Ghastly Glass (10 page)

The event was over, and the crowd began looking at their Village maps again, deciding where to go next. Daisy whacked me hard on the back and told me I’d done a good job as she took back her swords. “The king thinks we should schedule something like this every day,” she told me. “What a crowd!”

Chase was waiting for me after all the well-wishers had moved aside. “Are you okay? ”

“I’m fine. I beat the Devil. I think I deserve a tankard of ale.”

“What happened? Did Daisy ask you and Tony to fight like that? ”

Not wanting to admit how it all started, I shrugged. “You know how it is. Sometimes you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time here. I guess that’s what happened.” I hoped he’d never find out the truth.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the Glass Gryphon? ”

“Give me a tankard of ale and five minutes and I’ll tell you the story.” I watched as two headless gentlemen strolled by. One of them had a hat in his hand that he tipped to me.

“I think I’ve got five minutes.” Chase wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we walked. “I got a call from Detective Almond earlier. The red gooey stuff on Ross’s body was really blood. His blood. I guess it’s hard to tell the real stuff from the fake.”

“What about the rebar? Did they ID the fingerprints? ”

“I don’t think so. Almond has been kind of shifty about the whole thing. I can’t figure out if he doesn’t know much or doesn’t want to tell me.”

“Why wouldn’t he want to tell you?” We entered the Peasant’s Pub for that tankard of ale. Several people who’d watched my match with the Devil shouted, “Huzzah,” and thumped their empty tankards on their tables to show their approval.

The Peasant’s Pub was decked out in spooky spiderwebs, and the bar wenches were dressed like ghosts. A spider and various other unusual items along with the traditional pumpkin decorated each table. It was a nice effect, overall. It worked inside where the sunlight didn’t reveal the flaws. That’s why the Village was waiting for dark to bring out the really interesting stuff.

“You’re a hero!” Chase ordered us both a tankard as we sat at the big wooden bar.

“A heroine, please.” I smiled anyway.

“Whichever you are this day, Craftsman, you are welcome at the Peasant’s Pub, and I would like to give you a free tankard. On the house!” Hephaestus, a big bearded man who probably resembled the Greek god he was named after, bellowed out his praise. That started another loud set of huzzahs with more tankard thumping.

I was about ready to be done with all of that and start being an anonymous craftsman again. The huzzahs can get to you after a while, and tankard thumping gets to me right away.

“Maybe we should’ve gone somewhere else where you weren’t so famous,” Chase said. “Although free ale is nice.”

“I know. I’ve been thinking about visiting the Lady of the Lake Tavern. I haven’t been at that end of the Village for a while. You know how the pirates are sometimes.”

“Tell me about it.” Chase nodded to Hephaestus, who personally served us. “I had a run-in with the Pirate King last week.”

“What happened? ”

He blew off the head on his ale. “It’s a long story. Let’s get back to why you aren’t working. Did Roger throw you out? ”

“No. It’s hard to explain.” I wasn’t sure what to say about what had happened at the glass shop, especially with my recent revelation about Roger and Mary. I didn’t want Chase to disrupt my matchmaking plan. In my experience, men seem to have a thing about women interfering in love affairs, even those that are going badly.

“Did it have anything to do with Henry grabbing your breasts? ” Chase didn’t look up from his cup.

I swear I could’ve killed Portia at that moment. I could’ve looked at her unhappy, dead face in the Lady Fountain and been happy. She must’ve gone right to Chase for him to know so quickly about what had happened. The woman had no decency when it came to gossip.

I tried quickly to think of a good spin to put on the story. My mouth even opened a few times, but the brain-mouth connection didn’t seem to be working. “Chase, I don’t know what to say.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing you quit.”

I didn’t want him to think that way since I planned to beg Roger’s pardon to get my apprenticeship back. “I can handle Henry. I know you know this isn’t the first time some stupid jerk has tried to maul me.”

“So you didn’t quit because of that? ” He finally looked up at me.

I could see his eyes were serious. He was really concerned about this thing with Henry. I felt as though I were walking on those shards of glass I’d broken earlier at the shop. I didn’t want him to be angry, but I didn’t want to give up my apprenticeship either. Well, I’d already given it up, but I was pretty sure I could get it back.

But what to say in the meantime? Something thoughtful and intelligent. Something that would tell him he was my number one and had nothing to worry about with Henry.

“Hey!” A tall, thin wraith hailed me as she walked by. Her makeup was
really
good. In the dim light of the pub, she looked dead. Her long white wig around her ghostly gray face made me wonder if theater had gone too far.

“Hi there.” I thought she was one of the swordplay audience.

“I caught your attack on Sir Henry of the Hot Pants and Heavy Breathing.” She held up one artificially (I hoped) white hand. “You go, sister! He only hits on his subordinates, girls he thinks he can intimidate into keeping their mouths shut. He wouldn’t stroll up to Daisy and do what he did to you. I only hope he can’t walk for a while after that. You should be teaching girls to do that stuff. That was awesome! I caught part of it with my cell phone to post on YouTube.” She glanced at Chase as she held out the cell phone. “You aren’t going to turn me in, are you, Sir Bailiff? ”

Chase laughed. “Nope. Sounds like Jessie was doing my job for me.”

“Well, it was great watching it. See you, Jessie.”

I played with my tankard and took a sip of ale. Were these the right words to convince Chase I could handle Henry no matter how it looked to Portia?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked when the wraith was gone. “I guess Roger kicked you out because you went barbarian on his favorite nephew.”

Could I let that supposition stand? It would make things easier between us but wouldn’t do anything for me going back to work there.

“That’s not what happened. I quit because Roger was treating me like an apprentice from the 1500s. The thing with Henry happened after that. But I plan to get my apprenticeship back. Believe me, I can handle Henry
if
he ever tries anything again. Portia only saw what she wanted to see.
And
she’s got a big mouth.”

Chase finished off his ale and looked at me like he was searching my face for something only he could find. He finally nodded and stood up. “Good enough. If something happens that you
can’t
handle, Jessie, you know where to come.”

“And I appreciate that offer.” I smiled and stood up beside him, kissing him on the lips right there in front of God and sundry.

“Methinks the craftsman and the bailiff may be a little odd.” The knave sitting next to us at the bar offered his opinion.

Chase picked me up (he has a bad habit of doing that) and grinned at the pub full of residents and visitors. “Methinks you should mind your own business unless you want to face the wrath of vegetable justice in the stocks.”

The huzzahs and tankard pounding started again. Thank goodness Chase carried me outside and put me down on the street. I couldn’t have taken another round of that. I was a little light-headed from the ale and dizzy from him picking me up. But I was very happy. I had to find a way to get through the fall with my apprenticeship and my relationship intact.

“I’ll see you later.” Chase kissed me good-bye. “I hear the Lady of the Lake is having a buffet for residents tonight. Something about food about to go bad in the freezer if they don’t cook it and serve it. Your wish to visit that end of the Village is granted, milady.”

“Thank you, sir. I would gladly pass the evening with you.”

Two visitors wearing matching I Love Myrtle Beach T-shirts stood watching us. The woman smiled, but the man muttered, “Can’t get away from that stuff even in the past,” before he pulled the woman away. She managed to get a photo as she left.

“Is there any way we could negotiate with Portia or Beth to get you a
female
craftsperson outfit you can work in while you’re here? ”

“Not that I know of. I was offered a demon costume, but that was as good as it got,” I explained. “Of course, being the bailiff and a highly respected Village official, maybe you could change that. I have nothing against looking like a craftswoman, but there are specific clothes requirements for the job. We don’t want a skirt going up in flames, do we? ”

“Of course not. Think of the work that would mean for the costume makers.” Chase kissed me again and promised to find me when it was supper time.

I had a whole afternoon to wander through my favorite place on earth. No one telling me what to do or when to do it. No worries about what I was missing in my apprenticeship. It was fabulous.

I walked through every shop catching up with people I knew and introducing myself to some shopkeepers I’d never met before. I browsed the scarves, jewelry, incense, and all the other wonderful things sold throughout the Village. I indulged in some really good chocolate fudge at Frenchy’s Fudge. Frenchy offered me an apprenticeship there, but I had to refuse. I might be able to pass off roasting turkey legs as an authentic Renaissance cooking skill, but there was no way making fudge fit that bill. It was tasty anyway.

I hit Cupid’s Arrow up by the Merry Mynstrel Stage and talked to Adora the shopkeeper. She had everything that could make a man love any woman. Love potions, Renaissance lingerie, even chastity belts. She offered me a love potion for Chase, but I told her it wasn’t necessary. We jumped around laughing for a few minutes in the excitement of celebrating true love.

“Let me give you this special incense anyway,” she said. “I’ve had it on good counsel that this is the same incense the Queen of Sheba used with Solomon. And you know what kind of trouble
that
made.”

I thanked her for the gift and tried my best to think of some way to apprentice with her. She was such a fun, free spirit. Nothing ever shocked her or made her think less of someone. You have to like that in your exotic-love-potion procurer.

She wrapped my gift, and I promised to wander down that way more often. I walked back out into the fading sunlight, feeling good about everything in general. I turned toward Baron’s Beer and Brats and saw the familiar red writing and catch phrase on the wall.

Death shall find thee
.

“Not again.”

T
wo of the scullery maids from Baron’s came up behind me and gasped. “That’s what was written on that Death guy who was killed,” one said.

“It was written in blood,” the other added with a shiver. “Is that blood? ”

“It’s just strawberry jelly.” I stuck my finger in one of the words as Chase had done outside the Glass Gryphon. It didn’t feel like strawberry jelly and it smelled bad. I started to put it in my mouth, like he had, but then decided against it.

“Strawberry jelly?” one of the maids asked with narrowed blue eyes. “Are you sure? I’m in pre-med at Duke and it smells like blood to me.”

I decided to put an end to the discussion. If it
was
blood, Chase should be here. If it wasn’t, it didn’t matter. “You know it’s hard to tell the good fake blood from the real thing anymore. I’ll just get something and wash this off.”

Both maids seemed satisfied with that and walked back into Baron’s through the back door. I paced in front of the writing on the Village wall for a few minutes. This was one of those times I
really
needed a cell phone or a radio to call Chase. How could I leave the message? What if someone else messed it up? On the other hand, what were the chances Chase would just drift by? Especially since I wasn’t doing anything I didn’t want him to see?

“If Henry was here grabbing my butt, Chase would show up like a lightning flash,” I muttered.

I heard the trumpets announce that one of the Royal Court was taking a stroll through the Village. Obviously they were close by. I normally avoided all the cameras and visitors that accompanied the royal personages, but in this case, it could be a good thing. I hoped it would be King Harold as he’d be less squeamish.

Instead it was Queen Olivia, out for her afternoon stroll. There were fifteen people with her: someone to hold the pink parasol over her head, three ladies in waiting, three jugglers, a knave or two, and several fools with bells on their pointy hats.

The crowd parted as the queen came through, hundreds of flashes going off and some visitors bold enough to ask for her autograph. She was dressed in a full regalia of red velvet over a wide hoop. There were pearls around her neck and in her red hair. She was like an old luxury liner steaming through the Village, giving pleasure to the little people. This was heaven for Livy. She enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of her royal role better than anyone else.