of the usual road. Glee was tethered below on a small patch of grass.
Marlon swooped down. “Hello, there,” he said cheerfully. “Does the troll know he’s got his head on back to front?”
Gubble stopped his singing and grunted.
“Hello,” Marcus said. “And yes, he does. What do you want?”
Marlon was hurt. “Is that the way to talk to a pal?”
“You said it was
my
adventure.” Marcus was grumpy from lack of sleep and soaking-wet boots. “It’s fine for you, flitting about. We have to climb.”
“See my heart?” Marlon said. “It’s bleeding. Thought you’d like to know that the dame’s back in her den. But I know when I’m not wanted . . .” He shook his head and flew slowly upward.
“Oops — I’m sorry,” Marcus said with real sincerity. “I really am.” He lowered his voice. “Is it far now?”
“Well, I never was one to hold a grudge,” Marlon said cheerfully, “so I’ll check it out.” He winked at Gubble and disappeared. Two minutes later, he was back. “Hey! Kiddo! Reinforcements! Follow me —” And he shot off at an angle up the steepest aspect of the slope.
What does he mean, reinforcements?
Marcus wondered, but he scrambled after the bat as fast as he could, Gubble struggling behind him.
Gracie had found the journey back to Fracture easier than her journey out, despite the rain. Millie was a chatty little bat, and much concerned for Gracie’s comfort, so she took care to pick out the easiest paths. She was very proud of her father and spent much of the journey telling Gracie how busy he was, flying to and fro for the Ancient Crones (“He takes nearly
all
their orders, Miss Gracie!”) as well as keeping the bat brethren organized, passing messages from one to the other.
“If you want to find out anything, Miss Gracie, just ask my dad! D’you know he even spends time in the palace library? My mom and me, we say he ought to be a Royal Appointed Bat! He looks at so many books, you wouldn’t believe! Whenever the princes leave them open, my dad’s in there having a peek just as soon as it’s dark. And there’s this professor, see — he’s Miss Val’s brother — and it’s ever so sad because she wants to not be an Ancient Crone anymore, but even my dad can’t find anyone to take her place.”
Millie paused for breath, and Gracie saw the lights of Fracture village twinkling high above them. A deathly cold feeling seeped into her stomach, and she was particularly glad to have the little bat chatting happily in her ear as she climbed.
“But you, Miss, I’m sure you’ll be able to do as Auntie Edna says, Miss. If you can lead that nasty stepsister of yours into the mires, you’ll be doing us all
such
a favor! ’Cause Miss Val says that when she retires, she’ll let me and my mom and my dad all live with her and her brother, see, and we’ll be as happy as clams, because my dad’s getting on a bit, and it’ll do him a world of good to rest —”
“What’s that? Who says? Hi, kiddo — having your ear bent by my littl’un, are you?”
Gracie stopped for breath and beamed at Marlon. “We’ve been having the nicest chat,” she said.
“Little old blatherer, she is,” Marlon said fondly, and he and Millie rubbed noses as they landed side by side on a twig. The cold feeling in Gracie’s stomach was suddenly shot through with a sharper pain. She ignored it resolutely and went on smiling. “Are you here to show me the way back again? I have to rescue some frogs, and Foyce”— Gracie hoped her voice wasn’t wobbling —“has to follow me.”
“Right on, kiddo. There’s a lad and a troll right here on the same mission — wait, and I’ll bring them on up.” And Marlon was off once again.
“Ooooh!” Millie fluttered her wings and smoothed her fur. “That’ll be the prince! Aren’t you excited, Miss Gracie? You’ve never met a prince before, I’ll bet — me neither!”
Gracie did remember the Ancient One promising she would have
Marlon swooped down. “Hello, there,” he said cheerfully. “Does the troll know he’s got his head on back to front?”
Gubble stopped his singing and grunted.
“Hello,” Marcus said. “And yes, he does. What do you want?”
Marlon was hurt. “Is that the way to talk to a pal?”
“You said it was
my
adventure.” Marcus was grumpy from lack of sleep and soaking-wet boots. “It’s fine for you, flitting about. We have to climb.”
“See my heart?” Marlon said. “It’s bleeding. Thought you’d like to know that the dame’s back in her den. But I know when I’m not wanted . . .” He shook his head and flew slowly upward.
“Oops — I’m sorry,” Marcus said with real sincerity. “I really am.” He lowered his voice. “Is it far now?”
“Well, I never was one to hold a grudge,” Marlon said cheerfully, “so I’ll check it out.” He winked at Gubble and disappeared. Two minutes later, he was back. “Hey! Kiddo! Reinforcements! Follow me —” And he shot off at an angle up the steepest aspect of the slope.
What does he mean, reinforcements?
Marcus wondered, but he scrambled after the bat as fast as he could, Gubble struggling behind him.
Gracie had found the journey back to Fracture easier than her journey out, despite the rain. Millie was a chatty little bat, and much concerned for Gracie’s comfort, so she took care to pick out the easiest paths. She was very proud of her father and spent much of the journey telling Gracie how busy he was, flying to and fro for the Ancient Crones (“He takes nearly
all
their orders, Miss Gracie!”) as well as keeping the bat brethren organized, passing messages from one to the other.
“If you want to find out anything, Miss Gracie, just ask my dad! D’you know he even spends time in the palace library? My mom and me, we say he ought to be a Royal Appointed Bat! He looks at so many books, you wouldn’t believe! Whenever the princes leave them open, my dad’s in there having a peek just as soon as it’s dark. And there’s this professor, see — he’s Miss Val’s brother — and it’s ever so sad because she wants to not be an Ancient Crone anymore, but even my dad can’t find anyone to take her place.”
Millie paused for breath, and Gracie saw the lights of Fracture village twinkling high above them. A deathly cold feeling seeped into her stomach, and she was particularly glad to have the little bat chatting happily in her ear as she climbed.
“But you, Miss, I’m sure you’ll be able to do as Auntie Edna says, Miss. If you can lead that nasty stepsister of yours into the mires, you’ll be doing us all
such
a favor! ’Cause Miss Val says that when she retires, she’ll let me and my mom and my dad all live with her and her brother, see, and we’ll be as happy as clams, because my dad’s getting on a bit, and it’ll do him a world of good to rest —”
“What’s that? Who says? Hi, kiddo — having your ear bent by my littl’un, are you?”
Gracie stopped for breath and beamed at Marlon. “We’ve been having the nicest chat,” she said.
“Little old blatherer, she is,” Marlon said fondly, and he and Millie rubbed noses as they landed side by side on a twig. The cold feeling in Gracie’s stomach was suddenly shot through with a sharper pain. She ignored it resolutely and went on smiling. “Are you here to show me the way back again? I have to rescue some frogs, and Foyce”— Gracie hoped her voice wasn’t wobbling —“has to follow me.”
“Right on, kiddo. There’s a lad and a troll right here on the same mission — wait, and I’ll bring them on up.” And Marlon was off once again.
“Ooooh!” Millie fluttered her wings and smoothed her fur. “That’ll be the prince! Aren’t you excited, Miss Gracie? You’ve never met a prince before, I’ll bet — me neither!”
Gracie did remember the Ancient One promising she would have
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