"Talking to you's made me realize how much I miss my rookery siblings," commented Angela. She turned to the door. "Excuse me."
Malevola bolted upright on the gurney. "Uh...hi." No answer. "This is awkward."
Goliath entered the infirmary, walking to the window. The sky was still lightening. Sunrise was approaching. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I said I was sorry!" Malevola snapped. Goliath turned around and glared. She gasped. "Just make it quick," she squeaked.
"I'm not going to hurt you," explained the clan leader. "Though you have upset me beyond words for threatening Elisa. I want to talk to you. Calmly and rationally. If your mother didn't tell you about us, then what did she tell you?"
"She tried to teach me how to glide, but I'm not so good at it. And she taught me to read."
"Reading's a good skill to have."
"She gave me different books to read. Like Frankenstein. The thing was crazy, but I felt sorry for him. Trying to find acceptance with those humans, only to be turned away. Mother tells me all humans are like that. But how can they be all bad?"
"They're not," Goliath replied.
"Elisa seems good."
"She is. And we've met several friendly humans. There is the occasional skirmish with human enemies, but there is good and evil in any species. Come with me. I want to show you something."
The redhead followed the clan leader out of the infirmary, down the hall, and toward the master bedroom.
A tall, brown-haired man in a business suit was playing with a baby. The infant cooed and waved his arms. A woman in a red blouse and designer jeans was reading from Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.
"Who are they?" Malevola asked.
"The man is David Xanatos, and the woman is his wife, Fox. That baby is their child, Alexander. The two adults used to be our bitter enemies, but now we're friends. And we share this castle. Humans have families like our clans. Both species have wide ranges of emotion. Traditions vary, but we're not that different."
"I don't hate them. I don't think I ever did."
"The urge to protect the innocent is an instinct gargoyles are born with," Goliath whispered. "Centuries of bitterness and hate have overriden it in your mother."
"Centuries? How old is my mother? How old are you?"
"It's a long story."
The night met the morning sun, ending the conversation for the time being.
************************************************************************
The next evening, Goliath stood on the battlements of the castle.
Brooklyn approached. "Have you decided what to do with Malev?"
"You've given her a nickname?"
"Yeah. Sort of."
"She's not going to petrify like the clones."
"There's that. I don't think we should imprison her. She said she was sorry for what she did."
Goliath agreed. "That would further alienate her. But we can't turn her loose. There's still a lot she has to learn."
"Demona's not going to take her back. Not that we'd want her too."
"Malevola's exactly what I didn't want to happen with Angela."
"It hasn't happened with Angela. I mean, she still cares for her mother but she won't join Demona's side. How anyone can have patience for that sweet-talking temptress, I have no idea. Hey, I think I've got an idea." Brooklyn turned toward the tower. "I'll get the phone book."
Thirty minutes later, Doctor Lee Thal stood between the two gargoyles. "You want me to take Malevola?"
"She needs to learn more about the world, and who better to teach her than the one who made her?" asked Goliath with a smile.
Malevola, wounds healed, came forward. "What's he doing here?"
"Apparently, they want me to take you home with me," Thal explained.
"Take me home? Am I unwanted baggage? First my mother abandons me, and now my father--"
"We're not abandoning you," Goliath interrupted. "You're still part of this clan. If you need anything, you'll know where to find us."
"Go with him," Brooklyn urged. "It'll be fine."
"Aye, lass," Hudson had joined them. "Live with your creator. Protect him at night as he'll protect you during the day. That's what it means to be a gargoyle."
"And when you've mastered the symbiotic relationship we have with humans, you can stay with Dr. Thal or rejoin the clan. The choice is yours," finished Goliath.
"All right," Malevola sighed, resigned, taking Dr. Thal's arm and following him out of the Eyrie Building.
When they were gone, Goliath turned to Brooklyn. "You'll make a fine clan leader."
"I have big footprints to fill," the second-in-command replied honestly.
Hudson looked around. "Bronx is eating, Lexington and Broadway went on patrol, but where's Angela?"
Angela was in the library. Since arriving in Manhattan, she had written letters to her guardians and rookery siblings by Avalon. The magic island was beyond ordinary postal service, so the young gargess had folded up the sheets and stuck them in a bottle. Angela would whisper the incantation Tom had taught her, and toss each bottle into the harbor. The bottle would float for a few inches and vanish into the mist. The young gargoyle took a fresh sheet of paper and began to write: 'Dear Princess Katherine, Tom, Gabriel...'
The End
Malevola bolted upright on the gurney. "Uh...hi." No answer. "This is awkward."
Goliath entered the infirmary, walking to the window. The sky was still lightening. Sunrise was approaching. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I said I was sorry!" Malevola snapped. Goliath turned around and glared. She gasped. "Just make it quick," she squeaked.
"I'm not going to hurt you," explained the clan leader. "Though you have upset me beyond words for threatening Elisa. I want to talk to you. Calmly and rationally. If your mother didn't tell you about us, then what did she tell you?"
"She tried to teach me how to glide, but I'm not so good at it. And she taught me to read."
"Reading's a good skill to have."
"She gave me different books to read. Like Frankenstein. The thing was crazy, but I felt sorry for him. Trying to find acceptance with those humans, only to be turned away. Mother tells me all humans are like that. But how can they be all bad?"
"They're not," Goliath replied.
"Elisa seems good."
"She is. And we've met several friendly humans. There is the occasional skirmish with human enemies, but there is good and evil in any species. Come with me. I want to show you something."
The redhead followed the clan leader out of the infirmary, down the hall, and toward the master bedroom.
A tall, brown-haired man in a business suit was playing with a baby. The infant cooed and waved his arms. A woman in a red blouse and designer jeans was reading from Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.
"Who are they?" Malevola asked.
"The man is David Xanatos, and the woman is his wife, Fox. That baby is their child, Alexander. The two adults used to be our bitter enemies, but now we're friends. And we share this castle. Humans have families like our clans. Both species have wide ranges of emotion. Traditions vary, but we're not that different."
"I don't hate them. I don't think I ever did."
"The urge to protect the innocent is an instinct gargoyles are born with," Goliath whispered. "Centuries of bitterness and hate have overriden it in your mother."
"Centuries? How old is my mother? How old are you?"
"It's a long story."
The night met the morning sun, ending the conversation for the time being.
************************************************************************
The next evening, Goliath stood on the battlements of the castle.
Brooklyn approached. "Have you decided what to do with Malev?"
"You've given her a nickname?"
"Yeah. Sort of."
"She's not going to petrify like the clones."
"There's that. I don't think we should imprison her. She said she was sorry for what she did."
Goliath agreed. "That would further alienate her. But we can't turn her loose. There's still a lot she has to learn."
"Demona's not going to take her back. Not that we'd want her too."
"Malevola's exactly what I didn't want to happen with Angela."
"It hasn't happened with Angela. I mean, she still cares for her mother but she won't join Demona's side. How anyone can have patience for that sweet-talking temptress, I have no idea. Hey, I think I've got an idea." Brooklyn turned toward the tower. "I'll get the phone book."
Thirty minutes later, Doctor Lee Thal stood between the two gargoyles. "You want me to take Malevola?"
"She needs to learn more about the world, and who better to teach her than the one who made her?" asked Goliath with a smile.
Malevola, wounds healed, came forward. "What's he doing here?"
"Apparently, they want me to take you home with me," Thal explained.
"Take me home? Am I unwanted baggage? First my mother abandons me, and now my father--"
"We're not abandoning you," Goliath interrupted. "You're still part of this clan. If you need anything, you'll know where to find us."
"Go with him," Brooklyn urged. "It'll be fine."
"Aye, lass," Hudson had joined them. "Live with your creator. Protect him at night as he'll protect you during the day. That's what it means to be a gargoyle."
"And when you've mastered the symbiotic relationship we have with humans, you can stay with Dr. Thal or rejoin the clan. The choice is yours," finished Goliath.
"All right," Malevola sighed, resigned, taking Dr. Thal's arm and following him out of the Eyrie Building.
When they were gone, Goliath turned to Brooklyn. "You'll make a fine clan leader."
"I have big footprints to fill," the second-in-command replied honestly.
Hudson looked around. "Bronx is eating, Lexington and Broadway went on patrol, but where's Angela?"
Angela was in the library. Since arriving in Manhattan, she had written letters to her guardians and rookery siblings by Avalon. The magic island was beyond ordinary postal service, so the young gargess had folded up the sheets and stuck them in a bottle. Angela would whisper the incantation Tom had taught her, and toss each bottle into the harbor. The bottle would float for a few inches and vanish into the mist. The young gargoyle took a fresh sheet of paper and began to write: 'Dear Princess Katherine, Tom, Gabriel...'
The End