Shadow Witch

by Geof Johnson

  “I know, you told me they’re from Ireland and Scotland or whatever, but...pssh.” She gave her head a tight shake. “That’s pretty wild, when you think about it.”

  “You can get a quick look at it today, if you want. Maybe when Jamie makes a doorway for Sammi and the others to come home, we can go for a little tour.”

  “But it doesn’t look all that different,” Melanie said. “Except that they dress really old-fashioned and ride horses and carriages and stuff. They don’t have any modern things like electricity and cars or whatever.”

  Nova nodded slowly. “That sounds kinda nice, actually.”

  “It is,” Fred said. “We’ll take you there really soon, if you want. But first you need to go see Momma Sue.”

  “No, first I gotta go to Sammi’s birthday party. I don’t want to hurt her feelings.” Nova suddenly sat upright, pulled her phone out of her back pocket and checked the time. “You think Rollie’s home yet? I feel like shootin’ some hoops.”

  Fred blinked rapidly again. Boy, she’s all over the place. “Um, I think he’s still at work. Won’t get home ’til around dinnertime.”

  “Hmph. Well, maybe after the party on Saturday. I’ll bring my basketball shoes. You tell him to be ready.”

  * * *

  “Dammit!” Duane Gundy roared and kicked the garbage that was strewn at his feet. He was in his small, junk-crowded garage, sorting through trash bags he’d swiped from Luke and Libby’s house after they’d set their big plastic bin by the street. It was late and he was tired, and he’d found nothing among the banana peels and coffee grounds and credit card offers. Not a hint as to where Sammi might be. Libby’s her best friend. Why won’t Sammi write to her?

  He leaned back against the wooden shelf behind him and pulled a pack of Marlboros from his top pocket, but paused when he heard the door to the kitchen open and saw his wife step out.

  “Duane? Are you okay?”

  “Fine and dandy,” he grumbled and put a cigarette between his lips, lighting it with a flick of his Bic. “Just peachy.” He drew a deep toke and held it for a couple of seconds before exhaling.

  Her eyebrows drew down when she saw the garbage scattered on the floor. “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m sorting through trash.”

  “Did you throw away something important?”

  “Not our trash, stupid. Luke and Libby’s trash.” She looked at him vacantly and he felt like slapping her. “I’m looking for a letter or somethin’ from Sammi. She’s not been calling Libby, far as I can tell, so she must be writin’ to her.”

  “How do you know she’s not calling her?”

  “’Cause I been listenin’ to their calls with my damn scanner! God, you are dense.”

  A hurt look crossed her eyes and she said, “You don’t have to be so mean. Uh...have you been sitting outside their house all this time?”

  “Past few nights, I have. That’s why I been usin’ your car, so they won’t know it’s me. Their daddy would shoot me if he found out.”

  “Is that why you haven’t been getting up in time for work?”

  “Damn, you’re a regular Sherlock freakin’ Holmes, aren’t you?”

  “Duane, you’re going to get fired if you keep going to work late.”

  He took another leisurely drag from his cigarette and blew it out in several smoke rings. “Don’t care. Finding Sammi’s more important.”

  “But what if we can’t make the car payments? They’re due at the end of the month.”

  “You think I don’t know that? Now get out of here, you’re startin’ to piss me off.”

  “But Duane, if you —”

  “Dammit, Brenda!” He grabbed a small paint can from the shelf beside him and cocked his arm back, but she bolted back through the kitchen door before he could throw it.

  Chapter 13

  Rachel was gathering up the kids on Thursday morning at the Rivershire School to go outside and play when Aiven pointed and said, “Mrs. Sikes, there’s someone here.” Rachel looked across the room to see a slim young woman standing at the end of the front hallway. She wore a long, dark dress and her hands were squeezed tightly together at her waist, her face stiff, her gaze darting about the room.

  “Can I help you?” Rachel asked.

  The woman took a second to respond, and then she cleared her throat and said, “I came...I am here to apply for the teaching position. Is it still available?”

  “Oh. Of course. Hold on.” Rachel turned and searched for her mother, and found her at the back corner, kneeling on the floor and rummaging through a large cardboard box. “Mom? Can you take the kids outside? There’s someone here to apply for the teaching job and I need to talk to her.”

  Evelyn left with the kids and Rachel introduced herself to the stranger, whose name was Shauna Duffy. The young woman couldn’t seem to keep her blue-gray eyes off of the spinning ceiling fans and the fluorescent lights. “That is amazing,” she said softly.

  “Everybody seems to think so at first, but you get used to them pretty fast.” Rachel gestured broadly with one hand. “Let me give you a quick tour before we get down to business.”

  Rachel showed her the entire facility, and Miss Duffy was clearly awed by the television. Her eyes widened appreciatively when she saw the restrooms. “My, this is a wonderful convenience.”

  “Jamie wants this school to be as modern as possible, considering the circumstances.”

  “Jamie the Sorcerer?”

  “Yes. He’s my son. He’s the one who’s responsible for all of this.”

  Miss Duffy folded her lips into her mouth and surveyed the room again. “It is most impressive. I have heard that it is much nicer than the school in Paulsbury.”

  “Jamie wants the local children to have the best education possible.” She led the slim woman to one of the long tables and gestured at the chairs. “Let’s have a seat and you can tell me about yourself.”

  They took their places across from each other and Miss Duffy looked around again before turning back to Rachel. Rachel took the opportunity to size her up. She looked like Brinna, only thinner, with the same long, light brown hair that was so common in Rivershire, tied back with a ribbon.

  “What are your qualifications?” Rachel asked. “Have you taught before?”

  Miss Duffy took a deep breath before answering. “I am currently teaching at the Fullers’ household. I am the full-time tutor for their three children, but I have always dreamed of working in a proper school. Tutoring is a tenuous occupation, because the children grow older and your services are no longer needed.”

  “Well, to be honest, we don’t know how this school is going to work out. We don’t know how many kids will end up coming here and we don’t know if they’ll stick with it. A lot of these kids live on farms, and their parents need them to work. We have to do a lot of persuading to convince them to let us have their children for a few hours, five days a week.”

  “It is only five? I have to teach every day at my present posting.”

  “We’re modeling this school after the ones on my world. I teach in a school there.”

  Miss Duffy stared at her for a moment with her lips slightly parted. Then she leaned forward and said quietly, “Is it true what people are saying? Is there really another Earth?”

  I’ve been hearing that a lot lately. “Yes, it’s true. Maybe we can show you sometime, if we can get Jamie to make a doorway for you.”

  “He is a most powerful sorcerer, I am told.”

  “He is, but he’s a good boy, too. I’m very proud of him. He still does his chores with only a little bit of complaining.”

  Her mouth fell open again. “Jamie the Sorcerer does chores?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t he? He has to keep his room neat and help clean up the kitchen and take out the trash.” Rachel nodded once. “And mow the grass and other stuff.”

  Miss Duffy stared at her incredulously. “But...but he is an all-powerful s
orcerer, is he not?”

  “He’s still my son and he has to do his share around the house. It’s the way he was raised. It’s the way I was raised, too. My mom — that’s the lady you just met — she doesn’t put up with laziness, and I don’t, either.”

  “Is he the headmaster of this school?”

  “Oh no. We don’t really have one yet. We’re making decisions as a group. Jamie, me, my mom, and my aunt, who’s not here today because she has a doctor’s appointment.”

  “Who does the hiring here?”

  “I can do it, but first I need to know your qualifications. What can you teach, and how long have you been teaching?”

  Miss Duffy cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “I can teach reading and writing, Latin, mathematics, music, and art, and I have been at my present post for almost two years.”

  “When you say music and art, what do you mean?”

  “I can teach the violin and flute, but most of these children probably cannot afford to purchase instruments, so I would teach them singing, if you were you to hire me. I am a watercolor artist, but I would most likely teach them basic drawing. They would not be able to afford the painting materials, I believe.”

  “Don’t worry about that. The school would pay for that stuff. We have a budget for equipment and supplies, as well as for teachers’ salaries.”

  “Is it true that Master Jamie is paying for all of that? And the clinic, too?” Miss Duffy glanced past Rachel toward the windows on the other wall and the two-story medical facility beyond.

  “Yes, but he really hates to be called master.”

  “It is a sign of respect.”

  “Just call him Jamie. It’s what he wants.” Rachel looked at the table top for a moment before turning back to Miss Duffy. “I guess we should talk about your salary, if we decide to hire you. I know this is a personal question, but what do you make tutoring the Fullers’ kids?”

  Miss Duffy swallowed hard and took her time answering. Rachel expected her to be preparing an inflated figure as a starting point for negotiating. “They pay me a half-silver per week, plus my lodging and meals.”

  Rachel quickly did the math in her head and frowned. I wouldn’t work for that.Then she remembered how low the cost of living was in that town, and she said, “If you take this job, you will need to find another place to stay, won’t you?”

  “I could take a room at the boarding house. It is but a short walk from here.”

  “How much will that cost you?”

  “About a ten piece per week, and another five if I take my meals there.”

  Rachel sat back in her chair and folded her hands together in her lap. “Well, you’ll have to eat. You’ll need something for lunch, too, because we don’t have a cafeteria yet.” Shauna stared at her blankly and Rachel added, “A cafeteria is a big kitchen with lots of tables and chairs so the kids have a place to eat. The staff usually eats there, too.”

  “I can get something from one of the food carts in the market on my way to school.”

  “Good.” Rachel tapped her thumbs together and said, “How about for starters if we pay you a full silver a week, plus the cost of your room and board? If things work out, we can pay you more. We’ll have to negotiate that later.”

  Miss Duffy’s eyes lit up and she sucked in a short, tight breath. “That would be sufficient. Yes, definitely.”

  “You will have to teach from our textbooks, and follow our guidelines. Can you handle that?”

  “Yes. I will do whatever you ask.”

  She’s really eager. “All right, Miss Duffy. When could you start?”

  “Monday.”

  “Uh, don’t you have to give the Fullers some notice?”

  “They will easily find another tutor by then.”

  “And you realize that you are taking a risk by coming here? This school could fold in less than a year, and you would be out of a job.”

  “I could always go back to tutoring.” She frowned. “Though I would rather not.”

  “My mom is going to want to interview you, too, before we decide for sure. Wait here for a minute and I’ll go get her.”

  Rachel hurried outside and found her mother sitting in the shade at the picnic table while the kids played in the field. Rachel quickly told her about the prospective teacher, then waited with the children while Evelyn went to talk to the young woman.

  About twenty minutes later, Miss Duffy left and Evelyn joined Rachel outside.

  “So, what do you think, Mom?”

  “She seems like she might have what we’re looking for. I say we should give her a shot.” She pursed her lips. “Though I wish there was a way we could check her out, first.”

  “Maybe one of the children knows something about her.” Rachel called the kids together and asked them about Miss Duffy. Blane said, “I know she works at one of the big houses. They don’t hire just anybody, you know. They are quite selective, they are.”

  “They can afford to be,” one of the new boys added, and the others agreed.

  “Well,” Evelyn said, “she’s coming Monday. She’s going to be teaching you lots of different things, like Latin and singing and art. Would you like that?”

  “Art?” Sammi’s dark eyebrows shot up. “I love art.”

  “But...Latin?” Blane made a face as if he’d just eaten something rancid.

  “It won’t kill you to learn that,” Rachel said. “The rich kids are learning it. Don’t you want to be as smart as them?”

  “Um, yes but can’t we be smart without learning that?”

  “What’s Latin?” Aiven asked.

  “It’s a language that nobody speaks anymore,” Blane said.

  “What’s the point, then?”

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “It will help you understand our language better, and it will make you a well-rounded person.”

  Leora frowned deeply. “But why do I need to know that to become a farmer’s wife?”

  “Oh, honey.” Rachel sighed. “You may want to become more than that someday. You may want to have a career of your own.”

  “And like I often say, it all starts with a good education.” Evelyn nodded firmly. “But right now, it starts with lunch. Let’s go inside and eat.”

  * * *

  Jamie checked his watch on Friday afternoon and decided it was time to bring his mother, grandmother, and Sammi home from Eddan’s world. He made a doorway to the front of the school, but was surprised by what he saw — wagons, over a dozen of them, their horses tied to the closest trees. What is going on?

  He opened the front door to find it crowded inside, with people standing shoulder-to-shoulder all the way to the entry hall, and the overhead lights were off. Then he heard there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home, and he realized that The Wizard of Oz was playing on the television. He made his way through the press of standing adults, then past the throng of kids sitting on the floor, all of them mesmerized by the colorful images on the big screen.

  He found his mother and his grandmother standing on the far left side, watching the movie, too. “What is going on?” he whispered when he reached them.

  “Sammi brought Fred’s DVD of the Wizard of Oz,” Rachel said, “and we’re letting the kids and their parents watch it. I think word got around that we were going to do this and a few others came.”

  “I’m kinda shocked.”

  “I told you Sammi wanted to watch it today.”

  “Yeah, but....” He turned and surveyed the spellbound mob behind him. “There must be sixty people here, and more than half of them are kids. We don’t have that many registered here, do we?”

  “Not yet, but we might soon.”

  The movie ended and Sammi clapped first, then the rest of the crowd joined her. Evelyn flicked the wall switch and the lights came on. “Okay,” she announced to everyone, “that’s all for today. Thank you for coming. Please take one of our school brochures on your way out. They’re on the table by the front door. We’d love
to see all of your children here this fall.”

  “We have brochures?” Jamie asked.

  “Your Uncle Ray worked one up for us and Connie had some printed yesterday. It’s just a simple, one-page thing with a picture of the school on it and a little bit about what our plans are.”

  A portly woman in a plain dress waited politely for Evelyn to finish speaking before stepping forward and curtseying before Jamie. “Thank you, Master Jamie,” she said and turned her gaze to the floor.

  “You don’t have to call me master, and please don’t curtsey.”

  “Do you have any children that might want to come to our little school?” Evelyn asked.

  “Three, ma’am. My husband and I own a shop in town, and we would love to send them here.” A nervous smile fluttered across her round face. “They be underfoot at the shop, now, they are. ’Twoud be a blessing to send them away for the day.”

  Rachel laughed. “I believe that. Come by sometime next week and we’ll get them registered, okay?”

  She nodded and curtseyed again before leaving. Most of the mob was moving toward the door, but two more families waited and spoke to Jamie and his mother and grandmother before departing.

  As soon as the last visitor had gone, Jamie started to outline a doorway, but Rachel stopped him. “Hold on,” she said and went to the counter by the sink. She returned with an envelope and handed it to Jamie. “This letter came for you today. It was addressed to Jamie the Sorcerer, care of the Rivershire School.”

  “Huh.” Jamie eyed the envelope and frowned. “Who would I know that would write to me?”

  He started to open it, but Evelyn said, “Can you wait to read it? We’re ready to go home. We’ve been here all day.”

  He stuck it in his back pocket and finished outlining the portal.

  Jamie read the letter again while Rachel, Evelyn, and Sammi waited, standing together in his family room. He looked up and said, “It’s from a man named Mr. Winston. He owns a shop in a town called Vessport, which is about a hundred and fifty miles from Rivershire, on the coast. I’ve been there before.”

  “You have?” Rachel said. “When?”

  “Oh.” Jamie winced. “I meant Eddan has been there.” He glanced at the letter in his hand and said, “So, get this — he’s a wizard. A minor one, though. He emphasized that.”