Sheerya
greeted me when I entered the dorm after classes that day.
“What
happened today?” she inquired.
“Schlimme
threw away a bunch of displays to make room for a giantess,” I told her.
As
I expected, her reaction was one of shock and horror. “Threw… away…”
I
couldn’t resist a smile as I opened my duffel and showed her my “contraband.”
“You
mean you—all of them?” she
squealed in delight. She began flying dizzy circles around my head. “Oh you dear boy!” she crowed, “Oh you dear, heroic young man!”
She
displayed a fairy’s considerable strength as she began dragging each of her
kith and kin from the duffel all by herself. She called some of them by name.
“Perestra!
Oh! Sactele! Prissom! And Forander! We have not spoken in ages! I wonder how he
was doing?”
She
coyly approached me; I knew what was coming.
“You
know, Casey, wouldn’t it be fun to—“
“Sheerya,
no.”
She
stuck out her tiny lip in a pout. “But—but you rescued them, didn’t you?”
I
ran a hand through my hair, somewhat irritated at her pitiful, reproachful
tone.
“Sheerya,”
I tried to explain, “that was only to keep them from being thrown away. This is
the last night I have free to study before I start working at nights.”
Her
face lit up, “The Master of the House is going to let you work at night?
Alone?”
“Yes,
but, Sheerya, I need this time because I have a big test coming up soon, and if
I don’t pass this test, I get a low grade, and if I get a low grade, I lose my
job at Snowden House and do you know what that means? No more Sheerya, no more
waking up, no more Phantasm. I’d have to go back home, and I can’t take you and
all these with me. Not tonight, Sheerya.”
She
cast one more forlorn glance in the direction of the duffel, and reluctantly
flew to the top of my desk-lamp.
I
sighed and pulled out my Physical Science textbook.
Sheerya
sighed, too.
When
I didn’t respond, she sighed again, long and loud.
And
again!
“Do
you mind?” I finally snapped. She was
really starting to get on my nerves!
Sheerya
yelped, but then she got indignant. “Well, I’m really bored, and all I want is
someone to talk to, and you’re no fun, and I just keep thinking about all those
poor little folk, so close to
freedom, but forced to wait till
it’s convenient for you!”
“Sheerya!
I don’t think I’ll be able to study with a bunch of little folk flying and
crawling about the room! What I can do
is bring them with me when I to go to work tomorrow, and free them at the
museum, but I can’t do it tonight.”
She
sat silent for a long while, but as soon as I turned the page, she let out
another theatrical sigh.
I
groaned; what a little manipulator!
“What?”
I growled, looking at her very sternly.
She
huffed moodily. “Well, okay, I understand you can’t do all of them, but can’t I
just have a few friends to talk
with? I promise we’ll be quiet!”
Two
hours later, we freed the last of six fairies and four elves. During this time
also, Sheerya pointed out that a few of my “survivors” were already dead.
“You
can tell a dead fairy by the wings,” she said sadly. “A fairy dies within hours
of losing her wings. These elves,” she pointed mournfully to a few more of the
little chaps, “are coated in wax, see? They’re dead too.”
Once
those few were free, I said, “Okay, Sheerya, that’s enough for tonight.”
She
flew up and calculatedly planted a fairy’s kiss on my cheek. “Thanks so much,
Casey,” she gushed.
I
stood, “Now, none of you bother me while I’m studying, is that clear?”
Forander,
an elf whose cheekiness rivaled Sheerya’s, saluted smartly, “Right-o, human!”
I
shook my head and returned to my books.
When
another two hours passed, and I had only made it halfway through the chapter, I
knew something had to be done. It wasn’t that they were loud—actually, they chattered
very quietly—but it was absolutely incessant! I just couldn’t focus!
“Could
you guys be a little quieter?” I asked them.
“Oh!
Okay, sorry!”
I
sighed and resumed my studies.
A
loud thump jarred my concentration. I turned around, “What’s going on?”
Forander
and another elf, Kyrn, tried to return my gaze innocently as the fairies lifted
the dictionary off the floor and returned it to the bookshelf from whence it
came. “Nothing! Sorry!”
“Be
quiet, you guys!”
“Sure
thing!”
Five
minutes later, they were giggling again. I stood up; it was the end of the line
now!
“All
right!” I said, “Everyone into the closet, right now!”
“Aww,”
Sheerya whined, “but Casey—“
“No
buts! In!”
One
of the elves crossed his arms and shook his head. “There’s ten of us, and only
one of you! Who says we have to do what you say?”
I
picked the little guy up by his collar. “You owe me your life. If it weren’t
for me, you’d be dead by now. I suggest you do as I say.”
That
got through to him. “Yes sir, thank you sir,” he said nervously.
All
ten of them filed into the closet, and I closed and locked the door. The good
thing about their being six inches tall was that made them just barely too big
to fit either under the door or through the lock. Plus, the door muffled their
voices, so I could study in peace.
When
at last I finished that chapter, I closed the book and paused to enjoy the
silence. Then it occurred to me:
It
was too quiet. What were those little people up to?
“Guys?”
I inquired.
No
one answered, at least not verbally. I heard a few giggles, but that was it.
“Guys?”
I repeated.
I
heard some thuds, a few scratches at the door; were they doing something with
my clothes?
“Are
you guys okay in there?” I asked, finally getting out of my chair and walking
over to the closet.
“We’re
fine!” Sheerya sang out, and they all burst into a flurry of high-pitched
giggles.
Somehow
I doubted her words. More scratching and thumping, and a whole lot of
whispering; I stepped closer to the closet.
“Are
you sure?” I asked, kneeling by the closet.
Sheerya’s
voice came from very close to the door, near the vicinity of the knob, “Yeah,
we’re sure; don’t look, Casey!”
I
put my eye to the keyhole, “Don’t look at wha—“ Instantly, a blinding light
flashed less than an inch from my eyeball. “Augh!”
The
closet rang with the laughter of little folk as I rolled on the floor in
absolute agony, trying to restore sight to my left eye. It took five minutes,
and even then I saw spots before my eyes as I blinked and rubbed and muttered
under my breath.
The
giggling subsided, and Sheerya asked, “Can we come out now?”
“No,”
I told her bluntly, finding myself very angry with them all, “not until you
learn to behave.”
“What?
Please, Casey!”
“Nope!”
I was firm. I got into bed, dug out a pair of earplugs I’d brought along in
case of a noisy roommate, put them in, and fell asleep in silence. Before
dropping off, I added a third note to my list:
Fairies
and elves were a load of curious troublemakers!
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