The Leira Chronicles- The Complete Austin Series

by Martha Carr

  He waited till someone opened the door and scurried in with them, dashing between children's feet and running around the end of the counter. The theater was having a special 35th anniversary showing of E.T. and the lobby was quickly filling. There was a line to get snacks and the three teenagers behind the counter were overwhelmed, moving as quickly as they could before the movie started. Children were touching everything, bouncing up and down with excitement.

  It wasn't hard for a five-inch troll to slip in behind the straws and leap for the counter in the back, making his way toward the machine. A teenage girl in a red Alamo vest wearing a nametag that said, Christina, turned and looked directly at the troll just as he was pushing his way through the souvenir E.T. dolls. Yumfuck froze, keeping his eyes wide as she looked over, puzzled at all of the dolls. "Something isn't..."

  "Miss! Can I get extra cheese on that? Will that take long?" A mother was drumming her fingers on the counter. "Tommy, don't touch that!" The straws clattered to the ground. Christina quickly grabbed the paper boat filling it with chips, already forgetting about the odd doll.

  The troll let out the breath he was holding and ran the last few feet for the popcorn machine, doing a swan dive, headfirst over the top of the small plexiglass wall on the side, and into the warm pile, burrowing down to the bottom.

  A silver scoop poked him in the butt as someone tried to scoop out popcorn to fill a large tub. He opened his mouth wide as the scoop shoved him toward a corner, filling his mouth with popcorn. He rolled over, happily crunching when the scoop found him again, jostling him around in the machine, bouncing him from corner to corner. "Huh? Oooh, wha? Motherfucker!" The scoop came neatly under him, lifting up a pile of popcorn, sending him briefly into the air, surprising him and the young man trying to fill a bucket.

  The troll fell back toward the popcorn, smashing a few pieces as he settled down into the middle, looking up at the young man. "Yumfuck!" he trilled, leaping over the side of the machine and grabbing a filled bag as he hopped off the end of the counter.

  The young man looked at the full machine dreading having to throw away so much popcorn without letting any of the moviegoers know there were rats in the theater. He was just reaching to pull over the trash can when an irate father yelled loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

  "Where's my popcorn?" The man checked his phone. "It's not that hard a job! Where's your manager?"

  The young man's hand froze in mid-air. He looked up at the redfaced man scowling at him. He gave a polite smile and reached for the popcorn tub instead, filling it to the brim. "Here you go, sir. Sorry for the wait." He was suddenly having a better night. "Enjoy."

  "About time," the man snarled and took the bucket, herding his kids toward the theater.

  Yumfuck was already in a back row and had pulled the bucket up onto a seat, making it look like it was saved. A group of small children celebrating a fifth birthday filed into the row, taking up the rest of the seats. The birthday girl's mother sat at the far end of the row, glad to finally be settled.

  "There's a hair on this popcorn," said a man as he passed by the row.

  The theater grew dark and the movie started as the troll crawled into the tub, sitting himself in the middle. The small girl next to him giggled. "Hello Mr. Mouse." She was wearing a Frozen t-shirt and a sparkly pink headband and looked at him with big brown eyes.

  "Yumfuck!" The troll trilled at the child, smiling, as he threw popcorn into his mouth.

  "Hello Yumfuck, you're cute." The troll trilled and sat up in the tub to get a better view of the screen. The girl giggled again and poked her neighbor. "Look, it's a talking mouse. His name is Yumfuck!"

  "Yumfuck!" The troll sat up and waved at the two little girls. They nudged the next little girl who got out of her seat to take a look. "You're so cute!" she squealed.

  "Get back in your seat, the movie's starting!" The mother at the end of the row waved her arm like she was directing traffic. The little girl went back to her seat, giggling, looking over at the troll. "Hi Yumfuck!" A man in front of the girl turned around, confused, looking at the small girl who smiled at him. He slowly turned back around and leaned toward his wife. "Did she just say..."

  "Quiet, honey. Movie's starting. You know my rule. No talking again till the credits."

  The movie started and the row quieted down as Yumfuck settled in, happily eating popcorn. He ate his way down till he couldn't see the screen as well and climbed out of the tub and onto the arm of the seat by the little girl. She gently rubbed his head, smiling at the troll who trilled for the rest of the movie.

  The troll laughed and cried throughout the movie, earning a shush from the people in the next row. The little girl hid the troll, covering him gently with her hand until the people turned back around.

  He choked up when E.T. was sick and the little girl picked him up, cuddling him in her hands. "There, there, Mr. Yumfuck," she cooed. He cheered, "Yea!" when E.T. got to go home, holding his little arms over his head.

  The credits started to roll and the low lights along the bottom of the walls came on as the children in the row got up to leave. The little girl put the troll on the ground as he blew her a kiss. "Bye Mr. Yumfuck," she giggled.

  The troll ran out of the row and headed for the lobby, stopping to grab a bag of red licorice and carry them home with him.

  "What the hell?" Hagan was standing at the counter paying for the box of Raisinettes for Rose and a bag of Snickers bites for himself, as he saw a bag of licorice moving across the floor. "Son of a bitch!" Hagan laid an extra twenty on the counter. "Keep it. That should hopefully cover it. Trust me." He picked up the box of candy and went to find Rose. "Expensive little shit."

  He passed a group of little girls gathered around a harried mother. "Who taught you that word?" she was saying in an aggravated tone.

  "The talking mouse!" chirped a little girl. "Mr. Yumfuck! We love him!"

  "Best birthday party ever!"

  Hagan looked away and hurried by the little girls as the mother waved her arms in a frantic attempt to get the girls to stop talking.

  "We love Mr. Yumfuck!"

  Hagan picked up the pace and hustled to theater three.

  The troll made his way home, easily retracing his steps and wriggled under the gate, staying close to the fence as he made his way back to the guest house. The patio was full and Leira and Eireka were surrounded by the regulars as Correk tried to explain to everyone what a game of Lutea ball looked like.

  "Is that Norwegian or something?" asked Mike.

  "We could start our own team," said Paul.

  The troll got to the door of the guest house and jumped up, easily catching the handle and pulling down with his weight, opening the door just enough to slip back inside. Leira saw the door open slightly and just as quickly shut. "Fuck me," she whispered. "That's what I forgot." She got up to go check on things inside the guest house.

  "Leira!" She looked over and saw Agent Cohen stepping onto the patio. Estelle was behind him, giving her a shrug.

  "Cohen. Is there a case? Did I miss a call?" Leira walked over to meet him, hoping to put off introductions.

  "No, no, nothing like that. I stopped by to just apologize again. Make sure we're good."

  "Really? FBI agents check on fellow agents' feelings now. Full service." She stood in front of him, her hands on her hips, trying to block the view of the group behind her.

  "Leira, who's your friend?" Mitzi appeared at her side. "I'm Mitzi, this is Lucy."

  "Margaret." Margaret raised her hand, giving a small wave. "That's Kimberly."

  "Nice to meet you."

  Here it comes, thought Leira, ready with her answer.

  "So, how do you know Leira?" Mitzi practically sang the words as everyone turned to listen.

  "Work. He's part of the new task force." She gave them all a look and they nodded in unison. Scott held up a finger to his lips.

  "That's hush hush, right?" asked Craig.

  "Not if you keep doing
that," said Mike.

  "They know?" Alan looked worried and confused. Leira took him by the hand and steered him to the other end of the bar.

  "No, they don't," she finally said. "Well, they know a little but really, no, they don't. You want to tell me why you're really here?"

  He cleared his throat. "I don't like the way you got treated and well...I said I owed you that beer."

  "I told you, you didn't have to..."

  "Come on over!" Scott was waving his arm.

  Leira looked at Correk who was arching an eyebrow, amused. She narrowed her eyes, trying to wipe the look off his face but his smile only grew.

  "Have you met her mother? This is Eireka." Kimberly slid back onto her stool.

  "Yes, we met," said Cohen. "Alan Cohen, nice to meet you," he said, shaking Craig's hand.

  "Met the mother. Nice." Mitzi nodded, gently elbowing Lucy.

  Estelle stepped up onto her stool behind the bar and put a Convict Hill beer down in front of Cohen.

  "She orders for you," said Leira. "I guess you're staying."

  "I guess I am, and I owe you that beer."

  Estelle pulled the top off a Shiner Bock and set it down in front of Leira. "Enjoy." She wiped the counter around them.

  Leira leaned closer to Cohen so no one else could hear her. "I don't pee in the pool I swim in."

  "Good policy," he said, taking a sip of the beer. "Good beer, too."

  "You play softball? What about that... what you call it Correk?"

  "I give," muttered Leira, looking toward the guest house. The troll will just have to wait.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The senior counsel of the Order of the Silver Griffins sat in a circle in folding chairs on the stage of the theater inside the Chicago Pumping Station. There was a silhouette of a giant white whale in silk mesh against a back wall. The repairs to the lobby were just about complete and the theater was reopening for a production of Moby Dick. The eight witches and wizards who had convened were unhappy with what they were hearing, to a person.

  Lacey Trader was leading the meeting and was listening to Katie Toler tell the group the necklace had slipped through their hands, again. May Sage was shifting in one of the brown metal chairs next to her. "Is this all your group can afford? Doesn't give someone a lot of confidence in your old, revered organization. Fuck." May shifted to the left, crossing one thigh-high leather boot over the other.

  Katie looked at her and let out a sigh. "Do you mind?"

  "Fuck again, am I disturbing the meeting?" May looked around at the counsel. "We didn't get it. They haven't used it. End of story. Are we done now?" She leaned forward toward the wizard staring at her so the top of her blouse fell forward. "Better view?"

  He reddened and sat back, looking over at Lacey.

  "You're lucky you're worth the sass," said Katie as May put on dark sunglasses, sitting back in the chair. Katie turned back to Lacey. "May did pretty much cover it? Take the sour looks off your faces. We accomplished one big thing. They haven't been able to store it anywhere for long and they haven't been able to access the power of the artifact? We'll get them eventually. Only a matter of time and not much more time?"

  "Didn't one of your own join the little anti-revolution? A young witch?" May slid the sunglasses partly down her nose and was staring at Lacey. "Little Hannah Beecham, or so I've heard. We saw her in Arizona. She was looking fit. Seemed to want to come home, but maybe I'm projecting." She smiled, sliding the glasses back up her nose. Her part of the meeting was done. Lacey now knew Hannah was still alright, at least for now but was looking for an extraction. Lacey did her best to hide any reaction.

  "You're killing me here, girlfriend." Katie's tentacles swirled around in May's direction. May held up her hand and pretended to zip her lips shut.

  "You have another week. Then we take over, again. You keep Ms. Sage with you." Lacey wanted Hannah out. If something happens to her...

  "Works for me. I like money." May smiled. Katie rolled her eyes. "Fine," said Katie, "a week. We'll bring you the damn necklace and before someone manages to crack open the thing."

  "What's wrong with the troll?" Correk peered into the shoebox. The troll was still asleep, smacking his lips in a dream. "He's usually up and annoying by now."

  "Late night out." Leira went into the kitchen in search of more coffee. Her mother was sitting at the small kitchen table.

  "You're wearing your cape in the kitchen. It's a little overkill. Is there coffee?"

  "I just made more." Eireka shifted so Leira could get by her. Correk squeezed next to the refrigerator, getting down a mug. He elbowed Leira in the head.

  "Really? This early?" Leira scowled. "And in the head? Your uniform is getting a little ripe. How do you clean those things on Oriceran? It'll be announcing itself soon."

  "Sorry," he said, lowering his arm. "With magic. Very efficient."

  Eireka watched them for a moment. "It'll be okay." They turned and looked at her. "It's just hours away. This big plan to save my mother. Scary shit. The world in between." She shook her head and put down her mug. "Hard to even take it all in. It'll be okay."

  "Mom, that's way too big a promise to make. It's the world in between..."

  "It'll be okay because we'll all be there together. We're making a stand as a family. Not just us." She waved a hand between herself and Correk and Leira. "Even more of our family. There will be so much magical energy there with us tonight, standing shoulder to shoulder. No questions asked but just because we need them. It'll be okay."

  Leira nodded and said soberly, "Toni said everyone is in. No one turned her down." Leira hesitated. "I'm glad we had last night..."

  "It's not our last night." Eireka got up and went and put a hand on each of them. "You don't need to go there. That wasn't our last night. We were just having a night at the bar with your other family. The human kind. They sent us off the best way they could to go into battle, even if they didn't know that's what they were doing. Just because they all showed up..." She said it again, firmly. "It'll be okay."

  "Even if it's the last good thing we do." Leira said softly.

  "I have to go back to Oriceran, even if it's just for a few hours. I need to recharge before tonight if I'm going to be of any real use." Correk's face grew serious. "I'll meet you at the hotel. You've reserved the room?"

  "Same one I saw Nana at the window. You going to be okay with the Gnomes? They seemed pretty pissed off at you."

  "There will be more than one hat spitting at me from the library but it'll be alright. The library is protected by the Light Elves and in the end they may not agree with what I did but they're powerless to do anything to me other than stop me from using their books. Even that can't be forever."

  "You're still wearing the cowboy boots. Dying to show them off to your friends, aren't you?" Leira looked down and back up at Correk, trying to smile. No matter what anyone said, there was no assurance of which side would win the battle tonight and everything was at stake.

  "You see right through me." Correk squeezed her hand. "I'll be back in time. Bring the troll. His kind have seen fighting before."

  "That Cheetos-eating, orange-farting troll?"

  "You saw the stains."

  "Was drinking one of your Dr. Peppers and got to the bottom and lo and behold."

  "You drank one of my Dr. Peppers?"

  Leira smiled at Correk. "Go, Cousin. Tomorrow I'll take you to Costco and we'll load up. There's a cherry flavored Dr. Pepper too."

  "Two moons!" Correk squeezed her hand again and let go, forming a ball of light between his hands, speaking into it. Leira put her hand on his arm, helping him to strengthen the energy he needed. The air in the kitchen began to shimmer and Correk opened his hands wider as a portal opened up, revealing the forest of Oriceran on the other side.

  "Oriceran," gasped Eireka, tears in her eyes. "It's been so long..." She reached a hand through the portal to brush a nearby frond.

  Leira looked at her mother. There's so much
I don't know. She let go of Correk's arm.

  "What is it you're always saying, Leira? Something about believing in a solution, no matter what. It's still true." Correk picked up his rucksack and stepped through the portal, giving a long look back. "I'll be back in time," he said, just as the portal closed.

  Correk stepped into the forest, making his way to the nearest path. He made his way quickly toward the Light Castle, throwing off the glamour spell as he moved. There was no time to waste.

  "They have to help," he muttered, as he hurried down the path. He got to the edge of the forest and his rucksack began to shake violently, pulling away from his hand. "What the hell?"

  He opened the bag as a small green book shot out, hovering in the air for a moment and zipped through the air, returning itself to the library. "Two moons," he muttered. "A late book. One more mark against me. It will be a cycle of moons before they let me near the books again." He shook his head. "Doesn't matter." He hurried toward the castle. "I have to find a way to convince the king and queen to return with me. They have to help. Otherwise, this may just be the last good thing we do. I can't let that happen to Leira."

  The prophets called an emergency meeting. The stars on the back of their robes were moving, staying in alignment with the virtual system of stars on the ceiling above them. The Light Elf prophet paced the front of the room, the stars gently turning on his back.

  "The necklace is said to be back on Oriceran. But where?" He pounded his fist on the back of a chair.

  "It's been reported on Earth, then Oriceran, then back on Earth," said the Pixie prophet. She was balanced on the arm of a chair. "The truth is, we don't know."

  "We have to find it. That artifact could be the key to opening the portals early," said the Crystal prophet.

  "We would have to give it back," said the Light Elf. "It's the right thing to do. Then petition Queen Saria to let us use it."