Part 14 (1/2)
The water-maiden looked left, then right, as though to rea.s.sure herself that no one could hear her piercing stage whisper. ”He could escape.”
Despite the temperature of the water, Bertie went cold. ”What did you say?”
”Hm?” Ophelia lifted her foot; distracted by her dripping toes, she didn't answer.
Peaseblossom landed on Bertie's shoulder. ”The idea's ridiculous.”
”Ridiculous in the best possible way!” Moth said with a snicker. ”Can you picture him tunneling out with a spoon?”
”Bedsheet ladder out the window!” said Cobweb.
Ophelia frowned. ”I don't know about spoons and sheets, but if he tears his entrance page out of The Book, he'll be able to leave the Theatre.”
Bertie stared at Ophelia through air so thick with water vapor and revelations that it hurt her lungs. The fairies choked on mouthfuls of bathwater.
”Good golly!” Mustardseed sputtered when he was finally able to breath again. The others echoed his sentiments while Nate swore under his breath.
”Ophelia?” Bertie said.
”Yes?”
”Whatever would give you that idea? That someone could tear a page out of The Book?”
”Oh, that's not important,” Ophelia said with a graceful wave of her hand.
”It's important to me.”
The other girl smiled. ”Because I did it once.”
Ariel wasn't the one who escaped. It was Ophelia. ”You ripped The Book?”
”I pulled out my page. The one I make my first entrance on.” Ophelia shook her head as though clearing it of spider-webs. ”Then I saw the Exit sign.” Her eyes flicked toward the neon-green light at the back of the auditorium. ”I'd never noticed it before.”
Bertie was afraid to ask, but she had to know. ”Then what did you do?”
”I waited for a quiet moment,” Ophelia said, wiggling her fingers, ”and I slipped out.”
”You went through the door.”
”Yes.”
”Into the lobby?”
”Yes.”
”And then?”
”Out a revolving door.”
Bertie swallowed. ”You left the theater?”
”Yes.”
An errant draft stirred the moist air, chasing most of the steam into the flies. Bertie glanced at Nate, who looked as shocked as she felt.
”I didn't think it possible!” he said.
”Anyway, I just thought I should warn you.” Ophelia stood, smoothed her skirts, and departed without explanation or apology, leaving perfect wet footprints in her wake.
All the words Bertie wanted to say stuck in her throat, like the bits of mosaic decorating the back wall. She thought the members of the Greek Chorus s.h.i.+fted to leer at her.
”Bertie-” Peaseblossom tugged at her ear.
”Shut up, Pease.” Bertie had a million and one questions to ask, and none of them good.
”But, Bertie-”
”I mean it!”
”It's just-”
”Beatrice Shakespeare Smith!” Mrs. Edith strode onstage holding a plush bathrobe in one hand and a towel in the other. Her mouth was pinched together so tightly with displeasure that she looked as though she'd been sucking lemons. ”The Stage Manager came to tell me you were bathing, so I thought I'd bring you these. And this is what I find!”
”It's not anything, really.” Bertie reached for the robe, but her arm wasn't quite long enough.
”Then why are you sitting here naked and in the company of a pirate?”
”He was dirty, and I didn't see how it could hurt.”
”Of course you didn't, because you never think these things through.” Mrs. Edith draped the robe around Bertie's shoulders and heaved her out of the soaking pool with surprising strength. ”When are you going to realize that you're not a child anymore? There are those who would take advantage of you-”
”Now, see here,” Nate protested. ”We weren't doin' anythin' improper.”
Mrs. Edith pointed a bony finger at him. ”You hold your tongue this second. I shall speak to the Theater Manager about this, you defiler of innocents.”
”I defiled nothin'!” Nate jumped out of the pool and strode toward them. Mrs. Edith shrieked and clapped her hands over Bertie's eyes.
Bertie twisted away from the Wardrobe Mistress, glimpsing the full extent of what had so shocked her. Nate suddenly reconsidered his advance, turning and sprinting to his clothes. The water spangling his legs made it difficult for him to pull on his trousers, but he managed it. Bundling up the rest of his things, he nearly impaled himself on his cutla.s.s, twisting it aside only just in time.
”Be careful, Nate!” Moth said. ”You don't want to lop off anything vital!”
Red with more than just the heat of the water, Nate strode past them with a muttered, ”I'll come find ye later, Bertie.”