The young man pulled on the horse’s reins and stopped him. The couple looked at me with a mixture of fear and hope. I could read their expressions easily enough, because their faces were mostly there. The woman’s eyes had begun to draw up, but they were a long way from becoming the slits through which Dora observed the world. The man was worse; if not for the way his nose appeared to be melting, he might have been handsome.
“Ho,” he said. “Are we well met? If not, have what you would take. You have a weapon, I have none, and I’m too tired and heartsore to fight you.”
“I’m no robber,” I said. “Just a traveler, like you.”
The woman was wearing short lace-up boots that looked dusty but whole. The man’s feet were bare. And dirty.
“Are you the one the lady with the dog told us we might meet?”
“That would be me, I guess.”
“Have you a token? She said you would, for I gave her the boots I was wearing. They were my father’s, and falling to pieces.”
“You won’t hurt us, will you?” the young woman asked. But her voice was that of an old woman. Not yet a growl like Dora’s, but getting there.
These people are cursed, I thought. All of them. And it’s a slow curse. Which might be the worst kind.
“I won’t.” I took one of the small leather shoe-tokens from my pocket and gave it to the young man. He tucked it in his own pocket.
“He’ll give my man shoes?” the woman asked in her growly voice.
I answered that question carefully, as befitted a boy whose father worked in the insurance biz. “That was the deal as I understood it.”
“We must get on,” her husband—if that’s what he was—said. His voice was a little better, but where I came from nobody would have given him a job as a TV announcer or audiobook reader. “We thank you.”
From the woods on the far side of the road, a howl arose. It climbed until it was almost a shriek. It was a terrible sound, and the woman shrank against the man.
“Must get on,” he said again. “Wolfies.”
“Where will you stay?”
“The lady with the dog showed us a picture-board and drew what we think was a house and barn. Have you seen it?”
“Yes, and I’m sure they’ll take you in. But hurry, and I’ll do the same. I don’t think being on the road after dark would be…” Would be cool was what I thought, but I couldn’t say it. “It wouldn’t be wise.”
No, because if wolfies came, these two had no house of straw or twigs to hide in, let alone one of bricks. They were strangers in the land. I at least had a friend. “Go on, now. I think you’ll get new shoes tomorrow. There’s a store, or so I was told. The man will give you shoes if you show him your… you know… your token. I want to ask you a question, if I may.”
They waited.
“What is this land? What do you call it?”
They looked at me as if I had a screw loose—a phrase I probably wouldn’t be able to say—and then the man replied. “Tis Empis.”
“Thank you.”
They went their way. I went mine, picking up the pace until I was nearly jogging. I heard no more howls, but the gloom of twilight was thick by the time I saw the welcome window-glow of Dora’s cottage. She had also placed a lamp at the foot of her steps.
A shadow moved toward me in the dark and I dropped my hand to the butt of Mr. Bowditch’s .45. The shadow solidified and became Radar. I dropped to one knee so she wouldn’t stress those bad back legs of hers by trying to jump up. Which she was clearly preparing to do. I grabbed her around the neck and pulled her head against my chest.
“Hey, girl—how are you doing?”
Her tail was wagging so hard that her butt swung back and forth like a pendulum, and was I going to let her die if I could do something about it? Bullshit I was.
Help her, Leah’s maid had said, and there on the darkening road, I made up my mind to help them both—the old dog and the goose girl princess.
If I could.
Radar broke away, went to the poppy-field side of the road, and squatted. “Good idea,” I said, and unzipped my fly. I kept one hand on the butt of the revolver while I did my thing.
4
Dora had made up a bed for me near the fireplace. There was even a pillow with colorful butterflies on the case. I thanked her, and she dropped me a curtsey. I was amazed to see that her red shoes （like those worn by Dorothy in Oz） had been replaced by a pair of yellow Converse sneakers.