The Ever After

Chapter Fourteen: The Bogey Arrives

MAY FOLLOWED THE EXIT SIGNS INTO A DARK alley, where Pumpkin and Arista were waiting with the laundry basket. May couldn't look Pumpkin in the eye, now that she knew he'd saved her and she'd been so mean to him. She hunched her shoulders as she passed him and crawled inside the basket.

"What did the Undertaker say?" Arista asked.

"I have to go to the City of Ether."

"Oh. Oh, my," Pumpkin said, nibbling on his fingers.

Arista frowned. "How on Earth does she expect you to do that? The city is probably the most dangerous place in the Ever After you could be!"

"I have to find something there." May wrapped her arms around herself.

"What in heaven's name could be good enough to justify going to the city?"

"The Book of the Dead."

"The Book of the Dead. Never heard of it."

"She said I need to go to Nine Knaves Grotto first," May added quietly, unsure now, and already losing her nerve. "There's a man there who'll help me."

"Nine Knaves Grotto! Indeed! Well, you'll certainly never make it up there alone. You'll never make it, period. You don't know anything about the spirit realm. Even if you did, Nine Knaves Grotto can be deadly enough on its own-to any being."

Arista and Pumpkin hoisted the basket up and moved down the alley, Arista buzzing thoughtfully.

"I'm of a mind to say someone should go with you." He buzzed twice more. "Pumpkin, you must escort May."

"But, I-"

"No buts."

"But . . . can't you do it?"

"I certainly can't do it. I've got bees to raise."

"But I'm scared of the city. And I think what happened at the lake really took it out of me. . . ." Pumpkin began to fake a cough. "I think I have a sinus infection too."

"Pumpkin, you don't have sinuses! Zzzzz. You're going. You can come back as soon as you've helped her get to the Book. Now, zzzz, let's stop talking about it or someone will notice."

May ducked farther into the basket as they got to the end of the alley and emerged onto the boulevard. She could feel Pumpkin's side of the basket shaking.

"Now really, Pumpkin. Get ahold of yourself. You're drawing all sorts of attention to us."

Pumpkin's hands continued to shake. "Yes, sir."

May could see through cracks in the clothes that they were making their way through the town square. Around them on all sides, the spirits hustled and bustled.

"You there, horseman," Arista's voice called. They stopped and then started moving in another direction, toward a waiting black carriage. May could just make out the wheels, and then-

"Watch where you're going, Pum-"

On her right, Pumpkin slammed into something hard. The basket went tumbling forward, and May went tumbling out of it, onto the street, landing on the ground with a thud. She quickly jumped up, looking around.

In the square you could have heard a pin drop. In every direction, all the spirits had come to a standstill. All eyes were squarely trained on one spot. May started to back up to where the basket had fallen, as if she could crawl back in and everyone could forget the whole thing.