The Stars of Mount Quixx by S.M. Beiko

Author:S.M. Beiko
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ECW Press
Published: 2023-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

“Are they gone? Did they see you?”

“Curiouser and curiouser,” Ivory said, drawing away from the window when the coast was clear. Constance peeped over her sister’s tangled head, watching the Kadaver’s Soiree slumping back up the hill, with Mx. Mott devoured by the fog in the other direction.

“I hate it when you say that,” Constance scoffed. “What are they all up to? Slanner’s intentions for coming around here — those are obvious.” She rolled her eyes. “But Mx. Mott can’t be serious about buying the Happy Bell for a . . .” Just saying it sounded ridiculous. “A university? In Quixx?”

Ivory zipped up her canvas backpack, securing the belt firmly across her chest and waist and pushing her handcrafted goggles up onto her head. “Stranger things have happened.” She looked Constance up and down. “Like those trousers. I didn’t know you had anything other than skirts and ball gowns!”

Constance blinked, looking down. “There was that one retreat the student council went on. Hiking and . . . such.” The pants were less about utility and more about style. They hadn’t done much hiking on that trip over all the gossiping. The pants, though, were high-waisted, tartan-patterned (her favourite) but with deep pockets and ankle kick-pleats. The tennis shoes she’d borrowed from a dusty cupboard down the hall. These were the least mud-caked. And anything would be an improvement over climbing a mountain in a skirt.

“I wonder if Derrek will have a conniption when he sees you.” Ivory waggled her eyebrows then she bounded for the bedroom door. Constance pushed her sister lightly and she nearly toppled under the weight of her bag.

“Maybe you should wear that get-up when you see Madeline Mott next,” Constance countered, which shut Ivory up — not an easy task.

Ms. Bougainvillea greeted them at the door. Two runt cassowaries stood with twin packages in their bills. Constance had become used to snatching these by now and was rewarded with a quork for her effort.

“Your tea for later, dearies,” Ms. Bougainvillaea said. Her placid face was bright, but she looked somewhat deflated. Frederic was in his usual spot in her bouffant, but he, too, looked tired.

“Don’t let the Man get you down, Ms. Bee,” Ivory said, stomping onto the porch with a fist in the air.

Constance paused. Even though they hadn’t been forthright with where they went every day, Ms. Bougainvillea still happily made sure they were fed and looked after. If this had been home, their nannies would have grilled them and provided sharp curfews. Constance hadn’t realized how nice it was to be independent and also so supported.

She rested a hand on the landlady’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

Ms. Bougainvillea blinked. “Fit as a fandance, my love!” She patted Constance’s cheek. “I’ve got the butterflies to keep my thoughts in line. Never fear.”

Once again, Constance didn’t bother asking what that meant. Ms. Bougainvillea’s riddle-speak would probably always be beyond her, but with each passing day, her statements seemed more tangled than the last.

Constance shook her head.

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