A Tiding of Magpies

by Robert Dahlen

  “Beth…”

  “Why have you been acting like this?” Beth said, trying not to plead. “Why are you being so critical? So mean?”

  Michiko sighed. “Let’s not get into this right now. We’re both tired.”

  “But what’s wrong, Michiko? What did I do?”

  “Later!” Michiko snapped. She turned away from Beth and headed into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

  Beth stared at the door for a moment, feeling her cheeks redden, her breathing shorten, her anger rise. “Fine!” she screamed. “Go right ahead! Treat me like dirt!” She stormed into her bedroom and slammed the door for emphasis.

  Beth fumed as she waited for her computer to warm up. She couldn’t understand what was going on with Michiko. They had been best friends almost since the day they’d met, and had been growing closer as time went on. Beth was happy to be Michiko’s roommate and partner in adventure. She treasured the early morning coffee and chat, the impulse all-night bingewatching, the pep talks and the silly faces.

  That’s what made the last few days, since New Year’s, hurt even more. Beth could tell that Michiko was trying to push her away. As far as she knew, she hadn’t done anything to cause it, but deep down inside, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was her fault, agonize over what she might have done wrong. And she wanted to apologize to Michiko, regardless of whose fault it was, just to make things right, just to see her smile and hear her laugh again.

  Beth saw that her computer was finally up and running; she opened her browser and logged on to Facebook. More nervously than she expected, she checked her friend requests, and pouted when she didn’t see any changes.

  She clicked on one name and stared at the page that was brought up. One of the photos there was of a young woman, about Beth’s age. She was tall and skinny, almost gangly, with black hair and a wide smile that tweaked her high cheekbones and offset her dark, brooding eyes. Her name was Anneliese.

  Beth remembered her from her freshman year in high school. Anneliese had been enrolled there by her parents, who had moved to Beth’s suburb after being transferred there by the German conglomerate they worked for. Anneliese had trouble fitting in at school, with her awkwardness and the language barrier, but when she met Beth, who never fit in anywhere anyway, something clicked and the two became friends. They grew more and more inseparable as the school year went on, the clumsy foreigner and the quiet geek girl.

  It had ended suddenly, on the last day of class, when Anneliese’s parents were recalled to Germany on short notice. Beth had gone to Anneliese’s house to say goodbye, and it had ended with a tight, lingering, tearful hug as her parents waited in the car. Anneliese had finally let Beth go, given her one last sad silent look, and gotten in the car for the trip back home and out of Beth’s life.

  It had made for a long, lonely summer for Beth. Things got better for her over the next few years as she made new friends at school, worse as she left them behind to go to college in California, and better again when she met Michiko. Anneliese had drifted from Beth’s mind, but the memories had been stirred again when she noticed that Anneliese had friended some of her old classmates on Facebook. Beth had sent her a friend request, along with an email summarizing the last few years of her life with the Monkey Queen parts left out.

  Beth was hurt that Anneliese hadn’t responded, but not surprised. After all, she thought as she closed her browser, the way things have gone lately, they should just stamp “reject” on my forehead and be done with it.

  She shut her computer down and went to bed. As she pressed her head against her pillow, she found herself thinking, I just wish that I could get used to rejection, that it hurt less the more it happens. Instead, it hurts more. It hurts like Hell.

  As Michiko turned away from her bedroom door, she could hear Beth yelling in the living room. She couldn’t quite make out what her roommate was saying, but there was no mistaking the sound of Beth’s bedroom door slamming.

  Michiko sat on her futon and hid her face in her hands. It’s not working, she thought. It’s not working, and all I’m doing is hurting her. I was stupid for even thinking it would work.

  She squeezed her eyes as tightly shut as she could. I don’t know what to do. If I tell her, if she finds out, it’ll be over. But if I don’t…it could be over anyway.

  Michiko lowered her hands and stared blankly at the floor. It’s all my fault. I should have never let it go this far. But I did, and now I’m paying for it. And so is Beth, and I never should have let that happen.

  I need to say I’m sorry. Before it’s too late.

  Chapter Two

  It was windy on the mountain, windy and cold, and Michiko’s long red scarf danced as she looked around the narrow peak. What is this place? she thought. Why am I here? Where’s Beth? She could see four other mountains in the near distance, all of them tall and slender.

  A piece of paper, blown by the wind, landed at Michiko’s feet. She picked it up and saw writing on it, in gold letters, in a script she recognized as Sanskrit. It seemed familiar to her, but she couldn’t quite place it.

  There was loud, mocking laughter behind Michiko. She slowly turned.

  Squatting on a ridge above her was a monkey. He looked like he could pass for human from a distance if one squinted, but he had a monkey’s face and tail, brown hair growing everywhere, and deep brown eyes. He was dressed in red and gold, and he carried a heavy iron staff with ease. “Little pretender!” he said with a chuckle and a teeth-baring smile, jumping off the ridge and pointing at Michiko.

  “You?” Michiko reared back.

  “Who else?” the monkey roared. “Who but the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven! The Victorious Fighting Buddha! Sun Wukong! The mighty, masterful, handsome Monkey King! And I—”

  He stopped as Michiko ran up to him. “Oh my gosh!” she squealed. “I’m so glad to meet you! I just wish Beth were here! It’s an honor! It’s…”

  Her voice trailed off as the Monkey King glared at her. “Little pretender,” he hissed. “I did not bring you here for inane chatter!”

  “Does this mean I shouldn’t ask for your autograph?”

  Sun Wukong gritted his teeth. “Young fool! I bring a warning from Heaven!”

  Michiko raised a forefinger. “If it’s about the leftovers we found in the back of the fridge—”

  The Monkey King grabbed Michiko by the throat. “Quiet!”

  “Yes, sir,” Michiko said.

  “I don’t know what the Gods were thinking!” He released Michiko and continued, “The True Millennium is coming! We needed a hero! A chosen one! And what do we get? An impudent slip of a girl with a martyr complex!”

  “But I’ve done a good job so far!” Michiko said defensively.

  “Compared to who? Not me! I defeated demons and monsters! I held the Gods to a standstill! I am a legend! What have you done?”

  “Rescued some kidnapping victims and lost kids?”

  “Is that all?” the Monkey King sneered. “I’ve eaten the Peaches of Immortality! I have mastered the 72 Transformations! I can soar through the clouds! What about you?”

  “I’m cute,” Michiko said meekly.

  “Enough.” Sun Wukong plucked a hair from his head, held it to his mouth, and blew.

  There were a few more Sun Wukongs at first, then dozens, then hundreds. The Monkey Kings raised their staffs as they surrounded Michiko. “Do you think you can beat us all?” they said as one. “You wouldn’t even be a match for one of us!”

  “But I have no quarrel with you,” Michiko said. “Why should we fight?”

  “What if there were something worth fighting for?” The Monkey Kings smiled grimly. “It would be so easy for us to go next door, so to speak.”

  “Beth?” Michiko whispered, her eyes widening.

  “She’s so vulnerable to us.”

  Michiko dropped into a defensive crouch, staff under her forearm. “Not while I draw breath,” she snapped.

  Sun Wukong laughed mockingly
, a laugh that spread through his duplicates. “Try something, little pretender! We’ll crush you like a leaf!”

  “The only way you’ll get to Beth,” the Monkey Queen said, “is through me. I may not be able to stop you, but I’ll make you sorry you tried.” Her hand tightened on her staff as she stared down the horde.

  The Monkey Kings nodded, and all but one of them vanished. “You have spirit,” the remaining one said.

  Michiko loosened her grip on her staff and straightened up. “You said Heaven sent you with a warning. Tell me what this is about.”

  “Very well.” The Monkey King pointed his staff at Michiko. “You will soon face a great challenge. I am here to tell you to prepare yourself. You carry a secret, little pretender. A secret of the heart.”

  “But how—”

  “Nothing is out of the sight of Heaven! And no secret is forever! Soon, everyone will know!”

  Michiko trembled, turning pale. “But—but—”

  “And what is more,” Sun Wukong said as he stepped towards Michiko, “to triumph, you will have to do something that even I, the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven, could never do!”

  “What would that be?” Michiko asked.

  “I have already said enough! Do you think Heaven gives away the future?”

  Michiko nodded. “Thank you, then.”

  The Monkey King turned to go. “Just remember, little pretender,” he said, “your greatest weakness is also your greatest asset.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He turned back and pointed at Michiko’s heart. “Your compassion. Your capacity to care. Your love. I had to be taught all that, but you were born with it, and it guides you. It gives you strength. It’s what makes you a hero.” Sun Wukong smiled, without a hint of mockery. “Farewell, Monkey Queen.”

  He gestured with his staff, and a cloud swooped out of the sky. He jumped in the air, somersaulting and landing atop it. As it sped away, Sun Wukong reached back and grabbed the mountain. He pulled hard and tore away the peak, the skies above him, and the ground Michiko stood on, leaving only a white, empty void. As the Monkey King flew away, laughter trailing behind him, gravity overtook Michiko and she plummeted—

  Michiko woke up with a gasp. She glanced around her darkened bedroom, making sure everything was how it should be as her breathing and heartbeat returned to normal. Wow, she thought. Now I know how Beth feels after one of her airship dreams.

  She glanced at the clock by her bed. Speaking of, she thought as she threw her blanket aside. Time for coffee. And for apologies, I hope.

  The sun was losing its fight with the morning overcast as Beth got of bed, put her bathrobe on over her pajamas, and stuck her feet into her pink bunny slippers. She opened her bedroom door and stepped into the living room, making her way towards the kitchen.

  Michiko was there, already showered, wearing a plain black t-shirt and matching jeans. She was staring at the wall and holding a mug; Beth could smell the fresh coffee. “Hey,” she said to Michiko.

  “Hi,” Michiko said, moving slightly to make room.

  Beth grabbed her favorite mug and started to fix her coffee. “Michiko?” she said.

  “Yes?”

  “I…” Beth paused, trying to arrange her thoughts. “I just wanted to say that…well, it’s a little thing, but thank you for making the coffee.” She concentrated on her mug as she continued, “I know I thank you for this every day, but I really do appreciate the time you take, and your thoughtfulness. Thanks.” She set the pot down and hoped the icebreaker would work.

  “You’re welcome,” Michiko said, still staring at the wall. “Beth?”

  “Yeah?” Beth tried to not sound nervous, but her hand shook as she picked up her mug.

  “Beth…I’m sorry.” Michiko lowered her head. “I know I haven’t been treating you well lately. I’ve had things on my mind. Personal stuff. And I’ve let it get to me. I’ve taken it out on you.”

  “Michiko…” Beth swallowed.

  Michiko looked at Beth, the faintest hint of tears in her eyes. “I’ve hurt you, Beth. And I’m sorry. I really am.”

  Beth saw the sadness and regret in Michiko’s face, and even with all that happened the last few days, her heart went out to her friend. She set her coffee mug down to keep from dropping it. “Is this personal stuff something you feel comfortable talking about?” she asked.

  Michiko shook her head. “It’s something I have to work out on my own.”

  Beth reached out and took Michiko’s shoulder. “Okay, then,” she said. “But you don’t have to shut me out or push me away.”

  “I know.”

  “You’ve put up with all my complaining. I’ll do the same for you any time you want to talk. Okay?”

  Michiko nodded, blushing. “Thanks, Beth. And I am sorry.”

  “Yeah.” Beth stepped back. “And I’m sorry I yelled at you last night.”

  “I probably deserved it. It’s okay.”

  “Thanks.” Beth smiled and picked up her mug.

  “Blargh!”

  Michiko and Beth looked over to the living room and the cage on the end table by the couch. “You had to wake me up with this schmaltz?” Gregor snapped. “‘Oh, I’m so sorry!’ ‘Oh, I’m sorry too!’ What a way to start a Sunday!”

  “Sounds like someone’s got the crankies,” Beth said to Michiko.

  “We need to cheer him up!” Michiko walked over to the cage and pulled Gregor out. “Poor little Mr. Crankypants just needs a hug!” She lifted the guinea pig up and nuzzled him happily. Beth watched from the kitchen, sipping her coffee and trying not to giggle.

  “Put me down!” Gregor shouted. “How dare you treat a mighty sorcerer like this! Put me down!”

  “In a second!” Michiko smooched Gregor on the cheek. He grimaced and made a retching noise.

  Michiko put the guinea pig back in his cage and turned away. As she did, Gregor caught Beth’s eye and winked. She had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

  Sundays for Michiko, Beth and Gregor always meant breakfast at the Wonderland Diner and Tavern, the favorite hangout for the local Emigre community. Their walk there was quieter than usual, but at least the tension between the two friends had been broken, and Beth was willing to settle for that for the moment.

  Breakfast was also quieter than usual, or at least as quiet as things got at Wonderland on Sunday morning. All the regulars were there, and Michiko and Beth were kept busy enough chatting with their friends and acquaintances until the food arrived that there wasn’t much time for talking to each other anyway.

  They were sipping coffee after eating; Gregor sat in his high chair next to them, still munching his sliced strawberries. “So, Michiko,” Beth asked as she brushed crumbs off her Totoro t-shirt, “do we have any plans for today?”

  “Plans?” Michiko said.

  “Yeah. Errands? Fun stuff? Unexpected last-minute things we should have seen coming?”

  Michiko shook her head. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

  “Quiet afternoon at home, then?” Beth said.

  “We’ll see.” Michiko stood up and tugged at her baggy Pikachu sweater. “But I have one thing to take care of.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I was up pretty early this morning. All that coffee finally caught up to me.” Michiko smiled sheepishly as she headed for the restrooms; Beth giggled.

  At least she can still joke around, Beth thought as she glanced down at her coffee. She had already gone through a dozen worst-case scenarios in her mind, everything from blackmail to serious illness to having to move. None of them answered the question of what was going on with Michiko, and every last one made her feel worse. If only she’d open up! If only she’d tell me—

  “Hey!” Beth looked up, her reverie broken. Mandy, the pixie waitress who held things together at the diner, was staring at her. “You are so out of it today!” she said.

  “I know,” Beth said. “Late night again.”

  “How do you guys d
o it?”

  “Coffee helps—”

  The door flew open, and everyone stared at the woman who ran inside. She was a faerie, young and slender, dressed in a white skirt and wraparound top, gold trimmed with a matching sash; a crest with two intertwined phoenixes was sewn on below her left shoulder. She had long black hair, held in place by pearl-tipped pins, and deep brown eyes. She reminded Beth of Grandmother Fox, but much younger. Two fans hung from her sash, bouncing off her legs as she stopped near the doorway.

  The faerie glanced around the diner as the door closed, visibly surprised by the surroundings. “Greetings?” she said nervously.

  “Hi,” Mandy said as she walked up to the visitor. “Welcome to the Wonderland Diner and Tavern. What can we do for you?”

  “Am I in the right place?” the faerie said slowly. “I was trying to find—”

  The visitor fell quiet as the door started to open again. Mandy held a finger to her lips and pointed at the pastry counter by the door. The visitor nodded and ran behind it, ducking out of sight.

  Seven bearded faerie warriors stormed into the diner. They wore armor made of small leather plates knotted together over red tops and pants, and they had swords already loosened in their scabbards. “Good morning,” Mandy said calmly to them. “Welcome to the Wonderland—”

  “I am Liao Po!” one of the warriors shouted. He was taller than the rest, and had a fierce beard, a fiercer expression and a shield emblazoned with crossed swords. “My men and I serve Lord Hong!”

  “Long life to Lord Hong!” the other warriors exclaimed.

  “You will tell us where she is!”

  “Who?” Mandy asked.

  “The Princess!” Liao Po glared at the waitress. “We saw her come in here!”

  Mandy shrugged. “We’re not that high-class a joint. No princesses here.”

  “Tell us where she’s hiding!” Liao Po grabbed Mandy’s arm. “If you don’t, we’ll tear this place apart!”

  “Like Hell.” Mec, who had been sitting and chatting with Puck, jumped to his feet and dug into a pocket. “Get your filthy hands off her,” the gremlin hissed, a gleam in his eyes. Puck grabbed his arm and pulled him back.