Umberland

by Wendy Spinale

  “Would you like something to drink?” Chirp asks, standing at the kitchen entrance.

  Maddox holds up a gloved hand. “No oil for me. I’m trying to quit, but thanks. How about you, Alyssa?”

  He smiles as if daring me to accept.

  “That’s awfully kind of you. Perhaps next time?” I say.

  Sitting on the opposite chaise longue, Chirp settles herself in. It is then I notice the purposefully set mirror behind her. Chip’s reflection peers at us with a scowl. Behind me is another mirror, in which Chirp smiles brightly. How clever of them.

  “Please excuse the mess. We don’t have company often,” Chirp says, brushing the nonexistent dust off the trunk in front of her.

  “We never have company and all she does is clean. I’d be shocked to find a spot of rust in this entire place,” Chip growls.

  “I beg your pardon, but I hardly see you lifting a finger to help out. Besides, there isn’t much to do here in the Labyrinth. It’s too dangerous to venture beyond our little home.” Chirp frowns. “What I wouldn’t give for just one day outside these wretched walls.”

  “No use dreaming for things you … we can never have, Chirp, dear,” Chip says, sounding equally as disappointed. His reflection frowns.

  I search for some response, something to give them hope for life outside of the Labyrinth, but nothing comes to mind. The world beyond these walls is in shambles. I’m not sure they’d be better off than they are in their current circumstance. It occurs to me that as awful as the Labyrinth is, perhaps it’s better than what waits for them outside the walls.

  “Now, where were we?” Chirp says, interrupting the awkward silence. She sips from a copper cup of oil. “Ah, yes, the pwazon pòm. Why on earth would you ever seek that out? It will kill you. And not to mention that it’s all overgrown with nasty vines, poisonous plants, and such.”

  “Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac,” Maddox says, his chin resting in his hand.

  “Plants that will make your skin itch so much, you’ll scratch until you draw blood,” Chip says.

  “Stinging nettle,” Maddox says.

  “Why, yes! How do you know?” Chirp says.

  Maddox lifts his eyes and smiles weakly. “My father was the king’s groundskeeper,” he says quietly.

  Chirp gasps, holding a hand up to her lips. “Mayr, is that you? It can’t possibly be. You’ve grown like a weed!” she exclaims, rising from her place.

  “Mayr? No, this is Maddox,” I say to Chirp.

  “Maddox Hadder was the name I gave myself when I arrived at Alnwick. Remember, I was hiding from the Bloodred Queen,” Maddox says.

  Maddox gives me a small sheepish smile and stands. Chirp wraps her metal arms around him and kisses him on the cheek. “You’ve been away so long that we thought one of the Bloodred Queen’s henchman took you along with your parents. How are they? Your folks, I mean?”

  Maddox’s expression darkens. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen them in nearly five years.”

  “Oh my. Poor dear,” Chirp says, resting her hand on her cheek. “You must miss them terribly.”

  “I’ve managed okay,” Maddox says, grinning, and I can’t help but grin as well. Having lost his parents, escaped with his life, and been on his own at such a young age, I imagine seeing a familiar childhood face must bring some comfort.

  “You know each other?” I ask, raising a brow.

  “Know each other? Why, I wiped that boy’s bottom when he was just a wee little boy,” Chirp says, waddling back to her seat and plopping on the chaise longue.

  Chip lets out a hearty laugh. “He was such an ornery lad. Chirp and I were in charge of looking after him while his parents worked on the castle grounds. That boy gave us such grief!”

  “I see nothing has changed,” I say lightly.

  “I wasn’t all that bad,” Maddox protests.

  “Oh, really?” Chip says. “What about that time you sprinkled morning glory seeds in the streusel your mother made for the garden helpers? Your poor mama and papa were chasing near-naked people for hours.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about and I’m sticking with that,” Maddox says airily.

  “Likely story,” Chip says.

  “So you’ve both been here the whole time?” Maddox asks.

  “Oh, yes! Twasn’t anywhere to go. When the Bloodred Queen shut everyone out, she made sure those of us stuck in the Labyrinth couldn’t leave either,” Chirp says. “We were gearing down for the night when the soldiers arrived. When everything was said and done, your folks were gone, Chip and I woke up here, and the apple tree was shielded by an array of poisonous plants.”

  Maddox, suddenly seeming interested, leans both elbows on his knees. “Overgrown with poisonous plants, you say?”

  Chirp’s wire eyebrows lift. “Why, yes. All specimens from your parents’ greenhouse.”

  “You know what that means, Your Grace?” Maddox asks.

  Chirp leaps up and claps, her palms sounding like cymbals. “Oh! Did you hear that, Chip? There is royalty among us.” She bends into a deep curtsy and bows her head. “Welcome to my home, Your Grace. Whatever is mine, is yours.”

  “Goodness gracious, woman. Get ahold of yourself,” Chip says, his face staring straight up at the ceiling.

  I cover my mouth, holding back a giggle.

  “Where are my manners?” Maddox says, standing up and tugging me up with him. “This is the Duchess of Northumberland.” He bows and waves a hand at me. “Go on now. Curtsy or whatever it is you royals do.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Maddox,” I say. I can’t tell if he’s being sincere or if this might be a joke to him. I sit back down on the sofa and yank him with me.

  Chirp fans her face with her hand, her fingers literally spinning in circles. “I beg your pardon, Your Grace. I’ve never been around royalty. Well, other than that awful Bloodred Queen, but I’d hardly call that devil royalty of any sort. She’s more of a taskmaster.”

  “Taskmaster?” I ask.

  “Indeed; our job is to keep the machinery functioning,” Chip says. “There are numerous other shafts like the one you fell through. It’s our job to be sure they’re all running smoothly. Oiling the joints and gears, fixing and repairing broken parts, that sort of thing.”

  “And if you refuse?” I ask.

  Their shared body rattles, the metal joints clanging. “Terrible things will happen,” Chirp says in a hushed voice. “If the walls stop moving, if the doors are left ajar … if the Labyrinth stops working, all that is evil will be let loose within and beyond the fortress.”

  “Have you ever attempted to just leave?” Maddox asks.

  Chirp weeps bitterly.

  “Not this again, my love; please don’t cry,” Chip says.

  “Oh dear!” I say, searching my pockets for a tissue.

  Maddox pulls a black silk handkerchief from his coat pocket and offers it to Chirp.

  “Thank you,” Chirp says, taking the cloth and dabbing her eyes. “You’re a lucky girl to have snagged this boy for a husband, Your Grace.”

  Maddox, looking surprised, quickly corrects her. “Um, I’m not … eh … we aren’t married.”

  “And why not?” Chirp says condescendingly through a sniffle.

  “Let the kids be. It’s none of our business,” Chip says.

  “Uh, well, let’s just say her kind rarely mingles with my kind,” Maddox says.

  Although what he says is the truth, his honesty stings. My cheeks flush. Maddox has grown on me, even stirred feelings within me that I’ve never felt for another. A friendship between royalty and peasants would be frowned upon, and a union would certainly be out of the question. However, with the world in the state it is in, the lines between royalty and commoner have become blurred. But perhaps Maddox has realized that already and this is his polite way of stating he’s not interested in me in such a way. Then again, we may never make it out of here alive.

  “What a shame,” Chirp says, dabbing
her eyes one last time, before returning the handkerchief to Maddox. “Thank you, dearie.”

  Chip clears his throat, changing the subject. “You asked why we haven’t left the Labyrinth. There is only one way out from this point on and it’s at the tree.”

  “We can’t go back the way we came?” I ask.

  “No,” Chip replies. “Do you remember how the maze reconfigured as you went along? It’s impossible to trace your steps back to the place you started. Besides, the entrances into the Labyrinth can only be opened from the outside. You’d be stuck at the door even if you did find your way.”

  “But what about you—can’t you leave through the exit at the center?” I crane my neck, trying to see his face. “The one that lies in the garden?”

  Their hand reaches for their neck and turns the key the opposite direction, allowing Chip to face us. He frowns. “For Chirp and me, I’m afraid this is forever our home. We’d never survive what’s out there. Come, follow me.”

  Chip rises and leads us up the staircase. His feet clang on the metal stairs with every step. The stairwell spirals up several stories high, copper as far as I can see, which leads to a tiled domed roof. When we reach the top floor, it is fairly empty other than a leather chair and an elaborate telescope set upon a tripod. The sun casts a bright light into the room through a circular window.

  With a wave of his hand, Chip gestures toward the telescope. “Take a look.”

  I step up to the telescope and peer through the eyepiece. A black metal dragon tugs at its chains on the far side of the maze. The massive machine with spiked horns and claws roars, fire and smoke erupting from its nostrils, mouth filled with jagged teeth and deadly fangs. Surrounding the platform where it sits is a pit filled with pipes with flames bursting through the opening in the floor.

  “What is that?” I ask, stepping back.

  Maddox peers through the lens and his face blanches. “That is a terrifying beast.”

  Chip’s expression darkens as he speaks. “That is the Jabberwock, the guard of the western entrance to the tree you seek. There are four entrances to get to the tree. Each guarded by a beast that tests a warrior’s strengths or weaknesses: the Bandersnatch at the north tests kindness, the Jubjub Bird at the south tests patience, and the Murderous Crow at the east tests love.”

  “And the western entrance?” I ask.

  “Bravery,” Chip says.

  Maddox groans. “You mean we need to be brave enough to get through that hunk of metal to get to the tree with the apple?”

  “Worse yet, you need to get through that hunk of metal if you ever hope to get out of the Labyrinth,” Chip says, his frowning face turning toward us. “The monsters are the reason why we’ve never left the Labyrinth. We’d be nothing but a hunk of metal if we stepped foot in those lairs.”

  “Tell us about the Jabberwock,” Maddox says.

  Their metal body shudders, and Chirp’s face spins toward us. “Frightening creature. Many have tried to enter, but none has succeeded. That machine, that dragon, brings out the greatest fears in the bravest of women and men.”

  “Which is what?” I ask.

  “Why, death, of course,” Chip says sorrowfully as his face returns to the front. “What greater fear is there than no longer existing? Chirp and I are just a machine made up of gears, springs, and other random machinery, parts that can be repaired or replaced. But you mortals, your last breath comes with the last tick of your heartbeat. There’s no coming back. And that creature’s only goal is to make sure that ticker inside of you,” Chip says, tapping his finger over Maddox’s chest, “comes to an early end.”

  As I consider what Chip said, I realize it is the ultimate test. Death is precisely why Maddox and I are here. We’re trying to prevent it. We’re risking our own lives to save more lives. At that realization, I feel determination deep down in my gut. We have to do this. No more trying. We’re nearly there; just one more creature.

  Chirp’s face spins forward, and she hurries back down the stairs. “We have guests now. Actually, I suppose they’re not guests since they will be staying with us indefinitely. Oh my! So much to do. I’ll have to prepare the spare bedrooms. Plant a vegetable garden since it’s apparent you are not fond of organic oil at all. Chip, dear, you’ll need to take up hunting. How are you with a rifle?”

  “Wait!” I say, chasing her down the stairs. Maddox follows closely behind. “But we won’t be staying. We have to get that apple and return to Alnwick.”

  “Of course you’re staying, my dear. That’s a fool’s errand right there,” she says, still bounding down the stairs.

  “I must return to Alnwick with that apple,” I repeat.

  “Nonsense. We just told you no one has ever beaten the Jabberwock,” Chip says. “I’ve seen grown men take that beast on and still the result is always the same. Barbecued knight in shining armor. It takes days for that rancid smell to dissipate.”

  “And you don’t even have any armor,” Chirp adds.

  I stop suddenly, and Maddox nearly runs into me. “I will defeat the Jabberwock,” I continue, the resolution in my voice unwavering. “However, you’re right that I’m in need of armor and weapons. Can you help me?”

  “We will defeat the Jabberwock,” Maddox interjects. He looks me dead in the eye, daring me to argue. I won’t. If Maddox is prepared to offer his services, I’ll take all the help I can get.

  Chirp halts midstride and Chip stares at me, his mouth gaping. Then their head whirls a full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees, their geared eyes spinning wildly.

  “Wahoo! Can I? I’ve got the finest weapons in all of Germany,” Chip says. “Follow me!”

  His head twirls forward, and he bounds down the stairs two at time. Chirp smiles at us. “Well, if you’re going to do this, you’ve come to the right place. He just adores tinkering with bits of metal and tools. He’s created a fine collection of weapons. A very fine collection indeed.”

  We descend the rest of the staircase. “Chirp, Chip, when we destroy the Jabberwock, you will come with us, right?”

  Chirp pats my cheek. “Aren’t you kind, Duchess? Why, that is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for us. But where would we go? There is nowhere out there for us. The Labyrinth is our home.” She looks at me, and I realize she’s right. Where would they go? To Alnwick? To do what? Become a servant of the castle? That’s what would be expected of them, as all the animatronics are expected to work. I nod my head sadly. “But don’t you worry about us,” she adds. “For now, your mind must be on getting past that Jabberwock.”

  Chip leads us out the door and toward a large building that looks like a warehouse. Smiling, he opens the double doors.

  The sight before me is breathtaking. Racks and racks of armor and weapons fill the space except for a small worktable cluttered with tools.

  “Do you think you can find what you’re looking for in here?” Chip asks, pride beaming in his smile.

  “I think we can work with this,” Maddox says, leading me inside by my hand.

  “It’s either this or we’re the main course on tonight’s dinner menu,” I say.

  Maddox whirls his head toward me. “Let’s hope the beast isn’t hungry.”

  The hiss of the reptilian swarm fades beneath the whir of the Jolly Roger. I throw my arms over the railing of the ship, my feet dangling. Gwen grips my arms and pulls me over to the starboard side. As I take one final glance at what has been our home, a deep ache, a darkness I have never experienced overwhelms me. Again the kids that I’m responsible for are homeless, including me. Loss is a familiar and bitter friend, and it haunts me once again.

  Bodies of a dozen Lost Boys lie lifeless, like fallen tin soldiers. Tears well up in my eyes as I bid those brave kids farewell on their final adventure: a journey I, too, will see one day.

  I watch as the army of timsah overruns the castle. My knuckles pale as I grip the railing, digging my fingernails into the wood. It stings, but I welcome the distraction of pain. Unable t
o contain my rage, I scream until my throat tastes as if it bleeds from the inside. Finally, when I no longer have the energy, my knees give out. I bury my face in my hands, pressing my palms into my eyes as hard as I can.

  It should be my blood spilled on the cobblestone courtyard.

  The air is thin, and I can hardly catch my breath. Reality feels as distant as a lost dream. No. As if I’m in a horrible nightmare that I’ll never wake from.

  Gwen gently places an arm around me. Normally, I would welcome her warmth, but every cell in my body is numb. She is silent, and I revel in the quiet she brings. There’s isn’t anything she can say or do that will bring me consolation, nor do I deserve it. I’ve failed the Lost Boys, only this time it cost me Gabs, Scout, and so many others.

  When I finally come up for air, dropping my hands into my lap, the world I once knew is long gone. I bite back the bile and, clenching my fists, I stand to take in the survivors. They are bloodied and battered. Dozens of sick lie swaddled in stained and shredded blankets. Hatred beyond anything I know brews in me. My stomach roils, making me want to double over in disgust, when my gaze catches Doc lying up against the ship, dazed. Bella presses a cloth to a gushing gash across his cheek. Although his blue eyes glisten with tears, I feel nothing for him.

  “How many did we save?” I ask.

  Gwen balks and gives me a worried glance, not answering. She doesn’t have to. Our crew is few, and many of those who made it can hardly stand.

  “Joanna? Mikey?” I press. “Bella?”

  “They’re safe,” she says.

  “The Queen?” I ask.

  Gwen nods. “One of the few we rescued.”

  “And Lily?”

  “Yes, Lily made it out, too,” she says, pointing to the bow of the ship. Lily stands at the helm, guiding the zeppelin away from Alnwick.

  Although the sun warms my face, I feel nothing but cold and darkness brewing within me. “And the Everland cure? Your mother’s notes?”

  Gwen’s voice cracks. “They’re gone, Pete. All of them.”

  My legs feel weak and I support myself with the ship’s railing, barely able to steady myself.