The Riddles Club

I'm Tired of Riddles

There was a scratch at the door. Instinctively, Tali got up to see what was there, but remembered the time. Her parents hadn't heard; they were sound asleep on the mattress directly beside her own.

She sneaked to the patched window and peered out. A child stood crouched in the weeds beside the door. She could but make out their shoulders and a bit of their shadow. She frowned. Cracking the window, she whispered down at the stalker.

"Who are you?"

The child startled upright. They stepped back so that the moonlight caught in their yellow hair.

"What in the world are you doing here, Ysmael Cykoven?" His name was dirty in her mouth.

The boy dropped his head. "I'm sorry. If I woke you, I mean. But I have a gift for you," and he perked up again.

Tali narrowed her eyes. A gift? Another trick? She shut the window and started for bed, but for one reason or another she considered how it may not be a trick, and that stopped her. The soft crook of Ysmael's mouth crossed her sight again. As one who had been genuine. As one who had been pleased by her. He never told anyone what the secret prize had been either, she realized. Tali sniffed and snuffed and twitched her nose. Very well! She decided. She had to know.

Tali cracked the door softly. Ysmael continued to wait. So she slipped out and left the door slightly ajar behind her. However, before she was nice, she had to cover her defenses.

"If you're here to apologize for ripping the rug from under me, I won't hear it!" she hissed.

"That's not it at all," Ysmael stammered, stealing a few cautious steps back. "Well, I mean, I am sorry about that, but well, uh, here."

He quickly popped open each of his pockets, nervously fumbled through them, then, while mumbling to himself, reached into his coat. He pulled out a wrinkled roll of parchment and handed it across. Tali had never held parchment before. She examined the object thoroughly before finally unraveling it. Night obscured the inked letters, but she could just make out the shape of the headings.

General House Application

Paid for by Farangc Cykoven

She didn't have to be able to read to recognize the typeface or nature of the document. It was an application into a House.

She gasped. "Where did you get this? Is it paid for?"

"It was my spare," Ysmael said, beaming.

Tali tried handing it back but the boy danced away.

"It's your prize!" he insisted. "For figuring out the riddle."

"Oh, I can't accept this!" Tali begged. Her grudge crumbled away, and with it went all thought of tricks; the tears she tried so desperately to fight streamed out unrestrained. "I don't deserve it. I was so cruel. What about Margo?"

Ysmael laughed. "Everyone forgot about the secret prize. He's too excited for the armory to remember either. Besides, you won first, fairly and squarely. I understand why you wouldn't believe me, so I hope this proves myself. The Houses teach that a good pupil is always honest—that's what I want to be. So you have to accept it."

Tali handled the paper delicately. She knew there had been something sincere in that smile—even if she had doubted it. She looked at the boy now, shrouded in shadows and moonlight; a boy of his word.

"I always thought you were kinda snobbish," she blurted.

He only shrugged. Now, thought Tali, that was the real Ysmael. She giggled.

Her fears put to rest, a question burgeoned to mind. "Why did you make up a riddle like that?" she asked.

Ysmael shrugged again. "I'm not sure. I needed to do a research essay and, well, ayu or commonli, we're all the same on the inside, right? The only real differences I've seen are that commonli know more about surviving and real things; ayu know more about philosophical stuff. That's why my next riddle was a potato. I thought for sure you'd get it before anyone else, since I see them sitting under your cupboards all the time."

Tali rubbed her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "It's too much for a stupid riddle, but thank you."

Even in the dark she caught the proud twinkle in Ysmael's eye. The boy saluted like a royal deliverer who'd accomplished his sworn task, and started to walk away.

"Wait!"

He whirled about.

"Aye?"

It was her final question, but the most important. "You didn't—did you choose that last riddle for me?"

The boy smiled again. "I'm tired of riddles for now, Tali. Goodnight!" And he walked off, vanishing down one of the bridgeways.

Tali clutched her paper gift close. She waited until her heart was convinced he was really gone. Then she slipped back inside, crawled into bed, and fell asleep, grinning like a fool.