Lost and Found: A Tale of the Tylwyth Teg

Chapter 16 - Bhante Ryoju and the Oni on the Roof

We were awakened at 7:00 a.m. with a polite but persistent knock at the door. It was the roofers and their crew of twelve. I gave them the go-ahead. Within 40 minutes, Anne had baked two dozen mixed-berry muffins and brewed enough coffee to last them through the morning. She was zipping around the kitchen and drawing room as if nothing had happened yesterday.

I was having post-traumatic stress, wondering if we'd be attacked again today, in spite of reassurances from Abe that Queen Mab was known for her ferocity, but not for her quick responses. There were, he explained, many factions in the court who would be angry about their unexpected defeat by a pair of humans and a few dozen mongrel colonial Tylweth Teg.

Anne's poisoning was to have been her coup de grace. Her survival, and her triumphant banishing of the Queen would have completely both enraged and flummoxed Mab the Magnificent.

"Alwyn wants you to take your time and think about the house's defenses while Mab pouts, screams and plots her next move. He's not 100% sure that these tiles of yours will do anything," Abe said.

"Oh, really?" I asked, my pride having been pricked. "Why doesn't he tell us himself?"

Abe sighed. "It's a long story, Ms. Lillian. He refuses to talk to humans. Excuse me – I need to check on Annika. The roofers' noise scares her. Lady Anne has asked me to bring her some chamomile tea."

James, the son in Liapis & Son Tile Importers, came in from the front lawn and excitedly explained that since we were friends of the Tambinis, they were throwing in, free-of-charge, some special tiles that had been ordered by a Chinese restaurant which had canceled their order. He showed me tiles with birds, flowers and a few mythological creatures. They'd be finished by 3:00 p.m. – or so he claimed.

I entered the kitchen to find Annie talking animatedly to Abe, who nodded vigorously and left through the kitchen door. I hadn't heard their conversation, as the noise from the roofers was pretty deafening. I was about to ask her something when she turned to smile at me. Framed in the sunlight, she glowed. And from her back, there sprouted ghostly outlines of butterfly wings, sparkling with dust motes that floated around her.

Just as quickly, they vanished. Neither of us had spoken about how she managed to survive Mab's poison. Did it have something to do with the spirit of the old woman who chanted with us? Don't question the reason behind it, I thought, just accept the wonderful, warm reality that she did survive. I hugged Anne from behind. She relaxed into it, and I breathed in her scent – lemon from the morning's muffins mixed with butter and the comforting smell of Earl Grey tea.

"Have I told you lately how incredibly lucky I am to be loved by you?" I said in a scotch and soda voice.

"No, but I think you should practice that more each day," she laughed. "I told Abe to have the Teg bring me some flower petals for tonight's salad, with the promise that I'd make a victory meal for everyone who helped yesterday. Oh, he had some advice regarding Ms. Nettle Tansy."

"And that advice was?"

"Be careful what you say and how you say it. Try not to contradict her overmuch. Don't share secrets with her unless you want the whole world to know them. Her good graces can be the difference between success and failure in Cambria Colony, especially where the First Arrivals are concerned."

"And they are?"

My Annie gave me a stern glance, then a radiant smile. "They are the oldest Teg in Cambria, the ones who first arrived."

"Arrived from where?"

She turned around, and with hands on her hips, declared: "Lils! I don't know! I have lunch bites to fix for the roofing crew, the house to set in order, bearcat fur to vacuum, dinner to make for a Teg troop and Teg guests...and when is that Buddhist monk arriving? Anyway, go watch the roofers. Make sure the curious Teg are far enough away from the crew and the roof, all right?"