The Badlings

Chapter 3. The Ice Woman

Fear has big eyes. It makes it easy for authors to fool you. Never trust appearances on first sight, especially those in books. You see one thing, and just when you think you know what it is, it turns out to be something completely different.

Rusty thought he saw a crowd of running monkeys. Grand perceived a rider on a horse, a rider without a head. Peacock feared it could be vampires in white dresses. And only Bells saw it for what it was.

Pulled by three ivory horses, a sleigh carved from ice swished along the lake, spraying snowdust from under its runners. A tall regal figure held the reins, wrapped in a fur coat and muff and wearing an icy crown. It was a woman of frightening beauty, the beauty that stabs you with cold and holds you hostage to its perfection, symmetrical, flawless, and dead.

The horses reared. The woman shouted something and, noticing the children, steered the sleigh in their direction. The horseshoes clacked against the ice, sending an echo that broke off at the trees.

"Guys?" said Bells. "I think I know who it is."

"Yeah?" asked Peacock. "Who?"

"I read this book to Sofia. I never finished it because it became ridiculous, scientifically speaking. I got disgusted and told her to read it herself."

"What book was it?"

" 'The Snow Queen.' " Bells took a cautious step back, watching the horses close in on them. "It's a fairy tale about this ice woman. She wants to freeze the whole world, you know, power and domination and all that stuff. She is charming, really, except if she kisses you, your heart will turn into ice or some other nonsense like that."

Peacock had gone white. "She is going to kiss us? Is that part of reading this page?"

"I'd like to see her try!" shrieked Rusty. With a cry of war he brandished a stick over his head.

"Where did you find that?" demanded Bells.

"In the snow, that's where. We will just chase her off. That's what you do with naughty dogs, you poke them with a stick!" He stabbed the air a bit too vigorously and knocked himself off his feet.

"She is not a dog, Rusty," objected Grand. "Besides, if you fight her, you might make her want to kiss you, like Bells is saying, and then you will turn black from cold, and after a while— Um, Bells? Does your heart turn to ice right away, or does it take some time?"

"I haven't read that part," said Bells crossly. "And I don't think I want to know."

Rusty pointed an enthusiastic finger. "Whoa! Look at those horses!"

"Rusty, no!" cried Bells, but he had already walked up to the quivering beasts that ogled him like some insane apparition. Their hides were powdered with hoarfrost, and tiny icicles hung from their manes.

"Nice horses, nice little horses..." whispered Rusty, stretching out his hand. The steed in the middle snorted right in his face, and Rusty staggered back, puzzled. "You don't like to be petted?"

The steed gave him a stink eye that clearly signified its protest to such an unbidden proposition.

Rusty scuttled back to his friends.

"Do you have to pet every animal you see?" Bells scolded him.

"But...horses..." Rusty fell silent.

The Snow Queen stepped off the sleigh, her face an inflexible mask. Her eyes fell on Bells, and something glistened in them, a deeply hidden hunger.

"Sweet children," she said melodically, "are you cold? Come, I will warm you up."

"No, thanks," said Peacock quickly. "We're not that cold."