by James Bow
Then Andrew and John fell from their slabs and lay limp on the floor. Marjorie rushed over to them. Soon they were on their feet, babbling and hugging each other.
A sigh rushed through the Hall of Stability. Far away, the Machine groaned. Cracks appeared in the walls and leapt and jumped across the floors and ceilings. Cracks appeared in the slabs around them and the stones started to crumble to dust. Rosemary was sure she saw one man smile and wink at her before he disappeared.
“You saved us, Marjorie!” John cried.
Andrew pushed them away from a stream of falling stone. “We’ve got to get out of here.”
“You two go. I’ll follow you.”
The two boys hesitated, but one look at Marjorie made them step back and concentrate. They disappeared from the planet.
Marjorie turned and helped Rosemary to her feet.
“Thank you,” said Marjorie, all trace of malice gone from her voice. “I think you saved me in more ways than one.”
Rosemary smiled. “You’re welcome.”
“I didn’t like playing the villain,” said Marjorie. “All that hate and anger.” She shuddered.
“You would have lost, too.” Rosemary’s voice was light. “The villains always lose.”
“Not always.”
“But sometimes. Life’s full of happy endings.”
“Listen ...” Marjorie faltered, her smile sheepish and nervous. “I know I haven’t given you any reason to help me, but ... I only just met Andrew, and ... well, he’s nice and ...” She gave Rosemary a shy smile. “I think there’s a sequel.”
Rosemary hugged her. “I’ll read it. I promise.”
Marjorie stepped back. With a final smile, she concentrated, and then vanished.
The floor began to shake. Rosemary ducked as a piece of masonry fell. Gaps appeared in the walls and she could see the sky. It seemed to be on fire. “Um ... Can somebody give me instructions on how to travel at the speed of thought? Hello?”
The shaking intensified. The rising dust began to claw at her lungs. She coughed.
Then Puck appeared before her, smiling broadly even as the columns collapsed.
He took her hand and together they ran through the Hall of Stability, leaping nimbly over the fallen stones. Outside, a thousand Hindenburgs fell from the sky.
Puck turned into an eagle. Holding onto his wing as she had his hand, Rosemary felt herself soaring up into the air. Beneath her, the city of marble and chrome was crumbling into dust.
A part of her thought that this wasn’t right. She was barely touching Puck’s wing. It was though she were rising in the air currents by herself. She looked at Puck.
“Do not question,” he said. “Enjoy.”
They rose higher and higher, until the sky lost its blue and turned black, and stars came out. The air thinned. Rosemary was dizzy, but she didn’t care. Blackness was creeping into her vision, but instead of falling unconscious, she felt as though she were waking up.
Puck’s voice whispered in her ear. “Farewell, my brave Sage Rosemary.”
Rosemary opened her eyes. She was in her living room, surrounded by pillows. Her family were around her, cheering.
Theo enveloped her in a tight hug. “Rosie, you saved me!”
Rosemary’s mother hugged them both. “You did it!”
“You made it out!” exclaimed Peter. “Rosemary, I don’t —” He cut himself off. Then, smiling to himself, he slipped out of the throng to the front door, pulled on his boots and coat, and slipped outside.
Trisha was bouncing up and down and hugging everybody she could. “My sister’s a hero!”
Tears ran down Rosemary’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, Mom! I’m sorry, Theo! It was all my fault.”
“Don’t you dare say that,” said Mrs. Watson. “You’re okay now, and that’s all that matters.”
Rosemary looked at Theo. “A happy ending!” She hugged him.
Theo squeezed her.
Then it was a flurry of more hugs and thank yous and Shamus licking Rosemary’s face ...
Suddenly, Rosemary frowned. “Where’s Peter?”
They looked around. Peter was gone.
Rosemary jumped up and ran to the front door. She darted outside.
Peter was in his boots and jacket. He was trudging down the front walk.
“Wait!” called Rosemary, standing on the porch. Peter stopped. After a moment, he turned. He stood with his hands in his pockets.
Rosemary came down the porch steps and walked up to him. They stood staring at each other, breath fogging. The silence lengthened uncomfortably. Then, both at once, they hugged each other.
“Thank you,” said Rosemary at last.
“Any time,” said Peter. “Well, not any time. I don’t want to do that again, but —”
She cut him off. “Listen. Have you got plans this Christmas?”
Peter shrugged. “My uncle’s buying a special turkey TV dinner.”
Rosemary laughed. She looked at him. “How does a real turkey dinner sound? My parents always have a big dinner on Christmas Day. Perhaps you and your uncle can come along, around five?”
“Did your parents say it was okay?”
“They will. I’ll make sure of that.”
Peter smiled uncertainly.
The silence stretched uncomfortably again.
“I’d better get back in,” said Rosemary. “It’s freezing.”
“I’ll see you later, Sage.”
“Just don’t call me that in front of anybody else.”
They hugged once more, and then Peter turned and trudged up the country road.
As Rosemary watched him go, she muttered, “I wonder what the next book brings.” She smiled and went inside. The living room was empty. Everybody was in the kitchen, preparing a feast of celebration.
“I’m just going up to my room,” Rosemary called out. She paused by the fiction shelves in the living room and pulled out a book. Then she slipped upstairs and lay on her bed.
She looked at the cover. It showed Marjorie and Andrew creeping up towards a scary old house. Their expressions were nervous, but determined.
Rosemary opened the book, and then frowned and looked at her right palm. There was a stain in the centre of it, like a birthmark, but blue-black like the ink from the sea. It hadn’t been there before. She rubbed at it, but it wouldn’t come off.
Maybe it would never come off.
She shrugged and returned to her book.
