The Thief of Always

XVI

Back to the Happy Land

It was as if the House knew that they were coming back and was calling to them. As soon as they stepped out into the street their feet seemed to know the way. All they had to do was let them lead.

"What do we do when we get there?" Wendell wanted to know. "I mean, we only just escaped with our lives last time-"

"Mrs. Griffin will help us," Harvey said.

Wendell's breath quickened. "Suppose Carna bit her head off?" he said.

"Then we'll have to do it alone."

"Do what?"

"Find Hood."

"But you told me he was dead."

"I don't think being dead means much to a creature like him," Harvey said. "He's in the house somewhere, Wendell, and we have to hunt him down whether we like it or not. He's the one who stole all those years with our moms and dads. And we won't get them back until we face him."

"You make it sound easy," Wendell said.

"The whole House is a box of tricks," Harvey reminded him. "The seasons. The presents. They're all illusions. We have to hold on to that."

"Harvey? Look."

Wended pointed ahead of them. Harvey knew the street at a glance. Thirty-three days ago, he'd stood here with Rictus, and listened to the tempter tell him what a fine place lay on the other side of the mist wall up ahead.

"This is it then," Harvey said.

It was strange, but he didn't feel afraid, even though he knew they were walking back into their enemy's arms. It was better to face Hood and his illusions now than to spend the rest of his life wondering about Lulu, and mourning the years he'd lost.

"Are you ready?" he asked Wendell.

"Before we go," his friend replied, "can we get just one thing s straight? If the House is all illusions, then how come we felt the cold? And how come I got fat from eating Mrs. Griffin's pies, and-"

"I don't know," Harvey cut in, doubt running a cold finger up his spine. "I can't explain how Hood's magic works. All I know is, he took all those years away to feed himself."

"Feed?"

"Yeah. Like...like...like a vampire." This was the first time Harvey had thought of Hood that way, but it instinctively seemed right. Blood was life, and life was what w Hood fed upon. He was a vampire, sure enough. Maybe a king among vampires.

"So shouldn't we have a stake, or holy water, or something?"

"That's just in stories," Harvey said.

"But if he comes after us-"

"We fight."

"Fight with what?"

Harvey shrugged. The truth was, he didn't know. But he was sure that crosses and prayers weren't going to be any use, in the battle that lay ahead.

"No more talk," he said to Wendell. "If you don't want to come, then don't."

"I didn't say that"

"Good," said Harvey, and started toward the mist.

Wendell followed on his heels, and just as Harvey stepped into the wall he snatched hold of his friend's sleeve, so that they entered as they had exited: together.

The mist closed around them like a waterlogged blanket, pressing so hard against their faces Harvey half thought it intended to smother them. But it only wished to keep them from changing their minds. A moment later a tremor moved through its folds and spat them out the other side.

It was high summer in Hood's kingdom: the lazy season. The sun, which had been hidden by rain clouds on the other side of the mist, was beaming down on the House and all that prospered around it. The trees swayed in a balmy breeze, the doors and windows of the House, its porch and chimneys, all gleamed as if newly painted.

There were welcoming songs in the eaves; welcoming smells from the kitchen; welcoming laughter through the open door. Welcome; everywhere welcome.

"I'd forgotten..." Wendell murmured.

"Forgotten what?"

"How...beautiful it is."

"Don't trust it," Harvey said. "It's all illusion, remember? All of it."

Wendell didn't reply, but wandered away toward the trees. The honeyed breeze gusted around him, as if to pluck him up. He didn't resist, but went where it led, into the dappled shade.

"Wendell! " Harvey said, following him across the lawn. "We've got to stick together."

"I'd forgotten about the tree house," Wendell said dreamily, staring up into the canopy. "We had such fun up there, remember?"

"No,'' said Harvey, determined not to let the past distract him from his mission here. "I don't remember."

"Yes, you do," said Wendell, smiling from ear to ear. "We worked so hard up there. I'm going up to see how it looks."

Harvey grabbed his arm.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am," he snapped back, wrenching his arm from Harvey's grip. "I can do whatever I want. You don't own me."

Harvey could see by the glazed look in Wendell's eyes that the House was already working its seductive magic. It could only be a matter of time, he knew, before his own powers of resistance were worn away. And what then? Would he forget his work here entirely, and become an empty-headed boy, laughing like a loon while his soul was sucked away?

"No!" he said aloud, "I'm not going to let you do it!"

"Do what?" said Wendell.

"We've got work to do!" Harvey told him.

"Who cares?" Wendell replied.

"I do. And so did you five minutes ago, Remember what it did to us, Wendell."

The wind in trees seemed to sigh at this.

"Aaahh..." it said, as if it now understood Harvey's purpose here, and would waft this intelligence to the ears of Mr. Hood.

Harvey didn't care. In fact, he was pleased,

"Go on," he said, as the gusts flew toward the House. "Tell him! Tell him!" He turned on Wendell. "Are you coming?" he said. "Or am I going to go in alone?"

"I don't mind going in, " Wendell said cheerily. "I'm hungry."

Harvey stared hard at Wendell. "Don't you remember anything we said out there?" he demanded.

"Of course I do," Wendell replied. "We said we were going to..." He paused, frowning. "...going...to..."

"This place has stolen time that belonged to us, Wendell."

"How did it do that?" said Wendell, still frowning deeply. "It's just...just..." Again he faltered, searching for the words. "...just such a perfect day." The frown began to fade again, and a broad smile replaced it. "Who cares?" Wendell said. "I mean, on a day like this, who cares? Let's just enjoy ourselves."

Harvey shook his head. He was losing precious time here, which was exactly what Hood and the House wanted. Instead of wasting any further words on Wendell, he turned on his heel and headed toward the front door.

"Wait for me!" Wendell hollered. "Can you smell that pie?"

Harvey could, and wished he'd put some food in his belly before he'd started out on this adventure. Knowing that these tantalizing smells were all part of Hood's repertoire wasn't enough to stop his mouth from watering or his stomach from grumbling.

All he could do was think of the dust to which his ark animals had turned when he'd stepped out into the street. The pie on the kitchen table was probably made of the same bitter stuff, concealed beneath a veneer of sweetness. He held on to that thought as best he could, knowing that the House into which he was about to step would be full of such blandishments.

With Wendell again trailing a step behind, he climbed the porch steps and marched into the House. The moment they were both inside, the door slammed behind them. Harvey reeled around, his skin crawling. It was not the wind that had thrown the door shut.

It was Rictus.