"Yeah. But I think I might."
He brushed a kiss on her cheek, crossed the parlor in three steps, and went out into the front hall.
Chapter 6
The Town Meeting
Roam O'Reilly was passing through the front hall when the brass knocker on the front door of FACTS & FIBS started knocking. He looked toward the back of the house, where Phineas was moving, and huffed. He had no choice but to answer the door. When he did, the porch was full.
There was Dr. Clive Wimpleton in his tweed. Colin Scott from Spellbinders, his shop apron still on, his hair lifted by the wind. The rest were townsfolk who had walked up the lane, faces Roam knew well. Every face on the porch was a Cauldron Falls face. They had come together, because the news of Nadia Costin had spread through the town in the afternoon hour as all news spread through Cauldron Falls, quickly and entirely, and they wanted, every one of them, an answer.
"One at a time, friends. Step inside."
They did not step inside one at a time. They poured. The front hall of FACTS & FIBS, built for a household, not a crowd, was suddenly the wrong size. Edgar Hadwin came out of the parlor with his long stride.
Roam looked back over his shoulder. "Edgar. The spell?"
Edgar shook his head and shrugged. "Don't hold against locals, son. Never has."
Rhoda came after him with the tabby still in her arms. Honey followed.
"Friends." Edgar's drawl was steady. He had not raised his voice. He did not need to. "Friends. Slow down."
Voices came in a chorus from the crowd. "We want to know." "Was it the Telling?" "Edgar, please tell us."
"We don't know, but I doubt it." Edgar's voice did not move. "Sean McLeary has brought us what the constabulary in Sibiu had. Let's all get to Murphy's pub, have a town meetin' there. We can't very well all stuff in this house. There are too many cats."
A small ripple of relief went through the crowd, but it was not satisfaction.
"Okay. We'll see you in a few then."
The crowd had not cleared out before Phineas strolled back down the hallway, speaking too loudly given the circumstances.
"It is, it is a remarkable thing, all this." His gesture took in the hall and the parlor and the spilling cats and the cold afternoon air rushing in from the open doorway. "Remarkable. The magical system is teaching itself to be honest. Centuries of suppressed truth, finally given air. That is the marvel of it. There is a great deal to be said for letting a thing spill, you know, when a thing has been held."
Maeve Byrne, who had been on her way to follow the crowd back down to the pub, stopped where she was in front of Phineas. She turned and looked at him the way she had looked at Murphy O'Reilly on the porch of The Boozy Cauldron, only with less patience. "Mind yer mouth, Phineas Grove."
"I beg your pardon," he spat.
"Mind yer mouth. There is a great deal to be said for not letting yer secrets be told, sir. I've ironed witches like ye flatwith hedge wards. Don't ye dare test me. I'll have ye on yer back before ye know it."
Oona shuffled by, lifted her nose toward the ceiling. "And if she doesn't, my love, I will."
Colin had stopped on the front hall runner. Clive had stopped at the doorway. Phineas's face twitched before them, his mask of calm slipping. "My dear ladies. I had not intended… I had not, yes. Yes, of course. Forgive me. I shall walk down with you all. To the pub. Quite right."
He shot a crooked smile to Maeve then Oona, and crossed into the parlor where he had set down his hat earlier in the day. He patted Quill's head as he picked the hat up.
The crowd flowed down the hill in clusters. Maeve and Oona went at the front. Edgar and Lazlo walked together in the middle. Rhoda and Honey behind them, with Roam at Honey's shoulder.
Phineas walked with Colin and Clive. He had been quiet most of the way, but said the right things to Clive about the books and the right things to Colin about Spellbinders. The two men found him much more relaxed and charming on the walk. About halfway down the hill, near the bend where the wisteria-tangled oaks turned the road, Phineas slowed.
"Colin," Phineas paused for a moment, "a favour if I could ask. You see, I would, or I should very much like to send to a colleague before the meeting. A note. A small dispatch. Has your shop got…"
"The post bench. Of course." Colin slowed with him. "Top of the shop, behind the desk. Mary, the owl, takes a sealed message as far as Salem from the bracket, and the runner-board posts as far as Prague. It's open. Go in. Mary will see to you if she's there. If she's not, leave it on the bracket and she'll know."
"You are very kind," Phineas sighed.
"Take what time you want, friend. I'll keep a seat for you at Murphy's." Colin patted his shoulder.
