Hazel and Holly by Sara C. Snider

Author:Sara C. Snider [Snider, Sara C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-91-87657-08-5
Publisher: Double Beast Publishing

“He’s not really going to tar and feather you, is he, Hazel?” Holly asked.

“Perhaps we should think about leaving,” Hawthorn said, “before we find out.”

“Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Hemlock said. “Why am I the only one not in on this?”

Holly told him of the morning’s events while Hawthorn continued to glower at Hazel.

“What I don’t understand,” Hawthorn said, “is why you must purposefully aggravate the man. Why have Holly sneak out to the shed only to tell him you were out there? What was the point?”

“I don’t know!” Hazel said. “He was just so… so smug talking about how ‘natural’ necromancy is that I couldn’t help myself. This certainly wasn’t how I thought the morning would go.”

“You do have a gift for the unexpected,” Hawthorn said. “So well done with that.”

Hazel glared at him.

“What’s done is done,” Hemlock said. “We need to figure out what to do next.”

“I think we should leave,” Holly said. “We’re leaving, right?”

“I should think so,” Hawthorn said.

Hazel said, “We’re not leaving.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you have the most dreadful sense of humor?” Hawthorn asked.

Hazel narrowed her eyes. “Yes, as a matter of fact. But we’re still not leaving.”

Hawthorn put up his hands and then, shaking his head, returned his interest to the pot of beans.

“Hazel,” Holly said, “be reasonable.”

“No, I will not be reasonable, because this is an unreasonable situation. Where else can we go? To say that coming here was a long shot in finding Father is being overly optimistic. But right now it’s all we have, and I am not giving up!” Hazel’s voice had risen, and she cleared her throat as she tried to regain her composure.

“Leaving’s not an option,” Hemlock said. “So we need to focus our attention on how we’re going to keep Hazel—and quite potentially all of us—from getting tarred and feathered.”

Everyone grew silent.

“Anyone?” Hemlock said.

Hawthorn sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I really need new friends,” he muttered.

Francis returned to the kitchen, his wrinkled face flustered. He flapped his hands at Hazel. “Time to go. I got the wagon ready, so we better be off. The rest of you… ah…” He flapped his hands some more. “We’ll figure it out later. But you and me,” he said to Hazel, “we’re going into town.”

Hazel got up from her chair. “I’m doing no such thing.”

Hemlock got up with her. “She’s not going anywhere.”

Holly and Hawthorn remained sitting, staring up at everyone.

“I must insist,” Francis said. “You saw the Witness. Isn’t anyone supposed to see the Witness unprepared.”

“I don’t even know what this Witness is.”

Francis thrust a finger at her. “Exactly! Come quietly, or I’ll have to get the rope and branding irons from Norris. And you don’t want to be on the poking end of Norris’s branding irons. The man hasn’t had any cattle for years, so he’s itching something fierce for some skin to burn.”

Hazel drew herself up, even as she struggled to keep the horror from showing on her face. “If you think

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