Elise Runs and Dorothy Falls

Chapter 21

After some far too peppery pork patties burnt on one side and underdone on the other, Elise and Father Sergius sat alone in the Whim's rec room. It was a small but comfortable place with a green felt card table, a couch, and several spare chairs. Elise, with Germón in her lap, sat at the couch while Father Sergius took a chair.

Elise started at the beginning. It took a while to tell the whole story, but she did despite the essence of time. Throughout her adventurous tale, Father Sergius remained attentive, nodding occasionally but never speaking.

"I hope you're not angry with her, or think that... that she's getting exactly what she deserved. She didn't do what she did on purpose—I just know it. I..."

"I know you do, lass. That place you dreamed, when you were alone with Dorothy on the mountain, sounded much to me like Spellhood."

"What is Spellhood?"

"I admit I know very little about the place myself, but I do know it's not a place you want to go. It's a prison reserved for the most violent of magic users."

Elise shook her head emphatically. "No. She isn't evil, Father. She's a good person."

Father Sergius nodded and let out a small exhale. "Well," he said, "I suppose the only thing we can do is break her out. If she isn't guilty of her crimes, she shouldn't be left to Spellhood. As a witch, she's worse than a second-class citizen. She doesn't stand a chance. We know that best of all."

So overcome with emotion and questions it took a while for Elise to reply. "Thank you for believing in me, Father, and thank you for... for believing in Dorothy, even after what she said to you. Are they really going to send her back to Spellhood? And who is 'we', Father?"

"That's what I heard them say, and 'we' meaning Christians. Almost since the inception of the church on Unum, when Saint John first brought us the Testament of God six hundred years ago, witches and Christians have shared a... troubled history. Christianity is foreign to Aro il Sea, while witchcraft and magic use is native. Early Christians weren't kind to magic users, to put it gently. We've since fallen from overwhelming favor ourselves, but witches like Dorothy fell much further than did we, not in small part thanks to early Christian efforts, misguided though they were. Saint John never intended what happened."

Elise paused. She looked down. "I don't want them to take Dorothy to Spellhood. She's my best friend."

"Then we need to plan how to break her out. With the threat contained, and no one knowing you're here, we do have a wee advantage. I don't think they'll expect one of their own, much less a Christian priest, to betray them for the life of a witch."

"I should think not!"

The door opened and Tyrio strode into the room. He tapped his ears. "Don't you think they made them this big for a reason? Look, I heard the whole thing, and maybe your friend is innocent, but then maybe she isn't. She did KILL someone, right? I don't know why you trust this little two-face anyway, Serge. She's already a proven liar. She lied to me like crazy just to get aboard!"

Both Elise and the father opened their mouths to reply, but Tyrio beat them to it.

"No. I don't want to hear it! I should turn you both in this second, but I'm just too nice a guy I guess. Until that—that witch is thrown in the slammer, though, you two are confined to the ship. Clear? Once she's gone and you two don't have anyone left to save, you can go about your business as usual. But until there's no chance of you getting ME getting in trouble, you're staying put. And trust me: I have eyes and ears everywhere. Brains and me are like white on rice. You take one step off this ship and BOOM. You'll join her in Spellhad—or whatever that place is called—as fast you can say 'don't let the goblin near the power tools'. Capisce?"

Elise opened her mouth again, but this time the father spoke.

"We understand, captain."

"Good. And look—" Tyrio stepped forward, his face softening not quite sincerely. "I probably just did you guys a favor. There's no way you would have broken her out, and even if you had, there's no place to run. I stick with you even when you betray me. Not a bad captain, eh?" He slapped Sergius, then Elise, in a friendly way on the shoulder before departing with a tip of the cap.

The sadness and the silence were heavy in the room after he left."I'm sorry, Elise," said Father Sergius. He took off his biretta and laid it aside. Holding his hands together loosely in his lap, then, he looked down and closed his eyes.