EPISODE NINETEEN

Although Katie had never been to the Library before, she had no problem finding her way back to the Calloway Café. It was practically across the street from the Library.

She threw the door open, leaning in the doorway to catch her breath. "Carl---" she started, but her voice died in her throat as she saw many angry and upset faces glaring at her from inside the café.

"Wha---what? What's going on? Where's…Carl?" she asked, swallowing as she looked around the room. It seemed that the entire village had gathered there.

"There she is!" someone said, and everyone began to mutter and murmur to one another as they eyed her suspiciously.

"I…I'm gonna go check in the back," she said nervously, starting to edge towards the kitchen. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled gently her all the way into the kitchen.

---

"You didn't tell her what?" Maria asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes on Nina after Katie had left.

"Uh, well, when I said that most of the villagers believe me, I might've been exaggerating a tiny bit---"

"Nina," Maria said, cutting her off and sounding angry and impatient. "What are you talking about?"

"Okay, fine! Basically, even though I tried to convince them otherwise last night, nearly everyone hates you guys again because the Goddess statue got smashed and since you guys disappeared…well, you're the prime suspects and I tried to tell them that you were innocent, but they wouldn't listen this time," Nina said, talking very fast.

"Wait…what?" Maria said, rubbing her temples. "It got smashed?"

But before Nina could explain herself any further, the door of the Library opened a crack and both girls turned to look, wondering who it could be.

--

"Jamie?" Dia said quietly, as soon as she heard the door close. "Is he gone?"

"…Wha…? You're awake?" Jamie asked, ignoring her question. Dia opened her eyes, seeing that Kurt had indeed left.

"Yes," she said, her voice still barely above a whisper. "I didn't want him to know that I was awake. So I pretended to be asleep when I woke up this morning…but I don't know how long I was asleep before that…but Jamie, that doesn't matter. We need to talk."

"If it's about your stupid magic books, or about your stupid impossible plan for a cure, then I don't want to hear it."

"But I think that I know…how to save the Harvest Goddess. I read a book---"

"No!" Jamie screeched, and Dia recoiled in surprise.

"But Jamie, I'm serious. If we want to save her, we have to work together. I think that you know that, don't you?"

"Shut up," Jamie said threateningly, but this time her voice faltered a little. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"But you do," Dia insisted softly, staying calm. "You do know. That's why we need to talk."

---

"Carl," Katie hissed as soon as he'd pulled her into the kitchen. "What's going on out there? Who are all those people?"

"They…they suspect you because of something…I mean, after last night, the whole village has been really confused, and they don't know what to think…and then, with the statue…you didn't do that, did you?"

"Huh? You mean turn that Harvest Goddess person into stone? Carl, I think that you should know that I obviously can't do---"

"No, no," Carl said, shaking his head. "You mean you haven't heard? The Harvest Goddess statue was almost destroyed, like someone took a hammer to it or something…you really don't know? Where were you last night, anyway, Katie?" There was a hint of suspicion in his voice, but Katie tried to laugh it off.

"Carl," she said, raising an eyebrow, "You've got to be joking. I mean, you don't actually suspect me, do you?"

"I don't really know what's going on," Carl said, shrugging. "But I do know you've been acting weird lately. Is something wrong?"

You mean besides the fact that everyone seems to be going insane and turning against me! she thought angrily. "You're the one acting strangely, Carl. And---and---I already know your secret!" she said suddenly, without meaning to. Carl gave her an odd look.

"My…secret?"

---

"The book…the book that Dia had yesterday…I…I need it," Kurt panted, having run all the way from the Sanatorium to the Library.

One of the girls, with bright pink hair, was staring at him dumbstruck, but the other girl, who seemed to be the librarian, nodded.

"Yes, I know the one," she said briskly, scooping up a heap of blankets and handing them to the bewildered pink haired girl before crossing the room to the shelves. She came back moments later, holding what looked to be an aged storybook. "I thought it was interesting, so I kept a note of the title."

"Uh…thanks," he said, nodding and taking a seat at the small table shoved in the corner. He felt the girls' eyes on him as he opened the book carefully and turned to the first page.

"'Once upon a time, the Harvest Goddess lived at the Harvest Goddess Spring with her loyal Harvest Sprites…'"

---

"What else is there to talk about?" Jamie said, in her usual cold manner, but Dia sensed weakness in her voice. A feeling of defeat. "You already know."

"But I want to be sure. I need to know…what will…happen to us, if we, you know…"

"Don't," Jamie said. "I can do it on my own. You don't need to. You already know what will happen if you try that."

"But nothing's for sure, Jamie," Dia pointed out. "And if we try, then it'll be a good thing for everyone, right?"

"Except you and me," she said darkly, and Dia nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Except you and me. But don't we all have to make sacrifices eventually?"

--

Kurt leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. So, let's say that Dia and the Purple Girl are somehow connected to the Harvest Goddess, he thought. What does this mean? Why was she reading this book? Does that really mean that…? No, no, that can't be…

He stood and walked over to the librarian, handing her back the book. "Thanks," he said quietly, and, giving a stiff nod, turned and walked out of the Library and back towards the Sanatorium.

---

"You know, how you plan to get married to Ellen!"

Carl stared at her, looking genuinely confused. "I'm getting…married? Who told you that?"

"Oh, Carl, I already saw the Blue Feather. You don't have to keep it a secret," she said, shaking her head. She wished that he wouldn't play dumb, that he would just hurry up and admit that Ellen had won him over.

"Oh…you mean that old thing?" He laughed a little. "My mom gave that to me, saying that I couldn't come back home until I gave her grandchildren. She was kind of weird. But anyway, I like Ellen and all, and she's really nice, but I don't like her like that. We're just friends."

"Just friends?" Katie repeated, staring at Carl. And then she suddenly had an uncontrollable urge to laugh. She could feel it bubbling up in her throat as the words set in. "Just friends?" she said again.

"Yeah," he said, nodding and looking a little confused. But then suddenly a small sly smile crept on his face. "Why? You thought we were getting married?"

Katie blushed, lowering her eyes to the floor. "Uh…well, I was just, you know…because I saw the Feather, and…so that's why…" she stammered, her words barely audible as she muttered them. But her happiness overcame her embarrassment, and wore a big grin despite her flaming cheeks.

Carl laughed a little, and when Katie looked up, she saw him closing the distance between them. "C-Carl?"

He took her hands in his, staring her right in the eye. Her heart seemed to stop beating. What was he going to do?

"You shouldn't worry about that," he said gently. "Because I---"

But he was interrupted as the kitchen door was thrown open, revealing a small mob of the angry villagers.

"Look, there they are!" someone shouted from the back.

"Yeah, what're they doing?"

"What's taking so long?"

"Look, it's that girl!"

Katie looked at Carl hopefully, praying that he knew a way out of this.

---