Trolls in the Hamptons by Celia Jerome

Author:Celia Jerome
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2010-10-18T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

THE DOGS WERE BARKING SO loudly and frantically that I could barely hear Grant shouting, loudly and frantically, “Take his picture! Take his picture!”

My phone was wet. So were the dogs and I, from a ton of stone gargoyle falling into the pool. More water flowed outside on the decking and chairs and potted plants than in the pool itself. Fafhrd looked surprised, then he started hopping up and down, delighted to see more tidal waves sloshing over the sides.

I wondered how long before the pool collapsed, but I yelled, “Stop jumping,” to Fafhrd, “Shut up,” to the dogs, and “Sorry, I didn’t mean you,” to Grant. “Hang up and I’ll get back to you.”

I dried off the phone on the back of my shirt, yelled at the dogs again, with no results, switched modes, and snapped Fafhrd’s picture. He waved, as if he understood what I was doing. I half expected him to mouth, “Hi Mom,” but he went back to playing in the water. He’d throw himself backward as if he were making snow angels. Or seeing if he could float. Oh, boy.

I pushed the right buttons, sending the picture out to the ether, then I pushed redial and got Grant.

“Did you get it? What did you see?”

“I see a big red . . . ”

“Yes?”

“Tree. A big red maple tree that fell into the pool.” Then he said a word that did not usually have two o’s in it, but I guess that was the British pronunciation. He sounded so disappointed that I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. This was what he lived for, what his whole raison d’être wrapped itself around. I wanted him to see Fafhrd, too, to validate my own experience.

On the other hand, I was the only one. Agent High and Mighty, due-consideration Grant could breach every civil liberty a liberal lawyer could name, but he couldn’t see a single swimming troll.

He cursed again. “It’s part of the ancient covenant. No images.”

“No matter, he’s gone now.” I got up to make sure he hadn’t just sunk to the bottom of the pool, but he was gone. The dogs were racing around, bewildered and bedraggled. I wonder if they could see Fafhrd, besides hearing his commotion. Did he have a scent only dogs could recognize? Would they chase him—or would he harm them? I kind of wished my mother was here so she could ask the dogs, but she’d have a fit at the damage from my first hour at Rosehill. I wasn’t thinking about the pool, either. If Ben and Jerry were nervous before, I’d hate to see what a disappearing Goliath did to them.

“Are you still there?”

Somehow I’d forgotten about Grant.

“Yes, but neither the pool nor the dogs will ever be the same.”

“Me, neither. What now?”

“I don’t think he’ll come back tonight.”

“No, I meant about us.”

“Us?”

“I want to be part of this. Your troll is the most important event of the century, any recent century. His appearance is amazing, astonishing, and dangerous.

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