A Merric's Tale

by Margs Murray

  “What did she tell you exactly?” Greer was calm when he asked this, but I could sense an uneasiness about him. He turned the necklace over in his hands.

  “I don’t know.” When I said it, he looked up. He was no longer focused on the necklace.

  He said the next thing slowly like he was struggling to keep his thoughts. “Try to remember.”

  Not easy with him so close. “She said find the necklace and...”

  “What?” He was barely whispering.

  “I don’t...” I swallowed. Our faces were inches apart. He leaned in slightly, licking his lips. He nodded. His breath was warm and inviting.

  “Find the necklace and find the... find the...” I swallowed once more. “…words.”

  Greer closed his eyes; I did too. The heat coming off him warmed me better, faster than the heat puck. I wanted very much to lean forward, to fill the tiny gap between us, but I didn’t. We stayed close for another moment before he pulled back, like he’d remembered something. I opened my eyes, feeling like a colossal idiot. I had completely misread the situation. He was looking at the necklace, and I was acting like he wanted to kiss me. He had to have noticed. Oh God. No wonder he took my hand with me acting like this. Please shoot me now. My face went blotchy, hivey red. Today needed to be over fast.

  By that point, Greer had backed away about a foot. He said, “Think. Did she say anything else, like where you might find the words? Any of the words? Did she say the fortune teller’s name? Did you find the words? Anything?”

  “No, that’s all she said.” I shook my head. “King Lothaire had the necklace, and I thought he possibly had the words too.”

  Greer’s phone vibrated, and he took it from his pocket. “It won’t ever be that easy, not if I know the fortune teller. Did you tell anyone else about this?”

  “No.”

  “No one? Not even your doctor? Your parents?”

  “No, only you.”

  Greer gave me a strange half smile I swore looked like guilt. He stood up and walked towards the tent, changed his mind, and came back over. “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”

  “So, you will help me with this?” I didn’t know how Greer could help me, but my chances of figuring it out were higher with him working with me.

  He nodded, and I jumped up and hugged him. I wasn’t alone. I had Greer.

  He let me hold him for a brief time until he announced, “I’ve got to make a call.”

  Instantly, I panicked. “You won’t tell them what I told you, will you?”

  “No. I won’t tell anyone.” Greer leaned against a tree. He took out his phone right in front of me and called his contact. He didn’t care that I was listening.

  From what I gathered, the men hadn’t even been close to town because they were actively fighting a group of Libratiers they’d found on the outskirts of Lawrence. They weren’t part of the nano storm, but they weren’t safe either. Meeting with them was no longer an option.

  He talked for a long time, or rather the person on the other end of the line did. After listening, I wasn’t any closer to knowing what we would do next or if the Galvantry would try to meet with us again.

  When Greer hung up the phone, he hung his head in his hands.

  “What happened?” I had heard very little.

  “The men are safe, and they have a good idea of where the other Libratiers relocated, so we have that too.”

  “So what happens now?” I asked, for Greer appeared to be a little lost himself, like everything had suddenly changed.

  “They called the Galvantry off, at least for a while.”

  “Why?” From the sound of the other lurking Libratiers, we could use the extra help.

  “Not safe enough for them.”

  “But safe enough for us?”

  Greer leaned back on a tree. “I don’t want to scare you, but safe isn’t in your cards. There isn’t a safe destination for you. The rest of your life, people will always be after you because of what you can do.”

  Deep down I knew Greer was telling the truth. There was no going back to normal, no more safe. “So, what do we do?”

  “We need to get moving and make camp and then get sleep. We’ll talk more about things later, but we are so far away from everything right now. These woods are too dangerous for backup. We’ve had to circle all these towns, and we’re only fifty miles from Boston. The Libratiers are closing in, and there are people like the Diddles who would serve you up for the money. There are others out there who will kill you as soon as they recognize your eyes. You’re in danger, I’m in danger.

  “No one wins in this thing,” he continued. “Most of my life has been trying to get rid of the Merrics and now...” He was quiet a long time before he added, “Now I’m trying to keep one alive.”

  “If this is so bad, why do you stay?”

  Greer sighed. “Because right now, I’m all you’ve got.”

  Chapter 30

  Destination Known

  Greer stared at me. Self-consciously, I let my hair fall in front of my face while I finished eating my morning Cloverfield bar. When I finished, I pushed my hair back only to discover Greer deep in thought and still staring at me.

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, sorry. I was just… can I see the necklace? I’ll give it right back.” Hesitantly, I unclasped the back. This was the first time I had taken it off. Even when my skin was ripped open, I had kept the necklace on.

  As soon as I handed it to Greer, he held it up to the light.

  “I did that too,” I told him. “It’s solid.”

  Greer nodded in agreement, then turned his attention to the clasp.

  “I would love to know what Lothaire had to do with all of this,” Greer said. “When he gained the throne, he cut off all ties with the Americas. Lothaire hated the Merric’s powers.”

  “You don’t think that since Lothaire had the necklace, he must have known the words too?”

  “I’m not sure if he did. The fortune teller who started your quest to find the words isn’t known for being straightforward.”

  “You know who the fortune teller is?” This surprised me. The description I had was so vague. I honestly thought it was just some random fortune teller.

  Greer closely examined the stone. “Yes, she’s the Pythia. She’s a very famous oracle in this world. What did Lothaire say to you when he gave you this necklace?”

  The story of me and that necklace wasn’t pleasant but lying to Greer wasn’t an option. He was my only hope.

  “I was friends with my doctor. So, when he showed up with Exodrodinal in his system, I wanted to help him. That’s how I ended up in the dining hall hiding under the table.

  “I honestly don’t know what I saw because I’ve never seen anything...” I swallowed down the tears building in my throat. “Anyway, um, when Bollard left, Lothaire was there and his coat fell open and I saw a picture of him and Grandma and the necklace.”

  Greer nodded. “Did the picture have any writing on it?”

  “No. Nothing on the back or anything. It was a picture of the two of them arm in arm, standing in front of a ship. It was worn, like he had been carrying it around with him a long time. At lunch, he had said he still loved her. The necklace… I think he wanted me to have it.”

  Greer’s face filled with distaste and disgust. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him everything. I continued, “I don’t know what I saw, but it was... I still don’t know what the powers are, but I can’t do that. I won’t. I’d rather be... I just won’t.”

  Greer nodded. What I said lightened his mood if only for a moment. “It’s better you don’t know. The Galvantry trial will demand to know what you know and what you can do.”

  The last time Greer mentioned the trial, we weren’t on such good terms. “What do you mean by trial, exactly?”

  “The Galvantry will force you to testify under Exodrodinal.”

  “So I’m going on trial?” Acid sloshed in my stomach. “Under a truth se
rum?”

  Greer nodded. “Every new member has a trial. It is the only way to keep the Galvantry free of Libratiers.”

  Me under truth serum. I’d seen how this worked, and it terrified me. I’d tell them everything, what I had seen, what I felt. My face went bright red. “Will you be there?”

  “Let’s not talk about it. We are so far from the Galvantry or the trial right now.” Greer handed the necklace to me. “It might be months or even a year from now.”

  I turned from Greer so he wouldn’t see my smile. I was sick of hiking, but I liked the thought of being with him. I fumbled with the clasp in the back.

  “Here, let me.”

  “No, I’ve got it,” I said, but Greer ignored me and helped anyway. I piled my hair on the top of my head, exposing my neck. Greer’s fingers touched the back of my neck, warming my skin.

  “So, when you had your trial, what was it like?” I asked to distract myself from the way his breath tickled the back of my neck.

  “I was twelve and terrified.”

  I turned my head. “Twelve? Why so young?”

  Greer stopped fidgeting, his fingers gently holding the clasp. “I wanted to do my part against the Merrics.”

  They must have done something terrible to Greer and his family. “I’m sorry.”

  “I did a lot of good.” Greer dropped the connected clasp, and I let my hair fall. “You’ll do a lot of good, but with your family ties, the trial won’t be straightforward. There has never been a Merric in the Galvantry. They‘ll be concerned about your loyalties and abilities.”

  The statement made me laugh. “I have no loyalties to the Merrics. I’m not like them. I’m nothing like Bollard or Claudette.”

  “Your grandmother wasn’t either, at first.”

  “At first?” That was a weighty phrase. “Grandma isn’t like the Merrics. She’s a good person. She’d never hurt people.”

  Greer stood staring at me, not answering.

  I said, “She wasn’t. No matter what you heard, she’s a good person. The Merrics lie. Everything you’ve heard is a lie.”

  Greer nodded slowly.

  “No, really. Believe me. I remember her when I was a little girl before she got sick. She used to dance around her kitchen singing Yes, We Have No Bananas, she made the best molasses cookies, and she taught me how to waltz in the backyard. The Merrics all lie. You know that.”

  “I know you love her,” he said.

  “I do, and I am going to cure her.” I pushed past him.

  “Waverly.” He took my arm.

  “She’s worth helping, Greer.”

  Greer nodded and let go of my arm. “I know a professor who can help with the words.”

  “What?” I asked. “You do?”

  “There’s an expert in religious theories from Boston.”

  “Boston?!” We couldn’t go back to Boston. I couldn’t. It’d be too dangerous.

  “Boston would be a terrible idea for us but in a few days, he is to vacation down in the Carolinas, on the coast.”

  Carolina. I wasn’t sure if he meant North or South but what did it matter? We weren’t even close to the Mason-Dixon line… not that it existed in this world. How were we going to get to the Carolinas from here? We hadn’t even made it out of Massachusetts yet. I groaned. I couldn’t fathom walking all the way down south.

  “Don’t feel defeated,” Greer said. “I have a plan to get us there.”

  “Isn’t that like a thousand miles away?” Walking. Avoiding everything out there. The animals. The Libratiers. Strange traps. Nanos.

  “It’s under eight hundred, but we won’t be walking all of it.” Greer took something out of his bag. “Here.”

  “No, thanks. I don’t really feel like a Cloverfield this morning.”

  “You need a pick me up. Here.” He took my hand and forced me to take what he had.

  I opened my hand and found a piece of candy. “Chocolate? Why?”

  “Makes most people feel better. Eat it.” I saw the name printed on it. Cloverfield. It was identical to the chocolate Manon had given me. I got a guilty feeling. A Galvantry man probably didn’t have a lot of money and these cost a lot. He’d already done so much for me and the chocolate was just one more thing.

  I handed it back to him. “You should have it. I don’t need candy. I’m fine.”

  He knew I wasn’t. “Eat.”

  “But isn’t it expensive?”

  “What? The chocolate?” He laughed out loud, a real deep belly laugh.

  “It’s not?” I asked in confusion.

  He laughed again, and he held his side like it stitched. “Give me a second.”

  “What?”

  “You’re worried about money? You’re worth billions.”

  “Well, yeah. I am. And I’m worth millions to other people. Manon told me those chocolates were expensive. I’m not sure I get the joke.”

  “No joke. I just didn’t expect you to— Never mind.” He gave a last chuckle and handed me the chocolate.

  I split the chocolate in half. “Here, take half of it at least.”

  “No, really, it’s fine,” he said.

  “Don’t you like chocolates?”

  “Yes, but—”

  I grabbed his arm and put the chocolate in his hand and held it closed. He didn’t fight me or pull his hand back. Nope. I held his hand with mine, and he smiled down at me with his warm face. I said, “We’ll eat together.”

  He nodded slowly as he looked at me, staring at me. I hoped, oh I hoped, he would close the space between us and kiss me.

  “Waverly?”

  “Yes?” I said.

  “You need something better to wear.”

  I let go of his hand and backed up. “What?”

  Way to misread a situation. I was so stupid and embarrassed. Here I was gazing up at him and thinking of... and he was thinking I looked terrible. Wow. Oh wow. Shoot me now. Shoot. Me. Now. With my free hand, I patted down my hair and straightened my collar.

  I played it off like I’d been thinking the same thing. “I need a shower too.” My eyes were tearing yet again. What is it about crying that makes you cry more? I flipped my sunglasses over my eyes. If I smiled, I might successfully play off like it didn’t matter. “And a bathroom. I miss those a lot. I’ll get ready. Wilderness living. What are you going to do?” I pretended like it was a joke because the moment was, wasn’t it? I’d kidded myself.

  He nodded, although he looked a little crestfallen too. “Waverly?”

  “I’m going to get ready now.” I tripped awkwardly and caught myself as I escaped. I called over my shoulder. “Thank you for the chocolate!”

  Chapter 31

  Neither Fish nor Fowl

  We headed north, which surprised me since we needed to head south. Even under the canopy of the trees, the sun was brutally hot that morning.

  Pink blazed in the morning sky. Pink skies in morning, sailors take warning. The air was dense with humidity. According to the rhyme, a stormy evening lay ahead.

  Greer was nearby, making plans for our trip. He didn’t mind making the phone calls with me around, but I asked to go take a nap in the moss instead because, embarrassed as I was to admit it even to myself, I was crushing on Greer, hard.

  What an exercise in futility. He made me feel better, and he was keeping me safe. He was helping me. It was messing with my feelings.

  To avoid all Greer thoughts, I imagined being home. Mom and Dad eating BLTs. Grandma asleep. I pictured it all. Sitting in the quiet with Mom and Dad, eating a slice of cherry pie and drinking tomato juice (I love the stuff. No judging).

  I’d be sitting there with my cell phone, checking out everyone’s plans for the night. The door would open—no knocking at our house—and there would be Greer in a white button-down shirt and khaki shorts. He’d come in and without saying a word, he’d sweep me into his arms and kiss me. My chair would slam against the wall from the passion.

  No, I thought. It was supposed to be Sasha.
Sasha should be at the door.

  Oh, screw it. The thought was so good. In my fantasy, I switched the tomato juice for hot mint tea, better for kissing, and the kitchen disappeared along with my parents and I imagined the woods. Greer was kissing me right there next to the tent, his lips and tongue moving smoothly over and into mine, one hand entangled in my hair, the other around my waist, pulling me close. Finally, he’d break apart and say, You need something better to wear.

  That one woke me up and shuttled me right back to reality. I’d go mad if I kept this crush going. He didn’t have the same feelings for me I had for him, and I needed to push the man from my mind, to worry about myself and making it out of the woods alive, to think about the mission Grandma sent me to accomplish.

  I’d feel better after a short nap. I turned over on the lime green moss and attempted to sleep, but I couldn’t get comfortable. Something was off. Suddenly, the hairs on my arms rose, and a chill traveled down my spine. Someone or something was close by, and it wasn’t Greer.

  If this was the Libratiers or a tiger, I had better get ready to fight. I crouched down and grabbed an egg-shaped rock, ready for anything.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shadow orb. Wiser than I was before, instead of moving towards the shadow, I backed away. The shadow might be another trap or, worse, maybe as bad as the shadow of Haverhill.

  The shadow came towards me, and I backed up again. The shadow loomed closer and closer, but this time it grazed my skin and the world faded.

  ~*~

  The throne room differed from before, bigger, more beautiful. I saw a version of myself on the throne, hair pulled back straight, in a plunging black gown. But I wasn’t me in the vision. I gazed down and saw dusty white powder on arms too long and muscular to be my own. This was like my dream. I was in a different body. I couldn’t see out of my left eye, and so the room seemed oddly shaped and distances felt further away and mismatched.

  A hobblily old man with thick glasses and a large golden badge addressed the Waverly on the throne. “This is the one, your majesty.”

  “Let’s see her!” I commanded to him from my throne. “Hold her head so I can see her good eye.”