A Girl, a Murder, and Twelve Dreadful Children

Chapter XIV: Enniskillen

My scheme had been so successful that its iniquity did not worry me. I have noticed that this is usually the case in matters of this kind. It is the bungled crime that brings remorse. -- P. G. Wodehouse, Love Among the Chickens

"It's really very simple," Dani said, falling back on the phrase used by people everywhere when a situation was not very simple at all. "Some people are the spirits of towns in human form."

That was... not quite the most ridiculous explanation Hotaru had ever heard, but certainly not one of the best. Not least because it made no sense. If she hadn't known better, she would have wondered what Dani was drinking.

The strange, ghoulish entity they'd encountered gave Dani a look that suggested it was wondering the same thing. "What a useless explanation. I see I'll have to explain."

It turned to Hotaru. Suddenly its inhuman appearance disappeared, to be replaced with a perfectly normal-looking young man. Hotaru recoiled. This was somehow more frightening than the walking doll it had been a minute ago.

"I am a personification. The personification of Enniskillen, to be precise. And yes, I am the spirit of the town, but I am much more than that, and I am only in human form when I want to be. I am my town. I know every street, every building, every person ever to live or die here. No one here can ever escape my notice. I know everything my people have ever done."

An hour ago Hotaru would have laughed in the face of anyone who claimed to be a town. But now... Well. Maybe there was something in this story. She didn't dismiss it out of hand, anyway.

"Do all towns have persony-fictions?" she asked curiously.

"Personifications," Dani and Enniskillen corrected her in unison. They gave each other surprised looks. Enniskillen looked almost offended. It was such an oddly humourous thing in these circumstances that Hotaru burst out laughing.

She laughed. And laughed. And laughed. She laughed far longer than even the funniest joke would have deserved. All traces of humour had long since vanished from her laughter. Dani stared at her in alarm. Enniskillen began to back away slowly. Really, that just made her laugh harder.

Dani finally decided this had gone on long enough. She thumped Hotaru on the back as if she thought she was choking.

"Calm down!" she said. "I know this is shocking, but going into hysterics won't help."

Hotaru calmed down -- outwardly, at least. It was hard to be inwardly calm when one was faced with the knowledge that there was a creature out there that knew everything she and many other people had ever done. She could scarcely imagine a more complete invasion of everyone's privacy.

"Who gave you the right to spy on everyone like that?" she demanded, glaring at Enniskillen. "Have you no manners?"

Enniskillen stopped trying to sidle out the door. He gave her a flatly unimpressed look. "I don't spy on anyone. I know everything they've ever done if I take the time to think about it. And I rarely take the time to think about it."

Hotaru relaxed slightly. She still didn't like or trust the... being, but she could endure its presence. For now. Unless or until it said something that proved it did actually take the time to think about everyone's actions.

~~~~

Claire picked up her book and pretended to be very busy reading it. She scanned the page without reading any of it, the words only meaningless letters blurring together before her eyes. The sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hall. Claire stiffened instinctively, her body preparing to fend off an attack even as her mind told her no attack would come. The conservatory's glass door opened and Patrick walked in.