Devil Incarnates

Chapter 9: Deviled Eggs

Chapter 9: Deviled Eggs

"Madam Mim's Gingerbread House. Fat Children Welcome. Yeahhhhh..."

Jim led the girl back down the gumdrop path.

"Yeah we're not going in there. Life size gingerbread house? It's a trap for sinners of Glutton. Bet my life there's a witch inside with human-shaped bake pans. But..."

Jim yanked. The girl tripped, doubling her stride to keep up.

"But if there's a Glutton trap, then that means we must be near a Glutton Bubble. Glutton sinners disperse like bubbles through Illtyde. And if we're near a Glutton Bubble..."

Again Jim yanked the girl.

"...then that means we're near food. And I am starving. Plus we need directions."

Jim turned. By now the motion was memorized, and he shouldered the girl without complication. Of course she was mad, but she was also moving way too slow.

"So we gotta find someplace to eat. Unless..." Jim continued fluidly. "Unless you want to chance it with the witch."

The girl dug her fingers into his neck. Wincing, Jim assumed that meant no.

Happily, they were near a Glutton bubble and Jim quickly found it. Rather, he quickly smelled it.

"Mudka' Meat Hut..." Peering through the trees, Jim read the sign over a squat little diner. The sign was adorned with the Glutton insignia -- a bloated infinity knot. "...home of the mug of meat. No llama policy. Great..."

Jim lowered the girl. He started to brush twigs from her hair.

"...must be some sort of restaurant. Okay. Here's the plan."

Jim licked his thumb. The girl squirmed as he smudged dirt from her nose.

"I'm hungry, you're hungry, and we need directions. But Hook could have alerted all of Illtyde by now, so we've got to play it safe. Lie low. So, after I clean you up - "

He smoothed wrinkles from her dress.

"-then we're going to waltz in there, eat, and act like nothing has happened. And I'll tell you what we're not going to do - "

Jim stood the girl up. Doffing his jacket, he wrapped it over her shoulders, hiding the ropes.

"We are not going to cry, scream, kick, call for help, or make a fuss. You've been annoying the Hell out of me with this silence thing - "

The girl looked pleased.

"-so you're going to stay silent when we get in there. There might be pirates, there might be bounty hunters I don't know. But I don't want to get caught. So, the trap - "

Jim squeezed the girl's chin. "-keep it shut. Got it?"

The girl jerked her chin away. Testily, she tried to shrug off Jim's jacket.

"Nope." Jim hiked the sleeves. "Wrong again. I'm not untying you, but we gotta hide the ropes. They'll attract too much attention. So put on the jacket - "

Jim dragged the girl from the forest and into Mudka's Meat Hut.

"-and keep your god damn mouth shut."