Chapter 17

On the elk ride home I pondered Qa’la’s statement. He wasn’t a Castelian either. He had grown up in the wilds, like I had. A sudden bump from Watson as he took a leap over a fence made me bite my bottom lip which I had been chewing on while thinking things over.

I looked up but didn’t immediately recognized where we were.

“Tabby, are we-“

“Whist,” she shushed me .“We’re just taking a bit more scenic route.”

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Cautiously, I turned my head to look over my shoulder. Three people in grays and browns trickled over the wall we had just cleared then immediately disappeared into the shadows.

“Cough loudly and say ‘excuse me’ then face front,” Tabby instructed.

My head swiveled back and forth, but I did what she said. As we passed another shop front window, Tabby gave an annoyed whistle between her teeth then abruptly made Watson cut to the right down a narrow alley. He still moved at a fluid trot, but I could feel him tensing even as Tabby’s shoulders tightened.

“Caught someone’s attention, we have,” Tabby muttered out of the corner of her mouth. “We’ve been looking for confirmation on Glitches for months now. If I knew all I had to do was trot you around town…Hold tight.”

A sudden rubbish heap lurched to its feet, a face appearing out of it, mouth grinning, “Penny for pi’ance, love?”

Watson huffed and shot forward, but I still felt fingers brush my ankles. I couldn’t stop the gurgle coming out of my mouth and immediately hiked my legs up and over Tabby’s lap as we zigged down another alley. The dread washed in as I saw shadows rise ahead then crowd into the tight alley. My arms tightened around Tabby, and instinctively I ducked my head into her back. Tabby just grunted and gave Watson a sharp kick.

Without missing a beat Watson lengthened his stride. I thought we would bowl right into the Glitches, but instead Watty leapt into the air, stretched out and actually flew right over their heads. Upon landing he lashed out and planted a sharp kick on one Glitch’s chest before bolting down the next street.

The way widened a bit, but the chase was not over. I couldn’t tell who or what these people were. Men, women, beasts, or monsters, they dressed in anything and everything, but all of them wore a strange contraption across their face. It reminded me of Shrike’s weird mask. Thinking of it suddenly made me want one of my own. I tried to express my concern to Tabby.

“Miss Porter, should we-“

“Not yet, Loris, we’re not out of the weeds yet. Keep your head down and shirt ready.” And with that she was off. It was like running through a mushroom patch. Every Glitch within sight suddenly reached into their frocks and pulled some cord. The alley erupted into a noxious, yellow cloud.

“Shirt!” Tabby screeched, pulling her neckerchief up over her face. “Oh, I shoulda known the devils would have something for me.” Her laugh grated. The warmth was gone.

Tabby’s head swiveled to check on me. I gagged and pulled my shirt up higher. Something was getting to me. I swear Tabby’s pupils had dilated to black pools that nearly filled her eyes. What was left of the iris had turned red and burned like the end of an ember stick. My eyes watered as I strained to see where we were running. I had to find a way out. My lungs were burning. Watson bellowed and hacked. I could only imagine how he felt running through it.

“Up!” I remembered the squirrel-way over head. Surely, there had to be some way to reach them from here. Could elk’s climb ladders? How about all of these metal staircases hanging below the windows?

“Elks can’t run up walls,” Tabby panted.

“Yours can!” I was almost certain of it. “You’re Tabby Porter! If anyone can do it, you and Watson can!”

She didn’t reply. So I just hung on and kept my face buried in her jacket. The smoke was starting to clear, but we were heading into a dead end. Despite what I’d said, there was no way out. The Glitch mob was going to get us.

“Tabby-“

“Hang on like it was your last breath, Loris,” I barely heard Tabby’s low growl. “Here we go!”

Tabby gave a loud war cry and spurred Watson one more time. He did not wait but kicked his heels and gave an extra burst, roaring back and springing at the wall before us. As wide as my eyes were, when I scrunched them closed, the world lit up in my head. In a flash three red trails ran up the wall.

The first, we nearly made it to the top, but the combined weight of Tabby and I pulled Watson over, and the three of us plummeted back down like stones.

The second, just as we reached the top, Watson faltered. As he fell Tabby wrapped her arm around my waist and lunged at the wall. She grabbed the roof and turned her head away as Watson cried and fell backwards into the Glitches with a sickening crunch.

The third, we reached the roof just as Watson’s back legs fell out from under him. Tabby let go and fell sideways, smiling kindly as she pushed Watson to scramble over the ledge of the roof. I watched her face all the way before she crunched into the middle of the mob.

Despair filled me. It was like time slowed. We were only half way up the wall. The threads were getting ready to divide. I had to get away.

“Throw me!” I screamed.

But Tabby was gripping Watson’s fur, her hands deep in his ruff, like they were melting together. We were so close it wrenched the breath from me, but then I felt gravity go out from under us. My heart choked into my throat. All Tabby’s choices would lead to disaster- so I made the choice myself. I let go.

Then something I hadn’t seen happened. Even as I fell backwards, Watson and Tabby sprang off the wall, arcing backwards over the heads of the Glitches. A laden elk could not run up a three story wall, but apparently it could do a backflip. What?!?!

I only realized a heartbeat later that Tabby had grabbed my legs and was riding reigns-free down the alleyway. I bumped along, stretched out over Watson’s rump as we took another jump, curved over some trash cans, and then blazed a trail into wider roads. After a few more confusing bumps and walls, I bounced upright. The return home was full gallop and in silence.

We reached the Forsythe house only to find none other than black-haired girl, Chelsey Lynwood waiting on the stoop, odd look on her face, fist raised in mid-air as though about to knock. When she spotted us sliding off Watson, she changed her mind and came striding across the lawn. As she came closer, I realized she had a bundle tucked under her arm, my socks and shoes that I’d discarded and left on the roof tops the other morning.

“I say, Loris! A word with you a moment,” Lynwood marched up and held out my discarded annoyances. “Are these yours? I found them in a most peculiar spot. On the rooftops over Dandelion street. Now how do you suppose they got there?”

I looked around uncomfortably and shrugged.

Lynwood huffed, “You mean to tell me you have no idea? None at all? I say, that’s rather peculiar, don’t you think?”

“Ay indeed,” Tabby butt in. “Almost as peculiar as an intern who can’t meet her Professor on time or who slacks off in the stacks and takes naps instead of studies.”

Much of the color left Lynwood’s face and Tabby nodded.

“Just saw Cuthbert a little while ago. I’m fairly sure he was heading back to the Atrium, probably to check up on his intern to make sure she hasn’t scarpered off to nosey someone else’s business.”

Lynwood’s mouth worked silently a few times. She took a step forward then a step back before pushing the shoes into my arms. In a soundless shriek she bolted for the gate where a bicycle leaned against the wall like a drunk.

“Shifudoo! How long ago did he leave the inn?” she wailed, clambering on to the bike.

“About twenty minutes! Ride fast and head in the side and you may yet beat him!”

Lynwood waved thanks and took off as Tabby chuckled to herself.

“Although,” she mused, “Cuthbert normally uses the side entrance when he’s slipping back from a long lunch so as to avoid nosey interns.” She winked at me, “It’s funny watching guilty people trip over each other.”

That seemed very shrewd. I would have to remember that. More importantly, as I rubbed my eyes, I would have to remember to get my own face mask, should any more Glitches appear. For that matter, I had no idea when my next lesson with Shrike was. A light hand on my shoulder stopped me before I stumbled into the house.

Tabby wasn’t looking entirely at me but more off towards the city. Her eyes seemed to have gone back to normal; although, there were deep circles under them I hadn’t noticed before.

“I suppose you’ll be wanting to tell your family about today’s adventures.” There was a touch of weariness to her voice.

I thought about it and frowned.

“Loris doesn’t see as it’s their business.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Tabby’s eyes slid back towards me.

“Would you mind if I told Qa'la, Shrike, and Fox?”

I shrugged, “Tabby should tell Tabby’s story to whomever Tabby wants. Loris has learned that just because you tell someone your story doesn’t mean they want to listen or believe you.”

“But how do you know who wants to hear your story until you tell it?” Tabby took her hand off my shoulder and swung back up onto Watson. “And Loris, sometimes there are more options than what you see in front of you.”

I blinked. “What?”

Tabby suddenly turned red and shook her head, “Sorry squirt! I’m tuckered out from today. You worked me good! Shrike will be pleased.” She nudged Watson.

“Is Tabby coming again tomorrow? More elk riding?” I hated the anxious note in my voice, but she smiled and shook her head.

“Not on the rotation. As a bit of advice though, don’t keep Qa’la waiting a second time. He may not seem like it, but Shrike learned her methods of tutelage through him. A cold bucket of water would be the least of your problems.” And with that she was off, leaving me more perplexed and ravenously hungry.

When I went in, the attendants seemed genuinely both relieved and annoyed. Each greeted me cheerfully by sight even though I couldn’t name half of them. Then they each reminded me that dinner was in an hour, and I would be expected for this evening’s meal. I was a little skeptical of their smiles, but the underlying threat of “disappointing the family” if I didn’t make it to dinner was evident enough. I was getting better at navigating the labyrinth of hallways, but it still took me a few tries to find my door. Considering how convoluted every hall and passage was in this house, I pondered devoting a day just to exploring the interior. I’d always thought the outdoors offered me the best possibilities for hiding or ducking away. The best place to avoid my family and obligations might actually be right under their noses.

When I reached my room, I found two paper envelopes on my bed containing two letters. Looking around, I hastily shoved them in a top drawer of my desk then went to clean up. It was too early in the day for a full bath, but they did have a rinse stall where I could pull water and suds myself off.

Scraping absentmindedly at the scars on my feet, I pondered who the letters might be from. I knew of letters because they were very popular things to receive in Purgatory, especially if they came from someone inside New Castle. It was the next best thing to being there for some of them. Had someone from Purgatory written to me? Maybe Nurse Jane was checking up on me, or maybe Beka or Moron had changed their minds about who the better person was, Jack or me? I could only find out by having someone read them to me. Perhaps I could have one of my tutors read them for me. At the thought of bringing the envelopes to either Shrike or Fox though, I shook my head, violently spraying water about the stall. I shivered and dumped the rest of the bucket over my head. They were nice enough people, but I knew it would immediately lead to more questions about why I didn’t read them myself. I pondered as I dried off. What other answers were available to me?

Dinner was absolutely amazing! If I had known what I was missing before, I would have gotten my act together and made sure I was present long before. My cousins were particularly talkative, nattering on and on about what they’d done that day, what they learned, who wore what at the Circus, who was going where with whom. Just when I was about to be annoyed, I realized as long as they talked, no one seemed to mind how much food I was stuffing in my face. Aside from the occasional comment from Pilosa, “Elbows off the table, Loris; we are not animals”, though I never saw an animal eat from a table, it seemed attention rested solely on whomever was talking. Occasionally, conversation would steer towards me, but I learned I could be “polite” and point to my mouth, indicating it had food in it. No one here multi-tasked, so they would wait patiently for a few minutes for me to chew and swallow my food or more often get tired of waiting and move back to one of the girls. I did feel a little bad; there was so much food on their plates that they’d barely touched. But then Cori complained about having to eat fish again, and all sympathy was lost.

At a certain point, however, even my cousins ran out of things to say, and despite my best efforts to keep it full, my plate was nearly cleaned. I had just picked it up with the intent to lick the rest of the gravy off when Pilosa turned to me.

“So what did you do today, Loris dear?”

My tongue was still sticking out, but I realized this did not qualify as a full mouth. With a sigh I set my plate back on the table and stared hard at it, willing it to fill again. I couldn’t out wait the family this time. There were no more excuses or rolls, so I replied, “I learned to ride an elk, I guess.”

I really hoped the one answer would be enough, but it turned out actually riding elk and not using them to pull a cart was something rather unique. So then I had to answer another barrage of questions, carefully avoiding mention of the Glitches, all while suffering through watching the wait staff remove the leftover food and dishes from the table. I did manage to snatch a roll from Blanche’s plate she hadn’t quite finished and tuck it in a pocket, but the rest of that wonderful meal walked off to the kitchens and bins. So wasteful!

I felt a little bit better after dinner. Instead of heading to bed, as I was wont to do, I was hustled into the sitting room where I had originally met the Forsythes for something called ‘family time’. As far as I could understand, this meant the adults sat at one end of the room drinking beverages the children were not allowed to touch while the children were ushered to the other to sit quietly and try not to die of boredom. My cousins, apparently, all had their routine. The smallest played with little lined blocks they set end to end and called roads and drove their elk dolls along. Abbi and Blanche tucked themselves into a window and giggled behind their respective books. I drifted into the room, not really sure which group to join.

“…can’t believe someone could make that sound so boring!” Abbi tittered behind her hand, glancing up as I passed before her and Blanche. I glanced at them sideways before making my way to the wall of books that took up one end of the room. For a few moments I stared dolefully at them before reaching for one that had a squiggle that looked like a snake on it. If I was lucky, there would be more illustrations and pictures inside.

“I have the first volume in my room if you want to borrow it.”

I turned. Blanche was pointing towards the book in my hand. Not really sure what to do, I flipped through the pages. No pictures.

“That’s okay. Lorus thinks it’s not that exciting anyways.”

From the sudden crestfallen look on Blanche’s face and the red-eared indignation on Abbi’s, I knew I had said something wrong.

“Not that exciting?!”Abbey exploded. “The Fabulous Journeys of Mr. Fox Volume II include tales of the Cursed Expedition as well as Letters from Tien Hong. Those are classics among…”

I waited as she trailed off. “Among?”

Abbi tossed her head and raised her book over her face.

“Among readers with a discerning taste in literature.”

Little Cori snorted from the rug where she busied herself running over Danse and Eerie’s legs with a stuffed elk, much to their delight.

“Or readers who fancy Mr. Fox.”

“Like you’re one to talk, Cori,” Blanche butt in. “All you ever read are the picture books or the comics Da gives you from the Scrips.”

It sounded like a chipmunk fight as five squeaky sopranos all voiced their opinions on the merits of reading the weekly spread versus the penny books sold at the corner store. The grown-ups didn’t even seem to take notice as they had their own, adamant discussion about qualities of brew going on. I decided the commotion would be a perfect time to slip unnoticed from the room.

I should have learned my lesson from riding with Tabby. You can’t predict what you can’t see. You also can’t dodge it. As I turned to take one more furtive glance at the room to make sure I wasn’t being followed, something flew out of the corner of my vision. I had just enough time to register before it beaned me, hard, between the eyes.

“Ow!” I stumbled back, gripping my forehead. Apparently, mother’s ears are fine tuned to one particular sound. In a flash Pilosa was hovering over me, peering with concern as she tried to pry my fingers away from my forehead.

“Loris dear, is everything alright? What happened?” she asked. “Let Mumsy see.”

Impulsively, I stepped back but just bumped into the door. Beyond Pilosa’s shoulder I could see the cousins staring guiltily about. Abbi in particular had a horrified look, empty hands pressed to her face. She had a mean throwing arm for someone who did nothing but flounce around telling stories and reading books all day.

I pointed at the cousins, “Loris was talking with the cousins-“ and suddenly it just felt like too much work “-and not looking where Loris was going. Bang, right into the door.”

I stuck out my tongue a little and knocked on my head, “Sawy. Didn’t mean to startle Mumsy.”

Pilosa laughed and shook her head, the cousins joining in nervously.

“Oh dear, my clumsy little Loris. You must get that from your father, poor man.” She ruffled my hair a bit then reached down to pick up the fallen book at my feet. “Here you are, luv. You head upstairs, and I’ll be there in a minute, right after I trounce Cebis at this hand of Euchre.”

I glanced back at the cousins. Abbi wasn’t making eye contact. So I shrugged and left the room, relieved to have an easy out. Finding my room was not so easy. I took a couple of wrong turns, not that it wasn’t educational. It just left me wondering what these hallways full of well-furnished but empty rooms were for. Who lived in them?

As far as I could tell, Uncle Cebis and Aunt Silvia had one whole wing to themselves. Catalyn had an entire tower. Pilosa lived in the same wing as where they had Bentley squirreled away, and I had a room near the heart of the house, closest to the kitchens and the staff quarters. The significance of this was not lost on me, especially since Brissi the maid stood fidgeting outside my door once I finally located it.

I eyed her. How rude would it be if I just pushed past her into my room? She was so lost in her own world muttering silent words to herself, I actually made it all the way to the door and pushed it open before her head shot up, eyes wide in recognition.

“Oh! Miss Loris! Do you have a moment, miss? I have a message,” she cupped a hand around her mouth and whispered, “From Mr. Bentley!”

I sighed, partially closing the door.

“It can wait, Brissi? Lorus is really tired tonight.”

She hemmed and hawed a bit then another thought came to me, and I handed her the book.

“Look, first Brissi, give this book to Abbi. Tell her sorry Loris walked off with it. Very exciting book, Loris is sure. Then Loris will listen to Brissi’s message.”

Brissi stopped as soon as I handed her the book. She bobbed a short curtsey and turned on her heel. It seemed as long as you gave her a direct order, this maid was the picture of confidence. It made me wonder what about her message had her so worked up. Genuinely curious, I stepped into my room.

There were another two letters on the table. Once again I tucked these into the top drawer. Tomorrow I was supposed to see Professor Qa’la at the Atrium. Maybe there was a way I could surreptitiously ask him to glance over them. I should at least find out who was so frantically writing to me. My mind leapt to the Glitches, and suddenly the hairs on my neck prickled. What if it wasn’t a coincidence? What if these letters were a warning? So far as I knew Gimlet didn’t make a practice of writing letters, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t start.

At that moment Pilosa swept into the room in a swirl of gold and black, a cascade of cloth thrown over one shoulder and a tray balancing two steaming mugs in the other hand.

“Loooooooris! Change out of your things. Mumsy has a surprise for you!”

I had just enough time to slide the drawer shut and spin around before Pilosa was simultaneously shoving one of the mugs into my hand and pulling down my britches. Why was this woman so strange?!

“What?! What is this?” I sputtered after taking a sip of the mug.

Pilosa winked, “That’s Turkish Coffee, darling. Drink up! We have an exciting night ahead.”

I stared dolefully at her. Two more maids came into the room with brushes and combs in their hands.

“It’s not bed time?”

“Oh no, dear!” Pilosa laughed. “It’s only eight in the evening! We’re going out on the town!”