Cate Tiernan - A Chalice of Wind

Jules, Daedalus, and Richard nodded, and Richard put down his glass.

"We won't be long.' said Axelle, unlocking a door that I hadn't even seen the first four days I was here. It was built into the deep molding of the main room, a hidden door, I'd almost jumped out of my skin one day when I'd thought I was alone and then suddenly Daedalus had appeared out of the wall. Now that I knew it was there, I could easily see its outlines and the round brass lock. It led to stairs, I knew that much, but I wasn't allowed in-it was always locked when Axelle wasn't home.

I watched silently as the three guys followed Axelle.

I was convinced they did drugs up there. And now they were dragging a kid into their web. True, a strange, hard-core kid, but still. The door clicked shut with a heavy finality, and I prowled restlessly around the main room, wondering if I should do something. Okay, for the three weird adults, that was one thing. They might be complete dope fiends, but they'd never hit me or come on to me or anything. But now they were corrupting a kid-if there was anything left in Richard to corrupt. That was definitely wrong.

Unsure what to do with my concern, I wandered around, picking up used glasses and loading them into the dishwasher, Axelle was the world's biggest slob, and I'd started tidying up out of self-defense, just so I'd have clean plates to eat off of, etc.

"Mreow?" Minou, Axelles cat, jumped up on the kitchen counter, I scratched him absently behind the ears and then refilled his food bowl. Like the hidden door, Minou had shown up several days after I got here, but Axelle knew him and actually had cat food, so I figured he was hers. Guess what color he was,

I gathered a stack of newspapers, and the weird domesticness of the situation suddenly hit me, I blinked back tears, remembering how I'd done the same kind of stuff at home, with Dad, and how I'd grumbled about it and made him remind me five times and stuff. Now, what I wouldn't pve to be at home with Dad nagging me! I would be the perfect daughter if I could only have another chance, I gulped, thinking maybe it was time to go cry on my bed for a while.

"Excuse me,"

I whirled, sniffing and brushing my hand across my eyes, I hadn't heard Richard come up behind me, I closed the dishwasher door, "What?" I said, feeling unnerved.

Axelle sent me down for matches," he explained in a husky, un-kid-like voice, stepping past me into the narrow kitchen. He was slender but wiry, with defined muscles. He was wearing black motorcycle boots,

"Don't you- f I began, and he glanced up at me. I could see that even though he was young, he would probably be really good-looking when he grew up. If he lost the face jewelry. "Don't you think you're a little young for that?" I waved my hand toward the hidden stairway. Richard looked at me, expressionless. "I mean-do your folks know where you are? Don't you worry about getting in trouble or having it lead to bigger stuff that could actually really be dangerous?"

Richard picked up the box of matches. Tm an orphan, honey," he said, with a funny little smile. 'And its not what you think, upstairs. You'll find out''

Uh'oh. That didn't sound good. "I mean, it's not too late to quit," I said, feeling more and more unsure.

He did smile then, showing a hint of the man he would become in a couple of years. "It's way too late to quit," he said, and gave a little laugh, like there was a private joke somewhere. He left me and went back through the door, and feeling completely weirded out, I glanced absently at the stack of newspapers.

Time to register for school those attending Orleans Parish public schools, I read. I had to move Minous tail to finish the headline. School started on August 26, barely three weeks away. It listed a web site where you could register online.

"Oh, Thais," said Axelle, coming into the kitchen. She rummaged in the cupboards and pulled out a box of salt. "Listen, don't go anywhere-we'll be done in a while and then were going out to dinner."

I nodded. We always went out to dinner. "Um, I have to register for school''

Axelle looked at me blankly.

I tapped the paper. "It says it's time to register if you're going to public school. Which I assume I am"

She seemed to recover and said, "Well, you don't have to go if you don't want. You've probably gone enough, right?"

Now I stared at her, her beautiful face that never seemed to show lack of sleep or hangovers or anything else, the black eyes that had no pupils. "I haven't graduated high school.' I said slowly, as if I were explaining something to a child,'! have one more year."

"Well, what's one year?" she asked, shrugging. "I bet you know everything you need to know. Why don't you just hang out, relax?"

My mouth dropped open. "If I don't graduate high school, I won't be able to go to college."

"You mean you'd sign up for four more years?" She looked appalled.

"How am I going to get a job? Or did I not need one, here on Planet Unreality?

Now she looked downright shocked, "Job?.

Okay. I was getting nowhere. I could see that. Thanks, Dad, I thought, tasting bitterness in the back of my throat. You sure can pick 'em. I took a deep breath and let it out.'Til take care of it," I said calmly. "I'm going to school, and I'll register myself. I'll let you know what happens."

Axelle looked like she was trying to think up a good argument but couldn't come up with anything. "Well, if that's what you want to do," she said reluctantly.

"Yes," I said firmly. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay" She sighed heavily, as if she couldn't believe Michel Allard's child could be so incredibly unreasonable. I picked up the newspaper and headed back into my room, where I carefully shut the door. Then I lay down on my bed, put a pillow over my face, and howled.

“C’est impossible," Daedalus muttered in disgust He banged his fist down on the hood of the can "C'est impossible!"

"Heyl" said Axelle. "La voiture, c'est ci moiT She carefully examined the hood of her pink Cadillac.

Daedalus folded his arms across his chest and joined Richard and Jules, who were leaning against the side of Axelles car, staring across the street, Axelle lit a cigarette.

Jules made a face.'Must you smoke even here?"

"Yes," Axelle said evenly, 'Are you going to lecture me about the health disadvantages?"

Richard chuckled, and Jules looked away.

"It's unpleasant is all," he said.

"Then stand downwind," said Axelle.

"Stop it, you two," said Daedalus. "We can't start arguing among ourselves. Now, more than ever, we have to stand together."

"Has Sophie come yet?' Axelle asked.

"I think she and Manon are coming tomorrow," said Daedalus. He let out a breath and looked across the street, still unbelieving. "This is the place?" he asked for the fifth time.

"It's the place," Jules said dispiritedly. "It has to be."

The four of them stood in a line against the car. Across the street, where they had expected to find thick woods and swamps as far as the eye could see, there was instead a huge Wal-Mart Supercenter. And a huge parking lot. And other stores in a line next to it.

"Whens the last time anyone was here?" Daedalus asked.

They thought, shrugged.

"Long time," Axelle said at last. "Obviouslv."

"Hang on." Richard leaned into the open window of the car and pulled out their old map. He took the recent map from Daedalus and spread them both out on the hood of the car. "Okay, here's New Orleans," he said, pointing to the city within the crescent bend of the river. "And this is about where we are." He traced a slender finger down a blue highway line, south-southwest of New Orleans.