Pasha Malla - People Park

You hear that? the Mayor asked Griggs. Was it magic, Babbage?

Whoa, Mrs. Mayor, said Wagstaffe, that’s the Head Scientist you’re talking to. Patronyms, please!

Well, said Magurk, something made the bridge disappear. And your legs —

Griggs held up a hand to silence them both.

The Mayor scrubbed her eyesockets with the heels of her hands. Then, blinking, she looked from one High Gregory to the next: Wagstaffe (grinning), Griggs (ineffable), Magurk (nostrils whistling), Favours (sleeping), and Noodles, who had yet to speak, lips pursed within a bristly white goatee shorn into a perfect square. He stared woodenly at the Mayor, perhaps waiting to glimpse whatever hid behind her.

What about you, sir? Mr. — the Mayor checked her notes — Sobolin?

Noodles nodded once, slowly.

This one doesn’t say anything? the Mayor said.

Noodles is judicious, said Reed, bowed his head, apologized for speaking.

The Mayor turned to Starx. Stars, is it? Billy? What. Happened .

Starx eyed Magurk.

Speak, said Griggs.

Mrs. Mayor, said Starx, we weren’t assigned to do much more than make sure Raven was comfortable and that he got around to his events. In this city there’s not much you have to worry about security-wise, which is such a testament to the NFLM’s fine work —

The Mayor made an on-with-it gesture.

Starx continued: Maybe we haven’t considered that this might all be part of the trick. Him disappearing, I mean. As in, there might be more to come.

Smoke and mirrors, said Wagstaffe, laughing. No one else laughed.

Tell me, Mr. Starx, said the Mayor, if we don’t find this magician, am I going to have to see a doctor about my legs?

Starx caught Olpert sneaking a peek beneath the table and elbowed him in the ribs. His partner buckled, breath escaping in a woof.

Fug if it’s fair we’re being blamed for this, said Magurk, smacking the table with a hairy paw. Best event the city’s ever seen. You ask people — he gestured vaguely at the surface — and they’ll tell you they had the time of their lives last night.

Favours brayed. Olpert looked at him, expecting more: but the old man’s head slumped to his chest, back into catatonia.

Griggs took a flat from the tray, nibbled a corner. I think, Mrs. Mayor, what we’re trying to tell you is that last night was about giving something back to the people, and we did that. We , Mrs. Mayor, did that. We made it happen — we funded the whole thing, we organized it, we staffed it, and we made sure it went off without a hitch.

Without a what ? The Mayor’s voice was shrill. How about the teeny-weeny hitch that I can’t walk? And, oh right, the other small hitch that the person responsible is missing? And the other as-of-yet-unrelated-but-it-doesn’t-take-a-genius-to-do-the-math hitch that our artist laureate’s memorial statue is also missing. And, oh! I almost forgot! That other barely-worth-mentioning hitch — anyone? Anyone ? Allow me: Guardian Bridge is gone . It — the Mayor tapped the tabletop with each word — Is. Not. There .

She was on a roll: And I’m sorry, event ? You make it sound like this was just a way to fill a weekend. Have you appleheads completely forgotten that the whole thing was supposed to be commemorative? Or was that never on your radar? It’s not called a Silver Jubilee for the pretty name. There’s, oh, a certain little park we’re meant to be celebrating. A little park that transformed the city? Twenty-five years ago? A little park that is going to be here long after your stupid magician goes flying away in his helicopter.

The helicopter, said Noodles.

A miracle! said the Mayor. He speaks! He was listening!

Oh, the Imperial Master always listens, said Griggs.

I listen to all kinds of things, Noodles purred.

His sudden animation made Olpert uneasy. The room was already cryptlike enough, and now a corpse had leapt up off the slab to speak.

What are you thinking, Noodles? said Wagstaffe.

I think, said Noodles, that if Raven’s helicopter is still here, then he’s on the island.

Touch green, said the Mayor.

Quiet there, said Magurk. Noodles is speaking.

What else, Noodles?

The boy.

Which boy, Noodles?

The boy that was onstage. We must find that boy. He saw something.

And the Imperial Master bowed his head.

Mr. Noodles has spoken, said the Mayor. Amen and hallelujah.

The boy though, yes, said Griggs. Gip, was it? Goode?

Sorry, Griggs, just one second here, said Magurk. Can we backtrack for a moment? I resent the insinuation, Mrs. Mayor, that our organization doesn’t value civic pride.

Don’t talk to me about civic pride! I was born here. This is my city.

And I wasn’t? yelled Magurk. And, I’m sorry, whose city is it?

Special Professor, please, cautioned Griggs.

But the Mayor was riled. You care about this city? she screamed, almost levitating off her dessert cart, neck strained into sinuous cords. Then where is he? Where is he !

And then she fell.

The room went still. The Mayor, or her upper half, lay by Olpert’s feet, eyes closed. He gazed down at the greying half-woman discarded on the floor, struck by how drastically she resembled a seamstress’s dummy.

I got this, said Starx, swept her into his arms and replaced her atop the dessert cart. From the table he took a roll of ducktape and adhered her torso and legs to their respective tiers. Everyone pretended not to watch, the air stiffened with feigned nonchalance, it was like a breastfeeding. Starx bowed, retreated, the Mayor coughed, smoothed the lapels of her jacket.

Into the silence from the next room came whimpering.

That fat sack of shet , roared Magurk, and stormed out.

Mrs. Mayor, tell me what you need, said Griggs. We’re here. We can help.

This is my city. My city. I will not see it spiral into chaos. There was a plan for this weekend, an agenda. You’ve got your Spectacular , sure, but what about families —

Island Amusements is scheduled to open as planned, said Griggs. Why wouldn’t it?

And the movie, said Wagstaffe. Don’t forget! Our movie for the people —

By the people, chorused Bean and Walters and Reed. This time they were not scolded, instead Wagstaffe continued, beaming: All in Together Now ! It’s going to be great.

Griggs smiled thinly. Mrs. Mayor, while our men look for Raven — and we will find him — we’ll send these two men, Starx and Bailie, to find the boy. A chance to redeem yourselves, said Griggs, and Noodles nodded, nodded, nodded some more.

Okay, said Starx, standing, hauling Olpert to his feet.

Magurk appeared in the doorway — shirtless, his chest so shaggily haired it appeared a rodent clung to his nipples.

Good luck, he said, sneering at Starx, finding anything in that fuggin fog.

HIS IS GOOD, finding my knapsack, Gip said, towed along by his mother as the Pooles marched in a tight grim formation through the foggy campground, the gently falling snow. So I can get the Grammar ? And then I’ll be able to figure out where Raven’s gone? And maybe even how he vanished the bridge? And how he had me onstage? It was like he picked me because he knew . Like he knew, Mummy, are you even listening? Like he knew that I was his biggest fan so maybe do you think he wants me to put everything right? Like it was a sign? Like it’s up to me now?