May Bird Among the Stars

  May remembered the great big empty feeling she had sensed at the edge of the world. “I think I saw him,” she blurted out.

  Even this did not seem to surprise the Lady. “You know, you mean.”

  May thought about it. Yes. She knew.

  “And you were sad for him.”

  May nodded, feeling foolish.

  “There’s no need to feel foolish for having a gentle heart.”

  “He said we’re all just made of Stardust,” May murmured. “He says we’re very small.”

  The Lady, to May’s surprise, laughed at this. “And what’s wrong with small?” The picture of the quartz rocks flashed back onto the screen, their surface woven with shiny white crystals. “People said all those rocks you collected were worthless,” the Lady said. “You have to believe otherwise, about all the things people say, if you are going to get anywhere worth going.”

  “I can try”

  “Oh, May. Trying is the only thing. Always try.”

  The slide show continued long into the night, and May and the Lady talked about all the images—things May had seen, the kids at school, and, finally, May’s mom.

  The Lady squinted, seeming to look inward. “I’m fearful for her. I can understand your wish to get back to her.”

  May’s hands, still underneath her, had begun to go numb, but she clenched her fingers tightly together at the Lady’s words. “Fearful? Why?”

  But the Lady only stood abruptly, and this time she looked like a teenage girl, fresh and excited and full of energy. She led May to an enormous magnolia flower, its petals ever so slightly open, wide enough for someone just May’s size to fit snugly inside.

  “This is where you’ll sleep.”

  Before she said good night, the Lady paused at the opening of the flower and looked at May. “Do you know you have known me all of your life? Do you know you recognized me in the woods? Do you know I was always calling you?”

  May was dazzled. She didn’t answer.

  “But here you are, my girl, and you want to go home.”

  May stared down at her fingernails.

  The Lady sighed. “Stay here tonight. I’ll give you my answer in the morning.”

  That night May slept tucked deep inside the soft, waxy petals of the magnolia blossom, buried in the heavy, sweet smell. She curled like a seed in the oldest tree, a tiny speck in a waxy bulb in a vast forest, in a wide realm, in a universe so endless that she was only a speck on a speck on a speck, dangling in space.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Letter in the Leaf

  Sitting near the edge of the Pass, bored, Commander Berzerko was just about to clean her ears for the third time that evening when she noticed something curious to her left. Her tongue paused on the pad of her paw, and she stared a moment longer. Then she stood up and padded over to what had caught her eye, quickly recognizing it for what it was: a drawing in the dirt.

  The commander sniffed the drawing for a second, then pulled back, licking her lips. It smelled like the living cat. But then, Commander Berzerko had always made it a point of pride that she was the only cat in the universe—with the exception of one or two artist cats she had heard of in Manhattan—who knew how to draw.

  As she studied the mouse more intently, a long thread of saliva dripped from her mouth. Her gaze followed the line of the arrow. Could there really be a mouse that way? Commander Berzerko had not chased a mouse in years

  She glanced back at the Petrified Pass. The travelers would never come out anyway. And if they did, she would be able to smell them from miles away (had the mouse ventured to scurry that far) and hurry right back. In any case, the pass was covered by South Place’s most fearsome slew of goblins and zombies.

  Why waste the opportunity?

  The demon cat floated off into the distance.

  When May climbed out of her flower in the morning, she was greeted not by the Lady, but by a letter pinned to a leaf.

  May,

  I am a busy woman, and I didn’t want to wake you, as you’ll need all of your rest for what lies ahead. I have decided that, yes, I will grant your request. Unfortunately, I cannot “send”you home. But I can tell you how to get there.

  You know about the four portals that lead from this world to Earth. There is a fifth almost no one knows about. You’ll need to steel your courage to get there.

  You’ll see a bag at your feet.

  May looked down. There was a black velvety sack resting on the limb.

  It contains gifts. Some that you’ll need and some that I want you to have.

  You’ll find new death shrouds—one for you and one for Somber Kitty. Yours may be a touch too large, but don’t worry, you’ll grow into it—and the nice thing is, it’ll never fall off Both shrouds will be more convincing than that rag you are toting around now. For one thing, you won’t have the unmistakable smell of the living any longer.

  There’s a new bathing suit (I noticed yours has seen better days) and a key. You’ll know when to use the key, I hope. The necklace is for your friend Beatrice. The flowers will bloom for her only if she’s willing to let them. I don’t think she realizes yet that the mind can’t control everything. Sometimes you need to go with your gut. There’s also a compass—you can guess who that’s for. I’m afraid I haven’t got anything for Pumpkin. Oops—it just slipped my mind. I’m sure he’ll understand.

  And, well, the last thing in the bag is a surprise. Maybe a good surprise, maybe not.

  May, there is an enemy pursuing you that you’re not expecting. Be careful.

  Now, to your escape.

  You’ve met our friend the Bogey. The way home is under his bed. I know you must be sorry to hear this. It is dangerous, yes. But no risk, no gain, is what I always say.

  Good luck, May. I hope we see each other again sometime.

  P.S. I know everybody is saying I am partly evil. They’re right, I must admit. But don’t forget, I am also very good.

  The Lady had not signed her name. There was only the stamp, like the one May had seen on the letter she’d found in the Briery Swamp post office and on the telep-a-gram she’d received on the train. She knelt down and opened the bag, pulling the items out one by one.

  The first thing her hand closed around was the key. May knew it just by the feel of it. But when she pulled it out, she saw it looked nothing like the key John the Jibber had used to get them into the Eternal Edifice. This key was black and luster-less, the handle shaped into a ghoulish head with a frightening pair of eyes. May studied it for a long second. Then, not wanting to look at it any longer, she stuck it into the pocket of her shorts. There was the necklace, with one end strung through a tiny hole at the other end. A miniature living magnolia bud hung from the middle. May smiled. Beatrice would think it was beautiful.

  She pulled out a black velvet garment with a hood and a cinched collar. May lifted it to herself gingerly It was much lighter than the shroud she wore, which was by now muddy and crusted with goo and cat fuzz. May untied her old cape and laid it aside, then pulled the new one around her shoulders. She tied it at her neck and stood, surveying herself.

  “Whoa!” The moment she rose, she rose. May’s feet lifted inches off the ground. She swayed and wiggled in the air, tilting every which way, thrusting her arms out for balance.

  “Wow!” She laughed and spun around, her feet fanning out beneath her. She looked down at her body, which was now just as transparent as Bea’s or Fabbio’s or Pumpkin’s. She shuffled her feet in the air. She leaned forward and drifted effortlessly from one end of the tree limb to the other. At the very tip she stumbled forward and almost fell. May jerked backward, balanced herself, and—sobered a little—drifted back to the bag. Apparently, floating didn’t mean she could fly.

  She dug in the bag again, this time pulling out a much smaller cape with a little hood and ear holes. She laughed with delight.

  The bathing suit came next. She peered around to make sure no one was looking, then pulled off her shorts and
her old suit, yanking on the new one and pulling the straps over her shoulders. She looked down at the fabric and gasped. The sky and stars in the fabric were moving. Nebulae bursting with colors, floating clouds of cosmic dust, twinkling stars, sparkling supernovas, tiny comets shooting across the sky Her bathing suit looked like the night sky, for real.

  Grinning, May dug in again and retrieved a compass like the one Arista had given her back in Belle Morte that said RIGHT WAY, WRONG WAY, and SCENIC ROUTE. By the look of it, there was only one thing left. May was glad the surprise would come last.

  She reached into the bag, and her hand closed on something cold and metal. She felt along to one end of it and felt her heart thud. She turned the bag inside out, revealing the surprise: a bow and a silver quiver full of gleaming silver arrows.

  There was a tag attached to one of them: EXOR-ARROWS. THEY TURN DARK SPIRITS TO SOLID SILVER. TAKE THEM.

  May stood and floated backward awkwardly, thrusting out her arms for balance. The girl in the cave had had these too. She didn’t want them.

  May looked at the arrows. They didn’t just glint, they gleamed. She drifted back toward the spot and touched one silver shaft—it felt cool to the touch, but her finger, once she pulled it away, went warm and tingly.

  They were beautiful.

  Slowly, May pulled one of the arrows out of the quiver. Instead of having a sharp point, it was tipped with a silver magnolia petal.

  May lifted the quiver gently. She pulled the strap over her head and around her back. The arrows were as light as a feather. Strangely, they felt like they belonged.

  The others were gathered in an anxious circle in Arista’s living room when May returned. They all leaped out of their seats—all but Arista—when she came through the door and gaped as she floated before them.

  They stared at her in silence for a few moments.

  “Meay,” Somber Kitty said, leaping onto her shroud and clinging to it until she lifted him into her arms. She looked around the room. Pumpkin had his fingers in his mouth, suddenly shy Fabbio and Beatrice stared at her as if they’d never seen her before. Arista’s antennae twitched excitedly.

  May, confused, turned to see herself in the mirror beside the door. Her bathing suit spun with stars. She floated an inch above the ground. Her bow and arrows glinted on her back. She turned back to the others, blushing.

  “Zzzz, my dear. You are—”

  “Magnificent!” Bea gushed.

  “I need to leave the Ever After,” she said. “And I need to go to South Place to do it.” She waited for a moment, her chin lifted defiantly in case they should try to talk her out of it. “I’m sorry. But I’ve got to go.”

  The group all gaped at her, then cast looks at one another.

  “South Place!” Fabbio finally exclaimed, slapping his hands against the sides of his face. “And May is a sorry!”

  Bea stilled him with her hand, then turned her big blue eyes on May and nodded. “We’re going with you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ghouly Gum

  The following morning Arista woke them all. They had stayed up late the night before, discussing their route to the Dead Sea. Arista had directed them to a town called Hocus Pocus.

  “It’s the gateway town for the Dead Sea,” he’d explained. “They manufacture most of the stuff that’s used to terrorize people on Earth. Nightmare potions and hexes and so on. Wild town. Lots of Dark Spirits coming to dance at the clubs, get their fortunes read, gamble. Occasionally, they eat someone, but nobody does much about it. They can’t these days, really. Zzz, there’s a lighthouse there—it’s the entrance to South Place.”

  May quickly shot a glance at Pumpkin, who was still hunched over his elbows, sulking because he hadn’t gotten a present from the Lady.

  “Zzz, to get to the realm below, Dark Spirits can simply jump into the water. But for anyone else, jumping in zaps you straight to the Dungeons of Abandoned Hope.” Arista shivered. “Or so I hear. Zzzz Far better to use the door. Of course, I hope you don’t run into anything, zzz, unsightly on the stairs.”

  Arista opened the curtains to let in the starlight. “Zzzz, time to get started. Better to get as far as you can before the Dark Spirits get wind you’ll be going this way They’ll be looking for you. Zzz Be sure to keep your destination under your hat.” His antennae twitched toward Pumpkin in particular. “Unless you want a greeting party waiting for you when you get there. Zzz”

  When everyone had packed their things, Arista drifted to the front door. “I have something for you.” He ushered them outside, where everyone let out sighs of amazement. Four glowing horses floated in a line outside the door.

  “They won’t take you far—they’re banished from the rest of the realm, as you know. Zzzz But they’ll get you to the edge of the pass at least.”

  There was a gentle white horse for Bea. A regimental horse in braids and ribbons for Fabbio. A speckled pinto for Pumpkin. The only horse left was a huge black stallion in silver reins, with a pouch hanging off the side for Somber Kitty “I suppose that’s yours, May,” Beatrice said.

  Pumpkin bear-hugged Arista, his gangly limbs flailing. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” He then ran up to his horse and threw his arms around its neck.

  Sometime later, after a tearful good-bye, the weary group set out into the cold.

  Hours afterward only Pumpkin had perked up, rocking back and forth on his horse and singing: “Ohhhhh, a horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one has one in the realm, of course, unless that horse is a spirit horse named Pumpkin Is the Besssst!”

  “I can’t believe you named your horse Pumpkin Is the Best,” May mused with a sardonic smile, shivering.

  Fabbio held up his new compass for the thirtieth time that morning. “We are all accounted for,” he said. “Heading the Right Way.”

  Nobody made one complaint, but May knew what they must be feeling. They had come all this way with hope of rest. And here they were, on a path more dangerous than ever.

  The group wended its way out of the valley along the east side. They drifted along the lowest rise of the snowy mountains and climbed steadily, May and Kitty snuggling together for warmth.

  When they crested the mountain, they took a break. On one side they could see the green, lush forest of North Farm. On the other there was the unmistakable, permanent dusk of the Ever After, a vast empty plain crisscrossed above by shooting stars. May looked back toward the Lady’s tree. She gave a little wave but could not tell if anyone was watching.

  They decided to camp there for the night. Somber Kitty, enchanted with his custom death shroud, chased his transparent tail, zipping between May’s hovering feet and executing the occasional flip. Pumpkin, Bea, and Fabbio said very little, staring at one another somberly. Without having to ask, May knew they were thinking about the same thing: South Place.

  The next morning they left as soon as May and Kitty woke. Even on the east side of the Petrified Pass, the bones of the ancient giants were strewn everywhere. The group did not slow until they were approaching the edge of the pass.

  “The Nothing Platte,” Beatrice said, scanning the view of the empty flatness in front of them, punctuated only by the giant bones that lay just outside the very edges of the pass. “There isn’t anything for miles now but the Scrap Mountains. It’s a wasteland.”

  Fabbio held his compass aloft, proudly, clearly convinced that the Lady’s gift confirmed he was the group’s trusted navigator and captain.

  May, on the other hand, was distracted. She had the uneasy feeling that something wasn’t right.

  “We go,” Fabbio said, climbing down from his horse. The others followed. Only Pumpkin remained on his mount, laying flat on his stomach and holding him tight about the neck, staring at May pitifully, his bottom lip stuck out.

  “Pumpkin, we have to let them go,” May said, reaching up to pat his arm.

  Pumpkin flipped his head so it was facing the other way. His tuft of yellow hair waved at May defian
tly. “No.”

  “Pumpkin,” May said more sternly. “You need to get down this instant.”

  “No.”

  May looked back at Captain Fabbio and Bea, who shrugged helplessly.

  “Pumpkin, maybe Captain Fabbio will let you hold his compass for a while if you come down.” She sent a pleading look back at Fabbio, who clutched his compass to his chest protectively. Then, shooting a look at Pumpkin, he softened.

  “It’s a very shiny, Punkin,” the captain said enticingly.

  Slowly, and with great, loud sniffles, Pumpkin slid off Pumpkin Is the Best. He held out his long bony fingers for the compass.

  Once the horses had gone, the group continued forward out of the pass, coming to the last set of giant bones—two enormous skeletons with their hands outstretched to each other.

  Pumpkin drifted into the space between the enormous fingers. “It’s creepy here.” He frowned, turning toward May. “Do we really have to go to Hocus Pocus?”

  “Shhh!” everyone hissed at once.

  “What?” Pumpkin looked around.

  “Arista said to keep that quiet, about Hocus Pocus.”

  Pumpkin looked back and forth. “There’s nobody here.”

  Just then a little black blob emerged from behind one of the giant bones. Everyone froze.

  “Is another cat?” Fabbio whispered.

  “Mew,” Somber Kitty said, insulted.

  Upon closer inspection, the blob looked like a goblin, only sort of friendly. It was smiling at them widely with its razor-sharp teeth. It reached into the pocket of its gabardine skirt and pulled out what appeared to be a pack of Ghouly Gum, offering it to them. Everybody drifted backward except for Pumpkin.

  “Oh,” Pumpkin said, staring at the gum, clearly torn. It even had a shiny wrapper. He looked at May, who shook her head furiously, then he nibbled on his fingers and looked back at the goblin. “Well, I don’t mind if I do.”