26. Catch Them if You Can

Up above, the invisible door flew much higher than Wish and Xar had ever flown before, as high as Wish dared fly it without them all passing out from lack of oxygen.

They didn’t stay invisible long because Perdita had told them that it was dangerous.

Flying the door at that height was very hard work, so Wish could only take them as far as would be out of reach of Queen Sychorax’s troops and Encanzo’s Wizards and Droods. Xar knew a good hiding place. (Of course he did—Xar had good hiding places hidden all over the wildwoods.) The hiding place was high on a mountaintop, in a great cave hidden behind a waterfall.

They were outlaws, on the run again.

They built the fire in the entrance to the cave, behind the waterfall so it wouldn’t be seen by anyone who might be searching for them, but where they could still get a good view of the surrounding landscape. “We’ll take it in turns to keep watch through the night,” said Xar.

It was a cave that had been inhabited for many thousands of years before their own time, and they knew this because it was decorated with drawings of animals, bears and wolves and snowcats just like their own, and deeper in the cave still, with the bright red human handprints of their ancestors. This immediately made them feel at home, as if the hands of their forebears were waving them hello, helping them along in their quest with a handshake from the past.

Tiffinstorm had brought along a piece of fire from Perdita’s grate in the Lair of the Bear, and somehow that made the cave feel more homey and as if Perdita was there with them. The sprites made the fire burn all different colors, and as the water of the sea steamed out of the shaggy fur of the animals and up into the night, they all felt the coldness of the Nuckalavee adventure being warmed out of them.

They were all tired, so tired, and happy and grateful and sad all at the same time. Happy and grateful to be back in the adventure of it all once more, sad because they were worried about Squeezjoos and were missing Perdita and Pook’s Hill already. Happy and grateful because they had defeated the Nuckalavee, sad because they had temporarily lost Squeezjoos and knew that greater confrontation was still to come. Xar was unusually quiet.

“We’ve lost Squeezjoos,” said Xar. “He is somewhere back there, with the Kingwitch, and it is all my fault and the fault of this Witch-stain.”

So it was Wish and Bodkin who had to cheer Xar up this time.

“Don’t worry, Xar,” said Wish. “We’ll rescue Squeezjoos, I promise you we will, and we’ll get rid of your Witch-stain too.”

Bodkin could feel his heart beating quick at the thought of it. Courage! thought Bodkin to himself. I have fought the Nuckalavee and lived, so I am as brave as the others after all.

“So,” said Bodkin. “What do we do now?”

“I’m afraid you’re not going to like the plan, Bodkin,” warned Wish.

Bodkin swallowed. He KNEW he wasn’t going to like the plan. “Tell me anyway,” said Bodkin. “What IS the plan?”

“The good news is, we’ve got the ingredients for the spell to get rid of Witches,” said Wish.

“Here they are!” said the Once-sprite, getting them out of Xar’s waistcoat and proudly displaying them. “One Giant’s Last Breath from Castle Death (forgiveness). Two feathers from a Witch (desire). Three tears of a Frozen Queen (tenderness). Four scales of the Nuckalavee (courage). And five tears of the Drood from the Lake of the Lost (endurance).”

“Okay,” said Bodkin, “we’ve got the ingredients… What’s the bad news?”

“We make the spell, and then we go in search of the Kingwitch,” said Wish.

“That’s a terrible plan!” said Bodkin.

“I said you wouldn’t like it. But we promised Squeezjoos we would rescue him,” said Wish, “and just as Perdita said, you can’t run away forever. And when we find the Kingwitch, I’ll make a bargain with him.”

“Bargaining with Witches isn’t a good idea, Wish,” said Bodkin. “Look how the bargaining with the Nuckalavee went! Not well, let’s face it.”

“We didn’t get rid of the Magic completely last time,” said Wish. “But we have a second chance, and this time it’s going to be different. I will say to the Kingwitch, if he takes away the last bit of Witchblood from Squeezjoos and Xar, I will use my Magic to let him out of his iron prison.”

“Brilliant plan!” said Xar admiringly. “There’s no other way for the Kingwitch to get out of that iron ball, so I bet he goes for it. And I promise I won’t take my hand away too early this time.” ^*

“You’re going to let the Kingwitch out of his iron prison?” squeaked Bodkin. “DELIBERATELY? And THEN what are you going to do???”

“We’re going to FIGHT him,” said Wish. “Using the spell to get rid of Witches, and the Enchanted Sword, and all our might and main…”

“But you’re absolutely terrible at spellfights, Wish! Remember, back at the learning place, you kept losing and turning into a fluffbuttle! And even Perdita said you weren’t ready to face the Kingwitch yet!” panicked Bodkin.

“We haven’t got time to be ready, Bodkin,” said Wish. “Xar is getting worse every day, aren’t you, Xar?”

“I have to admit I’m not feeling great,” admitted Xar.

“Anyway, there’s a good chance we’ll never be ready,” said Wish.

“But if the Kingwitch wins the spellfight, he’s going to get his claws on Magic-that-works-on-iron!” said Bodkin.

“However, if we don’t do this, Squeezjoos and Xar are going to be lost forever,” said Wish. “Squeezjoos will be frightened and alone, and he’s going to be relying on US, Bodkin. Remember how you felt when you were in the cavern of the Nuckalavee? What kept you going was knowing that we were going to rescue you.”

Bodkin knew this was right.

“COURAGE!” said Xar. “COURAGE and dancing is what we do now…”

So as night fell, the little party of outlaws danced defiantly around their fire.

We never know what tomorrow might bring.

So tonight… we must dance.

First they danced wildy, recklessly, to a song they just made up on the spur of the moment, called…