If there is a true prince among my brothers, it is Attor. He is not just ready to right any wrong, be generous with those in need, defend anyone who is wanting a champion and do all this effectively. He also knows how to be pleasant and romantic and the girls all say he is charming. Yet I have never seen him look really happy. He smiles, very nicely. But there is a loneliness about him that I never really got to wondering much about, though I always notice it.
“Is it true that you are in love with this Cathsheba?” I suddenly dared to ask him.
“Who told you that?”
“Grandpa AEternus,” I said.
“Of course. It is his business to know everything. He once bawled me out for insisting on courting Shebie.”
“Which of you doesn’t he approve of?”
Attor shrugged.
“I don’t think he likes either of us. He only really likes people who are only interested in him. I told him I could stay away from Shebie, but I could never stop loving her. And he would never get me interested in anyone else. I’m afraid I am one of those people who cannot substitute one person for another. I told Grandpa that if Cathsheba weren’t always alone, I wouldn’t be in her way. If she were in love with someone else, I would keep my distance. I would never interfere with that. But I would still love her, from the distance. I have chosen to serve her, and that is what I do, and always will. He told me I was a bold upstart, but the one thing I would get out of chasing Cathsheba was to be the lap dog of a crazy cat. So I guess he doesn’t like her either. And then he said, as he always does when he wants to no longer have anything to do with someone, you yourself. And since that day I don’t exist for him.”
“Why won’t Cathsheba have you? The girls all say they would.”
Again Attor shrugged.
“I’m not sure Shebie doesn’t want me. She can be very nice, though she isn’t always. She just is very independent. And mistrustful. And she has very little patience with people. Fortunately, I have enough patience for both of us. I think she is the way she is because of her mother and her mother’s friends. Jocosa is always surrounded by people who love to play practical jokes on others. Not everyone finds that crowd funny. As she grew older, Shebie tired of them. She would spend more and more time hiding from them, turning herself into a cat. She would hide in Minced Forest, because no one ever went there back then, and now that is where she lives. By her lone self.”
That was where we were going, Attor, Feeseepkee and I. To Minced Forest to visit Cathsheba’s Nook.
“Also, she is like a thousand years older than I am,” continued Attor, getting to what was probably the real problem. “I don’t mind, but she does. It´s not my fault I wasn’t in existence during most of her life, is it? It’s not like I failed her on purpose. I swear, the minute I saw her, I knew it would never be anyone else. So I do what I can, don’t I? I can’t be held responsible for not having been born sooner, can I?”
While we were having this conversation, Feeseepkee said nothing. When I went to fetch him so we could go visit Cathsheba, I asked him how he felt, and he said he was doing well. I had to explain to him that he was going to be far from well if he didn’t come with me to have an infection he was about to suffer from cured.
“The doctors made a mistake?” he asked.
“They did a great job, but they overlooked this possibility, I think,” I said. “But the lady we are going to see will make everything right before you even notice.”
“Will it hurt?”
I had no idea, but I told him it wouldn’t.
“Maybe you’ll have to take a medicine that tastes disgusting, but I suppose that will be as bad as it will get. Maybe not even.”
Our path ran next to a creek, and Attor stopped when we got to a small stone bridge and pointed at some trees on the other side of it.
“Hidden behind that thicket,” he said, and we began to cross the bridge.
“Ow!” he suddenly cried when we were halfway over the bridge, and I saw a large black, green-eyed cat had landed on his shoulder. “Don’t claw me. I’m not here because of me!”
I knew that great cat. I had seen it before. And even meowed with it. It was friendly, but not too friendly. It would come up to you and sniff you, but wouldn’t let you touch it.
“One of my cousins has an infection, and my brother was told to bring him to you. By Grandpa.”
The cat suddenly leapt off Atty’s shoulder, and in doing so turned into a lady who looked like an Ancient Egyptian.
“I know this one,” she said, smiling at me. “He has fed me cake and cookies. He’s spent years wandering about the woods, almost always by himself. A loner, like me.”
“I have just recognized you too,” I said. “But I always thought you were really just a cat.”
“There is no such thing as just a cat,” she said frowning and sounding cross.
“Of course,” I said quickly, surprised by her change of mood. “I didn’t mean cats aren’t all special. Only that I didn’t think…”
“You were related to a cat?”
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t mind being related to a cat, but I knew she wasn’t really one. It’s not as if she were a werewolf or such. She was just a fairy who could turn herself at will into a cat. I could have done that too.
“Get inside my hut,” she said, leading us behind the trees to a small, rudimentary house. Not that it was dirty. It was even too clean, and smelt strongly of thymol. And it was painted the right shades of haint blue to keep insects and evil influences away.
“I’m going to take my wig off,” she said, and she made her ancient Egyptian wig disappear. I had thought she would be bald beneath it, her head shaved, like those of ancient Egyptian ladies, but when she took the wig off, a bunch of Leafies appeared tangled in her short black hair. The group included Vinny, and they all greeted me happily.
“Which one of you is Thymian’s brother?” she asked Feeseepkee and me. “Thymie is Atty’s brother, so he must be a brother to one of you too.”
“To me,” I said.
“I got Thymian interested in Egypt,” she said. “Yes, I started that. And I gave him Padimaahes. Do you know his cat?”
“I love Padi,” I said. “I have a cat too, Gatocatcha. And…”
“So why are you in need of me, my cousin’s cousin?” she said turning to Feeseepkee and leaving me with the words in my mouth.
Feeseepkee said nothing. I had to do the explaining. But before I could, someone came out of the house dragging a large, worn suitcase. And to my horror, it was none other than Tansy Mandrakecott.
“Oh, no!” I couldn’t help exclaiming.
“He’s just here to frame her paintings,” said Attor. “He is, isn’t he?” added my brother turning to Cathsheba.
“Of course I am,” said Tansy. “How many times do I have to tell you that? I swear, I would mail my work to her, but she doesn’t want the post to know her address. You have to do something about this man, Cathsheba.”
“No! We have to do something about you. Will you stop stalking us?” I cried angrily.
“Me?” Tansy looked genuinely surprised. “Who are you?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know me!” I cried. “I’m wise to you!”
“Look behind you!” he said.
Tansy suddenly looked very frightened. He was shaking like a leaf. I knew it couldn’t be because of me, for I have difficulty scaring people. And Attor was looking behind us with a very puzzled look on his face. So I looked behind me too, and there was…Tansy Mandrakecott, again.
For a while, I kept looking back and forth. Yes, there were two of him. One smiling and the other cowed. The second Tansy looked more dapper than the first. He was wearing a blue cape and the floral arrangement in his hat, which had a broader brim, was more stylish.
“What is this about?” said Attor.
“Scat, both of you!” shouted Cathsheba at the two Tansies.
“I sure will,” said the smiling Tansy. “But give me a second. I just want to give Arley this bag.”
“It’s so your uncle won’t have to come for them. As for you,” he said to Tansy, “give Arley his pencil will you? It’s back in your suitcase. I just put it there. And you’re not to take Blue Jock’s pencil from him in exchange. Arley desrves both. Good day, sirs. If you want it that way! Pleased to meet you, Ma’am,” he bowed to Cathsheba, “I would kiss your hand, but I’d rather not be scratched just now. Maybe another time.”
And the second Tansy vanished.
As for the garbage bag, since it was a garden garbage bag, I had thought it might be the imp tree that was being returned to us, but no. Through the plastic of the sack on the ground I saw faces that had to belong to Elucubrius and Bunglemore staring at me with hope in their eyes.
No comments:
Post a Comment