces and kisses on the cheeks when they could
steal a few minutes alone. They were small steps, tentative ones, but
they thrilled Michiko like nothing else.
They
rounded a bend in the trail and saw the top of the old barn,
overgrown and abandoned to all appearances. They knew it was anything
but; the Wonderland Diner and Tavern was shielded by seemings that
even Beth couldn't see through. With one final squeeze, Michiko let
go of Beth's hand.
It
had been a mutual decision to keep their growing feelings for each
other private, and not the easiest one. Michiko had wanted to share
the news with everyone at first, because she had been so overjoyed,
but Beth had pointed out that it was still early, and they were
taking things slow anyway. And although Nortonville was liberal, and
most Emigres were accepting of same-sex relationships, there was
always the concern about a backlash if they went public. Michiko went
along with Beth's wishes, though reluctantly.
Michiko
knew that, deep down, there was another reason why Beth had wanted to
keep their budding romance a secret. Beth hadn't decided if she was
ready to commit to a relationship with the Monkey Queen, if she
wanted to spend a good part of her life helping to save the world.
Still, Michiko had a hunch which way Beth was leaning, and it grew
stronger with every smile from her, every kiss on the cheek, every
lingering embrace.
Michiko
loved those moments, and wanted more of them. Deep down, she longed
to take the next small step, to kiss the lips that smiled so
warmly...but she didn't want to pressure Beth. She feared, even if
she knew deep down she was worrying needlessly, that if she were to
press the issue Beth would pull back, and their relationship would
collapse. So Michiko let Beth set the pace, and treasured what time
they could find to be alone together.
"Just
a quick stop?" Michiko asked as she walked up to the door of the
old barn.
"It
had better be." Beth shook her head. "My TA will kill me if
I'm late again. Thanks," she added as Michiko held the door for
her.
"You're
welcome!" Michiko said, smiling as she followed Beth inside.
*
* *
Thirteen
courts ruled Faerie.
This
statement did not apply to the lands that the creatures that were not
faeries called home, the dwarven holdings in the north and the
Hoblands to the south, the misty Spriteling Isles and the sprawling
and slightly crazy city of Cloudsoar, and many more. And it did not
apply to the Far Lands on the other side of the world, which the
Courts tried on principle to ignore as much as possible.
But
the thirteen Courts were always there, a looming presence. From the
somewhat progressive House Astrida to the infighting of House
Montague, from the sullen dictatorship that marked House Travian to
the cult of personality that was House Wrexham, every faerie was
bound by blood and tradition to one of their courts—except for
those that had abandoned them to come to Dawnhome.
It
was once a smallish city, a popular stop for river traffic. Then a
gremlin inventor named Skyward had arrived with his prototype
airship, and the city leaders saw the potential immediately. Within a
few years, they had built the first and largest airship terminal in
all of Faerie, and over the last century Dawnhome had grown faster
and become more prosperous than any of the Courts. The Dukes and
Counts and Earls all snarled and gnashed their teeth, but they knew
how important Dawnhome had become to Faerie as a whole, so they
curried the favor of the city's leaders while they built their own
terminals and secretly planned their own aerial armadas.
There
was one other thing about Dawnhome that drew the Courts' attention,
and that was the auldgate. It had been sealed for centuries, but had
reopened three decades ago. It led to Earth, where magic had been
slowly starting to return, and a college town with plenty of
untouched land nearby.
The
auldgate was a magnet for Faerie's disgruntled and disaffected from
the moment it reopened. There were faeries who had attracted the ire
of the Courts, dwarves looking for retirement property, pixies and
gremlins drawn by the lure of the new, and others, and all of them
went through the auldgate to new homes and lives. Publicly, the
Courts complained loudly. Privately, they were glad to have a place
to send malcontents to, and some had also used the auldgate's back
side on Earth to surreptitiously visit the Far Lands, so they did not
take any action beyond forcing Dawnhome's leaders to post guards on
the auldgate.
Dawnhome
responded by hiring a private security company that recruited trolls
to do the work. In theory, this was supposed to keep traffic through
the auldgate down. In practice, the troll guards let almost everyone
through, though the bribes some collected supplemented their pay
nicely. And so, over the years, Emigres from throughout Faerie had
passed through to Nortonville, California to find new homes and new
lives.
*
* *
It
was early morning in Dawnhome as the family walked down the Avenue of
Discovery. The faerie husband held his wife's hand and carried their
sleepy young daughter.
They
approached the auldgate, halfway between the port and the airship
terminal along the Avenue. The square that surrounded the auldgate,
which was filled with food carts and their customers later in the
day, was deserted at that hour except for three troll guards. One of
them, older than the others, leaned on his halberd as he tried to
stay awake, while the tallest one had wandered away from the auldgate
and was noisily eating a leftover pirogi.
The
troll nearest the auldgate, who wore sergeant's stripes, looked down
at the faeries. "Names and purpose?" he said.
"Marcus,"
the male faerie said as the woman handed the guard some papers. "My
wife is Claudia, and this is Juno, my daughter. We're going to visit
my in-laws at the encampment."
"This
early?" The sergeant glanced up from the papers, raising an
eyebrow.
"Juno
couldn't wait to see her Aunt Libby. She spoils her rotten." The
faerie grinned.
The
tall troll lowered his pirogi and stared at the faeries for a long
moment. "Aren't we supposed to be looking out for a family of
three?" he said.
The
sergeant glared at his subordinate. "Those are two pixies and a
gremlin!" he snapped. "These are faeries!" He handed
the papers back to Claudia.
"But—"
The tall troll fell quiet as the sergeant glared at him. He quickly
stuffed the half-eaten pirogi into his mouth. The sergeant rolled his
eyes as he stepped aside, holding out a hand.
Marcus
dropped a small pouch into the troll's hand. "Have a good day,"
the faerie said as he and his family faced the auldgate, the black
marble frame with the center swirling with silver and white energy
and a touch of hope.
*
* *
The
faerie family stepped through the auldgate onto a stone platform,
glancing at the giant sequoia trees that surrounded them, inhaling
the crisp winter air as birds chirped their morning songs. They moved
off the platform, the auldgate vanishing from sight as they did.
"Lords and Ladies be thanked," Marcus said. "We've
made it."
"They
won't follow us?" Claudia glanced back nervously at the
platform. "That one guard seemed suspicious."
"That
bribe should keep them from asking more questions." Marcus
looked around. "We're supposed to find the old barn nearby. It's
a restaurant, a gathering place for other refugees."
Claudia
nodded. "I think we can get rid of these seemings now." She
snapped her fingers, and the illusion that concealed her true
appearance vanished. Her pink pixie wings fluttered in the morning
breeze.
Her
husband snapped his fingers in turn. He straightened the bowler hat
on his head, between his high and pointed ears, and adjusted the
heavy backpack he wore. "Julia?" the gremlin said to the
girl he was carrying. "You need to snap your fingers now,
punkin, just like me and Mommy."
The
girl nodded nervously and snapped her fingers. Her seeming vanished.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" she asked as her tiny wings,
which were pink like her mother's, fluttered.
"To
get breakfast. Maybe they'll have pancakes!"
"Yummy!"
Julia said. For the first time in what seemed like weeks, her father
smiled. They walked into the woods as the morning sun rose, seemingly
to greet Nortonville's newest Emigres.
*
* *
It
had been another quiet
Wednesday
morning at Wonderland until the gremlin and the two pixies had come
in, cold and nervous and, even though they were in the right place,
lost. Mandy, the pixie waitress
who worked morning shifts at the diner, had had experience with new
Emigres before, so she sat them at a table near a window by the front
door, brought coffee for the adults and hot chocolate for Julia, and
made a phone call from the kitchen.
The
young pixie had started to wander around the diner, her mother
following at a discreet distance, when the faerie in extravagant
clothing arrived. He spoke briefly to Mandy, who pointed to the table
by the window. The gremlin who had sat there, his back to the door,
was staring at the tabletop, holding his derby hat in his hands.
The
faerie walked over to the table and stretched out a hand.
"Clockwise?" he said.
The
gremlin looked up at the faerie. "Purple?" he said. "I'm
assuming you're not one of Wrexham's men."
"Far
from it." The faerie smiled. "I'm Windsor. Welcome to Earth."
"Thank
you." Clockwise shook Windsor's hand.
"We
do have quite a bit to discuss. Perhaps your wife and daughter should
join us?"
Clockwise
nodded and looked around the diner. He saw Julia in the back,
standing by a very large padded armchair and staring at the larger
reptilian creature who sat in it, the daily newspaper in his lap as
he sipped from a quart-sized coffee cup.
Sam
looked down at the little pixie girl. His face wasn't built for
smiling any more than his voicebox was for speaking English, but he
still tried his best as he waved "hello" with his right
hand. The girl's wide-eyed expression did not change. Sam set his
coffee down and waved with his left hand, with the same result. "Come
along, Julia," her mother said as she took the girl's hand and
led her away. Sam continued to wave until Julia sat down with her
parents at Windsor's table.
*
* *
"At
some point," Windsor was saying, "one or both of you may
have to seek a job among humans. When that happens, you'll need more
than a seeming. You'll need a human identity. I can connect you with
someone who can set that up, but there will be a fee."
Clockwise
nodded as he took another bite of his veggie scramble. Windsor had
insisted on buying breakfast for the Emigre family, though there had
been a minor ruckus before Julia finally agreed to eat her fruit
before her pancakes. "Hopefully, it won't come to that,"
the gremlin said.
"Also,
you may need to convert your Faerie coins into dollars, the currency
humans use here." Windsor leaned forward in his chair. "I
can assist you with that, though again, there will be a fee."
"We
do have some money left," Clockwise said. "Not as much as
we would have hoped, though."
"We
spent most of it getting out of Faerie," his wife added, keeping
one eye on her daughter, who was rolling her last grape around her
plate with her fingertips. "We had to pay for seemings and
identification papers, and the airship flight out of Cloudsoar."
"And
a bribe for the auldgate guards." Clockwork scowled.
"A
necessary evil," Windsor said with a slight smile, "when
dealing with those trolls..."
His
voice trailed off as the door opened. Beth hurried in, glancing
around quickly and nodding at some of the regulars seated near the
door. "Hey," she said to Mandy as the waitress walked up to
her.
"Good
morning," Mandy said. "Here for breakfast on a Wednesday?"
"If
only." Beth pulled the thermos from her bag. "But could you
get Briella to fill this up? I'm going to need all the coffee I can
get today."
"Got
it." Mandy took the thermos and headed for the pastry counter.
Beth
walked towards the back of the diner, where Sam sat in his big chair,
reading his newspaper. "Sam?" she said.
The
reptilian lowered his paper and glanced over the top. He set the
paper aside and took a battered and worn lift-and-erase board from
the wall where it hung. He wrote carefully on it with a talon and
showed Beth what he had written: Good
morning, Beth.
"Hey,"
Beth said. "The order came in." She reached into her canvas
bag and took out three lift-and-erase boards, all brand new but
otherwise identical to the one Sam held. "I'll ask Mandy to find
a place to store the extras," she said as she set the boards on
the table by Sam's coffee cup. "Do you need me to open one up
for you?"
Sam
slowly shook his head as he picked up one board. Using a talon, he
carefully sliced through the shrinkwrap and cut the cardboard apart.
He took the board out and scrawled on it with a talon. He lifted the
cover with a satisfied grunt, wiping out the scrawl. He wrote on the
board and held it up for Beth to see: Thank
you, my friend.
Beth
smiled. "Any time, big guy. Let me know if any of them are
defective. I can talk to the seller I got them from on eBay—"
There
was a crashing sound from a table near the window. She glanced over
and saw Michiko standing there, picking up a chair and talking to a
gremlin and a pixie as Windsor watched. A little pixie girl was also
there, happily slicing pancakes, and Beth's jaw dropped when she saw
her. "Got to run," she said to Sam as she hurried away.
*
* *
Michiko
stretched as she waited by the door, watching Beth walking over to
Sam. She checked around for some of the other weekday regulars.
Scylla hadn't come in yet, and Mec was running late as usual, but the
dwarves were gathered at their table, busy with hearty breakfasts and
conversation punctuated with boisterous laughter. Ulbricht spotted
her and waved; she waved back with a grin.
She
looked over at the table near the window where Windsor usually held
court. He was there with a gremlin wearing a derby hat and a pixie
with pink wings; Michiko guessed they were new Emigres, getting help
settling in.
Michiko
saw there was another pixie at the table, a young one with pink wings
who was pouring syrup on her pancakes. Michiko's eyes widened as
memories flooded through her of an airship voyage gone wrong, of a
sacrifice she had almost made and the adventure that had ensued.
The
gremlin glanced over his shoulder. He jumped to his feet, so quickly
that he knocked over his chair. "Monkey Queen?" he said as
he gaped at Michiko.
"Oh
my gosh." Michiko hurried over to the table and picked up the
chair, setting it upright before the gremlin could react. She then
stepped back and stared again at the pixie girl she had rescued on
that day in November.
The
gremlin took off his derby hat as Beth approached the table. "I
am Clockwise," he said slowly. "This is my wife, Eveline."
She nodded as Clockwise continued, "The girl is my daughter,
Julia."
"Hi,"
Michiko said. "This is my partner, Beth McGill."
"Hey."
Beth took a quick breath. "I hope I'm not being rude, but I do
need to run if I'm going to get to class on time."
"Of
course," Clockwise said.
"Don't
hit Latte's pastry cart first!" Michiko said to Beth.
"Maybe
just a scone," Beth said with a smile. "See you tonight."
Michiko nodded and smiled back, trying not to blush, as Beth walked
away, taking her thermos from Mandy as she headed for the door.
Michiko's
smile faded as she turned back to Clockwise and his family. "You've
emigrated?" she said softly.
"We
have, and not willingly." The gremlin shook his head.
"Sometimes, the workings of Fate seem to develop a stripped gear
or two."
"Do
you mind if I ask what happened?"
"Not
at all." Michiko sat down next to Windsor as Clockwise began his
tale.
*
* *
"It
started with that airship trip. I'm a timepiece craftsman and
salesman—rather, I was one, traveling frequently back and forth
between Cloudsoar and Dawnhome. I usually traveled alone, but I had
brought Julia on that trip because Eveline had business meetings.
"I
hadn't expected trouble when I brought Julia up on deck to see the
faerie warship. But then Wrexham's men found out you were on board,
and they tilted our ship to try to capture you, and..."
Clockwise
gripped his hat tightly in his hands. "I still remember Julia
letting go of the bench. I remember you grabbing her, throwing her to
me, telling me not to let her go even as you fell off the airship.
I...I still have nightmares." Michiko nodded, a sad look in her
eyes, as Windsor watched quietly.
"I
knew everything had changed even before we landed," Clockwise
continued. "The other passengers started spreading the story,
telling anyone who would listen about your sacrifice, about how
reckless and heartless Wrexham's men were. Then Eveline and I heard
the rumors that you had survived and escaped, that you defeated and
humiliated Wrexham with help from a band of pirates.
"The
newspapers in Cloudsoar tracked me down and interviewed me. I told
them what had happened, how you had saved Julia's life, and when they
printed the story, the trouble began. Wrexham's opponents, both in
and out of the Courts, held us up as a symbol of his cruelty and
ruthlessness. His supporters dragged my name through the mud."
"There
are many pixies and gremlins," Eveline added, "who loathe
Wrexham and the Courts. Unfortunately, many of our 'friends' were not
among them."
"And
they didn't back us," Clockwise said, "when the threats
began. When Eveline was pressured to leave her job, when we had to
pull Julia out of school. And then I was fired, from a job I'd had
for fourteen years, with no explanation or apologies.
"Then,
we found out what Wrexham had planned next. We were told, by a member
of the Forest Guard, that there was arson planned, that our house was
to be burned down as we slept. This was two days ago."
"The
Forest Guard?" Michiko asked.
"Yes.
I never did get her name, though."
"I
can guess who it was." Michiko smiled slightly.
"Of
course." Clockwise shifted in his seat. "We knew someone
who knew someone, and that's how we got seemings and fake
identification papers. We boarded the first airship we could get for
Dawnhome and hid in a hotel room until we could risk slipping through
the auldgate. And now..." He stared at the table. "At least
we made it here."
Michiko
nodded. "Clockwise, Eveline...I'm sorry."
The
gremlin lifted his head. "Sorry?"
"It's
my fault that Wrexham ruined your life. If Beth and I hadn't been on
that ship, if we had hidden below decks, if we weren't caught by
Wrexham's men, none of this would have happened to you." Michiko
blinked. "I took everything you had away from you. I'm sorry."
Clockwise
stared at Michiko. "You...believe that, Monkey Queen? You really
do?"
"I
do." Michiko looked down, her face red, not reacting when
Windsor gently laid a hand on her shoulder.
The
gremlin swallowed. "You didn't take anything away," he said
quietly. "It was all Wrexham and his supporters. You gave me
something back. You saved my daughter, my beautiful little girl, and
I never thought I'd get the chance to say this..." Michiko
looked up at Clockwise as he started to cry. "Thank you,"
he whispered as Eveline put her arm around his shoulders. Michiko
nodded, knowing that she would also be crying if she tried to say
anything.
Julia
looked up from her empty plate. "Daddy?" she said. "Why
are you crying?"
"Because
he loves you very, very much, punkin," Eveline said softly.
Clockwise nodded as he wiped his eyes.
"Okay.
Could I have some more pancakes?"
Clockwise
smiled. "You may, punkin." Eveline glanced at Windsor; he
nodded and turned to wave down Mandy.
"You
like pancakes?" Michiko said to the girl.
Julia
nodded. "They're my favorite!"
"Mine
too!" Michiko smiled. "They're so yummy!"
"But
you have to put lots of syrup on them."
"That's
what I do!"
"And
you also have to use fresh baking soda," Julia said. "That
makes the pancakes fluffier. Could you pass the syrup, please?"
Michiko
glanced at Julia's parents as she handed the girl the syrup bottle.
"Don't look at me," Eveline said. "I'm a fashion
designer."
"We
always say she got it from her nana," Clockwise added.
"Well,
Julia," Michiko said slowly, "if you stay on your best
behavior, maybe the next time you're here, the chef will let you see
the kitchen!"
"Okay!"
Julia said with a smile. Michiko smiled back.
*
* *
"Blargh!"
Gregor said as he stuck his head out of Michiko's shoulder bag. "Why
do you always have to tell me those schmaltzy stories?"
"Because
you're a big softie deep down inside!" Michiko said cheerfully
as she walked through the woods. There had been several muggings in
town lately, and reports from the faerie encampment of ogre activity
nearby. She thought the two might be connected, and had brought
Gregor along to help her investigate.
The
guinea pig snorted. "The only thing soft about me is the fur."
Gregor had been a powerful but selfish sorcerer a millennium ago, and
when he was offered reincarnation for a chance at redemption, he
eagerly accepted. However, being brought back as a small, fuzzy black
and white rodent had reduced his skills and sharpened his temper.
"I
know!" Michiko grinned. "It's part of what makes you so
cute!"
"Sometimes,"
Gregor muttered, "I think I'd prefer going back to Limbo over—"
"Hold
that complaint." Michiko's smile vanished as she climbed over a
tree that had fallen during a recent storm. She could see a clearing
nearby, where the higher branches of the surrounding trees wove
together to form a makeshift and somewhat leaky roof. The ground
there was covered with fast food wrappers, dirty clothing, and two
oversized sleeping bags.
"Not
that concerned with tidiness, are they?" Gregor said as they
reached the clearing.
"Or
their health!" Michiko pointed at the wrappers. "All that
fried food will take ten years off their lives!"
"What
next?"
Michiko
set the shoulder bag on the ground. "You start searching for
clues."
"And
what will you be doing?" Gregor said as he crawled out of the
bag. "Writing up diet plans?"
"Nope!"
Michiko turned her back to the clearing and dropped into a crouch,
her staff tucked under her right arm. "Kicking the butts of the
two ogres who've been following us for the last few minutes!"
"What
ogres—" Gregor stopped as a loud roar came from the nearby
trees. Two monstrous figures that could only be mistaken for humans
from a great distance smashed through the woods and ran towards
Michiko, clubs raised. They were easily two feet taller than her,
dressed in castoff clothing that was at least one size too small,
with pale skin, thin hair, and yellow eyes that matched their pointed
teeth. "Monkey Queen?" the guinea pig said.
"Search
the lair!" Michiko jumped high in the air, somersaulting over
the ogres' heads. She landed behind them and ran off, just slowly
enough for the ogres to follow.
"You're
in charge," Gregor said, shrugging as best as he could with
guinea pig shoulders. He began to dig through the trash-strewn
clearing.
*
* *
Michiko
stopped in front of the fallen tree and waited for the ogres to catch
up to her. "Wow, you guys are out of shape!" she said to
them. "All that burger grease is slowing you down!"
"Any
more jokes?" one ogre growled.
"Besides
your onion breath?" Michiko made a face. "Not really, no."
"Enough
mockery!" The ogre raised his club.
Without
looking, Michiko jumped up and backwards. She landed on her feet on
the fallen tree. "But I've got mockery I haven't used yet!"
she said with a pout. The side of the fallen tree was surprisingly
smooth and level, and it was easy for Michiko to keep her balance.
She was still careful, moving slowly as the ogres closed in. One
jumped up onto one end of the tree, near the roots.
"Ha!"
Michiko turned and saw the other ogre climbing onto the tree, near a
clump of branches. "You were foolish, Monkey Queen!"
"Were?"
Michiko said.
"You're
trapped!" The ogre pointed up with his club. "We have you
between us, and if you try to jump, you'll crash into those low
branches!"
"Oh,
no," Michiko said in a flat voice. "I am about to be
charged at by two ferocious, clever ogres. I am surely doomed."
The
ogre who had spoken grinned as he approached Michiko, club raised.
Michiko looked over her shoulder and saw the other ogre running at
her from behind. "Die, Monkey Queen!" he shouted.
She
lowered her staff and waited until both of the ogres were almost upon
her. Then, she jumped off the tree to the ground below. Ogres,
she thought as they ran into each other.
Michiko
turned and saw that one ogre was staggering back, while the other was
spinning his arms around, trying to stay upright. She jumped back on
the tree and struck the off-balance ogre on the head with her staff;
he tumbled off the tree and hit the ground with a thud.
The
other ogre was almost on her, but she easily dodged the first swing
of his club. Before he could swing again, she had leaped in the air
and kicked him twice in the head. As he reeled, she landed and
unleashed an uppercut punch at his jaw; it connected, and he slumped
across the tree, out cold.
Michiko
took a quick deep breath, but as she exhaled, she felt the fist
hitting her in the back, knocking her off the log. Ouch,
she thought as she slid head first on her stomach across the muddy
ground.
Above
and behind her, she could hear the ogre chortle. "Any last
words, Monkey Queen?" he said.
Michiko
rolled on her back. She saw the ogre's club coming at her head, and
she quickly raised her staff. The club shattered as it struck her
weapon.
The
shocked ogre stared at what was left of his club. "How about
these," Michiko said as she drew her legs back. "Mix in a
salad or two!"
She
kicked up, connecting with the ogre's solar plexus, sending him
spinning into the air. As he started to come down, Michiko jumped to
her feet. She swung her staff at the ogre, hitting him in the side.
He flew through the air, smashed into a nearby redwood, and dropped
to the ground, unconscious.
Michiko
grinned as she caught her breath. She looked down at the ogres, and
her grin faded. "Oh, great," she muttered. "Now I have
to drag them back to the campsite." She pulled the one ogre off
the fallen tree by his collar, grabbed the other's jacket, and set
off through the forest.
*
* *
Gregor
looked up from a pile of refuse as Michiko reached the campsite,
towing the ogres behind her. "That didn't take long," the
guinea pig said.
"I
got in some butt-kicking and gave them some healthy eating lessons!"
Michiko grinned. "I could host a talk show!"
"The
one thing that could get me to swear off television for good,"
Gregor muttered.
"Everybody's
a critic." Michiko dropped the unconscious ogres to the ground.
"Anything?"
"Not
much." Gregor tapped a piece of white paper next to him. "But
I did find this receipt from the sporting goods store for the
sleeping bags. It dates back to Sunday, and they paid in cash."
"And
that's when the muggings started."
"To
get money for food?"
"It
may be more than that." Michiko scowled. "If they were
buying sleeping bags and greasy burgers, they have to have had human
seemings. But who did they get them from?"
"And
they wouldn't be the first ogres with seemings we've seen recently,"
Gregor said.
"Good
point." Michiko reached into a pocket. "Get a barrier spell
up around them. I'll call Linden at the encampment to send some—"
She
stopped as she heard the fluttering wings. She saw a pigeon swooping
down through the trees. It landed on a branch and stared unblinkingly
at Michiko and Gregor. "What does he want?" the guinea pig
asked.
"Sorry,
birdie," Michiko said cheerfully, "but I forgot to bring
bread crumbs—"
With
a loud flapping of a wings and a threatening collective coo, several
dozen pigeons flew out of the trees at her and Gregor. Michiko raised
her hands to cover her face as the birds pushed into her, staggering
her. She heard Gregor curse loudly as she tried to keep her balance.
The
assault ended as suddenly as it began, the pigeons pulling back from
Michiko and taking to the skies. "Gregor!" she said,
lowering her arms. "Are you okay?"
"I
am," the guinea pig said. "It took me a moment to get a
barrier spell up. Are they gone?"
Michiko
glanced around the clearing as she brushed feathers off her jacket.
"They are," she said, "and so are the ogres."
"So
the pigeons were a distraction?"
"And
someone had to have sent them. Pigeons are urban birds, not forest
birds."
"There's
someone who works with ogres and pigeons?" Gregor asked as
Michiko bent to pick up him and the shoulder bag.
Michiko
frowned. "I should know this," she said. "I keep
thinking there's something in the back of my head I need to remember,
but it's not coming to me."
"Give
it time," Gregor said.
"I
just hope we have time to give," Michiko said as she started out
of the clearing. "I need to figure this out before someone else
gets hurt."
*
* *
Chapter
Two
"I'll
get you!" The thin bald man in the dark robe struggled in the
automaton's grasp, glaring at the pixie in the purple jumpsuit. "All
of you! I'll have my revenge! Release me at once!" he snapped
over his shoulder at the automaton. It stared straight ahead, its
clockwork copper gears poking through the gaps in its ceramic body,
as it continued with the task it had been magically programmed for,
the physical restraint of prisoners.
"Blade
Buskin," the pixie said calmly, "you are under arrest by
the Bureau of Interdimensional Policing for various offenses."
Her orange wings, which jutted through twin slits cut in the back of
her jumpsuit, fluttered in the afternoon breeze. "A list will be
presented to you upon arraignment. You have the right to—"
"I'll
destroy you!" Spittle flew as Buskin ranted. "You and your
precious BIP! The streets of a hundred worlds will run red with—"
"Remain
silent." The pixie sighed as she pointed at her prisoner and
gestured. His shouting stopped, though he continued to rant
wordlessly.
The
red-haired human in the green blouse and black slacks shook her head.
"I think that's a procedural violation, Twy," she murmured.
"You
of all people pointing that out, Theresa." Twy grinned and
pushed her black hair out of her eyes. "Besides, his ranting
might draw someone's attention."
"A
valid point," Theresa said. She knew that the concealment spell
that had been cast would keep most of what was happening hidden from
curious passersby, but those spells never worked too well with loud
noises such as Buskin's screaming. "Back to HQ with him?"
"Right.
The higher-ups have been waiting for a long time for this." Twy
pulled up the left sleeve of her jumpsuit, revealing a silver arm
guard that was engraved with faintly glowing runes. "By the
way..."
"I
know what you're about to ask, and the answer is still no. I'm happy
here."
The
pixie sighed. "I know. But after the string of idiots the Bureau
keeps sticking me with, I've realized that I could never have asked
for a better partner."
Theresa
looked over at the crowd gathered near the front door to the
apartment building down the street. There were three men and two
women there, along with a small furry creature hiding behind a trash
can. Her gaze settled on one of the men, young and skinny, with brown
hair and eyes and a nose that seemed too big for the rest of his face
at first but fit in fine when one got used to it. "Neither could
I," Theresa said as the man she had glanced at fussed with his
bomber jacket and pretended he wasn't listening.
"Had
to try." Twy smiled as she ran a finger along the runes on her
arm guard. "Take care, Theresa."
"And
you, old friend." Theresa waved as she returned the pixie's
smile.
Twy
gestured. She, her automaton and her silently ranting prisoner all
vanished, gated back to BIP headquarters courtesy of the transport
spell encoded in her arm guard. The concealment spell disappeared as
well, and what had been a BIP crime scene was just another street in
San Francisco on a surprisingly sunny December afternoon.
Theresa
turned to face the others. "So what's the plan?" the man in
the bomber jacket asked.
"Well..."
Theresa stopped and covered her mouth with one hand as she silently
belched. "Charlie, I...think I need to...go inside for a few
minutes."
"Are
you okay?"
"I'll
be fine." Theresa sprinted past Charlie and the others and into
the building.
"I
need to get going too." The tall man with the dreadlocks and the
green trenchcoat turned to face Charlie, the winter sun weakly
reflecting off his wraparound sunglasses. "I wanted to check in
on Linnya."
"I
thought Jake was watching her," Charlie said.
“Really!”
one of the woman exclaimed. She had dark skin, black hair, a
knee-length blue dress with a good deal of matching jewelry, and
glasses with very thick lenses. "How sweet!”
The
other woman rolled her eyes. "Like that's going to help her get
better." She was tall and pale, with long straight red hair,
wearing a white blouse, a black vest and knee-length skirt, and
floppy black boots.
"Henrietta,"
the woman in blue said softly, with just a hint of reproach.
Charlie
nodded. "Thanks again, Pierre," he said to the man in the
trenchcoat.
"Not
a problem," Pierre answered. "Hitchcock?"
The
bawson that had been in hiding stepped out from behind the trash can.
"You rang?" he said in a voice that sounded as if it were
fueled by helium. He was brown-furred with stubby limbs and a
black-tipped tail. The white rings of fur around his eyes contrasted
with the baggy black shorts he wore, and the big red bow tie that
adorned his neck.
"You're
coming with me," Pierre said. "We need to try to find
Dobrenyi after we're done at the hospital."
"And
see Linnya!" Hitchcock straightened his bow tie. "Need a
lift?"
"No,
I brought my car." Pierre raised a hand and walked away as the
others waved goodbye.
Hitchcock's
eyes lit up as he hurried after Pierre. "Can I drive?"
"No."
"Aw,
please?"
"No."
"I
won't crash it like last time!"
"The
answer is still no, rascal," Pierre said as he and Hitchcock
rounded a corner.
"Sounds
like business as usual," said the man standing next to Charlie.
His hair was black, wavy and collar length, and he wore an immaculate
black pinstripe suit with a matching fedora.
"More
like, business as unusual." Charlie grinned.
"So
no big victory dinner?" Henrietta said.
"I've
got an idea!" the woman in blue said. "Maybe we can have a
backyard barbecue this weekend!"
Henrietta
shook her head. "Duncan, we don't have a grill."
Duncan
smiled."We can borrow one!"
"You're
a vegetarian!"
"I
found some great kebob recipes."
"We
don't have a backyard!" Henrietta said.
"I'll
figure something out," Duncan said firmly.
Henrietta
shrugged her shoulders and glanced over at Charlie and his friend. "We'll talk about it later," she said in a tone of voice that
told Charlie there was likely to be be grilled food in their future. "See you guys!"
Charlie
and his friend waved as the women hurried off. "Are we taking the
broom?" Duncan asked Henrietta.
"Nah.
I can tell you've done enough riding today."
"I
am rather sore."
"Like
I need an excuse to give you a massage, toots," Henrietta
stage-whispered, ruffling Duncan's hair. Duncan chuckled as she took
Henrietta's hand.
Charlie
turned back to his companion. "Looks like there's still one
thing that's not business as usual."
The
man in the suit nodded. "It was bound to happen, my friend."
"If
you need a place to stay or something..."
"Not
necessary. I'll be heading to Nortonville. I have...acquaintances
there."
Charlie
raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure they won't turn you over to the
Courts?"
His
friend grinned. "The community there has even less love for
Wrexham and the others than I do. And my reputation might come in
useful, with all the Emigres settling there."
"I've
heard about Puck," Charlie said. "Need a lift?"
"On
that old scooter of yours?" The well-dressed man chuckled. "I'll
pass. Besides, Theresa might complain about you going on another road
trip so soon."
"Yeah."
Charlie grinned. "Hitchcock's taking you, then?"
"He
is. He owes me a favor. We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Good
luck." Charlie straightened up.
"Thank
you." They shook hands. "If you ever make it up north, look
me up."
"Will
do. And Windsor?" Charlie paused. "Thanks for everything.
"You're
welcome." Windsor smiled. "I just hope things quiet down for both
of us."
*
* *
Charlie
locked the apartment door behind him as he said, "I'm back."
He looked around the living room, but it was empty except for him,
the furniture and the stacks and boxes of trade goods he had amassed
over the years, the toys still in their packaging, the vinyl records
in their pristine covers and sleeves, the old and well-worn hardcover
books. He had been buying and selling the collectibles for years, and
made a small living at it, but he wanted to expand, and there was a
new site where people sold stuff over the internet that he wanted to
try.
He
glanced at a box wrapped in a narrow black cloth bag that teetered on
top of a stack of board games. He had stumbled on it in a small shop
in Chinatown during the hunt for Buskin. I
wonder what the deal is with that,
he thought. Emeralda
the Enchantress was so eager to get her hands on it, and things got
so crazy that we haven't even had time to look inside.
Charlie
picked the package up, and the bag opened slightly. He saw that one
end of the box was loose, and there was a faint sparkle of red
inside. He slipped one finger underneath the box flaps and lightly
touched a smooth, faceted surface. A...gem
or crystal of some kind?
he thought.
A
flare of red light burst from inside the bag.
As
it faded, Charlie's eyes clouded over. He closed the box flaps,
tightened the cloth bag and carried it to a closet near the front
door. He opened the door, pushed aside some old clothing on the top
shelf, and carefully placed the bag on the back of the shelf against
the wall, covering it with the clothes.
A
toilet flushed as Charlie closed the closet door. "Charlie?"
Theresa said from down the hall.
Charlie's
eyes cleared. "In here," he said as he shook his head to
chase the mental fog away. What
did I want over here?
he thought.
Theresa
walked into the living room. "How's Windsor?" she asked.
"He'll
be okay," Charlie said as he took off his coat. "He's
heading for Nortonville. I hope he's ready for it." He hung the
coat on a rack by the door, next to a motorcycle helmet and a
Viking-style helmet with big, curved horns.
"I
hope they're ready for him," Theresa said. "Charlie...there's
something I need to...discuss with you."
"Family
stuff?"
"In
a way."
"Huh?"
Charlie blinked.
"Charlie,
my love, I...didn't want to tell you this until we were finished with
Dobrenyi."
"Tell
me what?" Charlie felt a faint twist in his stomach.
"Well..."
Theresa blushed. "I must say, I never expected to have morning
sickness this late in the day."
"Morning...sickness?"
Charlie stared at Theresa.
"Charlie..."
Theresa smiled, the dazzling smile Charlie had fallen in love with.
"I'm pregnant."
"Pregnant?"
Charlie whispered.
"I'm
afraid you're going to have to finally clean out the spare bedroom.
Maybe we can have a garage sale."
"We
don't even have a garage. How far along are you?" Charlie asked,
not quite believing what he was hearing.
"Six
weeks. So you have some time yet...Papa." Theresa smiled again,
a sweet sparkle in her green eyes.
"Dad,"
Charlie said as everything finally sunk in. He took Theresa in his
arms and kissed her joyfully, feeling the tears in his eyes, happy
beyond words.
*
* *
The
night had been cold, as winter nights usually were at the western end
of Golden Gate Park, where the man and the imp had found a place to
hide and sleep in the shadow of the old windmill. They had escaped
with their ATM cards and pockets full of cash, but not much else
beyond the clothes on their backs.
The
man hurried down the trail, through the early morning fog, pushing
past the trees. He was tall and red-haired, with a permanent scowl
and a touch of madness in his blue eyes. He pulled his old leather
jacket around him as he juggled two paper bags and two large cups of
coffee.
He
slipped into the hiding place and handed a bag and a coffee to the
imp who was sitting there. "Here," he grumbled. "It's a good
thing that place serves breakfast."
"You
didn't need to, boss!" the imp said. He had bumpy green skin and
pointed ears that seemed to take up half the room on his head, and
wore blue overalls, big clunky boots and a worn baseball cap.
"We
have money."
"But
there's all sorts of bugs—"
The
man rolled his eyes. "Ruckhorn? Shut up and eat."
Ruckhorn
nodded and pulled a breakfast croissant from the bag. "So what's
the plan?" he said as he took a big bite.
The
man sighed. "We can't stay in San Francisco, not any more. Not
after what happened to our apartment."
“But
where do we go?”
"I
was thinking Nortonville."
Ruckhorn
froze. "Boss, no," he said softly. "We can't go to Faerie.
Count Montague still has that warrant open for me!"
"Calm
down. We're staying on Earth."
"So
why there?"
The
man sat down and opened the other bag. "I'm hearing that exiles
from Faerie have started to settle there. Dwarves, pixies, gremlins,
all that. And some ogres also showed up." He pulled a burrito from
the bag. "Someone needs to take those ogres in. Find them a home.
Train them. Hire them out for...odd jobs."
“Good
plan!” The imp munched on his hash browns.
“And
then...” The man's eyes lit up. “Then, we can prepare...for our
revenge!”
"Revenge?"
"I
will destroy him!" Valentin Dobrenyi jumped to his feet and shook a
fist towards the sky. "Do you hear me, Charlie Main? I'll get you
someday for ruining me, you prevaricating peddler! Vengeance will be
mine!"
Ruckhorn
sighed. "Sometimes I hate my job," he said softly.
*
* *
The
doctors had been there, day after day, caring for Theresa as she
rested and recovered at the hospital. The healers had slipped in
quietly, at night, with their herbs and rituals, led by Grandmother
Fox as the Council of Eight set aside their rivalry with BIP.
Everyone there knew what Theresa had done, what she meant to all the
people she had helped, and they did everything they could for her and
the baby she had given birth to seven weeks prematurely.
Charlie
watched the baby every day as she lay in her incubator, when he
wasn't by his wife's side. Their friends were with them when they
could, and their kind thoughts and prayers gave them needed strength.
It had been a difficult birth and though the doctors and healers
wouldn't say it, Charlie knew that they thought the baby's chances
were slim, that it would be a miracle if she survived.
But
their daughter was a fighter, something she had in common with
Theresa. She struggled for every breath at first, but grew stronger
with each day. And, to everyone's thankfulness and joy, the time
finally came when the baby was lifted from the incubator and given to
her mother to hold for the first time.
Theresa
gently stroked her baby's head, tears on her cheeks. "She's
beautiful," she whispered after a few minutes. "And I think
she has your eyes."
"They're—"
Charlie swallowed and started over. "They're hazel. She has both
our eyes."
Theresa
smiled. "It's your turn to hold her, my love."
Charlie
nodded and took the baby from her mother's arms. He could feel the
joy and relief surge through him as he carefully cradled his
daughter. My
little miracle,
he thought as he started to cry.
The
baby looked up at her father and smiled.
"Hello,
Abby," Charlie said, smiling back at her. "I love you."
* * *
"Charlie
was traveling between worlds before you adopted me twelve years ago!"
Michiko said to Grandmother Fox. "Wow!" They were in the study of
Grandmother Fox's Victorian house in Nortonville where the young
Monkey Queen was being raised and trained to be a hero. They sat at
desks facing each other, the only furniture in the room except for
the bookshelves that lined the walls.
"As
far as we can tell," Grandmother Fox said as she straightened the
stack of papers on her desk, "he was the first person on Earth to
do so extensively after the auldgates reopened."
"So
what happened to him and Theresa?"
"Theresa
tried to retire from the Bureau," Grandmother Fox said, "but she
was persuaded to stay on as an on-call agent. Charlie became a top
eBay seller. And they still live in San Francisco, raising their
daughter."
"What's
her name?"
Grandmother
Fox shook her head. "So many things I've remembered, and you would
ask about one of the few that I've forgotten," she said with a
half-smile.
Michiko
giggled. "You said Windsor knew him?"
"He
did. Perhaps the next time you see him, you can ask him to tell you
some stories about Charlie."
"I
will!" Michiko smiled.
Grandmother
Fox rose from her desk. "Lessons are over for now, then. Time for
lunch."
"Tofu
chow mein?"
"Your
favorite."
"Yay!"
Michiko's smile widened as she jumped to her feet and followed
Grandmother Fox out of the study.
*
* *
Charlie
Main scowled as he squinted at the laptop screen, checking his eBay
seller feedback as he sat on the couch in his living room. He had
gained a few pounds and a few wrinkles over the last eighteen years,
and he was starting to suspect that contact lenses might be in his
future. Overall, though, he was quite content with life.
"Charlie?"
He
looked up from his laptop and across the room at the large leather
recliner. The woman in the green sweater and black slacks curled up
there was very familiar to him, with the sharp green eyes and the
long straight red hair with a few strands of gray showing. But even
after almost twenty years of marriage, the sight of his wife still
brought a smile to his face. "What's up, sweetie?" he said.
"You
seemed lost in thought." Theresa Drake cocked an eyebrow.
"What's on your mind, my love?"
"Random
stuff." Charlie tapped the laptop screen. "I just sent an
order to Nortonville last week."
"To
anyone we might know?"
"Nah.
Someone named...McGillicuddy or something like that."
Theresa
smiled. "Are you actually forgetting the name of one of your
customers? That's a first for you."
"They
say the memory is the first thing to go," Charlie said. "But
all this Nortonville stuff reminds me..."
"Aye."
Theresa got up from her chair. "It's time we had that talk,"
she said as she left the living room. Charlie nodded and closed his
laptop, setting it on a bookshelf by the couch.
Theresa
walked down a short hall and stopped in front of a bedroom door. She
knocked on it. "Abby?" she said. "Conference time."
"Be
right out," a voice shouted from inside the bedroom. Theresa
returned to the living room and sat on her recliner.
A
minute later, the bedroom door opened and a somewhat stocky young
woman in black jeans and a plain green t-shirt stepped out. She
looked a bit like both her parents, much to her occasional
consternation, but had avoided getting her father's nose. Her hair
was red and wavy, her face was rounded except for her slightly
pointed chin, and her eyes were a striking hazel. "What's up?"
Abigail Main-Drake asked as she entered the living room.
"You
all set for tomorrow?" Charlie said.
"Almost.
I just need to finish packing. I've been reading up some more on
Cooper College and Nortonville. Seems kind of...dull."
"Well,
there's something else you should know."
Abby
raised an eyebrow. "You're getting a referral fee? How big a cut
do I get?"
Charlie
glanced at Theresa. "She didn't get that from me," she said
with a shrug.
"Shhh!"
Charlie held a finger to his lips. Theresa smiled as her husband
looked over at their daughter. "You're familiar with auldgates?"
"Stable
passageways to other dimensions, right?" Abby said.
"Right.
And..." Charlie paused for dramatic effect. "There's one on
the outskirts of Nortonville."
"Get
out of town!" Abby said slowly. "Where does it go to?"
"It
leads to Faerie," Theresa said, her eyes sparkling.
"Wow."
Abby's eyes widened. "I take it that it's well hidden?"
Theresa
nodded. "Very."
"How
long ago did it reopen?"
"About
thirty years ago."
"Has
anyone actually used it?" Abby said.
"Aye.
There are several small hidden Emigre communities, and a number of
Emigres have chosen to live in disguise among humans."
"So
even with seemings, why aren't there tabloid papers and reality TV
shows covering their every move?"
"All
the land surrounding the town," Theresa said, "is actually
part of a native American tribe's holdings. They're only paying
attention to one stretch of land, along the freeway that runs by the
town."
"They're
trying to get approval for a casino there," Charlie added.
"They're on their fourth round of dueling lawsuits."
"A
casino?" Abby shook her head. "Aren't there enough
already?"
"One
of the reasons we're bringing this up," her father said, "is
because the person we'll be meeting on campus is an Emigre. He's a
professor there."
"His
name is Puck," Theresa added. "He's very well respected in
the Emigre community."
Abby
nodded. "Are there any of your BIP contacts there, Mom?"
"Nay,"
Theresa said. "The Council of Eight has a representative there.
Grandmother Fox."
"Her
adopted daughter keeps the peace in and around town," Charlie
said. "She's known as the Monkey Queen."
"Monkey...Queen?"
Abby smiled. "Sounds bananas, if you ask me."
"They're
actually going ape over her." Charlie grinned.
"And
that's why I'm glad you two are going away for a few days,"
Theresa said with a scowl.
Abby
chuckled. "So what's this Monkey Queen like?"
"She's
rubbed some people the wrong way, I hear," Charlie said, "but
she's also done some heroic stuff."
"Like
what?"
"Keeping
Emigre groups from fighting, and helping to work out peace deals.
Stopping ogres, trolls, rogue wizards and monsters. Rescuing lost
kids and kidnapped friends. And lending a hand whenever and wherever
she's needed."
Abby
whistled. "She sounds awesome. I wonder if I'll get to meet
her."
"I
hope not, because that'll probably mean you're in trouble."
Charlie grinned.
*
* *
"The
Tim Malloys?" Theresa scowled as she closed the bedroom door.
"What sort of band name is that?" Charlie was busy packing,
not his suitcase for the trip but orders for his eBay customers, and
she had decided to have a quick chat with their daughter.
"Hey,
look at the bands Dad likes," Abby said as she clicked on her
mouse, shutting off the music playing on her computer. "They've
got names like 'Camper Van Beethoven' and 'A Flock of Seagulls'."
"And
'They Might Be Giants'," Theresa added.
"I
kind of like those guys, too," Abby said.
Theresa
chuckled as she sat on the bed. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"
"I
still haven't finished packing, if that's what you meant."
"It
wasn't."
Abby
nodded. "It'll be great getting away with Dad, but I wish you
could have come too."
"One
of the drawbacks of my job, I fear." Theresa glanced around her
daughter's bedroom at the Doctor
Who
posters, the stacks of paperbacks and card games, the red guitar and
the stand with the sewing machine in one corner and the old practice
rapier with the dented blade in another. "This would be the
weekend I'd be on call."
"I'll
bet Dad's happy, though." Abby swiveled in her chair to face her
mother. "A road trip where he can eat all the greasy burgers and
drink all the coffee he can handle!"
"Do
get him to mix in a salad," Theresa murmured.
"Right.
So...an auldgate! To Faerie!"
"Dawnhome.
It's a nice city. There's an airship terminal there."
Abby's
eyes widened. "You've been there?"
"It
was a work-related trip," Theresa said.
"Did
you get to ride on an airship?"
"Sadly,
no."
"That's
a shame." Abby pouted. "It would have been something to
boast about. Do you guys know anyone up in Nortonville?"
"Well..."
Theresa paused. "There's Windsor."
"The
faerie? Didn't he get Dad out of trouble a couple of times?"
"Yes,
and it was usually after he got your father into trouble."
Theresa shook her head. "He ended up in Nortonville after the
lords of three different Courts of Faerie put bounties on his head.
They say he's changed, though. Now, he works with Puck to help people
who've had to flee Faerie settle in."
"There
can't be too many of those," Abby said.
"More
than you might think."
Abby
nodded. "I'll bet Dad's looking forward to seeing him."
"He
is," Theresa said. "But I think he's...going to be a bit
sad too."
"Sad?
About what?"
"About
what this trip means." Theresa looked down. "About you
going away to college, leaving here. He'll miss having you around,
talking to you, the smiles and laughter..."
Abby
eyed her mother for a moment. "And by 'Dad'," she said
softly, "you mean 'you'."
Theresa
nodded. "And maybe we'll grow apart, and I'll never hear from my
beautiful, smart, darling daughter..."
"Mom..."
Abby jumped from her chair, sat on the bed next to her mother, and
hugged her. "That's not going to happen," Abby said. "You
and Dad mean too much to me for that. You'll stay part of my life, no
matter how far away I am."
Theresa
returned her daughter's embrace. "So you'll be calling us even
when you don't need us to send you money?" she murmured.
Abby
laughed as she pulled back. "Dad told you to say that, didn't
he?"
"He
might have." Theresa smiled.
"Figures."
Abby grinned. "You'll hear from me. Promise."
Theresa
kissed her daughter on the cheek. "Finish packing," she
said as she stood up.
"Slave-driver!"
Abby said with mock anger. Theresa chuckled as she left the bedroom.
Abby
smiled as she got up from the bed. Nortonville
sounds way more awesome than I knew!
she thought. Wonder
if that's why Mom and Dad want me to go to college there...instead of
maybe joining BIP.
Her
mother had told Abby all the stories. Theresa had been born on
another world, Annwyn. Almost from birth, everyone could tell that
she had great magical potential, and she started her training in her
teens. But she had always been close to her brother, Nicholas, and
when he had disappeared, she left school and her family to search for
him. This drew the attention of the Bureau of Interdimensional
Policing, a shadowy group that tried to keep watch on the bad eggs of
a hundred worlds, and Theresa was soon hired as their youngest agent.
On
Earth, magic was slowly starting to return, and a young collectibles
dealer named Charlie wound up in possession of a certain coin that
was also sought by agents working for the dreaded sorcerer Kraimorg,
by faeries in the employ of Duke Wrexham, and by the crazed and
crafty Wizard of Nob Hill, Valentin Dobrenyi. Fortunately, Theresa
and her BIP partner, a bawson named Hitchcock, found Charlie first.
It
had been love, maybe not at first sight but soon afterwards, between
the quick-witted trader and the sorcerous agent, even if they didn't
admit it right away. As time went on, they were joined on their
adventures by a group of friends, who didn't always get along with
one another but were united in their affection for Charlie and
Theresa.
And
finally, the day came when Kraimorg was defeated and Nicholas was
rescued. Theresa was permanently assigned to Earth as an on-call
agent, and she married Charlie. Soon after that, she became pregnant
with Abby.
Abby
had been told about how difficult the pregnancy had been for her
mother, and how she had been born prematurely and kept in a
ventilator to start her life. She had shown signs of magical ability
early, and she'd already had some training in swordplay and sorcery
with her mother, her Uncle Nico, and family friends. But she knew
that there was an unspoken conflict between her parents; while Mom
approved of Abby following in her footsteps, Dad wanted his daughter
to find a safer career.
She
glanced behind the red guitar and the sewing machine in the corner,
where she had placed a narrow black cloth bag. Abby had no idea where
it had come from, and she couldn't believe that she had found it in
the front closet, or that Dad hadn't sold it to someone else. But as
long as she was going to Nortonville, she was bringing it, and the
clothes she had bought or sewn to go with it.
Abby
had heard the voice in the back of her head for the first time the
day she found the bag, the voice that had told her to hide it in her
bedroom and not tell anyone else about it. The voice spoke to her
again, raw and raspy, part motivational speech and part nagging
thought. Are
you really ready?
it asked her.
You
bet!
Abby thought. I'm
looking forward to this. Maybe it'll be my chance to be what I want
to be.
And
that is?
the voice asked.
A
hero.
Abby smiled. I
can't wait.
*
* *
"You
idiots!"
The
two ogres winced. "But boss," one said, "she was on to
us! She knew—"
"You
blew the mission from the start!" the voice shouted over the
intercom. "You spent all your stipend on sleeping bags!"
The
ogres looked at each other. "But it gets cold in the woods this
time of year!" one said.
"And
the bags were warm and fuzzy!" the other added.
"Warm!
Fuzzy!" the voice snapped. "You're ogres! You don't do warm
and fuzzy! You're grounded for a week!"
"But
boss—"
"One
more word and it's two weeks!" The ogres nodded sadly as the
intercom was switched off with a loud click.
*
* *
"Imbeciles,"
Valentin Dobrenyi muttered as he turned away from the intercom. Time
had been cruel to the wizard; he now had wrinkles on top of wrinkles,
and no one dared to point out that his long red hair had been touched
up with dye. "Ruckhorn!"
The
imp pulled himself away from studying his computer and hurried over.
"Yeah, boss?" he said. Age had deepened the green of his
skin, but aside from that, he still looked much the same as the day
he had come to Nortonville.
"Tell
Hortense to cut their rations," Dobrenyi said. "They've put
on weight from all that fast food. Mix in a salad or two."
"Got
it, boss. Anything else?"
"Yes.
Tell Bertrand to get set up for the pigeon ritual."
Ruckhorn
groaned. "What for, boss?"
"These
offal-headed ogres I keep getting saddled with can't even watch
themselves, never mind the Monkey Queen!" the wizard snapped.
"And I need to keep the ones with functioning brains here to
hire out! Like the two who showed up yesterday...did you get their
names yet?"
"Not
yet," the imp said. "Just their nicknames."
"And
those are?"
"Sunshine
and Lollipops."
Dobrenyi
stared at Ruckhorn, his eyebrows nearly bumping against his hairline.
"Is this someone's idea of a joke?"
"Yeah.
The Monkey Queen's."
Dobrenyi
rolled his eyes and sighed. "Get their real names ASAP. I hate
cheesy sixties pop music. And get ready for the pigeon ritual. We'll
have to rely on those birds for observation for now."
"Do
we have to?" Ruckhorn said.
"Focus
on the big picture, Ruckhorn! That Monkey Queen is getting too close
to finding our base, and we need to watch her! And we are going to
stop her! I'll show that half-witted half-pint that Valentin Dobrenyi
means business! Come along," the wizard said as he opened the
door and strode out.
"Easy
for you to say all that," Ruckhorn muttered as he followed
Dobrenyi. "You're not the one who's allergic to pigeon poop."
©
2015 Robert Dahlen. All rights reserved, except for those covered by
“fair use” laws where you live.
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