“This is how it’s going to go. Pay attention.” Bella was kneeling over a map of the fairgrounds she’d drawn in the dirt, with Ramses perched on her shoulder as a small raven. He fancied himself her second-in-command, though his role would chiefly be that of surveillance. Bella had assessed the strengths and weaknesses of her team and broke the children up into smaller groups, each with their own role to play.
It was quarter of six. The rest of her team grouped around her. All eyes were trained fiercely on the map, and their daemons kept quiet. She first explained to the team that her mother was visiting the Costas, and how they could use this to their advantage; she could distract her mother, or Richie could distract Ma Costa, his grandmother.
“The main idea is to set everyone up at each location before the other teams do, even if they also think of doing it. I’m hoping that the other teams will move as one large group, from place to place. Even if they don’t, we’ll be better able to deal with them if we split up this way.
“The other two teams will likely try to make for the Costa’s tent from the rear to keep from being seen, though it wouldn’t surprise me if the brick burners made an attempt for the front of the tent, thick-headed as they are.” The other children murmured their agreement in camaraderie-filled unison.
Bella pointed with a tree branch to a section of the map and addressed a gyptian boy named Xavier. “You and your team will make for the group of trees behind the Costa’s tents. You should go outside the fairgrounds to do this.” Bella knew Xavier and the two boys in his group were fast runners, and though the path she’d laid out was the longer way; their speed would allow them to gain the necessary ground.
“The task of Xavier’s group won’t be to get the Authority,” she went on. “They’re only there to hold off the other teams while Richie and I go the same way.” She turned to another gyptian boy named Carlo and his sister Serena.
“You and your sister will be the backup group. You’ll be going through the fairgrounds toward the Costas tents, but you won’t actually go all the way there.”
“In other words, try and stop the brick burners,” said Carlo, not concealing his disappointment. Serena wasn’t worried, though; she was a strong girl, and few boys ever tried to overpower her.
Bella tried appeasing Carlo. “I trust that you two will be the best for this task. You should be honored!” Bella meant what she said, but it came off somewhat insincere. She moved on.
“Janetta and Tersa will stay by the scarf. Tersa is the best at untying knots on this team, and Janetta will guard against any of the other teams.” Like Serena, Janetta was also a girl to reckon with, having spent her childhood learning various defense maneuvers from her older brother Marco.
Bella went on. “Once Richie and I have the Authority, Xavier and Carlo’s groups will return as fast as possible, and help guard Tersa and the others. You’ll all go back the way Xavier originally came…along the edge of the fairgrounds. That way is much quicker.”
“We’ll try,” Xavier said, “but we might still be holding off the first group we encounter.”
“Do your best,” urged Bella. Xavier took her words of encouragement to heart. “That leaves Victor, who’ll be the messenger and guard the corn tanker at all times. From here…” -- Bella pointed to another spot on the map representing the tanker – “Victor will keep an eye out for anyone from our team who has completed their task. Stay at the base of the mast.” From where he would be standing on the corn tanker, he’d be able to see Bella and Richie from a distance, as well as the coal shed. Bella pulled a bright orange silk flag from her clothing. “Victor will wave this flag to let Tersa and Janetta know that we’ve got the Authority. Everyone needs to keep their eyes on the tanker whenever they’re able.”
“I’ll act like I’m one of the workers,” Victor said proudly. He certainly had the build for it, and looked nearly ten years older than he really was.
Tersa had a question. “So I don’t start untying one of the scarves until you and Richie are back with the Authority, right?”
“Right,” Bella said. “If you start even a moment before we get there, we all lose.” Tersa shrank away, feeling several belittling pairs of eyes looking at her for asking such a silly question.
“That’s what I’ll be there for,” Janetta boasted. “I’ll get the signal from Xavier and let you know to get ready, and keep away anyone who wants to get a jump on the scarves.”
Bella continued. “Once Richie and I are back and Tersa undoes the scarf, we’ll grab it and make for the corn tanker. Victor will stand at the base of the mast and keep any of the other teams from getting up there.” Her idea was that if he managed to pass himself off as one of the tanker’s workers, he’d get the workers to help in keeping anyone off that didn’t belong there. He would, of course, let Bella and Richie up to the top.
She brought her plan to its conclusion. “Once we’ve secured the Authority at the top of the mast, and we have the feather and the ear of corn, the rest of you will split up and keep the rest of the teams away from us until we’re safely at the finish.”
Bella was proud of her plan. She’d phrased everything in terms of when we get there and after we’ve done this task. No if’s. She was certain it would all go off according to plan. She’d hoped that Theo, bright as he was, wasn’t coming up with as clever a plan himself.
They all shook hands and said a few words of encouragement to one another. They headed back to the stump, ready to begin.
Bella and the gyptian children were the first complete team to arrive at the stump before six o’clock. Members of the two other teams straggled back, often in pairs, whispering to one another the plans they’d devised, making sure no one forget a single detail. Some of the children sauntered back confidently, but Bella could tell that many of them were only putting on airs; it was just as important to look prepared for Authority as it was to have a solid plan of action in place. Bella had both the look and the plan well in hand. Theo was one of the last to return. He had most of his team surrounding him, asking him several last-minute questions. Looks like he’s got things well in hand, too. I don’t know whether I want him to lose or win. Part of her wanted the former; another part wanted the latter.
Marco was back on the stump. He had tied a rope around his waist, with the other end of the rope tied to another door handle like the one the scarves were attached to. This way, he couldn’t help or hinder any of the teams during the course of play. It was another unspoken rule, and no one ever dared keeping him from officiating, for it too was grounds for immediate disqualification. The children gathered around. One minute to go.
He looked blankly at the contestants, all as taut and motionless as tigers about to pounce. By contrast, the children’s daemons paced and fluttered, keeping close by, their frenetic movement further energizing the proceedings. Marco bent down and picked up a wooden board and metal wash pail from the ground. It was almost time.
He then recited the phrase that officially started every round of Authority. He had to change it slightly this time, due to the number of teams, but spoke it with all the pomp and circumstance it had come to possess:
Forces good and forces evil,
These three forces fight this day.
Seize the Authority, I command:
This grand task all must obey!
The children cheered with excitement. Marco finished.
“On count of one, begin! Three…”
Marco held the wash pail aloft.
“Two…”
He raised the wooden board, surveying the crowd one last time. All were ready.
“One!”
Calliope let out a howl, and wood made contact with metal in Marco’s hands. With a clang, Authority was underway.
Like drops of mercury on a flat surface, the children scattered in all directions at once. Bella took a quick moment to note which way the other teams dispersed. “Look where they’re going,” Bella said to Ramses. “See if they do what I predicted.”
“One step ahead of you, dear,” Ramses answered, watching the other children and daemons intently. The brick burners bolted in one direction, all together, and were immediately lost in the crowds. She figured they’d do as much, taking the obvious and easiest-to-follow method of departure.
“They should be easy to follow,” Ramses noted. “Carlo and Serena should have little trouble.”
Theo’s team split into two groups; one mostly made of boys, and the other mostly girls. Theo was with the group of girls, who headed straight upriver through the crowds. Theo’s daemon Hera was a bullfinch once more, flying ahead of Theo and keeping watch. “Great minds think alike,” Ramses said to Bella. She smiled slightly. The other group of townies, three boys, made for some dinghies near where Bella had earlier docked hers.
Good luck, Xavier. Stop them for me and Richie.
Her team had already sprung into action. It surprised her, pleasantly, that no other team had left even a single player near the scarves. Janetta and Tersa held fast as Marco watched them silently. Victor and his daemon were already making their way to the corn tanker; as Victor ran, he put on a cap similar to those worn by tanker workers, and turned his jacket inside out so its colors would match those of the workers’ uniforms. Bella was glad to have such a smart, devious fellow on her team, and hoped she wouldn’t tarnish the winning record he and Marco had established.
Xavier and his group were neck and neck with the boys from Theo’s group. They did what they could to stop each other, all the while trying not to act so unruly as to draw attention to themselves. Every move they made was well-timed and subtle, executed for maximum effect and minimal visibility. Their daemons hissed and growled in low tones, some engaging in brief midair dogfights. Bella had faith Xavier’s group would do their job.
Meanwhile, Carlo and his sister tracked the brick burners, who were attempting a frontal assault on the tents, and were already nearing the boats to cross to the other side of the river. Did they think they wouldn’t get caught? Did they care? No matter; it would be an automatic loss for them, and probably wouldn’t bother to play again next year.
Bella and Richie were making good time, following behind Xavier’s group and the boys from Theo’s team. Bella looked for opportunities to advance, hoping Xavier’s team could delay the others long enough to give she and Richie a few precious seconds to pass them all by and get ahead.
They reached the edge of the fairgrounds on the other side of the river, the side that Bella and Theo originally came from. Trees edged the fair, and beyond that was an expanse of field. This is where speed would be crucial, and where Bella hoped Xavier’s crew would do their job. Bella was glad that Theo wasn’t there to race her, but somehow wished he was there all the same.
Xavier tripped up one of the townie boys and pinned him to the ground. The other boys on Xavier’s crew were throwing clods of dirt at the enemies, hoping to knock them down or perhaps temporarily blind them. The townies daemons, most of which were in the form of dogs, growled openly now, beyond the ears of adults. Xavier’s efforts helped in slowing the townies down, but he would have to work harder if Bella and Richie were to get to the tents any quicker.
Then Bella had an idea. She got the attention of one of the boys from Xavier’s group and pulled him to her side. “Go just inside the fairgrounds, on the other side of the trees. There may be enough room for you to run.” She whispered a bit more into his ear. He smiled and nodded with understanding and grabbed the other member of Xavier’s group. The townies were getting away.
“What are you doing, Jeffries?” bellowed Xavier. “We had almost had ‘em!” Bella quickly told her plan to him, and his eyes widened with admiration. He patted her on the shoulder and followed her instructions.
Bella and Richie gathered up some clumps of dirt in their hands, and were now running with a full head of steam. Xavier had run up ahead of them, but was still behind the townie boys. The other boys on Bella’s team were nowhere in sight. The timing of Bella’s plan would have to be perfect.
Suddenly, one of the boys from Xavier’s group popped out from the trees, just ahead of the townies. He was facing them, and had a look of extreme distress on his face. His cockatiel daemon squawked maniacally.
“Ma Costa! She’s seen us! Run! She’s comin’! We gotta get movin’!”
The townie boys slowed up just a bit, but didn’t buy the boy’s claim. “You ain’t seen that old bag,” one of them said. “Get out of our way.” Their dog daemons bristled and pawed the ground forcefully.
From behind the trees came a terrifying voice. One thing the townie boys were unaware of was that Luis, the other gyptian boy in Xavier’s group, had a knack for impersonations, and among the many he had mastered was that of Ma Costa.
“What you kids doin’, stealin’ my best hen! I’ll thump you good, I will!”
The townie boys froze in their tracks, their daemons whimpering in fear. The impersonation was pitch-perfect. Bella and Ramses were even taken aback but knew the real Ma Costa sounded somewhat older. But it was real enough for the townies. They broke away, one into the trees, the other back toward Richie and Bella. Lying in wait between the trees, Xavier and Luis let loose with a barrage of dirt and grass, knocking down the one townie. Daemons clashed with daemons in a confusion of fur and feathers. Richie and Bella deployed their own arsenal and handily dispatched the other boy. The plan had succeeded beautifully.
Now,
on to the real Ma Costa.
* * * * * * * * * *
Victor smoothed out the new “uniform” with his hands. He inched his way toward the tanker, eyeing a rope ladder dangling from the shoreside edge. He’d considered using the ramp to the ship that connected to the dock, but too many people were using it for his liking. He avoided eye contact with anyone, particularly workers of the ship who at first might mistake him for one of their own, but then might notice just how young he was. He wanted to blend in.
He finally reached the ladder. As luck had it, a small sack of cleaning powder lay on the ground nearby. With something to haul, his look was now complete. He looked back and forth quickly, and slung it over his shoulder. Now he truly looked the part. His daemon Phaedra scrambled alongside of him in the form of a marmoset.
He climbed the ladder, Phaedra right in front of him. She looked around and saw nothing to worry about. “All clear,” she whispered. “Come on up.” He reached the top and peered over the edge. Not many folks around, or even close to his position. Good. He thought for a moment that this would be too easy, but kept such thoughts out of his mind. Anything could happen at any moment. He threw the sack onto the deck of the ship and pulled himself up after Phaedra.
Victor grabbed the sack again and made for the mast, though not directly. Slyly, he analyzed the deck and its surroundings, looking for any escape route or point of access he might need to remember over the course of the next hour or so. Phaedra kept her tiny eyes open as well, scurrying behind crates and other sacks of goods. He saw several crates of corn stacked along the edges of the deck, making mental notes of which crates would be easiest to grab an ear of corn from when the right time came. He considered taking one at that moment, but knew it would against the rules, even though no one was watching him.
He moved casually from one area of the deck to another, trying to appear as if he had something to do, but nothing important enough to make himself noticed. Victor felt was the master of his craft, and because of it, wished he could play Authority more often. Winning today, though, would more than make up for Authority’s once-a-year format.
He arrived at the base of the mast and made himself inconspicuous. Phaedra leapt up to his shoulder and crawled a short way up the mast. Victor kept one eye on the trees where Richie and Bella had entered, and another on the coal shed. Phaedra acted as his other pair of eyes.
* * * * * * * * * *
Janetta hung back a distance from the shed, trying to see if she could spot Victor anywhere on the tanker. She knew of his disguise, which would make it harder for her to spot him. And since he’d not be waving the orange flag until he saw Richie and Bella with the Authority, she would just have to keep her attention in two places at once for a bit longer than she’d hoped.
“Bet you didn’t think we’d just stay right here,” Tersa said to Marco. Tersa had always had a special, unexplainable affinity for Marco, an affinity that perfectly illustrated of one of Authority’s many elusive variables: the interplay between the boys and the girls, and how they could play on each other’s young, indefinable desires for the opposite sex. They still weren’t entirely sure of these feelings, but the girls at least knew how to use them on occasion with greater skill than the boys. Marco, though, was having none of it.
“You wouldn’t mind if I tried to untie just one of the scarves, just a little, would you?” She batted her eyes at Marco. Her cat daemon Travis slid up to Marco’s Calliope, nuzzling the calico-colored daemon’s speckled fur. Tersa knew that adult women often used this technique when trying to persuade a man to do them a favor, but Marco either didn’t know what she was getting at or didn’t care. Janetta scoffed.
“Do you want us disqualified, Tersa? Stay focused. He won’t let us do anything he hasn’t already declared as a rule. Give up, won’t you!”
Tersa was unphased. She only really ever played the game because Marco did, and in fact didn’t care much for the game’s outcome. Travis continued warming up to Calliope.
“Please, Marco? Only a little bit? I’ll untie it when Janetta isn’t looking, so it’ll only be my fault.” Janetta and her sandpiper daemon Riki glared but knew her words would be useless. She watched fearfully.
Marco cleared his throat. “You can loosen it if you want to.” Tersa started, and Janetta gasped.
“If you want to take a bath in pond slime,” he finished.
Travis scampered back to Tersa. She and her daemon skulked away from Marco and over to Janetta, who was stifling a laugh.
“I don’t care much for boys,” Tersa pouted.
Janetta smiled. “Me neither,” she said. “Now go back there and wait.”
From around the edge of the coal shed appeared one of the girls from Theo’s team. It was Alsacia. She was accompanied by three others from the team; a girl and two of the larger boys.
“Hello, Janetta,” she said. “Guarding the scarves well?”
* * * * * * * * * *
Carlo and his sister were just behind the brick burners. They’d already crossed the river and were heading straight for the Costa’s tents. He and his sister Serena were having difficulty keeping up with them, and having an even harder time keeping track of all of them at once. Even with their daemons in the form of birds, watching from above, it was a laborious task. Carlo was thankful that the Kovacs’ and Straussens were still somewhat close to one another, but knew that they could disperse at any moment.
Serena’s daemon swooped down to her shoulder and whispered something. Serena nodded. “They’re moving closer to the river,” she said to Carlo. “Why are they doing that?”
Carlo wasn’t sure. “The crowd may be lighter there,” he offered, “but not by much. We could overtake them through the crowds just as easily, and move even faster if we went near the trees.”
Serena agreed. “Should we go that way, or split up? One follows, the other goes ahead and tries to stop them?”
Carlo shook his head. He did like the odds that that would create. “No. One of us alone couldn’t slow down all of them at once. Let’s keep on this way.”
They went farther upriver, pushing through the people, barely keeping the eight-member party in sight. And little by little, the brick burners nudged their way closer to the river. Did they think the tents were on the river? Surely not.
Serena gasped and grabbed Carlo’s right arm. “I can’t find the Straussens, Carlo! Do you see them?” Carlo looked hard. He could not. Were they still there, and simply hard to pick out? Carlo and Serena’s daemons tried their best, but saw nothing to help them.
Suddenly, the daemons let out screeches of warning, but all too late. The brother and sister were seized from behind, their question answered.
“Not so fast,” hissed Arte Straussen. “You wouldn’t be trying to stop us, would you?”
“Let us go, brick burner,” scowled Serena. “You don’t want to make a scene.”
“We don’t intend to,” chimed in Piter Straussen, who had a hold of Carlo’s arm. “No one will. We won’t make a scene. And we know you won’t either.”
They’ve got us there, thought Carlo. But how did we lose track of them? He reasoned the brick burners knew they were being tracked, and were intentionally drawing Carlo and Serena’s attention away from the Straussen twins. Never underestimate a brick burner, rued Carlo.
“Let’s talk for a moment, shall we?” The four children made their way to the edge of the fair near the trees, away from the public eye. Carlo and Serena were more than a little afraid of what might happen.
“We thought we’d let you in on a little secret,” Arte said. “We’ve decided to tell just the two of you!”
“But the others will find out soon enough,” Piter added. “So you’re the first to know!”
Carlo sneered. “How lucky for us.”
Arte and Piter shared a wicked look. “We plan on losing the race.”
Serena looked at Carlo. She wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, but she didn’t like the sound of it. She didn’t like the sound anything the brick burners said anyway, but least of all that.
Carlo took the bait. “How? By just walking up to the Costa’s tent and grabbing the Authority? You’ll make far too much noise. Very sloppy, if I do say so. But if you want to get caught, that’s the best way to do it, I’ll give you that.”
Piter laughed. “No, there’s an even better way. We could just walk right up to Ma Costa and tell her what’s going on.”
Nausea hammered at Carlo and Serena’s stomachs. Their daemons became small rodents that scurried into their pockets. That’s what this was all about. Of course the brick burners wanted to play; they were planning on revealing the secret of the game altogether! And if one adult knew, particularly Ma Costa…who knew what might happen? And if she knew the object of the game was to tie her biggest hen to the top of a corn tanker’s mast? It could be end of Authority. No, they could find another game, some other means of turf warfare, maybe even revert to some of the older games from days gone by…but this was their game, their way of knowing who had control and who didn’t. It was a part of the young people’s collective identity. And the brick burners just didn’t care. It was unthinkable.
Arte and Piter’s daemons were ominous crowing birds. “The others should be there soon,” informed Arte Straussen. “And then you’ll all lose.”
Serena felt dizzy. How could Marco and the others – all of us, really – be fooled into letting them play? But that’s how the brick burners were, through and through. She looked to Carlo for comfort.
Carlo regained his composure and locked his eyes onto the twin menaces. His daemon reemerged as a wolverine. They weren’t beaten yet.
“You don’t know much about Bella Jeffries,” warned Carlo. “You may think so, but you’ll see how little you know of what she’s truly able of. She’ll stop you.”
“We’ll see about that,” the two boys said. “In the meantime, we’ll all just wait right here.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Bella and Richie arrived behind the Costa’s tents. A few lights glowed within the main tent where Lyra and Ma Costa were.
“It won’t be long before those boys start coming for us,” Ramses reminded Bella. “Xavier is strong, but he won’t last forever.”
“I know, I know. Don’t bother me!” She didn’t mean to snap at Ramses, but wished he wouldn’t trouble her with the obvious. She turned to Richie.
“Have you got the cover?” she asked.
Richie nodded. “Safe and sound,” he said. He patted his jacket. “I’ll wait till I see you before I use it.”
Bella nodded. She planned on entering the main tent, where Lyra and Ma Costa presumably were conversing. She would distract them while Richie would place a light-tight covering over the cage in the smaller tent, making the hen think it was night and causing it to fall asleep. Bella was reasonably sure that the cage was not part of a larger unit, and that it could be carried away with no trouble. She hoped.
“Does your grandmother keep the hens in separate cages?”
Richie paused. He wasn’t positive. And his cover was large enough for one smaller cage, not a larger three-cage apparatus. “Sorry, Bella. I don’t know. My family has many cages. I’m not sure which one I’ll be dealing with.”
“Then you don’t know which cage the Authority is in?”
Richie shrugged an apology.
“Check for us,” Bella asked Ramses, “and see which cage it’s in.” He became a squirrel and bounded over to where the hens were kept. Richie’s daemon Alma became a large hornet and hovered outside one of the tent’s high windows to make sure no one would be coming out. The children were grateful that the tents did not have larger, lower windows like so many others at the fair.
Ramses climbed up a sapling that stood next to the cages, and took a closer look. Sure enough, the cages were three separate pieces, not all connected, and each had a handle. And resting in the center cage was a plump white hen, a smattering of black feathers about its tail. Making sure, Ramses climbed out onto one of the limbs for a better view and checked to see if the cages were connected by any fasteners or wiring. He saw none. He leapt off the limb, causing the sapling to spring back lightly and tap the edge of the cage tent. Everyone froze.
No more spy missions for you, Bella thought. Ramses returned to Bella’s shoulder and apologized. “But it’s the one in the center cage, and it’s separate and removable,” offered Ramses, easing the children’s tensions a little.
Alma returned and whispered to Richie. “They’re both inside,” she told him. “You should go now.”
“It’s time, Richie told Bella. She circled around to the front of the main tent and took a quick glance around. No one here that shouldn’t be here. This would work perfectly; her mother wanted to meet her no later than sundown, and here she would be, hours early…of course, she wouldn’t be staying for very long, but it would buy her enough time to let Richie get the cage and the Authority.
She rapped on the entrance flap. Paula appeared and recognized her instantly.
“Bella! Come to see your mother, have you?” Bella nodded politely and smiled, attempting to give a convincingly innocent performance. Don’t even hint that you’re still playing, Bella Jeffries! She didn’t want to deceive her mother, but maintaining the integrity of the game was too important.
Just as Bella stepped inside the tent, a realization crashed down on her like a tidal wave. She had no idea what she’d say when she entered. She wished she’d planned that out ahead of time. Why hadn’t she thought of this before? Was I too busy planning everything else? Did I think it wouldn’t be too big a problem for me to handle? What if they see right through what I’m trying to do? But how could they. They don’t know how the game is played. Think of something to ask Mother. That’s it. Mention something you might have seen, and mention it to her. See what she says. And answer all of Ma Costa’s questions. You know how she loves to ask questions.
Ramses teetered nervously on her shoulder as a dormouse. “Think you can pull this off?” he squeaked into her ear. She paid him no mind. She wasn’t sure if she could or not. Please, Richie, work quickly and quietly.
Paula pulled back the flap. Bella found her mother laughing at something Ma Costa had just said. They’re in good spirits. Excellent.
“You’ve come early, dear,” Lyra said. “Come in and say hello to Ma.”
Bella smiled politely at the elderly woman. Like Lyra, she too noticed how suddenly ancient the woman appeared, and chose to offer her a compliment.
“You’re looking very well,” Bella said. A lie on top of another lie, she thought. How long will I be able to keep this up?
“You flatter me, Bella dear, but no need to say such things. I know I’m not at my best right now. But thank you all the same.”
Paula was still there. “Would you like some tea, Bella?”
“No thank you, Paula. I’m fine.” Paula nodded and ducked back out. With any luck, Richie had already put the cover over the cage. All he had to do was give her some sort of signal…
A signal! We never thought of any signal! How is he going to let me know he’s done it? He was clever, though, and would know not to do anything rash enough to blow their cover. Perhaps she’d see his daemon through one of the high window openings. Perhaps he’d even come in to say hello…though that might be too suspicious, given that her mother and Ma Costa probably knew they both were playing the game. I could tell them we’re finished playing, couldn’t I? She simply had to keep her eyes open.
“Have a seat, dear,” Ma Costa invited. She motioned to the chair where her hawk daemon was perched. It was on the other side of Ma’s settee, and worse, located in the farther place possible from the exit.
“Um…that’s alright. I’ll stand, if it’s all the same.” Bella wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to have said.
“You’ve only just arrived dear,” said Lyra. “Are you planning on going somewhere again?” Lyra nearly asked if she was still playing her game, but stopped and kept herself from making the same mistake twice in one day.
“No, that’s not it at all. I just…” She could think of no explanation, not even a bad one. Even a bad explanation would be better than saying no and then sitting down, but that’s exactly what she did.
“Sure you don’t want any tea, dear?” Ma asked again. Her hospitality will be the end of me, she thought. Again, Bella declined. Please, Richie, hurry soon.
“So, Bella,” Lyra said, delicately avoiding topics she knew not to discuss, “how is Theo enjoying the fair so far?”
Bella smiled. “Oh, he’s really enjoying it. We took a short dinghy ride, and I showed him a few of the horses…”
“He should see our horses, Bella dear. You won’t find better ones in all o’ Anglia! Maybe you could show him the Costa horses tonight?” Ma was toying with Bella now. She just wanted to see how she’d react.
“Maybe I could,” she said, realizing that she hadn’t explained where Theo was. “He’s looking at some of the trading vessels right now. He’s really taken with those. I thought I’d come visit while he did that.”
That sounds reasonable. If only it sounded like I meant it.
“Really?” said Lyra. “I didn’t know Theo liked trading vessels.”
“Never came up, I suppose,” countered Bella.
Lyra’s curiosity was partially genuine, but she, like Ma, wanted to get at what Bella had been up to. “Does he ever build any model ships?”
“I suppose he might, Mother. I’ve never asked.” Her words sounded a little harsh. Where in blazes is Richie? In spite of herself, she looked pleadingly at the high window behind her, hoping to catch a glimpse of Richie, or his daemon, or any other sign of relief.
Before she had a chance to apologize for the tone of her reply, the voice of Robert Kovacs found its way to Bella’s ears. Lyra and Ma Costa turned their heads toward the front of the tent, unable to see who was speaking with Paula. Carlo and Serena must have failed. Richie must have failed.
What’s that brick burner doing? Does he mean to lose the game? It’s almost as if…
And the plan told to Carlo and Serena by the Straussen twins became horrifyingly clear to Bella Jeffries. And it occurred to her that Robert Kovacs probably wasn’t even expecting to find Bella there. He’ll enjoy that for sure, won’t he? He doesn’t give a damn about Authority, and he’ll rat me out in front of my own mother too! All she could do was sit and watch, mortified.
Paula uncertainly let the young man in, with no reason to think he had any ill intentions. He certainly can be charming when he needs to be.
“Forgive me, grandmother, but this young man says he has some important news that you should know.” Paula went back to the front.
Ma was visibly nonplussed by the visitor. Who was this rough-looking young man, and what news could be so important as to bother an old woman he’d never even met? Her hawk daemon became tense.
Robert was alone, but it didn’t matter to Bella. His words would do more harm to the game than his whole group could do in combat to all the children who had ever played it. Whatever happened to Richie?
“Do please forgive my intrusion, Mrs. Costa,” said Robert. “This couldn’t wait. I have some troubling news…”
He only then noticed Bella, cowering behind Ma Costa and Lyra. He flashed that same sinister grin.
“’Allo, Bella,’ he said. “How’s things? Played any games lately?”
Bella went ghostly pale. Ma Costa and Lyra looked at her, then back to the young man, then to each other. Something was wrong here.
“I don’t play games,” Bella said meekly. “None that you’d know about.”
Lyra saw the change in her daughter. “Dear, is everything alright? Are you not feeling well?”
Of course I’m not feeling well, Mother. I’ve lied to you and Ma Costa, and now I’m about to be revealed by this terrible person, and there’s nothing I can say to stop it.
She thought for a moment. “May I have some tea, please?”
Ma smiled. “I knew you’d come around. Paula makes the finest mint tea.” She called to Paula and asked her to bring Bella a glass. She turned to the young man, grudgingly showing him politeness. “Would you care for some?”
Robert was a bit annoyed that his comeuppance over Bella was being delayed by a drink order, but held steady. “No thank you, ma’am. I just wanted you to know that some children are planning on stealing one of your hens.”
Everyone in the tent held still, stillest of all Bella.
“You see, there are some children here at the fair today that are—“
A loud crash from outside caused all heads to snap in the direction of the cages. Richie, what have you done? What’s going on out there?
Robert was too distracted by the commotion outside to complete his thought. There were more sounds of crashing, followed by children’s cries, howling and screeching, and the panting of struggling children. Then, a moment later, Richie Costa burst into the tent. He didn’t have the hen.
“Grandma! Don’t listen to him! He’s going to take one your hens!”
Robert Kovacs stood stunned, victory swiftly snatched from his claws. Ma Costa was instantly furious and up off her settee in an unbelievable instant. She reached for her cane.
“Is that so? You come into my tent, meaning to play me like a fool, with eyes on my property?” She was waving the cane at Robert now. “What’s your name, boy?”
With no cards left to play, Robert could only answer truthfully. “Robert…Robert Kovacs, ma’am. I’m sorry, I wasn’t really going to steal it, honest!”
Lyra’s ears perked up. She’d heard that last name before…Kovacs. Of course! He was a child of the brick burners! Seemed this generation was carrying on the family flame. She laughed at the realization, though no one noticed.
“Well, Robert Kovacs, you have to the count of five to bring me my hen or you’ll get a cane upside your head, you will! One! Two!”
Before Ma said two, he was out of the tent. He knew he’d better produce that hen and fast, or else she’d chase him up and down the fairgrounds until one of them tired out. He didn’t want to take his chances. Before Ma said four, he stood there, back inside the tent, cage in hand and hen in cage.
“Set it down,” Ma commanded. She pounded the ground with the cane.
He set it down and dashed off into the night. There was some hurried talking and a little shouting outside the tent, but after it was over, the brick burners withdrew themselves from the game altogether.
Bella sat dazed, staring at Richie. What did he do?
“Sorry about that, Grandma. I was coming back to the tent when some of the brick burner kids grabbed me. They told me they planned on stealing one of your hens. Two of them held me back, while Robert planned to distract you with lies. He was going to say I planned on stealing it!”
Ma patted his shoulders. “He was foolish to think I’d believe such a thing!”
Richie went on. “I got free and came here as fast as I could.” He turned to Bella and smiled. “Hello, Bella. What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you all day!”
Bless you, Richie Costa.
Bella shrugged. “I’m just visiting with my mother and your grandmother.”
Ma looked adoringly at them both. “Such good children. Aren’t they, Lyra dear?” Lyra looked at them as well, still sensing something was going on, but keeping her mouth shut. Lyra had spent the better part of her own childhood telling tall tales when she needed to – and even when she didn’t need to – and was just as adept at spotting a whopper as she was at telling one.
“None finer,” she said, her words laced with suspicion that Bella vaguely picked up on.
Richie piped up. “Well, if it’s all the same, I’ll put back your hen, grandma. Bella, will help me put the cages back in order?”
Paula reentered with Bella’s tea. “Sorry I took so long. What was all that commotion about?”
Bella took the tea and drank it greedily. If she was drinking, she wasn’t talking, and the less talking she did right now, the better. Bella finished the glass off and handed it back to Paula. She simply nodded to Richie.
She then turned to her mother and gave her a kiss on the cheek. If she can’t tell what’s going on, then she’s not my mother.
“I’ll be back soon, Mother,” she said. “Before sundown!”
Lyra gave her a short knowing wink. “I’m sure you will be, dear.” Bella turned to Ma Costa and kissed her hand.
“Thank you for the tea. Take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry about me, dear. Just stay away from hen-thieves like those brick burner children!”
“I will if I can help it,” Bella replied.
With that, Bella and Richie said good-bye to the two women, made sure they weren’t being followed, and ran off with the Authority, who still thought it was time to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
“Hurry up, you two. Can’t take that long to snatch a bleedin’ hen.” Victor was growing impatient, trying not to pace. His marmoset daemon Phaedra scrambled back and forth along the edge of the tanker’s deck, watching for any sign of Bella and Richie. Suddenly, a gruff voice startled Victor.
“Oy! Who are you? You part of the crew?”
Victor’s pulse quickened. He was prepared for any questions from adults, but still had hoped he wouldn’t have to entertain any if he was lucky. He turned slowly around, with his cap pulled down as far as it could go without blinding him.
Standing there was a shorter, portly fellow, perhaps in his mid-fifties, with a scraggly salt-and-pepper beard and a harrowing gaze. Neither the man nor his owl daemon appeared terribly personable. Phaedra continued patrolling, keeping an eye on Victor and the man.
“I ain’t seen you ‘ere before, laddie,” said the man. “You sure you’re meant to be on this ship?”
Victor was sizing the man up, trying to figure how much authority the man had. Might he be a higher-ranking member of the crew, or simply just another hired hand?
“I just started this day,” Victor uttered, in the lowest voice he’d ever attempted speaking in. He forced a bit of gravel into his words, hoping to age them appropriately. “Still a little out of sorts, but I’m finding my way ‘round fine.”
The man nodded politely, but not with complete assurance that Victor was being truthful. “I say, then,” the man asked, “could you help me with movin’ a few barrels, then? I’m getting along in years, as you can see, and I’d much appreciate the help o’ younger hands.”
Victor held back a too-happy grin of relief and nodded back. “More than happy to, sir,” he said. “Where are they, and where might they be goin’?”
“They’re
down in the main hold, and they need haulin’ to one of them gyptian’s tents. A
ways down the river, but once we’ve got ‘em on the shore, we can haul ‘em there
by horse.”
Victor’s relief vanished. What excuse
could he use to stay on board? “Well, sir, I shan’t have too long a time to
help you. I’m waiting for a few of the others to help me with a chore o’ my
own.”
The man frowned. “What chore might that be?”
Victor looked around, grappling for an answer. He came up short.
The man laughed. “Thought so. I don’t want to do more work than I gotta, but that’s how it is. You’ll help me, then. This way, young man.” The man turned and waved to Victor to follow him. Phaedra looked at Victor nervously and leapt up to his shoulder.
“Bella and Richie could be back any moment,” Phaedra warned. “We don’t have time for this.”
Victor felt foolish that he couldn’t have bluffed his way out of helping the man. He still had to try.
“I say there,” Victor called to the man, “I’ll be a moment in joining you. Just need to secure a few things up here topside. I’ll be down to meet you shortly.”
The man scowled. “Best hurry, son. The ship heads out in one half hour.” The man disappeared through the cargo door.
“Half an hour?” Phaedra panicked. “Will that be enough time?”
Victor held his face in his hands and breathed heavily. He’d been in pricklier situations than this before, but the comparison didn’t make his current difficulties any smoother. He moved to the edge of the ship and looked out at the fair, straining for a sight of his teammates. “It’ll have to be enough time. We’ll stay on this ship as long as our team needs us to.”
Amidst the din of fairgoers’ voices and assorted machinery, Victor heard a loud crash from the other side of the river. A chocolatl vendor’s cart had been knocked over, which in turn toppled over a metalcraftsman’s booth. Victor and Phaedra could not make out what the two vendors were shouting, but could see who they were both shouting at: two children, a boy and a girl, one holding what looked like a dark box of some sort. The girl appeared to be saying something to the upset men as she continued to run, while the boy was looking in Victor and Phaedra’s direction.
“Is that them?” Phaedra asked. “What’s Richie got in his hands?”
Victor understood that Richie had kept the Authority in a covered cage. Well done.
“That’s them,” he said. “Remarkable timing, eh?” He pulled the orange flag from his jacket and waved it at them. He saw the boy and girl wave back.
“Thank goodness he’s seen us,” Bella said.
“If those two men weren’t so slow in chasing after us, we wouldn’t be going anywhere right now,” snapped Richie. “You should watch where you’re going.”
“Maybe Victor wouldn’t have seen us if I hadn’t run into them!”
Satisfied that he had signaled successfully, Victor ran to the other side of the tanker, hoping to spot Janetta near the shed.
“Can you see her, Phaedra?” Victor was having trouble spotting the girl, even though no one was around to disrupt his line of vision.
“No sight of her,” his daemon said. “You don’t suppose she forgot to look for you, do you?”
“No,” Victor said grimly. “That’s not like her.”
“Something’s going on over there. You have to warn Richie and Bella.”
“How? By waving the flag some more? We can’t leave the ship.”
Victor looked again and saw Alsacia, a member of the townie’s team. He trembled a bit. She was talking to someone hidden behind the shed. If only Marco could do something! Marco must be terribly frustrated, thought Victor, watching not only his team but his sister being taking advantage of by the other team. Victor silently cursed the non-interference rule, and assumed Marco was doing the same.
To Victor’s eyes, Alsacia was pointing at and ordering someone around – or perhaps more than one person? She paused, and looked right at Victor. Caught off guard, he quickly shied away from her gaze.
Phaedra shifted from one of Victor’s shoulders to the other. “Bella and Richie are walking into an ambush!”
Victor agreed. Had they already lost, this soon? He also wished he was on the ground, more able to do something, and not be stranded on that damnable tanker. “Maybe so…but I can’t leave now! Anyone could come at any moment! But…oh, I don’t know, Phaedra. Someone has to help them, if it ain’t me. But if I can’t stay here—“
“Then I can,” another voice said. It didn’t sound like that of any adult. Victor turned around.
It was Theo.
“But,” he said, “you have to promise me something first.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Marco was itching to help Tersa and his sister Janetta. The only official action he could take was to disqualify a team, and so far no one had done anything to merit a disqualification. He silently sent encouraging thoughts to his sister, hoping she might hear them and use their power to her advantage.
“I’ll ask you one last time,” Alsacia said calmly. “Move away from the scarves, or they’ll make you.”
Janetta and Tersa were blocking the scarves from the others. The two boys that were with Alsacia were standing over them. The other girl, Pam, was watching out for any of the other competitors, and whether or not they had the Authority.
“Be careful what you wish for,” Janetta taunted. “I’ve tangled with larger than you, and they all went away with plenty to show for it.” Janetta knew the boys wouldn’t physically harm her, at least not intentionally; that was another unwritten rule of Authority. No exchanging of blows and no mindful causing of injuries, but one could attempt to physically move a competitor, either offensively or defensively. And there was no rule against a larger boy trying to move a smaller girl.
“We have just as much right to be here as you do,” Tersa said. She was upset that Marco wasn’t leaping to her rescue. Marco took some pleasure in her irritation toward him.
“That may be true,” Alsacia said, “but there are two scarves there. It’s very unfair of you to keep us from even one of them, isn’t it?” Everyone knew it wasn’t really a matter of fairness; it was the point of the game to try to stop someone else from getting what they needed. But her words weren’t meant to accuse, just to frustrate.
“As fair as it is to have these goons scare a couple of girls,” Janetta said. Her words betrayed her earlier toughness. She turned them against the two boys. “What sort of boys are you, doing what some girl tells you? Don’t you have brains of your own?”
The two of them just stood and smiled at her, unwavering, ready to do whatever Alsacia asked them to.
“One last chance, girls.” Alsacia stepped toward them. “Move or be moved.”
Janetta said nothing, and simply blinked.
Alsacia shrugged. “Have it your way.” The two boys firmly gripped Janetta and Tersa by the arms and easily moved them out of the way. Janetta squirmed with some force, but her movements were futile.
“Hold them,” said Alsacia. “Now. We’ll wait here for whomever comes back with the Authority.” She stepped toward Marco, who was intentionally avoiding eye contact with the girl. “Now, no one can untie a scarf until the Authority is here, right?”
Marco nodded.
“But it doesn’t matter if one team brings the Authority, and another unties the scarf?”
Marco sighed. It was true; he’d only said that one had to precede the other, but never explicitly stated that two tasks had to be performed by the same team. He nodded again.
“Thought so!” Janetta clapped her hands. “Alright. Once the Authority is here, Pam will untie a scarf. And you two…” – she was talking to Janetta and Tersa now – “will stay right here. I’m guessing the brick burners probably won’t have the smarts to bring back the Authority, so that leaves the rest of your team.” Alsacia had an idea that it would probably at least be Richie Costa who’d return with the Authority, given that the hen was to be taken from the Costa’s tents, and also assumed that, like her team had done, most of the boys would be busy guarding against their opponents. That left either Bella or Serena to be the likely courier of the Authority, and Alsacia figured it would probably be Bella, given how close the Jeffries family was to the Costas.
“Here they come!” Pam had spotted Richie and Bella; they had just crossed the river and would be there in only minutes.
She shouted to the others. “It’s Bella Jeffries and Richie Costa!” Alsacia clapped her hands again, relishing her masterful deduction.
Pam immediately made for the door handle, fingers placed on one of the expertly knotted scarves. She kept her eyes on the edge of the shed, waiting for the Authority.
Bella and Richie moved steadily, and were now about fifty meters from the shed. Suddenly, Bella stopped.
“What’s wrong now?” Richie wheezed. “We’re nearly there!”
Bella looked around. She looked at the tanker. She looked at the various booths and tents. She even looked toward the shed.
She saw nothing. And that was the problem.
“Look around you, Richie. Does it seem like anyone’s after us? Or hiding, even?” Richie scanned all that Bella had scanned. He came to the same conclusion.
“It has been a little easy coming back this way,” he conceded. “You think we’d’ve seen someone from the other team at least.”
“And no one’s been chasing us outright…”
Richie swallowed. “Well, they’re one of two places. Tanker or shed.”
“I’m afraid to go either place,” Bella admitted.
“Well, since we have to go to the shed first, let’s assume they’re waiting for us.” Neither of them could be certain, but erring on the side of caution was also a wise choice when playing Authority.
“Alright,” Bella said. “Which way do you think someone would be expecting to come from? The south side? It’s the most concealed, and that’s the side everyone usually arrives from. So we should go in from the north, and take them by surprise.”
Richie thought for a moment and agreed. “That makes sense. I think.”
“Let’s try that then,” Bella said, half-unsure herself. “And be ready for anything.”
* * * * * * * * * *
“So, you’ll stay here, and help our team get to the top?” Victor couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Theo.
“Not exactly. I’ll help keep anyone that works on board the ship from stopping anyone from your team. That’s all I promise.” Theo was up to something, that much was certain.
Victor squinted at Theo. “So what do you want me to do?”
“The same. If you see someone from my team headed this way, and someone else is trying to stop them…”
“That doesn’t make sense. I’d only be helping the other teams!”
“But if we’re both doing the same thing, it will balance out.”
Victor considered this for a moment. Did that make sense? He was running out of time to think.
“Let’s say I help you and you help me. What
of it? Why should we help each other?”
“Well, the brick burners, for one.”
Even Theo knew how his and Bella’s teams were at odds with them, and used that
idea to try persuading Victor -- never mind that neither of them knew the
Kovacs’ and Straussens had already forfeited.
“Go on,” said Victor.
“The other reason…well…it’s a bit personal. I’m a bit embarrassed to say…”
Victor had just about enough. “You’d better tell me, and fast, if you want me to even think of helping you.”
Theo had Victor right where he wanted him.
“Well…it’s Bella Jeffries.” Theo turned suddenly candid with Victor. He was telling him his true feelings, but used them as pretense for his current plan. “I think Bella is a fine girl, Victor. And frankly, I have no intention of stopping her – or her team – from winning.”
“You’d sabotage your own team, then?” What sort of reputation would that give Theo with the others? Or Victor himself, for allowing such a thing?
“I didn’t say that,” Theo replied. “See, I’ve already figured she’s going to try to tie the Authority to the mast herself…”
“How do you know that?” Victor realized that Theo may not have already known that part of the plan, but had only assumed it. And Victor had now revealed it, just as Theo had hoped he would.
“Intuition,” Theo replied. “Bella’s got the experience and the smarts, and she seems the type to take charge.” Victor chafed at the remark; what did that make him then? “I’ve never played Authority before,” Theo continued, “and I’m rather enjoying it. But I’m also…that is, I also have, I have real feelings for… oh, never mind.”
Victor wasn’t sure what to make of what Theo was driving out. Young men their age rarely spoke of girls in such a way, so openly, and never with someone they’d only just met. He wanted to know more.
“What is it, Theo? What’s it all about?”
“Well,” said Theo, “I know how much Authority means to you and everyone else. Bella too. And I know that she’d want to win more than anything. I might sound crazy, but I don’t care if our team wins or not. There! I said it. I wouldn’t say so to the others—“
“And well you shouldn’t!” said Victor, astonished but still intrigued by Theo’s openness.
“But if there’s anything I can do to at least make Bella’s chances better…then maybe…”
Victor thought he understood; he was hearing Theo say that he was taken with Bella, had feelings for her, and that by letting her win she’d be happy, and he wanted to see her happy, and that’s all he really cared about. He repeated this back to Theo. “Is that about all of it?”
“Precisely! You’ve nailed it, Victor. So…what do you say?”
Victor was very unsure. It seemed like such a risky maneuver. And if it failed, what would he say to his team? Had anyone who’d ever played Authority before encountered such a proposal, let alone accepted? Two teams helping one another, creating a hypothetical stalemate? But how could that be? For the moment, it made sense, but he wished he had more time to consider the full implications of what Theo was asking. Victor sized up Theo one more time, calculating his chances against him if the two of them engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Victor liked his chances. And as Bella was his friend, he couldn’t pass up an offer to help her and the team win, strange as the method Theo proposed had sounded. Besides, Victor needed to help Bella and Richie anyway, and he had a better chance of keeping the Authority out of enemy hands on the ground than up on the deck of that bloody tanker.
“What do you make of it?” Phaedra whispered in Victor’s ear. “Can we trust him?” Phaedra knew Victor had a tendency to act impulsively in tense situations – it’s what made him such a winning team captain – but this time was different.
“It’s a deal,” Victor said to Theo. “Here.” He took off his cap and gave it to Theo. “Put this on. You’ll blend in better. And there’s an older fellow who wanted me to lend him a hand with some cargo. You’ll have him to deal with. He’ll come lookin’ for me, and he’ll see you, and try recruitin’ you too.”
“I’ll take care of him,” Theo said. Victor found some discomfort in the way Theo said that.
“Someone’s already interfered with our plans, and I’m going to see what it’s about. If it’s your team that’s done it, I can’t promise I’ll hold back in stopping them.”
“Then I can’t promise that I’ll stop those who’d interfere with your team,” Theo said. “Then were would we be?”
Victor frowned, but he felt helpless to do anything else. He shook his head and made his way down the rope ladder. Once on the ground, he and Phaedra made for the shed as fast as they could go.
What Victor didn’t know, aside from Theo’s true intentions, was that Theo and his daemon Hera had been spying on him for the last several minutes. He’d heard Victor’s encounter with the old man, seen him give the signal to Bella and Richie, and was now planning on using this information to his advantage.
As soon as Victor left, Theo opened one of the crates of corn and took a few ears for himself. Now that he’d secured a few ears for his team, he set about making it impossible for the other team to do the same.
Theo made straight for the main hold of the ship. He hoped to find much of the crew there. And he did. Most of them were preparing for the ship’s impending departure.
He stepped up onto the tallest crate he could find, cupped his hands to his mouth, and shouted at the men.
“Listen up, you filthy sods! Just had an order come in for two hundred crates o’ corn, and we best deliver lickety-split! Everything up top, and anything you can spare down here!”
There were two dozen men in the hold, all of which stood a full head taller than Theo. But his enhanced height and arresting words gave them a moment’s pause.
One of the larger shiphands step forward, looking like he was ready to crush Theo with his bare hands. “Who the hell are you, and what’s this racket about two hundred crates? I ain’t never seen you before!” The other men grumbled accordingly. Who was this nasty young fellow, and why was he shouting orders at them?
The older man that Victor encountered earlier spoke up. His eyesight was failing, as well as his hearing, and seeing the cap on Theo, thought it was Victor.
“Oh, I seen ‘em earlier,” the man said. “He’s an alright bloke. Just started today. Ain’t none o’ you seen him?” The others shrugged and shook their heads, but they’d apparently always trusted the old man at this word, and weren’t going to stop now.
The old man went on. “He was just about to help me with them barrels of corn.”
Barrels of corn? Theo found that to be a rather nice surprise. It was going better than he’d hoped.
“That’s right,” Theo went on. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the rest of what’s up top off this bleedin’ tanker, pronto!”
The old man scratched his head. “I thought we only had just the few barrels, for one of the gyptian families down river. You sayin’ there’s more?”
Theo was ready for an even larger bluff. “’Course there’s more! Didn’t you just hear? A certain someone here at the fair just purchased the whole lot of it, and they mean to have it before we leave! I don’t care if you break your sorry backs doin’ it!”
Theo, of course, didn’t have any particular ‘certain someone’ in mind, but assumed the workers would all think of someone at the fair who had a lot of money, and believe that that certain someone had just ordered all the corn on the ship and wanted it immediately.
The old man turned to the rest of the workers. “The Aldridge’s must’ve put in an order! They’ve got a stable ‘round here, I think!” He turned back to Theo, who was still fully in character. “They want it taken there? Now?”
Theo huffed at the man. “You know how the Aldridge’s can be!” Theo thought he’d heard of some wealthy businessman by that name, but nothing more specific than that. “They want it now, and they want it their way! I ain’t likin’ it any more’n the rest o’ you blokes, but an order’s an order, and I don’t want to leave tonight with a rich, unhappy customer! Any of you feel that way?”
The men looked at one another, once again muttering to themselves. No, they didn’t want to lose a high-paying customer either. Theo feared they’d ask how much was being offered for the corn, but no one did. Perhaps they associated the name Aldridge with regularly satisfying payment, and that was fine with Theo.
The old man puffed out his chest at the men, his owl daemon impatiently flapping its great wings. “Well, don’t stand there starin’ at the ground! Get those crates gone, and quick! We leave in twenty minutes!” The men set about their unpleasant task. Theo conveniently disappeared, hiding back up top on deck behind a few barrels of heating oil.
How am I doing so far, Bella?
* * * * * * * * * *
Victor was now twenty meters from the shed, and what made him gasp for breath. Bella and Richie were nearly to the shed themselves, moving slowly but too close to be safe. How to get their attention?
“Phaedra, you’ve got to stop them.”
Authority’s rules never precluded the use of one’s daemon from assisting a team, but, as was the way in Bella’s world, one’s daemon did not always speak to another person unless the circumstances were extreme. This was one of those situations.
Without a reply, Phaedra changed into a peregrine falcon and darted after the two children. As she approached, she let out a piercing screech. Better to get their attention this way then to call out their names.
Bella and Richie whipped around to see Phaedra heading straight for them. They both recoiled, not knowing whose daemon it might be. Just as Phaedra reached them she changed back into a marmoset and plopped onto the ground in front of them. They knew it was Phaedra instantly.
“You have to stop,” Phaedra said. “The townies are waiting for you on the other side.”
The two children exchanged glances. They’d guessed right. Ramses and Richie’s daemon Alma moved close to Phaedra, each of them sniffing and moving around one another. “How far is Victor from here?” Bella asked.
“Not far,” Phaedra said. The children looked in the direction Phaedra came from. They could now see him running as fast as he could, ducking and weaving through the stream of humans and daemons.
He finally arrived, out of breath. Phaedra was a bit tired for it, but could speak for the winded Victor. “We saw Alsacia where Janetta should have been and knew that something might be wrong. We had to warn you.”
Bella was pleased Victor had made the effort, but a new question came to mind. “But you’re supposed to be guarding—“
“We were with Theo just now on the tanker,” Phaedra said.
Victor regained the power of speech. “I’m sorry, Bella, but we had to come warn you. He said he’d try to keep any of the ship workers from stopping one of our team. I promised I’d do the same for Theo if it came up.”
Now Richie was concerned. “But you said you saw Alsacia by the shed.”
“That’s right. And then Theo appeared and—“
A look of embarrassed realization came over Victor’s face, as looks of despair spread across Bella’s and Richie’s. How did he not see it? Victor assumed that Theo didn’t know he’d seen Alsacia by the shed, and if he’d thought more about it, he’d have realized that Theo very likely orchestrated the whole thing.
“I’m so sorry, you two,” Victor said, ashamed. He’d never quite encountered a situation like this in all the times he’d played Authority. This Theo was definitely a contender.
“What’s done is done, Victor.” Bella wanted to comfort her friend, but was too perturbed by the news to show him much compassion.
“Well, if we’re being waited for,” Richie said, “there are probably more of them than there are of us. Do you think Tersa and Janetta are still guarding the scarves?”
Victor nodded. “That might be. I didn’t see her before, so maybe she went to help Tersa.”
Bella shook her head. “No, we still have to assume the worst. As far as we’re concerned, Janetta and Tersa are outbounded.” Outbounded was a common Authority term for any competitor who is kept from actively participating against their own will. Richie nodded in agreement, as did Victor.
“If we can’t overpower them, we’ll have to outthink them,” Victor said. “Though I’ve done enough thinking for one day.”
“Or not enough,” chided Bella.
Victor smirked. “I intend to make up for it.” Just then, Luis and Xavier appeared by the group, just returning from the encounter by the trees that helped Richie and Bella obtain the Authority. They looked at Victor with confusion.
“What are you doing down here?” Xavier asked nervously. There was no time to catch up on all the details.
“It’s a long story,” Bella said. “We’re thinking of a way to get the scarves. The townies are guarding them.” Xavier and Luis understood and nodded.
Victor noticed Luis was wearing a backsatchel for carrying assorted goods. “Luis, can I see your satchel?”
“Sure,” Luis said. “What, are you thinking of using it for something?”
Victor took the Authority cage from Richie and held it next to Luis’ satchel. There were roughly the same size…
“Yes…this’ll work brilliantly!” Victor could feel redemption just around the corner.
Luis and the others were puzzled. “What do you want to do with it? And it has all my things still in it, don’t forget that!”
“Oh, they’ll be safe,” Victor assured him. “I think I know what we could do, and we’d better hurry…those townies are expecting us. But first,” he said to Bella, “you’re going to need my jacket.”
* * * * * * * * * *
“Where did they disappear to?” Alsacia was getting impatient. “Didn’t you say you just saw them, Pam?”
Pam was still hunched by the scarves, her fingers and back starting to cramp in anticipation. “I saw them, alright. Maybe they went another way?”
Alsacia paced. She couldn’t afford sending anyone out to see where Bella and Richie had gone.
“My fingers hurt,” Pam said softly.
“Well, you’re the best one with knots, so you’ll have to wait.” Alsacia wasn’t ordinarily this cold to her friends, but when it came to Authority, she pulled no punches.
“Here it is, Janetta! I’ve got the Author—“ Richie Costa suddenly appeared, and stopped dead in his tracks. He was right where the townies wanted him. He wasn’t, however, accompanied by Bella Jeffries. Alsacia didn’t seem to mind, though. She was only interested in what was in Richie’s hands.
“Your teammates are busy, Richie Costa. Can I help you with anything?” Alsacia was proud of how the plan was unfolding. Sure, Theo had come up with most of the ideas, but no one had to know that. She was in control here and now. “She can start untying now, right, Marco?”
Marco sighed and looked up. Yes, the Authority had arrived, and the scarves could now officially be removed. But before he gave her an affirmative answer, he caught a glimpse of the cage Richie was holding. If he didn’t know any better, he could see some of his friend Luis’ polished stones peeking through a small tear in the cage cover.
“Absolutely,” Marco answered. Alsacia then nodded to Pam, who started untying the top scarf.
Richie appeared flabbergasted, though not completely so. He had to look panicky; he knew that looking afraid would tempt the boys in Alsacia’s charge to take the Authority from him. Richie opened his eyes wide and stammered.
“Y-y-you’ll have to catch me first!” He dashed off, back the way he’d arrived, and the two boys who’d been holding Janetta and Tersa let go and gave chase.
“Wait! Only one of you!” But the two boys couldn’t hear her command, and Alsacia stood there alone trying to collect her thoughts. As soon as they were released, Janetta and Tersa were at the scarves, with Tersa’s fingers frenetically working at the tightly-bound fabric of the second scarf.
“Now this is more like it,” Janetta said to Alsacia.
* * * * * * * * * *
Lionel Parslow and Max Goddard kept a low profile. They’d been with Theo most of the time, keeping watch of the tanker’s two main points of access. Lionel was at the edge of the tanker ramp, watching the ship’s hustling workers rush to complete some delivery. Max waited shiftily near the rope ladder. Both were waiting for one of their teammates to arrive, preferably with a scarf-affixed Authority.
Bella advanced swiftly through the crowd. She was now wearing Luis’ backsatchel, as well as Victor’s jacket. She tried to keep her movements steady and smooth as she made her way to the edge of the tanker’s ramp, and right up to Lionel Parslow. She looked frightened.
“Lionel! Good, good…I found you. It’s not too late.” She was on the verge of tears, it seemed. Something had spooked her, but Lionel was a little wary of her sudden appearance.
“What’s that you say? Something frighten you?”
“Lionel, where’s your father? He didn’t come to the Fair today, did he?”
Lionel gave her a sidelong glance. “No…he’s at home, as far as I know.”
“Are you sure? Truly sure? I swear I saw him over by the…oh, no, never mind. Probably nothing. I’m always nervous like that.”
Lionel knew full well that Bella never appeared nervous when she played Authority. But she was supposed to have gone to the Costa’s tent to get the Authority…
“Should you have nabbed that hen yet, Bella? Or did our team beat you to it?”
“Actually, yes!”
Lionel wasn’t expecting that answer. What luck!
“And that’s what has me worried…you see, I’d heard someone from your team got the Authority…Gavin, I think…anyway, Richie and I had stopped to talk for a moment about how easily Gavin had done it…and that’s when I heard your fa—well, someone—call my name! I was afraid they’d overheard us or something.”
Now she had Lionel’s full attention. Lionel’s father Simon knew that Lionel was friends with his friend Lyra’s daughter Bella, and also knew of some secret game the children played.
“Where did this happen?” Lionel wasn’t taking chances.
“Don’t worry, really! I was probably hearing things. Well, good luck!” And with that, Bella simply walked away, leaving Lionel with more questions and no answers for them.
* * * * * * * * * *
It was Tersa who finished untying her scarf first; Pam was having too much difficulty with Alsacia standing over her saying things like “The Authority’s getting away!” and “It’s all up to you now!” Tersa grabbed the scarf and ran off with Janetta, both feeling sorry for poor Pam…though not too sorry.
“How are we supposed to find Richie?” Tersa said as she ran. “I think they went toward the river, but—“
“You’re not looking for Richie,” Victor said, catching up with the girls. “He hasn’t got the Authority. Bella does.”
Janetta and Tersa’s eyes bulged at the astounding news. “Richie was carrying a decoy?” Janetta said.
“Well, did you ever actually see the Authority underneath that covering?” Victor chuckled. Tersa and Janetta hugged Victor thankfully.
“So, where’s Bella then? Alsacia’ll have the other scarf soon…but then again, they think Richie’s the one they need to get!”
“Right,” said Victor. “Bella’s this way. Come on!” And the boy and two girls headed for the tanker, moving one step closer to the end of the game.
* * * * * * * * * *
“Lionel? Lionel, where are you, son?”
The voice of Simon Parslow was coming from somewhere near the tanker dock, but Lionel couldn’t place it. All he knew was that it seemed very close. Lionel did not know, however, that the same young man who’d perfectly mimicked the voice of Ma Costa earlier that day was also perfectly mimicking the voice of Lionel’s father Simon. Young as he was, Luis had a talent for spot-on vocal impersonation, and had practiced impersonations of several of his friends’ (and rivals’) parents and relatives all year, hoping it would come in handy during this year’s round of Authority.
“Have you taken something of the Costas, Lionel? I just want to talk to you!”
Where was that voice coming from? Lionel didn’t care anymore. He left his post and found Max hiding near the rope ladder.
“My father’s here, Max! He’s looking for me!” He’d grabbed Max’s sleeve and carried him away before Max had time to respond.
The tanker entrances were now clear. Bella watched as Lionel and Max departed, and was ready to board the tanker herself.
“Here it is,” Tersa said, who was crouching behind some nearby shrubbery with Janetta and Victor. “Hurry and tie it on!”
“No,” Bella said. “I’ll tie it to the mast first, then the Authority.”
Victor agreed with Bella. “If you did it now, and the Authority escaped…then you’ve just lost two of the winning pieces.”
“Of course, the Authority won’t escape. It’s me, after all.” Bella had been supremely careful in transferring the sleeping hen from the cage to the satchel, hiding behind the shrubbery and using Victor’s jacket as a cover from the light.
Janetta looked at the mast. To her, the platform at the top seemed rather small. Most of the older corn tankers didn’t have masts, but the newer ones did, and gave the tanker operators a better downriver view to help in avoiding collisions. “You sure that’ll be enough room for you?” Janetta said. Bella would have to use the jacket once more at the top of the mast, to keep the Authority from awakening while tying the other end of the scarf to one of the mast’s support bars.
“It’ll have to do,” Bella said. “I’ll take the jacket off once I’m at the base, and tie it around my waist. If the Authority wakes up before I get to the top, I’ll try grabbing on of its legs through a hole in the satchel. Marco’s rules didn’t say it couldn’t be in a satchel, did they?”
The children nodded and wished her good luck. Bella approached the rope ladder and started to climb.
When she reached the top, she was surprised at how bare the deck seemed. No crates, few barrels, and no workers. No workers?
Somewhere below, a hearty male voice boomed throughout the cargo hold. “Five minutes, gentlemen. Make haste!”
Five minutes. Here’s where you prove yourself, Bella.
She stopped at the base of the mast and gently removed the satchel. Ramses, who’d stayed in one form of bird or another for the last half-hour, watched for shiphands and spies. He saw several men hauling barrels and crates off the tanker. In the meantime, Bella had tied Victor’s jacket around her waist and put the satchel on her back once more. She started to ascend the mast’s rungs as Ramses patrolled the area.
“Looks like they’re just about finished unloading the ship,” Ramses reported to Bella. “We should be safe for now.”
“With only five minutes, we’ll need to leave no matter what.” Bella continued her climb. Halfway to the top, Ramses’ words fully sank in. Unloading the ship? She looked down and understood her new problem. No corn to be found anywhere on the corn tanker. No ear to take back! Ramses realized it just as soon as she had.
“This fouls things up a bit,” her daemon quipped. “Shall I see if a stray ear is lying about?” He’d considered flying down to the one of the crates that were being taken ashore, but feared he’d have to stray too far from Bella in order to do it.
“Yes, but hurry, Ram!” Her daemon started his frantic search as she quickly completed her ascent.
She reached the top, and the platform was larger than it had appeared from land. Plenty of room to work. She repeated the removal of the satchel and jacket from her body, and strategically draped the jacket over herself, the satchel and the scarf. As gently as possible, Bella opened the satchel. With even greater finesse, she cradled the silent hen in her hands. She would have to tie the scarf to the hen’s leg in almost total darkness. It was hot under the jacket, and the fear of being caught in so conspicuous a place brought anxious sweat to her brow and hands.
Bella closed her eyes. It was easier for her this way; better to imagine where the hen was in relation to the scarf than strain to see in the balmy lightlessness of the jacket’s cover.
She pulled the ends of the scarf lightly until the firmness of the completed knot was felt. Almost finished. She scooted herself and the hen closer to the mast’s main pole, and tied the other end of the scarf to a crossbar connecting the pole to the platform.
As she completed the final knot, she lifted the jacket just enough so she could clearly see the hen’s tail feathers. As she looked for one to pluck, nagging feelings of guilt and shame crept into her mind. She knew this hen would probably be alright, unless one of the tanker workers caught it and decided to…no, that wouldn’t happen, would it? And it was not just any hen, but Ma Costa’s hen. She was just as much a hen-thief as Richie had made the brick burners out to be. She’d put such thoughts out of her head all day, because this was Authority after all, and the ends always justified the means. At least, they always had before. But Bella wasn’t so sure anymore. Why was she feeling this way all of a sudden? She wished she hadn’t chosen herself to perform this task, wished that Marco hadn’t put her in this position. No, Marco wasn’t to blame; she could have asked anyone else to climb up the mast. She felt she had… something to prove…to someone…
Have I been wanting to impress Theo? She thought she’d said the words aloud, and jolted a bit as she checked the hen to see if she’d awakened it.
She asked herself again. Yes, that’s it. Sure, Marco had chosen her to lead the team, but she’d given herself all the most difficult tasks, the ones with the greatest responsibility. And what had truly made her nervous was the fear that she’d lose and, therefore, look foolish in the eyes of Theo. How silly to think so! And yet…it didn’t seem so silly after all. Bella felt conflicted as never before.
An angry voice from below cut into her thoughts.
“You there! Child! You come down from there! What are you doing up there, little girl?”
Bella panicked. She threw off the jacket and plucked a tail feather from the Authority in one awkward movement. The hen opened its eyes, awakening in a fit of frenzied clucking. Now Bella felt truly guilty.
I promise I’ll get you down when this is over!
Bella looked down to see one of the ship workers climbing up after her. With nowhere to go but down, Bella started descending the mast on the side opposite the worker; she might be able to get past him that way. Ramses helped Bella by pestering the ascending figure, fighting their bird daemon off as best he could. Bella’s feet approached the worker’s hands.
Suddenly, Ramses ceased his attack, and landed on Bella’s shoulder.
“Bella! That’s no worker!”
Ramses had recognized the other daemon. It was Hera.
“Enough already!” shouted Theo. “Please, I don’t want to fall!”
Bella gasped. Theo? Was that his voice? And I thought Luis was the only one I knew
who was good at pretending to be someone else!
Bella crawled down, careful not to step on Theo’s hands. He was wearing Victor’s cap. They stood on opposite sides of the mast, staring at one another, not sure what to say.
“Hi, Theo,” said Bella.
“Hello, yourself,” he replied. They kept staring and simply smiled.
Bella was at a lost to explain with she was feeling. He must have had something to do with the business with the crates, and no doubt was behind all of his team’s other actions… is there anything he couldn’t do? Admiration, apprehension, envy, infatuation. Bella felt them all at once.
And he almost beat me. No…he hasn’t beaten me yet! But…do I really want him to win? Do I want to win, for that matter? Bella did not know.
“Looks like we each have something the other wants,” Theo said. Bella took a moment to understand what he meant. In her left hand was the feather; poking out of Theo’s jacket was the only remaining ear of corn.
“Does this mean it’s a draw?” she said.
“Is that allowed in Authority?” said Theo.
“Well, Marco never said there couldn’t be one.” She winked at him.
Bella so badly wanted to stand there forever with him on the mast, staring at him, feeling him staring back at her. There had once been a time when she couldn’t speak easily to Theo, but she now had endless things to say to him, and wanted to say them all now.
“You’re very good at this game,” she said.
Theo ducked his head modestly. “I’m just lucky, I suppose. And every once in a while, I’ll have a clever thought. At least I think my thoughts can be clever.”
“Oh, they can be, Mr. Henry Loyal Regatta.”
Theo laughed. “Would you believe that I convinced all the workers on board to get rid of every bit of corn they had?” Bella did.
“You’ve just full of surprises, aren’t you?”
“You haven’t done so badly yourself. After all, you did get the Authority away from that Ma Costa and your mother, didn’t you?”
Bella giggled. “Well, I had a bit of help. And luck had something to do with it. And if it hadn’t been for Robert Kovacs, I would never had pulled it off. Too bad his team forfeited.”
“They did what?”
“Yeah. I guess you could say I had something to do with it.” Bella was making more out of it than really happened, but there was just enough truth in her words to be used as something else to impress Theo with.
“You were right. You are good at this game.”
“Think you’ll play again next year, Mr. Balfour?”
“Only if I get to be on your team.”
“But if I win, then I won’t be on anyone’s team, will I?”
“And if I win, I won’t either.”
“Then maybe it should end in a tie after all.”
“But who would have turf rights for next year?”
Bella couldn’t begin to guess what effect a tie would have on who controlled the area.
“Maybe they’ll share?” she said. They both laughed at the improbability such a thing happening. “Let’s not worry about it. I’m sure it will all get sorted out.”
“Maybe. But what I do is that I don’t think I like the idea of not being teammates.”
“Oh no, me neither. Dreadful idea!”
The two children laughed. Ramses and Hera had become a squirrel and lemur, respectively, and playfully chased one another up and down the mast.
“We should probably get down from here, and soon,” suggested Bella.
“After you, Ms. Jeffries.” Theo made a gracious gesture with his hand, and Bella lead the way down the mast to the ship’s deck. Theo followed, and the two of them climbed down the rope ladder just before the ship’s scheduled departure time.
At the bottom of the ladder were all of the children from the two remaining teams, intermingling and ready to… do what, exactly? They didn’t know what to make of Theo and Bella. She still held the feather in her left hand; he held the last ear of corn in his right hand. What really caught the children’s attention, though, was that not only were they holding the winning objects of the game, but that they were also holding one another’s hands.
The two of them walked calmly back to the shed where Marco was waiting patiently. The other children did nothing, said nothing, because they couldn’t think of any appropriate way to respond. Xavier considered lunging for the corn, and Alsacia contemplated making a grab for the feather, but the look on Bella and Theo’s faces kept the befuddled children at bay.
Marco stood. “First,” he said, “I need to verify if the Authority is secured.” He moved as far as the rope would let him and looked toward the mast. He pulled a small spyglass from one of his many pockets and peered through it at the mast’s platform. Sure enough, he could see a confused hen, white all over with some black on the tail, tied to the mast by one of the scarves. He turned to Bella and Theo. “The feather and the corn?”
“Here you are,” Bella said to Marco. She and Theo laid the items down simultaneously at Marco’s feet. “I’m afraid it’s a tie.” About half the children hollered and stamped their feet in displeasure, while the other half smiled quietly and said nothing. “I don’t know how this will affect the turf rights for the following year, and we’re sorry if we’ve let anyone down. But…”
She looked at Theo, who was stood firmly by her, and carried on.
“But…we didn’t see there was any other choice. We’re sorry.” She turned to the crowd of children. “We’re sorry.”
Marco considered the two items placed before him, and thought for a moment while the others remained silent. “Well,” he said, “the first thing I’ll say is that, given we have two first place teams, we have only one losing team, and that would be the brick burners.” He found he was rather pleased with this turn of events, but still had no idea of how to settle the turf issue.
“But the brick burners already forfeited,” Theo said. No one else knew this, but given what had just happened, no one showed any surprise. “So there are no real losers, right?”
Some of the children grumbled at this, while others began to perk up. Alsacia stepped in.
“That won’t stop us from giving them what they deserve!” she said. All the children cheered. “Let’s find ‘em!”
Marco beamed. “I declare that we find them, and have a full-scale battle. Who wants to lead the way?” Many hands raised all at once.
“I think they headed back to their home,” Richie Costa said. His words went unheard, for most of the children had already departed. Richie untied Marco, who was ready to join the pursuit, and the two boys left, leaving Bella and Theo alone by the shed.
Bella stepped away and sat down on the stump, tired from the day’s activities but with her heart pounding hard against her chest. “I bet they’ll all end up in one of the old battles my mother used to have. Not like the way things are done now.”
She patted the ground next to her. “Let’s sit for a while,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.”
Theo stepped toward her, but did not sit. Instead, he knelt by her, his face close to hers.
“You look just fine to me.”
Bella blushed. “So do you.”
And before she knew what was happening, Bella Jeffries was kissing a boy for the first time. She’d always wondered what it would be like, and only now realized that from the moment she’d met Theo that she’d wished he’d be the first to kiss her. She gently held the back of his head in her hand, as he did the same to her, their lips coursing with sensation they’d only before imagined. Ramses, as a rabbit, and Hera, as a setter, cuddled against one another in the dewy grass nearby.
Softly Bella and Theo pulled apart, and Bella looked into Theo’s eyes. She’d only heard what being in love was like, and wasn’t sure if this was it, but felt it had to be something very close.
“I’m not as tired as I thought I was,” she said breathlessly.
“Me neither,” said Theo. “What shall we do now?”
Bella wanted to stay there at the stump, kissing Theo, but knew she’d need to get going to meet up with her mother in time. Oh, will I be able to tell Mother about this? Will she ask me? I hope she says nothing…
“About an hour till sundown,” said Theo. “Care to take a walk?”
“That would be wonderful,” said Bella, as Theo extended his hand and helped her off of the stump.
The two children took a leisurely stroll, hand in hand, along the banks of the river, nearly forgetting about the hectic events of the day, trading stories of amazing personal feats and hilarious moments they’d been too embarrassed to admit to anyone else before.
“I’m glad you had fun today,” Bella said, as Theo kissed her on the cheek.
* * * * * * * * * *
As they walked, they could hear two men heatedly arguing over an accidental delivery of two hundred crates full of corn. And, as it turned out, the corn tanker did not leave on time. An old gyptian woman and the headmistress of St. Mary’s School for Young People had spoken to the ship’s captain, explaining that the old woman’s prize hen had been tied to the top of the observation mast. No grievance would be filed, and the two women even offered to get the hen down themselves.
A pine marten gnawed at the scarf that held Ma Costa’s hen hostage. “I wish you were a daemon,” Pantalaimon said to the frightened hen. “At least then you’d understand that I’m only trying to help.”