"So," said Alejandra, as she danced up close to Maggie, "you've been making quite the spectacle of yourself, this evening. Proving your power. Being a generous leader. I have a fair few things to talk to you about."
Maggie ceased her dancing, causing Alejandra to pause, looking curious. She took Alejandra's hand. "I am fairly tired. Could we have this discussion somewhere quiet? And then maybe have some other fun, if you like."
"Not yet." Alejandra gave Maggie a feather-light peck on
the cheek, and whispered into her ear, "Save your last dance for me." And then she spun away.
Thus were Maggie’s efforts to glean further information that
evening ruined, for as she danced with one person and another, hoping to glean any further information from them about Los Ojos, she consistently failed to ask them anything before they spun away. Her mind was too much on the curious pale woman who
caught her thoughts. What was it about Alejandra that gave her so
much trouble in accepting her true nature as a fictional character?
Nobody else seemed to have a problem. Or they hadn’t said anything, at least. And
nobody here seemed to have any problem with all the free food from
nowhere – why, even the nuns were enjoying the empanada stand.
Or at least, they didn’t have a problem as long as the food kept coming. If it ran out, then people might follow Carolina's rhetoric and believe Maggie was a witch, and dunk her in a
pond or something. No matter how gladly anyone danced with her,
their acceptance of her had been built on something highly
conditional. And now she had gone and dangled their loved ones before them, before yanking them away -- that wasn't what really happened, but rumor always spread the worst version of events. It was a wonder anyone danced with her at all, really.
She found herself dancing with – Maria, of all people. "Good
heavens, I didn’t expect to see a priestess here. Then again, I
didn’t expect to see a priestess in a pub either. Nor did I expect
to see a priestess in Los Hijos. Nor did I ever expect to see a
priestess at all. You’re an odd one, Maria."
"I must keep an eye on my people," said Maria. "And
you, my daughter, wanted to set up that formal confession."
Maggie laughed. "You ask for that, here and now?" She
halted, and swept an arm out to gesture at the people around her. "In
this place of lewdness?" For indeed, many people were dancing in
the sort of manner that causes small towns in rural areas to ban
dancing altogether. Obviously they had taken Maggie’s directive
about making the blood pound in their veins seriously. "Do you
think you’re on a mission to bring – what are you even bringing
to them? It can’t be Christ, you’re obviously not representing
the Church anymore. Actually, come to think of it, did you ever? Were
you ever ordained? But they wouldn’t have allowed that. How exactly
did – "
"I was ordained," said Maria. "The circumstances of my departure from the Church I will not relate here in this place of lewdness, except to say that they were and were not my fault. All I will tell you is that when I decided I would minister to Los Hijos, I was glad no priest would follow me. As for your confession --"
"I've been sinning quite a bit this whole day," said Maggie. "I get that."
"Then do you wish to make your confession formal?"
Once again Maggie's stamina gave out, and she stood there, watching everyone else dance. "I'm just so busy. I've been through so much on my first day, I've promised so much to everyone...there's going to be a lot of days like this. Will I ever have the time or energy?" She looked up at the great statue in the center of the clearing, where its great stone bowl was filled with glowing five-pointed stars. "But your whole deal is endurance. Maybe you can teach me how you manage that."
"Your confession will be a critical step," said Maria. "And it must be complete. If you would endure, you must acknowledge. You must admit. True stoicism is not achieved in ignorance. Do you understand?"
"Is it easy as admitting?" said Maggie, glancing at the statue again. "Can I become as tough as grantie like you, just by stepping into the confessional?"
Maria smirked. "You wish. Youuuuu wish." She stepped
back. "Let me know when you're fully ready." She bowed her
head, and turned, departing from the dancing ground.
Maggie stood there for a moment, still looking at the statue. She had to admit that
whoever this Mother was, she could do something – she’d
certainly done something when Maggie had erased the city. But where
she’d come from, Maggie wasn’t certain she wanted to know.
Maggie began to dance once more, not so enthusiastically or
energetically. She found her legs shaking and her arms aching. So
when a hand with many green rings took hold of her wrist and she was
dragged away from the dancing ground, she had little strength to
resist.
Here in the shadow of the empanada stand, eyes gleaming with
starlight, was Madame Balam. Maggie gulped. "Uh…"
Madame Balam grinned, showing her sharp teeth. "I think you
ought to be thanking me, Maggie Noyr."
"For...what?"
"Let me put it this way. Would you like to see me run away
from here?"
"Um –"
Madame Balam seemed to blur for a second, and there was a gentle
breeze that lifted the streamers on the empanada stand. "Would you like to see me do it again?"
"Uh –"
She blurred again. This time she had a young man in her hands, an
iron grip upon his forearms. A young man in dark clothing, a blue
scarf bound about his bicep. "Benigno and I have been picking
off scouts ever since you started the music. Would you like me to
dispatch this one permanently?" She opened her mouth full of
wicked sharp teeth and bent her head towards the poor
young man’s neck.
"The young man is home safely tucked in bed," said
Maggie. The fellow vanished right out of Madame Balam’s hands. "And
no, I don’t ever want to see you do that again."
The possibly-murderous woman pouted. Then she brightened up. "Ah,
I see, you don’t want to see me do it again –"
"Cut that out."
"When you cut the music and the lights." Madame Balam
huffed. "The point I was trying to make is, you’re attracting scouts. The cops figured out where
this place is, and now the Sons of the Sea are getting close. Maybe
the cops told them. We can’t let anyone get past the bog. So. I’ve
been doing, shall we say, a bit of strenuous work while you were
having fun."
"Please don’t tell me your version of strenuous work
involves eating people."
Madame Balam only grinned, showing her wicked sharp teeth again.
"Jesus." Maggie shuddered. "Look, I know I was
stupid to even bring the cops to the clearing. But if they had any
inkling whatsoever where this place was, I think you and Benigno have
been dropping the ball for longer than I’ve been salting your
game."
"Just stop making this place obvious," said Madame
Balam. "We need to take the heat off, fast."
Maggie spun on her heel and marched over to the musicians. Only
Carole and Martes seemed happy when Maggie told them to strike up a
soft slow-dane tune -- but they all did their best.
And then maggie whispered, "Mood lighting." And all the
glowing stars dimmed a little. Soon the dancing ground changed from
wild abandon to couples holding each other close as they swayed.
Maggie made her way back to Madame Balam. "How’s that?"
"As long as it ends soon." Madame Balam looked at Maggie
with those gleaming eyes of hers, barely dimmed despite the loss of
lighting. "I would ask you for a dance, though perhaps off to
the side – I am not one for crowds."
Maggie nearly said yes, but then she caught herself. "It has
to end soon, does it not? I promised a pretty girl I would save my
last dance for her."
"Perhaps when all have bedded down then," said Madam
Balam, "we might have a different sort of dance?" She grinned, her sharp
teeth brighter in the dim light than should have been possible. "I
know how to put my claws to good use."
Maggie raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, are you as observant as
Maria?"
"Far more so."
"Then tell me how I have been looking at Alejandra de
Surdeville."
"Do you want me to tell you
how she looks at you?"
Maggie frowned. "I...wonder if I ought to find that out for
myself. Not that I don’t know what she thinks of me – I’m the
woman who banged her last night and then started going on and on
since this morning about things any sane person would never say. I’m
the woman who went insane overnight, and then started doing actual
magic in front of her, up to and including accidental mind control.
I'm the one who just teased everyone by bringing loved ones back for only a brief instant. I’m sure she thinks I am overwhelming."
And then Maggie realized that this was absolutely the perfect
moment for Alejandra to turn out to be right behind her and say
something. She whirled around –
Yes, there was Alejandra, alright, standing at perfect attention,
her eyes full of a look that Maggie knew was not wholly accepting –
therefore was not
accepting at all. Maggie was a lay, an annoyance, nothing more. It
did not matter how much she admired Alejandra. She should not
consider closer association with her. She had been more than enough
trouble over the course of one day.
Maggie’s eyes were downcast, and thus she was able to see a
many-ringed hand taking hers, bringing it up to a pale hand – two
pale hands, clasping hers. One of them letting go, and lifting
Maggie’s chin, so that two grey eyes could meet hers, without any
trace of trouble this time. "My dear," murmured Alejandra,
"you did promise me your last dance."
Without taking her eyes from Alejandra’s, Maggie stepped closer,
closer still – and put her other hand on Alejandra’s waist.
They gently swayed around the dancing ground for some time, in the
dim light of the artificial stars, eyes only for each other.
Alejandra had said she had questions; Maggie had some of her own –
yet for whatever scant time they could spare, it was better to just
enjoy each other’s company. Perhaps business could be put aside
until just before bedding down.
But at last, as Maggie had pulled Alejandra into a close embrace
and rested her head over the woman’s shoulder, Alejandra spoke.
"I still want those wings."
"Beautiful as I could make them look," said Maggie, "it
is not the proper time."
"What will be then? When we’re out from under the trees?"
"End of the story," said Maggie. "Wings look
super-cool. We have to save our Ultimate Super Mega-Awesome forms for the moment when the
Big Bad Evil Guy finally reveals his
Final Form, we’re both nearly beaten, all hope seems lost,
suddenly the series theme music
starts playing and we look up at the Bad Guy with a smirk and say
something cool and then –"
Alejandra laughed. "I’m beginning to enjoy this side of
you, even if it’s insane."
"My day has been insane," said Maggie. "My entire
life has been insane. Doesn’t mean I’m wrong about what’s going
on. Our whole world must
be insane."
"Okay," said Alejandra, "you know what? Prove it.
Show me." She dipped Maggie low, and then, instead of pulling
her back up, tucked her under her arm, marched off the dancing
ground, and plopped her down behind the taco cart. "Please
actually demonstrate to me that you’re somehow a fictional
character and not simply the world’s best conjurer."
Maggie sat there on the cold earth thinking for a second. All the
creation and conjuring she had done today had not convinced Alejandra
of anything. What more could she do?
Then Maggie had an idea. She had a wonderful idea. She had an
AWFUL idea. Maggie had a WONDERFUL, AWFUL – "Knock it off,"
she growled. Getting to her feet, she moved behind one of the tents,
beckoning Alejandra to follow.
"Alright," said Alejandra, as she rounded the corner of
the tent, "I don’t exactly know how you plan to prove yourself
by smooching me in the shadows, but I’m not going to say
no."
Maggie’s face felt hot. "That is not what I had in
mind. At the moment. Anyway!" She gestured to the trees. "Here’s
what I’m going to do. I will create a door in that trunk –"
She pointed to an especially wide tree – "that allows us to
skip straight to the end of the story."
"Wait," said Alejandra, "that isn’t any fun.
What’s the point of a story if you’re just going to skip all the
stuff in between?" Her face fell as Maggie grinned from ear to
ear. "Oh no," she muttered, "you got me doing it."
Maggie put her hands together, interlacing her fingers. "Does
this mean you believe me now?"
"Just..." Alejandra sighed. "Just do what you said
you were going to do."
"Alright," said Maggie. She pointed to the trunk of the
tree. "There is now a door in the tree that lets us skip to the
end of the story. Presto!" And a wooden door appeared there,
just above the thick roots. Maggie stepped up onto them and reached
for the handle –
But before her fingers could graze the metal the door flew open,
knocking her backwards off the roots, into Alejandra’s outstretched
arms. Light spilled out of the doorway – from what source Maggie
could not tell, for the doorway was filled with the
pupil and iris of a single vast eye. A hideous roar issued forth.
BWOOOAAARRRRRR.
Maggie tried to get back up onto the roots but an unseen force
pushed her backward. She tried to reach through it to no avail.
Alejandra stomped past her and, step by agonizing step, made her way
up the roots. She grabbed the handle and, inch by inch, forced the
door closed, gradually cutting off the light and the sound. At last
the latch clicked – but still the door rattled in its frame, and
Alejandra remained braced against it, breathing heavily. "Can
you get rid of this stupid thing now?"
"I can’t erase anything,"
said Maggie. "But...I can create a seal of epoxy between the
door and the frame and the frame and the trunk don’t try
anything funny Author."
Oh, you want this story to get serious?
"You know exactly what I mean," growled Maggie.
"Hurry it up," groaned Alejandra, as the door continued
to rattle.
Lo and behold, blobs of glue appeared in the line between frame
and door, and between the frame and the trunk, and it all ceased to
rattle. Alejandra slid halfway down the door, letting out a long
breath.
"Now do you believe me?"
Alejandra shook her head.
"Oh come on!"
"It was just some monster," said Alejandra. "It
could have been anything." Her eyes flicked up to look behind
Maggie, and her expression went from exhaustion to shock.
"Or...perhaps I am wrong."
Maggie whirled around. The clearing was even dimmer than before,
for nearly every one of the softly glowing stars had disappeared,
save a few within the depths of the great stone bowl, and a few
behind the stone statue. The tent that had concealed them had
disappeared, leaving the people sleeping in it exposed. In the
dimness Maggie could see no other tent, nor any of the food stands,
not even the beautiful taco cart. The musical instruments had gone,
along with the players, and a few of the people who had been left on
the dancing ground. "Shit," breathed Maggie. She fell to her knees on the soft earth. "It's like any move I make this evening is a fiasco."
"At least you proved one thing." Alejandra crouched beside Maggie. "Becauses there's only one entity that could have erased your work in such a way. So, great job, buddy, you figured out how to reach Los Ojos quickly."
"Too quickly," muttered Maggie. "I...get your point about not skipping the story. We’re not strong enough yet. And certainly not wise." She took Alejandra by
the hand, and led her around the clearing, stepping quietly to avoid
waking the still-sleeping people. As she walked, she conjured tents
over them once more. She was relieved to see that Tully and Michael had been in a tent, instead of sleeping out on the ground where the gaze of Los Ojos could snatch them. But there had been a few people sleeping out, and a few people dancing, and they were gone. And the musicians...had still been playing.
Maggie dashed around the statue to find that, of all the musicians and all their musical instruments, there was only Carolina left, tears streaming down her face, a violin held weakly in her limply hanging arms as she sat slumped in a folding chair. The girl looked up at her, utterly lost. Maggie bent, putting a hand on Carolina's shoulder. "This is my fault. I am sorry."
"Fix it then." Carolina swept Maggie's hand off her shoulder. "Is this a goddamn crusade? Give us weapons!" She stood, her violin thumping to the ground. She shoved Maggie's shoulder. "Give us something to fight with! Axes, spears, bows, anything!"
"Bows." Maggie glanced at the violin. "Put a pin in that."
Mojito came running up to Maggie. He stopped and reached his arms
up to her, wordlessly asking to be picked up. Maggie lifted him into
her arms. He rested his head on her collarbone. "Mother, what
was that?"
"A grave mistake," murmured Maggie. "I am terribly
sorry, child."
"Can you fix it?"
"Can I?" Maggie stood firm. "I will. I declare it is all back and cannot be erased." And
there reappeared the taco cart, and the empanada stand, and the
grill, and the musical instruments – and, with the soft sound of
ringing bells, all the stars in the great stone bowl above the
statue. A little more light came back to the clearing. "No fear,
my child."
"There’s gonna be fear," said Mojito. He yawned. "It’s
gonna be a big long journey and it’ll be real scary."
"I am fairly daunted myself," said Maria, as she came to
stand beside Maggie. "Quite the shock, that gave me. And we
appear to have lost more people."
"I declare all the poeple are back and they cannot be taken from us," said Maggie. The other musicians reappeared at their instruments. The people who had been sleeping out reappeared where they had lain. The dancers reappeared on the dancing ground.
Martes reappeared next to Carolina. She was still holding her twelve-string guitar, but it clattered off the chair and onto the ground as she and Carolina flung their arms around each other, holding each other tight --
But then Martes vanished, along with all the other musicians, all the dancers, and all the people sleeping out.
"I am wearing a hat," said Maggie, and lo and behold she
sported a magnificent derby bowler.
Carolina whirled and glared at Maggie. "What the hell does that have to do with anything?"
Maggie held the hat out to Carolina. "Figured you'd be looking for something to destroy, in this moment. It's a very throw-your-hat-on-the-ground moment. You know? And stomp on it?"
Carolina snatched the hat out of Maggie's hands and chucked it at the statue. Then she followed it up with the violin, leaving a mess of splintered wood where a beautiful instrument had been, and then the guitar, and then the chair, and another chair, and another. The clanging was causing people to come out of their tents, wondering at the commotion. Carolina turned upon them. "We are going to Los Ojos!" she shouted. "We are leaving this awful city and we are getting our people back! Who stands with me!"
Of the people who had risen, most of them threw a fist into the air and shouted for revenge, Fernando and Juanita at the head of them. More people were rising, now, joining in the commotion. Maria and the nuns were standing before them, looking stern and admomishing individual people, but at this point the fervor could be felt in the air. There was no stopping it, only steering it.
Alejandra stood beside Maggie. "You doing alright?"
"I don't know." Maggie sighed. "Have I done right, tonight? Maybe that's not for me to say. I wish I could say yes, I wish I could say I just got everyone back, easy-peasy -- I can make bridges of starlight and never-ending taco stands and claws that dig through anything, but can I bring anyone back? I could make candy-cane stilts and bridges made of giant carrots, and chocolate rivers and a thousand delights, but...I can't do what actually freaking matters. I can't bring back that poor cop I smushed and I can't bring back anyone who's been kidnapped by Los Ojos. So what is even the point?"
"The point," said Alejandra, standing tall, "is
that you can make whatever tool you need to help rescue those people
from where they have been taken, and whatever
vehicle you need to bring us along. Let’s not allow fear and
frustration to stop us from doing what we need to do."
"And what we need to do is punch those big eyes right in the face," said Mojito.
Maggie cleared her throat. "Yes. Of course. Punching. Talking
of which, your mama and I have to discuss some things privately. Are
you okay without us tonight?"
Mojito nodded. He hopped out of Maggie's arms and jogged up to Maria, who had walked away from the throng. "Mother Marquez, do you have a bunk for a poor abandoned little child?"
"Our Mother accepts all who seek her," said Maria. And
she led Mojito away.
Maggie glanced at Alejandra. The woman didn’t seem to have a
trace of exhaustion left on her. "Looking good," said
Maggie. "I mean, better than a few minutes ago. Not that you
don’t look good all the time. Even when you’re disheveled.
Especially when you’re disheveled, actually. Am I
talking too much?"
Alejandra bore a faint smile, as she glanced at Maggie. "I
would say I don’t need to ply you with alcohol for you to spill the
beans to me. But thank you for the compliment, anyway. I would say
you look best when you’re doing something poorly-considered and
slightly unhinged."
"Ah," said Maggie. "Yeah, uh...I’m sorry I put
you in that situation back there."
"I’m grateful you gave me the
strength to resolve it," said Alejandra. She turned to look
upward, directly into Maggie’s eyes. "I didn’t even need to
persuade you that hard. You are terribly generous."
"As you are terribly eager to follow me," said Maggie.
"That was what I wanted to talk to you about. About you being in
my life."
Alejandra raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"I can’t...demand the pleasure of your company,"
murmured Maggie, hanging her head. "I wouldn’t make a fool of myself begging
you for it. But I don’t have to, do I?" She raised her eyes
to meet Alejandra's gaze. "You descended into that police station to try to find me, and ever
since then, no matter what we’ve been through or what peril I’ve
led you towards, or what folly I've shown, you were undaunted. Never once did I hear you scream
in fear, not even when the stars took over the sky, not even when we
were falling out of the sky, not even when we faced that great eye. You...seem as though you wish to fight
on my behalf, come hell or high water. Like a valiant knight for her
lady."
Alejandra bit her lip, and said nothing.
"I would like to have you in my life," said Maggie. "If
you so choose. I do think we could work well together. If all we are
is partners in adventure…"
"Doesn’t have to be just that," murmured Alejandra.
She took her hand off Maggie’s shoulder and put an arm around her
waist, drawing her closer. "You really want to know what I think
of you? I think that someone whose first instinct upon gaining
phenomenal cosmic power is to try to help the people around her is a
better person than I can be."
"What was I supposed to do," said Maggie, "hoard
all the world’s gold for myself? Have concubines at my command?
Order armies about, at my whim? That’s not the story I’m trying
to fulfill here. Also it’s dumb. And rude."
"All for the sake of story," murmured Alejandra. "I
can work with that. I can work with you."
"Even after how dumb I've been this evening?"
"Clearly you need someone to save you from the worst effects of your intentions," said Alejandra. "I declare it shall be me. I will follow you to
the end –" she removed her arm from Maggie’s waist and took
her hand, interlacing their fingers. " – no matter what we are
to each other, whether friends, whether lovers, whether enemies. You
make my life an adventure. I will not forget that."
Maggie sighed. "And here I was worried we would end up with a
purely physical relationship."
"We can certainly make it physical this evening,"
said Alejandra, her voice lowering. She removed her fingers from
Maggie’s, but still held to her hand, kissing the back – and then
the wrist – and then the upper arm – and then the crook of
Maggie’s elbow.
Maggie giggled. "I see. That’s how it is then. My knight
offers not merely a chaste courtly love."
"I’m not sticking around you for purely innocent
reasons," murmured Alejandra. "You are, as I have said,
pretty hot when you’re slighty insane."
"And I think it’s pretty hot when you fight for justice,"
said Maggie.
"This from the woman who snootily rejected violence,"
purred a voice from behind. Maggie turned. There were the eyes of
Madame Balam, gleaming with the remaining light of the stars.
"Oh right," muttered Maggie. "You still wanted that
Special Dance."
Madame Balam chuckled softly, as she sauntered into the starlight,
swinging her hips. "If Alejandra is willing to share."
"Oh no," said Alejandra, "My lady Maggie, something
has come between us."
"I expect I will," purred Madam Balam.
Maggie’s face felt hot again. "That’s, uh, quite a lot to
think about, all of a sudden."
"I bet you could think of all sorts of things,"
said Alejandra, giving Maggie the most smoldering look she had ever
seen. "I bet you could come up with things that drive both of us
absolutely wild."
"Uh…"
You could, although technically, since I’m not going to be
describing that on the page itself, such things will only exist as
implications. Sorry, I’m already in over my head here.
"And I’m about to be in over my head," muttered
Maggie.
"In a manner of speaking," purred Madame Balam.
Let us draw a
curtain on this scene.