“Hmm.” With that innocent sound, Micah stepped out from the hedge and started waving his arms and shouting. Once he had the boggart’s attention, he grabbed my arm.
“Lead it toward the Clear Pool, but not in a straight line. Circle the orchard twice, perhaps thrice,” he instructed. When I hesitated, he added, “Quickly, love!”
Then the monster was barreling down upon us, and I needed no more prompting. I took off toward the pool, running first to the left, then the right, in a wild loop around the orchards. The thing was so stupid that I had to stop occasionally and wait for it to catch up, and once I had to throw clods of dirt in its direction to remind it to chase me. Whatever Micah had planned had better not involve any higher thought processes on the part of our quarry.
Finally, I reached the shore of the Clear Pool. I saw Max and Mom standing on the opposite side, and, not knowing what else to do, I ran straight into the water toward them. As soon as I cleared the shore Micah appeared, waving his arms as a huge lump of silver grew out of the sandy bank. The boggart, possessing either too much velocity or stupidity to stop, tripped and splashed into the pool.
“They cannot swim,” Micah explained as he helped me from the water. I nodded, still staring after the slowly sinking behemoth. It was still bellowing, or rather gurgling, as it settled on the bottom of the Pool. Boggarts, too dumb to die.
“And how will this beast be removed?” squeaked a voice behind me. I peeked over my shoulder, and saw the Bright Lady standing there, bare as ever, arms crossed and foot tapping. “I’m to host a company of Satyrs this evening. I cannot have my waters so befouled!”
“I’ll have the carcass removed directly,” Micah soothed. “Many thanks for your assistance.”
That placated her a bit. She produced a comb and started arranging my mother’s hair, much to Mom’s annoyance. “An admirable job cursing, Maeve,” the Bright Lady murmured. “However, next time, maybe consult with me first?”
“Perhaps,” Mom grumbled, swatting the Bright Lady’s hand. “Who’s the lass?”
Confused, I followed Mom’s gaze. Even Max looked over his shoulder, before realizing that Micah still hadn’t unglamoured him. Max’s ears turned red, in rage or embarrassment I couldn’t tell, but before he could start screaming, Micah touched his forehead. Just like that, my scrawny brother was returned to us.
“Pity,” Bright Lady purred. “He was a lovely female.”
Max’s jaw dropped, and he watched as the Bright Lady turned and sashayed back to the edge of her watery home. Micah, Mom, and I headed back toward the manor, leaving the two of them to have some alone time at the Clear Pool.
Hours later, I found Max sitting alone on the manor’s front stairs. I plopped down beside him, the silence between us heavy for a time. I suspected that we both had the same worries, but I was so hoping I was wrong. Then Max spoke, and I learned that I wasn’t.
“They have us on vid chips,” he muttered.
“Why didn’t Jerome say anything?” I wondered. “He must have seen the display.”
“Oh, he knew,” Max said. “Ever hear about lambs going to the slaughter? That’s what we were.” He dropped his head to his hands, grumbling, “We can’t even get a lousy newspaper without being hauled off.”
“I know. I never…” I cleared my throat, willing my voice to hold steady. “I shouldn’t have gone with you.”
“Not your fault.”
“I got Rana killed.”
“Not your fault!” Max grabbed my shoulder, turning me to face him. “The Peacekeepers are a brutal, insane bunch of thugs. They alone are responsible for their actions, no one else.”
“Uncle Mike’s actions.” I still found it hard to reconcile the image of Juliana’s creepy uncle with the mad-scientist-cum-renegade-politician of Mike Armstrong. But it was the truth, and it was far more true than any of the lies the Peacekeepers had shoved down our throats. All that remained was determining what we were going to do about it.
“Micah once said we should overthrow the Mundane government,” I ventured.
“Yeah?” Max perked up at that. “He mean it?”
“Yeah.”
Max grunted. “Let me think on it for a while, get a plan together. We’ll show those bastards.”
I smiled tightly, dropping my eyes. I had everything here in the Otherworld, from a man who loved me, to the silk that made up my bed and my clothes, to every food or drink I could ever desire. But none of it mattered if I couldn’t go home again.
16