Bad Luck Girl

by Sarah Zettel

  “Before you could stop them,” Glowing Man sneered. “Aren’t you the one who can close the gates? Why didn’t you use this famous magic of yours?”

  “You will speak to my daughter with respect, Undone,” snapped Papa.

  “Or what?” Glowing Man moved his hand out from behind his back. He was holding a butcher’s cleaver, and it shone white hot.

  “Wait, Dearborn,” said Jack. “Just for one second. Callie knows what’s what. She wouldn’t have brought her father here without a good reason. Right, Callie?”

  I nodded. Everyone was looking at me now, Jack most of all. I felt him sending out his trust, and his love. I wished he’d stop it. I couldn’t think for feeling when he did that. And I had to think. I had to walk straight and steady up to Calumet and the glowing man, Dearborn.

  “We’re here to take the fight to the courts,” I said. “All of us are. I know how we can do it, and we can do it so they’ll never see it coming. But we need your help. Touhy and Dan Ryan and the others … they need all our help.”

  “All our help?” said Dearborn to Papa.

  But it was Mama who answered. “It’s not what anyone wants, but we’ve been left with no choice. I think you can appreciate that, Mr.… Dearborn, is it?”

  Dearborn stared at Mama like he’d never seen her sort before. Maybe he hadn’t. She was an original, my mama, standing there in the middle of a crowd of living bits and pieces and taking it all in stride. Actually, now that I came to think of it, she was an awful lot like Jack in that way.

  Calumet turned around and faced the Halfers. “What says the ’ville? Do we fight?”

  The feeling in the roar that answered could have knocked me flat. They would fight. They would all fight. I just had to hope it wouldn’t be for nothing. I bit my lip, and tried not to feel the anger trembling through my father. He’d get used to this. He had to.

  “So,” said Jack to me. “What’s the plan?”

  23

  See What Careless Love

  Of course nothing happened right away. There was a whole lot of talking to be done first. My parents and Jack and I had to sit down with what was left of the Halferville Council in what was left of splintery Calumet’s house so I could explain my plan. Then everybody needed a chance to pick it over, add to it, and argue about this and that until the sun went down. Then, because Calumet and Dearborn insisted, we had to take ourselves out to the Halfer amphitheater and explain everything all over again to the Halfers who were well enough to sit up and listen. There, they had to shout and argue and pick it over some more until the moon rose above the trees, and it felt like there was nothing left of my plan but bare bones.

  Much as I hated the idea, I might just have to apologize to Dan Ryan when I saw him again. Now I knew how flat-out crazy-making the council’s way of doing things felt. All I wanted was for us to get moving. We needed time, we needed to pull everything together, but we had no time and we couldn’t move. We had to agree. We had to make sure of every little point. We had to get through all the sniping and griping and shouting about just what Papa was even doing there. Papa wasn’t helping anything by insisting that Mama should get to safety before we did anything. He even tried to get me on his side by saying Jack could take her out on the train, maybe to Detroit, or maybe all the way to New York. I wanted to agree, more than anything, but we needed them both in the Halferville. Even if I had agreed, it wouldn’t have done any good. Neither one of them would have left without being magicked, and even then they would have come right back on the next train.

  Other than that, though, Papa held tight to his temper and let everybody else do the talking. I was kind of proud of him. He still didn’t like the people around him. He sure didn’t trust them. I could feel it in the flicker of the light behind his eyes, and in each of the few words he did speak. But he stayed polite and kept his cool, and I was grateful for it.

  By the time the meeting broke up, dawn had come around again. Most everybody headed back to the houses that were still standing to try to get a couple hours’ sleep. Papa, though, said he’d stay up a bit.

  “In fact, if you will permit,” he said to Calumet and Dearborn, “I might be of some use helping with your wounded.”

  Both councilors looked startled. Then they looked suspicious. Papa waited.

  It was Calumet who reached a decision first. “Thank you.” He spoke the words like he was having to drag them out of the dark. “That would be most welcome.”

  “I’ll go with you,” said Dearborn to Papa.

  “I’d expect no less.” Papa stood aside and let Dearborn walk away first. He gave me a last look, saying we’d talk soon, and I nodded back.

  Calumet rubbed his eyes very carefully with his wooden fingers. “You can have Touhy’s place, for now,” he told me. “You remember where it is?”

  I did remember, and I took Jack and Mama over to the base of the tree. But when Mama realized she’d have to climb the trunk to get to our borrowed quarters, she put her foot down.

  “I don’t wish to seem ungrateful, but I’ve no intention of turning squirrel at this late date.”

  That drew a tired smile from Calumet. “I’m sure we can find a space nearer the ground, Mrs. LeRoux. Fifty-four?” He called to a passing Halfer who looked like she’d sprung to life from an assortment of ribbons and wrapping paper. “Can we find Mrs. LeRoux some space?”

  Mama made her manners and said her thanks, and then looked over her shoulder at me, but she did follow the ribbony Halfer. Jack, in the meantime, was yawning like he was going to split his head in two.

  “You’d better go with her,” I said to him. “Get some rest. We’re all going to need it.”

  Jack brushed the knuckle of one finger against my cheek, and suddenly nothing felt like it could be all that bad. “Okay, Callie. We’ll play this your way.”

  “Thank you, Jack,” I whispered. I had a thousand other things I needed to say to him. But looking up into his eyes just then, I knew even those thousand weren’t ever going to cover it. “Thank you for everything.”

  He grinned and I swear, I couldn’t find any breath in me anywhere. But that grin was gone just as quick, and he looked around uneasily. “Callie … you’re sure about your Pa?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re sure … You’re sure what side he’s on?”

  This was not what I needed to hear from Jack right now. Especially after sitting next to Papa for hours, knowing the whole time how very badly he did not want to be here, and how often he wished he could think of a way out.

  “I have to be sure,” I said. “We’re all out of choices, and time. I …”

  “What?” He was standing very close. By now he had to know how that made it hard for me to think, and see straight. In fact, I was starting to think he enjoyed it. “You what?”

  “I hate how there’s no time,” I told him. “I just want one day where there’s not another danger or another fight coming up. I want …” I wanted to know what to say, but I wasn’t getting that either. So I just took Jack’s hand and held it.

  “We’ll get there, Callie,” said Jack softly. “And that’s a promise from me.”

  He kissed me. Right on the lips. It was so soft and so quick, he was already walking away before I was even sure it had happened. Jack swung his arms over his head and adjusted his cap and ducked out of sight between the trees, heading toward the sunrise.

  I couldn’t move. I couldn’t have moved if somebody’d set fire to my shoes. I guess I did find my hands and feet eventually, because I was able to climb up the ladder to Touhy’s room. That’s if I didn’t fly.

  Once inside, though, reality came back in a cold rush. The little room had not escaped the fight. The bed was on its side and the covers had been shredded. All the books had been torn off the shelves and they lay in tattered heaps in the middle of the room. A few of my words were creeping around the edges of the pile, nosing at the pages, but none of them moved. My eyes stung and I fished in my p
ocket for Jack’s notebook. When I opened it up and whistled, the words tucked themselves inside, and they felt glad to be coming home. I didn’t want to think about that. There were a whole lot of things I didn’t want to think about. Like what might be happening to Touhy and Ashland now, and even Dan Ryan. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself.

  Soft footsteps sounded on the balcony.

  “Jack?” I whipped around.

  But it wasn’t Jack. My father ducked in through Touhy’s low doorway.

  “Jack?” His eyebrows lifted. “Hmm. I can see I’m going to have to have a talk with that young man about his intentions. Soon.”

  I dipped my head to try to hide the blush. I don’t know why I bothered. My father could feel my embarrassment as clearly as I could hear him chuckle.

  “Is it bad out there?” I asked.

  “You saw it.” He kicked at the loose papers with his toe.

  “We’re going to need to do something about Ben and Simon too,” I said. “This is going to take a while here.”

  “Your mother thought of that. She’s going to call Mrs. Burnstein. The hospital may be the best place for them both, while they’re asleep.”

  “Did you tell Jack?”

  “Your mother did. He agrees.” I met Papa’s eyes. “He agrees, Callie,” Papa repeated. “No tricks. Not this time.”

  “So?” I blew out a sigh.

  “So.” He sighed right back. “I know this might be unexpected, but … I thought I might spare your mother, just a little.”

  Quick as thinking, Papa passed his broad, smooth hand over my forehead. I’m sorry it’s come to this, daughter, he said into my mind. I truly am.

  Music swirled through me. I didn’t hear it. I felt it. It went straight into my brain and whirled around my thoughts, catching them up and scattering them far and wide.

  It wasn’t long before I had no thoughts left.

  I blinked. Bright, hot daylight streamed over Touhy’s balcony rail. A wave of dizziness overtook me and I staggered. Papa caught my elbow.

  “Are you all right, Callie?” he asked.

  “I … yeah. Sorry. We were talking …” I blinked again. “We were talking …”

  “About how it’s time for us to get going,” he said. “If we’re to present your idea of a League of Nations–style meeting to the courts themselves, we need to do it before they decide to make another attack on the Halferville.” He jerked his chin out the window. “I’ll give your Halfers this. They don’t lack for courage. The corbies have emptied whole towns when they’re set loose. However, I don’t think Dearborn’s patience with me will hold for another such raid.”

  “Right.” I remembered now. We’d been up all night talking the plan over. The Halfers had not been happy, but they’d agreed in the end. Especially once I promised I’d make getting back all the hostages part of any bargain. Things had broken up so we could get some sleep. Now Papa had come to get me, because I’d slept a little too long.

  “Jack and your mother are waiting below,” Papa said. “They wanted to walk to the gate with us.”

  “As if we’d be able to stop them.”

  He smiled back. “As if. Now”—he held up one finger—“we can’t look weak. Or like we’re doing this on the spur of the moment. If we meet anyone, you let me do the talking, you understand? As the heir to the Midnight Throne, you are the greater power. If you address another power directly, not only will you be lowering yourself, you’ll be opening yourself up to scrutiny and giving them a chance to see what’s really going on inside you. That gives them the chance to find something they can use against you.”

  “Okay. I think I understand.”

  “Good girl,” he said softly. He was holding something tight inside. I could feel it, but I couldn’t reach it, and I knew he didn’t want me to. It was too big, whatever it was. I decided I’d better let it go. We had too much else to do.

  The gate and its ruined mansion stood in the part of the city Jack called Bronzeville. We walked the whole long way there, me, my parents, and Jack. Bronzeville was the section of the city where most of the Negroes lived. The city of Chicago might not have Jim Crow, but it did make sure that people of color kept to certain neighborhoods, even more than the Poles or the Irish or the Hungarians or the Jews. It was crowded and noisy and smoky, just like the other parts of Chicago I’d seen, only here the people around us mostly had skin that was some shade of brown—from creamy gold to sandy brown to shining midnight black, and every tone and variant in between. We passed big stores and small stores, apartments, restaurants and diners, luncheonettes and nightclubs, bars, and church after church after church. Big churches, small churches, churches that were nothing more than storefronts with painted windows and stood right next door to “policy” shops that Jack said were gambling dives. And not once did anybody on those crowded, hot summer sidewalks look at us like we might not belong.

  We could have ridden the El ourselves to make this trip, or gotten a cab, but nobody wanted Papa going into this at anything less than his best. He sure looked the part. He’d made himself a sharp gray suit with a snap-brim fedora and a dark tie and shined shoes. We’d all been dressed up to match, clean and pressed as if we were headed into one of those churches. Mama was in her blue flowered dress, and I was in my straight skirt, white blouse, and cloche hat. Jack was back in his white flannels and dress shirt. Papa took Mama’s arm and strolled down that sidewalk like he was already king of the world. Folks nodded to them as they passed, and Papa touched his hat to them in return. Even Mama got a ghost of a smile on her face to be looked at with respect by the white-gloved ladies out walking with their own men.

  I was sure there were problems with this part of town, and if we stayed, they’d turn up soon enough, but I knew I’d never forget this feeling. For this little bit of time, in this place, I was free to walk out with my parents and with Jack, and none of us had to hide. I tried to tell myself there would be other days like this, in other places. But I couldn’t forget those days would only come on the other side of this one. And only if we all lived.

  Way too soon we were all standing at the steps of the burnt-out mansion, staring up at the broken door. I could feel the gate in there, wide open and waiting. That made me shiver. I’d been through two other city gates—The Unseelie gate in Kansas City and the Seelie gate in Los Angeles. Those had been whole, living places and I’d known who they belonged to. I looked up at this gate, and I didn’t know a darned thing. That added on a fresh shovelful of fear that I really could have done without.

  Papa gave me a glance, then led Mama a little ways down the street. I watched while he took up both her hands and leaned in to whisper to her, but only for a second. They deserved some privacy.

  The problem with turning away from my parents was it left me turned toward Jack, with all my doubt and all my worry.

  “You’ll be careful, won’t you?” Jack said. “I don’t …” He stopped, and I watched him change his mind and decide to finish that sentence anyway. “I don’t like that I’m not gonna be with you.”

  “I don’t like it either.” I couldn’t look him in the eye. It made me go too wobbly inside. It made me want to grab hold of him and never let go, and I couldn’t do that. Not yet. “You’ve got to promise me you’ll look out for Mama till we get back.”

  “Course I will.” He tapped my shoulder with his fist. Then he opened his hand and ran his palm down my shoulder, and down my arm to my hand. My heart thudded hard against my ribs. I had forgotten something, something really important. I felt it in Jack’s warm touch, but I couldn’t reach it.

  “Ready, Callie?” said Papa behind me. He and Mama still held hands. Mama only let go so she could give me a big hug. I hugged her back as tight as I could.

  “We’ll be back as fast as we can,” I said. “I promise. I really do. It won’t be like last time. I won’t let it.”

  Mama’s whole face tightened up, and I didn’t want to feel how close to tears she was. “I know
you’ll take care of each other. When you get back, you and I will have a proper talk.”

  “Yeah, I’d like that. I just …”

  Mama’s hold on me loosened. She ducked her head, trying to catch my gaze. “What is it, Callie?”

  “Mama,” I whispered. “I’m scared.”

  I’d thought she might cry, but she didn’t. She pulled herself up straight and proud. Had I thought Papa looked like the king of the world before? Here in front of a doorway to another whole country, Mama looked like its queen. “I know you’re scared, honey,” she said. “But don’t you give them the satisfaction of seeing it. You weren’t even supposed to exist, but here you are, after the worst they could throw at you. You’ve already beaten them all. You remember that, and you hold your head up high.”

  I hugged her. There was nothing else I could do. I crushed her to me tight, as if I could draw her right inside my skin and carry her away with me. Mama hugged me back just as hard. When we could finally stand to let each other go, I stepped away from Mama so she could go to Papa and they could kiss once more, a kiss that was as long and as close as that hug.

  Jack’s hand stole out and I felt his fingers wrap around mine and squeeze. I closed my eyes and drew that feeling down deep too.

  Then Papa faced me. He held out his arm and I laid my hand on it. He and I alone walked up those steps to the blackened doors. I felt Jack receding. I felt Mama slipping away like she’d never been. I did not let myself look back.

  Past the foyer waited a burnt-out threshold. Tattered gray curtains hung from the ceiling. I pushed past them and they were cold, soft, and damp as old fog, and I shuddered. The shadows had their own way here, and I could barely make out anything but lumps of dark and the old smells of wet trash and rot.

  I hesitated, trying to find my footing in the dark, and trying to fight down the tide of fear lifting up around my heart. I felt Papa’s magic sort of settle itself around me like a comfortable old coat, offering warmth and protection against all weathers, flood tide included.