Ghastly Glass by Joyce and Jim Lavene Page B

breeze that rustled through the trees as the sun sank beyond the horizon. It was a thrilling sight, even in modern times. The pirate ship, the Queen’s Revenge was as close to an exact replica as could be built. She was a fine piece of living history, except that her script called for several attacks on the tavern and smaller shops around the lake each day.
    The anguished howl of the lone wolf sounded again through the streets and beyond. I shivered and moved closer to Chase. “You know that’s a recording like my banshee, right? ” He laughed at me. “You don’t have to worry about being eaten on the way to supper.”
    At that moment, two tall, hairy, wolf-headed creatures wearing only ripped pants ran past us, slobbering and panting as they went.
    “You were saying?” I moved to the inside of the street closer to the shops.
    “You’re going to let them eat me first? ”
    “You’re the one who said they didn’t exist.”
    “I think you have too much imagination for your own good, Jessie. Maybe Halloween wasn’t such a great time for you to be here.”
    “Don’t be silly! I know this stuff isn’t any more real than Livy’s red hair or Princess Isabel’s bosom.”
    We’d reached the Hanging Tree near the tavern. Sometimes they hung a few pirates up in the tree, supposedly for the evil they’d done. It was a traditional warning to other pirates back during the Renaissance. Tonight, however, there were skeletons in the tree. The breeze rattled the fake bones (at least I assumed they were fake) above us and made the cages that usually held the pirates creak.
    Imagination or not, this was scary. Maybe Chase was right. Maybe I was better off as a fun time, summer worker. I’d never imagined the terrible things the Village artistic directors could think of would be so real.
    The Lady of the Lake Tavern was symbolized by a figure dressed in blue, half woman, half fish but not really a mermaid type creature either. She held a nasty-looking sword in one hand and usually a tankard of ale in the other. The wooden sign had been modified for Halloween so that the tankard was covered by a head.
    “Oh, that’s nice. Just what someone wants to see before they go in to eat.” I looked around the building, which was painted a shade of blue to match the fish creature’s dress. There were wide windows on the ground floor with tiny panes of glass. Viewed through these multiple window panes, the lamp-lit diners in the tavern looked surreal.
    “You know, maybe this is a bad idea,” Chase said before we went inside. “We could grab a sandwich or something on the way back to the dungeon and eat there.”
    “Probably halfway there, someone would need you for something and I’d get stuck eating alone. At least here, there’s bound to be some excitement.”
    He put his arm around me. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the real, and the not so real. If I can tell the difference.”
    “Protect me? ” I demanded. “I’m the man who defeated the Devil. Don’t you forget it.”
    “Shh. Not so loud. You don’t want to start the huzzahs again, do you? ”
    We were early for dinner (and we’d pay for it) as our hostess reminded us right away. Residents could get free food after the Village closed, but before then we paid like the visitors.
    I slid into a small wooden booth in the darkened room. There were lanterns and candles everywhere. It’s always amazing to consider how anyone got anything done before electricity. This place was darker than Peter’s Pub or the Pleasant Pheasant. It was probably the big wooden beams that seemed to press down on the dining area.
    Luckily, we got a window seat overlooking the lake. The lake was artificial, too, but like the pirate ship, it put on a good show. The rising moon was peeking over the castle, the entire picture reflected in the still water. Torches were lit on the ramparts and across the battlements of the castle and the Great Hall. It was an awe-inspiring