Anger flared in Michiko's eyes. She pushed her head forward and up and bit down hard on the troll's bulbous nose.
He shouted in pain and dropped Michiko, grabbing at his nose. She landed on her feet and punched the troll in the stomach. As he doubled over, gasping for breath, she stuck her right hand out to one side. Her staff rose into the air and flew into her hand like a pin jumping onto a magnet.
Michiko then hit the troll in one knee with her staff, then the other. As the troll reeled, she jumped high in the air. She swung her staff over her head and down as she descended, hitting the troll hard over the top of his head. He collapsed, out cold.
Michiko landed on her knees, coughing and spitting. She pulled a bottle of water from her pocket and rinsed out her mouth. “Are you okay?” Beth said hoarsely as she ran over with Brooke.
“I bit his nose!” Michiko shouted. “It was the most disgusting thing I have ever had to do in my life!”
“Really?”
“Two words: troll boogers.”
“Oh, ick.” Beth tried not to gag.
“Here.” Michiko stood up and handed Beth the water. “Sounds like you could use this.”
Beth somehow managed to hold Brooke in one hand and the water in the other, and finished the bottle. “Thanks,” she said. “And Michiko?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for saving my butt again.” Beth smiled.
“You're welcome,” Michiko said, blushing faintly as she smiled back. “How's the baby?”
“Nodding off. She's all cried out, the poor thing. Did you want to hold her? My arms are getting tired.”
“Sure!” Michiko carefully took the baby from Beth. “Hi, Brooke!” she said as she gently swayed back and forth. “Such a little sweetie!”
“Awww,” Beth said to herself as she watched.
“Gregor?” Michiko said as she walked with the baby.
The guinea pig, eyes half-closed and whiskers drooping, stuck his head out of the purse. “Yes?” he said.
“Good work.”
“What good work? I couldn't stop the troll!” Gregor said.
“But you did hold him off until I got here. Thanks for that.” Michiko smiled.
“Yeah,” Beth said with a grin. “You did great, Gregor.”
“So did you, Beth.”
“Huh?” Beth said, her eyes widening with surprise. “All I did was scream!”
“And find this camp,” Michiko said. “And Brooke.”
“Oh. Right.”
“And the screaming was excellent! Great volume, and just the right amount of panic.”
“Gee, thanks,” Beth said sarcastically. “I'll remember that for next time.” She glanced up the hill towards the trail. “Someone's coming.”
Linden was hurrying down the hill, followed by half a dozen armed faeries. They stopped and gaped in surprise. “We had a troll here?” the mayor asked.
Michiko nodded. “Beth found Brooke in that tent. I got here in time to stop the troll.”
“Is it…?”
“Still alive. I'd recommend chaining him up and sending him back to Faerie, with a note that says 'baby eater'. Let them deal with him.”
Linden nodded and turned back to the others, who surrounded the still-unconscious troll. As they did, two more faeries ran down the hill. “Monkey Queen!” Larkin shouted as he and Florence stopped short of the troll. “Is—is she—”
Michiko smiled and walked up to them. “She's just fine.” She gave Brooke to Florence, who burst into tears as she held the sleeping baby close to her. Larkin stood behind them, one arm around his wife's waist, the other stroking the baby's head gently, tears on his cheeks.
“Awww,” Beth said again with a wide smile. Gregor stuck his head out of her purse and snorted. “Oh, come on!” Beth said to him. “Doesn't this make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?”
“I'm a guinea pig,” he grumbled. “I'm too warm and fuzzy as it is.”
Larkin and Florence looked up. “Monkey Queen…thank you,” Larkin said.
“Yes, thank you,” Florence said. “How can we ever repay you?”
“She's a little sweetie,” Michiko said. “Love her with all your heart. That's all.”
Larkin nodded. “We will.” He and Florence turned their attention back to their baby.
Michiko walked back to Beth and Gregor. “Time to go,” she said to them. “Beth, listen. Do you have…”
“Mouthwash?” she said. “Sure. Use as much as you want.”
“Thanks!”
They walked back up the hill to the trail. When they reached it, Michiko stopped. “Beth?” she asked. “One more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“If you ever wonder why I do what I do…” Michiko pointed down at Brooke and her parents. “That's why.” She smiled warmly.
Chapter Eight
Michiko was nodding off by the time they returned to Beth's apartment. She used half a bottle of Beth's mouthwash, then curled up on the couch and quickly fell asleep. By then, Gregor was already snoring in his cage.
Beth went to bed, but for the second night in a row, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts raced, replaying everything that had happened; it had been quite a Saturday. She kept coming back to Puck's behavior after he had been rescued; she was still confused by it, and she felt hurt and rejected as well.
Beth knew she still hadn't made a decision, committed either way on whether she would stick it out with the Monkey Queen. She was glad that Michiko hadn't pressured her. But deep down inside, Beth was scared out of her mind. And having the time of her life in spite of it.
Sunday morning finally came, and Beth staggered out of her bedroom to see Michiko was already awake and holding a coffee cup. “Good morning!” Michiko said, smiling cheerfully.
“Mrph,” Beth said as she headed into the kitchen. “Thanks for making the coffee again. How's Gregor?”
“Eating breakfast,” Michiko said. Beth glanced over as she fixed her coffee. The guinea pig was ignoring them as he munched on a stack of alfalfa.
Beth sipped her coffee. “So…cold pizza for us?”
“Save it for lunch. I've got a place we can go.”
“Food decent?”
“Better than that. And we might see Puck there.” Michiko grinned and finished her coffee.
Beth's heart jumped. “He likes early breakfasts,” she said. “I'd better shower so we can get going.” She took one last gulp of coffee and headed for her bedroom.
“They'll let you wear your bunny slippers there!” Michiko said.
“You wish!” Beth said as she closed the bedroom door.
Gregor shook his head. “They're both mad,” he muttered through a mouthful of alfalfa.
Michiko led Beth, who was carrying Gregor in the gaudy purse, on a walk that took them to the outskirts of town. They eventually came to a dirt road that dead-ended in front of an old, abandoned and somewhat worn-down barn that sat atop a small hill. “This is it?” Beth asked. “We have to gather our own eggs for breakfast?”
“Have you forgotten about the hobgoblin shelter and Grandmother Fox's garden?” Michiko said with a grin as she snapped her fingers.
“Oh. Oh!”
“Well put.”
Then, they saw a middle-aged man wearing business casual coming up the road. “Monkey Queen?” he asked.
Michiko folded her arms. “I like to see who I'm really dealing with,” she said.
“Of course.” He gestured before Beth could blink, and his seeming vanished. “Good morning to both of you,” Vrech said.
“Good morning.” Michiko relaxed. “What brings you here?”
“Apparently, Puck has been found.”
“He has. We ran into him last night.”
“He was with Duke Wrexham,” Beth said.
“Did Wrexham give any indication of how or where Puck was found?” the hobgoblin asked.
“He was too busy boasting.”
“Yes, that sounds like the Duke.”
Vrech paused. “I'm worried that they'll find a way to pin the blame on us. I'm still convinced that no hobgoblins were involved.”
“So who would have done it?” Michiko asked. “And why?”
“I can't answer that. But I do know that Wrexham is out to take advantage of this situation. He has always coveted the Hoblands for his own. This could be his first step to fulfilling his ambition. Besides, ask yourselves this: What would our motive have been?”
“Revenge?” Michiko said.
“Ransom?” Beth said.
“Bargaining chip?” Gregor said.
“All valid points,” Vrech said. “That's why I'm asking for your help.”
“To find out who was behind this?” Michiko said.
“Yes. If we get pinned with the blame, everything we've worked for will be ruined, and so could the Hoblands.” Vrech looked away. “I'm not too proud to ask for help for my people. Please, Monkey Queen. Please help us.”
After a long moment, Michiko nodded. “I'll do what I can. I can't promise anything, but I'll try.”
Vrech extended a hand. “That's all I could ask for,” he said. “Thank you.”
“I'll be in touch.” Michiko shook his hand. The hobgoblin turned and headed away from the barn, gesturing as he did, his seeming coming back on.
“Do you think that any hobgoblins were behind this?” Beth asked.
Michiko shook her head. “The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced that they're not.”
“Yeah, there's one thing that's been bothering me.”
“What's that?”
“You know the barrier spell across the alley? The one that Gregor dispelled?”
“I know what you're getting at, girl,” the guinea pig said. “I'm not familiar with whatever spell that was, or with hobgoblin magic, but I didn't see any device there that could have generated that barrier.”
“So that rules Krexx out,” Michiko said. “I wonder…”
Before she could continue, the barn door opened. “Professor!” Beth shouted. She handed Gregor and purse to Michiko and ran up the road towards Puck as he stepped outside.
Puck raised an eyebrow as Beth approached him. “Yes?” he said.
“Well…” Beth quickly gathered her thoughts. “I wanted to say that it's good to see you. And that I'm glad you're okay.”
He nodded. “And I have something to say to you, girl.” Girl and not lass? Beth thought as Puck said, “Get away from the Monkey Queen now, while you can. Before it's too late.”
“What?” Beth turned pale.
“What did I just tell you, girl?” Puck said.
“But you said the other night—”
“Listen to what I'm telling you now! She is trouble! What has she done for you? Stop being a fool.”
Beth shook her head. “Professor, she saved my life! She's—”
“She'll lead you to your doom, you idiot,” Puck spat out. “You're not ready for this. Go back to your classes. Maybe you'll survive.”
“But Professor—” Beth took a step towards Puck. He grabbed her arm and pushed her to one side. He walked away without another word, past Michiko and Gregor, down the dirt road and out of sight.
There was a weather-beaten wood bench by the side of the road. Beth sat down hard on it and stared at the ground, her eyes stinging. Michiko set Gregor's purse down and walked over to the bench. “Are you—” she started to say.
“Am I all right?” Beth said. “Do I look all right?”
“I…”
Beth looked up at Michiko, her face flushed with anger. “I'm not all right!” she shouted. “I just had a good friend—and he's only a friend, so shut up, Gregor—call me an idiot and a fool, and push me away! And he made it sound like it was my fault. Maybe,” she said with bitterness, “this wouldn't have happened if I had never met you. Maybe he'd still be the same.”
She stared at the ground again. Gregor ducked inside the purse. Michiko looked away sadly. “Do you really think that's true?” she asked. “Do you really believe that?”
“Only…” Beth swallowed. “Only the part of me that hurts like Hell.”
Michiko looked back as Beth continued, “I don't have a lot of friends. I lost touch with the people I knew in high school when I came out here to college, I don't really know anyone here, every roommate I've ever had here bailed or flaked out, and my webfriends aren't there to give me their time and a pep talk when I do bad on a test or my day sucks.” Her voice cracked. “Puck was the only one around who would. And now…” She took her glasses off and wiped her eyes.
Michiko took a package of tissues from her pocket and handed them to Beth. “Thanks,” Beth said.
When Beth had composed herself, Michiko knelt in front of her. “Beth,” she said, “I don't know what happened to Puck either. Maybe being kidnapped changed him, or maybe there's some other reason he's acting the way he is. But he's my friend too, and I want to find out what's going on. If you want to get out now, I understand, but I hope you'll stick it out.”
Beth nodded. “Okay. I'm still in, then.”
“Okay.” Michiko stood and turned away.
“Michiko? Wait a minute.” Beth stood up as Michiko looked back. “I'm sorry,” she said, her face getting redder still. “I really am. I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. I know it's not your fault. You've done so much for me already, and you don't deserve to have me yelling at you. I'm sorry.”
Michiko smiled. “Thanks, Beth. Come on, let's get breakfast.” Beth nodded and managed a faint smile of her own as she picked up Gregor's purse.
Michiko had given her a hint, so Beth didn't expect to walk into the barn and see stables and bales of hay. Still, she was surprised by what she saw.
Inside the barn was a restaurant. There were sturdy wooden tables of various sizes and shapes, all surrounded by comfortable-looking chairs. There were booths along the walls, a large long couch against the far wall by a curtained doorway, and a coffee and pastry stand near the door; the fruit-filled danishes and heavily-iced cinnamon rolls made Beth's mouth water. Windows lined the walls, letting in the morning sun. The sights, sounds and smells of breakfast filled the air.
“Michiko,” Beth asked, “there weren't this many windows outside, were there?”
“It's the seemings,” Michiko said. “The ones here are so old and protected, even ten of you couldn't disrupt them.”
“Okay. So what's the deal with this place?”
“It's—”
“Michiko!”
A short young woman with wild red hair, pointed ears and candycane-striped stockings dodged customers and tables and ran up to Michiko, giving her a hug. She wore purple eye shadow that matched her earrings and her dress, which she wore an apron over. It also matched the butterfly-like wings that poked through slits in the back of her dress. “Where have you been!” she said as she let Michiko go. “We've missed you!”
“Rogue wizards don't hunt themselves!” Michiko said.
“No kidding! Who's your friend?”
“Beth McGill. Beth, this is Mandy.”
“You finally found a partner?” the waitress asked.
“I'm…auditioning, you could say,” Beth said.
“I know all about that,” Mandy said with a sigh. “Anyway, welcome to the Wonderland Diner and Tavern.”
“Tavern?”
“It's in the back, and you will get carded,” Mandy said. “Your favorite table's open, Michiko. Two?”
“And a child seat for the guinea pig,” Michiko said.
“Guinea pig?” Mandy asked. “He's in that thing Beth's carrying?”
“It's a purse.”
“Huh. I thought someone had skinned C-3PO. Come on.”
Beth followed the pixie, but stopped when a faerie walked up to her and Michiko. It took Beth a moment to recognize Jasper, who had angrily confronted them the night before. “Monkey Queen?” he said.
“Yes?” Michiko said.
“I wanted to apologize for my behavior
last night.” Jasper lowered his head. “I was wrong.”
Michiko nodded. “I understand,” she said. “We were all under a lot of stress. How's Brooke?”
“She's doing fine.” The faerie paused. “Florence is my sister, and Brooke is my niece. Thank you for saving her.”
“You're welcome,” Michiko said with a smile. “I'm glad I could help.” She extended a hand, and Jasper shook it before turning and leaving. Michiko looked back at Beth; she smiled in turn as they headed for a table in the center of the restaurant.
As they sat down and settled in, Beth was able to get a good look at the other patrons. She and Michiko were the only humans there. Faeries were seated all over the restaurant, most wearing clothes that would only be considered casual by their standards; Beth recognized some from the settlement, and was surprised that a few of the others wore ornate Asian-style outfits. A dozen dwarves were eating heartily around a large round table, and three pixies sat nearby, wings fluttering as they shared scones and gossip. There was also a trio of what appeared to be short-haired werewolves snarling at each other over the last piece of bacon, two turquoise humanoids in black and white robes sipping orange juice and, in a corner, a giant reptilian…something reading the Sunday comics.
A short young male with skinny limbs and fingers, an oval-shaped face and large pointy ears walked up to the table. He had dark skin, bushy black hair, a grease-stained t-shirt and jeans, and a pair of goggles hanging around his neck. He grabbed a chair, swung it around, and sat down with his arms resting on the back. “Michiko,” he said with a slight grin.
“Mec!” Michiko beamed.
“How does it go?”
“Saving the world, same as always. How about you?”
“Calibrating crystals, same as always. Who's your friend?”
“Beth McGill.”
“New partner?” Mec asked as they shook hands.
“Auditioning,” Beth said. “You're a mechanic?”
“Better than that. I'm a gremlin.”
“Not like in those movies, I hope.”
“Those movies—” Mec made a “tch” sound and waved his hand dismissively. “Michiko, you haven't told her a thing, have you?”
Of Introductions and Abductions Page 7
