secondary.
“I think we may have made a mistake,” he said. “We’re sorry to bother you, ma’am.”
“T’ain’t no bother none.” She scrutinized Lelani as best as she could from the distance, shutting one eye and squinting with the other. “You saying that filly is Fred’s kin?”
“We thought so, but we were mistaken.”
“Oh. That’s too bad. Fred weren’t no actor, you know. I was wondering if she could tell me which side of the family gave him that dang horse’s ass.”
They froze in their steps and exchanged looks again.
“Excuse me, but, you said Fred was your husband?” Cat asked.
“Got kids?” Seth cut in.
“You folks come in, and I’ll make some tea.”
Cal looked toward the barn, but Lelani was gone. The porch creaked under his weight. The house smelled of must and rot. Prominently displayed on the mantel was a blue ribbon from the county fair eleven years prior for best chili recipe. A wooden cross hung on the far wall. Coils stuck out of the couch and recliner. A steel and canvas wheelchair was folded in the corner behind a door. Yellowed lace doilies were draped over most of the furniture in a delusive attempt to cover the junkyard couture of the decor. The place reminded Cal of the living room on Sanford and Son. All that was missing was a toothless, old curmudgeon.
“That’s my brother, Eustace, in the corner there,” the woman said. The spot was badly lit. A man with no teeth, a week’s worth of facial growth, and at least twenty years on his sister, grunted and raised his cane in a collective greeting and threat to knock someone’s head.
“My name’s Enid,” she said. “Take a seat, now. I’ll be right out.”
Cal checked his watch. The twenty minutes were almost up and he wished they were on their way to the lay line. According to Lelani, this Rosencrantz might be able to cast a global memory enchantment. Not only could the events of the night they transferred to this world be revealed in one fell swoop, but every member of the original party would recall their true identities regardless of where they were. It could triple their numbers overnight. Lelani had tried it herself on her arrival, but it had proved too much. Global enchantments, she said, were considered high-end mojo that even the best wizards had trouble with. All she had managed was to trigger Cal’s nightmares.
Cal noticed a Polaroid picture of Enid and her groom on the end table. It was Fronik for sure. Fronik only came up to Enid’s chest, as though he were a man proposing. Perhaps he was just being cautious about allowing his bottom half to be photographed. Cal looked out of a grime-covered window and wondered what Lelani was up to.
“Got any beer?” Seth shouted into the kitchen.
“Got any manners?” Cat scolded. “We apologize for Seth’s behavior,” she told Eustace.
The old geezer wore a stupid grin and bounced on the chair, excited. “Fursd prize. Heh. Fursd prize, heh,” he repeated. A cloudy gray stream snaked from his nose and dropped from his grizzled chin.
“You won first prize at the fair,” Cat said, politely. Cal marveled at his wife’s patience with the old and the feebleminded. No one else received the benefit of such patience from her. Catherine MacDonnell did not suffer fools well. “I’m a sucker for a good chili recipe.”
“See gret.”
“Sea grete? Is that a spice?”
“See gret.”
“Don’t mind Eustace none,” Enid said, bringing a plastic tray with a steaming pot and cups. “He ain’t had a whole thought in years. Not since the stroke.”
“I’m sorry,” Cat said.
“Oh, he’s more manageable this way. Fred and him never got on, you know. Eustace loved the hooch. I don’t keep the snake water in my home no more,” she told Seth.
Enid poured four cups and stretched two tea bags between them. She took hers with cream. Cat opted for the lemon. Seth and Cal declined. Enid sat in a padded rocking chair, which made her look even more like a Cabbage Patch doll.
“How did you meet Fred?” Cal asked.
“Well… it was late October, we was having some mighty big weather if I remember rightly. Eustace was out in the barn when Fred just stumbled in. He weren’t feeling right and just passed out.”
“Did you attack him?”
“No, sir. He passed out all on his own. Eustace came into the house and got the shotgun on account of Fred looking so strange. I followed him back. Fred had a bad fever. We pulled him into a stall, got him a blanket, water, and set up a kerosene heater. I tended him ’til the fever broke. When he come to, he had no idea who he was. Couldn’t even tell why he had a horse’s ass ’stead of two legs like normal folks.”
“And the carnie poster?” Seth asked.
“That was Eustace’s idea. Had some problems with locusts that year. Crop was a bust. Thought it might bring in some extra money. But few people come. Too remote. Not like it is now, all hustle and bustle. We got a traffic light in town now. Most folks thought Fred was a trick. Even folks that did come din’ believe it.”
“And Fred was okay with this?” Cal asked.
“Would you like some more tea, hon?” Enid asked.
“Enid?”
“Fred cost us in fixins and medicine. Eustace put him to work. He had to earn his keep. Idle hands is the devil’s tool. We ain’t like you city folk with extra money hidden in the couch. What you see is what we got. Fred didn’t have nowhere to go anyways.”
“Did you keep him here against his will?” Cal asked.
Enid fingered the doily on her armrest and studied the tea set on the table.
“Enid…?” Cat prodded.
“We didn’t encourage him to leave. Eustace had use for him, and I truly believed he would have been hurt if he ventured forth. Folks ’round here weren’t as open-minded as us back then. Fred was a kindly man. A bit innocent. He was ill suited to handle a world of sinners. I kept him company so he wouldn’t be lonesome, taught him to play checkers, read the Bible. Fred took to the Good Book in a big way. Surprising, when you consider his sin.”
“His sin? Did he do something bad?”
“Not him. He was a kindly soul. Well, you know…?”
“No, we really don’t.”
“How he got the way he was. It was clear to anyone with eyes. One of his kin had lain with a beast. The Lord Almighty frowns upon the laying with beasts. It’s a dirty, vulgar sin. Wasn’t Fred’s fault what his mama or papa done, but he was begat of blasphemy.”
Tension crept into Cal’s spine. He could see it in Cat as well.
“Fursd prize, heh,” Eustace repeated.
“But, Enid, you married him,” Cat pointed out.
“I did.” She smiled at the thought of Fred. “He was a gentle soul, twice as wise for only half the man. A good friend. I realized the sacrifice I’d have to make. I couldn’t bring young’ins into the world. The devil’s blood had to end with Fred.”
“But that wasn’t all…?” Cal asked.
“He had to be purified. He was an offense to God.”
“So, you baptized him?” Cal said. A nagging thought knocked on the policeman’s brain. He ignored it. “You converted him to a born-again life.”
“Yes, but more than that. Eustace said he’d be hung before he’d let a beast lay with his sister. He didn’t trust me. Eustace said if I was going to be dang fool enough to tie my fortunes to Fred, he was going to exorcise the Devil from the man first.”
“What are you saying?” Seth asked. “You got a priest to exorcise him?”
“None of them papal devils ever step foot in this home, no sir. We got Fred the chair,” she said pointing to the folded wheelchair in the corner. “But he got terrible sick anyways after many weeks. Wasn’t quite right again. Eustace said the devil ran too deep, that it even polluted the man. I cared for Fred best I could.”
