[Personal,Project]

  Lily went out extra early for gathering, usually She wasn’t looking for anything in particular, taking any magical ingredients that presented themselves. Today however two distinct ingredients were required: Stormgrain Flour or Crystal Rye. Crystal Rye looked like ordinary grass made from blown glass. It was very fragile and couldn’t just be snatched and pulled.

  Lily still remembered the first time when she was just a little girl and was out with Maggie and encountered the beautiful grass. She’d grabbed a handful and pulled, and for her effort, had ended up with shattered glass embedded into her hand. After cleaning and binding her hand. Maggie showed her a special gathering sickle. It was razor sharp.

  The crystal rye was grasped carefully with a rag or glove with one hand then you swept the ground with the sickle. Putting the gathered rye into its own sack. It’s best to harvest crystal rye last because it’s so fragile.

  So Lily knew exactly what she needed to find. Lily knew that she already had a supply at the bakery but it had been stored inside the store's magical field. She’d like to collect some fresh Crystal Rye along with the Stormgrain which she’d never collected.

  As luck would have it she found Crystal Rye first and meticulously gathered it as Maggie had taught her to do. First putting on gloves, gently holding the grass by the top of the stalk loosely, then quickly slashing the scythe as close to the ground as possible. Lightly put the gathered grass in its own bag. Placing the bag by the path, she’d leave it there until after she gathered some Stromgrain.

  After a couple of hours of fruitless searching in the hot sun, Lily decided to call it a day. Instead of walking on the path directly in the sun, a walk through the shade on the side of the field sounded much more appealing. There hiding in the shadows on the edge of the forest grew the Stormgrain plant. It looked very much like a reverse sunflower instead of the bright yellow and orange, it was shades of light gray to black. Instead of following the sun it follows its own shadow avoiding the sun. Lily kicked herself, should have guessed that a plant named for storms would have an aversion to the sun, adding a mental note to add this fact to Maggie’s journal.

  After gathering a few stacks of the Stormgrain, circling back to pick up the already gathered Rye, it was time to depart for home. Lily was tempted to test that she had the proper Stormgrain, but knew it was better to test it back at the bakery, where help could be standing by.

  Paula and Lottie were putting the final touches on the oven.

  “Hey that looks pretty professional, you two could go into the building trade, if you get tired of doctoring or baking. How long before it’s ready to be tried out?”

  “Lily, I think we should give it a few hours for the wet mortar to dry out a little, then maybe an hour with a smaller amount of heat to help finish drying the mortar. Normally, I’d say wait a few days of the mortar to set. But I’m sure Lottie doesn’t want to wait to see if this can cure her son. Besides, if it falls apart because we used it too soon, more mortar will put it back to right.”

  “Great, listen I have to test this stormgrain and the only way to do it is to eat a bit and then see if anything bad happens.”

  “What about the store safety feature, that turns poisons inert.?”

  “I don’t want to bring it inside, in case the store's magical field has other effects aside from the ones we already know about. I want to mix, raise and bake, all out here by the oven. So I’m going to try a small amount now, if it turns out to be poison, just jump me to that hospital by Heathrow and bring a sample of the plant for the doctors to examine.”

  “No Lily, I can’t in good conscience let you risk your life for my son, if it needs to be tested, it should be me…stop, stop.”

  Lily ate a small seed from the plant.

  “It can’t be you Lottie, you’re the doctor, you can keep me alive. I’m the baker, if it’s poison there is nothing I can do for you. Besides I’m ninety nine percent sure it’s the magical ingredient. I considered trying it in the field, I just thought it’d be safer to test it here with people around. While we're waiting for the oven to dry, let's move the kitchen table out here so I have a surface to mix and knead the flat bread.”

  “Lily, I’ll never forget what you are doing for my son.”

  “OK, Lily, Lottie and I will move the table in a few minutes. Let's just keep an eye on you first.”

  “This is silly, I am not going to just sit here while you two stare at me. I’ll be right back, we may as well have a cup of tea.”

  “Lily, I’ll make the tea, you and Lottie can chat and she can keep an eye on you.”

  “Lily, you really shouldn't have done anything so rash. It should have been me testing that plant, it’s for my son and we’re only fictional anyway.”

  “I don’t want to ever hear crap like that from you again, do you understand. Salome, Paula are ‘fictional’, does that make them any less real to me? Do I love them any less because they came from a different town than I do? No, I do not. I love them as much as Rose who came from another town, as much as Lu who came from another species. I really don’t see the advantage to being ‘non fictional’. My friends are all real people, who have their own hopes and dreams as do I. I was planning on waiting until your son was better before asking you. But seeing how you don’t value yourself as much as I do I’ll ask you now. After you have your son healthy, would you consider going on a date with me? I think you’re gorgeous and funny and super smart. My helping you will continue if you say no, that’s why I wanted to wait, before asking you, no pressure.”

  “I’d love to go on a date with you, you are by far the kindest person I’ve ever met. I’m glad you didn’t wait to ask, it’s what I needed to hear. That someone still valued me. It must be hard for you to understand that I feel unreal, even though I’m sitting here talking.”

  “Well from my point of view you know that you came from Talbert’s head, I know that I descended from a monkey. Personally, I think it’d be nicer to come from the nice lady’s head instead of pooh throwing monkeys.”

  Lottie laughed. “Technically, you didn’t descend from a monkey. The great apes and the humans descended from common ancestors. That monkey idea came from a bunch of fundamentalists who put a teacher on trial for daring to contradict the bible.”

  “My god don’t get Rose going on the bible. You’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Not a fan of religion is she?”

  “Gods no, I don’t think she ever was. But after what they did to Salome, Rose went scorched earth in Juliet's World. Turned their church into a school, library and playground. The father who was the town preacher allowed the Head Deacon to sexually abuse Salome, because the deacon had discovered the preacher was embezzling funds from the church.”

  “What happened to the two men?”

  “Rose turned him into a weasel, because he kept lying. Then she turned him human again and said if he lied one more time, he was a weasel for life. Suddenly the truth comes out. He’s in prison. The actual abuser at first she turned him into a toad, then she turned him back into a human again and she gave him the same ultimatum. Rose starts questioning him and he starts telling the truth and admits what he’s done to Salome. But then his wife asks him if he ever did anything to his own fourteen year old daughter. He says no, poof. Back to a toad.”

  “Wow, you mean Rose could change me into something else.”

  “No, if you sexually abuse any of her people she may drag you to Juliet’s World and have you imprisoned.”

  “Why’s it called Juliet’s world instead of Rose's World? Juliet is just a character, right?”

  “Juliet is a character, quite the character. At the very first book club she shows up and flashes the whole club.”

  “Really, why.”

  “Juliet’s whole village can see and hear everything Rose sees and hears. Can you see and hear what Talbert is doing? I never thought to ask Paula. I have to ask Salome if she can still see and hear now that she is here. But anyway, Juliet meant to flash just Lu because she saw Lu naked in the bath with Rose.”

  “No I have never seen or heard, but I just learned recently. We’ll have to ask Paula. But that must be very hard on Lu, knowing that five hundred people see her naked every time she gets naked in front of Rose.”

  “Those two are so much in love nothing seems to phase either of them. They keep adding rooms at the tower for strays. They have Ruby and Opal, the sisters you met the other night and McCracken. Paula stayed there for weeks when she arrived from Earth. Rose's mother and grandmother stayed for a few weeks but wanted to go back home and give Rose and Lu space.”

  “Well they definitely have space. I’m used to high school physics, I still can’t believe it’s bigger on the inside than the outside.”

  “Here’s the tea, how are you feeling Lily, no ill effects from the Stormgrain.”

  “No Paula, none at all, I’m sorry I worried you, I’m sure now that it’s the magical Stormgrain.”

  “I’m going in to get my mortar and pestle, I need to grind that Stormgrain into flour and that may take a little while. By then maybe we can test your oven. It certainly looks like it’ll be up for the job. I’ll be back in a few minutes. I want to check on Salome, see if she needs anything.”

  “Paula, Lily told me that Rose turned two of her fictional characters into animals, does that mean she could do that to us?”

  “First off, you’ve met Rose, did she strike you as the vengeful type, secondly did you see Juliet ordering her to get this snack, bring me this drink. The other night before book club we took care of a gang that came in from out of town. All because I opened my big mouth in a spot where I was overheard. This whole situation Rose and I were targeted because of me. Not once did she lay any blame on me. Blames it all on the criminals. So we caught all four of them that planned on kidnapping me to get my money. Rose asked me what a criminal gets for sentencing. I told her I thought about ten to twenty years. She jumped the four of them to a world just like her home town. Took away their memories for ten years, asked what kind of work they’d like to do. Implanted memories to help them get jobs then gave them money to tide them over till they found work. That my friend is criminal rehabilitation in action. She’s hoping that in ten years time and they get their true memories back, they'll be happy in their new lives and just stay there.”

  “But isn’t she worried that in ten years they’ll be mad and want retribution on her or you?”

  “No Lottie, she really thinks ahead most of the time at least. She took the memory that they attacked us and we beat them away, and that memory isn’t coming back.”

  “Why let them have their criminal memories back at all then?”

  “Because she didn’t want to take away their agency. She’d do it as a just criminal sentence but not any longer. I’d much rather serve time in Rose’s ‘jail’ than a US prison. Without any memories of the past, you wouldn’t feel like you were serving a sentence at all just living your life. She hopes they’ll form community connections, maybe marry and have families. To have built something worth staying for.”

  “So you trust Rose then?”

  “Absolutely and her girl friend Lu is the same way, you met her the other day. Over here building an oven to help a sick kid, rather than going to work. They both go out of their way to help people.”

  “What about Talbert? Do you trust her?”

  “This is going to sound funny but I don’t know Talbert as well as Rose. Talbert doesn’t have Rose’s powers. She’s an author and can enter her own work and she’s protective of it. Rose brought her whole book club into my novel and then jumped them all from scene to scene. All because Talbert put a scene in the book about Madd Maggie. When I was just a kid, Maggie hired me at her book store Mad Maggie’s Books in Manhattan. When I went off to college she gave me a credit card, told me it was good for any amount of money, but it’d only work one time. Save it for a life or death emergency, it’s that credit card that got me out of the country to England. Anyways it’s that scene in the book that made Rose pick it for book club, because of Lily’s ties to Madd Maggie. Lily came here as a kid and Maggie taught her the business. If it was for that scene in the book I might still be lying on a beach in Blackpool wondering what to do with my life. It was also a shock that I’m still processing. But I think the longer I’m here the more it feels like home, the place I belong.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Lily came back with the mortar and pestle and started to grind.

  “I knew Maggie, Talbert said she knew Maggie from working at her store, Lily knew Maggie and the book club jumped into a non-fiction book about a mining town in California 1849. A Sienna Rousseau who was an honorary Native American chief, the guild master of the mining guild and the madame of a high end house of ill repute first in the mining town then when the gold ran out. She moved the whole house and all her girls to San Francisco, but she also knew Madd Maggie. Hundred and Fifty years apart. But it makes sense, Sparky is hundreds of years old. Why not Maggie if she has fey blood. You said something about an old woman sending you here, I wonder if it was Maggie?”

  “Well your Maggie was a woman with some money. If she gave you that credit card, the woman who I think sent me here looked homeless. But somehow the hospital staff allowed her to stay in my room. If I’d been my doctor I’d have chased her out without I.D. Lily, what do you think?”

  “I just wish I had a picture or I could draw. Sparky might have a picture. Why don’t we take a walk over to Enigmatic Parchments, let me grab him a few dozen donuts that’ll sweeten his demeanor.”

  ***

  There wasn’t a soul in the dusty old book store, except for the orangeish red haired

  Sparky himself.

  “I’m sorry ladies, but Rose is working on a difficult assignment and can’t be disturbed unless it’s an extreme emergency.”

  “No Sparky, we came to see you, and we brought you a gift?”

  Which he greedily accepted, and began eating.

  “Ladies I’m a wizard and not a magician, thus I do not do birthday parties.”

  “Good because that’s not why we're here Sparky.”

  “Then why are you here my favorite baker in the seven realms?”

  “Do you have any pictures of Maggie?”

  “Your Maggie, Madd Maggie, no why what have you heard?”

  He ate another donut.

  “Heard we haven’t heard anything, why would you ask that?”

  “No reason just wondering if some gossip is spreading lies about me, I treasure my reputation and would hate to see it tarnished.”

  He ate two more donuts.

  “Quit fooling around will you, do you have any pictures of her?”

  “No I’m sorry Lily I don’t, but you know if I had another dozen or two donuts I’d be happy to sketch her for you.”

  “Thanks Sparky, we’ll be right back with more donuts.”

  We walked back to the bakery, got two more dozen donuts and a couple dozen cookies.

  “Paula, you take one dozen cookies and Lottie you take one dozen cookies, I’ll give him the donuts as soon as we get there but you too hold onto the cookies in case we need to bribe him more.”

  “He’s certainly not what I expected a wizard would be like and he’s Rose’s mentor?”

  “Yeah he’s not the Gandalf kind of wizard, but he’s not the Saruman or Sauron type either, fortunately. Yes Rose is his apprentice, he usually lets her do whatever she wants so he must be having her doing something important. Don’t you think Lily?”

  “Well I just hope that he can draw, after making two bakery runs for him.” said Lily

  We arrived back at the book store and there still wasn’t a customer in sight.

  “Did you finish the sketch already, Sparky?”

  “Of course Lily, anything for my favorite baker. Did you bring me more donuts?”

  “Here you go Sparky.”

  “Here you go Lily.”

  “Wow Sparky is that me?”

  “Yep that’s you and Maggie, Maggie used to look forward to your visits.”

  “I was always sure I’d disappoint her, because I had no magical powers.”

  “Lily you could never disappoint that woman, she’d start talking about your visits months before your scheduled arrival. Then after you were gone she’d mope around for months.”

  “Lottie, is this the woman who sent you here?”

  “Yes, that’s her.”

  “I wonder if she moved from New York to Boston, maybe she has a shop in Boston now.”

  “Well thanks Sparky”

  “You're welcome Lily, but are you not going to introduce me to your new friend?”

  “I’m sorry Sparky, I was so focused on Maggie, I forgot my manners. Dr Charlotte Li please meet Grandmaster Brightspark or as he prefers Sparky.”

  “Come see me anytime Dr Li if you have any troubles or worries either myself or my apprentice will sort them out for you.

  “Please call me Lottie, Sparky.”

  “Thank you Lottie.”

  “Oh here’s some cookies for you.”

  “Thank you Lottie, that’s very kind. What about you, 007, have anything for me.”

  “Why as a matter of fact I have a box of cookies for you as well.”

  “Thank you, how’s the bakery treating you so far.”

  “Wonderful, I’ve never been happier in my life.”

  “That’s stupendous, but the same offer applies, either myself or Rose are always here for you.”

  “Thanks Sparky, Well we better go and test out our new oven.”

  “Gods, nothing happened to the oven at the bakery, have they, I’ll come look at it immediately.”

  “No, the oven is fine, we built an outdoor oven away from the magical field to try and bake a cure for Lottie’s son.”

  “Why does it need to be outside the field?”

  “We’re trying to make a magical healing bake and I’ve never been able to produce a healing bake. Every other type of magical bake but nothing to do with healing.”

  “Well I hope it works, but just in case ask Rose to try and heal him. She’s never been tested for healing powers but she may have them. Sadly I do not. But she very well may. She’s a fount of surprises.”

  “Thanks for the help, and we’ll keep Rose in mind. Tell her we said hello. I’m going to frame this drawing for the shop.”

  We walked back and Paula started a small fire to help the oven finish drying out. I kneaded the dough and let it sit for its second proof. Lottie walked home to check on her son, promising to be back soon.

  “Hey Paula, did you ever try to look through Talbert to see what she’s doing?”

  “No, and I don’t think she’d take it as well as Rose does. I feel like that might be something I’d have to ask her permission to try.”

  “No I agree, I just wondered if you two had ever tried it out.”

  “Now that I’ve read the book I can see that she obviously could see my thoughts because she put them on the page. But as far as I know she’s never tested to see if she has any Bibliomancy powers. I go get her for the book club from Heathrow Hospital, then I take her back after the meeting so she doesn’t have to use a portal muffin. How long till the dough is ready?”

  “Ten or fifteen minutes, is it ok to build up the fire?

  “Yep, I’ll build it up now and it should be ready in ten minutes or so, I’ll go get the oven mitts. After the dough goes in we’ll need to keep the front closed so the heat won’t escape. How long do you think it’ll need to bake?”

  “We’ll need to check it after 15 minutes and then every couple of minutes after that. It can go from raw to burnt pretty quickly.”

  “I really hope this is going to work.”

  “Me too, for a couple of reasons. One because I want her son to get healthy and second because I asked her on a date.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said yes.”

  “Oh Lily, I am so happy for you, after you’ve been dating for a while we can double date, it’ll be so much fun. OK, I tried to get as even a base of coals as I could so you get an even bake. Let’s give this a shot.”

  I put half of the dough on a greased pizza pan and slid it into the oven. This was the first thing I’ve ever baked in my life. I used a normal cook book for the times required to bake and we have no idea how hot it is in the oven. After turning over the egg timer for the fifth time we opened the oven door and found a delicious odor but a blackened piece of flat bread.

  That’s OK, the first try was not so great, but we could just keep trying, the second batch I’ll check after three egg timer turns. When we opened the door after nine minutes again it smelled delicious yeasty bread order and this time it was a little under done. Push it back in, give it another minute. Lottie came back just in time for the door to open the second time and it looked perfect, I pulled out the pan and flipped on to a cooling rack to get it to stop cooking.

  “Lottie, how will you know if this works?”

  “I was just planning to wait before Paula offered to jump me to the hospital. I have all the equipment here to take a blood sample. Paula jumps me to the hospital, then I can go into the lab and run the test myself, probably take an hour or so.”

  “Paula, you have to be careful, isn't that Trump guy after you in Boston?”

  “Don’t worry Lilly, it’s not like they'll have ICE agents at the hospital.”

  “Yes they do, they have agents all over looking for the poor immigrants. Afraid to go for health care because they’ll be deported. We’ll just have to wait.”

  “No, I'm sure Salome or Rose will take you. I’ll have one of them lined up to help tomorrow morning. Take this bread and keep your fingers crossed. I hope it tastes all right, it’s only the second thing I’ve ever baked. That blackened rock over there is my first.”

  “Well, that second bake was a huge improvement”

  “Thanks, see you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks Paula, thanks Lily, you don’t know what this means to me I’ll see you both tomorrow.”