Page 87 of Earth-Bound

We all went out onto the landing and began carrying the plants back inside the master bedroom. I knew that Broadmire’s touch broke the magic that surrounded the soil and the roots but only for a moment, and they all recovered quickly.

I put the bright yellow calla lily I was carrying down on the window seat by the window, arranging it just so, and delighted in sensing the life in front of me. All of the plants were thriving, growing, absorbing energy from the sun and from the soil and from my presence. They were practically singing about how nice it felt to be in the warm sunlight, and I felt the smile break over my face.

Beside me, Joe placed his blue star fern down and arranged it. He put it exactly where I would have.

Then he stood quietly and I thought he was enjoying the moment as I was, but he said, “Mulgrave stood here.”

“What do you mean?”

He tapped the edge of the hole in the floor with his boot. “Right here. He stood here, knowing that apple was under those floorboards and looking out at your tree. He knew you were trapped. He stood here and watched you.”

A shiver ran up my spine.

Broadmire leaned over and dumped a pot with a bilberry cactus in it right in front of me. He jolted it, making the whole thing jar. I felt the cactus flail around for a moment, trying to get its bearings once it stopped moving.

“Mulgrave’s dead. Checked it. Can’t stand here no more.” He shot me a grin that was slightly disturbing. “I’m going to be the one standing here now. No spells aroundme.”

Randall squeezed between us. “He means we’ll be the ones standing here from now on, looking out across the garden to your apple tree.”

I liked that idea. My two friends, standing together in that window, all those plants beside them…

Joe suddenly asked, “Wait, I never even thought to ask: are we going to live together now?”

“Yes! What I mean is, I’d like to live with you, Joe. If you’d like that.”

“Of course I’d like that. But you don’t like my camper van and I can’t live in a tree.”

“Ah, yes, I see what you mean. Well, I am sure we shall think of something. As long as we are together, I believe I’d like it.”

Broadmire grunted, “So build a house.”

Joe and I shared a look and I examined every line of this face, trying to work out whether he would like that or not. He said, “I don’t really like bricks that much. Haven’t spent much time in houses.”

“We can build it out of natural materials, of you’d prefer.”

“We can do that?”

I gave him an amused smile. “I’m an earth spirit. If there is one thing I can do, it is call upon natural resources. We can build our house completely out of the earth.”

Joe’s face lit up. “Really? That sounds amazing! Where are we going to live?”

“Wherever you like.”

He tapped his chin. “We’ll have to find somewhere we can build. And you’ll want it to be around here somewhere, so you can stay nearby. And it’ll have to be somewhere I can commute from so I can still do my job.”

Broadmire’s offer was more grunt than words, and I nearly had to ask him to repeat himself.

“I’ll give you land.”

Joe actuallydidask him to repeat himself. “Excuse me?”

“I’ll give you land. To build your house. Got a lot of it.”

Joe appeared delighted by that prospect and I thanked Broadmire for the generosity of his spirit.

He shrugged. “Not generous. I’m a troll.”

“Regardless, you have shown us generosity and I admire you for it. We shall accept your offer.”

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