[NSW-Fic] Excerpt Faerie III

[machievelli]

Oddly enough, this was the onlt segment I did not have to edit for content. Of course one of the characters you meet is an 11 year old girl. Not only adults get to have the secret of the Faerie realm...

 

Cross Country

 

“The best laid plans of mice and men.” Henry sighed, watching the shore at Dunkerque approach. There had been reports of upgraded security on the Chunnel, and they had decided they should take the ferry across the channel. Bromeliad had turned green just thinking about it, but she had smiled bravely as they pulled the car onto the deck. Now she was sitting there, looking into his eyes in terror as the hovercraft made it’s approach.

 

“I’m surprised they didn’t decide to just keep us in England. “Erika commented. “After all, all the French you know is from junior high school, and I don’t speak it at all.”

 

“Well as Martin said so bluntly, they have to kick us out of the nest sometime.”

 

Erika pictured small baby birds, with a hulking father kicking the protesting little feather balls into the air. She told Henry, who chuckled.

 

“Right, fly you little bastards!” He said.

 

Erika snickered. They had picked up an additional Fairy in England, a natural born girl named Wormwood. She looked excited. After all, it was the farthest she’d been from home in her entire life.

 

The hatch opened, and they waited as the cars were rolled off. When their turn came, Erika drove forward smoothly.

 

Customs was a formality more than anything else. The Faerie hid in the springs of the seats as Henry opened one bag after another. The French Customs officer liked the miniature weapons they were transporting, and Henry gave him a full set as a gift. But the blushing officer demanded the right to pay for them. The empty trunks were explained, and the man in halting English gave them directions for their drive.

 

“So, we now have 50 euros to spend.” Henry said.

 

“Good.” Erika climbed behind the wheel, looking at the direction Henry had written down. They turned the car in at the train station, and bought tickets through to Marseille. The girl spoke better English than Henry’s French, and assured them that they would have sleepers on the trip. She thought it odd that they requested them for both parts of the journey, from Dunkerque to the Paris Nord station, and a car to take them to the Paris Gare Lyon station across the city. After all it was not even mid day and the trip from Dunkerque to Paris was just a little over an hour.

 

“But you will not stay to see Paris?” She asked.

 

“Unfortunately we’re on a business trip.” Erika told her. “I just don’t like to fly, and my friend is being dragged along with me. Otherwise we would already be in Marseille.”

 

“Ah.” She said as if Americans were naturally a bit insane. “The train will leave in one hour fifteen minutes. You have access to the shops in the station, but the new regulations require that you do not leave it.”

 

“We understand.” Henry had the baggage except for the two carry on packs to be sent to the luggage car, and they went through the security gate.

 

The girls would meet them inside. The stations of Europe were more baroque than American ones, and there were all sorts of places to hide.

 

The pair went to the first cafe that had an open space for them, and opened their bags as they waited. Erika ordered a Pernod, Henry ordered coffee. He shuddered as she poured in some water, converting the clear liquid to something almost milky before sipping it with relish.

 

“How can you stand that?” He asked.

 

“I like licorice.” She told him.

 

“Then you’ll love Ouzo!” Tuberose said in her ear. Erika gave a little ‘yeep’ at the surprise, but didn’t jump too badly. The little Greek fairy giggled as she slid down the woman’s front into the bag. Lantana joined her.

 

“Where is Bromeliad?” Henry asked.

 

“She is resting over there with Wormwood.” Lantana told him, pointing at a nearby pillar. “She’s pretty tired.”

 

Henry stood, walking over to the post. He looked around, then upward. The two fairy dropped gently down into his bag.

 

“I am sorry, ma petite.” She said, rubbing her belly. “The baby, she is kicking something fierce.”

 

“It’s all right, love.” He turned, and froze.

 

The girl was maybe seven years old. She was staring at him and at the bag in wonder.

 

“Formidable!” She whispered. “Fee!”

 

Henry lifted his finger to his lips, then knelt. The little girl copied him. He opened the bag, and the girl came over. She said something, but he shook his head. “No comprende.”

 

“vous ne comprenez pas?” She asked.

 

“I think that means I don’t understand.”

 

She looked at him blankly, then reached out toward Bromeliad. Then she stopped. ”Peux je?”

 

“naturellement vous pouvez mon cher. Fassiez attention juste.” Bromeliad said.

 

The girl gasped in wonder, and touched Bromeliad’s hair. She asked a question, and Bromeliad answered.

 

“Henry, this is Lisette. She is traveling to Paris with her mother. She thinks we are very exciting, and I have explained that not everyone can see us.”

 

The girl hunkered down, chattering with the French Fairy. Henry saw Erika look at him, then do a double take. She shook her head, then tapped her wrist.

 

“Bromeliad, we have to go. Our train is due to leave in the next few minutes.”

 

Bromeliad translated this for the girl. “Henry, if you would give her a card, perhaps she and I can continue to talk on our voyage.”

 

“You don’t even have an e-mail address yet.” He protested.

 

“Easily corrected.” She turned, telling the girl something in a swift rush. He sighed, looking at the card. His e-mail had not been added, and he mentally noted to have it added. He jotted down HSTIMSON220 at INNERWORLD dot NET, handing it to the girl. She accepted it gravely. Then she walked through the crowd to a woman that stood waiting. She spoke to the woman, who glanced at him. Her lip curled a bit in what might have been anger.

 

*****

 

Like the Japanese train system, the Eurorail uses high speed trains. Erika went to their sleeper, allowing the Fairy to spread out for the hour and a half trip. They took seats, Henry drinking coffee as they rocketed across the landscape at over a hundred mile an hour.

 

They had just crossed the French border, when Henry heard a squeal. Lisette was towing the woman she had spoken to toward them.

 

“Monsieur, I must apologize. My daughter has been telling me stories again.” The woman said. “She claimed you had fee, what is the English word? Fairy with you.”

 

Erika looked at him. “All right, buddy, how do you want to handle this?”

 

He looked at his partner, then at the woman. “Madam, why do you say this is a story?”

 

“Such things are from stories, monsieur. They do not exist.”

 

“Is that what you really believe?” He asked gently. “Or is it that you do not believe at all?”

 

“Ridicule!" She snapped. “I like any child thought I might have seen such things, but they are imagination enfantine! The fantasy of a child.”

 

“Then you are no doubt correct. There is no way she could have seen such a thing.” Henry looked at the child. “You can shatter all of her dreams by telling her so. My French is not that good. But even if it was, I would not say it to her.”

 

The woman knelt, speaking. Less than five words into it the girl snapped back. They spoke, the argument growing louder. Then the girl looked at her and asked a question in a sad voice.

 

The woman looked stricken. Then she looked at him with pain in her eyes.

 

“She has reminded me that she has never lied to me before. So why would I call her a liar now? If she tells me she has seen a fairy, I will accept that.”

 

Henry sighed, looking at Erika. “Come with me.”

 

*****

 

“This is silly, madam. I do not have fifty of these bayberry devices in my shop.”

 

“Then order them.” She replied. She looked down at the little girl who was jumping up and down in excitement. “I will need one today, along with a Playstation plus.”

 

“Madness.” He wrote out the order, then accepted the card she gave him. “It will be at least a week before we can have them here. They are made overseas. There will also be import duties to be paid.”

 

“Let me know when they have arrived.” She ordered. She walked out of the shop, going to the cab that was waiting.

 

Henry looked at them as they got in. The trip was now three days longer than they had anticipated. Madeline Fouchet had demanded to know more, and it hadn’t taken that long to have a card issued from LA. She had picked it up at the bank, and this was the first time it had been used.

 

“We must find a nest.” Lisette told her mother.

 

“Already done.” Bromeliad told her. “There is one in Jardin de Plantes.”

 

“And can we go to visit?” the girl asked.

 

“naturellement nous pouvons.”

 

*****

 

HSTIMSON220: REPORT. NEW OFFICE HAS OPENED MONMARTE PARIS.

 

DANDELION 201: HENRY! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BYPASS FRANCE!

 

HSTIMSON220: NOT INTENTIONAL. A LITTLE GIRL SAW ME WITH THE FAIRY, AND HER MOTHER IS NOW OPENING THE OFFICE HERE. THEY HAVE BOTH VISITED THE JARDIN DE PLANTES REALM.

 

PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE BIRTH OF JENNINE THIS MORNING. BROMELIAD DOESN’T ADMIT IT, BUT I THINK SHE WAS HOPING HER CHILD WOULD BE BORN HERE.

 

DANDELION201: CONGRATULATIONS FROM PERIWINKLE.

 

HSTIMSON220: DISCOVERED ODD THING... LISETTE THE LITTLE GIRL DID NOT GROW TO ADULTHOOD WHEN THEY SHRANK.

 

COACH 31: JUST CAME ON LINE, HENRY. WE DISCOVERED THAT BECAUSE OF THE PLAYERS. ONE OF THEM KNEW A LITTLE GIRL W/BONE MARROW CANCER, AND WE USED THE SHRINKING TO HEAL HER. NOW THE DOCTOR IS ALL UPSET, BECAUSE WHILE WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT, WE COULDN’T EXPLAIN HOW IT WAS DONE. NOT SURE IF A BOY WOULD CHANGE IN THE SAME MANNER.

 

HSTIMSON220: ASK NO MORE. LISETTE’S BROTHER CHARLES A PERFECTLY NORMAL ELEVEN YEAR OLD BOY WITH WINGS. HE’S GOTTEN MORE ATTENTION THAT LISETTE HAS.