Chapter 24: Cricket

When Odale entered the living room, she saw Septimus and Zamir. She was still so angry at Septimus. What disturbed her was that he didn't seem angry. Not a bit. Why wasn't he that? Was there something wrong with him? There had to be. She would be angry if she was him. She had to do something.
"Zamir!" she called out, and said boy turned around.

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored," she said, "Would you like to do something?"

"Sure." Zamir replied, "Like what?"

"I don't know." Odale said. "Something."

"But," Septimus protested. "Won't you go with me and get Jenna and Beetle? And Nicko and Snorri?"

"Oh, but then I would bring Zamir." Odale said coldly, "And you wouldn't like that, would you?"

"I would have nothing against it." Septimus replied. Odale narrowed her eyes.

"Oh?" she said, "Then it's decided. Zamir and I will go with you."

"Okay."

"Fine." Odale said, "Come, Zamir, there's something I want to do before we leave."

She dragged with Zamir with her, and Septimus looked after them. He wasn't jealous: he just didn't like how Odale was starting to behave. She was so... rude. She was more like Laurine than Odale.

"Where are we going?" Zamir asked when Odale had shut the door to Marcia's apartment. Neither he liked how Odale was behaving at the moment. He held no grudges against Septimus: he didn't want Odale to treat him badly. Then, Zamir had changed. Just a few years ago, he would have accepted how she behaved now. But he wasn't that person anymore, and he had hoped that she would have changed as well. Apparently, she hadn't. He hoped that maybe he could make her...

"To Merrin." Odale said, cheerfully. "I figured it would be nice if you two met and got along."

Zamir pursed his lips. "But-"

"C'mon." Odale replied, "I swear, he's really nice."

Zamir sighed. He really didn't want to meet Merrin again. Odale misinterpreted his sigh.

"It's going to be great." she said. Zamir really wanted to tell her now. That Merrin had the Two Faced Ring, and that he doubted that everything would be so great. He sighed again.

"Perhaps." he couldn't tell her, after all. He doubted that Merrin had been unserious with his threat. And not being able to control himself in any way would be a disaster for him. What if he'd hurt Odale? Or Marcia? Or anyone, basically. Odale smiled widely, and a part of him wanted to believe that it would be great.

Merrin hadn't known that Odale had came back from the Queste when she entered the Manuscriptorium. He was happy, of course, but then he was afraid that Zamir had told her what he had done. Then, he realized that Odale was smiling. That was, no matter what, good news. Even though he still didn't like Zamir, or that she had brought him with her. What is it too much to ask to be alone for once?
"Hi, Cricket." said Zamir.

"Don't call me that!" Merrin snapped.

"Don't, Zamir." Odale said.

"Who's friend are you, really?" Zamir wondered.

"Zamir!" Odale protested. "I'm a friend to both you and Merrin. You can't make me choose."

Zamir sighed. "I suppose not." he said. "Sorry."

But it was too late to apologize. Odale was already in a bad temper. Again.

"What do you think you're trying to do?" Odale snapped when they walked out of the Manuscriptorium. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry." Zamir said, "But I don't like him."

"You don't need to treat him like dirt because of that." Odale said coldly.

"You didn't treat him much better." Zamir muttered.

"What?"

"I mean before."

"But that was before." Odale said.

"What's the difference?" Zamir asked. "Plus, you don't treat Septimus especially well, either."

"Don't bring him into this!" Odale hissed, "Not to mention that I might be a little bit rude to him because of you."

"What?"

"He thinks you're some darke-wizard-traitor-thing." Odale said. "And I can't stand that."

"Oh."

"So next time, Zami, think before you speak." Odale said. Zamir sighed.