Part 15 (1/2)
”Well, fancy that now! Och, youyou
'Tis a poor life being a Banshee--long hours and not so ot that sick of it! So I changed o of it,' they told ot your station in life,' they says, 'there's no changing it' 'It's in the pri ,' says I, 'and if certain mouths don't shut up,' says I, 'I'll cast spells that'll make certain people wish they were dead'
That set them back on their heels, you may be sure Well, 'twas the best decision of me life Thewithin the year to live out ht sight of David and hobbled over to hihtened eyes
”Ah, the wee darling,” she crooned, ”the plump little mannikin What a broth he'd make, to be sure” She pinched his arm, and he started back in terror ”So firm and plump, to make the mouth water Sell him to me, Phoenix!”
”Nonsense,” said the Phoenix sharply ”What we desire--”
At this instant the contents of the saucepan began to hiss and bubble
”Whoops, dearies, the brew is boiling!” shrieked the Banshee, and she hobbled back to the fire to resume her work She looked in a recipe book, stirred, clapped her hands, sang hair-raising incantations in a quavery voice, and added a pinch of salt and sulfur She sprinkled spices from a shaker, waved her wand, popped in a dead toad, and fanned up the fire with an ostrich plume
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”Now for the hard part,” she said, grinning at thereen powder, weighed it in the scales, and flung it into the saucepan There was a loud explosion A huge blast of steaulfed the the saucepan over a small bottle One ruby drop of fluid fell into the bottle It darted forth rays of light as it fell, and tinkled like a silver coin rolling down flights of marble steps
[Illustration]
The Banshee corked the bottle and held it up proudly to the light
”Will you look at that, now?” she crooned ”The finest ever I brewed
Ah, thethat, now, and putting it in a lassie's cup o' tea, and she'll be pining away for love of him before the day's out”
She put the bottle on the shelf, pasted a label on it, and turned to them with a businesslike air
”Now, dearies, what'll you be wanting? Philtres? Poison?--I've a special today, only five shi+llings a vial A spell? What about your fortunes?--one shi+lling if seen in the crystal ball, one and six if read from the palm A hex?--I've the finest in six counties A ticket to the Walpurgis Night Ball?”
”We want a Wail,” said the Phoenix ”And we shall accept nothing but the best and loudest you have”
”Ah, a Banshee's Wail, is it?” cried the hag ”You've coht shop, dearies, to be sure Now, let me see” She hobbled to a shelf which contained a row of boxes, ran her finger along them, stopped at one, and took it down ”Here we are--key of C-sharp, two s threepence”
”No, no,” said the Phoenix ”A larger one We have soer one? Och, here's a lovely one, now--five uaranteed to scare a statue
Yours for ten and six I call that a real bargain, now!”
”Bah!” said the Phoenix ih of these squeaks! We want a real _Wail_, my dear Banshee--such a Wail as never before was heard on the face of this earth And stop this babbling about shi+llings and pence We are prepared to pay in gold” The Phoenix took the four pieces of gold from David and carelessly tossed them into the air
The Banshee's eyes fleide open, and she twirled herself around like a top ”Och, the sweet !” she exclaiht for eyes used to naught but silver! Ah, but dearies, I've no Wail worth four pieces of gold I'll have to make one up special” She hobbled rapidly around the chae, and an ear trumpet She opened the box, shook it to e (”Such monstrous appetites these Wails do have!” she explained) She fastened the lid carefully with a catch-lock, and inserted the ear trumpet in a hole in one side of the box Then she disappeared through a sound-proof door, which they had not seen before on account of the smoke
Fifteenup the hole in its side with a bit of wax She was pale and tre, and beads of sweat covered her face She s, and drained it in one gulp The color began to return to her face