Chapter 3
After her conversation with Constance, it took every ounce of patience Sally could muster to keep from waking Jack and peppering him with questions. Was he aware of this? That the whole ghoulish, spooky, world knew of their children, right down to their birth date? And by extension, that she was known? Then again, maybe Jack did know, and it didn't faze him. Jack was accustomed to all manner of things still new and strange to Sally. The fact that he was famous was a given. He was the Pumpkin King of Halloween, after all. He'd been everywhere, and even the humans knew him. They may not have known what to call him - but they knew him. Sally bit at her lip, looking toward the inn hall every few seconds, hoping to see her husband emerge.
The twins now both awake, Sally distracted herself playing with them while the inn rose to life around her. Wait-staff and housekeepers caught their breath as they walked near the skeletal children. The young girls murmured soft exclamations, most closely described as: "squeee!". Before long, other well-to-do inn guests up for the evening began strolling the veranda. Men honored The Pumpkin Queen with deep bows as they passed, and there were still more curtsies from women. Though she graciously acknowledged every greeting, Sally felt as if her vacation was reaching toward an unprecedented level of strange. Whether or not Jack was awake, she decided it might be time to flee back to the room. But then, Jack jr. placed his boney little fingers into his mouth and - screamed. It was, quiet literally, enough to wake any of the dead not yet up for the evening. Sally had all but forgotten about the emerging tooth that had rankled her son's mood back home. As he wailed, she could have sworn one of the nearby windows shuddered. Immediate crisis management was called for. Sally scanned the veranda, only half aware that those watching her son's bravura performance did so with nothing less than disturbed awe. She caught the attention of the closest housekeeper. As the young girl timidly approached, Sally recognized her as one of the pair who'd curtsied in the hall the previous evening after being caught ogling Jack. She had gray skin and dark hair with curls shaped like Spiral Hill. A quick request from The Pumpkin Queen, shouted over the Prince's royal din, and the girl scurried away. She reappeared seconds later with ice cubes in a linen napkin. Sally smiled with gratitude as her son set to comforting his teeth, gnawing ferociously at the makeshift teether.
"I couldn't find the clove oil, m'aam." said the girl, wringing her hands. "But there must be a bottle someplace. We'll find it for you."
"Thank you, thank you, thaaank you." said Sally, sighing deeply in empathetic harmony with her son's relief. "I'm used to them being loud at home," she confided quietly, "but it's harder somewhere new. I can't tell you how helpful, you've been."
The girl nodded humbly. She began to back away - then paused.
"M'aam?" she said, her voice barely a whisper as she looked from side to side. "Miss Constance would kill me, but could I ask you something? Please say no, if this is intrusive. I know it's improper."
"You can ask whatever you'd like." said Sally, unable to think of a question she wouldn't answer from someone who'd helped her spare the ancient inn's glass panes from her son's decibels. The girl clasped her pale fingers as she spoke, still casting nervous glances to make sure Constance wouldn't catch her.
"How did you make yourself do that?" she whispered. "Sneaking into that giant boogie monster's place, to save the Yule man? We talked about it, myself and some of the other girls. We were amazed, m'aam, especially since you sort of seemed, well, you seemed sort of like someone like us. But none of us could imagine doing that. Especially all alone."
"I-I..I don't know..." Sally stammered. I only did what I had to, I suppose. But wait, how did you-?"
Sally stopped mid-sentence when she saw the young housekeeper's eyes grow wide. The Pumpkin King stepped gracefully onto the veranda and strode to his wife's side.
"Is everything alright, darling? Sorry I slept so long! The trip home and back must have taken more from me than I'd thought! I was dead to the world, so to speak. Then, I heard our son's most horrible screams ringing through my brain."
Sally smiled.
"We're fine, Jack, thanks to...?"
"Isabel, ma'am." the housekeeper whispered, looking at her feet.
"Well, fantastic!" said Jack, beaming his signature grin. Isabel issued a quick curtsey, before backing away to join two other young women. The pair had been taking a noticeably long time watering plants within earshot of their coworker and the Queen. When they saw Jack, both became so preoccupied staring that they nearly emptied their watering cans onto the wooden floor boards rather than into the pots.
"Shall we go forth and greet the night, my love?" asked Jack, helping his wife to her feet.
"Yes, Jack." replied Sally. "That sounds wonderful. I need to talk to you too, Jack."
"Excellent, excellent! It's our vacation, after all. Provided our sons cooperate, we can talk all night, if you want to!" said Jack. He planted a loud kiss on little Nicholas' skull.
"I do want to!" said Sally, linking her arm through her husband's. "And it might just take all night!"
