Chapter 34

Elizabeth Eddison

“Who are you?” the woman asked in a halting, uncertain voice.

Elizabeth turned to look at them as she positioned freshly purchased tea inside her purse. Two people she had not noticed before were watching her: a tall, thin woman anxiously wringing her hands, and a short, rotund, ruddy-faced man who seemed positively elated about something.

“Excuse me?” She said.

“Eh…” said the woman, looking concerned.

“We were wondering, my dear,” said the short man, “if you would be so kind as to tell us your name. And if, perhaps, you have seen…” He took a step toward her, looked about theatrically and raised a hand to his mouth as though to tell her a secret. “…an angel ,” he whispered. He glanced around to ensure he hadn’t been noticed. He appeared to be unaware that his melodramatic stance paired with his bushy moustache and brightly colored blue tracksuit made him the most conspicuous individual in sight.

The woman looked to be having the same thoughts. She placed a hand on her brow in a classic what-are-you-thinking gesture, which itself would have scored highly in a competition for melodrama. She was dressed more plainly, in a large green jacket and khaki pants, but she and her companion together somehow gave the impression of a pair of thespians. Perhaps it was the contrast.

“My name is Elizabeth,” she said.

They looked at each other as though seeking confirmation. They shrugged together in such a way that Elizabeth put a hand to her mouth to hide a smile. The woman’s shrug signaled defeat, whereas the man’s radiated exuberance.

They looked back at her as though at a loss, and then the short man practically jumped into the air. “Good heavens! Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself! I…” (Dramatic pause…) “am Elmer Sky.” He bowed low with a flourish.

He remained bowed down for a few seconds. Just when Elizabeth thought she should say something the man looked up at the woman with irritation and gave her a “come on!” gesture with one hand.

The woman sighed, came very close to rolling her eyes, and then folded her arms tightly in front of her. “I’m Amelia Shape.” Her companion popped back upright when she had finished.

Elizabeth continued to hide a smile, and now she had to suppress laughter as well. Everything about these two was humorously exaggerated. It was like watching a cartoon brought to life. A couple of true Shakespearian side characters, right in front of her.

“Nice to meet you,” she said. “Oh! Did you want help with the tea?” She hoped so. Elizabeth knew quite a bit about tea, more than that guy behind the counter, anyway, and she was ever eager to bestow her knowledge upon others.

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Amelia shook her head, but Elmer appeared thoughtful. “No,” said Amelia.

“But we might as well do that too,” Elmer proposed with a finger raised to the heavens. “I’m afraid I don’t recognize much of the tea here…”

Amelia looked down at him. “You haven’t even looked at it!”

He turned to her and raised his hands. “But when we go places and they inquire about tea, I’m at a complete loss!”

And that was when it finally clicked for Elizabeth. They had just introduced themselves with the names Sky and Shape. What had that strange message said? They would help?

“Were you…” Elizabeth began speaking. They both looked at her expectantly. She pushed on despite how odd this would sound if she was wrong. “Were you…told to come find me?”

Elmer bounced up and down in excitement as he turned to Amelia. “A ha ! It’s her!”

Meanwhile, Amelia frowned down at Elizabeth. “Yes, we were,” she said.

“By whom, if I may ask?” Elizabeth’s heart was racing.

Amelia shrugged. “Called himself ‘Christmas.’ We have since come to learn what that word actually means.”

“And it sounds simply marvelous!” Elmer added.

Christmas? “Okay…” said Elizabeth, now at a loss.

Amelia Shape peered down at Elizabeth. “Elizabeth. Have you seen an angel?”

Oh, that. Elizabeth slowly shook her head, then asked, “What do you mean by ‘angel’?” She thought about Isaac and Jim, who both believed that angels were real. Biblical angels—humanoid spiritual beings, messengers and servants of God. She thought about Paradise Lost, which she had recently finished. Those angels?

“Of course,” said Elmer Sky, “you might know it as a key . It will be a white creature, with no eyes, and of course it will be loyal to whomever it is bonded to.”

Callie. Did they know something about Callie? Keep that cat of yours on hand . The two of them watched her expectantly. “How do you know me?” she asked.

“We recognized you,” said Elmer.

“From what?” She did not recognize either of them, she was sure of that.

They looked at each other with mutual regret. “We can’t remember,” they said together.