Fairy Metal Thunder (Songs of Magic, Book 1)
Page 46
Chapter Seventeen
As soon as Katie saw Mrs. Dullahan’s black van crawl to a stop in front of her house, she abandoned her Lego castle in the living room, ran up to her bedroom, and closed the door.
She shivered when the doorbell rang.
Her mom was home, but her dad wasn’t, and Jason was gone far away. Katie wished they had a big, dangerous dog to protect them.
Katie listened to her mom greet Mrs. Dullahan, and then heard the sound of her wooden chair wheels rolling across the foyer.
“It’s so nice to see you again, Mrs. Dullahan,” Katie’s mom said. “And this tea smells wonderful.”
“It’s just a little something from my garden,” Mrs. Dullahan’s raspy voice replied.
“I’ll brew some right away.” There was clanking as Katie’s mom took out the teapot and cups.
“No,” Katie whispered, up in her room. “Make her go away!”
“It’s certainly turning out to be a nice, warm summer,” Katie’s mom said. “Not too hot, not too rainy…”
“It’s very pleasant,” Mrs. Dullahan said.
“Would you like some tea, Mr....I apologize, I can’t remember your name.”
“His name is Mortimer,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “He does not require tea or other refreshment.”
Katie shivered again when she remembered Mrs. Dullahan’s tall, gaunt, pale servant, who usually stood back in a corner somewhere, so still and silent that you could forget he was even there.
“All right, then,” Katie’s mom said. “Just let us know if you change your mind, Mortimer.”
Mortimer didn’t reply.
Katie heard the sound of boiling water, then the whistling teapot. Her mother and Mrs. Dullahan kept talking, but they must have moved over to the table, a little farther from Katie’s room, because she couldn’t hear them clearly. But Katie really, really wanted to know why Mrs. Dullahan was visiting, only hours after Jason had left for Ireland.
Katie eased open her door, keeping her fingers crossed that it wouldn’t squeak. She tiptoed to the stairs, and down a few steps, so she could hear better. The tea Mrs. Dullahan had brought filled the house with a steamy dark green smell.
“…and so have you given any thought to joining the Lutheran women’s group?” Katie’s mom was asking. “We have women of all ages, and we do some wonderful activities, like the Pinecone Festival every October.”
“I have given it a great deal of thought,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “But I’m afraid, with my health problems, it’s just too difficult to stay involved with such things.”
“Oh, you can just come as you feel like it,” Katie’s mom said. “We understand about health problems!”
“I will certainly consider it. Thank you for the invitation. As you can see, I am attempting to be a little more social and involved around town.”
“That is just wonderful, Mrs. Dullahan,” Katie’s mom said.
“And how is that handsome son of yours?” Mrs. Dullahan asked. “Staying out of trouble, I trust?”
Katie’s heart was thumping. She knew Jason had entered the fairy world through some kind of door in Mrs. Dullahan’s walled-up yard. Mrs. Dullahan might be looking for the fairy instruments.
“Oh, Jason is doing some very exciting things!” Katie’s mom said. “He and his little friends from the band signed a record contract.”
“Indeed?”
“Can you believe it? They’re on the way to make their first album now. We’re all so excited for him.”
“I’m sure you are,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “Where are they going?”
“Ireland! Doesn’t that sound charming?” Katie’s mom asked. Katie wanted to tell her to be quiet and stop telling Mrs. Dullahan everything.
“It is,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “I’ve visited a few times.”
“Oh, of course,” Katie’s mom said. “Is ‘Dullahan’ an Irish name?”
“Indeed. Where in Ireland will they be going?”
“To Dublin.”
Katie wanted to scream at her mom to be quiet.
“That’s such a lovely city,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “I wonder how long he will be away.”
“He said it would be six weeks before he could visit home again,” Katie’s mom told her. “To a mother, that sounds like years.”
“I’m certain it does.”
“And it’s a little difficult with Katie. I’m only working part-time, but we’ve relied on Jason to babysit for so long…this is truly amazing tea…” Katie’s mother’s words sounded slow and drawn out now. “I suppose…I’ll ask around at church…for a good…babysitter…”
“Is that right?” Mrs. Dullahan asked. “You know, I do have a certain amount of experience with children. On days when my health is fair, I could watch Katie for you.”
No! Katie wanted to scream.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want…to be…any trouble…” Katie’s mom said sleepily.
“It’s no trouble. Simply drop her by my house for a few hours. I’ll be sure to put her to good use, dusting and sweeping, polishing the silver.”
Double no! Katie wanted to scream.
“She’s…a little young…for…I’m sorry, I can’t seem to think clearly.”
“A child is never too young to work,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “That’s the trouble with children today. They spend their days playing and laughing, as if life were nothing but fun. But life is hard. They should learn that early.”
“Maybe you’re right…”
“Of course. I’ve been around a long time. What more can you tell me about your son?”
“He’s a…good boy. In third grade, he had a problem with…throwing up in the school cafeteria…”
“Maybe something a little more recent,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “Do you know where in Dublin he will be?”
“Oh, he said…he’ll call…when he gets there…I apologize, I don’t know why I’m so drowsy today…”
“No need to apologize. Just tell me more.”
“He’s with that big media company…Malarkay…”
“Malarkay?”
“You know…they have a movie studio…they own Real News TV and some other channels…it’s very big.”
“It certainly sounds that way,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “I don’t own a television set, so I’m not familiar. I’ll have to look into this.”
“They’re a very large record company, too,” Katie’s mom said. “There’s…there’s a lot happening with Jason.”
“There certainly is,” Mrs. Dullahan agreed. “It’s quite impressive, what these young people can accomplish when they have such special instruments.”
“Special instruments?” Katie’s mom asked. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Becker,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “I can see you’re quite tired. Perhaps you should go and rest.”
“I think…you might be right.”
“I’m certain you have no need to worry about Jason,” Mrs. Dullahan said. “But do remember my offer to keep Katie for you. Remember that. Remember how it sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“I will…it does sound like…a wonderful idea.”
Katie heard the heavy wheelchair roll across the kitchen. She ran back up the steps and hid around the corner, peeking out as Mortimer rolled Mrs. Dullahan through the foyer and toward the front door. Mortimer looked right at her with his sunken eyes, and Katie gasped and dodged out of sight. She wondered if he knew Katie had been listening.
Mortimer didn’t say a word, just wheeled Mrs. Dullahan on outside.
Katie hurried back into her room. Through the window, she watched Mortimer wheel Mrs. Dullahan onto the wheelchair lift built into the side of the van. The platform slowly rose until Mrs. Dullahan was level with the van.
Mrs. Dullahan looked directly at Katie’s window, and Katie ducked.
Katie’s mom walked sluggishly past the door, her eyes drooping.
“Mom, are you okay?” Katie asked.
“Mom?” Katie followed her. Her mom was already sprawled on the bed, fully dressed, snoring softly.
Katie crept downstairs. She saw the cups of tea on the kitchen table and sniffed one. It smelled a little sour to her, like something was wrong with it.
She took the cups to the sink and poured them out. Then she took the tea kettle and poured that out, too. She thought she heard a sizzling sound as the dark green tea sloshed down the drain.
Then Katie found the jar of dried tea leaves Mrs. Dullahan had brought. Katie opened it, dumped all the leaves into the trash, and threw the jar in after it.
She wished she could talk to Jason. He needed to know Mrs. Dullahan was looking for him.