Creatures Read online

“She’s leaving us,” said Beth.

  Once out in the open, Urdo unfurled her great wings and gave an unearthly screaming cry. I’d heard hawks before, but only at a distance and only from their relatively tiny beaks. This cry was like that of a dinosaur. It was long and loud and full of pride. Beth and I both hunched down our heads and clasped our ears.

  She took off then, with powerful strokes of her wings. In a moment, she was gone.

  We ran to the slit and craned our necks, but she was nowhere in sight.

  “Where’d she go?” asked Beth.

  I went to the tiny square door and tried the knob.

  “We’re locked in,” I said.

  “What?” cried Beth. She tried the door too. She looked at me in horror. “What have you gotten me into?”

  “I don’t know,” I told her. “The grownups are acting strangely. I don’t really understand it. But I bet it has something to do with Vater coming back.”

  “What happens when he comes home?”

  I shook my head. “He hasn’t been here since before I was born. None of the young people really know. I’m sure it will be a happy time. We’ve always celebrated the very idea of it every year.”

  “Connor,” said Beth grabbing both my hands in hers. “This might all seem normal to you, but I don’t like how this is going. What are we going to do if we are stuck in here?”

  “We could mess around with the telescope some more,” I suggested.

  “Forget that. You got me into this Connor. You have to get me out.”

  I looked at Beth. Her face was drawn and full of fear. These weren’t her people. To an outsider, our ways were always scary.

  I looked around the room and saw no way out other than the door. Then my eyes landed on the slit that led out onto the roof.

  I’d always been good at slipping through tight spots.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A Cold Escape

  I had to drag Beth through the wide slit that allowed the telescope to poke outside. After a struggle with clothes catching on gears and twisting our bodies to fit through the narrow space, we finally made it. She felt surprisingly light when I pulled her after me, as if she only weighed half what I did. Once we are outside on the snowy side of the dome, we half-fell, half-slid down onto the roof.

  The outside air was fresh, but bitingly cold. We didn’t have our coats, we’d left those down in the entry area. The roof wore a thick coat of snow. The scrolling woodwork along the eaves was iced like a cake. We stood on a relatively flat spot, but there were peaks and adornments everywhere around us. I grabbed hold of a crouched gargoyle’s iron wings while I brushed snow from my legs.

  “How did you wriggle out of that tiny hole so fast?” she asked, brushing herself. She looked up at the observatory dome and the tiny slit we’d come through. It was less than a foot wide.

  “I’m not sure how I managed to pull you out, you don’t weigh much do you?”

  “I guess not,” she said. She frowned. “What seems odd to me is that you are definitely bigger around than I am and I’m the one that almost got stuck.

  I shrugged. “I’ve always been able to get through tight spots like that. One time, when I was little, I got under the house and crawled everywhere down there with the spiders until my parents coaxed me out. They were very upset and I was very dirty.”

  “I’ll bet,” said Beth. “What are we going to do now? I’m cold.”

  I looked around and my initial excitement at having escaped the Forever Room faded. It was cold, icy and windy up here. “I suppose we have to find another way down. There has to be a roof access door somewhere.”

  “Brrrr,” said Beth. She crossed her arms tightly and pulled her head down.

  “We’ll get up on that high platform and have a look around,” I said, pointing.

  She followed me as we picked our way across the roof. The worst part was crossing the slanted roof sections. They were icy and steep. More than once, we slid into valleys between the peaks and had to start over. I made sure we didn’t get too close to the edge. That way there was no chance we would fall off.

  While we struggled across the roof like mountaineers crossing frost-covered hills, Beth talked.

  “You never did really explain Hussades to me. What the heck are they, exactly?”

  “It’s rather like crossing this roof,” I said. “Except with a lot more variety. It’s a race through an obstacle course. The big difference is that the players change their shape so they can do better in the race.”

  “I thought it was impolite to change in front of others,” she said.

  “Yes. There is a tent to change in. You only change once in secret, that’s part of the game’s strategy. You have to choose your form to beat your opponent’s form. That’s what makes it exciting, because the opponents are always different for each race.”

  “So, why don’t the flying types always win?”

  “Well, the courses usually have some trick for them, like a flaming hoop or two you have to dive through. If you have feathers, this can be a problem. You will have crispy wings very quickly.”

  Beth thought about that for a few moments. I looked at her face. It was red from the cold, but I could see the gears working in her mind. She was a thinker, I could tell.

  Slipping and scratching at the icy shingles, we managed to reach the top of a high platform. A big statue stood up there. I couldn’t quite make out what the statue was supposed to be, the snow caked up on it so much you could only see a few bits poking out. What we could see were snarling lips and a single clawed hand. The hand stretched toward the sky with every finger extended. The claw-tips were curved hooks of black iron, and I decided right away we didn’t want to know what else was hidden under that white blanket of snow. I didn’t want Beth to see anything… scary. She didn’t need to know everything about my family just yet.

  “So, couldn’t you just be so small you could dart through the center of the flaming hoop?” she asked.

  I smiled. Her mind was still working on Hussades. “Yes, but if you are very small, you often have trouble with pushing open a big door or something like that. Every form has its advantage and disadvantage, but the better you are at morphing into different shapes the more options you have.”

  She nodded. “Why can’t you just study the course and come up with the best form?”

  “You can do that, but the course itself changes somewhat every time.”

  “Hmm, so every game has different players and a different course?”

  “Yes, it’s very exciting.”

  “But Connor, you can’t change into anything. And neither can I.”

  I nodded grimly. “Don’t rub it in. I’m always picked last when we form up the teams.”

  She made a sympathetic clucking sound with her tongue. We turned our attention back to the frozen roof. We scanned the hilly expanse of white lumps and dark crevices.

  “Over there!” said Beth, bumping me with her shoulder and pointing. I looked and there it was! A box-shaped entrance that made a hump in the snow. A door faced us. It was small and square, like the one that had let us into the Forever Room.

  “I wondered why the doors up here are small and square?” I asked aloud.

  Beth shrugged.

  It took a few minutes of scrambling, but we managed to get over there. I gripped the frosty brass knob and twisted. I twisted harder, but it didn’t budge.

  “Locked,” I said.

  Beth groaned. “We’ll have to break one of the windows soon, or we will freeze out here.”

  I chewed my lower lip. First, we had disobeyed the principal’s instructions to stay in the Forever Room. Second, we were about to break into the mansion.

  I looked back at the dark footprints we’d left all over the roof. If it didn’t snow soon, it wouldn’t require the eyes of a hawk to notice we had been messing around on the roof.

  Then I snapped my fingers. I smiled at Beth. She smiled back and shook her head slowly.

  �
�Somehow,” she said, “I know I’m not going to like your idea this time.”

  I laughed. “The balcony,” I said. “There’s one on the fourth floor right over the side, very near the roof. All we have to do is drop down onto it and go inside.”

  Beth looked at me like I was crazy. “I’m not dropping over the side of the roof! We can’t tell what’s down there! I’m not even going to near the edge, I’ll slip off.”

  I waved away her concerns. “Here,” I said, giving her one end of my scarf. “Hold onto this while I go over and have a look.”

  She protested, but finally took hold of one end. She had her other hand wrapped around the foot of a hoofed statue. Holding onto my scarf, I crawled out on the frosty roof and went flat on my belly. I looked down over the edge. There it was beneath me, the balcony I was looking for. But it was a bit over to the left from where we were.

  “There it is!” I said triumphantly.

  “Be careful!” Beth shouted back.

  I squirmed along the roof line toward the balcony. When I got closer, I hung my head out further and tried to peek in the glass doors. Inside I saw two figures moving around. The room beyond the glass was the upstairs study. I could see books lined up in massive dark wooden cases. There were globes and more statues and big leather chairs with ottomans to put your feet on while you enjoyed a book. One of the people inside turned my way and I recognized the face. It was Danny. He saw me, and he frowned, and the frown melted into surprise. He started laughing and pointing at me.

  “Great,” I said over my shoulder to Beth. “We’ve been spotted.”

  “Connor!” said Beth. She pointed up into the sky.

  I followed her finger and there, so high above us that she was no more than a winged speck, flew a very large hawk. I slipped a bit from craning my neck and grabbed the scarf. I yanked on it, and caught myself.

  I heard Beth give a yelp. She had been looking up as well, and when I yanked the scarf, I pulled her enough to start her sliding down toward me. The frost crackled and hissed as her shoes slid over it.

  Beth slid faster. Her boot took aim at my side. She came down like a kid sledding down a hill, going faster as she went.

  I braced myself as best I could, gripping the roof edge, but it wasn’t enough.

  Beth didn’t weigh much, but she weighed enough. When she hit me in the side, we both went over the edge.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mr. Waldheim

  The wooden railing caught me right in the ribs. I folded over it and felt all the air whoosh out of my lungs. I thought that hurt until Beth landed on top of me a fraction of a second later. Then I knew what pain was.

  We rolled around moaning on the floor of the balcony. I fingered my ribs, they were sore, but nothing seemed broken. When I could open my eyes, I searched the sky for Urdo, but she was gone. I was sure she had seen us, however. We’d been two dark spots crawling around on the glaring white roof. A hawk would have seen us from miles off.

  The door rattled, then opened, and a warm dry wind washed over us from inside the mansion. Danny and Thomas poked their heads out. They grinned at us wolfishly.

  “This is good,” said Danny, laughing. “This is really good, and I want to say that I appreciate it. I haven’t laughed so hard at a fool since that day Jake turned into a mutated, warty, pink toad during lunch.”

  “I’m here to make people happy,” I said with a groan. I struggled up and stood as straight as I was able. There was snow up my back and my ribs were singing in pain.

  Danny nodded. “Yes, it was good,” he said, wiping his eyes.

  Beth and I glanced at each other. Our clothes were frosted with snow and ice crystals. I reached for the door handle.

  Suddenly, his smile was gone. “But not good enough,” he said. His smile had transformed into a sneer.

  “You should check the mirror,” I told him.

  Danny’s eyes narrowed.

  “I think you missed a spot,” I said. “A bit of ketchup in the left eyebrow, I think. You must be a messy eater.”

  Beth put a cautionary hand on my shoulder. I thought to myself she was probably right, but things were already torn up between Danny and me.

  Danny’s frown turned into a glare.

  Thomas barked with new, louder laughter. If anything, he seemed to think my comment was funnier than watching us fall.

  “I’m still going to kill you,” Danny said. His mouth opened to show rows of white teeth. Danny elbowed Thomas out of his way as he went back inside. The elbow cut off Thomas’ laughter and turned it into a sudden gasp.

  “You didn’t have to-” began Thomas.

  “Shut up and get in here,” Danny told him.

  I knew right away what he was going to do. Maybe being tortured by my older sister all these years had its benefits.

  He was fast, but my foot was faster. I had my shoe wedged in the door before he could slam it shut and lock it. Beth and I worked together to wrench it open.

  The fight might have started right then if Mr. Waldheim hadn’t shown up.

  “Children,” he said in his stern voice. His voice was always stern. At least, I’d never heard him sound any other way. We all froze and looked up. He was the Dean, and was in charge of discipline at our school. We all felt like little kids again when he showed up. He was all about detention and intimidating lectures and red notes to take home. Everyone took their hands off the door handle and each other.

  Beth and I took the opportunity to squeeze through the door into the blissfully warm study. The door shut behind us with a click.

  Waldheim ran his eyes over each of us in turn. He paused when he looked at Beth. He gave her a quizzical nod. “The new girl,” he said quietly. “Not a good start, Miss Hatter.”

  “Sorry sir,” she said.

  “So, does anyone want to tell me what is going on here?” he said, speaking with sudden loudness. “Who will begin explaining why we are tearing up the mansion on the very eve of the Master’s return? Explain your actions!”

  Danny eyed me with a sneer, daring me to talk. Daring me to whine about his threats. I knew he would immediately rat on me for the ketchup and climbing the roof.

  “Such as, sir?” I asked innocently. It came out sounding more sarcastic than I meant it to.

  “Such as why you children were playing on the balcony? Such as why you were all wrestling over the door like sharks in a frenzy over a side of beef when I walked in? Such as why there is such a thick coating of snow on your clothes, Mr. Connor Ryerson?”

  I blinked and tried a weak smile. My innocent approach had clearly backfired. He was angry, so angry I thought I saw a hint of yellow in his eyes. His eyes always did that before he lost it and turned into a lizard on you. His nostrils were flaring too. They looked bigger than they should. So did his mouth. That was never a good thing.

  “Sorry, sir!” I said.

  Beth squeezed my hand. I could tell she was trying not to freak out.

  Danny watched me with a quiet smile. Suddenly, Waldheim turned on him and took a step forward. He loomed over Danny. His spine seemed longer than before and it was no longer straight. His head hung down over Danny on its now overly-long neck. That neck looked like a flower stalk and his head looked like a huge blossom that weighed so much it had bent the stalk over. I thought Mr. Waldheim might suddenly open his growing, triangular mouth and snatch off Danny’s startled face.

  “And what are you smiling about? Is this all very funny to you, boy?” demanded Waldheim. He was hissing out his “S” sounds now. When he spoke, I could see that his mouth, which had turned lipless now, contained far too much tongue for a human.

  “No. Not funny sir,” said Danny. He stood still like a soldier at attention and looked away from the Dean. “I apologize, sir.”

  Waldheim paused for a moment. His tongue flicked out. The forked tip of it lightly brushed Danny’s hair with two pink, fleshy tines. Danny winced, but didn’t jump back. Wrenched by the sticky tongue, a few strands stood up
from his head as straight and stiffly as Danny himself.

  I noticed Beth had her eyes closed. But she hadn’t broken and run.

  Waldheim swung back to me. Those eyes were completely yellow now, and the pupils had drawn into black slits. “So,” he said to me, and I felt his odd, warm, moist breath washing over me. “What do you say?”

  “I’m sorry as well, sir,” I said quickly. “Won’t happen again.”

  He blew more hot breath over my head for a moment. I noticed his hands were scaly, greenish-black and they now terminated in curved, wicked-looking claws.

  Finally, he nodded. His hands turned pink again. The claws shrank into fingernails. “Very well. See that it doesn’t.”

  His body shortened and thickened and we all relaxed a few notches. Beth even opened her eyes.

  “I’m sorry, children,” Waldheim said. “If I seem easily angered, I apologize. We are all anxious, because tonight is a very special night.”

  “Sir,” said Beth.

  Waldheim eyed her with some surprise. “What is it, Miss Hatter?”

  “Will we all meet Vater? What is he like?”

  Waldheim had completed his transition back into a human being. His eyes were blue again, and they looked down on her with something approaching kindness.

  “Count yourself lucky, girl,” he said, “if you never find out.”

  Beth opened her mouth to ask something else, but thought the better of it. I was very relieved that she stopped herself. Normally, no one dared to speak directly about Vater.

  “Now off with you,” said Waldheim. “Back downstairs, everyone. First it’s time for lunch, then an afternoon of Hussades. I dare say none of you deserve such a treat. But perhaps you can work out some of your excess energies on the obstacle course. I understand it’s a mean one this time.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The Fifteen-Foot Tongue

  We slipped past Waldheim and trotted out of the room. Passing through the study, we saw books, globes, and even a suit of armor, but none of us had time to look around. We rushed down the wide stairs with thumping steps. I kept my distance from Danny, just in case he considered giving me a push.