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You ought to pusha walrus? Kendra asked
Is that what I was?
A mutant humpbacked walrus with a deformed tail, she clarified
I e had a cah ht be safer not to converse so loudly, Grandpa said
I couldn’t talk, Seth said more quietly I felt like I still kne, but the words caue were different
What about Muriel? Kendra asked If she unties that last knot, will she be free?
She was originally bound by thirteen knots, Grandpa said She can loosen none on her own, though it doesn’t see But otheron theic holds the knot in place When released, Muriel can channel thatthe favor
So if you ever need her help again I will look elsewhere, Grandpa said I never wanted her to get down to a single knot Freeing her is not an option
I’ her, Seth said
Did you learn anything from the ordeal? Grandpa asked
Seth lowered his head I feel really bad about the fairy
She didn’t deserve what happened to her Grandpahis shoes I shouldn’t have ical creatures, he finally admitted
Grandpa placed a hand on his shoulder I know you meant no harm Around here, what you don’t know can hurt you And others If you have learned to be reater respect for the inhabitants of this preserve, then at least so too, Kendra said Huular wooden board rested on Kendra’s lap
She studied the pegs, planning her next juently tilted back and forth on a rocker, watching the liding around the garden Fireflies twinkled aht
Not ht, Kendra said
It ardens, Lena said
Can’t you explain everything to therandfather before they would ever heed me
Weren’t you sort of one of thean to sing softly Her high, trilling voice gave life to a wistfularound her in a loose se
Lena quit singing and said soe The fairies chirped back Lena made a final re? Kendra asked
They tolda naiadic tune, Lena replied They detest reminders that I was once a nymph, especially if those reminders imply that I am at peace with my decision
They acted pretty upset
Much of their ti mortals Any time one of us crosses over to ht beEspecially if we appear content They ridicule et to you?
Not really They do kno to needleold- buried in a box Lena frowned, gazing thoughtfully into the night I felt e today when you called for help
What do you ular wooden board
I tried to rush to your aid, but ended up sprawled on the kitchen floor Your grandfather reached your side before I did, and he is no athlete
It wasn’t your fault
In my youth I would have been there in a flash I used to be handy in an eet around great Kendra was running out of
Lena shook her head I would not last a htrope Once I played on theility The curse of , growing stronger, h no fault of your own, your body begins to fail You regress Strong lirow dull, hardy constitutions deteriorate Beauty withers
Organs quit You remember yourself in your prime, and wonder where that person went As your wisdo, your traitorous body becomes a prison
Kendra had no s reht of it that way
Lena took the board fros In their youth, mortals behave more like nymphs Adulthood seee But ponderously, inevitably, it overtakes you I find it a frustrating, hu experience
When we talked before, you said you would not change your decision, Kendra reiven the opportunity, I would choose Patton every tiine I could be content with my former life But the pleasures of , coe, the loss of loved ones-those things I could do without
The pegs were set up Lena began julibly most randparents Many others
They just accept it I have always feared aging The inevitability of it haunts me Ever since I abandoned the pond, the prospect of death has been ashadow in the back ofonly one Kendra had seen her do it before, but had not yet succeeded in copying her hed softly Because of er than regular hu finale to the enius, Kendra said
Lena smiled The solace of my winter years
You can still paint, and cook, and do all sorts of things
I do notrown up Part of h school will ever really happen So
The door to the house opened, and Grandpa’s head poked out Kendra, I need to have some words with you and Seth
Okay, Grandpa
Co for Kendra to hurry along
Kendra entered the house and followed Grandpa into the study Seth was already seated in one of the oversized chairs, druers on the armrest Kendra claimed the other one while Grandpa settled in behind his desk
The day after tomorrow is June twenty-first, Grandpa said Do either of you know the significance of that date?
Kendra and Seth shared a glance Your birthday? Seth atteest day of the year The night before is a holiday of riotous abandon for the whihts a year, the boundaries that define where different entities can venture dissolve These nights of revelry are essential to ation that normally prevails here
On Midsummer Eve, the only limits to where any creature can roam and work mischief are the walls of this house
Unless invited, they cannot enter
Midsuht? Seth said
I did not want to leave you ti as you obey ht will pass without incident It will be loud, but you will be safe
What other days do they run wild? Kendra asked
The winter solstice and the two equinoxes Midsummer Eve tends to be the rowdiest of theerly