Michael was able to deliver us back home safe
and sound. Both Mrs. Dullahan and Doña Estrella thanked him profusely for this.
They were very pleased with the way the outing had gone.
“Of course, I would rather my children had
never heard of their homes in that place,
but since they have, I must say that things have turned out better than I
thought they might. My girls say they won’t move definitely for years yet and
Alpin’s home is right in his parents’ garden, which is where it should be. Of
course, it doesn’t escape me that those builders
tried to upset me by landing it right on my violet patch,” said Aislene.
“Surely you’re not thinking they did that on purpose?”
exclaimed Branna.
“Oh, no!
Why would they?” smirked Aislene. “I must remember to send them both a little
symbol of my gratitude for making my children happy. I think I’ll give Earl one
of those helmets workers wear while at their jobs. Working at a quarry with just
a hanky on your head should be illegal. Or at least that Binky person would
think so, no?”
“The earl isn’t mortal, Mum! I don’t think he
needs a helmet,” said Fiona.
“Probably not, but he must be infringing one
of Binky’s safety regulations.”
“We saw Mr. Binky at Apple Island. He opened
the Strong Door for us. He says all he does there is relax. He was looking
happy and was nice to us.”
“That can change. As for Ludovica, I’ll thnk of
something that will suit her just fine.”
“What you ought to start thinking about is
furnishing my house,” said Alpin. “Start by the audiovisual rooms. I want the
largest mortal TV set to be had.”
“Oh, no! That will make you just like the
mortals. Each in his own house and mortal TV in all of them. Girls, stuff some
muffins into Alpin’s mouth.”
“We can’t stuff anything into Alpin’s mouth.
He’s already eaten all the food there was on the table,” said Branna.
“How about some furniture for my house?”
“Oh, dear. Well, there has to be a bowl of
cookie dough cooling in the fridge. Let him have that.”
“What I want is furniture for my house.”
“Sometimes I wish Binky would invent that
school he threatens us with. It could be somewhere to send Alpin when I have a
headache,” said Aislene, rubbing first her forehead and then her ears.
Furniture
For My
House!”
“What is in that little box you’ve brought home
with you?” Doña Estrella asked Don Alonso to better ignore Alpin.
Don Alonso opened the little casket the nine
queens had given him very respectfully. There was a roll of parchment inside.
It was a deed to a granite stone cave by the sea in the Isle of the Blessed, so
he could retire there to meditate whenever he would.
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