was working in the kitchen when one of the guardians instructed me to prepare a tea tray for the Kinraide head and her guest. It was an innocent enough request, but as I wheeled the laden tray to the front interviewing chamber, I felt uneasy. I took a deep breath to calm myself.
The head was standing near the door when I entered and gestured impatiently for me to transfer the tea things from my tray to a low table. I did this rather awkwardly, wondering where Madam Vega was. I reached out with my abilities to locate her, an act that always made me feel oddly exposedbecause it required me to unshield my mind. Sensing that she was at the other end of the room, I turned to see her standing at the purple-draped window, her back to the room as she looked out over Kinraide’s broad formal gardens.
Then, slowly, she turned around.
When she turned, it seemed she went on turning for an eternity, gradually showing more of herself. Struck with the dreadful curiosity of fear, unable to look away, I became convinced that when her movement was completed eons from now, I would be looking into the face of my most terrible nightmares.
Yet she was smiling at me, and her eyes were blue like the summer sky. She hastened to where I stood.
I swallowed, too scared to move until the Kinraide head gestured for me to pour the tea. My hands shook.
“My dear child,” said Madam Vega, taking the teapot from me with her own lovely white hands, “you’re trembling.” Then she turned to the head with a faint look of reproach.
“She has been ill,” the other woman said with a shrug. I prayed she would dismiss me, but she was sugaring her tea.
The keeper looked at me. “You seem upset. Now, why would that be, I wonder? Are you afraid?”
I shook my head, but of course she did not believe me.
“You need not fear me. I’m aware of all the silly stories. How they began, I really don’t know. I am simply here to take away those children who are afflicted with mental problems. Obernewtyn is a beautiful place—though cold, I admit,” she added confidingly. “But there is nothing there to frighten anyone. And my good master seeks only to find a cure for such afflictions. He thinks it is possible to do this before the mind is full grown.”
“A noble purpose,” murmured the other woman piously.
Madam Vega had been watching me very closely as she spoke. I felt as if I were drowning in the extraordinary blueness of her eyes. There was something almost hypnotic in them.
“I know a great deal about Misfits,” she said.
I wanted to look away but couldn’t, and an urge grew within me to find out what she was thinking. I let the edge of my shield fade.
In an instant, a dozen impressions pierced me like blades, but beneath the blue compulsion of her eyes, they faded.
“Well, well,” she said, and stepped away from me.
I stood for a moment, half dazed.
“Well, go along, then,” said the Kinraide head impatiently.
I turned on shaking legs, willing myself not to run. As I closed the door behind me, I heard Madam Vega’s sweet voice utter the words that spelled my doom. “What did you say that girl was called?”
5
“J ES !” I STUMBLED into the kitchen, sending out a cloud of panic and urgency. “Jes. Jes. Jes!”
I almost fell over the astonished Rosamunde, who was working there. “Elspeth?” she said disbelievingly.
Jes charged through another door, his face contorted with fury. “What are you doing?” he shouted. Noticing Rosamunde, he stopped to stare at us in confusion.
“For Lud’s sake, Jes, don’t yell at her. It’s one of her fainting fits again.” Rosamunde looked uncertainly at me. “That water must have been tainted, despite what the Herder said.”
“Water?” Jes whispered incredulously.
“Of course,” she said sternly. “And stop glaring at her. She’s just been in with the Obernewtyn keeper. I’ll get a powder,” she added, and departed.
“Is it true?” he asked, fear in his eyes.
I
The head was standing near the door when I entered and gestured impatiently for me to transfer the tea things from my tray to a low table. I did this rather awkwardly, wondering where Madam Vega was. I reached out with my abilities to locate her, an act that always made me feel oddly exposedbecause it required me to unshield my mind. Sensing that she was at the other end of the room, I turned to see her standing at the purple-draped window, her back to the room as she looked out over Kinraide’s broad formal gardens.
Then, slowly, she turned around.
When she turned, it seemed she went on turning for an eternity, gradually showing more of herself. Struck with the dreadful curiosity of fear, unable to look away, I became convinced that when her movement was completed eons from now, I would be looking into the face of my most terrible nightmares.
Yet she was smiling at me, and her eyes were blue like the summer sky. She hastened to where I stood.
I swallowed, too scared to move until the Kinraide head gestured for me to pour the tea. My hands shook.
“My dear child,” said Madam Vega, taking the teapot from me with her own lovely white hands, “you’re trembling.” Then she turned to the head with a faint look of reproach.
“She has been ill,” the other woman said with a shrug. I prayed she would dismiss me, but she was sugaring her tea.
The keeper looked at me. “You seem upset. Now, why would that be, I wonder? Are you afraid?”
I shook my head, but of course she did not believe me.
“You need not fear me. I’m aware of all the silly stories. How they began, I really don’t know. I am simply here to take away those children who are afflicted with mental problems. Obernewtyn is a beautiful place—though cold, I admit,” she added confidingly. “But there is nothing there to frighten anyone. And my good master seeks only to find a cure for such afflictions. He thinks it is possible to do this before the mind is full grown.”
“A noble purpose,” murmured the other woman piously.
Madam Vega had been watching me very closely as she spoke. I felt as if I were drowning in the extraordinary blueness of her eyes. There was something almost hypnotic in them.
“I know a great deal about Misfits,” she said.
I wanted to look away but couldn’t, and an urge grew within me to find out what she was thinking. I let the edge of my shield fade.
In an instant, a dozen impressions pierced me like blades, but beneath the blue compulsion of her eyes, they faded.
“Well, well,” she said, and stepped away from me.
I stood for a moment, half dazed.
“Well, go along, then,” said the Kinraide head impatiently.
I turned on shaking legs, willing myself not to run. As I closed the door behind me, I heard Madam Vega’s sweet voice utter the words that spelled my doom. “What did you say that girl was called?”
5
“J ES !” I STUMBLED into the kitchen, sending out a cloud of panic and urgency. “Jes. Jes. Jes!”
I almost fell over the astonished Rosamunde, who was working there. “Elspeth?” she said disbelievingly.
Jes charged through another door, his face contorted with fury. “What are you doing?” he shouted. Noticing Rosamunde, he stopped to stare at us in confusion.
“For Lud’s sake, Jes, don’t yell at her. It’s one of her fainting fits again.” Rosamunde looked uncertainly at me. “That water must have been tainted, despite what the Herder said.”
“Water?” Jes whispered incredulously.
“Of course,” she said sternly. “And stop glaring at her. She’s just been in with the Obernewtyn keeper. I’ll get a powder,” she added, and departed.
“Is it true?” he asked, fear in his eyes.
I
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