The task of describing to Valor what had happened with the bug, was almost more then Prin could manage but, he would give it his best go.

When they had returned to Captain Thompson’s house, Valor was dressed and perched on the edge of one of the kitchen chairs, a long cold cup of tea in front of him. He had clearly been waiting on the edge of his seat, literally, for them to return with news.

So as not to speak out of turn in front of extra ears, Prin and Elwin went with him to the library, where Prin set about the task of trying to paint a picture of their extraordinary, but at the same time, somewhat underwhelming encounter with the fairy.

Valor listened carefully, although Prin could tell he was impatient to jump up and go to Aster’s shed house to see if he would have any better luck. Or at least interject his comments about how they mismanaged the whole thing and what they should have done better. In his defense, he was quiet until Prin got to the part where they left the fairy behind them.

“You should have tried to draw it back out.” Valor said. “With a bribe.”

“We had nothing to offer.” Elwin said. “Not anything a bug would want.” He gave a little smirk, knowing he was being cheeky.

“I do wonder what it eats.” Prin said. “I don’t think Aster keeps food in her room so she must be hungry by now.”

“Unless it sucks blood. Like a mosquito.” Valor suggested. “Do you think it has human like intelligence? Or more like a dog or cat?”

“That’s a good question.” Prin said. “I could sense she was understanding me, on some level anyway. Doesn’t mean she believed anything I was saying.” Prin laughed ruefully. “I know I screwed it all up, you don’t even have to tell me.”

“No you didn’t.” Elwin said. “No one would have known what to say.” Leave it to Elwin.

“Thanks for saying so, anyway.” Prin said.

After a long moment of silence that was beginning to border on awkward, Prin prompted Valor. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“I’m thinking . . .” Valor settled deeper into his chair and leaned his head on his hand. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“I was hoping you would know!” Prin said, only half teasing. He sat cross legged on the floor at Valor’s feet, a cat on his lap. He wasn’t sure which one. But he did definitely feel that he was getting too comfortable at the moment, like there was something urgent he should be doing instead. And he was somehow losing time.

“There are . . . other things.” Elwin said, with a painful expression that said, he didn’t really want to say what they are but was more hoping, impossibly, that they would just be magically understood. He was leaning against a bookshelf in what looked to be a falsely casual manner. Trying and failing to relax.

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“Oh right . . . the body.” Prin said. He suddenly felt a little faint, at a loss for words. It was okay, since he was already sitting down.

“Body?” Valor asked.

“We overheard that it reappeared, must have been some time this morning.” Elwin said.

“Interesting. Just like the blood.” Valor said.

“And . . . there is a violent person who was at the pink- Mama Kris’s house. Someone almost killed a girl but they didn’t catch him.” Prin said grimly. “I don’t know that this news is relevant to you, Valor, but I just thought you should know. We have to be careful. . .”

“I wonder if people will connect the two.” Valor said.

“Sorry to say, but a lot of people won’t be too concerned with what happens to one of those girls. They probably won’t connect it.” Elwin said. “Even though . . . same night, bloody scenes . . . Of course if it were me, I would connect them.”

“You probably read too many detective stories.” Valor scoffed. “Real life is rarely that simple.”

“You’re the one who asked if they would be connected!” Elwin said.

“That’s because people are simple minded.” Valor said. “And they like what is impossibly simple.”

“Please.” Prin said. “Don’t –” He didn’t know how to finish what he was going to say without setting Valor off more. “Just don’t.”

Elwin narrowed his eyes slightly, but didn’t say a word.

“Could people have seen you go to her office? They must have, it was a party.” Valor said, answering his own question.

“Yes, someone must have.” Prin agreed miserably. Maybe he would be thrown in a dungeon after all, maybe that’s where he belonged. He suddenly wished he had asked the fairy to turn him into a little bug too.

“Elwin, what does he look like to you? Someone who could hurt a fly?” Valor asked.

“Not in the slightest.” Elwin said.

Valor bobbed his head in agreement. “That’s what I thought.”

If this was supposed to be comforting, they would have to do better then that.

“Who else could it be?” Prin asked. “Besides the last person who saw her.”

“A wild animal of course. Perhaps you saw one? When you briefly stopped by her office?” Valor said helpfully.

“Hmm, better if you saw nothing.” Elwin said. “Lies should be kept simple. Or you might say something to contradict the clues and make yourself look really . . . guilty.”

Prin considered these two opposing suggestions. On one hand, he considered himself rather good at telling a story, always had been. So why not play to his strengths? However, Elwin, ever wise, had a good point too. It seemed like he should come up with a plan of what to say and stick by it in case he were asked. He fervently hoped he would never be asked.

Suddenly, there was a loud pounding at what sounded like the rarely used front door. Someone meant business.

Elwin ran to the window to peek around the curtain. “Stay there.” He said to Prin, holding a hand of caution behind him.

“Don’t worry, there’s no police force on the island. And people would like to keep it that way.” Valor said.

“There are two men at the door.” Elwin said. “I don’t recognize them. But why would I? Coming to the front door like that, I doubt they are friends. Rather severe looking.”

“Anything else?” Prin asked. He found himself wanting to chew on his fingernails or the inside of his cheek but forced himself to resist.

“They’re big.” Elwin said.

“Of course, people still want to maintain order. And protect their own interests.” Valor continued. “That’s why they take the law into their own hands.”