by Martha Carr
“Keep it up and I’m telling Mom.”
Diana stood up, brushing off the back of her tight jeans. “That’ll be the day and we both know Mom has a limited capacity for listening. Besides, you never even told Mom it was me that talked you into rollerblading down West Lynn.”
“West Lynn during rush hour.” Maggie rubbed the faded scar just above her right eye. “I was old enough to make up my own mind. Besides, before I hit that speed bump it was one smooth ride.”
“Speed bumps are dangerous. I’ve set more than one kid’s bone because of those things. A hazard.”
Maggie gave her sister a crooked smile. “Aren’t first borns supposed to be the grounded ones?”
“Have you met our mother? I am the grounded one. Okay, compared to you, I practically have wings.” Diana waved her arms in front of her body. “This is a big step up from where the family tree was headed.”
“Not that we’re judging…”
Diana let out a laugh. “Never. Mom’s good people and she got us upright and employed, all on her own.”
“Despite…” whispered Maggie as the smile slid off her face. The silence hung in the air for a moment.
“You have to forgive her someday, you know. None of that was easy. A freak accident killed Dad, not Mom and it was a long time ago.”
“She still drinks, doesn’t she?”
“Fair enough, give a balanced picture at all times.” Diana gave her sister a small salute. “You know, we’re all grown now. You can stand down.”
“I like to think I pour all of those useful hovering skills into being a good detective.” Maggie was doing her best not to let an edge come into her voice.
Diana tilted her head to the side, just like Maggie was doing. “Ever wonder what we’d be like if Dad had lived?”
That was enough for one day. Maggie didn’t ever like thinking about losing her gentle father who liked to read and kept stacks of books near every chair in the house. She changed the subject. “Bernie had this weird earthy smell to him. Would have thought there’d be some good stank mixed in. Did I tell you about the bubbles? Big, large bubbles all bunched up together near the ceiling.”
Diana let the conversation move on without an answer. It was what big sisters did. She sat back down and rested her cheek on her fist, watching Maggie put her hands on her hips and stand up straighter. It was the same tell she’d had since they were kids. She had a childhood knack for turning dark moments into something adventurous. There was no turning back now. “All seems unrelated to me. Not getting any connection,” said Diana. “Didn’t you say that old garage leaks? Maybe it’s something to do with condensation.”
“Never seen bubbles in there before and these were big.” She held her hands a foot apart.
“Okay… massive fart bubbles, or old guy was making something before you found him, or hey, what about a sign from the cosmos? You were visited by aliens.”
Maggie shook her head, her hands still on her hips. “First, ewww. No, this all fits together, I can feel it. Don’t know how yet, but I’m gonna’ figure it out and get that damn compass back.”
“That’s what makes you such a good detective. You love riddles, the weirder the better and can’t walk away from a challenge.” Diana stood up and hugged her sister. “Also what makes you a good sister. Go see Mom before you head to work and tell her your theories. She’ll be so far out of the box with her answers that it just might spark an idea in you. I gotta go. Surgery awaits. Have to go put a hand back together again.” She waggled her hands as she headed out the door. “Make sure you keep that second date tonight with what’s his name. Bob, Christopher?”
“It’s Jake, the fourth date and well, maybe.”
“Oooh, fourth date, wear your good underwear. Aren’t you glad you let me do all the swiping? I knew I could pick a winner.” Diana started down the steps.
“So, we’re going to forget about the guy who sold t-shirts out of his car and chewed with his mouth wide open. When are you going to get on a dating app?
“No time, I’m always on call. Save the eye roll, I’m saving lives. What does he do, again?”
“Manages a CVS.”
“Drugstore manager, okay. Stable, predictable, could be good.”
“Nice, you hide your boredom so well. I’m going to figure this compass thing out.” Maggie could still feel the remnants of the humming moving along her spine.
“I have no doubts,” her sister called back over her shoulder, as she headed down the driveway.
3
Bernie brushed the dirt off the front of his jacket, stirring the air with a damp, earthy smell. The odor was always clinging to the old gnome.
He stepped off the curb at Lavaca near the corner of West 4th, still trying to take in that he had captured the compass and identified another elemental. “A Peabrain no less,” he muttered. “I thought that part was a myth.”
He heard the screech of tires before he saw the car hurtling toward him, but he was well over a thousand years old and had seen a little bit of everything through the ages. He quickly held up his arm as a streak of gold escaped his fingertips and a trail of large, translucent bubbles bobbed along, hurried by the gnome puffing out his cheeks and blowing them around the cars as they screeched to a halt inches from him. The surprised driver of a red Subaru laid on his horn as an afterthought before putting his hand to his face in shock.
A mother turned around to see if her kids were okay in the back of her white minivan, yelling at them to stop arguing.
“Blast! Not a phone.” Bernie spotted the phone in a pedestrian’s hand, already recording the entire thing. He waved his hand again and more bright streaks of gold shot out, surrounding everyone in the area till they glowed in unison for just a moment. The light quickly faded as one by one, the bubbles popped snapping everyone back to reality. The Subaru driver smiled and turned up her radio, waving at Bernie as he finished crossing the street. The kids in the minivan settled back and looked around at the nearby shops, the argument forgotten as their mother let out a deep sigh.
Bernie snorted, satisfied at his handiwork and kept walking toward Republic Square Park and the necessary patch of wide-open green space.
He looked up in time to see a flash of gold and a familiar face heading back to the park. Another gnome.
Bernie grimaced. “Great! I’m definitely going to hear about this one. Car didn’t even touch me this time. You get bruised in a smash up once and hear about it for a millennium.” He quickly made his way down 4th street getting closer to the park, patting his shirt every few steps to make sure the precious compass was still with him. He felt the small metal object and took an easier breath that abruptly caught in his throat as he locked eyes with a man with silver hair, wearing a green puffy coat. “Simon…” gasped Bernie. The gnome thought he’d done a better job of hiding from the trackers.
Someone had spotted him and relayed the message to their leader, Simon Wesley.
Bernie grimaced, realizing things were getting worse. It wasn’t like Simon to approach him in public like this. After all, he had secrets to hide too.
The gnome was still too far from the park to be able to escape. But there were too many people around to pull off any magic and still have time to make them forget. Not if he was going to fend off an attack at the same time. He pressed his hand to his shirt and picked up speed, even as Simon dodged traffic coming down 4th street, running toward Bernie. He caught the glint of light off the knife barely hidden in Simon’s hand. That must be meant for me. He’s getting sloppy. He must know about the compass. “This is bad.”
Bernie knew the consequences if he was to battle Simon out in the open. Too many Peabrains would witness it. There was a chance one or two might wake up and convert. It was Rule Number Two, no assisting humans to remember they’re magical. The punishment was imprisonment. “Like that could happen on this broken-down blue marble.” He knew the governance committee would never hear about it from this far away. At least not til
l somebody could find all the parts to fix the machinery.
No one was going anywhere, and no information was getting out. Might as well stand his ground. The compass was too precious.
He turned just as Simon caught up to him and swung his right arm, slashing one of the gnome’s suspenders and pricking his skin. Bernie winced but didn’t back up as people on the street scattered, some screaming as they ran away. The gnome narrowed his eyes and wiggled his fingers sending a streak of gold pocked with sharp thorns. The magical vine wrapped around Simon’s arm and yanked him backward, but he was already whispering into existence a series of bubbles. They split into two groups, one streaking away. Bernie looked at the watch on his wrist. It wouldn’t take the messenger bubbles long to alert others in Simon’s group. The street would be overrun soon, and chaos would break out. He had to end this, and do it now, by any means necessary.
“No half measures!” he shouted, balling up his fist and landing a solid punch on Simon’s jaw, momentarily dazing him. He didn’t hesitate, lifting Simon over his head like a ragdoll and shaking him, even as Simon slashed through the open air.
Bernie let out a cry of pain as the tip of the knife cut along the back of his hand. A thin stream of dark red blood instantly appeared, and he felt a surge of anger as he tossed the man into the middle of the street.
Simon hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him and rolled to one side, struggling to stand. He wasn’t done yet.
Bernie rubbed his large, thick hand against his jacket. “Bo-back-slappy-ass!” It was one of his favorite words he’d learned from the Peabrains. It could apply to almost any situation. He reached inside his coat, ready to pull out the sharp, small scythe.
“No, Bernie!” The gnome he had seen heading to the park was nearly by his side, running as fast as his stature would let him. He was still obeying Rule Number Two.
“Blast it, Jack! I have the compass, bend a rule once in a while. Use the bubbles!”
Jack covered the ground between them and pushed Bernie behind him. “No, you’re a Huldu. We don’t break the rules!”
Bernie was flustered and said the first thing that came to mind. “I’m a gnome, you’re a Huldu!”
“Potato, potato. We are the caretakers! Go on brother, bubble up behind me and get away. I’ll hold off Simon and clean up this mess.”
“Send someone to follow the Peabrain, the girl! She’s an elemental,” hissed Bernie.
Simon jerked his head around and looked at Bernie momentarily, his mouth hanging open.
“It’s true, the compass came to life in her hands. We have to protect her before anyone else finds out.”
“Go, I’ll take care of it. Go!”
4
Maggie jogged the short distance from her sister’s house to her mother, Toni Parker two blocks down Pressler. None of the Parker women had moved very far apart.
Her mother’s large three-story gray stucco home spread across two lots and had a porch offset by wide pillars. There was a broad array of lawn ornaments from a large silver gazing ball resting among ferns to two large metal cutouts of dragons standing over the winter pansies and faeries tucked under the azalea bushes. The collection had taken over most of the front yard. Her mother had perfected the art of decorating with tchotchkes.
The low thumping sound of steady drum beats was coming from the backyard and a familiar smell wafted toward Maggie as she took the broad, painted steps two at a time and went through the front door. It was never locked. Toni Parker had an open-door policy, despite Maggie’s occasional protest. “That had better be patchouli,” Maggie whispered as she shook her head and walked down the center hallway that ran the entire length of the house, and out the back door. She resisted the urge to look in the trash on the way through the kitchen and check for empties. Not my business.
Grackles came to rest on the tall street light on the edge of the property, letting out loud squawks as they settled their dark black feathered wings. Maggie barely registered the noise. They had been part of the background in Austin, Texas for as long as she could remember.
Bernie slipped down the street and glanced up at the birds as he made a perfect O with his mouth, blowing out a dark blue bubble that floated up to the birds and popped as it reached them.
The birds let out another loud chorus of screeches and took off, noisily taking flight. At the last moment, they split into three groups, heading off in different directions. Three of them flew to the large crepe myrtle in the backyard and landed neatly on branches near the gathering seated on lawn chairs.
The Huldu gnome watched until he was sure the birds were all safely on their way. “Want something done right, do it yourself.” His hand had a thin wound along the back, still oozing a trace of blood.
He took another look around to make sure he was alone and released enough bubbles to cover his stout, little body as he shrunk down, turning into a large, yellow tabby cat. He hurried to the wooden fence, easily scrambling to the top of the gate and dropping into the backyard. Sharp barking warned the cat of an approaching menace.
“Oscar! Come here, boy.” Toni yelled to the spotted pointer circling the cat, who hissed and arched his back as he quickly ran toward a circle of women sitting around different-sized drums. Toni pulled Oscar closer even as he let out a low growl, staring at the cat. “That’s enough, this is a safe zone for all creatures.”
Maggie crossed the large backyard, and came to stand by her mother, hands on her hips. “Mom, a safe zone for what? You’re in a backyard in Central Austin. It’s a very large safe zone.”
“This must be your daughter!” An older woman with long silver hair piped up, smiling broadly at Toni. Maggie’s forehead wrinkled as she looked at the woman, a newcomer to the backyard drumming circles that would spontaneously appear and sometimes last for days.
“You look just like your mother.”
Maggie tensed, waiting for it.
“No, she doesn’t. She looks like her father. Her sister favors me.”
“Thanks Mom.”
Toni tilted her head to one side, smiling up at her daughter. “It’s a good thing. I see a piece of your dad every time I look at you.”
She took a closer look around the yard. “Everyone looks a little too chill, Mom. We’ve talked about this…”
“Relax, it’s just a little sage burning. I told you, we’re on the straight and narrow since you busted us.”
“Narrow-ish. Hi Maggie.”
“Hi Mrs. Fletcher, nice to see you again.”
“Larry still asks about you.”
Maggie’s mother smiled up at her, still holding onto Oscar. “Lucy, give my daughter a break. That was just a few dates and it was months ago. She’s onto someone new, right? Sit down, Maggie, tell me what’s up. You’re doing that Wonder Woman pose. I sense something is afoot.” Toni rubbed her hands together, delighted.
“Can I talk to you inside?” Maggie raised her eyebrows, not moving from where she stood, hoping her mother would relent. She already knew the answer and let out a resigned sigh.
“What’s wrong with here? Half the people don’t hear well anyway.” Her mother snorted and waved her hand. “The others are deep into their drumming. Come on, sit down. Tell me what exciting thing has happened.” Toni grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle tug as the cat let out a soft purr and stretched out on the grass.
“What started the drumming session this time?”
“Kathleen said there was a disturbance in the force. Have you met, yet? This is my daughter, Maggie Parker.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” The wrinkles lining Kathleen’s face grew even deeper as she smiled.
“Kathleen’s lived in the neighborhood for as long as anyone can remember.”
“I’m an old timer.” She held up her hand and held it steady in the cold air. “Felt the tremor earlier this morning. Energy just shot through the neighborhood.”
Maggie felt that same familiar tingle across the back of her neck and a tightn
ess in her chest. “What do you mean by energy?”
The cat let out a yowl and pulled away from the woman stroking its neck. “Oh, poor tabby, you’re injured!” The others were distracted as Toni got up to go inside the house. The old woman leaned in and grasped Maggie’s hand tightly, pulling her down into a crouch next to her as she whispered, “Everything is connected in this world, keep that in mind.”
“Okay… not sure what to do with that.”
“The birds, the trees, and everything in between, always talking to each other, sending messages.” The woman let out a laugh, but the smile dropped from her face momentarily. “You were visited by a Huldu, am I right? A short little man with attitude?”
Maggie sat back on her heels as her eyes grew wide. She stared at the ordinary looking woman. “How do you… What do you…”
“Clever little creatures, really, even if they see themselves as the caretakers of the planet. I suppose they are, after a fashion.”
“How do you know anything about this?”
“That’s an easy answer that’s quite complicated. I’m aware of the magic that’s all around us. Happened to me years ago. They call it waking up when a human being remembers how to create using magic.”
Maggie let out a frustrated breath and caught herself. If she could listen to what Kathleen was saying in between the crazy, maybe she could find out something useful to track the old man and the compass. “What’s a who-who?”
“That’s a whole other topic. I’m talking about a Huldu. A very ancient people, well, gnomes really. They live forever, well over a thousand years. Not sure I know how long they last beyond the stories I’ve heard.”
Maggie was used to interrogations that didn’t follow a straight line by people who dressed up the facts. This was going to be no different. “What did you call them, caretakers?”
“Yes, they make sure everything is running as it should from behind the scenes. A whole system of rules about the world and magic. Although their cousins, the Kashgar would probably point out that nothing is running correctly. I mean, after all here we all sit, not going anywhere.”