The Ever After

Chapter Twenty-Two: Into the Outskirts

HE WHOLE TOWN OF NINE KNAVES GROTTO came out to see the three travelers off.

Guillotined Gwenneth took hold of May's hand and shook it heartily, holding her other hand to her head to keep it in place. "Yer a nice little girl. If you don't perish in the Edifice, which ye surely will, please remember dear old Gwenneth to the good old Earth, will ye?" She patted May's hip affectionately.

"Good luck," someone else shouted from the back of the crowd. "You'll need it with the Jibber leading you!"

May climbed down off the edge of the boardwalk and onto the rowboat that was docked there, following John the Jibber, who sat on the middle bench in front of the oars. The back of the rowboat bore a painted message: PROPERTY TUNNEL OF HORROR, PIT OF DESPAIR AMUSEMENT OF PARK.

Pumpkin hovered on the edge of the dock, looking unsure.

"What if the boat sinks or we get splashed?"

"We don't have a choice. Come on, Pumpkin," May urged.

"Hurry up or we'll leave ye behind," John added.

May reached out her hand, and Pumpkin took it, making a face at John, then turning to May. "I don't see why he gets to be boss."

John had a pair of rubber gloves in his hands. He blew into one, then the other.

"Why'd you do that?" May asked.

"Heh? What'd ye say? Yer so quiet I can hardly hear ye."

May repeated herself, this time more loudly.

"The gloves are protecting ye from the water that might be on the oars, but tricky knaves are always putting holes in 'em, so tiny ye can't see 'em."

He watched the glove in his hand to see if it would deflate.

"Looks like I got a good pair this time." He paused for a minute. "I don't suppose yer skinny-armed friend would be any good at rowing?"

Pumpkin crossed his arms around his knees, which he pulled up in front of his face, and looked at May. "Will you tell him that I'm an excellent rower, but I just don't feel like it right now?"

May put her thumbs to her temples. It was going to be a long ride.

Once he had the gloves on, after a lot of mumbling about Pumpkin under his breath, John leaned into the oars. Pumpkin and May watched the crowd on the pier of the grotto shrink into the distance. A few seconds later they passed a red buoy bobbing in the water. To May's surprise, two men-as skinny as John the Jibber and as ugly-were standing on it, hugging tight to the buoy and watching them.

"Seen anything interesting, Chippy?" John asked.

"No sir, Mr. Jibber. I say, do you think they'll be coming to get us anytime soon?"

"I wouldn't hold yer breath, mateys. Could be another couple years or so. Just ye mind to sound the alarms if ye see any intruders."

"Yes, sir."

Once they were out of earshot, John rolled his eyes at May. "They were caught trying to murder the mayor. He takes that stuff seriously. So now they're on watch out here. There's nobody willing to do it. Personally I think it's a bit harsh, as the mayor's certainly murdered his share of folks." He held his hand up to the side of his mouth. "Poor fellas. Must be boring as anything."

And then they were alone on the sea, just listening to the lapping of the oars against the water and the waves against the cliffs.

John rowed for several hours until the cliffs seemed to shrink from massive to just huge, then huge to large, until finally they'd settled into rocky, rolling hills alongside the shore.