The Child Thief (25 page)

N
ick swallowed a spoonful of porridge and winced. His throat was still sore, but the troll had been right. Except for a throbbing in his temples, he felt better. Cricket and Danny winced as they ate, as well, but they were all so hungry they finished every bite.

The wounds were still hard to look at, but Sekeu had rubbed some sort of smelly ointment on them and the redness and swelling were subsiding.

“What do you guys know about these Flesh-eaters?” Nick asked.

“Not much,” Cricket said. “They won’t tell me a thing. Just that we’ll find out when we’re ready.”

“Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nick said. “I don’t like all these secrets. Doesn’t that bother you guys? I mean—”

Leroy sat his bowl on the table and plopped down beside Nick.

“Crazy day, huh?” Leroy said, his tone upbeat, almost cheerful.

Nick looked away in disgust, staring into his empty bowl. Nobody spoke for a long moment.

Cricket sighed. “Abraham told me about what you did, Leroy.” She stuck out her hand. “Thanks.”

Leroy’s face lit up. He shook Cricket’s hand. “Hell, the whole thing was just crazy, that’s all.”

Danny tried to straighten his glasses, pushing at the broken frame as he weighed the situation. He didn’t put out his hand but he did say, “Thanks.” And it sounded to Nick like he meant it.

“Hey,” Leroy said. “I know I can be a real shit sometimes. But…if you guys can cut me a little slack…I mean, what I’m trying to say is I’d really like to start over with you guys. What’d you say? Friends?”

Cricket and Danny took a moment, nodded to each other, and finally both of them said, “Friends.” Nick remained quiet.

“I’m going to be a Devil now. Devils look after each other,” Leroy said, and stuck out his hand to Nick. “Right, Nick?”

Nick didn’t look at him. He just poked at his bowl with his spoon.

“
Right
, Nick?” Leroy repeated, now with a noticeable edge to his voice.

No
, Nick thought.
I don’t have to play this part anymore. I’m done being dicked around, done with Peter and his games, and I’m most certainly done with Leroy.

Nick got up from the table and went over to the roots, leaving Danny and Cricket looking perplexed, and Leroy very unhappy.

NICK CLOSED HIS
eyes and let the warmth from the porridge spread through his body. He was sure things weren’t over between Leroy and him, but he’d deal with that later. Right now his head hurt and he wanted some space to sort things out, but he only had a minute before Cricket and Danny came over and sat with him.

“Soooo?” Cricket asked.

Nick was silent.

“So what’s the deal with you and Leroy?”

“Nothing.”

“Yeah, right,” Cricket said. She looked like she might burst at any minute. “C’mon, you gotta tell me. What’d he do now? Huh, what?”

“Nothing,” Nick said curtly, and wondered why everyone seemed bent on driving him crazy tonight. “Just drop it, all right?”

“Man, what’s up with you?” Cricket said. “Leroy saved your life. Seems you could cut him some slack. Think about—”

“Do you guys miss home?” Nick cut in.

“No,” Cricket said, without hesitation. “Not a bit. Things were really fucked up at home. My dad—” She stopped, looked like she wanted to add something more, then shook her head. “Deviltree
is
my home now.”

Nick wondered how bad it could be that Cricket felt safer here, among these cretins, than with her own family.

“I miss Cocoa Puffs,” Danny said.

Both Nick and Cricket rolled their eyes.

“I’m not trying to be funny,” Danny said, as he tried to straighten his glasses. “Wouldn’t you kill for a bowl right now? Or maybe some microwave popcorn? What I really miss is freaking toilet paper. Never would’ve thought toilet paper was man’s greatest invention. Y’know what else? I miss my Gameboy. I also miss my stupid little dog. She’s a pug named Piglet. She had something wrong with her nose and made a snorting noise all the time. Just like a little piggy. Funniest damn thing. That little monkey-faced dog snored louder than my dad, too. We had to shut her in the downstairs laundry at night so that we could sleep. I sorta miss my friends at school. I miss my mom and dad, I guess. But,” he laughed, “most of all I miss my goddamn Gameboy.”

Nick and Cricket stared at him. Finally, Nick asked, “Danny, why’d you run away in the first place?”

“Huh? Oh, because I set the school on fire. After I saw all the fire trucks and police cars, I thought it might be a good idea to get out of town.”

“You did what?” Cricket and Nick asked at the same time.

“Well,” Danny said defensively, “I was pissed at that sour old tit Mrs. Kerry. She’s the one that took my Gameboy.”

“So you burned the school down?” Nick asked.

“Yes. No. Well sorta. I tried to. I only managed to burn up a bunch of bushes and part of the roof before—”

“That’s great, Danny,” Cricket interrupted. “How about you, Nick? Why’d you leave?”

“Because I had to.”

“Why?”

“It’s complicated. Some guys moved into my grandmother’s house. Turned into a bad scene.”

“How bad?” Cricket asked.

Nick rolled up his sleeve, showed them the burn on his arm.

Cricket looked at him. “That’s bad.”

“Well, I’ve got my mom to thank for that one.”

“Your
mom
did that?”

“No, but it was her fault, it was her idea to rent out the rooms in my granny’s house. Hell, it was her idea to move back to Brooklyn in the first place. We used to live at Fort Bragg, down in North Carolina, but after my dad died Mom decided we needed to move in with Granny. Said it was because money was tight. That was the same excuse she used to talk Granny into renting out the downstairs rooms. And that’s how Marko and his pals ended up in our house. Marko’s the one that burned me.”

Nick shook his head. “I mean I could see that those guys were shit the first time I met them. Right? But Mom, she was so glad to have some tenants, she just bent over backward for them. Turns out these guys are fucking street-level drug dealers and here’s my mom making them feel right at home. I mean, can you believe that?

“Soon we had these kids coming and going, running dope all over the place. A regular operation working out of our back porch. By then even my mom had caught on. I mean it wasn’t like these guys were going out of their way to be discreet. They pretty much acted like they owned the place.”

“Didn’t she call the police?” Cricket asked.

“No, that’s just it. She wouldn’t. We got in an argument about that. She said Marko had told her if she called the cops, he’d make sure it looked like she was in on it. If that happened the state would take me away from her, or seize Granny’s house. Bunch of crap like that. I think Marko had laid it on thick. Had scared her to death. Anyway, Marko must’ve got wind of our argument, because it was shortly after that him and his pals gave me this.” Nick tapped the burn mark.

“So you left?”

“You bet. I fucked up their setup and got out of there.”

Cricket looked at him, horrified. “You left your mom and grandmother behind…alone in that house with…
them
?”

“No…I mean, yeah. I left them, but don’t make it sound like I
deserted
them.”

“Nick, that’s terrible. Think about how scared your mom must be without you there.”

“She’s the one that brought them in!” Nick said angrily. “She’s the one that wouldn’t call the cops. What was I supposed to do? Stay there and put up with Marko’s crap? The guy was going to kill me.”

“Nick, think about it. They probably told her they’d hurt you and your grandmother if she did anything or told anyone. There’s no telling what-all they said to her.” Cricket shook her head. “That poor woman is in such an awful situation. What’s she going to do? I can’t believe you just up and left her there like that.”

“You don’t understand. You weren’t there. It’s not like you think. It’s—” He stopped. “Never mind. Just never fucking mind!” Nick got up and stomped away, crossed the chamber, and went into the privy. He pushed the door shut and dropped the latch. He pressed his back against the door, ignoring the clicking and rustling coming from the toilet. He stared at his reflection in the broken mirror and saw a dozen angry faces glaring back at him.

Fuck her, he thought. She doesn’t know what the fuck she’s talking about. I didn’t abandon my mother. I’d never do that.
He tried to push away the thoughts of his mother alone with Marko, but could think of nothing else. He saw her face. Could see Marko and his pals: Marko’s bulging, bloodshot eyes, his beastly grin, could still hear the way they’d laughed when they’d burned him. If they didn’t mind burning him, what were they capable of doing to her, to Granny? With him gone, they could do anything.
God,
he thought,
she must be so scared.
And on top of all that, Granny could barely even get out of bed these days. Mom’s got nowhere to go. No other family, no one else to help her.
What’ve I done?
His face clenched up and an ugly sob escaped his throat. He pressed his face into his hands and began to cry.

“Mom,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry. I’m so damn sorry.”

ULFGER DREW HIS
broadsword from its scabbard. His thick, muscled arms twitched, seemed to ache to cut the boy in two. He took a step down the path, toward the ledge where Peter stood, hands on hips, legs wide, glaring down at him.

“You were warned, runt,” Ulfger said. “I will have your head.”

Tanngnost shuffled between them. “Lord Ulfger, if I may—”

Peter whipped out his long knife. “Come and get me, you one-eared fuck!” he shouted and let loose a wild hoot.

“Peter!” Tanngnost cried and shot the boy a nasty look. He wished Peter wouldn’t make it his mission to remind potential allies of prior mutilations.

“You can count on it,” Ulfger growled, and spat in the dirt.

“We didn’t come to fight!” Tanngnost cried, wondering how things could be spiraling out of control so quickly.

“TAKE HIM!”
Ulfger shouted.

The elves all drew their swords.

“FOOLS!”
Tanngnost thundered, and slammed his staff down, his powerful booming voice echoing through the forest. “Squabbling among yourselves like children. It is little wonder that we’re losing this war! Now put your swords away, all of you!”

The elves hesitated, looking to Ulfger.

Ulfger’s dark eyes fell on Tanngnost. “Mind your place, old goat. You give no orders here.”

“Forgive me, Lord Ulfger,” Tanngnost said and made a slight bowing gesture. “But please, just hear my say.”

“I’ve had enough of your schemes, your distortions, your half-truths.”

“The Flesh-eaters are burning Whisperwood,” Tanngnost said.

Surprise showed even across the elves’ stone faces.

“Liar,” Ulfger said. “Whisperwood can’t be burned.”

“Find a vantage point and you can see the fires for yourself.”

Ulfger narrowed his eyes.

“Peter being here, armed with nothing more than a knife, is proof enough,” Tanngnost said. “Do you believe he’d take such a risk were the need not dire? If the Lady were not in imminent danger? Not to mention setting aside his pride and old grievances to appeal to you?” The troll took in a deep breath. “He may be lacking in diplomatic skills, but his sword and life are sworn to the Lady. If he is willing to take such risks, can you not at least hear us out?”

“Go on then, speak your bit,” Ulfger conceded. “Then I will decide if he lives or dies.”

Tanngnost clutched his staff, struggled to stifle his temper. “No, Lord Ulfger,” he said levelly. “Not today you won’t. Need I remind you that it was your father that granted him a place in Avalon? He has earned the right with his own blood and the blood of his clan. If you should harm Peter here and now, under these circumstances, it will be nothing short of murder.”

Ulfger’s eyes flared. “Say your bit and be done,” he growled.

“Don the Horned Helm,” Tanngnost said. “Take up your rightful place and lead us into battle. The Flesh-eaters have grown weak. With your father’s sword leading we can drive them into the Mist. The Lady’s Guard, the Devils, even the witch and her horde, all of them, they will rally around the Horned Helm. They will follow
you,
Ulfger.
You!
”

Ulfger flinched and took a step back. He glanced about almost like an animal searching for an escape. “Whisperwood is not my concern,” he muttered.

“Do you believe they will stop with Whisperwood?”

Ulfger was silent for a long moment. “My duty lies with the Lady. I’ll not leave my post on the whimsy of some interlopers.”

“You hide behind long-dead oaths!” Peter shouted from atop the ledge.

Ulfger glowered up at the boy.

“If you wish to speak of duty then carry the sword,” Peter said. “Fight the Lady’s enemies before it’s too late.”

“Do not even pretend you have the right to talk to me, child thief,” Ulfger hissed.

Peter sheathed his knife, leaped down the ledge, and headed up the path toward Ulfger.

“Tread lightly young Peter,” Tanngnost warned.

Peter strolled boldly past Ulfger and right up to the line of elves. “And have the Lady’s Guard given up as well? Are there none who would stand with the wild children of Deviltree against the Lady’s enemies?” He waited, looking from face to face, then lowered his voice. “Tomorrow, at dawn, the Devils will be at Red Rock. We intend to drive the Flesh-eaters from Whisperwood. If we have to fight the Flesh-eaters alone, we will. But remember, if we should fall…
so will you.
”

The elves’ faces betrayed no sign, no emotion.

Ulfger clapped, laughing. “I see now. You’ve come here to amuse us with your jests. Unless you truly believe there are those among the Lady’s Guard foolish enough to follow a little boy, a mere child who plays at being a warlord, into battle.”