Mimi's scream of course turned out as a honk as she stumbled backwards in an awkward mess of feathers into someone's feet. That someone scarcely seemed to notice a bumbling goose, but stepped aside in excitement. Everyone was fixated on Eugen's body. He looked just like he had that morning save for the blood at his chest. His eyes were open wide in death and his face was chalk white. Her stomach churned inside of her. "Jacob" she murmured.

But Jacob wasn't listening. He had turned to Michael, who had joined the murder investigation, and conversed wildly with him. Another cook, Jerome, was already at Eugen's side. "Michael, he's dead."

That ended Michael and Jacob's conversation. They both turned to Jerome who asked "Should I send a message--?"

"No," Michael said sternly. His voice boomed through the darkness. "No one is telling the Duke. We all know how this would upset him. He does not need to know."

Jacob nodded.

"But this… man." Wilhelm gestured at Eugen in horrified disgust. "Michael, someone killed him."

"That much is clear," muttered Jerome.

"Warn everyone else," Jacob instructed the group. "Don't give them all the details lest we have another Abe incident but tell everyone to stick to their rooms tonight."

Jerome's face paled nearly as much as Eugen's. "But it could have been any—"

"Hence the sticking to our rooms." Michael's usually kind eyes bore into everyone, and even Mimi found herself wanting to obey. "Jacob, take the message to the groundskeepers. Jerome, go to housekeeping." He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Wilhelm, please go into town and fetch the priest."

The men departed silently as the darkness poured over the grass. Within minutes Mimi could see nothing but the first stars overhead and the light from the still-open kitchen door. Michael stayed by Eugen's body, whispering a prayer.

Mimi's head was light. She had never before seen a dead body. The man she had seen only that morning did not seem to be real and she waited impatiently to be jarred back to reality. But a breeze picked up and time passed with no change to the body in the grass. With her stomach feeling in pieces, she walked quietly back to the kitchen. The silly tame goose. No one cared about the silly tame goose.

Abe sat on a stool, his knees pulled into his chest, eyes staring feverishly past locks of red hair. The boy was not very old, Mimi realized. He clutched a cup of water in one hand.

"Hey, goosey," he said softly as she entered the kitchen. "Scary, ain't it? Wow, but I must have looked like a chicken just now."

Poor boy. She wished she could say something to make him feel better. Instead, she just withstood the indignity of allowing him to scratch her head.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. He rose from the chair, water sloshing from his cup. "It looks like Jacob usually feeds you but he's not here. I'm not a very good cook yet—he's teaching me. I think I can get you some bread, though." He pulled a roll from under a cloth on the table and tore it into pieces. She honestly did not think she could stomach any food, but the boy was so ardent she swallowed down a few pieces anyway. "I bet you're thirsty, too. My mama always says water will cure mostly anything. You went out there, so you're probably needing a drink."

Water did sound nice, and she gratefully swallowed what he poured into a dish. Her head cleared instantly.

"You're a nice goose," Abe said thoughtfully. "I hope Jacob doesn't cook you for awhile."

"Abe, are you talking to that goose?" Jacob entered the kitchen, seeming smaller and more twisted than ever. He was tense, nervous.

"No." Abe tossed another crumb of bread at Mimi. "Just feeding her."

Jacob stared at her almost apologetically. "Oh. I forgot about that. Thanks, Abe. Are you feeling better?"

Abe nodded. "I got a drink. It helped." He paused a moment and took a bit of bread for himself. "Jacob, is he dead? That man out there?"

"You saw him. Stabbed right through the heart. Wilhelm is bringing a priest."

"Oh." Abe took another desperate sip of water. "Who is he?"

Jacob shook his head. "I've never seen him before. That's what makes it so dangerous. Everyone is to stay in their quarters tonight as soon as their work is done."

"Are we doing to tell His—'

"No." Jacob's voice was soft, but he brought up one gnarled hand, claws outstretched. "Michael and I discussed it. The Duke does not need to know. Neither does Prince Matthias. There's protection enough for nobility and we don't want to scare our guest. This man did not work here and none of us recognized him from town. Honestly, I don't think any of us are in danger. But just to be safe, stay in your family's quarters tonight."

"So when I'm done—"

"Actually, I changed my mind. Go now."

Wide-eyed, the boy darted out of the room.

Jacob sighed deeply and sat down on the vacant stool, head in his hands. "Wow," he muttered. "I have to tell you that this has never happened before. Not while I've been here, at least."

Mimi was not sure if she were supposed to say something. So she did anyway. "But you said the Duke would kill people."

"That's His Madness and his crazy little executions, Mimi. This is a random stabbing right outside the kitchen door and Michael and myself trying to take charge as if we actually know what to do when there is a bizarre murder."

"And you're not telling the Duke?"

"From what you've heard about him, you don't think he'd have some sort of fit?" He gave a hollow laugh. "That's just what we need on top of this."

"What about Prince Matthias?"

"He'll be fine. He'll be well-protected. The Duke takes care of his guests." Jacob sounded so sure that Mimi relaxed just a little. "I don't think anyone is in any danger, really, but Michael thought this would be best. And I think I agree. Just in case. You know, you should not have ran out there."

"No one noticed. Jacob—" She closed her eyes, and the image of Eugen speaking to and kissing Lucy returned vividly. "Jacob, I saw that man this morning."

He met her eyes, questioning. "The dead one?"

"Of course the dead one. Before you found me on the path. I was wandering around the garden and, well, so was he. The one I called a spy. Lucy called him Eugen. Master Eugen."

"What? That was who you saw Lucy speaking to?"

Mimi nodded and hoped she could say everything correctly. "She called him 'sir'. And another title. It was as if she… she served him or something. She said he shouldn't be here, that it wasn't safe. Well, she turned out to be right."

"Indeed." Jacob seemed to stare right through the walls as he thought. "I don't understand that. Lucy was here when I came. She's just a maid. Charming girl, but just a maid."

"How long as she worked for the Duke? Eugen acted like he was surprised she was still here." She said nothing about this kiss. It did not seem to be her place to speak of it.

Jacob stood up. "I suppose I could just go and ask her. Stay here."

With sudden appetite she scooped up one of the bread crumbs in her bill. "No, I'm coming."

"Mimi, someone was just murdered."

"He was a human, I'm a goose, and no one will care about me. Besides, I watched Lucy this morning."

"Fine. Come."

It seemed all the servants lived along the same long stretch of dark hallway. Jacob stopped before a door. "I hope this is hers." He gave it a sharp wrap.

Lucy opened the door immediately. "Jacob." She sounded surprised.

"I take it you heard?"

Lucy's eyes were red and her voice hoarse. "It's like the plague. The Duke is entertaining the Prince with a game of cards, I hear. But everyone else, I think, has heard."

"You seem upset."

She stomped her foot. "Of course I'm upset, you silly little creature! Someone was just stabbed to death right outside the kitchen! Why wouldn't I be upset? And I apologize for calling you that name, but, well, I'm a little scared right now. Who was it. Anyone we know?"

Jacob nodded. "No offense taken. As for the dearly departed, no one recognizes him. And you're sure the other girls are in?"

"Yes. Thank-you for coming to check. But if you'd excuse me I'd just really like to panic on my—" She tried to shut the door, but Jacob's claws grabbed it.

"Don't you want to hear what he looked like?" Jacob asked.

Lucy nodded slowly.

"I didn't think you were such a macabre girl. He looked about thirty years of age. Long blonde hair. I couldn't really see the eye color, though."

"Fascinating description," she muttered, and tried to shut the door again.

But Jacob held fast. "Lucy, have you ever heard the name Eugen?"

She did not blink, and her reply came out in a hiss. "No." Then, with a mighty show of strength, she slammed the door, Jacob releasing his hand barely in time.

Poor Lucy, Mimi thought.

"Well," said Jacob, staring at his claws. "That was certainly a reaction."

"She knows him," Mimi agreed. "Talk to her again."

"Mimi, I know you've lived in some remote castle and now you're a goose and don't know the ways of life here, but I simply cannot bother her again without risking her wrath. I'll bother her later. Now, I still have a dinner to somehow put together and you're not going to be around."

"I don't want to go back to your quarters. You said I could stay in the kitchen!"

"And I changed my mind. Besides, I can't risk losing the Duke's future dinner." He picked her up and walked to his door. "Now I can throw you in here again or you can go in with some semblance of self-respect."

"Fine." She squirmed in his grasp until he set her down. "You said you had books."

"Yes, in the other room." He opened the door into darkness. "Forgot a candle." He fumbled at the table before a spark started and the room lit up. He then opened the other door. "This is where I sleep. The books are in here. I can't really read, but they were when I moved in. You're welcome to them."

Jacob's bedroom was as simple as the other. There was a small, low bed, a fireplace, a washing basin on top of a bureau, and not much else. The books were in a dusty pile underneath a table where a chess set lay. Mimi's interest was immediately piqued. "You play chess?"

"When there's time and I have a partner and we actually feel like playing chess," Jacob said as he pulled out the books. "I mostly liked the set. There's a woodsmith in town who makes them. It was a fun purchase. Would that relieve your boredom, Miss Goose?"

She had not played chess in years. Her father had an old set, and sometimes she would play with his guests. "Maybe."

"Well, here are your books." He dropped them before her with an explosion of dust. "Enjoy. I'll be back in an hour or so."

The books at least quelled some of her nerves. It had been so long since she had been able to read something, had the time to read something. She managed to knock a book of poetry to the floor and flip the pages with her bill. Shakespeare's sonnets, she soon realized. Perfect.

She was half-way through the volume when Jacob returned with a dish of water and some stewed greens. "I thought you might want something better than bread," he said as he set them down. "Though I did bake that bread."

"Thank-you." She took a scoop of some peas. "You're a good cook."

"I should be. I've spent years at it."

Mimi took a drink. "How many people disobeyed orders?"

"Very few, I think. In fact, I haven't seen anyone stupid enough not to listen. It would take the Duke days to notice no one about as it is. So we just finished up dinner and called it a night. At least no one else is dead. Yet."

"Did you see Lucy?"

"I just told you I saw no one." Jacob picked up the book of sonnets, stared blankly at a page, and put it back. "How about a game of chess?"

She looked wistfully at the board. It did sound fun. "I… I wanted to squeeze in a few hours of sleep before two o'clock."

"You're going out again?" His voice rose to a yell. "You were included in those instructions."

"I have to see the Prince again," she said. "He's expecting me. No one ever told him about the murder."

"He's probably not in danger and I'm sure his guards probably got the message to keep him better in check. Mimi, I'm not going to let you leave."

"When I have hands I can open the door."

Jacob swore under his breath, snatched up the book, and threw it against the wall. "And you'll be a human. Something is going on here. Lucy knew this man."

"That has nothing to do with me."

"And if some madman is randomly killing people, nothing-to-do-with-you won't matter."

That quieted Mimi, and the terror of the evening returned. "Oh."

Jacob smiled, sharp teeth showing. "Good. I knew you'd see it my way."

"I guess I'll play chess."

The game began. Neither of them had any particular talent, so despite determination on both their parts or perhaps because of it, the game trailed on a lengthy while before Jacob somehow managed to win. Jacob's reminder of the murder had put Mimi in a place far past sleeping, so three more games continued into the night. Mimi managed to win the last.

It was nearly two o'clock.

"Checkmate," she announced. "I need to change."

"Huh?" Jacob accepted his loss graciously. "Oh. Your spell. I guess we'll it a night, then. I still won the most matches."

"Hooray for you. Close your door behind me." She slipped into the sitting room, as she now thought of it. As the clock struck two, the feathers melted away into skin. After that day it was like a warm bath. She slipped on the dress. What now? Jacob wouldn't let her go out into the hall and frankly she did not think she wanted to any longer. She had not heard from Blake all day. And somehow it seemed a waste of an hour to spend her human time sleeping.

She thought of Matthias, suffering through a card game with the resident noble called His Madness. He had tried to find her today. When that had failed, what had he done? Returned to the library? Had he read anything intereseting?

A knock came from Jacob's door.

"You can come in," she called.

Jacob opened the door and stared. She suddenly felt so much taller than him. "Oh. You really do change back into a human."

She laughed. "You didn't believe me?"

He shrugged. "I honestly did not think too much about it after I found you the stupid dress."

"Does it suit me?" She held out the skirt.

Another shrug. "I don't know if I'm the best person to ask about things like that. But you're not hideous."

"Thank-you." She sat back into the chair. It felt so different when she was her proper size. "Shall we play another match?"

"You're bored again."

"I can't leave with a murderer running about." Stupid murderer, ruining her night. "I don't know what else to do."

"Well, you could sleep. And it is just an hour, as you say."

She shot him a withering look. "I don't appreciate the reminder."

"You're welcome. "

They were both silent as the clock softly ticked.

"I have an idea," Jacob finally said, turning back to his room.

"Another game?"

"No." He reappeared with a knife.

Mimi gasped and jumped to her feet.

"Relax. It's nothing. Here." He pressed it into her hand. "Go out. Have your fun. Use this if the murderer comes at you, though I doubt it would do much. But heaven forbid I keep you in here."

She smiled. "Thank-you!"

"Just don't announce your spell to the whole manor this time."