The Lark Taps Twice

Chapter 6: Food and Some Answers

When Miriam came to and opened her eyes, she immediately slammed them shut again. Her head exploded with fireworks, and her ankle burned with familiar fire. Another sprain. She'd had so many as a kid that the x-ray tech at the local hospital knew her by name. But how?

A large hand grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. "Glad you're awake, and I'm not the only one. You have quite the menagerie, and they all insisted on staying with you. Let me fix the light for you." The hand retreated, and the fiery glow prying at her eyelids faded to a warm glimmer.

Miriam squinted her eyes open, letting them fly wide open when the dim illumination of the bedside lamp did not stab her pupils. The giant shopkeeper perched on a too-small straight-back wooden chair beside the bed where she rested, and she belatedly recognized his voice from a moment ago. The other occupants of the room were only vaguely more familiar than the seated man, and no less welcome.

A pillow tucked beneath her head and shoulders allowed her to survey the bed without shifting, and she was grateful, for the sight before her was fascinating and fragile. The pink deer and the over-large Siamese cat snuggled on either side of her extended legs, and the navy colored coyote sat attentively at her feet. The four birds sat in the shallow valley between her legs arranged by size: the silver lark closest to her waist, and the green hawk closest to her ankles, with the white raven and the pastel macaw taking up the space between. All fourteen eyes regarded her with curiosity, and the lark's gaze held a measure of what she could only describe as relief.

"I think the only reason they allowed me in your SUV was that I had just saved your life, and the cat and the coyote growled at me the entire drive here. Your story must be true, if you have such loyal friends, even if they are a bit strange."

At the shopkeeper's words, the mentioned creatures flicked narrowed eyes at the man and gave him an encore. He and Miriam laughed a little in response, though hers was cut short by a stab of fresh pain in her skull. The giant leapt to his feet and paced away from the bed, almost immediately out of sight from the bed.

"I plumb forgot about your injuries. I'll be right back with something to help. Stay there!" His retreating footfalls thundered between Miriam's ears, and she sank back into the comfortable bed and closed her eyes.

A tap on the back of her hand encouraged Miriam to pry her eyelids open again. As she did, a wooden tray with short sturdy legs appeared over her lap, laden with cutlery, fresh red-flecked biscuits, a bowl of pale blue soup, a white mug of clear green tea, a glass of water, and two tablets she recognized at once as over the counter pain meds. Most of the contents of the tray released individual clouds of steam, filling the air with aromas so delicious her stomach growled instinctively.

The shopkeeper chuckled. "Glad to know you aren't put off by the fare. I took a chance that you might enjoy some of my new favorite foods; had you been alone, I wouldn't have bothered."

At that moment, she realized her menagerie had vanished, leaving only a few feathers and bits of hair to mark their former presence. She gasped in panic and sat up so fast she jostled the tray, causing the liquids to splash over the sides of their containers. The man beside her wrapped his large hand around her upper arm.

"Easy, now. Your friends are fine. They're in the next room enjoying their own meals. They'll be back once they finish. You're all safe here. You dig in now; I'll check on you in a few minutes and answer your questions then." He paused before adding, "I hope you can answer some of mine, too." Then he was gone.

Miriam didn't hesitate to pick up a spoon and plunge it into the soup. A close sniff of the thick blue liquid told her it might taste like tomatoes, so she blew on it twice to cool the fluid and sipped a few drops from the spoon. True to the aroma, the rich flavor of garden-grown tomatoes flooded her mouth, along with a healthy tingle of bell peppers. The combination was perfectly balanced, and Miriam drained half the bowl before taking a break to explore the other offerings on the tray.