SINCE WE FINALLY had enough money, we spent the next morning wandering around the market and looking at the wares. Erik bought the Tussler's top and trousers he had been looking at the day before, as well as a new set of claws to replace the ones he'd bent up fighting Garth Goyle the first time round. Cristine bought a tortoiseshell fan. Nick found a watermaul wand. Everyone but me got shoes at a little shop by the church – starlet sandals for Cristine, kung fu shoes for Erik, and frugal footwear for Nick. I toyed with the idea of buying the pair of acroboots I found, but decided that my rubber boots were still good.
As we left the shoe shop, I glanced at Erik. "So, did you find who you were looking for yesterday?"
"Mm?" he asked, looking at me. "Oh. No." His brow furrowed. "It worries me. I have seen no Guardians at all since my fall, except for Cygnus back in Stornway. It seems that many more have fallen than Apus Major made out."
I bit my lip. "That doesn't sound good."
Erik shook his head.
Nick looked off and ran a hand through his hair. Finally, he sighed and looked back at us. "Well, I don't know what to do about that," he said, "but I think the next step for all of this is to find another fygg. Did you find out anything about that ship?"
"That I did have luck with," Erik said, nodding. "It belongs to a Marion Bloome, who lives in the mansion up there." He gestured towards the big mansion in the northern part of town. "The ship's warden said that as it is not being used, Ms Bloome will likely allow us to have it."
Cristine smiled. "Well, at least something about all this will be simple," she said. "Let's head over and have a chat with Ms Bloome!"
The doorman was quite willing to let us in when Erik mentioned the ship's warden. A right turn and a walk down a short, opulent corridor brought us to the door to Marion's parlour. Inside, a young woman with curly blonde hair and blue eyes, who I took to be Marion, was sitting on a small couch. She was talking to a man and a woman.
"Good day to you both," Marion was saying, smiling sweetly. "What fun have you in store for me today?"
The man straightened importantly. "Well, Marion – Ahem! I mean, Ms Bloome… I thought something sweet would be nice." He moved closer, holding out a cake that looked absolutely delicious. "So I've baked you this delicious strawberry sponge cake. I do hope you like it." He handed it to her, beaming.
But Marion seemed a little confused. "A spun…cake…?" she murmured, looking down at it. "A…gunge…cake…?" Then she shook her head and smiled up at the man. "Ah, thank you," she said. "Yes, I shall have it set in one of our finest vases and put on display."
Cristine, Nick, Erik and I exchanged glances. What…?
"On dis…?" asked the man. "Erm, Ms Bloome… It's a cake, not a… I mean… Ahem! Yes, yes! Of course. As you wish."
I raised my eyebrows. But then the woman interrupted.
"Marion, Marion!" she said impatiently. "Don't you want to know what I've got for you?"
Marion turned away from the man. "What is it?"
The woman walked forwards, smiling. "Well, we girls prefer clothes to fatty old foods, don't we? And you're always wearing the same old ribbon, so I got you a new one!" She held it out, still smiling.
Marion touched the red ribbon tied around her curls. Then, quietly, she said, "I don't want it."
The woman blinked. "What?" she asked. "B-But…What? Why!? It's really prett –"
"If I say I don't want something, I don't want it!" Marion said angrily. "My ribbon is the same as my one true friend's. It's perfect in every way. I shan't just replace it with something else. No! No, no, no! Get out of my sight! I want nothing more to do with you!" She looked away, folding her arms.
"B-But I… I…" spluttered the woman, nonplussed.
But Marion had spotted us outside the door and seemed to have forgotten all about the woman. "Who are you?" she asked. "Are you a new friend?"
We glanced at each other. "I, er, I hope so," Cristine said, and led the way in. She smiled at Marion, who smiled back.
"Pleased to meet you," she said. "We…haven't met before, have we?"
Cristine shook her head. "Ms Bloome, we were hoping to ask you a favour," she said then. "We heard about the ship in the harbour and how it didn't have anyone who was using it. And we, er, we need a way to get around. Would you mind terribly much…?"
"Hm? My ship?" Marion asked. "You'd like my ship?"
We nodded.
"Certainly," Marion said, shrugging. "You can have it. Take it away with you. Go wherever you please. All I ask is that you let me be your frien…"
Her eyes fell on Erik, and she trailed off, scrutinising him. Then her eyes went wide and she pushed herself back.
"You're… You're not the same as the others…" she whispered. "You've come for Marion, haven't you?"
Erik blinked. "Come for… What do you mean? I have not come for anyone –"
"Liar!" Marion yelled. I jumped. The pretty young woman had a set of lungs on her. "I know you have. You've come here for Marion. Well I won't let you! No, no, no! I hate you! You're not my friend. I take it back. You can't have my ship. Get out!"
"Really, Ms Bloome," said the man soothingly. "There's no need to get so angry."
"Yes, let's all kiss and make up!" said the woman eagerly. "We can make up, can't we, Marion?"
Marion shook her head angrily. "No, no, no!" she said again. "I hate you! All of you! Get out! Get out, get out, get out! GET OUT!"
That last yell left my ears ringing.
"Dear me!" stuttered the man. "Un-Until tomorrow, then, Ms Bloome… Bye-bye!"
He and the woman scarpered. I heard the front door slam behind them as they left the house.
Marion glared at Erik and ran through the door at the back of the room, slamming it, too.
I blinked. "Well," I said.
"Phew!" exclaimed Stella, popping out from her little pink light form. "What a handful, eh? Any idea why she boiled over like that? She bolted totally out of the blue. I'd tell you not to touch her with a large pole, but if you can't patch things up, we won't get that ship. I wonder if there's anyone around here that knows how to get inside her good books…"
Erik rolled his eyes. "Ms Bloome," he called, striding to the door and trying the knob. Then he frowned. "It is locked."
"Are you surprised?" I asked.
He threw me his signature flat look. I made a face at his back when he looked away. Cristine held a giggle behind her hand.
"Perhaps we ought to speak with someone who knows Marion," Nick suggested. "They might have an idea about how to calm her down."
"Good idea," Cristine said. "Come on. I doubt any of those jokers from the parlour would have any idea, but there's bound to be someone here who really knows her. We could always ask the ship's warden."
"Mm." Erik nodded. "Very well. Let us ask about."
We didn't have to work very hard. As soon as we left the mansion, the woman from the parlour shoved her way past Cristine, Nick, and me and confronted Erik.
"It's all because of what you said to her!" she snapped. "That's why Ms Bloome got so angry. How am I supposed to get by now? Agh! You're going to get you and the rest of us back in her good books, do you hear? Start by asking her old nanny for some advice. She lives in the house just over there." She pointed to a cute little cottage seated next to the mansion. Then she glared at us until we headed that way.
"What a pleasant woman," I said as soon as she was out of earshot. "I can't imagine why someone with such a lovely disposition wouldn't be able to get by. Every employer in town ought to be lining up to offer her a job!"
Erik snorted. "And to think that sarcasm is only one of your many qualities," he said.
I made another face at him.
"Oh, that is attractive."
I grinned. "Is that what you want?"
He let his head fall into his hands. "Almighty…" he muttered.
Marion's nanny was a sweet old woman who seemed horrified to hear about what had happened. "Goodness me!" she exclaimed. "Are you sure? She's locked herself in her room?"
"Yes, ma'am," Nick said.
"Oh dearie me," said the nanny. "That's an awful worry, but I don't know if I can help. I don't know if she'll want to see me…"
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Ever since she got well, it's like she's a different person," the nanny explained. "She's very hard to handle now. She won't talk to us staff at all. I don't know what…Oh, wait." She held up one thin finger in front of her face. "There is someone she might listen to, I suppose. The toymaker."
Nick, Cristine, Erik and I looked around at each other in confusion. Then Cristine asked, "Why the toymaker?"
The nanny smiled. "He made her a doll, you see, and she absolutely doted on it, bless her. He lives just next to the church. Yes, if Marion's having one of her temper tantrums, I should think the toymaker's our only chance."
The toymaker, Randolph, was quite willing to help us. And I thought he would be a bit of an asset. As he said, "I don't really know why, but Ms Bloome has always had a soft spot for me. Even when she'd banished the rest of her servants from the house, she would always agree to see me. Why don't we go over and see if I can't coax her out of her room this time."
When we stepped inside the mansion, Randolph looked down the hall and called, "Hellooo! Ms Bloome! It's Randolph!"
There was no response. We followed Randolph down the hall and to the door inside Marion's parlour.
"Marion, are you in there? Whatever is the matter, my dear? You haven't fallen ill again, have you?"
He fiddled with the handle, and then turned to look at us. He was confused. My brow crinkled.
"Well," he said, "the door seems to be unlocked. Perhaps she's gone out somewhere…" He glanced at the door. "I – I'm coming in now, Ms Bloome!"
But there was no one in there except the five of us. I looked around. There wasn't a doll in here, either…
"Well, that's most odd," Randolph said. "There's no sign of Marion or the doll I made her." He looked around for a moment longer. Then his eyes fell on the bed. "Hm?"
He crossed and picked up a piece of paper. "Look at this," he said. "There's a letter on the bed. Well now, let me see…"
We crowded around so we could all get a good look. My eyes went wide.
We got the girl. If ya wanna see 'er again, you better bring all yer dough to the cave up norf.
Randolph's suddenly limp fingers let the letter fall to the floor as he backed up several paces. "My goodness!" he exclaimed. "Th-This is outrageous! I mean, the spelling is just…"
I raised my eyebrows. Randolph cleared his throat. "Ahem! I mean, we must raise the alarm at once!"
We moved out of the way as he hurried out of the room, calling, "Ms Bloome's been kidnapped! Everyone! Ms Bloome's been kidnapped!"
Then I felt a new presence in the room – someone sad. I looked over to see a ghost standing in front of a little door at the other end of the room. My eyes went wide. "Marion!"
She met my eyes and then turned and walked through the door. She didn't say a word.
I looked around at the others. "Guys, there was a ghost…" I said. "It…it looked like Marion. She went this way." I pointed at the door. "Come on. Something strange is going on here!"
I led the way outside and found myself in a pretty little courtyard. There was no sign of the ghost, but I did see other hallmarks of death: three gravestones.
"What in the world?" murmured Cristine. She moved over to read one of the inscriptions. "'Behind every great man is an even greater woman. In loving memory of a dear mother and a faithful wife.'"
"'In loving memory of a great man, whose rare business talent brought fortune to this blooming dale," Nick read, examining another stone. I stooped to look at the final one.
"'In memory of my one true friend,'" I read. "'May you rest in peace.'"
The four of us exchanged confused looks. Stella popped out and hovered in the air by Erik's shoulder. "That ghost was the splitting image of Marion, don't you think?" she asked. "What d'you reckon's going on? You don't think something's happened to Little Miss Moneybags, do you?"
"She is my one true friend…"
Erik, Stella, and I all jumped at hearing Marion's voice. "Aah!" Stella shrieked, and I winced. "It's her!"
The ghost Marion materialised on top of the headstone and curtsied to us. "I am Marion Bloome," she said. "This is my resting place. The girl… The poor who has been kidnapped is my doll, Marionette. My precious Marionette, who was given life by that mysterious fruit…"
Erik and I looked at each other. Not another fygg…
Then I felt a shock of cold as Marion touched my arm. She knew we could help. She wanted everyone to get the message as close to first-hand as possible…
Marion sat on a bed. Marionette sat limply beside her. Marion's voice echoed through my head and I felt my mouth moving.
"I wasn't like the other children," she said. "I couldn't play freely outside. Marionette was my one and only companion. She was everything to me. We played together every day. I was really very happy, but…"
I felt a hacking cough shake my whole body.
"As my condition worsened, I knew that it wouldn't be long before the Celestrians came to take me away. And then, one day…"
An image of the fygg. I knew what had happened.
"One of the servants brought me a mysterious fruit that was thought to heal all ills." Marion held the fruit in her hands. "It was a beautiful, golden colour like the sun. But it was too late for me. I had already given up hope by that point. I was sure that my life was already over. That nothing could save me, not even that fruit…"
Marion looked at Marionette sadly. "Look, Marionette, isn't it pretty?" she asked. Her words travelled out through my mouth. "It looks just like a star the way it sparkles, doesn't it? And it smells…mmm…delicious! Why don't you eat it with me? I'd like to share it with you." She bowed her head. "Just imagine, Marionette… Imagine if you could walk and talk just like I can. I would be so happy. If only you could come to life so I could have just one true friend before I…"
I felt myself being racked with coughs as Marion was seized by a fit of the things. The fygg fell from her hands and landed on Marionette's lap. There was a bright flash. Marionette raised her head, blinked, and looked at Marion.
"You are Marion?" she said. "You are my friend."
Marion and I gaped in wordless shock.
Marionette rose and curtsied. "I'm so happy to be able to speak to you at last!"
"M-Marionette!" stammered Marion. "You're…You're really…!"
She coughed again, and I could feel how frail she was.
"But why now…?" she whispered. "J-Just when…I am… It's not…fair…"
Marionette reached out and took Marion's hand. "What do you mean?"
Marion looked at her sadly. "I… I am…" She bit her lip. "Marionette, I leave everything that I own to you. All that is mine is now yours. I…give you my life. If people realise that you're a doll, they, they won't let you stay here. You must pretend to be me."
She looked down and closed her eyes. Her thin body was trembling. "I hope…you have a happy life…as Marion… Life the life that…that I could not…"
My vision faded as Marion gasped out a final sentence.
"Make…lots…of friends…as I…never…could…"
And then Marion spoke again, but her voice was stronger. This was the ghost. "Marionette made this secret grave for me so that no one would realise that she wasn't me."
Suddenly Marion's presence vanished from my mind, and I gasped as my eyes snapped open. The ghost was pulling her hand away from my arm. Nick, Cristine, and Erik were looking at me in shock.
"Noble Celestrian…" Marion said, and I was relieved to find that my mouth didn't move. "It is all my own doing. I am the only one to blame. Please, don't punish Marionette for this." She dematerialised, but her voice stuck around. "Kind Celestrian… Please, help Marionette. Help my one true friend…"
Her voice faded into silence that didn't last long. "Let me get this straight…" Stella said. "One of those fyggs has turned a lifeless little doll into a moody little madam? Now I've heard it all! Still, you can't really turn a blind ear to a cry for help like that can you, 'noble Celestrian'?" She nudged him, grinning, and then did a fist pump. Erik glared at her, but she didn't notice. "Chop, chop, then!" she cheered. "Get to work! You've got a doll to deliver from the crutches of doom!"
She popped back into nothingness, but we didn't move out right away. I fidgeted as I realised that everyone was still looking at me.
"Right," Erik said after a long moment. "Let us go and rescue Marionette."
As we left the courtyard behind, I realised that the others – even Cristine – were walking a little further from me than usual. I felt a pang.
How was I ever supposed to forget my loneliness with these bloody powers pushing me further into it?
