Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of its characters. I do not own Robin Hood. I do not own the crocodile that ate Captain Hook.
(A/N: Hi everyone, thank you all so much for all the great reviews and putting my story and me onto your favorite author/story lists! :-D)
"Between the idea and reality…Falls the shadow." -T.S. Eliot, the Hollow Man, 1925-
Kris set the porcelain water pitcher down on Leigh's bedside table after she finished pouring warm water into a matching bowl. Capricorn's village only had two power lines: one directly to his house, and the other to the kitchen and to Basta's house. Every other house either had a generator or depended on heating water up in a cauldron over a fireplace. Leigh's house wasn't equipped with electricity or a generator, so as many others did, she depended on the good old fireplace.
"How are you feeling?" Kris asked softly as dipped a cloth into the water, wrung it out so it wasn't dripping wet, and began to bathe her friend's arms.
"Horrible," Leigh replied with a grimace as she slowly sat up. "My stomach hurts terribly and everything I eat I throw up. When I stand I feel as if your husband's knife is in my side."
"I'm so sorry," Kris said as she dunked the washcloth into the water again. Leigh's pregnancy was beginning to concern her more and more, but each time she requested to see Capricorn of the matter the men would turn her away. She fully intended to speak to Basta when he came out of Capricorn's home. Leigh needed to see a doctor, a good doctor. She didn't trust the one Capricorn had hired; Kris had a suspicion he was a mob doctor since carried old instruments, few antiseptics, and had no modern medical technology. Or maybe he was read out of a book too. Great, just what Leigh needs, a fictional doctor!
"Fulvio was here about an hour before you and said you're pregnant!"
"News really travels around here fast," Kris commented. "I just found out this morning after Basta got a pregnancy test for me."
Leigh managed to give her a small smile, "Are you happy and excited?"
"Well….I'm happy, I've always wanted a baby….Excited, not so much."
"Why not?" Leigh questioned with a frown as Kris stood and began closing all the curtains. When no prying eyes could see in, she helped her friend undress and carefully finished the sponge bath.
"Chin up," Kris exclaimed after a few minutes of silence. Leigh raised her head and Kris washed under her chin and her neck.
"You still haven't answered my question."
"Because….This village is not a place for a child. Especially not a baby. All I can see happening is Basta or one of the men getting extremely angry, seeing our babies, and throwing them."
Leigh shuddered, "Oh thanks a lot, now I'm going to plagued with nightmares about my unborn child's future well being."
"Sorry."
"No, it's a good point," she replied as Kris helped her into a clean pair of pajamas. Since she was bed ridden and pregnant, Capricorn had decided to change the dressing rules for her. Kris had gone into town and picked out the three pajama sets; the one Leigh was now dressed in was a light lavender color with tiny flower patterns embroidered into the shirt. Around the color and the bottoms of the sleeves were three rows of ribbons that had been woven into the fabric. The top ribbon was baby blue, the second was the largest and white, and the third was pink. The pants were light and breathed easily, helping to keep Leigh cool during the summer. They were striped white, blue, pink, and lavender.
Leigh paused as she slid back under the covers, "Do you ever miss America?"
"All the time," Kris replied with a small smile. "When we get out of here one day, I'll take you there."
"That sounds wonderful," Leigh beamed, "I've wanted to visit New York since I was a little girl. Everyone always says how magical it is. Have you ever been over the Brooklyn Bridge?"
"Just once," Kris recalled, "I was about 13 or 14, and my mom wanted to take Daniel and I somewhere special that wouldn't remind us of dad. So she took us to New York since that's where her great-grandfather met her great-grandmother. Her great grandfather was a newsboy named Sage, and her grandmother was a circus performer called Moon Lilly. They met in Central Park."
"Central Park, is it as beautiful as the books say?"
"It is when the police are around," Kris replied. "When we were there, all we heard about was crimes and mugging. But, overall, yes it was gorgeous."
"What about Newspaper Row?"
"Well, it's no longer called that, but bits and pieces of it are still there. Outside a newspaper office there's plaque dedicated to the newsies."
"The newsies," Leigh's face began to glow beet red, "I saw the Disney movie about them. The boy, Spot Conlon, he was….You know…" She giggled and blushed.
"Hot?"
"Oh yeah," Leigh beamed. The two friends' happiness was cut short when Leigh's front door flew open and Flatnose stepped in. He had a snarl on his face which caused him to look more foreboding than usual.
"Capricorn wants to see Kristiana right now," he barked. "There's to be no card reading tonight! For that accursed American Government man!" He turned and stomped out of the house, reminding Kris of an overgrown pouty boy who just had his favorite dump truck toy taken away.
"I guess they really like their card readings," Kris said, shocked.
Leigh gave a small laugh, "Oh they love card readings. Flatnose especially, he always wants to know when he'll be allowed into the competition. I don't think he will ever be permitted to participate since he has such an advantage over the others in height and muscle."
"I better go see what Capricorn wants, 'musn't be tardy now,'" Kris said in a mock English accent as she mimicked early 19th century teachers. The two women giggled before Leigh called out to her.
"You weren't meant for Basta!"
Kris spun, "Huh? What do you mean?"
Leigh opened the curtain above her bed and shouted to Flatnose, "Kris will be along in a minute, she is throwing u-"
Flatnose's voice grunted in disgust, "Don't tell me that! Tell her she has five minutes!"
Kris returned to the small wooden stool beside Leigh's bed with raised eyebrows. What did Leigh mean she hadn't been meant for Basta? And why didn't she tell her this sooner?
Leigh looked back at her, "I'm so sorry, Kris. I meant to tell you earlier, but….I didn't know if I should or not, and now I think I have too. The competition this year was thrown…ah…rugged?"
"Rigged?"
"Yes, that's the word!" Leigh replied, "Rigged." She bit her lip, "Have you ever met the man named Ares?"
"You mean the pale man with blonde hair and green eyes? I've seen him and none of the men seem to like him much, but they respect him and always bow."
"There's a reason for that, he's Capricorn's son. When you brought into the village you were barely conscious and you were bleeding….From….Um…." Leigh blushed and glanced down at Kris's legs.
"That was Cockerell's fault," Kris muttered, "Dustfinger told me."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I was hoping you'd never find out," Leigh frowned. She played with a loose ribbon on her pajama top's collar as she continued her story. "Anyway, you were conscious, I think, somewhat….But you kept muttering threats and curses to them. Ares saw you and said you were the most beautiful and gutsy woman he had ever seen. Capricorn, from what I've been told by Resa – she can't talk by the way she writes everything down – Capricorn was so pleased to see his son was finally attracted to a woman enough to settle down that he ordered five of the black jackets to rig the competition. No one expected Basta to win, since he always loses, but he won. But….Capricorn may be calling you to his house to end your marriage to him….I've been hearing from Brenna that he's been thinking about it, but seems reluctant since Basta is so loyal to him and loyalty 'must be rewarded'."
Kris stared at her friend, completely stunned. The longer she was in this village the more she felt like some prized jewelry box or other treasure that was nothing more than a mere possession. She was getting sick of the feeling and escape looked better each and every day. She had to find a way to free Dutch, get Leigh, and run!
Leigh suddenly pulled her forward and as if reading her thoughts, she whispered, "If you want to escape you must hurry. I suggest you do it tonight, when all the black jackets are drunk. Take your man Dutch and don't look back – just run!"
Leigh's tale kept spinning through Kristiana's mind and the more she went over each and every word that Leigh had spoken, the more the itch to escape wanted to be scratched. She needed to get out of this village. Maybe the FBI could come and free Leigh and the other women and a psychologist could help Brenna escape Capricorn's brain washing?
"There you are," Basta rasped with a smile, "I thought we might have lost you….And that wouldn't be a good thing what so ever," he hooked his arm around her waist and drew her to him. "Capricorn has invited us to dine with him for dinner, he's even invited Dutch."
Kris jerked her head towards Basta, shocked. Her eyes were wide and she wasn't sure if her heart could take much more surprise. This village and its inhabitants reminded her of a Sherlock Holmes' mystery where every twist and turn provided a new clue that revealed an entire story waiting to be discovered.
"Dutch…..Is here?" She asked, forcing herself to sound indifferent. Basta already knew she loved Dutch, but if she showed it too much she had no doubt her jealous husband may kill him.
"Oh yes….Dutch is here," Basta replied with a malicious grin that sent shivers up and down Kris's spine. Oh please God, don't let them kill Dutch! She stepped through the house's threshold with Basta and past the old and rotting wooden staircase towards a large dining room which contained a rectangular table that could hold up to seven people. Dutch was seated to the left of Capricorn and dressed in a Robin Hood costume, complete with the light green tights and brown shoes that curled at the tips. He glanced at her and quickly looked away and down as if ashamed. Kris wasn't sure if she should have been hurt of curious.
"Ah, Kristiana," Capricorn smiled with the same grin Basta had on his face, only his seemed more evil. Then again, everything about Capricorn was more evil than Basta and all the Black Jackets combined. "Welcome to my humble abode. I hear congratulations are in order, you too are with child!"
From the corner of her eye, Kris noticed Dutch had curled his hands into fists. A sneer was on his face and looked ready to kill. She glanced back up at Capricorn, "Thank you, Capricorn sir," she replied as she bowed with Basta to him.
"Please sit and get comfortable," Capricorn said softly as Basta pulled a chair out for Kris. She smoothed her skirt and sat down in a rickety wooden chair and found herself seated directly across from Dutch. Something was going on and she was becoming increasingly concerned by the minute. Why was her boyfriend dressed up like Robin Hood?
"Kristiana, my dear, this dinner is my birthday dinner, the most important dinner of the year," Capricorn exclaimed. "But you see, I learned a dirty little secret, and I am willing to put my day aside for this. Kristiana, Dutch has something he wants to say to you."
Dutch swallowed and looked over at Kris. Her left eyebrow was raised in curiosity, but he could see the concern shining in her eyes. She looked worse than she had when he had seen her two days ago. She was pale with darker circles under her eyes. This village was killing her. He was certain it was doing the same to him as well.
He swallowed as Basta glared at him. He noticed the shorter man was slowly reaching for his knife while Capricorn simply stared at Dutch, waiting for the huge reveal that would change everything. Dread gathered into Dutch's stomach, he didn't want to tell Kris! She despised liars and he wasn't certain if she'd ever forgive him.
"I…." He paused, "I'm Robin Hood." He looked slowly up at Kris to see a look that was more confounded than it was angry.
"Huh?" She asked.
"He's Robin of Locksley, Robin Hood!" Basta beamed. "See here, he was read out of the book by that damned stumble-tongue Darius. He wound up in America!" He tossed the book onto the tabletop.
Dutch watched as Kris grimaced before taking the book by Howard Pyle and studying its cover. She looked at the medieval painting on the cover, then back at him. Dutch, rather Robin, could still recall the exact day that painting had been painted. He had just rescued a young girl from the creek and her father, a poor artist, painted the portrait insisting that Robin Hood's memory live on 'forever in words and images.'
"It looks like him….But I've been said to look like Lady Marian, it's just a coincidence," Kris replied softly, obviously in denial.
"Open the book," Capricorn replied softly yet his tone left no room for disobeying or arguing. Robin watched as Kristiana slowly opened the book to a dog eared page and stared at the painting of Marian. Next to it were the words 'Forever thine heart shall be yours, m'lady of the twilight.' The line had been taken out of most books, as the painting had as well, but there was only two first editions of the books still out. He watched as Kris swallowed and her brown eyes glazed with tears.
She placed the book back on the table, "Fine."
"Fine? Are you not upset?" Capricorn questioned.
"He had his reasons….." Kris replied with a shaky tone of voice. Robin glanced down feeling like a garden slug: slimy and dirty.
"Kristiana, I'm so sorry."
Before she could reply, Cockerell ran into the house and looked as if his feet were on fire.
"What is it?" Capricorn snapped, "You know never to come into my house in this manner!"
"I apologize, Capricorn, but men and women from the 'FBI' are heading towards our village! They are asking about him and Kristiana."
Robin was happy for a split second that Lucinda and the others had finally arrived, yet he also felt guilty and doubted that Kris was ever accept his proposal now.
'Jacopo' peeled off his face mask revealing the face of FBI Special Agent Byron Meyers. He had learned of the village the day after Dutch had left, and after Daniel told Lucinda of his vision of Dutch being captured, she sent Byron in. He was now standing atop a hill over the village as Lucinda walked towards him.
"Are they in there?"
Byron nodded, "They are. That guy who runs the village, Capricorn. He's a nut case!"
"As most cult leaders are," Lucinda replied. "How are Dutch and Kristiana?"
"Kristiana isn't so good. One of her captors raped her then the man she was forced to marry did the same and now she's with child."
"Damn, that poor woman. How is Dutch?"
"Hangin' in there, though Capricorn made him dress up like Robin Hood," he snorted. He was surprised to see his boss's face go pale. "What?"
"N…Nothing," she replied with a rapid shake of her head, "We need to get Dutch and Kristiana out of there now."
"We can't go in shootin'! There's kids in that village!"
"I know…."
"FBI man and lady."
Byron spun towards the voice and found himself staring at a vagabond with a horned martin on his shoulder. A martin with horns? Weird.
"That's Dustfinger," he explained to Lucinda, "He's on our side….I think."
The blonde performer nodded, "I am. I overheard Cockerell speaking to Capricorn and the Black Jackets…" At seeing Lucinda's confused look, "The name of Capricorn's men, are circling the village with guns. Their deadly accurate and some of the men shooting at you are mere boys, the youngest is eight."
"Dear God," Lucinda whispered, "Children! That monster!" She curled her fists.
"However," Dustfinger continued, "Capricorn sent me up here to avoid bloodshed. He says if you're willing to leave with only Dutch he will pretend you all never set foot onto his property."
Lucinda snorted as she placed a hand on her hip, "Oh? And who does he think he is? The President? I don't think so."
"Please," Dustfinger exclaimed, "Listen to me. If you only take Dutch, I can go into Basta's house and take Kristiana and bring her to you."
"What of the children and innocent men and women?"
Dustfinger lowered his head, "I don't know."
Byron jumped nearly ten feet high, "Run for the hills!" He shouted as a giant tornado began twisting from the sky and heading towards them.
"What on Earth?" Lucinda gasped in surprise.
"Capricorn must have had Darius read out of the Wizard of Oz!" Dustfinger exclaimed and was surprised to see Lucinda didn't look skeptical or confounded. Maybe she was a silvertongue?
"Fine!" Lucinda shouted as she began running, "Bring us Dutch and bring us-" her sentence was never completed and never would be. In mere seconds the huge twister sucked up the all the FBI agents, minus Byron, and with little doubt would deposit them atop the wicked witch of the East, South, or whatever she was. There were too many witches in that story, as far as Dustfinger was concerned.
"Lucinda!" Byron shouted, his heart galloping and racing. Two hands suddenly went down on his shoulders and Dustfinger was staring at him.
"Stop," the fire eater exclaimed, "They're alive, they're in Oz. That's where that tornado is from. They're alive. I know someone who can rescue them. Right now we need to focus on getting Dutch, Kristiana, and Leigh out of there quickly and quietly by tonight."
"Why tonight?"
"Because Capricorn is angered with Fulvio, and he intends to feed Leigh to crocodile that ate Captain Hook."
Byron stared at Dustfinger with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open, "Come again? You gotta be kidding me?"
"No. I'm not. There is a price to pay when you disobey," Dustfinger grumbled. "That's the first lesson every black jacket learns….And even if Fulvio hadn't disobeyed Capricorn, he'd probably still feed that poor woman to the crocodile. She's no longer useful to him since the baby without a doubt won't survive and Leigh herself is bed ridden."
"So Capricorn feeds people to that crocodile without a care in the world?"
Dustfinger gave a nod.
"Why? She's an innocent woman!"
Dustfinger shrugged, "Innocent or not, she's not carrying her bulk of the work. Capricorn has no patience for weaklings."