Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm, Book 4) Page 10

  "There is no Faerie, Mother. It has been gone for ten years," Mustardseed said. "We're living here, now. It's time to embrace our new home."

  "You would throw away thousands of years of our history?" Titania argued.

  "No, there is room for tradition," Mustardseed said. "But not traditions that oppress and create mistrust. Sentencing a man to die because that has always been the way of things is wrong. My father struggled for too long trying to rebuild that way of life. I will not allow you or anyone else to do the same. You will fail as he did."

  "Mustardseed!"

  "Mother, the humans have traditions of their own. Adopting a few of them might do us all a world of good. We will allow Cobweb to defend himself," Mustardseed said, and then turned to Granny Relda. "You have my word."

  "Do we have hers?" Mr. Hamstead said, pointing at Titania.

  Titania got up and stormed out of the room.

  "I will make her understand," Mustardseed said.

  Granny regarded the young fairy for a moment and then nodded. "And we will do our best to find Cobweb."

  Mustardseed returned the nod, then turned and exited the room.

  "So, I guess we're back to the subway," Daphne said.

  "It's a place to start," said Granny. "Someone may have seen where he went."

  "Or he may still be down there," said Momma. "It's a good place to hide from other fairies since they're technically forbidden to be in the tunnels."

  "Great," Sabrina said. "Anyone got a flashlight and two years? Do you know how many miles of subway track there are? Six hundred and fifty six!" She recalled the report she had done in the fourth grade after a trip to the Transit Museum.

  "It's the realm of the six dwarfs," Momma said. "They control the underground. If he's down there they'll help you find him."

  Granny smiled. "And where would we find these dwarfs?"

  * * *

  Everyone agreed to continue the search for Cobweb in the morning. The sun had set long ago and it had grown bitterly cold, plus they were exhausted.

  The group returned to the hotel to find Mr. Hamstead's room had been destroyed. His bed had been torn apart and his drawers rifled through. There was a note on the bathroom door that read, "You can go back to Ferryport Landing dead or alive. Your choice." Hamstead snatched the note and crumbled it into a ball.

  "At least he gave me a choice," he said with a forced smile. "Maybe I'm too much trouble for you," Bess said. Hamstead shook his head. "I've dealt with bigger threats than Tony Fats."

  Bess gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You take care, doll face. I'll see you bright and early in the morning."

  "I hope we get invited to the wedding," Daphne sang after the blonde beauty was gone.

  Mr. Hamstead rolled his eyes but grinned from ear to ear. "I'm going to have the hotel put me in another room. You folks go get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow."

  Granny led Sabrina, Moth, and Daphne back to their room. Moth propped Puck's cocoon on the bed next to her and crawled under the covers. Sabrina lay next to her grandmother and sister in the other bed. She fell asleep listening to her sister plan Bess and Mr. Hamstead's wedding. That night, Sabrina dreamed of doves flying out of the top of a wedding cake.

  When Sabrina woke the next morning, she crawled out of bed and went into the bathroom in hopes of finding a glass of water to get rid of her morning breath. She quietly shut the door so that her family and Moth could sleep. She gargled, washed her face, and checked herself in the mirror. Then she screamed.

  Hovering several feet off the ground behind her was Puck's cocoon. She turned to find that the top of it had split open and something was gurgling inside. When she craned her neck to get a better look, a thick, green gas seeped out. It had the foulest smell Sabrina had ever experienced--like rotten cabbage, dirty laundry, and string cheese. Sabrina instinctively leaped back but the cocoon followed her, like a smelly puppy.

  "Get this thing away from me!" Sabrina cried, but no one came. She tried to maneuver around it, but every step she took the cocoon mimicked. She faked to the left and then to the right, only to have the cocoon block the bathroom door, trapping her inside. Then the real nightmare started.

  A sound like a steam whistle filled Sabrina's ears and green gas blasted out of the top of the cocoon, filling the bathroom with a funky fog. It seeped into Sabrina. It was in her hair, in her socks--she could even taste it. She pinched her nose tightly but it didn't help.

  "Sabrina, are you okay in there?" her grandmother said as she tapped on the door. "No!" Sabrina cried.

  "It sounds as if your dinner isn't agreeing with you. Is there anything I can do? The hotel might have some antacids for your belly," the old woman said.

  There was another knock on the door. "Hey! Light a match in there," Daphne shouted.

  Suddenly, the door burst open and Moth shrieked in rage.

  "How dare you!"

  she cried.

  "My goodness gracious," Granny Relda said. "What is going on in here?"

  "This thing just blew up on me," Sabrina cried as the cocoon continued to spray her with fumes. "Make it stop!"

  "What you've done is unforgivable!" Moth seethed. "You have stolen my right!"

  "I didn't steal anything!" Sabrina cried. "It followed me in here."

  "Moth, could you tell us what is happening?" Granny asked.

  Moth growled. "During the larval stage, when a fairy is most vulnerable, he chooses the one person in the world he trusts the most to look after him. Once the choice is made the cocoon marks the person with a special scent, one the cocoon can easily follow. This is an honor that should have gone to me.

  "Well, then," Granny said as the last of the gas fizzed out of the top of the cocoon. "I suppose congratulations are in order."

  The smell was all over Sabrina and no amount of washing could get it off. She took six showers, washed her hair, and scrubbed every inch of her body, but each time the smell returned with a vengeance. She could even smell it on her toothbrush. If she hadn't been so angry she might have cried.

  Still, the smell was only half the nightmare. Sabrina discovered that wherever she went the cocoon hovered behind her, step for step. She shouted at it, hid from it, even threatened to drop-kick it out the hotel window, but nothing would stop it. As she couldn't reasonably walk the streets with a flying, eggplant-shaped gas bomb hovering at her shoulder, Granny and Daphne went out in search of something that might work as camouflage.

  Left alone with an angry Moth, Sabrina ignored the fairy, watching talk shows she was certain were inappropriate for her. Moth stalked around the room with clenched fists, muttering bitter words under her breath.

  "What's this?" Sabrina said when her grandmother and sister returned with a long piece of string.

  Granny tied one end of the string to the bottom of the cocoon and handed the other end to Sabrina. "Now, isn't that a lovely balloon?"

  Sabrina grumbled, knowing she looked like an unhappy child at the worst birthday party ever.

  * * *

  Mother Goose's directions were far better than any Bess or Oz had given the group. Momma knew exactly where to find the dwarfs. They lived in an abandoned subway station underneath the mayor's office downtown. The City Hall station had been closed decades ago, when the new, longer subway cars had made the platform impractical.

  The walk to the station was chilly and the Grimms were glad to have scarves and mittens. Even Mr. Canis had found a big pair of gloves for his claws and a scarf to wrap around his whiskered head. Moth, Mr. Hamstead, and Bess didn't seem bothered by the cold, Moth because of her fairy blood and Mr. Hamstead and Bess because they were too busy giggling and holding hands to notice the temperature.

  The group crossed a small park and found the steel door in the sidewalk that Momma told them led into the ancient subway station. There was no one out in the harsh weather, so they didn't have to worry about being seen when Canis pulled the door open, revealing a flight of steps that led down i
nto darkness. Mr. Hamstead insisted that he go first, claiming his police training prepared him for any kind of danger. It was obvious his boasting was for Bess's benefit, but Sabrina held her tongue.

  Hamstead led the group down the steps and when everyone was inside, Canis pulled the door closed, plunging them into darkness.

  "Creepy," Daphne said.

  "Just be patient, liebling.

  Your eyes will adjust," Granny promised.

  "Man, it smells foul down here," Bess said.

  "I believe that is the girl," Canis said.

  "Uh, hello? I'm standing right here!" Sabrina said.

  Before long, their eyes adjusted, and Mr. Hamstead was leading them along a damp concrete passageway lined with huge pipes and electrical wiring. Every once in a while they would pass under a dingy, flickering lightbulb, which helped them see a few feet ahead.

  "We are close," Canis said, sniffing the air. "I smell them."

  The tunnel opened into a huge station with an arched ceiling held up by elegant columns and cut through with skylights that allowed rays of light to shine down on the gold-tiled walls and floor. The room looked like the lost tomb of a pharaoh. At the center was a single train track, where a lone subway car was parked. Sabrina had been in many subway stations in New York City, but this one, by far, was the most beautiful.

  "Hello?" Granny shouted out. Her voice bounced off the walls and echoed back. "Is anyone here?"

  "They have obviously abandoned this station," Moth said.

  Something flickered in the corner of Sabrina's vision. She spun quickly and thought she saw movement in the shadows along the far wall. She turned to Mr. Canis, whose senses were much more acute than hers. He held his finger to his lips to let her know he had seen something, too, and to be quiet.

  "What are we waiting for?" Moth continued as she headed for the train car. "We should take their train and search the tunnels ourselves."

  Before she could step into the car, the station erupted with movement as five tiny men bore down on them, flipping and jumping, shouting and screaming. They stopped just short of the group, surrounding them like tiny ninjas from a martial arts film.

  The door to the subway car opened and a sixth little man with a long, white beard stepped out and eyed the group angrily through round glasses. He wore a blue uniform jacket with a patch that said MTA. Sabrina knew what the letters stood for--

  Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The little man worked for the subway.

  "You're trespassing in the domain of the six dwarfs," he said, signaling to the others to close in on the group. "Invaders get a beating."

  Sabrina watched as one of the little men slipped a set of brass knuckles on his hand.

  Granny stepped forward. "We're not here to invade your territory."

  A second dwarf clenched his fists. He had greasy little half spectacles on his nose. "These are our tunnels," he said. "We'll fight every one of you, chickadee!"

  Mr. Canis growled. Sabrina could see he was losing his patience, again.

  "We're looking for someone and we were told you could help," Sabrina said quickly. "A fairy flew down here last night. We think he's hiding in the tunnels."

  "A fairy!" cried the dwarfs in horror. "No fairies in the subway! Your kind isn't welcome here."

  "We're not fairies," Daphne said. "Well, except for her," she added, pointing at Moth. "We're detectives."

  Suddenly, the white-bearded leader of the group cried out. "My oh my, it's you! It's Veronica's girls."

  The little men immediately lowered their fists and smiled. They crowded around Sabrina and Daphne, offering up praise for their mother.

  "Veronica was a gem."

  "A real inspiration!"

  "We loved her."

  "What charisma!"

  The men smiled and introduced themselves. Each had a different story about Sabrina and Daphne's mother. They all seemed to idolize her and regretted the day she had disappeared. The day of the "big speech," they added. It was clear they thought the speech would have changed their lives.

  When it grew quiet again, the leader, who called himself Mr. One, spoke. "What are you doing down here?" he asked.

  "We're looking for Cobweb," Daphne replied.

  "Just like your mother," Mr. One said with a chuckle. "Veronica was always taking on other people's troubles. She wanted to help, even when it put her in some sticky situations. Your mother introduced me to my wife. Anything we can do to help you would be an honor."

  "Can you help us search for Cobweb? We think he went underground in these tunnels," Hamstead said.

  "Nobody knows these tunnels better than you do," Bess added, and the dwarfs puffed up with pride at her compliment.

  "What do you say, boys?" Mr. One asked his companions. "Up for a fairy hunt?" He pronounced the word fairy as one might the word rat.

  It was clear that dwarfs and fairies weren't fond of each other.

  "Can we keep the train windows open?" Mr. Two asked, pointing his thumb at Sabrina. "Someone's a little funky."

  Sabrina scowled.

  Nevertheless, the other dwarfs cheered and raced for their subway car. The girls and their group followed. As they climbed aboard, Mr. One opened the conductor's door at the front of the car and stepped inside the control room. The rest of the dwarfs hurried to different parts of the train car. Mr. Two and Mr. Six made sure everyone got into a comfortable seat while Mr. Five and Mr. Three opened a couple panels on the wall. Inside each panel was a bright yellow handle. The dwarfs each pulled one down and suddenly there was a loud hiss and the train doors closed. Mr. One's voice came over the loudspeaker. "All passengers, welcome to the D train. Please, no eating, drinking, or playing loud music while onboard. Next stop… well, I guess we're just going to have to see. All right, everyone. Hold onto something! We're going express."

  The train car suddenly surged forward, sending the little men tumbling and skidding across the floor. Sabrina and Daphne helped them to their feet, then grabbed onto the pole in the center of the car to steady themselves. They looked out the windows and saw they were rocketing through the tunnels.

  "You wouldn't happen to know a Mr. Seven would you?" Daphne asked Mr. Two.

  "He's my brother," the dwarf said.

  "We know him. He lives in Ferryport Landing," Sabrina said.

  Mr. Two frowned. "Well, next time you see him, remind him he owes me twenty bucks."

  "What's with the balloon?" Mr. Five asked Sabrina as he lifted his little blue toboggan hat out of his eyes.

  "It is King Puck's medicinal vessel!" Moth said indignantly.

  "Smells like the N train coming back from Coney Island," Mr. Four grumbled.

  Mr. Six snatched a walkie-talkie off his belt and held it to his mouth. "Kenny, this is Mr. Six. I'm in train 499. Have there been any unusual sightings in the tunnels today?"

  A voice on the other end grunted. "You mean like six little people driving a stolen subway car through the system?"

  Mr. Six scowled and turned to the group. "Kenny's a human.

  We trust him--helped get him the job with the MTA--but he's a pain in the morning."

  "Especially when he hasn't had his coffee," Mr. Four added.

  "Kenny, I'm talking about fairies," Mr. Six said into the device. "You know, anyone report seeing a flying person with wings?"

  There was silence on the other end and then Kenny responded. "Actually, there's a report of an incident at the Fifty-ninth Street station. Some woman claimed she saw an angel in the tunnel."

  "Sounds like our fairy. When did it happen?" Bess asked.

  Mr. Six repeated the question into his walkie-talkie.

  "Five minutes ago," Kenny said.

  "All right, pal, I'm on the 6 line coming up on Spring Street. I need to jump to the F line at Broadway-Lafayette."

  "Thanks for the warning," Kenny said grumpily.

  "Kenny, just do it!" Mr. Six shouted into the walkie-talkie. In no time, the train was racing into the Broadway-Laf
ayette station, where it jumped onto an intersecting track, forcing the car to make a hairpin turn. Nearly everyone fell out of their seat and onto the floor.

  "Cobweb is lucky you guys are going to catch him," Mr. Two said, as he helped everyone back into their seats. "If we caught him down here we'd teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget. The tunnels belong to us."

  "Like anyone else would want them, half-breed," Moth sneered.

  "You'll be singing a different tune when we strike it rich down here," Mr. Four said as he scratched his sideburns. "There's diamonds down here somewhere. I can smell 'em. All we have to do is find them."

  Mr. Six raised his hand for quiet and held his walkie-talkie to his mouth. "Kenny, Six here again. I need you to divert us to the uptown A track at West Fourth Street."

  The car was suddenly diverted again and whipped through the next tunnel so fast Sabrina was sure they would derail.

  "I got him!" Mr. One shouted over the loud speaker.

  Everyone raced to join him at the front of the car. There, flying directly in front of the train, was Cobweb. He turned back to look at them and Sabrina saw his face. It was angry and desperate. His wings began to beat even harder and he zipped ahead into the tunnel.

  "He's getting away, fool!" Moth cried. "Can't you make this thing go faster?"

  "You got it!" One shouted.

  The train car zipped through the tunnels, taking turns at blistering speeds. It slammed through one station after another, blasting waiting passengers with wind that blew their newspapers and coffee cups out of their hands. All the time, Mr. Six barked orders to Kenny on his walkie-talkie that sent the train jumping onto different lines. More than once they nearly collided with another train. If the constant near crashes bothered the dwarfs, they didn't show it. In fact, they seemed bored by the whole experience.

  Cobweb was almost impossible to catch. He could easily switch to a different tunnel, or backtrack the way he came before the train car had a chance to maneuver. Still, the dwarfs did a good job of keeping up.

  Just as they seemed almost on top of the fairy, there was a loud thump on the roof of the car.

  The dwarfs looked at one another with serious expressions.