Chapter 14

  As it turned out, all of those things were extremely easy to come by…even, astonishingly, the honeycomb. The local grocer - sitting snugly between the pharmacy and a private home - not only had early honeycomb from a local beekeeper, they had fresh milk, butter, and cream from the Roberts Dairy Farm.

  I'd never had fresh honeycomb before - or anything other than heavily processed honey, to be honest - and the grocer insisted I try a piece right there at his counter. It was one of the most incredible things I'd ever tasted, and I immediately understood why it was one of the 'high demand' libations for creatures of faerie. And perhaps why my fairies were so enamored of fizzy drinks, candy, and cookies.

  Unsurprisingly, Malcolm and Judy provided the ale and cakes. Malcolm drew a pint of a local golden ale for me and provided a few small plastic cups to hold it. Perhaps not as decorous as I'd've liked, but it would have to do on short notice. Judy provided both a round loaf of fresh bread, and a half-dozen of her home-made scones.

  Thus armed with a small mountain of fresh foods, our little group trooped back to the social hall in the bright, mid-afternoon sunlight.

  I tested the front doorknob tentatively, and found it cold, but not the sort of burning cold I'd encountered earlier. So I opened the doors, and then turned to my friends. "I think it would probably be wisest if just Sparkle, Penny and I were inside for this part. Sparkle and Penny are fae themselves, and I'm…me." I shrugged.

  D.T. chuckled. "You are most assuredly you." She pointed at the swath of sunlight pouring into the dark interior of the social hall. "I want you to promise you'll stay right here up front, where we can see you."

  "Sparkle, will that be a problem?" I asked.

  "Possibly?" Sparkle's voice came from below my chin, where she was hiding on the Master Key since we were still out in the open. "Further inside might work better. But not too far. Right in the center of the big open space would probably work best."

  "And we can wait here," Father Hill said, "and keep the doors propped open. Just in case."

  I gave D.T. a tentative, lopsided smile. "Good enough?"

  She gave me a long look, then sighed. "I suppose it'll have to be. But please be careful."

  "I will be." Then I had a moment of realization and said, "Though, I'd appreciate it if you helped me carry everything inside."

  D.T. gave me a wry smile, and the two of us got all of the food inside in a single trip. We set everything down as close to the center of the social hall's main floor as we could, then D.T. retreated to the entrance, where Clark and Father Hill were leaning against the open doors…literally propping them open.

  I knelt on the floor, folding my legs under me and spreading the food out in a line, opening containers. As I did, Sparkle detached from the Master Key and flitted up to sit on my right shoulder, while Penny emerged from my shadow and sat beside me in her natural form.

  As I carefully poured ale into two of the small cups, I concentrated on the energy of my magic, infused my voice with just a little bit of it, and spoke softly as I'd been coached. "If any of the good folk who dwell here would care to partake of this food, I welcome you to be my guest at this poor table."

  "Perfect," Sparkle whispered.

  Then I laid my hands on my knees and waited. Neither the darkness nor the silence seemed to change at all, but the atmosphere in the building changed gradually over a few minutes. A bit of warmth seeped back into the cool air, and the vaguely threatening aura faded until I could no longer feel it.

  Suddenly, a tiny man walked out of the darkness directly in front of me, and I had to fight to keep my jaw from dropping open.

  Including his cone-shaped red hat, he topped out at a hair over a foot tall. Wavy white hair emerged from beneath the hat, about shoulder-length, and matched by a long white beard and bushy white eyebrows. His skin was fair and seamed with many years, but his cheeks were ruddy with good health and his eyes were a brilliant, clear, sparkling blue. He wore a sky-blue coat belted with a rough leather belt over baggy pants that were a darker shade of red than his hat, and were tucked into calf-high brown leather boots.

  Somewhere behind me I heard what sounded like a quickly muffled squeak of surprised delight, which could only have come from D.T.. It was too feminine to have come from Clark or Father Hill. Admittedly, if the little fellow's name turned out to be David, I might do a bit of squeeing myself.

  As he approached, he looked me up and down with open curiosity. Then his eyes moved to Sparkle, still sitting on my shoulder, before shifting to Penny for a moment and then returning to me.

  "A gnome!" Sparkle breathed in astonished happiness. "I didn't know there were any left in the area. Be polite, friendly, and generous, and they will be too. Oh, this is wonderful!"

  I nodded a little.

  The gnome stopped about a foot away from the food I'd laid out, swept off his hat to reveal the bald top of his head, and bowed deeply. "Well met, lass," he said in a warm voice, straightening and popping his hat back on. "Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. You may call me Wilbur. And if I'm not mistaken, you'll be the latest Guardian of Oakwood Hall."

  "This is Caley Reid, daughter of Franchesca and James Reid, Guardian of Oakwood Hall," Sparkle said grandly from my shoulder.

  I smiled. "My companions are Sparkle and Penny." I gestured to the array of food. "Please. I know I've set a poor table, but be welcome at it anyway."

  He smiled genially. "Not as poor as you think, lass. And better than I and my kin have seen in some years. I hope my paranoia in no way offends you, but may I have your guarantee of safety for myself and my clan for the duration of our conversation."

  "I take no offense, Wilbur. You have my word that you and your clan are safe with me and my companions for the duration of our conversation," I said firmly, "and longer, I hope."

  His eyes twinkled with obvious amusement as he sat cross-legged on the other side of the food. "Don't over-promise, lass. Not all of the fair folk will be as safe to make such offers to as I and mine."

  I offered him one of the little cups of ale and picked up the other as he took it. He inhaled appreciatively and smiled, then looked up at me and lifted the cup. "To your health and good fortune, Lady Reid, and that of your companions."

  I touched my cup to his and replied, "And to your health, sir, and that of your clan."

  We both sipped, then looked at one another for a long moment. Finally, Wilbur said, "May I invite some of my clan to join us? My brother Wilfred is my chief advisor, and several of our youngsters would benefit from meeting a kindly mortal."

  "Gladly, sir, and they are welcome to share in our repast."

  Over the next few minutes I was introduced to a bewildering array of very similar-looking gnomes, male and female. They all dressed very similarly, though the females mostly wore skirts instead of trousers, and the younger males had no beards and their hair was mostly shades of brown and black. Wilfred was virtually identical to Wilbur, and the only way I was able to differentiate between them was the fact that Wilbur had a fairly normal mustache, while Wilfred's was handlebar-styled.

  They were charming, friendly, and - as they tucked into the food I'd brought - in an excellent mood. To be polite, Sparkle, Penny, and I all sampled bits of the food, but we left most of it to them, as was only proper, and very shortly there was something of a party atmosphere in the building. The very air in the room lightened considerably, and the darkness faded until it was just the natural dimness of an unlit and shuttered room.

  About an hour later, I rose and, leaving Sparkle and Penny to keep our new friends company, went back out into the sunlight, stretching as I walked. "Well," I said to D.T., Father Hill, and Clark, "I believe we've settled the problem and reached an accord."

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  "Are those really gnomes?" D.T. asked breathlessly.

  I smiled. "Yes, those are really gnomes. Wilbur, their leader, says that their clan has lived here since before the town of Oakwood existed. Which Wilbur himself is almost old enough to remember…he says he's 376 years old, and I have no reason to disbelieve it." I stretched up on my toes and lifted my arms above my head for a moment, noticing that while Father Hill and Clark looked away politely, D.T. watched. "Sorry, I was kneeling on that floor for too long. I feel stiff."

  "Perfectly understandable," Father Hill said. "I can't imagine kneeling for that long at my age, and I used to do night-long vigils. So, where do we stand with them now?"

  "Well, Wilbur says that they used to make their presence known to the people who lived here, where the social hall is, and offerings a lot like what I brought today would be left out for them." I paused for a moment. "That stopped a few years before the social hall was built, but any food served here was for the public, and thus fair game and perfectly acceptable to them as offerings."

  Father Hill sucked in a breath. "Then we closed the social hall. Were they hungry?"

  I shook my head. "No, nothing like that. They have their own sources of food. But they were rather tetchy that they were no longer being paid any kind of tribute for the…the privilege of having the building on their land."

  "So they started messing with it," D.T. said, smiling. "It's like the folk tales about gnomes."

  "Pretty much," I said, frowning a little. "They stepped it up a few years ago because, Wilbur says, they started sensing darker things moving through Oakwood. Basically, they made the social hall unpleasant enough that it was a little fortress for them."

  "Darker things?" Father Hill asked.

  I shrugged. "They couldn't give me any specifics. They went out of their way to avoid it all. For all I know, it's related to what led to the deaths of my parents, and what I put an end to this past April."

  Father Hill and Clark both gave me pointed looks, and I shook my head. "Sorry, family business. Will you take my word for it that it's over."

  "Yes," they both said at once.

  D.T., I noticed, was giving me a slightly dubious look, which I ignored. Hope springs eternal.

  "Anyway," I said, "they're amenable to picking up stakes and moving to more inviting locations in town so the social hall can finally be taken care of." I looked at Clark. "Which I'll make a substantial donation to the town fund to take care of, if necessary."

  "It certainly wouldn't hurt," Clark said with a lopsided smile. "The council won't be able to protest if you earmark the money specifically for the refurbishment of the social hall."

  I nodded. "Get some contractors in here, give me a ballpark estimate, and I'll write you a check."

  "Gladly," Clark said, sounding relieved. "Thank you, Caley."

  I shook my head. "Oakwood has opened its arms to me. I have the means to repay that, and I intend to."

  D.T. cleared her throat. "So where are they going to move to?"

  "Well, assuming it's acceptable to Malcolm and Judy, Wilbur and most of his clan like the idea of moving into the Oak & Ivy. They'll make their own spaces, probably in the garden, and will help protect the pub in exchange for regular offerings. I suspect Judy will have a field day."

  Father Hill chuckled softly. "She'll be over the moon, I assure you."

  I looked at D.T.. "If you have no objection, Wilfred - Wilbur's brother - rather fancies the idea of moving his extended family into the police station. Same arrangement. I guess they watched a bunch of police shows on the social hall's TV back in the 1980's."

  D.T. blinked a few times, then grinned. "Gnomes? In my station? That sounds awesome."

  I looked at Father Hill. "There's one older couple, George and Georgina - seriously - who expressed an interest in moving into the church with you. They're almost as old as Wilbur, and like the idea of living someplace quiet, restful, and well-protected."

  Father Hill smiled warmly. "As long as they have no problems with the Catholic Church itself, I'd be very pleased to give them sanctuary."

  I shrugged a little. "They said they didn't when I asked. I'll introduce you around shortly. The rest, mostly the younger ones, want to take a crack at colonizing the grounds at Oakwood Hall. Sparkle doesn't think that'll be a problem, and they can only improve the landscaping. Honestly, I kind of love the idea."

  By the time I finished, Clark looked intensely relieved. "Thank you, Caley. Thank you so much. This is a huge weight off my mind."

  I waved a hand dismissively. "I'd better wrap things up here and go tell Malcolm and Judy about their new boarders. Give the gnomes a few days to move out, and you can get the ball rolling here. If you're nice, they might even help out."

  Introductions were made and plans were finalized. Sparkle and Penny were collected, and we departed, leaving the building quietly peaceful instead of foreboding.

  As we headed for the Oak & Ivy down the street, Father Hill touched my arm lightly and spoke softly to me. "I know enough of your background to suspect that you have no love lost for the Church…"

  I gave him a gentle, probably somewhat wry smile. "The Church took excellent care of me as a child, Father, and I have no right to complain," I said carefully. "I wanted for nothing…not even affection, courtesy of Sister Sarah. But it was a lonely, rather austere way to grow up. And having studied history at great length, I'm painfully aware of how awful organized religion is as a generality. You must admit, the Roman Catholic Church has done a lot of things you can't be proud of."

  He winced and tipped his head in acknowledgment. "As something of a student of history myself, I wouldn't dream of arguing the point. But individual priests can rise above that. I like to think I'm a good person."

  "You surely seem like one," I said politely. "Point being?"

  His smile was just a little bit strained. "Point being, the Church would like to have a friendly relationship with Oakwood Hall." He looked around, and when his eyes returned to me they were weary and full of worry. "You're young, and may not have noticed it, but I can say with some certainty that in my 67 years, the world has become a darker place. Not all of that darkness is due to humanity. Things are getting…stranger. Even here in Oakwood, where things have always been a bit strange."

  I nodded. "I'm not about to argue the point," I said, echoing his statement with a little smile.

  "The Church is concerned that the supernatural world won't be able to remain hidden for much longer. I'd like it if you - and Sparkle and Penny, of course - would join me for a quiet dinner some evening," he said hopefully. "I would appreciate a chance to speak with you, both as a potential friend, and as the Church's representative here."

  I could still clearly remember the warm, protective magic radiating gently off the church. And what he was saying made good sense to me…I was a bit astonished that the mortal world had remained as ignorant as it was for so long. "I think I'd like that, Father," I said finally.

  His smile became warm and relieved. "Thank you, Caley."

  Malcolm and Judy were, unsurprisingly, thrilled by the idea of hosting the gnomes. With that settled, we broke up and went our own ways as the sun began to set.

  As I cruised slowly out of town in my little red VW, Sparkle popped off the Master Key and perched on the dashboard, looking out.

  "This won't cause any problems with the brownies, will it?" I asked her.

  She turned to look at me and giggled. "Oh no, not at all. Brownies and gnomes are distantly related, and they get along really well. And because they're all fae, you can introduce Wilbur to Wadsworth without violating your contract with the brownies. Fae magic is weird like that."

  "I'd wondered about that," I said. "Thank you, Sparkle."

  She beamed up at me. "Always, Caley."

  I drove the rest of the way in silence, but as I hit the button to open the gates - on a little remote that was now attached to my VW's passenger-side sun visor - I said, "What do you think about what Wilbur said about dark things prowling the town?"

  Penny seemed to flow up out of the shadows beneath the dashboard on the passenger side, and was suddenly sitting in the passenger seat in her natural form. "It might have been me," she admitted ruefully, her eyes lowered. "Von Einhardt posted me in Oakwood a little over a year ago."

  "But Wilbur said it had been a few years since it began," Sparkle pointed out. "You might have contributed to it, but it probably wasn't exclusively you."

  "I haven't sensed anything dark in town," I said, "have either of you?"

  Sparkle shook her head firmly.

  Penny hesitated. "I'm…not sure, to be honest. I was in a pretty dark place myself when I got here, and spent most of my time watching for signs of you, Caley. For what it's worth, I haven't sensed anything since you freed me and accepted me as your vassal."

  "It's worth a lot," I said firmly, pulling up beside the Hall's portico. I parked, then smiled at her. "Frankly, I trust your senses more than I trust mine in that respect."

  Her eyes met mine, and her muzzle curled in a small, relieved smile. "Thank you, Caley."

  I reached over and ruffled her ears and neck affectionately. "Still," I said, "it worries me a bit. I wonder if we need to keep a closer eye on the town somehow."

  "It probably couldn't hurt," Sparkle said. "And I bet the gnomes would be willing to help with that. I wonder if there's some fairies out there who'd be interested in allying with Oakwood Hall."

  "Probably," Penny said. "I was harassed by several rather punk-looking fairies while staying in town."

  "That's something we can look into, at least," I said, shutting off the car and climbing out.

  Ken met us as we came through the front door, looking concerned. "How did it go? What was it?"

  "Gnomes," I said, and his expression immediately cleared. "And it went very well, thank you. Some of them will be moving out to the Hall's grounds over the next couple of days, others will be moving into the Oak & Ivy, the police house, and the church. And I'll be funding a rebuild of the social hall."

  His expression went from relieved to pleased. "Well, that sounds excellent." Then his expression closed down a bit again. "There was a call for you while you were out. A representative from the United Nations Supernatural Defense Initiative." He offered me a slip of paper. "She said her name is Jessie Rhodes. She's staying at their London branch and called to set up a meeting with you, and asked that you call as soon as you could."

  I took the piece of paper, looked at the name and phone number on it, then back at Ken. "Well," I said dryly, "I'm taking it as a positive sign that they called first instead of just showing up at the front gates."

  I tucked the paper in a pocket and sat down on a chair beside the front door to take off my new boots…my feet just weren't used to them yet, and although I could appreciate the utility of them, and kinda liked the look, I thought I still preferred trainers or flats. "Well," I said as I tugged the second boot off and set it beside the chair with the first, then rose and headed for the kitchen barefoot except for my ankle socks, "I think I'll call her after dinner. I want to fill you in on the details of my meeting with the gnomes first."

  too slice-of-life, as it were. I could probably edit them down to two chapters.