The oddest thing happened today. When the children arrived home from school, Destiny came into Alex’s room. This was before I had come out to speak to Alex, so I watched through one of the windows of the Pink Horror.
The wee girl had with her a tiny envelope, about an inch and a half long. She handed it to Alex, who looked at it and scowled. “This says it’s for ‘Herbert the Brownie.’ I thought Herbert was a goblin.”
Destiny shook her head. “Teacher says he’s really a brownie, but she’s a little mixed up. Anyway, this isn’t for Herbert. It’s for the brownie.”
“Then why are you giving it to me?” Alex asked cautiously.
“ ’Cause you have a brownie living in your room.”
“What makes you say that?” asked Alex, and I felt a bit of warmth towards her because I saw she was trying to keep me secret.
“I seen him,” Destiny said.
Clearly I had not been as cautious as I thought! Ah, weel. ’Tis nae so bad to be seen by a wee one as by an adult. And as I had already violated the Great Oath by showing myself to Destiny’s teacher, the worst of the harm was done already.
“Well, give it to me and I’ll make sure that he gets it,” Alex said.
Destiny shook her head. “Teacher asked me to give it to him myself.”
At that, I came out of the Pink Horror.
Alex gasped when she saw me, but Destiny smiled and said, “See, I knew he was real!”
Then she handed me the envelope.
Printed on the front, in tiny handwriting, was Herbert the Brownie.
Clearly the first thing I needed to do was get this name thing straightened out.
“Well, go on! Open it!” said Alex.
I ripped open the envelope.
Inside was a carefully folded piece of paper.
I took it out and unfolded it.
“What does it say?” Alex demanded.
Trembling a bit, I handed it to her.