The Rules for Lying

by L. A. Kelley

  Odile leaned forward and prompted, “Tell us what you see.”

  “Nothing yet…it’s all dark…”

  We waited patiently as Esther forced herself deeper. For a long time she was silent. I suspected she summoned the courage to take the final step. I knew exactly how she felt. It’s one thing to state your intentions. It’s another to stand at the edge of the cliff and jump.

  No one spoke. The tense atmosphere didn’t help Esther’s concentration so I squeezed her hand and whispered. “Tell Pike he’s a poophead.”

  Esther relaxed and snickered. “I sure wish I could, but seeing doesn’t work that way.” Suddenly, she froze. “I’m inside Pike now. He’s on the grass…It’s dark. I can’t see much…someone is standing next to him. Come on, poophead,” she muttered to herself. “Turn around the other way…Hah! I see Delphine. Right over there.” Esther pointed with satisfaction, forgetting in this instance we were blinder than she. “Delphine is with a bunch of men.” She swallowed. “They got guns.”

  “The guards from the house,” murmured Renny.

  Esther leaned forward, peering into the darkness. Watching a blind girl squint was an odd experience. “Pike’s watching something in the grass…I can’t see—wait, it’s moving. It’s a rat’s butt. I can see the skinny tail.” Mrs. Hart emitted a low growl. Amelie and I exchanged anxious glances.

  Clovis laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Esther, concentrate. What is Pike doing?”

  Esther’s breathing quickened. “I’m not sure. He’s bent over the rat…it’s getting dark again.”

  “Try harder, Esther. You must see.”

  Her face showed the strain of holding the vision. “I can’t—hang on a second, the rat turned around. It—” She gasped. “Clovis, the eyes are all yellow…Pike’s holding something crumply like cloth.” She wrinkled her brow. “I’ve seen it before…it’s my old black dress, the one I left in the house. The rat is sniffing it. Now the nose is in the air. It’s running. Everyone’s following…there’s something else moving in the grass…something all around them.” Her head snapped back as if whatever tie bound her to Pike had broken. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold on. He’s gone.”

  Odile squeezed her hand. “Cher, you were wonderful. I’m very proud of you.” Esther managed a tired smile.

  “We’ve got big trouble, haven’t we?” I said.

  Clovis nodded. “I’m afraid so. The dead rat was definitely under Pike’s spell. He is using the animals to track Esther. Although a rodent’s sense of smell is extremely acute, it would never follow a trail for so long. However, a conjurer with Pike’s power can heighten sensitivity a hundredfold, enough to sniff out an old scent through the air. Pike can then plant an imperative in the animal’s mind, forcing obedience.”

  Amelie paled. “Pike knows where we are now?”

  “Not yet, cher,” announced Renny with certainty, “or he would already pound at the door.”

  Clovis agreed. “Pike is not like Esther. He can’t see through the rat’s eyes.” He prodded the corpse with his toe. “This one was probably ordered to return to Pike as soon as Esther’s location was verified. Fortunately, you killed it first.”

  I swallowed. “But others will come.”

  His jaw set in a hard line. “Oh, most assuredly, others will come.”

  Odile drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. “Time is not on our side. I must finish the potion as soon as possible. With Marie’s help—”

  “Whatever you need,” she said.

  Chris got to his feet. “Meanwhile, I will set traps around the house.” Renny immediately volunteered his assistance which Chris gratefully accepted.

  T. Chris piped up. “Papa, I want to help, too.”

  He tousled his son’s hair affectionately. “Bon. We will make them regret ever setting foot in our bayou.”

  Clovis turned to Esther. “I have another idea. My dear, I need a lock of your hair.”

  Concern flitted across her face. “What for?”

  “A rat may be susceptible to a trap other than steel, if one uses the right bait.”

  She stuck out her chin. “Take all you want.”

  “You are very generous, but one small snip will do.” He borrowed Amelie’s knife and cut off one of Esther’s curls. He wrapped the hair in his handkerchief and then directed me to the pirogue. “Rats can swim. Chris and the others can set traps on land. You and I will cover the waterways.”

  My excitement grew. Finally, a weapon—maybe something explosive, like a depth charge. I smiled envisioning a rat body launched into the sky, making a tracer trail with glowing eyes. Perhaps I could add a flammable after burn, detonating the rat in midair like fireworks. At trifle bloodthirsty, but heck, it wasn’t a cute little puppy.

  As I pushed the pirogue from the dock, Clovis pointed across the channel. “We need to direct unwelcome guests on the waterway over there away from the house.”

  I fidgeted with excitement. “How do we kill the rat?”

  “Kill? There’s no point. The best we can do is misdirection.”

  My hopes for a fiery rodent death plummeted. “Why?”

  “Have you not paid attention all these weeks, Peter?” he scolded. “A conjurer is behind the magic, one who made an accord with a demon. The magic cannot be stopped by us. He cannot be stopped by us. One rat dies. He sends another. The way to bring the danger to an end is to kill the demon. Only then is Pike vulnerable. We need to buy time.”

  “Sheesh, I’m sorry,” I stammered, taken aback by the outburst. “Why didn’t he save himself the trouble and control Esther from the beginning?”

  “He can’t. Pike’s power is through his eyes which Esther can’t see. At any rate, once Esther stepped over the threshold to the Lower Worlds, she would be free of Pike’s commands. His spells are earthbound and can’t extend beyond the door.” Clovis punched me in the shoulder. “Cheer up, boy. The conjuror’s magic can still be affected by a good solid lie.”

  My interest piqued. Granted, losing the exploding rat was a huge disappointment, but I was sorely interested to see what kind of lie Clovis devised. He directed me to the opposite shore. I anchored the pirogue and joined him at an old sweet bay tree. He stuffed the handkerchief containing the hair into a knot hole.

  “Every rat under Pike’s control will be drawn to Esther’s scent,” said Clovis. “Their attention must be diverted.” He muttered softly. My skin tingled as magic permeated the air. “The prey is here. Esther’s scent surrounds the area.” The lie clicked into place. Clovis sighed and rubbed the nape of his neck. “The spell is done. Pike’s rat will be fooled into thinking Esther is near the tree.”

  I motioned across the water. “What about Pike and Delphine? What will keep them from heading straight for the Benoit’s house?”

  “Nothing.” Clovis replied bluntly. “All we’re trying to do is to confuse the rats long enough to give Esther and the others a chance to escape.”

  “A few minutes head start doesn’t seem like much.”

  “I know, my boy, but unfortunately, a distraction is all that can be done.”

  We returned to the Benoit’s property and Clovis went to the house. I sat on the pier to think, my eyes straying across the channel. Esther’s hair wasn’t far. Confusing the rats long enough for everyone to escape was a long shot at best. Amelie and Esther sauntered from the house.

  “Are the others home?” I asked.

  Amelie sat next to me. “Marie is. Odile doesn’t need more help. Renny is still setting traps with Chris, T. Chris, and Lucy.” She wrinkled her nose. “Odile’s potion looks like sludge and smells worse. We came outside for fresh air. …What’s the matter? Didn’t the magic go well?”

  I described Clovis’ spell. “The house is too vulnerable. I wonder…” No—I brushed the nutty idea aside.

  Amelie pounced on my words. “What are you thinking?”

  “Tell us, Peter,” demanded Esther.

  Amelie chuckled. “May as well. Esther won’t
stop, now.”

  “Danged right, I won’t.”

  “Something Clovis said,” I told them. “Pike can’t be stopped, but he’s vulnerable to a good, solid lie.”

  “Lie up a guillotine,” Esther said, “and chop his head off.” For an angelic-faced kid, she had a surprisingly bloodthirsty side.

  “How would you get him to stick his head under the blade?” asked Amelie.

  Her face fell. “Oh. I didn’t think about that.”

  “In any case,” I said, “the demon’s magic keeps him immortal. I can’t even explode Pike’s rat. He’d just send another.” My disappointment showed plain.

  Amelie sympathized. “That’s a pity, but you have another idea. Tell us.”

  “I might be able to hide the house.”

  Her eyes widened. “You can do that?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know.”

  “The dock, too?” said Esther. “Odile’s cabin?”

  My heart sank. The Benoit’s property encompassed acres. Hiding the main house without dealing with the other structures was pointless. I wished I hadn’t mentioned anything at all.

  Too late. Esther was all revved up. She bounced with excitement. “Do it, do it, do it now, Peter.”

  “Wait a second, Esther. I don’t know if the idea will work.”

  “Yes, it will. You can do it. You’re the best liar ever.”

  “Go on, Peter,” Amelie urged. “I believe in you, too.”

  Their confidence was heartening. “I’ll try, but only if Esther is quiet.” She mimed zipping her lips.

  I scanned the surroundings, not sure where to begin, but very conscious of Amelie’s eyes on me. My first inclination was to build a wall, like Clovis did with the gator. By now, I could conjure a good one, brick and mortal all the way with a dollop of razor-sharp barbed wire on top. I discarded the idea. Men can scale a wall, even one with barbed wire. If I made it too high to climb, Pike would recognize a spell. A solid tangle of vegetation, perhaps? I shook my head. Same problem as the wall—too phony. What’s left, I thought in despair. How do I make a cluster of buildings along with a dock invisible to Pike and his gang?

  Invisible?

  I stopped short. Could I do that? So far I made imaginary objects solid and real to the touch. How does one go about making nothing, or rather unmaking something already existing? I scratched my head. The spell would take some mighty creative lying, but creative lying was my forte.

  “Peter?” Amelie’s face was a question mark.

  “Keep your eyes on the house.”

  Amelie and Esther tagged behind as I walked to the center of the yard. In my mind I traced a circuit around the Benoit’s property, holding a picture of the house and garden all the way to the water. Having often used the mental map technique to find my way around New Brunswick, I was able to comfortably plot a course in no time.

  I extended the vision to include the sheds and storage buildings and then increased the range to Odile’s acre of land. I concentrated hard until every nail, every board, and every tomato plant in the garden locked into my mind. The family owned a large parcel. A convincing spell would take a heap of lying.

  “A barrier surrounds the property. Nothing can be seen within the boundary.”

  Instead of the answering prickle in the atmosphere, the air was flat and heavy. I dug down deep, throwing every bit of force into the words. “I see no house, no garden, and no dock. Everything is invisible to the eye.” A shimmer developed, a swirl of undefined energy. The magic gathered ready to be plucked.

  Believe. Believe with all your heart. “I see no house.”

  Click.

  Everything from the bright red door to the tin roof vanished.

  Amelie sucked in her breath. “Where did it go?”

  “Nowhere,” I assured her. “It’s just hidden from sight.” I inhaled deeply. “I see no dock.” Where an instant ago the Sweet Marie and pirogue bobbed placidly on the water, now no evidence existed. “The garden, the sheds, Odile’s cabin…” One by one they vanished, until the only objects remaining in the empty clearing were the three of us.

  Amelie gaped in awe. “C’est incroyable.”

  Not bad at all. I was getting pretty good at this magic stuff.

  Esther tugged impatiently on Amelie’s shirt sleeve. “What’s he doing? Can I see? Can I see?”

  “Yes, yes, all right.”

  I waited for the same thunderstruck reaction, but instead Esther said, “Where are Marie and the others?”

  Oops.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Pike’s Army

  My ego shattered like a jelly jar hitting the kitchen floor.

  “Peter,” said Amelie, “you made Marie and the children invisible, too.”

  “Not merely them.” Odile’s words drifted out of thin air. “I thought for a moment the potion backfired.”

  “Sorry,” I mumbled, turning red. “I-I’ll break the spell.”

  “Wait,” demanded the disembodied voice of Clovis. “You have an excellent idea, but the lie needs to be fine-tuned.”

  “What’s going on, Mama?” Luc’s voice floated across the yard from the direction of the house.

  “Hold on tight to your brother and sister and don’t let go,” Marie ordered briskly. “Peter—a solution sooner than later, s’il vous plaît.”

  I shifted uncomfortably. “Clovis, do you have a suggestion?”

  “Make the surroundings invisible only to outsiders.”

  I heard a sharp yelp and then Georges said, “Luc stepped on my foot.”

  “That’s cause your feet are so big.”

  “Are not.”

  “Are too.”

  “Enough!” Marie commanded. “Both of you stand still. Hurry, Peter. The children are restless.”

  I felt for the energy stream and latched on. One lie was draining. Throwing in spontaneous modifications was ten times harder. My head pounded with the effort as I parroted Clovis’ words. “Everything is invisible only to outsiders.” The energy flow shifted and locked in place.

  The house and grounds were visible again including Marie and the children. Amelie squeaked in surprise as Clovis reappeared right next to her. “Everything is here,” she said. “Did the spell collapse?”

  “No, my dear,” Clovis stated with assurance. “The lie is altered, but in place. Within the barrier we are invisible to others.” He clapped my shoulder. “Well done, Peter. The illusion should confuse inquisitive eyes at least for a time. Why not go a step farther? Esther’s scent is already across the channel, add everything else.”

  “Replicate the house?”

  “Try,” he urged. “Go step by step. Hold the picture in your head. Build the lie. Lock it down.”

  “Okay,” I muttered. Never having cast a spell from so far, I was uneasy. The first part was simple, center on the house and grounds. “Hold the picture in my head.”

  Next transfer the vision across the water. “Build the lie.” I focused on the distant sweet bay tree. “Every board, every pane of glass is right there.” Energy crackled as the hazy outline of the Benoit’s cabin emerged around the tree. Transparency wavered in and out.

  “Lock it down.”

  I fought to hold the lie together. The magic was arduous, like climbing a ladder with sandbags tied to my ankles. I gritted my teeth and dug deep. With a final satisfying click, the lie snapped shut and the house solidified.

  “Bravo, Peter,” Clovis crowed.

  “Thanks,” I gasped, completely drained. My legs gave out and I sunk to the ground.

  ****

  I came to stretched on the couch in the Benoit’s living room. Amelie’s anxious face peered at me. “Are you feeling better?”

  My head throbbed. Every muscle on my body screamed, Don’t move, stupid. I was mortified to think I passed out in front of her. “Everything’s jake,” I said with a self-assured swagger as I struggled to sit. “I had to rest my eyes a bit.”

  Esther pushed her head past Amelie. “You fa
inted dead away, for sure.”

  “Shut up, Esther.” Even blinking hurt. I fought the desire to cradle my head in my hands and moan, and instead forced a jaunty grin at Amelie “I didn’t faint.”

  “Keeled over like a pile of wet noodles,” Esther said.

  “Hush, child,” scolded Odile. “Let the poor boy be.” She shoved a mug full of steaming hot liquid into my hands with an order to drink.

  I sniffed. “What is it?”

  “A potion to cure the headache, and don’t try to convince me you haven’t one.”

  I took a sip. The liquid was hot and spicy with an herbal, but not unpleasant, flavor. As I drained the last drop, my headache disappeared. I handed her the mug with thanks.

  “You should eat something,” said Odile. “Magic is very draining, especially to those new to the white road.”

  Esther pulled impatiently at my sleeve. “Marie has breakfast ready and I’m starving.” She smacked her lips and sighed happily. “Biscuits and gravy.”

  Breakfast time already? Bright sunlight streamed through the window. I must have slept through the night. I rose unsteadily, but managed to stumble into the kitchen with what I preferred to dub a cocky saunter rather than an invalid’s shuffle. As we sat down, Renny, Mrs. Hart, and the two Chris’ arrived.

  “Glad to see you’re finally conscious,” said Renny.

  “I took a nap.” I was relieved to note Amelie showed no inclination to disagree. By happy chance, Esther’s mouth was full. I quickly changed the subject before she swallowed. “Are the traps set?”

  Chris assured me everything was finished. “We saw no other signs of rats in the area. The one Amelie killed must have been the first to arrive. From now on, at least one of us must walk the grounds to check the traps and make certain nothing gets through.”

  Odile announced the potion was nearly finished. Suddenly, nervous butterflies competed for space around the biscuits and gravy in my stomach. She may be almost ready, but I certainly wasn’t. I had learned so much since arriving in the bayou, but all the lessons seemed pitifully inadequate for facing a demon.

  “We must decide where to conjure the portal,” she said.

  “Someplace removed from here,” quipped Marie. “I don’t need an entrance into the Lower Worlds in the middle of the parlor.”