The Armadillo with No Heart

Chapter 16: Stars of Misfortune

Cyrus' conversation with the witch queen was largely inconclusive, and it left him feeling even more confused than before. She essentially told him that there was little she could do to help Kuro, that the Dillos were the ones who had brought about their current situation and thus it was up to them to right it. He had the impression that she was being cold and indifferent, but the witch queen was not the sort of person one can easily argue with.

With that, he rejoined the others in their fruitless search, and after several long hours, just when the sky above the canopy was staring to darken once again and he had sat down under a tree for a brief break, he heard another call through the trees.

"Captain! Captain Cyrus, urgent news!"

"What?" he yelled, walking toward where the sound had come from. An unpleasant feeling started to take hold of him, and he had the impression that, this time, something very important had happened, something he could not ignore.

Cyrus heard the panting of two Dillos pushing their way toward him. When they finally came into view, he was shocked to see Watchman Phillips next to a Dillo who was certainly not a Greentown guard.

"Sir," said Phillips, trying to catch his breath, "this gentleman here has a message for you..."

"Yes?" said Cyrus eagerly.

"He's been found," said the other Dillo. "The Wretched."

"What?" Cyrus stammered, dumbfounded. This was the one thing he had not been expecting. "Where?"

"Somewhere in Northport, apparently. I don't know the details, I'm just the messenger. Lord Shiro wants all of you to come back right away."

Cyrus shook his head in incredulity. How could Kuro possibly have reached Northport?

"I... all right," he said quietly, in a tone that betrayed his sadness. "Phillips, go gather everyone. Tell them we're going home."

-----

Neither Henry nor Cecilia were present when Lord Shiro announced that Kuro had been found. Henry, who wasn't feeling well enough to go to work, had stayed home all day, whereas Cecilia spent the whole afternoon cooped up in her study, unable to concentrate.

After dinner, when Wendy had already retired to her room, Cecilia decided to go visit Bertrand again.

"Where are you going?" Henry asked, when he saw her heading for the door.

"To see Dad," she answered sadly.

"Oh, right," he said uncomfortably.

"I won't be long."

Upper Pinegrove Street was just a few minutes' walk from Cherrywood Road. As Cecilia walked up the gravel path to her childhood home, she wondered what exactly she was doing here, why she kept coming to this house when it was probably her least favorite place in the world. She never visited her father before he fell ill, so why now? Why should his illness change anything? The fact that he would be gone in a few weeks should probably have sensitized her somewhat, but it hadn't. She didn't want to see Bertrand or talk to him; she was forcing herself to do it.

Cecilia rang the doorbell, and a nurse in a white uniform came to answer the door. They greeted each other distractedly and Cecilia headed for the stairs. Her father's bedroom was on the third floor. The house was so quiet she could hear her ears ringing.

"Hi, Dad," she said when she reached the bedroom door. Bertrand was lying down, but wide awake.

"Oh, hi, honey," he croaked. "Thanks for coming..."