Chapter 22
Sister Agatha made swift work of staring the elderly masses into silence and explaining placidly what had happened.
To their delight, she assured them that they would no longer be subject to the control of Ms. Angela.
Presently, Todd arrived with a wagonload of nuns, and the Sisters of Saint Percival began evacuating the captives of Eagle Heights and making arrangements to contact their families.
Mr. Gneiss instructed his entourage to help, while he lounged at Ms. Angela’s former desk, talking with Melinda in Trollish and waiting for Sister Agatha to be less busy.
Katherine and her companions, both human and feline, stood out of the way by the front gate, watching the sun slowly sink over a field of frolicking dragons, August among them.
“You done good, Ruben, real good,” Mrs. Chrysler said, giving his arm a friendly tweak.
“Thank you.” Ruben beamed. “I’ve got my friends back. And Sister Agatha’s offered me free room and board for life at Saint P’s. I think I’ll like it there.”
Mrs. Chrysler gave him another gentle, congratulatory nudge. “I’m sure you will.”
The thin clouds parted and sunlight washed golden over Ruben’s face, making him look younger—almost as young as that day they’d first met him, over forty years ago.
He turned to Katherine. “This whole thing… has been just absolutely… extraordinary.” He wiped a joyful tear from his cheek with one hand as he tightly gripped his cane with the other.
“To think, you got me out of there, and showed me the truth, and I… I actually did something, something important—with Hornsboggle and Dodge, no less!” His grin softened, and his eyes became searching. “How can I ever make it up to you?”
“You don’t have to do anything.” Mrs. Chrysler waved a hand airily.
“But—”
“Just…” Katherine interrupted. She took Ruben’s free hand and squeezed it, as she regarded Mouser cuddle more deeply into his scarf.
This cat lover and former rival of hers had certainly impressed her, but…
how had Mrs. Chrysler phrased it? Not one person in a million can make you realize you’d found something you didn’t know you were looking for?
Katherine felt deep down she hadn’t found whatever she was looking for yet…
but, even if she never found it, she felt confident there were many more good times to come.
“Just repay us,” she told Ruben, “by living happily ever after.”
His face fell a moment, but then he nodded knowingly and regarded her with genuine warmth. “I hope someday, Caterina,” he said, “that you meet someone who truly deserves you.” He squeezed her hand before letting go. “So, this is goodbye, then.”
“Yes, I think it is,” Katherine said, looking around to avoid Mrs. Chrysler’s gaze. “We’ve done what we came to do. And I must say, it does feel really good.”
We’re going home! Tilly purred, back on solid ground and giving Katherine’s ankles a head-butt.
“You were right, though, Imogene,” Katherine went on, adjusting the brooch on her vest. “I’d forgotten how much I used to enjoy these little adventures. And how good it felt to help people. It is nice to do new things sometimes, isn’t it?”
“It sure is,” Mrs. Chrysler said, nudging her warmly.
“I’m glad to hear it, Katty. We’re not as young as we used to be, it’s true, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
People never underestimated us before, did they?
Well, now that’s their mistake.” She sighed and then straightened self-consciously.
“Ah, here comes Sister Agatha now. I think we can make our goodbyes and finally get out of her… hair.” She snorted and hid a smile behind her hand.
Mouser began to fidget on Ruben’s shoulders, so the old man gently helped the threadbare, one-eared cat to the ground, whereupon he marched up to Tilly, furiously licked a paw, straightened his oversized whiskers, and huffed to steel himself.
You are a very brave cat, he told her, and… and… I wanted you to know that.
Tilly began to fade shyly from view, then slowly rematerialized. You are brave too, you know.
And… Mouser looked back at Ruben, who was watching him with a fond smile and blinking at him slowly. I’ll miss you, he said stoutly.
Tilly twitched her tail, blinked out of and back into sight again, then kissed him quickly and bashfully on his cheek.
Mouser began purring: a rumbling, rattling purr louder than any Katherine had ever heard. He turned back to Ruben, and begged to be picked up again.
Ember, who’d observed the scene, sidled up to Tilly. I thought you didn’t like mushy stuff, she teased. Especially in public.
Tilly stuck her nose in the air. I don’t know what you’re talking about, she replied primly.
Ember laughed and fluffed her tail affectionately with a paw.
Sister Agatha arrived at the gate, walking beside Todd’s wagon, which was laden with eagerly chatting former residents of Eagle Heights.
“Not many more now,” she sighed contentedly, if a touch wearily.
“I’ll have my sisters make sure we didn’t miss anyone.
” She looked around and regarded the main building appraisingly.
“I believe we can repurpose this into an observation tower, although we’ll dismantle quite a bit of it to replace some of the outbuildings we lost over by the convent.
Very nice bricks… And quite impervious to flame, which is good. ”
Katherine and Mrs. Chrysler exchanged glances.
“The one outstanding question I have, though,” the nun went on, “is about the Stinky Mountain trolls. You mentioned that this mine was supplying them. I can guarantee it never will again. But one of them is inside, saying he wants to talk to me when I’m free.”
“Ah, yes,” Katherine said.
“Yes, you’ve certainly got a large supply of fresh dragon poop at your disposal, don’t you, Sister Agatha?” said Mrs. Chrysler, smirking.
The nun watched them uncertainly.
“The troll is Mr. Gneiss,” Mrs. Chrysler went on, “and he wants to… renegotiate with you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Oh, Sister Agatha, you’re going to have more gold than you know what to do with!” Katherine laughed.
When the nun looked quizzical, Mrs. Chrysler explained, although not precisely in terms that Melinda Storage would have used, which was probably for the best.
Sister Agatha raised a brow when she’d finished, looking toward the horizon.
“We shall see.” The nun then turned to meet their eyes.
“Thank you… for coming back. Forty years is better than never.” A glint of a smile crossed her face, like a fleeting rainbow in a storm.
“I shall talk to Mr. Gneiss and Ms. Storage, and we shall be in touch.” She gave them a curt but friendly nod and headed back to the Eagle Heights building.
Katherine turned to Ruben and smiled warmly at Todd, who was waiting to help him up onto the wagon.
“Well, Ruben, I’m glad we… well, I’m glad we met again.
” She extended a hand to shake goodbye, and the old man regarded her a beat, then lurched forward to envelop both her and Mrs. Chrysler in a fervent hug.
When he released them, he gave them all a warm smile and clambered, with Todd’s help, into an empty seat.
“Thank you,” he said.
Todd bestowed his old friends with blossoms and then whistled his farewell.
Mouser gave them all a slow blink and settled down more deeply against Ruben’s neck as the wagon pulled away.
Katherine reached into a pocket for a handkerchief and sniffed.
“Whelp,” Mrs. Chrysler declared, slightly hoarse, “shall we go?” She turned her yarn bag around on her shoulder so that the side that always faced her rotated outward.
There, secured with elegant stitching onto the face of the bag, sparkled the knitted home map.
Katherine gazed at it fondly. She could almost hear the surf pounding on the shore by her cottage, the sheep bleating on the rolling hills near Mrs. Chrysler’s yurt, the bustle of the busy harbor, and the creaking of the rigging at the pier.
August bounded playfully past, skipping and leaping among a pack of other cavorting dragons. Don’t be a stranger! he called cheerfully.
Katherine’s cats mewed loudly at her feet, and she chuckled lightly. “Yes, let’s go home.” She plucked the brooch from her vest, draped her scarf on the ground, and called, “Here, kitties.”