by Amy Hopkins
Penny shrugged. "It's better than singing about the black plague. Come on, you know most nursery rhymes have really horrible meanings behind them."
"I guess I thought Australia was just…nicer." Amelia shuddered as Benny wrapped up his story.
"There are some who believe the billabong in Banjo Patterson’s song is this one right here. That belief is so strong that now with the tearing of the veil, you can hear the ghost of the swagman singing his song if you listen closely."
There was silence in the coach, and Penny found herself straining her ears to catch a hint of the spooky tune. She heard nothing.
Benny chuckled. "Just joking, folks.” The motor chugged to life again as the cart continued forward. “We’re off to an underwater extravaganza!”
He pulled up a short distance ahead and ushered the tourists off the vehicle and onto a tiny path. Penny hung back, letting the other tourists meander ahead. She shivered as the trail led into a dark tunnel.
“This is clearly manmade,” she noted to Cisco. Filtered light shone through opaque skylights overhead, but the cloud cover made the underground cave damp and dark.
“And here you’ll see some of the aquatic creatures that live at the refuge.” Benny waited at a bend in the path. Penny gave him a brief smile, then gasped as she turned her head to see where they had arrived.
The tunnel was lined on one side by thick Perspex that created a window into the creek that flowed alongside it. Penny spotted a platypus digging through the rocks and a few fish, but quickly forgot them when she saw Boots.
Except, it wasn’t Boots. This serpent was smaller, and although it frolicked happily in the water, coming up to show off in front of its spectators, Penny easily guessed it didn’t have the level of sentient intelligence Boots displayed.
“A Rainbow Serpent,” Benny proudly told his audience. “She’s not the only one in the country or even the state, but she’s ours. Pretty little thing, isn’t she?”
“How do you keep her secured?” Penny asked, her mind already ticking over methods of breaking it out.
“Secure?” Benny frowned in confusion, then laughed. “No, love. This isn’t a zoo. She comes and goes as she pleases. We don’t keep her here.”
“Then how did you know she’d be here?” Penny asked.
“She likes the attention!” Benny pressed his hand against the heavy plastic window and the serpent butted against it. “Sometimes she’s not in the mood, but there’s always a few platypuses or eels to look at. She’s usually here, though.”
The rain began to fall in earnest as the cart traveled back to the resort. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Penny shivered. Cisco slipped an arm around her. She snuggled closer to him, her skin warming against his.
"Lucky I brought a raincoat," Penny murmured. “Pity it’s still in my room.”
"It'll probably clear up by tomorrow," Cisco replied. "With any luck, you won't need it."
"Tomorrow?" Penny pulled back to look at him, the twinkle of excitement in her eye. "Forget tomorrow. That curfew is a screaming invitation to go and poke around after dark."
“Tonight?” Cisco glanced at Red, then looked back at Penny. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I’ll be fine, ya big worrywart. Besides, this cloud cover might make the whole thing a non-event.” Red leaned across the aisle to whisper loudly at Cisco. “Even if it clears, my control is really good these days. It’ll help if I can get out and do something useful while I’m…uh… He turned to look at an older woman who had stretched up in her seat, paying rapt attention to the conversation. “Flatulating.”
The woman sat back, disgusted, and Red shot Penny a wolfish grin.
“Really? Flatulating?” Amelia sat back in her seat, arms crossed. “I can’t take you anywhere.”
“You’ve said that, but you still keep taking me places.” Red didn’t seem thrilled with that reality.
“How did he even hear us talking?” Cisco spoke so quietly, Penny almost didn’t hear him at all.
“Supersonic hearing.” Red wiggled his index fingers by his ears. “I’m super-juiced today.”
“Clearly.” Penny smirked, then dropped her voice in case the nosy old lady behind them was still eavesdropping. “At least I know who to take with me on my little adventure tonight.”
Red gave two thumbs-up and a wink. “I can’t wait.”
Penny turned her eyes to the refuge. They were almost back at the departure point now. Her smile widened as she realized just how much she was looking forward to some real fieldwork.
The resort itinerary listed a formal welcome dinner at six that night, exactly the kind of event Penny was perfectly happy to skip in favor of a sneaky recon mission. Agent Crenel, however, had other plans. His text message came as Penny was laying her clothes out on the bed.
Dinner in thirty. Sit at the table closest to the large window. Don’t be late.
Amelia looked at Penny’s outfit—black cotton drill pants, a navy t-shirt, and a heavy belt with clips to attach basic tools and weapons. “That won’t do for dinner.”
“No kidding.” Penny yanked her bag open and rifled through it until she found what she was looking for. “How about this?”
The dress was simple but elegant. Green silk hung loosely from carefully placed silver rings on the shoulders, dipping low at the front so that it almost showed her belly button. Amelia recognized it immediately, which made sense, seeing as she was the one who had insisted Penny bring it.
“Yes!” She tossed her slinky number aside and ran up to grab the dress. She held it against Penny, nodding. “Shoes?”
Penny hesitated. “Uhh…”
“You forgot to bring shoes to go with it?” Amelia shook her head in disgust. “You guys make so much fun of all the stuff I bought, but you’re lucky I did. I just happen to have a pair of silver pumps that’ll go perfectly with this.”
“Thank you.” Penny hugged her. “I promise never to make fun of your oversized baggage again.”
In the end, Penny had to borrow not just shoes, but a hair straightener and half a roll of dress tape. “I feel like I’m being held together like a kid’s craft project,” she admitted, patting the plunging neckline again to make sure it was secure. “I really wish I’d thought about things like sitting and walking before I bought this rotten thing.”
“You’re being ridiculous.” Amelia closed her eyes as she wafted a long stream of hairspray over her head. When she was done, she gave Penny a knowing look. “It’ll be worth it. You’ll see.”
It was entirely worth it for Penny when she saw the look on Cisco’s face. The last-minute change in plans had made the two girls a little late to the dinner, so it was one of the rare occasions Cisco had arrived first. The young man stared as his girlfriend approached, jaw hanging so low it was in danger of being stepped on.
“Penny?” Cisco almost choked on her name. “You look amazing!”
“Thanks.” Penny moved closer and dropped her voice. “How’s Red? Is he…”
“Fine.” Cisco snorted. “He’s lying in bed watching YouTube on his phone. It’s cloudy out, and he said the change won’t happen unless it clears.”
“I’m glad he didn’t show up anyway,” Amelia said as she slid into her chair. “It would be just like him to take a stupid risk like that.”
“Girls.” Crenel dipped his head in greeting, then glanced at his watch. “Glad to see you finally made it.”
“Yeah, well, I’d made other plans,” Penny told him. “You know it takes more than thirty minutes to look like this, right?”
He shrugged. “I can’t say I’ve ever gone through the process.”
“Yoo-hoo! Penny!”
The sound of her mother’s voice immediately took Penny from feeling like a sophisticated adult back to her high school days, when Marge would waltz into the school calling her daughter’s name, asking anyone in earshot where she should take a forgotten homework folder.
“Over here, Mr. and Mrs. Hin
gston.” Crenel gave Penny a winning smile. “I invited them to join us.”
Penny gave a long-suffering sigh. “Could you give me a little warning next time?”
“You can sit next to me, Mrs. Hingston,” Cisco offered. “Have you seen the menu? It looks really good.”
"It's not more of that vegan rubbish, is it?" Gerald asked.
His wife tutted disapprovingly. "Now, Gerald. We talked about this, remember? You promised me that you were going to start trying new foods. Besides, remember what the doctor said about your bowels? You need to start eating some vegetables!"
"Oh, for God's sake Mum, please don't talk about Dad's bowels at the table." Penny glared at her mother, who shrugged.
"Dr. Smith told him, he said, if you don't start getting more fiber in your diet—"
"Marge, love, I promise not to complain about the food again." Gerald gave Penny a reassuring grin. "Can't you see you're embarrassing the poor kid?"
"Oh." Marge suddenly seemed to remember there were other people at the table. "I suppose we can talk about it when we get back to our room." She picked up a menu and began perusing it, making little sounds of delight as she went.
Glad the spectacle was over, Penny picked up her own. "Risotto." She folded it shut and placed it back on the table impatiently.
Cisco was still reading out the appetizers under his breath. He looked at her in surprise. "Penny, you barely opened it. There is some really nice stuff in here!"
"I did too!" Penny protested. "But really, can you ever go wrong with risotto? It's the perfect food."
"Too right." Gerald set his menu down on the table. "It'll never be as good as Marge's, but it'll do for dinner." Marge raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to say something, but Gerald quickly added, "With one of those tiny salads on the side. Gotta have my vegetables, after all." He winked at his wife. Seeming mollified, Marge settled back in her chair, eventually choosing a fried tofu dish.
While the rest of the table decided what to eat for dinner, Penny glanced at the empty chair at the end of the table. "Is someone else joining us?"
Agent Crenel didn't look up from his menu, but a sly grin crept across his face. "Perhaps."
Penny's question was soon answered. A sandy-haired man arrived at their table, greeting them jovially before taking a seat.
"Welcome to the Flying Crow," he said with a grin. "I'm Sam. Sorry we didn’t get to meet earlier. I'm normally here to give the safety briefing, but I was called away on an emergency rescue."
Before Penny could press him for details, Gerald cut her off. "G'day, Sam. My name is Gerald, and this is my wife Marge. That's my daughter Penny over there."
Penny’s stomach dropped to her boots, and she rubbed a hand over her aching forehead. Her father had just blown their cover completely.
"Never mind," Agent Crenel murmured in her ear. "We can come up with something else later."
Between them, Gerald and Marge introduced everyone at the table. To Penny's relief, they remembered to refer to the special agent as Mr. Crenel.
"Thank God for small favors," Penny muttered to Cisco.
"You know, this could work out for the better." Cisco made a minute gesture toward Penny's mother, who had launched into a dozen questions about the “emergency rescue” Sam had mentioned. "Just wait and see."
Penny had to admit, her mother's natural curiosity and complete lack of filters made her the perfect person to grill Sam for information. She sat back and watched the conversation, listening to Sam's story about the capture and eventual release of a local panther. Meanwhile, she tried to figure out which brother he was. He had too much hair for the older one and was too, well, clean-cut for the vegan terrorist.
“But panthers aren’t magical,” Gerald pointed out.
“Not normally,” Sam admitted. “But for some reason, they seem to pop up in urban legends a lot. There’s one here, and one a ways down south. Rumors about a crashed circus train, or an escapee from a zoo. Even I thought it might be real for a while!”
“Hang on, how do you know it’s a Myther?” Cisco asked.
Sam steepled his fingers, his expression deepening to one that reminded Penny of their professors back at the Academy. “The rumors are mostly believed by people who have never seen a real live panther. All they have to go on is what they think a panther looks like and a whole lot of blurry pictures that may or may not be the rumored animal.”
“So it looks a bit like a panther, but it isn’t one?” Cisco’s line of questioning was a good one. The Academy had taught the students that Myther versions of real animals often had telltale signs, like too-big teeth or simplified body structures. It seemed Sam knew that much, at least.
The story held up to scrutiny, at least on the surface. Penny couldn’t fault his description of the Myther he had rescued, or his willingness to let the animal free in a less populated area to live its life out in peace.
Assuming he’s not lying about that bit. For all we know, he rescued the poor thing then sold it on the black market.
“How did you find out about it?” Penny asked. “Are you the go-to guy for mythological events around here?”
“You could say that.” Sam grinned, baring his sparkling white teeth in a way that felt a little too friendly to Penny. “I’ve built myself up a bit of a reputation. When things go wrong and there is a Myther involved, I’m the one they call.”
"You're just a magical Steve Irwin, aren't you?" Penny chirped. She had to work to keep the vitriol out of her voice. This guy bugged her, the way he was sucking up to guests who were paying through the nose to fund what they thought was a charitable venture. If Penny hadn't known what the guy was really doing, she would have been sucked in too. It irked her instincts not to trust him since he was just that goddamn charming.
"I've always wanted a Myther as a pet." Cisco leaned back in his chair casually. "Can you imagine how much fun that would be?"
"Like tropical birds and rare animals, I much prefer to see them in their natural environment." Sam placed his hands carefully on the table, his chair sliding smoothly over the carpet as he stood. "Now, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I need to go do the social thing. Enjoy your dinner."
Crenel waited until the man had gone before speaking. "I think you scared him off, Cisco."
"Creep," Penny muttered.
"What? Penny, he was nothing but polite to you. Quite the charmer, in fact." Marge waved an accusatory finger at her daughter. "I've taught you better manners than that."
Penny blushed, sinking further into her seat. "Sorry, Mum." She couldn't fill Marge in on what Sam was suspected of. She loved her parents, but she knew they wouldn't be able to keep a secret of that size for more than a minute.
"Look, here comes our dinner." Gerald picked up the cotton napkin beside him and tucked one corner into his shirt collar.
Penny saw Cora walking toward them. Her uniform was still pristine, but now she had a gleaming black feather perched in her hair.
When Cora proffered a plate of steaming risotto, Gerald pointed at Penny. "Mine has the mushrooms, thanks, love."
After the meals were distributed, Cora looked at her watch. “Only an hour and forty-two minutes until the clouds part.”
“What?” Cisco shoved a forkful of food into his mouth. “How do you know that?” he mumbled around the fragrant rice.
“We have a weather clock out back.” She turned to go. “There are all sorts of magical things lurking around this place. You never know what might pop out of a bottle or around a corner.”
Chapter Fourteen
When dinner was finally over, Penny all but ran back to her room. By the time Amelia caught up to her, Penny had already slipped out of the slinky green dress and was wriggling into more comfortable clothes. Boots rolled in the shiny fabric, clearly enjoying the feel of it against her scales.
Amelia perched on the side of her bed. "I don't know how you still have any energy left. I'm exhausted!"
"You don't need
to come with me." Penny tugged the t-shirt over her head. "I'm going to be sneaking around in the dark. If it’s only me, I'm less likely to be seen."
Amelia kicked her feet back and forth dubiously. "But what if something happens?" She thought for a minute, then set her face and determination. She stood and began to go through her bags. "I'm not letting you go alone."
"I won't be alone." Penny gestured toward Boots. "You'll come, won't you, Boots?"
Boots stopped mid-writhe, lifting her head. She nodded, then went back to cavorting on the bed.
"I have no doubt Boots would do anything within her power to keep you safe, but it's not like she can phone me if something goes wrong." Amelia shook her head. “I'm going."
"What if I go with her instead?" The tent flap pulled back, and Red's head appeared with a wolfish grin. He quickly stepped inside and zipped it shut behind him. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I can hear every damn conversation in a thirty-yard radius."
"I don't know if you should be going anywhere in your state." Amelia folded her arms, staring down her boyfriend.
Penny had to admit, she had never seen Red this agitated.
He bounced on the balls of his feet, hands thrust in his pockets as his eyes darted around nervously. "The clouds are going to clear soon. I can feel it, Amelia."
"Red, you look like a tweaker. Can you stop bouncing?" Penny sat on the edge of her bed to pull her socks on. Cora’s weather prediction had stuck in her head since dinner. "Say the clouds do clear. What if someone sees you turn?"
"I thought the whole point of a clandestine mission was to not be seen by anyone." Red shrugged, the movement quick and jerky. "Look, if I don't work off some steam, I'm going to go mad. You can use my skills. I'll be able to hear anyone coming. If anyone sees me, I'll just look like one of those dingoes running around."
"You've either never seen a dingo, or never looked in the mirror in your werewolf form." Penny couldn't help but laugh. "Wolf-Red looks nothing like a dingo. Not even a red dingo. Not even a little bit. But I don't mind if you tag along—if it's okay with Amelia."