The Lost Witch (12 page)

Carole rose from the damp ground, chilled and stiff. "Oh, I ache from head to toe," she
said while stretching.

"Rr-r-t," Runt muttered, barely opening an eye.

Carole saw the moon was well along on its nightly journey. "Holy cow, it's been dark
for hours."

"Rit ret."

"My fault? Yeah, right. Come on, before the night's totally wasted."

A little later, she and Runt were crouched at the edge of the farm watching two skinny
kids work the ground directly where she'd been hoping to cross. "I suppose we'll still be able to
skirt around, if we're quiet enough," she whispered.

"Rit."

Carole studied the curious scene a little longer. "They aren't really trying to turn that
whole field with shovels? That'd be crazy!"

"Reet reet riit?"

"All the way out here? I doubt it. Besides, they look kinda small to me. Just a couple of
kids."

"Ret rit!"

"No, we'd better not risk it."

"Wret ret?"

"Are you serious? What if they're not alone? What if they've got dogs? What if their
folks are still up? Besides, there's still a chance we can catch up with Smoky."

"Reet, ret!"

"I know, but I'd like to give it one more day." Instead of walking away, Carole continued
to stare. "What are they up to? Let's move a little closer."

"Rit rit reet?"

"I know what I said, but this won't take long."

Carole crawled to just beyond the range of their lantern light and listened with
fascination.

"...no use Zack. We can't do it without Millie. Besides, the crops should've been sowed
weeks ago."

"What choice have we got? You want to get split up...to...to never see each other again?
Those thieving cops. We'd have been all right if it weren't for them."

"Even if we had her, even if we did, they know we're here. They're just going to get us
anyway." The girl sat heavily on the ground, buried her face in her knees and started
sobbing.

At this the boy dropped his defiant stance and knelt, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's
okay, Lil, don't cry. Maybe you're right. Maybe it's too late for crops, but we can still gather
roots from the woods and sell them like before. We can make the crafts Grandpa showed us.
Remember he even showed me how to make a cedar strip canoe, and one of those might bring in
ten or fifteen."

The girl sniffed, "You've never made a canoe in your life. Only helped him once, and
that was years ago."

"Still, I know--"

At that moment Runt let out a gigantic sneeze.

The girl gasped with fright. The boy sprang to his feet, gripping his shovel like a
weapon.

"Wh-Who's there?"

"Way-ta-go Runt," Carole said under her breath.

"I said who's there?" The boy lifted the lantern high.

"Sorry to startle you," Carole got up, trying to sound casual. "We... I was just passing
through when I saw your light."

"In the middle of the night? No one passes through here. No one even lives around
here," he said, squinting into the dark.

"Over here." Carole stepped into the light.

The boy let the tip of his shovel drop to the ground, apparently reassured by her not
looking any older than he was.

"I'm not from around here. I was hiking along the trail that runs past your place."

"Alone?"

"Not exactly."

Runt stepped out from behind her legs.

"The pig path?" The girl had recovered from her shock and was staring hard at Runt.
"You're taking the pig path?"

"What's the pig path?" Carole tried to push Runt back.

He had other ideas. Sidestepping Carole, he trotted over to the girl.

"Grandpa called it the pig path," she said, as she gave Runt a good scratching behind his
ears. "He said it was special because every so often there were signs that a large hog had passed
by, even though there aren't any working farms within miles of here. And the tracks always went
in the same direction, east."

Carole's heart beat a little faster. "Have there been any recent signs? Has a hog been by
within, say, the last couple of days?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Just yesterday--"

"That's all fine and dandy," the boy said, "but you still haven't told us who you are!"

"Don't be rude, Zack. Look at her. She's no better off than us. Besides, this is still our
home, and she's a guest, so mind your manners! I'm Lilly Deville, and this is my brother
Zack."

"Pleased to meet you. My name's Carole Sylphwood, and Runt here's my best fr-- He's
my pet."

"Would you like to come inside for a bit, Carole? We don't have anything fancy, but
there should be enough to go around."

"Wreeet!"

"What about your folks?" Carole said, giving Runt a mind-your-manners stare. "I can't
imagine they'd be very pleased at having strangers drop by in the middle of the night."

"Not a problem. It's just me and Zack."

"I don't know..."

"You won't be able to see the path in the dark anyway," Lilly said. "The bush is near
impossible for miles on that side of the farm."

"Oh. I suppose it'd be okay if we came in for a bit."

"Hey, what about the crops? And what about her wandering around at night? Who goes
hiking at night?"

"Leave it be, Zack. I told you before, the crops are a waste of time. Come on, Carole.
You too, Runt."

The girls started towards the cabin with Runt sandwiched between. Zack stood a
moment before calling, "Hey, wait up!"

The cabin was cozy and warm, but Carole still felt uneasy about being inside. As she
waited for Lilly to dish up four bowls of soup, she couldn't help but notice Zack wrinkle his nose
when he sat next to her at the table.

"It's because of the pig barn."

"What is?"

"I know what I smell like, Zack. It just doesn't come off."

"You raise hogs?" He took a bowl from his sister.

"That's how we made our living, tending the stock and looking after the farm, but no
more. Runt and I've left for good."

"It wasn't your place?"

"I was hired help. I'm going to try to...to try and find my parents."

"They weren't farming with you?"

"No, just Hal."

"Who's Hal, another relative?" Lilly sat across from Carole.

"Yes. No. Sort of. He's my father-not...er my foster father. We were waiting for
someone from home to contact us and just recently they did."

The twins looked at each other with eyebrows raised.

Carole knew she'd never be able to explain, so she just said, "It's kinda complicated. But
what about you? What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere without your folks?"

"This was our home," Lilly said quietly.

"Is!" Zack slapped a hand on the table. "They can't take it from us."

"They can, and they will. We don't have any parents either, Carole. Not for a long time.
We lived here with Grandpa 'til he died. And now they're trying to get us." Tears welled up in
Lilly's eyes.

"Who?"

"The authorities."

"But they won't." Zack said. "They can't get us 'cause they can't find us. We hid out in
the woods 'til they gave up looking, but they went and stole our mule out of spite."

"They'll be back." Lilly sighed. "Look how easy it was for Carole to catch us unawares,
and she wasn't even trying."

Zack rapped his spoon against the table.

"You know I'm right."

Something clamped hard on Carole's foot. "Oww! What'd you do that for?"

"Reet, reet reeet wret reeeeet!"

"Forget it. They've got enough on their plates. Besides, it's not exactly like we've any
great ideas."

"Reet!"

"Besides that."

"Reeet reet."

"Suppose it doesn't..." She suddenly realized what she was doing.

The twins were staring, open mouthed.

"You c-c-can talk to pigs?" Zack said.

"No, of course not. I--"

"I saw. You were having a regular conversation and he talked back. That pig was talking
back."

Carole stood up. "Don't be silly. Thanks for the food, but I really should be going."

"We won't tell, Carole." Lilly caught her hand and squeezed. "Your secret's safe with
us."

"What secret?"

Zack snorted. "Come on Sylphwood, do we look that stupid? Besides, we're a couple of
orphans hiding out from the cops, remember? Who do you think we'd tell?"

"I guess."

"Honest Carole, it's okay. At least stay long enough to finish your meal," Lilly said.

Carole sat, on the edge of her chair, ready to bolt should the need arise.

"So what's the scoop?" Zack said.

"About Runt? Oh it's nothing much. He's always been a very vocal pig, you know,
grunting all the time, and I guess after all these years I learned to understand him some. That's
all."

"Yeah, right."

"Zack!"

"They were having a real conversation and that pig was using pig words."

"So what? If Carole wants to keep it to herself, that's her business."

"She knows all about us." He folded his arms across his chest and looked mulish.

"Because we told her. She didn't pry into our affairs, so we won't pry into hers."

"But...?"

"Zack!"

"Fine!" Mouth clamped tightly shut, he glared at Carole.

"You wouldn't believe it," Carole offered, after a few seconds of silence.

"Try me," Zack said.

"It's pretty bizarre. I'm not even sure how much to believe myself."

"Can't be any stranger than talking to pigs."

"Oh yes it can."

"Reet!"

Carole scowled at Runt. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you."

Fifteen minutes later she'd finished both her soup and her story. The twins had appeared
totally spellbound throughout. Carole waited for them to say something, and wished she had just
walked away earlier, when she'd had the chance.

Lilly spoke first. "Can I see the soap? The bar of wolfbane soap?"

"Sure." Carole rummaged through the oatcakes, before finding and pulling out the neatly
wrapped bar.

Lilly turned the package over in her hands like it was treasure. She held it to her nose
and inhaled deeply. Her eyes immediately began to water. "Wow, powerful!" she coughed.
"Nothing like this grows around here, Zack. See for yourself."

Her twin took a whiff of the bar and sneezed. "No wonder it keeps werewolves
away."

"You believe me?" Carole was stunned.

"'Course we do," Zack said. "You talk with Runt easy as pie. You got the soap, and
you're the one who's been sending pigs down the pig path, I mean the Boar's Head Trail, all these
years."

"Yes, but--"

"Grandpa always said that path was a kind of magic," Lilly said, "and that there was a
lot more to life than what people normally believed."

"So did White Cloud," Zack added. "And he could see into the future."

"White Cloud?"

"An old Indian friend. Grandpa said he was a powerful shaman."

"And just before he died, Grandpa got all strange and mysterious-like," Lilly said.

"Spooky," Zack agreed. "Kinda like White Cloud. Like he was seeing into the
future."

"He told us not to worry because help would be coming along the path. And, well, here
you are, pig and all!"

"I don't know about all that, but I agree the path is special."

"Reet ret!"

Carole gave Runt a push with her foot.

"Reet ret writ wret."

"What'd he say?" Zack said.

"Oh, he's just agreeing about the path."

"Wreeeet!" Runt snorted, stamping on the floor. "Reet ret writ wret."

"You sure that's all he's got on his mind?"

"Well, there's one other little thing. It's some crazy idea about you two helping us look
for the connector."

"But we can't go to The Hub," Lilly said. "Isn't that what caused The Conundrum thing
in the first place? Someone like us? Monobrains?"

"I told you it was crazy."

"Not if we were to help without actually going to The Hub," Zack suggested. "That'd
still be pretty neat. Besides, like you said, Lil, we're just sitting ducks if we hang around here
much longer. Sooner or later the cops are bound to get us."

"That's true," Lilly said.

"But I don't even know what the connector looks like, or where it's at," Carole said.
"And who knows how long it'll take to find it or where I'll end up looking."

"Maybe the multitaskers could help us out in return," Zack said, "sort of as a reward.
You think they might, Carole?"

"What?"

"Help us out?"

"Who?"

"Your multitasking friends."

"How?"

"By protecting us from the monobrains."

Lilly frowned at her brother. "Zack, we're monobrains, too."

"Not like them. Not like those busybodies in town who squealed on us. We'd have been
fine if--"

"Here we go again," Lilly groaned. "Let it go. It's all water under the bridge."

"No it's not. They're still after us aren't they, the cops and that government lady?"

"And what do you expect Carole to do about them?"

"She's a multitasker."

"I'm really no different from you and Lilly, Zack."

"Still, if what you say about The Hub is true... Can you imagine blitzing off to different
dimensions all the time? What a ride!"

"It hasn't been a whole lot of fun, so far."

"You could at least ask that professor guy, couldn't you, Carole? Sounds like he's pretty
high up in the scheme of things."

"I've got to get back there, first."

"And in the meantime maybe you could teach us some stuff, too, while we're looking for
the connector, of course."

"What sort of stuff?"

"You know pig talk and other multitasking things."

"I've lived here all my life, remember? I don't even know what multitaskers are."

Zack gave her a shrewd look. "You talk with pigs."

"Only the brainy ones."

"So you must have other powers."

Carole collected the empty bowls and took them over to the sink. "You have to go to
school at The Hub to learn that kind of stuff, and Professor Philamount said even that's no
guarantee."