Part 36 (2/2)

TESS TOOK SEVERAL STEPS backwards, not because there was anything threatening about Declan's manner, but because she was afraid that if she took the offered hand it might not feel like flesh. Kevin moved over to her, protectively she thought, but it didn't stop the blood draining from her face, and for a moment or two she was light-headed and faint.

Declan smiled at her reaction.

'What's wrong?' he said. 'You look as if you've seen a ghost.'

'And haven't I?' said Tess.

He laughed. 'I can understand why you should think that,' he said.

The b.u.t.terfly came flitting over and landed on Tess's shoulder. This time she was ready for the change, and she hefted Colm down on to her hip as he Switched.

'Go home, Tess?' he asked.

'Of course we will, Colm. I'll bring you home soon.'

But Kevin shook his head. 'You can't, Tess,' he said. 'He won't let them.'

'How can he stop them?' she said. 'Will somebody please explain to me what's going on?'

Colm wriggled to the ground and headed towards the table.

'Don't eat anything, now,' said Orla.

'Wanna sausage,' said Colm, reaching for one.

'Why can't he have one?' asked Tess.

'Because he'll have to stay here for ever if he eats anything,' said Brian.

'He's right,' said Kevin. 'Don't you remember the rules?'

'What rules? The rules of what?'

'Of places like this,' said Kevin. 'About not eating the food, no matter how delicious it looks.'

Orla had succeeded in prising the sausage out of Colm's hand, and was standing between him and the table, warding off the well-aimed blows that he was raining upon her.

'But that's ridiculous,' said Tess. 'That's just stuff out of fairy stories.'

Her words met with silence, and as she looked around the hall, she discovered that every eye in the place was turned to her, as though she was an idiot; the last one to get some glaringly obvious joke.

'It's ridiculous!' she said. 'You can't be for real.'

Still everyone stared, until she went on. 'This is the twentieth century, for cripe's sake! You're not trying to tell me there's such a thing as fairies!'

The silence that met her words was her answer. She shook her head incredulously.

'Where are they, then? These fairies?'

All the others turned their eyes towards Declan.

'But he's not a fairy!' said Tess. 'Fairies are little people who flit around in the woods and play tricks on ...' She stopped, remembering some of her recent experiences. '... and they're small,' she finished, lamely.

Declan laughed; a clear, birdlike sound that echoed throughout the long chamber.

'They're small except for the big ones,' he said.

'And they're big except for the green ones,' said Orla.

'And they're green except for the pink ones,' said Brian. 'And they all have wings except for the ones without them!'

The hall rang with laughter, and Tess would have felt left out; like a new girl at school all over again, if it hadn't been for Kevin. He wasn't laughing, and he took another protective step towards her.

But she hadn't forgotten his deceit. 'I don't know how you can be so stuck on the rules anyway,' she said, glaring at him. 'Since you seem to be able to break them when it suits you.'

'What rules?' said Kevin. 'What rule did I break?'

'Only the one that says you can't Switch any more after you're fifteen!'

Kevin shook his head in bewilderment. Colm came back and slipped a sweaty hand into hers.

'Go home, now?' he asked.

'Soon, Colm. Soon.'

She turned back to the others, and as she did so the blood left her brain again and she had to lean against the wall for support.

For there were two Kevins, identical in all respects.

The one beside her, the real Kevin, went pale and turned away. The other one laughed, and, just for an instant, the shadow that he cast upon the wall behind him grew about three feet taller and sprouted antlers. Tess took a step back, but before she could take any more drastic action the looming figure shrank and the second Kevin became Declan again.

For a long moment, everyone was too stunned to speak. But eventually Kevin found his voice. 'So that explains it,' he said. 'That's how you saw me in the woods. Except that it wasn't me at all. It was him.'

'But which one was him?' said Tess.

'The one who took the kids,' said Kevin. 'The other one was me. The one on the bicycle.'

'So how did you get in here?' Tess asked.

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