Emma and the Minotaur (16 page)

“No,” Emma said. “He’s just a friend.”

She went to the door and, when she opened it, she was surprised to see that Jake wasn’t alone. His mother was there beside him.

“Oh, hello, Victoria Mrs Milligan,” Emma said.

“Just Vicky, please, Emma,” she said. “Hello, dear. Is your father home? I hope he doesn’t mind that I stop by unannounced like this. I got home and straightaway Jake says he’s coming over so I thought I’d stop by to talk with your father. I hope it’s not a problem.”

“No problem at all,” Mr Wilkins said from the kitchen. He came around the counter that separated it from the living room and the front foyer and approached her, hand outstretched. They shook hands and Mr Wilkins brought the visitors inside and they exchanged pleasantries before he went back to the kitchen to continue with the dinner preparations. Emma went with him to help and left the Milligans to get acquainted with Lucy Leroux.

Emma checked the roast in the oven while William Wilkins mashed some potatoes.

“How much do they know?” he asked her quietly so that the visitors wouldn’t hear.

“Lucy knows nothing, Jake knows everything, and his mom knows something in between, probably,” Emma said. “I don’t know what Jake has told her.”

She closed the oven door and looked up over the counter to see that Lucy saying something to Mrs Milligan. The older woman was sitting on a couch with Jake while Lucy was sitting on the one across from them. Next to Lucy, sitting like he was part of the conversation, was Mr Jingles.

“Okay,” said her father. “Let’s keep it quiet then.”

Will came in through the front door and put his backpack in the closet before he turned and greeted the visitors. He then went into the kitchen and filled a glass with cold water and leaned on a counter to drink it.

“How was basketball?” Mr Wilkins asked him.

“Good,” Will said. “Joey broke his arm but we won.”

“Worth it then?”

“Totally,” Will said.

When everything was ready, they all sat down at the dinner table.

“The roast looks delicious, Professor Wilkins,” said Victoria Milligan.

“Thank you,” he said. “Oh, and just call me William, please. I’d say to call me Will but then we wouldn’t be able to differentiate between me and the boy.”

They all ate, and the adults did most of the talking. They spoke about adult things like jobs and the economy. Both Mr Wilkins and Mrs Milligan seemed very interested in Lucy’s plans for her education. Lucy confessed that she didn’t really know what she wanted to do for a living but she had liked biology in high school and that’s why she had chosen the program.

“Lots of kids don’t know what they want to do,” said Mr Wilkins. “They’re too young when they finish high school. There should be at least another year.”

Mr Jingles ate a bowl of vegetables and then went for a nap in a corner.

After dinner, they all moved back to the living room and Mr Wilkins brought each of them a slice of cheesecake. He poured coffee for himself and Mrs Milligan.

“Lucy tells me her parents are missing as well,” said Victoria Milligan.

“Yes, that’s right,” said Mr Wilkins. “Most unfortunate.”

“Funny that both she and Jake are such good friends with Emma,” Mrs Milligan continued. “You know, Jake here has been telling me some crazy stories. I know they can’t be true but he thinks you know something about all the missing people.”

“Mom, come on,” Jake protested.

“No, it’s alright, Jake,” said Mr Wilkins. “Well, what are these stories? Maybe we can clear things up for you, Victoria.”

“Oh,” she said. “Crazy things Jake talks about. Monsters and magic things. He’s said that there is a minotaur in the forest and he’s the one capturing people and that Emma knows where all the missing persons are. Of course, that can’t possibly be true, can it?”

“Well, no, of course not,” he said.

“But you know how kids are, Professor Williams—”

“Just William.”

“William,” she repeated. “They believe things and Jake has his hopes up that his father can be found, by Emma no less, while the truth is far from that, and you can imagine how disappointed he will be.”

“I see what you’re saying,” Mr Wilkins said.

Emma also saw what she was saying and she was a little taken aback by it. She wanted to speak up and let Victoria Milligan know that it was all true and that they weren’t just crazy stories. The last thing she would ever want to do is to hurt Jake.

Lucy was staring at her cheesecake, trying to pretend that she wasn’t there. Will seemed on the verge of saying something. Jake had turned red.

“Let me assure you,” Mr Wilkins went on, “Emma has no intention of making up lies and, while she may be telling stories, they are just that. Stories. You know how kids are and their imagination. Emma loves books, especially fantasies, elves and hobbits and all that. But, of course, she knows them for what they are: stories. They aren’t real. They aren’t true.”

As if summoned by his words, outside on the road, clearly visible through the window, a magnificent white unicorn trotted past, its long horn shining brightly in the dying sun.

“Oh, my lord,” Victoria Milligan said and her mouth remained opened.

There were wide eyes all around. Lucy gasped.

“I told you it was true!” Jake said.

“Emma,” Mr Wilkins said and he nodded his head toward the front door. She stood up quickly and ran outside and down the street, giving chase to the creature. Jake followed her.

The unicorn wasn’t moving very quickly. It seemed like it was just out and about, enjoying an evening walk down the street, glancing at houses here and there. Nevertheless, it led them all the way to the intersection of Belle Street and Glendale Avenue where it paused to observe the traffic.

Emma and Jake caught up to the unicorn and saw that he was receiving many disbelieving stares from the people in the vehicles that passed by. Emma didn’t know what would happen if someone stopped and approached the animal. She stood in front of the unicorn and tried to speak to it but it didn’t understand her.

“It’s my fault,” Emma said to Jake. “I’ve been learning to speak to them but it takes me a few moments to be able to say anything.”

“We better do something soon,” Jake said.

The unicorn studied her for a moment, and then it leaned its head down in what appeared to be a bow.

“Princess,” said the unicorn. “Greetings.”

Emma frowned and shook her head. “I think he has me confused,” she said to Jake. “This could work. He might let me ride him if he thinks I’m a princess. Help me up!”

Jake said, “How do you know what he thinks?”

“He told me.”

“Oh. Of course.”

Jake intertwined his fingers and motioned to Emma to put her foot on them, but when the unicorn saw what they were trying to do he lowered himself to the ground. Emma climbed on top and told Jake to do so as well but the unicorn stood back up before he got the chance.

“Well!” was all Jake said.

The unicorn turned his head toward Emma and looked at her with one huge eye. “I am named Titanius, Princess,” he said. “I am honoured to be your steed. Where would you like me to take you?”

Emma pointed back the way they had come and, without hesitation, Titanius rushed down Belle Street toward the forest. Emma took a look back and saw that Jake was running after them, but he was quickly left far behind.

The rest of the dinner party was standing outside in front of the Wilkins residence. They were all looking down toward where Emma and Jake had run off, chasing after the unicorn. Some of the neighbours had also come out and they were looking in the same direction. Arnold Thornton, the biology professor next door, was standing at his veranda.

“Was that a horse that just went by?” he said to William Wilkins. “I heard hooves.”

William shrugged. “I don’t think it was a horse,” he said. “But I don’t know.”

They saw what appeared to be a flash of light before they heard the sound of hooves on concrete. It all happened in a moment but there was no doubt about what they saw. The flash took shape and they could see the unicorn clearly as it galloped down the middle of the road. On the unicorn’s back there was a girl who looked just like Emma, but she was surrounded by light and her long, white dress glittered in the twilight.

The unicorn and the rider were gone as quickly as they had come. Those who witnessed them were left speechless and some were afraid. On the Wilkinses’ lawn, no one stirred until William Wilkins turned to Victoria Milligan.

“I suppose we have some explaining to do,” he said.

He took them all inside and tried to explain everything.

Emma arrived at Glenridge Forest. The run through the street had been a blur. The unicorn slowed his pace when he entered the cover of the trees.

There was a sudden movement to their left and Emma turned to look just as Domino dropped to the ground from a branch.

“There is something wrong,” he said.

Emma climbed off the unicorn and nodded and waved in an attempt to thank Titanius for letting her ride on his back.

“It is my honour,” Titanius said. “Farewell, Princess. Till we meet again.” With that, he was gone, and he was like lightning.

“Something is wrong,” Domino said again. “The forest is leaking. This is not supposed to happen so soon. I believe we may have been duped. It’s possible that Minotaur has been feigning weakness in order to take us by surprise.”

“What does that mean?” Emma said.

“It means you could be in danger. The world could be in danger and we’re not ready. Not even close.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Domino said. “You can barely speak, much less fight. It’s likely that it is too late now. We haven’t so much as dreamed up a way to stop him. You must leave now. Go home and stay there and wait for me. I will investigate. Go now. Run!”

Domino leaped back into the trees and he disappeared into the forest. Emma turned on the spot and ran home.

12

Invasion

Saturday. 9:00 AM.

Phillip Matthews, Mayor of Saint Martin, was sitting on one of the outdoor tables outside Marcy’s Cafe. The coffee shop was located on Main Street. At that time of morning, there was little traffic on the street.

The mayor was reading the newspaper and sipping on a cup of black coffee. The weather had turned and the morning was cool. He wore a long scarf over his business suit.

A black car pulled up in front of the cafe and from it emerged the man that Phillip had been waiting for.

“Morning,” he said as he approached the mayor’s table. Doug Peterson, Saint Martin’s Chief of Police, was in his uniform. He was a severe, gray-haired man whose nose looked like it had been broken many times in the past.

“Good morning, Doug,” Phillip said. “Have a seat and please tell me why we’re here.”

“I think we have a crisis in our hands,” Chief Peterson said. “I have plan and I have people ready to do something about it. All I need is the go-ahead from you.”

“You’re talking about the missing people,” said the mayor.

Doug Peterson nodded. A young waitress came by the table and refilled the mayor’s coffee. Doug asked for a tea.

“There are more reports every day,” he said. “We’ve been doing our best to keep it quiet but you know how things get out. People are especially suspicious now that the construction site is closed.”

Phillip took a long pull from his coffee and looked out onto the street. Saint Martin had always been a quiet town, for the most part, except maybe near the university. But even there it was always harmless. Mostly kids being kids.

“You’ve heard these rumours about monsters, of course?”

“Of course,” Doug said. “That’s just people giving a face to their fear.”

“What do we think is actually happening, Doug?”

“Gangs, maybe. Or some psychos holed up in the forest. Cannibals. Maybe they come out to hunt for food.”

Phillip chuckled. “You know Ottawa is going to want in on this as soon as they get word of it?”

Doug Peterson nodded. “With this plan, it’ll be over and done with before they can muck everything up.”

“We don’t want them interfering with our town.”

“Of course not.”

Phillip motioned for the waitress to come over. “I’m going to get something to eat, Doug. You want anything?”

The Chief of Police shook his head. Phillip ordered Marcy’s specialty: a cinnamon waffle with lots of whipped cream and a cherry on top.

“Thanks, Marianne,” he said to the serving girl.

When she had gone, he turned back to Doug Peterson. “So, Doug,” he said. “Indulge me for a moment. What if there really are monsters in that forest?”

“Cannibals, monsters, whatever they are,” Doug said. “They’re no match for a hundred men with guns.”

10:30 AM.