“I know Jack Horner,” said Jack Nimble. “I’ve known him for years. How did you meet him?”
“He’s hired my band to play at the Shady Nook,” Cory said.
“Really?” said Jack Nimble. “Then your band must be good.”
They talked about the band and Jack Horner’s restaurants until the end of lunch. Jack was reaching for one last cookie when he glanced at Cory and said, “Would someone mind telling me why Cory is wearing my old clothes?”
Stella set her cup on the table with a thump. “She quit the TFG and they’re harassing her with rain!”
“They made it rain when I was on my way here,” Cory explained.
Jack shook his head. “I can’t believe the guilds are still able to get away with that kind of thing.”
“They’ll never change,” said his mother.
“And no one will ever do anything about it,” Jack added, looking glum.
After they had cleaned up the food, Jack stayed around while Cory and his mother finished cutting up the beans and put them in sterilized jars. When the jars were filled and sealed, he helped put them in a pressure cook-pot on the stove. Once the last jar had been processed and was on the table again, Cory went into the bathing room to change back into her clothes. Jack was waiting for her when she returned to the kitchen.
“Would you like a ride home?” he asked. “The rain could very well happen again, don’t you think?”
Cory shrugged. “I suppose it’s possible, but since I’m going straight home, I could put on dry clothes when I get there.”
“You won’t have to if I take you,” said Jack. “Have you ever flown in a hot-air balloon?”
Cory’s eyes lit up. She had seen the balloons from a distance, but had never actually been in one. “No, I—”
“Then let’s go!” said Jack.
Stella held up her hand. “Not until I thank Cory. Here’s the money I owe you,” she said, giving an envelope to Cory. “Thank you so much for all your help. It would have taken me more than twice as long to can all those beans.” When she leaned closer to give Cory a hug, she whispered in her ear, “I think my son likes you. He never stays around this long! Good-bye, my dear. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from me again soon.”
Even as Cory followed Jack out the door, she planned to fly back to town on her own. Sure, Jack Nimble was handsome and successful, and he might actually like her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t right for her. Under the circumstances, riding in a hot-air balloon for who knows how long might be awkward. All of that flew out of her mind, however, as soon as she saw the balloon.
Cory gasped and changed her mind in an instant. A swirl of colors danced around the balloon like a captured rainbow; she couldn’t take her eyes away as Jack helped her into the large basket below it and they rose into the air. When she finally looked down, her heart began to race. Although Cory flew all the time, she couldn’t help but feel that this was entirely different. Fluttering her wings was work and always left her tired. Flying in a hot-air balloon was a delight that left her feeling excited and invigorated.
“Tell me something,” said Jack. “Why did you look so surprised when I walked into the cottage?”
“Your mother had made it sound as if you were dead. I mean, she talked about what a good boy you were, and how the giant’s wife and parents came after you. From the way she said it, I thought they had—”
“What? Ripped me limb from limb?” Jack said, and laughed at the expression on Cory’s face. “The giants did come after me, but I was long gone by then. I used some of my gold to hire the best lawyer available and the giants weren’t able to do a thing to me. I used the rest of the gold to start a business. You might have heard of it—Nimble Sports. We make all sorts of athletic clothes, including running shoes. I just opened an outlet store in town.”
“It sounds as if you’re doing very well for yourself,” said Cory.
“I am indeed,” Jack replied. “I learned an important lesson from what happened to my parents. I’m living my life the way I want to live it without any connection or interference from fairy guilds. I know it’s hard for you now, what with the guild harassing you and everything, but plan your course and go for it. The guild can do a lot to you, but they can’t take away who you really are.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Cory.
Jack smiled. “Good. Now if you tell me where you live, I’ll look for a place where I can drop you off.”
After a few minutes search, Cory was able to point out her uncle’s house. Jack set the balloon down in the park across the street, making all the neighbors come outside to watch. Her uncle Micah was among them, and when he saw her climb down from the balloon, he hurried over to her.
Cory waved as Jack took off again before turning to her uncle. “Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Not wrong, precisely,” he told her. “We’ve been invited to your grandparents’ house for supper tonight. We’re supposed to be there in half an hour.”
“Then I had better hurry and change out of these wrinkled clothes,” said Cory. “I don’t want to hear Grandmother’s lecture about appearances again.”
“Or her lecture about being late,” muttered Micah.
Cory gave him a humorless smile. “She is your mother.”
“Don’t remind me,” said Micah. “Deidre is the least motherlike woman I know.”
When Cory and Micah walked in the front door, her grandfather was in the main room working on a scale model of a castle.
“There’s my girl!” he said when he saw her. “How are you, darlin’? Where’s my hug?”
“I’m fine, Grandfather,” Cory said, wrapping her arms around the old man’s narrow shoulders. “What castle are you working on now?” She stepped closer to his workbench to get a better look at the little castle and its many turrets that reflected light as if it were covered with hundreds of tiny prisms.
“Ah! This is Rupert’s castle in the Blue Forest. He commissioned me to make him the model as a gift for his new bride. I have three more days to finish it. I’d be a lot farther along if the scales weren’t so slippery,” her grandfather said, picking up a rag to wipe the remnants of the shiny scales from his fingertips.
“Do your joints still ache? The last time I was here you told me that your hands—”
Cory jumped when her grandmother stuck her head out the kitchen door and cried, “What are you two doing out there? Cory, come see me! All the interesting people are in here. Micah, you can stay there and talk to your father.”
“Mother is as charming as ever,” Micah murmured as Cory walked past him.
“Don’t complain,” she whispered back. “At least you get to stay out here.”
When Cory entered the kitchen, her grandmother was stirring something in a pot. Cory opened her mouth to speak and froze; her mother was seated at the kitchen table shucking peas.
“Don’t just stand there gaping like a guppy out of water,” said her grandmother. “Come give me a kiss.”
Cory kissed her grandmother on her cheek, but made no effort to go any closer to her mother. “Uncle Micah didn’t say that Mother would be here.”
“That’s because I didn’t tell him,” her grandmother replied. “Your mother is very upset about this rift between you. I want you to sit down and work it out.”
“There isn’t anything to work out,” said Cory. “We’ll be fine if she’ll stop trying to make me do something that I know is wrong for me.”
Her grandmother tapped the spoon on the edge of the pot and turned to face Cory. “Really? Your mother said you quit the Tooth Fairy Guild. It seems to me that you have a great deal to work out.”
“I’m fine with what I did. I’m not going back!” Cory cried, glaring at her mother.
“Now, Cory, you’re being unreasonable,” said Delphinium. “You must realize by now that you’re never going to get anywhere doing what you’re doing.”
“What’s she doing?” Grandmo
ther demanded.
“I’m helping people,” said Cory.
Delphinium sighed. “She’s doing odd jobs, working for anyone who will pay her.”
“And what’s wrong with that?” asked Cory. “They’re respectable people and I’m doing respectable work!”
“What did you do today?” asked her grandmother.
“I helped a woman can beans,” said Cory.
Her grandmother raised one thin eyebrow. “And you’re making a career out of this?”
“I’m doing it until I find exactly what I want to do with my life.”
“And how long will that take?” asked her mother. “You’re never going to find a career better than one at the Tooth Fairy Guild!”
Throwing her hands in the air, Cory said, “You really don’t listen to me, Mother! I’ve told you time and again that the TFG is not for me. That’s enough. I’m not talking about this anymore. Good-bye, Grandmother. I’m sorry I can’t stay for supper.”
Cory turned on her heel and left the room, but her mother and grandmother continued talking in voices loud enough that she could still hear them.
“She’s just as stubborn and opinionated as her grandfather,” her grandmother declared. “The whole time you knew him, he never would back down or change his mind.”
“I know,” said Delphinium. “I don’t think I ever heard him admit that he was wrong. Now you see what I’ve had to deal with! Cory doesn’t seem to understand that she’s never going to amount to anything this way. I’ve tried to appease the TFG, but there won’t be any stopping them if she doesn’t return to them soon.”
“It’s your fault, you know. You never should have let it happen,” Cory’s grandmother declared. “You’re her mother and you were her mentor. She lived in your house, yet you let her quit!”
“I didn’t let her quit, Mother …”
“Uncle Micah, I’m going home. You’re welcome to stay here if you want,” Cory told him.
“I guess I will,” said her uncle. “They’re only just getting started with this fight. I should probably stick around to patch up the bruised egos when it’s over.”
Chapter 14
Cory didn’t have any plans for the next day other than to put her mother’s nagging out of her mind. It had preyed on her all the way home and kept her awake long into the night. She knew she shouldn’t let it bother her, but it soured her mood and made her snap at Noodles when he nibbled her toes, something that didn’t usually bother her.
Cory was pouring milk on her bowl of mixed grain and nuts when her uncle stopped by the kitchen to say good-bye. He had gotten up early and already eaten his breakfast.
“When did Mother and Grandmother stop fighting?” Cory asked him.
“They didn’t, as far as I know. They were still at it when I left.”
“Poor Grandfather,” said Cory. “I’m sure he has to listen to that kind of thing all the time.”
Micah shook his head. “Don’t feel sorry for him. I think he’s gotten good at tuning it out. It just becomes so much background noise after a while. So, what are you doing today?”
“Looking through the paper to see if anyone wants help with a project, I suppose,” said Cory. “I am meeting a lot of interesting people this way.”
Her uncle leaned down to give her a kiss on her cheek. “In that case, I hope something good turns up.”
Cory waved as Micah left the room. She was reaching for the paper he’d left on the table when she heard the front door close and her uncle begin to whistle a tune. “I’m glad someone around here is happy.”
Cory frowned when she opened the paper. Another picture of Santa Claus crowned the front page. Underneath it was an editorial saying that Santa Claus had no right to complain about the paparazzi. Public figures as prominent as Santa should expect to be under public scrutiny all the time, even when they were on vacation.
Cory didn’t agree. As far as she was concerned, everyone should have some time to relax without anyone pestering them. She was studying the picture when it occurred to her that what Santa needed was something more private, like a vacation home. And she knew precisely which one. It didn’t take her long to write a message.
Dear Santa,
I think you need to take your vacation in a quiet spot where no one will bother you. I know just the place. A friend of mine is selling her house. It has lots of space and is right on the beach. Contact me if you are interested.
Corialis Feathering
To her surprise, Santa Claus sent her a reply only a few minutes later.
Dear Corialis,
I would like to see the house, but I am very busy today. I will contact you when I have some free time.
Best wishes,
Santa Claus
She was returning to the kitchen when she heard a ping! behind her. It was Mrs. Dumpty wanting her to babysit Humpty again. Cory was pleased. She liked Humpty and would enjoy spending the day with him.
Cory had just entered her newest appointment in the notebook when she heard yet another message arrive. Taking the notebook with her, she went back into the main room to fetch the message.
Cory reread the note. She wasn’t sure what to do. Finding the right person for Marjorie hadn’t gone very well so far. The poor girl hadn’t met anyone she wanted to see more than once, and Cory’s visions hadn’t been a bit of help. Oh, well. At least Marjorie was meeting eligible young men, which was all she’d really asked for.
Although Cory had never met Priscilla Hood, she didn’t know of any reason why she couldn’t try to help Marjorie’s friend the way she was helping Marjorie. Cory seemed to be meeting more eligible bachelors all the time. Perhaps one of them would be the perfect match for Marjorie or her friend. After a few messages back and forth, Cory and Priscilla agreed to meet the next morning.
Mrs. Dumpty met Cory at the door, holding a finger to her plump red lips. “My little angel is taking a nap,” she said in a loud whisper. “You can sit in the main room while he sleeps. He’ll come find you when he wakes up. Have fun!”
As soon as Cory stepped inside, Humpty’s mother scurried out the door, her purse over her arm. Cory shut the door behind her, then went to check on Humpty. He was asleep on his bed clutching a stuffed toy mouse. Reassured that her charge was all right, Cory made her way to the main room.
Although the room was a little too yellow for her taste, it was pleasant enough and the upholstered chairs all looked very comfortable. Taking a seat on an overstuffed chair in the corner, she spotted a pile of books on the table beside it. The biggest book on the bottom caught her eye, although it wasn’t the title as much as the author that she found interesting. One Hundred and One Unusual Insects and Where to Find Them had been written by Marjorie Muffet.
The book was filled with brightly colored illustrations and descriptions of how and where Marjorie had found each subject. Some of the descriptions were fascinating and showed that sweet little Marjorie wasn’t afraid to travel in very unusual places. One butterfly could be found only on the milkweed plants that grew outside a minotaur’s cave. A certain kind of mantis lived in the grasslands where griffins hunted their prey. Mosquitoes as big as her hand swarmed in the forests where the Sasquatch roamed. None of them looked like places that Cory would want to visit.
Cory was leafing through the book when she came across a picture of the spiders that overran Marjorie’s house. According to the caption, Marjorie had come across them in the deepest, darkest part of the Enchanted Forest while researching another book she had written titled Odd and Unusual Creatures I Have Known. Was it possible that the spiders had hitchhiked back in Marjorie’s luggage?
Cory was flipping through the book when she heard a sound in the back of the house. Thinking that Humpty had woken from his nap, she set the book down and hurried to his bedroom. His door was open and his bed was empty. “Humpty!” Cory called. “Where are you?”
Cory searched the house from top to bottom, looking under beds, in closets and cupboards, behin
d doors, inside a clothes hamper, and on the top shelf of the linen closet without any luck. When she was sure that Humpty wasn’t in the house, she went outside to search the yard. She looked in the trees and under the trees, behind the shrubs and in the shrubs, on the wall across the street and behind the wall across the street in case he had climbed up and fallen off the other side. She was looking behind the garden shed when she heard giggling and glanced up to find Humpty peeking down at her.
“What are you doing there?” she asked, craning her neck to peer up at him.
“Waiting for you to find me,” the little boy replied. “I want you to come up here.”
“Not today,” Cory told him. “Today I want to play down here.”
“I don’t wanna,” Humpty replied, dragging his stuffed toy mouse off the shed roof and hugging it to his chest.
“That’s a very nice mouse,” said Cory. “Can I see it?”
“You can if you come up here,” said Humpty.
“I have some mice at my house,” Cory said. “They live in a cage in my bedroom.”
“Really?” said Humpty. “Are they real mice? The kind that squeak and run around?”
Cory nodded. “Yes, they are. I think you would like them very much. There are three of them and they’re awfully cute,” she told him in a very soft voice. “All three are brown, but one has a white spot on its chest.”
“What did you say?” Humpty shouted. “I want to hear about the mice.”
“And one has longer whiskers than the others,” Cory continued, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper. “But do you know what makes them different from any other mice I’ve ever seen?” she asked.
“What is it? What are you saying?” Humpty cried. “Hold on, I want to hear this!”
Cory watched as the little boy scrambled off the roof and down the ladder he had propped against the side. He scurried over to sit beside Cory and poked her in the ribs. “Tell me about the mice. I want to hear everything.”
Cory repeated everything she had said, finishing with, “They are different from any other mice I have ever seen, because all three are blind and don’t have any tails.”