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8th Avenue and West 67th Street Manhattan: Lili tells her friendsHarry
and Kathleen that Mr. Stinnett assigned another art project for nextweek (a boy is
behind them near fruit stands and a dog is above yippinghappily, a bearded man is
carrying a package of groceries). Harry, blondskinny boy in leather pants and jacket
is glad it is Friday and wants to goto Zack's to party. Kathleen tells them she has
to help Uncle Amish with thepub. Harry licks his lip, "Always does what her
uncle wants." She yells atthem about responsibility and they tell her they are
just joking. She tellsthem it is how she pays her room and board. Harry says, "We're
sorry..."Lili tells her, "Harry's rich. He forgets what it's like to work
for aliving." Kathleen apologizes, too, they didn't deserve that. She hasn't
beenthe same since her parents were killed. She feels her way of paying back heruncle
for taking her in is helping around the pub. Harry says, "Forget it,friend!"
The two friends wonder and worry about her cutting through CentralPark. Harry feels
she needs to be alone. Lili says, "Alone with 10,000muggers! Great." She
hears the song GO SPEED RACER! GO! She sees a riverthat isn't her old, trusty shortcut.
A deer with antlers comes near her. Shethought it was a mugger at first and warned
that she has pepper spray in herbackpack. She thinks the deer is beautiful. It runs,
chased by dogs. A boywith tiny horns on his forehead, a tunic with one shoulder bare,
and curlyblack hair as well as hooves and hairy legs ararives on a tree with twowolves
with large fangs. He asks her, "He sent you, didn't he?" He askswhere the
door is. The boy is Chupi and his strange horse like creature withdonkey face, twisted
antler horns, and claws like a bear asks if he shouldslice her. He is hungry and
is her pet. He says, "Smooth skin." She gasps,"Ugh! You're breath
stinks!" Chupi can't control him much longer. He tellsthe pet to kill her but
two arrows stupp into the creature. An elf boy withlong blond hair, sword, arrows
and bow, a tunic and tights, pushes Chupi awayfrom the girl, who can't take much
more of this. He pulls her, "Run like thewind, jack." Chupi kept calling
her jack, too. Mermaid like things withwings fly with this new elf boy as he pulls
her toward the Door and they fallinto it. Chupi tells himself there will be a next
time for them to meet. Theelf boy tries to wake up Jack--Kathleen who smacks him
with her fist, tiredof this game. He says, "But you're the Jack!" "No,
I'm the Kathleen and I'mreally pissed off!" Keir De Lint, whom Kathleen calls
a dirty old man,tells her he is master of the laylines and Gruagagh of the place
she callsCentral Park. They summoned her but the incidents with the Unseely Court
wasan accidents (yes, plural). They take her up steps of a tower to a place shecalls
nice. Inside is a long, long earred being with clawed toes, stirringsoup. She is
in the realm of the Rowan Laird but it's still in Manhattan. Thelong earred "boy"
who has a head band around and under his longish blond-ishhair, smiles and tells
her, "I'm Gerry." He has on a thong only. It has beentwo centuries since
they needed one of her kind. Long ago, he begins,"...when the first of your
kind came to this land, our people began toestablish the secret kingdoms beneath
the island. There was a Dark Lord then,ruler of the kingdoms of the more powerful
unseely court. With his minions,he banished the ancient Katchina spirits from the
island. But the seely courtrose again and in a fierce battle, the Dark Lord was drivenoff---wounded--but
swearing to return. Our folk are fractured now. The DarkLord's minions are upon us
changing the laylines. All the seely courts mustbe united again and the Fianna Sidhe
joined with us, to oppose the Dark. Weneed the Luck to return." She is the luck,
chosen by her lineage. "Well, Ican sing and I take ballet," she says, drinking.
Robin Goodfellow, the elf,will take her home. She tells the elf boy to call her Kat.
He tells her, "Ihope you will help, Kat. I want to push the darkness back with
you at myside." She asks, "Robin, don't take this the wrong way but aren't
you just akid?" He tells her, "I'm an elf. An elf of the light! I am a
warrior." Shesays, "Uh-huh..." He sighs. She doesn't believe any of
this. Kat is homesuddenly: the pub: a shamrock over Wickentree. She returned to Uncle
Amish'spub. Inside, a dog with a patch over his right eye is eating out of a bowl
ona counter, a bowl with the name Boozer. Amish, an Irish man with moustache,hugs
her. A little boy, Peanut, comes out with his arms wide. She asks, "Missme,
Peanut?" He says, "Naw!" He is in gym type shorts, socks, and appearsto
have blond-ish hair, just over the ears and a bit long in back. His nameis Aidin,
not Peanut. In short cut tank top and lycra shorts later, Kat tellsAmish about what
happened. He asks her if she ate anything: she did: a fewbuns. Amish believes this,
"Lass, yer talkin to someone who wore a skirt tillhe was 12. So the banshees
wouldn't grab me back home in Ireland." Her momwas his wife's twin sister. Maire
(her mother) and Maddy (his wife) both hadthe sight. She goes toward bed, "Do
you think other kids have theseproblems?" He says, "Yer not other kids,
lass." In her room, she has apicture of her aunt and mom dressed as fairies
in some ballerina as kids. Shemisses her mom, the silly Irish songs she used to sing.
She can sometimessmell her perfume. She falls asleep. On the top of the building
is a shadowyfigure with long hair standing in the light of the giant moon. Robin.
Gerrycomes behind him and brought him some food. Robin will be watching her fromnow
on. Gerry knows he will keep her safe. Robins says, "I'll try Gerry."Gerry
says, "I wonder if the Jack knows all those nameless things that laywaiting
for her now out there in the dark." |
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Wicken Tree Pub, Chelsea, Manhattan: Kathleen is made fun of by hertwo friends Lili
and Harry. They tell her they are sorry. Uncle Amish tellsher not to tell everyone.
A bearded man asks him to play a game of darts,seemingly knowing him. Adin, blonde
and Ling, oriental and black haired,listen to the girls and Harry. Adin is her cousin.
Ling is Lili's brother.They go out past a cat that burps. They go skateboarding,
talking about adoor to another dimension, a door in Central Park. They won't go to
Chinatowntoday. Ling wanted squished fortune cookies at the Peking Duck. They hope
thedoor will have treasures to make them rich and Adin hopes will make him awarrior
like Conan. Ling tells him, "You be Xena!" Adin says, "Drop dead!"Gerri
and Rowan talk with Greylone. They don't want Kathleen to die like allthe rest. Greylone
has had some experience with champions. Rowan tellsGreylone he should keep all the
facts straight--since he goes in to anddabbles in too many worlds. He would mind
his own world if the magic userswould stay out of trouble but they have a nasty habit
of getting killed.Gerry hopes Kathleen will stay alive--he likes her. Rowan senses
somethingoutside. Greylone says, "Probably another innocent child come to bemurdered."
Adin tells Ling that a magic kingdom wouldn't have a neon sign onit. Ling tells him
that one in Disneyland does--he and Lili stopped at thisplace called South of the
Border. Adin feels there are too many peoplearound. Ling thinks he means that the
elves want their privacy, "Is that it?"Adin sighs, "Come on dummy,
let's try this way." Ling says, "Okay, Xena."They go to the park and
feel cold. Adin says that Kat says alien spaceshipsland here. Adin asks if Ling wants
to be an elf warrior. Ling says, "Notreally." They are lost or haven't
seen this part of the park before. Theyboth run when a dark man in black with big
teeth and black hat in long cloakcalls to them. He laughs. Two wood like creatures
from bushes jump out at theboys. Robin goes to the pub where Kathleen is and asks
her to come along--theboy Adin has been kidnapped. Harry tries to throw Robin out
but Uncle Amishstops him. A Walker has taken the boy and he is in the Unseelie Court
now.The goblins have Adin. Amish leaves Harry in charge until he gets back. Liliand
Amish take the van. Robin shows Kat a shorter way. He can open a door inthe alley.
He tells her to just wish for what she wants to call open a door.They fall threw
a floor in a castle of some kind and end up facing a giantcrocidile or alligator
which slams its head against a wall when they duck.They swim down and then up a doorway
n the brick. Kat knew the alligatorwouldn't follow from Science Class--they need
to breathe air. Robin says,"You are the lucky Jack." She says, "I
read a lot." Lili and Amish findLing who explains what happened. Kat asks Robin
if she could call up adoorway and go shopping on Rodeo Drive, LA. He tells her that
is not how itworks. They hear a child crying and Kat runs, thinking it is Adin. She
goesto a form that looks like him, a form that is crying in a corner. It has hisclothes--it
is a changling monster left in his place. Not far, a strangemonkey-bird like creature,
small and petite, serves cookies to "Master" Adin.Adin tells a larger form,
a female that he does not have to be jealous of Katany longer, he has the key to
the faerie lands and "we ca use your service,young lord." He is worried
about his cousin and dad. The woman tells him tosit with her and she will tell him
another story. He tells her just one moreand then he's "gotto" go home.
She smiles, almost evilly, tells him not toworry, everything will be all right. He
seems to fall asleep on her shoulder. |
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Kathleen and Robin are below Manhattan looking for her nephew Adin.Robin tries to
tell her there is a difference between worry and fear butadmits he is scared, too.
Near giant gates Adin is with a strange pair, asmall boy with strange hair and a
tall woman with strange hair. He can openthe doors and the two strangers cannot.
A cure for her illness is behind thedoors. This is why Chupi brought Adin to her.
Adin opens the doors, at first,not thinking he could. A giant creature with fins,
lower fangs sticking up,and reptile features comes out--an Azke. There are two servant
boys with Adinand the girl. Adin thinks the Azke smells bad. The woman draws her
powersfrom the human boy. The Azke smells a jack nearby. Adin recalls Kat is thejack.
Chupi alerts Kat and Robin to the loose Azke. The things eat jacks.Chupi can mask
her presence. Kat sees the monster towering over, "That's it!I quit!" It
goes away and Robin tells her, "We're safe." Kat says, "What doyou
mean we? It was after me!" Mott Street: Chinatown where dragon's dream:Lili's
father thanks Amish for bringing back his son and daughter. Her mothertells her that
years ago, her father saw the dragon before their son wasborn. It is said the first
born son of one who has seen the dragon will havethe power. Ling's eyes grow strange
with slants up and down, vertically.Wilkentree Pub: Harry is closing the place hours
later. He feels it is acrappy place to spend to an evening with no place to go. Boozer
the cat iswith Harry. Boozer has an eye patch over his left eye. The Azke smashesthrough
the ground and roars, "Where is the jack?" They run. Central Park:Grugagh's
tower: the woman is brought by Robin and two servant boys toGrugagh and his antelope
boy. The woman wants to go to find Kat but Robintells her she is too weak. He will
go. Greenwich Village: Kat and Adin (withleather jacket) walk. Adin feels he really
messed up. He apologizes andthanks her for coming after him. She holds his shoulders,
telling him it isgood to have him back, even if he is dressed like a twit. They run
intopeople and a man who tells them about the mosnter. Amish comes, crying tears,hugging
them that they are all right. The pub is destroyed by the monster.Harry told Amish
about what happened. Amish brings them to Harry at thevan-truck. Harry tells them
they better keep moving. And that they don't wantto see this sucker. Far away in
a realm past tomorrow: a rock floats in airin a dark place with other rocks. On this
bigger rock is a fortress-castle.Two hunchback types feel the Azke slip through the
gates. One must tell themaster, a giant face with bulging eyes and a waterfall type
mouth. With theJack's passing, this master will be able to walk the realm of the
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