Sorcerer's Secret

by Scott Mebus

  Alexa stood next to Nicholas as he leaned over to poke through the lockets. “You can take one,” she said hesitantly. “You’d be a better god than most. They would finally take you seriously. They’d listen to you. You could make a difference.”

  Nicholas pondered for a second, then straightened up, standing tall. “It’s over,” he told her, then brought his heel down on the lockets, grinding them into dust.

  28

  HELLO AND GOOD-BYE

  Rory and Bridget sat on either side of body of the father they’d just started getting to know. The Rattle Watch and Soka walked up behind them, and Soka put her arm around Rory’s shoulders.

  “Come away,” she whispered. “It’s over.”

  But then something strange began to happen. The wind picked up, throwing dirt into their eyes. When they could see again, Henry Hudson stood before them, looking shocked.

  “Am I dead?” he asked. Rory and Bridget could only nod. “Then what is this?”

  Nicholas stepped forward. “What is around your neck?” Henry looked down and lifted a gold locket. Rory’s mouth dropped open.

  “You’re a god!”

  “Well, it makes sense, if you think about it,” Alexa mused. “Henry Hudson’s name is on everything. If anyone is remembered, it’s you, sir.”

  “I guess I’ll be around a little longer than I thought,” Henry said, smiling. He opened his arms and took his children in, where they should always have been.

  A bonfire burned merrily in the middle of the Munsee village as the victorious army celebrated the survival of their beloved city. Munsees and gods sang together while battle roaches and children of the gods swapped tales of their valor in battle. Kieft’s army had melted away, disappearing back into Mannahatta, and while some advocated searching them out to punish them, the Council of Twelve declared that there was to be no retribution. They would begin this new era of friendship with the Munsees with a general amnesty so that their joined future could begin with peace.

  Rory sat on a small hill overlooking the celebration. Bridget had put on a robe to cover her burned body, but she was laughing and describing her battle with the Albino Alligator to a group of children of the gods led by Jane van Cortlandt, who looked at her with shining eyes as if Bridget were a god herself. Bridget pulled out her sword and waved it around at the imaginary monster.

  “It was bigger than a house!” she declared, glorying in the dropped jaws surrounding her. “But I saw the fear in its eyes when it realized it was up against Malibu Death Barbie!”

  Rory smiled. Bridget deserved the glory. Nearby, Fritz sat next to his wife, Liv, her head resting on his shoulder as they watched the festivities. Earlier, Fritz had taken Rory and Bridget aside, holding back tears.

  “I couldn’t be prouder of you if I were your own dad,” he said, choking up. Bawling, Bridget bent over and tried to hug him, though putting her arms around an inch-long insect wasn’t easy. Rory settled for some heartfelt thanks.

  “Thank you for being there for me, Fritz,” he said, a tear running down his cheek. “I needed that more than you’ll ever know.” Fritz had to ride away before he got too emotional.

  Rory scanned the party, catching a familiar face here and there. Soka’s brother, Tammand, stood in a far corner, David de Vries by his side. Rory heard that they’d sailed up the Hudson on the HMS Jersey, stopping a British warship from firing on the battle in the park. He was glad Tammand had been able to redeem himself. It was a relief to put their enmity behind them. Tammand noticed Rory watching him and glared at him. Okay, mostly behind them.

  Rory spied Wampage standing uncomfortably in a group of Munsees led by an animated Chogan. Rory knew it would take some time for Wampage to feel comfortable among his people again. Chogan said something to the group, slapping Wampage on the back as they all doubled over with laughter. Rory thought he saw a hint of a smile on Wampage’s face. Maybe it wouldn’t take as long as he feared. The solitary warrior deserved to go home again. He’d waited so long.

  Rory’s father walked by, looking a little shell-shocked as Walt Whitman led him around, introducing the newest god to all the gods and spirits. Henry caught his son’s eye as he passed, smiling at him and shrugging. Rory smiled back, still not sure what to make of his newly returned dad. That was one change that would take some getting used to. His dad was a god . . . As Bridget had already mentioned at least five times, there could be advantages to that . . .

  Rory glanced over at a group of gods that included Peter Stuyvesant, Alexander Hamilton, and a wounded Teddy Roosevelt, his arm in a sling. Nicholas stood in their midst, looking overwhelmed.

  “I say, old boys,” Roosevelt was declaiming. “There should be a place for a chap like Nicholas in the council! To represent those nongods, as it were.”

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Hamilton Fish began, but Peter Stuyvesant cut him off.

  “It’s a damned fine idea!” he announced. “And it’s about time! It’s true this city has gone to the dogs since my day, but you have to move with the times, or so they tell me. And there is no one better suited than my own blood! You’d be fools not to appoint him, even if he is an opinionated do-gooder!”

  “Thanks, Father,” Nicholas said, grinning. “From you, that means everything.”

  Smiling, Rory turned his attention to Lincoln and Simon, who were exchanging war stories by the fire.

  “You’re crazy,” Lincoln was saying. “Of course you’ll miss being a god!”

  “Not one bit!” Simon replied. “It’s too much work. Do you know how much a stack of plates weighs? It was torture!”

  “I don’t know,” Lincoln replied. “For a few hours, I got to be Teddy Roosevelt. Everyone cheered and fought harder when I rode by. I was pretty much a god, and it felt really good.”

  “You weren’t a god,” Alexa said, strolling up. “You were an idiot who was lucky he wasn’t killed. But you were both very brave.” She raised her glass, saluting them. “To the brave members of the Rattle Watch!”

  “To the Rattle Watch!” Simon and Lincoln chorused, raising their glasses. Nicholas walked over, his own glass raised as well as he shared a satisfied smile with Alexa.

  “To the Rattle Watch,” he said, and turned to face Rory across the way, his glass in the air. The rest of the Watch turned to salute him as well. Rory nodded his thanks, his eyes stinging as he blinked away tears.

  As they all went back to their conversations, Rory felt suddenly alone. Looking around at all the gods and Indians, spirits and creatures, he realized that he couldn’t stay in this place. He was still a mortal. He had a life waiting for him in the real Manhattan, and there was no place for battle roaches and albino alligators there. He had to go to school, and do homework and one day get a job and live a normal life. He couldn’t be the crazy guy going on about talking statues and invisible ships. He had to go and be normal.

  “Why are you hiding over here, Pretty Nose?” a lightly mocking voice said behind him. Soka sat down next to him, intertwining her arm with his. “You saved the day. You should be in the center of it all, soaking in the accolades.”

  “I’m fine out here,” he said, sighing.

  “You don’t look fine,” Soka said. “In fact, you look like you’re moping! It’s not a good look for you.”

  “I’m just taking it all in before I have to go back,” he said sadly.

  “Back where?” Soka asked, furrowing her brow. “You live up the street.”

  “Back to normal life. I can’t live like this forever. Straddling two worlds, one of which no one else can see.”

  “They can if you show them,” Soka reminded him.

  “But I can’t do that,” he replied. “It’s too dangerous. I’ve got to stay the only one who—”

  “Oh, just stop it!” Soka said, shaking her head. “You are not alone, Rory Hennessy! You have a sister who loves you, a mother who would do anything for you, and a father who’s returned from the dead! You have friends who care
about you, even if you can’t take them outside the city limits. You belong in Mannahatta, and you belong in Manhattan. People straddle two worlds all the time. Look at me. I’m a Munsee girl in love with a pale-faced Irish boy. People think I’m crazy! But I know it’s definitely worth it.” With that, she leaned over and kissed him, and as he folded her into his arms, Rory knew that he’d never be alone again.

  It was close to midnight when Rory and Bridget finally reached their house. They’d stopped by the cave in Inwood Hill Park, but while Bridget’s body was still there watched over by a jubilant Tucket, their mother’s had disappeared. They weren’t worried, however. They knew the Lady would keep her promise. Bridget had to let go of her paper body (which was pretty much toast, anyway). As she leaned over her mortal face, she realized she’d grown so used to being strong, to being Malibu Death Barbie, that she was scared to be the normal, everyday Bridget. That was why she couldn’t leave her body before. Because she couldn’t let go.

  But she didn’t want to stay a child forever. And she was tired of not being able to cry. So she leaned over her body and let go. Her mortal eyes fluttered open and she was home. As she watched, her old paper body collapsed in on itself, falling into a pile of ash and burned paper. She felt a pang in her heart, but she was ready to move on.

  Now the two of them burst into their apartment, running for the bedroom with Tucket on their heels.

  “Mom!” they cried. “Mom, we’re home.”

  No one answered and their hearts were in their mouths until they flung open the bedroom door to reveal their mother, eyes blinking from sleep, sitting up in her bed.

  “I’ve had a real humdinger of a dream,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m glad I’m awake.”

  Rory and Bridget ran to the bed to envelop her in their arms, a family again.

  “Me too,” Rory said. “Me too.”