Page 44 of Shelf-Made Man
Tobias allowed himself to sort through these words until he understood them. His brain was like a very bad car, stuck in first gear and with the engine misfiring. Eventually he got it. “You’re a prisoner again!” he groaned.
“We all are. I’m sorry. It’s all?—”
“Stop it. This is Snjokarl’s fault, not yours.”
Alfie didn’t answer, but he did sigh again.
Moving very slowly over a few minutes, Tobias managed to sit up without puking. He patted the back of his head. Even a gentle touch was painful, but he didn’t feel any fresh or dried blood, which he figured was good news.
“Tobias, maybe you shouldn’t be upright.”
“I’m okay. Just give me a few.”
Alfie respected his request, although he did settle asteadying hand on Tobias’s arm. After a bit more time passed, Tobias was finally able to open his eyes and blink away most of the fuzziness.
Olve was still huddled on the bench and looking miserable. He wore filthy rags and had a tatty blanket around his shoulders. He was almost skeletal, his face and chest mottled with bruises and scrapes, but he was also much younger than Tobias expected. Upon consideration, however, he realized that made sense. Aunt Virginia had been in her early twenties when she married Olve—and when Olve disappeared. Time obviously moved differently in the two worlds.
“I don’t suppose I can transfer us all out of here?” Tobias asked.
Both Olve and Alfie shook their heads. “You can try if you like,” said Alfie. “But the magic-proofing….”
“I get it.” And he did. Yet he tried anyway, just in case. Nothing happened. It was frustrating. He’d gone his entire life unaware that he possessed this talent, but now that he’d used it a couple of times, it was a comfortable fit. Now, it was as if he’d broken in a particularly nice hoodie only to have it taken away.
Although moving wasn’t fun, Tobias repositioned himself so he was leaning back against the wall. “Is he going to kill us?”
“Not right away. And I don’t think he’ll simply abandon us here to rot. He’ll want to… play.” Alfie shuddered and so did Olve.
“How long have you been here?” Tobias asked Olve.
“No idea. Sometimes it stays light for what feelslike months. Sometimes it stays dark. I… I’ve lost time.” Then he blinked a few times and his eyes grew more focused. “You mentioned Virginia. Is she still…? It’s been so long.” He seemed to hold his breath waiting for an answer.
“She’s elderly but still doing well.”
“Has she…. Has her life been happy?”
Tobias gave a comforting smile. “It has. I know she misses you—she speaks of you sometimes—but she’s had so many adventures.”
For the first time, Olve looked a little less despondent. “Good. She’s a remarkable person. And from the looks of things, she made sure you had a good family.”
“She did. I couldn’t have hoped for a better mother.”
“And how did you and Prince Alfred become acquainted?”
They had nothing else to do, and storytelling would distract all of them for a bit, so Tobias and Alfie told their tales. It was good to see Olve perk up when he learned how much good he had done for both of them, and that they’d ended up in love. At the end, though, he shook his head sadly. “You could have killed Snjokarl and gone on with your lives instead of getting stuck here with me.”
Alfie looked offended. “Do you think we could abandon you, knowing what you’ve done for us and knowing how much you mean to the countess?”
“My apologies. You are both fine and honorablemen.”
That was nice to hear, although it didn’t solve any of their problems. “Olve, how did you end up here?” Tobias asked.
“My story isn’t as happy as yours—although I suppose we all have the same ending.”
Olve talked for a long time, and neither Tobias nor Alfie was inclined to stop him. For one thing, they had nothing else to do but listen, and for another, being entertained was better than wallowing in misery. Also, it had likely been ages since Olve had experienced the opportunity to speak with anyone who wasn’t imprisoning or torturing him.
But Tobias’s head ached and his attention wandered, so he mostly caught just the major events: Olve had heard of Alfie’s fate and tried to help. His magic skills were moderate, which is why Alfie didn’t quite transfer successfully and Olve couldn’t un-doll him. Olve had returned to his home world in hopes of getting the trolls to abandon Snjokarl’s cause, and also because he didn’t want the trolls anywhere near his beloved wife. He’d discovered an orphaned baby troll, sent him where he knew Aunt Virginia would find him, and shortly afterward was captured. He’d remained here ever since, with no hope except death.
When he finished, they were all silent for a while. At Alfie’s urging, Tobias lay back down with his head in Alfie’s lap. They both refused Olve’s offer to use what passed for his bed. Tobias drifted a bit, stomach rumbling, thinking about the dinner they’d shared with Aunt Virginia. This wasn’t how he thought he’dspend his wedding night. But then, until recently he’d doubted he’d ever marry at all.
