AGEOFDESCENDENTSANDSECRET HEI

RESSOFCURSE
BLOOD

BY-SRI
SHTICHOUHANANDVEENAPRADHAN
CONTENTS
PREFACE
CHAPTER1-THEI
NNOCENTMURDERER
CHAPTER2-THEFAVOREDTORTURE
CHAPTER3-THEJOBSEEKER
CHAPTER4-MEETI
NGWI
THTHETHI
RDLEVEL
CHAPTER5-
DAGGERFORTHEPAST
CHAPTER6-THEBOOKWI
THHOLLOW PAGES

CHAPTER7-BLOODWI
THCURSE

CHAPTER8-THEWAYAROUNDTHEDOOR

CHAPTER9-
BALLADFORTHEROUSTERMALLOW

CHAPTER10-ANABORTEDMANI
FESTO

CHAPTER11-GROOVEOFHI
NILAWOOD19/
12

CHAPTER12-
THEWORSTKI
SS

CHAPTER13-ANOSTALGI
CSPI
RIT

CHAPTER14-THETANTRI
CMASTER’
SPREDI
CTI
ON
CHAPTER15-ANARGUEFORJEALOUSLOVEBI
TE

CHAPTER16-THEDANGEROUSGATEWAYANDTHE
RI
DERSOFDEATH

CHAPTER17-THEELMACHOBAR

CHAPTER18-TOWEROFTOLGA

CHAPTER19-THEEVI
LMUSTBEDELETED

CHAPTER20-
VALENTI
NEDAY

CHAPTER1

THEI
NNOCENTMURDERER
Itwasj ust4hoursand45mi nuteinBloomsbur yboroughwher e
eighthundredfift
ysixpopulationswer etakinganap.Whenher
eyesgotanenor mousandmy steri
ousjer
kofawakeni ng.After
waki ngshedoesn’ttooklongt i
met ounder st
andthatal lt
hings
wer ebehavingnormallyoff,
theTi mewasr evolv
ingar oundits
ownor bi
tofaxis,t
hebirdsincludingthebonycr ow, thecanar y
andot herswerealsodoingt heirjobsperfectl
yofchirping,the
daywasaboutt owinkout .Whol ethepartwasbewi lderingto
andf roli
kethemot ionofpendul um.

Butonl yMi ssGr ianWast ryingtor oseoutoft hissituat i

on,she
alway st ri
edt or i
seher selfabov efr om t hatveryni ght mar ebut
allthet imei twast hemaze.Thet wi ns’moonandt hebl ooded
wol f,makeherbr eath–t akingonecan’ ttakeal lthishappeni ng
asagr anted.
TheseRul ingpar anor mal scenesal way smakesherscar eand
tothinkofwhatwasgoi ngbey ondt hewor ld.Ther er eli
edsome
hugemust ercol l
ageofsomet hingunt old.Ast hingswer e
fl
our i
shi ngoneaf tertheot herandacoust i
cwayofi gnorance
seemedl i
keabi gdeal t
hatonehast ocomeacr ossev eryday.
ButMi ssGr i
anst oodupandbyt akingabi gsighofr el
iefshe
turnedov ertowar dthatwoodenst aircaseofoakwhi ch
belongedt ot hef i
rstfloorofHol ycr ossv ir
ginmar rymi ssionary
andor phanage.
Beingapr omi nentabbessshehast otakei nchar geofal lthe
dailypr acticesinhercast i
ngt hrow, shet ookthebr oad
steppingandl eanedf orwar dasherhast et appingwasi norder
toex pressheranxi etyalloveronherf ace.I twast het edium
but, mildestf ableasr egardedbyMi ssGr ain.

Byaccelerati
ngspeedshegotl i
ft
edtowardthethr
eshol
dof
room no.213,thepaleburdensomedayli
ghtwascomingfrom
thehalfshutt
leddoor,shepushedthefr
agmenteddoortoits
utmostsot hatthedarknesscanescapeandhaditswaytothe
atmosphere.
Upt hecur
tai
ns,
bonnyl
asspeeredthr
oughthenet
,maki
ng
fl
inchi
ngstat
ement:
“Hey!Gr
etawhat’
sthi
snow?Iwasthinki
ng
tomakesomemor esnoresf
orhalfmeanti
me……. ”

“Butsweeti
e,don’
tyouthi
nkit’
salr
eadytoolat
eandyouwant
havemoresnapt hat
’sdoesn’
tsoundgoodisn’
tit
??”Mi
ssGri
an
saidpul
li
ngthenetoff.

“Howi ti
stoolat
e,l
ooktowardthewat chi
tj ust5o’ cl
ockthat
’s
i
t.Howmuchdi f
fer
enceswillt
hisearl
yri
singwi l
lcreate??Nota
singl
eone??Thenwhatisy ourmotiv
ebehi ndmaki ngmewake
up??’’
Bysayingthi
sdial
oguesheagainheadedf orpil
lows.

“No!Thispointofdebat eisnotrightIknowt hatit’

sjust5am
sweet i
e,butlook!
!I’
mr ightonmysi denow,thinkitbyy oursel
f
only!
!Todayy ouhav eimportantlecturesandm damnedsur e;
youdonotwantt omi ssitandaspermyknowl edgetodayi s
Saturdayandy ourschool t
imings’ areof6.
pm soget ti
ngupa
l
itt
lebitearli
erwil
lnotmakeadi fferencebuttheyarelikelyto
savey oufrom yourteacher’
srages? ?

MissGri
ant oil
edonherappr oach.Asshewasgoingtobr
ing
somerevoltinthemoodofMadel i
ne,t
hegir
loft
welve,
Madeli
newasl ikethegranddaughterofmissgr
ianandthe
wholepassingsymptoms’ ofher.
Notwil
li
ngt omov eali
ttl
etil
e.MadeMi ssGri
anmuddledup
wit
hhercauseoff ear.

Looki
ngMi
ssGr
ianupsetMadel
i
nemadeacasual
tal
k.

“ALoadoff eebl
edr eamsagai nchasedy ou,ri
ght !
!Broaden
yourmindGr eta,keepy ourselfabovef r
om thatnast ythoughts,
don’
tyour emembert hesay i
ngs, ofShakespeare, ‘
cowar dsdie
manytimes, butbravesonl yatonce’ ,
itisunfr
uitfultogross
suchafool i
shsuf f
ering,don’tmilkittoohard,thatyouy ourself
gotabetray-sorr
yaboutt hatbutcan’ titwouldbesi gnifyi
ng
somerut
hless,
account,
cheerupI‘m notgonnadi
e.”Madel
i
ne
tr
iedt
opullher
sel
fwithMiss.Gr
ian.

MissGr
ianl
ooksal
i
ttl
ebi
ttense,
butsoonst
eri
l
izi
ngf
rom her
worr
yshesays.

“No!!Sweeti
ethat’
snott hemat terofwor r
yingforgeti t
”Miss
gri
anser i
ousl
ydoubt edthis,butthoughtfortheol dthingsto
praysitwasthelastsessionoft heMadel i
nei ntheSt .
Paterson’
sschoolinBl oomsburybor oughandshet hinkabout
thenewschool intheTownsv i
ll
ewher eshewasgoi ngt ostudy
atthegreatmonkschool ,
-li
kewhatshewasgoi ngtoweart he
unif
ormt heskir
tsort heblazeront hebel
l-bottom, what ev
erit
wouldbebutshehadt omakeher selfal
lthisarrangement .

“Nowit’
sthetimetol
eavethebedandgetti
ngreadyI’m going
downandtel
lingot
herchi
ldr
enandnunst obepresentin
morni
ngprayerpl
easecomeearlyt
oattendthegospel’’
after
sti
l
lst
ari
ngathertabl
elamp,MissGri
ansaid.

Madeli
nenoddedherheadinyesandhereMissGr i
ancomes
downitisr
atherthecoi
nci
denceorsomethi
ngelsebutthef
act
rel
yupontheterm whi
chwasdefi
ningtheaccusedpai
nofMiss
Gri
an.

Madel inewasmov i
ngtowar ddownwar dwhenshehada
coll
isionwithonehandlambMi ssMer cy,
shestar
edatherspl
i
t
outrighthandwhichhadal waysbeencoverupwithwhi
te
sl
eev es,MissGri
anwasj ustfewfeetway,andMissMercy
stoodup.

“
Sor
ry,
MissMer
cy,
arey
ouokay
,”Madel
i
nel
ookedatherhand.

“I
’mfi
neMadel
ine.Wel
lgoodmor
ning”Mi
ssMer
cyst
oodup
andwentt
othehall
.

Madel
i
nehadbeenshockedt
oherhandwhi
chseemedv
isi
ble
toherforfi
rstt
ime,t
heywerealwayshiddenunderwhi
telong
sleev
es,shealwaysaskedGr
eta,andtheylookedr
eal
lyawful
andbrutal
lydamaged.

“Gret
a,howdi
dMissMer
cyl
oseherr
ighthand?
”Madel
i
ne
askedMissGr
ian.

“Once,shehadmetanaccidentbyatruck,
andattheacci
dent
shelosesherhand”MissGri
ansaid.Madeli
nei
gnoredthe
answerandtheyproceededt
owardhall.

Hallofprayerwasni cel yli

nedupandchi l
drenwer emaking
arr
angement sofchor usot herswerelearni
ngthepr ayerthen
Madel i
necame, ni
celydr essedwi t
hinherschool uni
form
addressinginthepr ayer’squeuewhenseenf rom theupper
pl
at f
ormt henar r
owgr ooveliketunnelseemst obef ormed
fr
om t hequeuel eadingt owardstheChr i
stbeggingthe
goodnessandr ansomedv er
nalfortheallhumanbei ngexist
ing
i
nt hi
swor ld.

Aft
er10mi nutesofrel
iancet heMor ningPr ayergotov erandall
getindulgebackagainont heirworks, MissGrianleaves
Madel i
netoherschool Pat ersonandcomesback,
Madel i
newasnotanext r aor
dinarything,butshenev erwasa
medi ci
nepat i
entofdepr essi
ont oo,joll
yfulli
nnat ur
ewi thout
bei
ngi mpelledintovi
rulentform, sher emainsinsomeai lment
ofinter
nalindolenceneithertodot hisnort odot hat.

Alway ssheendedwi t
hanunt hi
nki
ngmoment ,unawareof
what’sgoingonshehar dl
yknowswhatshewasdoi ngin
debasingwaysheev enactsemphatical
l
y,,Meanslacki
ngin
makingf r
iendsbecauseofherwei r
dbehaviorshehadLarry
Wilsonasheronl yfri
endandhencet hi
sli
stisnowendwi t
h
thi
sonl yperson…..

Onceshesatforawhil
e,bei
nganhist
ori
cstudent,shef
rozen
wit
hter
rorandtheninthegi
ddi
nessofdespai
r,start
edbl
ind
tur
ningovert
hepagesf
orsomesli
ghtaccountofci
vi
lwarf
ir
st
….andthenforFr
enchr
evol
uti
on……atthatt
imeinan
unthi
nki
ngmoment ,

Mrs.Vi
stasdist
emperi
ngt owardstheeachsinglestudent
pl
ungeduponMadel i
ne,somef ear
fulandscorchingscourge
wasref
lecti
ngther
einthef aceofMadeli
ne.

“Oh!Herewehav eourmostext ra-bri

l
li
antstudent
,whoshould
behonoredbyQueenEl izabeth,suchmiracl
esshehasbeen
doinginthispr
emi seshatsof ftoyoursymphonictalentwel
l
done.‘Madeli
neMcCar t
hy ’
roll
sno.1123benchno.l astone
andqualit
iesnull
’
’Mr s.Vistastauntedcausti
call
y.Sheevena
singl
ebitdidn’
tli
keMadel i
neandhadpr eplannedfortheexi
ts
ofMadeline.

“
Madam ,Ipardonbutmyreadingst
yleisl
iket
hisonlyIowed
myreadi
ngfrom bot
tom t
ot opandIcan’
tdoanythi
ngforits
r
ejuv
enati
on’’Madel
ineyel
led.

“Am I?Lookl ikefool,

what ’
st hemat terwi
thyou? ?Imean
somet i
mey oucar r
ygreenr awspinachi nyourlunchand
somet i
mey oueatr i
cewi t
ht eaandt henbesidesplayi
ngyouki
l
l
i
nsect. whatal lt
hemessy ouwantt osetup? ??Andnowy ou
arereadingabooki ninversewaypl easegetoutofmycl ass
withoutanyi nter
rupti
on.”Mr s.Vi
staspunishest heMadeli
ne
andor deredhert ogof r
om t hecl
ass.

Lar
rywasstarl
i
ngatMadeli
neattheti
meofherexit
.Af
ter
somehoursthecl
asswasoverandMrs.Vi
stascameoutoft
he
cl
assshesawMadelinest
andi
nginthecor
nerofthecl
ass
ent
rance.

“
Whatdoy ouwanttopr
oof??ImeanIwasexpect i
ngthese
t
hingstoo.Whenyouwer eadmitt
edatfir
sti
nthi
swell
r
enownedschool,youli
keothermidyoker
sknowsonlyone
t
hingforacti
ngas–doingwei r
dthingsandusel
essgoutthat
’s
i
tnow!Li
stenyouneednott
oatt
endmyclass,
justst
ayaway
y
ou!Decr
epitwreck’
’AndMr
s.Vi
stasmov
edaway .

Madelinewonderedthatwit
houtdoingmistakeshowonecan
besor udeandheartl
esstomakef alli
nanundoof f
ence.This
acutenesswastakingachroni
cal
lyunpluggednatur
e.Mr s.
Vist
asal way
sprejudgeanyhappeningsandshehadal soa
heartofmalicet
owar dsot
her.

I
twashal ft
imebreakorsaylunchbreakandLarrycameout
wit
hhisTiff
inhejustwantedtoknowwhatt hestat
eof
Madeli
newas, hescannedthr
oughthefaceofMadel i
ne.And
hetri
edtobehavenormal
“Hel
lochums?What ’
sgoingon?Arey oufeel
ingokay?

Madelinewasstari
ngtowardherfist
;shehadlockedall
her
fi
ngers,andwaslooki
ngdangerousmor ethanexoti
c,soLar
ry
chosenottospeakagainforhrreply
,shel
ower edhereyest
o
herfi
st,andt
henafterfewminutesshesaid.

“I
thampersmeal otwheneverIam sent
encedt
obean
accusedwi
thoutanyreason.
’’

“So!Thechurl
i
shvist
asisgivi
ngyoupaini
sthatso?
?’’Now
Larrysai
dwhentheybothseatednearanoaktr
eewhichwas
fi
ftyyear
soldint
hatschool
’sground.

“Yup!
!That’
sthethi
ngpr
ickl
ingmeinsi
deMrs.Vi
stasalway
s
andalwaysclut
chedmyrespecti
nherhol
dandtheref
oream
try
ingtof
indatackl
eofit.
’’

Larr
yponder
edt hati
fMadel i
nei
spl
anni
ngt
otaker
evenge
fr
om Mrs.Vi
stas,heinqui
red:

“
Theny ouaref
ancyfortaki
nghel
m ofhat
redisi
t?”Larr
y
l
ookedaroundhisboothehadsmell
edacrookedfeeli
ngfr
om
Madel
ine.
“Yes,am prepari
ngforMrs.Vist
as’forcepsofforebodi
ng.’
’
Madel i
newasr eprovi
ngl
yrotati
ngthest i
ckthatshehadbeen
pickedupr ecent
lyfr
om t
hegr ound,anditwasbendsomuch
that,af
tersometimeacreaksoundcam f r
om it
.

“But
, i
npresentIhadtotel
lyousomet
hing,
”sai
dLar
rywhil
e
star
ingatMadeline,
ifshewouldaskt
hequesti
on‘
what’
.

“
What
?’’
Madel
i
nesupposedt
opr
ovet
hepr
edi
cti
onr
ight
.

“
Tonight,attwelve,
wear eleavi
ngthist
own,for
ever
,because,
myfatherhadbeent ransfer
redtoTexas,anewstat
ionasa
r
ail
waychi efoff
icer.Ihopey ou’
llmissme”Larr
ysai
dwi t
h
mixt
ureofj oyandsor row.

“Whatar eyousay ing, howcany ouj

ustwal kedawayl ikethis?
”
Madelinewasl ooki ngt ense,becauseLar rywasheronl yfr
iend,
whosuppor therint oughestt i
me, hewasgoodandni cet oher,
l
iketheev ergreener ytoherl if
e, Madel
inecan’ tavoidhis
absence, t
hereforehehadt akenhalfdayl eavetodayf rom t
he
school,nowheshoul dbepacki nghisl
uggagewi t
hhi smot her
Mrs.TildesWi l
son, shei sveryki ndl
adywhenev erMadel i
ne
goestheirhouse, shewoul dpr esentheragoodsnacksl i
ke
chocolatesoupsandcar amel i
zedcooki es.AndMr .Rogeris
tr
othtohumani ty
.

“I
’
llMi
ssyoualot
,act
ual
l
yyourabsencewi
l
lhur
tme.
”Madel
i
ne
al
mostcr
ied.

Madeli
neandLar r
ywer emakingunanimousopini
ononhowto
decl
ineMrs.Vist
as’egoistnat
ure.Howtomakeherkneel
ed
andthetopichadaremor sedi
scussionati
ttheni
twasmoved
bytheKerryswatandherunceasingchatt
eri
nggir
ls.

Shewasst
oopi
ngi nnat
urewit
hsl
im bodyst
ruct
ureal
soshe
wast
heonl
yher
itanceofswat‘
spedi
gree,meantosaythat
shewastheonl
ychil
dofherpar
ent
s,andal
way
smade
Madel
ineasherpunchi
ngbag

Notinrealshehi
ttheMadeli
nebutbyherbi t
tertonguethat
wasusedt oo!
!Notonecandenythefactthathowev erygirl
at
theSt.Pat
ersonbowedthei
rloy
alt
ytowardKer ry,ni
yusha,Sean,
Feleci
a,Amandaindesper
atemannerallalongtogetherbidfor
her.

“Whatthegroundl
essrubbishyoubot
hhedgehogsaredoing,
oh!Lookatthisgi
rlmi
ss, f
usedbulbMadel
inehowwasy our
experi
enceaboutshar
inggarbageofcor
nercanItoohearit
???”
Kerr
ysaidalongherpentagonsquadofgi
rl
s.

“I
t’
snoneofy ourbusiness?St
ayaway
!!Anddon’tst
uffy
our
brai
nlessheadwiththethingy
oudon’
tevenunderst
and’’
Madel i
nedescended.

“
Lookathereof!
!Whoi sbabbling?Thedrieddr
ibblegecko,
whohasnosenseoff ancy,nosenseofhum our,andofcourse
t
helastbutnott
heleast,t
hegawkyst udenti
ntheschool ha!
Ha………………. ’
’Ker
ryandherpent agonsquadsquealedaround.

“Whyar eyoupretendingtobesoov ersmar t

en,ev er
ybody
knowsy ourvir
tueifyouhav eforgottent henI,should
remembery out hatt
hissmar t
estgi r
l wasoncesoot hedf or
l
eaki ngsessionending‘sexam t estpaper sandwasgi ven
puni shmentfor2mont hst ermination,Ithinkyouhav esome
recal l
edport
raitofthatisn’tit
.’’Madel inewasi nor derto
wi ckettheKerry,whowasnowspeechl essst andingov erthe
frontofMadel i
ne.

“Never,
mi nd!Leavemydarkensidefocusony ourselfIt
hink
youhadnev erheardofthatver
yf amousproverb“ascandal
alwaysstartswit
hextr
emi t
ybutendswi t
hsimpl i
cit
y”andt hat
waswhathappenedi nmycaset oo.Iwasblamed, al
sogott ri
al
then…t henwhathappenedthingsgotnormal,
sot
he
conclusionendswit
hlivei
ny ourpresent
,noti
nmi
ne,mi
ss
mistakendoodle.’
’

“Iam li
vi
nginmywor l
d,buty
oual waysmuddl
edyoursel
fin
other’
smatterdon’
teverdot
hat,am warni
ngyou,
hencefor
th
hellcat
sli
key ouar
ealwaystr
appedin.’
’

“Youbloody…….
”AsKer r
ywasgoi ngtorest
ackMadeli
nebut
thenshewasmov edbyringi
ngofbellandthedebat
ewas
l
eavedf ort
omor
rowandMadel inetoostuff
edtowar
dsrangof
bell
,i
twast i
metoleav
ingforhome.

Incl
inat
ionforchurchy
ard,i
twasev
entuall
yarrangement
s
donefornight’
svesper
,MissGri
anwasv exedaboutMadeli
ne
butwasr el
axedsoonwhensawMadelinecomi ng.

“
Howwasy ourdayl
onged?Di
dyoufeelsomerandomness?
Whathappenedsweeti
eyouar
elooki
ngstunni
ng.’
’

“Not
hingGret
a,nopoi
ntsofwor
ryI
’
mjustt
ir
edt
hat
’sal
ldon’
t
besopanic.
’’

“
Butt
henal
sot
her
eli
essomet
hingi
nadequat
e,Idoubtso!
!!
!!
!”

“Isai
dnap!Alli
sok,youj
ustprepar
edformyl
unch,
andI
’
m
starv
ingoh!Jesuspl
easehel
psme. ’
’

“
Hav epati
ence!I
’
m ar
rangi
ngf orsomemor
sel
,restandref
resh
your
selfwit
hacompletechangeandcomedownstair
s,I
’
llbe
wait
ing.
’’

“That
’sal
lri
ght,I
‘l
lbether
ein5minut
es.
’
’Madel
i
nesai
d,
spari
nghersel
finhurr
iedmanner
.

Swir
li
ngfr
om twi
stedwayMadeli
nebegant
oenchanther
sel
f
wit
hadist
ort
edfutil
e,ast
hesneer
ingmemori
esofheri
nsul
ted
i
magewer
ewar
pingwi
tht
her
esul
tantv
eloci
ti
es.

Sli
ghtl
yti
lt
edabatedinhermind,t
akingwi
deshapesaboutt
he
wholecur
ri
cul
um oftoday’
sinci
dence,

Butthensher emember edt

hatshehastogodownst ai
rsf or
engulfi
ngl unch,ei
theritwi
l
lbetoolat
ewhenv esperwillstar
t,
becauset henshewi llbedi
scar
dedoftaki
nglunchasaf ter
prayerdir
ect l
ydinnerhastobetakenandl
unchisr est
ri
cted.

Madeli
newhil
ecomingdownwasr api
dlyhur
dledupinahaste
andwasabouttosl
ipthenshewashol dbyMissGrianwhich
pat
tedheronbackandaseriousnesswashangingallar
ound
her
self.

“I
st hereanydeart
hofconsci
enceinyou……?”Mi
ssGri
ansai
d
brushingdustfr
om Madeli
ne’
sfrockasshewasver
y
possessiveaboutMadel
ine’
swellbei
ng.

“
I’
Mreal
l
y!!Sor
ryGr
eta,
nextt
imeI
’
llbet
aki
ngcar
eoft
his.
’
’

Madeli
nehadbeenmetbyt
hefri
ghtenedfaceofMissGri
an,
andknowsthatMi
ssGri
ani
sparti
cular
lyboundedtoher
,she
i
ndul
gehersel
ftomaki
ngMissGri
an‘sfacetobeli
tup.

“Oh!Comeon, Gr
etaber el
ax,i
twasn’tt
oobad……i s
i
t??”Madeli
neher
selfhadbeenpulledofff r
om thi
sexperi
ence
butnotreveal
i
ngthi
s, shehidethi
sinherself,
keepingi
tfr
om
MissGrian.

“So!Youwantt osayI,al
lti
mewor r
iedi
nv ain,ory
oumeantby
that
, am!Ianemotionalf
ool,whoalway
sj ust,
takestrai
n
unnecessari
ly
,li
kethat”MissGri
anwast oil
edupst ur
dil
yon
represent
ingheri
nf r
ontoff.

“
Leavei
t,Gr
etaandI’
m sayi
ngyousor
ry,
pleasefor
giv
emeand
l
et’
sgoIt
’sal
readyt
oolatewearebei
ngawaiteddownwar
dsby
nunsandchil
dren,
vesper
sisbei
nglef
tlet
’sgo.
’’Madeli
netoo
putsi
tgreat
esteff
ort
sforwar
dsothatsomeincli
nat
ioncoul
d
beseen.

Andasperheref fort
, shewonenor mousl yuponMi ssGret
a
andtheybot hcamedown, Atthehal lofpr ayerwhichwas
enl
ightenedupwi t
hcandl esti
ckschandel iersandt hef r
agr
ant
smellsofr osepetal,t
hechoi rgroupwasr eadyandt heyal
l
werer ecit
ingthemel odioussingingsandr hythmicatmospher
e
wasr eloaded,Atthatt i
meofhol yev ening, acursedomenwas
madet ur
ni nprophecyf al
li
ngandbl azingf orthinthem,

Ahal fburntcorpseswipeddownf rom t

heshelter
sofceil
i
ng
andt herewere,allwer
er ansackcompressi
ngandr ar
e
fracti
oningexpanded,theenlight
enedhallt
urnedontoahall
of
hellandmoonsbecamet winsoutsi
de,t
heKi r
kandmi dwhil
ea
fowl breezestart
edsail
ingaround,

thehoundswer ehackingbyt heirhowli

ngandt hewholesky
wasdepar t
edbyt heblackbl anketofspher i
calmourni
ngand
comet swer ef all
ingatthet i
mewhent hegiantcl
ockhanging
aroundr eadst hewor sttimeof10‘ o’clock,
allt
hestar
s
suddenlyv anishedandt herewasal l
alonedoom daywasabout
toriseblackpower sgottheirhierar
chyandwer eabouttodwell
l
iket hesupr emeandpour i
ngbl oodallside,t
herewassil
ence
onlyspeaki ngt here.

Thetel
li
ngofbl
ackspel
lwasl
i
ket
hest
ormi
ngofone’
sbl
ack
tongue

“
What’shappeni ngt hisallaroundMi ssGr ian? ?”Missmer cy
wobbl
ed.Shecamet hrought hesidecor nerofpr ayerhal
l wi
tha
t
okencoinl i
kef ace,manynunsandchi ldrenhadwi nkedout
wi
ththi
si ncidenttheyal lgrewwi thinconsi derati
onwindiness,
t
hehallwast r
embl edbyt hishar t–throbbingni ght,ev
erywer e
t
herewasat hrongofpeopl ef amil
iar,unfami l
iar,
everyonewas
t
herestandinginf rontoft hehalfbur ntcor pse,somewer e
screami ng, somegotf aint ,otherwer ewhi speri
ngaboutt he
culpri
t,“Whocoul ddot hat ?”immedi atelythecopsgott he
reportaboutt hesi tuation, andwer eint heway ,t
hecor psewas
l
y i
ngl i
keabur ntcoal inhi ghlyf amef urnace, i
twasn’tident i
fi
ed
duet oheav i
lydamageddonet ot hebody ,obviousitwasa
mur der,butwhyi twast hr owni ntother oofofmi ssionarywas
sti
llasecr et, suddenl yMi ssGr ianwasaboutt ospoke, shewas
try
ingt ohandl ethesi tuat ion,buti twasgoi ngoutofcont rol
,
everybodyt ur nedf orGr ian’sr esponse, whowasr eal
lynot
feeli
ngcal m andnor mal ,hersweatont heheadswer et ell
ing
thi
s, whichshewast r
yingt oconceal , fr
om t heorotundcr owd,
Madel i
newast ry
ingt or emai nsil
ent, butshewasunabl eto
controlher selff r
om aski ngt hequest i
on, forsomet i
messhel et
hertokeepqui et
,thenasar emar kofsudden, MissGrianaf ter
l
ongt i
mesi lence, pretendedt obenor mal andsaid.

“Ialsohav enoideaaboutthisevilmiscr
eant,Miss
Mer cy??”MissGri
anwasexpect ingthisthi
ngonlyheryears’
s
night marecamet r
uethatfrozenvampi r
enighthadcameinit
s
predi cti
on, t
heoldprophecycomet obet rueal
lalonet
hehalf
bur ntcorpsewasl yingther
ewhoseey eshadcameout, i
twas
l
iket hatslaught
erer
sofdev il
sfrom underworl
dhadchurned
this.

“Greta,i
t’
sreall
ybr eatht
akingmyhear tisponder ingout ;I’
m
reall
yfeeli
ngsomet hi
ngunusual t
hatsucksmei nside, my
wholebodyi sshaki ngwithabnor mali
ty,
ev enifli
kemyv ei
ns
aredisordered,I‘
m wheel i
ngar oundtheway ,somet hingi s
slammi ngmei nside,asIam f eel
ingmiserable,nowf eelings
areempt ythoroughlymymi nd,”Madel i
net houghtwhyshei s
blurt
ingli
ket hi
s,sheknowst hatthisi
ncidenthaddeepl yrooted
herawayf rom hersoul ,
butthat’sokaywhyshei sexpr essing
allt
hisinthewei r
dmanneri nf r
ontofthemaddencr owd, don’t
sheletherselfmut eforawhi le.

Thehallwasenci
rcl
edbygr
oupofpeopleMrs.MorganofNext
Str
eethadcameinhergownwit
haladleinonehandandwas
t
alki
ngt
oMr
s.Fl
att
op,

“WhenIheardthenews, Icamerunning,
withoutev
enthe
sli
pperswerewornbyme, l
ookatthatwreck,t
hedevi
l
sswear
.
Itgotdamnedhorri
ble”
.

“Whocouldpol
lut
esuchhol
l
ypl
ace?
”Mr
.Hor
netsai
dbyl
i
fti
ng
hi
sshoulder
.”

“Ithi
nk,thedeadlydevi
li
spushingthi
s,weshoul
dhang
horseshoeinfrontofourhouses.I
t’
ll
pesti
taway.
”Lawr
ence
nickelsaid.

“Somuch, ofashesit’
sblottobump—ashocki ngnewsfrom
holycrossv i
rgi
nmissionary
,ATer r
if
iccataloguetohel
l.
”John
Park,t
her eport
erfr
om localchannelrepor
ted.Thepresshad
alsocomet hroughthemi dti
me, i
twasal l
cluster
edmeanwhil
e.

MissGri
anwastr
ampoli
nebyt
henewsandwast
ryi
ngt
o
consol
i
datet
hecrowd.

“Ithinkweshoul dwal kawayf r

om t hishal l,asPol icecanbe
herei nanyt ime, andi twoul dbebet t
ert hatweshoul dn’tdoany
i
nter ferewi t
ht hiscase, weshoul dcooper atethecops, sot hat
culpritMi ghtbei dent i
fi
edsol et’slockt her oom andwai tfor
thecopst ocome, theythemsel veswoul di dent i
fythe
cir
cumst ances, ”Mi ss.Gri
ansai di gnoringMadel i
ne’scompl ain
ast heyal lproceededt otheout sideoft hepr ayerhal l,
the
crowdnowmov edoutwi thsomeexcuses, butMi sswasf ineto
handl ethem.Shet urnedar oundf ortheMadel ine.Butsuddenl y
adi sastrousst orm whi ppedt heat mospher e, withitsfreezing
effect ,
hailst
or mi twas, allwit
hi tsartful whistledt hrought he
gapsi nthetrees.Ther ewasahor ri
blebl ewupofst orm, it
splatteredal lthesheet sandupr ootedt hewi ndowsanddoor ,
therewasamuckar ousedi nthecr owd, everybodywasr unning
throughher eandt herefrom thebel eagueroft hef i
ercest orm
rattl
ingt hewi ndowpanel s,carsandev erythingt hatwas
pr
esentatt
hatt
ime.

Madelinewasblownof fwit
ht hebl
acktr
adewindsf r
om the
churchy ar
dandwast akenawayv er
yfarfr
om thereachof
eart
h, theworl
dwher eonehast ogoaft
erdeathMissGrian
j
uststoodupt herel
ikeali
vebodywhichismotionl
essanddo
notknow whatt odo?Thewi ndowpanelswereshakingoff
.

Andpeopl eremainedi
nt ar
nishedbehav e,agirlhadjustblown
upinf r
ontofthem andnooneknowswher eshehadbeen
blownup, t
hroughtheresemblingblackther ewasno
thunderi
ng,all
hadbowedt heirheadsandt hequestionwas
thatwhosecor psewasthat??,asnightwasdar keningitselft
he
thunderst
orm, i
ndangerofbeingspar edbyt hi
scurseofni ght,
everybody’scouragewasfell,
nowt heyr emainedsilent
, t
hey
comebacki nfr
ontofthemissionaryagai nandthet i
mewas
saggingwithit
sf l
ow.

Anhourl atercopscameandt hel

ockedprayerhallwas
unlockedonceagai n,invest
igati
onwasdoneaboutt hathal
f
burntthing,postmor t
em wasdoneandr eport
swer ecauseof
astonishing,butst
il
lthedisappearanceofMadelineprovoked
theunanswer edquesti
onsint heminds.

I
twast hecorpseofMr s.Vist
asandthemyst
erybandagedup
i
nt hatcol
dnessofnight,t
hewhol et
ownwasgatheredupto
takewhatasortofthingswashappeningMadel
inewaslost
,
andMi ssGri
anwasi nshockdi st
emper
.

Againaspi r
itualf
eeli
ngwasr oseabov eandinnumerabl
e
thi
ngswer eaboutt ohappenandt heser
ieswasnotyetending
here,Madeli
newasf oundbyteam ofcopsneart hatt
heold
magi calmuseum ofwi t
chcr
aftandbl ackmagicthatwas
sealedfor10y ears,
shewasf ainted,t
heweatherwaswor stin
all
butt heyfoundherintheheav ydownpourtheydoneit
,
Madel
inewasgaspedandshehugsMissGri
annoteven
l
ooki
ngherepr
osandconsandasi ghofr
eli
efwastaken…………

ByInv
est i
gat
oryteamsandsquadweref
ormedandt
heyal
l
wereturnednotbefeebl
eint
hatver
yhar
shandli
fet
aki
ng
condi
tion

Butt hequest ionwhi char ousedwast hathowt hathalfburnt

corpsecameont hecei l
ingofmi ssionar y,andwhatmy steryit
wasunf oldingwi thit
, producedagener alspotofcl umps
throughoutt hewhol ef armaddi ngcr owd ev er yonewas
seekingamongi t
sef fectsandconsequence, copswer eon
theirway ,all wer eroll
edaboutt heendoft hedeck, whi chwas
some-hal fr esumeddi scov ery
, neededt obeadv ancedenough,
Madel i
nehadexper iencedanunexpect edsceneatOl d
Museum ofwi tchcraftandbl ackmagi c, whensheawokef rom
heranest het icposi ti
onshesawaLeupi xar oundher ,at al
king
Leupi x,buti twasaf emal eLeupi x,
all ofhumanbodyt rai
tbut
witht wowi ngsofphoeni xont heback, herhai rshadbeen
ti
ght l
yboundedi nthebunandshedoesn’ tlookedwei rdenough,
shehadbl ueey esandwasi nbr onzecol or,i
twasar oundf i
v e
footf ourinches, anadul tone.WhenMadel i
neaskedherabout
hercomi ngher e,shet oldhert hatshehadsav edherf rom that
destructiblewi ndandhaddr oppedher eatf rontoft hemuseum,
andsai d“ Youshoul dgoty ourreason, att heunder groundMi ss
My al,ti
llthenwai tfory ourf ax,”

“Didy oureal
lyexist
,Ican’
tbel
i
evei
t,Ihadbeenhighl
ymi st
aken,
andt hisshouldbeadr eam”Madel
i
nepi nchedher
sel
f,butthe
pintoldherthatitwast r
ue.

“Nowal
soy ouareindoubt,It
hinky
ouarenotwel comeinyour
ownworld,
becauseMar ci
ousMy alwoul
dtr
eaty ouasthei
r
enemy,
beawar e,andfurt
herthi
ngi
sasecret”Leupixsai
d.

“Whatar
eyousaying,
heyyou,what
’syourname?”Madeli
ne,
sti
l
lhadquest
ionstoask,
mill
i
onsofthem arouseatonet
ime.
“Wel
l,
mynameisJit
kar
aShermice”Leupi
xtol
dherandt
oher
sur
pri
seshef
lewawayaft
ersometime.

“
Butwherearey ougoi ng,
Istil
lowesmanymore…”Madeli
ne
l
ookedatJi
tkara,withsurpri
se.
“
Nextti
me……. .
”Jitkara‘swordsdepar
tedal
ongit
sfl
ight
.

Madeli
nenowt urnedbackagaintoherpresentandwas
completel
yforgottenabouthermeet i
ngwithLeupi
xnamed
‘
Jit
karaShermi ce’whohadsav edherli
fefrom t
hestor
m, when
shecameal ongt hefuri
ousdistur
bancearoundthehal
lwhere
shehadbeenbr oughtbythecopsaftert
wohour sofstr
ong
sear
chingwor ks.

Withoutfur
therlossi
nanymi ll
i
seconds, t
hiscasewasput
downi ncourseofanxiousstr
engthening;al
lwerecal
l
edupon,
everysingl
estudentandthatofteacherstafft
oo.

Thepri
ncipl
eMr .Hessassert
ed“weare,r
eall
yinmour nfor
l
osingouroneoft hemostandhighl
yqual
if
iedfacult
y,butt
hat
doesn’
taccountanytypeofrel
ati
onwit
hthi
sassai nati
on’’

I
twasappear i
ngt hattheclueshav ebeenveryweakatt heti
me,
baretal
ksandpr otest
ingthingswer ecoming,fr
eaki ngoutand
thennextday,t
hest udent
swer ebeencall
edof f
,ev eryonewas
i
nv exed,t
henitwast heti
mef orquesti
oni
ngKer ryswatand
herpentagonsquad. t
heybeganwi t
haedgeoff i
les, t
hef i
rst
thi
ngwast hatwasdone, theyt r
odthem withfewbasi cs:

“
Anythi
ng,i
fyouhaveabouty ourt
eacher,
y oumusthav
eus
wi
thit,
don’tt
enseaboutyourli
ves,we‘
retherewi
thyoupl
ease
t
ell
us,ify
ouknowsomet hing…”

Ker
ryandhersquadf
li
nchedf
oramomentbutt
hengat
her
ing
somecouragetheylookedi
ntooneother’
sface,ev
identl
ynev
er
havi
ngsuchanothertypeofshutandst
rappedtheyyell
ed
l
ookingf
orth,

“
Sir,
wehav eali
tt
lei
nfoaboutt
heone,
whowascor
rel
atedwi
th
Mrs.Vi
stas.
’’

“Tell
usprovideuswiththat……”Copswer
ear
gui
ng,t
oKerr
y
alongherpentagonsquad.Whowascasti
ngasi
dewayl
ookat
Madel i
neunderhercr
acklingsmi
le.

“Itwast hesamedaywhent hismurderwashappenedMr s.

Vistasasl iketheot herdayscol dedMadel i
nefornotreading
proper l
y,sheal waysst uckupwi thherandt hatdaywhent he
per i
odgotov er,Mrs.Vistasagaingotupwi t
hMadeline,andit
wasaboutt olunchbr eakwhenweal lfr
iendsheadedforthe
cant een,therewemetst andinginthecorner,t
hetwoculms
talki
ngsomeper sonal toeachot her.
’
’

“
Thenwhat,wast
hetal
kconcer
nedabout
?….’
’Theydemanded
r
ueful
l
y,andhowl
edatKer
ry.

“Huh!
!!Wear enotsocl
earedaboutthatbutthetwowere
accounti
ngtoexecutesomeplanfordestroyi
ngMrs.Vist
as,
thentheycaughtbyusandstopped.Thenwebot htendedfora
meanwhi l
efi
ghtandthenthebell
rangout, t
hat’
sal
lwhatwe
havewithus.”

“So!Youaretr
yingt
osayt
hatMadel
i
neandherf
ri
endar
e
behindt
his?”

“Maybe,l
iket
hat
,butMadel
i
nei ssowei
rdandi
ndi
gnantt
hat
shecoul
dbeengagedwit
hthissmash.
’’

“Ok!Thankyouforwhatyouall
provideduswith,
youmaygo
now!”copsweregett
ingmoreinter
estedinthi
scaseandnow
theclueswerepoi
nti
ngtowardsMadel i
neandLarryWi
lsonor
sayt
heyweresteppingint
heshar pedgesofahangingswor
d,
i
fLar
ryislef
ttosl
ippedofffrom t
hesemess, t
hentheMadel
ine
i
smadet obeonwi t
ht hef
inalul
ti
mat um andvi
cti
m.

Cor psewasagai nsenttothechar nelhousef orpassi ng

throughsomet estsandi twoul dnotst oppedt il
lgoi ngbey ond
i
tsut most,hangedi nsomeaut henticroomsandpi l
esof
i
nv est i
gator
ynor mscrossesi tthroughoutt hent her eportsof
fi
ndi ngsomef i
ngerprint
scameoutt heydidsolv edi toutat
l
ast ,allweret hi
nkingitwoul dn’tgoi nandwi l
lendl eav i
ng
behi ndahugequest i
onmar k, butitwascomeoutwi ththe
mostscr apingr esul
thavingwi thinthev icti
mt urnedoutt obe
thet rueblooded, Madelinewasnowr ummagedt obeput
behi ndthebar sast heyhaunt sof f,ahorr i
blecour seoccur red
theyl eavedf orchurchyard,sergeantwer ethere…. .

“MissGrian,wearesor
ryt
osaybutwehav etoMadeli
neinSt.
Mar kussecurecent
erf
ori
ncur
ablecr
iminalki
ds,
steelwi
ththe
proofshehasbeendeclar
edasthegui
lt
y .
’
’

Thentheyst
art
edroundt
hey
ardl
ooki
ngf
ort
heMadel
i
neand
theymetheri
ncentr
e.

“Ican’
tbeamur der
er,
Greta,
pleaset
ell
them,Ican’
tbeaki
l
ler,
pleaseoff
icer,l
eaveme,I’
minnocent
,can’
tyouseeinmyeyes.
”
Madelinepleaded.

“Madeline, mysweetieistool i
tt
leandmyf ai
threli
esonher
shecan’ tevenkil
laninsect,andsof ariski
lli
ngaper sonandi
n
thentooki ll
i
ngbybur nscouldn’tresistandsatisf
ythet er
ms,
cops”Mi ssGr i
ansaidwithhert earfuleyesexpecti
ngsome
kindnesst owardherbegging’s.

Shewast heonlyf
amil
yofMadel i
newhohasspentherwhol e
behi
ndgrowingandnourishi
ngMadeline,
botharethetwo
pi
ll
arsofloveandsympathytowardeachothertheyar
e,t
wo
bodi
es,butonesoulMissGrianwasdenyingthefactt
hati
twas
Madel
i
newhoki
l
ledMr
s.Vi
stas.

“Sorr
y,MissGri
anweareheldbyourdut
ieswear eoughtt
o
takeMadelinef
ort
hegivenchar
geswear eboundedwith,
”
copsargued,bymaki
ngfront
alup.

“Leaveme,j
ustleav
eme, ther
e’sahugeconspir
acyof
fi
cer,
someoneistry
ingtotr
apmei nt hi
swickedmindgame,pl
ease
onceagai
nhav eyouri
nvesti
gati
on.”Madeli
neagai
nsqueal
ed
forthemer
cy.

MissGrianwasnol
ongerablet
osaveMadeli
neandinfew
secondsMadeli
newastakenbythepol
i
cevan,andher
eMiss
Gri
anretort
ed,

“I
twasli
kehavi
ng,abackwardleap.
’’
Missmercyandothernunswereconsol
i
ngMissGri
anbutthey
al
lthemsel
vesknowsthatthi
ngwasoutofcont
rol
andallwere
bi
dedbyit.

“When,I
’l
lbeupf r
om thebed,t
heabsenceofsweeti
ewi l
l
maddenme.Itseemst omesoshocki ngtoseehel
plesschi
l
d
behindt
hecell
,thosehoursofwai
ti
ngwi l
ltur
noutt
obedef i
ant
.
“MissGri
ansunkindeepaghastcri
ed.

Madel i
nehadbeensentt obar s,i
twassoul lockedi nthe4x4
dimension, t
heot herprisoner sweresqueal ing, al
thoughthey
hadbeenofsameageast hatofMadel ineshehadt ransf
erred
tosecur ecenter,andshemeetwi t
hthel ady, whichwasabi g
bruiser,
shewasv erystri
ctandbeatal l thechi l
drenwi thalong
sti
ck, t
heywer efoodsbutt hatwer einpoorcondi t
ion,shehas
todol otsofwor k, manywor ks,ti
ll
i
ngt hegr oundf orlonghours
i
nt hestrongt anningsunl i
ght ,towasht hetoi l
etswhi chwere
smel l
yandst ingy,therewasnowat eratal l
int hecent ert
hey
hadt owel l
itoutf rom thebrokenwel l.Shehast odustwhol eof
thesecur ecenter,washi ngthedi shesbyher self,
herhandsgot
bli
stersalongwi thherlegs, shewasmour ningi ndeep
depr essi on, andherhear thadbeenf illedwi t
hchoki ngt ortures
givenbyt hebi glady , whosenamewasMedusaLagr ange.She
hadoncet or nof fMadel i
ne’ sclothes, andt hr ewt hem i nt he
dustbi n;Madel i
nepi ckedt hem somehowandsecur edherbody .
Itwasr eal lyachi ngandat unneli
ngofbr ainwasr oaringi t
s
anger ,butt heangerhadnomeani ng, ther ewer esor rowsbut
theydon’ tgr i
efinpai n.Ther ewast hirstbutnoquench; itwas
allanoasi sofdi sast er.Sheal way scur sedt hegodandherf at
e
asshedi dn’ tknewt hatwhyshewasget tingal lthi stortures
andpuni shmentf orherundi dcri
me, shehat edMr s.Vi stasal ot,
butshecan’ tmur derher , nordidt hepol i
cegav ehert hechance
forthemoder ati
on, shewasn’ thearwi thheropi ni on, shehast o
beart hedampnessofhercheeksal lalonewi t
houtany
scowl ingi nasol it
ude. ,shehadbeennowf aintedundert he
bellowsoft oil
ingr esi stance.Herl if
ehadbeensl edgi ngdown
wi t
hi nev itabledi ctat i
onshi psoft hesecur ecent ershewai t
ed
fortheGr eta, shewai tedf orherl ove, butt heydi dn’tgav eher
permi ssi ont oent eri nt hesecur ecent er ,shehadbeengi v en
electricshockswhenev ert herewasanydel ayi nwor k,shehad
beenmaddenandl ooni nt hatSecur ecent er,shewant edt o
freeher selff rom al lthi sinfectiousst rikingbehav iorofabused
despi te.Ther ewer eal lvicessur roundi ngherl ife.Asshewasa
childcr imi nal whohadbeenher einchar geofanundone
mur der ,shewasi nnocent ,butherchi ldhoodhadbeen
suppr essedundert hel oadofexpl oit
at ion.

Butt her e’
sasay ingt hatafterever
yni ghtthere’sadawn, so
they earspassest hr ough, i
twasaf terthefivey ear
sof
i
mpr isonmentt hatthedayofr el
easingMadel i
nef r
om the
teen’scel l
andnowshet ur
nsoutt obeasaneni gmaticgrewup
l
ady, angirlofsev ent eent
hedaywasherbi rthdayandal l
missi onarywaswai tingforMadel i
netocameout, MissGr i
an
turnedoutt obemor eexcitedasshewasgoi ngt ohave
Madel i
necameout ,shemi ghthavebeendet erminedtheway
shewasbehav ing, therewasmor ethant heusual andopposit
e
ofwhatt hethingst hathappenedi nremor sepast, everyone
washappy, cheerful andmer rywasshi nningl i
kethesun
whi
chwasshi
ningout
side,
andnotasi
ngl
ebl
ackcl
oudwas
t
her
etobeseen.

“My,chil
dit
’sseemslikeIam st
il
li
nthedr eam, i
sitr
ealone
giv
emeahug, sothatIcoul
dsurvi
veit,well
!Happybirt
hday,
andmany ,manyretur
nsoftheday,yourli
feshouldbemor e
bri
ghtens,y
ourfut
ureshouldbri
ngyouagi ftedandonelast
thi
ngmybestwi shesarealwayswit
hy ou”Mi ssGri
ansaid.

“It
’st
rue,i
t’
st r
ueGr etaIhavebeenrel
eased,thethunderstorms
hadbeenbl ownupbyt heshinyr
aysofsun,theraysofhope,
thefai
thoft r
uth,Idon’ twanttor
emembert hem all,agai
n, I
j
ustwantt oleavet hisplaceawayandtostartanewbegi nni
ng
ofmyl i
fe”Madel inesai d.

Madeli
newasqui teconfusedabouthowtogetstarttheli
fe
andshehadast rangeexperi
encethatshewanttotellmiss
gri
an,atthemissionaryMadeli
neheldmissgri
ant otakeher
i
ntoprivat
ecorner,looki
ngMadelineingr
eatdepressionmiss
gri
anjustwanttowashawayheral l
queri
es.

“
Whatarey
ouleani
ngon?Isthatsomethingyouwantt
otel
l
me?”
“
Iti
ssomet
hingwei
rdGret
a;youcan’tevenimagi
newhatIam
f
eel
ingi
nmybloodaboutl
ast5y ear
s,”

“
Whati
sthat
?”

“I
tisl
ikemyleftboneisbul
gingout
war
dandt
her
ightt
oei
s
backi
ngtowardinver
ti
ble”
.

“
Ithinky
ouaretaki
ngtoomuchstr
essuponyouandt
hat
’swhy
t
hingsarehappeni
ngt
othatmuchofver
ge.
”

“No,thisisnotoft
hatkindGreta,i
sitthesi
deeffectoft
hat
pil
l
sthaty ouweregi
vingmef orlastf
iveyear
s,butwhenIwas
i
ncent erIhadnoneofthem wit
hme. ”
MissGrianwasthinki
nginhermindthati
tisaboutt
hegene
hormonalchangesduri
ngpubert
ywhi chateenfi
ndsinher
.
Thencomi ngi
nthepresentshet
riedtomakeMadelinerel
ax
aboutherworri
es.

“Youshoul
dn’tt
akeittoolongi
t’
snothi
ngbutthehor
monal
changesyouareexpecti
nginyour
selfj
ustt
akesomesleepand
i
twillbeal
lfi
ne,wel
l!Ihadsomeplansforyou?
”

“
Whatpl
ans?’
’
Madel
i
nesai
dacoust
ical
l
y.

“Don’
tyouwantt opursuey ourhi
gherstudi
es,Iknowy ouhave
beengivenyourelementarystudi
esinthejai
lbutnowi t
’sti
me
tohaveasteptowar duniv
er si
ty,t
obuil
dupy ourcareerandto
becomeselfdependentso, doyouhavesomenot i
onsabout
thi
s?”

“I
t’
sgr eat;Imeany oupulledmeoutf r
om myconf usi
onyesI
wantt ocar r
ymyst udi
esf orwardandIjustwantt ogotosome
otherunknownpl acewher emyident
it
yi ssecretandpeopl
eare
i
ndi genous,thi
splacealway sputmeinmydar kpastandthose
al
l nonsenseblamedIwantt ocomeoutwi t
hsomenew
dest i
nati
onso, whereIam supposedtogof ormyscience
stream asIwantt odor esearch?”

“Thi
ngshav
ebeenal
readyar
ranged,
onl
ythi
ngwasy
our
appr
oval
?’’

“Iam al
readypr
epar
edf
ori
tThen,
Wher
eam maki
ngmynew
habi
tat?
”

“
Hmm….
.NewYor
k‘snewj
erseywhatsay
?”

“Thingsreaaal
lygotfasci
natingwhent er
medon, myoneoft
he
favori
tedesti
nati
on,Iam justint
erri
nglocked,Ihadmy
packing’
swi t
hmeandmyi nsti
nctsaresayingtometobe
mov
eonnow,
wit
houtl
osi
ngasi
ngl
emi
nut
e!!
!”

“
Wait,
til
lthenewdawnappearandyou’
ll
bet
her
ewi
thout
l
osi
ngev enasingl
esecondmysweeti
e”

Daywasspentwonderi
ngaboutt
hefaci
l
iti
esandrent
alr
oom
ser
vicest
oliv
euponallt
hemissi
onar
ywast her
eforMadel
i
ne,
andthenmissmercysai
d.

“
Ihopeyou‘l
lbesoonequi
ppi
ngyourwor
ri
esanduneasi
ness
wi
ththatnewsurr
oundi
ngdear”

“
Itoohopeso!Mi
ssmer
cyandaf
tert
hisi
s,al
lyourbl
essi
ngs.
’
’

“Madeli
ne,t
hememor i
eswoul
dber
oami
ngspher
ical
l
yal
l
around.
’
’theli
tt
leAl
anasai
d.

“But
,thememor
iesarecreatedf
orthi
spur
poseonl
ymyl
i
ttl
e
baby”Madel
i
nesaidwit
hl ov
ingl
y.

“
Ial
sot
hinkso……”sai
dMi
ssKi
rchhof
f.

Anyonei nthemissi
onaryhardl
ybot her
edf orMadel ineasthey
al
lwer ealr
eadybeenintr
oducedwi ththatpastbesi de
wonder i
ngwhyshehadbeensentf or,theyweret ryi
ngt o
consolethemselvesandthenightseepedaway, t
her ewast he
dazzl
ingdayoutwai t
ingforMadelinetohav eherpocketf il
led
wit
h.Cabwasgi vendir
ecti
ont owardairportandt hef i
nal
meetingofMi ssGri
anandMadel inewasaccor ded

“i
thadbeenl ongy ear sofj
ourneywhenourbondcamet oan
exi
stence,Idon’thav eanywor dsliter
all
ytodescribethat
specialat
tachment ,youmademeanemot ionall
ybounded
womanwhowast hirstyf
orthel ov
eofl i
feandwhat ever
happenedinpasty earsdoesn’tlai
dmedownt ohavestruggl
e
wit
hi t,
MadelinemydearIam r eal
lyhappyforwhaty ouare
doinganewbegi nningofy ourli
fe,butbereasonablewith
your
self….
.Ihav
etr
ustony
ounev
erev
erl
aiddownmyt
rustt
o
anypit
fal
l”

“Gr
eta,
Iknowt hatmylif
estar
tsfr
om youandwil
lbeendi
ngon
youonl
y,Iam promisi
ngy out
hatIwi
l
lneverdest
royy
ourfai
th
uponme,’
’

“Goodbyeandhavebeli
efinyoursel
f,y
ouaregoi
ngtoacountr
y
ofyourdreameddest
inati
on,Ihopeyouwil
lbehappi
ert
here
andwouldbehealedsoon.’
’

NodoubtthatMadel i
newasmov i
ngt owardherpl aceofchoice,
shewasanaut opr epari
nggirl
, nowt hetimewi llt
ellhow
goodnesstheplacewasbr i
ngingf orher,theentir
escene
assumedthechar acteri
zedpersonal i
tyoft heli
fe, t
hatchanges
phaseful
ly,af
terev erysi
nglespel li
tisli
kel yt
obecomeup
withnewshakeorquakebuti tgoesonf rom bodyt obody,
graspi
nghandst akingallt
hehumani nit
smanner i
smsand
l
aws, asaauthorImustsayt hateachmustt r
ytoadoptt helax
andsupposedbehav i
or.

Inthef l
i
ghtMadel inewast hi
nki ngwhatapol ogamewasbeen
playedwi t
hher ,t
hepr et
tygir
l l
ostherchildhoodont hatli
fe
takingbars,humani ti
esjustt
ur nedouttoy ouwheny ou
becomeapr isonerwhoi ssupposedt oli
v einthatonecor ner
pieceofland, onehast operform al
ltheact i
vi
ti
esinthatcor ner
,
hungerchasey oulikeahungr ywatchman’ shoundall andevery
day, j
ustthi
nkingofi tmadeoneper sonf alli
ntohell
,then
comi nginpresentwhenpr ov
okedbyanai rhostage.

Airhostagewasangir
loftwent
yoneandwasniceinbehavi
or
butMadel i
nedi
dn’
tcastedanoti
ceonhershewasmixingwit
h
herownt henai
rhost
agegiveheraj
erkret
ri
evi
ngherbackto
thepresent.
“
Hel
l
oma’
am i
sitokwi
thy
ou?
’’

“
Yap….
yap.
..I
t’
sal
lri
ghtnot
hingt
obewor
ryupon’
’

“
Ma’
am woul
dyoul
i
ket
ohav
esomemi
ner
al?
”

“
Thanks,
butIwoul
dn’
thav
ethem”

“
Ok,
thanksf
ort
ell
i
ng.
”

Madelinemakesaquiteexpr
essionwheny i
eldedwi
th
exci
tement, asshewassosurpr
isedaboutthenewplacethat
shewasgoi ngtohavewit
hher,meetingwithnewpeople,
comingtoknowaboutnewhi st
oryandlastbutnotl
easther
univ
ersit
y.

“
Final
l
y,Iam t
her
e,wher
eIwassupposedt
obe.
’
’

Lookingherexcit
ementast rangershakeshi shandt owardthe
Madel i
ne,ashesoonerturnedtohav esomeconv ersati
onhe
wasofsome30y ear
slookingli
keabusi nessper sonashe
j
uggledhimselfwithher,
thest r
anger ’
stalkingseemst o
suggestthatsoonsomet hi
ngbi gandmy steriousthingwas
goingtobehappened, i
twast hef i
rstsi
gnofsomeunaudi ted
verbsthemani nt
roducedhimsel ftoMadel ine,

“
Hell
o,Iam Pet
erRanwood,
lect
urerofparnor
mal
i
tyandi
ts
v
erges”

“
Mysel
fMadel
i
neMcCar
thy’
’

“
Itseemst
haty
ouar
enotf
rom her
e,sowher
edi
dyoul
i
ve?

“
Mypl
acei
snearonl
yI’
m my
sel
ffr
om U.
S”

Str
angergavehi
msel
fadrov
earoundthebackseati
nwhi
ch
theMadeli
newassi
tt
ing;
hetur
nedhimsel
ftoknowwhatshe
actual
lymeans,
ashedr
ovetowardhertoknowhernat
ive
place,
Madeli
negav
ehimtheful
laccount

“
Bloomsbur
ycount
y,Amer
ica’
’

“Oh!That
’swhy
,youl
ooksobol
d?”St
rangerwi
thsomet
ri
cky
natur
esaid.

“But
,Idon’tt
hinksoaspermyknowledgemyacquai
ntance
t
heyallconsi
deredmeasascreamed.’
’

“
Wel
l
,thi
sisn’
tpr
ovi
ngy
ouwr
ong”

“
Ist
hatso?
”

“
Maybe,
Im notconf
ir
med,
wel
lni
cemeet
ingy
ouMr
.Pet
er.’
’

“Formeal so,i
twasreal
l
yar emarkabl
emeeting!
!’
’Mr
.Peter
said.Wit
hj udi
ci
alsi
ncer
it
y,shakeshandswithMadel
i
neand
turnedar
ound, wi
thsomeindeedjoyofgrav
ei nhi
seyes.

Fli
ghtwasaboutt olandandt henMadel i
newaspackedupwi th
boringwor kofconv er
sationsoshepoi ntedher selfupward
i
gnor ingthest r
angerandgazi ngt owar dherl uggagewhi ch
carri
essomeofhercer ti
fi
catesandt hef undament aldet
ail
ing
paper sofheradmi ssi
onr elated,alsosomecl othesanda
portraitofMiss.Gr i
anwhenshehadbeenmov edtosan
Franciscoatt heabbessmeet ingheldon4y ear sback,she
eyedi twithhappilyasi twast heonl ythingwhi chwasmost
precioust oherandnowshehadbeenwonder i
nghowwoul d
she‘llbemanagi ngi nthisstrangeci t
ywi thoutherGr eta,
she
dashedbackt oherl uggagebutt hepr oblem t hatshewoul dbe
faci
ngwi t
houtGr etawasr eall
yamat terofconcer n.

Soonshepi ckedtheluggageinthecityofdreams,and
emotionalupbri
ngings,t
hedisturbancewhichwasar dorwi
th
i
nstantdesire,t
helethar
gical
l
yv ehemenceoft hej
ail
sandtheir
ver
minous,sl
ovenl
ywall
s,t
yranni
zedwi
thfi
l
thyoppressi
on,
the
pai
nwhichsackedall
overherbody,
shewantanaid,acomfor
t
andarel
ief
.

CHAPTER-
2
TheFav
oredt
ort
ure

Madel i
newasnotsomuchassur edoft hisnumberf i
ft
h
cat
egor ydri
ve,whichshewasgoi ngt omadeoft hepastal ong
wit
ht heroadsidet oleranceitwast heonl ythi
ngt obehowl ed
upon,menar esoj udgeement al
,shecomment edoddl y,
this
wasnott heeffortwhi chshewasgoi ngt obemadeuponas
l
agansbondi ngbet weent het
wocompl exwasofcour seoft hat
muchv erykind,whilesheswi pedhermi ndof fthi
stopicsand
wantedonlyt obet akenbyherwor koff uzziness,thatwas
nei
therthetopicofonl yaboutherself,notal soaboutthepai d
moment sthatshehadwi thheri
nt his20y ear
sbutt hi
swas
bul
gingoutonl yaboutt hemeretalkswhi chshecameacr oss.
Lookingi ntotheswoopi ngcutsbyconf usi
onshegotbumped
i
ntot hel i
tt
lethingcal l
edtheresidencywhi chshewas
compel ledby ,t
ohav eupononher selfshewasdr oveawayby
thesor tofsomest rangeroldbug, t
hatmancr ouchingnearthe
cornerofl ocaltown’sst andoftr
anspor twearingawei r
dkind
ofgolfhat ,wit
ht hinbutsi l
ver
ymust ache,withgoatbear dor
somet hingthatf all
sont hatsameki ndah?I t
’sdiffi
culttobe
answer edandatl astaloosecardiganwi thbottom line
pantaloons

“
Excuseme;
itwi
l
lbeki
ndenough,
ify
ougott
oknowmet
his?
”

SaidMadeli
newit
hapieceofpaperholdi
nginherhand,att
his
ti
meshewasr eal
lyf
eeli
nghel
pless,
therewasn’
tanythi
ng
tur
ningherf
orasecond.

“That’snotfli
ckerme,it
’stheaddr essofl owerManhattanthe
chinat own,resi
dencyofChi nesepeopl e–Eh!Ireal
l
ydon’ t
knowwhatt hosemer epeopl eofpopul at
ion7000somet hi
ng
willcreate?Yououghttobev erycarefulbythi
stime,ofseason,
well y
ouhav et ot
akethistrajector
ybyl eftofmyhand,thengo
str
aightandy ouwil
lbetherewher ey ouwantt obe.
”

Shedashedbacktoherroadal
sol ookingwi t
hastonishi
ng
quest
ioninherbl
ueeyesaboutthatjuggleroldman, manhad
hi
seyesfixedupont
heMadel i
netill
shedi sappeartothelast
endoftheway,

Madel
inestoppedhersel
fforamomentthatgest
urewasreal
l
y
t
err
if
yingf
orher sel
f;f
earl
ethert
obeovercomewi t
hthi
s,t
hat
manwasv eryconfi
dentwit
hhiswor
dscomet othinkof
f.

Shef oundherselfi
nverydiff
icultsi
tuat
ionbyt heactof
possessivenessasthebuggyol dmanst umbledbef or
eher
blondeey es,
atthecontrastoftime,theoldmanhadsome
spli
ntedbehav i
orinhi
scour se,norhegr i
nnedt owardherbut
hesimpl ymadesomer emar kst hathadsomemy st
eri
ouskind
ofsignshidingsomethingvulgari
nthem,trodli
ngbacktothe
way, Madel inel
inedupallthebet
tert
hings,thatshewas
zoomingbackawaywi t
hhislongl
ifel
uggagemar kedwit
hthe
kindofjoltdownheav esandthepackingofsomesor t
edli
sts
tohavet hem all
.

Therewasbangbehi ndher ,
shecl utchesoutofhert hought s
thenshefoundoutshehadbeenwi thherdestinedlocation
droppi
ngt hel
uggageshecamet ot hebi gmanorhouse, t hat
sheeverhadseen,shewasnotsur eifshecouldgeti tornot ,
butsuddenlyswoopingintoherblinkedey esshecaughther sel
f
awayr at
tl
ingdowntheneedsoft apingtowardst hedoorand
knockingthedoorofentrancethatther edmixwi thgrayish
paint
edhousewantf rom her.

Headingtowar dthey el
lowt i
ledpavementwithsomet ri
angular
f
looredcorri
dor ,
leftbehindt heboundswi tht
hest i
ffwal lwit
h
t
hecar vi
ngofbr ickssurr oundingthebighousewel lenough
wit
ht hestr
ongsecur i
tyv aultshemutteredwithherselfonly“I
wast hi
nki
ngt hatI’l
lbet her esi
dentofthecorehav i
ngl eeches
t
ypeofspher e,butt hi
sthi ngsareunbeliev
able,pr
ickli
ngi nt
o
myey es’
’

Thef l
oweredgar denwi t
hbunchesofoakt reealongscar l
etr
ed
cherri
esandofcour set her owedt uli
pwi ththepur plel avender
andbyt hesi deswer ethedaf fodilswithout ingtheiry ell
owish
smileseemedt out teredsomet hingwi t
hherandmi doft hese
fl
orasheldabeaut i
fulgar denswi ngwi thwhi tecoatingal l
over
i
tsironicbodyhav i
ngcar vesofol dBr i
tishtemper aofdesi gning,
suddenoff eart herecameast r
angebi rdlookingsomet hing
l
ikehalfowl andv ultur
e, shewasn’ tsurethatwhati twas, but
whensher eturnedt oringingt hedoorbel l,andnor esponse
hadbeenspl utteredacr oss, waiti
ngf orabouthal fanhourshe
wasgoi ngt otur nbackwi thherluggage, t
hatshehadj ust
l
oadedf rom local t
ranspor tsit
eandagai nshewassupposed
tocarrythem al l,a!Bl ackgr ayi
sh, pull
i
ngl uggaget hanaheav y
ti
nsur f
acet runkwi thsomef eaturedcoupl eofhandl esand
t
henacar
rybag.

Sheout str
etchedherar msofmov i
ngabout ,
thensuddenof
si
lentti
mi ngthehugecar veddoorpai
ntedwi t
hpal ebrownish
darktexturewasopenedbyami ddleagedladyshehadasi ll
y
smileonherf acelookingli
kesomeoft hoseofChi nese
ci
vil
ianswi t
hsomewr i
nkl
esonherface,tel
li
ngt hatshehad
beenoldnow, butatthesamet i
meherf acehadadepi cti
onof
l
oudandv erydumpi ngmakeupsl i
kethewhi t
ishthingmaybe
i
twoul dbeat alcum, notsomuchsureaboutt hatransack!
!!
Butyesi twast her
e.

Lyi
ngal mostther
eonherol d,
Blownof ff aceasli
kethelat
e
winter’
smoon, whosegl
oryofbrightnesshadbeent urnedoff
orlostsomewhereinthedischargedwi nter,
shehadalsoone
dark,bl
ackmol eonherl
eftcheek, t
het wosi deoft
hefaceski
n
hadbeenpai nt
edbylowcutmakeupbr ushinpinki
shcolor
,
knownasbl ushhidi
ngherageingpr ocess.

“
Iam reall
ysorryf
ormyl at
ecoming,butpardonmeyou‘
real
so
l
atet
ot hesupposedtimingofyourarr
ival
,gr
imyhadt
oldme
t
hatyouwoul dbereachi
nghereat4:00pm ,buti
t’
sbeen5pm!!
”Thel adysaidwist
ful
ly
.

Madel
i
negr
ant
edt
hel
adyi
nherl
anguage“
Ni-
hao,
Mrs.Quang”

Theladywasamazedt oseethatMadel
ineknowssome
Chineselanguage“Idi
dn’thaveanyi
deathatyouwil
lknowhow
tograntsomeoneinChi nese,
itsr
eal
lyi
mpr essi
veone,
from
whereyougott oknow”

“
From,myupdati
ngt
echno-t
hei
nter
netwhil
ecomi
ngher
eI
j
ustsur
fedmysel
fal
otthr
oughwi
shingsomeonei
nChi
nese”

“
That
’swel
lenoughf
ory
ou.
”

Madel
i
newasf
rownedandhadat
roubl
edl
ookonherf
ace,
“Yap!!Mrs.Quanghingchi Iwassupposedtol
andher
einNew
Jersey,atsomequarterfourpastbutther
ewassomedelayon
ti
mi ngoffli
ghtandalsoIwassear chi
ngdownfory
ouraddress.
”

“Nevermi
nddel
ayandill
–ti
mingsarealwaysani
ntegr
ated
part
sofone’
sli
fe.
”Ladysai
dinsof
tvoice.

“
Wel
lyout
ooqui
tespeak,
niceEngl
i
sh.
’
’Madel
i
neadded.

Ladywel comedheri nthehouseMr s.Quanghadbeenv er

y
closet oMissGr iansincewhent heywer emat esatholycr
oss
i
nLondon, theyhadbeenhi ghschool chumsandwhenMi ss
griangottoknowaboutpl anofMadel inetocarryonherfurt
her
studiestoNewj erseysher emember edofMr s.Quangwhohad
beenmov edt onewj erseyaftergettingmar r
iedwiththe
veterini
anMr .shenshiandaf t
erlongt imeMi ssgri
anhadher
l
ongt ermlett
ertoMr s.Quangt ell
i
ngheraboutMadel ine‘
s
stayingaspay ingguesti nherhouse.

Mr s.Quanghadnopr obl
em wit
hthatall
ashi shusbandwas
practici
ngoutoftheNewJerseyinAustral
i
asoheal way
s
remai nsout
sideofthecount
ryandbeingaloneinthehouse
woul dbefil
l
edwithcompanioni
ngtoMadel ine.

Madel inewasi nshockwhenshemadeherent er

si nabig
manorhousei tdoesal lrefl
ectsoftheent i
reChi nesecul t
urea
typicalChinesedoorpai ntedintheirauspici
oust radit
ionalcolor
red, wit
himper i
alguardianl i
onknocker,resembl ingnumber8,
signifyi
ngthebelief(st
andsf orgoodluckorgoodf or
tune)in
Chi nesecultur
e,whenshewasmov ingstepsbyst epsshe
cameacr osssymmet r
icalv i
ewofChi nesear chit
ecturewi t
h
whi chshewasunf amili
art hewidewal l
sofr oomsdepi ctedthe
Chi nesescroll
painti
ngs, pastedwithapr i
ncipleunder lyi
ngto
l
ett hepat r
onwandert hr oughtheconnot i
ngsenseofgr andeur
i
tr eall
yhadsomespi ri
tuality
.

Andwhenshemov
edf
urt
hershewassl
ott
edbyt
hef
amous
i
dol ofChinesedragonaboutwhi chshehear dandhadr ead
aboutitsimportanceforanclassi cChinese,alsot hereweret he
Chinesepainti
ngshangi ngscrol
lsandi nkacol oredsi l
kcloth
andofcour setheincenseneart hehugepai ntingofBuddha
compr i
singit
st hr
eesy mbolomi nouslookingpai ntingof
Buddhaandwi derangeofscul ptedv ases, t
hebot anyplants
andofcour sethehy br
idtawnyt reeofcher r
ybl ossom , the
sl
idingdoors,themanual manuscr i
ptwrit
ingandt hemedi tat
ed
i
dols,theChineselit
eratur
ewor ksofwr i
ti
ngandabol dfaced
call
igr
aphy

Sheal sohadpet t
edthegol dfish,andlotsofcat s,aparrotof
coloredmi xedlikethatofr ainbow, ahair
ydogwi thblackspot
oni t
sbody -chi
l
l pee,at ur
tlewi t
hhisslowestphaseandatl ast
asqui rrel
,theChinesel anternspreadal lovertheceil
ingof
houseandal sof l
oraldesigngr antedalloverthebackgr ound
themewi ththecerami candaki ndofsomeChi nesezodiac
signst oo.

Andwhenshewasmov edbyt hebackoft hecour tyardoft he

manorapandawasal sot hereeat i
ngt hebambool eav eswhi ch
wasahy br
idizedpl antnearbyt hatwaskoi pondint heChi nese
garden, atypical oneasi maginedbyMadel ine,encl
osedwi th
walls,rockwor ks,plantat i
onoft reesandf lower sconnect edby
windingpat hsandzi gzaggal l
eriesbymov ingf r
om st r
uctur eto
str
uctur eanar tisti
cv i
ewercanv iewaser i
esofcar efully
composedet ernalbondi ngbet weenmanandnat ure,apar t
fr
om t heout erwor ldref lecti
ngfr om eachandev eryindefinite
smal lthi
ngsunr oll
inglikescr oll
sofl andscapepai ntings.
ThenMadel inei nstantlygotsomet hingremember edi nher
mindaboutt heChi nesedi stri
butionofgar dens,

“I
’
ver eadi
n“booksofst
ruct
ures”
.Aboutthethr
icepart
ingof
gardens-
namingyou,
Pu,andYuan!!I
sthatso!Mrs.Quang?”

Mr
s.Quangseemedt
obeknownofwhatMadel
i
nehadsai
d,
“Yaw!
!Thatoneast heoldtermsusedtobet hereforgentr
y
knownaround,asI’mfoll
owingthethi
rdonet haty
ousai d
befor
e-“
Yuan”whi
chcompr isesofboththeupperone-youand
puthegardenforbir
dsandani mal
sandsecondonef orplant
s
butYuanistheblenderofboth.
”

Madelinewasl eftalmosti naf anacti

ngcondi t
ion.Itwasmor e
thanthesituationandshor t
erthanshewasexpect i
ngmor e
andrightshet ooki nterestquitetotal
kwi thMrs.Quang, with
veryr
esour cefultopic“Chi nesewiththeirconceptualit
y”she
wantedMr s.Quangt ol eadt hewayinsidetheroom, butMrs.
Quangdi dn’tseemedt obei nhurr
y.Asshewasgr eat l
yconcern
aboutherr eli
giouspr actices.

Immedi at
elyafterthequestionofgardensMadelinenowwas
feel
ingamostexecut i
ngv i
olenceaboutthatweir
ddogchi llpee
whichwasnear l
yabouttot oreherj
eansandal l
those
creatur
esroami ngaroundher eandthereinthehouse,leapi
ng
andscreami ng.Everysavageseemedt ot
akeaim atherwi t
h
thei
rgogglingey esandthroughherluggageshewi thsome
couragedar edtoaskedaquest ion

“
You’
vebeenwit
hthem sincemanyy
earsasIguessed
“
Madeli
nesai
dpoint
ingtowardt
hechil
lpeeandother
s.

“Yesit’
sbeenl ongsi
nceIadoptedthem whenevertheyare
expell
edbyt heirmast
er,Iwastheref
orf eedi
ngthem”andwit
h
abrightnessofhumanityref
lect
edont hoseoldeyes,t
ell
i
ng
everyonethatshecaresforthem morethanherli
fe,

Nowt herewerenoquest i
onswhi chwouldendedupwi t
ha
rappeduncertai
ntyandMadel i
nehadt wofeeli
ngsdi
recti
ngher
clear
lythatf
orthefront
al dispersi
onitwasgoodenought o
giveshelt
ertoexpell
edonebutont heot
hersideshewast obe
huntedbyallofthem everydayandhadnot hingtodowiththi
s
specif
icmatterofconcern.
Butforl
astt
imeshewantedtoenqui
redt
hati
ftheyar
egoi
ng
tobebandagedwi
thher
self

“Ar
e,y
oureal
lygoingtotakecar
eofthem al
lbyyour
sel
fonl
y?”
sai
dMadeli
ne,hopinghardl
yMrs.Quangwoulddeny
.

Aswasexpectedbyherthi
sthi
nghadpr i
vatenatur
eofgr av
ity
cont
aini
ngini
t,f
oll
owingbythefai
thf
ulnesstowardthetamed
shecarr
iedadozenofboundedanswerfortheMadeline.

“
Hoy,Madeli
neIhavetoo,ast
heyal l
aremychildr
enandIcan’
t
i
gnor
etheiri
mportancei
nmyl i
fe,Igoannakeepthem saf
eand
wel
lal
lti
meast heymeantalottome. ’
’

Madel i
neatsamet i
meshowedr especttowar
dMr s.Quang,as
shewasshowi nghumani t
ytowar dstheani
malsbutatsame
ti
meshewaswor r
iedaboutherself
,howshewillbeli
vi
ngwith
al
lthesestuf
f,thosecreat
ureslookednottoofri
endl
ywithher
as,whenshecamei n,t
hat
Hair
ydogwasbi t
ingoffherjeansthenMrs.Quangshooedthe
dogwithname‘ chil
lpee’
.

Ast heycamei n,towar dthecellarst epstheybot h,i

twas
decidedbyMadel i
net oshutt hef anciedthought saboutthe
creaturesespeci all
yaboutt hewei rdo-chil
lpeewhi chwasst il
l
therestarli
ngwi tht heangertowar dherasi fitwasgoi ngto
haveheri nitslunch, -Never,mind! !Shesoonr emovest he
thoughtawayf rom her ,andthenwasf ol
lowedbyMr s.Quang
toherownr oom assi gnedbyMr s.Quang, butseeingitclosed,
neit
hersai dawor dt oMr s.Quangabouti tatt heti
me.Asshe
knowst hatnoonel iv
esi nthi
sbi ghouseexceptMr s.Quang
shewai tedf orMr s.Quangt oopent heroom forherandwi t
h
thatmuchofi ntroduct i
on,shewentt hr
ought heroom whi ch
alr
eadywaspr eparedf orMadel i
nebyMr s.Quangshehad
preparedi tbyherownhand.
“
Isupposei
t’saccordi
ngtoyourchoice,
wellIhadt
riedmybest
t
omakei tl
ookasy ouli
ke!
!”Sai
dMr s.Quangresol
vi
nghersel
f
wi
thsomenodded.

“Bett
er!!Thantobeimaginedmorel
ikel
ytobeapar
tof
paradise,asli
kemyprevi
ousoneeven,bet
tert
hani
t”Madel
i
ne
assuredMr s.Quangwit
hherworks,

shewassur prisedt oseet hatt heladyhadmanagedal lher

l
ikesi nsodef tl
ymannert hatshecan’ traisedoutanysi ngl ebit
ofmi stakesorbr isk,ther oom hadt wobyt wodi mensi onsof
bedwi tht hesof testtar l
atancushi onsandbungeemat tresses
spr eadwi ththev elvetbr ownqui ltev ershehadseen, t
hose
hangi ngwi ndowt uningsandt hepi nkycur tainswi t
hblackbl ue
spot teddot sallov eritssur face, Especi al
lytheFr enchcoat ed
Elmi rawasgi vi
nggoodl ookt ot hatofr i
ghtcor nerstherewas
alsot hev asecont ai
ningdaf fodils,thenherl egswer edripped
upont hecar petjustbel owt hebedal sot herewast hewi ndow
boundedwi delybyt hest onecar v i
ngsgi vingi ttheshapeof
mi niaturear chway ,t
hedeskwi thmuf f
ledpi eceofEngl ishnew
tabl eclot hinsomey el
lowi shgr eycol or, project edincur ious
manner , shet urnedherheadal loverwher everi tcangot ohav e
af init
el ookofhernewr oom pai ntedi ncr eamy -Scotti
shpai nt
withsomewal l
paperdepi ctingl i
ttl
ehear t
si nr eddishfai nt
mi xture, alsoawi ndow7l apt opv ersioncomput erwi t
ht wo
set sofspeakerwast hereont hescaf folddesk.

“I
ssomethi
ngleftt
obedécor
?ButIwasthi
nki
ng,Ihadmadei
t”
shesai
dinavoicewhi
chwasdemandingnodeni
al.

“Onething,
onei
mpor
tantt
hingi
smi
ssi
ngi
nthi
sst
atel
i
ness
depi
ction”

“Andwhatisthat
,beingaChineseladyIhadn’
tanyideathat
youEngl
ishmenhav etodoupon” .
Plungi
ngherluggageandputtingitdowntofl
oorshemadei t
openandbringoutthephot
of rameofherandMi ssGri
anand
thenputt
ingi
tneart
het
abl
elamp,
andshookherheadi
nthe
confor
mity.

“
I’
mreal
l
ysor
ryexceptt
hisoneIhadnear
lymadeal
lfory
ou?
”

“
That’
snoty
ourf
aul
taswebot har
emeeti
ngatfi
rstt
imeand
t
il
lbef
orewebot
hwerest
rangerst
oeachofus”

“Okaythen!Havebaths,you’
llbef
eeli
ng’
wel
lof
ffrom y
our
t
ravel
i
ngt i
redness.
’
’Mr s.Quangoff
eredt
oMadel
ine.

“Thanks,
Mrs.QuangIal
sowasthi
nki
ngl
i
ket
hat
,wi
l
lyou
pleasemakemywayt obat
hroom.
’
’

“
Nev
ermi
nd,
thi
swayl
eftf
rom r
ight
.’
’

Madel inewentf orhavingabat h,alsot oreducedhert i

redness
i
twasnecessar y ,
wipingherhandsonherj eans, aft
ersome
ti
messhecameoutbutshehadn’ tbringhernightdr ess, then
shecamet or emembert hatwhi l
epacki ngtheothercl othes,
shef orgottotakeherNi ghtdr ess f rom Ramsey ’sl
aundr y ,she
hadt of i
xthi
st r
oublesomehowasshewast ol
dbyMi ss.Gr ian
thatMr s.Quangwasv er
ypar ti
cularaboutt hedinnert i
mi ngand
alway sstart
edherdi nnerat9: 30pm andnowonl y10mi nut es
arelefttobebangon, whi leshewast hi
nkingofal lthese
diff
iculti
es,ahandgent l
yt ouchedhershoul der,
ext r
act i
ngher
apartfrom herthought s, andwhenshet ur
nedbacki twasMr s.
Quang! !
!

“
Whathappened,
Madeli
neyoul
ookquit
edepr
essed,
isev
ery
t
hingokay
,doyouhav
ingsomeprobl
ems.’
’

“Act
uall
y,Mr
s.QuangIhadforgott
enmyni
ghtdr
essandhadn’
t
any,
that’
swhyIwasintr
ouble.’
’

“
Don’
tbewor
ryoft
hat
,Ihav
esomet
hingf
ory
ou,
comewi
th
me.
’’
Madel inenot icedthatMrs.Quangwasgoi ngtof ound
somet hingv er yoldoutofElmir
awhi chhadt hatoddki ndof
sli
dingopeni ngsbutthisroom wasqui t
edi f
ferentf rom the
otheronel i
ket hatmainhallhavingl ot
sofundef inedthingsas
shewasn’ tsomuchf amili
arwitht heChinesecul ture,andwhen
shesawt hisr oom whichcontainsl otsofmemor iesglit
teri
ngin
thelightoft ubeaccumul atedthrought hatChinesel anternsof
hexagonal type,thephotoscover i
ngal argerpar tofmai nwall
it
alsocont ainsherhi ghschoolphot osandi fshewasn’ twr ong
thatspect acledgi r
lwit
hMr s.QuangwasherGr et a!
!

“
Mrs.Quangi
fI’
m notdi
stur
bingy
ou,
canIaskonequest
ion?
”

“Youhadalreadyaskedone?”sai
dMr s.Quangandwassti
l
l
doinghersearchi
ngjobovertheheav
ymat tr
essesi
nwhich
cavit
iesherheadwastrapped,

“IsthatoneGr et
awear i
nglargespect aclesov erhernose? ”
“Yes, thegirl i
nthephotoisy ourGr etathispho….towast aken
att het i
meofChr ist
maswhenwewer earound12, andnextt o
i
ti sthephot owhenwegotpr omot edt ograde11t henwewer e
thet eengir l
sshehadbeenal way squi etandobedi entand
l
ikewi seIt oobutwebot hwer ebulliedalway sbygr oupof
mi schievousboy sthe“l
eakypi r
ates”t heyalwaysmakey our
Gr etakneel eddownont hetarnisheddayl ightandmademe
hopl ikeaf rogdoes.I twasreall
yembar r
assingletforgetiti
t’
s
allnowt het al
kofpast

Madel i
nenowmov edtonextonehewasMr .Shenshi husband
ofMr s.Quangherey esdazzl
edf orawhil
eitseemedt oher
thatthemanwi t
hnomust achelookingprof
essional had
squaref ramespect acl
esonhi seyesasthegener al
pract
iti
oner sputonandav er
ageheightof5’7’
’andar ational
composedman, sl
enderneckwi thfl
axenhairandaki ndof
sympat heti
csensibili
tywaslyingonhisface,holdingoneofhi s
arm ont heshoulderofMr s.Quang,withaplaingrinonhi sface
hewasther
easortofst
rangeat
ti
tudet
ober
eser
vedupont
he
phot
ofr
amei t
sel
f,

“Igoti
tfi
nal
l
y,ahar
dnutt
ocr
ack”t
hev
oicepul
l
edherup
suddenl
y.

Aftersomet i
meMr s.Quangpul l
i
ngherdoubleamountt hi
n
neckf r
om t hebundl esofcl othescameoutwi t
hal ongsleeve
dresswi t
ht heredf astenings, anarrowcuffedknee-length
tunicti
edwi thsash, andnar rowankl elengt
hskirt,
andsor tof
shortjacketat y
pical l
ytraditi
onalonewhatcoul dbeMadel ine
thi
nkingof ?Isshegoannat oweart hese?Itmustbeat r
icky
j
okepl ayedbyMr s.Quangt oj usthavesomef unwi t
ha
stranger.

“
Arey
ouexpect
ingme,
toweart
hist
hing,
Mrs.Quang?
”

“Hoy,Madeli
net hesewasmyt een’
sChi nesehanfu,our
symboli
ctradit
ionaldresswecal l
edit.Look!Atthesegreen
col
ormygoodchoi ceofi mperi
ali
sm rebooti
ngmychi l
dhood
memor i
esit’
ssoal lunreasonableandmyl if
ti
ngmodest ybears
wit
hit,mydr eam dresst hatIhadbroughtoncei nTaiwan’s
fai
rofSumbadi splay,butIhadn’ttr
yitaonceandnowi t
wouldn’
tbefitt
edonme, sol
etitbeputtedony ou!!”

Madel ineseemsnott oagr eewi ththi

sdesi reofMr s.Quang, as
accordi ngtoheragoodchoi ce’sofor dermeanshal tedst r
etch
offullhandofdazedt odr oveon, ast hiswassopecul i
arto
herselfandherdr essingphenomenat hatshecoul dn’ timagine
beingi nat ypi
calchinodress, i
twasappear inglikenon-
signif
icantt oher
,onecan’ tassor tedindubitabl
yi nansuch
i
neptout fit
s,t
her
ewer etwor easonsf ornottowear ingt he
dressf irst,
sheherselfwascondemnedaboutswear i
ngt he
dress, andsecondoneshej ustwant ednott olookl ikeacl own
orsomet hi
ngbuf
f oontypeast heChi nesecultureandi ts
dressingsensewasoutofherownunder st
andingand
thereforeshewant edherselft okeptapar tf
rom all these
“
But
,Mr
s.Quanghowcoul
dI?Weari
t,hadn’
ttr
yitbef
ore!
!”

Mrs.Quangwassti
llhel
dthedr essi
nherhand,”Don’
tbeworry
ofthather
eI‘m wi
thyouletitbemytensi
onjustforoneti
meI
wantitt
obewearbyy ou,andbeli
evemeitwouldlookniceon
you,Asyouyour
sel
faresopr et
ty.
”

Mrs.Quangwasnoti
nor dert
obebackof
fandatl
astMadel
i
ne
noddedherheadi
nagreedmanner
.

“Ineverknow?Howi mport
anti
tistoyoubutyes,
itspri
orit
yis
beyondmymi nd”Madel
inesai
d,r
isi
ngsharpl
youtfrom her
ownconf usi
on.

“Ev
erthanIrecognizedmy sel
finthis,l
ongi
ngsincef
rom
shi
fti
ngbacktoy ears,l
ook,her
ehav esomet
hingtot
ell
you”
Mrs.Quangmadear emar
kablething.

“Herei
tconsi
stsoft
hreeunderbeneat
hdr
esses-
lookatt
his
one!
I
ts,a-i
tconsi
stofYi
-ithasl
ooselapel
onsi
des.

2.Chang-“
anarr
owankl
elengthski
rt’
’
3.Bi
xi-“
alengt
hoff
abri
cwor noverchang”
.

Mr s.Quangaf terendi ngwi t

haki ndofl ongdescr i
pti
onoft he
dressesandgi v i
ngmaj orcomponent i
al det
ai l
sofdr essfinal
ly
madeMadel inetodr essedherup, ofhersur pri
seMadel i
newas
l
ooki ngfinestev ert hanshewas, reall
yanenchant edone, more
l
ikert hebeaut yoni tsext r
eme, isshewi llbequenchedaf t
er
seeingher selfinthatone, dressorsayt hel ongpi eceof
coloredfabr i
cwhi chhadbeenwr appedal lov erthebodyofher ,
asshewasexpect ingt hetrueemot iondef l
ect edonMr s.
Quang, t
hatwast hesameast heGr eta,inbloom shi r
eusedt o
dowi th,butt hi
st i
mei thadgoti tssummi t,
thehi ghestpeak
everbeent here,
“You, r
eallydoesr ef l
ect,thepar twhichIwassur etogetas,
“saidMr s.Quang.Wi thevenmor ehopesbul gi
ngov erherenti
re
face,shewasi ngest uredposi t
ionnottowi nkbuttobehol low
upon, ascanbeseent hemi l
destinfl
uenceshecanl eave
throught heMadel ine,andt henshewashor dedbyt hebigand
giantsizemi rrorfixedont hecor ner
,ref
lecti
ngallthequali
ties
eternalandi nternal whatev eranv i
ewerseeksinsideandal so
outsideofhi smi ndandsoul ,pr
essedont hecrowdandf il
ed
withanempt i
nessofcar nat i
ons.

Unti
lMadelinewasn’ treal
lysur ethatshewoul dbelooking
damnedpr ettyorli
keapr incessandwhat eversymbolst hatare
metaphorizedf orraisingone’sappear ancet oi
tsoutmostway ,
butasightaheadwhi chshecancastov erthedressingst yl
e
hadtookheral i
tt
lebi tsei
zingwor k,
butwi t
hcourageshel i
ft
ed
herdressandmakeherwaywi t
hhersl owestpacet owar dthe
mirr
or,andthenl ookedbehi ndasshehadcr ossed6st eps
fr
om theinit
ialone, shehadcl osedherey esbutwhenshe
openedthem, thegiantpi eceofgl assr efl
ectsalltheimage
backtoher,andshewast urnedbyMr s.Quangt owar dtheone,
shetuckedwi thgawkedmanner .

“An,archedoner
eall
y,can!Il
ookl
iket
hist
ypealso,
disagr
ee
withmyownbel i
eve,Mrs.Quang!
”sai
dMadeli
nepull
ingher
hairbacktoherf
ace.

“What
?Say ,
Ial
readywasawareoft hi
s,aren’
tyoulookqui
te
cut
ethanthatyouareatpr
esent
,thesethingsIusedtoseeby
me,buthadn’
tgrownthatf
eel
ingsince….”Mrs.Quangchoral
l
y
sai
d.

“
Oh!Butwi
thabigyestoget
her,abl
endoft
het
wo!
!”Madel
i
ne
wi
thsomebal
ancedtonesaid.

“Wel
lthen!Agoodt
erm al
way
shadaf
ruct
osecompani
on”Mr
s.
Quangsaid.
“What?Meansyou‘r
esupposedt
osay
”Madel
i
nenowcameup
endi
ngwiththequesti
on.

“Let’
shavethesuppert hathadbeenalreadywaiti
ngf ort
o
makei t
swayt hroughyourempt ybell
y;hungeral
way stookthe
angertoturnitred.
”Mrs.Quangwr appedthetrai
nofwor dsso
readi
ly.
“That’
sreal
lyisthedemandoft histimeandconditionsare
real
lyappli
cablenow.”
Madel i
necriedindesperat
emanner .

Thenbothoft
heyfloat
edawayf rom t
heroom t
owardthe
di
nnertabl
eas,waspredi
ctablel
engthofshor
ttypebut
di
mensionsweresomethi
ngr oundoffwit
hjer
kaway .

Madel inef eltagreatblowofexcitementwhatt y peoff oods

doest hel adywoul dbeser vi
ng?Isthesamel i
keChi neseone?
Aret here’sachangei nthemenu?Shedi dn’tknowwhatshe
willbeget tingbutitwi l
lbethegoodenought hanwhatshehad
getlivingbehi ndthebar s.
Tablewaspi l
edupwi thallt
heChinesef l
av orr i
singwi t
ht hei
r
i
ncenset elli
ngMadel i
nethathowhungr yshewasatt he
moment ,af terl
ivi
nginbarshehadf or
got t
enev ent hespelli
ng
oftast eanddoesn’ tknowwher etostartfrom, therewer e
soups, f
ishesandt henshehadn’ tanydescr ipti
onaboutr estof
theot hers.

Barsgiveherthecereal
sbutnotthet ast
e,nordi
dithav ea
senseofani nt
ensefoodeaterwhichshewasatf if
teenMi ss.
Grianhadmadeherf oodie,
andshewasf edupwithev ery
healthyandnon-healt
hymealswi t
hofhighstandardsand
somet i
meswi t
hlowonet oo.Butinthebarsshehadt oeatand
digestthesi
ckbedstufft
hatwasser ved,wai
tnotservedbut
wast hrownoverherandsomet i
messhehadt osl
eepwi than
empt ystomach,wi
thlotsofgri
eveandai r
il
ywithearl
yeat i
ng’
s.
“Nev erKnow! !Whichwoul dy oulike?.Butmadeal lt
hatIknow! !
”
Mr s.Quangmumbl edwhi leser vi
ngagol denedgepl atetoward
Madel ine,andt henMadel inewast oldbyMr s.Quangshehad
madeChi nesecabbagesal adwi t
hscal li
onsandr oasted
peanut s,t
hathadbeenkeptj ustbef oret heMadelinewhi ch
Madel inewasbel i
evingt obeaneggl eafedmeal butitwasn’t
thenshewast oldthatneart oittherewaskeptt hehomemade
tomat obeefst ir-f
ry,pickledmust ardgr eens,shanghai chi
cken
wings, sweetandsourshr imps, st i
rfri
edbeanspr out swith
Chinesechi ves, atablefull Chinesebar becuedspar eribs,
smashedcucumberwi thgi nger,braised“ l
i
onshead”meat ball
s
withNapacabbage.

“Can’
twai
t,t
hesevar
iedfoodshadv ar
iet
yoffl
avort
hough
chi
ll
i
ngupmyst ar
vat
ionwithhotboost,
”Madel
inesai
dinruf
f
voi
ce.

“Buthav et owait!Til
l mycut ie-
kinkschillpeeandmyl ov eliest
botchyqi gongcame, alsot heturtl
e,xiou
-ningandmygol dfish
nint
i!Andz hubazi
g,mycats anzan
g,andt hi
rdones u n-
mee,andt he
fort
honeb eih
a i
hadt ocome…asweal latetoget herev ery
night!!
”Mrs.Quangsl attedherpeti ntothev ariousname, but
Madel i
newasi ndi st
ortional lt
het i
medexpr essi ongot
vanishedsomewher ewhenshehear dt hatthechi l
l–peet he
hairydogandqi gongt hatt abbycatalongwi tht heturtlewas
comi ngtoj oinher,nowshewi l
lnotbei nt hest ateofeat i
ngor
swirli
ngupany thingaroundherneckal lwillbedi sgui
sedandi n
amessymanner ,
Wat chingMr s.Quangr owingt heplatedinor dershef elttoask
thequest ion,againinst if
fedmanner .

“Sorry!Tointer
ruptyoubutthey‘r
ereall
ycomingwi
thusto
hav edinner,
butwhet herwi
l
l becreat
ingamessorthey
‘vebeen
givent r
aini
ngforthese”Madelinewasinquickoft
imetobe
pickinto.

“
Near
ly,
they
’re!
!Nodoubtf
ort
hatone”Mr
s.Quangl
ooked
ext
remelymiff
ed,asi
ftheMadel
i
newasgr
oundi
ngsomany
quest
ionforher
.

Afterami nuteofwai t
ingt hewhol ecr eatureinparadedmanner
camet oddlingbackt ooneanot hercameont heleadwast he
stuffchi
ll
peewi t
hthef ondledbehav iorasi tseemst hatit
himself,
alldaywassear chingf orherselfonlytohav eabi t
eof
herlegsagai n,Buti
tlooksl ikeithadaf ever,
itwasn’tlooking
goodei t
heri twassick
“Whathappenedt omychi ll
pee, i
tsforeheadi swarmt h,tel
lme
sanzang?”Mr s.Quangt urnedt osanz ang, whotoldheri nsome
codeway , t
hatchill
peehadf eversincei tbit
eof fMadeline’
sleg.

“Whatcoul dbedone, now? ”Mr s.Quangaskedi nr eal

lywor ried
manner .
Againsanzangbr oughtabot t
leofhomemadepot ions,and
handedov erittoMr s.Quang,
“Shall
Imadei tdr
ink,thispoti
on? ”Mr s.QuangaskedSanzang,
whoi nreturnnoddedi tshead.
“Okay,thenI’l
lbemadei tdr
ink”Mr s.Quang,gavethepot i
ons
tochil
lpeewhoaf terfiveminut esagai nbacktoitsoriginalform,
themor eenergeti
candf uri
oust oMadel i
ne.
“Thanks,sanzang, y
oudi dsav ei t
.”Mr s.Quangwast hrowing
herlovetosanzang, andMadel inef orsecondwashel df or
shockbutt hensher eestabli
shedhersel f.

Andt henwast hequeuef oll

owedupbyt hecatqi gonganear l
y
neckl esscatwasv eryfattil
lhermeatwasofdozen, andthen
wast het ur
tl
einthev er
yst eadypaceitwasseemi ngt hati
ts
walkingwi l
lendupt omor ningandthisdinnerwouldbe
conver t
edintoabreakfastort hesecondconditi
onwoul dbe
thatshewi l
lbesleepyfort hewholenightwithouthavingthe
supper ,

Thenabouthal
fanhourt
hewholecamet othetabl
ebentinthe
fol
dedmannerandbowedtowar
dMr s.Quang,nowthetabby
cattheqi
gongwasaboutt
oserv
ethedinneritseemsthatshe
hadbeenwel ldr
il
ledfort
hispurposehowquicklyshehadpil
i
ng
upthefoodsaccor di
ngtothechoiceofthepersonandwas
donewithitnowthedogchi l
lpeeservedherthecon
gbaor
hous
hee
.
Thetypi
calChineseone

“What’
sthat
?Mrs.Quang”Madelinewassmashi
ngthedish
wit
hspoonandwhilesmashingthegrav
yfl
ungoffhert
able
andfel
tdownonherrightshoul
der,

“I
t’
sasimpl
eChi
neseversi
onofthefoodyouAmer
icans
cookedt
hati
sst
ir
-fr
iedporkwi
thleeks”

seei ngMadel inesat i

sfiedwi thherexpl anat ionMr s.Quang
tookasi ghofr eliefandt hencomi ngbackt opoi nttheyal lwer e
givent hei nstruct i
onoff i
rsttoclapf orthr eet i
mesi nai r
,wi th
closedey esandheadl eanedt hroughf orwar ddirection
i
ndi catinghowt hankf ultheyar etowar dt hegodt hathadgi v en
them l i
fet hathadmadet hem t osur vi
vei nt heext remet o
deadl ycondi ti
onsofl i
feandhadf i
ll
edt hem v i
sionar yv i
ewof
theirupcomi ngf utureallthethankf ulfort hemeal st hatthey
hav et othem f oreat i
ng, Madelinehadnev ergonesol ongf or
thedi nnert ablebutt hiswasagoodcul turet obei ncul catein
someone’ sdai lypr acti
cekeepsomet i
mef orgodal so,then
shewast oldbyMr s.Quangt hattheChi nesef ollow, notall but
sheher selfplacedandol dChi nesecust om ofeat i
ngwi tha
tuli
pwhenshewasgoi ngt orotatethet ulipt heyhav etost art
thedi nnerandhadt of i
nishedi tbythet imewhent het uli
pends
rotating,againt hiswasananot herheadachef ortheMadel ine
tobebel ieveuponi sreallythesecer tai
ndi f
ficulti
est hatshe
wasgoi ngt obef acedev erydaywhi leli
v i
ngi nthesemanor ,f i
rst
thosewei rdani mal st henal soshewasr eadyt ocompr omi se
butt heser ulewasr eall
youtofherowni deahowonecan
mai ntainhi msel ft odwel lhereintheset ypeofmanneri twasof
nousebutt henal sopeopl earereadyt of ol
lowt heone.

“
Areyoureal
l
yseri
ousaboutt
hese,
butIt
hinkitwi
ll
notbe
managedsoqui
ckintooshor
tti
me,howcouldonegetcov
ered
himselfwiththeshor tper i
odofeat i
ng?I treall
yamazedme! !
”
Madelinesaidi ndiscretemanner ,
“Butnecessitymakesi thappenwheny ouareindailypr
actice,
andforsomedi scipli
nei nli
feit’
sreall
ymat t
eralot!!
”Mrs.
Quangst oodf orfi
rmlyaccept i
ngther ulewithoutanychange
andindir
ectlygav eanor deroffol
lowbyt hesideofMadeline
too.Madelinehadn’ tl
ef tforthechoice.

AsMadel inehel pedher selftor i

seupont hehungert herul e
shiftedtowar dtheeat i
ngpar anoia, Mrs.Quangwasaboutt o
startther oundi ngt opandev erybodyt here,t
hechi l
lpee, qi gong,
thet urt
lexiou- ningandt hegol dfi
shwer einpositi
ont obeget
startedwi th.ev erybodyt hereknowswhathadt ofollowand
how, whent ogetupandwhent oeatandswal lowthet hings
exceptMadel i
newhowasi nconf essi
ngmanner .
wat chingt hem al llinedupf ort heirdailyni
ghtdeednowshe
wasi npulli
ngbackcondi t
ionl ooki ngatt hechil
lpeesi t
tingnext
toheri nitsf oldedl egsupont hecr ouchedcushi onand
Madel i
neher selfwasupont hef oldedl egsupont hecushi on
thepai nwasunbear ableandi tcanbeseenf r
om hersweat ing
face, al
lthemake- upswer esupposedt obebl ownof ffrom t he
faceal ongt hesweatandnowshewasunpl easedwi ththe
eatingar rangement st hatMr s.Quanghadbeenbui ltfort he
whol ehouseandt heirresident s.Thet opwasaboutt orot ate
paintedi nthedar kwhi teandsomemi xtureofgrayishcol or ,

“
Her
e,wego!
!”sai
dMr
s.Quangr
otat
ingt
het
opov
ert
het
abl
e.

Thist opwast heunusual kindofthi ngsi sitreallywor king

uponher ?Wast hebigquest ionturninghermi ndi nspiral f
orm
andt henshenot icedt hatshehersel fwasnott herewhowas
gaspingati tbuttherewer eot her
st ool ookingatt hetopwhi ch
wasgoi ngt ober otate,andthensheal sobegant ostar eatt he
topandnowt herewasal l
sil
encespr eadi ngaroundi nt hehal l
,
foraf ewsecondst hent hetopbegi nst or otates,andev erybody
thereattackedont hef oodl i
keani ntruderdoest heywer eso
fastthant hatthespeedofl i
ghtcanal sobeunderdet ermi ned
stateandsheher selfhadn’ tfi
ll
edupwi thasi ngl
emorsel,even
theslowpacet urtl
ewasmor efast
erthanherandt hetopwas
sti
llrot
atingwithi t
sf ullvergeandatsamet imewas
decreasingtoo, andt henaf tert
hef ewmi nutessomething
fi
fteenorsev enteenmi nutesitstoppedtor otati
ngandalong
withitsrotat
ional lt
her esidenthadcompl etedmeals,
onlyshe
wasl eft
.

“Here!Wear efi
nished,oh!Sor r
yfory ouMadel inehadn’ thad
themeal forhersel
f;I’
l
ladv i
ceyout owor konyourspeed! !Unt
il
i
twi l
l createabigshotprobl em wit
hy ourev ery
dayi ncompl et
e
meal ”Mr s.Quangwaschecki ngupt heempt i
nessont he
Madel ineface,herplatewassnat chedbyt hecatqigongandi t
thenf adedwi t
ht heremainsoff oodont heplate,t
het ablewas
cleanedbychi llpeeandqi gongwashel pedbyt heturtle.

Madel inesmiledweaklybutf rom i ntri

nsicsideshewasv er
y
hungr yasifshewoul deather selfonl ywhat ’
sthef aker uleit
wasbei ngsetupbyMr s.Quang, i
nadequat eeatingint heev er
fastestwaymor ethant hatofbul l
etsr unni
ngi ntheelect ronic
rai
ls,shewasf eeli
ngwobbl edatt het i
meandwassupposedt o
bebedi nnextstepwi t
hanempt yst omachshet henthought
thatthebar swer ethebet t
erplacet hant hi
sast heydon’ tmade
toseet hevar
ietybutgav ether ealit
y, onchargeofbei ng
remov edplateshewaswr est
li
ngwi thherownt houghti tselfi
n
themi ndandt henshewasaboutt ol eft,
suddenl yavoi cef l
ew
i
ntoherear sfrom thesideofMr s.Quang.

“Wait
!Amoment,onethi
ngislef
t”Mrs.Quangsai
dtoMadel
i
ne
asifshewasr
etr
ievi
ngherbacktoherseatforat
imeof
emotions.

“What
’sleft
,anyotherr
it
ual
stobeper
for
med!!
?”Madeli
ne
enqui
redifMrs.Quangwasagai
ntel
li
ngtodothenextpecul
i
ar
thi
ng.

“
Nott
hatoneal
lri
tual
sandr
uleshadbeendone,
buthav
e
somet
hingf
ory
ou”

“What’s now?Andifther
e’sanysamewhack,wesupposeto
eatthatdesser
tinsamemanner ,
simi
l
artodinnerbyr
otat
inga
top?
”

“Not,
tobeworryrelax,i
t’
snotofthattype”
“TheChi
nesedesser t
,youcanhaveitfortoday’sni
ght”Mrs.
Quangsaid,
asifshewasgr owingagaint hedream ofeati
ng
somethi
nginform ofdoublel
ayerChocó-chipsorbut t
erscot
ch
orabigsundaewhatwassupposedt obeeat enbyherself
.

“
What
’sinthedesser
t,abl
ueber
rypi
eoranyAmer
icanocol
d
j
amsdoughnut?
”

“Nothi
ng,Li
kethatasIsai
dtheChineseone,andofcour
sei
ts’
anice-
cream,wecall
editgi
ngerf
lavorice-cr
eam.”

“What!Agingerfl
avoredicecream,everIhadhear
d!!”Madel
i
ne
said.I
twashardtobel i
evethatther
eexist
ssomethingli
kea
gingerfl
avori
ce-cream too.

Reallyi
tdoesev eryt
hingi spossi
bleinthiswor l
daccordi
ngto
greatnapoleonBonapar te.Madelinequickl
ylookeddownas
Mr s.Quangsilent
lyplacedabi ggreeni
shbowl ofi
ce-cream i
n
fr
ontofheront hetableandgi v
edirecti
ontot heqigongto
serveitforthewholecr eatur
esandheri ce-
cream doesn’t
soundt oobadbutwasgoodenought obeeat enandsleepin
night.

Chapt
er-
3
 Thej
obseeker
Per hapsMadel i
nehadn’ tmuchsupper ,butt hedel i
ght edone,
shedagger edher sel ftoupst airswhi chf rom l eftoft hedi ning
hall l
eadsitwayMadel ineseemst obesl eepyandt i
redf or
today ’
sjourneyandt hent hosej ugularcr eatur esstar li
ngather
madeherf rightenedabi t, butshewast oosl eepyatt hatt ime
thatshef orgott hewei rdr itualsandcust omst hatshehad
foll
owednordi dshenot icedt hatherr oom hadl eftbehi ndand
shehadbeenmov edf iveext rastepsf orwar d, unawar eoft his
shewaswonder inghowf arshehadt odaggerher sel ftof elton
bedandwi thagoodsnor ejusttor ollher sel
ft hrought hebed
andt henshef eltthehandofMr s.Quangonherl eftar m, her
eyeswer eloadedwi thsl eepi nesst hatev ent heywer ehal f
closedbutwer et ightf oropeni ngt hem wi de,
“Whatar ey ousupposedt obedoi ngher e, i
t’
sast oredr oom”
Mr s.Quangwasmut teringsomewor dst hatMadel inewasnot
i
nor dert
ounder st andasshewasbehav i
ngasadr unkar dwho
wassur r
ender edbyhi sownhangov erofl ocal bears, herhead
wer eswingingr oundherneckandshewasaboutt of all,but
Mr s.Quanghol dherandsav eherf rom f al l
i
ng.

“Oh!Mrs.Quang,whathappen?Ar ewesupposedt ohavesome

moreritual
s,pl
easeforgi
vemebutIwantt osleepnow, canyou
tel
lmewher emybedr oom was?”Madeli
nesaidinsleepy
manner, f
art
hermosttheconsequencesofdarknightoutsi
de
thewindowswer ecasti
ngthesleepi
ngspell
suponMadel i
ne,
it
seemedl i
kethatonl
y,

“I
’
m her
etocheckwherewer
eyougoi
ngasyouhavel
eft
behi
ndyourbedr
oom,comewit
hme–heret
hissi
de”

Madelinewasgui
dedbyMr s.Quangtoherroom af
ter
changi
ngint
oinf
ormalsheflunguponthebedandreadil
ygota
sl
eeponhernewbed,aftersometi
mesofsleepi
ngshef el
t
deeperanddeeperint hedeepnessofthenight’shal
tasudden
onenotpredict
able,shescr ambl
edherselfi
ntothespir
alzer
o
whoseendpoi ntdoesn’tseemst oli
ethere,
shesawMr s.
Vistast
ell
inghershewasnotherki l
l
er,norshehadanymal i
ce
throbbi
ngdownherhear t
,therewasanotherfacebefor
eher
deathhalf
-hi
ddenandhal funcoveredwith.

suddenlyMr s.Vistaschangedt othet wounf amili

arf i
gur es
withcoveredf aceopeni ngar msf orher, butshedonotknow
them asitwasal lbl
ackandpal eandt hensal l
owonei n
backgroundsheher selfwasr acingacr osst heblackgr een
woodsandt heret hehollowt r
eeswer eaboutt ograspheri n
thei
rwoodencl utchsay i
ngt hatshewoul dbet r
ansfigur edonce
i
ntoswi ne,andi twast heext r
emet rutht obeaccept edbyher ,
atanycostshewasal l
deniedt hefactt hatshewoul ddoesn’ t
butthenMi ss.Gr i
ant oostartedsuppor tingt hosehol l
ows,
tel
li
nghert hatsheal sowi l
ldepar tfr
om hert henshef allsi
nto
thedeeperwel lsofbl ood,sorti
ngwi thamar kofexiledi nher
l
efthandandMadel inewoke, tremblingi ntodeepbur stoff ear
butagaingotasl eep.

Andwhennexttimeshewokei twasheardbyhert hechirping

ofti
nybir
dsnearherwindowbutasthegl asseswereclosed
shegaveher
selfajerkandpull
edher
selfoutofthebedand
madeherwaytowar dthewindowtogetitopensot hatbirds
wouldcomeneartoherbutwhensheopent hem,thebirdsf l
ew
away,

“Thecozy -one,alwaysflewawayf rom me,asifIwasgoingto

kil
lthem”Madel inemadet heremar kandholdherheadwi t
h
herhandseei ngthatthey ell
owsunhadappear edforlongti
me
sparkli
ngitssunr aysalloverthehousesandt hesurroundi
ng
givi
ngbr i
ghtnessandsi gnofgooddeedst obehappenpeopl e
weret her
eout si
det heroadasherwi ndowopensi nt
hemi d–
dir
ectionbetweennor thandsout hsoshewasabl etoseethe
crowdofpeopl e,split
ti
ngintor andom dir
ecti
onwithabusy
schedule,mov i
ngher eandt here,
Somewer ewhisper ingot her swereli
keMadel inehangingout
oft heirwindowst oseet hesur roundi
ngs,andt hentherethe
twogi rlsmov edoutofhersi ghtwearingthefrocktopl i
ke
dressi ndar kvelvetandot herhadputonherj eans, thi
ngshad
beenpl acedaccor dingt ot heirrummagedbutshewast r
yingto
remember i
ngthedr eamst hatshehadoneatl astnight,but
didn’tgoti nt
oal itt
lebi toft remendousst r
ugglingwaspushi ng
herv einsofmi ndsbutt henMr s.Quang’sdownv oicecame
straightf l
oati
ngi ntot hemi dai rbetweenherandt hatoft he
stairsmov i
ngtowar ddownway ,sobetweenthe40or
somet hing42st epsofst aircasesweepi ngtowardt hemai nhal
l
oft hemanorst oodshe,

Mrs.Quangrespondi
ngtohervoi
ceshedrov
ehersel
faway
f
rom thewi
ndowandcamet otherai
l
ingsofthest
air
s,l
ooki
ng
t
hroughMrs.Quangshesai
d,

“
Yes!Mr
s.Quangdi
dyoucal
lme?
”

“Ihav
etogoformycent
reofyogaandmedi
tat
ionandit
s’
alr
eadyni
ne,
will
youbestay
ingher
eonl
yti
ll
Icome? ”

“Of,coursewhynot?AndIalsohadn’tgotmyper mi
ssionlet
ter
fortheHudsoncountyuniversi
ty”Madel
inespokebarelyi
na
whisper.
“Whatdi dyousay
?”Quanginsist
edasshenott oabl
e
understoodthewordofthelastfewsentences,
because
Madel i
nehadsaiditi
nverylowv oi
ce.

Madeli
nedoesn’twanttot el
lthatshehadn’tbeenconf
ir
med
fr
om theuni
versit
ythatonewhi chshehadappliedf
ori
nbloom
shi
re,
suddenlythecellphoner ang,Madeli
newaswonderingi
f
shewasforherandt hereitment i
ons“Greta”

“Oh!Gr
etaont
hel
i
ne….
”Madel
i
nesai
dwi
thcheer
ful
l
y,pi
cki
ng
upthecal
l.
“
Gretaisy
out
her
e;y
esIhadbeenwokeup,
whatar
eyoudoi
ng
t
here?’
’

Thevoicefrom t
heot hersidespoke,
“Nothingasusual,star
ted
thedaywithteaandam pr epari
ngforlunch,andyoutel
l me
howy ouarefeel
ingthere,andhow’stheQuang? ”Acrooked
smil
egr i
nnedalloverherface.

“
Reall
ygood,
mor ethantheexpectedone,ev
ery
thingisqui
et
r
easonabl
ebuti
ts’myf i
rstdayandgotknowmor e.”

“Okaythen,wi
l
lhav
etal
klat
er”andt
hecel
lphonewas
disconnect
ed.

Madel inesawMr s.Quanghadal r

eadygoneandshewasal l
alonelef twi ththesecr eatur es, whatt odot henmor et hanl yi
ng
i
dlycansear chf orpar tti
mej obov erthesenear estpl aces,
there’
st henewspaperdownt hehal lkeptatt het able, shet hen
drif
tedher selfalongt hest aircaseandt henshewentf ort he
tablether ei twas, what ’
sdat ement i
oni twas13august, yesit
wast oday ’
sdai lywher ewast hecol umnt hatonef ort hej ob
seeker s, goti tbutt herewer et hejobsf orpr ivatecl erk!Not
seemst omat chherper sonal itynextwasf ort hepl umberwhat
thehel lshewi llbedoingasshedoesn’ tknowt he‘a’ oft he
plumbert hirdonewasf ort hesweeperNo!Wayam notdoi ng
thesenext ,thef ourthoneanEngl i
sht eacher , si
tuat i
onv acant
atholycr osski ndergarten,butEngl ishf orher selfwasnot
reli
able.Thesehadt helastone, anexper iencedaccount antf or
theteebl owt imberi ndust r
yeducat i
onmaybeofatl eastt o
highschool passedonl ythej obi stomai ntaint hecashand
recordsofl oadedandunl oadedt i
mber s, t
hesel ectedmaybe
expectamont hlysalaryof160dol l
ars,appl ywi thint enday sto
thegener al manager ,Mr .Hi l
ar yWhel an, 181Pet ersbur g’
sr oad
Hacket tst own, 07840Gr eatmeadows, newj erseycont actno.
777728961, andwi th40y ear sofexper i
ence, therei tadv erti
se,
“
Teeblow’st
imbercomp a
n yisbe
yondaconvi
ncingwoodass
oci
ate
db us
ine
ss.
Wea refamil
yown eda n
do per
ate
db ytheq
u al
i
fiedwork
ers
,weh aveaquo
ted
a
pproachtolandma nagementandspec
ialc
onse
rvati
onval
uesthatmakeus
s
tando utfr
omo urcompeti
tors
.Teebl
ow’
stimberals
otake
sresp
onsi
bil
it
yof
r
el
iabl
yt rans
for
mi n
go ver
g r
owna ndunmanage
dwo odare
as;weensur
ethat
t
helotiscle
are
dwe ll
. Butourser
vice
sdon’
tsto
ph er
e.Wea l
sopr
o v
ide
s
eas
on edfir
ewood,st
ormd a
ma g
eclea
nup,t
reechip
pin
gandclea
ring.

Withteebl
ow’sti
mber,
youcanre
stens
ure
dforest
landsus
tai
nabil
it
yand
g
rowthinlongrun,be
si
desthe
seweals
oprov
ideloghaul
ingwithtr
i–axell
og
t
ruc
k stha
tha vel
oglo
adersmoun
tedonthe
m.
Wea ls
odeep
lyc a
reabo
utmothe
reart
h,th
ere
forei
fy ouwantajob,
orthe
s
ervi
cefro
mu sp l
eas
ecal
lusinpre
fer
ent
ia
lno.bec
a u
sethetr
eesofsu
cce
ss
a
lwayscher
ish……

Madelineneededt
hesepref
erent
ial
onl
y,i
twi
llr
eal
l
ywor
kwi
th
herandsalar
yisal
soofconsi
derabl
eamount
.

Nowsheimmedi atel
ycall
edatthetee-
blowti
mberindustry,
the
cal
lhadbeenattended;i
twasverycoldandblownoffvoice
merel
y,moresi
lenceithadonit
slanguagethenitsuddenly
becomesnarl
ed,

“MayIknowwhot ee-blowt
imbercompanyist her
eonother
si
de”Madeli
neraisedhereyebrowsandanexchanged
decupl
esarr
ayedf r
om heri
rri
tati
ngf
ace”I
sit?”sheasked
agai
ntobedefinable.

thevoicef r
om thecallr
espond“ Yes,itis,wegiveyoutheev er
f
inestti
mberf oryourstrong,resi
sti
ble,accommodat iv
e
f
urnit
urelastforlongithadbeenmade, sowhattypeoft i
mber
y
ouwantmahogany ,oakort hepineandt hebestonebassi a
l
ati
foli
a,”Thevoicehadbeenchangedt oitsver
ycondensed
f
orm ant ransf
iguredonef r
om whatithadbeenatst art
ing,
Madeli
nequi
ckl
ygott
oknowthatunderstandi
ngherasa
cust
omert
hewordshadbeenneatandpromptaidedone,

justtohavesomef latt
eri
ngandsweetqual it
iesofdescript
ion
i
tendedf orthesi
der espond, “
You‘v
ebeenhighlymi st
aken
actual
lyam anappli
cantf orthejoboftheaccountantasIread
i
tfrom yourdraf
tedadv er
tisement,andwantedtoknowwher e
tosubmittherequi
reddet ail
sresume”thecallsi
mpl yanswered,

“Appl
icant
scandir
ectlymailusthei
ral
linf
ormat
ioni
nour
websi
te–www.Te
ebl
owma x
.o
rg,
forsubmit
ti
ngthebi
o-dat
a’s,
once
agai
nthanksf
orcall
ingus”.

Madeli
nequickofti
mesatdowncircl
i
ngt het
abl
ethathad
beenplacedj
ustnearherbedandr
eadil
yopenedhermail
sit
e,
theoneshewasusedt o,

“www.medly
bea
ns.
co
m” scr
ibbl
edsomet hi
ngv er
yf astandendsup
withal ongcomposedl ett
eronhercellphonei t
selfandfor
checkinganymi stakesorerrorshehersel
freadt helet
terl
oudl
y
nearl
yi nsqueal
ingmanner ,asitcont
ains:

Br
enh
amSt r
eet
,
Va
nVo r
stPar
k,
La
neno.
-4
Ne
wJ e
rse
y

1
3au
gus
t,201
6

Thegen
eralmanag
er,
Tee
-blo
wT i
mb e
rCompan
y
181Pet
ers
burgRoad
Hacke
tt
sto
wn ,
07840
Grea
tmeadow
NewJ e
rse
y
Sub:
Appli
cat
io
nforaccount
ant
Si
r,
Thi
sisinre
spo
nsetoyouradvert
is
emen ti
nt hedai
ly,Newspap
er,
“TheNew
th
j
ers
eyti
mes”
,date
d1 3a ugust
. Iama na ppl
i
cantforthejo
bofacc
ounta
ntin
yo
urpres
ti
gi
ouscompa
ny .Iamad y
n amicyounggi
rlofage17wit
hap le
asi
ng
pe
rso
nali
ty
.Ih av
erequi
sit
eq u
a l
if
ic
a t
ionande x
peri
enceofthr
eeye
ars,
ifgi
ve
n
ch
ance;
Is h
allpr
oveana s
settoyourgreati
nd u
str
y.
Mybiodat
aisencl
ose
dh ere
withforyourp e
rusala
ndf avor
abl
econs
ide
rat
io
n.
Your
sfait
hful
l
y,
Madel
ineMcCart
hy
De
tai
l
edre
sume
Na
me - Mi
ssMade
li
neMc
Car
thy

Gu
ard
ian- Mr
s.Qu
angh
ingc
hi

Da
teo
fbi
rt
h- 1
2OCT
OBE
R2000

Ge
nde
r _ F
ema
le

Ma
rti
als
tat
us- Un
mar
ri
ed

Pe
rmane
nt - th
eh o
lycr
ossv
irg
inmar
ryc
hur
chand
ad
dre
ss mi
ssi
onar
yBloo
msbur
ybo
rou
ghU.s

E
duc
ati
onal 12thg
rad
efromPa
ter
sonh
ighs
cho
olwi
th
q
ual
i
fic
ati
on- 86.8%ma r
ks

Co
mpe
te
ncy- Ma
ste
rinc
omp
ute
rba
sic
s

E
xpe
ri
enc
e - Ihadn’
tgotanyexpe
ri
encebutsin
cetwel
ve
,I
wasinth
ec ha
rgeofco
ll
ecti
ngmo ne
yfro
mt h
e
ci
vi
li
an’
sdonati
onsandthep r
is
oner’
s
as
soc
iat
io
no fartandcr
aft.Wh er
ethe
pr
iso
ner
susedtosel
lthi
ngsh andmadeand
dr
afte
dtomeIh a
dd on
et heworksof
 ma
nag
eme
nti
nth
ese
cur
ece
nte
r.

Sa
lar
yex
pec
te
d Ac
ce
pta
blef
ort
heme
nti
one
don
e
-

La
ngu
age-
-kn
own E
ngl
i
sha
ndGe
rma
n

Cu
rre
nta
ddr
ess Br
enh
amSt
re
et
,

Va
nVo
rstPa
rk,

Theseletterhadbeendr aftedt hroughthet ee-blow‘ swebsi te

andMadel inewasv eryeagert oknownbyt her esponset hat
shewoul dbegi v
eni nexpect edt woday s,astheweedychaos
hadalway sbeent heretogr owupi nherli
feandt histimeshe
wasnoexpect i
nganyt orrentialoneinherl i
feaf terdraft
ingt he
mail
,shef inal
lywentdownaf tergett
ingbat hther eweret he
samecr eaturesandt hethingshadn’ tbeensoi mpr ovedal ong
herasthet aminglessonshadbeencont i
nued.

Shewasj usttelli
nghersel
fthatshewi llbenowsomehow
wouldbemanagi nghersel
fawayf rom thegr aboft hose
creaturebutt histimeshehadt owai tforMr s.Quangasshe
toldtheMadel i
neshewoul dberightbackatt het i
meofl unch
andi thadbeenal readythethr
eei nclockhowf astthet
imewas
elapsing,bythenshewascol l
apsedwi thqigong, i
tgaveherthe
blazi
ngl ookasi fwil
lmadehermoanedi nagr eatpain,

Madelineaskedher“whydidyoual
lhat
emesomuch? ”
Buttherecomesnoanswerafterl
ongtimeofst
arl
ingthecat
tur
nedbackandpl acedherpl
ateofsome–sortofstuf
fed
Chinesepancakes,
“What ’
sthis?Nowt hest r
angledbr eakfastandatt heti
meof
l
unchwhatt henonsense, t
hatwhi msi cal catnowwant st odo? ”
Madel i
nebeingf rust ratedputt hef or kint hemi ddleoft hose
pancakes,veryleaky ,butal sothesugar yliket hear oma. .
.St i
ll
fr
eshsmel lwhathadbeenputupi nt hesesomegr eencabbage
asitcanbeseenandchoppedci lantro, yes–ofcour seandt he
sesameseeds! !Mer elytheset hingshadbeenal teredfir
stt his
yummybr eakfastandt hatlett
er, t
her ear eno.ofway sonecan
amusedonesel fi nt heseci t
ythehei ghtoft ower sofr esidency ,
beautif
ulparksandt hest reamsf l
owi ngi nal ldirect i
on,the
Hudsonr i
veralsot hel owerManhat tan, fl
y ingcr anesandt he
busylongroads, buti nt hesecityt herewer ealsobet hepeopl e
havi
nghandsi ngl ov esandt heirwor kingwi l
lbeofsi mple.
Whati snotavailabl e?Ther eiseasi lyav ailableint hoseirregular
people.

“
Don’
tpushi
ttool
ongMade,
”Madel
i
nesai
dtoher
sel
f.

Sheal wayscheer supher selfwhil

ef all
i
ngdeepi ntothe
thoughts,stray
ingmeansdegr adingandshenotwantt o
degradeher sel
fev eninherpastexper i
encei tgi
veherapai nin
herforeheadandi t
’sbettertostayoutoft hese,pastalways
taki
ngawayherposi t
ivi
tyfrom herselfsuckingherbloodev ery
ti
meandmadeherf eeli
ngner vous,shet henknockedher self
withcrossofMr s.Quangi twasal lnasty,atthedooritwas
alr
eadyf our,whenshear ri
vedandwasl etinbychill
-pee
causingfrequentmov ementar oundMr s.Quang,

“
Howdidthedaylonged,
feel
youwerenotbor
edatthi
s
t
ime?
”Mrs.Quangbytaki
ngchil
l
-peei
nherlapasked,

“NO, notal
lbutther
e’ssomethi
ngtotel
lyou”Madelinesai
d
boundingwiththeholdtokeepon,
“Then,tel
lmewhati sit
?”Mrs.Quangatthesamet i
mewas
servedthehotteabyqigongit’
sreal
l
yamazi ngtoseehowf i
ery
thescabbycatwasdoi ngthewholehouseholdworks,
“Act
ually,Igottohav esomewor ksont hedai
lybasi
s,i
t’
sreal
ly
soundsl i
keaf ib,butI-Ihadsomedev isemeanst oassesupon”
Madelinenowl i
nkedherf ingerincrosscuthopingMrs.Quang
wouldn’tbeov er-reacti
ng, andshereallydi
dn’
tshowedany
tant
rum att hi
smoment ,

“Wanttodojob?Yet,Butwhattypes,anyideasfi
gur
edoutin
yourmind”Mrs.Quangfurtheri
nvest
igated,whowasnow
pouri
ngtheteainthesaucerascanbeseenshewasv ery
apti
tudeinherbehavi
orrat
ional
izedone,notli
keherGr
etawho
alwaysacti
ndiffer
entphaseofemot i
ons.

“Appli
edoneforti
mberaccountantattee-blow’stimber
company,woulditwi
llprovemesomet hing?”Shewasi nor
der
todrawattent
ionofMrs.Quangtowardst hev ar
iousstr
eam of
val
idmechanismsforwhi chshewassuitableenought obetur
n
outasthedecidi
ngfactor.

“Arightchoi ce,mustbesuit
abl eforyou,y
oushoul dgoahead
l
ivi
ngandl yi
ngidl
ymeanski l
li
ngone’ senergywithoutany
dir
ectst abs”Mrs.Quangwassat isfi
edbyt hejobofaccountant
andsher eal
lywantthatMadelinemaypur sueitbutalongher
universityhardentimesshouldalway sbethereinone’sli
feto
gavehi m ashapesel ecti
vefutureinupcomi ngyears,
now
Madel inewasv er
ymuchassur edaboutitsdr eamsand
aspirations.

“Onemorething,Ihav egotsomef estoonswhichIsupposeto

hangonthedoor s,thesearereal
lyprettyone,wanttosee?”
Mr s.
Quangtaki
ngof fsomef abri
callymat tedlongchai
nedflowery
somethi
ng-l
iket hatonlypull
edofffrom herbigtaf
fypurse.

“Anethnicone,Butfrom whereyousupposedtogetthem as
theyaretypi
calChineseone!”Madel
inesaid,
glanci
ngatthose
smalldraper
iesthatthefest
oonhadatitsendbot t
om.

“
Nev
erhav
eany
!Bef
orewhi
l
etr
avel
i
ngacr
osst
hedecor
um
shopt hesegotonmyey es”Mr s.Quanghadandel i
ghtedgl ow
onherf acetelli
nghowhappyshewasaf t
ergettingthosef ri
ll
s
i
ndelibly.
Aftersomet alkssheandMr s.Quanghadt hei
rlunchandt hen
Madel i
negott heremi ndersoqui ckresponsef rom the
companyasshehadbeensel ectedintheirnormsandt er
ms
andshehadbeencal ledatshar p8:30atthi st
imeshewasa
l
itt
lebitfrozenwi t
hsomef earofexcit
ement ,butsoonMr s.
Quangt oldMadel i
nenott obewor ryitwil
l bealri
ghtthereshe
j
usthast okeepher selfnormal.

“
Buti
treal
l
yscaredmeasatf
ir
stj
obIhadbeenexpel
l
edduet
o
myner
vousnessonl
y!
”

“
Don’ttel
lmet hatt
hegir
lli
keyouwaswobbledbeforethatt
iny
r
ubbishthing,
besmart,i
t’
snotthatmuchtobefearupon,have
alongbreath,
andalli
twil
lbefi
neunti
lyouwil
lbeindemnity”

YetMadel inewasunabl et ohel pherwi t

hhergr eatestfearof
confrontingsomeone, butt hent het alkwasmov edbyt henews
whichwasf lashingont het el
evi
si onwhi chhadbeenr ecent
ly
switchedonbyMr s.Quangt herobber yattheHami lt
ontown
neartheHami l
tonpar kbutwhohast hatmuchofdar etoswept
awaywi thlot sofj ewelr
iesatt hesamet i
mewhent hecops
weredet ecti
ngt helanef orlasttwoy earsitwasr eall
yshocking
oneast her epor terswerer eportingf r
om thegroundofcr i
me,
“Anotherbur glaryatHami l
ton, i
thadbeent het
wi ceinone
weekandcopsont hevault!!Exclusiveonebutagr eatmat t
er
ofconcer ntoo”asoneoft herepor t
ernamedGl enmor ay
reported.

Whathadbeengoi ngoff,Madel
inet houghtbutt henMr s.
Quangsaidt hatthoseareashadalway sbeenr obbedbyt he
r
obbersandl eav esnosignsofsuspecti onsbehi ndthem, but
whatdi
dt heyt akealwaysthepacketf ullofcashandt here’sl
ot
t
obepr ecioust hanever,i
tal
way ssavet hem tober estr
icted,
it
wasahar dwor kwhi chneedsplentyofdoubl eamountof
courageast henewj ersey‘scopswer ev eryski l
ledmant obe
foolheaded, t
henal sot hesethingswer eatt hev ergeof
happeni ngal lt
imes, bewi t
chingt hesecur it
yandsaf etyofthe
commonpeopl eitalreadyhadbeent het i
mef orthedi nnerbut
Madel i
nedi dn’thav eanyshegoest ot heupst air
scar ingalot
aboutherf irstdayatwor k.
Shewasgoi ngt owai tti
llt
hemor ninghadt obeappearoutof
herbedr oom’ swindow, shecanst i
llfeltthehammer ingofher
heart,l
ightswer eal readybeenoutandt henaf tersomet i
meshe
againwentt obed,
Aftertheelev enthhour sand20mi nut etheal arm clockr ang
sayingithadbeenal readythetimef orjoini
ngatnewj ob,but
Madel i
newasal l
nightdr eamedofherexpul sionf r
om t hejob
ambi guousherdet achingf rom thet r
uer eflectionthatshi ned
off,Mrs.Quangsuddenl ygav eMadel ineaj erkinor dertowake
herupf rom hersl eep.

“Wakeup!Wakeup!Madel ineit
’sget
ti
nglatewat chestheti
me!”
Mrs.Quanghurr
iedlysaid,
try
ingtowaketheMadel i
ne,
Heari
ngtheword“LATE”Madel inegotupfrom herbed,and
eagerl
yasked“
What ’stheti
menow! !
”Pushingbackt hecurt
ains
whichhadbeenalreadyapartly
ingatthecornerendoft hebed,

“I
t’
s8:20,sincef rom twohoursI’m cr yi
ngtoyout owakeupbut
youweresl eepinglikeasleepi
ngbeaut y”Mrs.Quangmumbl ed
toMadeli
neandhel pedhertoriset hroughthebed, i
nstantl
y
Madeli
nepr epar edhersel
fwitht hoseofbat hi
nganddr essi
ng
l
ikepett
yt hingsandcamest eppi ng“taptoe,t
apt oe,taptoe”
anharshsoundbutwasdescr ibingt heinst
antaneousspeedof
tr
odli
ng,

“Havesome,br
eakfast
,ei
theryouwil
lbehungr
yallt
heway”
Mrs.Quangi
nsist
ed,butMadeli
newasintoohurr
ythatshe
evenfor
gott
hatshedoesn’tknowtheaddr
ess,

“Wai
t!Doyouknowtheaddress?
”Mr s.Quangcomplet
edt
he
unf
il
ledoneasl
ist
eni
ngthesewor dsallt
hehasti
ness
disappeari
nv ai
n,yeshowcanshewi l
lbeknowingt heway
wher etogoandshenotwantt ogetthewaybyaski ngthe
pedestri
analongtheroadsandzebra–crossi
ngl i
kealunati
c
personwander i
ngandspeakingt
hesamewor d“ Didyouknow
thisordidyouknowwher e’
stherout
egoing?”

“NotReall
y!
”Madelineaccept
edtheonewhichshewasgoing
tohaveaproblem wit
hitseemedthebor
ingreasonbuti
tli
es
almostt
hereineverycase,

“Thenhowwi l
lyoubemanagi ng,
Alltheway ?
”Mr s.Quangwas
abouttopl aysomet ri
ckswithMadel i
newhoal readywasin
greatfearsome,
“Don’tknow! !
”Madeli
newasal mostasner v
ousaboutt or
each
“Wantliftfr
om me, actual
lyIhadacardownatt he
garage!!
”Mr s.QuangteasedMadel i
nejustforfun.

“
Real
ly,
youhavetheoneoh!Mygoodness,
sowhatwear
e
wai
ti
ngfor
,let
’sgeti
ntot
hecar
!”

Madeli
nefol
lowedthewaybehindMrs.Quang,
theai
rwas
sai
li
ngwit
hitslowestt
oneandoutsi
dethehouseskywasal
so
cl
eargl
eamingwithgol
denraysofsun.

“Goteverythi
ng,whichyouwantandwel lIhadputt
helunch
boxtoy ourbagot her
wisebythelunchti
mey ouwil
lbestar
ving,
comeont hen!Hereoffwego!!!
”Mrs.Quangsaiddr
ivi
ngback
thecartogeti toutfr
om thegar
age.

“Yeah!Youwi l
lbeveryexcit
edt oseemydr i
vingthecraziest
everthanthegiantwheelandt hatstuff
,thi
si stherealf
un
whichjuststopsyourvei
nt owi nkl
eabout ,
youknow?Iand
gri
myal waysgetof ft
heridetowardt heBasker vi
l
lewhenwe
coupledtogether
,whenevereitheritwasatt hetimeof
Christ
masort hegoodFr i
dayorev enonnewy ear’
seve,we
real
lyhadanybot heri
ng!
”
“
Want
edl
i
ket
hisoneonl
ysi
ncef
rom mychi
l
dhood.
”

Aftermi l
esofdr i
v i
ngt heyreachedt otheirdesti
nat i
onandaf ter
awel lseeof fMadelineent er
shernewof f
iceatt hesecond
fl
oorwher eshewasgi venherj oininglett
erandsome
i
nst ruct i
onr egar
dinghernewj obt her ewasherboss, Mr.fr
ank
Lyons, hadendedhi sf ir
sthalfoft hel i
feandt hesecondone
wascont i
nuedhewasagener ousper sonwi t
hshar pnoseand
whitemust achenort ooshortandnort oolongt hatcancov er
ed
hismi dpar tofmout h,li
beralfrom t hebehav i
orwi sehewant ed
tofol l
owsomegoodpr i
nci
plesofwor ki
ngr at
herqui t
ewi t
h
patiencebutt herewasmor et hingst hathadt obeunf ol
ded,

“Newjobandnewof fice,
isn’tit?Thegoodwor keralway
s
seemshappyt ohimselfwhat ev erhisworkbe, aself–
obsessedper sonindespairofwhat ’
sgoingonar oundhis
surr
oundingheal waysseeksf orhisownf i
ndings,andwelll
et
meintroducedmysel fF.Ly onsorsi mplyMr .Frankandyour
name–Mi ss.Madeli
neMcCar t hyright?
”saidt heoldmenwith
muchoft het est
ing’
sinherey es.

“Yes,
sirandIassur
edyouI ‘
l
lmakemy sel
fsoobl
iquet
oyou
thatt
herewon’tbeanyprobl
em ever
”saidMadel
i
nein
confi
denceglar
inguponhereyes.

“So,Getbackt
oy ourworkt
odayataround10therewil
lbet
he
unloadi
ngofeucalypt
usandyouhavetonoteall
thepair
sof
bindi
ngandthenmaket hepaymentt
ot helor
ry–dri
ver.
”

“
Okaysi
r!
!”sai
dMadel
i
ne.

Indesper
atemannerandt henwenttohercabi n,areal-small
encl
osedcompar tmentwi t
ht hewoodenitself,
havinga
tel
ephone,t
oattendphone- call
sandalsohav ethecalendar
dati
ngofpresentyear
s, somef il
esandint hem l
iethepending
worksandrecordswaitingfortheMadelinet ocompletethem
assoonaspossi bl
eMr .Frankhadhisofficeont hesecond
fl
oorandofcoursesur
roundedbytheco-workersal
lverybusy
doingthei
rjobst
heyevencan’
ttakeasighofrel
i
efworkingli
ke
anautomaticmachi
neeverysecondsorsayeverymil
li
seconds.

butt hensher emember edt hatMr .Frankhadgi v enhert he

wor kofcol lecti
ngt hewoodscomi ngat10‘ o’clocki t’snotonly
thet i
mberi ndust rybutahuget imberi ndustryi nwhi chev ery
ti
met hepr ocessingandmanuf acturingoff urniture’
sandany
woodeni tem goti tsformt heyal sower ethebul ksellersof
woodschoppedwi t
hf i
nestsaws, thensheunl oadedt hetrucks
tentativel
ywi thgreatef f
or t
snev ertheless,shecol l
ectedt he
revenuecur l
ingov erherselfandmadepay mentt othel orr
y -
drivers,andt henshest il
l cut-
of fbycol l
ecti
ngt hepr of i
tsthat
wasear nedher selfbymaki ngt hedeal swithal ldayheadi ng
andshr i
ekinghermi ndswi thcust omerandot hershops
deli
v eri
nganddemandi ngf orr awmat eri
als,someusei tast o
expor tandi mpor tthewoodsar oundt heciti
esorev en
somet i
mesar oundt hewor ld,ast heear l
i
erper iodsoft i
me
woodswer eofgr eatdemandmeet i
ngwi t
hr equirement sof
rai
lsal ongt hecount ryside.

Oralongthemedi cinalzoneextracti
ngthepulpsandot her
essenti
althingsandf r
om itstwigstoitsrootcreat
ingfrom i
t
thesyrupsandot herthingsthatwouldwor kbestalsotheone
secti
onwhi chMadel i
nehadt ot akecarewast hesecti
onof
paperindustri
esandt heirdaytodayrisingdemandsf orti
mber
madeherl uretosenses.

“Yes!Si
ryeswewi l
lbesoonmeeti
ngwit
hy ourdemands,
am
onthewayf ordel
i
veri
ngyourpl
acement
,ya!Ya!Don’
tbeworr
y.”

Madel i
neabruptlyswi tchoffthecel
landdr overi
ghtwayal ong
strai
ghtstr
eetline,afterdeli
veri
ngtheplacedordershewas
againsupposet odr i
veal ongtheWill
i
amsonst r
eet,atthebig
stati
onaryshopSt apletonandt hei
rassociatest
oget hercall
ed
funmat e,thecompanyhadt henamef unmat eorthebr and
whoseadv erti
sementwasal r
eadyveryfamousf oronai rtogo
“
Ver
yfluent
,ve
rysmoo
th,l
i
keabea
dswri
ti
nge
verwel
ent
,th
eca
ldr
ons
’
p
enc
ill
astfo
ryourt
ro
tsorfo
rth
eoldwi
ts
”astheli
nesadver
ti
se
t
hemsel v
es.

Themi l
destdayev erlastl i
ket hi
swasunr espectablebyany
onesi ncei thadbeenmor et hanonemont hthanMadel inehad
startedwor kingatt het ee- blowt i
mbercompanywhi chl i
keits
namehadr eall
yblownupt hecheerf ul
lgirlunderapr essuri
zed
prof i
tablebusi nessMr .Fr ankhadbeenal ldaysingingand
j
ollyingar oundast hebusi nesshadr ev i
vedofi t
shi gherr anges,
butMadel ineont heot hersi deseemedt obeski nny ,unhealthy
andal lthegl owofherf acehadbeenl ostforeverNowMr s.
Quangal sowasi nwor riedaboutMadel ineshehadnof i
xed
ti
mef orcomi ngandgoi ngi nhomewhatsheeatorwhatshe
l
ef twasal sounknownbyt hetimeal soshehadbeen
spect acledonewhi chsheal way sneglectedasshemakehert o
l
ookl i
keaol dwomanbutr arel
ysheknowshowbadl yitwas
affectingt oherey es, cer tainlypinchedonewhohadbeen
decl i
nedal otinshor tper iodoft i
meMadel ineMcCar thywas
nothi nder edbyherownappear ancenordoesshef eltany
differencef orhersel fint hosepassedday s,shelikeahi ding
plantal way sscrubsher sel f,bythescr uffi
nessoft hesuf f
ering
war mt h.

Atonedaywheni twasni ghtandt hetimehadcontainst

he
unwrapcontentsi
nitsel
fsankdownwhent heMadel i
neent
ers
thehouse,Mrs.Quangasusual f
rom heryogaclasseshad
came,wasatt hesamet i
mewat chingthetel
evi
sionandatthe
samet i
mewaswai t
ingforMadel inetocomeandasMadel ine
hadbuttedi
nshet oldheraboutt hethir
dburgl
arythat
happenednexttotheotherstreet,

“Thoseculpri
tsshouldbebehindthebar s,am notabl
eto
understandwhatthetrappedcopsar egoingtospread,i
t’
sbeen
mor ethanfourmonthandt heseburglar
sar eoutofthehands”
saidMr s.Quanginconcernedmanner .
“There’
sagai
n!ABreakin,t
hat’scr
ossi
ngtheal l
li
mitsonecan
putononeself
,whatar
et herealmoti
vesdri
vingthem behind
theseall
?”Madel
inegr
unted.Asshewassot i
redthattoday
alsoshehadn’
tanysupperandwasgoi ngofftobed,

ButthenshewasstoppedbyMrs.Quang“
Todaytoowit
h
empt yst
omach,notwantt
ohav
esomet hi
ng?
”almostas
thoughshesai
d.

Madel i
nehadsleptawaybet weent heupstairs,
didn’trespond
andwascar ri
edalongherbedbyMr s.Quang,don’tevenshe
tookint
erestonwat chi
ngt henewsnowal lt
hisareformal i
ti
es
thatoneshouldcarryalongwi th.Eventhoughshehadn’ tl
ist
en
ti
llwasputonherbed, butonnextdayshewasagai ninhur ry
atthist
imeshewasmetupbyoneoft hei
rneighbormi ss.
BerraMjolesshewast hel adywi thcanonofbi t
terwor ds
alwaysoutshowinghert hingsandext r
avalui
nghert hose
fooli
shandoddl ookingbuy ingandt hereshewaswi thher
foodbasketthatwassoheav ythatshehast odragitbyt he
road,Madeli
newasi gnoringherbutshecaughtheri ntoher
sight
.

“Oh!DearMadel inehowni cetomeety ou,beforeyouwerenot

workinghowcheer fuly
oul ookedbutnowy oulookabsurd,
sorrybutpleasedon’ tmind”Mi ss.Berr
aMj ol
esmut ter
edround
herselfandfortheMadel ine.
“Notneedt obewor ryMiss.Berrait’
salr
ightMrs.Quangis
thereformet obewor r
iedupon, wellni
cemeet ingyouseeyou
l
ater”Madel i
ne
tookdownt hetal kedandpeddl edforwardinherway .

ButMiss.Ber
rawasnott
hel
adyt
obet
ackl
euponwel
lshe
agai
nrouseupon.

“Wel
l,Madeli
net her
e’st
hehousepartytomor
rowandy ouare
hear
tywelcomedi nmypartyi
twillbegoodenoughify
ouand
Quangwil
l bereachi
ngther
e,ther
ewi l
lbesev
eralgamesindoor
oneandsomechatt
ingwi
thdel
i
ciousdi
nner
,don’
tbesol
ate
ei
therwi
l
lbemissi
ngthef
un…….”

“
NevermindMissBerra,wewil
lbet her
eatyourpart
yIwil
l
i
nfor
m Mrs.Quangaboutyourpromptpart
yany t
hingel
sethat
y
ougotleft
,becauseIhavet
oleftformyoffi
ce”

“Nothi
ngel
se,
butbet
her
eatt
hepar
tyIwi
l
lbewai
ti
ngf
orbot
h
ofyou”

Madel i
neoncontrarymovedbyt herattr
apsofMi ss.Berra
mjol
esasshehadt oreachedherof f
iceassoonasshecan
doest odaywasthemosti mportantdayforhersel
fast her
e
wast hemeet i
ngwithkeel
son’
st heywer et
hebenchmaker sat
thebulkandwer ethedeal
sofcostnotcanev enletitt
ogo, but
fi
rst
lyshehadt omeetwi t
hMr .Frankwhowassi t
ti
nginher
cabi
nenj oyi
ngthesipofteaandwi ththi
sreadingthe
newspaper ,

“
MayIcomei
nsi
r?”Madel
i
neassor
tedr
ightway
,

“
Yescomei
n?”

“Si
r,i
t’
sabouttoday
’sdealwehadt
odeal
withkeel
son’
sthey
areri
ghtthewayhopingwearegoi
ngt
osell
them t
he
eucal
yptus,att
hestock”

“Buti
twon’ tbesuff
ici
entf
orbul
ksell
ingandasthemeeti
ng
hadbeenf i
xedsocan’tbecancell
ed,
Thefir
m wil
lnotbeable
todeliv
ertheproducti
ntimeasperthespeci
fi
cati
onshadbeen
sti
pulatednow,whattodoandnotcanweor dert
heeucaly
ptus
i
nsuchshor tt
ime,whatdi
dtherecor
dssayhowmanyar eleft
atthebasement s.
”

“Somet
hingar
ound40000thousandandnotmor et
hanthi
sand
ther
ewasthelet
terf
orthedemandofeucalypt
usonlyt
heyar
e
demandi
ngtheseevenathi
ghno.ofstocks.
”
Keelson’swerethel argestbenchmaker semer gi
ngf ut
ureof
ti
mberbusi nessandt odumpt hem meanst odumpedt he
wholet i
mbert r
adeuni onsandt heywer ecomi ngnorwast he
soluti
onandnorwast heshortcutscavengingt hefact,
isnot
themi st
ookconsi derati
onthatwoul dbeappear i
ng,i
twasclear
thatexpectedvaluewasmor ethantherealv al
ue.

Onethingmusthadt obedonet okeepawayt hepr oblem was

todir
ectlysaynotothem, andafterthatwewillseewhat
comput ati
onscanbedonef orlastprevent
ionMr .fr
ankand
Madelinemadet hei
rplanattheear l
i
estpossibi
lit
y,itwasnow
thestarti
ngplayofbl
anklylookatoneanot her,

“Seemi ngnott obeoverlooked, onewoul dli

ket osay
somet hingaboutt oavoi
dthev eryuncomf ort
ablesituat
ionand
Madeliney ouaresupposedt odot hewor keitheritwoulda
stateofbl uff
ingsomeonet henal sotrudgingtowar dthe
unsteadinesswoul dbetheascer t
ainmor eaboutourown
personality,i
nspit
eofdiscour agement slet’
shav ethefait
h
germinat edacrossourface,”Mr .fr
ankasser ted.

“Cert
ainly
-siritwouldbesociabl
yconv
eyanceofsuppr
essed
uncannypr ocedurethatonehadtocer
tai
nlyf
oll
owwhen
occasionalpeopleli
kekeelsonscameatthepoi
ntwher
etheno
solut
ionsar efoundevident
ly”

Madel i
newasal lt
hemor etodecl
inedtothethoughtthat
perhapstherewouldbesomesubduedov erherterr
orsand
bei
ngasensi bl
egirlshewantedbynomeansofunnecessar y
thr
owingt hest
rangesortofexpr
essionaboutthem i
nherown
mind.

Thekeelsonscameathal fquarterspasti
nt heirfourcar
s
thr
oughaf all
sofleavesandMr .Frankheadingt hem towar
d
meetingplace,andtheyquietfollowedhimi ntotheir
desti
nati
onandaf terreachi
ngt heretheyf
irstshookt hei
rhands
toget
herandthenwit
hmuchofthei
ntr
oduct
ion,
oneoft
hem
spoke,l
ooki
ngintohi
spoki
ngt
ongue,

“Are,y
oureadyforthelogsummi t,woul
dbeheldi
nStephenson
venue?Mr.Frank?”thepersoninquir
edbuthewasst
ill
stari
ng
atthosef
unkycar ds,
lyi
ngont heroundtabl
e.

“SO,
y ouarenotheref ort
heorder
?”Mr .Fr
ankwasknowi n
masher s,
maybehewasnotexpect ingthi
s,ashedidn’twant
toar
gueuponwhet her–thekeel
sonsar eherefort
hereorderor
j
usttheyar eheref
orinformi
nghim abouttheannuall
og
summi twhichalwaysheldin4yearsaonce, t
hencomi ngback
tohi
spr esent,hej
oinedthem.

“Whatwereyousay i
ngMr.Fr
ank….someorders,ya!
!Gotthem
those3weekslateronor
derofeucal
ypt
us,fornowweare
pardon,
aswear ecancel
l
ingthoseor
der
s,”t
heheadkeelson
wassaying.

Mr .Jovehewast hebigonet hebrui serkind,tall

anddandli
ng
wit
hsmar t
youtfi
tsandfit
soft emper , butnothingtobeworry
hewasoneoft hecruci
almemberi nt hetimberboar dof
tr
adingassociati
onandbei ngveryger undivehewast he
i
mpor t
antver
dicttobetakenupon, butnowt hepr obl
em was
solved,Madeli
nestandi
ngatt hecor nerpastt heblackish
paintedwindowwasnowhadagr inni ngaffectinherfaceal
l
al
ongt hatmeetingwasgoi ngtobef inished,

“Okay ,
thenwe’llbeexpecti
ngyouther
e,sharpat16thmayat
Stephensonv enue,mostprobabl
edecisi
onsforti
mber
mer chantsandassociati
vewouldbetakenther
e”Mr .Jov
esaid.

Andt henheandhismanagermovedonandbehi ndhim wasMr.

Frank,hewassohappiert
hatday
,decl
aredhol
idayf or
tomor r
ow,Madel
inewasverydel
i
ghtedbyheari
ngt his,
now
shewi l
lbegoi
ngtoMiss.Berr
amoles’pool
partywithoutany
headacheandanyseveri
ty,
Madeli
nehappenedtobeav er
y
goodswimmeratbloom shire,nowshewasreadyfor
unzi
ppi
ngthewaterwingst hatshehadoncebroughti
nthe
Covent
’sf
airt
hosewerer eall
ytheexpensi
veone,shegott
o
rememberhowdiff
icul
titwast oconvi
nceMiss.Gri
an.

Forbuy i
ngt hem theAquaskat ers–keepsy out oswagwith
thewat eryjoy!!Astheysay -.
swimmi nghadbeenheronoft he
scrawlingpassi on,shehadbeenapol i
shedswi mmerinher
school andshecoul dbetthatanyonewoul dn’
tbesof astas
shewas-t hemer mai dfeaturi
ngi nhi
bit
inginhersel
fbutyesthi
s
wast hepool partywithhotsizzlingbarbequewithsauci
ng
exhaust i
ngpant ossi
ngupanddown,nowshepackedupher
tableandwentdownf orhomesheputt hewoodenboxaside
andt henr ol
ledthet i
mberl ocatingmap, andpickedupher
blui
shmi xfaintyell
owbag.

Shedr i
veher sel
ftowardtheHi ntonroadbysidewast hecab
servi
cecent ershehadbeenbookedoncabf rom there-cabno.
3345, i
tshows, andatasmal ltimeappearsay el
lowcabwi th
checkingstripsonitssi
deov erbodyandatedgeofi tsends
wasbor deredbyt hesil
verandl eaki
nggreencolor,l
ike
everydaytherewasanol dbaldheadedmansi tti
nginsi deatthe
dri
ver’sseat,yeshewas- Mr.Net t
lehal
lowsthemanofpubshe
utt
eredwhenev erMadeli
negr antedhim,

Hesays,“
Uh-oh!Thet housandonebasketf
ullofrosari
es,all
l
eather
ytorepieces”thenhehimselfmakeathunderinglaugh,
l
argert
hanhisact ual
size,hetooseemstobet i
midonhi sown
l
aughsomet i
mes.Thanr eturni
ngtoMadeli
ne,hesnapped
l
oudlywit
hhiswor dsandsai d,

“Youyoungst
erdon’thaveanyi
deaofsneaki ngt
hevi
cious
gli
mpseofsomet hi
ngdeadlypurpose,Iobtai
nmydueand
subduewithal
lful
loftinge-
Ha,
ha, haha.”

Buthewasav
erygooddr
ivernodoubt
,ashewasdri
vingall
t
hewaywit
hhi
sbabbli
ngt
eethwhichsometi
meschucklesout
atl
argeangles,cr
osscutt
inghispumpki
nli
keface,hewas
al
thoughnotv er
yfunnyandjoki
ngbutpr
etendedtobe,buti
t
wassurethatMadelinewasfrozen.

Sheknewt hatnet tl
ewouldnev ergi veuphisweirdact i
ngand
wouldalway sbet herewai
ti
ngf orhert obef r
ightened, butt
hen
Nettl
edidn’thaveacommonper son’sview,
hehadbeenknow
tobefri
endofst rangersandthet ravel
erswhot r
av elalongwith
him,healway sreachedforthest r i
ki
ngshowerofhi sboastful
tal
kswhichr eal
lyhindershi
m, gr ippedhimfir
ml y
, andt hen
bri
nghim downt ohisdri
vi
ngt hoset hi
rt
yminuteswer eequalto
thi
rt
ytonesofheav yperi
odofl i
fet hatonesufferswhen
someonei salongwi thMr.Nettle.

Madel i
nehadt oregist
erhernamef ortheluckydr awcoupon
whichhadbeenor ganizingthefreeCas
cade
st ouro
fchi
na,alt
hough
shedidn’twanttobebutt herewasonedr i
v ingforcebehind
theseregistr
ati
onandt hatwasMr s.Quang, theoneandonl y
l
ov erofchina,i
twasherpl antohavetourofchi nawithout
servi
ngal ongpurchasedt icket
,shehadbeenal r
eadytoppling
upbyt hinki
ngofhowamazi ngthetourwil
l beherownl andand
shewoul dbehergui de.

Madeli
nerapidl
ydirect
edMr .Nettl
etotakethecab
i
mmedi at
elytoLukascommer ci
algeneralst
ore,thereshehad
t
ofil
lupthef or
m withentr
yfees50dol l
ars,50dol l
arsshehave
t
owast ebeforethi
sseizi
ngpamphl ets,
itadvert
ises-

“F
rom-t h
elandofse
asho
reandhid
ings
unray
sembl
azo
ned
,th
ecov
eri
ngof
be
auti
fule
arth
lypot
,j
usthav
ealook
Astheswandazz
le
da n
dshook,e
ver
ypas
si
ona
tevi
si
to
r’
sfi
rs
tcho
ic
ethee
ver
i
ri
desce
ntatmos
pher
eRegi
ste
rnow!!

T
helu
ckyc
ouponc
anunl
oc
kyo
urlu
cki
nfo
rmofca
sca
devi
si
tinchi
natryi
t
f
ory
ourbe
stande
njo
yyo
urva
cat
io
nwi
thyo
urfa
mil
yanyf
ivefa
mil
ieswou
ld
b
eth
ewinner
.”
Madeliner eadthepamphl et,
scuttl
ingi tfi
rmlywi t
hherwei r
d
gri
p.Itwashi di
ngsomet hi
nginit.Pray i
ngt hatshewoul dn’tbe
l
oosingher50dol l
arsinwast eshef i
lledupt heform,theshop
keeperhadacunni ngsmi l
espreadingal loverhisface,
Madelinewaspr etendingassheknowswhatwast hef utureof
hisform woul dbe, andthensheshutt hedoorofhercaband
l
astlydir
ect edMr .NettletoBrenham st reet,vanVorstpar k,
houseno. 12i twas12’ o’cl
ockandherey eswer eit
chingv ery
ti
redandbur deningtheywantMadel inet osleepbutshewasso
happyasshewasget t
ingahol i
dayt omor r
ow.

Verygently
,sheopenedt hedoorofhomehav ingherlastgrant
toMr.Net t
leatt
hemai ngat eshesaidhim byeandt ol
dhi mto
comet hedayaftertomorrow.InsideMrs.Quangandher
j
ugularpetswerewai t
ingforher.Seemedt hattheyhadn’tany
suppertodaymaybewai ti
ngforMadelinetocome, Madel i
ne
wasv eryhappyt
ot ell
them allabouthertoday’sworkbutat
samet i
mewasv astl
yinvi
gorated.

Af
terasomet
imeofcr
awl
,sherequest
edt
oMr
s.Quangf
ora
gl
assofwat
er,
andsomel
ightmeals.

“Whathappenedtoday?Youl
ookqui
tehappi
er”Mr
s.Quang
giv
ingherwaterasked.

“Iknowthesack,thestuffwhichhadbeenpr ovidi
ngmewi th
myr esi
sti
ngquench”Madel inetell
sabouttheregardedholi
day
andwentonspi nningoutherdai l
yrout
ine,t
heyallthenhad
thei
rsupperandMadel i
net ell
i
ngaboutMi ss.Berr
a’spoolpart
y
wentupstair
stosleep,l
ockingt hedoorandensuringthesafet
y.

Chapt
er-
4 meet
ingwi
tht
het
hir
dlev
el
Madel
inewastenmi
nut
esaloneshi
ft
edaroundheras,i
thad
been1‘o’
cl
ockandt
hesl
eephadbeensteepedaway,f
rom her
eyes,pant ingtobest randedpanicinthatfur
iousanddr aggi
ng
ti
me, shenev erbeeninanexpel l
edf i
x.Whichevermaybet he
reasonofnotget ti
ngi ntoheavi
lybed?Madel i
ner estr
icted
herselffort heBerr
aMj ol
es,butnexttothethreshold,there
stoodMr s.Quangandsi dealongwasherpor kydear l
yt he
Chill
pee, roari
ngandgr owli
ngboth.Itseemswheney esgota
bumpt urnov eri
t,thatChill
peewashav ingsomeboomi ng
i
ssueswi thMadel i
ne.

ButMadel i
net oogaveitameanl ookast ojusthav eacharm
effectofr
eluctantwhip,t
henret
urningbackt oMr s.Quangshe
askedher“Is,somethingoutofmind,pesteri
ngy ouinside,
Mrs.
Quang?Madel inepatt
edMr s.Quang’sbonyandweakshoul der
,
i
twascl earl
ytherethatMrs.Quangwasi nsomet hingtensed
toneandwant edsomeonet ounfoldhersleevesofshov el
i
ke.

Mrs.Quangwasjerki
ngherheadas,consequentl
ystat
ingthe
eff
ectandbal
ancingthecont
rast
ingpoint
,shefurt
hermore
sai
d.

“
Howwasy ourdayatt
heof
fi
ce,
youreal
lyl
ookal
i
ttl
ebi
tti
red?
”
.Quangsai
dwithanempl
aci
ngcont
rast
.

“Mynewj obsdemandsmyext ensiveness,Ienjoyt

hechall
enge
i
toff erstomycr eati
vi
ty.“
Madelinerepli
edint hecour
ageous
att
itude.
“That ’
sreal
lyhuntingforyourmutuali
ty?”
Mr s.Quangsai
d.

Abandoningherwovencardiganthatshereall
yusedtobewor n
offdur
ingnight,
Mrs.Quanggotasnappedsneer i
ngfrom
i
nside“IneedyoutonotattendBerra’
spool par
ty,
”sai
dMr s.
Quangchoosingherwordscar ef
ull
y.Aceasedconv er
sati
on
nowbeganbet weenMadelineandMr s.Quangaki ndof
pret
endingint
onati
on,st
art
ed.

“
Andwhyshoul
dIdot
hat
?”Snarl
edMadel
i
neandsear
chi
ng
t
her
eint
heeyesofMr
s.Quang.
“Because,Iwantyoutodothat,andpleasedon’
tmakemeto
answery ourpul
l
ingquest
ion,asI’l
lnot.
”Mrs.Quanghadmade
herfi
nalresumet oMadel
ine.

“Well
,what
evermaybet hereason,
doesn’
twantt
oknowthem,
butsummated,odd!
”Madel i
neanswer
edwithacuri
ousj
erkas
shewantedtobri
efappetency.

“Okay,now, am goingtosl eep,seeyout omor r

ow”Mr s.Quang
saidinsuggest i
veway ,andt henshemov edawayal ongwi th
hernastierdogchillpee,whi chwasnowexchangi ngitslook
withMadel i
ne.
Madel i
newant edtoarguebackwi thMr s.Quangbutherwor ds
sankdownawayi nsomewher edeep, butthereli
esahoot ing
voice,t
hatwhatwast her easonbehi ndthis–hugeNo! !
perhapsitwasnotdr oopedov ertheeithersideofthisnight
shade,ev er
yt hi
ngintheskywassei zedbyt heirfi
xedposition,
thegoldenmoon, thoset winkli
ngstarsandt heblack-bl
uish
paintspreadingalloverthedespai rfl
oundering.

Madeli
nenowwentt obedcount ingherear ning-two, three,and
half
…fourwhatshehadbeenr eckoni ngal lrubbishdi dn’tmade
acountingandf i
nall
yaf t
ersomecompar ativecal cul
at i
onshe
esti
matedt hatitwasr oundof fsome-450dol lar
s.Av erybig
amountbyher self
,thenshel ieflatov erherbed, everyonecan
seehereandt hereallMadeline’scl ot
hes, hersocks, hisblazer
,
robesandhersecr etdiar
ywhi chhadbeenl ockedi nsidethe
woodenboxt ightl
yawayf r
om thosemi st
yey esofchi llpeeand
thesunmeeorzhu-bazi gthecathadbeenonherway ,what
wasittoMr s.Quangi fMadel i
nel ostthisdiar y?Whatdi dMr s.
Quanghav et odowi thknowi ngt hatMadel i
nehadmur dered
herownhi storyteacherMr s.Vist as?AsMr s.Quangwaswhat
shecall
edadaf tpossessi v
est rangerf orherandsheonl y
knowshert hroughGr eta’soldhi ghschool commonf riend,and
asfarasshewasconcer ned, hav ingagi r
linherhousebyt he
meansofapay i
ngguest .Mr s.Quanghadev enpadl ocked
Madel
ine’
sluxur
y,andhadi
nter
feredi
nhereat
ingcust
omsand
al
sotodwellwit
hthosewei
rdformsofcr
eatur
e.

Butt her ewast heonewhol i

stenheremot i
onsandf eeling
sinceherchi ldhoodwhenshewasoft welve,sheboughtone
unusual diaryf r
om gr andl i
lybookst oresandst ati
onaryand
hadn’ tev ent ellMiss.Gr i
anaboutt hatbecauseMi ss.Gr ian
ev eryt imegr ewsopar t
icularaboutanyt hingliket hi
s,soi twas
bet tert okeepi tfrom her .Shehadbeenscr i
bbledal lherdeeds
ev ent hemi schi efthatsheandLar ryusedt owithKer ryswat
andherpent agonsquad, sher emember swhenshehadmi xed
theconst ipationpi l
lsi ntheKer r
y’slunchhowamusi ngi twast o
seet heshowygi rlofwhol eschool everytimesi tti
ngint he
toiletandherf r
iendst oof i
ghtingf or,togoal ongconst ant
stomachache.Hemi ssedt hedarkwoodsj ustbehi ndthe
school campus, wheresheusedt ogoi ntherecesshour s.And
tocat cht hecat er pil
l
arwast rulyamazi ng, spotti
ngt hem t o
transf igur eintohugebut t
erfl
ywasr eal
lyfascinating.Andt hen
themostpopul arbanquetwhi chherpr incipalMr .HessCl i
nton
offer edi nt heSundayev e.

Alsotheschool ex
er tion,thatonewhi chleadst ov isiti
ngt he
greatlakeofcanoesandmuseum i nHanki nsonRi v erand
Newar kbayf rom thenonl yMadel inegrewv erymuchl ovefor
newYor kandnewj ersey.
Itwast hisdiarywhichhadbeennamedas“ Kitte
ry”byMadel i
ne
Thathadmadehersopar ticul
arlyunusual ,ev enforagr own-up
one.Thi sdiarywast heonl yhintofMadel i
ne’sv erymy steri
ous
l
ifeandpast .
Attheageoft welve,shehadbegunherj ourneyofanot herl
evel
withthisdiary,Madel inehadsomehowsur vivedt hrought hose
i
llexperiencesinthebar s,andt hegr eatestni ghtmar eofher
pastli
feal waysenci rcledhert hrought hebount iesofl i
ghtning
happeni ngsandnowt het i
mehadcameupf orfeart ospeakup,
whichhadbeenal way srefor t
if
iedt opast ’
sat tacks.And
Madel i
neescapedf rom t his.Backt obeingr ol l
edi nt o
somet hingelse,whichwaswal ki
ngt owar dher ,af er ociousbig
monst
er?

Withthepenshesatdowntothestudyt
abl
epl
acedj
ustnear
thearchwindowandbegantowri
te,
Wednesd
ay,
Abou
t,2‘o’
c
loc
k
Date
-19august201
6

DearKi t
te
ry,
How?Lo ngith adb e
ensince,Ih avebeenjot
tedd o
wns omethingo nyoubutit
i
sn ow,veryfart
hesttal
ko ftime,wh encameu ptoyou,asIh a vebeenmoved
fr
omb loo
ms hiretonewjerseya f
terrele
asingfromthe St .Ma rkussecur
e
ce
nterforinc
urablecri
minal ki
d stopursuemyh ighe
rs t
udiesofu niv
ersi
ty
fr
omh e
reonly
, I’
ms tay
ingwi thMr s.Qu angh i
ngchioneo ft
h eh i
ghs c
hool
fr
ie
n dofGr e
ta,butdoesn’
twa ntto!Sh ehadb ee
ns omekindo forthodox
t
hough t
swh oisparti
cul
arlybou ndedbyh er
selftoma i
nta
inh errelig
ionsand
cu
stoms,as hr
ivel
edo l
dlad ywithh ersomnifer
ousnorms,
Butitisherebett
er,Ih a
veb eentreati
ngr i
ghtbyMr s.Qu ang,conte
nd e
dthan
t
hoses o
mberba rs
,wh er
eo necann otreal
lyescape,
ap er
sonmu stb esetfr
ee,
andsh o
uldh a
veh isowns ol
vencyoflivinghisli
fe,t
h e
reish u
gep innacl
es
whichma kemewi ndingofffromt hesh u
d d
eringter
rorofp as
ta nditjust
ca
n’tbea v
oide
d ,t
h er
ewa ssomen ewsc omingfromthetel
ev i
si
ont hatsome
pi
lf
erersaretr
yingb ur
glarythroughth eHami l
tonto
wn ,ando t
h erwiseall
is
hoo
k edtoit
sorigi
n ,i
tsget
tinglatean dhadt osle
ep,mayb ethismo nt
hwi l
l
makemyf ortu
n etosounda l
mo stnorma l
…..
”
Yours,
Mad e

Madelinenowdi ssol
vedhersel
ffrant
ical
l
yt ocr
osstoher
bedroom,closedthedoorandt ur
nsthelightof
fthent
urnedt
o
col
lapsehersleepintodeeperone.

i
twashal fpastni
ghtsippingatlast,exhausted,whenMadel
ine
heardsomethingroari
ngout si
det hatarchwindow,she
savagel
yrunthroughit,t
omakei topen, andaft
eropeni
ngit
whatshesawwasr eal
lysizzli
ngtoone’ sear,shesaw
someonei nwi zar
dryr obes,sitt
ingupont helar gebesom, f
lyi
ng
overt heroofofMi ss.Ber r
aMj ol esandt hev i
ct i
m seemst o
enterherhousebyt heopenwi ndowonl y,i
twashar dtobel i
eve
thatthereliessomet hinglikemagi candwi zar dry,sher aised
herneckt oseewhatt hethingwasupt owi thMi ss.Ber ra
Mjoles,manyquest i
onswer erol li
ngi ntohermi ndi nsequence
fi
rstthingthatcameupi ntohermi ndwas.
“IsMi ssBer r
awasawi tch?”Second“ ifnotthan, whydi dthe
magi calcreatureenteredintoherhouse? ”Madel inewi shi fshe
couldseewhatwashappeni ngt heret hir
dandl astquest ion
was“ Isthiswast her easont hatMr s.Quangwasr estr
ictingher
nottogoi nthepool partyofMi ss.Ber raMj oles?”

Madel i
neact uall
ywant edt oknowwhatpoi nti
ngt hisi nci
dent
wasdoi ngtoher sel
f.Madel i
negetsoffherj acketandbumped
outoft hewi ndowl uckilythatwindowwasnotoft hatmuch
heightwhi chcanhur tMadel i
ne,butthenshet raveledi nt
he
shade, asshepassedt hr oughmanydoor sandwi ndowsopen
butMi ss.MJOLEShadal umpoff ardist
ancebutnotsof ar
thatshecoul dn’tsee, i
thadbeen5mi nutesand45seconds
sincethemagi calcreaturehadbeenf l
ewi ntoherhouse, top
viewofherhousewasv eryclosetothatofMi ss.Mj olesbutthe
mappi ngcausedhersweatr unni
ngf r
om herpi nkyf aceto
bottom ofherl egs.

Nowsheagai ncaughtt hegl impseofsomeanot herki ndof

aromacomi ngf rom insideofMj oles’
shouse.Shehadonl yjust
reachedt hetowerofherhouseandf rom thereonl yt he
creaturehadswepti n
Shet urnedherey esal l
ar oundi gnori
ngt heshineofmoonl i
ght
throughthebar sofMi ss.Mj oles‘swindow.Andsomeonewas
gogglingthrought hem wi t
hcov eredfacet ight
lyf i
ttedi nt
o
damaskandt hepoi ntedhatusual l
ythecommononewhi ch
hadbeencar r
iedbyt hewi tchesandwi zards,Madel inewas
tryi
ngt ocli
mbt hrought hattowerandwasal i
ttl
ebi tsuccessf ul
i
ndoi ngitasshehadcl imbedcat li
kethrought hewi ndow, i
n
theshadesoft het ower, nowshecanpeekt hr
ought hewi ndow.
“Hmm. .ther
eso,MissBerrawasn’tawar eofthis,Iwast
hinki
ng
herofknowingthisal
l,butwaswr ong,butthenwhyt hi
s
creat
urehasbeensupposedt ocomeher e?”Madel i
nemoved
backintotheshadowsoft hetoweritwasal lpaini
ng
every
wher eint
heshoulderbecauset hewayshewas
posit
ioni
ng,wasreall
ysomet hingnotenchant i
ngone.

Themagi calcreatureseemedt ohav edonewi t

hitsworkand
wasagai nreadytosetof fforhisjour neyandwhathehadbeen
carryi
ngsomegol dpiecesnotclear lybeseen,thenthe
crunchingsoundcamef rom insi
deasi fsomeonedoeswhent o
startthemotorcyclebykickingontoi tsgearandasmokymi st
formingdustycloudappear s,yesal sot hesmokyandpoll
uted
cloudswerecomi ngoutoft hewindow, andlat
erfewsecondsa
j
etl i
kemov ementoutoft hewi ndowwasseen, wit
hcreat
ure
fl
y i
ngawayi nhisbesom, cov er
edi ntowr appedrobes.

“What,didt
hesecreatureissupposedtodo?Ori
tissi
mplya
high-
techburgl
arpi
lferi
ngawaywi thoutmaki
ngari
ng,god
knows? ”Madel
inegibbered.

Madel i
nenowdescendeddownandaboutspl itofsecondshe
againheadedf orherhomewhi chwasnowhoi stedfrom thef
ar
sighti
ng,andnowt hisinci
dencedoesn’tl
ethertosl eepasit
hasbeen4’ o’cl
ockandt hewhol ethi
ngwasr evolv
ingaroundto
andf r
olikependulum againafterhal
fpastsevenint he
mor ni
ng,shewascal ledbyMr s.Quangshewasbusyi n
prepari
ngt hebreakf
astandt heanimalsweredecor ingthe
table.

“Howwasy ourni
ght?Sti
l
llookssl
eepy ”Mrs.Quangsaid.She
serv
edthebreakf
astforMadeli
ne,Chil
lpee,zhubazi
g,Bei
hai
,
sun-mee,
Sanzangandnintiatl
astforherselft
oo.

Todayinthebreakf
asthadbeenser
vedwasfr
eshsoy
mil
k,i
t
wastastyenoughtoeatli
kesoupwarminabi
gbowl,
wit
habig
spoonmount edbysweetcor ns.Andnextt oitwasthepork
bunsandsomeki ndofsandwi ches’andcheesebutt
ertoast
that’
sall
,butt henalsoMadelinehadgi venhermindwondering
thatwhatifthatcr eat
urewouldgr aspherandmadeherhi s
l
unchv ery!Terribl
eone,seei
ngMadel i
neupset

Mrs.Quangsai d“ thereliessomethinguncertai
n,what ’
sthe
mat t
erupt o?”
Nowi thappenedt hatinearlyhour
sofmor ni
ngThur sday,
beforeMrs.Quangwaspr epari
ngforthelunch,Madelinewent
noi
syaboutwhatshehadseeny esterday’
snight
, i
twasofa
pri
vatesecr ecy
, andMadel i
nereal
lyhadsomet hingtodowi t
h
thi
sspecifi
csuspense, ov erbl
ownwi t
htheshiel
dingofsecrets,
“Whydidy oust opmet onotat t
endt hepoolpart
y ?
”Madel i
ne
sai
dwi thviewofi nv est
igati
ng.

“Idon’
twanty
outogothere,
becauseBer
rahassomeissues
withmeandnothi
ng.
”Mrs.Quangsai
dandmeanwhil
ewas
cleani
ngt
hetabl
e.

“It
’sf
inewit
hme, butt
here’
stheotherthingwhichIwanty out
o
tel
l,y
ester
dayIsawsomet hi
ngweird,verymuchoft hat
somehowl i
keanill
usi
ontype,”Madel
inewasn’tsurethatshe
wouldbegetti
ngsomer esponsefr
om Mr s.Quang,asshe’s
putti
ngtheimpel
ledsi
tuati
oninherself.

I
fanymy
ster
ious,
somet
hingr
elat
edt
owi
tchcr
aft
?Ist
hatso?
’

“Howdidyouknowt hat,
didy outoosawt hesi mil
arone,”
Madeli
neyelled,shewasal mostlefti
nthef aint
ingcondi t
ion,i
t
waswiththegr eatestsurgingthatMrs.Quang, whohadbeen
outoft
het houghtwasabsol utewiththefact,andf orMadel i
ne
i
twaslikeanal arm arousingherforgetti
ngt onicallyshi
vered.
Shehadnev erbeenst uckt othatdashedmannerandi twas
real
l
ytheser i
ouscont actwi t
hMr s.Quangnotbel ievingon
whatshehadj usthear d.
Sheagainaskedher“woul
dyoureall
ysawamagi calcr
eat
ure
f
lyi
ngwithalargegear
edbesom overt
heroofofMiss.Ber
ra
Mjol
es?
”

Shehadbeensunkdownt oherfr
anticandponder i
nghear t
maybeshecoul dhav eseenthatnight’
sscene; shewasr eal
ly
surpri
sedwhatwasgoi ngon?Shewasst randedanddi dn’t
knowwhatt odowi t
ht hecomingarounddi f
ficult
iesinherl i
fe;
shehadgivenhersel
faboutninetyninepinches, simplymaki ng
hersel
fout
lawedfrom whatshehadseen.

“Are,
y oukiddi
ngwhyshoul dI ’
l
lbewat chi
ngthatall
nonsense,
I
dobel i
eveinwor knoti
nmy ths,theyarejustf
li
msyt hi
ngsto
fri
ghtennormal peopl
eandt hat’
sall?
”Mr s.Quanghadjust
fuddl
edt heMadel i
neabouty ester
day’
snightscene;shewas
j
ustfudgingwithMadel i
ne.

“So!What everyouhadsai dj
ust,wasabiglie,
seri
ouslyMr s.
Quangy ouwer ejustki
ddingtome? ”Madeli
newasf rownedby
thi
sdamnedf uddli
ng,thenMrs.Quangturnedforthetelevi
sion
andt hesamenewschannel hadbeenturnedon,thereitwas
breakingnewswi thheadingfl
ashi
ngagainandagai nont heT.V
screen.

“
Agai
nth
eburg
lar
sma
dethe
irwayt
oro
bbe
ry!
!”
Andt
here
por
te
rwasa
ppr
is
ing:

“No
wi thadb ee
nas e
ri
ali
zedwayo
floo
ti
ngt h
eallHamil
to
n’
shouse
s,
y
est
er
da yataround2‘o’
clo
ckatmi
dnig
ht,t
h e
rewasthedas
hin
gleap
tinthe
s
eve
nthv i
ct
im’shous
e,no
wi th
adbe
comethema t
te
rofgre
atco
ncer
nforth
e
s
afe
tyofcommo nci
ti
zen
,cop
sarede
ali
ngwiththe
irway,b
utnocl
ueshadbee
n
f
ound,
v i
ct
im’snameis–‘MissBerr
aMj oles.’
Cu
rren
tl
ywor
kingashe
adcl
er
ko nGibbspaperf actory ,
Mis
s
Be
rrali
ve
sal
oneint
hehou
seandha
dbee
nus
edt
oho
mei
nlat
eni
ght
s.
”
Nowt her eport
eront henewschannel turnedthei
rcamerasat
MissBer raMjoles,thereshewasatt hefocusofthecameras
andsomeoft henei ghbors’
encir
cli
nghert heywere-Mr
s.
Bratt
lehood, Mr.Dur f
y,Mr.AndMr s.Fl
am t onandmor eot
her
acquaintances.Thereshewassay i
ng,theexpressi
onsinher
facewer etell
i
ngt hatinhowmuchgr i
efandpai nshehadbeen
suff
ering.
ButMr s.Quangwasgoi ngtochangethechannel ,
andthen
Madelinesuddenl yrushedtowardhertof orbi
dher.

“Holdon!Don’
tchangeit
!!There’
ssomet
hingrel
atedt
olast
night
.”Madeli
ne‘
sdesperatel
ywasoutseeki
ngtheter
ms.

“
Okay
!Notchangi
ng,
butdon’
tbehy
per
,itr
eal
l
yscar
esme.
”

Thentheybothturnedforwatchingthenewsthatwas
di
splayi
ngonthetopoft hescreen,
Report
erswer
easki ngMi ssMjolest
ogivethem t
hedetai
l
ed
i
nformati
onoflastnight
’sstor
y,

Report
er:
“Ithadbeenreall
yanonassimil
atedpointofmatt
er,
andwearesy mpathet
ictowardyou,
MissMj ol
es!Wouldli
keto
havesomeconf r
ontat
ionregar
dingt
hisburgl
ary”

MissMjoles(wit
htearyeyes)
:“Ofcour
se,al
lthi
sisnotashal
f
wonderf
ul asyouthi
nk,Iwassleepi
nginmybedroom and
di
dn’tev
engetasi ngl
ebitofsignal
whatwasgoingtobe
happen”

Report
er:
“You’
requi
teri
ght
,andi
t’
snotquit
ebearabl
e,but
sorr
ytoaskwhatthi
ngshadbeenrobbedf
rom y
ourhouse?”

MissMj
oles:“
Myj ewel
s,mymoneyand,
and……(
Cri
es)my
ex
pensi
vedresses,”

Repor
ter
:“Oh!That’
stoodrear
y;t
ell
ussomet
hingl
i
ke,
li
ke
whenyougottoknowt hi
s?”
Mi ssMj oles:“whenIwokeupat6: 00‘ o’clockatmor ni
ng,I
foundmychestofdoor sopened, myEl mi r
awasopened, my
clotheswer escat t
eredonthef l
oor , ev
enmyf avori
tebrimmed
hatwascockeddownt othebedpost ,seeingallt
hesemessy
atmospher eIhadconf r
ontedwi tht hebr i
skimpatience,I
i
mmedi atelyranforcall
ingthepol icebutt henIcamet onot
ice
thatmyt ower ingwindowwaswi delyopened, butasknownt o
myascer t
ain,Ialwayskeptitclose, butitwasopenedt oday
’s
mor ning,andt ur
ningoveritIfeltthatmaybei twasthe
passageoft hief
’shunti
ng”.

Miss.Mjol
eshaduncannysimpli
cit
yinhertonei
tseemedt hat
,
whichev
ermaybethereasonofburglar
ybutitwasn’
taboutthe
moneyorsomethi
nglikepreci
ousstones.

“Mr s.QuangIt oldy oual r

eadythatt here’
sbeenr obatMi ss.
Ber ra’
shouse, buty oucal l
editaj abber,If
eart hatmaybewe‘ re
thenextt arget,becauser obberyhadbeenpl annedi nt he
sequence, l
ook!fir
str obberytookpl aceatsev enl anesaway
from ourhouse, atMr .Jackson’shouseandt her easonwas
unknown, secondlyi ttookplacedatsi xlanesawayatMr s.
Ar got’shouseagai nr easonwasbl ankthenatf if
thl ane-Mr.And
Mr s.Mor risatt hetimeofbur gl
aryt hei
ronlychi l
dPer cywas
thereatt hehome, fourthlaneawayMr .wimblesandt hent hi
rd
l
aneMr s.Gabr iel
,thensecondl aneMr s.Margeandnownear by
athouseofMi ss.Ber raMjoles……. andthenourhomecomesat
eight hno.Mr s.QuangHi ngChi.”

NowMr s.QuangAl sosomehowgoti nt

otroubl
e,andthenshe
reall
ythoughtthatthewholesubjectisachanneloft
angled
ri
ddles,ari
ddlethatwalkedacrossthearea,i
twouldber eal
l
y
effecti
fno-oneisheari
ngwhatdi dy ouwanttosayandwoul d
bedenset hanev er
!

“Ihavesomei
deas,r
egardi
ngourownsaf et
y,andall
elusi
ve
areli
ablet
oasortt
hings”Mrs.Quangasser
ted.Shehadbeen
depl
oyi
ngsomei
deasi
nthef
orm ofone’
ssubst
it
ute.

“It
’snotthatmuchofsimplepl
aytobewor kon!Weneedtodo
somesmar tpl
ays”Madeli
nesai
d.Subsequentl
ysheknows
thatthepanti
ngsuffer
ingi
smuchgr eat
erthanthel
yi
ng
stresses.

“Justt
her easonabl
e,per
iodfort
hosehouse-br
eakers,
tost
ock
something,butdon’
ttheyknowthatther
e’ssomeonetoget
them t
rappedi n”Mr
s.Quangsaid,t
akingnodenial
.

“Truel
ikewise”Madeli
neremarked,andt
henglancedaboutthe
window,whi chshowsthegoldgli
tt
eri
ngofsun’sr
ayand
sparkl
i
ngt hroughthecanopi
esofthelar
gepinewoodtrees.

Her eintheHami l
t on‘ sout ski rtli
est hegr oupingofr owedt r
ees
ofpi nest oopingt her est r
aini ngawayf r
om t hedi sper sed
crowdsofpeopl eoft heVanVor stpark, Atlast,atqui tewell
voicingt hesuggest i
ont hatt her esomeshoul dbel i
kesel f
defense-andt heygotal ltheneedr equirementassaul t
edfor,
thiswast heev eningt hatcoul dhav ebeenchosenf ort he
Bur glar
ybyt het hiev es, shegl azedov ertheal ltamedt heywer e
seemedt obeonhi ghal ert!!Af terlist
eningt hatt herecoul dbe
eightiethbr eak-inint heirownhouseonl y ,
theyst arted
prepar i
ngt hemsel vesChi ll-peenowbegant owor konhi shigh
–pi tchbar king, andwaspr act icinghi ssomer saultsov erthe
cushi on,buthehadnoi deast hatt hiswi l
lletthecushi ontobe
torei nt
of eather ypi ecesl oomi ngal lovert hehouse, whereas
thesl owphaset urtlexi ou-ni ng,waswr appedi nsidehi sshell,
hewasv erylazy ,ver ymucht hatev enifitwoul dbeadoom day
hewoul dl i
elikewi seonl y,

“It
’snor
mallyatransi
tbutpreci
semomentf orme,itjustgi
ve
some, l
i
ttl
ebitofadventur
ingexper
iencestome, withy ouand
thosesevencattl
earm our”Mrs.Quanghadal r
eadygi vena
quitel
otofexpressi
onsandnowherl it
tleshaggyfacewas
l
ighteni
ngup,
Wher easthetabbycat‘ Sanzang’ waseat i
ngt hegri
l
ledsalmon
withsomeanot herkindofjoy,smackinghermout h,atasev er
al
ti
mesandsi ppingi tsgravywit
hherl it
tlefussyclawsleaking
out,Madeli
ner eallywantedtof encedupt hehouseand
disengageditawayf r
om anythievery,butshecameupt ot he
restofthefamilymember ’sgr
oupedment ionandpr esenceof
theiri
mportance, asonecannotbet hesailorofahugeshi pin
thestrongwav es, t
herealsoneedsomecr ewmenalongwi t
h
yourownbr avery.

“Weldingtogetherforthet
oughesttask,madeiteasierworkt
o
acton!!”said,
Mr s.Quang,dr
if
tinghershoulder
sandput t
ingt
he
karat
echai nsont hetabl
e,whichwast henagainl
i
ftedupby
chi
ll-
pee,withthehelpofhisfixedj
aws.

“Webbybutcredi
blywear eenforci
ngour sel
vesfort
hesafet
y
oft
hishouse”Madelinesai
dint hedir
ecti
v emannerandri
ghtl
y
pat
tedchi
ll
-peebut
, atsametimealsof earedfr
om hi
stugged
j
aws.

“Pardonme.Idofindthatchi
ll
-peedoesn’twanttobeafri
end
ofmi ne”Shewantedt
ocont i
nuehert al
kbutwasmeanwhi l
e
stoppedbythegrowli
ngofchi l
l
-pee,whichwashear-
thi
ngwith
l
oudsoundatt hesamet i
me, spott
ingintobl
ockednarr
ows.

“
Now,
seeMr
s.Quangt
hisone-
her
e.”

Shepoi ntedherf inger stowardchi l

l-
peeandmov edherey es
towar dMr s.Quang, thewi l
dernessdogshet houghtqui ckly.
“Italldi
dhappenst ot heirownf eel
ing,Madel i
neandIcan’ thel
p
youont hi
smat ter,chill
-peeisoneofmyf avori
tekid,because
heshowsi nt
ensi t
yt owar dme, hehadanat ureli
keacoconut
stif
fandr igidfrom t heout si
deandki ndandsof tyfrom inside”
Shet henpat tedMadel i
newi t
haki ndofhar mony ,hecan’ tbe
renov at
edal thoughhei sapropert r
aineddog, butany waywe
alltogethercompr isest hebestf amil
iesinthewor l
d.I
nspi teof
theseper
sonal
disputes,
notdi
sput
es,
butal
i
ttl
efl
i
cker
ingmay
beseemedinfrontofus.
”

Italr
eadyhadbeent heapathyev eningasl i
ket henormalone,
splashi
ngl i
kethebr andyoutoft heglass, Mrs.Quanghadbeen
prepari
ngf ort
hedinner ,
sanzang, nint
i,Zhou-bazigandof
coursethechill–peewer ehav i
ngt hepract i
ceofsomewhat
mar t
ial
-art
s,Madelineseemedt obebor ednowf rom thi
sall
tantr
um, shedoeswantt oelopeany wher e,i
nlimitedperi
odall
herexcitementhavebeenbur denedupt oher.

“
Mrs.Quangbutonethi
ngi
ssti
ll
grumblingmeinsi
de,
”
Madel
inesai
d.Thethi
ngwascer
tai
nlysaunt
eri
nginhermi
nd.

Andholdthepi l
l
owt hatwaslyi
ngonthebungeesof a,nowMr s.
Quangwasr eadingt
hef amousnewspaper,
“TheNewJer sey,
ti
mes”butthenwasmov edbythedoubtofMadeline,nowwhat
thatAmer
icangirlwantasanswersnori
nginalowt unicvoice
shecameupwi t
hansi mple“
What?”
,andagainignoringthe
Madeli
ne’
snextquest i
ongetinsi
decurt
lyi
ntonewspaper .

“
Iwanttohav
esomeserioustal
kwithyouifyoudon’
tmind,
I
wantt
oaskonethi
ng”Madeli
nesaid,wit
hagoodt hr
ashi
ngoff
t
hepil
low,
shewastaki
ngtheloadoftimes.

“Ist
il
ldon’
tmeany ourvoi
ce,
what’supto;
justmakeitcl
earat
once”Mrs.Quangagainengr
ossedhersel
finreadi
ngthe
newspaper,
yesthatone‘Newjer
seyti
mes’.

“Ifyoupleaset
ellmet hatwhydidyoustoppedmet ogoing
thereatthepoolparty?”
Madelineagainapprovedherprevi
ous
quest i
on,maki
ngnodi ffer
enceinit
spurity
,
“Ithadbeendiscussedearli
erandagainanswer i
ngthesame
quest i
oniscompletel
ypointl
ess,i
sn’ti
t?”Mrs.Quangwas
depr i
vi
ngandalsost r
ayingoutoftheanswer i
ng.

“
Buti
t’
sact
ual
l
ytakesmewi
thwhatIcan’
tresi
stupon,
Iknow
i
tisnotsot r
ustwort
hytocrossov erami dterm strangerwho
avail
syourhome,butMr s.Quangnowt hismat t
ercor relates
withmyowni nter
estIreal
lywanty outot ellmet hatuntol dpart
,
andIsworet ogodthatitwouldcompl etelybeconf idential
amongy ouandmeev enGretawoul dalsobeget ti
ngnopar tof
i
t,
”Madel i
newasqui t
ehav i
nganemot ionalsuppr essionov er
Mrs.Quang.

“Neednottobeahypocri
te,butasyouhadbeencameupwit
h
akindofgener
ousapproachIwouldli
ketotel
lyou,
”Mrs.
Quangnolongerwasabletorestr
aint
heinv
adingmoti
onsof
Madeli
ne.

Madel i
newasrel
iev
edasshehadt hetr
uckthatshewanted
andal t
houghMrs.Quangalsocoul
dn’
tgetr
idofnagging
suspici
on,andnowshewasgoi ngtohav
ear eveal
edpartof
herhiddensecr
etwhichti
edaknotbetweenherandBerra
mjoles.

“Itwasal lstar t
edwhenIal ongshenshi wer enewt ot hiscity,
thet imeswer ehar drunni ngandshenshi washav inga
struggl i
ngv isageatt hatt ime, maybeatt hattimeeconomi cal
depr essi onhadbeenbl owi ngupal ltheamat eurawayf r
om
get ti
nganest ablishedl ivings, sheshi beingangener al
pract it
ioneral way sremai nsathomeorel sewher ewander ing
forpar tt imej ob, Icouldhearonl ythear rogantv oiceswhi ch
shenshi oftencastuponme, Iwasst ucki nanawf ull
yposi ti
on
andt herewasal ldepr essi ngi ntimationwasf oll
owedt hrough
ev erysingl edaywecameupwi thsomear gument sordi sput es
thatl edt oanenv iousint ent ions,itwasal laroundmessy
atmospher eoradar kt hi
ckenedf ogwhi chwassur roundingmy
newl ymar r
iedlife, atthatt imeBer r
awast heonlynear estkin
nei ghborofmi ne, sheal way shol dof ft hesni ffedsituat i
onand
hadl ostherhusbandsi ncet hr eemont hsbef oreofourcomi ng,
whenev ershenshi cameov ert omeasadr unkenheusedt o
beatmeorev enassaul tedmewi thabusi ngwor dsandwas
onl ycont rolledbyBer r
a, shewasanuncensor edbutahal fti
me
magici
anpr act
ici
ngitasahobbysheusedt ohav esomeofher
mnemoni csovermyhusbandandt her
eforeal soIcouldget
somer eli
evedandsomehowi twasamoment ari
lysmoot h
sail
i
ngf ormylif
eIwasagr eatl
yindebtedwi ththecour seof
herhel
p, dayaft
erdayshenshi hadanimpr ovedqual i
tyof
behavi
orandIwascompl etelyunabletoint
er pretthatwasit
theeff
ectofBer r
a’sunt
rainedmagi corany thingelse,whatev
er
i
twasbuti tgiv
emesomer eli
ef,”

“
Thenwhydidyoubr
okenyourr
elat
ionwi
thBer
ra?
”Madel
i
ne
wasunabl
etoexami
nethr
ough.

“BecauseonedaywhenIwasoutofhome, Icaughtmy
husbandwithBerrainthemar kettheywer ehav ingasecr et
dati
ng,oranext r
a-marti
alaffair,shewasahomebr okerwho
brokemyt r
ust
,whohadbet ray edmyf riendshipshehadbeen
l
iedmeatadi stantrel
ati
on, butIr emainedt hisfactasa
unknownandkeephav i
ngr elationwit
hBer r
a, sheoneday
i
nv i
tedmetoherhomeatt hatt imeshenshi wasoutoft hecit
y,
duet ohi
snewlypatentjob,”pitytookont hefaceofMr s.
Quanghertonewasandi sappr ovedkind.

“I
twasar oarofdar khappening, bl
oodwasmount edov ert
he
spell
sofBerrashehadsomet hingscreamingi
deasoran
executi
veplanf ormetof i
nishmeof f,
andshewelcomedmei n
herhouse,wasi nsi
deaf orti
fi
edcar vi
ngsofdemonic
charact
ersallterr
if
iedbutonusual daysofmeeti
nginher
housetherewasnosuchki ndofpi ctureswast
hereIhad
vi
sit
edBer r
a’shousesev eralti
mesbutatt hist
imeithadan
odorofsomet hingfoul
”Madel inewascompl et
elystunned.

“
Wantsomeli
quor,
Quang”Ber
raturnedtowar
dmewhi
l
eshe
wasal
sopr
epari
ngsomethi
ngforfeast
.

“
Ther
e’snoneedof
,it
’sal
lri
ghther
e”Isai
d.

“
Weat
heri
scl
umsyt
obepr
edi
cted,
isn’
tit
’’
Ber
ranowcame
closertome,tr
yingtoevokemysneer ingexpr
essions.
“Notallti
mes,butsomet i
mesitdoes,”Ianswer ed.
Berraknew,somehow, shehadi denti
fiedmytreatmentbutwas
pulledbackt
ohav esomemor etalks,shewasf ini
shedwit
hher
feastandhadleftforhertosneakapi eofAustrali
anbacon,

“Wannaabiteofit
,it
’sr
eall
yplacedt
ohav
esomeedi
bledev
our
”
shepret
endeditawayfrom me,

“Ihadplannedt oopenay ogacenterforhav i

ngsomeear nings,
i
sn’ti
twoul dbebet terforasmal lstar
tupBerrawhatdidy ou
sayabouti t
,Ifeltpart
icularl
yshov eli
ngt ohavesomemor e
gossips,buthalfwayIal sogl ancedatt hecryst
albal
lthathad
beenplacedj ustbelowt hephot ographofNost r
adamusont he
topofthepai nteddesk.”

“Youwouldber eal
lyj
oking.Idon’
tappr
oveitbecauseit’
san
oddkindoffashionwhichnobodywanther etopursue,Iwould
suggestyoutohav ey
ourownChi nesestal
lsneartheroadside
tramps,i
treal
l
ysmel l
sgood’ ’
Berr
awast ry
ingtomakingf unof
meshewasgl oati
nganyway ,

“Whatdi dy ouwantt osaymet hatam Iv endorwhohadcame

heref orselli
nghert r
adi
tional
foodsandcust omsy ouare
hi
ghlymi staken,butpar
donmewhet herIwoul dbedyi
ngfora
watert oseept henalsoIwouldn’tsel
lmycust omsandnor ms,
buty ouknowi tverywel
lonhowt opurchasesomebody’s
husbandi sn’
tit?
”Iwasoutofmyt emper edandshehad
i
nstigatedmet oactont hisway.

“Whatdidy ouwantt otellme,thatIhadt akenyourhusband

awayf r
om y ou,oh?Soy ouhadbeenf amili
arwithmyl ovewit
h
yourhusband, t
henwhat ’sthemat tershenshi wasalr
eady
eagertohav eabr eakupwi thyouandhadal sofil
edforan
advanceddi vor
ceher ei
nt henewYor kcourtandy ouwil
lbe
getti
ngit,
innextt wothreedays, andalsoIwoul dli
ketotel
lyou
thatwe‘r
eget ti
ngt obepreparedf orhavi
ngababy ,myand
shenshi’
schild,anditwoul
dbebetterforyoutoacceptt
his
rel
ati
onshipasearlyasyoucan,
”Ber
r ahadclashedasetof
thunder
clapwordsonme, Iwastot
allytakenaback.

“What ?Nonsensey ouaretalki

ngabouty ouarepr egnant,how
couldy oudot hattome, youbitch,youhadt akeni tallwhatI
hadf ormet obemi ne,youhadf all
eny ourselftothatmuchof
l
owst andard,Iknowt hatshenshi doesn’tli
kemeatal lhe
wantedmet oleaveawayf r
om hi sli
fe,butIwasf ool t
ohav e
him onlyasahusband, butletmecl eary ouonet hingit
wouldn’tbesosmoot hforyouandt hatloosershenshi t
ohav e
yourway ,thefakeoneal way sgetrottedawayi nt hecoarseof
ti
meI ’ll
bemeet i
ngy ouatthecour t
,”Iwast urnedupt hrough.

Timeswer eofgr eatelapsed,andaf t

ersev eralenquir
iesand
quarr
elint hecour tIandshenshi werefinallydivor
cedandi n
thesakeofpr opertyIwasowedbyt hi
ssi nglehouse, f
ir
stl
y
shenshi woul dcamet othishousegi vi
ngmymont hlymoney
asdecidedbycour tthenImy selfdiscardedhi smoneyandnow
Ibyselfisr unningt hi
shouse, shenshi didgetaper manentjob
i
nAust ral
ia, andafterfewmont hsofr elationshipBerraand
shenshi endedwi t
hadi sgrace,nowshenshi l
ivesinAustral
i
a
worki
ngasv eteri
nianandweal lthreenowhadadepar t
edway .

Madelinewasabouttoaskforthatunbornchil
dofMiss.Berr
a
butshewasgivenansweredthati
twasbor nbutdiedaf
terhalf
anhour,i
twasakindoftragi
clovestorybutther
edoesn’t
seemedanythi
ngli
kelove,i
twasallapour edofil
l–fateaft
er
al
l.

Mr s.Quanghadmov edonherlif
e, andnowshewor kedasa
passionatey ogatrai
nerallsheenjoyedherselfwast he
companyoft hosecr eat
uresandpr obablyMadeline.Theybot h
wer ehappierwhent heyspentti
meal ongtogether,although
therewerer egularhaphazardofwor kingsbuttomakei tswif
t,
theyhadsomeshoppi ng’
sinwhicht heChinesear t
ifactswere
thecommont hi
ngs,andsomet imesMadel i
neusedt obuythe
st
allf
oodswhichwasal
way
sabol
i
shedbyMr
s.Quang,
but
l
ateronshepermi
tt
edit
.

Madeli
ne‘spactwiththeteeblowtimbercompanywasgoingto
overasherdatesofgetti
ngadmi ssi
oninthecol
legewere
nearer
,shehadearnedint hosefi
vemonthsabout800dollar
s
havi
ngal l
bonusandt i
psshehadpl antodeposi
tallt
hese
moneyi ntheGret
a’saccount,i
twill
beri
ghtenough.

Afteral
l,i
twasli
kethemi stbehindt heexi
sti
ngrain,
notever
y
one’scupofteatoearnsuchamountofmoney ,everywor
k
needadesi r
abl
eamountofl aborwi thsli
ghtki
ndofpositi
oned
i
none’ sbossgoodbooks, sothaty ouarequali
fi
edforbei
nga
tr
anspicuousworker,
itwasasor tofthemetall
icmindwit
hMr .
fr
ankasmansar ev erycl
umsyandMr .fr
ankwasadawnof
winter.

Madel i
nenowcameupwi t
ht heul
timat
um asshet houghtt o
l
ivebyher selfalonei nar entedhouseafterget t
ingadmi ssion
i
nt hecol l
ege,itwasnotgoodenought ohur dledany onef or
shelt
er ,
asunzi ppi ngther aincoatMadeli
neconf ront edto
herselfshewasr emor seoutt hewaywhi chwasst ompi ngher
al
mosti ntherev ersedi recti
on,outsi
dethewi ndowi twas
heavydownpour ,shatteringawaywi tht
het hunder stormsand
blast
ingawayt hepar kinglotspackedwithcar sandot her
tr
anspor tvehicles, t
herewer eno.ofpedestri
anst ucki nt hemid
ofthewat eryroads.

ButMadeli
neandMr s.Quangt ookasi ghofr eli
efast heywer e
i
n,aft
erdoi
ngl otsofshoppi ng’sandpur chasi
ng.Af terl
eav i
ng
thej
obofanaccount ant,i
thadbecomeadai l
yr outi
nef or
Madeli
ne,t
ogot osomewei rdChi neseshopsev eryThur sday
andtobuythatst uf
f; shecouldn’tevenconcent rateont he
upcomingresultofherappl i
cationstot hecollege.Ittur
nedout
tobeabrakelesst r
uckwi thfail
edengi ne,

“
Didt
hebur
glar
swer
esnappedatj
ail
,af
terbr
eaki
ngi
nto
Berr
a’shouse?
”Madelinewast
ryi
ngt
osounddi
ff
erentf
rom
theongoi
ngprospect
.

“No,t
heyareal
waysroami
ngli
kestr
eetdogst
ohav
eabi
teof
ever
yone’
sbutt
,”Mr
s.Quang’
serupt
ed.

“It
hinkBerrahersel
fhadaccounti
ngal
ltheserobber
iesf
orher
str
angeintent
ions.”
Madel
inereport
edf
orhav i
ngabsolut
e
sil
enceoverthedrawingr
oom.

“Never
theless,shecan’
tdothis,asshei
sr eal
l
yweal thierfor
hersel
fthatshewoul dhaveprobedsomecool ideas,there’
sa
manhi mself”Mrs.Quanghadwal kedar
oundsomeper sonal
i
ssueswi t
hMi ssBerra,butt
henalsoshesuppor tedher
becauseonceshehadbeenhercl osedf
riend.

TVwasswi t
chedonagai nforsomenewsupdat esandi twas
fl
ashingt hatburglarident
ityhadbeenreveal
edasswoopy
Daudethehadbeenat rai
nedskill
edthi
effor10years,
hewas
pal
e, t
iredandsmi rksaroundhehaddoneonemur der,andwas
i
njailforf i
veyears, hehadappeali
ngeyessomet hi
ngcr i
minal
sett
ledi nhisanatomy ,
veryclev
erandblond.

“See,ItoldyouthatBerracan’tdoitasshehersel
fhad
adequat eamountofmoneyt hatcouldser
vedherlif
elong,but
nooneknowst hethingthatshedidn’tpai
dtheincomet ax.
”
Mr s.Quangnowwasv er
yconf i
dentamongherv i
ews;shehad
predict
edt hetr
uethings.

“Itseemedl ike,thi
sthughadmadehi swaybutwon’tbe
escapabl eashehadl eav
edourhouseandhadattackedBer
ra’
s
house. ”
“Alsoherpool part
yhadbeendecli
nedduetothi
sr obber
y
thereforetherenochanceofy ourr
egret
ti
ng,behappy”Mrs.
Quanghadacr ookedsmi l
eonherface.

“
Truesai
d,nowIshoul
dbef
ocusedonmysubj
ect
stochoose,
i
t’
smor eimpor
tantthananyt
hingthatl
i
esaround”
“Whatyouhaddecidedthen?”
Mrs.Quangwasdeli
ber
atet
o
havetheMadel
ine’
sopinion.

“MaybeIwouldlookf
urt
herf
ormat hemati
cs,
becauseIam t
o
poorf
orother,
soitwon’
tbebenef
icial
formetoconsi
dert
hat
muchhard.”

Madeli
nehadsomeper specti
verel
atedtoherchoice,shedid
notwantedany onetobebot herforher
,andalsoshel eaned
for
wardtot el
lMr s.Quangthatshewouldnowwant edtobeher
ownresident,
notany mor edependentuponherkindness.

Butt herewasadi lemmal yi

ngov erherf ace,itwasv er
ymuch
diff
iculttohav ethesetbackofone’ smi nd,i
fsomebodyknows
thatshewasat otallyfreshNewYor k‘sciti
zen,itwasallt
here
deli
ciousf oods,banquethal lful
lofinterest,andofthemost
popul ar,thecreaturesroami ngher eandt heretreat
ingherli
ke
anexpl osi vewhichcoul dhav eit
sef fect
, anyti
me.Asamat t
er
offact ,shewasl eadi ngsixt
yper centofwor kinghappiness
withf ortypercentofmi sleadingencr oachment .

Eversi nceMadelinehadv erycl

earthoughtaboutr esi
dingaway
al
lal onenearhercor nersofsmallworld,shedecidedt ohave
somet alk–ami ssingconstantpassaget okeepitawayf rom
al
lt her estpeopl
e.Forsomemomenti tmightgoof f,
vari
ed
fr
om per sontopersonfeeli
ngs.
Aftertaki ngl
otsoftimet obepreparedment al
lyandphy si
call
y,
shecl earedherthroattospeak.

“Mrs.Quang, t
here’
sthef orgott
enthings,thatImustwanty ou
tohavei ny ourconcer
n, Ineverwentt hr
oughanypr oblems
whil
er esidinghere,i
t’
swel lenoughf ort
hest rangerli
kemet o
haveplent yful
lofstomachandaf ourbedpostt ohav ea
completesl eepandalsoy ourpetanimalbeingmyf ri
ends
(whil
eitwasnoti ntheli
neoft heacknowl edgementt oMr s.
Quangast heywer eonlythepest er
ingthrones,butfort hesake
ofhumani
ty.
)–Madel
i
newasi
nconv
eni
entf
orspeaki
ngt
his.

“DoImakey ouf eltanyt ypeofi nconveni ences, Madel i

ne? ”Mr s.
Quangt r
iedt oar guebackbutherwor dswer emeanwhi lesunk
i
nt hef urt
hersay ingsofMadel i
ne.
“Nothingoft hatt ype, I–Ijustwant edt ot hanky ouf ory ourcare
andendor sedwor kofmaki ngmecomf ortable,but,Mr s.Quang
Iwast hinkingt ohav emyownhome, al sobecausemycol lege
i
sf arawayf rom y ourhouse, aboutt went yei ghtkilomet ers,so
i
twoul dt akel otsoft imet or eacht here, soi twouldbebet ter
formet olookf oranyot hernear esthouse, andIhadt alked
aboutt histoGr etaandshehadagr eedt omyopi nion,andonce
againt hanky ouf ory ourarrangement s. ”
“Do,itwoul dpl easedy outol iv
ei nanyot herhouse, i
fy ouar e
okaywi t
hy ouropi nion, thenIhav enopr oblem butt hinkabout
i
toncemor e, t
akey ourt ime, becausei t’
sonl ytwomont hsy ou
havebeenher e”.Mr s.Quangwassounusual forherreason,
butwasf reedbyMadel i
nefrom herownl ockedmi ndandwas
préci
sedt hroughherhedge.Pr etendingshewasf ineenough
butalsowasdeepl ydr oppeddowni nt hegl oomi nessofherl i
fe.
CHAPTER5-
DAGGERFORTHE
PAST
Madel i
newentdownt ol i
vei noneoft hecommer ci
alrowhouse,
anecl ecticarrayofni neteenthcent uryarchit
ectural
.Itwasi n
theBer gensquar e,southern-westernpar tofjournalsquare
distri
ctatt heintersecti
onofBer genAv enueandAcademy
Street.Whi chisconsi deredt obet heol desttownoft heNew
Jersey ;t
hest atueofSt uy vesantwasherf ir
stguestofhonor
whor eceivedheratt hesquar e.Shewasaccept edint hemost
popul arcollegetheHudsonCount yschool oftechnology
l
ocat edi nthenor thBer gen,itwast hef i
rstti
mewhent hereshe
woul dbemeet i
ngt hepeopl e,notactual l
ythepeoplebutan
orderedr owofet iquett
es, al
way sdimmedonasequenceof
periphery,thatmi ghtwoul dbeanuneasy ,
restr
ainsituati
onf or
herlikewhenf ir
stt i
meshehadbeenencount eredwi ththose
creaturesatMr s.Quang’ shouse, allaroundwassheher self
,
thehousehadwel
lenoughspacef
orher
,aspacet
hatr
espect
heri
nsist
ency.

Shewant edmor ethananythingandt hatwasherownspace,

shehadbeenal waysfoll
owedbyherpast ,shewasnotgoingto
compl etel
yblameherpast ,notbecauseshehadbeenl ess
fr
iendlyalsonotfortheinci
dentt hathaddepriv
edawayallher
naturalbehavior
,shewasatami dstofthecenterofat
tenti
on,
notforanobl ecause,butforandev ilt
ermsbeingamur derer
,
whichal waysputherunderletcomment swhichwereobsessed
withthebar softhecell
,neglect
ingone’sdignit
y.

Itseemedthatmaybei fshewoul dbeforgi

venbytheother s
butdidgodwi l
lforgiveher?Shealwaysdreamedofthatt ensed
nightmarenearl
yev erynight,
butshealwaysendedupat
confusedconfession,andmi ght
,itwoul
dbesomet hing
unwindingpath,everysingleper
sonsuggestedhertoforgetall
thatnonsense,buttobeensur edshecan’t.

Suddenl yhercellphonerang,it
stuningloweredheremoti
ons,
andt hereitwaswr it
tenont hescr
een, “
Gret
a”“oh!Suchalong
periodofmeet ing,howar eyouGreta,Ial
waysr ememberyour
blessings,yourempat hi
call
ylovewouldneverbesuppressed,
tomet hewaywasgoody a,ya!
”

Ont heothersi
deofthecel
ltherewasavoi
cecr
eepi
ngforher
response“Are!Youokayt
here,anyki
ndofpr
obl
em r
egardi
ng,
housing?”

“No!there’
snot hi
ng, Istoppedonmywayt ofearandam
compl etel
yfi
ttedintot hisnewhouse,i
tconsistoftwor oom,
onekitchenandsmal l
hal l
andalsoatt
achedbathroom and
toi
let
,it’
sperfect,oneki ndladyMrs.Wall
achhadl entmet hi
s
onlyin260dol lar
s,andonaski ngwhydidshelower eddown
thepricesshesai dthatshei sawidowwi t
hnochi ldand
wantedaper fecttenantf orherancest
ors’houseandshet hi
nk
thatIam perfect!
”.
 Thevoi
ceonthephonenowseemedtobequi
terel
axed,i
t
wasasthatMi
ss.Gr
ianhaddashest
other
oundrugbutthen,
r
emaini
ngquit
eforamoment,

shesays,“
unless,
wasIt hi
nki
ng,it
’sgoodtoseeyouthaty
ou
arehavi
nggoodt i
mes,Iwashav i
ngfear,t
hathowwouldyou
betaki
ngcare,ofyourself
,wi
thoutanyonether
etosuppor
t
you?”

Thecel lphonewaskeptdown, af
terafewmomentoftalks,
andMadel i
newenttobed,thereweremanyswi ngi
ngt
hrough
herli
fe,thepeoplehadwalkedupt hroughherl
i
feinapeculi
ar,
spectacularfor
m.Otherwi
se, shedeformedwit
hini
nahigh
branchesofwonder f
ul.

Nextdaywasawar mt hmor ning,sosunnyandbr i

ght,t
het rees
outsidethel argewindowoft heMadel ine’ sroom lefti
nt he
corner,wasi nv i
ti
ngheront hiscool mor ningbyt ri
ckli
ngi t
s
small l
eafyshoul derintoMadel ine’sear, andt hi
swakest he
Madel i
ne, whowasr oll
edintot hebedl ikeal ion’ssmall cub
si
nkingdeepi ntothepal ecolornightrobes, taki
ngabouthal f
cm yawni ngshest r
etchesherbodyandhands, andgav ejerkto
herselfandsl owlyli
ftedherbody ,shewav esherhandi nwest
di
rect i
ons,lookingstrangelyintot hetree.

“Soitwasyouwhowokemef r
om mydr
eamysleep,t
oobad
butactual
l
yitpr
ovengoodt
omeasIam lat
eforthecol
l
ege
(shecri
es)”
.

Madel i
netookabathactual
lyintherushi
ngmanner,l
ikeshe
alwaysdoinherschoolt
ime,shehadnot imeforhav
ing
breakf
astasshecouldn’
tprepareitsoear
ly,
nowshehast obe
therewher
esheseemedandl ongedtobe.

Shener
vouslyfol
lowedthepubl
i
ctransportt
herunni
ngbus
fr
om j
ournal
transport
ati
oncent
re,
andf i
nall
yshegotsuccess
i
ncat chingthebus, therewasabr ill
iantmumbl ingout si
det he
cit
yandbuswast urningandsl oppi ngt hrought hel arge
packetsoft heroads, shetipsthemor ky’
ssweetsy rupdr i
nk
whichshehadbr oughtf rom thenearbypr ovision’sst or
e.And
thebuswast ravelli
ngcar r
yinglotsofpassenger ,
buti thad
adequat espacef oral ltohav etheir,butts,theol dladywhi ch
hadthesamecatl ikesanzangwhi chwast hesocal l
edpr ett
y
andbeaut i
fulcatoft hewor ldforMr s.Quang, andt hent hebus
wastr undl
ing,fi
rsti ntheonedi r
ect i
ons, forfewt urnsalongand
thenaloudt heno.ofbi ll
owst urns.

Everyoneint hebushadv erydi f

ferentnat ure, li
kef orthosebal d
headedmanwhowasseat i
ngt hreer owsbef ore,theMadel ine
wasdeepl ysunkt hrought henewspaperassameasi nt heMr s.
Quang‘ shouse“ TheNewYor kdai l
y”,whi lenextt ohim wasa
fatwomant alki
ngint hecel lphone, shewasl ookingv ery
worri
ed, al
mostt earsinherey es,itseemedt hatshehadbeen
shoutedbyherboss, sor ude! ,andbehi ndt hem wasaf f
airold
manwi thgr
easyt eeth, hewaswear ingagol fcapandhadal so
woret hegolfcompany ’st-shi rt
,any onecaneasi l
yest imate
thathehadf anat i
csforgol f
,thenasuf feringmancamenewt o
bus,hewasagai nhav ingf astbr eathing, becausehehadt or un
beforethebust ocat chi t
, hewashav ingst ressonhi sbrinjal
l
ikeface.

Andaf terfewt imes, shereachedt ocollege,thehugecampus

withi nhaledst udents,theywer edreading,ev erywher eint he
corner s,ont hestairs,andmanyl ookbewi lderedlikeherasi f
theywer eal sofir
sty earstudents,butshewal kedintor oom
therei twasment ionedbi ologyfir
styear,ther oom wasasl ong
arrangedl ikeahal lwher eseat swerestrangl edkindoft hehalf
spiral i
ncreasingst aircase, t
hereweresomef ewst udent slike
clutteredpi eceofpaper ,oneoft hem camenearher“ y ou‘re,
Madel i
neMcCar thy,aren’tyou?”shelookedheri ncomf orting
manner .

“
It
’sokay
,youcancal
lmemade”ev
ery
onei
nthel
ongf
ull
seat
edpeopl
etur
nedar
oundher
.

“
Arey
ouamat
hst
udent
?”sheaskedi
ncur
iosi
ty.

“Yes,Ihadcomeher eforthi
sstream only;
wellI
’m goi
ngto
hav esomedi scussi
on,wellontheev er
greentopi
cs,maybethe
setsandf uncti
onsortrigonometry?
”Madelineall
agreed
throughsomet hingsti
l
l todi
scusswhent opicssti
ll
hada
gossipingtouch.

“Icanl
edyouthewaybutfi
rst
lyIwoul
dli
ket
oint
roducemy
sel
f,
hye,I‘
m Er
ica,
Eri
caSl
ater
”sheadded.

Thegi r
l waspaleyell
owandhadamessybunar ound,herneck.
Everysingletal
ewoul dnotbot herhertoswagar ound,that
nobodywasqui tesurethatMadel i
newouldnotbeheck,
engrossedwor khadembr oideredinsomanyt i
mes.Whenshe
waswal ki
ngthroughthef i
rstfl
oorthestudentstherestarted
gossipi
ngabouther ,itwasv erymuchannoy ingbecause, she
wasr athernotasuper st
ar,butwasanaccusedpr isoner,
and
coll
egedi dn’
tknowt hat,i
twasal lconf
identi
al.

Whenshewasf i
rstaddr essedt othesecondbenchev eryone
thecornerboywi thbr oadspect acles,wer eturnedov erher,t
he
gir
lwi t
hredmat t
el ipsti
ckt hrownseet hingcol dyelled,herfi
rst
i
mpr essionwasnotqui tegoodf orMadel ine,asshewas
caughtbyherv erymuchf ashionwar drobe.Thenaf atgirlwi
th
heaviestshoul
dert heonecoul dhav ewi ththewi dewai st
tur
nedt ohershehadst i
llthecompassi nherhandwi t
ha
hangingpencil
,herf luff
ypi nkcheekswer ei mmensedr owned
i
nt heshocked,thet allgi
r lcamescr eami ngdownt helast
benchwhi chwasofcour se,af i
neday breakwi thdisguised
excit
ement .

Andallt
hisstart
ledMadeli
neli
kewhenshewasi mprisoned
andpoli
cewer esummonedallther
e,nobodyforasecond
tr
ickl
edthei
reyelasheswhenshehadbroughttothecell
,ver
y
muchal t
er,nobodywassy mpatheti
ctowardsher ,
asshehad
beennowpopul arwithrich-snubbi
ngatti
tude.Everyt hi
ngwas
worse,t
heent i
repeopleonl ycr
eedaboutwast heidenti
tyof
themurderedone, t
hatwasMr s.Vist
as–f orplai
nlyshewas
therudebutnotill
fame.Shehadbeent hri
cet hewi nnerfort
he
mostpopularblogwr i
terasaf reel
ance.

Theclassstart
edt hepr of
essorwasofmi ddleaged- ar
ound
for
ty-
fi
vesomet hi
ngasusual itwast hechemistryclassandhe
hadallt
hescienti
fi
cat ti
tude,butwasamanwi thoutspectacl
es,
hehadweart helongl i
ghtbluet-shi
rtandapenci lj
eans, v
ery
muchov er
-combedandasl i
ghtnessofdiscipl
inewasmat chi
ng
wit
hakinda-ofat t
itude,hehadonacl eanshav edface,he
l
eanedforwardtospeak,

“Todayweshal ldiscussabouttheindiv
idualbindi
ngener gy
requir
edforpernucl eons,
itconsti
tut
ev eryi
mpor tantpartsi
n
thedev el
opmentofanycount ryregardi
ngi t
snat i
onalsecuri
ty,
regardi
ngitsnuclearpower,weshoul dtrytounderstandthe
facts,t
hetrol
li
ngef fect
sandi t
saccumul ati
ons,it
’ssomet hi
ng
unique,
”

“
What’
shisname,
Ithinkheshouldcameforwardi
nordert
o
i
ntr
oducehi
msel
ftothefir
styearst
udent
s,doesn’
tthi
ssounds
t
oomuchawk-ward?
”Madel i
neputt
eddown.

“Heisourchemi strylecturerpr ofessorMar kusWi nfr

ey ,I
admi r
ehim al otforhi sv i
sion, st
at esmanshi pandofhi s
unmat chableintell
i
gence, andhei squi test udyingmor eand
mor etobeaper fecti
oni stinhi ssubj ect,hehadpubl ishedhis
paperwor ksont het opict hest oi
chi omet ri
cratiosandt he
ster
ichindranceamongt hebr anchedchai nofhal oal
kanes, and
hisnextprojectoncoor dinationcompl exesandt heir
i
somer ism,andal sohei sst i
llunmar ri
ed. ”Eri
cabl ushes.
“Thenhemustbeadmi red,hei sv erysophi sticatedalonghi s
wordsandsenseoft eachi ng, veryimpr essivecompet ent
worker?”Madel i
ner uffled.
Thepr ofessorwinfr
eywasexultedupontheheartwining
authorit
iesofthestudent
s,hewasf aci
lepersonandhada
faddi
stmot i
veinthesunl
ight–photorefl
ecti
onproj
ecty oucan
consideredhim asanexecutiv
epersonoft hi
sdream project
.

“Iwanttohav ey ourrespecti
veat
tent
iont owardst
hisfactthatI
am searchi ngforat eam ofsevenpeoplewhowi shedto
perf
or mt heirtr
ialespeciall
yint
hephysics-chemoproj
ect.AndI
am lookingf orthosemov erswhowantedt obewithme.It
shouldgiv ethem nameal ongwit
hfame. ”Andhelookedf ori
n
hisresponse.

Thebellrangfort
heot herperi
odandt heprofessorWinfr
eyhad
theti
mef ordepar
ture.Hehadbeencompel wit
haqui ck
mouser(inthi
scaset hestudents)
.andthetwogi rl
sagain
becomet oomucht alkat
iveMadeli
newant edacer ti
fi
edprov
es
regar
dinghermates.

“Whoist
hatgir
lwit
hloudmake-
up,shewasstari
ngtomethat
shewoul
dkil
lme?”Madeli
nepoi
ntedherf
inger
stowardt
hegir
l
whohadsti
l
lhel
dthefacemir
ror
.

“Oh!She, sheist hedaughterofthemay or

,hernamei sLucia
Stapleton,shei stoomuchi l
lustr
ati
ve,t
hemuci lage–um, v
ery
muchof fensivetowardthemi ddl
ehousestudent s.
”Eri
cawas
sufferi
ngwi thherwor dsshewasal mostrev eal
ingheranger
towar dtheLuci a.
“Andt hatGuyi nthecorner,Ithi
nkheisatot alday–dreamer
allt
imesi nt hebooksabookwor m? ”
Madelineaddedsimpl y
.

“Icant el
lyou,hei sJudi
thHastings,somuchunpredict
abl
eand
heat ealotlesst hanheoncedi d.Heisdeepl
ysunkinthe
chemi str
yandal soagoal -achi
ever,
alwaysst
udyhardbut
somet i
messl eepsanddr eamedv er
ymuchanast yguywith
mol t
enchoi ce.”Eri
cawaswav i
ngherhandsacrosstheseat.
Theydi dn’
tfor
getaboutthefatgir
l whowasnowchewi ngher
breadmor sel
,“Whoisshe?Sor r
ytosaybutIt hinkshei sver
y
muchov er
-wei
ght,i
sshefoodie,i
tseemst hatshedi dn’
tli
ke
meatal l”
Thegirl
swer euntouchedoft
hem butwer eseatinginf r
ontof
thegir
lwhowasv erymuchobsessedwi thhereating;Madeli
ne
wast r
yingherbesttomakeconv ersati
onwiththecur i
ous
fi
gures.

“I
treall
ymakey oumadetoknowt hatsheisverytwiceasher
brai
n’soccupat
ion,
she‘sDolomaAr gus,thedaughterof
ShegletArgust
hefashi
ondesi gnerbutherowndaught eristoo
unfi
tregardi
ngherprof
essi
onal i
sm.”Er
icawasdev astat
ingly
i
nhumant owardthedescri
ptionofDoloma.

“
Itreal
lysucks,butallthi
sisnotwhyIcoul
dn’tr
esi
sther,asi
s
t
oopi t
ybut…. .
”Thehalfwordsweresunkmeanwhilewhenshe
wascroppedbyal adywithboyi
shatt
it
udeshewaspi xi
eand
ver
yextremeshor tli
sted–one.Shewasasf ai
rassnow,

“
Nowwhoi
sshe?
”Madel
i
nesai
d.

“Shei
sourappli
eddynami
cspr
ofessor
,Mrs.Cassandr
a
Schwart
z,t
eachi
ngheresi
ncef
ourt
eenyears.
-ver
ytal
ented.
”

Nowal lthest udent smov edtot hattalll

adyshehadsome
hiddenwr inkl
esl ashedi nherankl elengthski
rtandont opful
l
sl
eev esshi r
twithcl osedcollarbuttons,allbl
ackwithashrug,
shewast eaching
“Momentofi nertia,foraringcanbeexpl ai
nedinthetermsof
axis,l
etsayzz’ passi ngthrought hecentreoftheringand
perpendiculartoi tsplanebeI .consideranelementaryport
ion
oftheringofl engt hdx, t
henbysol vingtheseequationfur
ther
,
wegotI =MR^ 2,Ithinkyouhav egotit?”

Whil
eatthet
imeofteachi
ngsheusedtorai
sehereyesto
ev
eryst
udentpr
esentther
e,t
ocheckthatev
eryst
udentshas
underst
andthefacts.Meanwhil
eshelookedfordolomawho
wassecretl
yeatingthebrewsti
cks,
“hey!Gir
lyou,
didyouwer
e
eati
ngsomet hi
ng,it
’sst
il
liny
ourli
ps’corner
s?”Mrs.
Cassandrai
nquired.

“Youar ecall
i
ngonme? ”Dolomasaidwithsurpri
sedeyes.She
keptherey esfi
xedonPr of
essorSchwar t
z.Shelookedaround
anxiously
,andsawt hateveryoneinthecl
assroom wasterri
fi
ed.
EvenJudi t
hHast i
ngswasspel l
inginqui
ckmanner .Madeli
ne
herselfwasv er
ymuchner vousatthatti
me.

“Anyone,heredon’ tev ent hi

nkofanyev ilmischieftoper f
orm
here,i
nmycl asswi l
l neit
herbef orgive,(andt henPr of.
Schwartzlookedatdol omawhowasst il
lscared)you!Ar gus,
i
mmedi atelygetoutofmycl assIdon’ twantanyt ypeof
argument,nowf ast”Pr of
.Schwar tzsai d,thenshet urnedround
herdesk,continuinghert opics.
“I
ssheal lt
imes, whi ppingl i
keawi tch? ”
Madel inespatatEr i
ca
whowasst i
llhidingherwhi mpering.

“Don’t
,pushitf
urther,sher
eal
l
yhaunt
sme?
”Er
icawaski
cki
ng
herfoottothetable.

“Sheremindsmeofmyol dhistoryteacherMrs.Vi
stas,
t he
blacki
nkchapterofmyl i
fe,it
’stoomuchscar y?”
Madelinewas
almosttr
embli
ngwi t
hf ear.Andt r
iednottothi
nkaboutt hetr
ial
shehadbeengonet hrough.

“I
’
m nothav inganyf
urt
herdiscussiononthi
snonsense,now
onlythr
eesecondshadbeenl eftforherper
iods,
thenshe’
ll
be
off
? ”acrookedsmil
espreadov erEri
ca’
sface.

Afterfewsecondsthebellr
angandt hephysi
csperi
odwas
overnowt heywerefreef
orsomet i
me.Madelinewasaboutto
askwhet herhermathemati
csteacherwasfemaleormale?
Theybot hwerestoppedbyLuciaStapl
etonwhowaspassing
theteacher’
sdeskalonghertwofri
endsSophieandbinnywho
wer
eteasi
ngDol
omaf
orherf
atbel
l
yandf
ashi
onsense.

“Whattypeofgirl
youare?Whoseownmot heri
sabiggest
fashi
ondesigner,
butherdaughteri
snothi
ngbutasquib.”
Luciatheoverpai
ntedgir
lwassay i
ng,
andSophieandbinny
weregivingt
hebackgroundlaughs,

“Stopt
easingher”Madel
inesaidtoLuci
aunderest
imati
ngher
superi
ori
ty,Er
icawassupport
ingherindef
enseandhold
Doloma’shand.Dolomafi
ll
edwi t
hsympathyshookherheadi
n
thankf
ulmanner .

“
What’
sgoingon?”herf
acef
ell,
becauseshewaslookingat
Madel
i
newi t
halotmoreofi
nterest
,thanshehadshowntthei
r
f
ir
stmeet
ing.

“Soit
’syou,
youar
eMadel
i
neMcCar
thy
,thef
resher
?”she
asked.

“So,yougothereadmi ssi
onundertheorphanchildquota?
MissMadel i
neMcCar t hy,
mycousinbrotheri
si nthechargeof
–admissionandlikey outher
earethreeothers.Thisyearthe
beggarsareprev
ai l
inghere,t
oodrearyfortheHudsoncount y?”
shesaidincoldvoice.

“
Mindy
ou-
rlanguage,
”Madel
i
nesai
dwi
thherr
edf
ace.

“Oh!Soy ouareaccompani
edwiththerai
l
waywor ker’
s
daughter
, how’
syouSlat
er,how’
syourboyfr
iendAlfr
ed?Last
ti
mewhenIsawhi m,hewassmuggl i
ngthedrugs,andisin
l
ock-up,because,myuncl
e’
ssonisinpoli
ceheaddepar t
ment,
hetoldme. ”

“
Saythatagain,
howdarey outocall
onmyfamil
y,It
hinkyour
f
atherwi
llgonnalooset
hiselect
ion?
”Er
icawasi
nmuchr age.
“
Whatwr
ongIhadbeensai
d?”Luci
asai
dwi
thoutt
urni
ng
t
owar
dstheSophi
eandbi
nny.

“Idon’
twantanymess, soi
twil
lbever
ykindenoughtohaveus
ourway ,
excuseus”Madeli
necomplet
elyi
gnoredtheLuci
a
Stapl
etonandherfri
endsandtheybot
hheadedtowardthe
cafet
eri
a.

“Shewasmuchnoi sy, nexttimeIwon’ tspareher .”Eri

cawas
howl ingaround.
“IthinkIhadmor ef actsaboutt heStapletonf amily,hi
sfather
Mr .Ar mandoStapleton, hadsomecr iminal offenses,hewas
alsot akenincustody, forsomeunknownr eason.Thej ur
ywas
dividedi nt
heopinion.Buthewassav edint hesakeofchar i
ty,
other wisehewassupposedt ohideunani mousmountofcash
i
nhi shouse”Eri
casai donf urt
hergr
oundi ng.Er i
cawasst il
l
descr ibi
ngherownet hics.

“I
nthatcase,sheremi ndsmeof fmymiddleschool’
spentagon
quadKerrySwatandhercr i
mepar t
ner
s-ni
yusha,Sean,
Feleci
a,
Amanda.,theywereexi l
edtome, al
waystemperi
ngmy selfand
mybestfriendLarry,Larr
yWilson.
”Madeli
newasemot ionalin
hermemor iam ofschooldays.

“So,yourbestfr
iendwasLar r
y,butnow,whereishe?
”Erica
questionedaboutLarry
,thenameaboutwhi chtheMadeli
ne
hersel
fhadbeenf orgott
en,butthensherememberedthathe
hadmov edtoCali
forni
aalongwi t
hhisparent
s.

“HehadbeenmovedtoCal
i
forni
aal
ongwi
thhi
sfami
l
yandI
am nol
ongeri
ntouchwi
thhim”

“I
t’
sokay ,butI
’m sureIwil
lmurderLuciasomeday,”Er
icawas
hi
ghlyroset oCelsi
us.ButMadeline’
smi ndcoi
nedthewor d‘
M-
U-R-
D-E-R’whichshehadknownt ohersummi tst
il
lhauntsher
atni
ght,thelegacywasat ragedyforher,howthi
ngshadbeen
di
ffer
entforher
sel
faft
erfal
l
ingi
ntoanunedi
tedcri
me,which
hadholl
owedherhalfl
if
e,wasst
il
lsear
chi
ngforhersoul
to
destr
oy.

Soshechangedthepointoft
opi
candsomehowgather
edher
consci
ousnessbackt
oLucia’
sli
fewhi
chhadbeennarr
atedby
Eri
ca,meanwhil
esheasked.

“Issheisawareofherfat
her’
sscandal
s;t
her
efor
eal
soshei
s
paranoi
a?”Madel
ineaskedinexci
ti
ngmanner.

“Forgether,Idon’tt
hinksheismor eimportantthanthi
s
cappuccinoohl ooktheheartisfl
appi
ng,thelit
tl
ebubbles,oh
thatsocute”Ericasaidwithholdi
ngacupoff l
avoredcoff
ee.
Nowsheev enwasbor edenoughtotalkaboutLuciaandher
dad’sscandals.

“
Well,
Iwanttoknowabouty
ourf
ami
l
y,whoy
oul
i
vedwi
th?
’’
Madel
ineaskedEr
ica.

“Myf ami l
yisnotv er
ybigbutit’
saki ndaofl ov eboundedone
meandmyadopt edl i
tt
lebrot
herDer ekanddad, Derekisa
eleveny earsboy ,buthelooksev enmor eli
ttlet hanhi sages,
wegotast reetquar relwheneverIvisithome, hel ovesfighti
ng
withme.Hei st otall
ymad!ButIam i nl i
v e–inwi thmy
boyfri
endAl f
red,wet ogetherhavebeenmov edt oManhat t
an.
ButAl f
redr eall
yscar esmewi thhisconv i
cti
onal works,we
werepl anningtogetmar ri
edaftertwoy ears, butitstil
lseems
tobeami r
age, oh!Jesus,helphim.”Shewasr eallyl
ooking
unconv i
ncingi nherwor dsandt hepr oofwast heNar rowingof
herlaughl i
nes.

“What
’sabouty
ourmother,
whereisshe?”Madel
ineasked
Eri
cawhenshedidnott
oldherabouthermother
.

“
Shehadbeendiedi
nPanola’
sscandal;
ther
ewereot
her
st oo
i
nherl
ist
.Dueuncondi
ti
onalshor
tci
rcui
tasther
epor
tsays;I
wasthr
eeyear
soldt
hen.
”Er
icat
ri
est
oremembersomet
hing
butt
hensheavoi
dsi
t.

“YourMotherisdead,anditst
il
li
sat angl
edcase,didn’
tyou
askedaboutthist
oy ourfat
her”Madeli
nefir
mlysaidtoErica.

“Someti
mes, Idi
dbutIwasonl ytol
dthatmymot herworked
ther
easacar etaker,
therewasi tsfoundati
onpartywhendue
tosuddenshort-
cir
cuitburnedthewhol eallf
ort
ysev enpeopl
e
weredead,andnowi tissealed.”Er
icasaid.Andmov edto
askedMadelinewhowasaboutt oaskherfurt
her.

“
Isyourfat
h’………”Madel
i
newasstoppedbyEr
ica.Andt
he
t
hingscamet oMadel
i
neandherl
i
fe.

“
Tel
lmeabouty
our
sel
fMade?Howi
syourl
i
fe?
”Er
icai
nsi
sted.

Madel i
negrewapat hetic,Lif
e?Whatwasherl i
fe?Therewas
nol if
ebutabedoft horns, ful
lofgr eyshades; sheknows
not hi
ngaboutherr ace, hercommuni t
yandl astbutnotthe
l
eastherpar ents,whower et hey?Howwer ethey?Andwhydi d
theyl eav eher?Sheal way shadseenani nt
egratedpartofa
par enti nherGr eta’
sf orm.Thet i
mesi nceshehadopenedher
ey esf orthef i
rsttimeshehadseenhermot herinherGr etaand
fatheri nherGr eta.Pr obablyifshewasgoi ngt opossessher
par entt hentoot hewei ghtageofherGr etawoul dnevergoof f
air.Whenshewascar ryingtojailwitht hoset i
ghthandcuf f
sall
trappingherhands, t
her ewast heGr etaonl ywhocamef or
ward
topr ot ecther.Shehadbeensubj ectedt ohert eacher’
smur der
thatshehadn’ tdoneandt hecul pri
twasst il
lfreeofcuffs,
wander i
nginai rt
ochoosehernextv i
ctim.Thencomi ngoutof
hert hought sshewi t
ht earyey essai d,

“Actual
ly
,Iam anorphan,
whowasl ef
tinthedust
binofthe
Holycrossvi
rginmarrymissi
onar
yandorphanagein
Bloomsburycounty
,whenIwasaboutamont hbaby,andfr
om
thenonwardsmyonl
yguardi
anismyGr et
a,t
hehi
ghpr
iest
ess
ofthechur
chandheadoforphanage.

AndIhadj
ustmovedt
oNewJerseyi
nor
dert
opur
suemy
col
lege.
”Madel
i
newashar
dtospeak.

“I
’m-I’
m, r
eall
ysorryaboutthatt
oask, butIam gr
atef
ult
hat
youmetme, you’
reatruepersonMadel i
ne,Har
dtimesare
alwaystheretomakemanachal l
enger,andyou’r
easporty
fi
gure.
”Ericasympathizesf
orMadeline.

“Wel l
,butitcontainssomei nterestingpar t
s-too, youwon’ t
believethatIwasst ayinginaChi nesecul turedhouseasa
pay i
ngguest ,i
twasabi gmanorhouse, al lt
hingsf r
om f oodt o
clothwer eChinese, typicalChi nese, andt hel adyMr s.Quang
hingchi wast heowneroft hehouse, actuall
yshei smyGr eta’
s
highschool oldf r
iend, sowhenIwasnewt othisci ty,Istayed
thereforthreemont hs, Mrs.Quangi sapr ofessional yoga
trai
nerwhoowesherowny ogat raini
ngi nstitute,butherhouse
i
sacompl et
ezoo, withsev eral cats,aDanger ousdog,sl ow
mov i
ngturtl
eagol dfish,theywer et roublef orme, buty esthey
allarewell t
rainedtoanyhousehol dchor es,inf actthecat
sanzangcooksdel i
ciousf oods.Butt heydon’ tlikeme, nowI
hadshi ft
edt omyownapar tmenti nBer gensquar eitself.
”

Ithadbeenmor et hantwomont hsthatMadel ineadaptedthe

surroundingofherHudsonCount y.Nowt hedol omaAr gus
seemedt oof r
iendlyalongEr i
ca,butJudithHast ingwasat oo
farstartobespot t
ed,maybehewaspr olongedt ohisown
environment,alsoMadel inehadn’tenter
tainedt ohim,andi t
wasasmoot hsai li
ng,afteral
l.Thingswerej uststart
edt obe
goodenough, whi lewhenMadel i
nehadwentf ort heshopping,
thephoner ang, anditwasMr s.Quang, sheusedt ocallher
twiceaweek.Andher eitwas, Madeli
nepickedupt hecell,
the
answerwasont heline,
“Madeli
ne,
Ihadanexci
ti
ng,newsforyou,
”Mrs.Quangwas
ski
ppingwit
hjoy
ful
heart
,theexci
tementl
iesonherwords.

“Whatkindofnews?”Madel
i
newassuspi
ciousoft
hewayshe
sai
d,“Lott
eri
esforl
ot”

“
Whi
cht
ypeofl
ott
ery
?”Madel
i
nehookedt
othepoi
nt.

“Theonewhi chIhadoncesuggest edyout obuyf orme,when

you’reinteeblow’scompany .Remembert hecascadet ourof
china,luckydrawcoupon, ithadbeenout ,andofcour seweare
thewi nner,i
sn’ti
texcit
ed,Now, final
l
yaf t
erl ongy ear
,I’
l
lbein
china,theyhadsentt wot i
ckets, asaprize, soy ouwantto
comewi thme? ”sheannouncedi tinaqui ckr ush,shehadbeen
compl etel
ymadov erherluckf orchina,i
twascomi ngout
enormoust i
mesf rom hermout h.

“That’
sgreat
,butIam real
lysor
ry,Mr s.Quang,Ican’
tbet
her
e,
asmyexamsar eapproachi
ngnear ,
sol etyouenjoyt
he
pleasur
e,andgoodluckforyourjourney!!
”

“
Oh!Madel i
ne,Iam real
lyfi
ndingitsor
ryforyou,
asy ourar
e
missi
ngthebestpar tofyourl
ife,
Iwishifyoucouldj
oinme,
Never
thel
ess,Iwouldn’twastetheanotherti
cket
,Ishouldoff
er
i
ttomyf r
iend,Ni-Yan.”

“
Wait,
Mrs.Quang,
what’
saboutyourpet
s,wher
etheywoul
dbe
l
i
ving?
”Madeli
neaskedwit
hsurpr
ise.

“Don’twor
ry,t
heyhadbeen,senttoAnimal carecent
er,
theyar
e
agreedtokeepmybabies,i
ntheircenterforthr
eeweeks,al
so
theyaregoi
ngt of
eedthem,Mr s.Pavel
,realseemedagood
woman, al
sotheyworkasanimal si
tt
ers.”

“Ver
y,good,wel
lthenMrs.Quang,
it’
sti
metobidyougoodbye
andgoodluck,I
’
llseeyoulat
er!
”Madeli
nehopedf
orherbett
er
andthecell
waskeptdown.
“Who,wasshe?”Er
icaaskedmei
fshewant
edt
oknowt
hel
ady
,
onthephone.

“She,
isMrs.Quanghi
ngchi,theChinesel
ady,whom house,
I
hadli
vedasapay i
ngguest
,forthr
eemont hs.
”Madeli
ne
answered.

“Whatwasshesay
ing;
yout
oower
echeer
edwi
thahopef
ul
expr
essi
on?”

“Not
hing,
bigbutyesitwasreal
lybi
gforMr s.Quangasshehad
wonthethreeweekschinat
our,inal
uckydr awcoupon.And
shewasexpecti
ngmet obewi t
hher,butIopposedtheidea,
as
youknow,we‘reget
ti
ngexamsi nnextweek. ”

“
That
’spit
yenough,formissi
ngsuchagol
denchance,
butl
et
l
ookahead?”Er
icacheer
edMadeline.

EricaandMadeli
neexchangedfewtal
ksont heirli
feandaf
ter
shoppingmanyvaluabl
ethi
ngslikepr
ovi
sions,clothsandf
oot
weartheywentaheadtoboardacab.

Ithadbeent en‘ o’cl

ockalreadysi nceMadeli
negotacal lf
rom
Mr s.Quangt ell
ingaboutherl ottery,t
henshesawEr i
casi tt
ing
nextov ertheMadel i
ne,wasbandi ngherheadwithhisf r
enzy
headphone, shel ovedmusi c,soMadel i
nemov edherey espast
thewi ndowoft hecabt oseet hespr i
nti
ngcit
yintheni ght,
the
variousli
ghtsofv ehi
cle,whetheritwasoft heBigBruiserkind
oft r
ucksorbi kesorf urt
herdifferentmodelsofcars,theywere
thereont heroad, hangingaroundeachot her
.

Suddenlyshegotremembert oaskEricaf
orherhelpinher
mat hemati
csprobl
em, butwasstoppedmidwhi l
e,asherhome
hadcome.
“See,youl
aterMade!”Eri
cawasmov i
ngherhands,whilesi
tti
ng
i
nt hecab,Madeli
neshookherheadi nherrespond,andthecab
dr
ewawayf
rom hersi
ght
,

Thehousewasunl ockedbyMadel ine,andshewi thouttaking

dinner,leanedf orwar dforhercomf ort,i
nherbeddoubl einthe
dimensi on, ofcour sei twashar dassheher self,hadnotbuyt he
whol ethingsi nthishouse, butwasl entbyanol dl adyMr s.
Wal l
ach, itdoesn’ tgivet hatcomf ortonsleepi ng, t
hatt hebedat
Mr s.Quang‘ sdoes.Buti t’
sf inerather.
HudsonCount ySchool oftechnol ogy ,t
hecol l
egehadaskedf or
manysacr ifi
ces, butstil
l i
twasabang!Thel ectureswer egoi ng
ont heirter ms, andnowwi thEr i
ca, Dolomausedt oseatal ong
Madel ine, afterthemat hemat i
cslesson, theywer efreet o
spendmor et imeatcant een, butMadel i
neinsi stedt hetwot o
hav etheirwayt ocol lege’slibrary,alwayswi thamonol ogue,“K-
E-E-PS- I
-L- E-
N- C-E”.

‘
What,thet
hing,y
ouwanttodowi
ththeseheapofbooks,
I
can’
tunder
stand.
”Er
icawasmumbli
ng.

‘
Did,t
herei
sanysecretpathwayl
eadi
ngtoki
tchen,I
’
mr eal
l
y
hungr
y”Dolomasaidwithaloudbur
p.Andi
mmedi at
elyher
words“sor
ry”wer
ethefiretobur
ner
.

“Wi
ll
bothofyou,canshutyourmouthf
orawhi l
e,I
’
m sear
chi
ng
somethi
ng”Madeli
nesaidwithaki
ndofignor
ance.

“One,l
astquest
ion,
didwear
edoi
ngthewor
ksofan
eavesdr
opping?
”Eri
casai
daft
ert
aki
ngonebackf
oot.

“I
tsscar
esmeli
kethepr
oblem ofaci
dit
y,t
hesever
est
omach
pain.
”
Doloma’
sbal
l
oonli
keexpressi
onwasont heai
r.

Madelinecamef orwardtothesect
ionofhist
ori
esandmy ths,
whichhadbui ldver
yheightofskyt
ouchi
ngbooksst ockedov er
hi
gherr acks,
andshelvesofbooksstal
kingher,
aftersear
ching
overthesectionsofbooksshecamet ofindt
herightone,i
t
wasaboutt heneverl
ivedcoll
ege“PanoladeVasga” ,butthe
probl
em wast hati
thadn’tbeentheeasywayt ogetit.Asit
requi
resthesignofhistor
ydepartmentauthori
ti
es,but
Madelinewasdamnedsur eaboutProf.Beckham t
hatshe
wouldnotletthem t
ohav eanon-subject’
sbook,asal i
brari
an.

“Ifoundit;ther
eitisbut……”Madel i
net r
iedtoescapet hewor ds
whi chroll
edbehindhermi nds,asthought odet ectt
he
unexpect edimportanceofthissuddenbook, ledEr i
caand
dolomat oanunwel comedsuspiciousenquiry,from Madel
ine.
Theyf ir
stsawt heloftedshel
veswi t
hdustt oxicantthr
ough
theirthr
oats,andthent owardMadel i
newhowasshar i
nga
my steri
oussmi l
ing.

“
What
?’’
Madel
i
newr
enchedt
het
wo.

“Wej ustwantt ohavether eason,withus”theybot htail

edthei
r
eyescat chingtheMadeline’s.Madelinejustl
ookedst rai
ght
withouthav inganytal
kbutaf terl
otofsilence,shesaid“ di
dyou
tr
ustme? ’
’,thetwolookedateachot her
,topeepi ntoeach
other’
sey esandf oraforgery,butthenwi t
hconf i
dence,they
shookt heirheadsinconfir
mat ory.

“Iknewi t
,let’smov enow,comewi thme’’shehadt hebooki n
herhands; theybot hcamet hr
ought helibrar
iancounterwher e
aladywassi tti
nginthearm chair,bar
ricadedalongthem.She
wasv eryhar shlikeacrow’svoice.Dolomawasl aughi
ngi na
droppingvoi ce,asshecouldn’tresi
stherselfaft
erseeingMr s.
Beckham wear i
ngpal ebr
ownl ensesov erherberryli
keey es,
fatt
yfigureandsmal lhei
ght.Shewoul dpr ovetobeacr anky.

“
Panol
adeVasga? ”sheaskedinthenai
l
edvoi
ce,t
otaket
ruth
f
rom t
hebreat
hingofMadeline,
Madeli
nehadbeenbat
hedin
t
hesweatypool
, wr
iggl
ed.

“
Iwasthi
nki
ngt
okeepthi
sbookf
ortwoweeks?”shesai
din
f
ri
endl
ymanner
,soshecoul
dmel
tthecal
cit
eshel
l-
faceofMrs.
Beckham.

“Weneedi tbadly,because-bec…? ’
’Er
icasearchedf orthefake
reason,butcoul dn’tfindtherightone.
“Because, mymot heri sorganizinganout doorfashi
onweek,
theseupcomi ngweeks, andthet hemeiscollegeethicsand
norms, t
her ef
orei twasbet t
erf orustohav ethiscoll
egewhi ch
wasr unninggoodar ounditstypicaldresscode.Isn’tittr
ue,
Made? ”theDol omahadmadei ttoMadelinewhowasst i
ll
hopingthedecl inationf r
om Prof .Beckham.

“Aren’
tyout hedaughteroffamousf ashi
ondesignerSheglet
Argus?”raisingt
helensesov erhereyesProf
.Beckham gota
properl
ookofDol oma,whowast oosmil
ingtowardProf.Beck
ham, t
hisleftMadelineoutofthedanger,nowthetermsmay
havetheirtransl
ucentfeat
ures.

“Yes”Dolomaanswer edinfunnyv oice,butitwasi gnor edby

Prof.Beckham, shesti
l
lwantedDol omat otellheraboutt he
fashionweekbutwhenshewast oldthatshegletAr gus,won’t
revealanythingbeforeherexhibi
tion, r
educesPr of .Beckham,
somehowf orthesakeofherf avorit
ef ashi
ondesi gnerSheglet
Argus,shebecomer eadytolendt hem theirdesirablebook, she
alsotoldthem thathowshef oll
owedeachandev er ysingl
et i
ps
offashiongivenbyShegl etontheT. Vandi swi shingt omeet
heratanycost .

Aft
erthehalfanhourcommentexchangeEr icasai d“Aren’
twe
l
ateforourchemistr
yclasses?
’’andthenonlythethreewer e
per
mi t
tedtoleavewit
hthebook, wi
thpromiset hattheywould
gi
vethehallti
cketf
orShegletArgus’
sfashi
onweek.

“Whatatiri
ngatt
empt s!
”Eri
casaid.Madeli
newasnowhappy
thatatl
eastshehadgott heonesheneeded.Nowt heyboth
askedheraboutthebook.ButMadelineaskedthem tohave
thei
rmeetingatt
he‘SARSAPARI LLA”Cafet
eri
aandparl our
341,GroveStr
eet,hi
stor
icdowntown.Atsharpfiv
e‘o’cl
ock.
Thet hreeafterthediscussionoft heirmeet i
ngpoi ntdeparted,
alongt hei
rhome, i
twasnecessar yt ohav et
heconf identi
al
termst othei
rmeet i
ng.Madel inehadputt hebooki nherbag
andwaspr eparingtoleavef orhome, againcoll
idedwi thLucia
andhergang, herbagwast hrownatonecor neroft he
classroom.Luci acaughtt hebookf rom t hebag, butasshewas
tooenv iousofst udyi
ngimmedi at
elyt hrownitbackt oi
ts
origi
nal posi
tionandmov edt oMadel ine.

“How’
sy ouMadel i
ne,l
ookingli
keaov eruseddoormat e,and
l
ookatyourcl othes,t
heyar eascheapasy ourmind,
from t he
oper
asale,ifI’
m notwr ong,andthepersonwhohadhel pedy ou
i
npurchasingt hesestuff
swoul dbenoneot hert
hantheSl ater,
whoherselfisahaphazar dforfashi
on”Luciasai
dwithcunni ng
smil
eandghoul li
kefeature.

“Don’
thav emyt ensi
on,l
ookaty ourf
aceitst
illl
ooksunderfed
belowy ourmake-up,It
hinky oushouldeatproperl
y,ordoi
ng
pract
icet or
emai nanempt ybelly,
becauseofthefearthathow
youwi l
lbeeatingwheny ourfatherwouldgotar ai
d”Madeline
cli
ppedt heangerfacedLucia.

“
How,
dar
eyoucal
lmeunder
fed?
”

“Excuse,meI ’
m,get t
inglateforhome? ”Madel
inesaid,whi
le
picki
ngupherbag, andpushi ngLuciatofl
oor,
becauseMr s.
Schwar tzwascomi ngt hatway, l
ookedatLuci
a,alongSophi
e
andBi nny,l
i
fti
ngherf rom fl
oor.
“Whatar eyouthreedoi nghere,it
’salr
eadybel
lforthehome,
andy oushouldleavet heclassroom”

“Sor
ry,
prof essor”Luci
aimmedi atel
ygotupherkneesandthe
thr
eefl
edawayf r
om theclassroom.Madel
inehadcamet o
homewi thal oft
ybookcov eredthename“PanoladeVasga”
whatmy steryisunderl
ying?
Chapter6-
Thebookwi
thhol
low
pages
Withoutlosinganyt i
met het hreewentont heirmeeting,
somehowt het hr
eeoft hem hadt heircompanyt ohistoric
downt own,theareai nNewJer sey,i
tisthecommonl andofl ow
ri
singbuildi
ngt othewestoft hewat erf
ront,thatisi
deal f
or
l
ocal amenities,i
tincludest hebeaut yofnat ureandcul tural
prominent,wi t
hsur r
oundi ngt hevil
l
agePaul usHook, and
HarsimusCov e.GroveSt reetinthedownt ownJer seyCi tyis
ri
chwi thsmal lst
ores, barsandr estaurant.

Eri
caandDol omahadal r
eadyhadtheirseatsonMexican
cafet
eri
acum smal linn.‘
SARSAPARI LLA’wit
hMexicandrinks
anditem, Dolomawasashungr i
ertot hefoodit
em,with
México-foodporn.Andaftersomet i
me, Madeli
necamet othe
cafet
eri
a, shewasbreathingsofastbecauseshehadal mostto
runbehindt hecab.

“Sor
ry,guys,
butIwasst
uckduetolackoftr
ansport
,sothi
sis
thebook‘Panol
adeVasga’
.”Madel
i
nebr i
ngsoutthebookfrom
herbag.

“
But
,sti
l
lIcan’
tmeanit
,what’
sthestuf
f?”Er
icawasgazi
ngat
t
hebookwithsi
dest
rokesofherey
es.

“
Ihadtot
elly
ouonethi
ng.Todayi
s12Oct
ober
,andguesses
what
?”Madel
inesai
d.

“
What
?”t
heybot
hsai
dtoMadel
i
ne.Theybot
hlookedsur
pri
sed.

“
Todayi
smybi
rt
hday
,I’
m sev
ent
hnow.I
sn’
tit
’sgoodt
hing?
”

“
Goodt
hing,
areoutofy
ourmi
nd,
iti
sthebestt
hingi
nthe
wor
ld,
wewantt
reataswel
l
”dol
omasai
dcheer
ful
l
y.

Madel inewaspl easedtosay .Shehadn’ tcelebrat

ebi r
thday
sinceshehadbeent osecurecent er ,alsoGr etawasunabl eto
wishheronherbi rt
hdayast heydon’ tal lowedhert omeether ,
i
twasl ikeaear thlyhellalway sshehadt odol otsofwor k
cleaningt oilets,ploddingthel ands, picki nggar bage, having
torturedbyt heot herpeopl e,beat i
ngt hem wi thsticksand
madeherhungr y,sheseemedunabl etof ocusonany t
hingshe
hadl ostall heri nterest
,it
’beenagest oenj oysomet hing,who
hadt akensuchl ongt imet orches, l
ikeshedi d, onsuchay oung
ages, theni ght mar esalway shaunt sher ,sheal mosthada
severepai n, thispai nhadbeenemer gedwi ththesi gnsoft he
beat i
ngwr aponherback.Thet earsr olleddownt oherf ace,
shehadexper i
encedenoughpr oblemsandhar dshipst oherlife
andal way st endst omov eon.

“Let
’scel
ebrat
ethen,whatarewewaiti
ngf
or ?
”Er
icasaidfi
rml
y,
shetookthenearbycupinherhandsandr
aisedt
hem intheai
r.

“Iwoul
dliketohavei
twi
thacakeandsomecooki
eswit
hdark
chocol
atepie”dol
omasai
d.Andshesi
gnsar
oundherbel
ly
.

Thewaiter
,hadcamet hri
cetot heirtableforhisorder,butt
he
twoweredeclining,t
owaitforMadel ine,andatfourthtime,he
cameagain,tohav ehisorderandwast histi
megiv enbythe
twofri
edeggs, chil
l
edlimef r
ies,chipotleaiol
ichori
zoand
Engl
ishmuffi
ns.ByDol oma, asshecan’ twaitanymor enow.
Aft
erthebir
thdaybasht heyagai nturnedf ortheimportant
matterf
orwhicht heyhadgat hered.

“What
’sy
ouar
eupt
o?”Er
icaaskedMadel
i
newhowasswi
ping
herf
ace.

“
Ithi
nkMadei sexpl
ori
ngt
hear
tofPanol
a’
s”Dol
omasai
dwi
th
r
aisi
nghershoulder
.
“No,t
hisisnotdone, t
hisbookr evealsmet hesecr etoff ort
y-
fi
vemur dersinPanol ainlatenineti
es’,whenIhear dabout
Eri
ca‘
smot her’sdeadi nthePanol acase.Ist artedsear ching
fort
heev idenceandont hatdaywhenIwasouti nt heli
br ar
y
fort
hebook‘ thet heor yofrelat
ivi
tyandi tsjusti
cewi t
ht he
brai
n”,
Icameacr osst hi
sbookPanol aDeVasgaandt hef ort
y
murder,Ican’tr esistmy selfwithoutattract
ingt owar dthis.The
casewasdi scl osedsay i
ngt hatthesev ereshor t
-cir
cuit,had
beenoccur red, butt hi
swascompl etelypointless.”Madel ine
whil
etell
ingt hesel ookeddeepl yinbothoft hem.

“But,
whati
sy ourt
ruckwi
tht
hismat
ter
,Ican’
tdeci
pher
?”Er
ica
saidwit
hadiscont
inui
ngf
eel
ing.

“May,beshewant
edtodosomedetectiv
ewor ks,orshei
sopt
wit
hsolvi
ngthemurder
,myst
ery?
”Dolomahaddr unkthechi
l
led
sausageanddemandedmoretoOrl
ando,thewaiter
.

“Nor,itismyhobby ;neit
herisIdoinganydetecti
vewor
ks,
actuallywhenIwasst ayi
ngatMr s.Quang’
s,ther
ewere
unanimousl ytherobberywasoccur ri
ng,i
twasacomplete
cir
cuit,thenatthatnightwhenIwasaboutt obedIsawaf l
yi
ng
creaturewithbesom, hehaddr oppedthebatchAssi
gni
ngthe
nameP. D,nearthetower’sf
oot.

Atthatni ghtIhadfounditandkepttome,andher eitisi

nthe
metal piece,‘
P.D’hehadwor nsomeweirdrobes,andhad
coveredf ace.Andhewasdi rect
edtothewindowofMi ssBerr
a
mjoles,ourneighbor,andnextdaythenewsofr obberyseri
es
camef r
om herhousebutt hanktogodbeforethepoliceIgot
thi
sbat ch.

Onaski
ngaboutt
hecreat
ure,Mrs.Quangtol
dmet hati
tshoul
d
beanil
l
usi
onandnothi
ngelse,butaf
tersometi
mes,shehad
al
sotol
dmeaboutBerraperf
ormingWiccanacti
vi
tyat
freelance.”Madel ineshowst hebatcht ot hebot h.Dolomaand
Ericaaf terseei
ngt hebat chofmet al
Piece, screamedwi thnoi seandseei ngthei rhorri
bleface,rest
peopl egazedupont hem, butsoont heyt urnedawaybecause
Madel i
neaskedt or emai nnor mal.
”Madel inesaidand
remember stheincident sthatheav edher sel fatthatnight
.She
hadseent hewizar dt ypecreatureflyingint heairmi dwhile,
shewat chedati tfear ful
ly.Therewasamomentofdeepdar k
silence.
.
“So, youmeant oinv est i
gate,butdon’ tyout hinkthisisnotour
busi ness,sobet t
erwekeepour sel
v es,off”Er i
cawasdoubt ful
.

“Don’tyouwanttoknow, aboutyourmother’
sdead,i
tsti
l
lisa
frozenfreaktoyou,t
oal l
thecountr
ymen, somethi
ngiswrong
wi t
hthesafetyofciv
il
ians.Thi
sBatchcontainst
hesamesign
ofal adywithharpasthereint
hepictur
eofPanoladeVasga’s
buildi
ng.Lookhere!I
nt he

Bookscoverpage.
”Madeli
nesai
dwit
hgraceat
ti
tude.I
fshe,
her
selfi
ssomehowi nv
olv
edinthi
scase.

“Iwoul
dsuppor
tyou,
Madeforthesakeofourcountr
y’s
secur
it
y,al
soEr
icawoul
d”Dol
omawasambi t
ioustowardher
wil
l.

“
PleaseEr
ica;gi
vemej
ustonechancef
ory
ourbet
ter
?”
Madeli
nesaid.

“
Okay,t
henwhat
’si
nsi
det
hebook?
”Er
icawasconquer
edby
Madel
i
ne.

“Asthef i
rstchaptersays,‘
PanoladeVasgawasaFr enchname
forthelateartandcol l
egeoftheol
ogy,i
twasdesignedbySir
Hermesde’ partein1809.Hewasabr i
ll
iantandendur
ed
archit
ectofFr ance,hehaddeepartofdesigni
ng,wasassi
gned
thi
swor kheal ongwi t
hhisFrenchworkerscomplet
edthi
s
i
mmensebui l
dinginei
ghtyears,wasaf tercompl eti
onofwor ks
sail
edt ohishomel and,earni
nglotsoff ameandname.Was
deadint hedisastr
ousstormi nt
hesea, andhiscor psewere
notdiscovered.Butthi
sisonlyaf able;somesour ceshadsaid
thathewasbel ievedtostayhereonl y,
injerseyafterhis
compl eti
onofwor k,ashewasdeepl yglori
fi
edtot hecharm of
thi
scity.Butsoont hemisfort
unest ormedhi sli
fe;

Aneconomi cal depttookhi slifeandf l

ewhi shouse,nowhi s
nameonl yappear sinhi story.ButPanol abuildi
ngmov ed
throughemi nenty earsofi tsacademi cs,From 1942, ast heno.
ofthest udent swer eincr easingdaybyday , t
heologyhad
becomet hemostf avoredandi mpor t
antsubjectatthatt ime,
accor dingt ooner eport, Greekgods, andgoddess, i
ncl uding
Japanesegoddess, Hindui sm cultureandf ontwereal soadded
further,butt hesel eadt ooccul ti
sm, manyst udentscomi ng
from abr oad, st art
edpr act i
ceofdar kspell
sandpower s,behind
thet heologycl asses,ev erysi nglestudentintheirr
ooms
startedr eadingt hebooksofspel lsanddar komens, inv it
ed
under ground, peoplefrom t heircatacombst odestroyt he
collegeorhauntpeopl e.Thepr i
ncipalsi
rDougl asHardeman,
startedanst ingoper ationbehi ndt heseactivi
ti
esandabout
twent yst udent swer ef oundv icti
m, t
hemai nleaderoft hem
wast he,

‘
Hecat i
ousv ul
neri
ty’
alsoknownas‘ hol
ocaust’heprobably
i
nst i
gatedotherst
udenti nthenameoft hei
rpaganship,some
bodysay sthathehadn’tbeeny etcaughtandhadunder ground
hi
msel f,hewaslastseeni n1999inPanol adeVasga’sar t
if
act
chamber ,hewasaEmi nent,ast
rol
oger,andapr ol
if
icAstros-
physicsscient
ist
,al
sohehadbeenagoodmat hemati
cian,and
painter
.Hehadshar pmi nd.”Madelinereadthefir
stpageoft he
book.

“Butitisal
lafi
cti
on,theredoesn’
texi
stanyper
sonnamed
Hecatiousvul
neri
ty,
there’smanyrumoraboutt
heholocaust
butthePanolahadbeenshutdownduet othewor
ldwarfirst
andhadagai nbui l
tont hesamepl aceasPanol at heoper a
housewher emymom ser v edast he
managerf ort eny earsanddi edinashor tcircui taccidentalong
fortyot herwhenahugegr andpar tywast hrowni nhonorof
May orRodinNer nst’
sbirthdaybutduet osomeel ectrical
i
nconv eniencet hatmi sf
ortunehappenedwhi chengul fedmy
mom t ogetherwi thotherpeopl ethecasehadbeencl osed
compl etel
y.”Ericagoesonsuspect ing;nowherl ostinterest
tookau- turnshehadbeenhi ghl yunusual pr ompt , maybe
theseci rcularst udiespr ovokedhercl uesoff lashli
ghtbutwas
forcedt owai tunt i
lithadnotbeencl earedt hatshemov edint
o
thet ipofPanol adeVasga.Theseal edcollegeoft heol ogy
whi chhadbeennowonl ythef antasycameundert herestri
cted
areaofJer sey ’
s.

“Howcoul dyousayt hat,sodel ightf

ully,wher edi dy ougett he
i
nformation,becauset il
ly esterdayy ouhadn’ tt
his? ”Madel ine
l
ookedser i
ousl yatEr ica’sbol dfaceshewasr eall
yf airenough
tohermot her’sdeat h,butMadel i
nest i
lldoubt sit.Thequest i
on
camet hr
ought hatwhydi dt hecasehadbeencl osedsoear ly
asthiswasr elatedt omay or’sdeat hitself,
thei ncar nationof
Panolawasi tselfamy ster yiftherewasnoHecat ious, then
whatwast hepr oblem indi scont i
nuingt het heological studies,
ther
emustananswer ,r
ight ,
whydi di twaschangedt oanoper a
houseandaf tert hatinpr esentanhospi talhadbeenbui ltthere
named‘ r
ebirt
h’.

“Iaskedmydad,het
oldmeev er
ythi
ngandal
soaskedmet o
notbotherhi
m wi
tht
hisquest
ionagain,
hewasabsol
ute.
”Eri
ca
saidgruf
fl
y.

“But
,Isti
l
lwantt
ohavesomefurt
herinv
esti
gat
ion;
Ican’
t
sati
sfymysel
fwi
tht
his.
”Madel
inesuggest
ed.

“
Ihadnopr
obl
em,
weshoul
dcar
ryi
ton”Er
icar
esponded.
“Fine,t
henlet
’sgot ocybercaf
é”Madelinesaid.
“Readfurt
herthen,ther
emustbet heotheri
nteresti
ngf act
,that
shouldn’
tbediscoveryet,
itmustbeproppedint heblanketof
thi
smol dybook,”Dolomawassay i
ng,withabiteofgr i
l
led
sandwiches.

“But,book’sot herpagesarev ani

shed,t
hereisnoneedtoread
i
t,lookallblankwi thonlyfi
rstchapt
eroftwentypages,
butin
outercoveri tsays,threehundredandninet
ynine.
?”Madel
ine
l
eaptf r
om herchai randalongwithherEri
caanddolomawi t
h
herhalfeatensandwi ch.

“It
hinkt
heymi ghtbeeat enbytheter
mite,t
hehist
orysect
ion
hadbeenf arLeavethateati
ng,andyoualwayseatl
ikeadoodle”
Eri
casnatchedt hesandwichfr
om theDolomaandsaid
thr
owingitinneardustbin.

“Whydi dy oudot hat,t

herewasext racheese, underneaththe
onesl i
ce.”Dolomar epentedov erherf lushedsandwi ch.This
separationf r
om hersandwi chwasr eprimandedbyDol omaand
shewasgi vingfierylookst oEricawhohadanexpr essi
onof‘let
i
tgo’, Overherf ace.
Wher easMadel i
newasi ntheot herpr oblem discussingtobe
fi
xed, oneoft hedescr ipti
onst oldheaboutt hemostpower ful
Personi nhisownmi ndwasHecat i
ousVul nerity.Orthe
‘
Holocaust ’,di
dhei sstil
lal
ive,pr obabl ythechanceofhi s
ski
ppi ngfrom deat hdidn’tseemedasast at
edr esultbutmere
anest imations,whowasbehi ndt hemur der,ifitwasnotshort-
ci
rcuitwasst i
ll
unf oldedint hehi storyofPanol a’s.

“It
hinkweshoul
dcheckitt
hrought
henet
?Iti
stheonl
ywaywe
couldgeti
nthr
ough”Madel
inesai
d.

“It
hinkweshoul
dgotocy
bercaf
é,i
tsgoodenoughofsear
ch”
Dolomasuggest
ed.
“Someti
mes,
youar
ejustt
remendous,
dol
l
?”Er
icapr
aises
Doloma.

“
Ifyoudon’
tmindcanyougi
vemet
hisbat
ch?
”Dol
omaasked
Madel
inef
orthebat
ch.

“
All
your
s”Madel
i
nesai
dbygi
vi
ngt
hebat
cht
oDol
oma.

Thethreeafterleavi
ngtheMexicanbar‘SARSAPARILLA’
headedtowar dthecybercaf
é,wheretheystar
tedsearchingfor
PanoladeVasga, i
ncomputer
.Aftersometimeofsear chit
showsnor esultforPanol
adeVasga.

“Whatt he…? ”Madel i

newaswor ri
ed,itwasclearf rom herface
thatalltherelateddet ailsandi nquir
ieshadbeenr emov edfrom
thesi t
e,andi twasal lv oidindisplayofcomput er.Apar ti
cular
ly
seizeddet entionfrom t hesearchoper ati
on,whileEr ica,
Dol omawer et hinki
ngofanUl ti
mat um aboutt hesi tuati
on,
whi leMadelinecr epttowar dthedooraf terpayingt heuse
hour sofnett otheowner .
“Iwasn’ texpect i
ngt his.Thatmenbooki ssomet hi
r t
yfort
y
year soldandmom hadbeendi edsomet enyearsago, f
orgetit
,
asbooki t
selfwoul dbei nsuff
icientifithadcompl etepages,”
Ericasaid.

“Iwonderwhytheypi
tydamnedr
emov
edt
hei
nfor
mat
ion?
”sai
d
Dolomawisel
y.

“Let
’shav
esomemor eroaming,t
hebestideaevergotfl
ashed
outofmymind,weshouldal
readyknowit,i
sn’
tit
?”said
Madeli
neexci
tedl
ywhentheymadet hei
rwaytostreet
s.

“Whatwoulditcont
aini
nyourmi
nd?
”sai
dEr
ica,
Wav
ingher
handaround.

“
Weshoul
datl
eastmakeourwal
ktohi
stor
icpr
eser
vat
ion
of
fi
ce.”Madel
i
newhisper
edi
ntheear
soft
het
wowhent
hey
werepassi
ngbehi
nd.

“What’
saddr
essIhadn’
tbeent
her
e?”Dol
omacar
edaboutt
he
addr
ess.

“Let
’scheckoutinmap,witami
nuteit
’sinTrent
on-
501atEast
Stat
eStreet”Er
icaanswer
edimmediat
elyaft
ersear
chi
nginher
mobile.

“Weshoul
dconsi
deracab”Madel
i
nesai
daf
tert
he
appr
oachi
ngcab.

Attenmi nutestheywer est

andinginfrontofhistor
ic
preservat
ionof f
ice,t
herewerelotsofarti
facts,
met al
l
icear
then
potofthousand, yearsandthecrownwi thdiamonds,thesword
offranchi
seet c.buttheydi
rect
lymov edtot hecler
kofthe
offi
ce.

“CanyounamemeaboutMr .Geral
dCarlson?”Madeli
ne
i
nquir
edfrom t
hewindowar chtabl
edeskwher eei
thersi
deone
offmi
nded,pumpki
nf acedull
,l
ookingpersonwasdoinghisj
ob
i
ncomputer.

“Mr.Gerald,thehistori
anandt hedirectorofPanol
a‘ssurvey,
sorr
ymi ss,buthehadt akenhalfti
mer etir
ementandi snow
set
tledinCapeMayCount y
,youshoul dlookforhi
mt here,wel
l
healwaysi gnoredmeet i
ngpeople,heseemedar rogantand
hadattackedsev eral r
eport
erswhohadcamef orhimtobe
i
ntervi
ewed, hewant edtoremainalonei nthecapemay ”the
cl
erkrepli
edwi ththesl owphase.

“
Will
youpleasegiv
ehi saddr
ess,i
t’
ll
bekindenough”Madel
i
ne
madeupforhisunsati
sfact
oryanswer.
“
That’
ssomethingDelawareBay,Washi
ngtonStr
eet.And
f
urt
herIdon’
tknow? ”answeredt
heabsentmindedcler
k.
Thethreewereprepar
ingtogetther
enextdaywhent heywere
gett
ingonemonthholidayforj
azzfesti
valandHal
loweenalong
theother
s,i
twasgoodenoughf orthem, t
ooccupysomething.
NextdaytheyheadedforUS9whi chleadtotheCapeMay
LewesFerry,
whichthenheadsacrosstheDelawareBayto
Lewes.

CapeMaywast heci tyoftour i

sm, sayi twasanaddi ti
onal
tourism package, withdest i
nat ionf ormar inemammal s
wat ching, i
twasal soaf amoussi teformi gr at
orybi rds
obser vationwhi chai dsitsbirdwat chi ngbeaut ytol over sof
natur e.Apopul ationof3607ay earar ound, i
tisat empor ary
homef or40,000t o50, 000v i
sitor s,andi snamedaf terDut ch
Capt ain“ Cornel
iusJacobsenMey ”whohadexpl oredt heci ty;
it
hasahumi dsubtropical cl
i
mat e,hoti nsummerandcool in
winteri tisachamel eonci t
y ,l
ikeachamel eonadapt sitscol or
accor dingt othesur rounding, doest hisbor ough.Itisal l t
here
thesunsetj oyofbeachandt heWashi ngtonst reetmal l i
st he
mai nat tracti
onofv i
sitorandt hef i
sher men’ smemor i
al at
Baltimor eandMi ssour iAvenue.Ther e’slotmor eandt he
favorabl eseasonwasappr oachi ng, f
ul lofdef inedener gythe
threesai ledforMr .GeraldCar lsont heper sonwhoev erl i
ved.

“
Wegottotheci
ty,
butwherewouldwebel
i
ving?
”Er
icaasked
whi
l
etheyt
hreehaunt
edforci
ty.

“It
hinkwecouldmakei ti
nagoodhot
el,
neartheDelaware
Bay?”Dolomaanswered,whi
l
eshehadsti
ll
broughtoutthe
packetofChocóchi
psandwasbusyinhavi
ngt hem al
l
.

“
Rentmustbesuppor
ti
ve,other
wisewewoul dn’
tbeher
e?”said
Madel
i
newhohadcompl etel
yforgot
tenaboutthest
ayi
ngarea.

“Don’
tworr
y;wecoul
dchecktomyUncleBur
row’
sinn‘
The
BanquetPl
aza’
in714BeachAvenue.
”Dol
omasmil
edasshe
alway
sgoannatossi
taround.
“Youshoul
dtoldusabouttheidea,
butnowtooi
tsper
meable
one,l
et’
shavethecabthen”Eri
casaid,
butwassomehowshe
neverl
ookedtooappr
eciable.

Eventuall
ytheymadet oBanquetPl aza.Itwasgr andeurhot el
withmar velousi nter i
ordesi gning,andt hankedt oDolomadue
toherkindnesst heyhaddi scountof27%f ortheresidenti
al
renttheseasonhadt heongoi ngf esti
val andtheironlyjobwas
tofindMr .Ger aldCar lson,itwouldn’tbear edappletoeatbuta
sourlimet olicker s,hewasanar r
ogantmoodyandaf reaky
bir
dwat cher ,
al soeasi ersai dt
handone.Theyr estthereforthe
sakeofcasual appr oach, whent heycamedownf rom there
room theywer eser v edt hesnacks, whichcont ainfri
ed
potatoesandgar nishedbananas.
“Imadeakeydeci sionwhi l
eIwasont hebed? ”Madel i
newas
onlywaiti
ngf oramoment ;shewasendur edbyt heidea, whil
e
shehadl otmor et odi scuss.

“Hangon, youaredrivi
ngmebananas? ”Er icahadreall
ylosther
temper edshewast urni
ngittotheright,asnooft imest hey
shookateachot her,probablyt
herewer el otsofpeoplearound
them thiswasaf est
iveseasonandt het our i
stwerehanging
outherear oundcapemay ,
buttheycan’twast easi
nglemi nute
i
ngar bage, t
heyhadtocheckoutt hat,al
t ogetherEri
cawas
muchhov eri
ngaroundt hetabl
e,sheevenwasn’ tsosuppor t
ive,
i
tseemedt hatshedoesn’thadanyinterestl i
keDolomaand
Madeline.

“Don’tsweati t,Ihadacl earone, Iknowt hatGeraldhadtheway

tobreakal eg,Imeantt hathecoul dbewi shedtobepr oved
goodl uckf orourinvestigati
ononPanol a’s,whenIwasr eadi
ng
aboutt hePanol aont hatmol dybook, Icameacr osst
he
contr
ibut i
onpageandhav est umbl eduponhi snamet hereit
wasment ioned.Iwant edt obr eakittobot hofyoubut,
suddenl yi
twasn’ tpossible”Madel inet r
iedagai ntoconsolethe
Eri
cat ogetov erhermi nd’ sdispute.
“Holdy ourhorses,Eri
ca!Sheisreall
yhelpi
ngy ou,”Dolomawas
pickingherwor dsatEr i
ca.Thewholehallwasdr oppedawayby
theirdiscussi
onbutt heyweresti
llhavingthechancef orMr
.
Gerald, t
heytogethercouldhavetheirworkont hi
sthree
thousandandsi xt
ythreepopulat
ion.

Maybet hedeci sionwasf inger i

ngt owardt hePanol adeVasga,
alongnamewhi chhadbeenf loodedoutt hewayi nt hecourse
ofNewJer sey ,
bef orecomi ngt oCapeMayt heyhadbeent o
thesi teofPanol awhi chwassupposedt obesi tuat edi nthe
Communi pawAv enue,wasf ir
stt hetheological col legebuti n
mi dofei ghteent hcent urysome1856t o1859t hePanol ade
Vasgachangedt oanoper ahousewhi chhadmanycul t
ural
perfor mancest her e,thatv eryfunct i
onwast hecauseofdeat h
ofEr ica’smom, ther eforet hePanol awascompl etely
dest ructedagai nandi snowt ransformedt oahospi talnaming
‘
rebirth’ butMadel i
nel i
nkedi ttosomeunani mousper son
Hecat i
ousVul ner it
y’
spr esence.Whohadusedhi spower st
o
curset hebui ldi
ng, hehadbeenl astseeni nPanol a’schamber
andsi ncehehadn’ tbeseenasr emarkedbyMr .Ger aldwho
himsel fi
samy st eri
ouschar acterandnobodyexact l
yknowhi s
addr essashehadt akenpr e-retir
ementf rom hi sj obofa
historianatt hepeakofhi scar eer,hehaddi scov er edandowed
manyv aluablet hingst oNewJer sey’shistory .Andnowwas
l
eadi ngaundercov eredlife.

“
Ithinkweshouldstar
toursear
chi
ngworkofMr.Geral
dfrom
r
ightonwards?’
’Madeli
nesai
dwithembr
aceofnecessi
ti
es
f
li
ngingoverherface.

“I
twouldbegreatenoughtoboatforahobbli
ngpersonli
ke
Geral
d,whohadn’tbeeni
nthesightofanyonesi
ncey ear
s”
Dolomasai
dalsosheseemedt oobluefortheact
ivi
ty.

Madeli
neturnedaroundforEri
cawhowasmaki ngtheacti
vi
ty
asablott
ojustif
ywor k,
shedidn’
taskedhert
histi
me,asshe
hadbeenalwayscameupwi t
hwhooshingsmellf
rom Er
ica’
s
si
de.Shedoesn’twanttowai
tforanybodysoshehersel
f
st
oodupfrom thechairandwasabouttol
eave,
unti
lshewas
st
oppedbyErica.

“I
’
m notcomingtosear
chthel
oon”Er
icasai
dasi
twas
expect
edal
readybytheMadel
i
ne.

“Nothi
ngt odowi ththat,y oukeeponhangi ngher eonly,wetwo
wouldmanagei t
self
”Madel i
ner epli
ed, shedoesn’ twantedto
aff
irm atetheol dbrunchesofpl eadingany one,especiall
ythe
Eri
cawhoseemedmor einterestedt opur sueonhercel lin
socialnetwor ki
ngsitet ohi sboy fr
iendAl fred.Shehadbeen
i
rri
tati
ng.NowMadel iner eallyregrettedwhysheov er
tookthe
j
ob, i
twasl ikeslaught eri
ngone’ sownheadbyt heknife.
NeverthelessDol omaal way shadbeenexci ted,sheencour age
Madelinet onotbenost algicbutt ohav et hewi ll
.Theybot h
headedf ortheEl mir
aSt r
eetwher et hef i
rstaddr essofGer al
d
wasnot ed, t
hecl er
katt heHPOof f
icehadl ist
edt hem the
fi
ft
eenaddr essesofMr .Ger aldwhoal way skeepchangi nghis
house.

“
It
’sther
ethehouseno.19inoldr
owhouses,
weshoul
dask
t
hereforhi
m?”Dolomasaid.Shewasmaki
nghur
ryt
ogetin.

“I
twouldber
ight
,let
’sgot
her
eforhi
m’’
Madel
i
nenoddedher
head.

Theybothheadedagai nt othehouseno.19whi chwas

supposedt obeGer al
d’sfi
rsthome, i
twasaf aintoddcol our,
housethesl oshingofther oofduet orainhaddest royedthe
uppersectionbuti twasmended, however.Theyent er
edt here
toaskbutwer enotwel comedi nsidebyal adyoff i
ftyi
sh,who
hadopenedt hedoor ,
maybeshewast hinki
ngf orhersafety,
thatdoesn’thurdledthem ast heywer einhurrytogetoutoft he
homeaf teraskingaboutt heGer ald.Theladywasn’ tslender
butwasnorhadt oofatshewor noutaj acketov erhert -
shirt
andhadj eansofpeachcol ourov erherlegs.
“
Excuse,
mebutwhati
stheur
geofy
ourcomi
ng?
”ladyasked.

“
Wear esear
chi
ngf orMr
.Geral
dCarl
son,
whoowedt
hishouse
f
iveyear
sbefor
e,canyoutel
lwher
ehehadbeenmov
edafter
?”
Madeli
neandDolomaasked.

“
Actual
l
y ,
Ihadbroughtt
hishomefrom Mr.Butl
er,
whowast
he
r
ealownerofthi
shouse,Idon’
tnowifpr
eviousl
yhehadr
ent
ed
i
ttoanyone”

“Thanksal ot ,alsosor ryf ordisturbing,you”Madel inesai dand

theybot hagai nmov edtoashadeofat r
ee, ther ewasagent l
e
breezef l
owi ngt hroughbutsuddenl yitstartedr ainingtheyhad
toranf orthebusst opt oshel tert
hemsel vesf rom t herai n,the
droplet
swer ef alli
ngar oundwi ththeirheav ydr izzlingov ert he
roadandi nf ewsecondt herewer emanypeopl ecamet her e,
therewasonepr egnantl adyandwasnotf i
ndi ngt heseatt osit,
butMadel ineof ferherownseatt ot heladyandt henshegot
thereli
ef,i
twasi mpossi bl eforDol omat oadj ustasshewas
l
itt
lefatforadj ust mentaf tersomet imeofst ruggl ingshef elt
asleep,butt herewasnosl eepi nMadel ine’sey esi twasheav il
y
rai
ningout sideandi twasal readyei ght‘o’cl ock, insidet he
smal lr
oofi twasl ikeapl entyoft hingswhi chsuddenl ycomet o
yourmi nd,itwasr i
otoust ohav ethem, whyshet ookPanol a’
s
caseassheher selfwasnotev enconnect edt oi t
.Shehadnot
tol
dEr i
caandDol omat hatshehadbeeni nsecur ecent erf or
non-commi tti
ngcr ime.Shehadbeenamur derer ,shet hinksi t
bettertokeepi tsherdeepestsecr et.

Shet henwasallf
loodedbackt oherpast,themeet i
ngofa
Leupix,whohadtoldheraboutsomeMar ciousMy al,whowas
thatpersonwhocan’tst andwi t
hher .Whysheisher sel
fa
my stery
.Whowereherpar entsandwhydi dtheyabandonher ?
Nev erGret
ahadtoldher .Itwasv eryhar
d,shecan’tmake
fri
endsbutsheowedt het wonott wobutthethree.Findi
ngthe
Geraldwasv er
ydiff
icultforthem, t
houghshe’dnev erseenhim
before.Afteremergingfr
om herownconf usi
onshewal kedin
theraini
ngwayl i
keast upidforother
,butasret
ainerf
orherself
,
theweat herwascircli
ngallherbody,andshewaswalkingin
thr
ough, downal i
ttl
estonepat h.Andshetookalongbreath.

Shewassl ender ,withacheer edfaceandhadper fecthei ght

withf aircompl exi
onandbl ackhai rs,withstraightnoseand
blueey es, butshehadnotf eel edtheseal lchar medar oundher ,
nev erwhet herwhenshewaswi t
hGr et
aorher einnewj er sey.
Theonet hingwhi chal way soneknowsabouthi mi sthaty ou
shoul dbepr acticalbutnotawakey ourselftobet oodeadf or
emot ions, letthem speakt hr oughy ourev erypar tofbody .
Plantsort heshr ubsort hegr eent hingwast herewer ewav ing
andat t
ract i
ngt hesheddi ngmonsoont owardt hemsel vest o
ki
sst hem ont heirsurfacei nt hefor m ofdew.Thesewer et he
si
gnoft herepur elovewhi chnoonecoul df eel besidet hepoet .
Madel i
net houghtandacol lecti
onofpoet rycameout .Butshe
wassuddenl ysav edbysomeonef rom get t
ingdef or medi nt oa
crashf rom hi ghspeedl orry, whichhadswi ftov erherf rom t he
sl
opeofherbodyt hesav inghandswer estil
l holdi
nghert i
ghtly
after,comi ngi npr esentshehear dlotofv oicesur roundi ngher .

“
Didshegethi
t?”

“
Thel
orr
yal
mostsmashedher
.”

“
Theguysav
edt
hegi
rl
;hesav
edherf
rom get
ti
ngcr
ash.
”

Thev oiceweremumbl i
ngaround, butsheignoredt hem alland
l
ookedabov eshehadbeensav edbyat al
l,l
eanedandst i
ll
owesmuscl esthathadbeengiv enherpr oofoftheirstrength,
thefigurehadboy i
shat t
it
ude,t
hehandsomenessf eel i
nghad
meltedt hescenari
oofCapeMay ,hehadanst rangeshi nein
hisbody ,hewasamat i
ve,wi
thbr eatht
akingpartofbl ackcoat
overhisf i
tt
edjeans,thehair
swer ecomingtohi sforeheada
sortofbr ownenoughandst rai
ght ,hehaddeepbr owney es
whichhol dsthepartforsomethinghar d.
“Di
dn’
tyouanybrai
ninyour
self
?”hespoket
oMadeli
newi th
muchmoreinahissi
ngway .Hewasanabsol
uteat
tract
ivebut
hehadhatr
edfi
ll
edeyesforMadeli
ne.

“
What?”Madelinel
ookedtohiminacapti
vemanner,
she
wasn’
texpect
ingthi
squesti
oninspi
teofther
egul
aronethat
‘
Areyouokay?’

“Where’
smywal let
,iti
sn’tt
herehav
eyougoti
t,y
oucr
eeper!
!”
heagainarousedhiscoldvoice,
hewasver
ymuchweir
dthen
helooks.

“Whatareyoutalki
ngabout ?Howcoul dIstealit
,doesitmake
anysense,t
hatrecentl
yy ousavedme, andarepointi
ngyour
doubtsonmeitself?”Madelinesaid.Shewast hi
nkingthatf
ir
st
questi
onwassomehowbet tert
hent henextone,howcould
anyoneli
keabypasseri nsulther.

“Thengetlost
,Ithinkyouwer et
hatperson,whohadstol
enmy
wallet
,ther
eforeIstalkedyoufr
om busst opandyoucoul
dcall
i
tasav ebutI’
m noty oursavi
orokay,
getoutoft het
own?”he
saidwithfr
ustr
ationbutstil
lhol
dthecoldness,i
nhisway.

“May ,beyouthin’yourselfsoal l
uredorhear t
’ stopping’
.But
l
isten!Onethingy ouareacompl etelur
e,youar eaj erk,
bythe
wayt hanks”Madel i
nesai d.Butatt hatti
mesheshowedno
respectortruthf
ulness,ast heboy ’sbehavioritselfwas
exhausting,hewasunpr edi
ct ableli
kethedar kcloudswho
fri
ghtenedpeopleoft heirraining’butonlymakest hunderi
ng.

“Keepi tt
oy our
self,
Idon’
tneedthosefakewords,i
treal
l
yr ui
n’
s
mewhenIhear ditfrom t
hegir
lli
keyou,avagabond”hewas
mov ing,awaywithhispace,
sturdi
lynosenseofhumanity,
was
depictedaround,l
ikewi
sehedisappeared.

“
Whatdoeshet
hinkabouthi
msel
f,t
hatmuchofi
gnor
ance
wouldn’tmakeany onechar mi ng, l
i
kehedoes, bloodyr ascal
!
!”
Madel i
neshout edtoherself,andpat ti
ngdustf rom herj eans
shelookedathercel lphonet her eweret hirt
ymi ssedcal l
sfr
om
theDoloma, andnowr ai
ninghadbeenst opped.Buti twasei ght
‘
o’ cl
ock.Therecameat extmessagewhi chsuggest edthat
Dolomawoul dmeetheratWoodst ownSt reet,andshehadt o
reachtherewi t
hcab.Whi letaki ngacab, andhav ingaseat
won’tfrust
ratedheraboutt heguy ,whetherhewasawhi msi
cal
orpretendtobe, butshewoul dreallyadmi tsither ethatforfew
minutesshegotacr ushov erthemal i
gnanthor ny.

Itwasst upidtowat chathi m withopenmout hbuthehadan

er ot
icper sonali
ty,hisey eswer edeepf il
ledwi t
hinnocenceand
shel ookedf orwar df orhim, butalli
nvainhecoul dn’tbeso
eleganti nhisbehav ioritwasr at
herthanmor eruthl
essandnil
pol i
te.What everitwasdest i
nedt oherfate,butshewassur e
thatshecoul dachi ev edthatunnamedmanonceagai ni
nher
l
ife,butnowshehadt oonlyfocusandpr oceedtowardthe
findingofMr .Gerald.Whohadbeenhi di
ngi nthewomboft he
CapeMay ’sland?Whatt hehellthatol
dmanwant stoprove?
Shet hought.

Thecabhadbeenst oppedneartheWoodstown,andther
ewas
amusi cal
eventwit
hjam sessi
onofki
d’sacademywithmusi
c
workshop.Del
awarev al
l
eybluegr
assf
esti
val,shel
ookedatt
he
bi
ghoar di
ngasitsays.Ther
ewasacallmeanwhi l
efr
om
Dol
oma.

“
Didy
our
eacht
her
eatDel
awar
eVal
l
eybl
uegr
assf
est
ival
?”

“yes, Ihadreachedher eandm’looki

ngforyouwhereareyou?
”
Madel inesear
chesf orDol omaandranhereyesinvi
vid
di
r ectionandfinall
yf oundheratthegate’
sentr
ance,who
her selfwaslookingforMadel i
ne;sherai
sedherhandsinai
r,
andsi gnsherout.Dol omacamer unni
ngtowardher.

“
Wher
eyouhav
ebeengone,
Igotasl
eepmeanwhi
l
eandwhenI
wokei twasseven‘o’clock,thenIcamet oknowaboutt hi
s
festi
veherebyoneoft heper sonatthebusstop,actuallyhe
hadbeendi st
ri
buti
ngt hepost err
egardi
ngthisSeptember ’s
rd
festi
valandtodayi
s3 Sept ember,i
t’sl
astdayofthisf esti
val
,
soIthoughttowatchi t,It
ri
edt omatchphonecallswithy ou
buttheysubduedmeanwhi le, nowyouhadbeenher e,let’s
enjoytheevent.
”Dolomar equest edMadeline.

“Sorry,Ihadbeenf orawal katthebusst opandf r

om t hereI
hadcameacr ossfi
veki l
omet ersmore,therefor
eImi ssedyou,”
Madel iner epli
ed.
Theev enthadbeenov eranditwasagoodone, butMr .Gerald
hadn’tbeenassi gnedy et,buttheyweresur ethatMr .Gerald
l
ov edapumpki nfestival
,athistori
ccoldspringactual l
yhewas
afest i
v alcrazy,soitwoul dbebet t
ertohav ehim ont hat
festi
val ,r
athert ol
ookhi mi nhisoldabandonedhouses.Today
wasawast edayfort hem, andalsoEri
caopposedt hei deaof
comi ngal ongt hem, butitwasn’tthei
ralonedut y
,tosear chfor
Mr .Ger al
dbuti twasal sot hedutyofErica,whowoul dbest i
l
l
chattingwi thherboy fri
endAl fr
ed.

Meanwhil
etheycamehotel,andMadeli
newasv eryenraged
withtwoi
nci
dentonewiththeclashal
ongthatMr .abr
uptand
secondonewithcar
efr
eeattit
udeofEri
ca,shemusthav eto
bearsomepartal
ongthetwo; i
twasnotthei
rpersonalprobl
em.

“How’ slongedy
ourday?”Ericasaidsarcasti
call
yatthedinner
table.Shewasmuchpr etendingthathowshehadbeen
enjoyingthewholedaywithdrinksandherwobbl ycellphone,
chat t
ingandmessingwithguy satthesocialnet
workingsite.

“Youbett
erkeepi
ttoy
ou,t
here’
snoneedofy
ourall
day
acti
vi
ti
es.
”Dolomawasget
tingmaddenov
erthewayofEr
ica.

“Ihadn’
taskedyoufory
ourf
av or
s,youbot
hy our
sel
ves
engagedyournoseinmypersonalmatt
er,
Ididn’
tdr
agor
beggedyout ohel
pme,buty
oubot hhavechosenwil
li
ngl
yto
di
gitout,
under
standy
oubet
terunder
stand!
!”Er
icamov
edt
o
upst
air
stoherr
oom.

“She’sevenworstt
hanLuciaStaplet
on,atleastf
orthefake
digni
tyLuciacar
esmuchaboutherf ami l
yanditsnorms,but
thisgir
lisawrongcoi
ntobet ossed.I’
m offnowMade. ”sai
d
Doloma.Shewasr egr
ett
ingonherdeci si
onofhelpingEri
ca,
whoher sel
fwascaref
reetowardthis.

“I
t’
sokayt oher
,she’
shadprovenmewrongaboutwhatIthi
nk
forher,i
fshehadn’
tthei
nter
est,
nohar
mt oherbutweshould
atleastendi
twi t
halastt
ryatpumpki
nfest
ival
?”Madel
i
ne
tri
edtobeappeali
ng.

“No,
Madeit’
enoughnow,itwon’
tbeworki
ngany
mor
e,andI
haddeci
dedtocal
li
toff
.”Dolomasai
d.

“
But
……”
Madel
i
ne’
swor
dssankmeanwhi
l
e.

“Iwoul
dsuggestyouthatyoushouldalso,l
agitoff,
itwoul
dbe
bett
ertopr
eserveourremaini
ngfri
endship?”Dol
omasai d,
and
shetoomovestoherroom.Shewasn’ tgoinghelpheranymor
e.
Thisdi
sput
ewast aki
ngabi gfor
m ofcoldwarbet ween
DolomaandEri
ca.

Thetwohadl efttothei
rroom, wi
thouttaki
ngdinner
,andit
wouldbeshamel ess,tohavedinner,
theref
oreMadelinet
oolef
t
thedi
ningtableandwentt oherroom, t
hethreewere
confl
i
ctingwiththei
rowni deas,i
twasnotagoodal arm.

ButMadel i
nepackedherluggageandt herewer enosleepin
hereyestheywerelooki
ngf orthetomorrow’smor ningalast
chance,tohavethesi
ghtandshepr omisedtoher sel
fthatshe
won’tbetryi
ngitagai
n,ifshefail
edhereatthistime.Itwasnot
herownmat t
er,
butwhenshegott hedroppedbat chatthefoot
ofthetowernearMissMj oles’
shouse,shedev elopedan
i
nstinctofPanol
a’shi
storyconnectedtoherownf ate,t
here
wereno.oft i
meswhenshecameacr ossweirdthings,t
hose
fakemur dercase,andtherealgui
lt
yhadn’tbeenunv ei
l.
Meetingwi t
hal unat
icoldmanatNewJer sey,
whenshef i
rst
ti
mesear chedforMr s.Quang’
shouse.Theper sonwear i
ngodd
wizar
dries,anditsfl
ightov
ertheroofoftheMissMj oles’
s
house,thecaseofPanol aDeVasga, andthi
sbat ch.

Madel inewaspar ti
cul
arl
ymeanttor eceivetheexpr essionof
bell
owi ngsuspect edthatshehadbeenawar eofher
surroundingphenomena, knewperfectlyt
hest rangeand
peculiarhappeni ngsaroundtogetin,thesilenceint heroom
wasal mostgr unti
ngnoiseofherfail
ure,norshewasagood
studentt hroughherl i
fe,
andsomehowast heor phanagequota
shegetadmi ssi
onatHudsoncount y,therewasnot hingto
achievebecauseoft heinvi
sibl
ecaget hatsheher selfhadbeen
createdar ound.

Sheputherbagasi debecauset hej ourneywast otheout ski

rt
s
ofCapeMayt hecol dspr i
ngv il
l
age, shest retchesher selfandi t
wasunusual tolookf orwar dthroughherwi ndow, i
t’sbeenages
whenshel astti
megl aredatt hemoonl ightwhi chwasl arge
sli
verwi t
hcastofy ell
owt i
nge,thegent lebreezewer e
splashingthroughherf ace,shest oodqui t
est i
llforamoment ,
wat chedattheskyt hest arswer ewi nkinginandout ,int he
cri
msonl i
ght.Nowt hequeenofsl eepinesscamet oherey es
theywer edrowni nghert ot heroot edni ght,
ther ewasa
pri
cklinginherey est heywer esi gningt owardt hetime, ithad
been2’ o’cl
ockal readyandi t
’sti
mef orbed.

Nextdayatei ght‘
o’clock,Eri
caandDolomacamedown; they
sti
ll
wer etur
ningtheirfacesawayfrom eachother
.Er
icawas
yawning,hereyeshaddev el
opeddarkcir
clesar
ound,
andit
seemst hatshehadbeenchat ti
ngl
atenight.

“
Wher
e’st
heMade?
”Er
icaf
inal
l
ylookedf
orMadel
i
ne.

“
Idon’
tknow”Dol
omasnappedatEr
ica.Wi
thr
aisedey
ebr
ows
shet
urnedaway
.

“I‘
m goi
ngtoseeher
”Eri
caagainignoredDoloma’ sbehavi
or,
andsherunupthr
oughthestai
rsagain,tol
ookf orMadeli
ne.
Aft
ersometi
mesDolomat oogr
ewwor r
iedaboutMadel i
ne,and
sheranbehi
ndtheEr
icatoknowaboutMadel ine.

Thedoorwasalreadyopened, andthebedhadbeenr ear

ranged
butnoonewasther eintheroom, onl
yalef
tpieceofnoteon
thel
amppost,actuall
ythelampposthadbeenl efton,
ther
eforet
hel
i
ghtwasgl immer i
ngandfocusi
ngont hepieceof
paper.

“
It
’sanot
efrom Madel
i
ne.
”Er
icahadpi
ckedupt
henot
e.She
r
eadthemessage.

“SORRYGUYS,THATI’
M LEAVINGWI THOUTINFORMINGANY
OFYOU, BUTICAN’
TGIVEUPLI KETHIS,ITDOESN’
T
MATTERTHATWHOWOULDSUPPORTMEORNOT, IHADTO
SEARCHFORMr .GERALDLASTTI ME,THEREFOREI
’M GOI
NG
TOATTENDTHEPUMPKI NFESTIVALATCOLDSPRI NG
VILLAGE,ANDDON’TBOTHERFORMEI ’
LLBEOKAY SEE
YOUSOON, ”

“Doyout
hinkshe’
l
lbeal
ri
ght
?”sai
dEr
icahol
dingt
hepi
eceof
paper
.

“Ihopeso!”sai
dDoloma,
whohadf
orgot
tenmeanwhi
l
eherl
ast
nightduel
wi t
hEri
ca.

“
Well
,I‘
mreal
lysor
ryformylat
eni
ghtbehav
iori
twasmyent
ir
e
f
aul
t.
”sai
dEri
canervousl
y.

“Itoo,meanwhil
eshouldbeguilt
y,Iwasv er
ypossessi
ve,t
hat
wasr eal
lyt
hebadt hi
ngtohappenwasn’ tit
”sai
dDoloma,
l
ooki ngworr
iedaboutherbehavi
or.Theytwohuggedeach
otherandproceededupstai
rstothei
rroom, i
twastimefor
checkout
.

Madel ineher ehadt ookf errytoreacht hecol dspringv i

llage
720shor er oad,wher etheev entwassupposedt obeor ganized,
shewashopi ngal lt
hewayt ogetagl anceofMr .Gerald
other wi sei twoul dbeal lvain,andalsoshewoul dbef i
rstt o
reachMr .Ger aldthelongt i
mel osthistorian,whohadt oppl ed
them of ft omov ear oundhim anxiousl y,t
hepeopl eint hef err
y
asusual wer ebusyi ndeepconv ersati
on, ortheongoi ng
act i
vit
ies, therewer eallgreenar ound, thetreesandt hebushes,
i
nt erest ingpar twast hattherewer ewi ndmi l
laround,thesowed
fi
eld, thef armerr eapingtheirhay ,
andt hecattle’
sroami ng
around, shedi dnotknowaboutt hef estivalmeanwhi l
e.Whata
kindofsor t.Madel i
newassur ethatshecoul dgetaper fect
versionofbot hMr .Geraldandt hepumpki nfesti
val.

Shewasst oppedbyt heev entsitet herewerel ot

soft ouri
sm
famili
esal ongt hecount r
ysidewhohadcamet oenj oythe
pumpki nfest i
v al,withover40acr esofhome- grownpumpki ns,
athistori
ccol dspr i
ng, t
hev il
lagewascal m andenchant i
ng,
wander i
ngent er t
ainersli
keamagi cian,musicians,orthe
dancerswer ekeepi ngthem ent ertained,ther
ewer eseasonal
refr
eshment s.Ther eweredi f
f er
entcol ourssmal lfl
aghadbeen
decoratedmeanwhi le,
thepumpki nswer ecutinador able
shapes, andt hepeopl earoundwer eprompt i
ng.Thepumpki n
carvi
ngst ellmanyst ori
es,bringy oubacki nti
me, orshowa
recognizablef ace, itwaslikeagar denscene–apl aceof
beautywi thlifesi zedpeacocki nt
ricatelycarvedfrom pumpki ns.

Fami li
esfrom ar oundNewJer seypi ckedthei
rownpumpki nsin
histori
ccol dspr i
ngv i
l
lagewellstockedpumpki npat
ch,and
enjoymentonanaf ternoonhayri
deort heywouldstr
ollt
hrough
NewJer sey’slargestcornmaze.Ol derkidswouldbeecstati
c
totrythef arm’spopul arpumpkinblasterandcorncanons,how
thewonder ful
nat urethatwastoseepar entsandchil
drenboth
i
ndul geinanyf abul
ouswayout .
Sheaskedoneoldladyofsmal
lhei
ght,
wit
hbri
ghtcol
ourofher
face,
sheshookherhandswit
hthoseofMadel
i
ne,

“
Goodaft
ernoon,
grandmacanyout
ell
meaboutthi
sfesti
val?
”
Madel
i
neurgedtoherwhomeanwhi
lewashol
dingherhands.

“Cit
ylass, aren’tyou,nev ermindI’l
ltel
l you, lookthisisoneof
thepromi nentf esti
val whichwecel ebrateev eryyear,where
famili
esf r
om t heci t
iescameher eandpar t
icipateinvari
ous
ri
tualsandgames, fami l
iescanenjoypumpki npainti
nggames,
gram craftermeanwhi l
esellsthei
rwar esandv endorssellhot
dogs, f
unnel cakeset cav i
sittohauntedhousewoul dprobably
beinteresting,alsoy oucoul dvisi
tabar n, andhoponaf all
hayri
de, i
t’
sal ready1p. m andit’
ll
beget tingov ert4p.m, hurr
y
upeithery ou’l
l bemi ssingthewonder ful event ”l
adyshookher
headi nabbr eviati
on.Andwi thgri
nningsmi leshemov edaway .

I
twasr eal
lyafabulousfesti
valonecanenjoythefr
uitf
ulri
deof
l
ifeawayfrom thenoiseofcityandit
sbusyschedule,i
tisone
ofthebestjour
neyofMadel ine‘
sli
fe.Shewishesabouthertwo
fr
iendswhowoul dber eal
lygonnami sst
hejoyofthis
tr
emendousf esti
ve.

Chapt
er7
Bl
oodwi
thcur
se
Itwasone‘o’cl
ockofnoon,
andthegameswer eongoi
ng,when
sheheadedforthest
ageof14x14dimension,
shesawthat
therewasapumpkinontheheadofapersonandav er
yold
personwastryi
ngtoshooti
tfr
om thedi
stancewi
thbli
ndfol
d,
everybodywasgaspi
ngtowardthi
soldgame.

Madeli
nelosttheint
erestandst
art
edlooki
ngatt
henearby
craf
tst
allwheretheentir
ethi
ngwasmadeupofpumpki n,l
ike
pumpkinbaskets-
ahollowedout
-pumpkint
hatmakesperf
ect
v
essel
fordi
spl
ayi
ngf
all
flower
s.

Alsolopsi dedpumpki nswor kbest ,becauset heirstemsdon’ t

i
nterferemuchwi ththebasket ’
shandl e.Homespunpumpki ns
weret here-assembl edf rom y arn,rope,andf oam bal ls.The
j
ack-o-clocki t
’salway sshowsy ouaf ewmi nutest i
llwitching
houront hefaceofpumpki n.PaperMachepumpki nsof
appropriatesized.Thepumpki npi epot pourri–y oucanusea
pumpki ni ncensebur nertosuggestt hecozyscentofpi ejust
outoft heov en.gl i
tt
er edpumpki ncent erpi
ece–ar r
ange
syntheticpumpki nsonat i
eredcakest andandaddgot hic
candlesticksandbl ackcandl esshr oudedi nspi derwebsf ora
hauntingcent erpi
ece.Spect r
al pumpki nsi l
houet tes–i l
l
umi nate
tabl
etopsormant el
swi t
hghost lypumpki nscar vedwi t
hclipart.

Therewasscar ecr
ow, t
hetinyhouse, thelant ernswhi l
et hey
hadn’
tbeenl i
tup,andofcour set herewer el otsofpumpki npie,
butsuddenlyshegotheardaf ami l
iarname, andt hef i
rstpr i
ze
goestoourt enyearscont
inuouswi nnerMr .Ger al
dCar l
son,
shedrift
ymov edherheadatt hest age, that’
smeant he
bli
ndfol
dmanwasnoneot hert hanMr .Gerald,sher ant owar d
thestagewher eGeral
dwast aki ngt hepr i
ze,hehadwor nhal f
pantupt okneesandabeachpr i
ntedt -shi
rtwr itt
en
CapeMay ’
slover,andabrimmedhatov erhishead, heal so
wearthesunglasses,andar oundshapedwr istwatchonhi s
l
efthand.

“Sidepleases,
yes,gi
vemeside!”Madeli
necri
edwhil
ecrossi
ng
thethrong.Aft
erlongti
meshewasabl etoocrosst
helengt
hof
crowdandmadeherwayt oMr .Ger
ald.

“Aren’
tyout
hef
amous,
hist
ori
anMr .Ger
ald?
”sheaskedtothe
oldmanwhohadahugesmilespr
eadacrosshi
swrinkl
edfair
face.

“I
’
m nott
hehi
stor
ian,butt
heleaderofol
dagehomet rust
”the
ol
dmansaidshar
ply.Andthestr
ict
estsi
lencewasobserved
ar
ound.

“Iknow,you’r
ehurtMr.Geral
d,buty
ouar eapr
oli
fi
chistor
ian”
Madelinereassur
edhim andther
ehewasnowsi t
ti
ngneart he
shadeofthesmal lgodownwheretract
ors,
andharv
estershad
beenkept.

“Howmanytimes,
Ihadtotel
lyouthatI
’
m notahi
stor
ian,
just
l
eavemealone!
”hegnar
led,whi
leasorr
owweptoverhisworn
outf
ace.

“Pl
ease,Mr.Ger
ald,forthesakeofhumanit
y,dogiveyour
mercyuponus,my selfMadeli
neMcCarthy
,andI‘m herefort
he
Panol
a’s”Madel
inerepli
edlookingdownwithrespecti
nthe
eyesofGeral
d.

“
Are,
youaj
our
nal
i
st?
”heaskedsour
ly.

“Nosi
r,I
’
m notajournal
istbutastudentoff
ir
styearatHudson
count
y”Madel
inerepli
edinintr
oducingmanner.

“
Oh!That
’smyoldcoll
ege,Iwasgr
aduat
edi
nsoci
ologyfr
om
t
here,
howdidyoureachhere?
”heseemedl
i
ttl
ebi
tsati
sfi
ed
wi
thMadeli
ne.

“Thi
s,bookhadanedi
ti
onofyourssi
nce1968.”Madel
ine
showedhimthebookwhichshehadlentf
rom l
ibr
aryf
rom her
bag.

“Yes,t
hiswasmywor kwell,
there’
splentymoreo’ t
hiswr
it
ing”
Geral
dr i
ff
ledcursori
l
ythroughaf ewpagesofPanol aDeVasga,
andtookasi ghofbreath,
“butnobody ,event
rustedme,l
ook
theyhadremov edtheimportantconcl
usionwrit
tenbyme.”

“
Whydi
dtheynott
rusty
ou?
”Madel
i
nest
ruggl
edt
omakemor
e.

“
Because,
theyt
hinkIwasf
aki
ng,
Iwasdoi
ngpubl
i
cit
yof
rumors”heansweredandhel
dupt
hebook,
suchasay
oung
chi
ldholdsonforhist
oy.

“
Whi
cht
ypeofr
umor
s,i
twasn’
tashor
t-
cir
cui
taf
teral
l
,isn’
tit
?”

“
Well,i
tst
ruet
her
ewasn’
tit
,butt
herewassomeonebehi
nd
t
his,
Itoowasint
hegr
andeurpar
ty,
butIsav
edmylif
e.”

“
Whohadbeenwi
tht
hatawf
ulpur
pose?
”

“I
twasHecati
ousor‘
hol
ocaust
’”heanswer
ed,
wit
hat
err
ibl
e
expr
essi
on.

“Buthewastoooldtodecay
,howcoul
dhemanagedal
lthi
s,
didhereal
l
yexist
?”

Ther
ewasaf i
reintheeyesofGer al
d; somethi
nghadgi ven
him adeeppai ninside,whowasHecat iousactuall
y?Di dhe
wasnotf icti
onal
?Howev er,Mr.Ger aldhadchangedt heopinion
ofMadel i
newhot oobeliev
edt hatt herewasnoHecat iousor
‘
holocaust’.Thetakeoverofhert hought schangedherat t
it
ude.
Anoutdatedbookhadchangedi tt hrough.Whenshecamet o
knowt hatitwast heHecatiousbehi ndal lthemiss-happenings
atPanola.Shel i
stenedtoMr .Ger ald’swor dswit
hr aptatt
ention
andrespect .Hecont i
nuedfurt
her .

“Hecatiouswasv eryambi tious,f

rom start
ing, whenIwas
aboutsev ent eenyears,hehadbeenoft hirty’
s, ever ybody
declinedofhi sexistence,buthewasami nd- blowingsci entist
,
hehaddeepi nter
estint heology,hedeeplybel i
evesi nreli
gious
nepot i
sm, hehi mselfwant edt ocruci
fi
edt henon- beli
everof
god, athei
stoneandatt hepar tyofni
nety-ni
net herewer eal l
fortyatheist,aft
erthet r
ialsessionofHecat ioushehadbeen
hidinghimsel fintheunder groundchamber sofPanol a’s,st
ill
gatheringhi ssuppor t
ersofr eli
giontofi
nisht henon- beli
ever,
hehol dssecr etmeet i
ngandpl anstoinvadet hear eaof
occul t
ism, andwhenhegott oknowt hatPanol awas
transformedt oanoper ahouse, andcul tural gather i
ngs,hegot
madov eritast het heol
ogical streamshadbeenbl ocked,
thereforehesuppor tedthebel iefsandanyhar assmentt ohi s
reli
gionwasgoi ngt opayf orit,att hatti
met henewspaperhad
beenf ullofthemur derevent sthatwasongoi ng, ofatheist,
manyoft hem f l
edawayt oot hercount riest her ewasal arge
t
h
scalemassacr e,att hesameni ghtof18 Juneni nety-
hundr ed
andni netynine, t
her ewast hebi rthdaypar tyi nhonorofMay or
Rodi nNer nst,
hebel i
eveinhumani tyandhaddonemanywor ks
regardingt hedev elopmentofNewJer sey ,andt herewer e
manyot herstool ikehim,Hecat i
oushadnakedt heallwi ri
ngs
andconnect i
onandahi ghv olt
aged. csuppl ywasgi v
ent ot he
whol ehall whi
chr educesnot hingbutashes.Hecat ioushad
believedtobedeadi nthatmassacr ed,andt hecasewas
closed.”Hesai dandat earspl ashesout .

“
But,
sti
llIdoubtit
,hecan’
tbenepoti
sm,butwasplanninglot
morebeyondouri magi
nati
on,It
hinkhewastheaugurerofthe
under
world.”AskedMadeli
neasshewasabouttogetupf r
om
thepl
ace.

“
Howcoul
dyousay
,that
?”Ger
aldf
li
cker
ed.

“
Because, Ihadsawami dni
ghtfl
yi
ngwizardi
nhisbesom out
ofmywi ndow, andwhenIf oll
owedhim If
oundadropped
batchsigni
ngP. D,herethi
sis…..
”Madeli
nerai
sedherhandto
gi
vet hebatcht oGeral
d.

“
Yes,
it’
saHor
ti
lop,
”henamedpecul
i
arspeci
e.

“
Andwhat
’st
hisnow,
”Madel
i
neasked.

“Hort
il
opi sakindofspeci
eswhicharef oundi nthemi dai
r
nighthunters,t
heyhadblackeyes,l
onghai rupt oneckand
readconstellat
ion,
theyareagooddepictersofcomet s,
they
usuall
yaref oundinrobesofbarkt
ree,t
heyst i
tchestheclot
hes
withveryfinehandsasaweav erbi
rddoes, theyaresupposed
tobet heancest orofweav erbi r
dsi nt ermsoft heirstitching
quali
ties,buttheyflewont hecybst ers,af astspeedwoodl i
ke
comet s,theyareagoodcar penter,theyuset hecy bst ersf or
thei
rai rtr
ansportati
on,becausei tishol l
owf rom i nside.The
besom y oudescr i
bedcoul dbeacy bsters;theydon’ twant
anyonet ohurdledur i
ngt heirwor k.Theyar ethepr ota- agentsof
hell
,whi chsucksouty ourbl oodt ypeandaf t
ert heirsucki ng;
theper sonisnol ongertoliveany more.Usual l
yt heyar ehal f
visi
bleandonl ytheyar emal especi es, whichar et her esultof
self
-reproducti
on, t
here’snotneedofawomen. ”Heanswer ed
crookedl y
.

“But
,beingahistor
ian,
howcany oubel
i
eveonthese
i
maginar
ycr eat
ures.
”Madel
inei
nterr
ogat
ed,shewasmuchof
t
hesuspicious.

“Wel
l,Icant
rusty
ou,
li
stenmywor
dsI
’
m notahuman?
”he
r
emarked.

“Whatar
eyousay
ingsi
r,i
fyou’
renotahumanthatmeans
y
ou’r
eanali
en?
”Madeli
neshockedinast
oni
shment.

“
NO,
I’
m notanal
i
enbutanAnt
err
omi
an”hesai
d.

“Andwhatdoest
hisAnt
err
omi
anmeans?
”Madel
i
neasked
Geral
d.

“Wet heAnt erromi ansar et heguar diansofBy zanti

ne-El
ysium
viaduct .Ourgal axyl i
esi nthemi doft hisviaductort he
foot bri
dge.Theev erglorifi
edwor l
dIhadev erbeent he‘Nerd-
Hedge’ ,69,917km i nsi zeev erbiggert hanasi zeofJupiter
,
whi l
et herer esidesmanycr eat ur
esal ongt his,ourgalaxyis
dividedi ntosev encel ibatesl i
kef i
rstVay udy ancelibat
esin
whi chagai ntherear ef ourfl
y ingcategor i
es, Auroramagest he
fl
y ersofweehour sf rom onea. m.t o12p. m.t hent he
Pinnacl oridgethenoont imef lyersfrom 12p. mt o4p. m aday
andt hencomest heLeupi xieswhohadt heirflightti
mingof
eventi
det hatisfrom 4p.
mt oeightp.m.Andt hentheyarenot
avail
ableast heyroamedforduskonly,aftert
henthet hereare
onlytheOpaci ver
getheyarev er
ykindthenthatofHort i
l
ops,
whopest erthet r
avel
ersbuttheOpacivergeareli
kethest ar
s
whohel pthepeopl etofi
ndtheirwayinnight.

Thi swast hef i

rstsect ionoft hecel i
bate;thesecondsect ion
belongst otheHomor t
ians, Imeant heearlymanoft heear th,
theybef orethei rcr eati
onwer egi ventheonef ourthar eaof
Ner d-Hedge, aftert heyadaptt hewayofl iv
ing,theywer esent
toear th.Thereal sot heyar eunder goingthroughev olving
process.Andt het hirdcel i
batesbel ongtot heLemandor sand
restot hersthemammal soft heNer d’ssurface.Andf i
nallythe
threecel i
batesbel ongt oust heAnt erromians.Andl astbutnot
thel eastNecr omancer s.Ther ewhol ecommuni ti
esser vedasa
bigpar tofdoct orsorHeal er
iocins.Theyar ethesecondl argest
communi tyaf terthanAnt err
omi an.”Hedescr ibedtoMadel ine.

“
Itsuggest
smeof fahugewor
ld,
butwhati
syourpur
poset
o
serve?”Madel
ineasked.

“
Wear ethebal ancemakersbet weenthehellandtheelati
on;
wearegivent hewor kofsecuri
tythatnocondemnedspi ri
t
shoul
dhaul t
ov ehemence.Anyt y
peofv i
olat
ionmaysubj ectto
theunbal
anceoft helawofuniverse.Wehadt oint
roducethe
rul
eofsuscept ibi
li
ty.Asor
deredbyt heNeuciades,t
hegodof
dead,heservedast hejudgeofdeat hcour
t,wherethespiri
ts
hadtoattendt hei
rcheckbalanceoff or
edeeds.”Heanswer ed.

“
Howdoesthi
sdeat
hcour
tproceeds?
”Madeli
neaskedagai
n.
Themoresecr
etswer
eunf
oldi
ng,themoreshewasgrowi
ng
eager
.

“ther
earefiv
edeathceremony ,
wel lt
otestif
ythepuri
fi
cat
ion
buthoweverI’
mt el
l
ingyouinshort,t
hespi r
iti
smadet ohave
si
tinmiddleofthebigr
oundgobl etofbalance’
shangi
ngand
ontheeit
hertwosidesthecardofonebl ackandoneredis
placei ftheredhear tisrott
edandt heblackheartpourslot
amountofcoal tarthenthespiri
tissenttoby zant
ine,andift
he
hear tcardinsteadofr otti
ngbloomsoutwi t
hflowerofblue
cor alalongwi t
ht heblackheartblast
ingintothecrackersofj
oy
thent hespi r
iti
ssentt opar adi
se,Andifintheabov eonlyone
thingoft hetwohappenedt henthespir
itisbegettotheearth
agai n.
”Ger al
danswer ed.

“Wait,
Iremembersomet hing,Ial
sohadencount er
eda
Leupix-i
nf actafemal eLeupix,
atthestormywinteri
n
Bloomsbur y.ShenamedsomeJi t
kara…longthosefi
veyears
ago.”Madel i
negotr emember edofhermeet i
ngneartheclosed
oldmuseum ofwi zardrywhenshewassav edbyaLeupix.

“So,
youwouldbethefi
rstl
i
vehumanwhowatchedthem,
as
t
heyarenotv
isi
blet
oliv
ingpeopl
ebutt
hedeadone,
”hesai
d.

“
Howi
sitpossi
ble?
”

“Leupixiesar
ev i
si
blet
oAnt
err
omi
ansandt
hehel
l
-heav
en
dwell
ers.”Hesaid.

“
So,
howwasIabl
etoseet
hem?
”Madel
i
newonder
ed.

“Ithink,
youmusthav
erar
ebloodt
ypel
ikeFNOT-56”sai
d
Geraldmidli
ne,
ashewasassur
edofMadel
ine’
sabnor
mali
ty.

“
Sir
,thi
smustbeoddtohear,asther
edoesn’
tanybl
oodty
pe
l
ikeFNOT-FN.
..what
everi
tis…”Madeli
nesai
ddoubtf
ull
y,
watchi
ngMr.Geral
dwhowasst il
lhavi
nghi
sclai
m.

“
Ialsoknow, thatmaybey ou’
retherar
estper sonint hiseart
h,
wit
ht hi
sbloodt ype,t
heserangeofpersonnev erbebor nhere,
never!
!noteveni nthepastandnoteveninthef uture,asear t
h
i
stoof eebletoholdthepersonofthesebloodt ype,thenhow
couldyousurv i
vedhere,i
t’
simpossibl
e,foreverypar ti
clethere
i
sanant ipart
icl
e,andifaparti
cle-
anti
par
ticl
epai rsupt hena
Ant erro-Cy gnusbar y onf ormsi tisimpossi bletoescapeonesel f
from get ti
ngdr awni nt ot hesecl ust erofpar ti
cle.TheAnt erro-
Cy gnusnucl eusi sther arestbl oodbui ldingpar t
icles.
Noonei ntheNer d-Hedgehadev erbor nwi tht hisoccul t.
becauset hisbl oodt y pecont ai nst hesegmentofFNOT- 56a
par ti
clewhencl usteredf ormsar egi onofnon- escapt i
vit
y
not hingcoul dpul ledi tselfbackt olifei foncei t
sact i
vatei tself
.
Itisacompactr esultofwhi teAnt erropar ti
clef usedwi thbl ack
Ant erropar ti
cle.Itdef or mst hel argestsur facet of orma
l
ifelesscomet .Af t
ert heact ivat i
oni tcont i
nuet ogr owby
absor bingper son’sbodycel l
,theper sonmaydi edbecauseof
theFNOT- 56i nageof30’ sorev ent henl ess, buti fthi
sbl oodi s
transf erredt oahal fdeadcor psehewoul dlivef ormi l
li
onsof
year s, butt herel i
esacondi ti
ont hatnei thert hewhi teAnt er r
o
soul ort hebl ackAnt errosoul cant akei ttoheal themsel v es
becauseFNOT- 56i tsel fwouldabsor bst hei rmasst oexpandi ts
l
ifeexpect ancy .Itishar mlesst ot hebodymadeupofpr ot ons
andneut rons. ”

“So,
thatmeanshumanar esaf
e,coul
dyout
ellmethatwhat
doesi
tsact
ivat
ionneeds?
”Madeli
neaskedworr
iedl
y.

“Abott
lef
ull
ofhol
l
owstel
l
armassesand10,
000di
l
api
dat
ed
membranepar
adi
gms.”

“That
’smeantiti
sn’
tact
ivat
edy
et,
thatmeanswe’
resaf
e.”
Madeli
necheer
edup.

“
Youcansayt hat,
butmaybeinf
uturet
hethi
ngshoul
dn’
tbe
happened,asitwoul dbl
astt
hewhol
euniver
seti
ll
nowiti
sin
i
nacti
vatedstate.”hewasmuchsureinhi
swords.

“
Oh,mygodthat
’smeanIcoul
dbeanAnter
romi
an.
”
Madeli
nepi
nchesit
sel
ftoconf
ir
m.Andt
hepainensur
edher
.

“YouareanadvancedAnt
err
omian,andonl
yofonekind,
no
ot
herthanyouar
eher et
obeupdatedini
tsadvancedf
orm.
There’
smanyi nthiseart
hbuttheyt hemselvesareunawareof
them.Yougott hehumanr ace,butmainl
yinear t
ht heyar
ein
formsofli
fe’sessenti
alel
ement sli
kesun,wat er
,soil
,andai
r
etc.nooneinearthissentinhumanf orm butIwonderhow
theysentyou?”

“
Asl
i
ket
heysendy
ou,
her
e?”Madel
i
ner
epl
i
edhappi
l
y.

“
Oh!Myone, I’
m abdi cat ed;whenIwast ravelli
ngt oinspect
thenei ghboringgal axy,asIwasi nt hechargef ormat i
ve
i
nspect or.Myneut ronst arf uelwasendedov er,andmy
capti
v ati
onwasaboutt obl astwhichwoul dcauseal otof
destruction,Idecidedt ol andonear thwit
ht heby passing
meteor .Andt heref oreIcameher e,andfir
stgr aduatedmy sel
f
asanhumanandt henIwassor tedbyoneoft hehumanpost
ofhistorian,asever yAnt er r
omi anisagoodabsor ber,i
tcan
easil
yabsor bst henear byt r
aitsandmaket hesur rounding
habit
att oliv
eupon, andnowIdon’ twanttol eavet heearth,i
t
suit
sme. ”Hesai dandt urnedaway .

“And,
whataboutmeIdidIr
eachedher
e?”Madel
i
neaskedt
o
Geral
d,whowasnear
lyswit
chi
ngby.

“
Youmusthavebeenf
ollowedbyt
hedisast
erthatshookour
l
andmanyyear
sgo,bythewayhowoldareyou?

“
I’
m sev
ent
eeny
ear
sol
d.”Shebl
i
nked.

“Oh!Letmer ememberIhadbeenheresince20years,and
hadn’tbeent oNerdHedge,butmypostmenalway scamet o
megi vingthenewsofNerdHedge, l
et’
schecki
ngoutsomeof
them, butnothere,
Myhomei nCapeMay ,
OceanStreet.
”He
suggest ed.

Theybothstandupandmov edfort
heGeral
d’
sbike,whichwas
supposedtohisonl
ycompanioninthi
sworl
d,l
eavingbehind
thehi
stor
iccoldspr
ingv
il
lagewherethef
esti
valhadalsobeen
cameupt oend.Shet urnedaround;t
hebikehadbeenpar ked
atthebarn.Hestart
edthebi kewit
hhiskick,anditmadesound,
hesaidMadelinetositbehindhim,andtheywentt hr
oughthe
roadleadi
ngtoCapeMay .Whichwasstillf
araway ,i
t’
sbeen5
‘
o’ cl
ock.Andthevi
ll
agehadbeenv ani
shedf araway.

Ger al
dhadbeenr espect
fultoher,hehadint
ellectualskil
l
sof
thi
nking,butit
’sbeennormal toMadelinetoknowt hatshe’s
oneoft hem.Ormaybeshei ssti
l
ldreaming,butitcan’tbea
dream, becauseshehadpi nchesherseveralt
imes, andeach
ti
mesi twouldhav ebeenal otofpain,
shealmosthadar d
handsf ul
lofpinches.

Thet reeswer espr i

ntingaway ,andtheroadseemsdar ker
,the
storywasr evolvingar ound, t
hat ’
smeanshehadbeenachi ldof
super naturalparent s,whower ethey?Didtheyal i
ve?Didthey
knowt hatshei st ooal ive?DidGr et
aknowabouti t?I
sthatthe
reasonsheal way sf ear edandwokeat4p. m?Shehadn’ tt
old
herany thingoutt heli
f e.Whyshehadbeensoqui etandalways
i
gnor edMadel ine’squest i
onsthroughout.Alsowhenshe
returnedf rom jai
l shehadt oldaboutthef r
icti
onaltemperatur
e
whi chranoutt hroughherbl oodandsheal mostsweat salot,
shehadsai dthatherl egswer ebulgedout,didn’
tshe?Butshe
saidt hatitwasheral l il
lusi
on.Shewasn’ tclear.

Thet i
meel apsedandi thadbeen9‘ o’clockandt heybot h
reachedtobor derofCapeMay ,andi nfewmi nutesthe
crowdedr oadshadbeeni ntheirey es,takingsomemor efew
turnstheycamet oar owhouse, li
keusual t
hef i
rsthouseof
Ger al
d.Thehousehadbeenmi ddlel i
keal wayswi thapeach
greencolourandat empt i
ngredov erroofwi ththest airsatthe
entranceandwasf encedbyt hewhi tewoodl ogsseries, aft
er
crossingthefourtof ivestai
rsthedoorwi t
hwhi tepai nt,shows
i
tM.GERALDCARLSON.Houseno.36t heybot henter edinside
thehousewhi chwasr eallymanagedi nt hegoodway ,there
wasahal linli
ghtbluecol our,andhadsetami dstawooden
sofaandt eatablear ound,wit
hat elevi
sionandi nleftwast he
ki
tchen,r
eal
lypr
ettyf
orhav
ingtheset
sofcrocker
yand
necessi
ti
esofal
lfoodit
em andasmallcol
dbar.

Theymov edinsidei nther oom ov erupstairstherewer etwo

roomsonehadbeenl ocked.Andonewasopenedt heyentered
therightone.Ther oom hadaf ourbedpost ,withanet .The
corneritwast hef i
replace, t
heasheswer et herenow.She
wonder edbecauset herewer enocol daround, andbysi dewas
adeskandat abl elampofcour se,theroom hadawal l
paperof
smal lboatwithahel msman, pr
intedinlightorangeandsi l
very
colourtheyignor edit,andGer aldopenedt hechestofhi s
drawerwher et herewer ethemi ll
i
onsofmet al
li
clayers
unfoldedincrypt exletterlockofabout35cm l ongitwas
i
ncor porat
edwi t
hmet al .I
ngr eyblackcol ored.Hesuspect ed
manyoneoft hem butaf t
erasmar tsorti
ng, heselectedaone.

“What’
sit
?”Madel
i
neasked,
looki
ngatt
hemet
all
i
cscr
ap
cr
ypt
ex.

“I
t’
sahart
odex,acr
ypt
exl
i
kef
eat
ure,
usedi
nNer
dHedgef
or
safet
yofl
ett
ers.
”

“Openi
t!
!”Ger
aldsai
d,y
awni
ng.Hegazeddowni
ntoher
anxi
ouseyes.

“HowcanI?”Madel
i
nerespondedlookingi
narefusedmanner
.
Asifsher
eal
lydi
dn’
twanttoprov
eher sel
fasafooli
shgi
rl
.

“Thatperhapswouldbebest,
fory
ouasatrai
neefi
rstl
oadthe
code‘F-I
-R-E’
andthen.
”Geral
dsai
dandagainyawns.Nowhe
wassosl eepythatf
orsometi
mehefor
cibl
yopenedhiseyes.

“Iam notqui
tesure,
”Madeli
nesaid,“
butf oryoursakeIwoul
d
bewi l
l
ingtotr
y,”sheaccept
ed.Shefeltsuddenlyweakand
overwhelmedaboutunlocki
ngacryptexli
keletterl
ock.

Thehar
todexhadbeengi
venapentsecur
it
yguar
dthef
ir
st
shel
lhadbeenmadebyt hecal cium car
bide,andt hesecond
wit
ht hezinc,thethi
rdonewasphosphat eandt hefourt
hone
wasironandl astonewasanamal gam.Howdi dsheknowt o
opent hefourscrollf
oldedbyal ay
eroffif
t hone,t
heNev ins
andreplicali
neswer ebot hfi
ttedwi t
hmechani cal
lychangeabl
e
codes, i
tusesadur ablepolycar bonateri
ngwi thacometphot o
l
aminat einfavoroftheaut henticmat er
ials.

“I
t’
sametall
icscrap,
andi
stooengaged.
”Madel
i
net
ri
edt
o
unl
ockedbutfai
led.

“
Thr
owi
ttof
ir
eimmedi
atel
y!
!!
”Ger
aldsai
dinal
armi
ngway
.

“
Butwher
e’st
hef
ir
e,’
’shescr
eamed.

“
Int
hef
ir
epl
ace,
”

“I
t’
snotburni
ngyet?”Madel
i
nesai
d.Butnei
theroft
hem mov
ed.
Theywerestar
ingateachot
herwi
thacuri
ousrepul
sion.

“Please,throwitintheheaterthen,”hei
rri
tabl
ypoi
ntedtowar
d
theheat er,whi
chhadbeenswi tchedon,maybehehad
forgott
ent oswitchitoff
.
Madel i
net hrowsthescroll
intot heheat
erandacoll
isi
ontook
place.“Bang”av oicecame:

“TheMu seofSo nne

t,hear
tywelc
omesyou;i
t’
sverya wful
lytoinf
ormyou
abo
u tthela
stn i
g h
td i
sast
er
,themil
lio
nsofme t
eorswit
hab igbangexpl
os
ion,
sho
okt helando fNerdHedgeandtheno.ofdyi
n gAn t
erro
mianshad
i
ncrease
da boutfort
yperce
nti
le
,the
re’
sthepinpo
intednewsab o
utlo
sin
gour
mosteminentschola
rsthegre
atHealer
io
ci
ni nMr .Edgarhexh a
db e
en
sup
po s
edtolosth i
sli
feinsavi
ngoneofthenewlyma rr
iedcoupl
eMr.Arfus
andh i
swi f
eMr s.
Jantinetheywerest
uckinthemi doftheme t
eorandhad
nowa ytoescapethro
ugh.Als
oo u
reminentAcharyaLebekoT o
lf
ushadtolo
se
hi
swh olefamily.
T
heteamofres
cuehaddela
yedtosav
ethem.Mr .Anto
nioWi lf
re
y,th
echai
r
p
ers
onofthemete
orol
og
ica
ldepa
rtmenthadremarkedthatitwas
u
npre
dic
tabl
etolos
s8000An t
err
omians
,buttheweatherhadbeenal
ways
c
le
aranditispi
tytonot
etheun
cert
aint
yofthelordMegh k
ingashehad
o
bsc
ureth
ath o
wt hec
lou
dsofmeteo
rturne
dh ima r
ound,asheh i
mse
lfha
d
n
otgi
ventheper
missi
on.

AlongwithsomeLemandorsofaro
und30a ndAuro
ramagesabo
ut65a nd
Pi
nn a
clor
idg
esabout5
4, Opaci
ve
rgeabo
u t45andLeupi
xiesabo
ut78a n
d
Homort
iansabou
t87h adbeenrepo
rt
edtod i
edal
ongwiththisab
out100of
Anter
romian
sv e
ine
dhuma nshadb e
enlost
.Andarest
il
lbeensea
rchi
nginthe
ot
herplane
ts
,wh e
reso
meo fourAnter
romiansbr
ot
hersaredwel
li
ng.Hope
th
eywo ul
dd i
sco
ver
ed.
”Thev oicestoppedmeanwhi leandt he
scroll
swer ereducedt oashes.

“
DidNerdHedgehav
ewitnessedofamet
eordi
sast
er?
”
Madel
i
neaskedtoGeral
d.

“Yesi thappened,afterIleftt heNerdHedge, t

hethreey ears
l
at er,t
henor t
ht r
adeMet eor sshookthel and.Andst i
l
l some10
Ant err
omianshadn’ tbeendi scover
ed, t
heyev eryyearsendme
anl ost–foundf orm sot hatanyoft helostAnt err
omianmay
discov ert
heycoul dfil
lupt hef or
m, andit’sthelastone, af
ter
thistheywoul ddiscontinuet hegateofhedge, couldgetback
tot henerdhedget ot heirrespectiv
ef amili
est her
e’sdozenofi t
i
nt hedr awer.
”Ger al
dsai d, andshowedt hepal mleavesof
har dcodewher eitshows.

Thev
ersati
leofNerdHedgecommuni
ti
es
Lostandfoundf
orm

Wear ereall
ymourningforthet r
agediannightof15December
1999,
whent hemeteorovershookt hepureandecst at
icland
ofNerdHedge, manychildren,women, men, andi
nfantswere
supposedt obetr
ansportedf ort
heirsecuri
tytootherplanet
s
orworld,someofthem hadbeenr ecoveredbyourhard
searchedoper ation, i
nev erylanguagewearepr i
ntingt his
form, Hindi
,Egy ptian,Thai,Chinese,Mongol
ian,Japanese,
English,Marti
an, jupit
iri
onet csot hatmaybeweabl et ohave
ourv aluabl
ecivili
ansback.Anyonewhohadf oundt hem may
givethem thisfor m sot hattheymustcompl eteorf ulfi
llt
hei
r
detailsandaftert heresur r
ectionofthi
sformt heymaybe
transportedthrought hesuggest edmedium (v
alidateupt o
thisupcomi ngHal loween) .

Name-

Al
ias-

Or
igi
n-

Bl
oodsampl
e-

Fi
nger
pri
ntaut
hent
icat
ion-

Dat
eofbi
rt
h-

“Thebestthingyoucoulddonow, istoimmedi atelyfi

llupthe
l
ostforum, sothatsomehelpmaybegi ventoy ou,it
sbestt i
me
tomeety ourparentstoknowaboutthem, didn’
ty ouwantt o
havetheblessingsofyourparent
s,totel
l t
hem t hatyou’r
ealiv
e,
sowhat ’
reyouwai t
ingfor
?”saidGeral
d,lookingemot i
onall
y.

“Cert
ainl
y,Iwantitbutwhataboutmygr
andmother
,Ihadtot
ell
herfi
rst!
!”Madeli
nehesit
ated,l
ooki
ngi
ntothef
orm.Then
Geral
dsai dwit
hsoluti
on:

“
Iwould,t
alkt
oyourgr
andmot
her
,butwher
eyournat
ivet
own
i
s?”heasked.

“
InBl
oomsbur
ybor
ough,
NewYor
k”shesai
d.

“
Thenpacky
ourl
uggage,
wehadt
omov
enowi
t’
sal
ready
thi
rt
iethofOctober
,andHalloweenistomorrowthat’
smeanwe
hadonlyti
meoft oday.”Ger
aldwasstil
lthi
nkingaboutt
he
for
um, hehadatleastfoundonelostAnter
ro,andshewouldbe
meetingherfamil
y,butfi
rst
lyhehadtochecki tf
orherbl
ood
sample,whil
eMadel i
newasseethingabouttheforum.

“It
hinkIshouldgaspaTer baton,
”Geraldsaid,andt ur
ned
towardtherightsidepl
acedanEl mir
a.Heopenedi tandlooked
atitther
ewasawoodenboxwi thbeautif
ulcarvingbutElmira
wascr ammedwi t
hmanyt hingsatatimetoo, t
hecl ot
hesand
theneededf i
le,
alsothelockerwit
hpasswor d.Andi nthe
cornerwastheoak’ swoodenboxhecameupwi ththeboxand
openedit.
“Whyr eyoucarryi
ngthesewi t
hyou,what’sinside?”Madeli
ne
askedGer al
d.

“Youwoul dknowinseconds,
there’
ssomet hingIpossessed,
I
thinkitwouldbether
esomewhereinthecor ner”hesaid,
and
puthi shandint
heboxwhichhadalldarknessinside,
didheis
clutchingonl
yair
?Madeli
nethoughteventuall
y.

“
Itr
eal
l
yhol
dsi
t??
’’Madel
i
nemur
mur
edi
ndi
str
ess.

“Yes,i
thadbebet t
erwashedf
ir
st,wai
taminute….t
herenonot
there,
it’
staki
ngmuchoft i
metocomeout.Ithi
nktoputsome
fi
reworksinside….”Ger
aldagr
eed.Hemeanwhi l
efetchessome
fi
reworksfrom thesameElmir
aandputonebomb, i
nsidethe
box.“Mov eoutsideoft
heroom!!
”hesqueal
edaround.

“But-
---
-“
Madelinewast ur
ningaroundthedoor,butaft
erseeing
theferoci
ousey esofGerald,sheimmediatel
ymov edoutofthe
room.Anexpl osionhadbeenhear d;af
tersometi
mesheagai n
enteredtheroom, ever
ywherewast heblackspotbutGeral
d
hadbeenspot lessholdi
ngacr eatur
e,i
nhishandlookingli
ke
halfworm andhal fmosquitoasithadit
sneedletosuck.

“
It
’saTer
bat
on”hesai
dbr
eat
hlessl
y,i
tmustbeev
idencet
hat
howmuchhehadf ightovert
ogetov erit
.“I
thadbeennamed
l
eugo;i
tal
way sf
ightswit
hme, everyti
mewhenIusedi tfor
bl
oodtest
.”Thel
eugomustbev erymucholdwiththi
sjob,i
t
won’
tbetr
ay.Madeli
nethoughtinhersel
f.

“Andwhati
t’
llbedoing?
”Madeli
neaskedf
ear
ful
l
y,shewas
almosti
nendangeredwitht
hespeci
e.

“Itwoul dfirstcrawlinsidey ourv ei

nthr oughi tswor m par tand
deepi nsidey ourv ei
n, i
t’l
lbesucki ngy ourbl oodwi thits
mosqui topar t
.Fir
stlyy ouhadt of i
ghtwi t
hi tinthehonorofi t
,if
youdef eatitinthewar ; i
twoul dbewor kingasy ouwantt owi t
h.
Letmeent erthisiny ourv ei
n, upholdy ourhandf i
rmly,no
mov ement seitheritwoul dmov edt ot heot herpar tsofy our
bodyandwoul dmul t
iplyitselfbysucki ngy ourownbl ood,
maki ngy ouweakandst rengthensi tsownl ife,Ihadcame
throwmanycasesar ound.somehadgr ownmanyTer bat on
outsidet heirears,someoutofl egsandsomeout si
det heir
butts,itwasv eryfunnyt oobser vethatoneofmyassi st
anti n
TheNer dHedgehadbeetoncecameoutwi ththet ai
loft he
Terbatons. ”Ger al
dlaughed, buthi slaughi ngwasmaki ng
Madel ineuncomf ortable,whati fshewoul dgr ewt hetailoutof
herbody ,shewoul dl ookl i
keaf emal emonkey ,No!!shewoul d
notliket obeev er
.

“Iam hol
dingmyhands,
butpl
easecar
eful
,si
r”shesai
dto
Geral
dwithatensebeat
.

“Don’twor r
y,I’
m experti
seinthi
swork”Geraldsaid.Andhe
i
nser t
edt hewor m gentl
yinthehandsofMadel i
ne, t
hewor m
partfi
rstdigahol e,andwasmadeent eredinthev ein,
Madeline
wasmadesi ti
ntot henearbycouch,andshewasmadest i
ll
afterhal
fanhourt heholewasopenedagain, whi
chhadbeen
closedafterenteri
ngt heTerbat
on,
Nowt heTer batonwasouti tshookaboutfi
fteenmi nutesand
thenitdied.
“Whathappenedtoi
t?”Madel
i
neaskedGer
ald.Shewas
consci
ousthist
ime.

“I
t’
sbeendead.”Geral
dlookedsad,hehadbeencompl
etely
brokeni
ntopi
eces,andhislongti
mecompanionhadbeendead.
Hiswaslyi
ngtherei
napl at
e,butwastoosmallt
oobser
v e.

CHAPTER8
THEWAYAROUNDTHEDOOR

Neit
herseemedabl etosaymor
e,andthenalit
terlaterGer
ald
sai
dsomet hing.Ashewasnotexpect
edtohavesomesay ing
becausehislongter
m compani
onwasdeadont heplateand
Madelineacceptedt
hathewoul
dhav eabit
termout h.

“Look,
youdon’
thavet
owor r
ymuchmore,asi
thadbeentoo
oldtosur
viv
e,i
tsmuchbett
ertohav
eit
srebi
rt
h.”Ger
aldsai
d,
butnoonecoul
ddenythathowmuchpainhewasfeel
ingatt
he
moment .

“Sorr
y,si
rbutIwoul
dbesomewher ei
t’
sguilt
y,nowwhat’s
aboutthebloodt
est.
”Madeli
nesaidr
egret
ful
ly.Shef
ixed
hersel
fwiththef
actt
hatshe’
sgoingt
opayf orit
.

“Wemustcutit
sstomach,i
t’
snecessar
yforyourbl
oodt
est
,”
hesai
dintheconv
ict
ionofhisownsuperi
ori
ty.

“Howwouldithel
p?”Madel
i
neaskedgent
ly,
butshemighthav
e
beent
ooafraidtowat
chthi
sal
l,
butthenshesust
ainedher
sel
f
towat
chthescene.

“I
’m cutt
ingitbytheway ,
maybey ouwouldn’
thavetheway.
Givemet heinjecti
onandbl ade;it
’si
ntheseconddrawer.
”
GeraldhimselfcuttheknotwhenMadel i
nebroughthim
shavingrazorbladeandai nject
ion.
“What,wouldnowhappennow, ”Madeli
nesaidbluntlytoGeral
d,
whowasst i
l
lcuttingitwit
hconsciously
.Alt
houghMadel ine
doesn’tseemedt oosuper st
it
iousastheol
dGer aldwas, Could
shewoul dbeident i
fi
edherbloodtypeever
?Nev er
thelessshe
bentimpulsi
velyandsawt heoperat
ionofaTer baton.After
sometimeofoper ation,hecameupwi thagrinnedsmi le.He
wassodej ectthatev enMadelinel
ookedsympat heti
c.

“Finall
y,Imadei t.Ifoundt hecor eoft erbaton’shear tandhad
pour edyourbl oodintothisinjection,ithadn’ tbeendelayedas
afternot i
meofi t’
sdead, Isquashedi t’
sbl ood,eitheri
twould
hav ebeendr i
edupi nfewmi nutes, butitreallysurpri
sedme
howcoul dyourbl ooddidn’tdried, maybet heef fectofyour
mi l
destbloodhadl onglast i
ngf eature,thereforei t
’sdead,asit
wasunabl etobearapar tofy ourbl ood.NowIcoul dsenditto
alongy ourforum. ”Hesai d,pointi
ngatt hef orum thathadn’t
beencompl etedbyt heMadel i
ne.Shewaswai t
ingforMiss
Grian,whohadn’ tanyideaaboutheror igi
n, orMaysheknows?

“Okaythen,I‘
m goi
ngtomyhot elf
orchecki
ngoutandsir
,
wherewoul dbemeeting?”Madel
ineaskedGer
ald,
whowas
nowwashi nghishandsintheatt
achedbasi
ninoneofthe
corner
,andt henheappearedbef
oretheMadel
ine.

“Fi
rstIshoul
dbur r
yit,wit
hproperonedayf uneral
,mayitwould
getplaceinheaven,Iwish!
!Andt henIwouldbemeet i
ngyouat
yourhotel
’scounterit
self
,li
stenchil
d,wehadn’tmuchtimet o
spare,i
fyourGretawouldnotal l
owy ou,t
henalsoyouhadt ofi
ll
upthef or
m.”saidGeraldwhenMadel i
nemov edtodownstair
s,
hefoll
owedMadel inetothedoor .

Madeli
nemov edoutofGer al
d’shouse,andtookacab; shewas
i
mmedi atelyreachedathotel,whereDolomawaswai ti
ngfor
her
,whileEr i
cahadbeenr egrett
ingonhercarelessbehavi
or.
Madeli
ner eturnedto“BanquetPlaza”coldandsnowy ,
theway
was,butafterseeingherfri
endscanceledgoingbacktoNew
Jer
sey,shef eltcomfort
,ther
ewer eregreti
ntheirey
esandt hey
werebeggingfor
giv
enesstoMadeli
ne,
“Howarey ouMade?”askedDol
omawhowassi t
ti
nginthe
banquethall
,l
ooki
ngdeeplypai
nandashamedofherbehav
ior
.

“I
’
mf ineDol
oma,noneedtowor
ry,
cheerup!
!”Madel
i
nesai
dto
dolomaandtheyhugwit
honear
m.

“Di
dy oufoundthatoldinsane,
ImeanMr.Ger
ald?
”Er
icaasked,
soundinglowtone,butshewasgri
nningf
eebl
y.

“No,Iwasunabl etofindhim, ashehadbeenwal kedtosome

othert ownast hepeoplesay s,andnooneknowswher ehehad
been, IthinkIwast edlotofti
mebehi ndsearchi
ngt heoldman,
whilet hepumpki nfesti
valwasv eryi
nteresti
ng,Ienjoyedther
e
andmi ssedbot hofy ou,itwouldber eal
lyfuntogether,Iwas
ral
lyi
ngt hetroops.Buty oubot hmissedit.
”Shesai dgenuinel
y,
andt urnedt oEr i
cawhowasal sopatti
nghershoul der
.

“
So,
what
’snextnow?Howwouldbef
ixi
ngi
t?”Dol
omaasked
t
oMadel
i
newhomeanwhile,
order
edf
oracupoftea.

“I
t’sal
ready9:
30, whatel
set hi
ngscouldbedone,
otherthan
sleepi
ngorhavingdinner
,isn’
tit
?”Er
icasai
dtodoloma,and
yawned.

“Sorr
y,guy
sbutplanshadbeenchangedl it
tl
e,youbothgof or
sleepandIwouldbegoingt oBl
oomsbur y,asGretaallof
suddenisnotf
eeli
ngwel l
,theyhadringedme. ”Madeli
neliedto
DolomaandErica,whower ecompletingtheformali
ti
esfor
tomorrow’
scheckouttoreceptioni
st.

“Whatar eyousaying,thatmeansyouwon’ tbether etousfor

thecelebrati
onofHalloweensIhadbookedanev entfor
hangingout ,
aswear emov ingtoNewJer sey.
”Dol omasai dt
o
Madel i
newhowassi ppingupthetea.
“Cancelitout,asmypl anwon’tbechanged,I‘
ml eav i
ngtoday
i
tselfat9:45,Gret
aneedsme.Andal soIhadn’tmethersi nce
t
hreemont
hs;Iwouldcel
ebratet
heHall
oweenther
eifthey
woul
dhavebeenprepar
ed.”Madeli
nel
i
edagaintothem;she
wasly
ingt
ocoverthemeetingbet
weenherandMr.Gerald.

“Soy ouaregoingt
odayitsel
f,oh!Lookatthewatchit
’salr
eady
9:40,youwon’thavemucht i
met oprepar
ey ourl
uggage,geti
t
arrangeandIwouldcallacab”dolomasaidt oMadeli
newho
alreadybeentoupstai
rstopackherluggage.

“
Thanksfory
ourf
avordol
oma,”Madeli
nesai
dt odoloma,as
t
hehall
hadbeenfi
ll
edwit
hthevisi
tor
,sohervoiceechoed.

“
Youarealwayswelcome,
”DolomasaidtoMadel ine.
Meanwhi
leEri
cawasunabletodigestt
hatevenonf ai
l
edt o
f
oundMr.Geral
d,howshecoul dbesorel
evant,becauseas
muchsheknowMadel i
neinthisonemonth,shewasnotso
r
esi
sti
vetoherfai
lur
e,i
nfacttherewasacalmnessov erher
f
ace.

“Hey,Doloma, di
dn’
tyounot
icedthatMadewashidi
ng
somethingf r
om us,shei
sn’
ttel
li
ngusthetr
uth.
”Eri
caaskedt
o
Doloma, butshewasnotatt
endingher.

“
Shelooksal
lfi
ne,Idon’
tseeanythi
ngthatcoul
dbehidden,
youshoul
dbemistaken,
forgeti
t.
”Dol
omasai dt
oEri
ca,who
wasmeanwhil
etry
ingtothinkher
sel
f,

“Gi
vemeoneminut
e;Ithi
nkIshoul
dhelpheri
nherl
uggage.
”
Eri
caal
sor
antoupstai
rs,
shethenheadedtoMadel
i
ne’
sroom.

Madel i
nehadpackedherl uggage,
ther
ewasn’tenought
hatnot
becar r
ied.I
twaslight
eralli
napacking,shewasreadyf
orher
j
our ney.Aft
erseei
ngEricaatthedoor,
sheaskedherthe
reason.

“Whathappent
oyouEr
ica,youl
ookli
tt
lebitt
ense?”Madel
i
ne
askedEri
cawhowasst
ill
standi
ngnearthedoor.
“Not hingbi g,Ijustcameher et ochecki fyouwantanyhel p,and
byt hewaysor ryformybehav ior, butIknowi tfrom st arti
ng
therewon’ tbeanyf ruit
f ulresul tofdoi ngtheseal l
,asi twasj ust
ashor t-
circuit,wecan’ tal t
er edt hemi shap,butf ory our
satisfaction, Iagreed,y ou, li
st en!Madel i
ne,what every oudid
forme?Iwoul dreallybet hankf ul toyou;youpr ovedy our
l
oy altytowar dthef r
iendshi p.Butl ookatmysi de,Ial solov ed
mymot her ,andIal way sbeggedf orhercompany ,shewas
reallyagoodwoman, whohadhandl edmyf ami l
ywel l
.MaybeI
woul dl ovet opur sueit, shewant edtoadoptoneor phanchi l
d,
wedi ditforherchoi ce, andnowDer ekismybr other .Wear eall
happyandwehadmov edon……andi tdoesn’tmat tert hat
whet heritwasanacci dentornot ?Butt hi
st hingsmat terthat
howmuchl ov edmymot her ,andt hequant i
tyisindef init
e,thank
youf ory ousuppor t,Iwon’ tfor geti tever.
”Ericasaidt o
Madel i
neandhol dsherhand.

“Thanky ou, f
orgiv ingmesoi mpor tance, nowIknowt hat
everyt
hinghappensatagr ant edandendsatagr unting,well I
’
ll
alwayshopef ory ourbest ,“Madel ineendedupwi that ighthug
withEricaandt heybot hledt hemsel vestot hedownst airs.
Wher edolomawaswai ti
ngwi that axii
nt heout skirtsoft he
hotel,
thet hreeonceagai nhuggedf oralongt ime, thenwi ththe
sweepingey estheybi df arewel ltoMadel ine, f
orthem i twas
moment ari
ly,butf orMadel i
nei twasper manent ly.Theywon’ t
evergett oknowaboutherr ealit
y,theydon’ tknowmanyt hi
ngs
abouther ,andt heydon’ tknowherpast .Andt heyspr i
nted
awaynowt hecabaf tersev eral l
eftandr i
ght s,t
hecabr eached
hertoherdest i
nedpoi ntwher eMr .Geraldwasal readywai t
ing
forherwi t
hhi ssmal lluggage, watchingtimeathi swat ch.Af t
er
seeingMadel i
nehef eltrel axed, andcamet oMadel ine,

“Wher
eyouhav
ebeenMadel
ine,
y out
ookmor
eti
me,
I‘m her
e
si
ncefi
ft
eenmi
nut
es.
”Geral
dsaid.

“
Sor
rysi
r,Iwaswi
thmyf
ri
ends,
theywer
ebi
dingmef
arewel
l
.
Di
dy oubur
ythel
eugo?
”Madel
i
neaskedbykeepi
ngt
he
l
uggageasi
de.

‘
’ofcour
se,i
thadbeenbur
ied,
anditwoul
drebor
ntoNer
d-
Hedgeit
sel
f.
”Geral
djoi
nedfur
ther
.

Atten‘o’cl
ocktheycaughtabusandboar doverit
,Mr.Geral
d
wasseatedneardr i
ver
’soneandMadel inegotseatnextover
totheLadyholdinghercat
,itremindsherofMr s.Quangand
hercatsanzang,theeverf
uriouscat.

Tov isi
tBloomsbur y,alandf orherabnegati
on,nowwast obe
apartofthathistory,
from wher eherbeginni
ng,togetagr asp
ofwher eshehavecomef r
om andwher eshecouldbepossi bly
heading,t
amedher .I
tssosi gnif
icancethatt
heskyhadbeenal l
ni
ghtst ar
ry,t
hebl i
ndfoldofwhi tefragr
ance,werestoredina
chi
ll
ingprospect.Itwasl i
keapi ng-pongballonthenightsurrey.

Anyway,Madelinesti
l
lhadn’
tdeci
dedwhatshewasgoingto
saytoMr s.Gr
ian,i
twasmuchbey ondherownr
ecept
ivi
tyof
reci
rcul
ati
on.
Now, muchhav ebeenf arperhapsi nherempt yhead,sheonl y
wai t
edfortheirj
our neyt ocomeatt heend, andnowshehadt o
makeupf orthevigor ousdecisionandper missionforNer d
Hedge.Andi fitwast herewasnot hi
ngt odo.Madel ineendur ed
herselff
orthener dhedge’ sform andt heupcomi ngHal l
oween,
howwoul dbesheabl et oenj
oyt hef esti
val
,sheev endoesn’ t’
t
know, not
hingcoul dbesai daboutper usaloft hefesti
val,
finall
y
aftersometime, t
hebusconduct or,yell
edaboutBl oomsbur y ,
theyhadt ostopther e,thepeopl ehadmadet henarrow
pathwaycongest ed, shewai t
edf ort hepassenger stoclear,and
thensheandGer ald,boar dout,ithadbeenmor edarkwitht he
gr
owi
ngt
imes,
“
Didwear
ri
vet
ooear
ly?
”
“
What
’st
het
ime?
”Madel
i
nesai
dgl
oomi
l
y.
Madeli
nedest
roy
edbyt
hei
l
lti
mingshi
mmer
edf
ort
he
mi
ssionar
y.
“I
t’s11: 45, t
het imehadski ppedmuchf aster,Ithinkt heywoul d
beawakeni ngf orthepr eparat ionofHal loween? ”Ger aldsaid
Madel ine, andendur edherf ordel ight ,
theyhadbeenwal king
forsomemi l
es, asthet herewer enot axi,alsot heywer emean
whi l
e,passi ngt hroughmanyhouseswhi chhadbeendecor at
ed
withHal l
oweendecor at i
ve,likeal lthepassi ngwi ndowshad
stri
ngedupt heghoul i
shHal loweenpapergar l
and, withthe
classicpaperdol l
-chai n,andf urtherpeeki ngi nsomehouses
backy ard, onecoul dbeabl et oseet hebatmobi leofdar k
papers, att hetur nsshowedt hev intageHal l
oweendecor ati
on,
manyDr aco-o’-lanternsandt iny–wi ngedpal swer eenought o
createaTr ansy lvanianscene.Runoft hemi ll
pushpi nst urned
i
nt odev ili
shr edey es, wi t
hv ampi reandbatpumpki nslaid
aroundt hedoor s,t
hewayt hr ought hecor nerswer el i
tupwi t
h
PaperMachepumpki ns.Bewi tchingHal loweent reeswer e
adornedwi t
hseasonal ornament saswel l
ast inyt reatbags
hadbeent heref ortheguest st otakehome.

Madel i
nethoughtt wicethattoaddsomecut enessthejar
s
werepai nt
edi npumpki ncolour
sandwer egiventhefunny
facesaroundt hem.Ahol lowedoutpumpkinsmadet heperf
ect
vesselfordisplay
ingf al
lfl
owers.Dri
edcockscombsl ookli
ke
brains,
inscaryspeci men.Thespookyscenewi ththedramatic
vell
um Halloweenl anter
nswer ebeenpl
aced.Ther ewascandy
wreat
ht empti
ngtoremai
nintactforlong.Tomakeitone
wouldbeneeding2poundsofhar dcandyintwist
edwrapper
s,
and8f ootl
engthofembr
oiderythread,andaroundwir
eabout
the8inchesinthedi
ameter
.
Withoutanyneedt heyhadcamet oIrv
ingSt reet,wher
et heholy
crossv ir
ginmissionaryandor phanagelaidst r
aight
,Stoodhi gh
asthemastofasai l
ingship,I
nmi doft hedar knessaffl
i
ction.
Theyent er
edatthedoor ,andtappedit.Aftersomet imeMi ss
Mer cy,thesecondhi ghestAbbessopenedi t
,shehadhol dofa
applepi einherhand, andseeingMadel i
neshehuggedherso
ti
ght l
ythatitwasf orsomet i
meunbear able,butitwasan
emot ionalli
nk.
“I
t’
spret
tynicet
ohaveyouMadeli
neback?Comeinsi
de.
”She
welcomedMadeli
neandagainget
sthepiewhi
chhadbeen
pl
acenearthedeskar
oundthedoor,
“Actual
ly,
Mi ssMer cythere’
soneot herwit
hme,hereMr.
GeraldCarlson,theret
iredhist
orianathist
ori
cpr
eservat
ion
offi
ce.AndMr .Geral
d,sheisMi ssMercyMendez,oursecond
highestabbess.”SheintroducedMr .Geral
dwhohadfoll
owed
hertothedoor .
“Oh!Idi
dn’
tseehi
m,atallwel
l
!NicetomeetMr.Car
lson,
pleasehav
eyourway,
I‘m MercyMendez.
”Mi
ssMer cyshakes
herhandswit
hMr.Carl
son.
“
Miss.Mercy
, wher
e’stheGret
a,Mr.Geral
dhavebeenher
eto
meetwit
hGreta.”Madeli
neaskedMiss.Mercy
,wholai
dthem
t
otheupstai
rs.
Suddenl
yli
tt
leAl
ana,pansy
,Ev
an,
Fred,
camear
ound,
whi
l
e
ther
ewereother
stoo,
“
How’
s,y
ouMade?
”li
tt
leAl
anahuggedMadel
i
ne.
“
Did,
youwouldbecelebrat
ingHal
l
oweenwi
thus?
”Ev
anasked,
wi
thstr
ippi
ngpi
nkl
ickers.
“Haveyoubrought
,gi
ftf
orus?”Donal
dsaidwhohadbeent
o
upst
air
s,andresol
vedtoaskMadeli
neaboutt
hegif
tfor
Hall
oween.
“Wait
,chi
l
dr enlethertakesomer est
,shewouldbemeeting
youtomorrow,”MissKi r
chhof
farguedtochil
dren“
Nicetomeet
youMadeli
ne, I
’m gladtoseethatyouhave’
been,back”
,she
addedfur
ther.
“
Ial
so,gr
antyoufort
hatMi
ssKi
rchhof
f.
”Madel
i
nel
eaned
t
owardMissKir
chhof
f.
Nowshemov edt oupst ai
rswher eshewoul dbemeet i
ngHer
Greta,It’
sbeent hreemont hs,that’
sshehadn’ tev enhugged
Greta,shewoul dar m herar oundandwoul dexpl ai nev erything,
muchanxi ously.Ther oom wasopenandsheent er edGr eta
wasi nbed, shehadbeenpal eandagei nghadwi ndupherspan,
shewasr eall
yaccompl i
shaboutMadel i
ne.Shehadcompl etel
y
turnedt osomet hi
ngel seint hesethreemont hs.Al ifel
essand
fadedf aceofherpai nsMadel ine’
shear t
.Shewasdozi ng,she
didn’tl
ookal i
v e,herfacel ookedl i
keashandcol our lessl i
kel at
e
winter’
smoon.Thi swasal sot hesignofoldage.Thewor ld
outsideprov i
desast arkcont rast,t
hey oungchi ldr enmaki ng
mer ryandt heat mospher eofHal l
oween, didn’thunchedwi th
her.ButMadel inestil
lscomposesherandt ri
edt ol ooknor mal ,
shesmi l
escont i
nuously;sheassur edher selfthatherGr eta
woul dbef i
ne, there’
snoneedt oworry
.Hersmi lei sanat tempt
tohideheranxi etyandf eart hatMadelinehadwhi lel ookingat
theashenandpal efaceofherGr eta.
Thecur
tai
nsweresti
l
lmov
ingwiththeni
ghtbreeze,
butthey
coul
dnotwai
lher,
shemovedaheadwithonestepatthefoot
oft
hedoor
,andgent
lyt
appedt
hedoor
.
“
Gret
a!!
”shesai
dlooki
ngspaci
ousl
ytowar
dthebed.
“Who’ sthere,sweet i
e,didyouhavecomeback”av oicecame
outwi thabl ast.Thelightswereswit
chedon,whichhadbeen
offwhol ether oom.Thenwear i
ngthenearspect
acles,and
adjustingthem t otheirposi
ti
on.Adownywomanwi thwhite
hairthathadbeent ightenupinbun,i
naf ul
lsl
eevesnightgown
withfloralprint
semer gedasaf i
gur
e,itt
hentookfi
nalimage,
anditwasnoneot hert hanMissGri
an.
“
Oh!Fi nal
ly,
youcame,Ihadsmel l
edsomesensesr
egar
ding
you,butthosenight
maresreal
l
yhauntme.”Shesai
dwit
hout
winki
ngherey esandneckedaroundMadel
ine.
Ithadbeenapl easantni ghtforMadeli
ne,t
henat ur
alj
oyof
Halloweencoul dbef eltbyany oneri
ghtatthemoment .There
wasnomov ementatal l,infacti
twasaf ascinati
ngmoment ,
all
ofthem wer eenjoyingt hesuddenstrangenessoft hemoment ,
andei t
heritwasMi ss.Gr i
an,orMadeli
neorMr .Geral
dwho
hadf al
lenasleepatt het ime.Therewastotalinacti
vit
y.Along
sil
encewassoot hingthei rf
eeli
ngsandhelpingt hem toremove
thei
rsadness.
“Imusthavetoknowaboutyoursuddencoming,did
ever
ythi
ng’sokay,
sweet
ie?
”Mi ssGri
ansaid,
afterbreaki
ngt
he
l
ongterm sil
ence.
“
Yes,Gret
a,t
here’
ssomeonewit
hme, whowant
st ot
alkt
oyou”
Madel
inepoi
ntedtowar
dthehal
fasl
eepMr.Ger
ald.
MissGri
anlookedbesi
de,t
herewasaoldmanwhohadf
all
en
asl
eep,
sheshockedwhil
eseeinghi
m,sheknowshi
mver
ywell
,
howcouldhebewithMadel
ine.
“Wait,
Gret
aIshoul
dawakehi m!!”Madeli
nesaidandshookMr.
Geral
d,whowassti
llAsl
eep,aftert
appinghim att
hebackbone
hewokeupwi t
hashout,“who’sther
e’sI’
m sureIwoul
dkil
l
you!!
”
“I
t’
sme, Si
rMadel
ine,y
ouhadbeensl eepy,soIwoke,youshe
i
smyGr etaandGretameetNewJer sey’
smostpr of
ound
hi
stor
ianMr.Ger
aldCarlson.
”Sheagainint
roducedhim.
“Come,wit
hme!!’
’MissGri
anhol
dsoftheski
nnyhandsof
Madeli
ne,Madel
inehadbeensur
pri
sedofseei
ngMiss.Gr
ian
acti
ngstr
ange.
“WhathappenedGreta,
didn’
tyoul
ikehi
sarr
ival
,he’
shereto
havesome,tal
k”Madelinesai
daft
errel
easi
nghersel
fwit
hthe
clut
chesofMiss.Gri
an,whowasstil
ldi
ppedinsomeother
thought
.
“Shefearst
oloosey ou,Madel
ine!!
”Mr.Geral
dsai
dwhohad
foll
owedthem totheroom.Andst andinf
rontofMi
ssGri
an,
theybothgaveeachot herar
epulsivel
ookandMadeli
nel
ooked
extremel
yconfused.
“
IsthatoneGreta?”Madeli
neaskedcuri
ousl
y.ToMissGri
an,
whowasst i
l
lignoringherl
ooksfr
om Mr.Geral
d,ButGer
ald
l
ookedimmensel yproudandappropr
iat
e.
“Iknowher ,
ofcour sewhocouldev erfor
gotthebubblegi
rlat
highschool,don’tyourememberJul i
us‘t
heleakypir
ates”
,how
muchIt easedy ouathighschool,andwhatwast henameof
yourotherfri
end, Qi
ng,no,quoi
n,Ican’tr
ememberher .
”said
Geraldwithwickedsmi le.
“
So,youwerebothmat esinhighschool
,butwaitdidn’
tyout
old
methatyoualsopursuedyourstudi
esfr
om highschool.”
Madeli
neaskedGerald,andpausedasshewast ingedbyMiss
Gr
ianwi
thherey
es.
“HowcouldIf
orgetyouandy
ourbadboy
s,youall
werev
ery-
verymuchbad?Andbythewayshe’
sQuangHingChi
”Miss
Gri
anaddedfurt
her.
“
Well,
that’
spret
tyol
dthi
ngs;l
eavethem, soIam herewith
Madel
inetotel
lyousomet
hing.
”Mr.Ger al
dconducted,nowthe
i
mportantt
hinghadcomeoverit
sex ecuti
on.
“Fi
rstl
y,Ishouldshutallt
hedoorsandwindows; wehadt ot
alk
somet hingimport
ant.”Madel
inesaidsni
del
y,andwal kedal
ong
them ,aftershut
ti
ngthreewindowsandonedoor ,noonecould
overheardtheirt
alks,
buttheaircoul
dcomingfrom the
venti
lator.
“
Ireckonedallofmuchtime,
List
enJul i
us;
mightyounotknow
t
hatwhoi sMadeli
ne?”Geral
dswitchedtoMiss.Gri
an.And
l
ookedhersideways,shewassweat i
ngall
around.
“Gr
etaissweati
ngalot!
!”Madel
inegroundedi
twi
thMissGri
an,
andreal
izi
ngittobei
ngonbizar
re.Shehadcli
mbeduptothe
col
dnessandf r
ozental
ksofGeral
d.
“Letherbe,shecoul dhavet otoler
ate,
thi
s,Jul
iusdidy ouknow
aboutMadel i
ne‘s--
-Imeanaboutherbackgr ound,It
hinky ou
wer epret
endingitbyyourself,
y ouknowallverywel
l,isn’
tit?
”
Ger al
dsaidtoMi ssGrian,whowasdeepl yshookbyt heov er
threateni
ng,wordsofGer ald.
“Sweartogod,ifyout
oldheranythi
ngIcoul
dn’
tlethert
othat
creepyanddisgui
sedworl
d,theyhadmademepr omise,I
wouldn’tunl
ockit
.Shewouldbesafehere”Mi
ssGr i
ansai
din
herfier
yv oi
ce.
“
Butsheknowst
heseal
l
,al
ready
,noneedt
oconf
igur
e,shehad
tobewithwhatherfat
eisdest
inedwit
h.”Ger
aldarguedagain
toMissGrian,whowit
hperi
odoftimegrewmor eapathet
ic,
anddist
ressed.
Madeli
newasl ookingal
lthesewithasi
lentabbr
evi
ati
on,
she
di
dn’twanttoenteredi
nbet weenthet
wool ddecay
,thef
ight
s
wereargui
ngandi twasafterall
ahardli
steni
ng.
“Letmeknowt hisGr eta,whenev erIt al
kedy ouaboutmy
parents,youj ustf l
i
ckeredi taway ,yousai dthatt heywer ea
goodper son, alt
hough, buty oudidn’ttol
dmeaboutt hem,I
hadn’tevenasi nglephot ooft hem, Inotev enbot heredy ou
much, att heageoft wel veIhadt oturnf orthejail,fort heun
deployedcr ime, andaf tercomi ngf r
om it,yousentmet oNew
Jersey,thereImetMr .Ger ald,
het oldmet hatIam r arestof
rareinthisear t
h, nooneev enbeforemeandaf termehadbeen
toearthofmyki nd.Youknowhet oldmeaboutNer dHedge
anditsdwel lerst heAnt erromians,whyy oudidn’tt ellmet hatI
am suf f
eringf r
om bl ooddi sease.Whenev erItoldy ouaboutt he
sympt oms, youj ustletitawaywhyGr eta?”Madel ineopened
hermout hforjustonet ime.
“Pl
easekeepqui t
ebot hofy ou, Iknowit’
sall myfault,Iwast o
bethev icti
m, thatIkeptMadel i
nei nacloudsofconf usion,I
knowshehadt her i
ghtt ohav eknowaboutherpar ents,
”Mi ss
Gri
ansai d, andt urnedf orMadel ine.Whowasl ookingwi thogle
towardher , “
Sweet ie,beholdy ourhear t
,asitwouldbebeat i
ng
asmuchf ast erthanev er,theywer egoodper son,yourpar ents
werereal l
ygoodenough, i
twasaweedybutst ormyni ghtwhen
yourfatherr appedatmydoor ,atthatti
meIusedt ol i
veal ong
thetwonuns, andt herewer eonl ytenchil
drenatt heor phanage,
i
tstartedr ain.Andt heweat herseemedmor edecept i
ve.He
washol dingy ourmot her’shand, whowaspr egnant ,i
twasher
fi
nalstages, shewasbr eathlesslysighi
ng,thelaborpai nhad
beenstar
ted,
shewasaboutt
odel
i
very
ou,
Ist
il
lremembery
our
fat
her
’swords,
“Please,Helpmywi fe,
Mot her,sher eall
yneedshelp,mybabyis
aboutt ocome,shei sseveri
ngwi t
hpai n,sheneedssome
handst osupport
,herIhadt odi str
actt hem awayfrom her
e,
there’
slotofthem theDengul fers,t
heyar einvadi
ngbehindher
,
pleasesav emychild.I
’l
lbey ourcour tesy.”Andhef l
edaway,
veryfarfrom mysight,fr
om y ourMot her’ssight
,whodidn’
t
knowabouthi sdepar t
ure,wasscr eami ngoutofpain.
Mi ssGr ianwasr eall
yextensi
v ewiththeemot i
onalcounter
,
shewasr espondingguilt
y,asi fshecoulddosomet hingto
savet hem, t
heirnoiseswer esoundingf ort
hecryofhumani t
y,
pit
hilyandasol di
eredarmt oconser v
et hei
rdestroy
edidenti
ty,
Madel inehadt earsinhereyesandMr .Geral
dbowedhi shead
withv astness, i
treall
yimpactf orthetenetsoftheharmonyand
theexpl oitat
iveswhodi mensi onall
ystrodewiththeadubious
roared.
Mi ssGr i
ancont inuedt ell
ingthescene, “Yourmot herlooked
towar dmehopef ull
y,besideshewasi npai n,Ihadhi ddenfrom
herabouthi shusband’ sdepar ture,wear r
angedi tforhome
deliveryandwedon’ tevenknowwhet heri twasgoi ngtobe
wor kedornot ,all wasincidental,Iwasspel li
ngt henameof
Jesus, theonlyoneatwhom Icoul dbel ieveatt hatmoment ,I
wasawi shofaman, whohadt akenmepr omisedt osav ethe
bondofhi slove, wet ri
edi t
,Iandmyot hernunsaf t
ermuch
ti
me, gi
vey ouy ourlife,youlookl i
key ourmot her, blackhairand
blueey esandy ournosei sli
key ourfather .Butal as!Wewer e
unabl etosav ey ourmot her .
”
Madeli
ne’
sheartwasbr
oken,
shelookedinagr
eatdept
,she
di
dn’
tknowthei
rnames,ev
enherparent
swhohadbeendied
whenshewasbr oughttoherl
ife,
didshewasacursedchil
dto
herparentwhohadeatenherparents,
shewasdemonic,she
waslikeasnakewhot ogai
nhislif
eeatsit
sowneggs,buthere
achil
dhadeatenherparents’
li
fe,shehadtobepuni
shedby
god.
Mi ssGri
anturnedsy mpatheti
ctowardMadel i
ne,sheext end
thesamecour t
esyt oher.Sheweresear chi
ngtroughherey es,
theywererepenti
ngal oss,annoninverti
blel
oss,alosswhi ch
wasmuchmor epr eci
oust oMadel
ine,shecan’tbeali
vewi t
h
thatmuchofbur den,shewasunablet ohandledthepiercings,
herdefi
nit
ionwasami serabl
edesti
nation.Thi
scouldn’tbe
i
ntendedafteral
l.
Butwhati sbr
eat
htaki
ngisMadeli
ne’
spersever
ancetowar
d
thedi
sil
lusi
onedl
if
ewhi chwasnowfuti
l
ewi t
hanarduous
Endeavourtol
eadalif
elongoutt
heseyears.
Mi ssGrianint
erruptedherwi l
ingtospendt i
me, puti
n
painst
akingeffort,
andmadeMadel inetohavefait
h,t
heycoul
d
getaresult,
itonedon’ tacceptthedi f
fi
cul
ti
esthroughthel
if
e,
ForMadel i
nemaynotmaket hatextr aef
for
twhichcanchange
thecourseoflifedramat i
call
y,forherbenefi
t.
“Yourmom wasdead, wit
hherey eswi del
yopened, Imour ned
atherl oss, Idon’ tknowt hem from al ongtime,butitseemed
tomet hatt heywer ethet r
uesoul matewhocoul dn’
tbea
parted,af terthef uneralofyourmot her,Igottoknowabouta
corpset hathadbeenf oundedint henearbywi l
dr i
ver
yesterdayni ght ,Isuspectedi tt
hepol icehadbor dereditby
don’tcr ossy ellowst ri
pes,Ileanedf urthertocharnelhouse.I
recognizedi t
,itwasy ourfather,andsomesai dthathehad
beenmur deredbutIwassur ethatt heDengul f
erstookov erhis
l
ife.Thebot hl ovecoupl eswer eheadedf ortheheaven,leaving
youbehindasthemar kofthei
rundeadl ove,youwerenamed
Madeli
nebyme, anamedder i
vedfrom Jesus’ mostcel
ebrated
andmosti mport
antwomandi scipl
e, MissMar yMadeli
ne.They
hadgivenmet heresponsi
bil
it
iesofy ourl
if
e,Iam your
guardi
an,andaswel lmom anddad, Inevermadey oufeelthat
yourparent
saredead.”
MissGri
anweptall
drai
ninghergownwi
thhertear
s,nowMr .
Geral
dpatt
edoverMadeli
neandadvi
sedhert
okeepf ai
th.
“Whatwer
ether
enameGreta,
youhadn’
ttoldity
et,
”Madel
i
ne
askedt
oMissGrian,
whowasswipi
ngherface.
“
ArfusMcCart
hyandJennyJant
ine,
yourf
atherhadt
oldme”
MissGr
iansai
d.
“Aren’
ttheysame, t
hatoneinthehar
todex,
‘t
hemuseofsonnet’
theywerecounteredbythenamewhodi edinthe2000’
s
disast
erinsonnet.
”Madelinesai
dbri
skfull
ytoMr.Geral
d,who
hadbeenl ongti
mesi l
enced.
“It
hi nk, t
helasther it
ageofMcCar thy,f
ami l
ywasAr fus,the
fami l
yi soneoft hear i
stocrati
cf amili
es,Arfus’
sfatherMr .
Wol dbur tMcCar t
hy ,
theexpor terofcomet i
c-duoweapons,
underhi scompany‘ Tendr um’since780i sthetop
businessmenoft hener dhedgeandl etmer emember ,the
Dolor ousNumi hode, themostar ct
icleaderwasi ntheJant ine
fami l
y ,hewasf ir
strankedNERDHEDGE’ swarAst eroi
d, i
nhis
guidanceourl andhadwonsev eralwaragai nsteastbyzanti
ne.
Theywer ereall
ypest ersandhi sdaught erJenny ,
wasan
outst andingar chromer ,i
nf actshehadwon15pl ati
num
medal sforthener dhedgei nthe4y earsWendel mum’sduel
Archquer i
ctour nament .Seriessinceshewas6y earsoldandI
wast hent went ysix,whenIcamet oearth,Ihadreducedmy
yeart obackt hree,ast olooklikeahi ghschool st
udent.I
al
waysgotnewsofherwini
ngfrom ‘
THEMUSEOFSONNET’.
Shewasaproli
fi
carchr
omer.Butwhythet
wohadsuchenv
y,i
t
i
ssti
ll
aquesti
on,”
Madeli
netur
nedtoMiss.Gr
ian,
whoalreadyknewthather
parent
swereanal
ien;
theywerenotf
rom theear
thbutasemi
-
god,power
s.
“Gret
a, act
ual l
yIam her
etohaveyourpermissi
on,toretur
nto
mynat iveplace,Ir
eall
ywouldbethankf
ultoyouthatyouwer e
myt rueguar di
an,t
hat’
sakindaofI-
I……CAN..T”Madeline
stoppedwhi lespeaki
ngthesewords,t
hereweretearsinthe
eyes.
“Sweet i
e, Iknowt haty ouar er eall
y ,myf ir
stpr iori
ty.Ithinky ou
shouldleav ef ortheNer dHedge, buty ourf atherhadt ol dme
thatmaybet hepeopl et her e, woul dnotl i
key ou, youar ei l
l
famoust here,theyhat ey oumychi ld, andt heyt houghty oua
curse.Becauseaf teryourbi r
tht hemet eordisast erhadshook
yourland, theywer ebehi ndy out oki ll
,buty ou’ vebeensav ed
duet oy ourpar ent’sef fort ,ory ou’ret heonewhoi sanbl ott o
herownl and, theyhadbani shedy out heyknewabouty ourbi r
th,
yourname, y
ouraut hent icat i
on, Iremembert hatnightwhen
someDengul ferscamet omi ssionar y, atthatt i
mey ouwer eof
oney earonl y,Islepty oui nt hecr adl e.Iwasi nt hechur chwhen
theleftcor neroft her oofhadbeenf allenont hecradle, but
thanktogod, Mi ssmer cysav edy ou, youal way saskedmet hat
howMi ssMer cylostherr ighthandt hisi sbecauseoft her oof
whichhadbeenf allenonherwhi l
esav i
ngy ou, nohar mt obody
butittookherhand. ”mi ssgr i
ansai d.
“
But
,shewoul
dmanagei
tal
l
”Mr
.Ger
aldsai
dtoGr
eta.
“aft
ert
hatincident
,ever
ysi
ngl
enightIhaunt
edbythe
Dengul
fer
s,theypull
edoutmysoulfr
om mybodyinever
y
ni
ghtmar e,
andImov edtowar dupstair
s,tolookifMadel
ineis
goodornot ,t
heyhadcomeher eatleasttentimesconti
nuously
.
Tokil
lMadel i
ne,al
lAnter
romiansareaf rai
dofMadel i
ne,they
don’
tli
keher ,t
heyaresavaget owar
dMadel i
ne,andI’
m
defi
nit
elysuretheywouldidentif
yherandwoul dkil
lher.
”
Ther
ewasasi l
encespreadallov
er,andthenMadelineasked
Mr.Ger
ald,
thatevenheisalsoanAnt er
romian,
didhetoowas
goi
ngtokil
lheraf
terknowingheridenti
ty.
“Idon’tbeliev
eint hi
syoucan’tbeli
ket hat
,forgotitIthi
nky ou
shouldfillthi
sformimmediatelyandwi thyourbloodandf inger
pri
ntaut henti
cationweshouldleavefornewj ersey,Idoesn’t
mat t
erify ourGretaappr
ovesitornot.”Mr.Ger al
dsaid.
“Iam appr ovi
ngher ,
don’tmisleadGerald,andbecauseI ’
m
reall
ythreatentot hoseDengul fersandabouty ourrestoft he
familyi
nner dhedge.Iwoul dgr antyouthepermi ssion;Iknewit
from beginningthati nourfatethere’
sadepar tur
e.Takecar eof
yourselfMadeline, anddon’tforgetaboutthisoldlady ”Miss
Gr i
anholdMadel ine’shands, shewasr eal
lysuppr essingher
feeli
ngst owardMadel i
ne.
“ThanksGr eta,howwoul dIpai dall yourbenedicti
ons, noone
woul dev ertakey ourplacei nmyl i
fe, neit
hermypar entswoul d
becar edf ormet hatyouhaddone, Iwoul dbealway syour
sweet ieandy ouwoul dbemyGr et
a, thisrel
ati
onshipcan’ t
abandoned.Iwoul dalway sal msy ouf oryourl
oveand
blessings.”Madel inehuggedMi ssGr ian,thetwointegralssoul
wer edepar ti
ngf orforever.Ther el
at i
onshipwouldr emai n
i
mmor t
al;itwast heirl
astmeet ingaf terall,
becausepr oceeding
namesl i
fe.Ev eryoneher epl ayedt heirroleasthegoddi ctat
e
them todo, afteraparaphr aseofapl yt hennextpar aphrase
hast obegunandi twast her uleofwor l
d,todi
sguisedi twould
beabacksl
i
de,
andt
hent
hemor
ali
tywoul
dbei
nfant
.
“
How’sQuang,Ial
mostf or
getabouthert
oask?
”Mi
ssGr
ian
t
urnedf
ortheotherquesti
on.
“Sheisalr
ight
,andishavingfuni
nchinat
our,asshehadbeen
thewinnerofalot
teryt
icket.
”Madel
inegr
innedwithl
if
ted
cheeks.
“
Iknowherafteral
l
,sheisanoldaccustomedChinesel
ady,by
t
hewaylastti
meI ’
m sayi
ngyoutakecareofyoursel
fandkeep
f
ait
hingod,everyt
hingswoul
dber i
ght”MissGri
ansaidt
he
l
astwor
d.
“Iwil
l
…”Madelinesai
dtoGri
anandt
her
ewasahar
monywi
tha
balef
uldepar
turei
nherey
es.
“Wai
t…..Wedon’thav
eenoughti
me.Tosubmi
tthi
sfor
m,do
hur
ry?”Mr.Ger
aldsai
dfr
om behi
nd.
“
You’vebeenalwaysl
iketakeGer
ald.Ev
enintheschoolt
ime”
MissGr i
ansai
dtoGeral
dwhomeanwhi lehadbeengrownwit
h
r
edf ace.Andt
herewaslaught
er.
“
Gof rom t
hewindowi t
’sal
readyone’o’cl
ock,
becauset
here
wouldbethedecorati
oninthehallandpeopl
ewouldsur
round
you”missGri
anhissed.
Chapt
er-
9
BALLADFORTHEROUSTERMALLOW
Aftercomingfr
om theBloomsbur ynextday,ital
readyhadbeen
Eight’
o’cl
ockastheyhadl eftaround5’o’cl
ockinthemor ning.
Madel i
negaveherfi
ngerprinttoGeraldwhohadsentt hef orm
toNer dHedge’
sBureauofi nvesti
gat
ion,andhadsai dt
o
Madel i
netowaitf
or16hour s.Nowor ry,shehasbeent oher
ownhomeaf teral l
, theBer gensquar e.Meet ingGr etaand
knowi ngt hatshei sanAnt erromi an.Byt het imei thadbeen12
p.m ofnoon, Atal lshehadbeeni llfamousi nherownbi rt
h
place, didn’tgi veherasi gnofmat ernal ly.Butgi vehert he
descr ipti
onofmi ll
ionsofhat ef i
ll
edey eswhi chwoul dbe
agai nstheri nev er yt ermsandcondi tions, whati fherbl ood
sampl ewoul dbemat chedwi tht hoseoft hedol orous
Numi hodeort heMcCar t
hyf ami ly .Shewoul dbel ivealive,but
Ger aldhadensur edhert hatev enherpar ent st oohadn’ tthis
typeofbl oodgr oup, shewast heoneandwoul dbel astaf t
er
this,hernamehadbeenchangedt oMel i
ssaMudgun.Andshe
woul dbei ntroducedasGer ald’sl ostni ece.Ther eshehadt o
takedegr eeofHeal eriocin,aki ndofdoct or ,i
near thlylanguage.
Shehadbeenamat hemat i
csst udentandt her eshewoul dbe
l
ear ningaquenchi ngf iel
dasherbl oodher sel fwasamy stery
toher .Asherbot hpar entsdi dn’tposest hebl oodgr oup, t
her e
wer emanyr easonsandassumpt ionsr egar dingheraccept ance,
thatshehast ot rav el ,nowt hisnewYor kci ty, woul dnol onger
beherownci ty ,shehadt akenat ransf ercer tifi
cat efrom her
collegeandhadl iedt hem aboutherCal i
for niast udies.Ev ery
thingwasr eveal ingt ohershehadpackedherl uggage.Maybe
theywoul dbeol df ashi oned.Ort heywoul dn’ tbet r
endi ng.
Ger aldhi msel fhadn’ tbeent her ef ort went yy ears.Howhewas
goingt ohel pheraboutt hedr esses, buthewasst i
llinthe
cont act.Whatact ual lyaAnt erromi andoes, t
heyar et he
guar dianofv iaductnamedby zant ine-Elysi um.Andt heirwor k
wast ost opt hei nt ruder stoexchangeort ranspor tthemsel ves
tooneanot her ’snat ivepl ace.By zant inewasahel lwher ethere
wer esev enot herl ay ers.Butonl yt heaccesswasl i
mi tedt o
thirdone.
Madel
i
nehadbeengi
venabookofEl
goswar
-hi
stor
yofNer
d
Hedgenowandt hen; itwasmadeupofpal ml eav es.I twas
alr
eadysuggest edt hatt heywer emoder nwi tht heet hical
preser vation.Aut hor ’
snamewasf rogki ng.Andaf roghadbeen
madei nt hel abel .Ger aldwasf ondoft hi sbookev eryy eari t
soldouti ts40mi lli
onscopi es.Itisthatf amous.I thad
publ i
shedsev eral series, Elgoswari sreal lyani nt erest i
ngbook,
i
twasnotl engt hy ,butwasaonepagebook.Wher eaccor ding
todaywi set opicswer eill
ust rated,li
kei twasherf irstdaywi t
h
thebooksot hebookf ir
sthonor edher , alsoshegav eherf ake
detai l
sofnamedMel issaMudgun.Andnowt hebook
regist eredherdet ail
ednowi fthebooki sl ostbyheror
somebodyt ri
edt ost eal i
tt hebookwoul dsei zedt hei nt ruder
andi twoul dbemai l
edi tselft oherI Paddr ess.Theyhadt he
networ kt her e.Sot oday ’stopi cwas“ Mor tiansand
Ant erromi ans-di dtheyhadbeensame? ” ,andi tst artedi tself
writingont hebl ankpageswhenMadel ineor der edher“ Eluga!!”
thepasswor dtounl ockt heEl goswar ,thebookaf t
err egi steri
ng
i
t’sowner ’sdet ai l
spr ov i
dedi twi t
hapasswor d,whi chi sonl y
l
imi tedt ohi m\ her .Itwasj ustawayt opr ot ecti tfrom st ealers.
Onebookcostt hepay mentof250dol lar s.Ther ewer eno
currencysy stemsi nt heNer d-Hedge.Thet ransact ionwer e
totallybasedonI DPROOF, onehast or aisehi sI Dpr oofandt he
sellerorot herper sonwoul dbescannedbyt hephot oscanner
whi chi nr esul twoul dcutt hebi lli
nt hef or m ofsi ckl et,the
bronzescr apwhi chi sgi venasapr oofandPer sonwoul dcheck
thepay mentwhi chhadbeencutal onghi sI DPROOF, inhi s\her
Nat iveGombor c, aconv ext hreedimensi onal homogeneous
bodyl ikear oly-pol ytoywhi chcoul dbeconsi der edasamobi le
bankf oreachi ndi vidual,iftr i
edt orobedt hepr ocessof
restor ingmoneywoul dbemor ecompl ext hant heshape
shiftingofGombor c.Madel inehear dt hewor dswi thl oudsound
thewor dwer esay ings.
“Itwoul dbeshamef ul t
odi sti
ngui shAMor tianandAN
Ant err
omi an;ourresear cher ssaidt hatal thoughLor d
Neuci adeshaddepl oy edt heAnt erromi anwi thper missiont o
guar dthev i
aduct.Thatdoesn’ tclassi f
iedt hem asademi gods,
furthertheyaresameast heMor tiansal socal l
edashumani n
earth.Butdi f
ferencei sonl ythatt heMor t
iansdoesn’ tposest he
powerofuni versebutt heAnt erromi andoes.Ot herwi seasqui b
i
nAnt err
omi an,whoi sact ual l
ycal ledasZoo- JoI NNer dHedge,
i
sl ikethehumani tself.Ther eforewhenanAnt erromi andi esin
earthhecan’ tbebor nagai nasanAnt erromi anbacki nner d
hedge, hehast obor ninear thitselfasahuman.Buti nt ime
whenhe/ sheisbr oughtbackt oNer dhedge, hi sidentityis
preser v
ed.Ther eforet hedi sast r
ousni ghtof2000, hasbeen
threattothepopul ati
onofNer dhedge, thegov ernorsar et rying
hardt ogetbackt heirimpor tantci vilianst othei rhomel and.
Ever yyeartheypubl ishedal ostfoundf or um andsendt hem t o
theAnt erromianwhoar enowl ivi
ngonot herpl anet s.Weal lare
expect i
ngourbel ov edci v
ili
anst ohav ethewaybackt ohome. ”
Thebookst oppedreadingandt hepagewasblank.I
twasat
l
astsaidf ormor ei
nformation,stayt
unedwit
hus.Madeline
peer
edt hroughherey esintothebookofonlyonepage.She
hasneithert hemoneyf orNerdhedgewhereevery
thi
ngwas
cashless, andnorthejerk.
Thet i
mehadr educedit
selfto11:30ofnight,andshewas
expectingthelett
eronherbehal fatanyti
me, whethershehad
beenaccept edasaci vi
l
ianornot ,i
tsti
ll
ssucks.Whati fthe
l
etterwoul dn’
tcome?Whati fshewouldber eveal
edast heonly
chil
dofAr fus-
jenny?Thecoupl ehadbeennewl ymar r
iedand
theywer ebanishedfrom t
hel andofNerdhedge.Andev eryone
therethoughtMadel i
neast heonlyreasonforthei
rdestructi
on.
Shecan’ tnagthoseexpectations.I
twashar dtocombatwi th
ownpeopl e.Thatnightwasv eniall
yexhaust ing.Shewasst i
l
l
wai tingf ortheletteri
nt her espondbutt herewasnotasi ngl
e
one, sher aisedherey est owar dthewal l
clock, wherei
tstuckat
11: 50, onlyt enminuteswer eleftfortheNer dhedge
transpor tat i
on,i
nt helettertheywoul dbesendi ngher
i
dent ifi
cation,andhermodeoft ransport
.Herv ei
nswere
echoi ng,andt herewasat hr
obbi nginherhear t.I
twasthelast
forum andt henthegat ef ortheNer dhedgewoul dbeclosedfor
ev er.Shecr ossedherf i
nger ;thet i
mewasl apsingwith
mi ll
iseconds.
TherewasnoGer ald,nol
ett
ersonlyasi
lencedfeaturedgir
l
whohadbeen, lef
twithherpackedbagswaiti
ngf orher
acceptedl
ett
er.Shewasbei ngmorefur
iousthrought he
growingti
menowi twas11:
55,whatwouldhappen; onlyfi
ve
minuteswereleft
.
Aft
erlongt i
mewai t
ing,shehear
dt heflat
ter
ingofwi ngsaround;
atthi
st i
meshehadf all
enasl
eep,butimmedi atel
ywokeup
wit
ht henoise.Shesawi nfr
ontofherwasabi gOpaciver
ge, i
t
hadacr owninherhead, andasusual i
thadagol denfeather
,
butinitnecktherewasamedi um sizedbell
,itsfi
ngerhadten
gems-r i
ngsandherl egsworeanor nament.Andi t
snosewas
str
aight.
“
IfI
’m notwr
ongyoushoul
dbeanOpaciver
ge,yout
oolookl
i
ke
t
hesameasLeupixi
es.Bythewaywhat
’syourname?”
Madel
ineaskedwi
thapause.
“I
’
m RoudriVaflod;
yestheyareourstep-br
othersandsist
er.
Theirl
ongstori
esforgetabouti
t,byt
heway ,Ihadbroughta
l
etterf
oryou.”Shesaid.
“
Oh!ThanksRoudr
i,Iwaswai
ti
ngf
ort
hem onl
y”Madel
i
net
ear
s
t
helet
ter
.
“Didyouknowalready
,howtoopenit
?”Roudr
iaskedlooked
blunt
lytowardMadeli
ne,whomeanwhil
erememberedthati
t
wasn’tl
ikethesameasineart
h.
“Oh!Ir
eal
l
yfor
getaboutt
hat
,sopl
easei
nst
ructmehowt
o
openit
”Madel
i
nesaidwit
hsomeshame.
“Fi
rst,thelet
teri
smadeupofwoodl eaveandi tgi
venthe
shapeofacoi l
.Whatyouhavet
odoi sholdthelastti
pofthe
coi
l andpoursomewat erov
eri
tthehardshelll
ikecoi
lwould
beremov edandthenapaperwouldgi
veyout heinfor
mati
on.”
Shei nstr
ucted.
“
Thanksf
oryourv
aluabl
einst
ruct
ion.
”Madel
i
nesai
dtoRoudr
i,
whowassti
l
lgazi
ngatthelet
ter
.
Madel i
nedi dast hei nstructi
onshepoursomewat erand
wai tedti
ll t
heshel lhadbeenr emov edandal someanwhi leshe
l
ookedatt heclock, whichhadst uck11:57.Onl yt hreemi nutes
wer eleft.Thel etterhadbeenaccept ed.Andshewas
wel comedasMel issaMudgunwhoseor i
gi nwasGol earic.An
zodi acoriginofnor theastAnt er
romian, Ger aldhadbr i
efly,told
hert hatshehadt or epresenthersel fast hedaught erofhi sl at
e
sisterNiagar aMudgunandhi shusbandNei l
opar dMudgun
Whohadbeendi edi nthedi sasterat2000.Ger aldhadt old
Madel ineabouthersi sterhadoncewr i
ttenhi mt hatshehad
givenbi r
tht oagi rl chil
d,Mel i
ssa.Butunf ortunat ely
, during
disastert heywer eal socomi ngtoear thal ongherdaught er,but
unfor t
unat elytothei rtransportamet eorfall downandal lt
he
threewer edead.Nobodyknowst hatherdaught erhadbeen
dead.Soi tcoul dbeachancet ov ei
lherident it
y .Nohar mt oher
bloodt ype, asitwasi nact i
vatedandt hel ettersai dt hat,
TheVer
sai
l
lesofNer
dhedgeandmi
nist
ry
 Let
terf
ort
heaccept
ance
Knot
mede,
tapl
on
EastNer
dhedge
Cometway
,or
al
Pi
ncode-Q234%
DATE-31OCTOBER2017
Mi
ssMel
i
ssaMudgun,
Ber
gensquar
e
Houseno.9
NewJer
sey
,
Mi
ssMudgun,
Thisisinordert oy ourr esponse, wear egl adt ohav ey ouback
asourciv i
li
ans; youroccul thadbeenpassedi nourpur i
tyt est.
Andwewel comey ouasapar tofourcommuni tyandsor ryf or
l
ateanswer ing, aswehadt omai l
sev eralletterstot helostone
i
not herplanet ,asy ouar etheonl yAnt err
omi ani nt heear th, as
usualwedon’ tpr efery ourselftoear thasi tishighlypol luted
withwrongdeeds.Byt hewaywewoul dliket oinfor my out hat
youwoul dreacht ogat eofheav encemet ery,inNewJer seyi tis
theholi
estpl acei nt heNewJer sey ,wheresev eralmi ghtysoul s
wouldber etur ningbackt ot heEl ysi
um, aftert hecompl etionof
thei
rgrantedhol idayf orHal l
oween.I nournewl yspacet rain
Trembor cHar v eyv er sionY100Rampl e4.2, i
ti sallaffil
i
at ed
withyouneedwear esendi ngy out het i
cketf orthespacet rain.
Sopleaseboar dt het rainandhav ey ourst epsi nthehol yl and.
Your
str
uly
,
PenedugNi
cket
Madel i
nelookedatt hel
etterforatleastfourt
of i
veti
mes,at
l
astshehadbeenaccept ednowshewoul dbegoingto
Nerdhedge,herrealhomet helandofwi sdom andsurvei
l
lance.
Butshehadonl ytwomi nuteforthegat eofheavensymmet r
y.
Howshecoul dber eachingthere,i
tseemeddi ff
icul
tand
i
mpossi bl
eforher.
“It
hinkIwoul
dn’
tbeabl
etor
eacht
her
eint
het
ime.
”Madel
i
ne
sai
dnervousl
y.
“Don’
tworryaboutt
hatIcouldfly1000km inonemi nute,and
thewoodlandcemeter
yisnotsof ar.Iguess!Havearideonmy
back”Roudrisai
dwit
hconfidenceandaspar kl
eofequil
ibri
um.
Madelinewasnotsur eaboutt hefli
ghtbutshenoddedher
headinaffi
rmat i
on,Roudr ihadtoputf ueli
nherst omachwhich
hadani nv
isibl
el i
daroundherbel l
y,shei mmedi at
elyopened
herwithakeyf rom herfeather,thekeyhadt hreewingsof
peacock,whichwasi nsertedint hebel l
ybuttonofRoudr it
hen
thebell
ybuttonexpandedherhol ewhi chwasi mmedi at
ely
fi
ll
edupwi ththecoal tar
.Thecannedonewi thacompany
assi
gnedt oit,
“Roustermal low”.Af terswit
chi ngthekey,
Roudri
’sbell
yengi neroared,andi twasst art
ed.
“Si
tdownonme,
fastIhadn’
tmuchoft
heRoust
er’
s”she
scr
eamed.
“Buthowshoul
dIcl
i
mbony
ou?
”Madel
i
neaskedwi
th
astoni
shment
.
“Spr
eady ourlegs,andthenIwoul
dbeleaningdown,y
ouhasto
seatandint hebackofmynecky ouwouldhavetosel
ectt
he
i
ncognit
omodewi thdesper
atef
ogofclouds.Andwewouldf
ly”
Roudriy
elled.
Madel i
nedi dlikewiseandt heywer ei ntheseaofcl ouds, white
andf oggyat mospher e,t
heyheadedf ortheMor ri
sCount y ,
l
ocat edi ntheeastHanov er
,NewJer sey .I
twast heauspi cious
placeofRomanCat holi
csf oundedi n1937, wher e81000+
notabl epeopl ehadbeenbur ied.Itwasal r
eadydar kenough
whenshewasl andedbyt heRoudr iatthegat eofheav en, she
sawmanyspi ri
tsandghostcomi ngoutoft heirbur i
alsand
wher et al
kingt oeachot her,therewer ehur ryallint hedar k
cemet ery
,todaywast heHal loweenf estivalmanysi l
houet te
tablesandl i
ket hemanypeopl ewi thscar ycost umeswer e
mov ingar oundt hecity,therewasnooneal i
vet hereacceptt he
burials,sweptt henearbysi l
ence, t
heowl swer egr unting, and
shecameacr ossabr okenwal l,inthemosti nteriorcor eoft he
cemet ery
.Asshehadat rol
leyairbagwi thherasar esult,she
sawmanyoft hepassenger si nthef orm ofwhi tet ranslucent
smokehur r
y i
ngmuchast heycoul d,oneghostmot herwas
goingwi t
ht het hreechi l
dren,onewasv erysmal l
likeai nfant,
onewasagi r
l andot herwashert winbr other.Shewasscol ding
thet wins.
“Hat
hy oustoppetht
hegringowithyourfi
rewor ksthat’
snotbe
goodforyou,Ihatht
ocompl ainaboutyou.”Shewasgr owli
ng.
Shehadmi dwhilehaddressedupinmi digownwi thblackeyes,
hercl
otheswerecolorl
ess,suddenl
yMadel inedroppedher
tr
unk.Andtheladysquealedabout40timesl ouder.
“Seethat!She‘
sal iv
e’’shetol
dev er
ybypasser .Everyone
stoppedthef i
sherman’ sghostcarr
yingl
otsoff i
sh, sal
mon,
l
obster,crabandapi r
anhas,oneofthepiranhasrunoutofhi s
basketandmov edt owardtal
lghostwhowashi msel fawonder
boy,withnobr ai
nwascutbyt heshar pt
eeth,t
herewasa
hotchpotch,everyonewasspr inti
nghereandt herewer e
around500hundr edchildr
enand3000ol dperson, 2000middle
agesand1500t eens,and1000f emales.Ev eryonewasr unni
ng
from piranhas,andafterthatonemi ll
ionai
re’sbulldogwas
bittenbyt hepi
ranhaitwassl eepingmi dwhi lebutwaswokeup
byt hebite.Hehowl edandar ousedwi thextremeanger ,
nowit
releaseditsel
ffrom it
smast er’
scl ut
chandr anaftert
hepeople
i
nor dertobit
et hem.
Madel
i
newasr
eal
l
yexhaust
ingshesqueal
edi
nroart
ost
op
t
hem.
“
PLEASESTOP!
!”shesai
dinl
oudv
oice.
“Whyarey
ouhere,howdareyoutoent
erher
e,l
eav
ethi
splace
ei
therwewoul
dharmy ou”anol
dghostwit
hwri
nkl
edfaced
sai
dtoMadeli
ne.
“
Don’
tyouknowther
eisnoplaceforhumani
ntheEl
ysi
um?
”a
f
atwomansaidt
oher,andhercheekswerer
ed.
“
Ithi
nkshehadl
ostherway
?”ani
tchi
ngol
dper
sonsai
d.
“Whatr ubbi
shJonat
han?Shei
snottooy
oungthatshewould
forgetherway.
”Ami ddl
eagedper
sonwit
hsharpnosetur
ned
aroundher .
“Lether
sel
ftot
ell
ther eason”aki
ndoldladysai
dtocr
owdof
ghostwhohadencir
cledt heMadel
ine.
“Thanky ougr andma! !”fi
nall
yMadeli
negotaclearspotto
speakup.“My selfmade- ,
…sorryI‘
m Meli
ssaMudgun, I’
ma
vict
im ofdisast er2000, i
ntheNerdhedge,whenIwasar ound
onemont h,mypar entscamet oeart
htosavethei
rl i
vesfr
om
thedisaster.Tosav emebutunf ort
unatel
y,ameteorfell
around
mypar ents’shi p.Andt heyweredead;att
hatti
meIhad
reachedt otheear th,andwassav edbyanunofmi ssi
onary.
AndIl i
vedlikeaor phan,butonedayImetMr .GeraldCarl
son,
andheaf tertesti
ngmybl oodsampl erecognizedthatIwast he
onlychil
dofhersi sterwhohadbeendi edi nthedisaster2000,
nowwhent heypubl i
shedlostandfoundf orum,Ifi
ll
edupt he
form andwasv eri
fi
edasanAnt err
omian.NowIhadt ogoi n
NerdhedgebyTr emborcHar v
ey,andI’
m sear chi
ngf orthe
stati
on,here’
smyI dproof
”Madel i
nehandedheri dpr ooftothe
kindlady.
“Sheist
ell
i
ngt r
uth,l
ookshehadbeentheref
ugeeofDisast
er
2000.Andonlysingl
eAnter
romi
anexist
ingasahuman.”The
l
adysaidtotherestoft
hecrowdandshowedheridproof.
“Ist
ill
doubti
t”t
heshar
pnosemansai
d,andwasmaki
ngugl
y
expressi
ons.
“Letmelookthis,
”aspectacledteenghostsaid,
asifhewasa
postgraduat
e.“Hell
omynamei sRaphaelhawkingam athi
rd
yearopti
csstudent.
”Wit
hhi slenshesuspectedtheIdPr
oof.
“
Sowhatdi
dyouf
ind?
”thet
hinl
oopygi
rlsai
dtohi
m.
“
It
’sal
lper
fect
,shei
sanAnt
err
omi
an,
itsay
s”Raphael
sai
d.
“
ThanksRaphael
,It
hinkweshoul
dproceedasthere’
sonl
yone
minut
etol
eft.
”Madeli
nesai
dwithcompli
mentary.
“She’
srightweshoul
dgototrai
n,i
t’
sgetti
nglat
e,and
other
wisewewoul dbel
eftf
orfouryear
s.Then”theol
dman
said.
Fi
nal
l
yever
ybodywasagr eedandt heymovedtowardt
hewal
l,
i
twashal
fbrokentheywerest
andinginthequeue;
thewal
lwas
abal
l
addancer.I
tsingsapoem andcomposedasong.
“
Hikal
araHi
kal
ara,
hushhush
Youwoul
dbeenmi
ght
ybush
Butdon’
tfor
getI
’
m Jef
freyJoul
dy,
Knot
tedwi
thr
agst
ofi
tli
keawor
k,
YoumaywonderhowIam,
Thebut
ter
cupshadt
hei
rwayandt
hei
mpur
ehadt
oher
est
ay,
Don’
tresi
stt
haty
ouwoul
dbegmeandIwoul
dal
l
ow
Il
i
ket
hechocol
ateandmar
shmal
l
ow,
ButI
’
m notacheat
er,
notatal
l
Gi
vey
ourI
dpoof
,ei
therbi
gorsmal
l
.”
Thewal l
said, everyonebef oreent
eringthewallshoweditthei
r
i
dpr oofandt het i
cket;itdetectedtheirv
eri
ficat
ionandthen
all
owedt hem t oenter,aftermanycr owdwasdi spersedi
twas
theMadel i
ne,whowi thhert rembli
nghandshowedheri dproof
tothewal l
,raggedwi thbandage.I tsuspectedforalongtime,
andsaidinwhi sper.
“Iknowwhoy ouare,
youar eani l
lfamousgirl
,MissMcCar thy,
youcouldnotbetr
ayme, butf ort
hesakeofChr i
stiani
ty,
I’
m
all
owingyoubecauseoncey ourf
atherhadbandagedme, when
theimpureat
tackedmybr icksandIwasbr oken,these
bandagedsavedmyl i
fe,andnowIwoul dal
soallowy ouforthe
sakeofyourfat
her’
shelp.”Thewal lsai
d.
Madelinewassweat i
ngnearl
y,t
hewal lknewhert ruei denti
ty,
andwasal l
owingheronl yonthebasisofherdad’ sdeed.
Otherwiseshewasgoi ngtobeslainedbyt heNer dhedgei fher
i
dentit
yi srevealed.Shehadherluggageandt heticket.After
enter
ingt hewall shecameacrossahugepl atfor
m, witht i
l
ed
passaget herewasl otofwhit
esmokeandcl eari
ngt hem all
stoodagi antlongandbr ui
sertr
ain,wit
hal lemeraldbl acki
sh
redmi xedcol
ourwr
iterwi
thboldital
i
cs“ TREMBORCHARVEY
Y100RAMPLE4. 2”i
twassuchabi gtr
ainwithpol
i
shed
windows.Thetimeforoperat
ingthetrai
nhadbeendelay
edto
halfanhourduetothedri
ver,whohadgonef ormendi
ngits
part.
Madelinereadthecharact
eri
sti
csf
eat
uresoft
het
rai
nint
he
nearbyboard,asitsay
s,
Ithadbeenenabl
edwi
ththemechanism t
otil
tintheskyand
t
obend.Themaximum t
il
tof60degreesall
owst hetr
aint
o
r
eachspeedthati
supt
o70%hi gherthanfort
heconv ent
ional
t
rain.
Whilstassur i
ngthegreat
estsaf etytot hepassenger,usual
l
y
herethespi ri
ts,
andwasv erycomf orti
ngtrai
n.Developedby
thelatetechnici
anofNer dhedge“ SirTremborcdet ri
viaHarvey”
thi
sinheritedtheGuemoni at echnologyofsouthernwestpar t
ofNer dhedge.Itisbui
lti
nt heNer dhedgetechnicalpl
ants,
LocatedinI svor
o.
TheTr emborcHarveyf i
rstbeganit
sservi
cefrom t
heBnort
Wessingdoms,ToEly si
um ivory
,in1887.Wit
hmodel TH
Y100Rample1.2,Fol
lowedbyTHY100Rampl e1.3andTH
Y100Rample1.4anewmodel generat
ionwaslaunchedi
n2008
wit
hTHY100Rampl e2. 0.ForaCil
antr
eu,arai
lwaycompanyof
Nerdhedgethatoperatedtrai
nsbetweenByzanti
ne-El
ysi
um
vi
aducts.
Itdi
ffersfrom ot
hertransportinthesenset hatit
ssuppor t
ing
system andsignali
ngsy stem areimportedformt hemar s.Thi
s
i
ncludest heneededofmuchheav i
eronboar dt r
ansacti
onsolar
powerTr ansdenseragr oupofmachi ner ysetupworkmenwho
conv er
tshighsolarvolt
aget olowandl owt ohigh,t
heirpower
stat
ionsar eontheBur f
ormer s.Aplanetduplicat
edtosun.I t
hadtogl ar
ingr ay
s.Butt heTransdensersarethegi
ddyand
shorttemper edset-upswhichblastitsel
fifi
sorder
edformor
e
workinginfluencies,ar
ound20Tr emborcHarveyhadbeen
destroyedduet otheirshortt
emper edness.
Trembor cusedr adiofr
equenci esabout160r adioher tzto180.
Thei nnov at
ivef eat ur
esconcer ntheinteri
orandext eri
or
designs, nowt heyar eclosert obrandsst r
ategyandan
i
mpr ov edcomf or ttothepassenger s.Thedev eloping
compani esar edoi ngtheirbestt odev el
opandcomeupwi th
resonat ingf eatur es.Mor eoversomet echnicalandi mpor t
ant
charact er i
sti
cshadbeendev elopedt hetracti
onuni tandthe
redundancyhadbeeni mprov edinor dertoimprov edr el
iabi
li
ty.
Thet
rai
nhasf
oll
owi
ngchar
act
eri
sti
cs.
40cars, 20mot orsand50t rai
ler
s.
Gauge: 4000mm ( 7f
t9and1/ 2in)
Sol
arv oltage:20UV- 40UV
LENGTHOFCOACH: 78.
2METRES
TOTALLENGTH: 315.45METRES
WIDTH: 8. 89M
MAXI MUM LOADPERAXLE: 80.6TONNES(80LONG
TONS; 82SHORTTONS)( WI THPASSENGERS)
Weight:457t ons
Totalwei ghtundernormalload(wit
hseat
edpassenger
s
517)
Maximum speed: 350km/ h
Madeliner eadthef eatur
esi twasjustdoubl eoftr
ipl
et hana
normal bullettr
ain,i
thadawesomef eatures,nowsheent er
ed
thetr
ainandgotherseat ,t
hei rwerefol
dingbedsi nther owas
i
twasni ghttime,thereforet heseatshadbeenr emov edand
theyhadbeenchangedt of oldingbeds,manyghostr estless
buttheot herpeoplefor mt heplanetswer et
her elikethe
Martians,jupi
ti
ri
on, Mer cur ur
esETC, Madel i
net hrewher sel
fin
herbedandt ooksnor eswhi leotherwer egazingather ,she
wasv erymuchsl eepy.Af tersomet imet hedrivercamet ohis
posi
tionandt rainstartedr unningforsomet imeont herail,
and
wheni tcamet oitslaunchpadi tfl
ewlikear ocket, t
henan
i
nstructorcamet othet rain.Shewasal adywithdar kblue
bl
azerandski r
twi t
hshor thair,
browni ncolor,redl i
psti
ckand
Nordiceyes.Sheopenedhermout h,
“Goodev eningt oourent ir
ewor thypassengeri nt heTr embor c
Harv ey,wear eher eforyoucomf ortandcont rol
, ev eryoldand
newestpassenger spl easehav ey ourat t
ent i
ont owar dme, I‘
m
GladolidaWer eshup, yourinstr
uct or,thereisnohar m atallin
ournewestv ersion,butIwoul dli
ket otellthatineachcoach
thereis76f ol dingbeds, medium l arge,doubl ebedsi ngl
ebed
allfunctioninonebed.Whaty ouhav etodoi stoj ustpr essthe
buttonneary ourbedandaf t
ersel ectingy ourpref erablemode
youcoul dhav et hecomf ort,
forexampl e,pr essi
ngt ransfi
gure
buttont herewoul dbesev enopt i
onf orapassengerl i
ke
displayedinourpor t
al”thenshesi gnifi
est owardt hepor t
al.
Thepor
tal
wasi
ntheonecor
nerv
isi
blet
oal
lhei
ght
s,i
tsay
s.
“
Fort
ransf
igur
ebut
tont
her
ewoul
dbesev
enmodes-
doublebed
singlebed
medi um sizedbed
smal lsi
zedbed
cradlesizedbed
tri
plebed
tetr
abed
“
ForOct
aquadmode(
tohav
ebeenseenornotbyot
herper
son)
t
her
ewoul
dbet
hreeopt
ions-
I
ncognit
omode
Vi
sibl
emode
Parti
all
yvi
sibl
emode
“
Forf
oodanddr
inkst
her
ewoul
dbesi
xmodes”
Start
er
Brunch
Dinner
Snacks
Breakfast
l
unch
Thepor t
alwascl osedaf tersomet ime, theywer ei nthesky ,
andt henwhent heyhadcr ossedt helay erofmesospher ethe
trai
nsl oweddowni tsspeed, Madel i
newasv er ymuchsl eepy
thatsheev ennotgett hesi gnthatdef ensivegener al
shad
comet ohercoach, theonewast hef amousgener al
DEFENSI VE–G, hewast hev eryfamousgener al ofthe
Nerdhedgeandhadwonar ound36medal sinhonorofhi s
bravery .Thepeopl efrom t hesev eralplanetsandt heot herl ost
Anterromi anshadent eredwi ththedef ensi vegener al bat t
ali
on.
Wi t
ht hem wasaf eroci ouscr i
minal named“ MosguerHor ecues”
hehadki ll
ed38Ant erromi anonl yt ohav ehi sent ryin
Nerdhedge.Ther ewasmuchofnoi ser oundwhi chmade
Madel inewokeup.Wi thi tchingey essheagai n, shesel ectthe
seatmodeandwasamazedt osawt hatov erall90%oft he
passenger shadsel ectt henor mal seatmode, theshar pnose
ghostwashav i
nganast yf eeli
ngandt henear byol dladywas
sayinghi mt okeeppat ience.
“
Glut
en,keeppat
iencethegener
ali
snotsof
art
hathecoul
dn’
t
r
eachyou”thel
adysaid.
“Idi
edatageof45,Iwasar ebel
l
iouspol i
ti
call
eader
,ever
yone
cheeredaboutmyworks,andIwantedt obehavingwit
hthat
cabi
net,butwasshotbef
oremyel ect
ion.Ihadn’
tmarri
edthen.
”
ThesharpnosemannamedGl ut
en,said.
Madelinelookedar oundwi t
hherbur deningeyes,therewasl
ot
ofpain,inhereyest heyjustwantedtoasl eepbutthecoming
ofgeneral-
Gsurprisedt hepeople,noonehadev erseenhim he
alwayscov er
edhisnoset omout hareawi thablackclot
h,as
usualhewor easidear mycap, hehadenoughmuscl esand
wasint hearmydr essindar kbr
ownpur plecol
our.Theywere
twelv
eatal lheandhi scompani on.
Madel i
neroset oherel bow, whenshegott oknowaboutt he
famousgener alfrom t hewhi sper ,hewasv eryf amousf orhis
chivalr
icpersonal i
ty,hehaddef eatedt heAnzuci ousMel afor,
oneoft helargestni cot i
nemaf i
ai nPat al
dwar ,nearby zanti
ne.
NowAnzuci ousMel aforwasi nKar akstan.Aj ail f
ort he
terr
or i
sm andcul pritsitit
selfwasneart hebyzant ine.Ther e
wasanapar tmenti nt hecoachi tsel fwithcloseddoor , normall
y
thecommonpeopl ehadn’ tthedoorsecur it
y ,
andi twasf orthe
veryimpor t
antper son.Theyhadr eser vedforthem.Abunchof
highschool girli
nt heiruni f
orm wer eal sotravelli
ngMounhar t,a
universit
yforallplanet speopl e, t
hegi r
lshady el l
owi shski n
colourbutfadeone, nottoobr ight, theywor ethedr essesl i
ke
thehumandoes.Ev erythi
ngwasl i
kehuman, ev erypar toft he
body .Butonet hingwasdi f
ferent;thei rli
fespanwasof200
years.Andt heirentirehai rcolourwasgr een.
Oneofthem spoke,
“Ihadl
ist
enthathei
sstil
lunmarr
ied,
I’
m
happyt
obehi sbri
de,hei
ssobravehear
t,sogli
tt
eri
ngeyes.
”
“Howcoul
dyousayit
,wit
hsoconfident
ly”t
heot
hergi
rlsai
d,
shewasthi
nnert
hantheprev
iousone.Theywer
etot
alfi
ve,and
wereseatednearonebedl ef
tfrom theMadeli
ne, i
nfrontof
Glut
enandt heoldlady.Ghostwer etooexci
tedt oseethe
GeneralG.whohadn’ tarri
vedyet,
threebogi
eleftforhisarri
val
,
astheyhadcapturedt hemostdanger ouscr
iminal Mosguer
Horecues,Thecri
mi nalwhohadki l
led38Anterromians.Just
fort
heent r
yinNerdhedge.Madel i
neagainturnedt ohearthe
l
eftgossipsaboutGener alGamy steri
ouscharacter,
hadn’t
beenappearedyet.
“Because, Ihadr eadint hemagazi ne,“Totalmended”a
magazi neont hel i
vesoff amousandpopul arpeople.Ther
e
theyreportedt hatGener al Ghadn’tbeenmar ri
edandev er
y
singl
epl anet ’
sgi rli
smadf orhim,everydayGener alGreceiv
ed
6000ofmar ri
agepr oposal .Butheignoredthem.Hehadsai d
onceint hepr essconf erencet hathismai npri
ori
tyistoserve
forthemot herland,til
ltheal lenemiesandi ntr
udershadn’t
beencapt ur ed.Noonehadseenhi sface.Butthenalsoheis
admi r
edbyal l.“Thepr ev i
ousgi r
lanswer edwiththesupportof
TOTALMENTED.
Madelinet
hought,howwoul dbeGeneralGsoadmi r
able,
resol
uteandpresentabl
e.Hewasf amousandev er
ybody
wantshim asthei
rprotector.Buti
nonesidewasMadel ineno
bodywantsherintheirli
fe.Everybodyhat
esher.Suddenlyshe
heardthetal
kofoneghost .Shewasaladywit
hanumbr ell
a.
“Ihadhear dthatthebusinesstycoonMr .Woldbur tMcCar t
hy,
theexpor t
erofcomet ic-duoweapons, andhiscompany
‘
Tendr um’ aresi
gningpactundersur ge-
metal contractwithMr.
YessacWi l
ton.Hewant edhiseldersonArfust otakeov erhis
company ,
buther ui
nedal lhi
sdreamsandel opedawaywi thhi
s
churli
shenemyDol or
ousNumi hode’
sdaught erandt herisi
ng
starplayerofArchquericJennyJantine.Arf
uswasanemer gi
ng
businessman; hehadatageofsev enteenhandledt hemost
diff
icultsummi t.“Ulumanher i
tage”andwascont inui
nghi s
studiesalongwi tht hatattheMounhar t,
wher eJennyal so
studied.Butthet hingsgotwor stwhent heyhear dthatthey
conceiv eadaught ert ogetherNamedMadel i
newhohadbor nat
thetimewhenSat urnhadbeenengul fedbyt henewpl anet
Oregon.Thi swasnotr eal
lygoodomenoft heirdaught er’
sbirt
h
atear t
h.Sheisacur sedchild,andallAnterromi anwoul dbe
endanger edwhenshewoul dsetherf oottoNer dhedge, nobody
want edherint heNer dhedge,sheisanal ogoust ot heshadeof
holocaust.Err-hewoul dbeonl y,shade.Iwi shed. ”Thelady
bumpedher selftot hemet alli
cwallofTr embor c.
Madel i
nemov edawayherey essheknowsi tverywel lfrom the
beginni
ngt hatshe’sgoi ngtof i
ndher sel
fadi ffi
cultinthe
Nerdhedge, shewaggedt hrought hescene.t hent herewast he
entryofGener al-
G,butMadel inehadbeenl ostinherown
thoughts,shedi dn’
tseemedi nt
erestedtolookoutf orGener al
,
asthemaddencr owdwer edoing,theywerewr estli
ngov er
eachot herast heGener alpassedov ernextt othem, butthe
rai
lwaysecur i
tyst r
idehim awayf rom thereachoft he
commoner .Andaf terenteri
ngt ohisreservedpl acet hedoorof
theapar t
mentwasl ockedandal l
t hebatt
alionwasent ered.
“Icouldn’
tgetasi
ghtofhi
m,i
tfl
i
cker
sme!
!”t
hegi
rlsai
d.Wi
th
clenchedfi
st.
“
Usuall
y,Ist
arehi
mfr
om myhairsbuthewascover
inghishal
f
f
ace,hehassomeatt
ract
ion.
”Thegi
rlsmi
ledwi
thawi defl
ash.
“Thatwasawful,
Iam dr
owni
ngt
odeat
h,Il
efthi
m.”Thet
hir
d
gir
lfr
om ther
ightsai
d.
Madelinewasst i
ll
inthethought
sofherrealfami
ly,
shewas
tur
nedt odisbel
i
ef,thatshewasexplai
nabl
etoall
,herl
i
fewasa
chal
lenge,shewasnotmuchadv ancedandfastf
orwar
d,
becauseshehadspendherhal fli
feinmi ssionary,nothal
fbut
onefourthandtheni nthej
ail
,andaf t
ert hatintheNewJer sey
.
Sheseemedengr ossedwit
hherowndi l
emmas, Madeline
ski
ppedhert houghtsverywellfr
om herpastnowshewas
moreattenti
vetopr oveher
selfclearfrom anybl otandomens,
shehadf ai
ththatshewouldfitherselfinthegr i
pofl i
feagain,
andwouldr egai
nherAnt er
romian’spride.
Gener alhadhi
sway ,andnowt heTrembor csuddenl ystopped
atthemi dofaplanet,therewasabl astint hefr
ont alsecti
on,
everyonewasr ushingtoescapel ot,t
hei nstr
uctorGladol i
da
Wer eshup,wasgivi
ngt hem t
hei nstr
uction,Madel i
newas
fai
ntedandhadr oll
eddownf arawayf rom theTr embor ctoan
ali
enpl anet
.Ther
ewasaboar dwr i
tt
ent hereinthebol dlett
ers
“Roguesage”itwasi nfactanal i
envil
lage.
Madelinehadabruptdamsel,shewasf aint
edandallsweat
wasswi ngi
ngupar oundherwhitebody ,
theTremborchad
beenfli
edawayf orit
sresurr
ecti
on,notknowingthatMadeline,
oneoft hei
rpassengerhadbeenleftaroundthesavagevil
l
age,
whil
etheywer erescui
ngtheotherperson,thecr
unchofher
spi
nningandsl i
dingtothedeadl
yvill
agehadbeenuncl eared.
Justaf t
erherfaint edbody .Someonewasski ddinginhis
Panasoni cult
rabi kewi thademoni chel met,
cov eredwitha
blackjacketandi nbot t
om wast hejeans,theunknownhand
plungedt hem toliftthebodyf r
om thegr oundofgr eenbushes
andt horns,i
twasal lnightanddar knesswi thit
sgr eyrayswas
accostingthere.Itwasagr oaningofsi xstr
okeengi newhich
hasmor emov i
ngpar tsthanaf ourstrokeengine;itseemsthat
i
twasacompl exengi nebecausei treliesonther adi
o
dynami cs.Therewer edifferentphasest aki
ngplacei nthe
crankcaseandi nt hecy l
inderbor eatt hesamet ime.
I
twasl ikethenormal bikesatt heear th,al
thoughther ewasno
diff
erenceinthetransportofher eandt hereatearth,butthey
onlydiff
erattheenginesandl evelsoft heupgr adations,
actuall
yGer al
dhadoncet oldhert hatwhent heyti
redofusing
theirol
dtechnologiestheyt ransferr
edi ttotheearth, t
hei
r
advancedenhancementi sf ourti
met hant heeart
h, other
wise
theydidn’thavemuchdi stinguishes.
Madeli
nelookedatthebi
kewi t
hhersidewaysasshehadn’ t
wokeupatall,shel
ookedthatthi
sbikeofsi
xstr
okesengi ne
complet
esapowercy cl
einonly1440degreesofcrankshaft
rot
ati
ontocompl et
eonepowercy cl
e.Thenshesawast range
bodyonthebike.
Hisfacewasal lcoveredandMadel i
newokeupwi ththe
grunti
ngnoiseoft hebike,shewasunabl et ospeak,asshewas
cracki
ngbyt hespinningwi l
dingt
iresofbike.Allwasfranti
c,
andshedi dn’
tevengett hetimeforclosingherey es.Whil
eshe
waspr ot
ectivel
ymadet oseatinthebike,themanhadwr apped
upitsel
fintheleatherjacket.Hewashandsome, unknowingly
,
hi
sher oi
cappear ancemadehi mtocompar ewiththeti
tans.
Shewi t
hanopenmout hlookedmesmer i
zingwithatglance.
“
Havearideinmybi
ke,
youhadbeenf
aint
edal
ltheway
”the
v
oicesi
zzled.
“Whoar ey oubyt heway ,howdi dyougetov erher
e?”Madel i
ne
asked,andt r
iedtositupinhi sbi
ke, whi
chhadbeent hemost
mordentbi kewi thl
otofsuspensi on,gearworkandt he
hydrogenf ueledhadbeenusedi nit.Thegreenfuelemi t
ted
thr
ought hesmokel id.Andt heysetoffi
nt heai
rwher ethere
wasnogr av i
ty;
therewerel otsofcometsal l
theway ,aft
er
somet i
met heycrossedov erthesil
verpaleyell
owbr i
ghtest
moon.
“
Holdmeti
ghtl
y,I
’
m goingt
obet r
ansl
ucent
”thev
oiceagai
n
t
rai
l
edof
fwithmorethanapleasi
nghi
ss.
“
Wait,y
oudidn’
ttel
lyourname?”Madeli
nevoicehadbeen
f
rozentot
heatmosphere,shewaslockedwit
ht heper
sonal
i
ty,
i
twasreal
lyemphasizi
ngthere.
“
Samet
hing,
youhaddone.
”Hehi
titbackagai
nstt
heMadel
i
ne.
“It
hink,y
oushoul
dst
arti
twi
thf
ir
st.
”Madel
i
nest
ungwi
thher
deci
sion.
“Thenal
so,Iwouldli
ketouset hel
adi
esfir
stsystem,it
’sfai
r
enoughtostar
twiththegirl
,Imeanyou’
rethetenderone.
”He
waggedhisvoiceunderhishel
met.Hechival
rouslyt
il
ted
acrosst
hegiganti
cmet eor.
“Wel
l,
thenI
’
m MelissaMudgun,
alostov
erAnt
err
omi
anf
rom
ear
th.
”Madel
inesaidwi
thgener
osi
ty.
“
Ihaditaroundtheear
thlastweek,thet
ri
pwasav
aul
t.
”He
i
l
lust
ratedwithsometranspar
encies.
“Iwoul
dprefertogoNerdhedgehouseofrefugeeify
oucoul
d
dropmethere?”Madel
ineleanedt
ohol dhi
m.Hi smuscl
eswere
stur
dy,
enoughbuthewassomeshor tofski
nny ,
notver
ymuch
muscular
,buthewasobv i
ousapprai
sing.
“
Ihadseenyoubef
ore,
butIj
ustcan’
tremember
,”heanswer
ed
f
rom t
hebackofhi
sshoul
der
.Hepointedout
.
“I
’mtoof
amil
iarwit
hthisat
ti
tude,coul
dyouwearof
fyour
hel
metpl
ease.”Madel
inewonderedaroundt
hefi
gur
e.
“Wai
tthere’
straf
fi
cov ernextandwewouldhavet ost
opforan
hour
,Ithi
nk’ther
e’aresthousewher ewecanunload.
”He
poi
ntedtowardthetr
af f
icj
unction,
whichwasprobabl
y,
surroundedbyt heno.oft r
ansport,i
twasnott heactualspace
butthel i
vehologram ofrealspace,therealonewas14l ayers
away ,Nerdhedgebeenl ocatedinthemi doftheviaductwho
tr
ailwasst art
edf r
om thehol ogr
am space.Onlyfourother
planetswer eal
lowedt oenterinthev i
aduct
, t
hatwasMar ti
ans,
j
upitir
ion,MercururesETC.
Theyent eredtheresthouse,butMadelinefear
edaboutt he
stranger,ti
llt
henhewor eoffhihelmet,shewasshockedt osee
theboy ,hewast hesameonewhohadmetheri ncapemay ,
andhadsav edherlif
e,whenshewasgoi ngtocrashwi t
hthe
truck,nowt heangerwasupr i
singonhermi nd,sheclenched
herf i
st,andhereyebrowsknitt
edt ogetheri
nsnubbed.Shewas
l
ooki ngghast l
yathim,al
lhermi nuteconcernf
ortheguyhad
beennowchangedt oashes,whichdidn’tbl
oom now.
“
You,ar
etheonewhohadsavedmyl
if
ef r
om t
het
ruck,
inCape
May?
”Madeli
negri
macedwit
hanoddlookandmovedaway.
Hewassi ghingwitharel
ief
,andseeingonhi sface,
itwas
cl
ear
edt hatthelef
tthoughtst
raceswer erebi
ddingthemsel
ves
i
nhisbrain;hegather
edthem allandlookeddeeplyonthe
Madel
ine’sface.
“Icoul
dsensethose,gi
bber
ingacti
vi
ti
es,oh!Ver
ywel
l
,youar
e
againhangedaroundme.”Hesaidsti
ff
ly.
“Whoeveryouare,
butpardonme,youareveryrude.
”Madeli
ne
sai
dwi t
hraisedey
ebrows,asthet
imewasgr owing,shewas
l
esskindtowardhim;shedisl
i
kedhim byherheart
.
“Excuseme,Iowedaname,
”heshr
uggedhi
scoatandwi
tht
he
coldvoicehedr
ibbl
ed.
“
AsI’
m dy
ingt
ol i
stenit,
look!Don’
tbesooverf
ri
endl
y,I
’m not
t
hatt
ypeofgi
rlokay,andIwouldn’
tbemovedbyyouril
l
i
ntensi
ons,
bloodywr
eck.
”Madel
i
nescowl
edwi
thi
rr
it
ati
on.
“Whatdoy out hi
nky our self;you’ renott hecel estial nymphs,
whom ev eryonei sat t
ractedt owar d.You’ rejustapest ,and
nothingelse.Don’ tgivey our selfsoi mpor tance.”Hedr aggedi t
back.Hewasext remel yirri
tat ed, resisti
nghi sv ein,meanwhi le
heopenedhi sgadget ,andi twasacel lphone, butnotl i
ket hat.
Hecl osedhisheadar oundhi shoodandhi shai rhadcome
aroundhi sfacemeanwhi le,Madel inewassuspect inghi m wi t
h
thegr owingti
me, buthisv i
vidf acehadsomehy pnot i
sm, which
maddensev erygi rl
.Hewasl ikear oboticher oforher .Butshe
hadt oconceal t
hat,shecan’ thav eacr ushov ert heguy ,who
didn’thavethesenset ot alkwi t
ht hegi rls,hewasmean, he
waswei r
d,andhedi dn’tspeakmuch.Hewasunf ri
endl ybutf or
thesakeofl yingMadel inesai dhi m ov erf ri
endly,hehanged
aroundhi mself,nothingt obabbl e.Hehadbeent ot hecor nerof
thatsmal lr
esthouse, whi chowesonef ireplace,abedanda
windowwi t
hanenoughsi tti
ngpl ace, hewassi ttingt hereonl y.
Ther ewasaf ridget here.Wher et herewer efoodsofear t
h,
mar sandot herpl anets,shehast oswi tcht hebut tonofear th,
ast heinstr
uctionsay s.TheAnt erromi ans, werel i
ket hehuman,
actuallyt
heywer ethehumanbutpossessomespeci alpower .
Ever ythi
ngcoul dbeeasyt her ef oroper ate.
“
IfIcoul
dknowy
ourname”Madel
i
net
ri
edt
obenor
mal
.
“Idon’
towei ttostr
anger
s.”Hesai
dwithoutturnedhishai
r
werestil
lhidi
nghishalff
aceandonthetopwast hehood.Hi
s
wordswer eactual
lysocodedandhedoesn’ttalkloudact
ual
l
y
hehissedmor ethanhetalks.
“I’
m notast r
anger
,Ihadaveri
fyaccountofr
esidencyasan
Ant err
omian.Seeher
e.”Madel
inewasannoyingwiththe
ruthlessnast
yofhim,hesoundverypecul
iar
.
“Idon’
twantto”heagainmovedwit
hhisf
rowni
ngv oi
ce,
Madelineunder
stoodthathehat
esher
.Hedoesn’
tli
keher
presence.
“
Am Iannoy
ingyou?”Madeli
neaskedagai
n,i
fsher
eal
l
y
want
edtobeinsul
tedbyhim.
“
Ver
ymuch,
”heagai
nli
mit
ed.
“
Howcanyousaythatdi
rect
ly,
don’
tyoul
i
eformysake.
”
Madel
i
ner
ebelhi
sremarks.
“Fi
rstthi
ngI’
m aworstl
iar
,secondt
hingIdi
dn’
tdoi
tforany
one’ssake!
!”heanswer
edcoldly
.
“You’
rehat
eabl
e;Ihadn’
tmetaper
sonl
i
key
oubef
ore.
”She
hazed.
“Thisi
sbecauseI
’
m onei
nmi
l
li
ons.
”Heagai
nanswer
edi
tina
crookedway.
“Pr
obablyyou’
rerighthere;noonewoul dbeev erl
ikeyou,an
absentminded,whimsicalandarrogantper
son. ”Madeli
ne
mutter
edquietl
y,andwonder edifhewasl i
steningtoher.
Hequietsmugly,nowhedi dn’
tpaidfurt
heratt
enti
onstothe
wordsofMadeline.Aft
eronehourwai ti
ngtheyagainboar
don
thebi
ke,thestr
angeboywascompl etel
yunfamil
iar.Madeli
ne
wonderedifhewouldberightpersontohavetrust.Di
dhewi l
l
dropheratthedesti
nedplace?Godknows! !Aft
ersomet i
mehe
slowsdownhisbikeandsai d
“
Boar
dof
ffr
om mybi
ke.
”Hesai
dtoMadel
i
ne.
“
WhatHappened?
”Madel
i
neaskedt
hewhi
msi
cal
.
“
Iwon’tdr
opy
out
her
e,hav
eyourownmode,
I’
m goi
ng”hesai
d
wi
thfuss.
“
Hey!Waithowcanyoudothistome?HowI ’l
lbefi
ndi
ngthe
waytogetther
e,I
’
m compl
etelyst
rangerher
e.”Madel
i
necri
ed.
“That’
sy ourproblem,Idon’ towey ouanyf avor,well
goodl uck
foryourjourney.”Hesaidandki ckedof fhisbikeintheai r,
after
somet i
mest herewer eonl y
, met
eor it
es,i
tes,roamingasa
vagabond; actuall
yshehadbeendr oppedatt heWer gosTor ota,
theboar dtheresigni
fi
es,Madel i
newasf earingallt
heway s
cursi
ngt hestrangeboy ,wor mstot hosehands, heshoul dfell
offfr
om hi sbike,orgetcrashhishead, etc.meanwhi l
eshe
cameacr ossthesafehouse.Wher eoneguar dwassi tt
ing,i
t
wasj usttheentranceoft heWer gosTor ota.Sheaskedt he
guard.
“
Cany
out
ell
mewher
e’sHouseofr
efugee?
’’
Guardlookedatherface,hewasl it
tl
econfused,butaf
ter
Madeli
neshowedhert emporaryidproofwhichhadbeen
i
ssuedbyt heNerdhedgemi ni
strytothevi
cti
msofdi sast
er
2000.Hegothissoul’sapproval.
“Hmm….Soy ou’rearef
ugee,Houseofrefugeeis10km away
from her
e.Buty oucoul
dconsideraferr
y,fr
om thebusst and
whichisat1km di st
ance;t
heferr
y’snamei s‘Draperdr
oll
y’.I
ts
routeit
sel
fisfrom WergostoHodwar d,wherethedepartment
ofHouseofr ef
ugei ssi
tuat
ed.”Guardsaid.
“Thanksalotsi
r,y
ouowedmeabi gfav
or,
”Madeli
nethanked
theguardforhi
sservi
ce.Andbywalki
ngshegetstothebus
standwherethepurpl
edrizzl
i
ngspacefer
ryhadbeenspott
ed
‘
Dr aperDr
oll
y’
.
TheDr ol
l
yskiddedoffinfrontofHouseofRefugee.I
twasbi
g
bui
ldi
nginatransl
ucentfibergl
asssuspendedwit
hinahuge
gl
assbox.Itwasarationali
starchi
tect
urei
nitssi
mple
compi l
ati
onofmet eori
testhatsur vivethef r
icti
onof
atmospher eandlandont heear th.Sheopensupt helett
er,
in
whi chshehast ogof orNerdhedgehouseofr efuge.The
strangef err
ydroppedhert ot heNer dhedgehouseofr ef
uge.
Probabl yitwasv erybigcent erforther efuge,Madel i
newalked
throughi n,ther
et hemai nent rancet othehal lwasv iaa
staircasemadeupofsmal lconfigureofast eroidbelts,f
rom
thesmal lst
reetsthatdescendst otheexpensi vebasement
foyer .Shewasf oll
owedbyar eceptionistinthehal l
,and
Madel i
newentt hrough,
“
Excuse,
mecany outel
lmeaboutt
his?
”Madel
i
negav
ethe
l
ett
ertorecept
ioni
st.
“So, y
ouar eoneofthevict
imsofdi saster2000,waitt
odayi s
thelastrecover
yofoursear chengine,nowev er
yvicti
m had
beenr ecover
ed.Youhav etogof i
fthfl
oor,toMr.R.Yoct i
oner;
hei stheheadoflostandfounddepar tmentandourf orei
gn
affair
smi ni
ster
.Heisactuallybeenhereinthehouseofr efuge,
forsev endays,
youmi ghtcontacthim.”Therecepti
onistsaid.
“
Thanksforhel
p”Madeli
nethankedther
ecept
ionist
.“Excuse
mebuthowshouldIgetthr
oughf i
ft
hfl
oor,
Idon’tknowhow
t
heelev
atorswork?
’’
“Youmi ghtbel i
vingonear th,thef i
fthfloorhereisindeepest
bottom,andwedon’ tuseelevator,theywer eascr aptous,
anywayl ook!From thel ef
t,therewoul dbeamet alli
cdoor ,go
i
nside,therewoul dbeakeeper ,taket hetokenasy ourkey
unlockthemet all
icdoor ,i
nsidet herewoul dbeawi shingwell
,
dropthet okenini t
,astherewoul dbenowat erinside,tel
li
t
“Escapamaf i
ft
h.”Thewel lwouldpul lyouinsideandy ouwoul d
bet r
avell
ingtothef ift
hf l
oor.
 CHAPTER10
ANABORTEDMANI
FESTO
Madelinehadbeenwonder ingthepeculi
arel evat
or,i
twasv ery
wrongway ,awishingwell,i
sn’ti
twasaol dandoddt hingof
tr
anspor tati
on,
shewasn’ texpecti
ngthewi shingwell,afterall
whenshehadbeenr ideonTr emborcHarvey .Butthetraingota
crashfrom thefrontalzone,andshewasav ertedawayi ntothe
strangev i
ll
age,wheresheagai nmetwiththest r
angeboy ,
but
shecan’ ttoodenyitthathewaschar ming.
Madel inepr oceededt owar dt heleftoft hei gnitemi xed
met eoritebuilding,encl osingt hefoy erandt heabov ecent re
therewasat ranspar entv olumef eat uringgl azedf acadest hat
shelteraser iesofsmal lspacesf orhost ingAnt erromi ansand
otherpl anets’peopl e.Thegl asssur facepr ov idevisitorsand
refugeebywi thacl earv i
ewoft hebui l
di ng’ scent erpiecea
l
ot uslikepodcompr i
singamet alskel etonwi thpet alswr apped
i
naski nofadv ancedmembr anefiber glassandf l
amer etardant
sil
icone.Asshehadbeenf orgot t
ent het y peofr ocksusedf or
maki ngt hebui l
ding, thatwasi gnit
ecum met eoroid–j usta
chunkofr ocki nspaceusual lythepar tofcomet .Butwher e
woul dt heyhav ebeeni mpor t
ingther ocks, asshedi dn’t
under stoodbecause, spacedoesn’ tcont ai nsi gnit
e, Rathert han
starsandmet eors.Shef orwar dedt owar dt herewasasl eeping
dozykeeper ,hehadwor eahatandapi per , hewaswear ing
raggedcoatofdi rt
ybr owncol ourandapantofear thlycolour.
Hewasl ookingodd.
Madeli
necoul
dn’
thelphersel
fnoti
cingt
hesecur
it
ysy st
em,
he
wasexper
tl
yimposed,butwassleepyandner
vous,andhewas
t
alki
nginmumblesound.
“
E-excuseme,
Mr.
…..
IWANT”Madel
i
ner
emai
nedbl
ockedby
t
her
eckonedf
igur
e.
“
Don’
tpesteri
toff
,ei
therI’
l
l f
ir
eyou,
letmesleepIhadn’tslept
f
oroneyear.
”Theoddfiguremurmured,
buthewasv eryclear
t
ohear.
“
What?Foroneyear,
it’
ssuchalongtime.Butcoul
d……coul
d
y
ougivemetoken,Imean…forwishi
ng…we”Madeline
r
equest
edtheoddmanwhowasst i
l
lsleepi
ng.
“
Havethosebrai
nsofcater
pil
l
ars,
asOudogangdodemandf
or
mor
e.”Herel
iedinsl
eepyway.
“What,
Whoi sOU,OUDO? ”Madel
inewast akenaback,
nowwho
wasthisOudogangdo, whysheshouldsupplyhimthebrai
nsof
cat
erpi
ll
ar.Butti
llsheagainwokethekeeperup,hehadbeen
sl
eptaway .Nexttohim wasamet al
l
icdoor,inwhi
chthesign
oft
wot igersweremade, t
heywereferoci
ous,andmaybel i
ve.
Madelinel
ookedaside,t
hetiger
swer eroari
nginstagger
edway ,
butthenal
sothekeeperhadn’tbeenwokeup.I twasthecorner
room,thel
astone,noonewasi nthepassage, i
tseemedthatit
hadbeensecuredfortheref
ugeeitsel
f;otherper
sondoesn’
t
usethismode.Shelookedforabackup.
“
Ithi
nksheisnotf
ool
i
sh”Madeli
nehear
dthev
oiceandl
ooked
f
orhisor
igi
n,t
heti
ger
swerei
tsel
ftal
ki
ng.
“
Coul
dyout
alk?
”sheaskedi
namazedmanner
.
“
Whycan’
twe?
’’t
heybot
hanswer
ed.
“
DOy
out
woar
etwi
ns?
”
Madel
i
neaskedagai
nlooki
ngi
ntot
hem hear
tful
l
y
“
YesheisFeradoandI
’
m Cilbus.Wear eher
eforguar
dingt
he
i
ntr
uder
s,canwehelpyou?
”t heyasked.
“
Yes,Ineedy ourhel
p,here’smyidproof,
andIwanttogetway
t
of i
ft
hf l
oor.
”Madelinetooktheidproofneart
hei
rface,
which
wasscanningtheid.Forfir
stti
meshehadseent al
kingl
ions,
r
atherreadi
ngitinanov elorf
antasyfi
cti
on,Madel
i
newas
r
atherenjoy
ingthisexperi
ence.
“Youaresay ingtruegi r
l,wedonotdoubty ou.Well’
snamei s
Oudogangdo.Ev enaspi ri
tofspiderr esidesi nthewell,i
twas
l
ongt i
mebacksi nce,wehadguar dedt hisplace.Aspi derhad
beendiedint hewel l
,whenitwasoncef il
ledwi thwater,fr
om
thennowat eri sfil
ledinthewell,Oudogandodi dn’
tall
owedt o
i
ncarnateorwassentt ohell,
Neuci adesor deredthatit
’sspiri
t
wouldtakef ormi nt hewellanditwoul dbel ivi
nghereonl y,
itis
anicecreatur eunt i
lyoufeditupwi thbr ainsofdeadcat er
pil
lar,
i
fy oudidn’
titwi l
l sucksyourbrainitself.Ther ef
oretheof f
eris
necessary.
”Thel i
onssai dwithaweal t
hydet ail
.
“Thatmeanst hewell
isOudogangdo.Butfr
om whereI’
m
supposedt
of etcht
hebr ai
ns.
”Sheaskedinfreakyv
oiceand
l
ookedgainforthei
rhelp.
“Getitf
rom Tooskywit
chcartmarket
.Shesell
stheseal
l
scrapsinherl
argecaul
dronhazel
.”Theysai
d.
“Nowwher
et heseTooskywit
chwouldbemeet
ing?
”Madel
i
ne
askedt
hem byputt
ingheri
dinherbag.
“Probablyshewoul dbemeeti ny oui
nanymol di
ngst oneswal l
,
whenev erinanybui l
dingiftherei saabort
edbathroom, andin
thosebat hrooms, t
hereisancr ackyouhadtojustkickitfor
threeti
mest hewallwouldf alldownandt henasecretnar r
ow
passwaywoul dbet herewi thbur ni
ngfl
amesont henear erside,
andatapar ti
cularj
uncti
on, therewouldbef i
veroom, get
throughint hethir
droom, therewoul dbeamummycof finget
i
nt hecoff i
nitwouldledy out ohershop,sheisalway spresent
i
ntheone.
”
Madel ineheadedbackt orecept ionisthal l,butther ewasn’ tany
receptionist.Butthecr owdwast hererefugepat hwayofl i
on
doorwasagai nshutupandi twasmendedupwi thacl osed
soli
di gnit
ewal l
,nowwher ewoul dbeanoutofor derbat hroom,
shewasf ollowedbyt hegr oupofpeopl et her efugeesect ion
wasl eftbehi ndnowt hepat hwaywast il
tingitselft ot ouri
st
departmentofNer dhedge.Act uallyitwasat r
ansf ormi ng
buil
dingwhi chhadt hev i
ewoff i
v ebui l
dingsi none, l
ikethe
sceneoft hebui l
dingwashouseofr efuge, andi nt hesecond
termi twasat ouri
stdepar tment .Wher emanyof fpl anettourist
andAnt er
romi answer er egisteri
ngt heirtourism pl ansandhad
camet oinvestigatethet axesandt heirvisaet c.likeanor mal
departmentoft ourism inwor ld.Butshehadt omov efurther,
shecan’ tbeher eshehadt omov ear oundt het oiletand
bathroom, whichshoul dbeoutofor der.Thet hi
r donewas
rai
lwaydepar tment .
Rail
waydepartmentwasagai nf i
l
ledwi t
hlotsofAnter
romians
andotherpl
anetspeople.Therest oodaTr emborcHarvey,
whichhadbeenundergonet hrought heprocessofshunti
ng.It
wasbadlydamagedf rom thefrontsecti
on, peopl
ewerebuying
ti
cketsbutt
hroughtheiri
dpr oofitwaslikeacashless
tr
ansacti
on.
Shemov edont hef
ourthwaywhi
chwasbehi
ndanol
doutof
ordert
elephonebooth.I
twasi
nst
ruct
ed
“I
fyouhadtomov eontootherpl
ace,
pleaseentert
otel
ephone
booth,
dialt
henointel
ephone.Swi
peyouridproofi
nit,
dial
no
201811419697225i
nit
.”
Madeli
neenteredthetel
ephoneboot
h,whichwasactual
l
ythe
di
git
altel
ephone,sheswipeheri
dandentertheno.t
henowas
codedf or‘TRANSFIGURE’ andthetel
ephoneev entuall
ytook
theshapeofanl if
tandbesi degoingundergr
oundi tshift
ed
i
tselftosidewaytrams, Andreachedheratpostof fi
cesecti
on.
Whi chwassi t
uat
ednearanabandonedbat hroom, sheled
herselftothebat
hr oom, andi
thadaf oulsmell
, byclosi
ngher
nost r
il
s,shewentfurther.
Therewer elot sofwebsaf t
ercl earingthem all,shesawa
crackedwal landki ckedi tf
ort hreet i
mest hewal lwas
smashedandt herewasast onepat hwaywi t
hlighti
ngflames,
shewentf urtherthel eakageofwat erhadr ott
ent hewall.But
somehowshemanagedher selftogett hrought hejuncti
on
wher ether
ewasf ivelockeddoor ,shechoset hef i
ft
hone.She
openedi tagr eensmokecameoutofi t
,therewasacof fi
ni n
theroom.Sheopenedt hecof fi
nandj umpedon, shewasl edby
theshopt herewasonewr i
nkledl adywi t
hpoi ntedlongwi tch
hat,andshehadr ot t
ent eeth,andacr ookedsmi l
e,wit
hher
blackrobes.Shehadopenedhert runkmeanwhi l
e.
Shesmi ledfurt
her;ther
ewasacauldron,
thetai
l
sofli
zards,
the
spookyoct opus,crab,t
heratsandt
heotherwei
rdsoupsof
defecti
vesmel l
s,rosarybeadsmadeupofbatseyes,
the
featherofcrowandmanymor e.
“
AreyouToosky?
”Madel
i
neaskedl
ooki
ngf
ier
y.Tot
heol
dlady
whowassti
llsmi
li
ng.
“YesI
’m TooskyTrampoli
a.SI
NCE1080.
tel
lmewhaty
ouwant
?”
sheaskedwithherkni
tt
ingeyebr
ows.
“Ya….Iwantsomef
orOudogangdo’
s.
”Madel
i
neanswer
edi
n
crepedway.
“
Oh!Thatf
il
thyone,
itdemandsacat
erpi
l
lar’
sbrai
nbecauseat
t
heti
mewhenhehadbeendead, i
twashalfeat
encater
pil
lar
f
ori
tsdi
nnerwhensomeonerushesthewat
eri
ntot
hewel
l
.
Howmuchdoyouwant?’
’Tooskyasked.
“Idon’tknowexactl
y,I
’m newt
otheNer
dhedge.
”Shesai
dwi
th
breathingshor
tness.
“I
twoulddemandfortent
oy ou,y
esbecauseyourbl
oodhad
warm ef
fect
.It
’sr
eal
lyhot
!!Icoul
dsmelli
tsodor.
”Toosky
sni
ff
edthroughMadeli
ne.
Madeli
nehadbeenmor ecaref
ult
hist
ime,assheaskedf
orthe
brai
ns,
sheturnedtowar
dTooskywhostil
lsmell
i
ngherblood;
shepushedhersel
fawayfr
om Toosky
.
“
Pleasegi
vemef ast
,it
’sal
readyt
ool
ate.Di
dyouaccepti
d?”
Madeli
neasked.
“No,IacceptDumbli
ngs,butt
heyar
elessusedt
hesedays.
Hav eyourpur
chase“Tooskygav
eMadelinet
enbrai
nsof
caterpi
ll
aranddemandedhermoney.
“
Sorr
ybutIowest hi
sid,
coul
dyouacceptanyot
hert
hing.
”
Madel
ineasked.
“Iwoul
dthendemandyournai
ls,
givethosetome,theypr
ett
y
goodformypoti
ons.
”Tooskysmiledwithbadsound.
‘
Okay,hav
ethem andgi
vememyor
der
s.”Madel
i
neput
tedher
f
inger
sahead.
“
Letmetookoffmyknif
e,itwouldbettercuty
ours.
”Andshe
t
ookof
ftheknif
eandplaceditinthatofMadelinet
hetongs
wer
epai
nful
lycutsof
fMadeline’
snails.
Shewasinext
remepai
nandherbreat
hinghadbeenrai
sedup,
asshewastherar
ebl
oodty
pe,andtherewasint
ensehot
i
nsidet
hecoff
in.
Aft
erthenai
lswerecutdownMadel i
newasf ai
ntedi
nthecoff
in,
andwhensheopenedherey essheagainhadbeenreachedto
houseofref
uge.I
nthefrontofthel
ion’
sdoor,nowtheli
ons
hadbeental
kingt
oeachot her
,andthentookalookatthe
Madeli
newhowasexhal i
ngsof ast
.
“
Didy
ougett
hatwhi
chy
ouwant
?”t
heyasked.
“
Yes-y
es,I-
Ihadbroughtitout
,her
e’sone.
”Shesai
dinsame
manner,
withbur
stinglungs.
“
Okayt
hen,
we’
l
lbeopeni
ngi
tfory
ou.
”Thel
i
onsr
oar
ed.
Aftersomet i
met hedoorwasopened, Madelinenoddedt hem
asint hankf ulway, andentersinthedoort herewasonl ythe
wishingwel l
,ithasasmal lshelt
err oofoverit.Andwhenshe
peepedov erit,i
twasabl ackl i
dway ,shei
mmedi atel
ydropped
tenbrai nsofcat erpil
lar
,andt henthespi ri
tofOudogangdo
appear ed,itwasawhi t
etranslucentf orm,tonguingit
slegs.It
camenearMadel i
nei twassev enf eetinsize.
“
Doy
ouof
fermet
hebr
ains?
”itaskedwi
thagr
unt
ingv
oice.
“
Yes,
I-It
houghtt
hat
…”Madel
i
nest
rodeaway
.
“
IfIr
eal
l
ywantt
hem,
Idi
dn’
tli
ket
hosebr
ains”i
tsai
d.
“Butt
heytol
dmet hatyoureal
lyl
i
ket hese,
becauseatt
het
ime
ofyourdeat
hitwasyourlastf
ood.”
“I
t’
sallr
idi
culous,Inev
erwant edt hem, butwasfedf orcef
ull
y,I
can’
teatthem anymore, Iwanttohav emyj udgment ,andLord
Neuci
adeshadn’ thadmyhear ings.Iwantsal vat
ion.Idon’
t
wantthatfood,asIcan’teatthem; theyallar
euselesst ome.I
wanttorebir
th.
”Thecr eatur
ecr i
ed.
“
Whydon’
tyout
ell
ther
espect
iveaut
hor
it
iest
hen,
itwoul
d
r
eal
l
yhel
pyou,
maybef
ort
hewi
l
lit
sel
f.
”
“Ther
e’snowor t
h,theycan’
tdoany thi
ng,andIhadmetonce
mysonReui t
o,hehadr el
iancemet hathehadfiledt
hecaseof
mydeat hhearinginthejudgmentalcourt
.Butthecaseis
pendi
ng; Ihadnowor kl
eftothert
hanhaunt i
nginthi
sfi
l
thy
well
.”
“SowhatcanIdoforyou,
well
mynamei sMeli
ssaMudgun,
I
am ar
efugeeofdi
sast
er2000.
”Shei
ntr
oduced.
“
Yes!
!Ofcour
sei
t’
smydeat
hdat
e,howcoul
dIf
orgott
hat
.’
’
“Actuall
y,Iwantedt ogof i
fthfloor.Oft hi
sbuil
dingitreal
ly
shif
teditsshape, Ihadn’tactuallyenteredtheNerdhedge, i
t’
s
onlytheout ski
rt,
themai nlandi sfarawayasmypaperwor ks
arealreadyleft,
myci ti
zenshi phadbeengr antedbutt he
certi
fi
edpr ocessisstil
linprogr ess,it
’smyt emporaryidproof,
nowwoul dy oupleasemakemeent ertheway.”
“Thedisastrousnightof2000wasact uall
ypai nful,itshedsof f
manyl i
vesanddest r
oy edt hehumani t
y,Iusedt ol ivedinthe
Sheverl
otKel lows,i
nNer dhedgewher eLemandor s,
(animal sof
Nerdhedge)usedt oli
v e,Ihadbeengr aduatedasMedi cians,
andhaddi dj obfor10y earsintheHily
arihaly
ar d.Wher ethe
Leupixi
esusedt oreside, IwasanassistantMedi ciantoMr .
EdgarHex, hewasoneoft hegreatHealeri
ocinsatNer dhedge
butthedisast erev
ent ookhi slif
ealso,butwasexpel l
edf rom
theNerdhedgei nt
heof fenseofmal pr
acti
ce,theycancel ledmy
l
icense,andIwasf orcedt ol
iveinthesavages. ”
“I
t’
sreal
lydr
ear
y,t
oheary
ourst
ory
.Act
ual
l
yI’
m get
ti
ngl
et
Oudo,coul
dyoupl
easemakemyway?”
“Yes,Comeandjumpinthewell
,i
twoul
dbedar
katf
ir
stt
ime,
butthenyouwouldbet
oy ourway.
”
“
ThanksOudo.
”
Madel i
nejumpedi nthewell
,itwasdar ksoot yanditwasa
groaninggri
paf terall,
Madelinehadbeencamesev eralfeet
belowt hemainlandi twasget ti
nghotter,andthensheaf ter
somet i
mereachedt othedr
egsoft hewel l
,al
lherfears,
anxietyandlonelinesshadbeenendedandshet hensigha
breath,shehast oclimbsever alstepsdown, t
hesewer eagain
ofignite,
shecamet hereatthef loorfi
ft
haf t
er150stairs.
Shewasbr eat
hless,sheal mostescapei nthedoubtfulway.
Therewer elotsofcar vi
ng,manyt ypesf orm classi
caltosemi
cl
assicalandpr emoder nt omoder n.Itdoesseemedt hatthey
hadbeenpl ainwithlinespat t
ern,shesawt owardtheroofit
hadbeenmadesi mpl ybyt heplacingwoodenbeamsandat
somepl acesitwast hesl aboft heignit
est oneacrossfour
wall
s,ithadusedt heancientpremedi eval sty
leofarchit
ectur
e
oftwov ert
icalcolumns, actual
lycalledtrabeate.
Anor nament algatewayledtotheentrance,andthemainhall
wasel aboratedwithcarvedsculpt
ors.Limestonecementwith
mixedi gni
tewasi ncreasi
ngl
yusedi nthisconstr
ucti
on,t
his
wasahi ghqualit
ycementwhenmi xedwi t
hignit
echips
hardenedi nt
oconcr ete.
Madelineenteredi nthemai nhallwhi
chwasv erylar
geenough,
astheauditorium forpiano.Sheenteredthegat eway,ther
e
wasthesi l
ence, andther oom hasarectangularplan,120x76.
Andthef oursideswer econnect edbythetwoor t
hogonalarms,
formi
ngf ourinnercour t
s.Itwasapproximat el
y78,000m^ 2the
room displ
ayt hepowerofanabsol ut
egr andeur.No
Onewast her
eexceptherandthethr
eepanel
softhedigni
fi
ed
person,
shest
eppedtowardthepanelwhi
chcontai
nsroyal
chair
smadeupofgoldcarvi
ngs,andalar
getabl
einfr
ontof
them wheret
hesandclockwas,andtheydidn’
thav
ephotos
andpict
uresatall
.Theroom wasi
nfactfi
l
ledwitht
hescul
pted
carv
ingsofstones,
andecli
psesdor
mi t
ory.
“Hellosi
r,myselfMel i
ssaMudgun, I’
m anlostAnterromian
fr
om t heeart
h,andact uall
yI’
mt heonlyAnterr
omi anlosti
nt he
earth,Mr.Geral
dCar lsonismymat ernaluncl
e,I’
m daughterof
NiagaraandNei lopardMudgun. ”Madeli
newasner v
oust o
confessthetruth;shehadt hefearofgetti
ngcaught .Sheeven
saidthosethingsdirectl
ywithaney econtact
.
Resignedt otheborrowedbehav i
orthethreepanelswere
shockedateachot heronehadt rimmedhai randwasdr essed
upasanov elty,
secondonehadcur l
yhair
edwi tharound
spectacles,shewasani nt
ell
ectualident
it
y ,
shehadwor nrobes
withtightfi
tti
ngshel ookedofmi ddleagedar ound40to48,
andt hethir
donehadl onghairswhi chwast i
edinplai
tshewas
man, wi t
hage45, hiseyeswer emi nortootherhetoohadwor n
thedr essli
keaj ur
y,blackandgr ey.
Thef i
rstpersoni
ntr
oduceshi
mself
,hehadt
heprof
essional
suitoverhim,hewasof46aroundage,
andhehadinj
urious
eyes,coldandpalewit
hsorti
ng.
“WealreadyknowitMi
ssMudgunandI ’
m PenedugNi cket
,
ther
e’snoneedtotel
lthisall
,af
termanyv eri
fi
cati
ontestwe
hadgrantedyou,
andyou’ r
epatentforNerdhedgecit
izenshi
p.I
t
wouldhav esometi
mel ookinthatclocki
t’
scalledQuardts.
Act ual
ly,
wedidn’tfil
li
twithsandit’smereat abl
eclock.We
actuall
yfi
lli
twiththeargonpropell
ants.I
t’
snecessar yasit
catchestheradarforthecatchingthevi
brati
onsaroundt he
moonandt el
lusthet i
mingwhi chalsoi
ncludedsomesi gnsof
predict
ablehappenings.I
tscolourchangesast hephases
Ofmoon,new,
crescent
,hal
f,andf
ull
.Ev
eryt
imei
sbasedon
t
herev
oluti
onofmoon.
Shenoddedt owardthetri
mmedhai ritwasthePenedugNicket
whohadwr itt
enherconfir
mationl
etter,hi
svoicewaschil
l
ed
aft
erall
,anditwaslikeaft
ermuchcondensat i
onithadburst
out,i
nasadmel ody
,whichhopedfort heel
egantway.I
twasa
beamingaffect.
“well
, I
’
m gl adthaty ou’r
esaf etil
l,wedidfoundy ou,Mi ss
Mudgun,I ’
m Nor t
mei sRev erbrow,you‘r
egr andmot herwas
real
lyexhaust i
ngwhenshehear dofy ourarri
val,asy ou’rethe
onlyher i
tageoft heMudgunf amily,t
hereforethepr essur ehad
i
ncreasedony ourf ami l
y,Buty ourgrandmot herhadbeendead
thi
spastweekofhear tattack,shewassoexci tedthati tgave
herashock, nowherasheshadbeenkepti nhercof fi
n.Act ual
ly
thi
sisourr ul
ewedoesn’ tbur ythebodybutact ual l
yitsashes.
Andaf teroney eartheashesar erootedtoourpl anet’sflower
Johamal ti.I
tgiv estheboont ot hespiri
tofourl and’speopl e.
”
Thef emal evoicesai dcoldly,
“
I–Ireal
lyfel
tsorryforthat
,Icouldn’
tmeetheraft
eral
l.
”
Madeli
neregret
ted,butshehadn’tanyconnecti
onwit
hthe
Mudgunfamilyaft
erall.Sothat’
sthat.Butst
il
li
twasbad.
“Buttherealsogoodnews, al
lthepr oper
tyofMudgunf amily’
s
nowi ny ourname.Yourgrandmot herhadtransf
erredallthe
belongingstoy ou,nowyouwoul dn’
thaveanypr oblem with
yourlivi
ngs,”anotherper
sonsaid,anddefini
tel
yitwasMr .R
Yoctioner,asonlyonehadbeenl eft
.
“What?”Madelineblownupwi ththenews,howcansheowe
thepropert
yofsomeoneel se’s?Itwil
lbecheaptohaltthe
propert
y,whichactual
lydi
dn’tbelongtoher.Di
dshehav eto
tal
kaboutallthist
oGer al
d?Def i
nit
elyshehasto.There’
sno
opt
ionatal
l.Madel
i
necoul
dn’tbel
i
evei
nherear
s,shewas
goi
ngtoarguebutwasf
ini
shedbyPenedug,
“So,whatar eyouwai t
ingforMissMudgun, di
dn’tyouare
excitedforyourvisi
ttoyouractualhouse, here’
st headdress
Gallopianhood.Houseno.15underdownsubv erge.The
househadbeenl ockedforaweek, andher e’
sthekey .Which
wassubmi t
tedbyt helawyersofyourgr andmot her,andno
here’swill
.Youshouldatleastpurchasey ourownwagon, i
t’
s
real
lyi mport
anthere.Wellfornowy ouwoul dbedr oppedbythe
Umbr ed180,i
t’
sacabser viceofNer dhedge, Actuall
yatermf or
cab, asyouprefertosayinearth.
”Yoct i
onersai d.
“Thanksforyourgoodwi
ll
,si
rbuthowIwouldbegetti
ngi
nto
thecab.Asitweresever
almil
esdownawayf r
om theHouseof
Refuge.
”Madel i
neri
mmedov erthesur
vey
ingnot
e.
“
Don’
tworryaboutthat,
ther
e’sasecretwaywhi chexactl
yled
yout
othecab,that
’smeanstheUmbr ed180,i
st herewhi
ch
woul
dfl
iedyouawayi ntheNerdhedge.”MissRev er
browsaid.
“I
’l
lbereachi
ngtherethen,
nicetomeetwit
hal
lofyoubutI
wanttopursuemycol l
ege,andUncl
eGeral
dsuggest
edme
abouttheHealar
iogeni
csstudy.“Madel
i
nequer
iedaboutt
he
study
.
“Don’tworry,t
heMounhar tUniv
ersi
tyi
sopeningi
tsfi
rstyear
batchfrom tomor rowi t
sel
f,act
uall
ywestar
toursessionfr
om
Nov embertoday ’s1stNovember.Andyoushoul
dassignedto
theadmi ssi
onf orum, we’r
esurethatt
heywouldbetakingyou
astheirstudent.”suggestedPenedug.
Madeli
nef el
trel
iev
ethatshewouldn’
tnowhavediffi
cul
tyf
or
theadmissionandtheywouldbestar
ti
ngitasafresh,i
tdi
dn’
t
occurt
hatshewasbenewbutshewasst ill
wait
ingtohernew
home,butnotf
ort
hepr
oper
ty,
shehadt
oimmedi
atel
ytal
kto
Ger
ald.
I
twasget t
inglat
e, act
uall
ybecausei thadbeendar kert
hant he
actualday,shewentt hrought hesecretway,itwasawooden
door,actuall
ythespacedi dn’thaveanywoodsbutshewast ol
d
bytheElgoswar ,thatt
heyhadenoughadv ancedtechni
quefor
thevegetationgrowth,aftertheeart
h, t
heywer etheonl
yplanet
ri
chwi t
hdi ver
sif
iedherbs, shrubsandtheplantati
on,whichhad
beenimpor tedfr
om v ari
ouspl aces.
Sheopenedt hedoor ,whichhadnot hi
ngbutt hewhi tesand
spreadov ert
helonelylandandt hereweret hetwinkli
ngoft he
stars.AndtherestoodthecabUmbr ed180, i
twasliket he
normal cabwithjetbl
uecol our
,adjust
ableseat sandt he
automat i
copenings,i
thadaGPSl i
ketrackerwhicht racksthe
pathwayofst arsandcomet sandthemet eors,
andhadi t
sway
ToNer dhedge.
Madeli
nesatedi
nthecab,
whi chwasact
uall
ygorgeousfrom
i
nsi
de.Therewasnodri
veritwasaselft
rai
nedcab.Itvoi
ced
di
git
al.
“
Hel
loit
’sGoodbr
idgeserv
ice,Umbred180,
didIshoul
dget
y
ourgoodname?’
thevoiceasked.
“
I’
m Mel
i
ssaMudgun,
vict
im ofdi
sast
er2000,
”Bl
urt
edMadel
i
ne.
“
WelcomeMissMudgun, canIhavey
ouridpr
oof
,pl
easeswi
pe
i
ttomycheckscanner
.”Thevoicebl
i
nked.
“
Yesher
e,t
his”Madel
i
neswi
pedherI
dPROOF.
“Okay,
you’
vebeenver
if
iedasanAnterromian,wherey
ou’
re
supposedt
odesti
ned?’
’thev
oicef
urtherinqui
red.
“
To,
someGal
l
opi
anhood,
Houseno.15underdownsubv
erge’
’
“Hav
ey oursecur
it
ybelts,wewoul
dbel
aunchi
ngf
ort
he
addr
ess”theUmbr edsaid.
“
ButIdi
dn’
tfi
ndany
?’’
Madel
i
neasked.
“Presst her edbut tonasi de, itwoul dbet her eneary ourr ight
el
bow, ”Madel inel ookedf ort hebut ton, i
twasasi de, she
pressedi tf orthewhi le,andt heaut omat icseatbel tshel dt heir
cl
ut chest oher ,
thecabst ar tedwi t
hr oaringsoundandt henshe
wasf l
i
edi nt heskyofst ar s, aftersomet i
meshesawabr oad
vi
ewofgl i
tteri
ngl i
ght sandt allbuildings,itwasaf ascinat ed
vi
ew.Ev ery t
hingwasar rangedi nthepr operway ,itwasl iket he
j
erseyci tyofspace, orev enl oudert hani t
,behi ndt hemi stof
cl
oudsi twast hephaseofsev enbl ocksev erybl ocksi gnifies
i
tsowndi gnityandr ealm, thepur it
yexi stlikeapi l
larf ori ts
solemni ty.Ther oadswer et wi stedandt urned, mor elikeat ai
l
ofsnake, butt heyhadn’ tgi veupt hecel ibat e.Fort hegal axy
whi chwasdi videdi nt osev encel i
batesl i
kef i
rstVay udy an
celibatesinwhi chagai nt her ewer efourf lyingcat egor i
esof
Pixies,Aur oramagest hef l
y ersofweehour sf rom onea. m.t o
12p. m.t hent hePi nnaclor idget henoont imef l
yer sf rom 12
p.mt o4p. m adayandt hent heLeupi xi
eswhohadt hei rflight
ti
mi ngofev ent i
det hati sf rom 4p. mt oeightp. m.af t
ert hem
wer etheOpaci vergeoneofwhom hadhel pedMadel inet oher
wayt oNer dhedge, theyar ev er ykindt hent hatofHor tilops,
whopest ert het ravelersbutt heOpaci vergear eliket hest ars
whohel pt hepeopl et ofindt hei rwayi nnight .

Thiswast hef irstsecti

onoft hecelibate;thesecondsect i
on
belongstot heHomor ti
ans, t
heear lymanoft heearth,t
hey
beforetheircreat i
onwer egiventheonef ourthareaofNer d-
Hedge, aft
ert heyadaptt hewayofl iving,theywer esentto
earth.Thereal sotheyareunder goingt hroughevolvingprocess.
Andt hethirdcel i
batesbelongtot heLemandor sandr est
othersthemammal softheNer d’
ssur face.Andt henthethr ee
celi
batesbel ongt otheAnt er
romians.Andl astbutnotthel east
Necromancer
s.Ther
ewholecommuni ti
esservedasabigpar
t
ofdoct
orsorHeal
eri
oci
ns.Theyarethesecondlar
gest
communityaf
tert
hanAnter
romianintheNerdhedge.
Itwouldt ookagest ounder standaboutt hesev encel ibates,i
n
thedar knesst herestoodf ourtower sineachbl ocks,therewer e
ar i
vercal ledKal j
ayi,i
thadpur efor m ofwat erini t
.But
Madel i
newasagai nthinkingofthepr oper ty,howwoul dshebe
connect edt oGer al
d.Itwasv eryimpor tantf orhert otellGerald
aboutt hepr operty,af
terwhatshef eltl
ikeanhour ,thev i
ew
wascl ear edenoughnow, shehadbeent ot heNer dhedge, and
attheent r ancewasagr andeurdoorwhi chwas85f eethigh,
thedoorwasopenedbyt hefourguar dswhoagai naskedf or
heridaf tert heygott heid, Madelinewasal l
owt oent er,many
cabslikeUmbr ed56, Umbr ed7, Modabol t89, andot herultra
bikeswer er acinginther oads,Ant erromi answer espr eadl i
ke
thestar sint heskyher eandt heret oeachandev eryshopsand
places, i
twasv eryhugeandpopul atedci ty.
Twent yminut eslater
,shecamet ot helonesomepl aceitwas
l
ikeahal fruralandsemi townl i
keat mospher e,
shehadbeen
droppedatt hef ootofsli
dingroadwhi chwassl idingfrom the
topt obot t
om andi nthemi dwasherhouse, shelookedi twas
renov atedhouseper chedont hemidofsl i
dingroaddownt o
thelocal mar ket,addingav aul
tedconcreterooft hatenclosesa
newl ivingareawi thv i
ewst owardthesmal lgardenwi th
strangeher bsf rom theeit
herend.
Madeli
nebegant ocli
mbthef ewsteps,andagainlookedatt he
mansionwhichroseoutofsightaboveher ,Madel
inestood
ther
e,andshecouldn’
thearanysoundf rom thehousethe
geol
ogyroundthehousenamed“ Embassy ”,t
hewallwas
addedbyalayerof12centi
met erconcretewallt
ot heori
ginal
bri
ckmasonry.I
twasabestst r
ategytobringextr
apotenti
al of
bet
terspacequal
i
ty.
Madel i
neopenedt hedoort oreconf i
guret heinteri
orlayoutof
thehouse,apai rofbat hroomsont hegr oundandt hefi
rst
fl
oorswer eremov edf r
om t heeastf acingsi deofthebui l
dingt
o
theelevat
ionboundedbyt heneighbor i
ngpr opert
y.Therewasa
l
ivingroom, dini
ngar eaandmast erbedr oom wi thimproved
views,aswel lasmor enat ural
li
ghtandv entil
ati
on.The
additi
onalthicknessoft heexteri
orwal lsal soall
owst he
furni
turet
obei ncorporatedinvoidst hatar ecarvedoutf r
om
thefacadest oaccommodat etothewi ndows.
Thesei nter
medi aryspacescontainseating,shelvi
ng,desksand
otherf i
tt
edfurnitur
ethatenablest hem t
oper formv ar
ious
functionalr
olesinadditi
onstof ramingthev ist
as.external
ly,
thenewopeni ngswasf eatur
ingt heconcreteframest hat
projectoutwardst oassistdr
ainagebypr eventingexcess
rai
nwat erfr
om r unni
ngdownt hewal l
sandi ntothewindow
recesses.
Thelinearform oft
hehousewasf ramingdi
sti
nctl
ydiff
erent
vi
ews, andMadel i
newasreall
yhappyt ohavesuchwonderful
house,shewasgoi ngfur
thertoexplor
ethearchi
tect
ureof
house,withthebustl
ingvi
sibl
eononesi deandthetr
anquil
escapestretchi
ngawaytowardsthehor i
zonontheother.
Thev aulthousemult
ipurposeli
vingsar
ethatcan
accommodat evi
si
ti
ngf amil
y,fr
iendsaswellasf
uncti
oni
ng
gym, acti
vit
yspaceandpr i
vatechapelf
ortheownerswer
e
avai
lable.
Amezzani nelevelwassi
tuatedbeneat
hthecurvi
ngceil
ing,
wit
ht er
racesthatext
endfrom bot
hendsprovi
dingoutdoor
spacesthatenhancetheconnecti
onbetweeni
nteri
orandthe
surr
oundingscenery.
Openi ngpunchedint
otheroofi
ll
uminatetheboardmarked
surfaces,whil
ethetr
ansl
ucentgl
assblocksusedtofil
li
nthe
archingendwal l
sall
owdif
fusedli
ghttopermeatethr
oughthe
surfaceatnight.
Madeli
newasuntilhappythatshehadgott heri
ghthousebut
thepr
oblem wasthatshehadt otellallt
histoMr.Geral
dand
shoul
demaciatesomef ur
thersteps, butnowforawhi l
eshe
hastosleepi
twasnecessarytosl eep.

CHAPTER11
GROOVEOFHI
NILAWOOD-
19/
12
Theni ghthadbeenchangedt othemor ningbecause
Auror amageswer ef l
yingar oundt hesky ,actuall
yNer dhedge
wasl ikeadr eam andshehadbeeni nf
or medbyoneoft he
Auror amagesSuubhal i Patra,Whohadcamemeanwhi l
eat
mor ning’ sf our,withal etteraroundherneckshewasext reme
bedwhi t
eandwasbeaut iful
,Madel i
nehadmetwi ththreeof
theNer dhedge’ sbi r
ds.OnewasLeupi xnamedJi t
kara
Shermi ce, secondonewasHor t
ilopwhowasf l
yingaround
MissMj oleshouse, andt hirdonewasOpaci vergeRoudr iVaf lod.
Shewasgol denincol our.Andnowt hi
swasanAur oramages
namedSuubhal iPatra.Suubhal itoldhert hatsheonl yi nthe
fourbi rdspossessahumanhear tonthel eftofherchest ,also
sher esembl esaher on, sher enewher selfwi t
ht hedewofdawn,
i
tisr ar etof i
ndtheper fectsizeofdewast heirfood, i
tshoul d
beper fectlyspher icalandshoul dbegr owni nt heleav esof
Pari
jaat ,af l
owerofheav en.Itwast her ealdewofdawn; i
twas
theflowert hatstraddledt hesev enheadsoft her i
veroft her ain
god.Kat ju
Madel
i
negazedt
owar
dtheSuubhal
ishewasaswhi
teas
cotton,shewasal lhumanbuthadfeatherl
i
kewhiteswana
symbol ofpuri
ty,hereyesweredeepblueandherli
pswereli
ke
thepetalofrose.Shewassoenchant i
ng;Suubhal
igavet
he
l
ettertoMadeline,nowMadelinehadbeentrai
nedtoreadthe
l
etterinAnterr
omi an’
sstyl
e.
Madeliner
osefast
,butherl
egswereswer
vingsl
i
ghtl
ywit
hthe
ache.Shehel
dherhandassteadyandmanagestost
andup
somehow.
“
ThankyouSuubhal
ifort
hislet
ter
,butt
her
e’sonequest
ion
whi
chIwanttoask?
”Madel i
neasked.
“Iwoul
dtr
ytoanswert
hem,
ifmeantt
obev
aluabl
e,
”Suubhal
i
answer
ed.
“Ial
wayscomeupwi ththefemal
epar
twhereyourmale
populat
ioni
s,Ihadn’
tseenanyoft
hem.”Madel
ineaskedwi
th
anxi
ous.
“Yes,youdidn’tknow,thisisbecauset heycan’tf
ly,
butthey
hadwi ngs,l
ikeaheni ny ourworl
di tcan’tf
lysohigh,t
herefor
e
theyservedast heguardofNadr ius,whoi stheminist
erof
defensesecuritydepartment.
”Suubhal ianswered.
“
Oh,
sot
heyar
ef i
reboards,anyway,
thanksfort
hel
ett
er,
are
y
ouont
hewayforuniversi
ty?”Madel
ineasked.
“Yes,Iwoul dbeattendi
ngtheuniversi
ty,actually
,uni
ver
sit
y
chooses, 400studentsfr
om eachcel i
bate,andf or
Anterromiansitisopenedf oral
l,
Iam alsowor ki
ngaspartti
me
deli
ver,butmypar entsabortfori
t.Actual
ly,there’
sonebad
news, fortheNerdhedge.”Suubhali
said.
“
Whi
cht
ypeofi
nci
dent
?”Madel
i
neasked.
“
Theyhadbeenal
l
owed,
thoseDhampi
ri
ots,
”Suubhal
il
ooked
t
ensed.
“
Whoar
ethey
,”Madel
i
neasked.
“Dhampi riotsarethef usionofHomor tiansandaDhampi r
meanst heyhadbeenoncet hedwellersofhel lli
vedint he
sevent hfloor.Butoncet heyi nt
rudedi nt heNer dhedge, and
tookof ftheHomor ti
ansandsomeAur or amages, becausethey
hav ethebet tergenesf ort heirpopul
at ions, manyofour
popul ati
onshadbeendest royedbyt heDhampi r,now
Neuci ades,hadgr antedt hem t hehalft i
meci ti
zenshipof
Ner dhedgeast heyhadhal fgenesofHomor t
iansand
Aur oramages.Whent heyf il
eapat entf ort heciti
zenshi pof
Ner dhedge, AuroramagesandHomor ti
ansar edisplayingin
frontoft hejudici
alcour t
, wear ealsodi scardingtheirentri
es,
theyhadbeenbannedi nt heot hergalaxi es,butar eall
owedi n
our, t
hat’sreall
ytemper ing. ”Suubhali ment ioned,shewas
l
ooki ngtenseandf erocious, towardt hisf act.
“
Thatmeans,theywouldbealsoal
lowedt
oat
tendt
he
Mounhar
t,uni
versi
ty.
”Madel
inesqueal
edi
ncol
d.
“Iguessso,todayi
sthef i
nalheari
ngfrom oursi
de,maybe
Neuciades,coul
dshowsomemer cyuponus,Dhampiri
otsar
e
onlybadluckforNerdhedge,theycoul
dn’
tdoany t
hinggood,
especial
ly
,forus.
”Suubhalishruggedi
taway .
“
DidNeuci
adeswoul
dbeaccount
abl
e?”Madel
i
nesuspended.
“Sometimes, hedidandsomet i
mes, henot
.Iti
svery
unpredictabl
ef orhi
m”Suubhal iseemedtobepuzzled.“Anyway
,
nowi t
’stimet oleaveas, Iwoul
dbeat t
endi
ngforuniver
sit
y;
fi
nall
ythiswasy ourgrantedlet
ter,
nowIhadt oaheadfor
univ
ersitytodayisthef i
rstday.
”
Suubhal
iPat
rat
ookaf
li
ghtf
rom t
hear
chedopenwi
ndowof
Madel i
ne; Madel inenowt houghtofDhampi r
iots,theywer ethe
creaturesofdi rtyblood.Shel ookedi ntheQuar dts, nowt he
bluemoonhadbeenhal fsanki nt heseaofar gonpr opell
ant,
whichmeansi twasar oundt hr ee‘ o’
clock, shehast owai tf
or4
hour s,
nowhersl eephadbeencompl eted, andshewas
desper at
eaboutt heDhampi ri
ot s,shei mmedi atelyt ookoutt he
paperofEl goswar ,theonepagebook, shehadpr eviouslyfi
ll
ed
upt hedet ail
sofheri dpr oof,andnowshewoul dbeunl ocki
ng
thebookwi t
hherpasswor d,“El uga”,thebookwi nked, alt
hough
i
twasonepagebook, butt oday ’sthemewas‘ Por tfus
Groot i
bour ’
,thebookst artedt elli
ng,Por tfusGr oot i
bour ,i
sthe
mostemi nentpr incipalofMounhar tuni ver
sity,hei shighly
empower ed, andi sthet ent i
mescont i
nuouswi nnerof
Nerdhedgepar l
i
ament ,hehadi nv entedt hetensuperspi ri
ts
namedKakabhusundi ,i
ti ssuchanhi ghpowermi ssil
ebal l
ade
fortheNer dhedget hathasr angeof60, 000km persecond.
Actuall
yAnt err
omi anshadpowerofspi ri
ts,heishonor edwi t
h
Topf i
veever gr
eensci enti
stcum diplomat icpersonoft hey ear,
evenNeuci adestookhi sopinionfort hecr i
ti
caljudgment ,he
hadbeent hricethef aceoft hey ear,heisst i
llaneligi
ble
bachelorbutofage70y ear
s, heisshyandacut iesmilespread
overthewhi temout h.Act ual
lyhei samast erchefal soinhis
partti
me, Manifestohehas56bi l
li
onsf oll
ower sinYaar a-
o-
Yaara.com, asocial networkingsiteforAnt err
omi ans;hewoul d
beholdingliveconf erenceonThur sdayatMenumi njobeach.
Thebookagai nroll
eddown, i
twasaboutsomeemi nent
prof
essorthatwasasci enti
standalsoamemberofpar li
ament ,
andwaspr obablyastr
ictpri
ncipalatMounhart
,Madeli
newas
thi
nkingforhi
mt omeet .Shewasagr eedonherter
mst hathe
wouldbegr at
eful,
ashispersonali
tywasattr
acti
veenoughf or
anyone;hewasanupcomi ngidolandcrazef
ortheyoungster.
Nowi thadbeen6: 55ast heclock’sbluemoonhadbeen
surroundedbyf if
tyfivecomet sinitssixthrev oluti
onundert he
seaofar gonpr opell
ants.Shehadt odohur ry.Shet ookabat h
i
nt hebat hroom whi chhadt hesy stem ofspr out edflowersas
theshower s,andt hebathtubwasmadeupoft helar gel
otus
blueincol our,i
twasext r
emelyr areont heear th, i
thadbeen
orderedfrom t heKai l
ashGiriofIndia,andhadbeenmagni f
ied
tobegi vent helookofbat htub,itwasal lnatural here.
Madel i
newentf ortheki tchenaf t
ert hebat h;shehadbeen
i
nstructedal lbyt hehel pbookf orther efugeegi venbyt he
panelofj ur yatt hehouseofr efugee.Madel i
nel ookedf orthe
kit
cheni twasassi mpl east heanci entday sbackont heear th,
whent her ewer enogasst oveort heov en,buti thadsome
changes, liket herewasonehol eint hepl atform’ soft heki tchen,
thatholehadbeenupr aisedofasmal lsquar eboar dofat ree,
namedWandsome, whichhadbeenmadef r
om t heashesof
thewitchesbodi es.Andt her ewasaspi ri
tlampwhi chhadt obe
droppedi nt hehol eandt her ewoul dbedar kbl uesmokef l
ame
encir
cledwi thint hehol ei tself,witht hehel poft hesl i
v erladle
whichhadbeendecor atedi nt heshowcaseofut ensils, hadt o
bestirregul arlyint hebl uesmoke, thent hev eget ableshadt o
becutdowni tselfi
nt hatsmoket hent hespi r
itoff ood
‘
Annamal ika’ hadt obei nv i
tedt ogar nishal lthef oodatonce
whichwoul dbeemer gingi nt hebowl offir
e.Onehast ocool it
downf orf ivemi nutesandt hencanhav ehisf ood.
Madel i
neprayedforherEnglishbreakfast,
thatwasagr i
l
led
rasherofbacon,somef r
iedeggsandgr il
l
edt omatoeswith
toast.Whi
ledoinglunchshet houghtaboutt heDhampiri
ots,
shecouldorderinherhousest hehartodex,“THEMUSEOF
SONNET”whi chwasact uall
yanewspaper .Newspaperwer e
hawkedbyt heLupuscapr i
ole,whichwasi nf actahamster
,
theyhadbeenprov
idedbythesupersoni
csenses,
Madeli
ne
hadbeenreadi
ngtheElgoswar
,itwastheinf
ormat
ioni
nit
sel
f.
Shewai t
edforthehar
todex,thereaf terfi
veminutes,wasa
knockatthedoor.Thehousei tselfscannedthestranger
’sid
proof
.ItwasaLupuscapr i
ole,ahamst er,hewasallwhit
ewi t
h
l
ightbrownspot,hehastwobi gt eeth,andwateryeyes.His
pawswer esameasahamst er.Hehadwor nahat,andanav y
bluebl
azer,hewasof4f eet5i nch,andapant .Heinhis
melodi
ousv oi
ceaskedMadel ine
“
Excusemei
sity
ouMi
ssMel
i
ssaMudgun?
”
Madel
inewassur
prisi
ngl
ywinkedoutathim,
butshewasnow
get
ti
nghabi
tofal
lthesepecul
iart
hings,
shet
ookabreat
hand
sai
d,
“
Yes,I
’m Mel
i
ssaMudgun,
what
’st
hemat
terMr
.Lupus
Hamsey.
”
Hamstert
oolookedbacktoMadel
i
neshehadt
akenhi
sname,
evenshedi
dn’
tknowhim atal
l
,
“
Howcoul
dyouknowmyname,
aswebot
har
emeet
ingf
or
f
ir
stt
ime?
”
“Isawi
tiny
ourbadge,
her
ethi
sis?
”shepoi
ntedt
owar
dthe
badge.
“Oh!Yesitishere,
itsel
f,i
twassosil
ly
.Wellweowedour
surnamefirstt
hanourname, al
lourcommunit
yhadthi
str
end,
soLupusi smysur nameandmynamei sHamsey,
andher
eis
yourhar
todex.”
“
Andwhatist
hat
,youoweabi
ke?
”Madel
i
negazedt
owar
dthe
met
alscr
ap.
“WetookModaboltf
orourtransport
;it
’sat
riwheel
erbi
ke,
act
uall
ysomefeetabovetheair.Andalway
scomesi ndar
kred
col
ourwit
hbl
ackst r
ip”heanswered.
“ThanksMr .Lupus,Iwouldbegrateful
,butIwanttoknowthat
whendi dyourhartodexpressdeli
verthenewsont heeart
h,
actual
lyIwant edtodel
ivermypersonal newstosomeoneat
earthasaper sonaladvert
isement
.”Madel i
neaskedtoLupus.
“Actuall
y,wewoul dbedel i
ver i
ngi ttonextday, asearthisso
farfrom theNer dhedge; t
her ef
or e,i
tbecomesdi f
ficul
tforust o
deli
veritrapidly.Buti fyouwantt oadv er
tiseyouranyper sonal
messagei nform ofadv ert
isement ,j
ustgotot hesect i
onof
BraouryBar ossa, whichi sthef actoryofhartodex
manuf acturi
ng, therey oucoul dlookf orearthhartodex
depar t
ment ,andadv erti
sey oursecr etmessagei nt hetext
codesofear t
hlyl anguage.Butt heywoul dchargey outheThr ee
Sickl
ets,ourol dmoney .
”Lupussai d.
“Oh!Sot hat
’smeanIhavet ogoint hefactor
yofDol or
ous
Numi hode,asheistheownerofBr aouryBarossa, t
hehart odex
manuf actur
ingcompany.”Madeli
nel ookedinafix,asDol or ous
washi smat er
nalgr
andfatherandal so,shehadn’tsawhi m, but
whenshewasr eadi
ngElgoswar,shehadcamet hr oughthe
Braourycompanyandhi sowner,andi twasitsel
fMr .Dolor ous
Numi hode.
“Thankyou,Mi ssMudgun, Ir
emembery ourgr
andmother
,Mi ss
KopelaMudgun, whowast hechai
rpersonofAntihar
assment
depart
ment ,shewasat r
uesoci al
activi
st.Andwaskind
enough,onceshehadl entmemoneywhenIhadsomeext reme
useofit,
shewasr eal
lygreatandIf i
ndsomeofheri nheri
tsin
you,godblessesy ou!
!”Mr .Lupussaid.
“
Wel
comeMr
.Lupus,
buti
fyoucoul
ddel
i
veri
ttoear
th,
Idi
dn’
t
havetheneedtovi
siti
nf act
ory
,act
uall
yIwant
edittobe
confi
denti
albet
weenMr .Geral
dCarl
son,myuncl
e.”Madel
i
ne
askedforsomehelptoLupus.
“Yes,Gerald,hewasoneofmyf riendatMounhar t,
hewasv ery
generousper son.Iwoul dsuggesty outhatyoushoul deit
her
usingahar todex ,usedaPi nnaclori
dge, asanightulti
matum, at
nighttheyarebl indf r
om ey esbutcanact ual
lytrackthei
rway
from ult
rasoni cef f
ect,sotheywoul dnotber eadingyourlet
ter,
buttheyar eonl yper mitt
edf ortheirfli
ghtinFullMoonday ,
otherwisethei rfl
ightti
mi ngsar eoft henoont i
mef rom 12p.m
to4p. m aday .Yesifyoudon’ twantt ogiveaffi
davitt
o
Factory’
sownerf oryourconf i
dent i
al messagey oucanusea
Pinnaclori
dgeasanul ti
mat um, butf orthi
syouhav ewaitfor
fi
v emont hs.”Mr .Lupussai d.
“
It
’sseemedeasy,butwait
ingti
mei sver
ylong,
butanywayI
woul
dpr ef
ertoaPinnacl
ori
dge,asIdon’
twanttopuceitof
ffor
t
hefactory
.”Madel
inesai
d.
Aft
erthequerysession, Mr .Lupuswentaway ,Madel
inelooked
att
heQuardts,andithadbeenal r
eadytenmi nut
elat
e,ast he
moonhadbeennowsur roundedbyt hesevencometsandt en
swordshadbeenst abbedi nitssurface.Shehastodohur ry;
shecall
edfortheUmbr edser vice,astherewasaportalsystem
whereonehast odialtheno.i nt heearofat amedratwhich
wascall
edMooshaci nt heNer dhedge.
“Heyr at
ty,
comeonnowpl easewakeupy ouar ereal
ly
frustr
ati
ngme, Igotyouf r
om achestofdr awerinthecorner,I
swi t
chedony oufrom yourtail
,nowgivememyser vi
ce.Please
enlargeyourears,enoughtohav eechomyv oicetoUmbr ed,I
reall
yneedt hei
rservi
cetoMYUni ver
sit
y,Idon’twanttobelate.
“Madel i
neurgedtosleepyMooshac
“Don’ty
ouhavemanner stospel
lsomeone’
snamewit
h
respect
ful
l
y,andthenurgedthem f
oryourwor
k?”t
heMooshac
saidwitht
hetil
tedeyebr
ows.
“
What
?Okayfine!!I‘
m nowsayi
ng,y
oushowsver
ytant
rums,
by
t
hewaywhat
’sy ourname?”Madel
i
neasked.
“
Mynamei
sMushakr
aj.
”TheMooshacsai
d.
“Oh!SoMr.Mushakraj
,canIpl
easehav
eyourser
vicet
ocal
lup
anUmbredformytranspor
t!
!”Madel
i
nesai
d.
“That’
sli
kemygi
rl
,all
your
s”sai
dtheMushakraj
,andenlar
ged
hisearssot
hatMadeli
newoul
ddial
theno.andspeakuptothe
cabservi
ce.
“It
houghtdi
ff
erentabouty
ourear
s!!
”Madel
i
nesai
dwi
th
gri
ndi
ngteet
h.
AfterMadel i
ner angf orUmbr edser vice, shegotanewUmbr ed
90i nherdoor ,
itwasshi nybl ueandwasv er ymuchpr etend
able, shet ookar odet oheruni versi
ty, univ ersi
tywasabout20
km awayf rom herhome, ther oadsofNer dhedgewer easusual
busybutwer etraffi
cf r
ee, thepeopl ewor esamedr essesas
theydi dint heear t
h,jeansandpant s, ast heywer eont hel ay er
ofv i
rtual space, therefor eitwasn’ tdif fi
cul tfort hem t ohav e
theirr obesl i
keahumandoes, buttheirwer esomeant i
quest oo,
l
ikei twasami xbl endofwor dlistcl
othes, theref ore,whenshe
askedt othecabdr iver
,heonl ysuggest edt hattheyr eallyliked
toimpor tclothesf rom ear thasear t
h, ther eal lclothesar e
i
mpor tedf rom ear th.Actual l
yMounhar tUni versityalsot aught
aboutear thandi t
sl i
fe,thesubj ecti
scal ledPr ithvivachi ka, the
sociol ogyst udent staket hissubj ect.Af termanyhour sthey
reachedt oMounhar t.
Mounhar
tisaf
ormerr
oyal
pal
aceofNeuci
ades,
const
ruct
ed
fortheNeuci adesandhi sr esi dence.I tisoneoft hel argest
universitiesf ortheni nepl anet s.Thi swasl atert ransf or medi n
toauni versity,afterNeuci adesl ef tfort heVani r
at naVat i
ka, His
newpal aceatWaul stredsky li
ne.Mounhar twasaspect acul ar
artofbar oque, ithadbeenadapt edal l thef eat uresofi l
lusionof
Mult i
directional space.I nt ermsofv olumei tcov erswi th3
mill
ionsm, andcov eringar eaof456, 000m^ 2.Aspaci ous
octagonal vest i
bul eseemedt obei nspir i
ng, whi l
epal atine
chapel wasv erymuchbeaut i
ful ;theuni versityhasf l
oor s,1500
rooms.I ncludingdozenofl abor ator y,al argel ibrar yanda
theatremodel edbet weent heapar tment s,al argeaqueducti s
requiredt obr i
ngwat erf ort hepr odi giouswat erdi splays, the
gardenwasat ypical exampl eoft hebar oqueext ensi on, of
formal v i
stas, stretchesf or130ha, par tlyont hehi llyterrain.
Thepar kst artedf rom t hebackf açadeoft heUni v ersity,
fl
ankingal ongal l
eywi thar tif
icial fount ainsandcascades, there
i
sal soabot anical gar den, named“ Har i
tkri”.Thef ount ainsand
cascades, eachwer ef il
li
ngaVasca, t
hebasi n, wi thar chitect ur
e
andhy draulicswhi chr unal ongt hewi dest raightcanal tot he
horizon.
Madelineopenedt hehugeGr andeurdoor ;therewer enoof
peopleandAnt er
romi ansroami ngt here,i
nt hecampusandi n
thesettl
ement.Madel inewentneart hepar chment .Shehast o
regi
sterhernamei nt hesectionofHeal ar
iogenicsacademi c
department.Mounhar thas40academi cdepar tment sand10
permanentpr i
vat
ehal ls;al
lwer eindependent ,selfgov erning
andwer erelat
edtot hecentral Universi
tyinthef eder alsystem.
Thecol l
egehasindividualstatues,endowmentandgov erning
body,whichcompr isestheheadofhouseandcol legef el
lows.
Alt
houghindependent,
thecoll
egessharemanyr esponsibi
li
ti
es,
theadmissi
onpolicyandprocessforunder
graduatestudents.
Madeli
newassear chi
ngfortheHeal ari
ogeni
csdepar
tment,but
t
hereweremanyr oomsandhal l
s,shewasconf usedabit,
but
t
henshelookedforwardforthehelp, andsawapaleyel
l
owgi rl
wi
thundercuthai
r,shehadblackey esandwaswear i
ngaskirt
t
op,shecamet oMadel i
ne,
“
Newstudent
?”sheaskedl
ooki
ngdi
rect
lyi
ntot
heey
esof
Madel
i
ne.
“
Yes,
I’
m”Madel
i
neanswer
ed.
“
What
’sy
ourname?
”thepal
egi
rlasked.
“
Hm,
Mel
i
ssaMudgun”Madel
i
neanswer
ed.
“Oh!Soyouar
elooki
ngf
orr
egi
str
ati
ondepar
tment
!”Thegi
rl
askedher.
“
Yes,
forHeal
ari
ogeni
csdepar
tment
!!
”Madel
i
nesai
d.
“
Iti
sRi
ghtfrom t
heleft
;actual
lyi
t’
sbeensett
olat
eKankaal
Mummy’scoff
inhal
l
!!”thegirl
answer
ed.
“
What!AlateKankaalmummy ’
scoffi
n,theyhadmovedt
he
Heal
ari
ogenicsdepar
tment
,it
’swei
rd.”Madeli
nesai
d.
“
Iti
snowadj
ust
able,butprevi
ousl
ythedepar
tmentwasmov
ed
t
osqueal
i
ngBanshee’ster
rorroom!
!”shesai
d.
“
Howdi
dyoumanaget
heseal
l
?”Madel
i
nel
ookedcr
ept
.
“I
twasawf ulexper
ience,Mohi ni t
hebansheesheal waysused
tosquealf
rom anypar tofther oom alwaysinherwhitegown,
wheneverweusedt odet er
mi net hedeadbodyofGhobs, she
wasaboutt ocryorappearindi sguisedmanner,onedayshe
hadbeensweptwi thtoil
et’
swat er,i
twascreepy,andli
kethi
s
ouronedayper i
odgoof fair.
”Thegi r
lsai
d.
“
What
’sy
ournamebyt
heway
?”Madel
i
neasked.
“
Mynamei
sHer
aApt
fi
eld”t
hepal
egi
rlsai
d.
“
NicetomeetyouHera,
Canyoupleasel
etmet
othe
Heal
ari
ogeni
csdepar
tment
!”Madeli
nesai
d.
“Whynot,I
’
mv icechancel
l
oroft
hisuni
ver
sit
yandt
hisi
smy
dut
y!”shesai
d.
Madel i
neandHerabot hmov edt otheHealariogenics
department,i
twasacompl etemonot onouslandscape, t
here
wer esever
alskel
etonsallsealedinthetransparentglassbox;
manyani malsandplantswer eputtedintheboxpor t
al.Ther e
wer emanyloti
onsandpot ionsandmanymedi ci
nes, alsothere
wer ethetr
eatmentequipment .Aft
ercrossingthisallthey
reachedtoaPr of
essor,andofamazementshewasnoneot her
than,Nortmei
sRev er
brow.Shewaswear i
ngat ypicalsur geon
cloakbutitwasblueandr edcheck.
“Areyoubot
hher
e,f
orHeal
ari
ogeni
csbr
anchadmi
ssi
on?
”she
asked.
“
Yes,Ma’
am,act
uall
yIhadtol
dyouthi
sbefore,
Iwasbadl
y
wi
ll
i
ngtochoosetheHeal
ari
ogeni
csbr
anch.”Madel
i
nesaid
wi
thagr
eedcompensati
on.
“Thatsoundcompl exf orme, butasy ouhadgotadmi ssi
on
underSpeci alReser vationQuot aAct( SRQA)f orvict
im of
Disaster2000.Ther eforeyouwoul dgetabasi cpri
vi
legeinany
branch’sadmi ssion, asHeal ariogenicsissecondmostpr ior
subjectafterAlgebr ati
csandMat homs, ther
ef or
etheseat sgot
fi
ll
edt hisyear,butduet oSRQAy ouar eget t
ingthe
Healariogenicsbranch.Her ei spleasesi gnintothef orm wit
h
theLASERPEN, andbeapar tofHeal ari
ogeni csbranch.”
“I
’
llbegratef
ultoyouMissNortmeis,asmymot herhada
str
ongwi l
ltobecomeaHeal er
ioci
n;Iwanttodoit
passi
onately.
”Madeli
neli
ft
eduphershoul der
s.
“
Youwoul
dbe!!Her
earet
hesi
xsubject
soffi
rstsemester
,and
y
ouhadtokeepsi
gnedwi
thal
loft
hem,”MissReverbr
owsaid.
“ButMissRever
brow,fr
om whereshoul
dI’
ll
beget
ti
ngt
hose
detai
ls?
”Madeli
nelookedatMissRever
browwhowasnow
l
ookingattheat
tachmentfi
les.
“Don’tworryaboutt hat,t
omor r
owy ou’l
lbehavingy ourall
peri
odsandsubj ect
s,andf ornowher eisyourprov i
sionlett
er
forseatallotmentandf urthersubjectsdetai
l
s.”Mi ss
Reverbrowgav eapur pl
eroughboundedpaperi nf orm oflett
er
toMadel i
ne; actuall
yitwast hestampoft heMounhar t
Universi
ty.“Got hroughthel ett
eronce,anddon’tforgetto
purchaset henecessar yequi pmentsandtextbooks, whichare
encodedwi t
hin.”
“OnceagainthanksforyourconcernMi ssRever br
ow.”
Madelineoff
eredhercourtesy.Atthet i
meofexi t,
from the
Kankaalmummy ’
scof f
inwhereatpr esentHealari
ogenics
departmenthadbeenmov ed.MadelineandHer acome
toget
her,butshedidn’
tsawanysi gnofKankaal Mummy ,
Whichhadbeenbr oughtfrom theRendenj i
nclovesinMar s.I
t
wastheKankaal ofgreatNeurosurgeonMr .Hippocargus
Claming.
“Ithi
nkt hatyoumustgett hroughtheseallsubjectsandthei
r
relat
edcour sebookandt heOr pusboxf r
om thef amousbook
shop, call
ed“Panji
nDrop”whi chisaboutFivekilometersaway
from theMounhar t,
todaywasy ourr
egistr
ati
onandseat
allot
mentpr ocedure,nowy oumustheadf oryoursyll
able.
”
 “You‘
rer
ight
,Ishoul
dpurchaseal
ltheneededt
hingsasfastas
Icoul
d,t
hanksforyourhel
pHera!
!”Madeli
nesai
dt oApt
fiel
d.
“
Wel
come!
!”Her
aApt
fi
eldsai
d.
Madelinehadnowvi
sit
edforf
ir
sttimetot
hemostf amous
univ
ersit
yofal
lpl
anet
s,Mounhartwhi
chwaspr ev
iousl
ythe
resi
denceofGodofdeadNeuci
ades,Somethi
ng2500y ear
s
ago.
Sheopenedherl
ett
erwhichwasf
il
ledwi
thdet
ail
i
ngofsev
en
subj
ect
sandthei
rrequi
rement
s.

MOUNHARTUNI
VERSI
TY{
SINCE980}
THESCHOOLOFOMNI
VERSESUBJECTSandCENTREFOR
RESEARCH

I
SSUEDONBEHALFOFTHEDEPARTMENTOFHEALARI
OGENI
CS

Ver
sai
l
lesofNer
dhedge Epi
rusJeckshi
re
Thechai
rmanof
Admi
ssi
oncommi
tt
ee

Nov
ember1,
2017

DearMi
ssMudgun,
Withwar msr egard,wearedeli
ghtedtoi
nf ormy outhatyouhadbeen
sel
ect edasacandi dateofMounhartuni
v ersi
tyofOmni ver
sesubject
s
andCent reforresearch.Her
eistheenclosedlistofallt
hedetail
ed
subjectsandt ool
splusequipmentswhichy ouwoul dneedduringyour
academi csession.

Academi
cyear-
2017-
2018

Cour
sesubj or1sty
ectf earcandi
dat
e:
Bi
ochemi
csandResor
cer
y
Medi
cat
ri
xandNat
urae
Tant
ri
cShal
yaMechnaco
Vai
dychi
ntamani
Homeopal
l
ati
ve
Her
bot
her
apy
Geneol
ogyandSamhi
tas

Cour
sebooks:

Bi
ochemicsandResorcer
y-Enchantedproper
ti
esofBioVedaand
ef
fectoft
antr
icpot
ions-byProf.GalenusMorphi
ne.

Medicat
ri
xandNat
urae-Medi
cospel
l
sandt
wist
ingst
icks–byHc.
EdgarHex.
Tant
ri
cShaly
aMechnaco–Kay
aDar
panandDoshNi
var
an–byHc.
Dhanvant
romappi
ngs

Vai
dychi
ntamani
–Ant
isept
icpr
inci
pal
ofpr
act
ical
sur
ger
y-byVd.
Aut
oraMohan

Homeopal
l
ati
ve–BhootVi
dyaAurGr
ihaChi
ktsa–Hc.Hor
moni
Si
nhal
a

Her
bot
her
apy
-1000000her
bsandt
hei
ref
fect
s-byCh.Pr
akr
it
iVat
ikus
Geneol
ogyandSamhi
tas–Geni
tal
const
ruct
ionandSamhi
ta–Hc.
I
mmonoWal ter

Ot
herequi
pment
sandOr
pusbox

Li
stofBl
unti
nst
rument
s(Yant
ras)
Kakamukhay
ant
ra
Snuhi
yant
ra
Nadi
yant
ra
Tar
akshmukhi
yant
ra
Bakamukhay
ant
ra
Si
nhamukhy
ant
ra
Li
stofshar
pinst
rument
s(Shast
ras)
Jal
odarShast
ra
Shar
apunkaShast
ra
Makr
amukhShast
ra
Ri
kshamukhaShast
ra
Muchv
ati
Shast
ra
KankamukhaShast
ra
Tal
aShast
ra

Oi
ntmentj
arsandVases
Ment
hol
camphorj
ar
Rawhoneysal
ve
Ast
ral
fly
ingj
ar
Bl
ackOpal
oint
mentj
ar
Ment
alf
lossCaul
dronj
ar
MossGr
eenpot
Mat
kal
oti
onset
ic

Abbr
evi
ati
onused=Hc-
Heal
eri
oci
n,Vd.
-Vai
dya,
Ch-Chi
ki
stak
Madeli
nelookedatt helisti
twasnot hi
ngthentheburdenof
1000kil
osonherheadandbanged, howmuchmoneyshehas
tospendafterthisal
l,andfornowi twasanhal fter
m syl
labl
e
thatmeansf orsi
xmont hsonly,andf oranothersi
xmonths
theywouldbepr ovi
dingt heotherchartofequipments.
Madelineknewt hattherewasn’ tanysingl eshopr at
hert han
thoseofTooskyTr ampol i
a,whoher selfli
vedinthecat acombs
oftoil
etwal l
s, actuall
yshewast heev i
l
estshopkeeper sshe
hadev erseen, butshewoul dn’
tbet hereassi ngl
eonef oral
l
thi
spr ovi
sions, theremustbet heonl i
newebsi t
easshehad
readintheEl goswar ,theyhadf ittedthedi ff
erentonli
ne
brochuresint hehol l
owshel vesoft r
ees, whichhadbeeni nthe
secondcelibat e,belongstot heHomor tians,Call
edGr oov eof
Hinil
awood, 19/ 12.
ManyGhobsandhobgobl insar etheonewhoar eexecut edfor
sell
ingt hear t
ifactsandi nstrumentbooksf orHeal ari
ogenics.
Madel inewentt hereintheModabol t
;itwasn’ tanyf armeans
thatwast henat ure’sbount y,debasinglybeaut i
ful sett
led
aroundt hecobbl esizedst ones,itwast hepitchedsur facea
narrowal leywi thaf l
atedgewhi chliket hetailofaser pent
mov edtoawi denhabi t
at ,
wher et heHomor ti
ansdwel l,act
uall
y
theywer eallhumansbutt heywer eofst oneage, theycan’t
speakandwer est rangetot hemsel vest heprocesshadbeen
i
nitiati
ngt hrought hem, andt heywer el eadingtot heirown
discov eri
es.
Someoft hem shooktheirheadswhenMadel i
nepassed
thr
oughthem, thei
rarraycall
edHowdyMuskade, thei
rwerethe
onli
neshoppingcenterinsidethespookylane,onehastojust
seatinf
rontofv ar
iet
ystoreswi pethei
ridcardandGombor c
i
ntothefaceofaser pentandt heywouldengulfyourdemand
andthenwoul dgiveyou,yourorderimmediatel
y.Alsoyouhave
tof edinputofthelistoft
hings,theirey
esscannedt hem and
freezet hem i
ntoform ofstonedat aandgavey outheoutput
.
Theywon’ tt
urnAnt err
omianintostonebecauseAnt err
omian’
s
facecan’ tbescannedi nt
hephot ol i
ght,
buthumancoul dbe.
Madel ineenteredtotheshopno.1cal l
edGorgonzola,t
here
wasal adygorgonandherhai rswer eroundedinthetail
sof
rats.Itwasst i
nky,andtheshopwasofcobbl estone.
Sheknockedi nthef oreheadoft hegor gon,shewassl eeping,
aftersomet i
meaf ireflashedcameoutofherey es,itwasa
har shradi
ati
on,Madel inewast ooear ly,
shethent ookabr eat h
andknockedi nhermout h,v
eryslowlyaf orktonguehi ssed,she
swi petheidproofthrought hem, nowi ntheeyesofgor gon
displayedherpersonal infor
mat i
on, t
heirwasaopt ionf orante-
transacti
on.Throught heGr ebitcard,shecli
ckedfort he‘0’ t
hen
theact i
vati
onofGr ebitoccurredandshescannedt hrought he
ey esofgorgonherl i
stt heli
stwer escannedandt hecopyof
herpur chasewerev eri
f i
ed.Nowt heywoul dbedel iver
ed
directl
ytoherhome.
Madelinemadeherpur chaseofst ationaryfrom theGor gonzol
a
shop,theshopofweapons, tool
sandbl untkit
.Nowshehast o
purchasebookmadef rom oraculart reecoversthet reewhich
hasabili
tytospeakthesacredtext sandt hesecr etreadings,
andhert ext
bookfrom Elmtreeleav es.Fortheseshehast o
addressedforthe‘
PanjinDrop’’
ther out ewayf ortreehabitual
.
Whilecomingoutfrom theHowdyMuskadeshemetwi tht
he
fi
nestcol
li
sionwiththestranger
,darkbrownhairandbl ueeyes,
hewasagai ninahov ercoat,
hewast al
l
erabout6f eet
,and
hadthepersonali
tyofaskill
edmar shalartwar
riorasinthe
eart
h,herbodywasf laxenbutwasnotl oosenone.Hehadt he
headphonei ntoherears;Madeli
ner emainedopenmout huntil
heuncoveredhimselffrom t
hehood,
“Excuseme,i
fIhadhurtyou!!
”theguyadmi t
ted,butf
ornext
ti
me, hi
sdeepeyesfacedaharshignorancefrom i
nsi
de,“
Not
again,y
ouarethesamegirlwhom IdropoutsideWergos
Torota.
”
“Reall
y,sothatmeansy oual
sol i
veinNerdhedge,sowhydon’t
youdroppedmeathouseofr efugee,oh!Gosh,Ihadal
waysthe
coll
isi
onwitht hebi
ggestbul
lyofmyl if
eIeverhadseen,don’
t
youhav eanotherworkthencominginmyway ?”Madel
ine
star
tedgrunting.
“Yes,Il
ivehereonly,itismyol desthomeandbi r
thplace,i
fyou
hadanyi ssue,
sot hat’snotmypr obl
em andbytheway ,bi
ke
wasmi neandseatofbi kewasal somi ne,soi
t’
smymoodt hat
whetherIwouldof feryoual i
ftornot,andsecondthingI’
m not
dyingforthecoll
i
sionwi t
hthewr eckgirll
i
keyou.”Theboy
answered.
“Youaremeaningl
esstome,pleasegivemesi de!!
”Madel
ine
i
gnoredhim.Shewasactual
lysuppressingherhiddencr
ushfor
theguy,whom shehadmetaroundthreetimes,andshereal
ly
knowsthathedidn’
tli
keher
.
“Whyshoul
dI?Iwon’
tmoveanysi
ngl
est
ep,i
fyouhaddaredto
makemer emovedoatr
y”t
heboysai
denj
oyi
ngthemusicin
hi
sheadphone.
“Ar
en’tyoufl
ir
ti
ngwit
hme,ImeanIl
ooksocute,
thati
tis
nat
uralfort
heguyli
keyout
osquashar
ound?
”Madel i
nedid
somef l
i
rt.
“Cute,andy
ou,ifi
twasjustajoke,godssweari twastheworst
j
okeIhadev erhear
dinmyl i
fe.Andwhatdi dy ousai
dnext,
Fli
rti
ngandtowhom?Theugl ygirl
likeyou,pleasedon’
tdo
theseragquest
ion,I
’
m sure,
Iwoulddov omithereonl
y,cut
e
myf
oot
”Guymockedi
nthesi
l
entv
ersi
on.
“Whatdidyousai
d,justtome,thatI
’
m ugl y
,don’
tyouknow
onceIhadwonat rophyofcutestgi
rlatpri
maryschool.
Underst
and!!
”Madelinesecur
edtheopt i
onforherel
igi
bil
it
y.
“
Howmany
??”guyanswer
ed.
“
What
?”Madel
i
ner
epl
i
ed.
“
Howmanygi
rlpar
ti
cipant
swer
ether
e?”t
heguyasked.
“
Um-letmeremember,
Iwasonl
yoneandot
herwer
eboy
s,y
es
i
twasli
ket
hat?”Madel
i
nesai
d.
“Ha-ha,t
hat’swhyy ougott
het r
ophy,seri
ousl
yhowf oolishyou
arethenIest i
mated,youar
ereall
ybrainl
ess,si
l
lydon’tyou
l
ookedt hathowt heboyscoul
dbegi venthesocall
edt rophyof
cutestgi
rl.Theref
oreyouweregiventhese,ohmygod! !Please
makemest opeit
hermystomachwoul dburstfr
om thel augh,
oh!”theguymockedatMadel ine.
“You‘
remocki
ngatme, Imeandon’
tyouhavehear
t,t
owar
d
other
s?”Madel
inebecomeswetwit
htears.
“No,Idon’towethat
; y
esI’
m 85%emot i
onl
ess,Idonotwantto
knowaboutt hosestupidf
eel
ings,soletmegonow, anddon’
t
evendaret ocomeinmywayagai n.”Theguypushesout
Madelineinnearbymuddydebrisandagainrodeawayinhis
bike,
wi t
houtevencari
ngaboutMadel i
ne.
Madeli
nesweptawayt hemudandcal ledfortheModabol
tand
tur
nedforthe“
Panji
nDr op”wit
houtawar eofwhatshewas
supposedtodowiththatstr
angerguy,uponwhom shehada
l
ust,di
dshewast hi
nkingtoomuch, aboutthatguy
?Whodi d
nothi
ngbutmakeheraj okerandmockedunani mousl
yather,
wit
houtevencari
ngaboutherf eel
i
ngs.
Madel i
nedr oppedt heideaoft hi
nki ngaboutt hatdev ilguy ,and
wentt ot heout skirtsofdar kj ungle, Gr oov eofHi ni
lawood,
whichwasf iveki l
omet ersawayf rom t heHowdyMuskade,
Wher et hegi gant i
cTr eemenandwoodf l
oss, theyhav etough
woodyski n.Theyf earf r
om f ir
es, theyhat et hepeopl ewho
choppedol dt reeswi t
hnor eason, t her ewer eassassi nvines
whichwer easemi mobi l
epl antt hatcol lectnut ri
entsby
capturingcr eat uresanddeposi ti
ngt hei rremai ni ntheirroots.
Theyar eabout20f tinlengthand5i nchesi nt hickness,they
havef ruitl
ikewi ldgrapes,theyar et oughv enomoust o
Anterromi ansandot herLemandor s.I tent anglesi t
spr eyi fthey
happent owanderar oundt hem, itwi llconst r i
ctitsvict
imt o
death.Al sot her eisaweepi ngt r
eewhi chweepsi nsmal l thi
ngs;
thetreebegancr yi
ngl i
keachi ldwhenany oneev entalkst oi t
,
ther
ei saDr owsel tree,whichi susedbyt heHeal ar
iogeni csat
ti
meofAnast asia,becausei tsf r
uitcausedapl easant
drowsinesst opeopl e.
Madel i
nehadt obecar eful, t
herealsoat r
eecalledAxe- saw
tr
eewhi chdr i
lledoutthef acesofpeopl e,Madelinereadt he
si
gnboar ditwast here,“Danger !Pleasedon’tenterfurtherhave
buyy oural lnecessaryt hingsi ntheli
mitedarea.Youar egoing
i
ny ourr isk;neitherj
ungl eaut hori
tynorthegov ernmentwoul d
beresponsi bl
ef orthese.”I twasr eal
lybadforher ,becauseshe
don’tknowt heexactway ,soshesaunt eredaroundt heghost
j
ungle,itwasdeeperanddeeperandt hesunhadbeenpacked
i
nsidet hel uggageofcl ouds, nowt hemooni nhisni ghtgown
stoodupst raightinthebankofsky .
Madeli
ne‘
svoi
cewasf rankingandshewasl ooki
ngforthe
shopnamed“Panj
indrop”butaf t
erwal ki
ngofhalfanhourshe
camewithanwoodsubway ,shethoughtthatthi
ssubwaywas
theonl
ygatef
orhershop, asNPSt rackeralsohadbeen
disabledduet oant e-net workpr oblem, theref oreshewasonl y
anest imat edone, shet ookt hesubwaywhi chl edtot hegr een,
darkgr eenv inesswi ngi ngupi ntheai r,witht heatmost
l
ust rousswag, itwassi gninghert ocomet hrought hel ane,
Madel inehadbeendi smant ledwi ththedr owsysmel landwas
mov i
ngi nt hedi rect i
onofv ines,shewasl owl yengul fedbyt he
tangledofassassi nv ines, i
twasapur plesoot hingv ine,ithas
monst roust eeth, Madel inesuddenl yopenedherey eswhent he
badsmel l camef r
om t hebr anchesofv ines,shet r
iedt oescape
herself, butal li
nv ai n,from t heeithersi dewascomi ngt heaxe
sawt r
ee’ sbr anchesandherheadwasaboutt ocut ,butshe
headeddownandt heaxebr ancheschoppedt hev inesof
assassi nv ines, andshewasf reed,itwasal l
dar kandsher an
forhel p, butseei ngt hechoppi ngofv ines, evokedt heTr eemen
whichagai nr anaf terhert oslainwi tht heirtought runksbut
thankedt ot hehandswhi chsav edherf rom get t
ingslainedshe
l
ookedabov e,int hemoonl ight,hewast heanot herguy ,hewas
tallandst rong, sensi t
iveandabi gshot ,longf acecut ,hi slight
brownhai rswer ewav i
ngar oundi nthegent l
ebr eeze.Hi sgr een
eyescandef i
nehi spr otectivenat ure;hewasr obust,toughand
ami ablewi thashor tofr eli
ableandpower fullikegodApol l
o.
Hishandsgi v erelaxat iont ohersoul ;hehasdeepmeani ngwi th
anexcel lentsi lentat t
ract i
on.Hewasser i
ousbutsensi ble.
“Haveyougotanyi
njur
y?”t
heguysai
dbyhel
pingMadel
i
net
o
getup.
“
No,Notatal
l
,I’
mf i
ne,t
hanksf
orsav
ingmyl
i
fe.
”Madel
i
nesai
d
whi
l
edusti
ngherjeans.
“Whatwer
ey oudoi
ngher
einthedarkj
ungl
e;it
’sreal
l
y
danger
oustobehere,
att
hist
ime.”Theguyasked.
“
Ihadt
obuyt
hef
ir
sty
earHeal
ari
ogeni
csbooksandt
ext
sfr
om
t
heHinil
awood.ButIsupposedtof
orgett
heway
,andIsl
i
pped
i
ntot
his.
”Madelineanswered.
“
Soy
ouar
ethest
udentatMounhar
t?”t
heguysai
d.
“
Yes,
I’
m now,Imeanmylessonswoul
dbest
art
ingf
rom
t
omorrow.
”Madel
inepul
l
edhersel
f.
“
Butwhydon’
tyouusedy
ourMapl
oDama?
”theguyasked.
“
Mapl
o–what
?”Madel
i
neasked.
“
Arey
ouar
efugee?
”theguyagai
ntr
oll
ed.
“Yes,I
’m,Imeanar ef
ugeefr
om disast
er2000”Madeli
ne
answered,whil
etheyhadbeencrossedtheborderoft
hat
feroci
ousjungl
e.
“That
’swhyt heyhadn’tissuedy outhat,Maplo,becausei t
’sa
highsecuri
tymapofNer dhedgewhi chhadbeenmadewi th,
24
l
ivebrowniestracker,
forev er
yindiv
idual i
tisofoneki nd.I
meant heyinsertl
ivebrowniesintothepapermadef rom the
rawparchmentofmagi calJujube.I
ti sahoaxinwhi cht heskul
l
ofgeeseinmi xed,astheyar ethemi grat
orybir
dsandt he
magnetofI sadora.
”Theguyt ol
d.
“
Well,
that
’smean;Ihadt
otur
nfori
tsr
egi
str
ati
onf
orum?
”
Madel
ineasked.
“
Howdidyouknowt
hat
,youseemedv
eryi
ntel
l
igent
,isn’
tyou?
”
t
heguysai
d.
“ButsomesaysthatI
’
m br
ainl
ess,act
uall
yIr
eal
lydon’
tknow!!”
Madelinegotr
ememberaboutthewordsoft
hatmannerless
boy.
“Forme,you‘
rer
eal
lyint
ell
igent
,her
e’st
hePanji
nDrop,Pudwi
g
Theelfr
unthi
sshop,becausetheyhadbeenexper
ti
sei
n
control
l
ingthoseferocioust r
ees,theyf i
ghtwitht
hem and
broughtthei
rfossil
sandpr intthebooksandcopi es.Itist
he
secondof f
li
neshop, hereyoucanpur chasedir
ectl
ybyy ouri
d
proof”t
heguyst oppedbef oreahutl ookingshopmadef r
om
sett
,andhadgl asspanel,i
nsi dewerel ot
sofrackswhi chhad
manybooks, stenci
ls,andthenot ebookal ongthelaserpens.
Madel i
neent eredtheshop, i
twasl ong, narrowandwasl i
kea
bogieoftrain,itwasr oofedwi ththeol dEngl ishtyperoofs,
whichhadbeendar kduet ot henear byfir
epl ace,inwhichthere
wasapotwi t
hboi l
ingwat er.Insidet hehousewer ethebulging
wallsandt hewi ndowswer er oundi nshape, therewasa
cuboidalchimneyi nt opoft hathouse, andbesi dewasa
smoki ngpipeswi thlotsofni cot i
ne.Madel inepi pedinsidethe
houseandf ounda4i nches, l
owl yingmanf acingt oward
easternsideandsi tti
ngupont hehaunches, hadashar p
pointedhatandwaswear i
ngsmal lclot
hesandboot s,hehada
l
ongbear dandni mbleski n.Hi sey eswer eemer aldgreen,and
hebear saspect acles.
“
Err
-Mr
.PUDWI
G?”Madel
i
neasked.
“
Yes,
howcanIhel
pyou?
”Pudwi
gasked.
“
Sir
,act
ual
l
yIwantt
heseencodedbooks”
.Madel
i
nesai
d.

Cour
sebooks:
-Bi
ochemi
csandResor
cer
y-Enchant
ed
pr
opert
iesofBioVedaandef
fectoft
ant
ri
cpot
ions-byPr
of.
Gal
enusMor phi
ne.
Medicat
ri
xandNatur
ae-Kay
aDar
panandDoshNi
var
an–byHc.
Dhanvant
romappi
ngs.

Tant
ri
cShal
yaMechnaco–Medi
cospel
l
sandt
wist
ingst
icks
–byHc.EdgarHex
Vai
dychi
ntamani
–Ant
isept
icpr
inci
pal
ofpr
act
ical
sur
ger
y-by
Vd.Aut
oraMohan
Homeopal
l
ati
ve–BhootVi
dyaAurGr
ihaChi
ktsa–Hc.Hor
moni
Si
nhal
a
Her
bother
apy
-1000000her
bsandt
hei
ref
fect
s-byCh.Pr
akr
it
i
Vat
ikus
Geneal
ogyandSamhi
tas–Geni
tal
const
ruct
ionandSamhi
ta
–Hc.ImmonoWalt
er
Beforet helegendst ookt hewander i
ngway s,I
twasast he
sameast hoseinwhi chMadel inehadtobuysomest uffs,now
aft
erleav ingtheshadowoft hefor
est,t
heyent eredt heupper
canopyofamount ai n,whi chwast hemostpr eferablepl aceof
smal l
foot stolive,
t hesel andswast hehomef orthel aborel ves
whichr oamedf orthej ob,Pudwi ghadbeenoncet her esearcher
atMounhar t,andaf terhisr et
ir
ementheopenedonebookshop
ret
aili
ng, andwor kedonapr i
nti
ngpress.Heusedt ogetor ders
andmai lstohav epr i
ntedt hebooksi ntheoracularar ebar k
wri
ting.
“
Ican’
tunder
stand?
”Mr
.Pudwi
gsai
d.

“Act
ual
ly
,shei
sdemandi or1sty
ngf earLont
ars”t
hest
ranger
boysai
d.
“
Oh!Thatone,butshewassay
ingsomet
hingl
i
ke-
errbooki
e!!,
i
sn’
tso”Mr.Pudwigsai
d.

“
Notli
kethat
!!Pl
easegiv
eust he1sty
earsyl
labusf
or
Heal
ari
ogeni
cs,Mounhart
”thestr
angersai
d.
“
Theywi
l
lber
eadyi
nhal
fanhour
,pl
easehav
easeat
!I’
l
lbe
sendingwi l
derwi
thsometea”Mr.Pudwigsai
dandmovedt
o
anotherinsi
deroom whi
chhadbeendivi
dedbyacur
tai
nwit
h
whit
ebl otsovert
heli
ghtbr
owncolour.
Madelinewaslooki
ngstrangel
ytothestranger,
ashehad
hel
pedhersomuch, thentheybothseatedalongtheoldbench
whichhadbeenplacedforthecustomersnearthecornerofa
woodendoor,Madeli
nehadbeenof f
eredteameanwhilebythe
anotherredf
aceelf
,namedwi l
derandst r
angeralsowas
havingthesi
p.
“Whatdidyouusedfort
hebooks?
”Madel i
neaskedl
ooki
ng
deepl
yintothecol
deyesoft
hestranger
s.
“
Lont
ar!
!”t
hest
rangersai
dtaki
nganot
hersi
poft
ea.
“
But,t
here’
snot
hinganywor
dli
keLont
ari
ntheEl
goswar
,”
Madel
ineenqui
red.
“Yes,becausei
t’saLat i
nwor df
orleaveswri
ti
nginSanskr
it
os,
andasSanskr i
tosistheVediclanguageofNerdhedge
theref
ore,i
t’
sunfami l
iart
onewgener ati
on,
nowweuse
Palngli
sh,
”thestrangersaid.
“
Pal
ngl
i
sh?”Madel
i
neasked.
“Palngli
shmeanshal flanguageofPaliandhalfofEngl i
sh,
Englishisverycommonandwi delyusedlanguagei nother
partsofuniverse,i
thadbeenv er
yf amouslanguagef rom the
earththatweal sohadbeenusedi nthepracti
cef rom 100y ear
s.
AndasPal ii
ssublanguageofSanskr i
tos,t
hereforeitisour
mot hertongue,andnowt hecult
urehadbeendef ormedint he
typescalledPalngl
ish”thestr
angerexplai
ned.
Madel
inehadn’tsear
chevenforhermot
hertongue,
itwas
r
eal
lyembarrassing,
andatl
eastshehadtosearchforonet
ime.
Aft
erhalfanhourMr.Pudwigcamewi thadozenbundlesof
Lontar
sthereweresevenint
otal,
theywerewrit
tenonbark
–bir
chsheetsshapedinthefor
m oftreat
edoracul
arsheets.
Aft
erswi pingthecardsont heFoboot h,thepay menthadbeen
madet oMr .Pudwi
g,andt henafterexitfrom PanjinDrop.They
camet ot heborderoftheNer dhedgeci t
y; t
hest r
angerhada
Taurus-bikeandhedr oppedMadel ineatt heUmbr edcabcent er
andv anishedinthesmoggyf ogofhisownbi ke,Madelinehad
arespectf orhiminherhear t
,actuall
yhewasl ikeagodt oher.
Madel inecamet oembassywi t
ht heUmbr ed17.20, t
hehouse
wasl ightenup, butaccepthert here’swasnoonei nthehouse,
sowhocanl ightupt hehouse, sheopenedt hedoorwi t
h
spiri
tuallock, act
ual l
yal ockofskul l,i
nwhi chyouhadt oinsert
thedr ysoul ofRaskov nik,whichwasasoul ofmagi calplant
andcanopenanyl ock, eachRaskov nikchoosei t
sownmast er
whenamast erdi es,it
sowesi t
sser v i
cetoi t
sheir.Itisfoundi n
thest omachofagr eml i
nwheni tdiesoutf rom ulcerthant he
ulcer,isburstandt hesel eakypl antisbr i
ngoutandi sroasted
i
nt hespi ri
tual l
ampandi sdriedouti nthesunlight,notev ery
Anterromi anposesaRaskov nik, i
tisonlyf oundtosome
famousper sonal i
ty.
Madel
ineopenedthedoorandenter
edint
othehouse,
ever
y
t
hingwassil
entandnoonewast here,
shewentt
ohaveanyone
t
ocatchunder.

CHAPTER12
THEWORSTKI
SS
Thehousewasdi
vi
dedi
ntot
hequar
ter
sandr
ooms,
andshe
wastr
olli
ngaroundnort
h,west
,sout
h, andeastt
ocatchthe
i
ntr
uder,butwhensheopenedthedooroffour
throom which
wasactuall
ybel
ongtohersocall
edGrandmotherKopela
Mudgun,shefoundtheMooshacwhowassl eepi
nginthebed.
“
Soy ouweret
hepersonwholi
tupt
hehouse,mygod!Ir
eal
l
y
f
eltt
hebreaki
n.”Madel
inet
ookasi
ghofrel
ief
.
Ther
eremai
nofcour
se,
theanci
entMooshact
heMushakr
aj,
“Don’tbot
herme,Iwanttosleep,youaretoougl
yforyour
works,howmuchdi r
tyouhadspreadt othi
shouse,somany
choresIhadtodotoday,mybodyisaching,what’
saboutyour
admissiondi
dtheyapprovedtheuglygir
l”t
hebackleaned
Mooshacsaid.
“Whynot
,theywil
l
?Ofcour
seI’
m al
lti
mecandidatef
orthe
Mounhar
t,l
ookthi
sismyappr
ovedlet
ter
.”Madeli
neshowed
hi
mt hel
ett
er.
TheMooshacwhi chhadbeensleepinginthebedspr
angfrom
i
tandstoodinfrontofMadeli
ne,snatchedthel
ett
erf
rom her
hand“Iwasn’
texpectingt
hesefr
om t hem”Mooshachada
di
sappoint
mentov erhisf
ace.
“
Whatdoy
oumeant
osay
?”Madel
i
nel
ookedathi
m wi
thanger
.
“All
thesame,Meli
sbecauseyouarel
azy
,lof
tyandal
so
sometimestubbor
nIdon’
tthi
nkthaty
ouwereofcondemnedt
o
them.”Mooshacsaid.
“
Idon’
tcare,wai
tcanyouexplainmeabouttheLont
ars,
what
t
heheckaretheynow?Andpl easeservemesomefood,I
’m
r
eal
lyhungrytogr
abthem al
l”Madelinesai
d.
“
That’
swhatIwastalki
ngabout
,thatone,
anyway
sLont arare
t
heleafmanuscr
ipt
swhicharepri
ntedwit
htheworm cast,i
.e.
thebl oodsofv ampy -leeches, onehel lwor m whi chsuckst he
bloodsofdev i
ls, f
irstl
yt hewor msar eboi ledi nthest eami ng
wat erandar esqueal edoutoft heirbloodt hent hi
sbl oodi s
fi
ll
edi nt her ockpl ateal ongwi thfossi lf
ish, thisishandcol ored
andt ransferr edt ofinal print,t
heyar ethendr awnt hrought he
pairoft ongf ishesundert heconsi derablepr essur e.Whent he
fi
shesar esepar atedt heper f
ecti mpr essionofbl oodwr it
ingi s
madet hrought hesuppr essedbi rchorbar kofanyt ree, each
sheetofpagesar ewr it
tenwi t
ht hisinkonr ect angularcutand
curedor acul arl eafsheet ,eachsheett ypical lyhadahol e
throughwhi chast ringofcol dt hunderi spassedt hr
oughand
witht heset hesheet swer et i
edt oget herwi t
ht hunderst ri
ngst o
bindlikeabookorLont ar,forinsectact ivity, mol dandf ragi li
ty
i
tiscov eredwi tht hei nv i
siblecov eringsofozonepr oofshi eld,
whi chisal soav ailablei nt heGr oov eofHi ni lawood, actuallyitis
growni nt hef orm ofwhi tespor epl antcal led‘ Ozogudbi e’ !!
”
Mooshacsai d.
“I
tisveryi
nteresti
ng,t
hatmeansyouy
ourselfcult
ivat
ethe
ozoneprotect
ionshiel
d,i
t’
sreal
l
yimpr
essionabletome”
Madelinesquealed.
“Ozogudbi eisthemostexpensiveplusr arestplant,alongwith
goodusei talsohadsomebaduses, thereforeitisnot
cult
ivatedev erywhereandhadbeenpr êtendi nglyculti
vatedin
thedar kforestofHinil
awoodsot hatitmightnotbeeni ll
egal
ly
exportedt othewr onghands,ev
erytradersofOzogudbi ehasto
pay5%ext rataxestogovernmentbecause, i
tismat terof
nati
onal secur i
ty’
’Mushakraj
said.
“Sof
orstoppi
ngblackhoardi
ngsandmarket
ing’
s,gov
ernment
hadput
tedaddit
ional
chargesontheuseofi
t.’
’Madel
ineasked.
“
Yes,
youar
eri
ght
,nowkeept
hem i
nyourcol
l
egebagand
comef
ordi
nner
,Ial
sohadn’
teat
,’
’Mushakr
ajsai
d.
‘
Wer
eyouwai
ti
ngf
ormet
ocome,
’Madel
i
nebl
i
nked.
“Whatrubbi
sh?If
eltasl
eept
herefor
e,Il
efthungryotherwi
se
foryou,I
’
m notl
eavingmydi
nner”Mushakrajignoredthe
questi
on.
“
Wher
e’st
hedi
nner
?”Madel
i
neasked.

“Thatareont
hepetaltabl
e,l
ookther
einthehall
,andpl
ease
don’tt
urnonyourOrbucuvi
si
on,t
heyarecreepytome!!
”
“
Iwil
l
!!Butwhatt
hehel
lthi
sOr
bucuv
isi
oni
s?”Madel
i
ne
t
aunt
ed.
“I
t’
sanO. v
,st
upi
d,Hmm thetel
evi
sionofAnt
err
o–community
,
andifyouwantt
otur
niton.Iwon’
tdeny”Mooshacsai
dand
wakingfr
om t
hebed.
ButMadel ineknewt hatMushakr ajreallyisconcernedforher
,
whet herhenev ershowsi tout
,buther eallyi
sherguar di
an,
Madel ineandMushakr ajwentforthedi nner,
thedinnerhad
beendecor atedi nthepet alt
able,
therewasf i
shandchi pswit
h
mushypeas, mashedwi t
hsalt,
pepper, andlemonzestand
butterwereusedasf i
ll
ets,gol
denbr owncoat ing,andthe
swishedf i
sht hroughoil.
Secondwast hebubbleandsqueakcakes, hadbeenor i
ginal
ly
madef r
om theleftoverveget
ablesfrom ar oastdi nner.Thir
d
onewasher bedporkshi r
epudding,airfi
l
ledsouf f
lécomposed
ofbatt
erandbeefdr i
ppings.Alongwer escot cheggsandcur ry
mayo,sausagepat t
yandcr umpet swithbuttermar malade,f
or
dri
nkwereRoust ermallow,Fi
refrenzytonics, 760-shandy,
el
derfl
owerbubbly,andBr adberrycrush.
‘
Mushak, coul
dyoutel
lmeiftheyaresoftdri
nks,
orbeers,and
speci
all
ythatone,
theRoust
ermal l
ow,aswhi l
ecomingto
NerdhedgeRoudri
Vafl
oddemandedt his?”Madel
ineasked.
“RoudriVaf
lod,meanst hatOpaciv
erge, y
a-yatheircommuni ty
i
st helar
gestbeert aker,Imeanwhet hertheyaret hey oungor
old,boyorgir
ltheyi nt
akeonlyRoust ermallowast heirf
ood,
whileopposit
etot hem ar et
heirst
epbr othersandsi sters
Leupixi
eswhichonl ytakeweedyr ootsast heironlyfood,”
Mushaksai dwhiletakingcrumpet spiecesinhispl ate.
Ther ewast her oundf acedeskt opwhi chhadbeenhangi ngup
i
nt heai r,shei mmedi atel
yopenedt heElgoswarandsear ched
forthet erm‘ Or bucuv i
sion’,i
ttoldthat,i
tworksont hepri
ncipal
ofRadi o-spirit
sr ays,andwaswhi teconvexopal i
nappear ance,
from whi cht hescener eflectedfrom thepolishedsur f
aceont o
ascr een, i
twasachar m ofcr y
stalgazingintothemoon’ s
womb, whi chcont r
ivedsceneandsequencesf rom theupdated
newst oent ertainment .Likewast hemusi c,fashion,model i
ng,
news, medi a, spor t
s,gov ernanceandhi story,cookingshows,
andmov i
e, serials,
car t
oons, geographicalchannel,regi
onal
l
anguageset c.
‘
Whatar eyoul ookinginElgoswar,
don’ty
ounowt hatusing
Anterr
o-net
wor k,andwoul dcauseanadditi
onalbil
li
ngt oyour
dail
ymagazi neretail
ingofElgoswar,
seetheservi
cepr opert
yof
Elgoswarandr eadal lt
hetermsandconditi
onssear chi
ngout
ofthegivencont entswouldtakeextr
acharges,
that ’
smeans
the20sickletwoul dbef l
ushi
ngout,Oh!MyGod, That’s
horri
ble.
”saidMushakf rom t
heperchofhissi
tt
ing,redwi t
h
anger.
“Iwasn’
tawar
eofthat,
sor
ryMushak!
!Butcany out
ell
me,
how
doesthi
sOrbucuv
isi
onworks?
”Madeli
neyelped.
“
Youhadtoswit
chitonbytheSpir
ote–contr
ol,t
herei
sabox
i
nwhi
chthespir
itofaDoom fai
ryhadbeenroaming,y
ouhad
t
oswit
chitonbytheSpi
rot
e.”Mushakexplai
ned.
Madel i
nepr essedt hebut tononwhi chspiri
tofatelecom fai
ry
hadbeencapt ured,andsuddenl ythescreencamewi tha
opalescentf oami ng,afterwhichtherewereseveralsecti
onsof
content,Madel i
neclickedont heRecentNews, ahalfhaired
manonheadwi thgr eencloakappear edonthescreenand
ther
ewasr eal l
yt hehazynewsf l
ashingonthescreen, “
Pended
Deathcer emonywoul dbecont inuedont heHallofCruex.For
onli
ner egistrati
on, contacttoOmni versedeathJudgment
port
al”nextnewswasaboutt he.
AURORA’
SGUI
LT:
WITHASPI
NSTEROFSOULEATER?
Ast
henewssay
s,
“Asthet imei spassi ngt hroughi tst ail
,thedi splaysint hefront
ofHOUSEOFDEAD, i
spr evailing, i
t’sreall
yagr eatmat t
erof
concer n,becauset hedev ilandi nhumancr eaturesofhel l
apartmentno7, synodofpal ette, hadbeenal lowedasaf orm
ofmi grantsint helandofNer dhedge, thesecr eatureshadbeen
wickedandbr utaltot heendanger edpi xi
escommuni t
y ,
everyoneknowst heper iodf rom 1970t o1989, whent he
ceasef i
reofNer dhedgebor derhadbeeni llegallytr
espassedby
theDhampi ri
ot s,andespeci allyt heAur oramages, thepilotof
dawnandt hest oneagedhumancal l
edHomor ti
ans, hadbeen
kidnappedandhadbeenhar assedbyt heDhampi ri
ot sandhi s
unknownki ng, andt histragedi anhappeni ngshadbeen
publishedundert hename, “TheAut onomousSaga” .Fortheir
popul ati
onbr eeding, manyofourAur oramageshadbeen
i
mput edandHomor ti
anshadbeenf orciblyconv ertedt o
Dhampi r
iots,i
t ’
saser iouspat hbr eakingway ,full
time
oppositi
onandr agedangeredpixi
eshadbeendemonst rati
ngin
frontofhouseofdeadandmanorhouseofNeuci adesnamed
‘
Mr it
yudansh’.Tomorr
owwoul dbet hefi
nalhear
ingsofthese
casesafterthedeathceremony.Til
lthenwatch‘
Anterr
o18
today”.
Madel i
negrewoutofpani cwhatiftheDhampi r
iotsareal
lowed
toenteragaininthepurelandofNer dhedge,thedest r
uct
ion
wouldshootoutatt hebeauti
fulci
ty,ther
ewast hedinnertabl
e
withlotsoffoodlat
eBr i
ti
shandEngl ishdinner,
butshehadn’ t
thathungerlefti
nherstomach,therewer epotatoest r
umpet
andsausagemozzar el
l
a,thegri
l
ledsal monandt art
s.
Butsheleftoutf
rom t
het abl
eandcl ickedont herecycl
ebutton,
allt
hefoodsweresendt ofoodf actor yofNerdhedgesot hat
thesefoodcanbedistr
ibutedtoor phanandot herref
ugeewho
hadbeent hevi
cti
m ofanynat uraldisasterandasdi dthe
Mushakr aj
,hehadbeenr eal
lyslatternlywiththeupcoming
dist
urbancecent
eredont hefutureofNer dhedge.
“They’remaki ngoutofi t
,I’m damnedsur e,thedisplay
swoul d
bepr ovingofwast e,
andt heabol i
shedchar i
tyonthe
Dhampi r
iot
swoul dagainbeashen, thought hedefense
ministerNadr iusCompnel ,ishimselfal ackluster
.Heal ways
makesuseofmal eaurorasf orhisownper sonalsecuri
ty,and
haddeni edt hef actt
hatDhampi r
iotshadbeenev erexisted,f
or
securingposi ti
oni nupcomi ngelecti
ons, heismaki ng
unnecessar ysuppor ttoDhampi r
iot
ssot hathecoul dget
additi
onal vote.”Mushakr efusedwi ththewr ath.
“Oh!Sothat’st
hematt
eraboutwhi
chSuubhali
Patrawas
discussi
ngabout,
whyismini
str
ysoqui
et,don’
ttheNeuci
ades
canseet hese?
”Madel
iner
emarked.
“
Neuci
adesi
ssomet
imeat
yranny
,I’
m notquest
ioni
ngabout
hi
sruli
ngskil
ls,nodoubtheisaper fectj
udgeandrul
erofthi
s
vi
aductbutheisv erypur
etohisallbeli
everasDhampir
iot
s
al
sowor shi
ppedhi m asgod,sohecan’tdenythei
rof
feri
ngs
andalsocan’
thav etheNerdhedgeindanger,hecanmade
j
udgmentonly.”Mushakunv eil
ed.
“
Iwoul
dreal
l
ypr
ayf
ort
hebestr
esul
t,
”Madel
i
nesai
d.
“
Maygodshowusmer
cy,
”Mushakpr
ayedwi
thf
ait
h.
Afterthelastni ght,Madeli
neagai nt i
lt
edt heear sofMushak
Raj andcal lfort heUmbr ed180, nowshehadsentonesecr et
l
et t
ert oGer aldt hroughhamst erMr .LUPUScapr i
ole,whohad
j
ustv i
sitedagai nt oMadel i
nebefor etheUmbr edarrivedatt he
door step.Madel inewasi nhurryast oday’sni ghtinMounhar t
wast heiri
ntr oductoryceremony ,andshewaswear ingt he
academi cdr esswhi chhadbeenspeci al
lydesi gnedf orthe
academi ccer emoni al,‘
Honori
sCr oquet ’itwascal l
ed‘ Epi
toga’
alonggownwi t
hal ongr owofbut tonsar ound33, t
wov ert
ical
bandsi nthef rontofgown, withwhi tefurofy et
iattachedbya
buttonont hel eftoftheshoulder, withar ectangular,long,thin,
taili
nf rontandat ri
angular
,shorterbroadt ail i
ntheback, it
s
colouri srelev anttotheacademi cf i
eldclassi cblack, wit
han
academi chood.
Madel i
neent er
edt othegr andeurdoorofMounhar tcalled
‘
Gopor ium’ thenwi t
hcr ossinglot
sofgar densandpar ksshe
enteredt heCot i
ll
i
onHal l
,whichwast hev enueforsocial
ceremony ,eti
quetteclasses,andcommonmor alsforyounger
ages, t
her ewer espiralstai
rcasestonebencheswi thabeaut i
ful
carvi
ngsabout6l akhsst udentswerepresentintheuniv er
sit
y
atthatt i
me, atthemi ddler owbench,
HeraAptf
iel
dwassi
tt
ingshesignedMadel
i
nef orcomi
ngand
si
tt
ingal
ongwit
hher
,thehal
lhadbeenwelldecorat
edwi
ththe
fl
ower sandbeadsal ongwi ththerewer elongr oy al
draper
ies,
andv alancesont hel argeai rywindows, ofdarkandbr i
ght
colours,porti
ereswer ehungov erabigleftsidedoor wayandi n
middlewasahugest age, andal ongwiththesewer ebigbowers
offlowerswer ehangi ngupont heceil
ings,itwasagr andeur
welcome, i
nthepodi um, aspeakerwasspeaki ngaf t
ermuch
ti
me, Madel i
ner ecognizedhi m asPenedugNi cketwhohad
senthert heappr ovalletter,hewasspeaki ngi nt hedigi
talmike
withadozenofst ar
ingey esathi m,healsonot i
cingthe
students,addressedt ot hem.
“Dearst
udentsandmyco-col
leagues,
todayonthisspeci
al
occasi
onof‘Honori
sCroquet
’Iwouldli
ketoint
roducethethr
ee
str
eamsofMounhar t
,
**Firstonei
sMathomsandAl
gebr
ati
csbr
anches,
inwhi
cht
he
studentshadtost
udy:
1.Al
chemy -
byMr .RYocti
oner
2.MathomsandAl gebr
ati
cs-Mr.PenedugNi
cket
3.Astr
onomy -
Gravi
migiNotegust
4.Chemology-Keori
Mimjo
5.Numotrade-Mr.RYocti
oner
*
*Ar
tomy
sti
csandG-
logy
,inwhi
cht
her
ear
efi
vesubj
ect
s
1.Pri
thviv
achika-
Mi ss.Herol
inaJackshay
2.Hi
stography-Mr .Epir
usJeckshire
3.G-logy-Mrs.GravimigiNotegust
4.Economy s-Mrs.Endocriv
aModge
5.Theol ogy
-Mr .DadhichiValgya
**Andourthirdbutver
ymuchpopularst
ream ofMounhar
tis
Heal
ari
ogenicsandMedi cat
ri
xinwhi
chtherearesev
en
subj
ect
sitselftheyar
eli
kethis-
 1.Bi
ochemi csandResor cery-Mi ss.NortmeisRev
erbr
ow
2.Medicatri
xandNat urae-Mr .Wust orScrey
mager
3.Tantr
icShal y
aMechnaco–Mr .PapyrusHecksl
y
4.Vaidychi
ntamani -
Mr .PenedugNi cket
5.Homeopal lat
ive-Mr .Epi
rusJeckshi re
6.GeneologyandSamhi t
as-Mr s.Endocr i
vaModge
7.Herbotherapy-Mr.Dadhi chi Valgya
My selfasy ourMat homsandAl gebr ati
cspr ofessorandhal f
ti
met eacherofVai dychint amani ,hear t
ywel comeournewf irst
yearst udent st obeapar tofoldestandmostpopul arwith
deli
ght fulhistorygr eatMounhar tUni versity’
sf ami ly.Iwoul d
l
iket oi ntr
oduceourpr ofessorpanel s,.
i.e.fr
om mysi de,is
sit
tingMr .RYoct i
oner ,oural chemyandNumot radepr ofessor.
Madel i
nel ookedatMr .RYoct i
onerhewasf latandcol dwi t
ha
goldenhai r,healway swearabr ownr obewi thasl enderpant s,
thi
rdper sonwasi dent i
fiedasEpi r
usJeckshi re,whowast he
chairmanofadmi ssioncommi ttee, hehadcl eansav edwi t
h
greeney esandwasl i
ttl
ebi tf
attyt hent hosewi t
hYoct i
onerand
Nicket .Hewast heirHomeopal lati
v eandaswel l ast heir
Histogr aphypr ofessor ,nextonewasKeor i
Mi mj o, Their
chemol ogyt eacher .Hewor espect aclesandwasJapanese
shor twi t
hsmal ley esandsmal lhei ghthewor et hekungf uli
ke
dress.Andf i
fthonewasNor t
mei sRev erbrow, thei rBiochemi cs
andResor cer yprof essor, againr oundspect aclesandl owbun
withmoul dshewaswear inganAmboi secutgowni ndeep
purplecol our ,nextt oherwasHer olinaJackshay , shewast he
teacherofPr i
thvivachika, thesubj ect sofar t
s.Andt hirdone
wast heEndocr ivaModge, thei
rGeneol ogyandSamhi tas
professor ,anot heronewast heast ronomypr of essorcal led
Grav imigiNot egust ,aftert hatwasPapy rusHecksl y,hewas
purebl ackandwasv eryhei ghtedhewoul dtoldt hem Tant ri
c
Shal
yaMechnacoandt henwasWust orScr
eymager,
who
woul
dbet eachi
ngt
hem, Medi cat
rixandNatur
ae.Andlastbut
notl
eastwasDadhichi
Val gya;hewasami ddl
eagedpr of
essor
ofHerbot
herapywi
thseriousatti
tude.
Andt henwast heintroducti
onofPr i
ncipal Por t
fusGr ooti
bour,
whenhecamet ostageev erybody ’
smout hr emai nedopened,
someshout edsomewer echeer i
ngandsomebodywaswav ing
theirhandst opr of
essorGr ooti
bourt hewhol ehal lhadbur st
i
ntoappl ause,hebowedt oallhall
,butMadel i
nest oodf reeze,
herey esnotwi nked, shewasl i
keast at
ue, af t
erwhenshewas
shookt hri
cebyHer a, t
hefir
stthingt hatcamef r om hermout h
was“ Sanzang, thecaty es!Hewast hereast hepr ofessor
Grootibour ,buthow, howcanhi m, hewasal way smal ev
olentto
her,hewast heloveli
estpetofMr s.Quang, andaccor dingto
Mr s.Quangshehadl eftherallpetstosomeani mal carecenter
beforel eavi
ngt ochi na,andMadel i
neher selfhadn’ tbeenher e
atNer dhedgef rom 2weeks.Shei sreallysur prised;shewoul d
reall
yt alktoSanzangcum pr ofessorGr ootibour .
Prof
essorGrooti
bourcum Sanzangwasst andingont he
podi
um, hehadthesquarecornerhatwi t
hf eatherofwhiteowl
onhishead,andchainspect
aclesonhi sey es,wit
hagol den
fr
ame, hewaswearingarobeofr edv el
vetcolourwithmoons
andstarshangi
ngaround,andhecl earedhisthroatstospeak.
“Please,havepatiencemydearf r
iendsandbel ovedstudent s,
I’
m her eonlyf
ory ourser vi
ce,from last40yearsI‘m ser vi
ngas
apr inci
paltothemostpr esti
giousuni ver
sit
yofitsera, and
believemei ti
sv erydiff
icultt
omai ntai
nit’
sdignit
ywi thoutany
blot,tohavesuchanemi nentbranchofpr ofessors.Anda
cooper ati
vestaf
fr eal
lymakesmef eelj
oyous,I
’m happyand
condemnedt ohav ethem, theyaremynextf amily.AndIwoul d
reallyexpectf
rom y outhef utureofourNer dhedgeci t
yt hatyou
wouldaddmor eval
uesandhonort ot hehist
oryofMounhart
.
Thanksalotf
orapat i
entli
stener
,”Prof.Grooti
boursai
d.And
theent
ir
ehallechoedwiththethunderclappings.
“
Didhei
sPr
of.Gr
oot
ibour
?”Madel
i
neaskedt
oHer
a.
“
Withoutanydoubt,t
hemosteminentandlovi
ngProf
.ofhi
s
t
ime,weallrespect
shimf
orhisgenerosi
ty.
”Herasai
d.
Madel i
newasstil
lgazingattheSanzangwithheramberey es,
sti
l
l can’
tbeli
evi
ngonwhatshehadseenandl isten,
thecat
whichwaspamper ing,andagoodcook, washerpr i
nci
pal,
and
hadmi ll
i
onsoffoll
ower satYaar
a-o-
Yaara.
com, shesti
ll
can’t
bel
ieve,herheadswiveli
ngoccasi
onall
ytogazeatherPr i
ncipal
.
Butshewasobscur edbyPr of.Nicketwhoi nter
ruptedherby
announci ngt henamesoft wopr odigiousst udentswhohad
successf ullyheldt hefi
rstposi t
ioninal loveruniversit
y ,
inthe
entranceexam conduct edbyt heuni versit
yitself
.MATRYS,
(Mounhar tApt it
udeTestwi t
hReasoni ngYieldSessi on)around
1000mar kspoi nt,andthet wost udentswer eGegl Hex, t
he
darkbr ownboy ,whowast hemer i
tor
iousst udentof
AlgebraticsandMat homsbr anchandwast hefirststrangeri
n
Madel i
ne’ slif
e, hewasv eryroughandr ude,shehadmethi m
fi
rsttimeonear th,whenhesav edherl i
fefrom thelorryand
secondt imehedr oppedheratWer gosTor ota,attheunknown
placeandf ort hir
dt i
meatHowdyMuskade, whenshewas
throwni nt hemudbyhi m, atthetimeonst agehehadser i
ous
smi l
eonhi sface, andall ofsuddenhi sey escollidewi th
Madel i
neandaf tersomet imeofgazi ngt heybot hpar t
ed
themsel vesf rom theey ewat chinggame.
Andthesecondonewasalsotheboy,hewasthesecond
st
rangert
oMadel i
ne’
sli
feandhadsavedthel
i
feofMadel i
ne
fr
om thedar
kforestofGr
ooveofHini
l
awoodandhadhel ped
herinpurchasi
ngherst udyst uf
fs.HisnamewasSt embort
Vif
orandhewast hest udentofMat homs.Bothhadai nt
ense
ri
val
rywitheachot herandi tcoul
dbeseenont hest age,
after
shakinghandswithPr of.Grooti
bour,PenedugNicketcal
ledthe
nameofMadel ine,
“Now, Iwouldli
ketocal
lonstageMi ssMel i
ssaMudgun,our
fi
rstti
mer efugeest
udentofdisast
er2000whohadbeen
select
edont hebasisofSRQA, (
special
refugeequota
associati
on)toMounhartUni
versit
yast heHealar
iogeni
cs
student.
Madel i
newasl ooki ngweakatt hatmoment ,shedi dwi shthat
theyshoul dn’tappr oachhert osayany t
hing,shewasn’ tsobold
andwi t
tyfrom heri nside,althoughMadel inewasaf rai
dof
beingr evelationofhert rueident it
y,becauset hereSanzang
cum Pr of.Gr ooti
bourknewherr ealname, thereforealso
Madel inest oodupwi thtrembl ingfeetandwhi teface,itwas
veryhar dtomov et hrought hecr owd, shelookedt owar d
Stembor twhohadbeencheer edandwav edmer ri
l
ybuti nsign
ful
ly,sot hatshecoul donl ynot i
ce,butTher ewasGegl too,who
l
ookedatbot hoft hem andwasagai ninabadmood, nexttime
hisey esagai ncolli
dewi th
Madel ine,therewasaf ireofcr it
icism there,
notasi nglebitof
concer ncanbeobser vedi nt hem, hemor eoverlooked
unpleasantwi t
hasat i
rical smileal loverhisfaceglowingin
egoistt houghtsandshekeptofgoi ng,withhorr
iblethoughts,
onegetwhenhei snervous, Whati fshewoul dexpelledoutof
univ
er sity?Whatwoul dbet hereact i
onofPr ofessorGrootibour
?
Unti
l Hewoul dtoldevery onet her ealnameofMadel ineandshe
wouldbear r
estedorkilledbyt heNeuci ades,inthisconfusion,
shet r
oddenwi thGegl Hex, whowasherunador nedenemyof
l
ifet
imeandacci dent
lyt heybot hhappenedt obel ockedwi th
thei
rli
psinthefrontofthewholeuni
versi
ty,
every
bodywasat
shocked,andwer eseei
ngatthebothfall
endownkissers,
suddenlyMadeli
newaspul l
edforci
blybyGegl,
whowasathi gh
peakofwr at
h,andhadcontroll
edsomehowhi sangertohis
depthofsoul.
Agi r
lfrom thecrowdshout ed,“
Howdar ey outokisshim, y
ou
uglybrainl
ess!”shewasr eallyl
ookinglikeamodel ,shehadf ai
r
skintone,andwashi ghl
ydr essedupwi thbeauti
fyface,but
thensher emainedcalm whenshegotsi gnofbeingsilence
from Gegl.Therewerelotsofhoot ing,someonewasl aughing
andot herwaswat chi
ngt hem witht hei
ropenedmout h,Hera
wassnappedwi ththegloatingface.Andaspect acledboy
nearl
ydr oppedhisspectacles,
Pr of
essor swer etoogazingatthismoment ,Madel inewas
feeli
ngv eryshamedandner vous,shewasaboutt ocrybut
controll
edhert earyfal
lstocomedownf rom herey es,itwas
l
oudmout hedli
pl ockedforher,Acal l
ousnesst ohideher
uncomf ortabl
ei nel
egantpresentati
onf orfir
sttimewasr eall
y
shocking.Shel ookedbyhersi deway s,Geglwasl ookingot her
wayf rom herandot herhewasf eel
i
nggui l
tont heincidentand
sheknewherv er ywell
that,hi
sf eel
ingofhat r
edabouther
wouldbeonpeak.
Whileonot herhandSt embortwascomi ngforwar dtohelp
Madel i
netostandup, whilethi
stimeMiss.Rev erbrowdusted
hisrobesandnowaf tersmallti
meofsilence,sheopenedher
mout htospeakandf orf i
rstti
meatNerdhedge, sheshookher
handwi thSanzangwhowasnowPr of.Grooti
bour ,thecatwi
th
tabbyatti
tudesmi l
edbackatMadel ine,
seemingt hathewould
tel
lherallthi
ngsforlatercourse,
Madel
i
necl
ear
edhert
hroatandsai
d,“
Today
,wi
thgr
eatr
espect
Iwascal l
edont hest age, Idon’tknowwhatt osay ,becausenot
ast heMounhar tuniversit
y ’
sfirstyearst udentbutt hisi salso
myf i
rstyearinNer dhedge, whi lecomi ngont hest agesome
student swer eseei ngatme, gazi ngatmel ikei ftheywer e
j
ealousofmyf ate,butt r
ustmeev erygli
t t
erdoesn’ tpr oduce
gold, t
heycoul dbeapackofcoal .whenIwasv er ysmal lkid
notabout1mont h, myGr eta,toldmet hatIwast hr ownatt he
dust binli
keahei rl
essont her uffl
edear th,whohasnoaut horit
y,
nopar entsbutt henMi ssGr i
an, camet omyl i
fe, shebecome
mysuppor t
er,myf ri
endandmywhol efami l
y ,youj ustcan’ t
i
magi nehowf adewasmyl if
e, atageoft welve, butl et ’
snott al
k
abouti t.yesIknowt hatthere’smanyAnt erromi anand
necr omancer swentt oear th,andI ’
mt hef ir
stbei ngont hi
s
galaxywhohadbeeni mpor tedast hev i
ctim ofdi sast er2000
butev erystranget hingsar enott heonewhi chshi nes,.AndI
woul dl i
ketot hankal ltheconcer nedaut horiti
esand
gov ernmentofNer dhedge, butdr oppingt hehumanf orsakeof
fl
ust eredharrowmaynotbet hesi mpl esolut i
onatal l.
’’
EverybodyattheCot i
ll
i
onhall,gazedattheMadel i
nei tseemed
thattheyhadn’tl
ikedherspeechmor e,t
heyturnedt obehat r
ed
forherespeciall
ythegirlwhohadshoutedherdur ingthe
ceremonyshewasl i
ket ohavethenastyfeel
ingaround, but
thenaftert
hedecl ar
ati
onofdi nnerpar
ty,byProf.Nicket,t
he
wholehallstoodupt oenjoythelateni
ghtparty,
MadelinelookedforGeglbuthewasn’ tt
here, eit
herhehad
beenwal kedofffr
om thehall
,ashewasr eal l
yint her otten
mood, andwasv eryfer
ocious,l
asttimewhent heirey eshad
metjustattheendofcer emony ,
theonlythingcoul dbe
observedinhiseyeswerelotsofdishevel
edf eelings, hewas
al
way stenebroustoher.Andafterthi
sembar rassi ngi ncident
,
shecan’timaginewhathecoul ddo.Madelinewasf ier
yand
mut edal
lalongthepar t
y,wi
ththeignoranceofot herstudents,
shecouldheardf r
om thecrowdt hatSuubhal iPatra,an
Auroramageswascr yingwithanenci r
cledcr owd,shewast he
studentofastr
onomy ,Madelinetendedt oleanf or
war d,soto
overhearthepain,andshehear dSuubhal i
say ingthat,
“Neuciadeshadcheat edt heemot ionsofpi xiescommuni ty,he
haddi smayedoursel frespectandl i
ves, manyv icti
mf amili
es
ofourcommuni t
yhadbeenwai t
ingf orthehear ingssi nce20
years,hadcommi ttedsui ci
deafterthehear ingthef inal
j
udgment ,
thewickedhadper mittedtoi ntr
udeandl ootour
respectandliv
es, t
heyhadbeenpr oclaimedonsl aught er
ing
oursoul wit
htheirpollutedandcont ami natedhands,
Dhampi ri
otsareall
owedt oli
veint heVay udy an,Hav egod
mer cyuponus, r
esisti
ngt heurgewon’ tbesaf erforthe
i
nnocent s.
”
Madel i
needgedsl owl y
, shealsofeltreall
ybadf orthej udgment
howNeuci adescoul dbesohear tl
ess, can’
thecoul dseet he
gri
efandpai noft hesenai ve.Shewasn’ texpectingsuchki ndof
j
udgmentf rom theNeuci ades,butshecan’ tgot oSuubhal iat
thi
st i
me, asi twasn’tther i
ghtplacef orconsolation.Madel i
ne
wentoutoft hecot i
ll
ionhal l,
anditstartedraini
ng, theplants
andgar denwer efrothi
ngbackandf r
o, wit
hthel oudbr eeze,
andf r
om 50st epsawaywasanopent omb, i
twasact uall
yt he
sit
ti
ngpl ace, andshespot tedoneper sonwi t
hal owlyinghead,
defi
nitelyhewasGegl Hex, shemov edal ongwi thheracademi c
dress,andf inall
ycamenearGegl ,hehadseenMadel ine
comingt owar dhim, aftermuchofsi l
enceGegl saidin
mut t
eringv oice,
“Whydon’
tyoul
eav
emeal
one,
howcoul
dbeoneso
shamel
ess?”
Madeli
nepul
l
edoutheracademicr
obesandinsi
deshewas
wear
ingagown,anddr
oppeditontheshadeofboundar
iesof
t
ombt obedri
ed.
“
Ilookl
i
keanidi
ot,
buttr
ustme; Ial
sowasunawar
eofwhat
wasgoi
ngtobehappenther
e,”Madeli
nesai
dinpl
eadedv
oice.
“
Sowhyareyoupul
l
ingoffy
ourEpi
toga,
righther
ewhatdi
dyou
wantt
opr
ove,t
hatyouar
eamodel?”Gegl sai
d.
“Whatareyousay ingaround,Ihadcameher ejusttohav e
somesor r
y,butbesidetohearmywor ds,youaremar kingon
myact i
on,l
ookwhat every ouarethetopperorf i
nali
st,Idon’t
care,Ij
ustwantt ofini
sht hi
sall
,thethingspesteredmeal ot,
socan’tweshoul dbefriends,whatsay ?”Madeli
neopenedher
handsforshaking.
“What ??Howonecoul dbesof ooli
sh,Fr
iendshi
pwi t
hy ou!!
,
Can’tyouseeIdon’ tl
i
keyou,thenwhydi dyoucomeagai nand
againtomef orhav
ingyouri
nsults,maybet her
eshoul dbetwo
reason, ei
theryoul
ovemeory oualsoenjoyiny our
selfbeing
i
nsultedbyme.NowPl easeforgodsakegetl ostfr
om here.”
Hehi ssedbacki nt
heearsofMadel i
ne.
“Youar eovert hinki
ngnow, don’tbesoov erpr
edicti
ve,and
pleasedon’tev endr eamedoft hisnonsense,t
hatthatI-
Imight
l
o- l
ovey ou,nev ereverIwouldgrowt hi
sfeeli
ngsforyou,so
betterkeepi toff.”Madeli
nelapsedintothoughtf
ulsil
ence,
sinceGegl smi l
edwi thcrookedness.
“So,youmeanttosaythatIwouldl
oveyou,whaty ouaretryi
ng
tospeak,j
ustgooff,
andaboutthatworstexper
ienceofadi rt
y
kiss,
Ican’
timagi
neanyshitwithyou,
andy a!Don’tevent r
yto
speakwithme,it
sbettert
hatweshouldremainstrangersto
eachother.
”Geglsai
dandwentawaywi thhiscoatandbl azer
.
Madeli
nehadgotahar djerk,sheadmi tsthatshehadacr ush
overhi
m,andshejustcan’tletitgooutofher ,shecan’
teven
tel
lany
oneaboutthisfeeli
ng.Soi t’
sbettertohaveitdi
eas
soonasitcoul
dbepossi bl
e.Madel ineagaincamet ohall
whereshesawHer aandSt embor ttal
ki
ngwi theachother
, t
hey
wavedathertojoi
nthem.
“
Hye”Madel
i
nesai
dtobot
hoft
hem.
“Itwasr eallydrearyforyou, havingsucht hingwi thGegl Hex,he
hasr eall
yv eryproudt owardhi sknowl edgeandl ooks,everygir
l
atMounhar thadacr ushov erhim, buthehadr ejectedadozen
ofbunch, everyti
meheusedt oget sf l
owers, teddy ,chocolat
es,
andcar dsf rom them.Buthi sonet i
megi rlf
riendi sLorri
a
Mappl epuf fthegir
l whoshout edaty ou,Shei st hedaught erof
Nagr ashikaMappl epuf fandDwai tNay ar,hermot herhadwon
threetimeNer dhedgef ashi
onDi vaandLor riaher sel
fisfir
st
runnerupf ortheTot almendedf ashi onmagazi neof
Ner dhedge, sheissocl everandsl antedgi r
l .
’Her asaid.
“What
?Heowesagi rl
fri
endtooandtherefor
ethegir
lshouted
atme,Oh!NowIunderstand,
”Madeli
nesaiditwit
harush,but
aft
ert
henreal
i
zingherpace,shebecamesi l
ent
.Stembortwho
wasgazi
ngatherfr
om longtime,nowturneduptospeak,
“
Whyar eyousoir
resist
ibl
e,wi
ththet
hingt
hatGeglHex,
owes
agi
rl
fr
iend’’
Stembortsaidhav
ingagl
assofRoustermal
low.
“Oh!Thatone,because,Iwasthi
nki
ngt hathi
sbehaviorisso
savagetowardothers,t
hathemightnothav eanygir
lfr
iend,
alsoheissostudious,t
heref
oreIshockedatthisnews.’’
Madelinesai
dandl ookedawaysot hatnobodycouldcat chher
,
tempered.
“
Any
way
,Iwoul
dsuggesty
out
oli
veawayf
rom Gegl
Hex,
Mondor ffCl evesandFr esteinBer not,Kel
izant r
oDemon, and
QueligLor ends, Thesear et heheadmember sandt heVanshi s
call
ed‘ Zeur noss’ andanot herVanshar eofal lstudious
student s,inwhi chOnol upTay meur ,JeebieJoggs, Membr isa
Scarlof t
,andTowr i
eNi nshiphar et hemai nst udent sandVansh
i
scal led“ Chemi onaut’
,whi leothergr oupisofal lfashi
ondi vas,
i
nwhi char eNickyPet ulla,Lorri
aMappl epuf f
,Val eri
aTribus,
Lopamudr aNahastandKwer i
eNy phsandt heirVanshi scalled,
“Heav lodun”, fourthbutnott heleastisof“ Rouf fleknot
’’
, i
n
whichal lplayersandspor tsper sonalit
yaremember s,l
ikehead
oftheGr oupi sFr oler
ikTeni s,Mi r
thGambr idge, Espantus
Scornings, KelopsNeur , Shenanr olli
ck.”Her atoldaboutt he
Vanshsy st em inuni v
ersity.
“
Don’
ttheypr
ovi
desor
ti
ng?Her
e!!
”St
embor
tur
ged.
“
Ithoughtt
haty
ouwoul
dbeawar
eoft
hat
,”Her
asai
d.
“
What?Sor
ti
ng,can’
twechoosef
rom our
sel
vesonl
y?”
Madel
i
neasked.

“ThenImustneedt
obesor
ted,
butbywhatmeans,
asI
’
ma
Rion.
”St
embortsai
d.
“
Whatnowt
hisRi
onmeans?
”Madel
i
neadded.
“I
t’
saLat i
ncommuni tyofNerdhedge;actuall
ytheyarethe
ancestral
augur er
,ofEkolowasTemple, andhalfti
me
astrol
ogers.Butsomeoft hefemal
ecommuni tyofRion,el
oped
withDhampi rs.Theyseemedt obetheirfi
rstwives.
”Hera
explai
nedandl ookedatSt embort
,whol i
stenedtoitli
keabitt
er
poti
onsaddedt oone’stongue.
“
Leti
tgo,
Idon’
twantt
ohav
eit
,tel
lmeaboutsor
ti
ng,
wel
li
t’
s
al
ready11,Il
ookedatQuardtsandf
rom 12‘o’
clockthere
wouldbestar
ti
ngofdeathceremony,i
ntheGanezium,theHal
l
ofCruex.
”Madeli
ne’
sforeheadwaswettedbythesweat.
“Act
uall
yy ouwoul dbemadeseatedinthechairofQayamat.
Madewi t
h12gr owli
ngspir
it
sandtheywouldasky ou12
questi
ons,perspi ri
tsandtheny
ouwoul dbegivenablood
goblet
.Whi chy ouhadt odri
nki
nfrontoft
hem, whatev
ertype
ofblooditis,andt henyouwoul
dbeal l
ott
ed.”Herasai
d.
“Idon’
twanti
tknow”Madel
i
nef
rownedherf
aceandt
wist
edi
t
t
osomeugl ygest
ure.
“What’
sbadi ndr
inki
ngbl
ood,don’
tyouhavet
astedit
?”
StembortaskedtoMadel
i
ne,whohadstil
ltwi
stedhermout
hin
anuglyposit
ion.
“
Okay,
guysseeyousoon;
Ihavet
odoprepar
ationsf
orsor
ti
ng.
”
Her
asaidandmovedawaywit
hthedi
nnerpl
ate.
Nowt her
ewereonlyMadel i
neandSt embor t
,lefti
nthemidof
theunknowncrowd,actuall
ytheybothwer enewt oeachother
andtoNerdhedge,atonesidewher eMadelinehadt ovei
lher
i
denti
ty,whi
leontheeithersi
deSt emborthadt olookf
or
prot
ecti
nghisRioncommuni ty,whichwasv anishi
ng.
‘
Err
,Imustsayyouwer
everymuchconf
identt
ospeakupaf
ter
t
hatrandom.
’’
Stembor
tenchant
edMadeli
ne.
“Actual
ly,
atstar
tingIwastooli
tt
lebitnerv
ous, butthenI
thoughtofmyGr andmother,
whom wi t
haffecti
onatelyIcal
l
ed
Greta.Andwithhersweetandinspir
ati
onalteachings,I
developedthatmuchendurance.
’’Madeli
neblushed.
“So,y
ouaret
hest
udentofHeal
ari
ogeni
cs,
IofMat
homs,
’
’
Stembor
tsai
d.
“Forthesakeofmypar ent
’slastdesire,It
ookthissubject,
and
nowIwoul dbepr acti
cingit
.Don’ty ouwantt owatchthedeath
ceremony ,andofsurpri
setoday’sdeat hceremonyisfrom
earth.Doesn’ti
tssoundinter
esting.’
’MadelineaskedSt embor
t,
whoseemedt obesleepyatthattime.
“Whynot
,defi
nit
elyIwouldatt
endit
,becauseiti
sthependi
ng
deat
hceremonyof10t o8years.
’
’St
embor tsai
dpret
endi
ng.
“So,whatar
ewewai
ti
ngf
or,
weshoul
dgot
her
e?’
’Madel
i
ne
said.
Bothcamet ot hecor nerofdi scussi on,theymov edf rom the
l
astget ti
ngpar ty,actuall
yagr andf east, youcansay ,the
Ganezi um, Hal lofCruexhadn’ tbeensof ar,maybet herewer e
thousandsofspi ri
tsroami ngar oundi nar ow, f
ort heir
j
udgment ,itwasr eall
yfasci nat ingt ohav eseet hel argeamount
ofcrowdsf rom t hedifferentcel ibates,eitheri
twasf rom anyof
thefourPi xiescommuni ties, orf rom thest oneageHomor ti
ans,
alsonecr omancer sser vedast hespeci al guestofhonort here,
eventuall
yt her ewhol ecommuni tyservedasHeal eriocinsof
spiri
t,i
twast her epremi um j ob, toheal thehaunt ingspi rit
s.And
alsotheyser vedf orther estoft hecommuni ti
es.Lemandor s
weret hecommuni t
iesoft alkingani mal sandbest s,probablyof
cats,dogs, bear ,li
ons,elephant sandev erybeastoft hewor l
d
butnotoft hemi xedgene, li
kehal foftheseandhal foft hat,
theywer eal lpur ebloods.
Itwasanopenspi ralstair
casestadi
um li
keanar ena, inwhich
ontheri
ghtsidefrom 546st eps,
upwasaHar am; itwascalled
aroyal
tyroom fortheGodofdeat h,
Neuciadesandhi swives.
Alongwit
hhi sallministr
iesandthenleav
ingtenf loorsdown
werethearrangement sforbestknownHeal er
iocins
communitiesthatwer efortalent
edandownednecr omancers.
Andt
henf
ivef
loor
sdownwer
efort
heot
heri
mpor
tantguest
.
Andt henot herhadbeenf orthecommondeni zenst heyused
toplaceal ongt abl eandawei ghingbalancet herealsot hereis
aguar dofsoul whohadt hescal esofwei ghing,therewer e
magi cal cir
clesdr awnar ound, withlotsofgl itt
eringcandl es
andlampsi nthemi dairther ewer ethest atuesofcer amic
angelsanddemi gods, alsot herewasabookofdeat h,and
alongwi t
ht heMa’ atgoddessoft rut
h, i
fthehear tofthesoul
wasnotj udgedt obepur ei twasdev ouredbyandemon‘ Hel
l-
hound’ ,andt hesoul under goingt hejudgmentwasnotal lowed
tocont inuei t
sv oy aget oLor dNeuci adesandi mmor alit
y,once
thehear twasswal lowed, thesoul wasl efttolabori nthe
darkestwor ldofhel l,t
hemor ewoul dbet hesi ns, t
hemor ehe
wouldbesubj ectedt odr owni nthegr oundsofhel l,
ornext
punishmentwast heunwor thyhear t
swer ecasti nt
oaf i
ery
l
akesf ulloffil
thyunder wor l
dcr eaturessucker softhebl ood
andt heyar esai l
edt ounder wor l
dwi thlotsofbi t
esandt eari
ng.
Att heent r
ypoll,t
herestoodoft wobigguar ds,t
heyhadwor n
allbl
ackar meddr essed.Theywer ereal
lylookingterri
fi
ed.Wi t
h
halfcoveredmout handabi glaserswor dofr ed-
scarletcol
our
aroundwi ththesetheyhadcar r
iedthespikedmacef orthe
securi
ty,alsotherewasangi r
l withdarkredey esandhadneck
shorthairs,shewast enderbutnotski nnyshehadbeent he
Ir
ishblackbeaut yandhernamewasAnapy a,herbodyhad
beendr apedwi t
hsimpl yarectangularpiecesofcl othwithkind
ofsomest rapsandheldt ogetherwithbyt hebeltithad
whippedhemsandt wistedchainst i
tch.
Heryeshadbeenadoredwiththethickblackqui
lt
sofpeacock
f
eatherLi
kethei
rpr
incessusedtocar r
y,shehadaser pentbox
wit
hherandusedtotesttheenteri
ngpersonwi t
hbiti
ngt hei
r
vei
nswithaVenomoussnake,ifthepersonhadpi nkblushes
onhercheeksshewasall
owedotherwi
set
hei
ntr
uder
shadt
o
facet
hedeath,wi
thdar
kbluebody.
StembortandMadelinedepart
edatt
hesecur
it
ycheck,
wher
e
St
emborthadt ogowi t
hthoseugl
ybi
gbrui
ser
s,whil
eMadel
i
ne
wi
ththatblackbeaut
y.
Madelinewasorderedt okeephercheeksjustnearthefor
k
tonguesoffi
veheadsnakes, i
twasreal
lyterr
ify
ingmoment ,
Madelinehadbeenf ai
ntedtil
l,shemanagedt oremainnor
mal.
Thesnakeswer esuckinghercheeksfrom longtime,andi
twas
beenfift
eenminutes,nowt hatgir
lwasalsogoingtobein
doubtthatwhat’
sthemat ter.Andsuddenlyallt
hefiv
esnakes
died,t
hegirl
tookoutherdaggerofSet ,andputitontheneck
ofMadel i
ne.
“Whoartt
hou?Howdidthesnakesdi
ed,hady
oumur dered
anyonei
nyourpastl
i
fe,
tel
lme!”Sheaskedwi
thherburning
redfl
amedeyes.
“That
’snotmyf
aul
t,Idon’
tknow,
howt
hey–howt
heydi
ed.
Godswear”Madel
i
nesaid.
Wi t
hinf iv
emi nutes,Madel inewasbendedwi t
hdownwi ththe
l
ockedhands, andwasputf or wardinthemi ddleofthear ena
hall
,whi l
et hesnakeswer esentt oex aminehal l
,todetermine
thereasonoft heirdeath.ev er yoneseemedt obehungr ybeast
toher,oneoft hegr eatof fi
cialsofNeuci ades,Anpumi us
descendeddownonhi sspiritedbulletchari
ot ,
withast orm of
dust,Shewai l
edhi m, andt henhest oodl ikeanhugest urdy
mount ain,infrontofher ,hi
sbodywasshi ningwithalustof
gold,hisgol d-blackcol ourwast hesy mbol ofbothrebirt
hand
discol
or ati
onoft hespiritafterthejudgment .
Hi
smai
njobwast
ohol
dthedeceasedspi
ri
tsandgui
det
hem
toNeuci ades.Hewast heguardandallyofNeuci ades.Hehad
wornt heplatear morwi thafli
ntl
ockmusket .Hewasl ooking
l
ikeademi -
lancer .Withoutanyburgonetonhi shead,hehad
hair
supt oneckal l
black,Cuff
-t
oppedandal ongr obecurtains
swagi ngupi nair.Andhadshoeswi thstr
apsbet weent oesand
j
oinedt othesi desatt heheelwit
ht heupperleatheredgoldj ust
coveringthef ootwi t
houtbeingfastenedtothef ootitsel
f,and
hisbizarreeyeswer etotowardtheMadel i
ne.

CHAPTER13
ANOSTALGI
CSPI
RIT
Thef
ir
stt
hingheusedt
ospeakwas,
whydi
dshedot
hat
?
“Iwouldal way sliket olook, andtoobscur etheev i
l-
doerswho
usedtof laywi tht hecer emony ,becauseIhadt oser vemyl ord,
andhewhoi sgr eatestofgr eatperchedont hethronesmade
from mill
ionsofspi rit
s,ist hekingofdeat handDuat ,Lord
Neuciades, towhom Iusedsl aymyownheadshundr edti
mes
asanof f
eringst ohi m wi ththishand,Ithesonofgr eat
Yasthi
v andhandmot herMay adrinamedAnpumi us,wouldlike
tohavet heappr opriater easonfrom thegirlwhot r
iedto
harmedt hisauspi ci
ouscer emony ”thelordAnpumi usaskedt o
Madeline, whomeanwhi leseeingt heglar
eofgod, hadbeenof f
whitefrom f earjoinedherhandst ogetherandbeggedf or
mercy.
“Thegr eatprot
ectorofdeath,andtheloy
ali
stser vantoflor
dof
death,thekingsoflowerhellandthegodoftr uth,mylord
Anpumi us,Iwouldsweartohav eanyobstacl
esar oundt his
ceremony ,butIwouldreal
lyli
ketostatemyr easont oallofthe
attendeespresentatthi
stime, t
hatIam ancur sedgenesof
blackbloodbecausemybl oodcontainanexplosivesegment
call
edFNOT- 56arar
estofrare,whi
chisini nacti
vemodebut
canbl astthewholelandofpurity
.Wher everIlookIhadt
hese
bloodr unningthr
oughmyv ein,andIreall
ydoesn’tknowit
s
fault
.”Madel i
nesaid.
Andf r
om ev eryside,therewasshout ing,someonewassay ing
“Hanghert othecr oss”,“No,nobur nherwi thfi
renozzlesf rom
thedragons”,“Pushheri nthewellofgobl i
ns”,“
Fleshherof fto
Jackmen” ,“
Pul loffherey esandgiveittoanogr e”,“Cuthim
withtheaxeandsentherpi ecestohel l
”.“Burr
yherinMast abas,
(Aburiali
nwhi chbl oodpestar eleavedt osuckupt healiv
e
person),l
ikethismanyr emarksandopi nionwer eformed, some
weret hr
owingst onesandpebbl estoher ,butnoonecame
for
war dtosav eher .
Suddenlythecer
emonywasadjournedforawhil
eanditwoul
d
becarri
edont ot
omorrow‘
snight
.Butthenanroamingspi
ri
t
camewhi chwasfrom t
heear
thandshey el
ledf
orherwords,
“Oh!Thegodofdeat h,pleasegi v
ememychancet oproofthat
thisgi r
lisinnocent!”anf amili
arspiri
twasf or
medi nfr
ontof
thehi ghlytransl
ucentey esofMadel i
ne,whichfrom t
heattack
ofthr ownpebbl eshadbeenr i
nsedof fwit
hblood,shewas
aboutt of aint
,sheknewt hi
sspi r
it
,wit
hlotsofenergyand
cour ageMadel i
netriedtoopenherey es,andshewasagai n
surpr i
sedt oseet hatthespi r
itwasnoneot herthanofher
historyteacher ,
“Mr s.Vistas”,sheremainedinshocked,maybe
thisspi r
itwouldbeenr agedt oher.
“
Mrs.Vi
stas,
didy
ouwer
enextf
ort
hef
uner
al?
”Madel
i
neasked.
“Letmespeak,Mel
issait’
sver
yimpor
tantt
obr
ingt
het
rut
h!”
shesai
dinsil
entvoice.
Madel
i
newasi
naf
aintcondi
ti
on,
buthowcoul
dshebeawar
e
ofherf
akename, whocoul
dtel
lheraboutt
hesecretofherr
eal
per
sonali
ty,
it’
sreal
l
yahugeconspi
racyorpl
annedwor kof
someone,
“Pl
easeproceed,andal soyouhadbeenidentif
iedasagood
spi
ri
t,soyouwoul dbegi venachancetohear”saidAnpumi
us.
AndagainhischariotwasheldtotheHar am oflor
dNeuci
ades,
whosefacewasst ill
hiddenbehindthecurt
ains.
“Themi ghtygod,Neuci ades, Ibowedmyheadsi nhonorofy ou,
I’
m Geor gi
aVistas,anhumansoul andIusedt obeahi story
subjectteacheratearthofMel issa,Melissahadbeenput ted
i
ntot hechargesofmymur der,andshehadt ospentallher
chil
dhoodi nthechildren’
sj ail
.Att heageoft welveshewas
putt
edbehi ndthebar s.Butt odayIwoul dliketotellt
heent i
re
worldthatshei si
nnocent ,shehadn’ tmur derme, act
uallyshe
doesn’tknewhowt oki l
lany one,asst upidandsi l
lyshewasat
school,Iacceptshewasasl owl earnerbutshehadn’ tmurder
anyone.Mymur dererwas–wasaboy ,andhi sname, nam…. ”
Thespi r
itofMrs.Vistasdi sappear edwi t
hhal finf
ormation.
Atthattimethei nter r
ogat ort eam, alsorepor t
edt hatsnakes
hadbeendi edbecauset heycoul dn’twithstandt hehi gh
temperaturebloodofMadel ine, andt heydi edwi thimmedi at
ely
,
Madelinehadn’tmur der edany one.Ther eforethedeat h
ceremonywasabol ishedandl ordst urnedf ortheirmanor
house,proofi
ngMadel inewasi nnocentandshewas
i
mmedi at
elyreferredt oHospi t
al ofAnt erromians.Ther ewas
muchbl oodlossofMadel ineandshehadbeenf ainted, t
hev er
y
muchseni orHeal eriocinMr s.Adameen, wasgi v
enchar gedto
operat
eMadel i
ne, theoper ationt heat r
ehadbeenr edt hrough.
Mrs.Adameenhadwornt
hetypi
cal
sur
geondresswithwhit
e
cl
oak,andf
ir
stl
ygaveMadel
i
netheher
bofdrowsinesscal
l
ed
Drowsel ,i
twasv eryimpor tantforanoper at i
ont ofull
yf ai
ntthe
pat i
ent,t
henapot i
onofpai nkill
ingher bAnody nes,wasgi ven,
thatreli
evepain,relaxanddi sper semuscul arachesandpai ns,
thet r
eatmentwast her esul
tofpr ocessofcat aplasm, the
bloodswer ecleanedwi thment al fl
oss, whichwasapi nkish
cot t
onf l
owerwhi chgi v
essweet eningf lavortoquencht he
mi nd.Thenthreegr adesofdr ugswer egivent oMadel ine,
super i
orgrade,i
nwhi chat onicmadef rom Mol ypl
antwas
given,themagicher bwi t
habl ackr ootandwhi t
eblossoms.
Theni nsecondgr adesomet herapeut icagent swer egivento
boostupandatt hirdhar dpotentdr ugsmadef orml ion’smane
wer egiven.
Aft
erlongt i
meoper ationwiththemethodofcat aplasm,
Madelinewithbandagedheadcamet oherstate,andf oundout
Mrs.Adameen, standingi nf
rontofher.
,shewasr eallycheer
ful
,
ki
ndandsor t
edlady,herphy si
cswasofat al
landtender
womanwi t
hgoldenhai r
,andwearingafrock–cum mi di
gener
al l
ytouchi
ngcal ves.
“
Arey
ouf
eel
i
ngbet
ternow,
’
’shesai
dwi
thsmi
l
e.
“
Yes,I
’
mi ngood,condi
ti
on,
butIdi
dn’
tknowy
ouname?
’’
Madel
ineaskedf
orhername.
“
Mynamei sAdameenGoth,
andI’
mt heseni
orHealer
ioci
nof
t
heGaunt
let’
shospi
tal
committ
ee.BythewayIal
sowoul dli
ke
t
oknowyourname,sweetgi
rl
?’
’Mrs.Adameenasked.
“
Oh!I’
mr eal
l
ysorr
y ,
mynameismad-Mel
i
ssaMudgun,
’
’
Madel
inetol
dthefakeone.
“Wait
,Ar
en’
tyouthedaughterofNiagaraandNeil
opar
d
Mudgun?AndthegranddaughterofMrs.Kopel
aMudgun,
’
’she
askedwi
thsurpr
ise.
“
Yes,I
’
mt hedaught
erofNi
agar
aandNei
l
opar
dMudgun,
’
’
Madel
ineanswer
ed.
“Oh!Mygod, soy ouar ethesingleref
ugeewhohadbeensav ed
fr
om theear t
h,disaster2000,Ican’tbel
ievethi
s,don’
tyou
knowt hatIandyourpar entswer eofsamebat chatMounhar
t,
weallwer ein‘
Rouf f
leknot’
,andal ongwiththeothert
wo,Hal
us
DergenandJennyJant ineNumi hode,Thebestteam of
Archqueri
c,inthewhol ev i
aduct.
’’sai
dAdameen.
“Yes,al
lofsuddenImetmyuncleMr.GeraldCarl
son,my
mot her
’sonl
ybrotherwhonowhadacceptedthecit
izenshi
pat
earth.
”Madeli
nesaid.
“Iknowt hat ,Mr.Ger aldwasanemi nenti nspect orofour
Ner dhedgebutwhenhewasaboutt ol andf orinspection,hi
s
fuel hadbeendr oppedt ozer o, theref orehedi demer gency
l
andi ngonear t
h, andst ayedf orev er, butI–It houghtt hat,you
alongwi thy ourpar entsdiedi nt hatdi saster,Imour nedal ot
becausey ourpar entswer emybestf riends.Al sojennyJant i
ne
Numi hode, butEl opingwi t
hAr fusMcCar thy,wasr eall
y
shocki ng, theyalsohadagi rlchi l
dandt heywer ereportedtobe
onear t
h, andnoonet henknowswhathappenedt othem, I
reallywi shedt heycoul dbel ivingt oget herat‘ MonseyBandr a’
’
,
Ar f
us’sownhome, whichhehadpur chasedwi thhisown
money ,hewasr eallyagoodper son.Butt heyhadbeen
under gonewi thbr utal
ityoft het wof ami li
es, Numi hodeand
McCar thy;theyar et heevilestenemyofal lNer dhedge
traditi
onal f amil
y ,i
twasr eallyconj uringwoes.Idon’ twantt o
rememberi tf
urther,”andMr s.Adameenst artedsobbi ngaway .
“I
t’
ssuchacrappi
estthi
ngIhadev engonethr
ough,Mrs.
Adameen,nowIcouldfeel
throughhowmuchoppr essi
onthey
hadtosuf
feralot
!!
”Madelinesaidandl
ookedtowardMr s.
Adameen.
“It
hink,
youshouldgetdischargedimmedi
ately
,andshould
havebedrest,
eit
heryouwoul dn’tber
ecov
eringasfastasyou
can.
”Mr s.Adameensaid.
“Yes,
youarer
ightMrs.Adameen,It
hink,I
-Ishoul
dimmedi
atel
y,
gohome”Madelinet
riedtogetupfr
om thebedbutwasgiven
supportbyMr
s.Adameen.
Mr s.Adameenwasaboutt ogiv
eMadel i
nedischar
ged,butthen
shewasst oppedbyastaffassi
stant
,inf
ormingherthatsome
rebell
ionshadburntthehouseofMel i
ssaMudgunnamed
‘
Embassy ’
andMushakr ajhadbeensav edfr
om thefir
eandi s
senttocelibateofLemandors.
“What?Thehousehadbeensetofftof
ir
e,t
heyhadn’t
contr
oll
edtherebely
et,
andit
’sreal
l
yamatterofconcer
n,now
wherethepoorgir
lwouldbel
ivi
ngnow?”Mrs.Adameensaidto
staf
fassist
ant
.
“
Whathappened,Mrs.Adameen,
youaretal
ki
ngaboutsome
f
ir
e?House,what’
sgoingon?”Madel
i
nesaidwhohadcome
j
ustf
rom herbed,
li
stenedt
hetal
ksoftwo.
“Oh!Mel
i
s,whydidyouhaveony ourlegs,
youar
estr
ict
ly
advi
sedtohavebedrest
,yourbl
oodinghadbeencur
ed.’
’Mr
s.
Adameensaid.
“
Tell
met r
uthFor,
Godsake!Mrs.Adameen,
Ireal
l
ydon’
twant
t
obeunaware,youwer
esayingsomethi
ngaboutme?”
Madeli
nesai
d.
Atthemeanwhi l
ethedefenseof
fi
cial
s,andexamini
ngteam
cametot hehospit
al,
andtoldMadeli
neabouttheburni
ngof
herhouse,
“We’rer
eall
ysorryMissMudgun, butsomeprotest
anthad
burnedyourhomeandhaddest royedally
ourbelongi
ngs,
the
searchoperat
ionissti
l
linpr
ogress”thecopsinfor
med.
“Whatarey ousaying,of
ficers,don’ tyouknow, thiswast heonly
memor andum ofMudgunf ami ly,thishousewasanancest r
al
pri
deofMudgun, t
her e-
ownedsoci ali
stMr s.KopelaMudgun’ s
househadbeensetupt of i
re, whatwer ey oudoi ngatt hetime
ofthati
ncident,i
nspiteofbei ngi nnocentIhadbeenbul li
ed
andgonet hrowcer t
aintort
ur es,ev enwhenIwasr ecti
fied,my
ancestr
alhomewassett ofire,nowy outellmewher eis
Mooshacandwhatshoul dIdonow? ’’Madel i
ney ell
edandher
fi
ngerswereclinchedinaf ist.
“Youdon’thavetowor ryMel
issa;Mooshachadbeensentto
Lemandor ’
sceli
bate,andyoucanl i
vewithmeinmyhouseat
RedToppl en,
northNerdhedge,Iandmydaught erusedt
oleave
ther
e, mydaughterisjust16yearsold,andshewouldbereal
l
y
happiert
ohav eyouasherf r
iend.’
’Mrs.Adameensaid.
“
But
,howcanIl
i
vewi
thy
ouMr
s.Adameen’
’Madel
i
newor
ri
ed.
“Asachildofmybestf r
iend,Iowemyhousetoy ou,asaguest
orasaf amil
ymembery oucouldst
ayheret
il
lyourhousewould
berebuil
t.
”Mr s.Adameensaid.Andther
ewereat r
ustwas
breezi
ngthroughtheeyes.
“
Ishoul
dcomether
e,Mrs.AdameenbutIwoul
dpayf
ori
tli
kea
r
ent’
’Madel
i
neoff
ered.
“Asyouwi sh,Iwon’tmind,butyouhadtoli
vewit
hme, wearmy
daughter
’sclothes,wel
l hernameisHexa,shewoul
dbereall
y
kindt
oy ou,buty essheislit
tl
ebitchi
l
dish,
sodon’
tyoumind,if
shedidsomet hing.’
’Mrs.Adameensaid.
“
Iwoul
dli
ket
obeaf
ri
endofHexa!
!’
Madel
i
nesai
d.
“
So,
let
’sgot
oyournewhome’
’Mr
s.Adameensai
d.
AfterpackingMadel ine’
sthingt heysetof ft
ot heirnewhome,
whi chwasi nthefourthceli
bat e,actuall
yofnecr omancer
communi t
y,RedToppl en,nor t
hNer dhedge.Dr i
vingitawaywi t
h
aper sonalNitr
oswagon, Anupdat edv er
sionofcaratear th,
whi chwasl i
keanst yli
shflyov er,t
ransformitselfaspertheno
ofpassenger ,hadcool i
ngsy stem andheat i
ngsy st
em, t
here
wasanov enandt oil
etsandi tdoesn’ temitanyf uel,
itwas
totall
yeco-fri
endl
y ,
itonlyfl
yandcan’ tbeusedi nwat erand
road, wasfun;actuall
yMr s.Adameencamei nr i
chestfami l
yof
Ner dhedge.Butwhi l
egoingt oherhome,
Madel iner emember edthatMr s.,Vista’sspiri
twast r
yingt osay
thenameofheract ual
mur der er,butt henshev ani
shedof f,
def i
nit
elyther el i
edahugemy steryofherdeat h, Butwhocan
mur derher , i
tst i
llremainedaquest ion,Sheat tendacal lv i
a
Vibotune, whi chact ual
lywor ksont hespi ri
tli
neconnect i
on,
spiri
tusedt ocollectdat afrom t hesi gnal
’sofone’ sbr ai
nsand
transferredi ttot heirowner, ev eryVibotunehasspeci ficspiri
ts
Newdy lethespi r
itissetupi nMadel ine’
sVi botune,whose
specialtywast hathei mmedi atelycreepsawayi ntheper son’s
mi ndwhot houghtofher ,andr eportedlythecal li
st r
ansferred
from hisVi bot une,whi chwasofSt embor t,andshepi ckedup
thephone:
“Whyareyouthi
nki
ngoffme,St
embor
t?”Madeli
neaskedint
o
Vibot
unewhichvi
deocal
ledi
ttoSt
embort
,evenhehadn’t
Madeli
ne’
sno.
“Ihear
dofthenews,
theyhadal
mostki
l
ledy
ou,
it’
sreal
l
ybad’
’
Stembortsai
d.
“
What
?Soy ouweren’
tpresentatdeat
hceremony,
buthadn’
t
y
oubeent
hroughsecuri
tycheck,act
uall
ywedepart
edfr
om the
por
tal
itsel
f,It
houghty
ouwer
ether
e?”Madel
i
neasked.
“Yes,Ihadbeenrest
ri
ctedoffbytheguardsasRion,hadn’
t
beeneligi
blet
othiscri
teri
a,t
heyinf
ormedme, t
hatwewor ked
attempleofEkol
owas, andwecan’tatt
endthefuneral
ceremonybecauseitisaninauspi
ci
ousceremony .
’
’Stembort
said.
“Iwoul
d,cal
lyouback!
!Act
uall
ytheconnect
ioni
sbeencut
,’
’
andthephoneconnect
ionhadbeencut.
Madel i
neandMr s.Adameenbot hcamet othehouse,the
housewasv erybi gandmoder nized,theroomswer everybig
enoughwi thgar den, andMadel i
newasal l
ottedaniceroom,
withbigcurtains, shewasi nt r
oducedwi t
hHexa, andshewas
reall
ynicegirltoher ,theybot hbecomesi stermorethanfri
ends,
i
twasnear l
yt obeni ghtandMadel inehadt oatt
endherfir
st
classofHeal ari
ogeni cs,afterdinnerMadel inewenttohernew
room, l
yingaloner eadingal ongr ecei
ptofhersubjectsand
classeswithoutl eav i
nganyt r
aceofsubj ectsinhermemor y,
suddenlytherewasa‘ Kirk’
f r
om t hedoorandt ohersurpri
se,
shewasHexa,
“
Hadn’
tyousl
epty
et,
it’
sal
readybeen12:
00pm?
”Hexasai
d.
“
You,t
ooar
ewaking,
don’tyouhav
eschool
tomor
row?
”
Madel
i
netr
iedt
obefri
endly
.
“
Idohavethat,
butIthoughtt
oli
stenf
rom y
ouwhat
’st
hepl
ace
i
sauniv
ersit
y?”Hexaasked.
“Ir
eal
l
y,don’
tknowyetIhadt
ohav
et heexper
ience,t
heday
aft
ert
omorrowIwouldbeabl
etot
ell
!”Madeli
nesaid.
“Okay,goodluckfort
omor
row;
Ithi
nkImustgett
obed!
!”Hexa
saidandleftther
oom.
“Thanks, Hexamaybey ourgoodl uckshoul denchantme, good
night !
”Madel inesai dandagai nt urnedf orreadi ngt hel ong
memos, bet weent hi s,shewonder edherl ongj our neyf r
om
eartht oNer dhedge, themoment swhi chshespentwi thGr eta,
andt hent heunexecut edmur der ,wait!Todayatt hedeat h
ceremony , thespi r
itofMr s.Vistas, wassay i
ngt hatshewasn’ t
themur der er,thatmeansshehadacl eancheat ,buti nnext
moment ,sheal sosai dthataboyhaddonehi smur der, who
coul dbet hatboy ,because, onlyLar ryandshewer eundert ri
al,
thenwhowoul dbet heanot herboy ,
whohat redMr s.Vi stas?
AndLar rycan’ tbet hemur dererashehadmov edt oCal i
for nia
alonghi sf ami ly, befor ethemur derhappened.SoLar ryis
definit elynott hecr imi nal, canitbeKer ryswatandher
pent agonsquad, No!Noshecan’ tbet hemur der er,because
Mr s.Vi stassai d, shehadbeenki ll
edbyaboyandsuddenl y
disappear ed, whenshel ookedatt her ightsideoft heopenhal l
,
somaybet hecr imi nal i
sal sohadt opossess, somesuper
natur al poweral ongwi tht hatheal soisf r
om Ner dhedge,
coul dn’ titi sal i
nk, yesdef init
elyit’sapl annedmur der ,
someonei sei therenv i
ousofme, orheknowsev ery t
hingabout
me, ev ent hist hatI ’
ml ivi
ngher ewi thanal i
asname, may behe
i
st hesameper sonwhohadki l
ledmydadort heonewhohad
haunt edmypar ent s, sot hattheywer ef orcedt ol i
vet oear th,
therecoul dbeabi gr easonanddef i
nedpl anning, wai t!How
Mr s.Vi stasdi dknewaboutmysecr etandmyf akename, who
woul dbet elli
ngaspi ri
taf terall
, t
hemor esheat t
empt edt o
forcehermi nd, shei sabl et oseet here’sonlyoneper son’ sf ace
whi chwoul dbl oatar oundhermi ndandhei snoneot hert han
Prof .Gr oot ibour ,cum Sanzang, shehadt omethi m, andt o
knowwhydi dhecamet oear th,there’smustbegr eatpl anni ng
behi ndal l these.
Afterthelastni
ght,Madeline’squickenedt houghtofPr of
.
Grootibourbecomeal i
ve,sheaf t
erhav i
ngbr eakfastalongwith
Mrs.AdameenandHexa, allthethreewentoutatsamet i
me,
Mrs.Adameenal ongMadel ineandHexa, firstdr oppedHexat o
herschool andthenMadel inetotheuni v
er si
t y,r
acedher
‘
Nitroswagon’,tothehospital,Madeli
nest eppedt ouniver
sit
y,
Herawasal r
eadytherewithSt embortVifor,t heywav edther
e
handt oMadel i
ne,
“Areyouf
eel
i
ng,
good,
yourwoundsar
epr
ett
yter
ri
ble?
’’Her
a
asked.
“They’
rej
ustfi
ne,butst
il
lpai
nedme”Madel
i
nesai
dwi
than
almostly
ingnatur
e.
“
Deni
zensarereall
ywi
ldt
oberebel
,fornor
easont
heybur
ned
y
ourhouse!
!”Stembor
tgr
iev
ed.
“Whatareyousaying,Stem,t
heyburnedherhouse,evenwhen
shewasinnocent,that’
stoomuch,whereyouareli
vingnow”
Heraaskedlooki
ngt ense.
“Hmm.i naresthousewhichi
sinRedToppl en”Madeli
neagain
l
ied,becauseshedoesn’
twanttosoundthatsheisli
vingi
n
houseofoneoft hebi
gHealer
ioci
n,andalsotonotlookli
kea
fr
eelancetenant
s,whotr
acedanyone’shouse,soi
twasbet t
er
toremainhide.
“That
’st
oodr ear
ytohear
,ifI
’
m notwrongi
twasyourancestr
al
house,t
helastmementoofyourhei
r.
”Herasai
d,shewasv er
y
muchcor ny
.
“You,
shoul
drecov
erasf
astasy
oucan,
that
’st
hehope”
Stembor
tsai
d.
“
Wai
t,Il
i
stent
hataspi
ri
tsav
edy
ou,
andshewassome….
letme
remember
,yout
ell
Stem!Don’
tyouwerepr
esentt
here?
”Her
a
askedt
oStembor
twhowasnowl ooki
ngathi
sVibot
une.
“Whatdid,y
ousayIhadwor ethi
searplugs,no!Iwasnot
presentatt
hatceremony ,
sobetterdon’task”Stembor
tagai
n
pluggedtohisunpluggedear.
“Nothi
ng, shewasmyschool t
eacherMr s.Vist
asandIhad
beenarrestedint hesakeofhermur der.Butont heceremony
sheclearedt hereasonthatfi
nall
yIwasn’ thermurderer,
you
don’
tknowf rom howmanyy earsI
’m hauntedf r
om hergrief
,I
hadlostmychi l
dhood,andhadseenmanyt ort
ure,l
eaveitI
don’
twantt osummar izeitnow.”Madelinesaid,wit
h
abandoningt hegr i
m.
“
Iwoul
dal
sot
hinkso!
”Her
acompl
i
ed.
Thecampushadbeenalreadyfil
ledwi
thstudent
s,shecan
havethel
ookofLor
ri
aMappl epuff,
whowashangingaround
Geglhex,
hadal
lti
mecrookedey esonher,
andshewoul d
def
ini
tel
ybehervi
cti
m,
“Hey
!Youthekissgirl
,comeher
e!!
”Lor
ri
aMapplepuf
fshout
ed
havi
nghershoulder
stooneoftheGegl
’shand.
“
Me!!
”Madel
i
nesaidandlooksar
oundher
sel
f,t
oconf
ir
mthat
r
eal
l
yshehadbeencal
led.
Whi
leStembortdoesn’
tli
ketheway,
Lor
ri
awascal
l
ingon
Madel
i
ne,Herawast oogrowingr
ed.
“
Don’tyouneedt
ogo;shei
sj ustt
ryi
ngtoloweryourest
eem,
Mel
is!!
”Stembor
tsai
d,hol
dingMadelinebacktoherposi
ti
on.
“Ithi
nkStemborti
sri
ght
,theyar
ejustt
empt
ingt
ohav
eyour
sickness.
”Her
asaid.
“They’
repronetohav esuchthingsaroundthepowerl
essand
ti
midcreatures,butIhadtoexplai
nthem thetr
uth,
letmego
Stembort!
!”Madel i
nesaid,
try
ingtorescueherhandsfrom t
he
clut
chesofSt embort.
“Iwon’tl
etyougo,
lookt heyaremaki
ngaplanoftrappi
ngyou,
pleasemarkmywor ds,andtheyhadmadetheirmindtobow
downy ourr
espect
.”Stembor tsai
dwi
thaggressi
on.
“
Meli
s,t
heyarecommit
tinganunj
ust
if
ieddeedt
omakey
ou
r
egr
et,
”Heraagai
ntr
oll
edher.
“
Letmego,
Ishoul
dbeanswer
abl
etot
hem,
”Madel
i
nesai
d.
“You’ r
edrivent omadness, youshouldbeal t
ernat
ivetothem,
theyar en’
ttryingtobef ri
endwi t
hy ou,Li
stenmywor dsIreal
ly
can’ tseeanyf urt
hertempt ati
onst oyou,Ireall
ycareforyour
happi nessMel is.
”Stembor tsearchedthroughdeepest
emot i
onsbyl ookingintoMadel i
ne’seyes,whichwer efi
ndinga
truef ri
endinthemsel ves,shereall
ylostbyhi sfl
owingv oi
ce,
whi chwassur passi
ngt hr
oughnapeofherneck, andtherewas
ai ntensethrobbingofhear tinpl
easantmannershi nesout.
Geglwhowasr eal
lyannoyedbyseeingthet
wosocalledbest
fr
iendofera,
wasintercept
edwi t
hasuchabadsquirm,
shoutedatStembort
,forfi
rstt
imeli
keinaavengef
ullvoi
ce,
“We’renotheretoseet helovetrai
tsofbot hofy ou,soplease
there’
snoneedt obeactl ikeaperfectlover,andy ouVif
or,stop
beinganideali
zedhero, nobodycaresher e,howpr otect
iveyou
woul dbetothi
sfooli
shwoundedgi rl
, al
soshehadbeenbl ot
ted
frokil
li
ngthesnake,theyhadbur nedherhouse, andnowshei s
ahomel ess,
lethercameneart ous,ifshewi ll
s,youdon’thad
tobeanol dman”
Ther
ewasabur
stoff
akel
aught
er,
ther
einZeur
noss;
eit
herhe
wast hegr eeneyedMondor ffClevesort heunder cutFr est
ein
Bernot,alongwi t
hthelonghai r
edKel i
zant roDemon, andthe
highplanedofcheekbonesandwi thsandyhai r
,QueligLorends,
alsoGegl’sonet imegirl
friendLor r
iaMappl epuffwhoal ways
actli
keaspokesper sonofGegl andherf r
iendsLopamudr a
Nahast,Ni ckyPetul
la,ValeriaTri
bus, al
ongwi thKwer ieNyphs
ofVansh, “Heavlodun”ever yonewast r
yingt opushi tinamur ky
way ,
theirlaughterwasitself,verydisbeli
ev i
ng,therewasno
funatallint hedri
bbli
ngwor dsofGegl .
“Don’ty
oudar etoshoutatStembort,haveeyesonyourso
call
edgirl
fr
iend,Lorr
iaMapplepuf
f;eit
hershewouldeloped
withQueli
gLor ends’
’Madel
inetaunted.
“Mindyourl
anguage,ei
therIwon’
tfeelanyhesi
tat
iont
okil
lyou”
Lorri
awithr
edfacehowl edatMadeli
ne,shewasglower
ingto
them Madel
ineandthent oGegl
.
“
Letherbabble,whatelseshecando, sheisbrai
nless,
nothi
ng
i
mportantinhernonsense,heruseful
nessisli
mitedtorai
seup
t
hewar mth,uptosixt
y,oreit
herlessthenshewoul dbecutt
ing
i
t.
”Geglobjected.
“Yeah,
shei
sreal
l
ysl owman,”Mondor
ffCl
eves,
thegr
eeney
ed
boyofagesev
enteen,l
aughed.
‘
Hav eyouevertr
iedtocrossyourav
eragecapabil
it
y,ar
ound
sevent
yormor e?”theunder
cutboyFrest
einBernotsai
dfrom
thebackofGegl.
“
Nope,Idon’tthi
nkshehadev ert
ri
edtoachi
eve,i
tcanbeseen
f
rom herageingface,
isn’
tit
?”Quel
igt
hecheekboneboysai
d.
“Gi
veherspace,
mensheisnotsi
l
lybuti
nnocent
,don’
tfl
aw
her
’’Kel
i
zantr
odemongri
med.
“Youallbetterkeepy ourmout hshut;
eit
heryouallwouldbe
goingtopayf orit.
”St emborttakei
tbadly,
evenforasecond
therewasal lsil
encer apedeverybodygasped,hi
sr emarked
wassosuddent hatcausemuchofsuf f
eri
ng,Madel i
newas
reall
yfeeli
nglikeani diot
,asshewassomewher eresponsibl
e
forallt
his.
“We’renott errorizedwi t
hy ourhol lowedwar ningsVi for
,you
betterr emai nlikeani gnorantRi on, andalsot heyar egoingt o
beexpel l
edf rom t heoutskirtofRoguesage, asnecr omancer s
aregiv ent hechar geofEkol owast emple,because, yourhalfof
thebr eedshadbeenengul fedbyt heDhampi riots.”Gegl
stunnedev eryonewi thhiswor dsMadel inelookedar ound
herselfev eryonel ookedsur prisedhowGegl supposedt oknow
theuncensor ednewsofdi spl acingt heRions, theyseemed
arguingr eallyRi onswer egoi ngt obedi splacedf r
om
Roguesage, vi
llage, whatwasgoi ngar ound,itshoul dbe
stopped, Madel inewasget ti
ngr i
msofhermi nds.
Thegr i
efofoverf l
oodedemot ionsjustst
ruggledwi thaffl
icti
on
i
nt heeyesofSt embor t
,hisf i
ngershadbeencl inchedinaf i
st,
andhei mmedi atelyl
eavedt hecampusandwentdownt othe
remoteupstairs.Heraranaf terhim,andadv i
sedMadel i
net o
attendherfi
rstclassofBi ochemi csandResorcer y;
itslesson
tookplacedowni noneoft heol dbasementwher ethesoul ofa
restl
essbansheewoul droam.
Butbef
oregoi
ngshebeganherwor
dswi
thGegl
,
“Now,tel
lmewhyy oucall
edme, what ’syourpr obl
em, Hex,and
whatareyoutryingtosoundlike?asni ggeri
ngguy ,
coldand
empty,Oryourfakeegowhi chhadt urnedy ourlif
einan
endl
essdarkpit,whereyoucanonl yheart hewhi spersofyour
sol
ely
,withoutanyreasonyout empt edov erStembor t
,who
hadn’tanytypeofmi ser
ywi t
hy ou,
havingabunchoff ools
won’tletyoutocreateawor ldofty
ranny .Sobetterkeepitof
f.
”
Madel i
nebeganwi thhercharm ofthevoi ce,ev
eryonewas
l
ookingatheronly,whetheritaLorria,
orMondor ff
,Gegl
seemedt obegetcaughti nhisownwor ds, whi
chdoesn’t
seemedt oopenhi smout h.Therewasal lsil
encewithoutany
dismay .
Afterconquer i
ngsuccessf ull
yMadelinet urnedforherfirst
cl
ass, whereshewoul dbet aughtbyPr of.Reverbr
ow, she
spokewi thadi ff
erenttone,ther
ewasanembankment
al
though, shrewdanddi sci
pli
ned,andshehasauni quelyri
gid
wayoft hinking.I
nt heclassroom,therewasabl ackboardmade
upf r
om theski nofBat sandwer elotsofmammal sandher bs
everythi
ngsl ockedi nat r
ansparentglassEl mir
a,everyone
openedt heirbooknamed‘ Enchantedpr operti
esofBioVeda
andef f
ectoft antri
cpotions-byPr of.GalenusMor phine’,
Mi dwhi leHer ahadal socame, therewer eOnol upTay meur ,
Jeebi eJoggs, Membr isaScar l
oft,andTowr i
eNi nshiphof
“Chemi onaut’Vansh, itwast hemostst udiousVanshof
Mounhar t,especiall
yt heirleaderOnol up, whohadwonsev en
ti
mes, TheTi tanicOl ympi adofMounhar t
.(TOM)Hi slongl ast
compet it
orswer eGegl HexandSt embor tVifor.Alsohewas
oneoft hef avori
test udentofPr of.Rev erbrow, otherthanhi m
wer eNi ckyPet ull
a,Lor ri
aMappl epuf f ,Valeri
aTr ibus,
Lopamudr aNahastandKwer i
eNy phsof“ Heav l
odun”, Along
with, “Rouffl
eknot ’
’,
inwhi challplay er sandspor tsper sonality
wer et hemember s,FrolerikTenis,Mi rthGambr idge,Espant us
Scor nings,KelopsNeur ,Shenanr ollick.”Theywer ethebest
player sofAr chqueric.Butt hemet hodsandpr ocedur esoft hi
s
gamewer esecr etfort henewcomer s,Her ahadt ol
dheronce,
thatt hisgamei sheldev eryyear’sWheel ofWicca, inthemi dof
Februaryatdate2,mont hovertheSerperi
usmount ai
n.When
thewitchesstartt
heirSabbathandcelebratethefest
ival
sof
thei
rwitchcalendar,
theyhadaf est
ivalcall
edImbolc,t
hedays
areknownasQuar t
erday s,
”int
hatti
mef i
eldshadbeenset
aroundanoldar enawithblessi
ngsofgodNeuci ades.
“
Wear eheretost
udyt hef
ir
stchapt
eroftheongoingbook,ar
e
t
omakepr acti
calsur
geryusi
nganci
entchimes,t
oday’
sfir
st
l
esson,andistomakeuseofweaponlikeListofBlunt
i
nst r
ument s(Yant
ras)
”saidProfessorReverbrowand
openedt hetoolki
tmechanism whichhadbeenput ted
safelyi
nsideaskullwhi
chhadal ocklikesystem i
nhis
mout h,
Kakamukhay
ant
ra
Snuhi
yant
ra
Nadi
yant
ra
Tar
akshmukhi
yant
ra
Bakamukhay
ant
ra
Si
nhamukhy
ant
ra
“Iwouldfirstdescr i
bey ou,aboutt heKakamukhay antr
athis
yantraisusedf orthetreatmentofHor ti
l
opscommuni t
ies,
actuall
ytheyar et hecreaturesofhel l,andt hi
sy antrahadbeen
shapedofr avenwi thr
edey es,al
sohi shadt ongue, cal
leda
KakoBakr ot i
,hewast hei nsaneser i
al ki
ll
eroft hehelli
nt he
form ofcrow, whousedhi st onguet oswi peoutt hesoul from
anysideofper son’sbody ,andusedt osuckt hepigment ,but
whenhewasputi ntodeathbyNeuci ades,hisheadhadbeen
cutoffandi t
stonguehadbeengi v ent hewr i
testodr awthe
soul,butnotofanyhumanorAnt erromi ans,orany
necromancer ,butofv ir
uses,bacteria,protozoa,algaeorany
microor ganisms, i
twasmadei nform ofy antra,thespeci alt
yof
thi
sy ant ra,i
sthatwhenev ert
her eisansur gicaloper ati
on, t
his
toolhelpedasur geonlotsinhiswor k,becauseofi t
sl ong
tongue, itsuckedupt hesoulofbact eriaandpr otozoawhi ch
hadbeenei t
herinsertedorbeenspr ead,butifnotbeen
i
nsert edi nsi
det hemout hinsteadofchest ,i
tdev ouredt he
heartoft heper sonasi tsownf lesh-eati
ngandsucksupt he
soul,ulti
mat elytheper sonisdead, thereforeiti
susedi nv ery
rarecases. ”ProfRev erbrowsaid, pl
acingbackt heKakamukha
yantra.
Ever
y bodywasshockedseei
ngatthathor
ri
bleyantr
a,butmust
havehur r
iedof
ftol
ookforit
,speci
all
yOnol
upTay meur,hewas
soexcitedtoknowthedetai
l
sthatheacci
dentl
ystumbledupon
thetoolcase,
“Mr.Taymeur,don’tbesodesperat
e,aren’
tyouseei
t’
s
dangeroustounlockedtheweapon.Stayfurt
her
!!
”Pr
of
Reverbrowslammedwi thrush.
“
Sor
ry,
professor
,Iwoul
dbetaki
ngcareofit
”Onolupsai
dand
t
her
egressioncoul
dbeseeninhi
slust
ful
voice.
Prof.Reverbrowlookedwithsharpeyest ohermeanwhi l
ether
e
wasacur singcryofthebansheeMohi ni,shewascryi
ngso
harshthatitwasunableforanyonetolistenthet
eachings,and
meanwhi l
esheusedt odancelikeawei rdoandhersingingwas
notmor ethenli
steni
ngar eal
l
ywor stsadsong.
“Tara,Tarameekly,
webbyIlivetouseint
hesedungeons,
wher eIhadbeenmur der
edwhent herewasarobeaft
erLord
hadgone, Iwouldbepester
ingyouandwouldnotletyout
o
study,Tararah-
rah,
”Mohinitampered.
“Whati
sshesaying?
”Shenanrol
l
icksai
d,shewast
hest
udent
ofRouf
fl
eknot
,theplay
ingcl
ub.
‘
Ithinkshei st
ryi
ngt
ocrackajoke,
butal
as!Herj
okesaremore
i
rr
itati
ngt hanbei
ngf
unny,
”AnsweredMembrisaScar
lof
t,of
Chemi onaut.
“
Sheiswhooshi
ngaway;lookshei
sthrowi
ngthethi
ngs,
Oh!
Mygod,nott
hetool
kit
’’
squealedVal
eri
aTri
bus.
“Now,
thatKakamukhawoul
dbet
aki
ngourl
i
ves,
ifi
t’
sopened’
’
somesaid.
Madelinetoobecomehorr
ibl
eatt
histi
me,shetur
nedaround,
andsawt herewasreal
l
ytoomess,ev
eryonewasrunni
ngfor
thei
rli
ves,
‘
Getoutoftheway ,
’Lor
ri
asnappedatJeebieJoggsof
Chemionaut.Jeebi
ewasreall
yati
midboy,whowassowhi te
andfearf
ulalr
eadyhadfal
lenawayonLorr
ia,i
twasr eal
l
yfunto
seeLorri
a,whosemakeuphadbeenwashedawayf r
om
droppi
ngofhersweat.
‘
Mohini,r
eturnthattool
box,ei
therIhadt
ousemyr edbookt
o
not
ey ourname, andyouwouldbenowanswer abl
eto
Neuci
ades, orIwouldusethewhipofDul
lahans!
”Prof
.
Rever
browsai dwithanger
.
‘
Mercy
,Prof
essor,
Iwon’tdoitagai
n,l
eav
emeIdon’
twantt
o
comeovert
olord’
Mohinicri
edforki
nd.
“
Okay,t
heni
mmedi
atel
yleav
eoutoft
hisSal
a”Pr
of.Rev
erbr
ow
moaned.
AftertheysawMohini
,getti
ngawayf r
om inamour
nfulvoi
ce,
theygotreli
ef,
andtheroom bel
lrang,meanwhi
l
eafter
everybodyhadgoneProf.Rever
browstoppedMadel
ine.
“MissMudgun,
Prof
.Gr
ooti
bourhadcall
edyoui
nhispr
inci
pal
chamber,
youmustgother
e,”Pr
of.Rev
erbr
owsaid.
“
Did,
Ihaddoneanymi
stakePr
ofessor
?”Madel
i
neasked.
“
No,
’
’Pr
of.Rev
erbr
owsai
d.
“Thenwhyhehadbeencal
l
edme?”Madeli
neaskedt
oPr
of.
Reverbr
ow,whoher
sel
fwasconf
usedovert
his.
“
Ireal
l
ydon’
tknowmy
sel
f”
’Pr
of.Rev
erbr
owsai
d.
AfterMadel inel eavedt heBi ochemi csSal a,shewast hinki
ngof
whydi dSanzanghadcal ledher ,maybehewantt ogi ve
explanation,ormaybehehadcal ledhert ogi veheran
ul
timatum, nothingmustbeassumedov er,sheshoul dherself
hadt ofoundoutt hemat ter,afteraskingt ogat ekeeperandal l
ti
meguar d,Mr .Yel l
o,shewasl aidbyhi mt oPr inci pal chamber
whichhappenedt obeonesecondf loor,almostt her ewasan
acceleratorinf orm ofawi shingwel l,butint hiswel ltherewere
dimensi onslikeamet rowhi chsur passest hrought he
undergroundaswel l
ast hroughdi ff
erentcount y,sheal ongwith
Mr.Yellohadboar dfrom oneoft hedungeonsofMounhar t
whichact uallywasl i
nkedt oEqui noxcount y, av i
llagei n
Nerdhedget herewer emanypassenger salongwi thMadel ine
andMr .Yel l
oandmostoft hepassenger sei theritwasa
Homor tiansoraLemandor sornecr omancer sev erybodyhad
boardof fthewi shingwel l,
theref oretheyhadn’ tt ocl i
mbmuch
aft
er15mi nut es,theirdimensi oncameandl eav ingMadel ineto
Pri
ncipal chamber ,Mr .Yell
or eturned.

CHAPTER14
TANTRI
CMASTER‘
SPREDI
CTI
ON
Thedoorhadbeenol dgrandeurofanypalace,
ithadautomatic
openingsy stem,Madel i
neenteredtheuni
versi
ty,t
herewere
manywi ndows, manyshel veswi t
hbooksandmet all
ic
i
nstrument ,t
elescope,thecybstersusedbyHorti
lops,aj
arful
l
ofTerbaton, andar ol
lsofhart
odexandmuseofsonnet ,
also
therewasOr bucuv i
sion,abigwallQuardt
s,wheremoonhad
beenencircledbyt he10comet s,bythist
imethroughtheargon
propell
ants.
Andbyt
hetimeSanzanghadwor
ethespect
acleoveri
tswhi
te-
br
ownskin,
readi
ngabookandhadbeendi
stancedbyatabl
e.
“Welcome,
madeit
’sbeenl
ongtoseey
ou,hav
easeat ?
’’
Sanzangof
fer
edMadeli
neaseat
,whowasneit
heri
nterest
edi
n
si
tti
ngnori
nanyt
hing.
AsMadeli
nebegant
oopenhermout
h,shewasagai
nqui
eted
bySanz
ang.
“
Iknow,ther
ear elotsofquesti
oncominginyourmind,hav
e
t
hem pati
ence,becausebeingdesper
ateisli
ketogive
i
nvi
tat
ionstomi shaps’
’Sanzangsmil
edwhileseei
ngunder
f
rom i
tsspectacles.
“Sanzang,
what
’sgoingon,whydidyoucometoli
v ewit
hMr s.
Quang,andhowdidy ouknowaboutmyarr
ival
,evenIhadn’
ta
signofbei
nganAnterro.
”Madel
inestr
uggl
edwiththegroaned
stat
ement.
“
Keepcalm, Made, t
here’
sl ongst
ory,behindthi
s,yourparent
s
werethegreatAnterr
omi ans,t
heywer efi
rstenemyandt hen
f
riendsandaftert
hent heywer eamar r
iedcouple,Ist
il
lcan
r
emembert hoseday s!
!”Sanzangsighswi thcondemnationof
vogue.
“
Are,t
heothercr
e-cr
eat
uresar
eal
sol
i
key
ou”Madel
i
ne
f
oster
ed.
“WeareLemandor s,ourcel
ibateisno.second, I
’
mfrom Bi
daal
community,andyesallthecreatur
esinMr s.Quang’
shouseare
Lemandors,inf
actyouknowt heiract
ual,namesand
prof
essi
on.”Sanzangagainbecomemy sterious.
“Don’ttellmet hat,
Prof.PenedugNi cket,
Mr.Yoctionerand
Prof.Rev er
brow, Prof
.EpirusandPr of.Wustoral
ongy ouwere
thosesi xcreepyanimals,leaveall
tellmewhowasChi ll
pee,he
wasal way snast ywit
hme, andhadbiteoff,
myl eg!”
“Look,ifyoudon’twantt oknow, ther
eforealsoIwoul dli
keto
tellt
hat,Sanzangmy sel
f,ZhubazigwasMi ss.Reverbrow,t
urt
le
xiou-ni
ngwasMr .Epirus,andallti
mef l
atteri
ngowl wasWust or,
andgol dfishnint
i!i
sourKeor i
Mi mjo,squirr
elsun-meewas
Prof.Penedugandy ourallti
mef avor
itefri
endthedog,
Chill
peewasnoneot herthanMr .Yoct i
oner,andl etmet ell
y ou,
hejustbitey outosee, whetheryourbl oodhadsegmentof
FNOT- 56or ,notdon’tyourememberhet heni mmedi atelygot
tofever,butIdrenchedhi mi nthet antr
icpotionsofGot ukol a,
andhet henmanagedt osurviv
e, yourbloodmayr eal
lyki l
l
ed,
himt hereforehewasangr ywith,af t
eryourlivingt oyourown
newhouse, IcontactedMr .Geral
dandt oldev eryt
hingI
researchedony ourblood,andfurtherstoryisaccount ableto
you.”Sanzangt il
tedhisheadtot heupr i
ghtdi recti
oninwhi ch
Madel i
nehadbeenst and.
“But,IowedMr s.Kopela’sproperty
, It
hinkit
’snotgoodf urther
toholdany one’
spr opert
yl i
kethis,Iknowit’
sf akedrama, but
thenalsoitwoul dbecalledencroachmentaf terall
,Ihadsenta
l
ettertoMr .Geraldforhi
sopi ni
on.”Madel i
neexplained,she
neededher eatthispointsomeone’ shelp.
“Andthelett
erhadbeencome, hehadapprovedy out okeep
herpropert
ytil
l
, y
ounotbuiltyourowncareer.Atageoft wenty
fi
vethepropertywouldbetransfer
redi
nthef inancial
treasur
e
ofNerdhedgemi nist
ryofAnterr
omianswelfare.”Sanzang
approved.
“Thanks,
Prof
.Groot
ibour,
from t
aki
ngmeoutoft
hissi
tuat
ion,
nowIcouldbetensi
onfree.”
Throughthi
swholeconversati
on,Madeli
ne’
sey esf
li
ckereda
l
ot,whereshewasboomi ngwi t
hthehappeni
ngofherpast ,
but
whenshewasaboutt oaskt hequesti
onsaboutherparent
s,Mr
.
Yell
ocamet her
eandaskedSanzangcum Pr of.Por
tfus
Grooti
bour,
topermi
tMadel i
net oat
tendhernextcl
ass,
“Whynot ,Iwouldbeki ndifMiss.Melissawoul dgetbacktoher
nextSal a,Ithinkfornextti
me, Iwouldgiveyoumor e
i
nf ormat i
on,til
lthenhavefunwi thyourstudiesandfri
ends,
alsokeept r
yingt obefri
endlywithMr.Gegl hex,heisreal
l
yan
appr ehendboy .
”Sanzangadmi tt
edwi thasat i
retoMadeli
ne,
hisgl ancesregar di
ngGegl wasn’tt
hef i
tone; hehadsaiditj
ust
tot easeMadel i
ne.
FortheMedi cat r
ixandNat uraecl asses, whowasgoi ngtobe
taughtbyProf .Wust orScrey mageri ttookabov einthehangi
ng
gardenoffirstfloor ,hewasr eal
lyanoddl ookingman, whohad
alwaysbeensl eepy ,heorder edthem t oopenedt hebook,
Madelinegotv erypoori mpr essionofPr of .Screymager,even
though,t
hechapt erwasi nterestinginBook, “KayaDarpanand
DoshNi var
an, itwasagener al t
heories,”itdescribes,t
heduty
ofaHeal er
iocin, disease-di
agnosi sstones, ahealthyphysi
cs,
andtheroutine, andt y
pesoff l
aws, thatisDosh, ”
Pr
of.Wustor,expl
ainedthat,
weshoul
dfol
l
owt
het
hreer
out
ine,
i
tisanancientandLatinrouti
ne,
 1.Pratahcharya-t
hemorningrout
ine
2.Dinchari
ya-thewholedayrouti
ne
3.Ratri
charya-theni
ghtrout
ine
InPr atahchar ya,theper sonshoul d,wokeupat4p. m when
theAur oramagesf l
iedt hrought heskies, andweshoul d
scrapof fthet oxicatedcoat ingofamaf rom t hetongue, with
helpofawhi teBug, cal l
edSal va,aft
erplaci ngi ttoy our
tongue, i
tst artedweav ingwebsoft hatwhi t
eAma, andy ou
hadt oj ustkeepy ourmout hshut ,i
treall
ynotgi vepai n,but
wheny ouopeny ourmout haf ter5mi nutesabal lof
toxicatedsal ivaisembeddedov erSalva,andy ouhadt oj ust
scrapt hatsmal lwool enbal lofffr
om y ourt ongue, af t
erthis
withapi nchoft urmer icgar glewithsaltwat ert okeepgums,
mout handt hroatheal t
hy,theny oushoul dt akeabat hinthe
showerofdawnwhi chf all
sat4: 30am, whenaur or asare
fl
yingt her et earsofey esaret hatshower , butt heyar eonly
for3mi nut es, af
tert hesepur ebath,t
heper sonshoul d,be
medi tatei nat er
rain, t
akingaWoodwosewi t hthem, t
hese
aret hecr eat uresofwood, whoset wigsar er eall
yj uicyfor
medi tation.
Somehowtheclasswasmanagedt obeov er
,andMadeline
wastooboret
otakethefur
thercl
assesthatsheoptforopti
on
ofperdayt
woSalas.Ti
ll
shewasbet t
erprepari
ngforTantr
ic
Shal
yaMechnacobyPenedugNicket,
I
twasaanaut henticclasswhi chwastaughti nanol dcemetery
aroundthest atueofanangel neart
hreesl aught eredcascades
andit’
snamewas, ‘Morrow’sdeathnote’
, pr of
essorNi cketwas
i
nandemoni ccl oakwi t
hbl ackandredstrips, hiseyeswer e
goggli
ngatt hatt i
me, helookedatallchi
ldr enper chinghimself
uponal ongcr ossst at
ue,thereweremanybur ial
sofanci ent
ti
mes,gr eattombst onesandaboughwhi chr unsl i
kea
cont
ort
edbones,
wit
hasi
l
entscr
eam,
Penedugwasper chedonasmal lshelterl i
kepodi um andt he
airwassai l
ingbeneat halldri
ed, somenewwhi lesome
crumbl edandcr ackedgr aveyardswer ebear ingt hepai nof
sor r
owsl eep, t
hesoi lwasadecr epitfrigid,cov eredwi thfull
of
erectgr av estones, withhowl ingzombi er i
singar ounddor mant
andcol l
apsedbur i
alsaroundi nrottenai rtherewer efamous
engr avement s“Don’ teatt hosebut terunt ilIpreser vethem to
mout h’
’,Lampol i
ast hespi ri
tofaf i
rewomenhadbeenf loati
ng
i
nmi dai rasal antern,bl ackf encessur roundedal lt
he
grav eyardl i
keapr i
son,Moul dcov eredt heengr avingsand
branchesofwi llowt reeleanedt oeachot herasi ftheywer e
mour ni
ngi nthehabi tual,thesmel loft heol dst onesf il
ledwith
chokeai r, weedscov eri
ngt hewi l
dgr aves, everyst udentwer e
all
ot tedint heirnamedl abwor kst
at i
ons, andt henPenedug
raisedhi sv oice, i
nv erylowandcr eepymanner
“Iwelcomeal lmyst udent si nTant ri
cShalyaMechnacocl ass,i
t
i
st hefir
stclassofi tsownt ype,inwhichwewoul dn’tbe
heali
nganyAnt erromi an, anyLemandor soranypi xi
es,butthe
wander i
ngspi ri
ts,thef lawedsoul andthedeadmenwhohad
eit
herdiedofsuper nat ural causeorbecauset heyhad
encounterpre-deat h,andr eallybadlyneedthehour sofaidi
ng
andheal i
ng,therei sher eanequi pmentshowcase, which
containsthelistedt hingsandt ools.

 1.Necromancer’
scaul
droncall
edKumbham madef r
om
theskinofhi
ppos31/4inchandvessel
tri
pledofgol
den
plat
ing’
s.

 Anal
tar

 Ashr
ine
  Bol
i
ne

 Pent
acl
eamul
et

 CompassofNewdy
lear
adarbi
rdspi
ri
tki
t

 Bl
ackmi
rr
orofbl
ackwat
er

 Beaker
s,t
ubesandski
tt
les

 Yewwat
erofr
ain

 Smuf
fmogr
a-anenchant
edher
b

 Boneswi
l
la-
anor
acl
eher
b

 Gobl
etofMof
fl
op

 Skul
lcandl
e

 Bl
oodofawoodwose

 Dooml
i
ly

 Mogwor
t

 Soi
lofuni
cor
n’sl
eg

 Dr
agon’
spl
atel
et

 Theghostbox
Everystudentshadt oweart hecloakmadefrom t
hefurofyet
i,
i
twasawi ntrywildnessandabi gowl wascr
ucif
ixonalong
pil
l
arwi t
hcr acksshowi ngti
meandal ongt
ongueacti
ngli
kea
pendulum, i
talreadyhadbeen12’ o’cl
ockandaft
erhavi
ngall
thi
sPenedugst artedtochapter
‘
Tant
raVi
dyaEvam BhootSadhna’
’
,studentsony ourl
abt
abl
e
y
ouhadsmallcupboar
dsinwhichthi
slist
edthingshadbeen
avai
lable,andal ongwi t
htherei
samout hofafrogpouring
watery oucanusei tasyourbasin,
allyouhadtomakeawaken
deathnotsl eepingonebutt heonewhor ipaway,there’
sone
spellwhichy ouhadt ocastintheghostbox,whichwoul d
browsey out henameofy oursoulpat
ientandtheblackmi r
ror
wouldbet henappear i
ngwiththefaceofthatspir
it,
someused
thi
sbr anchf orevil
meansbuty ouhadtouseitforpower f
ul
andforwel faremeani ngs.
Soyouhadt
ojustdoli
ket
hisj
ustdi
rect
lyl
ookedattheghost
box,
useapai
rofBakamukhaandcastt
hespell
,i
tisli
kethi
s
“Pri
tam Pr etam Nishacharya,rugnahar am Labhakar am
achuyta”t herewouldbel aughi ngint heghostbox, andghost
boxwoul dbr owsethenameaccor dingt or adarandl i
kethi
s
i
mmedi atelyy ouwouldgetaspi ri
tinmi r
ror .Butkeep
precautionpl easeencir
cley ourselfwi t
ht hiscompassof
Newdy lesot hatt
hespiri
twoul dn’tharmy ouandy esgivet
hem
respectandhonorot herwiset hisenci r
cli
ngwoul dalsobe
i
nef f
ective.Oh!Igotamummyf rom Egy pti nearth”
Peneduggotaspi
ri
tofmummyr
appedi
ncl
othsheaskedhi
m
somequesti
ons
“Gr
eatsoul
,I
’m asoul
reaper
,tel
lmey
ourwoessot
hatIcoul
d
madeyouatoetogoodness”
Spir
itgr
umbledthenitspookedinmirr
or,t
oldt
hingsthathe
hadbeenaccusedofanundonecr imeandwasbur i
edalive,
he
feel
ssweati
ngalldayandhadr est
lessaboutt
hesesweating
bugswhichhadbeenal lov
erit
sspiri
t
“Forthi
s,Iwouldmakeapot i
onofanti
-sweatcapsul
e,i
twoul
d
requi
rethesoilf
rom legofuni
cor
nandapi nchofSmuffmogra
alongwiththepetal
ofDooml i
l
yandthenplaci
ngitinbowlf
il
led
wi
thf
reezecoal
thepot
ionwoul
dber
eady
”
Penedugdidsamethi
ngandaft
eroffer
ingt
hispot
ionsand
oi
ntmentstothemummyhef el
tquenchedandgavehima
cr
ystalofdi
amonditwashi
spaymenttohim.
“Look!Studentwheny ouwoulddothei
rgoodt reatment,
they
wouldbegr ati
fytoyouandwoul dpayyouwi t
hsomegemsor
anypreciousthingbutift
heyarenotsati
sfi
edwi thyourwork
theywouldt hr
owbugsandwor mstoyoualsosomet imethe
pottyofpigsorgarbage,i
tdependsony outhathowwel lyou
managet heirwaytoaidthem”
Hearingthissomest udent swer ehor r
if
iedandsomewer e
taki
ngi tf
orgranted.FirstnamewasofOnol upTay emeurhe
castthemant ra“Pri
tam Pr et
am Ni shachar yarugnahar am
Labhakar am achuyta”andgott hespiri
tofanel fi
taskedt o
j
oinhi scatt
edhandsbutOnol upfixedabr anchoft reeinstead
ofitshands,elfthr
ewt hewast eofamul eov erhim,everbody
l
aughedathi m ashewasgoodatt heorybutbadatpr acticals,
nextwasKwer i
eNy phsshecastt hespel l“Prit
am Pretam
Nishacharyarugnahar am Labhakar am” ,
shegotaspi ri
tof
toothfair
ywhoaskedf orherl osttoothmaki nggeneKwer i
e
fi
xedi tupwithDantNi rmanam pot i
onandf air
ywassopl eased
thatshegav eherabeaut i
fuldress.
NextwasMembr i
saScar l
oftofChemionaut,shegotaspi ritof
hornedchi ldhedemandedf orwingsofbat,andMembr isagave
himi npai dshegotawhi stletocall
rai
n,Jeebi Joggswas
ratherpest erbyaoneey ewi t
chspiri
taswel lNickyPetull
aget
thespi r
itofscar ecrowwhi chaskedtoheal withnewwheat
cov er
ing,Val er
iagott hespiri
tofarobotwhohadl ostonenut
butVal eri
acuti tswi r
es,enragedrobotdroppedanel ectri
c
thunder boltoverherhairs.
Nowi twasthetur
nofLorr
iaMapplepuff
,whocastthespel
lin
ghostbox,“
Prit
am Pr
etam Ni
shachary
arugnaharam Labha
kar
am achuyta”
Aspiri
tofafashi
onmodel Jackol
i
naappear edint
heghostbox
radarandev
entual
lyi
nmi r
ror,t
heladydiedofheartat
tack
whensheloseinafashi
ondi v
acompet i
tionbythi
rdposit
ion,
andnowshewant stohearherheartt
hrobbing
“
Hey ,si
l
lygir
l!Youlookverymuchbadl ikeaghost ,
your
makeupf r
om theearisappearedatneck, everbodycansense
yourmakeupy ouareusingthesecondhandmakeup, ther
efor
e
yourski
ndriedinsun,youaretanned,cany ouhelpmei n
makingmyhear tagaintothr
ob?”Jackolinaasked.
Againther
ewasal aughter
,becausenowev erbodywas
rev
ealedtothesecrett
hatLorri
ausedsecondhandmakeup,
Lorr
iaonothersi
dewasbur ningandsighi
nglikeafur
naces,
“Howdareyoucall
ingmeugl y
,don’
tyouknowI’mf i
rstr
unner
upinTotal
mendedf ashi
onmagazineandmymot herwas
thr
eeti
mewi nner
,Mrs.Nagrakshi
kaMapplepuf
f”Lorri
a
boast
edaboutherbeauty.
“Oh!SoNagr akshikaisyourmother,yesIknowhershewas
verypr oudli
key oualthoughshewasmyj uni
ormodel ,nowyou
stubbor nyoucalledyoursel
ffi
rstrunner
-upletmetellyouIwas
ninetyninetimewi nnerofTotalmendedmagazi ne,butIloseat
100thtime,becauset herewasacheat i
ng,nowgetmyhear t
back, butIreal
lydon’tbeli
evethatyouwouldbebr i
ngingit
back,”
“Shutyournonsense,
IcanIcanbr
ingitbackbecauseI
’
m good,
I‘m smart
”Lorri
aagainpr
otect
edhersel
f.
“
Youar
efool
,duf
ferandnonsense?
”Jackol
i
namocked.
Andi twasr eall
yturnedforbadLorri
aburntt
hehairof
Jackolinawhi chreall
yprovedabadsickl
eforLorr
iawhowas
thrownatt hedungsofhor sesandrat
sbyJackol
inaandwas
alloverpimpleinherf ace.Sheranawayl
eavingbehi
ndthe
class.Andt hescowl i
ngzombi efol
l
owedherunti
lshefel
ldown
i
nt heentrancepi tofMounhar t
.
Nowi twasturnforMadeline,shetookadeepbreathand
summonedal lthestrengt
ht oregai
nherconfi
dence,ever
ybody
gaspedather,tolookatherskill
s,herbeaut
yandherador ence,
sheenchanted,“Pri
tam Pr
etam Nishachar
yarugnaharam
Labhakaram achuyta”
Therewasacl oudofblacknessandghostboxcriedinloud,
Werewolfboyf r
om l
ateUransvly
nia,t
herewasapi ct
ureformed
i
nthemi rr
or,hewasaboyofel evenandwassi l
entandpal e,
Peneduginterf
ereandaskedhimt hereasonofdi
sease.
“I,
thesonofgr eatlorddemonki ngandwi tchMaf alda,butI
waski l
ledbydev ilwhenhesawnot hi
ngrepr oducti
veinme,
accor dingtohim, Iwasasqui b,Iwasnothingbutt hepoorgene
ofal owl y
ingwi t
ch, whohaddonenot hi
ngf orhim, t
omakehi m
power f ul
,mymot heraftermewaski l
l
edinahast e,shewas
unchast etodev i
landal soLor dNeuciadesi gnoredmygr ief,
nowf r om 12y earsI’m sleepless,Iwanttosl eepinpeace, but
thegoddessofsl eephadpr eventedmef rom hersleeping
nurture, gi
vememysl eep”
Therewasadeepsi l
enceal
laround,itwasasent
iment
al
proposal
Madel i
newasaskedtomadesl eepypot
ionwi
thbl
ood
ofawoodwose, someMogwor ts,Boneswi
ll
aandapurebl
ood
ofhiscal
ler
,thatwasMadeli
neitsel
f.
Penedugt
oldMadel
i
nethatherbl
oodwoul
dbeneededfort
he
tr
eatment
,“Mel
i
ssa,
ify
oudon’tmindwehadt
otakeyourbl
ood”
Madel i
negr ewoutoffear,
whatifhersecr etwouldber evealed
ormaybeshewoul dbeconfessedbutifshewoul dn’tgiv
et he
bloodshewoul dbedefi
nit
elyi
ndanger,therefor
eshedeci ded
togivethebl oodbecausether
ewassomepossi bi
li
tythat
ProfessorPenedugwoul dsaveherandal soshehadant i
-prota
shiel
dpr otecti
oninherbl
oodwhi chwouldkeept hety peofher
bloodsaf e.
Madel
inegavethebloodtoPenedugandaftersomet i
methey
bot
hpreparedapotionforWerewolfboy
,af
terwhichhewas
abl
etosleepinpeacefulmanner
,andthenaboxofpuzzled
mazewasl ef
tasar esul
t,whi
chwaskeptbyMadel i
ne.
PenedugannouncedMadel i
neandKwerieNyphsasthetwo
mostoutst
andingperformersoft
heweekandt heywer
enow
secondl
evelHealer
iocinsandSoulr
eaper.
Whil
ecomi ngoutofTantr
icShaly
aMechnaco,Salamany
st
udentswer eworr
iedaboutthecl
assEspeci
all
yOnolup
TayemeurandJeebieJoggs,shecoul
dalsohearthet
alki
ngof
Kweri
eNy phs,Ni
ckyPetull
aandLopamudraNahastalso
Val
eri
a,
“Iwi
shtobecomeaSoul
reaperi
nfuture,
didn’
tyoulookedhow
Toot
hfair
ygrant
edmeaprett
ydress”Kwerieboast
ed
“Iwi
shtoKeepmy sel
fof
fFr
om Soul
reapi
ng,
it’
squi
te
danger
ous”Val
eri
acommented.
“AndwhataboutLorr
ia?Idon’
tthi
nkshe’
l
lbeokayaft
erthi
s
horr
ibl
einci
dent
,shouldwegoandmeether?”Lopasaid.
“
Noway ,
shei
slikeahaunt
ingbl
oodyatt
hist
ime,
coveri
ngher
f
aceandshut
ti
ngthedoorofherr
oom,Iwoul
dn’
ttakeanyr
isk”
Ni
ckysai
d.
“Butonegoodthi
nghappened,i
twasr
eveal
edt
hatsheused
dupl
icat
emakeupkit
s”Kweriesai
d.
“
Shei
sreal
l
yabug?
”Ni
ckyl
aughed.
“
Ithi
nkMel
i
ssawasr
ocki
ngatt
hist
ime?
”Lopasai
d.
“
Shewasadmi
rabl
e!”madeVal
eri
a.
Whi l
etheseongoi ngtalks,suddenlyshethoughtofSt embort
,
whoshest i
ll
can’
tmeetaf terthedisput
es,shesearchedwith
manySal asforHer aandSt embor t
,butshecouldn’
tfindanyof
them,whilegoingtoAl -
Catanap, t
hepr i
maril
yafoodhal lf
or
student
s, shesawHer asittinginthecornerofabench, whi
le
crossi
ngmanyby standers,andser vi
ngwaiter
sshet urnedfor
hers,whowasl ookingst i
l
lQui et
.
“Hera,whyar
elooki
ngsopale,
andwher
ei sStembort
,you
hadn’tfi
ndhi
my et
?”Madel
i
nemadeherv oiceappeal
i
ng.
“
No,hemetmebuthewantscompl
etei
sol
ati
on,f
orsomet
ime.”
Her
amumbledandaskedt
henear
bywait
erformi
neral
water
.
“
Howcoul
dIbe,
cont
inui
ngwi
tht
his?
”Madel
i
nesni
ff
edt
oher
.
“
May, compl
etel
yignor
ingtheboth,y
oumustbeawar eofthe
f
actthatmenwouldbenegl ect
ed,whentheyshoul
dseizedy
ou”
Her
at ookasi
poft eawhichhadbeenbroughtbywait
er.
“
Icangof
ort
his,
iti
sabet
teropt
ion.
”Madel
i
nesai
d.

CHAPTER15
ANARGUEFORJEALOUSLOVEBI
TE

I
thadbeent
woweeks,
sinceMadel
i
nej
oinedMounhar
tand
continuedherst udies,todayal sosher eturnedf r
om t he
Mounhar tuniversi
ty,
andgeti ntoherroom, asusual ther oom
wasunl ocked,sheagai nbecamesur prisebecause, atEmbassy
therewasMushakr aj,buther eshewasn’ texpectingany one,
becauseMr s.Adameenhadbeent ohospi t
alsandhadei ght
surgeriestoday ,shewon’ tcomet ooear l
i
erandHexahadbeen
tocampandwasaboutr eturningat8‘ o’clockandi t’s7:30,she
couldeasi lyheartheshower i
ngf r
om t hebat hr
oom, andt he
tappingofr unningwat er,defi
nitel
yther e’
sonei ntruder,she
rushest otheunl ockeddoorandst artedshout ingimmedi atel
y.
“Whoisther
e,youbloody
,sav
age,
getoutofmyroom”
Madeli
nesquealed,
andwassurpr
isedandshamedt
hathewas
noneothert
hanGegl.
“Whattheshit
,howdar eyout
oentermybat hr
oom,getoutof
her
e,youshamel ess,st
upi
dgir
l”Geglyel
l
edatMadelineand
wasagaininferociousmood,
hesplashedthebucketful
lof
wateroverher
.
Madelinei
mmedi atel
ygetsawayfrom theroom,herheartbeat
hadbeenf ast
erandshewasj ustunabletobel
iev
ethatshehad
j
ustseent heGeglhex,t
hemostwi ckedpersonofherli
fe,she
j
ustcan’tgetthr
ough,hewasalway sther
e24/7hoursinher
mind,notbecauseshehadapastt imecrushbutforhi
sdev il
means,
sheremember edherf i
rstdayatcollege,aft
erceremonywhen
asamemor iam ofherwor str
agging,shewasl ockedinthe
dungeonsofMounhar tbyZeurnoss’ wherethelabyr
int
h
monst erDahaka,thehalfbull
halfmani srumor edtowander
around,squeal
edar oundherandshehast or unawayasmany
milesshecouldgetaway ,
theabandonedandf orbi
dden
l
aby r
inthusedtobei nthelowestdungeons, whereshehad
beenlockedbyZeur noss,andthenwasf inall
ysavedBy
Stembor twhoof fer
edhisSpiri
tomant r
acastspellonDahaka
andagainl ockedhimi nhisburi
als.Pr
of.Penedughadalso
suspectedherar oundthatdingydungeon, buthewasbusyat
somewher eel se,sohedidn’
tmi ndatall
.
Madelineal
mostf ai
ntedwi t
hthisterr
iblememor y,secondwas
whensheat t
endedherBi ochemistandResor ceryclass,atthe
ti
meofexami nethebodyofmi norrooteddevilofbogey man,
shehadbeent r
appedont hehandsofbogey men, whichhad
beenwakenupf rom hisburial
byai di
ngi twi
th,Ruhani-Swpan
toni
cforwakingthebodyofDev i
l,anditwasagai nthewor kof
Zeurnoss.
Madel i
nehadr ej
ect edt otakethesor t
ingcer emonyand
preferr
edasmuchsi ngle,butshehadbeenput t
edtotheVansh
ofOnol upTay emeur ,JeebieJoggs,Membr isaScarl
oft
, and
Towr i
eNi nshiphar et hemai nstudentsandVanshi scalled
“Chemi onaut’,i
twasl ikeaweedyf eeli
ngf orMadel i
ne,because
allt
hesest udentwer esobor edtheyalway stal
ksaboutst udy
andr esearch,whi chwashat edbyMadel ine.andev enwi ththis
theyforcedhert obewi ththem andalway spullhertostudy
withthem inagr oup, special
lyOnolupTay emeur ,hewasl ikea
creeperofst udy,andal waysentangledhert ostudy,whenev er
shemeetheri nlaneorwal kways,heusedt ogi veherl
ect ures
ont hetopic.
Agai
nt hr
ought
helane,
sheacci
dent
lyandunfor
tunat
ely
cr
ashedwi t
hOnol
upandther
ealsohestar
tedhi
slectur
eson
st
udies,
“Hel
loMudgun,whyareyouroami ngai
mlessl
y,don’
tyounow
aft
erthreemonthswearegett
ingourexams,andourgroupi
s
wellknownfori
tsacademi
cper f
ormance,andIreal
l
ywantto
keepitup,youareournewmember ,actuallyt
hereare556,so
youhadt operform bett
er,Iknowt hatyouwoul dn’tbeabl
et o
beatmeof f
, butbespiri
tualokay,nowpl easemeetmeat
academicdepar t
mentofHeal ar
iogenics, Iwoul
dpr ov
ideyou
thi
rt
ynotesofTant ricpoti
ons.”
“Okay!”Madel
inerunoutofst ubborn,shereall
yhatesOnolup,
andhisweirdandboringmet hodology,atfreeti
mewi thti
ptoe,
sheusedt omeetHeraandSt embort,whower elucki
lythe
member sofsameVansht hatwas‘ Rouff
leknot’
’thebestspor
ty
team ofOmniversesport
sf ederat
ionandr ankedthir
dofwhole
univer
se.
Buthowcanshef orgotthat,
atthei
rfi
rstmockt est,hi
sbench
partnerwasnoneot herthanthatdevi
lGegl
,andatmockt est
sher eal
lyhadn’tpreparedforexams,soforti
mepassi ng,she
drewanspi ral
ont heanswersheetbutthatwickedper son,
afterfi
nishingherwr i
ti
ng,eyedonhersheetandi mmedi ately
snatchedf orm herandshowedi ttowholecl
ass, therewas
blastoflaughing,
“Look!Whati sourSRQA, st
udentisdoi
ng,sheisdrawi ng
spir
alsandci r
clesinthepaperofGeneol
ogy,eit
hershei sso
i
ntell
igentorwear esostupid,l
ookathermistakes,shehad
writ
tenthat,Hummm, wearethemakerofbasi cpotions
becausepot i
oni sgoodanditisbestal
soitisri
ght,ohmygod
shehadonl yusedt hethr
eediff
erentwordsofsamemeani ng
andhadn’ tdescri
bethemethodology.
”
“
Giv
eme,mypaperyoubloodywr eck,Gegl
-Gegl
,pl
easegivei
t
t
ome,i
t’
smine”Madel
inebecomet i
redofspri
ngi
nghigheras
t
oGegl
,ashewastootal
lerforhertoreach.
Theresul
toft
hatexam wasthatshehadtoti
ghti
tawaywit
ha
bl
oodyknotofj
ustpass,St
embor twasf
eeli
ngsomechange
andoncehepr oposedherwi thashi nyringinfrontofent ire
univ
ersity,Madel i
newast ooshyt osaysomet hingatt hat
Moment ,Gegl Hexwasl i
keadogwhosebonehadj ustf ell
downf rom hi smouthandhadf l
oodedint othestream, heal lof
suddengetr ushestoStembor tholdi
nghi sColl
ar,andgi vinga
punchinhi sf ace,St
embor tcameoutwi thabl oodandt here
wasabi gquar rel
betweent het wo,aft
erpunchi ng,wr est l
i
ng
andboxi ngwi theachother,theywer efinall
yov erthrownby
Prof.YoctionerandMi ss.Rev erbrow.

Madeli
nehel pedSt emborttoadmithi
minhospit
al,
andthen
shesearchedf orGegl whowasdressedbyLorr
iawithaser
ies
ofquest
ions, Madel i
nesneakedbothoft
hem fr
om theol
d
tower
’spil
larandt hedistancebet
weenthethr
eewas50f oot,
“Iwoul
dliket
oasky ou!Whydi dyoufi
ghtoverStembor
twhen
heProposedMadel i
ne?”Lorr
iawashedthewoundofhishead
andheli
keast ubbornchil
dwasgazingatthewindow.
“
Idon’
tknow!
”hei
rr
upt
ed.
“Yoursupposedtoughnesstowardher,
isj
ustfake,
Iknowy ou
hadsomef eeli
ngsforher,t
hewayy oubehave,t
hewayy ou
seektoher,i
ssignofar oot
ingLove!Gegl
”Lorr
iaspiedwit
h
oint
ments.
“Don’ti
nsti
gatemet obecomeaBeastLor r
ia,Justleaveme
alone!Idon’
tknowwhydi dandhowdi dIacttoher ,Idon’
t
knowwhet herit
’sajeal
ousyorsomethingelse,butIknowt hat
Ican’tl
oveher”Geglmov edhi
sfaceaboutthewi ndowand
kickedthewallwit
haggressi
on.
Lor
ri
amovedawaywi t
hr andomness,
butwi
thal
astquest
ion,
whi
chwasaheart
-shakingone!
“Iknowi t’
salov e,
Gegl andifyouarebotheringbysomet hi
ng
else,j
ustwor eitoff,Ialsoknowt hatourrelati
onshi
pisjusta
contractbetweeny ourmot herandmine’s,Ireal
lydi
dn’
tlove
youbuti twasacr ush!Bebol dtosaymeno!Let ’
senditnow”
Lorri
asai datlastleavingGegl i
nadoubt .
Madeli
newhowasl ist
eni
ngthisall
wasleftbehindwithanidea,
l
ookedatGegl whowaskicki
ngthewallwithseveral
times,she
knewitt
hatHewon’ tl
oveherback,hej
ustthi
ngheroneofhi s
toyandonlyuseherathi
slei
sureti
me,i
t’sBettert
osayy esto
Stembort
,
Times, pr
ovetobeabigday, whenSt embor twasaboutt o
dischargefr
om Coll
egeHospitalwing, andbyf or
tuneGegl was
stalki
ngMadelinesecr
etl
ywhensheent er
edt heroom,
Madel i
nesatbesideastool
toSt embor tandSt emborttri
edto
raisefr
om hisbedther
ewer emanygr eet i
ngsandf lowershad
beenonbed, hewasahear t
-mov er
sofgi r
l,charming,dashi
ng,
ami abl
eandallur
ewithagraceofper fectguy .
“Lot
sofGreet
ingov
eroneweek!Thatshowshowpopul
ary
our
amonggir
ls!
”Madeli
nesai
d.
“Letmet el
lyou,despitemysupposedgener osi
ty,
Idon’tseek
formill
ionsbutforonei nmi l
li
ons,Ithoughtofagi r
lwhosui ts
me, andwhoi scompat iblewit
hme”St embor tl
ookedstrai
ght
i
nt ohereyes,butMadel inewaslookingsi dewaystowindow,
from wherethenastinesswascomi ngt hough,Gegl’
srestr
ained
angerwasagai nonabl ast.
“
Youarereall
yingoodcondi t
ion,oh!Yourmedici
nesareupto
f
ini
sh,l
etmef et
cht hem t
houghdi spensar
y”.Madel
i
nechanged
t
hetopicandagainlookedforGegl whowasst i
ll
behindt
he
wal
ls,
li
steni
ngtheirsingl
ewor d.
“For
got!Thosemedici
ne,I
’m bet
tert
reatedhere,
tel
lmey our
answer?Whatdidyouthoughtaboutthat?
”Stembortagai
n
dri
vethepasttopi
c.
Madeli
newasinafix,
shewasreal
l
yafr
aidwhil
elookingto
r
aisi
nglev
elofangeri
nGegl
,hewasli
keaBloodykil
leratthat
t
ime.
“Whataret
alki
ngabout
,Idi
dn’
tgeti
tthr
ough?
”Madel
i
ne
pret
ended.
“Aboutmypr oposal,Meli
s!Youhadsai dt hatyouwi llt
ellme
aft
ersomet i
me! ”St
embor tholdsherhandwhi leshewast r
y i
ng
l
eav e,shecouldshet hewrathofhiddent i
tanbehi ndthewal l
whowasagai naboutt oburst
,whenSt embor tholdsherski nny
handbutMadel inewasunabl etoseet hatGegl hadhal f
l
istenedthei
rtalksandwal kedawaymi sunderstandingthat
Madel i
nehadaccept edtheapproval.
“
Ithi
nkStem!Idon’
tpref
eranyoneatt
hist
ime,Iwoul
dli
keto
r
emainsingl
e,andhappy,
focusi
ngmyonlyai
m ofbecominga
Heal
ari
ogeni
cs”Madeli
nerepli
ed.
“Youlov eGegl,f
rom t hebottom ofyourheart,
Iknowy ouli
ke
himv erymucht haty oucan’tgetovertheideatost aywi thout
him,ev enhehadi nsultedyouthenalsohepr oclai
mshi s
undefinedr i
ghtovery ou,heunderst
andy ouashi sper sonal
property,andeventuallyyoursi
lencehadgi v
enhi mt he
approval”Stembor tshoutedwithanger,whenMadel ine
rescuedherhandsf rom Stembortandwasaboutl eav e.
Madel
inehadn’tanyanswert othi
squestion,shejustbarel
y
wal
kedoutofther oom, pedal
ingbyherselft
ot helonelyal
l
ey
wher
e,ther
ewer eonlyfall
enleavesandabenchaf terseat
ing
i
onthebench,hef el
tthatsomeonehadj ustcameov erher
whenshewasl
osti
nhert
hought
,
“
Congrat
s,Mi
ssMeli
ssaMudguninyournewr
elati
onshi
p!”I
t
wasthesamecol
dvoi
cewhisper
ingi
nherear
s,itwasGegl
Hex.
Madel
inetri
edtoexpl
ain,
butt
henshewasstoppedbyhermind,
shedi
dn’tst
ruggl
ednowandlethi
smisunder
standi
ngbetr
ue.
“Thanks,Geglbytheway !Yes,I’
mv eryhappytohaveagreat
boy f
ri
endli
keStembor t
,hei scharming,hotgood-l
ooki
ng,
handsomeandgr acef
ulandmor ei
mpor tantt
hingheisacari
ng
personunlessli
kesomeot herpersonwhoenj oystomaking
troubl
einone’sli
fe”Madelinetaunted.
“Li
sten!Idon’thaveanyshi tint
eresti
ny ourl
ovest
ory ,
sobetter
don’tdescri
beme, Idon’tcareaboutyou,whodidyoulove,one
personormany ,butjuststayawayf r
om me!”Gegltr
iedto
i
gnor ewithhisegoand
“Thenwhydidyouhi
tStembor
t,whydi
dyoustal
kedmeat
hospit
al?I
fyoudon’
tcar
eaboutme,Tel
lme!Iwantt
heanswer
!”
“WhyshouldIexplai
nyou?Whoar eyouinf
act?Ajuryora
j
udgementmaker ,youarenotpri
ortomylif
e,ther
eit’
smy
personalt
hingandIdon’ttoshar
eitwi
thyou,Iam
unaccountabl
e,Dowhatev ery
ouwanttodo!”Geglpr
essedhi
s
harshfi
ngerstotheshoulderofMadel
i
ne,andpushedheraway
fr
om him.
Afterthisinci
denttherewereal waysquestioninhermi nd,Now
Stembor ttoowasaf ari
gnoredman, hewasl i
keaillpersonto
theirf
riendship,
Madel i
netri
edt oconv i
ncehim butitwasa
narrowerf eel
i
ngsthatdoesn’tmat teronlyHerawast heonl y
compani onofher ,
Gegl wasal waysli
kebi t
terseed,
butone
thi
nghadhappenedt hatLor
ria,andGegl hadbrokeup, also
Lor
ri
ahadl
eftMounhar
tandhadgotadmi
ssi
oni
not
hercol
l
ege.

Whi leduet orecenttestinuni versi

ty,i
nwhi chshewasal most
fail
ed,therewer emocki ngatherandt heexam commi t
teehad
doubledt hestudy i
nghour sofMadel inewith; ‘Chemi onaut’
,
especiall
ywi thOnolupTay meur,whowasr eal l
yupsetf orher
performance, nowsheor deredMadel inetowakeupf r
om 4’O’
clockinmor ni
ngandt il
lfrom thenshewasr eleasedat
evening’sfive‘o’cl
ock,i
twasf i
lthyasatf i
rstmockt estshe
hadbeenf ail
ed,andallthiswasbecauseofGegl hex,the
evil
estpar tofherlif
e.Af t
erhav i
ngbat hGegl cameoutof
bathroom, ti
lli
twasni neatni ght,andhecaughtMadel i
ne’s
hand, heshout edalot,t
henHexaandMr s.Adameenhadal so
came,
“
Whathappenedt
oyou?
”Mr
s.Adameenaskedt
oGegl
.
“Mom, howcanyouj
ustgiv
emyr oom tothi
sst
rangergi
rl
,how
didsheaccesst
omyr oom?”Geglshout
ed.
“
Don’ty
ouhadsaid,thatmom Iwon’
tcametothi
shouseany
f
urt
her,Iwantt
oli
veinmyownhouse, Iwantt
obeindependent
,
r
ememberMr .Geglhex”Mrs.Adameensai
d.
Madeli
newasinshocked; Geglhexwasact uall
ythesonof
FamousHealar
iogenicssurgeonofhisti
me, Mr.Edgarhex,
whohadactual
lydiedwhilesavingherParents’l
if
eindi
saster
2000.
“I
’
m,I’
mreal
lysor
ryforinconveni
ence,Iwouldleave
i
mmediat
ely
,Iwasn’tawarethatMrs.Adameeni smotherof
Gegl
andyourHusbandisMr .Edgarhex,al
lti
mer e-
owned
sur
geon,
’Madel
i
negottoknowthatGegl
wast
hesonofMr
s.
AdameenandHexawashersi
ster
.
“Pl
easestopy ouremot i
onal dr
amaanddon’ tyoudaretotake
mydad’sname, y
ouhadn’ tbeensorighteous,Iwon’
tget
caughtinit
,yourcrocodile’stearswon’thaveanyminoref
f ect
onme, Ihatedyoubef ore,Ihatedyounowandwoul dbein
fut
ure,Mom, howcany our entsuchtypeofpeopletothi
s
house?’
’Geglwasgl owingr edli
keafir
e.
“Oh!Brot
her,
whyareyousomaddenoverMeli
s,sheisreal
ly
sweetgir
landthedaught
erofMom’
sbestfri
end.Herhouse
hadbeenburntbysomebadpeopl
e;t
heref
oresheisstayi
ng
withus”Hexasai
d.
“Not,youtellmethathowsweeti sshe,Iknowi tver
ywell,and
herscandal satdeathceremony,sheisamur derermom, she
hadkill
edt heanimal,sheispoi
sonousandshei sator
nadot o
one’
sl i
fe,Hey!Don’tyouhadshame, sti
l
l standingherel
ikea
stat
ue, i
fIwer ei
nplaceofy ou,
Iimmediat elyleavet
hishouse,
butlookhowdepr avesheis,
”Geglshouted.
“Gegl,
howmannerl essyou’r
e, don’
tyouhavemannershowt o
speakwithGuest,l
ookathermoder acy,
sheisst
il
lsi
lentto
you,nowwhat ’
sthebigproofyouwantt ogi
veofherinnocent
behavior
,Meli
ssawon’tbegoingany where,
shehadther i
ghts
tostayhere”Mrs.Adameenpr otest
ed.
“Idon’tseeanygoodcauseofherbei nghere,Ijustdon’twant
hertobeanev i
l-
scratcher,j
ustl
ethergomom, f
rom ourhouse,
shehadbeendecl aredasamur dererinherpast,li
fe,andhow
youar eabletoseeabunchofgoodnessi nher .There’smust
bedi sser
viceandneedofwhom Imustnotwantt ohav easan
all
y.”Gegltoldi
ndi sgustedmanner.
“
But,br
otherlookather,don’
tyouseem t
obetoohar
dfor
i
nnocence,Ican’
tletyougohurti
ngsomeone’
semoti
ons,
”
Hexasaidi
ndef ensi
vemanner .
“IhadtogoMr s.Adameen, Geglisrightenough,Ir
eal
lymust
notbecompat i
blewithhim, andhehast remendousskil
lsof
knowledgeandwi t
s,Ireal
lywantt oshedmeof f
.Iwouldleav
e
i
tbyown, andpromisemet hatdon’tyouwor r
yaboutme. ”
Madelinesai
d.
“
But
,Mel
i
s…”Mr
s.Adameent
ri
edt
orecei
veher
.
“Youjustcan’
tgoli
kethat,
Meli
s,wehadn’treall
yknowneach
othercomplet
ely
,andIreal
lywantt
oexplorey ou!
!’
’Hexasai
d.
“Lethergo,bothofyoushe’
sani
ntr
uder,whojustbroketomy
house,Idon’twantt
ogetseeanyofhersi
ght,
mor eover”Gegl
said.
Madel inewasal mostt ear yandi nfivemi nut eswi thhersmal l
l
uggage, shewentdownst air sandl eftthehouseof‘ Hex’ svi
ll
a’’
Mr s.AdameenandHexat riedal ott oconv i
nceher ,butt hey
fail
edt oo,nowwhenMadel inewasaboutt ol eaveandhad
came5mi les,away , i
tsoonst ar
tinghai li
ngandsnowi ngal ot
ever yr oadshadbeenbl ockedandi ntensecol dbr eezi ngstart
ed
throughoutt heway ,againt hebl oodl ossf r
om Madel ine’sbody
started, asherst itcheshadbeenopened, andl eakingofbl ood,
whi chcont ai
nst hePi gmentofF- NOT56wasr eallydanger ous
fort hemanki nd,shehadn’ tbeensuspect edasf arbecauseof
ant i
-bloodpr otozoapr otect ionwhi chGer aldhadl ockedi nher
braint hroughi njection,buti ft hepigment sar eleftfloatinghere
andt here,itwoul dbeadr ainingef fectallov ertheNer dhedge,
Att heHex’ sv i
l
la,Mr s.Adameenhadbeenr eall
ydr enchedi na
griefofgui l
t,andnowt henewscomi ngi nOr bucuv ision, r
eall
y
threat enedal lthehex’ sFami l
y,evenal ittl
ebi tthrobbi nginthe
hear
tl
essGegl
Hex
,
“It
’sreal
lybadf orthewoundsofMel i
ssa, shehadn’
tbeencur
ed
yet,andifanythinghappenedt oher
,Gegl youwouldbe
responsibl
efort hat,Ican’
tleav
eherlikethati
nsuchsavage
anddi st
raughtweat her,I
’m goi
ngoutsidetosear
chher”Mrs.
Adameensai di nriot.
“Wait
,mom Ican’
tri
skyourl
if
eatsuchdi
sast
rousweather
,I
hadlostmydad,andIdon’
twanttol
oseyou,
Forthesakeof
humanity
,Imysel
fwouldgother
etofi
ndher,
”Geglsai
din
upr
ightmanner.
“
That
’sl
i
kemybi gbr
other
,I’
m proudofy
ou,
butmakesur
eof
y
ourwel
lnesst
oo…”Hexasaid.
“I
t’
sgoodt osee,t
hatyouaremendingy ouri
l
l-wor
ks,butHexa
i
sr i
ghtdon’
tlooseanyofyou,
eit
herit’
sMel i
soryou,Iwant
bothofyoutocomehomesaf er.
”Mr s.Adameensaidby
pl
acingherlef
thandontheshoulderofGegl.
“Don’
tyouwor
rymom,I’
llkeepmypromi
se,
”sai
dGegl
,wear
ing
hisbl
ackcl
oakandhesuddenlyr
ushest
othedoor
.
‘
Ihope,
theybot
hwoul
dbesaf
e!’
Mrs.Adameensai
d.
Gegl wentoutt her edToppl enar ea,i
nhisNi troswagon, hewas
dri
v i
ngl i
keamad, butt
hehai l
i
ngwon’ tsailedi tsmoot her,the
splashingofmel t
ingicewasn’ tswi pedatal lf
rom t hewi ndow,
hismi ndhadn’ tstuck,t
hel oadsofheav ypiecesofsnow, was
thehur dl
e, andhehadr eal
lygr ownpat het
icbyt her i
singtime,
thesmal l Orbucuvisi
on,whi chhadbeenf i
ttedi nthemai npl ace
ri
ghtnextt ogear,showst her eportofnoofki l
ledAnt erromi ans
andNecr omancer salongwi t
hpi xi
escommuni ty,i
tagain
representt hesamescenef rom thedisaster2000, whenhi sdad
l
efthimf orthesakeofhi sser vice,andinor dert osavet he
mil
li
onsoflif
ewhohadbeenei t
hercollapsedundert
heheav y
meteor
s,orbeneaththefall
entowers,weresupposedtobe
sav
ed,butduringthi
shisfather
,himselfhadtobemar t
yrs.He
waslef
tabandonedbehindhi sfamil
y,onemont hki
d.Thenhis
mom marriedtoHalusDergen,aknownent r
epr
eneur,
andHexa
washerstepsister
.
Her eall
ylovedHex aashersi ster,buthehadn’ taccept
edHal us
Der genashernewf ather,hewoul dreall
ynotaccepthim ashi s
father ,
infactnoonecoul dgethi sfather
’splace.Haluswor ked
i
nMesosy maapl aceinmar s.Andhadbeenr ecrui
tedther
eas
theCEO, ofMr .Wol dburtMcCar t
hy ,
theexpor terofcometic-
duoweapons, underhiscompany‘ Tendrum’,Hehat edallt
he
McCar thyfamili
es,theyhadbeenal lti
mesi nister
,andmostof
them hadbl ackbackgr oundseitherofcorruptionorof
massacr i
ng.
Butti
llt
histi
me,hismainpriori
tywastosaveMel i
ssa,evenif
hereall
ydon’twanttoseehermor einhisl
if
e,evenifshedon’t
l
ikedthewayshebehav e,evenifsheisdoi
nglotsofmi st
akes
i
nherl i
fe,
hehast osaveher,shehadbeenmar kedas
murderer,
alt
hough,butther
e’swayt otr
ackher,wi
thanyofher
thi
ngs,whichsheused,hehadkeptherscarfwhent heyhad
beenmetatGr ooveofHinil
awood, y
esthescarl
etone,
heal waysusedtokeepitaside,notbecausehehadsome
unknownf eeli
ngsforher
,don’theknowhowt ohidet
hem, but
actual
lyhedon’twanttocareaboutthatmuch,hemustkeep
thi
sinhismi nd,t
hatmaybei twasbecauseshealwaysroamed
hereandtherearoundhermind,
onceher ememberedthathowshehadbeent ext
inghim wi
th
al
ias,
namedJul api
aTernus,andhadaskedhimforhisown
name,fi
rstl
yshespeakthatshehadcrushforhi
m, butt
hen
purposedhim.Gegl wasr eall
ytakenabackbutfi
ndthetrue
owneroft hatVi
botune,i
nst all
i
nganappcalled,“
Thefake
catcher
’’
,anditshowedthenameofMel i
ssaMudgun,he
i
mmedi atelyscr
eenshottedt hetext
.Andsti
ckthepri
ntoutof
thosemessagesev erywher einthewall
sofMounhart.
Melissawassuchaf ooli
shgi rlwhom henev erwantedinhis
l
ife,everydaysheusedt ogi vehi mf akecalls,t
extedlot
sof
messagesev enhedoesn’ trepliedheratal landsharedt he
screenshot sofhermessagest ot heirgroupchatnamed
‘
Zeur noss’,thenalsoshehadn’ ttaughtal essonandnow
everyonet houghtthati tnowhadbecomeherhobbyt oget
everydayinsul tedfr
om Gegl ,andal way stalkedabouthimt o
herfriends,ev enhehadr ejectedheral ot,butalwaysStembort
becomehi shel pi
nghand.
Gegl lookedatt hatscar fwhichnowhadbeenengul f
edbya
Nenot ri
x, aspiri
tofr adarcatchi
ngbir d,
whousedi tspre-owned
supersi ghtofanyper son,whom y ouwantt otrackbyjust
feedingi tthethingsofaper son,whichy ouwantt oexplore,
in
secondst hrought hedigit
alpageint heopenedmout hof
Nenot ri
x, hewasabl etosawMadel i
ne,whowasr aptinthe
coldcav e, aft
erhal fanhour,helandedhi sNit
roswagon, tot
hat
place.
I
twasdar kcol
d,andnothingwasseenclearl
yhebur nedit
s
Lampoli
a,thespi
ri
tofaf i
rewoman, andgottoseewhat ,
wasa
gi
rlwhohadbeenr educedtocoldandpale,
wasl yi
ngont he
groundandnearwasherbag, hehel
pedhertobringherup,
“Mel
issa,
Melissawakeup,
let
’sgobackt
ohome”Gegl
tri
edt
o
besoundpleasedar
ound.
“Who’
sther
e,pleasehel
pmet ostandright
,mybloodsti
tches
hadbeenopened,andther
e’sgr
eatlossofblood,
I’
m unablet
o
openmyey
es”Madel
i
nesai
dwi
thhal
fey
eopened.
“
It
’sme,
Gegl
”Gegl
answer
edandt
ri
edt
owakeherup.
“Gegl,arey
ouhere,whydi
dyoucameher e,don’tyouknow
there’
sdangert
ocomei nsuchhorr
ibl
eplace,retur
nback,
eit
hery ouwoul
dalsobesuckedbythevi
rusattack, cal
ledRakt
-
PipasuortheHaematoda,
”Madeli
nesaidwithaf aintedvoi
ce.
“Whatarey ousay
ing,whohaddonet hevi
rusat t
ack,whatthe
hellyou’
resay i
ng?”Gegl said.Holdi
ngtheopenedst it
ches,
fr
om wher et hebl
oodl eakinghadbeenst arted,“
your,bl
ood,i
t’
s
–it’
sdrai
ni ng,Mel
issa,wehadt obanditup, ei
theryouwouldbe
die,
”Gegl saidwit
hf ear,st
illhol
dingthesti
tches.
“I
-Idon’tcareofmydy i
ng,butIreal
lycaref orNerdhedgeand
i
t’sdenizen,actual
l
yMybl oodcont ai
nsanexpl osi
veand
venomouspi gment,F-
FNOT56, ifi
twouldbel eakedtothe
surface,noonewoul dber emainali
ve,don’tletitt
ospli
t,
becausei t’
sanairBournev i
rus,
itwouldturnt heenti
re
Nerdhedgei ntoabizar
reland.”Madeli
net old.

“Whydidn’
tyoutoldany one, aboutt hatdon’tyouknow,it
s
eff
ectismuchli
ket hatofbl astinganucl earweapon,tell
me
howitcanbeactivated,youst illcantalkaroundhalfanhour,
becauseIhadgi
v eny ou,thecl otti
ngpill
s,tell
me”Gegl said.

“
ByAbott
lef
ullofhol
l
owstell
armassesand10,
000di
l
api
dat
ed
membr
aneparadi
gms!”Madel
ineanswer
ed.

“Tr
ytogathery
oural
lst
rengt
h,andrememberwhathadbeen
happened,
whenyoucameawayf r
om our
,house?
”GeglAsked.
“I
-Iwascomingt
ot heeasternsi
deofNerdhedgeandhad
walkedf
ar10km away ,suddenl
ysomeDhampi r
iot
s,came
al
ongmywayandcapt uredme,theyi
nser
tedthebott
leful
lof
Holl
owstel
larmasses,andmembr aneparadi
gms,myall
st
it
chesbegant
oopen,
theyf
il
ledt
hegobl
et,
andhadf
il
led50%
ofmyblood,
”
“Isti
l
lcan’
tunderstand,whoi sbehindallthese,andhowt he
Dhampiri
otsdidcamet oknowaboutt hesecretofy ourbl ood,
theyhadbeengivenonl ytherightsofliv
ingasar efugee,only
becausethei
roneoft heparentsbelongtoNer dhedge,
otherwi
setheyhadbeendepr ivedof,Iknowwhoi sal lbehind
thi
ssuddenv i
rusattack,Iknowhi mv erywell,
althoughnobody
tal
kedabouthim, actuall
yheisanabandonedone, ”Gegl said.
“
Tel
lus,whaty
ouknew,
whoi
sbehi
ndal
lthi
s?’
’Madel
i
nehol
ds
t
hehandofGegl.
“Not,now,l
et’
sfi
rstref
erredtoyouathospi tal
,there’ssti
ll
l
eakingofblood,
Iwoul dthengot oMinist
ryofpubl ichealth
departmentofNerdhedge.’
’Geglsai
d,andt heybot hleftforthe
NERDHEDGECOMMUNI TYHOSPI TAL,seekingf ortheclotti
ng
ofblood.

CHAPTER16-
THEDANGEROUSGATEWAYANDTHERI
DERS
OF DEATH

Gegl af
terleavi
ngMadel i
nebackt ohospi t
al,whereMr s.
AdameenandHexahadbeenpr esentalready ,l
eavedf orthe
departmentofpubl i
cheal t
h, ther ehegott oknow, aboutt he
vir
usattack,healsor emember edthatsev eralpeopl ehadbeen
diedofVi r
usat t
ack,andnowi ftheair–Bour nediseasef rom
FNOT56woul dbespr ead,Ner dhedgewoul dbedest royedin
second,ithadbecomeamaj orat tack,event houghheal ways
tri
ednott otakehisancest ralsubj ectofnecr omancyand
tantr
icvidhi,
whichaccor dingt ohi m wasi tselfanev il
black
magicpr acti
ces,wasagai ncal lingforitsresur r
ectionand
conj
urat
ion,heknowswho’smast
ermi
ndofal
lthi
sbuthe
wantedtocaptur
etheal
lyofhi
m,
Whil
ecomingoutofpubl
i
cdepar
tmentt
omai
nhighway,ther
e
wasthedi
spl
ayi
ngofnews,whi
chhadcomer
ecentl
y,i
tsays,
“
DHAMPI
RIOTSANDTHEBEGI
NNI
NGOFEVI
LMI
SHAPS’
’
Wehadal r
eadyi nformedal lourci ti
zens, f
rom allcel
ibates,that
wehadgott hev ir
usat tackcalled, ’
Haemat oda’onourv iaduct
carr
iedbyt hehel l
-pixi
esHor ti
lops, asweal lknowt hese
heartl
esscr eaturefl
iesoncy bst ers,theironetimet r
anspor t
anditist hef astesttransportwi t
ht hemai nheadl i
ghthadbeen
madewi tht heheadofaTaur us, call
ed‘ Mahish’wit
hi t
st wor ed
eyesfixedati t
scor e,anditstwohor nsar ethehandcl utches,
i
ngast ankt heyf i
ll
edt hehighccf uel ofspir
itof‘Molastar’,the
spir
itofal eopar d.
Andengi nei smadeupoft hechestoff ierybl ackdr agon, hor n
hadbeent hesoundsofhowl ingwer ewol ves, andt aill
ighti s
madeupofl izar
ds’ t
ail,t
hewi ngsar eofHar piesandt heyhad
beent healltimebl oodsucker s,
theyar ethepr otaagentand
i
njectthev ir
uscal led,‘Haemat oda,theseHaemat odav ir
usi s
madeupoff rom FNOT- 56oursur veillancet eam wi t
hmany
pathogensexper tissearchingdownaboutwher edi dtheyget
thepigmentofFNOT- 56,ast hereisnobl ackandwhi teAnt err
o
genieper soni nthi
sl and,Afterthedeat hofMcCar thycoupl es
i
ndi saster2000, noonewi ththeblackgenei sev erbor nint his
l
and, governmenti sst il
lhauntingfort hatper sonbecauset hat
personmustbeki ll
edbef oretheHor tilopscoul dr eachedt o
thatpersont obr eedmor eHaemat odawi t
ht hatpi gment ,
’Be
awar eourci ti
zensbecauset heyaret hemi dni ghthunt ers,they
suspiciouslyenterst hehospi t
alandi njectt hem wi thaspeci al
toolsthisvirus,i
sat i
mebl aster,whenbl astr esultt of orm Non-
escapt
ivi
tyr
egi
on,
whi chengul
fsandsucksal
lthesur
roundi
ng
thi
ngsformi
ngablackholeint
hatpl
ace.
Nowt hatplacemaynei therber evi
vednoritcanbedestroy
ed,
al
thought heyhadbeenseenl astt
hreedaysbysomeofour
ci
tizens,butthecur r
entgov er
nmentsay sthattheyhadbeen
compl et
elybannedi nNer dhedge,ei
thergovernmentisso
i
rresponsibl
ef orall
owingt hem orit
’sunabletostopthe
i
ntrudingofHor ti
lops,i
sitthissecuri
ty?
Pixi
ecommuni t
yi sagainont her oads, forj usti
ce,theyar e
blamingt hearri
v aloffullDhampi riots,whilet hecasehadbeen
wonbyDhampi riots,buttheyhadn’ tbeengi venthecel i
bat es,
theyhadbeenkeptof fout sidetheNer dhedge- byzant i
nebor der,
call
ed, ‘
Diomaurer ’
sl i
ne’
, t
henamehadbeenkepti nt hehonor
ofgener alLt.HedrickG.Di omaur er .Alt
houghby zant inehadn’ t
beenr ati
fytheclogsoft hebor der .Ther efore,iti
swor thlessto
blameDhampi ri
ot swi t
houtanypr oof ,
Hor til
opshadbeent he
breaki
ngt heceasef i
recont i
nuousl y,evenadecl arationof
formal agreementhadbeensi gnedupi nt hef orm ofat reaty
call
edNer d-
ZantineAr misticepactbet weent heby zant ineand
Nerdhedgei nternationalmi nistr
ies.Ther eforealsot hei nvading
ofNer dhedgebyHor t
il
opshadbeenaquest i
on.
Manylivesar eatlose,around76000ci ti
zenshadbeenki ll
ed
and3000ar eadmi tt
edint hehospit
als,i
nthisagainthereisan
att
ackofai rBour nedisease,whichiscausedbyacur sed
pi
gment ,-
FNOT56, ourMembr o-
surgeonexpert,
Mr .Kobold
Houdini
,hadt ol
dust hatithadbeent heworstpigmentofi t
s
ti
me,ithadn’ tanydiagnosis,andisanuntreateddisease,i
tonl
y
aff
ectthepi xiesandAnt erromiancommuni t
ies,Homor ti
ans
aresafealongwi thnecr omancersandLemandor s.
Gegl
immedi
atel
ylef
tforTooskyTr
ampol
i
awhoknowst
he
ever
ysecret
sofNerdhedge,agai
nwithi
nthewall
softoi
l
etsof
abandonedbui
ldi
ngs,shehadbeenexpert
isei
nastr
almagi
c
andknewblackmagic,
“
Toosky
,pleaset
ell
mewhatistheseFNOT-
56case,
I
i
mmediatel
ywanttoknow?
”Geglasked.
“But
,youknowthatIwon’
ttel
lyouunt
ily
ouwoul
doff
ermemy
pri
ce,
”Tooskysai
dwithdi
rtysmil
eonherwr
inkl
edf
ace.
“
Iwoul
dgi
vei
tyouwhat
ever
,youwant
!!
”Gegl
sai
d.
“Let,notmakethedealy
et,
Iwoul
daskyouformypricesome
otherday,becausenowmymindhadn’
thadanybet
terdeal
,Ha
ha-ha”Tooskysaid.
“Then,pl
easet
ell
me,what
’st
hereasonbehi
ndt
hesocal
l
ed
cursedpi
gmentFNOT-
56?”Gegl
said.
“Actual
ly,FNOT-56istheadvancedname,butiti
sablack
curse,gi
venbyanydeat hhol
derspeciesorcr
eatur
e,whospell
s
i
twhenhei sreal
lysoraged,
anditwon’tgonull
,i
thadalway
s
andest r
uctiv
eresult
”Tooskyexplai
ned.
“
What
everi
tis,
tel
lmei
tspr
imi
ti
vename”Gegl
asked.
“It
’scalledtheMour nofbl ackpear l
orinPal i
Anargoy a-
vibhikshikha.Itisit
selfanbegi nningofdestructi
on,whenone
blackgeneAnt er
romi anpairedupwi thwhitegenes
Ant err
omi an,andt hechi l
dwhi chisconceivedast heresulthad
themaki ngofapar t
iclecall
edFNOT- 56,i
tisrarestofr ar
e,
becausei tf
ormt heregionofescapt i
vit
ybecausei nonebi ll
ion
Ant err
omi anonl yonei shavet ocall
edblackgenes, thisisthe
situati
onwhenhehadki ll
edanydoppel ganger ,
tohav ehisspiri
t
forhisowndi rtymean, t
heni nhissuccessorfamily,anychildi
s
supposedt obebor nwi t
habl ackgene,”
“It
’sreal
lybadenoughtogetitknow,
butcany outel
lmeabout
howdi dthisdanger
ouscursecameintoexi
stence”Gegl
requested.
“Iwoul dn’ttel
lyou,butI’
l
lshowy ouitinacry stal
ball
”Toosky
saidlooki nginherwhitefumingcrystalball
,shespell
edthe
mantr a,‘Pradarshit
am’andtherewasaf oami ngofwhit
ecloud
i
nt hecr ystalballandshebegant otel
l,
“Backal ongt he400B. C,oncewhent helordofNeuci adeshad
beent ravell
ingbackt ohi shouse, hewaspassi ngt hrought he
j
unglesofKahal iTengu, thiswast het i
mewhenAnt erromi an
communi tyhadbeencr eatedast heguar diansofby zant ine-
Elysi
um v iaduct ,Neuciadeshadbeenst oppedbyt hear myof
20Dul lahans, whoar eal socal l
ed–t heheadl esshor seman,
theywer et r
av ell
ingfrom t hewagonmadef r
om awor m-
chewedpal lordr iedhuman’ sskin,(itisadornedwi thf uner al
objects,li
kecandl esinskul lstolighttheway ,andt hespokesof
thewheel sar emadef r
om t hethighbones)t heyi nonehand
controlsthehor sesandi nonehandt heycarryt hei
rownheads
usuallyinhideousgr inthatt ouchesbot hsidesoft hehead, i
ts
eyesar econst antlymov i
ngaboutandcanseeacr osst he
countrysideev eninthedar kestnights,theyar enextt ot he
godsofdeat h, Neuciades, andt heyar ethecont i
nuousr i
derof
theblackhor sewi thwingsandr edey es.”

“Therei snowaytobart heroadagainstaDullahans,al

llocks
andgat esopentothem whent heyapproach.Ifanyofthe
Dull
ahansst opsr
iding, t
hatmeanst hepersonbywhi chhei s
stoppedhadt obedi e.TheDul l
ahanscall
soutt heperson’s
name, atwhichpointthepersoni mmediatelyperi
shes,heused
thespineofaHomor t
ianscorpseforawhi ptotakethesoul,i
n
thei
rcontainercal l
ed‘ Gri
more’,soNeuci adeshadmadet wo
Anterroparti
cles,thewagoni nwhicht hetwoAnt erropar ti
cles
hadbeenpl aced, oneoff emalezy goteandanot heroneofmal e,
wast oddli
ngf i
rstint hecaravanandnextt othem wast he
wagonofNeuci ades, whilefr
om ot hersidethebattali
onsof
Dull
ahanswascomi ng,bothsidewagonhademer gency ,
Neuciadeshadt oputt het woparti
clesinabody, eit
heri t
wouldbedest r
oyedi nseconds, whi l
eDul l
ahanshadt ogof or
taki
ngasoul .Nei therofthem canbest oppedbutast he
Anterro-
parti
clest oodi nthei
rway ,andaccor di
ngt otheirrule
theyhadt otaket heirli
ves,whichst oppedhim duringt heir
conti
nuousr ide,theyf i
rst
lyspoket oNeuci ades,
”
“Lordofdeat handr ebirt
h, wewanty outotellthatwehadt o
taket hel
i
f eoft hem, insteadofwhichwewer egoi ngt otake,
becauset heper sonwhosesoul wewer egoingt ot ake, had
beenschedul edt odieatf i
veminutes,earl
ier,butnowi t’slate
andhecan’ tbedi e,butwehadt oal socompl etet her uleof
takingsoul today ,t
hereforewehadt otakethesoul oft hese
twoAnt er
r omi ans,insteadofthatsupposedper son, sot hatthe
rulemustbepr eservedandweal soshoul dassi gnedt oour
duty ”
“Aren’
tther
etheot
herway
,sothatt
hesoulmayal
sobe
preser
vedandtherul
emayal
sonotbroke?
”Neuci
adessai
d.
“So,t
her
e’stheoneway ,
wehadt ousethecursespel
lov
erthe
Anter
romians.Ther
efor
etheint
egri
tyofther
ulemustbein
conti
nui
ty.
”TheleaderofDul
l
ahanssaid.
“No,Judath,Ican’
tgiveyouthatpermissi
on,buty
esIwoul d
aboli
shedy oufrom t
helandofNer dhedgeandsentyout ot
he
seventhki
ngdom ofhel l
,thenyouwouldbef r
eedfrom deny
ing
yourduty’
’Neuciadessaidcrookedly
.
“Whatar eyousay i
nglord,weshoul dn’tl
eavetheNerdhedge
andal sowecan’ tbeacceptabletohell”Judathsai
dwi t
hhi s
creepyandast rangel
yhi ghpitchedvoice,hehadbeenr odeoff
hi
sbl ackhorse,thehorsewast i
li
ngitstai
l,expr
essi
ngasi fit
s
mast ershoul
dbepr eserved,thetappingofi t
sbarefeetonthe
groundwasl ikedrummi ngtheear t
ht ogivesignofstar
tinga
war.
“Idon’
thav
eoptions,I‘
m sendi
ngy
out
ohel
l
,nowy
ouar
e
aboli
shedf
rom Nerdhedge.
’’
“If
,youar eremov ingourcommuni tiesf rom t heser viceand
woul dbehandi ngov ert osomeone, thenIhadt ouset hecur se
ofspel l
, ‘
Woe, tot hosecr eat i
ons, whost oppet hthewayof
one’sdut y
,theywoul dbespl itt
ingi ntot hebl ackandwhi te
segment s,andi ft heywoul dev ert ryt obeuni ted,thei rresult
woul dcomeupwi tht het errifi
edmi sf ortune, i
twoul dheal t
he
abandonedbutwoul dnotbeabl et oheal it
sowncommuni ty,i
t
woul dbepr ovedt ost rongestpowert othecr eaturesand
dwel l
ersofhel l, butwoul dbepr ov ent het ent imes, obsi diant o
thedeni zensofAnt er romi ancommuni ty,theyal lwoul dbe
fi
nishedwhenoncet her esur rect i
onoft hesecur sivesegment
woul dawakenf rom i t’
sbur ial.Andt herewoul dbeonl yt hefall
s
ofAnt erromi anempi re.’’Judat hwi thhi sl astwor dsal ongwi t
h
hisbat t
al i
ondi sappear edt ohel l,andhi scur seremai nedt o
affectthepr esentAnt er romi ancommuni t
y .
”Judat hmadet he
everwor standdar kcur sesi nt hel andofNer dhedge, therewas
aqui ckspar kofsi lveryl ight si nthedar kcl ouds, thet hunder bolt
canbehear dfrom t heat mospher e, theear t
hhadbeen
woundedwi tht hiscur seandi tswombhadbeendest royedby
they ellofthist hunder ingspel l
s, t
het i
mechangedand
Neuci adesr emai nedwi t hapause, ther i
der soft hedeat hhad
beent roddenf arawayi nt heirbl ackwi ngedhor se, agai nwith
t
hathar
sht
appi
ngt
hathadbl
ownt
hel
andwi
thdooms.
“I
t’
sreall
yabiggestsecrett
obehi ddeninthehi
stor
yof
Nerdhedge,
andi tshoul
dber ecti
fi
ed,f
orit
saboli
shmenteither
i
twouldhaveilleff
ectsonforgingonallt
hecommuni t
ies,
”Gegl
sai
d.
“Iwouldadvi
ceyou,t
ostartpract
ici
ngyourabandonedstudyof
necromancy,i
twoul
dber eall
yhelpf
ult
omanki nd,butdon’
tgo
todarkersi
de,
”Tooskyadvised.
“I
’l
lbeToosky,t
hel
eftcour
sewoul
dbecontinui
ng,butnowI
hadtolef
tforsomeonewhohadsacr
if
icedalot
.”Geglsai
dand
stooduptogo.
“Don’tt
ell
me, t
hatinsane,
thesi
l
lygir
lMeli
ssaMudgun,whois
crazyabouty
ourlov e,
don’
tyoualsoconf
ronty
ourf
eeli
ngsfor
her,
”TooskyteasedGegl.
“
Oh!Comeon, TooskyIdon’
tlov
eher,Iwon’
teverl
oveher,
I
j
usthat
eher,
butf ort
hesakeofhumanity
,Ihadtowatchherat
l
east
”Geglmov edwit
houtshowinghi
sface.
“Iknow,thatyouwouldnotseethelov
e, buty
ouwouldbeseen
byy ourl
ove,havesuccesstoyourl
i
fe!!
!”Tooskysai
dinl
oud
voicetodisappear
ingimagewhichbecamenar r
owerwit
h
getti
ngti
mes.
Gegl r
anf urt
hertoreachhospit
al;meanwhi l
eMadelinehadgot
thesense, andwassur r
oundedbyMr s.AdameenandHexa, He
turnedforMr s.Adameen,whowasal solooki
ngfuri
ousand
mi ser
able,meanwhi l
eshehadcaughtt hehandsofGegl ,
and
signedhimt ocomei ntotheexaminingroom, t
herewassilence
andobv ioustensionwasgrounding,onlythebl
adesof
exhausterwer emov i
ng,hewasst i
ll
i
ngl ooki
ngathermom’ s
face,whichshowst heli
nesofdrownov erherwhit
eskin,t
he
uncomf
ort
abl
elooksov
erherf
acewasr
eal
l
yabadomen.
“Youreall
ylooktensemom; It
hinkt
hereport
s….
arequi
eta
causeofdisappointment
?”Geglmadehisvoi
cewithal
it
tl
ebi
t
suspi
ciousandatsamet imehisheart
beat
shadbeenrai
sedt
o
overstakesofhi
gh.
“I
t’
s….”Mr s.Adameenbackoff,
whenshesawt hef aceofGegl
whichwasdesper at
e,out
raged,andsomewherewasgui ltyfor
hi
msel f
,thathehadbeenprobablythecauseofsuchmi shaps.
“Whydon’tyoutellme,Ireall
y‘minanawkwardposit
ion,al
l
thathadhappenedt oher,somewhereIhadbeentoodictat
orto
herli
fe,
Isupposed”Gegl grewoutofapause,hehadbeen
probabl
ycursi
nghi mselfthrought
hewayheact edal
ong,
heati
nginthefurnaceofhi sownguil
t,t
hatswepthi
m around.
“Iwaswonder ingif
…. .wellit’
stheti
mef ort hetruth,
Ifoundthat
parti
cularl
yher10,000bl oodcel l
shadbeenwi thdrawnby
someone, someone, whoi sei t
herverymuchdespai rfor
suckingherblood,asherbl oodhadani ntenset ypeofwarmth,
Ireall
ydon’texpect,becauseofsomeF- NOT56, youknow
theremaybeachancet hatshei sthechildofonebl ackAnterro
andwhi teAnterr
ogenes, maybeshei s…….”Mr s.Adameenwas
rai
singthelevelsofuncer t
ai nt
yandsecr ets,whichhadbeen
unfoldedinthesakeofsaf etyhazards.
‘
What, t
hatshei
sthedaught
erofAr
fusandj
ennyMcCart
hy?’
Gegltal
kedaboutt
hethi
ngs,whi
chhadbeenkeptasal
ong
secr
et.
‘
Whot ol
dyouaboutt
his,
’’Adameenaskedwi
thaf
requent
aback.
‘
Ireadherdiary
,”Geglshowedt
hedi
aryofMadel
i
ne,
whi
chhe
hadbeenhidinginhisover
coat
.
“Wheredidyougett
hat
?”Mrs.Adameenl
ookedt
hroughher
,
didhissonwasspyi
ngather
?Maybehewaswi t
hhis
i
ntell
i
gence.
“
Ist
olei
tonce,
from t
hegi
rl
s’l
ockerr
oom,
“Gegl
shr
ewdof
f.
“So,whatdi dy ougott oknow, thewholel i
fefrom theage
eleventot hispr esent,
Ithinksheusedt obei nrealgr i
ef,ashis
grandfatherMr .WoldburtMcCar thydon’tknowt hef actthat
shei shergr anddaught er,
let’
sremainthisasasecr et,evenI
woul dn’
ttellMel issaorMadel i
ne,butit
’sreall
ybadt hatf rom
896t ri
ll
i
onbl oodcel l
s,10,
000bl oodcell
shadbeenwi thdrawn,I
knowwhoi she? ”Gegl composr uedhim.Hi sbloodagai n
beganwi thawar m bubbli
nginsidehisveins.
“TheHor t
il
opshadbeensuckedhal foft hepopulati
ons,Ican’
t
helpthem tobr eedanymor e,i
t’
scur
sebl ood,al
lthe
Healeri
ocinsknowabouti t,t
heFNOT-56, i
t’
susesar eonly
l
imitedtot heDhampi ri
ots.Theycanenhancet heirimmunity
andpowerl ev
el wi
ththiscondemnedbl ood,butifthisbl
oodis
acti
vatedbyAbot tl
efullofholl
owstel
larmassesand10, 000
dil
apidat
edmembr aneparadigms”Mrs.Adameensoundeda
l
itt
lesharp.
“So,
thatmeansf r
om threemonths,
thr
eeweeksMadel inehad
beensuckedbyHor ti
l
ops,butIdi
dn’
thavethedetai
ls,
thatshe
sawanythingli
kethat,
”Geglf
eltt
heshocki
ngevidencefrom
Madeli
ne’sdiar
y.
“Theyareadopt i
ngtheotherway,from threeweeksshehad
beensuckedbyKakamukhaYant r
a, yeshowIcouldbeso
carel
ess,becauseKakamukhaYant ra,i
st heonl
ytoolwhich
canhavet hebloods,soul
sandhear twi t
houtanypainwhena
personissleepyordrowsy.”Mrs.Adameenwasquest ionabl
y
fai
ntedwiththeuseofKakamukhaYant ra.
“Someonehadusedt
osuckherbloodcel
l
sthr
oughthe
KakamukhaYant
raatni
ghtt
ime,whenshewasasl
eep,
”Gegl
guessed.
“But,
questionisthishowonecanuset heKakamukhaYant ra,
asithadbeenpl acedsaf eri
nthel ocker
sofMounhar t
dungeonswi thtr
i-
levelsecuri
ti
es, evenl
aby r
inthlordDahaka
hadbeengi venthiswor k,al
ongwi thshadoweat er
s,andan
mazewi ththemi distheKakamukhaYant r
a, Theyusedt he
fakedispl
ayofKakamukhaYant raatHealariogenicsclasses,
theyhadn’topeneditsincethatdisastertookpl aceto
Nerdhedge.”Mrs.Adameenr evved.
“
But
,It
hinkthelockshadbeenopened,
Ineedtot
alkMadel
ine
i
mmediat
elybecausesheknowstheperson,
whohadopened
t
hel
ock”

Gegl hadindeedbeensear chingfortheclues,t

hetroubl ewas,
thathehadt ogowi thMadeline,j
usttohav esome
conv ersati
ons,eitherhewasamendabl e,butwasstillhiding
thathehadcar edal otforMadeli
ne,hewaschoosyt ot el
l t
hat
howmuchi thurthi m,whenhesawMadel i
neandSt embor t
together,anythinghehadgot ,butonethi
nghej ustcan’ tletto
getawaywashi sconf ronti
ngemot i
ons,towardMadel inet hat
stupidgi r
lhadst olenhisheart,andwithmuchofi nt
elligencehe
can’tdoany thing.
“Er
r-How’sit?”Geglwasmuchappalledtost ar
tli
kethi
s,
becausehehadbeenal wayshur
tful
andwi ckedtoMadeline,
andifthoughti twasal
wayseasi
erforhim,tocarryoninthat
,
buttobeani ceandcar i
ngboywaslikeast omachchurni
ng,
bei
ngMr .Att
itude,i
twasreal
l
yawkwar dfr
om hi mtoshowhe
hasani cerparttoo.
“Don’tbesofake,Iwouldv omiti
ther eonly
,it
’sr
ealnastyt
o
seey ouasanidol ofgenerosi
ty,
bei nfor
mal,hadhaveyour
rudenesstome, asI‘mt heonlyonet obearit
,andreal
lyI
enjoyedit
.”Madeli
nekeptsmi l
inglookingatGegl,
whowas
reall
yfeel
ingguil
ty.
“Ithi
nk,I
’m abadact
or,
”Geglf
oll
owedl
i
keuneasy
,tense,
and
alsoforsometi
meembar r
assi
ng.
“
Your eall
yar
e!Don’tneedtocareforme,mywoundshadbeen
t
ied,
thatmeanst hatanti
-pr
otozoashi
eldi
sst
il
lther
e”
Madelinemocked.
“Whycan’tyoubeserious,youcoul
dbedie,ei
thermayyou
wouldbelosingyourallbl
oodcell
s,whatagir
lyou‘r
e?”Gegl
dismayedwithconvi
ncing.
“Don’tbesohy per,i
t’
sgoodf oryouatleast,i
fIwasdead, I
thi
nky ouwouldbecel ebrati
ngt hatmoment ,
howIpest ered
you,Ithi
nky oumustbeappl ied,mayal it
tl
ekind,
buthow
fooli
shwasI ,r
eallywhocoul dhav edot hist
ocallyouwi thali
as,
andy oucaughtme, afterthatalsoItri
edy outobeconf ronti
ng,
butnowIgott oknow, thaty oucan’tforceanyonetolovey ou,
anditisverydiff
icul
twi t
hat oughcr ush,butnowI’m better
withStembor t
.”Madeline’
sunf ocusedey esgazedupatGegl .
“Don’ttel
lmehowhappi ery
oucoul dbewithhim,aft
erdoing
suchf ool
ishthingswi t
hme. ”
Gegl wasrest
less,i
tcanbeseen
from hisaver
tingey es,hehadbeenei t
hercrabbedoffhi
s
envioustoMadel ine,orwast r
yingitgi
veapush.
Madelinemusthavesomethi
nginhervoi
ce,whichtol
dhim she
meanti t
.Shewasi
nterr
ogati
nghersel
faboutthat
,howlong
shehadbef or
esomeonewhomusthadmi ssedhisunsmil
i
ng
face,
“Allr
ight,Ihadsomequest ionf oryou,andpleasebegener ous
togiveitsanswer ?
”Madel i
nesawadef i
antstarttotakerooti
n
hiseyes.Hewassupposedt obebi gtimecrueltoher ,and
reveali
nghi semotiontoani nferi
orgir
lwasaser i
ousdenied.
Whenshel ookedupt othem, hiseyeshadbeenr osetomeet
herwi t
hal mostdoubleinsize.Hegr imaced,scratchoffand
thenher atheral
lowedhimsel ftospeak,
“
Iwi
l
lbet
ryi
ng,
butj
ustone!
!”hegasped.
“
You’
resur
e,now?Youshoul
dn’tbelyi
ngt
omeatal
l
!Woul
d
y
ou?”Madel
inegr
ippedof
fherblanket
.
“I
fyouaretrol
li
ngme, thatwhydidIspreadallt
hescreenshot
s
ofyourmessages, l
etmet ell
you,yourmoti
vesaresti
llnot
cl
eared,andothersthi
ngsIjustwanttoignor
e,”Geglwas
obsessedwithhisfeel
ing,“Whatdowntoearth,shei
sasking”
hemumbl edtohimself.
“Iwasn’ ttalkingaboutt hosescr eenshot s,Ireal l
ywaspi tif
ul
overther e,Ijusttooki ti
mpossi ble, Iam talkingabouty ou
damni t
, don’tyoulookaty our self,howmuchi nsecur ey ouar e,
eveny oumusthav efor gottent heduel whicht ookbet ween
bothofy ou, l
astweek!Youbot hwer ebloodedal ot!Can’ tyou
bothst opf ighti
ngov erme, Ireallylov eyou, buty ouar en’t
happent oseei tanyf urther,sincewemetf ir
stt imeatcape
town, yourbehav i
orhadbeenr ought owar dme, butIwasan
admi r
erofy oustil
l,
ithur tsmewheny oushowr ejection
towardme, NowIdi dcamet oknowi twasawr onghuntf ora
bli
ndl ove, maybeIbecamesopossessi veov ery ou,thatr uined
myt ests, myl if
eandmyi mage, franklyspeaki ngIdon’ tlove
younow, andnott oSt embor t, menar ealway scl umsy ,so
betterIshoul dkeept hem awayf r
om myl if
e, andbyt heway
thanksf orsav i
ngme, her ealsoy ouest abli
shedaf av oredr ight
overme,youhadn’
teventr
iedt
ounder st
andme, al
lIwasa
mockt oyouandyourgr
oup.Bett
erli
vewithLorr
ia.
”Madeline
keptthepar
tofhercommitmentfl
awlessl
y,shewassti
llangry
thatGegldi
dn’
ttr
usther
.
“Look!Wehadnotenought i
me, t
ospeakblunt;
Ijustwantt
o
knowt hatatti
mewhenwel ockedyouattherestr
ict
ed
dungeons,didyoumeetDahaka?”Geglst
rodeforthemore,i
t
wasr eal
lynastytoasksomeone,t
hathowdidfeltwhenyou
werebeenl ockedinadarkr
oom.
“Whatist
hisr
uthlessmeansnow,don’tyouhavesense,toj
ust
notmakethefunofanyonewhoisstil
linbed?”Madeli
ne
l
ookedinahatredwaytowardGeglwhowasst il
lnotbother
ing
thet
hingwhenhewascal l
edshameless.
“Sorryf
orlocki
ngyou,butpleaseAnswermyquesti
on,at
somedayIwoul ddefi
nit
elygiveyouachancetohavef
ightwi
th
me, butnowit’
simport
ant.DidyousawDahaka?”Gegl
wander edint
heblueeyesofMadel i
ne.Hehadbeenwonderi
ng
forherifshecoul
dtel
lhim somet hi
ng.
“Yes,Imetthatl
ordoflaby
rinth,
itwasfuri
ousanddarkwarpof
blackbandages,
Idon’twanttorememberi tany
more,but
what’sthegoodinit
?”Madelinebrandi
shedhereyebr
ows.
Wishi
ngtheanswerwhichhewasexpect
ing,
abi
tqui
ckerat
thi
nki
nguptheconsequences,
hest
oodupandri
skedtoask
agai
n,
“Di
dy ousawanyper
son;
ther
eImi
ghthav
ebeenexpect
ingno
onethere?
”
“Hmmm…..Idi
dn’
tsawanyonei
nthatasy
lum.
”Madel
i
newas
agai
nint
hestrai
nedr
age.
“Anyway,i
fyoudi
dknowaboutsomeKakamukhaYantr
a,or
everbeentol
dbysomeofyoursubj
ectt
eacher
?”Gegl
again
j
umpedf oranot
herone.
“Yes, wehadbeent aughtaboutt heKakamukhaYant rabyPr of.
Rev erbrow, att hef i
rstlectureaboutBi ochemi csandResor cery
classes, infactshehadt ol
dust hatitwasv eryfurioust oolsand
i
sonl yusedf ort het reatmentofHor til
opscommuni ti
es, and
thisy antrahadbeenshapedofr avenwithr edey es, alsohis
hadt ongue, calledaKakoBakr oti,hewast heinsaneser ialkill
er
oft hehel linthef orm ofcr ow, whousedhi st onguet oswi pe
outt hesoul from anysi deofper son’sbody ,andusedt osuck
thepi gment ,butwhenhewasputi ntodeat hbyNeuci ades, his
headhadbeencutof fandi tstonguehadbeengi vent hewr ites
todr awt hesoul ,butnotofanyhumanorAnt err
omi ans,orany
necr omancer ,butofv i
ruses, bacteri
a,protozoa, algaeorany
mi croorgani sms, itwasmadei nf orm ofyantra,thespeci altyof
thisy antra,isthatwhenev ert hereisansur gi
cal oper ati
on,
becauseofi tslongt ongue, itsuckedupt hesoul ofbact eria
andpr otozoawhi chhadbeenei t
herinsertedorbeenspr ead,
buti fnotbeeni nser tedinsidet hemout hinsteadofchest ,
it
dev ouredt hehear toftheper sonasi tsownf lesh- eatingand
sucksupt hesoul orBloodcel l
s.”Madel i
neagr eedandt oldal l
sheknowsaboutt heweapon.
“It
hinki
tmusthav
ebeenst
olen,
Melis!
!”Gegl
coul
dn’
tri
skt
he
dangerandwhi
chhadt
obeterminat
edinanyway.
“
Whatarey
ousaying,
whohadstol
ensuchdanger
ousweapon?”
Madel
i
neover
thr
owsherbl
anketandspr
angoutfr
om herbed.
“Pl
easebesated,youarenotinthecondi
ti
ontotal
k,Ihadt o
fi
ndthevict
im mysel
f,t
heyhadbeenoutofourreach,theyare
dest
royi
ngtheliv
esofinnocentpeopl
ewiththei
rvi
rusattack,
theyareali
gnedt omaket hearmyofdeadcor psebyf eeding
them thebloodofDhampi ri
otscommuni ti
es,becausey our
bloodsuppor tstherai
dersofhel l
sandisdeeplycontami nated
withtheNer dhedge’snative.Iknowitverywellheisplanning
thisal
l!!
”Gegl hadclenchedhisf i
nger
s,theoutli
nesofhi sveins
canbeseen, andhewasmeanwhi lemucht emptedbyt heidea.
“Oh!Idi
dal
mostforgetthat
,youhadpromisedmetotell
about
t
heunknownkingandhi smotiv
e?”Madeli
nehadneversaw
Geglint
hemuchtroublegett
inghi
mtodowhathenev erdid.
“He’sbeenHol ocaust,thekingorwhateveryouwoul dcall
shim
theDoy en,theguar dianwhot ransf
ormedt hehumanand
enforcesther ulesamongt heDhampi r
iot
s.Doyenist he
str
ongestoft heentireGuar di
ansinDhampi r
iot
scommuni t
y
andaccept edast heDy nastcommanderofdar kness.”sai
d
Gegl sl
eepil
yashesawMadel i
nescrambledoutofbedand
pull
edherdr esswhi chhadbeendi ppedintheblood.
“Holocaust ,whatareyoursayingGegl,i
t’
sl i
keahor ribl
e
clockwor k,thati
nsanehadal mostkil
l
edt heat heist,hehad
beensear chedintheearthtoobyname, Hecat iousv ulneri
ty
andnowhehadagai nnamedhi m byDoy en,itisthehar dly
thingonecandoubt edabouthi m,t
hatmeanshei st he
unknownDhampi ri
otsking,hehadbroughtt hedi saster2000,
hei sthemur der
erofmypar ents,
andev entuallyhei sthekill
er
ofy ourfathertoo,“Madelinewasstubbor nl
yr epeatingt hat
wor ds,againandagai n.
“Iknewitverywell,Meli
s,hehadbeentheinvaderofthe
Diomaur er
’sl
ines,hewascompl etel
yover
thr
own, atthat
disast
er2000.Thenhef l
edawaywi t
hhisarmyt oli
vedownat
thatborder’
smy ster
iousjungl
e.Hecaptur
edmanypi xiesand
Homor ti
ans,tobreedthepopulati
onofhisowncommuni t
y,he
hadpr acti
ci
ngt hetraffi
ckingofpixi
esandHomor t
ians,theyare
kidnapped,andt hei
rnucl eusisdestr
oyedandahi ghlyli
quefied
soul ofbrut
ali
tyisfedint hem, unl
esstheyaccepttheirarmy.
Aroundcensus2000, t
heirpopulat
ionincr
easehadbeenboost
upt o4%t o9%,thatmeansi ftheywere45000atallthenat
today ’
syeartheyhav ebeen40, 5000.Nowhei soptingy our
bloodcells,
”Gegl said,noddinghisheadinferv
ent.
Butov erthi
sall
,messshewanderhowt hatwickedHolocaust
mayknowt hesecretofherblood,evenwhenhehadbeeni n
Panola’scase,hewasai nsanehero-worshipofhisrel
i
gion,and
cust
om, supposedtobehauntdown, maybehewasi nthe
sear
chf orhumani ntheearth,andthesamer easonishe
wantedt obreedthepopulati
onofhiscommuni ty,
“Ithi
nkwecoul dmeett heculpr
it
,atEl-
Machobar ,I
’
m goingt o
fi
ndhim downt her
e,”Gegl hadastrangepi
tchedvoice,he
gropedoffhi scoatandst oodupfrom thesmallt
ablewhi ch
hadbeenpl acedneart hebedwher eMadelinehadbeenr esting,
thehospital r
oom, grewoutoft hemov i
ngofexhauster
,the
fl
icker
inglightshoneupl i
keabr i
ghtraysofsunwhi chforecast
themselvest hrought hestonypeaksofmount ai
ns.
“Ial
sowantt ocomeov erther
e;Ireall
ywantt ograbt haticy
windinmyhands, hehadr ui
nedalltheli
vesofi nnocent,i
nf act
hehadbeent hekil
ler
sofinfantchil
d’sparents.Iwon’tlethim
goli
ket hi
s”Madeli
nesaidwi t
hasuddenbl astofgrieve,t
he
sparsenesscanbeobserved,whenshemov edoutfrom bed
andherclothesweredippedinblood,looki
ngpal eandweak
muchasshel ooki
nhernor malphysics.
“Youhadtostaybackhere,don’
tyouknowt heHorti
lopsar
eal
l
weresear
chingforyourbloodonly
,theyhadkil
l
edsev er
al
pati
ent
sinthehospital
s,withaseverevi
ruscal
led,
‘
Haemat oda’,thi
sv irusi ssodanger ousar oundt heuni verse,
thatmani smadet obur stinsecondwi t
hal ltheout ragedbl ood,
thereisthefor mat i
onofsmal l bl
ackhol ei nthepat i
ent’
sbody ,
anditengul f
sal lthet hingsnearbyi t
, t
her ehadbeencr eat i
ons
of40bl ackhol es,insteadofdeadper son’ scorpse, thereisa
hugeenci rcl
edmust eredoft hepi gmentFNOT- 56, j
ustliket he
severalblackhol esinmi l
li
onsofmi l
kyway ,youmustst ayher e
andwr it
eal ettertoPi xief ederationdepar tment ,toimmedi ately
sentthebat tali
onsofwel lskil
ledpi xiear mies,becauset heyar e
theonlyonei nthislandi nwhi cht hatpigmentwon’ taff
ect ,
also
theywoul dbecapabl eofencount er i
ngt heHor t
ilops,ast hey
canalsodest r
oyt hecy bsters,theirwagon, Ineedt ofi
ndt he
smuggl i
ngofKakamukhay antra,andonl yoneper soncant ell
met his,heishi msel fthatdi ngybarowner ,Mr .Scept r
ic
Malji
ous. ”Gegl i
nclinedt othedoorofhospi tal,leavingbehi nd
Madel i
ne,
Butbothwer equest i
oningt hemselves,thatifKakamukha
yantrahadbeenst olen,andi t
’stheonlywayt oinjectthe
vir
usesonper son’sbody ,
sot her
emustbesev eral ot
her
Kakamukhay antra,theymusthadt ost opthesmuggl ingif
there’
slotmor e,
eitheritwoul ddestroytheNer dhedge,
Madel i
neagainsear chedf orHerElgoswar ,andaf terspel
li
ngi
t
with,‘
Eluga’
’
,itshowedt hetopic,
FI
GHTERBIRDSBATTALI
ONSANDTHEI
RHI
STORYOF
UPGRADEDSKILLS
,Pixi
esarmedbat tal
ionhadbeentheaer oski
ll
edf i
ght
er,they
arethesingleenginepower edsuper
sonicmulti
rol
ef i
ghter
s,
restr
ainedinallweather,t
heyhadbeenpr ovi
dedsidemount ed
controlwingstoeasecont rolwhi
lemaneuveri
ng,theyhadthe
wingbyf i
refli
ghtcontrolsyst
em operat
edinthem which
helpedthem tomakei tanimbl eaerofi
ghter
.Theyhadan
i
nt ernal N90Vul cancannonand460l ocat ionsformount i
ng
weaponsandot hermi ssi onequi pment s, theyar et hef i
ghter
bomber s,theyhadv entral fins, andlengt henedf usel agefive
stor est ati
onsi sav ail
abl einonepi xie, theywer efirstdev eloped
i
ny ear1971, byal lti
meaer oexper t,Sebast i
anNur ay sand
GriffinLut ernate
ther ecommonnamei st hunder bir
ds, ast heyar et hecomr ade
forceofLeupi xi
es, Auror amages, Pinnacl or i
dgeandOpaci verge.
Theywer ef i
rsttimet esti n1978, DURI NGTHEI RTESTI NG; THE
HORI ZONTALSTABLI ZERSwer eincreasedby30%besi des
reduci ngt her i
skofdeepofsl oping, largespi ri
tsofGunman
snake’ st ail
shadbeenaddedt oimpr ov ei t sstabil
ity,andf or
fast ertakeof frotati
on, whi let heirrebel lionf li
ght,theyhadbeen
prov idedwi t
honboar dpowerof90spi ri
tsofMaudnai land
cool ingcapaci t
ies,bypr ov idingi nthem t hespi r
itsofsnowy
fudge
Theyar esomet i
mespr ov idedwi tht hepowerofhungr y
avioni cs.
Aj etengi ne,hor i
zontal tailplanes, t
ricy clel andinggearand
undersl ungai rintake,v ortex-cont rol strakesandaboom st y
le
aer i
al refueli
ngr eceptacl e,speedbr akesar elocat edneart heir
arter y,angelsofat t
ackandf l
owof fasl enderl ifti
ngsur f
acei s
adjust edbyahi ghcombatagi li
t y
,alongf laperonsl inkedtoa
digital fl
ightcont rolsystems. ”Af tergi vingmuchi nf ormation
thebookr oll
edi nacor ner .

Vayudyancel i
batesi nwhicht herewerefourfl
yi
ngcategories
ofPixi
es, Auroramagest heflyersofweehoursfrom onea.mt o
12p.m.t hent hePi nnacl
oridget henoonti
mef l
yersfr
om 12
p.
mt o4p. m adayandt hent heLeupixi
eswhohadt heirfl
ight
ti
mingofev entidethatisfrom 4p. mtoeightp.
m.af t
erthem
wereOpaci verge, t
heyar eli
ket hestar
swhohel pthepeopleto
fi
ndtheirwayi nnight.

Madeli
newalkedthr
oughthedoorwit
hwoodenf lask,
thehal
f
openedwooden,wasgli
tt
eri
ngthr
oughthecrescentli
ght
comingfr
om thesmall
lawnofthehospi
tal
,Madel i
netur
ned
hersl enderneckoutoft hedoor ,itcanbeseent hati ntheout
l
awn, nof oot st
epscanbehear d,ev eni fthecatwasal sosl ept
awayf rom t hecorri
doroft hehospi tal ,thesi gnboar dwi tht he
bronzepi eceshi nedatt hel i
ght ,
andi twasano.pal ett
ef ora
room, assigned456, Madel inegent l
ycl osedt hedoor ,withouta
scr atch, whi lecomingoutoft her oom shehadpackedherbag
anddr essedupt henewcl ot hes,thr owi ngherbl oodst ained
clot hes, shewasr eall
yachi ngf rom i nside, thedi mr oom ofher
restwasl eav edbehindher , shel ookedar oundher self,many
roomsasshewentf urther ,squeal edf rom t hegr oani ngv oices
oft hepat ient,oneoft hedoorwassl ight l
yopened, allshecoul d
seet hroughheri ncli
nedey esandal l shecoul dhearwas, ont he
bedwasaboywhowasl iket hesuckedpopsofbody ,beside
washermot herwhowassomef atandpoi ntednose, was
talkingt ooneoft heHeal er iocin,thesur geonwaswear i
nga
spect acles,andhi svoicewascol dandpal e,li
kehi sv oicewas
grant ingzer opossibil
ityofl iveont heNer dhedge, t hedifficult
andt het oughestexpr essi onwast her einhi st r
iangl eshaped
faceandhesai dinveryi cymanner ,‘I’m sor rytosay ,buthe
won’ tbeal i
veaf t
erfi
vemi nut es.
”Andal readyi thadbeent hree.

CHAPTER17
THEEL-
MACHOBAR
Madel inecl osedherey estightly,shecan’tseet heinnocent
boydy ing, shel ookedthr ought hegapsofherhandswhi chshe
hadput tedonhery es,atherwr istwatch,i
t’snowbeen40
seconds, andt hecount downbegi ns,39,25, 1510, 9,
8,7,
6,
5,4, 3,2and1, af
tersomet i
met herewast heblastinthat
room ev er ywher ewer ethepl ashesofbl ood, i
twashor ribl
eto
l
ookt het i
desofi mpureandcur sedbl ood,thewhol eroom was
engulfedbyt henon- escapt i
vityregionformedbyt heFNOT- 56,

Nowont hepl
acewherethebedwaskeptt her
ewasal lthe
st
ainsofbl
oodandablackfil
thyhol
e,movinglikeabiggiant
wheel,
engul
fi
ngthewholethi
ngsoftheroom, shestepped
forward,butshecan’ tkepthermi ndawayf rom whatshehad
j
ustseen, sev er
al footsawayf rom thef i
rstroom some7r ooms
shehadcr ossed, t
her ewasagai nabl ast,allshecoul dseewas
theblastofbl oodandnot hing, sheranawayf rom thehospital
becausesheknewt hatfrom t hegi rl
st oi
let,therewasawi ndow
whichhadgl asspanel s,butshebr okedownt heglassandr an
awayf rom t heret othej ungl ewhi chledhert ounknown
pathway ,itwasi mpossi blet oconsol i
dat esomeone, inasuch
terr
iblemoment ,allMadel ineknewwast hatwhenshesaw
manybl astandr egionoff or mingbl ackhol es, shewas
undertakenbyt her eignoft error,shewast hemai nguil
tywho
forherownmeanhaddest royedt helivesofi nnocentpeople,
sheknewi tv erywel l t
hatshewoul dbecur sedbyherown
peopleifshei scaughtbyt hepol i
ce,shewasr unningfrom
herself,
from t hepr oblem whi chshehadcr eat edaroundher sel
f,
Rolli
ngandsl i
dingf rom thedi fferentsloppygr oundsand
mar shesoft hejungl e,shesaway el
lowl ightcomi ngf r
om ahut
l
ikedi r
typl ace,andmanydr unkenwer ecomi ngandent eri
ngt o
thathut,itwasmadeupofr ock, andt hechi mneywasbl own.

ahugewi ndowhadbeenmade, possibl

ywi t
hahast e,she
grabbedt hatglassoft hewi ndow, coveredwi t
ht hesnow, a
l
ay erofthickwildsnow, coldandhai l
ed, sher emov edt hesnow
ont heglassbyherhands, toseewhatwast hatplace,inside
thehutwasmuchwar m andmanybadl ooki ngpeopl ewer e
seatingaround, or
der i
ngdr inksandbeart ot hemal nour i
shed
wai t
ers,t
hebr ownanddungyi nteri
orhadi tsowngl owof
crimsonl i
ght,i
tslowl yingt hatchedr oofwasf il
ledwi t
hal l
want edandunwant edpeopl e,forthem itwasanext eri
or
hiddenplaceawayf rom t heirchaot i
clif
e, thebarhadbeen
decor at
edwi t
hdecant er s,amapofbeercap, besidethel efti
n
thet hi
rdcounterwithAr gosdecant ersetwi thupt owngl asses,
beercaddyf orbottlesandBamboocoast er.

itdoesn’
tseemedthepl
aceforgood,butdef
ini
tel
yforthedev
il
,
ever
ysortofgambl
erscouldbefoundther
e,somegunmen
anddrugsdeal
erswerespott
ed,onebaldheadedpersonwas
wear i
ngadi r
tyscar far oundhi sneckwasseat ingi nt heol d
woodent able,andbesi dehi m wasamanwhohadwor ea
maskar oundhi sf acewear i
ngabowl er’
shat ,gav et hesui t
case
tothatbal dmen, neart hem wasamar kedf aceper son, al
most
drunkenbutst il
linsensewassay i
ngsuchbadwor dst othe
waiterwhohadmi stakenl ydr oppedt hedrinksov erhi sshoes,
somegangpeopl ewer eshuf flingthecar dsandot herwer e
hootingt hegi r
lswhi chhadbeent hemai ds,i twasf il
l
edwi t
h
Poker s,Smuggl ers, Chai n-smoker sandDr ugDeal ers, somehad
camef ortheirownper sonal ent er
tainmentl iket het woPub
gameswer efamousatt hattime, onewas“ Duf ferBar dman” ,in
thi
sgameast atueofpi pedmanwi thwr i
nkledf acewaspl aced
holdingonemagi cal broom i nhi slefthandwher east heper son
hadt obl i
ndfoldhi msel fandhadt ot hrowamagi cal sticktot he
mout hofBar dman, whocont inuousl yflyaroundt hehal l
,i
fhi s
mout hi snotbr eakwi t
ht hest ickhewoul dr ev eal yourdeepest
secrettoot herpeopl eandper sonisaboutl oosehi sidentitybut
i
ftheBar dmani sdest roy edthePer sonwi nst heMoney
Brochur e.

SecondgamewasNor kyVsPor ky,i

nt histhereisat abl
ein
whichaMapofPi nocelli
sshownamagi cal l
andonlysix
personcanpl ay
,inwhichonet eam istermedasNor kyand
otheroneasPor ky,eachteam wouldpossest hr
eemember s,
botht hemember swouldgotapi eceofpl aceinmapaf ter
tappingthemapwi thaqui l
tofowl’sfeather,aft
eritsactivat
ion
Mapwoul ddemand3Li tr
esofMar f
aritt
o,andaf terdri
nking,it
willdispl
aythemazeofci t
yandi nthet wot eam whoev erwould
fi
ndt hequestwouldbewi nner.

Ar oundt hem wasanol dmanwhowasv erymuchwi ckedand

cunningnessspr eadacrosshisface,
hisoney eswascovered
withtheey emaskandhi srot
tenteet
hwerev erymuchuglyt o
see, i
fheeatswor msi nhisdi
nner,hehadwor ethel
ateBri
tish
coatandabowi ndar kbrowncolourwastalki
ngahoodper son,
theper sonwassi tt
inghavi
nghisbacktowardMadel i
ne,
thereforeshewasunabl etoseehi sf
ace,Madelinet
urnedto
eastwall,movedtowardtheporchwallwhichwassetj ust
besidethebarcounter
,aft
erav i
suali
zat
ionofthewalls,which
wereeitherf
il
ledwit
hpost erofmostcri
minalpeople,
sassy
gir
ls,ev
erywindowswer edecorat
edwi t
hetchedglassesandat
cornerthewashroom,containsaroundmirror
.

NowMadel inedecidedtoentert hatbar ,whichlookedl ikeaold

wor eof fshoeinmi dofthejungle,shenowt urnedf oritsf r
ontal
,
wher ei tnamedinawoodensi gnboar d, ‘
TheELMachobar ’,
a
spitedandsawdustpub, becausei twast oocol dout side, i
twas
bettert oenteri
nit,butshealsocov eredherheadwi t
hahood,
shebl inkedslowly,asshemakeherwayt obar,shedi dn’ tmind
though, wi
thrubbedandswel ledey es, asitwast heonl ywayt o
getar ound,shewr appedherselfwi t
hherar msandmov ed
forwar d,shehadnopr oblem withherf akeI.Dshehol dt he
Flashlightsandendedupwi t
hsomeol dfurni
ture,roll
ingdesk
andsomeot hershapesthathadbeenhi ddenundert hedi m
l
ight ,
nowsheper chedthrought hewal l
,shewassi nceabl eto
seet hef aceofhoodman, i
twasnoneot herGegl hex,andt hen
theol dmanshoul dbeScept ri
cMal j
ious, t
hebar tender .

Madel ineadjustedherey estot heGegl hex, whowassi t

tingin
asmal l30cm wi dthroundshabbyst ool,nextt otheoldfaced
bartender ,
itwasacozyr ooftoploungeandf orGegl Hex,
howev eritwasabl inkofcl uesinav erse,hisl i
psweremov i
ng
i
nadi screte,
itseemedhewoul ddescr ibet hisbaras
unpretent i
ous,resour cefulandGr acious, SceptricMalj
ious,the
greedybarowner ,f
irsttappedont hebarcount ertoscareaway
thesewager ats, t
heybot hwer efaci ngtowar dNorthfacing
counter ,l
ookingoutont oahi l
lyterrainandabedof
constel l
ati
onsofst arsinnight.

“Ther
e’sfouroutoft
hreecar
ds,
andIbetonsecondfr
om r
ight
,
maybeitwouldbeahel l
oramustypi
t”Gegl
ventur
edwit
hthe
deckofcards.

“
Hol
l
owt
onguesandt
ender
ingmi
nds,
areenought
omakea
wini
ngwheelHex!Her
e’saspade,
Iwonf
ort
wo”Scept
ri
c
swit
chedt
hecardfr
om pack.

“Bloodyspooks,al
way sgoar oundmybadfat
eatskit
tl
es,
l
oopingthetri
ckagainsttr
icksteri
sbadonetobechosen,
Scep!!
”Geglrepl
i
edwi thapor k.

“He-He,thenyoumusttri
edthi
sPapichi
no,
well
Iwasn’
tal
l
planni
ngt ohaveyout
his,butf
orsakeofdi
rt
ymind,
getasi
p!”
Sceptri
cpouredtheemptyglassofGegl
.

“Ir
eal
lynotchoosemywor d,butit
’sdamncool ,
Scep,ascrap
mindandabigwi ne?”Gegl
Fini
shedhisdr i
nkinasingl
egulp
andli
ft
edhisglasstoSceptr
icforanother.
“Woestoyourashamedhands, youhadn’tpai
dmyol dbil
l
ings,
Geck!
”Sceptri
cmov edawaythemugofdr i
nk.

“
Comeon!Don’
tbesor
ude,
justonegl
assf
ull
”Gegl
demanded
f
ormor
e.

“
Youdon’tnowhowmuchIhadsacr
if
icet
ogeti
tsr
eci
pef
rom
aCy
clops”Scept
ri
ccr
owded

“Areci
pe,
andf rom acycl
ops?”Geglrepl
iedwit
houtr
aisi
nghis
eyesfr
om thefreshdri
nkthathadjustbeenser
vedtohim,af
ter
amuchofpl eading.

“Reall
y,hewasmuchbeastyf ort
hisbeautyreci
pe,Ipai
dhim
offthe50dozenfreshfl
eshofanol dDragon,i
twasabadl oss!
”
Sceptri
ctookthepaymentfrom acustomer,whorecent
ly
arri
vedatcounter
,“Hal
l
ow, eveni
ng,Yorgy,
howmuchatduf f
er?
”

“
40bucks,
Sceptr
ic,getme12DozenofPapis,Br
isky
,Boul
tof
muskandaSavouryLicker
s.”Cust
omerdemanded.

“Why,notyoualwaysaddeditt
omypr ofi
t,f
oryouIwould
del
iv
erittoyourbri
ckt
ownf act
ory
,therealonemuchbranded
f
rom “
Jugg’
sMar
gar
it
a”Scepr
ubbedhi
sbot
hhands.

“Iwasexpect
ingt
hisonl
y!
”Thecust
omershaket
hehandswi
th
Scept
ri
candmov eddowntoexi
t.

“
Aluckycharmert
oyourBaggyBoons,ButIheardofaDeali
ng
t
oyourplace,
OneKakaandmill
ionsofBuyer!Huh?”Gegl
took
adi
pbreathandanot
herl
ongsipfrom hi
sdri
nk.

“Iknowt omakemoneyf r
om curses,Don’tmind!ButI
’mjusta
medi at
orbetweent hatl
ef tcor
neredmar kedMenAmi goPenter,
andamy steri
ousSeller
!”Sceptri
cjuggledthesamplebottl
es
from counter.
“But,di
dn’tyouplannedt obuyitoffforyoursel
f?”Geglasked
wi t
haf i
l
ledJug.

“I
’m happywi thmyof fsi
de–t r
im guns,Ididn’
twanttohave
any,butyoudon’ tknowt hatmanisal lt
imeSmuggl eranda
brokerofWol dburt‘
sComett i
cduoweaponmaki ngCompany ,
‘
Tendr um’.Ami goPenterisahalftimeslashedmen, andKaka
i
sdesper atelyknownt ohav ecust
omer s,i
tspopular
ityi
s
bewitchi
ngt heGunsol dr at
es,inf
actMy* 76Ggunwi th98
bull
etwasanassaul toverit.
”Sceptri
creplied.

“Ithi
nkAmi goorwhat everheis,cont
inuousl
ywaiti
ngforyour
sign,andthatMyst er
iousSel
ler,
butdi
dn’tyouhaveanyclue
aboutthatMy st
eriousPerson?Imean, hi
soutl
inedhist
oryor
else?”Gegltempted.

“Hei
sal oon,andver
ymuchi nsanePerson,Buthi
sNameis
conf
identi
al,
it’
sadeepsecret
,ashehadundercov er
edhi
msel
f,
soIdon’twanttor
iskoutathisname!”Sceptr
icwobbl
ed.

“It
’sal
ready11: 55,whenhewouldbeapproachingher
e?”Gegl
l
ookedathi swr i
stwatch,asmal
loneofQuardts,andMoon
hadcompl etelysunkindeepdar
kseawi t
hallcometenci
rcl
ing
hi
m as11per sonand55spearspoint
ingtowardit.
“Hehadplannedtoarr
iveat12’
o’cl
ock,andAmigohad
or
deredatl
east69GlassesofQuaciCrout.Hei
sdeepanger
wit
hhim”Sceptr
icsai
d.

“Then,Imustgetawayfrom thi
sPub, t
hanksfory
oursi
zzl
ing
dri
nks,Scep!
!Andhere’
sy ourpayment,NowIwouldLi
keto
l
eave!”Geglst
oodupf r
om thetool,
dragitof
f.

“
HaveaGoodHal
l
owEvening,
andDon’tFor
gettocomeback,
t
hisPl
acer
eal
l
yNeedsHunks,
”Scept
ri
cwav edhi
m.

Gegl hadl i
edt oScept ri
c,i
nf acthehadpl annedt oent
er
throughaFor biddenDoor ,toCaughtTheTr ai
tor ,whohad
stolentheKakaandi sNowusi ngi tForWr ongmeans, whil
ehe
againcr ossedt heFor bi
ddenDoort oComeOv erpub,wit
hr i
ght
oftheent rancedoor ,
thereusedt obeanol dtoiletwhi
chhad
beenseal ed,andwascov eredwi thbricks,butheknowshowt o
enterthet oi
letwhi chseparat estheBarcount erandent r
ance
door ,
her ushedt ot hetoil
et,butnoti nitsinsi
de, alt
houghtoits
outercor e,whichcanbeusedt opeepi nsidethePub, Inahurry
hecol l
idedwi thananot herFami l
iarbody ,andi twasMadeline
i
tself,shehadal r
eadyhi ddeni nsi
deandwasl isteni
ngtheir
tal
ks.

“
Whatar
eyoudoingher
e?”Geglshout
edbuti
nsuchv
oice
whi
chwasaudi
blet
obothofthem.

“Ihadcamet oSuspecty ou,Idon’tyetwhet heryouar etr

ustf
ul
ornot?”Madelinetri
edt oliehim down, asbecauseshedi dn’
t
wantt oshowhi m,thathecar esforhissecur it
y,thatsheis
creepedforhispresenceandhadf ear
edabouthi sstake,and
from herbott
om ofherhear tsheKnewt hatGegl can’
tbeTur n
outasat rai
tor
,asav iorcan’tbeadest royer.

“
Whatabadj
oke,youar
esuspect
ingme?Thanksbyt
heway,
y
esI
’mtheunknowntr
ait
orwhosuckedy
ourenoughbl
oodt
o
makemy selfPowerful
,a-
Ha, Leavethis,Aren’
ty ouhavemind,
youarenotrecoveredful
ly
,needbedr estandy oudidwhat?
Elopedf
rom thehospit
alandr ushedwi thyourwoundst ot
his
savagej
ungle,buthowdidy oufindthisplace,youhadbeenal l
cold!
”Geglgrunt
edandmeanwhi lelookedt hr
ought hesmall
windowholeoftoil
etattheent r
ance.

“Ifounditbymist
ake,Ijustl
ow- l
iedt omysel
f,butdidyouknew
thatAmi goi
sawor kerofMr.Wol dburtMcCart
hy,theFamous
Entrepr
eneurofNerdhedge,IthinkScept r
ici
slyi
ngabouthim,
hecan’tdosuchsmuggl ingMr .Wol dbur
tisahonestman”
Madel i
netri
edtodefendhisgrandf ather
.

“Buthowdi dyouknowt hatMr .Woldburti

sahonestper son,
maybehecoul dbethecheat er,
heisdoinghisbusinesswi t
h
arbi
tr
atingpeople,hehimsel fwouldbeback-stabberor
Deceivertohisownland,andwhyar eyousoirresi
sti
ble,why
areyoudef y
inghim,whati syourrel
ati
onwi t
hhi m?”Gegltri
ed
tomakeMadel i
netovomi tthetrut
h,al
thoughhehi mselfwas
thebiggestenemyofWol dbur t
,hehatedhimf orabigpurpose.

“I
-Ij
ustthoughtthathei sanobleandhonoredper sonof
Nerdhedgesoanybl otonhisnamei snotgoodforhi s
personali
ty,
ther
ef oreI!
”
Madel i
nelookedawayt oi
gnorethequesti
on,act
ual l
yshe
dri
ftedawayher selfwit
hthisannoyi
ngandunf r
uitfulquesti
on,
“I
’m sorr
yGegl,butIhadt ohidethi
ssecretfr
om y ou,thatMr.
Wol dbur
tMcCar thyisnoneotherthanmyGr andfather,andI’
m
heronlygranddaught er
.”

“
I’
m goingtodr
opyoubackt
ohospi
tal
”Gegl
lookeddi
rect
ly
i
ntotheeyesofMadel
i
ne.

“Andwhyareyoudoingthi
s?Didyoucareforme?Whatis
rel
ati
onbetweenmeandy ou,Whoareyoubytheway ,
My
fri
end,myboyfr
iendormyhusband,
inallt
hist
hreeyouar
e
nothi
ng,sowhyar ey
ouacti
ngli
kemyBody guar
d!Tell
me,now
whyareyoukeepingyourselfaway
”Madeli
nebli
nkedsl
owly
,
focusi
ngintohi
sblueeyes,wheret
heanswerl
i
es,andshe
knowitverywel
l.

“Yes,Ididn’
tbelongtoanyoft hethree, andI ’
m nott he
ri
ghteousper sonofy ourl
if
e,af t
erallIdi dt oyou,Ican’ tbet he
ri
ghteousper son,butforsakeofhumani t
y,Irequesty out ogo
back,thispl
acei snotsafefory out ost ayandi t’
salready11: 59,
thetrai
torwoul dbeonhi sway ,don’ty oucar eformymot her
whol ovedyoumor ethanadaught er,pleasedoany thi
ngbut
l
eav ethispl
acebef orehecomes”Gegl lookedst r
aighti ntoher
searchingeyes,hejustcan’ttellherthathet oowasl i
ttl
ebi t
i
ntimidatedbyher ,healsofeelsaconnect i
onbuti twoul dbeal l
rui
ned, anecromancercan’taddt oanAnt erromianandbesi de
thi
st herewer eotherprobl
ems.

“Now,Ican’tgetback,butIhadinfor
medt heAvi
onicsbird
depar
tment ,theyhadbeenalreadyprepar
edthefi
ghterbirds
andpixiestoHor t
il
opsandthewarhadbeganbet weent hetwo”
Madelineturnedforhisat
tenti
onwhi l
ehewasgazingatt he
door,
buthear ingthenews,heturnedbacktoMadeline.

“What?Whatarey ousayi
ng,Soy ouhadsentthelet
tertot
hem,
Hmm Unf or
tunatelyf
orf
ir
sttime, Iwoul
dadmi tt
hatyouhave
brai
n!”Geglsai
dt oMadel
inewithdeepbr eat
h.

“
Whatdoyouwantt
osay,
obvi
ouslyIhadbr
aini
nme,byt
he
waywhendi
dhewouldbecoming?”Madel
i
neasked.

“
Rightnow!
”heexpel
l
edt
hewor
dsandt
urnedf
ort
hedoor
.

Thedoorlaidwi thCr acksound,thewi ndwasf owledbythe

ti
me, andt
hel eav esdr oppedf
rom t herobelesstrees,whower e
al
readysavingt hemsel veswit
hsi ngleleav
es, andamanwi th
wrappedclothesst oodatt hefootstepofthewoodeni rkli
kea
henchmanwi thhi saxes, hi
seyeswer eoutburstwithblood,al
l
heneedwasbl ood, allheswel
lswasbl oodandhenai ledhis
handswi thcr
ime,thepersonwasher
e,foramomentt her
e
wereallsil
enteverbodymov edt
ohim,t
ol ookathi
m hewas
l
ookinglikeaslayerwhowasgoingtosl
aydownal lwit
hhis
wickedplan,Madelinebi
ndherfi
nger
sinaf i
stunti
lGeglmade
herpati
ence.

“
Nowt hetrai
tor
,woul
dbeunv
eil
!”Gegl
ext
ri
cat
eshi
msel
f
r
eluct
antl
y.

“
Iwantt
oseehi
m behi
ndt
hebar
s,”Madel
i
neexagger
ated.

“Wehadtowai
tunt
il
,hehimsel
fwoul
dspeakuphi
swor
dsand
coul
drev
ealhi
spl
an!”Geglwar
nedMadel
i
ne.

“
Whet
herhewoul
dbet
ell
i
ngt
hisal
l
?”Madel
i
nedoubt
ed.

“Dependsuponthewayhei
smani
pul
atedbyScept
ri
cand
Amigo!”Geglcl
ear
ed.

“Look, hegotasi gnfrom Sceptri

candt hatAmi goi
sal soslowly
mov ingawaywi thhisseat,heisheadingitwaydownt o
count er”Madelinelookedatthebarcount er,t
herewasa
creakingsound, twost ool
swer edragged, onefrom l
eftside
andot herfr
om right,
onewasAmi goPent ertheall
timei l
l-
famousmedi at
orandonhi sr i
ghtwast heunknownt rait
or,then
threev oicesmur mured.

“Youknowthaty
oucant
rustus,
thenwhyt
hishood?
”asked
Scept
ric.

Oneoft hevoi
cedr
oppedandi twasnoneothert
hanthattr
ait
or
“Str
angermustbekeptaway ,andknownpersonmustbe
dist
ancedawaybutaf r
iendshouldbekickedawaybecausethe
worstenemythepersoncanhav eishi
sownf ri
end!
”Thetrai
tor
saidinhisv
erycol
dandbi zar
rev oi
ce.

“
Atl
eastt
ell
me,
howmuchdoy
ouwanti
ttopay
?”
Amigo’
svoi
cewasalit
tl
ethumpi
ngandrushi
ngsound,
he
coul
dgeti
twel
lunt
ilhewasamendedbythetr
ait
or.

“
Holdof
fy ourpati
ence,whyyouhav ebeensoirr
esi
sti
ble,
Ihad
i
tinmyinnerpockettheKakamukhaYant r
a,don’
tyouwantto
l
i
steni
t’
sst or
y?”Thetrai
torasked.

“
Ify
ouar
ewi
l
li
ng,
thenwhynot
?”Scept
ri
cshott
hebul
l
et.

“
Iknewi tfr
om begi nningt hatLor dDoy eni sneedi ngitbadl y,
aft
erhehadl osei tf rom t heGr oot i
bourandAnpumi us,hewas
toofragileandol d,t houghhecondemnedt oplant heinv ading
ofNer dhedge, butwasbi tt
enbyt heBugbeart hatbact eriawas
asuchcol dthingwhi chpar alyzedhi sbodyf r
om sev enteen
years,hewasanal ivecor pse, buthi ssonPr i
nceNeuf l
verhad
boldlylookedaf terhi m andmanagedt okeephi m halfgoodi n
atypical condi t
ion, hewasdi agnosedbyHc.Gr avewalker ,who
tol
dhi mt hathisbl oodl osemayr evivedbyt hepi gmentFNOT-
56,thecont ami nat edbl oodf orAnt erromi anbutaboonf orhell
peopleandt hosewhohadbeenexpel l
edf rom t heearthof
Nerdhedge, ifgivent oanyAnt erromi anitwoul dunbi ndthe
Whi t
eAnt erropar t
icl esandwoul df usedt heBl ackAnt erro
parti
cles.Andasf orev er ypar ti
clet hereisanant i
parti
cle,andif
apar ti
cle-antipar ti
cl epai rsupt henaAnt erro-Cygnusbar yon
for
msi tisi mpossi blet oescapeonesel ff rom get ti
ngdr awn
i
ntot hesecl ust erofpar ticl
e.TheAnt erro-Cy gnusnucl eusi sthe
rar
estbl oodbui ldingpar ti
cles.

Noonei ntheNer d-Hedgehadev erbor nwitht hisoccul

t.
becauset hi
sbloodt ypecontainsthesegmentofFNOT- 56a
parti
clewhencl uster
edf ormsar egionofnon- escapt i
vi
ty
nothi
ngcoul dpulleditsel
fbackt oli
fei foncei t
sact i
vat
eitself
.
I
tisacompactr esultofwhi t
eAnt er
ropar ti
clefusedwi thblack
Anterr
opar t
icl
e.Itdeformst helargestsur facet of orma
l
ifel
esscomet .Af t
ertheact i
vati
onitcont inuet ogr owby
absorbingperson’sbodycel l
,theper sonmaydi edbecauseof
theFNOT- 56inageof30’ sorevent henl ess,buti fthi
sbloodis
tr
ansf er
redt oahal fdeadcor psehewoul dl
ivef
ormi l
li
onsof
years,butt hereliesacondi ti
ont hatneit
herthewhiteAnt err
o
soulorthebl ackAnt er
rosoul cantakeittohealt
hemsel ves
becauseFNOT- 56i tselfwouldabsor bst hei
rmasst oexpandi t
s
l
ifeexpect ancy .Itishar mlesst othebodymadeupofpr otons
andneut rons, thereforemanyAnt err
omiansweresear ched
havi
ngt hist ypeofbl oodunt i
l,ThatMel i
ssawasf ound.”The
Trai
torclosedhi smout hasi twassodr iedandhedid
swallowedmuchoft heliquori nhisneck.
“
It
’ssaf eher epl ease, unvei
l yourhead!”Scept
ri
ccr i
ed.

“Anddofast
,hav
emet
hatf
asci
nat
ingweapon!
”Ami
gowas
r
estl
ess.

“Youbast ar
d, shuty our sel
fei therIwon’ thesi t
atetoki ll
you
down, l
etmecompl etef i
rst,Ever ybodyknowsi nHedi ngcl awn,
thatThi sPenedugNi cket ,i
sal way sthef aithful servantofLor d
Doy en, soIwaschosenf ort hi
swor k,pri
nceal lottedmeasa
Necr omancer , I
’
m hal fbl ood, myf atherwasanecr omancerand
afai thful Healariogeni csofNer dhedgePr ofessorSer ofinn
Nicket ,andmymot herwasadhamphi r
iotKi araVi zalk, they
bothl ovedeachot herunt ilmydadcamet oknowt hatmy
mot heri soneoft hecommanderi nLor dDoy en’sar my ,
he
expel ledherf rom hi shousewhi leIwasi nherwomb, shecr i
es
former cyandhopedt hatmyf at herwoul dt urnki nd, buthe
shut tledi taway ,mymot herconcei vemei naf orest,whi leshe
metLor dDoy en, hegotusahabi tatinOut ski rtofDi omaur er’
s
l
ine, butshewaski ll
edbef oremyey eswhenIwasagedel even
andt heweaponwast hesamewhi chwasusedbymyf ather,
Snuhi Yant ra,
theki l
lerswer etaki ngt hisy ant rawi ththem.Then
LordDoy enacceptmeasmyguar diant rainedmei naCamp
andaf t
erhewasPar aly zedPr inceNeuf lver ,chosemeasl eader
oft hecampandsentmet ohav et heweaponKakamukha
throughwhi chthespi r
itofKako- Bakroticanbeawaken”The
TraitorPenedugwasf inallyreveal ed.

Ther
ewasashockedal
lar
ound,
bot
hGegl
andMadel
i
ne
l
ookedateachot her,theyweret
otal
l
ydr eadtoearth,
taken
abackandwer elikesomeonehadstabbedt hem f
rom theback,
Howcoul dProfessorPenedughaddeployedhiswickedplans
tothem,MadelineRushed
Di
rect
lytoPenedug, Unti
lGegl
canstopher ,

“Youliar
,cheat er,youar enowunmasked, Prof
essorPenedug
cum Omni verseterrori
st,howcoul dyoubesodecei vertoy our
ownMot her l
and,Didy oucompl etelyforgotthedebtoft his
l
and’ sperson, youwer emyFav ori
teprof essorbutashamedof
met hatItrust edyoual ot!”Madelinebreachedherangert othe
threemenwhower ealsoi nshockedseei ngagirlemerging
from theout -
of -
ordertoil
etandwasf oll
owedbyGegl hex,unti
l
therewer enowf i
veper sonl ef
tinBarbecauseev eryperson
haddr iv
et otheirhomeasi twas1’o’clock.Thereforitwasa
talkbetweent hefi
ve.

“
Whatapl easantsurpri
seMi ssMudgun?OrMi ssMcCar thy,
whatshoul dIcallyou,Iwasthel i
tt
lesquirrelsunmeeoft hat
ol
df oolishChineseladyQuang, al
ongwi t
hProf essor
Grooti
bourandot herwhohadcamet oprotecty ouf r
om the
armyofDengul f
ers,whohadki ll
edy ourparents,thatpoor
Arfus,whowasf orcedtoelopewi t
hherni nemont hPr egnant
wifeMr s.JennyJant i
neNumi hodeMcCar thy
, heusedt obemy
cl
osedf r i
endoncebutIdecei vedhim, Mylordaskedmet o
deceivehi m”Penedugdr oppedhisv oiceinmi dwhile.

“
Youbloody,murder
erIwon’tl
eaveyou,I
’
llkil
lyou,you
cheatedmyfather,
youaret
hekill
erofmypar ents,
Iwon’t
spareyourl
if
e!”Madel
inewasholdbyGegl,het i
ghtl
yholdher
sothatshecouldn’
tdoanyt
hingwrong,“
LeavemeGegl ,
Just
l
eavemyhands, Iwanttoki
llhi
m!”

“
Madeline,
justr
elax,heist
empti
ngyout
oki
llhi
m,sothathe
couldsendyoujai
l,Justcont
rol
yourl
ongy
ear
sanger!
”Gegl
bl
ownherdown.
 “
Oh!Her ecomesaher oMr .Gegl Hex,tosav ehisgi r
lf
riend,
butGegl justt ellmehowmanygi rl
fri
endy oumade, Lorri
a
Mappl epuff, andEv ei
eKi nder l
y,remember ,yourfir
standt rue,
Lorri
ai salthoughat i
me- pass, becausey ourmot heraskedy ou
tomakehery ourgirl
fr
iendasLor ria’smot herisbestf r
iendof
yourmot her ,andshei sal sonothur tbyt heway ,ButEv eiewhat
aboutEv eieHuh, y
ouar el i
keapl ayboyoraCasanov a,Bewar e
MissMcCar thyunlesshewoul dal socastaspel lovery ou! ”
PenedugHadcunni ngnessi nhi sv oice,hehadsinkt hedi sput e
overthet wo, whil
eMadel i
newasi nshockedbyt heSecr etof
Gegl,shewasi nagr eatdepr ession, aropewaspul l
ingher
down, shehadasuddenr efl
ectionofherendl esspai n,whi ch
chasedheri nside,sheacceptt hatt herewasnot hingwi thGegl ,
butherf eelingswer ehur t,heremot ionswer eoutofcont rol
swingingar oundbackhandf or t
h, whenev ershethoughtshe
hadmadeherwi thhim andt heywer egoingasmoot hsailing,
shewasspl ashedbyat i
deoft ornado.

“Don’
tmanipulateherwithyourl
yi
ngwords,t
heyare
i
neff
ect
iveyouar ejusthav
ingabrochur
ewithher!
”Gegl
tried
t
oconvincedthesituati
onandther
ewereguil
tforMadel
ine.

“
Idon’
thaveanyaccesstohim,don’
tpointtowar
dhim, giv
e
myanswerhowdi dyoumanagedt ogetmybloodandspr ead
thevi
rus‘
Haematoda,’
”Madeli
nesaidignor
ingGeglal
though
sheknewthatHerSecrethadbeenrev
ealedtohim.

“Doyour emember ,thatTant r

icShal yaMechnaco, cl
asswhen
awer ewolfboyappear ediny ourmi rror,doy ouknowwhowas
thatboy?ThatboywasI ,
my self,andt hatdev ilwasnoneot her
thanmyf ather,Iki
ll
edmyf atherwhenIgott hel i
censeof
Citi
zenshipofNer dhedgeont hebasisofmyf ather’sPat ernit
y,
andaccesst ohispropert
yandbungal ow, Ipretendt obe
i
nnocentandchi l
dataget went y-one, Igetadmi ssioni n
Mounhar tandbecamePr ofessoraf tergr aduatingfrom
Mounhar titsel
f,f
rom thedayIgai nyourbl oodIi nsertedt he
Mer t
ebon,whohadunbi ndt heant i
-protapr otecti
ondr aftedby
Ger al
d.ThenIstoletheKakamukhay antrawhenIgott hekey
oft hr
eedoorLaby r
inthf r
om Mi ssRev erbr
ow, whohadsome
urgencyt ogoatcourtf orherattendance,thenIunlockedt he
placeafterkil
l
ingDahakaandpassi ngt hethreeci
rcuitwher e
theor i
ginal
Yantrahadbeenpl acedIt ookthetoolandpl aceda
fakeonet henIcall
edt heHor t
ilopswhower etooinfectedby
attackofbugbearast heywer ei ngreedofbloodandt heironl
y
surject
ionwasKakamukha, ”

“Howdi dy out urnt heKakamukhaact i

vated? ”Madeline
asked.
“FirstIhadt hebl oodwhi chy ouhadsacr i
ficedbyy ourselfI
hadal readyinser tedt heMer t
ebonwhi chev erynightyousl ept
suckedy ourbloodandf l
ieditawayev erynightatBloodBl ack
Plant ,fil
l
edi tandt henIconnectKakamukhaheal ed100
Hor til
opsandt heirleaderJudat h,i
nexchangeIdemandt hem
toi njectthisKakamukha’ simpur ebloodt oAnt erromians,mor e
i
nj ectionMor eBl ackhol ewoul dbecr eated,andt heydidlike
this,nowt hisy antrawoul dbeexpor tt oLordDoy enwhoi sst i
ll
sickaf tert hebugbearv irusfreezehisbl ood,hewoul dget
enoughpowerandofcour seIhadt ot akeMi ssMcCar t
hyal ong
me, asaf terMr s.Adameendi dhertreatmentt heMer t
ebonhad
washedawayandt heBloodPl anti
sdr yingIhadt ofi
ll
edit.”

“Iwouldbetell
i
ngtheSergeantandcopsofNerdhedge,
your
t
ruth
Shouldbepl
acedbefor
et heworld,
Prof
essorPenedug
Nicket
,thet
rai
tor!
”Madeli
negr unt
ed.

“
RememberMi ssMcCar t
hy ,
thatf l
yingHor ti
lop,whi
chy ou
hadseenonceatBer r
aMj oles’shouse, i
twasnoneot herthan
me, t
heburgl
arIhadt ost ol
eacr ystalballf
rom Berra,
because
Iknewital
readyt hatshepr acti
cebl ackmagi c,andLordhad
onceaskedmet ost olehercr yst
al ball,
theref
oreIstolei
tfrom
herhouse,
ev er
yper sonwhower ebl ackmagi ciansinthe
Hudson,Ir
obedt hem allandt heirblackmagi ct ool
s”Penedug
l
aughedwi
thhi
sfangt
eet
h.

“
Andt hereyoudroppedthebadge, P.
D,thatmeansyoumet
him atPanoladeVasga,thatruinwasyourmeet i
ngPointwi
th
Hecatious,youareaworstdev i
l
, Iev
erhadseen?”Madeli
ne
warnedhi m wit
hherfi
nger,suchdeepnetwor khehad
establ
ishedwithHecati
ous.

“Hex, givemeMadel ine,youaretoost rongforjoininghands

withLor dDoy en,webot har eNecromancer sandy ouknow
Ner dhedgeal wayspreferAnt err
omi ans,andnecr omancer sare
pitchedawayt heyaregi vennorightalthough, theconst i
tuti
on
ofNer dhedget oosuppor tAnt er
romi an,thinkofy oursel
f,infact
Eviehadbeenmur deredbyMcCar thy ’
s,didy ouforgetthat
night,thosesev ent
eenst abf r
om Dr aggert oEv ei
e’stenderskin,
yourt r
uel ove,dealwithme! ”Penedugmani pulat
edGegl .

Geglwasi naf i
xed,hehadn’tf
orgett
hemur derofEveie,and
wasreall
ybur ni
nginarevengetoMcCar thy
,whatwouldbe
ef
fect,
untilnothi
ng,t
hisfool
ishgir
lwouldbekill
edandhe
wouldbeagener alcommander ,
Penedughast ruewords,his
gr
udgewast owardNecromancerdidevernecromancerhad
gi
ventheright?Never!HeshotedMadelinetoaboutfai
nted

Gegl handedMadel i
netoPenedugandnoddedhi sheadina
deal
“Youar eat rueNecr omancer ,goodshotonabdomen, Gegl
youar ehear tywel comet oLordDoy en’
sarmy ,Iwouldreall
y
proposedy ournamet ohim.ButnowIhadt ogetherTowerof
Tolga,”Penedugt i
edthemout hofMadel i
ne, pushingSceptric
andAmi goback, Madelinelookedpoorandbounded, shewas
againswi tchedbyGegl hehadpl ayedwi t
hheremot i
on,hehad
brokenhert r
ust ,hereyeswer efil
ledwithtear swhenhewas
draggedawayl i
keawi l
dgoati stakent oslai
nbyt hehangman
Gegl hadn’tgat her edmuchdar etol ookatlastt owardher.She
wasf lounderingl ikeafishwithoutwat er,
butt hebut cher
carri
edherof f.
 CHAPTER18
THETOWEROFTOLGA

Wi t
ht hesor rowofmi st,theunt ol
dj ourneybegi nstor eap
awaywi thMadel ineMcCar thy ,
lockedi nast olenchar i
otof
Dul l
ahans, passi ngt hr ought hesecr etpassageofr apaci ous
forestofHi nilawood, herbal l
adbegan, thehar sht appingof
blackhor seseemedl ikeabeat ingthechestofbar eground
withwhi p, ev eryoneshet rustedloot edherwi thmaneuv er ed
throw, shewasunabl et olookdi r
ecti nthosehoodwi nkedey es,
thehandswhi chf i
rstseemedt obeherpr ot
ect or,thatlanguage
wasanal ltimef oul toher ,ev enshewaspest eredal otbyhi m,
sheal way sthoughtofhi m, evensheknewt hef actt hathe
doesn’ tlov eher ,butshesear chedf orhimt houghherv eins,she
newt hatt het reeswer epassi ngt hewaybuti ndeepdept hhe
residesl i
keaki ng, flarewi thgr aceandhi sunbeat ablechar m,
hiscol dbutr edl ipst hatmov edwi t
hasi lentkni t
ting,came
theret ocheatt of r
audherhowonecanbr eakheremot ionl i
ke
this,whom shet rustedal ot,histouchandhi sey escan’ t
starredliket his, butnowshewasgoi ngt omeetherend.

Thebar bar i
candv ici
oust owerst oodont hebreastoft he
groundasanol dcr ownedheadwi thit
sf r
oli
csomet urret
swingi ngawaywi t
hi tssixmassi veandcopperbel lr
angi ngli
ke
awhi pwithinhal fanhour ,raisingabov efrom si
lentchar coal
curtain,andmosscl ungint heshadeofwal l
s,buil
tont he
panor amaofl and, thehugest onedgat ewaywasj ustpastaway
sti
llhav i
ngt her emai nedpowerofdoi ngprotect
ionproj ecti
ng
outt hepor tcull
i
ses, andwi thsl owingt appi
ngofwi l
df eet’s,t
he
passagef rom thear chgal l
eryt hroughcozengat ehouse
l
engt henedt oabr idgeov erthedi tchfrom counterscarpof
stoneddi tcht oedgeoft het opoft hemound.

I
nabsenceofflamingt
orchestheevolut
ionofclimbing
habit
sthewildvi
nesofPeri
winkleshadlar
gelycolonizedthei
r
areasaroundcl
ocktowerofTolga,wit
htheiradhesiv
epads
twiningt hei rstemsar oundasuppor thadendedt hem toahuge
elevationoff aceofcl ockr unningwi thdi f
ferentfacesal ong
diff
erentdi rection,t
hegr eatdoorhadmet alandst onesar ound
thecur tainwal lsgi
vingast onebasest uddingwi thtower ,ther
e
wer esev eralfli
ghtofst air
casei nsidethehugehal landbesi de
wer eol dswor dswi t
hcr oss, sui
tofar morchi mingandst ri
king
theirglor y,itwasasev enf l
oorol dtoweri nwhi cht hef i
rst
domi cilebel ongt oDar klordDoy enandot hercorridordirected
i
tt othei rhel lpassage,thef lattopwassur r
oundedbypal isade
andencei ntewer ethemai nl ockoft ower ’sdefense, twenty
under groundchamber swi thsecr etwer ebur iedabov ethe
mur derhol es, whil
ethet owerwassi lentbutt hecl ockwas
swingi ngawayi tsspri
ng, i
thadbeen2‘ o’cl
ock.

Thewi ckedl aughedatr oar,andopent hehood, t

ook
KakamukhaandMadel inewascof f
inedinabox,
“Welcome, MissMcCar thyIt r
iedt olur
eitoff,butalas!Ican’t
makei tout ,haveal ook!Atthispl ace,di
dn’tyouseeany t
hing
aroundt het ower,i
twasat owerofmyLor d,we895
Dhampi riotsusedt oliv
eher e,thatdor miceusedt obet heroom
ofmyl ordDoy en,butnowt hispl acecamet oNerdhedge.ButI
hadahol ogram ofLor dDoy enwi thme, Iwouldinjecttheblood
ofy our
st oLor dDoy en,henowr esidesinthisgoblethishal f
soul wouldbeawaken”Penedugsai d.

“Whyar ey oubotheri
ngyoursel
f,IknowHecat i
oushadbeen
paralyzedbyt hebugbearvir
us,andy ouhadlockedmei na
coffin,Iknowt hesefl
oorsmarkedwi thpent
aclesareencir
cled
atmai nhal lwheresacri
fi
cesareoffer edtodevil
,thewarhad
beendest r
ucti
v ei
nNerdhedgeandmanyAnt erromianshadlost
theirli
ves,youshouldenchantthi
s, ormaywoul dbe
successf ul
lymaket oawakeDoy en, butyouwoul dhadtoregret
for!
”Madel i
ney el
ped.

"Youknow,whowasLar rywi
lson,myhalfhologram i
tsel
f,he
wasthemurdererofVistas,myhologram wastransf
orming
i
ntoawerewolfandVistassawi t
,beforeVist
ascouldtell
ever
yone,
ikil
ledherbyshapeshi
fti
ngofyoursothatt
he
humancouldgotaimprintofy
ourhandsandallt
heblame
wouldbepitt
oy ou!
"Penedugrev
ealedt
hedeathnote.

"Oh!SoyoutooktheshapeofLar
rywi l
son,y
oubecomemy
f
ri
endandtrai
tedme, y
ouwer et
hoseinnocentmurder
er,
and
y
oudisappear
edfrom thecr
imescene."Madeli
negrowl
ed.

“Sor
ry,
MissMcCart
hy,butt
rai
tori
sinmybl
oodi
tsel
f,Let
y
outal
ktomylor
d!”Peneduganswer
ed.

“Wherei
syourDoyen,
Ican’
tev
engetashapeofhi
m?”
Madel
iner
etched.

“Thatal cov ef al
lsov ert hel ionwhi chi slooki ngf oritsl amb,
andt hef all
engi rlseeksoutt obehi shunt !
”Penedugpoi ntedat
thelar gealcov ehousedt hewat ercl ockf oli
ate, hadbeenadded
towestwal l chapel,theout flowofwat erdr ainedt hrought he
cont ainerwithmar ksandanemer gingsmoker aisedl ikea
monst erfr
om t her aisingl evel ofwat ercl oakhi sbl ackey es
wer epi er
cingMadel ine’shear t ,andwi thgr owi ngseconds,
therewasacl earphy sicsofahal fgr aveman, hewasmuscul ar,
andunner ving,hewast endi ngt omov ewi t
hunwor ldl
yf luidity
,
hewr enchedandapoi ntednosewasv enomoust ost uck, he
l
iket hesecondi mprintofSat e, camef rom t heci stern,his
shoul derswer ebol ttoone’ sst rengt h,hi sfacewasr i
gidwi t
hal l
l
onesomenessbutt her ewasst il
l adespai rf orsomet hing, he
want st owinsagai nstt hel awofnat ure, hewasl oyal tohi strait
andwasDoy enf orot her,hewaspossessi vet ohi msel fbuta
tyrantt oother,
Hehadputhi mselft omor eambi guityt henot her s,his
restrainedtest ament sof f
er shi mt het itleofCommander ,fi
nally
hemov edwi thamuscul arsui tofar mormadewi thsomet hing
unnamedbutt oughmet alwhi chpr obabl ycoul dbearhi scut sof
body .Thenhef oll
owedhi sv oice, asi lentt hunderwi t
hspar kli
ng
destr ucti
on,
 “Iwon’
tdelaytotell
yout hesaga,butwouldshowy oumy
grief
,Iwon’tmakey outoweepov ery
ourleftsorr
owbutwould
makey outosuf f
ermypai n,I
’m LordDoyenf orOmniver
se,
but
foryouI’
m Holocaust,anabridgedchapterofautonomy”Doyen
stabbedhisraveni
ngey estoher.

“Youwantt
oresur
recty
our
self
,butmymoti
veistoki
ll
you,
to
gi
veyoudeat
hbutnotwit
hpeace,butwi
tht
hir
stofdi
e”
Madel
inet
ri
edtobecomebol
d.

“
Everypersont alksofhi sbr aver
y ,
andt heyallseemedt obe
powerlessatlast,samedi dy ou,Idon’twantlif
ebutIwantmy
servi
ce,Idon’thavegr eedbutI ’
m hungr yformyl oyal
ty,
which
wassnat chedfrom me, betteryoucoul djoinmeButl estyou
hadtogi vemey ouroccul t
,andaf terthatyouneednott ohear
theapprovalofyoursmal lmi nd,”Doyenmov edthroughthe
bodyofPenedug, broket hest at
uenearhi m withhisphase.

“Holl
owt onguesgr
ewcur
seddr
eamstopoisonthel
ivesof
i
nnocent,
butsomeoneneedst
otr
eadthem away”Madeli
ne
bl
unted.

“
Timeispreciousf orme,Penedugsl ai
nheraway!Wehadn’t
mucht i
mef orspeakingawayorgi vemet hatKakamukha,I
wouldfetchtheAnt err
o-Cy
gnusnucl eusandwouldfi
titt
omy
undergr
oundcar cass.”Doyenenraged.

Penedugrantofet
chtheboxofKakamukhaandgav eitt
o
Hecat
ious,
“I
t’
sheremaster!Theli
fesav
erofyourcadav
er”Penedug
r
efl
ecthisl
oyal
ty.

“You,shouldstopthisnonsenseHecati
ous,howcanyoukil
l
t
hemi l
li
onsofi nnocentpeopl
ewi t
hthecurseofmybloodand
i
mmuni fyyourself
,yourcol
dheartisasbl
ackasar ot
teni
nk,
whichimpurethepage! ”Madel
inegrewwiththet
askandtri
ed
i
nv ai
ntoescapeher .
 “
Gaveher
!Thebot
tl
eofhol
l
owst
ell
armass,
qui
ck!
”Doy
en
shout
ed.

“
Iwouldinj
ecthert
hebottl
eful
lofhol
l
owst el
larmassesand
10,
000dilapi
datedmembraneParadi
gm,”Penedugrushest
o
Madel
ine.

PenedugNi cketwhoownsFor t
yy earsofservi
ceto
Dhampi r
iot
sr ace, marchedragi
nglytothegirl
,someyoung,
terr
if
iedanddi tcheddownandi njecthertheEuezimo151,t
he
bottl
eofhollowst ell
armass.Thebl oodcircul
ati
onhadbeen
acti
vated,i
nvolv i
ngMadel i
netocollapsed,herbodyf
it
tedto
fati
gueandherbl oodfangedoutofv enom.

“
Amongt heno.ofsacr
if
ices,
Idid,i
twasthemostatr
ocious
off
ence,makingmytoughestcult
.”Doyenpoi
ntedwi
thhisrude
andoffensi
vefi
nger.

“
Inthehourofresponse, t
omyDar klord,
wholongedtol
i
ve
againstt
hosepower s,whichst
oppethhim,here’
sthemost
bewitchi
nganddazzl i
ngDaggertai
lyantr
a,Iwoul
dliket
oOffer
you!”PenedugharboredtheKakayantratoHecati
ous.

Hecati
ousPull
edoutt hechainwhipfrom themouthofKako
bakroti
’
shead,andmov editintotheair
,itr
eall
ylooked
Dangerous,asasymbol ofcruelt
y,i
t’
scrowbarpulledouta
counteri
ngDaggertai
landinsert
editli
keadr aft
ingofanchor
i
ntodeepsea, t
rappedinherleftart
ery,
suckingtheAnterr
o-
Nucleus,

“Whatashiel
dofguar dwoul dnowpr ot
ectyouagainstby
bravestpur
pose,themostgr eatri
tual
,Iwouldbenow
admi t
ti
ng!”Doyenst abbedtheDaggertai
lint
oher,enchanti
nga
mant r
a,“Mrit
yudansham, ”Yantr
aneighedl i
kearedey ed
horse,whohadbeenl ur
etoconstrai
nedcrimeandTookout
thePlasmati
cNucl eus,alt
houghMadelinedidn’
tdiedasher
hear
twaspumpi ngst
il
l,
butherbloodshadbeenpour
ingdown
onthefloor
,rubbingt
hepentacl
esandcircl
esdrawnt
operfor
m
theri
tual
.

“
Finall
y,Iwoul
dbeall
owedtobreakthepri
sonandt
oconjur
e
somet hi
ngundone”Doyenconnot
edtohalfal
iv
eMadeli
ne.

“Thedoom daywoul
dbef
lour
ishedwi
thy
oumast
er!
”
Penedugar
oused.

Madel inewasf ainti

ngdowndeeper ,wit
har emor seful
guilt
andanabandoni ngpai n,compensat i
ngheri ll
-f
ateandbr eak
outwi thasat i
re.Doy enwi thPenedugl eftawaywi t
hset t
ingf i
re
aroundt heTowerhal l andleavi
ngbehi ndMadel inehel pl
ess
andbl oodst ai
ningaway ,
awayf r
om towerofTol ga, beat
ing
aroundt hewat erTur ret,whichcl
angedat2: 30,rapidlywith
fal
lingwat er,Madel i
nesl owlycl
osedherey es,fail
inginher
attempt s,exti
nguishingt hethoughts,aroundbur ningwi t
ht he
fi
re, af
terthetrailzone, Gegl’
sthought,hisdemeanor ,
any t
hing
toherbutacont riteonapl ankoflog.

Theev
ilwonandt
het
rut
hdef
eat
edatt
heTower
.

CHAPTER19-

THEEVI
LMUSTBEDELETED
 Aroundthetower ,whi chhadbeensett ofir
e, Leav i
ng
Madel i
nearoundf lames, ami raclehappenedt of i
nisht hecrime,
Madel i
newasl edt osomeone’ sLap, Somethingwhoset ouch
defi
nedherasaheal tobur ns,shear medhimt i
ght l
y,Finall
y
Gegl hadbrokedownt oTol ga, t
henwhydi dhel eftherto
Penedug,theserv erofDar kMask, andhecar ri
edherr ashlyout
oftheTower ,t
ot hef orest,butMadel inewassoi nsipi
d, t
hat
shehadn’tmuchst rengthtoawakeandaskhi m, dir
ect l
y,unti
l
theybothlandedt hemsel vestoaEi l
lywood,atreewhi ch
suppressthesever ecut sandbur n, Geglhadput tedherheadon
hislap,Madeli
nehal fawakenl ookedt ohisgracedf ace.

“I
’
mr eal
lysor
ryf
orl
eavi
ngyout
oPenedug,butIcanexpl
ain
y
outhereason!
”Gegl
fer
vorwi
thateari
nhi
slefteyes.

“Youhadal r
eadyinsinuatedyour
selfintomyheart!And
there’
snot hi
ngagai ntotraitme!Hecatiouswouldbe
Empower ed,atbythetime, hehadtakenoutmyNucl eus,now
allAnterr
omianwoul dbeDeaddoomi ngt hemsel
vestoa
rotati
ngandsucki ngBlackhol eandinfewsecondNer dhedge
woul dturnbizarr
e.”MadelinesaidwithoutanycoywhenGegl
hadpl acedtheleavesofEi l
lywoodtohercut sandburns.

“You, don’tneedtowor ryabout ,Thedev il

mustbedel et
edin
somemi nutes.Anddon’ tr i
skoutofy ourcont ami natednucleus,
l
ett hem t akeawayt hat,Nobl ackholeswoul dbecr eated,
nothingwoul dgowi thaci r
cleandNer dhedgewoul dr emain
foreverwi thitsAnterr
omi ans,Hortil
opshadal readybeen
dest r
oy edbyspeci alforceofAv i
onicsFi ght
erBi rd,andi n
somet imes, t
heDev i
l’
scount downwoul dbegi n!”Gegl fenced
Madel inewi ththeWav emot ionlancerGun, sot hatshewoul d
heal earlyandal sowoul dnotgethar medbywi l
dani mals.
“wher ear eyougoingagai nleavingmei nwoods, whatdi dyou
plannedt osav eNerdhedge, heyyouhadbondedmewi ththi
s
i
nv isi
blef encing!
”Madel inewasr otat
ingi nmi dairbeneat hthe
Eil
lywoodt rees.
 “
Betterl
i
vewit
hBloodhowl
s,there’
smany ,nowIhadt
oget
DoyenandPenedug,I‘
l
lbemeet i
ngy ousoon!”Gegl
sai
d
part
ingawayfr
om theMadel
ine.

Ther escuemissi
onwasstil
lunt
old,whenHewasj oi
nedBy
Sanzang,Mr.Yocti
onerandDadhi
chiVal
gyaeverybodyi
nthei
r
Nit
roswagon,toDoyenandPenedugwhohadel opedinDark
j
unglesofDiomaurer’
sli
ne.

“
Howi
sMadel
i
ne!
”Sanzangsai
ddr
ivi
ngNi
tr
oswagont
olef
t.

“
sheisingoodcondi
ti
on,
butt
her
e’sbur
ns!
”Gegl
shi
ft
edhi
s
Ni
tr
oswagontori
ghtsi
de.

“
Didy
ougethert
hel
eav
esofEi
l
lywood!
”Pr
of.Dadhi
chi
sai
d.

“Ithi
nk,
DoyenhadleftoutforHedi
ngCl
awn,
weshoul
dhi
m
t
here.”Mr
.Yoct
ionert
renched.

“
Manytimes,Idri
vemywagont
otheli
ne,unt
ilIhadtofind
thespi
ri
tofmanyf er
ventt
oDi
omaurerf
ormymi ssil
e,Kaka–
bhusundi
,“Sanzangdir
ect
edt
hem t
oanundergroundsubway .

“
Ithink, Mr.YoctionerandProf,
DadhichishouldgetPenedug,
asmyNPSt rackerhadtrackhi
m downt oStatueofAngelof
Death,hehadbeenappoi ntedbyDoyentoof f
erthehalfpar
tof
Nucleust oAngel ofDeath,whi
chhadbeenpr ongedtoWest
coastal defenseofNer dhedge’
sterr
est
rial
ar my,inanold
shatt
er edTempl eofDeat h.
”Geglcr
ossthespeedof290,

“It
hinkGeglispoi
ntedhimright,
Prof.Yoct
ionerandProf,
Dadhichi
,Iwouldsupporthi
mt olety
oubot hcaughtthe
t
rai
torri
ghtdownandsl ai
nhim wit
hLancerguns!”Sanzang
f
oll
owedGegl .

“Itwoul
dberi
ght
,Pr
ofessor
,wecoul
dgethi
m byt
hat
!”
Yocti
onerr
epl
i
ed.
 “AndIwoul
dgrabhim byleavi
ngsomeEnchantos,
overhi
m,
t
heywouldst
inghim wi
thbitt
erseeds”Dadhi
chi
andYocti
oner
movedtowestcoast
alareas.

Gegl wit
hSanzangmov edt oDarkwoods, wherethei
rmain
pri
ori
tywastogettheNucl eusdest r
oyandt otransfor
m back
Kakamukhat oj
ustasurgicaltoolotherthenaki l
l
ingweapon,
Morespeedaf t
ert
hefastest,Gegl andSanzangLandedt o
woods,whereDoyenwasaboutt ocr eat
earmyofsl ept
Dengulf
ers.

“
Don’tmakeahaste,Doyen!Theguardi
ansofNerdhedgear
e
backtostopthecr
iminall
i
key ou!
”Sanzangshout
ed.

Doy ensmashedbackt othem, andsmil

edinahiddenway,
“Wel comeProfessorGr
ootibour,andwhatki
ndoffel
lowmen
di
dy ouaregatheri
ng,he’
sstil
laskinnyboytohav
ef i
ghtwi
th
me!”Theev i
lbl
undered.

“Youmustbesomef er
ociousandDarkl
ordi
nyouhel
l,butl
et
meremindyou!ThatI
’
mt hesonofFamousEdgarHex,
won’t
l
etyout
oputdown”Gegl chall
enged.

“
Theexposur ef rom suchal itt
leboy ,i
squi t
eamusi ng,Edgar
Hex, Hmm!Yourf atherwasr eallyagoodHeal eriocin,anda
chi
ef tainVaidyaofNer dhedgeAr myBur eaucrats,Hehadr eall
y
pester edourBy zantine’ssev enthf l
oorbyv accinatingourv irus
spreadi ngHor t
il
ops, bydest royingt heharmingdi seases,
fi
nishingourBl oodl ustbact erialfungus, t
hesmal l
poxandal so
ourDengul f
ers,HisV- polate,Vacci negunwassoannoy i
ngthat
hemadei tmoreupgr adeandgav emi l
li
onsofGunl i
keitto
NerdhedgeBor dercops, andt heyhear tl
esslykil
ledourdemons,
wor gens, dr
uidsandHumanoi dswhent heyt r
iedt ocross
vi
aductt oreachinEl ysium, ButonDi saster2000, hehi mself
wasdoomedt odeat h!”Doy enconcl udedsent entiously
 “
Youki l
ledmyf at her,
youkill
edsev er
ali
nnocentpeoplein
sakeofest abl
ishingy ourfei
gnedregion,y
ouandy ourkingdom
al
way swasani ntruder,youspreadraci
sm invi
aduct,y
ouar e
nothingbutaPi ssedof fDiehar
dextremist.Youareament al
l
ure!”Gegl pr
otested.

“
Shut!UpyouKnavebl
ood,keepyourmouthshutifyoudon’
t
know,whatdidyoubel
ongfor?Iwasapur er
ace,don’tl
i
keyou,
Bett
erDon’tenr
agedeit
her
,I’
llbeengul
fyoubymyBl oodhowl
s.”
DoyenhauledatGegl
.

“
Mi ndyourfowll
anguage,Hecatious,
unti
lthesecond
warlockwouldhappenhereonly,it
’ssti
l
lfor
tysecond!”
Sanz angbri
ngouttheWardragg,itwasahighbrowedand
honorweaponofanAnt erromians.

“Oh!AWar dragg!Muchbet teryouusedi tsti

ll
,unlessa
l
icensedone, Idon’tt
hinkthattheanotherKnav ebloodedgi r
l
wasaut hor
izedt obe,butit
’sfeat
herar estil
lbigli
keoft hatan
eagle,t
heroundbl ackholeislookingforfurtherseek!”Doyen
draggedback, aft
erseeingaWar dragg.

“
Ithink,probably,Geglcanuset heWardr
aggagainstt
he
Kakamukha, because,Icanstil
lhavetheKaka-
bhusundiwi
th
me, unlessIwon’ tspenditsbal
li
sticski
l
lsonthewrongper
son
l
ikey ou,”Sanzangr epr
imanded.

Aft
ergivi
ngWar draggtoGegl ,moment aril
yhiseyesf i
xedon
t
heweapon, ev eryhonoredandAnt erromianshadr ighttohave
t
hisweapon, althoughot herracescanal sohav etheaccesst o
i
tafterpassingt heMat r
yst est
,AndGegl hadauthor i
zedthe
l
icensetoit,ashehadsubsequent l
ypassedt hetest ,
War dr
agg
wasaf eatheredbl ackhole,rot
ati
nginside,until
Gegl hadadded
i
ttheEccent edobl adder
, pl
ungedwi thhim, whi
leDoy enWas
missedbyhi m, theKakaDagger t
ail
,messedwi t
hWar dr
agg,a
machineoft imet urni
ng,madewi t
haW- polat
e,bloodsegment
t
oal t
ertheef fectofFNOT- 56,
 “
Whydid,myKakamukhadi
dn’
tsuckedy
oursoul
wit
hit
s
chainwhi
p!”Doy
enFar
rand.

“Because,
youhadt akenthewrongnucl
eusofMadel
ine’
s
bl
ood,andwithinfor
tysecondsy
ouwoul dbedoomedaway!”
Geglfi
nal
lyr
ev eal
edthemissedpart
.

“Whatthehel
lar
ey outal
ki
ngabout?
”DoyenmissedGegl
by
onl
ymill
i
meterswhenheagainthr
owt heKakamukhat
oward
Gegl
.Theybothwerefi
ghti
nginmidai
r.

“
It
’snotthenonsense,
butit
’sat r
ueversi
on,AndPenedug
hadhelpedmebyt hewayt of
inishyou!
”Geglatt
ackedwitht
he
soulofAmetit
e,asoulwhichblazethef
irebal
l
s.

“Don’
ttel
lmel i
e,howPene!Woul
ddeceiveme,i
nfacthe
hi
mselfhadboughttheMcCart
hygi
rlher
e!”Doy
enwhi pped
KakatoGegl’
slef
tshoul
der.

“Hehimselfsai
d,Foreverypart
icl
esther
e’sananti
part
icl
e,
t
heref
oreforEverycursether
e’sanalt
eri
ngboon,andtheboon
i
stheonewhi chwouldbecomef atalt
oyourhal
fli
fe!
”Gegltri
ed
t
oremov ethefangsthathadbeenstuckbyKaka’sbeak.

“
Penedughadtoldmet hat,y
ouy our
sel
fhadshotherwiththe
M-RenecBull
et,
abull
etwhi chisusedtof
aintt
heAnt er
romian
atthePub,y
ousupposedt ojoinourarmy
,Howcany oudeceive
usBoy!”Doyenagai
nthrowt hechainwhi
ptoGegl’
sforehead,
hewasunblockedbyit
.

“Attheti
meIshotthebulletwas,actual
l
ytheharvestedwhite
Bl
oodcellsofaShape-shi
ft
ingancientser
pentfrom the
Zool
ogyofNerdhedge,”Geglthr
ewt heWardraggwithSoulofa
Bl
azenfr
oze,whi
chfreezesdownt heman, acoldparasi
ticv
irus.

“
It
’sal
i
e,Iwoul
dbei
mmor
tal
aft
erl
eft
overt
hir
tyseconds.
”
Doy
enbr
oughtdownhi
sDagger
tai
l
.

“
Behol d!Gener alDoy en,Ihadal r
eadyt ransfi
guredi twi t
ha
Monocl onalAnt i
bodyofMadel i
ne!Byi njecti
ngaBt ypeanti
gen
toshapeshi ftingserpent, Ipr ovokedi tsimmuner esponse,
aft
ermammal ’
swhi t
ebl oodcel l
wasbi ndtoant i
gen, I
harvestedthem i nal aserf ieldsincet hreeweeksago, whenI
camet oknowaboutMadel ine’ssecr et ,
IaskedPr ofessor
Grootibourtoal t
erthecur seofDul l
ahans, andBlackhol eonly
candest royifawhi tewhol ei scr eatedi nbet weent heirway,at
themomentt hewhi t
ebl oodcel l
swer ehar vestedandwehad
toproduceanant i
body ,sot hatthesi de- eff
ectofr ealbody
shoulddest r
oybymaki ngi tt ransfert oitsownpr otot y
pe
anti
body .”Gegl l
astlyat t
ackwi t
hsoul ofMoonf angs.

“Whatdi dyoudonexttellme,whyI’m heati

ngwithaheat
waves,afterIhadputt
edthehalfnucl
eusi nme,whymyner ves
ar
ebr eaki
ng, mynostr
il
sarepouringbl
ood, whathadyou
i
nject
edt oher?”Doyenscreamed.

“IshotMadel i
newi ththei sol atedBcel lBul let,orM- Renec,
whi chf usedwi ththosef atal i
mmor t
al FNOT- 56, topr oducea
hybr i
dcel ll
inecal ledFNot oDoma, whichf r eezeunbi ndt he
FNOT, actuallytheseant ibodyhadW- Polat e,bloodsegment ,
madef rom myhar vestedwhi tebl oodcel l clusters, t
oget her
theyar ef or
mi ngawhi tehol ei ny ourbody , regionwhi ch
termi nat ethebl ackhol epossi bili
tyinwhi chadar klivercannot
sur vi
v e,itextrapolatest het rajectoriesoft heheal i
ngpar ticles
ofanyHumanoi dr acelikey our s,unlessagr av i
tational
singul arityl
ikeonewhi chdr awi nnocentpeopl ei nit.Whi tehol e
don’ tengul fthingsf rom i nsi
deandi tisnon-r ot ati
onal ,it
regai nst hesoul ofdeadAnt erromi ansandi ffusedwi thBl ack
holecauseadanger ousexpl osi on,rightnowi ny ourBodyIhad
alreadyact i
v atedMadel ine’snucl euswhi leshoot ingi t,Iknowi t
woul dgr ewov erFNOTi nf ewsecondsAndwoul dhol lowi ts
effectandt hecur seper soni ssav edf rom hercur seofbl ood
andi twoul dsi de-effectt hosewhohadHumanoi dscul tlike
you,
andthecountdownbegi
ns,10,
9,
8,7,6,….”Geglat
tacked
f
inal
lywit
hVenom soulandranawayfrom t
hejungl
easthere
wouldbeagreatexpl
osi
onin1second.

“
No!No, I
-Ican’
tdie,Ihadkill
edsever alcur
singny mphshad
fet
icidewombs, suckedv enomsofGor gons,Ikil
ledPixi
es,I
can…. ’
’BeforeHecat i
ouscancompl et
ehi swordst herewasan
explosioninwhi chtheDev i
l wasdelet
ed, Geglrantolookaft er
Madel ine,whileYocti
onerandDadhi chi hadHangedPenedugi n
thest atueOfAngel ofDeat hit
self
,andSanzangdest roy
edt he
Kakamukhay antr
a’ssoulofBakrotipreserveditsNormalit
y.

Dri
nkofacurseblood,provedtobeahav ocwit
hendingt
oa
Blackli
fet
oDoy en,al
thoughitsabusewasmor el
ikel
ya
symptom ofappall
i
ngcondi t
ion,hewascruci
fi
edbyhisown
deeds.Whil
eMadel i
newast oldtrut
hbySanzangandsheagai
n
fai
ntedbecauseshewassav edbyhi sl
oveoftheli
fe.

CHAPTER20
THEVALENTI
NEDAY

Madelineaft
erfainti
ngagain,openedhereyesaf t
erthr
ee
weeks,whi l
einthisthr
eeweeks, sheMetSanzang, who
broughtheraChi nesepie,MissReverbrowextendedher
summerhol iday,HerabroughtheranewVi botuneandMushak
Rajscoldedherwhydi dshehi deherName, Mrs.Adameenwas
happytoknowabouthert rueidenti
tyandtol
dt hatherPar
ent
s
weregr eat,alongt hi
s,Geraldhadsenthert heGetwel lsoon
l
etter,Hexaaskedhert osharethefi
rstyearexper i
enceat
coll
ege, becausenexty earshewast oojoi
ningt hecoll
ege,her
examswer ecl earedandshehadt hi
rdtopperoft heUniversi
ty
asOnol upTay meurtoppedt heHealari
ogeni csBranches,
Stembor thadt oppedt heAlgebrati
cssectionWhi leGegl
receivedGol dmedal istti
tl
eBecausehewast opperof
Mat homssect ion.

Everybodyhadcamewi shherl
uck, buttheonef rom whom
shehadawai tingfrom 9mont hshadn’ tcamet oMeether ,
alt
houghhewasagol dmedalist
,hewasf eat
uringsil
ence,but
aftersometime,therewasaknockshehadn’ tturnedherface
andsai dinsamePal evoice
“Comei n!”
“How’sy ourwound? ”shehear dthethrobbingvoice,herheart
bumpedherf r
om insideandshewassoexci tedthatsheov er
dupedher sel
fwitht heblanketupt ohead.

“
Whyar
ehi
dingy
ourf
ace,
?”Gegl
tri
edt
ounv
eil
her
.

“
Because,Idon’
twantt
oshowi
ttoy
ou!
”Madel
i
nesai
dwi
thi
n
t
heblanket.

“Butwhydi
dyounotshowmey
ourf
ace,
hav
eyougota
pimple?
”

“No!Ij
usthat eyou,themostdesi r
ableper
sonwhom I
fant
asizedallmyl i
fe,hadcamesol at
e!”Madel
i
nepl
acedher
handsov erherface.
“Youarewr ongMadel ine!Youdon’thowmuchmybrother
sacri
fi
cedwi thi
ntheset hreeweeks,”i
twasHexawi
thher
campingbag.

“
Hexa,
justst
op!
”Gegl
tri
edt
ohi
de.

“
Letmespeak!Br
other
,shehadt
oknowt
hatr
est
lessl
yyou
wat chedherdayandni ght, seati
ngl onghour sandpr ay i
ngt o
god, ifshecomeoutofcomas, shehadt oknowt haty ouhadn’ t
eatordr i
nkpr oper l
ywi t
hi ntheseweeks, y ouheat edy our sel
f
runningasal oonf rom t hesemedi calshopt ot hat,youbr ought
newmedi cinesandwasl ikeanal lti
mepai dBody guar dt oher,
togi vehermedi cinei nt ime, tocheckherpul ser at
e, toinform
doct orforr egul arrout i
necheck- up,youabandonedal ly our
personal andi mpor tantwor ksforher ,
letherknowt haty ou
guar dherendl esslyandhadnotcomet omeether ,because
yout houghty ourselfthegui lt
yper sont hroughwhi chherl i
fe
wasaboutt odest roy ,Par donmeMadel i
ne!ButIcanbety ou
thatsuchhar dandpassi onateser vi
cewoul dn’tbeav ail
ableto
youunl essy ouhadt hepai done, bytheI ’
m goi ngf ora
educat iont ripandhadj ustcameher et omeety ouButIov er
hear dy ourt alks!”Hexar ushesoutofr oom wi t
houtgi vingany
singlechancet oMadel i
net oexpresshermi stakeandbi dsor r
y
toGegl andher .

“Don’
tpayat
tent
iontohersi
ll
ywords,
shebecomeover
possessi
vewhenitcomestohisbi
gbrot
her
!”Gegl
said.

“I
’mreal
lysorry,
Gegl Idoubtedyou,pl
easeforgi
veme,you
owedmey ourgreatnessandIhadn’texpect
edthisf
rom y
ou,
nowIknowt hatthisemot i
onlesshearthadal
sotheemotionof
carehi
dinginit
si nnercor
e”

“ButIwasheretoaskyouforaPr
om part
ner,butitseemsy ou
arenoti
nter
estedbecomingapar
tnerofmine!”Geglteased.

“Wait!Isitsoundlikey ou?WhoisaskingmeGeglHex, t
he
PlayboyofourUni v er
sity,
butwhataboutLor
ri
aandal so
Stembor tyouy oursel
fhadcongr at
smeabouthavingour
rel
ation,howcany ouaskshamel essl
ytosomeone’sgir
lf
ri
end?
”
Madel i
ner ecentl
yr ai
sedfrom t
hebed.
“Fi
ne!Thengowit
hthatmar
redVi
for,
Iwoul
dbet
teraskLor
ri
a
whohadmov edawaytosomeunknowncol
l
ege!
”Geglwas
ceased.

“
Wait,
Ihadn’
tcommit
tedSt
embor
t,Ij
ustt
easedy
ou,
Sor
ry!
!”
Madel
inewor
ried.

“Iknewi
tfr
om thebeginni
ng,andy ouknowitverywell
thatI
andLorr
iahadbrokenup!”Geglleanedtoherbed,socozyunt
il
hecansenseherLightbutal
lur
ingperfume.

“
Andwho’ sEv
eie?
”Madel
i
neaskedandt
hisagai
ngav
ea
i
ndi
rectpushtoGegl
.

“She’
snothi
ng,Iwoul
dtelly
oulat
er,Pl
easedon’
taski
tagai
n,
Didyoubeli
eveme?”Geglaskedf
irmlyl
ocki
ngherbodyi
nthe
gri
pofhistwomuscularshoul
der
s.

“Itr
ustyoumoret
hanmysoul
!”Madel
i
nel
ookedst
rai
ghti
nto
hisdazzl
ingey
es.

“
Then,youwouldhavetobecomemyv al
enti
netonight
,It
’snot
arequest
,buti
t’
sanorder
,Todayisv
alent
ineProm atBreach
Hall
,l
ate11:
30,p.
m.”Gegli
ntimat
edwithherl
ips.

“
Youhadn’
tpr
oposedme,
wel
l
!”Madel
i
nebackhol
dthebed
f
ir
mly
.

“Idi
dn’tneedto,Ionlyclai
my ou,nooneelsecanclai
m onyou,
i
fanyonewoul ddare,hewoul dbekill
edof f
,onl
yIcantease
you,becauseIhady ourr i
ghts,youshoul
dbenotsleep,
becauseIhadst ol
ent hesleepsf r
om youreyes,
”Geglsai
d
hardl
y.

“
It
’sbet
terforme,toser
veanarr
ogantl
over
,sopl
easef
orj
ust
afakewords,askmeforpr
om!”Madeli
nebl
own.
“Bemypr om!Tonight,
!Anddon’tworry,
I’
m nolongerli
vi
ngin
Hex’sVil
la,
ther
e’sotheroneofmi neinGri
ndonstreet
,Keepit
thr
ough11:00‘o’cl
ock,I’
ll
broughtmywagont oMom’ shouse
andpleasedosomemakeov er,anywayIhadalr
eadyaskeditto
mom! ”Gegltol
dher.

Aftergett
ingdischargedf
rom hospit
al,
Geglhel
pedhertol
aid
backtoHex’ sVil
la,anddroppedhertohome,Hexahadgone
foraneducat i
ontrip,t
her
eforeMrs.Adameenwasalonewit
h
herluggagetowel comebackher,

“Ir
eall
yapol
ogi
zeforwhathappenedlastday
,itwas
somewheremyfaultt
hatIlety
outogoaway ,butpl
ease
pardonmeagai
n!”Mrs.Adameenreapedaway .

“Don’
tsaysor
ry!Mrs.Adameen,i
t’
snotanyone’
sfault
,
somethi
ngdevilhadhappenedandit
’sbet
tert
oforgeti
t.
”
Madeli
nehuggedMr s.Adameen.

“
Ok!ThenBereadyatshar
p11,anddon’
tbesol
ate!
”Gegl
war
nedwhil
eopeningt
hedoorofwagon.

“Gegl
!Shehadj
ustdi
schar
ged,
letherbr
eat
hatonce!
”Mr
s.
Adameengrunt
ed.

“
Wel
l
!Goodenough”Gegl
dri
vei
taway
.

Afterput
ti
ngluggage,and5hour srel
ax ,
itwasaPr om pr
oblem,
anditwasbackt oav al
entine,gett
ingreadyforafir
stti
me
Prom ,wasseveraloccasionsformaki ngmistakesbei
ng
confusedandarrangi
ngt hings,i
tmayl ookli
kesimpleatfi
rst,
butwheni t
scomesdownt oit,
itsnot.

Mrs.Adameenwhohadr ecentl
yenter
edMadel i
ne’
sroom
l
ookedapileofcl
othes,j
ewelr
yandor namentwit
hmuchmake
upkitwhi
chMadelinehadrecentl
yshoppedfrom aCl
othand
Make-upmar ket
,li
edonabed,shelookedatMadel
i
ne,
wit
ha
f
unnyf ace,
shestoodov ert
hedoor
,
“
So,isthisyourfi
rstpr
om? ”

“Yes!Mr
s.Adameen!
”Madel
ineanswer
edf
rom t
hemess
around,
alit
tl
ebi
tembar
rassed.

“Don’
tbeshy,it
’sj
ustacommonf estofv
alent
inecoupl
est
o
getonthei
rfi
rstpr
om”Mr s.Adameensai
dwhilepatt
ing
Madeli
netohershoulder
.

Madel iner eal

lywasi nconf usionaboutwhatt owearandhow
towear ,shejustrandoml ypickedupanygownf rom t hemal l
,
Untilshehadshoppedi twithaweek, whenshedi schar ged
from hospi tal
,finall
yshe’ dchosenaBabypi nkbal lgownwi t
h
l
acedappl i
quesdecor atedwi thbeadedbal l,besidet hischapel
trai
nt ull
eamodi fi
edAl inegownwi t
hsweet heartneckl inewit
h
anof fshoul deritslengt hwer ef l
oralimpri
ntunrelievedand
adorabl e,itdr
apedherf rom throattoankle,pinksilkribbons
ti
edt hedeepneckl i
necl osedt r
immedwi t
hlaceand
shimmer ingflor
al embr oiderydot t
edwi t
hbeadbal ls,fr
om
theret hegownf el
l t
ot hebar etiledgroundinahaunt ingl y
beautiful gown.

“Inev
erpul
ledmy selfi
nthemi rror
,wel
li
twasmyf i
rstti
me, I
hadtowornagown, notsimplyagownbutabal lgown,it
’s
soundmuchsill
ybutIadmi t
sitstr
ue…….Thisismyf i
rst
ti
me……Ifeell
it
tl
ebi tnervous”Madeli
nesighed.

Madelinewasgoi ngtoav alent

inePr om andsurelyshefel
t
ner
v ousbecauseshewasgoi ngtot heprom wi t
hGegl,t
heboy
whohadal readyknownt obeanecr omancer .
Mrs.Adameenf i
nishedwithherdressandt ur
nedMadelineto
l
ooki nthemi r
ror,
herheartwast hrobbing,shewasbouncing
i
nsidewi t
hat ouch.

“
Don’
twor
ryev
ery
thi
ngi
sgoi
ngt
obesmoot
h,behappyand
r
elax”

“Fi
ngercr oss!Mrs.Adameenbuty oursonGegli
stoochoosy
andjudgment al
,hewouldbeallti
mer eadyt
olookatmyfl
aws
ofdressingsense, hewouldbelooki
ngmef rom al
lmythr
oatto
myankl es!”Madelineshi
vered.

“Youarenerv
ousMade!Butmysonissympatheti
candcari
ng
too!Iknowsometi
me,heismostpar
ti
cul
ar,
believ
emet oday
hiseyeswouldl
ooki
ngforyou”

Mrs.Adameenapprov
edMadeli
ne’
sey es,
“
Didyougetgoosebumpsonyourhands?”

“
What“Madel
i
newasconf
used.

“
Yourner
vousnessi
sli
tt
lebi
tof
fexci
tement
”

“
Lit
tl
e!”Madel
i
neshor
ted.

Mrs.Adameensmil
edagain,“justbel
iev
einyoursel
f,t
ook
deepbreat
handrel
easeoutthefears,
he’l
lbeyours”

Therewasaimpairi
nghornout
sidetheHex’
svil
la,
itwasa
wagonofGegl,hi
sattemptwereshaki
ngMadeli
neinahaste,
aft
ercont
inuousl
yhorni
ng,Mrs.Adameenrushestodoor
,

“
Whyar
eyoumaki
nganui
sance!
”sheshout
edt
oGegl
.

“Where’sMadel i
ne,Iknowt ogirl
st aketimet oready,bitsheis
notanai ad, whowoul dgraceme, shei sillt
imeralway s,how
mucht i
me, onet akestober eady,Look!AtmeI ’
m correctat11,
‘
o’ cl
ock!!”Gegl waswear i
ngasui t,shoutingbluntl
yinhi s
groanedv oice,ledMadelinet ocomedownst airsandshehad
hurri
edlyf astenamessybunar oundherhead, herlong
entangl
edhai rturni
ngint
oasemi cur lcomingov erherf ace.
“Whyaremakingsound?”Madeli
nesai
dwhil
eblowingher
fr
agrancei
nt heai
r,whi
chtemptedGegl,
hewasstuckwithhi
s
bigmouthopened.Herai
sedhiseyebr
owsandstar
tledt
oher.

Aftersomet
imes,
hel
i
ftedhi
sheadandGav
eMadel
i
nea
suspici
ousl
ook.

“What?DidIlookl
ikeav amp?Oh!It
hinkIhadweari twr ong,
didther
eisanymi st
akes!ForGodsake!Gegldon’
tthr owthat
raveni
nglookoverme,thatscar
es!
”Madelinecoul
dn’ tstand
thesil
ence.

Att
hattimeMrs.Adameenbi
dedt
hem goodby
eandGegl
har
dlyopenedhi
smouth.

“
Areyour
eal
one!Idoubti
t?“Geglwasmesmeri
zedl
ookinghis
l
adyl
ovei
nsuchalustr
ousappear
ance,
hisv
oicewasfr
antic.

“
It
’sr
eal
me!
”Madel
i
negr
imaced.

“Youar el
ookinggorgeous,Imeanbeaut i
fulnowrong!Youl
ook
enthral
li
ng,yourenti
cingski
ll
sblownmedown, tel
lme!How
couldIresi
sttofell
inlovewithyou!Ican’
tstaystandi
ngover
here!”Gegll
eanedtohercheekswhi chblushestopinkand
l
eav esbehi
ndhi swarmt hofl
ipstohercheeks.

“
Youl
ookl
i
keapr
incechar
ming!
”Madel
i
nebl
i
nked.

Unti
lGeglopenedthepassengerdoorf
orMadeli
neandwas
abouttost
artthewagon,hi
sf i
nger
swerel
ift
edfr
om the
dashboar
dofwagont owaist,oft
heMadel
ine.

“
One!I
mpor
tantt
hing!
”Hesmi
rked.

“
What
?”Madel
i
net
urnedwi
thr
oll
edey
es.
“I
’
lltel
lyouthati nProm hall
!”Gegl st
artedtheengineandt hey
bothaftert
hel ongtime, r
eachedatt heprom party, t
hehall had
beendecoratedmuchni ceront hepart,wit
hflower s,color
ful
draper
iesandbower ,thetwobouncer swer eall
ottedwho
al
lowedonl yoffici
alcouples,Onolupwasataf i
x,ashehadno
prom withhim, hewasgi vi
ngl ect
urestobouncer son
el
oquence, buttheypushedhi m away ,Herawaswi thFrestein
Bernot,whi
leshewav edtoMadel ine.

“Wow!Mel
issor
ryMadel
i
nebuty
oulookver
ybeauti
ful
toni
ght
bytheway
,who’
syourpr
om,t
oni
ght
?”sheasked.

“I
t’
sasecret
!Herayouwoul
dfi
ndhi
m athal
l!Well
hei
sani
ce
danceri
nhispar
t!
”Madeli
nesai
dbl
ushingaway
.

“Thenit
’scountf oramyst
er i
ouspar
t!YouknowStemborthad
mov edalongtheMar s,overaweek!
!”Madeli
nef
eltsadderf
or
Stembort,butthenHeracheeredher
.

“Becheerf
ul,hewoul
dcomeher
enextspr
ing,
hehadsome
urgentwork!
!”Her
amovedaway
.

NowGegl washoldi
ngherhandhalfsmi led,t
hest r
obelights
weref lashi
ngawayar oundthehall
,andt heball
songst arted
wit
hf luentmusic,andtherewasani ndir
ectinvi
tati
onfora
coupledance, Every
bodyremainedinshockedandst unned
whent heysawGegl andMadelinetogether,
Gegl pl
acedt he
softandwhi tehandsofMadel i
neov erhisheart
,hisshuddering
heartbeatsnowcoul dbefell
edbyMadel i
ne,
“MayI ?”heaskedgent l
y.

Madelinenoddedsol
emnly,keepi
nghereyesonhis,shetook
anotherst
epandleanedherheadagainsthi
schest,
whil
et he
rhy
thmsofmusi cfl
ewwiththestanzas.

“
Havegoodti
mes,wit
hGegl,he’
sahandsomerguyf
ory
ou”
Her
ashout
edaroundshegotherrepl
i
ed.
Madel
i
neblushedaway
,theycoul
dher
ethev
oicesi
nter
veni
ng
t
hegentl
emusic.

“
thef
ight
ingenemi
es,
tur
nedt
oacoupl
e!”

Hi
sarmswrappedaroundMadel
inehol
dingheragai
nsthi
m,
Madel
i
newaselect
ri
fiedbyhi
stouch.

“
Don’
tpayatt
ent
iont
othem,looki
ntomyeyes,
Let
!Noonet
o
r
uint
hisni
ght
?”Gegl
whisper
edinherear
s.

Thi
smomentwassodel
i
ght
ful
,socor
rect,
ther
ewasnoway
todoubt
.

“But
!Ifeelsomeuncomf or
tabl
einthi
sdress,I
t’
sanoff
shoulder
,Ihadn’
ttr
iedsuchfashi
oninodds!”Madel
i
newas
nerv
ous.

Gegl suddenlyputhishandunderherchi nandli

ft
editunti
lthei
r
eyesmett ogether,“MadelineMcCar t
hy ,
Idon’
tcarei
fy ou
believemeornot ,butletmet el
lyou!Youaremostami abl
eand
beautiful
treasur
eIev erhadexper i
encedorfoundthr
oughmy
l
ov e,Sopleasedon’truinthisspeci
alnightf
orus”

Madel
i
nesi
ghedandthenwi
thapausenodded,“
Ibel
i
evey
ou
moret
hanmysoul
!”

“Whyar eyouty i
ngawayyourwav yhairsintoabun, l
etmef ree
them, anddon’ tbetoool
d-fashi
onedy ourof forwhateveri
st he
sleeves, t
hatshowedmemuchni cerpartofy ourcr
ave,whicha
mandesi retosee”Madeli
nef el
tGegl’sfingerrunni
ngthrough
herhai randhepul l
edoutthehairpinunlockingherhalfcurled
hair,
floatingit
sscentinMidai r
.“that
’sbetter”

“Icansensesomedir
tythought
siny
ourmi
nd,
don’
tint
imat
eso
hurry
!”Madel
inef
rowned.
“
Ijustdi
dfli
rt
ing,
butpar
donme!Respecty
ourpr
ivacy
”Gegl
l
i
ftedherinamelody.

Heleaneddownandki
ssedhercharmingl
yhiswarmthof
br
eathcanbesensedbyher
s,andrefl
exiv
elyMadel
inewr
apped
hi
swai stt
ight
ly.

“
Ilovey
ouGegl
”Madelinesai
dbr
eaki
ngt
heki
ssandf
oxi
l
y
l
ookedinhi
sgl
i
tter
ingeyes.

“Ilov
eyouwithmyi nt
ensit
y,Idi
dn’
tknowwhatwoul dbethe
fut
ureofourl
oveandIdon’tcareabout,Butonethi
ngIcan
assurey
ouforev
eris……Iloveyoualot!Unti
lIhi
deiti
nadeep
ofmyheart!
”Geglf
inall
yspokethetruth.

Madeli
nel
ookedawayandsai d,“Ir
eal
lyfeelithar
dt oknow,
whatmakesmeat hi
ngofbeautytoyou,Ithoughtthelovepart
wasonlyl
eftforme,towor
shipyoudayandni ght
!Idon’teven
i
maginedthatItwoul
dfi
nall
ytakeyoualong!”

Heleanedtoherandmethergazi ng,“But,y
oudobeli
eve,y
ou
ar
ef l
awlessbeauti
fult
onight
,Don’ty
ouf eeli
tiny
our
self
!Hey
gi
rlwhatcharm ofspel
lyouhadcastonme? ”

Madeli
neshieditoff
,Aft
ertheprom nightwasoverGeglt
ook
Madeli
neawayf rom t
hechaoti
csoundst ohi
sownHome, i
na
nearpar
tofjungle,
whenitrai
nedmi dnighthecar
essedher
bodywit
hhishands, t
ryi
ngtokeepcont rol
,heki
ssedher
for
eheadtr
av el
i
ngdownt oherearlobes, Hi
shandsgri
ppedher
hardandshesigheddeeply
.

“IwonderhowIf
ell
inl
ovewi
thasi
l
lygi
rl
?”Gegl
sai
dly
ingi
n
bed.

“
Theanswerl
i
esinyour
selfonl
y!
”Madel
i
net
urnedt
oGegl
’
s
f
acepushi
nghercl
osel
y.
“Youknowt
odayi
sChi
nesev
alent
inedayt
oo!
”

“AChi
nesev er
sion,doy
ouknowwhatdi
d143,
issai
din
Chi
neselanguage!”

“
Yes,
Iknow!Mr
s.Quangoncet
oldme,
it’
scal
l
ed‘
woai
ni’
”

“
Ilov
eyouf
orev
er?
”Gegl
dri
ft
ed.

“
Yishengy
ishi
”

“
Andki
ssy
ou!
”

“QinQi nni ,youhadaskedmuchquest ionf ort oday, l

etme
sleepnow! ”sheexhaust edandf eltasleep, shewasl ikea
cot t
onf lairandi nnocentli
keawhi t
esof tfeathertobed, Gegl
didn’twantt ostaywithoutherandwant edt oGazeherf orlong
hour s,butf i
nall
yher emember ednott ocr osst helimits,
unwi ll
i
ngl ydroppedhert oHex’sv il
la.Af terMr s.Adameen
l
ockedt hedoorandbi dhi mtotakecar e,heact edthathehad
goneWhi leHehi mselfsneakedat2p. m.t oherr oom, and
stalkedherwat chingawayr estl
essly,hisonl ysl eepingbeaut y
i
namagi caldr
ess.Unawar eofthereupcomi ngf at
e, t
heybot h
felli
nsl eepwi ththecoar seofdarkni ght, seeki ngforlovelike
thingandhopi ngf oranewar ri
val.