by Amy Neftzger
The next morning, Kelsey still felt weak, but she would not allow assistance from anyone. She drank the glass of medicine that the Sisters of Mercy had prepared. It felt warm going down her throat, and it burned as if she were drinking liquefied hot peppers. However, she felt some of her energy return almost immediately. While it didn’t remove the pain she was feeling from her broken hand, it did ease it somewhat, and Kelsey felt better. She watched the sisters pour the rest of the medicine into a canteen for her to take on the trip. Roland handed her a staff to help her balance as she walked, and Kelsey reluctantly took it. She had argued with him over accepting help from the Brothers of Discipline, but in the end Kelsey had won. She was too stubborn, and Roland knew that the energy she spent arguing would be needed for the journey. They had agreed to take the journey slowly and rest often.
Once they had climbed back up the grassy hill and into the forest, Maggie spotted a few of the reapers that they had seen on their journey to the orchard.
“They’re back,” she said aloud.
“There are fewer of them,” Kelsey replied. “That’s something in our favor. They’re keeping their distance also.”
“Are they the same ones, or different ones?” Maggie asked. “I can’t tell.”
“Who cares?” Kelsey responded. “They didn’t do too much to get in our way last time. Let’s ignore them.”
“Wise decision,” Roland replied. “There’s no use in worrying about them now. Anyway, they can’t ruin our mission because we’ve completed it.”
The group moved slowly but made progress. Kelsey sipped the medicine frequently, and each time she drank, she felt relief from her pain. She also felt a burst of energy with each dose of medicine, but there wasn’t enough of it to last more than a few days. It was enough to get them to the Sea of Laughter, but the crossing exhausted Kelsey.
Although the water was calmer than the first crossing, it was a rough trip for Kelsey. She hung over the side of the boat and vomited into the sea along with Roland. In her weakened condition, the laughter had nauseated her.
“Doesn’t it feel great?” he asked.
“No,” Kelsey replied. “I don’t enjoy this.” She was fighting the urge to laugh, but the nausea was too strong, and she succumbed to small fits at random intervals. Because of the pain, the nausea and the uncontrollable urge to laugh, she was miserable.
“Maybe you’d enjoy it if you tried.”
“I don’t think so,” Kelsey said as she leaned forward over the ship’s railing and felt a sudden surge of pain in her broken hand when the ship lurched. She tried to catch herself.
Maggie approached Kelsey, giggling. She was carrying a brown paper bag. The crinkling noise from the paper sounded louder than normal to Kelsey.
“Here, I brought you some ginger snaps,” Maggie said through her laughter as she handed Kelsey the cookies. “They’re supposed to calm your stomach.”
Kelsey took the bag of cookies and nibbled on one. It calmed her stomach briefly, but when the next fit of laughter came about, she felt ill again. The shaking motion of the giggling upset her stomach.
“Can’t you laugh just a little?” she asked Roland.
“No,” he replied. “It would be wrong to abuse power of any sort, not matter how comfortable it will make you feel.”
“Is he going to laugh for us? My stomach muscles are killing me!” Maggie exclaimed with a chuckle.
“No, he’s not.”
“You should have accepted help from the Brothers of Discipline,” he said to Kelsey. “You’re too weak from your injuries.”
“Just enjoy your illness,” she snapped as she swallowed hard to prevent herself from vomiting. “I’ll make it.”
When they reached the opposite shore, they were all exhausted from the crossing, and they immediately looked for an acceptable place to camp. It was a long night, and Kelsey was restless for most of it. Although they were very tired, no one slept well.
The next morning, Kelsey was in severe pain. She opened her canteen and tried to take a drink, but there was nothing left. It didn’t matter. She decided that it was time to show how tough she was. She would simply brave the pain and continue onward.
She stumbled a few times as they crossed the prairie, but she managed to stabilize herself with the staff Roland had given her. She forced herself to keep going and tried to occupy her mind with thoughts to distract herself from the pain and fatigue.
“I’m starting to miss those lessons with the birds,” Kelsey announced after a long period of silence.
“You’re too tired for lessons,” Roland replied.
“I know. I was just making conversation.”
“Save your energy. We’re not even halfway back. We still have a long way to go.”
“I can’t save what I don’t have,” Kelsey remarked as she tripped. She struggled to regain her balance, but after a few staggered steps, she fell face down into a pile of leaves.
Maggie looked around frantically. She knew that Roland was there and that he could hear her, but she still couldn’t hear him. It was the first time in her life that she was at a loss for words.
Chapter
25
Unexpected Assistance
Maggie was panicking. She knelt down on the ground and attempted to revive Kelsey, but it was useless. She cradled Kelsey’s head in her lap as she looked around.
“Mr. Roland, I know that you’re here somewhere, but I don’t know how to communicate with you.” She spoke loudly, as if not being able to see him had somehow also made him deaf.
There was silence. Maggie listened carefully, but she didn’t hear anything aside from the sound of the wind rustling through the nearby branches. She turned her head in every direction, but there was nothing for her to see. She wasn’t even sure why she was looking, other than she didn’t know what else to do. The sound she most wanted to hear – Roland’s voice giving her instruction – was absent. She relied so much on her words that now she felt paralyzed at not being able to use them.
“I don’t know what to do,” Maggie said. “I can’t carry her. Are you strong enough, Roland?”
Still no response. She watched for any sign of movement that might indicate Roland’s location, but she found none. Maggie wondered if Roland was still there or if he had gone on walking and failed to notice that Kelsey had fainted. Maybe he was miles ahead already. It felt very lonely.
“Mr. Roland!” she shouted down the path. “Kelsey has fainted, and I can’t revive her!” When there was still no response, Maggie started to cry. She didn’t know what else to do. She glanced back down the path behind them and saw a group of four reapers huddled together near a tree. They had been observing her from afar. “Can you see him?” she called to them, but they pretended not to notice her. “I need help,” Maggie persisted, but they refused to acknowledge her.
She slumped down to the ground and picked up Kelsey’s head to cradle it again in her lap. She felt abandoned. Just as the warm tears were starting to flow down her cheeks again, a bird landed in front of her.
“Stop watering the ground with your eyes,” the bird said. “That water is too salty to be any good for the earth.” It bobbed its head up and down as it spoke, as if emphasizing the words.
“It’s good for me, though,” Maggie said. “I need to get it out.”
“Don’t eat the salt and you won’t need to sweat it out through your eyes,” the bird insisted as it strutted back and forth in front of Maggie. It had a grand matronly way of speaking, as if the whole world were her child. It suddenly turned its head away and then looked back at Maggie.
“The fox is going to ask the freaks for help,” the bird said abruptly.
“What about beaks?” Maggie asked.
“Freaks. I said ‘freaks.’ He’s going over to the group of freaks to ask them to carry your sick friend.”
Maggie looked over her shoulder at the reapers. They had ignored her, but certainly they wouldn’t ignore their hero. There was still
some hope. She dried her eyes and then stroked a few loose strands of Kelsey’s soft hair. She wished that Kelsey would wake up and be strong again. Maggie worried about her friend, but Kelsey’s being sick also made it seem as if something was wrong with the whole world. It just wasn’t right.
“OK, good,” Maggie replied as she blinked away more tears.
“Can I go now?” the bird asked. “The fox told me to deliver this message. I’m done here.”
“Where is the fox?” Maggie asked.
“He’s with the freaks now,” the bird responded. It cocked its head from side to side, as if evaluating Maggie.
“Please wait with me. I don’t know why, but I can’t see him or hear his voice, and if the freaks won’t help us, I may need you to help me to communicate with him.”
“Worms do not jump into my children’s mouths,” the bird protested. “I have bugs to catch so that I can eat them and regurgitate them into my little one’s beaks. They need to eat to grow so that one day they can fly out of the nest. I have preening that needs to be done also. I’ve been so busy taking care of my children that my feathers are a mess. I have a lot to do today!” The bird squawked the words rapidly as it flapped its wings. Maggie had some trouble following the frantic speech.
“I’m sorry,” Maggie said. She felt like crying again and took a deep breath to strengthen herself before continuing. “Just a few minutes, please? Can’t you see that we’re in trouble?” Just then, Kelsey stirred a little. She briefly opened her eyes, but they rolled back into her head. She was unconscious again. Maggie called her name, but there was no further response. She didn’t know what else to do, so Maggie continued to stroke Kelsey’s cheek with the back of her hand as she watched for any sign of awakening.
“Five minutes. No more,” the bird said sharply after she had watched Maggie’s concern over her friend. “Is this one of your chicks?”
Maggie stared at the bird in confusion for a moment.
“Oh!” she exclaimed as she chuckled. “No, she’s not my child. She’s my friend.”
The bird bobbed its head up and down to indicate understanding. It paced back and forth in an awkward strut.
“Friends are nice, but chicks are better.” The bird sounded more like she was making an announcement.
“Not better,” Maggie politely corrected the bird. “Different.” Maggie could see that the bird was in a nesting phase and could focus on little else. Maggie studied it thoughtfully for a moment and then introduced herself. “My name is Maggie. This is my friend Kelsey. Do you have a name?”
“I am Saint George,” the bird announced.
“Saint George? That’s an unusual name. Did your mother give it to you?”
“No. My nest is on the head of Saint George, so all my friends know me by my location. I live between Saint Thomas and Saint Stephen.”
“Are those statues or birds?”
“Yes,” Saint George replied, nodding affirmatively. Maggie interpreted this as meaning that they were birds who lived on those respective statues.
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Saint George. Do your chicks have names?”
“Not yet. They live with me in my nest, so they’re known as the Chicks of Saint George.”
Maggie chuckled and felt a slight pain from where her stomach muscles were still sore from crossing the Sea of Laughter. She placed one hand on her abdomen.
“How many chicks do you have?” Maggie asked.
“Three.”
“I’ll bet they sing beautifully,” Maggie replied, and Saint George was immediately flattered.
“Well, they do take after their mother.” She flapped her wings and strutted a few steps in a small circle.
Maggie looked down toward the group of reapers and saw that they were moving in her direction. Roland must have persuaded them to help.
“The Angel of Death has asked us to help carry this girl to the next town,” one of the reapers announced as they approached.
“I’d be so grateful,” Maggie said. She gently slid Kelsey’s head from her lap and stood up to greet the reapers. “My name is Maggie, and this is Saint George.” She motioned at the bird when she introduced her.
“Right,” the first reaper said as he raised his eyebrows. Maggie had forgotten that most people didn’t speak with birds. She turned to say goodbye.
“Thank you for waiting with me, Saint George. I know you have a busy schedule, and I appreciate your time.”
“If you’re ever near the cathedral, you may visit me.” The bird bobbed her head up and down again.
“I’d love to meet the Chicks of Saint George,” Maggie said as she bowed to say farewell just before Saint George flew off.
“You’re not quite right, are you? Is that why you can’t hear the Angel of Death?” the first reaper inquired.
“Please don’t refer to me as the Angel of Death,” Roland interjected. “She can’t see or hear me.” All that Maggie witnessed of this exchange was the costumed reaper turning to face an empty space.
“Does she know that you’re here at all?” the reaper asked. He appeared to be the leader of the group.
“Of course I know he’s there,” Maggie replied. “We’ve been together for weeks. I can’t see or hear him, but I can feel him when he gets close enough.”
“Right,” the reaper said dismissively.
“Do you have names?” Maggie asked. It would be difficult enough to tell them apart, since they were all dressed alike and wearing the same makeup. About the only difference between any of them was height.
“Just call us Grim.”
“All of you?” Maggie asked. “Doesn’t that get confusing?”
“Not to us. We work as a team.”
“It might be easier if I could call you by different names.”
“That would ruin the effect.”
“Effect?”
“Of dressing like our friend here, the Grim Reaper.”
Roland cringed when he heard himself referred to in this manner. However, since he needed their assistance, he didn’t argue the point.
“Perhaps I could call you Grim One, Grim Two, Grim Three, and Grim Four,” Maggie suggested.
“Whatever makes you happy,” Grim One replied with a shrug. “We’re supposed to carry this girl until we meet up with your friend.”
“Friend?” Maggie asked. “Which friend? No one tells me anything!”
“The Angel of Death told us all about it a few … oh,” Grim One hesitated. “I already forgot that you can’t hear him.”
“Who’s meeting us?” Maggie asked impatiently.
“Margaret or something,” Grim Two replied.
“I’m Margaret,” Maggie answered at the same time that Roland corrected Grim Two.
“Her name is Megan,” Grim Two repeated after Roland had said it.
“Megan’s coming?” Maggie asked hopefully.
“Yes,” Grim One said as he nodded. “She’s meeting us down the road a few days’ journey away. We have a lot to do before we get started, so let’s get moving.”
The reapers set about constructing a stretcher out of branches and vines. It took them a couple of hours, especially since they kept asking Roland questions. Maggie wondered what Roland was saying in response to the odd questions, but she didn’t interrupt. She knew the reapers’ help was needed more than her knowledge, but it seemed like a strange interview. They were asking questions such as: “What’s the largest number of people you’ve killed at once?” and “What’s the most gruesome way to die that you’ve seen?” and “What’s the longest amount of time it has taken anyone to die?’ The reapers’ fascination with Roland’s responses made Maggie wonder if Roland was answering the questions accurately or making things up just to entertain the crowd. When Kelsey was conscious again, Maggie would have her ask Roland what he’d said to these inquiries.
As soon as the stretcher was complete, they lifted Kelsey onto it and began to transport her. Now that Kelsey was being carried, the grou
p moved much more quickly. Maggie continued to listen to the questions being posed to Roland, and these helped to pass the time as she imagined his responses. They traveled for several days like this.
It was a tiresome journey for Maggie. She walked alongside the stretcher and held Kelsey’s hand for part of the time. She hoped that Kelsey knew she was there and that this knowledge would be a comfort to her. She also spoke to Kelsey as if she were awake. It helped Maggie pass the time until they reached the Edge of Immortality. It was a tall mountain, and it was mostly covered with pine trees. As soon as the reapers saw the outline of the cliff ahead, they stopped moving.
“We don’t go there,” Grim One announced.
“Why not?” Roland and Maggie both asked simultaneously. They needed to walk along the edge of the cliff in order to return to the castle.
“It’s not right. Nothing decays there, and it gives us the creeps.” Grim One explained. “Besides, we thought your friend was supposed to meet up with us before we reached the cliff.”
“I don’t know where she is,” Maggie retorted. “But we need to pass through there in order to get home.”
“She was supposed to meet you before we got to that place.” Grim One repeated with emphasis. He turned to exchange glances with the other reapers. “Where is she?” he asked Roland.
“She’s here,” Roland replied. “You may set down the stretcher and leave.”
“Without saying hello?” Grim One asked. “Any friend of the Angel of Death is a friend of ours.”
“Is she on her way?” Maggie asked, but the reapers ignored her.
“We’d like to meet this friend of yours, sir,” Grim Two added.
“Megan may not quite be what you’re expecting,” Roland replied.
“What’s going on?” Maggie asked, but the reapers continued to ignore her as they whispered among themselves. After a few moments, Megan stepped out of the woods.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Megan said as she slowly moved forward. Maggie felt so happy to see her that her eyes started to tear up again. She ran forward and hugged the leopard just as the reapers dropped the stretcher and scrambled backward a few steps.
