Sean Cullen - The Prince of Neither Here Nor There

“Wait,” Brendan called. “Where do I even begin?”

“Remember,” Greenleaf said, “you have friends.”

“Friends? What friends?” Brendan cried but Greenleaf was already moving. He sped off across the grass and disappeared down the path. Brendan watched himself run away and shook his head. “That is weird.”

Recovering his composure, Brendan set off after him at a slower pace. The first item of business was to get off Ward’s Island.

He tucked the Lesser Faerie into the pocket of his school blazer and trotted along the paved path to the ferry terminal. He knew it would be too late for the ferry, but he had to start somewhere.

He arrived at the pier to find the ferry docks in darkness. A chain hung across the entrance to the dock.

“Now what?” he said aloud.

“The Faerie Terminal,” a tiny groggy voice said.

“Huh?” He looked down to see the Lesser Faerie had recovered enough to haul herself up and was hanging out of his pocket. She was looking slightly green.

“We go to the Faerie Terminal.”

“We’re at the ferry terminal. It’s closed.”

“Not the ferry terminal, you idiot,” she snapped. She pointed off down a path that Brendan hadn’t seen before. The path was paved with white stones that shone faintly in the moonlight. A sign stood at the top of the path. In elegant painted letters it read TO FAERIE TERMINAL.

“I’ve never seen that before.”

“Your Faerie Sight is not very reliable, is it?” the Lesser Faerie teased. “There’s a whole world that you’ve been missing, friend. Now let’s haul some butt, please.”

Brendan had no choice but to do what she asked. He jogged down the path in the direction that the sign indicated.

“Do you mind not bouncing me around too much? I may puke.”

“I’ll do my best. What’s your name, anyway?”

“Basra La Tir.”

“Huh.” Brendan snorted a laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“I found you in a sandwich, and your initials are B.L.T.”

“I don’t get it,” Basra said.

“Bacon, lettuce, and tomato. It’s a sandwich.”

“Oh. Sounds awful.”

They came around a bend, and the lake spread out before them. Down by the shore a light was shining. Brendan saw movement, people shuffling in the pool of illumination. A flash of lightning erupted out of the water to the north. Thunder rolled across the grey waves. “I guess Greenleaf is doing his part.”

Brendan came to the light and discovered a small wooden dock. The waiting Faeries gave him a cursory glance and went back to shuffling from foot to foot in the steady downpour.

“Bloody late again,” one said.

“Probably the weather,” another offered.

“Bah,” the first replied. “What do we pay taxes for?”

“We don’t pay taxes,” 75 another observed.

A bell rang out on the water. Brendan peered through the rain and saw a boat looming in the darkness. At its prow stood a tall thin man who wore a bright yellow rain suit topped with a drooping yellow hat.

The boat came up to the dock and bumped against it.

“’Bout time, Ferryman!” the grumpy Faerie grumbled.

The Ferryman didn’t say a word. He merely bent and looped a painter 76 around the nearest post. That done, he stood up and held out his hand. One by one, the would-be passengers stepped onto the precariously rocking boat, dropping a gleaming coin into the Ferryman’s hand. 77

Brendan didn’t know what to do. He stepped up to the Ferryman and said, “I haven’t got any money.”

A gasp came from the other passengers. Brendan couldn’t see the face under the shadow of the rain hat. Up close, Brendan realized how tall the Ferryman actually was. He towered over everyone. Water dripped from the brim of his hat as the Ferryman stood eerily still despite the rocking of the boat beneath his feet.

Brendan fished in his pocket and pulled out his useless braces. He held them up and said hopefully, “Will you accept these?”

The Ferryman bent closer and sniffed. “Nay. These are not noble metal: gold, silver, platinum only.”

“Oh,” Brendan mumbled, sticking the braces back in his pocket. “I have nothing else.”

“A promise.” The voice of the Ferryman was like the rattle of dry sails. “A promise in exchange for passage.”

BLT flitted up to Brendan’s shoulder. Her eyes were wary. “Be careful, my friend. A promise is a solemn Pledge.”

“What do you mean?” Brendan demanded.

“Ferrymen accept only noble metal as payment. Or sometimes gemstones. If you don’t have noble metal, they take a Pledge. I warn you, if you make a promise or a Pledge to one such as this, it must be paid in full at some point in the future.”

Brendan thought back to the Undertown. He had made a bargain with Skreet and he’d managed to escape any drastic consequences. How bad could it be? This was just a guy in a rowboat. “Well, I have no ‘noble metal’ and I haven’t got any other way off the Island. Unless you can fly me, BLT?”

She shook her tiny head.

“Fine then.” He turned to the Ferryman and said, “I promise to pay you later. I need to get to the city.”

“The promise is made.” There was a wheezing chuckle from the Ferryman. The sound was chilling and mirthless. “Board.”

Brendan stepped into the boat with BLT on his shoulder. He sat down on the nearest empty bench. The others around him shimmied away as though they didn’t want to catch something from him.

“Why do I feel like I’ve made a horrible mistake?” Brendan moaned.

“Probably because you have,” BLT offered helpfully. She groaned. “Boats don’t agree with me.”

The boat suddenly jerked, and they were forging through the waves toward the distant skyline of Toronto.

The Ferryman stood in the stern, solid as a rock despite the pitch of the waves. His pale hand lay on the tiller. Brendan could see no engine, but despite that fact, the vessel powered forward, cutting a direct path toward the piers at the harbour front. No one spoke. At least the rain didn’t seem to touch them while they were aboard the ferry. It parted on either side of the craft, some unseen force shielding the passengers from the weather. Only the Ferryman streamed with rain, and he didn’t seem to mind.

He hadn’t realized he’d fallen asleep until the boat bumped against the dock. He shook himself awake to find the towering condominiums looming in the rain all around him. He was at the ferry dock. He was so tired. When was the last time he’d slept? The night before last. He looked blearily about. All of the other passengers were gone. There was only the Ferryman looming over him.

“Out,” the Ferryman said, jerking a pale thumb at the dock. Brendan forced himself to stand and step over the gunnels. The Ferryman’s hand stopped him.

“Remember.” The Ferryman’s raspy voice was chilling. “You made a Pledge to a Brother of the Ways. The Pledge will be called in.”

Brendan looked into the dark face and saw a flash of icy blue eyes beneath the brim of the yellow hat. He nodded once. The hand was lifted from his chest, and he stepped out onto the solid wood of the pier. He watched the boat pull away and disappear into the misty drizzle.

Shivering, he stood on the pier and thought for a moment. Where can I go? Greenleaf said I have friends, but who are they? I can’t go to my parents. It’s too dangerous for them. Who then?

Then it struck him. He did have friends. Do I want to involve them in this? It’s too dangerous. But… there’s no one else.

He made a decision. He started off down the pier toward the city. BLT flitted ahead of him, hovering in front of his face.

“Where to then?”

Brendan smiled grimly. “I’m going to get some help.”