Page 58 of The Whispering Night
Winnie’s lungs wheeze. Then wheeze again for good measure because oh boy, does she remember it. She has been anxiously awaiting that book’s arrival for over two weeks now and has been calling the Monday library every morning since day three.No, no books here for a Winnie Wednesday.
“The Mondays delivered the book tome,even though I very clearly told them it was to be delivered toyou.Winnie Winona Wednesday, I said, our very own Midnight Crown. Although, of course, you hadn’t won yet. Wait, where is your crown?” Funday blinks expectantly.
And Winnie blinks back. Because she gives approximately zero craps about the Midnight Crown and approximatelyallcraps for more information on this book. “The book. Where is it now, Professor?”
“It’s at my house.”
“Can I get it from you? Like, tonight? After this? Or we could even skip this and just go grab it now.”
“Oh, well, about that.” A slight chuckle. The fuzzy green squirrels dangling from Funday’s earlobes bounce and sway. “I didn’t realize the book would be inItalian,so I’ll have to translate it for you. Unless you know Italian?”
Right. Italian. Because of course the freaking book would be in Italian.I could ask the Crow for help reading it,Winnie thinks as a hysterical laugh squeaks from her mouth. “Nope, can’t say I know Italian.”
“Alas. I’ve been attempting to translate each night, but honestly, my Italian is so rusty. If you could tell me something specific you would like to focus on, then that might move things along more quickly. It’s abigbook and there are so many chapters. Chapter one is on the initial need for the symbols. Chapter two is about actual constellations that inspired—”
Pop, pop, pop.Mario boards the bus. Everyone falls silent.
Like Funday, Mario has traded his signature look (in which a laboratory vomited upon him) for more practical gear like khakis, hiking boots, and a brown fleece. He has not, however, abandoned the signature bubble gum.
He spots Winnie at the back; gives a tiny wave; then launches into: “Welcome, locals and visitors alike. I’m Mario, lead nightmare researcherfor the Mondays and foremost ecology expert in Hemlock Falls. Although.” He throws a mischievous smile Winnie’s way. “The winner of our Midnight Crown back there—”
Every head whips toward Winnie.
“—has quite the advanced knowledge herself. So if I’m ever too busy to answer a question about our local fauna, then feel free to ask Winnie Wednesday instead.”
No,thinks Winnie, dread shoveling through her.Do not feel free at all!
But it’s too late. The damage is done. What should have been a mindless meander through the forest before dusk—in which she triesnotto repeat her panicked meltdown from Wednesday training or the hot room pool—is now going to be filled with foreigners wanting selfies and asking questions.
She is going to murder Mario. Or at the very least, shove him off the overlook into the falls.
Mario continues with a description of where they’ll be walking (western shore, departing from the hunters’ parking lot) and what they can expect to see (prime manticore nesting habitats, kelpie formation spots, the kill site for a recent droll). “And if we’re lucky, we’ll finish in time to enjoy that open bar at the after-party! All right.” He claps his hands, gnawing at the gum he cannot subsist without.
Then one huge bubble precedes a final grin for Winnie. “Let’s get going, friends! Into the woods to Grandmother’s house!”
Wow,Winnie thinks.That sounds ominous.
She feels lingering stares upon her. She fidgets with her glasses and focusesveryhard on Professor Funday’s face. “The chapters,” she squeezes out. “Can you tell me more about them? Because yes, there are some specific things I’m interested in from the book.”
Funday nods. Her eyelids batten shut. Then she ticks off her fingers one by one in a way that suggests she’s reciting something memorized. “Why Luminary Symbology Evolved, The Original Constellations, The Evolution of Symbols, The Appropriation of Symbology by Dianas—”
“That,” Winnie blurts at the same instant the bus engine revs. Funday doesn’t hear her.
“—A Dictionary of Common Symbols, Putting the Secret in SecretSociety, and… oh, what was that last chapter called?” Funday’s eyes crack open. The bus is now puttering across the parking lot. “Think, Teddy, think.”
“No, it’s fine, Professor.” Winnie shakes her head. “I’m mostly interested in the appropriation by…” Oh gosh, should she finish this sentence? Should she say the wordDianas? Her family is still so closely associated with witches. What if Funday thinks,Why, this is odd,and alerts Jeremiah Tuesday to Winnie’s probing?
Although, would it matter if Jeremiah did find out at this point? He knows Winnie is just following wherever Signora Martedì wants her to follow—which is therefore where Jeremiah must want her to follow too, right?
T minus thirty-eight hours until the Crow makes good on her threats.
Winnie doesn’t have to finish her sentence because Funday fills in the blank for her: “Dianas.” She smiles a crinkly smile. “You want to know how the witches appropriated the symbols?”
Winnie thrusts again at her glasses. “Yep, and, uh, I guess… the dictionary would be useful too.”
“Ah, that’s right. Your locket!” Funday smacks her forehead—which ends up being a full-on karate chop because at that moment, the bus yaws hard to the left.
Bonk!
