Serendipity Market (10 page)

“I wanted to grab him and hug him, or jump up and down in glee, but I stayed calm and said, ‘Let's just check all the way down to the bottom. After all, you only have two or five left.'

“Together we tossed the rest of the mattresses aside. And there, as I'd known it would be, was a dried golden pea.

“I picked it up. ‘The culprit,' I said.

“‘That?' Tris's voice went up a few notches. ‘Please. It couldn't be that.'

“I thought about how to explain this, then started with ‘That mother of mine…'

 

“Tris joined us for breakfast, but he picked at his food, and he looked somewhat worse for the wear of his sleepless night. It had been closing in on four when I'd finished explaining my mother's plot, and we'd spent some time talking about other things as well. His lion eyes, my raven locks, and—well, really, that's all you need to know.

“What we hadn't talked about was how to break things to my parents.

“Finally, in an effort to get him to say something,
anything, at the breakfast table, I asked how he'd slept.

“He looked surprised. ‘You don't remember?'

“‘Umm—tell them?' I suggested, pointing at my mother and my father, who, after my question, were watching me warily.

“Tris shrugged, then said, ‘Not well, I'm afraid. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but I was up much of the night. Zola came to check on me in the early morning, and between us, we found the problem.' He held the golden pea out for their inspection. ‘Once we'd moved this, things improved considerably.'

“‘Zola!' my mother cried.

“‘I never told,' I swore. ‘Tell her, Tris. Tell her I didn't say a thing until you'd told me about that sharp, pointy thing digging into your back.'

“‘True,' Tris said. ‘I promise, I'm not usually so sensitive. Roget, my horse, and I have spent many nights in unusual and uncomfortable places. And
when I saw my problem was a small pea…' His voice trailed off. And he blushed. Endearing. And attractive as hell.

“There was a silence that almost rang around our table. My mother finally said, ‘Does this mean what I think it means?'

“My father said, ‘No wonder none of those women were interesting to you.'

“I sighed, a sigh of pure relief.

“Perhaps you've already guessed the end. Nothing is ever easy, though, so there was shouting, explaining, hand wringing; crying, laughing, and sheer giddiness. But my parents are my parents, and eventually they accepted what I'd known and they'd suspected for a long time. I was a gay prince. And I felt that I'd finally met my other half.

“But Tris, even after all that early-morning talking, had never given me an unequivocal yes. So I had to ask, even though my parents were still sitting side
by side at the table. ‘Are you sure? Do you really want to do this?'

“Tris looked directly at me, wrinkled his brow as if he couldn't understand how I could be confused, and said, ‘Well, Zola, of course.' There was no hesitation at all.

“My union with Tris has united my kingdom and the far northern duchy of Dragoran. It appears that heirs will not be forthcoming. Of course, one never knows. It appears that my mother is working on this scheme…”

 

The audience is smiling and laughing as Zola leaves. He is quite pleased, and he can't wait to get home and tell Tris how it all went. Tris, he knows, will especially enjoy the laughter, one of the things they do best together. As he returns to the tellers' waiting area, he sees that Mama Inez is laughing, too.

“In the middle of normal,” she says. “After that story?”

“Of course,” he says. Then, as an afterthought, he adds, “Everything except for the storm. That was quite impressive.”

“As if it had been meant to be,” Mama Inez agrees, and she watches for his reaction.

Zola looks at her long and hard, then laughs himself. “It was you, wasn't it? That bundle of clouds. It had to be.”

Mama Inez shrugs her right shoulder, a casual movement. “Magic,” she says.

“Magic,” Zola repeats, still smiling. “And all this time I was just going with a happy coincidence. Wait until I tell Tris.”

As Zola walks through the waiting area, he passes the two who still wait to go out to the teller's cushion. One of them is Sue, Lightning's friend and rider. She says, “No magic like that
in my story. Maybe some events people'd see as overblown, things I think they might find interesting, but nothing even close to magic.”

Zola stops. “You never know. Look at me. Proof positive. I never even thought about magic.”

“Sometimes, when you're in the middle of it, you don't recognize it,” agrees Rosey, who's the last teller of the evening.

Mama Inez comes up behind Zola, her eyes shining. She seems to be glowing from the inside out. “Ready?” she asks Sue.

Sue swallows, hard. “I was, until about two seconds ago,” she says in a whisper. Then she looks at Mama Inez, and looks again. “Do you have a sister? You look so much like someone who used to live in—”

She's interrupted by Zola, who throws his arm around her shoulders. “You'll be fine out there.”
He points to the waiting audience. “They're ready to hear anything, to support anything. Best of all, they're willing to believe anything.”

“Easy for you. You're a prince and all.” Sue sighs, forgetting about Mama Inez and her possible sister.

Sue reaches over and pats Lightning, who looks at her, his liquid brown eyes steady and sharp.

The Lizard Man, who seems to have adopted Lightning as his own, says, “I am not a prince. I told my story.”

Lightning simply whinnies.

Sue says, “Hmpf.” Then she puts one foot in front of the other and mumbles, “The only thing to fear is fear its own self.”

“I
DO LOVE TO
ride, and that's what I was doing the first time that handsome Pecos Bill saw me. And, for that matter, the first time I saw him. I was riding the biggest catfish in the county. Only saw him for a minute, though, catfish being what they are, and this one in particular bucking and bouncing like a bronc who's positively against the idea of being broke.

“That fish and me was under the water again before I could holler out so much as a ‘Good day,' but even in that short a time I could see that Bill, riding some gorgeous stallion for all he was worth, was one to be reckoned with.

“Now, you might be asking yourself, ‘What is it with that Slewfoot Sue? Why is she a-riding on a catfish, for Lord's sake?'

“All I can tell you is it's a sight better than riding a broom around a kitchen and picking up after a man. And I have always loved a challenge.

“I saw him for the second time at the county picnic on Independence Day. There was everything there, just like you'd expect. Corn on the cob, sweet melons, beans dripping with molasses, slabs of barbecue, hunks of cornbread soaking up honey, and chilies so hot, felt like the roof of your mouth was blown right off. Whiskey and pure spring-water beer. Three-legged races for the little ones. And, late that night, fireworks shooting colors out to the moon.

“It was after one of the big sunburst fireworks exploded, the kind that look like the whole world's caught on fire, that I saw Bill again. This time he weren't riding his horse. No sir. This time he was hanging on to one of them tails of that starburst firework, sailing acrost the sky, headed for who knew where. Looked like that man liked a challenge as much as me.

“That was when I knew I had to meet him. But as luck would have it, when he came down from that firework tail, he landed over to Bexar County, up north, and he weren't able to get back down to home until a good bit later.

“So I took that time while he was gone to start asking around. Talked to some who knew some who knew of him. Talked to some who knew some who knew him. Finally talked to some who knew him theirselves. And found out then that he'd been asking around about me.

“Maeve Maginty, down to the general store, she said, ‘He saw you riding that big rainbow catfish lives over in the river, down to the aqueduct, Sue. Says you were quite a sight.' Maeve winked. ‘Seems smitten, girl.'

“I sniffed, my nose in the air. ‘He can seem smitten, Maeve, all he wants. I'd rather be riding that old catfish any day than taking care of some man.' Which
was generally true, but truth be told, I was feeling the bittiest bit smitten myself. I weren't ready to be tied down, no sir. But if I'd been asked, I'd've had to admit that I found Bill occupying a good piece of my mind.

“I wanted to keep Maeve off track, though, so I added, ‘He does have one fine horse. Like to take a ride on that one, I would.'

“Maeve Maginty laughed so hard, she had to hang on to her selling counter to keep from falling down onto the floor and dirtying her dress on the sawdust.

“‘Ride Lightning? Why, girl, you got as much chance of doing that as you do of getting that forever bachelor Bill to settle down in amongst the piney woods and raise a passelful of kids!'

“I sniffed again, much louder, stood tall as I was able, and said, ‘Maeve, I weren't talking about riding him. I was talking about riding his horse.'

“Which made Maeve Maginty stop laughing and
start to blushing mighty fast, and gave me a chance to make my escape.

“So now, not only was I thinking that Bill was a kind of fine-looking man, I was also half crazy to ride this horse that Maeve Maginty thought I couldn't ride. I mean, my mama didn't raise no fool, and I was pretty sure of what I could and could not do. I didn't put on airs and say I could do things I couldn't, and I wouldn't take no bets on something I thought was foolish, not ever. But that horse Lightning—I was just real sure that he and I could come to an understanding, same as me and that old catfish. And I aimed to find Bill and prove that the feeling in my gut was right. Maybe, in fact, both the feeling in my gut as well as the one that was starting to tickle my heart, too.

“I guess Maeve must've told Bill about me showing an interest in that horse of his, because the next thing I knowed, who was knocking at my door but the man himself?

“‘Howdy,' I says, sounding cool as the springhouse on a hot day in August. But I gotta tell you true, inside me, my heart was tippy-tapping fit to beat the band. That man was real handsome up close. And he was holding his hat in his hand, exactly like a gentleman come to call.

“‘Right pleased to meet you, ma'am.' He smiled, and I thought I'd done died and gone to heaven. Them blue eyes, with little laugh crinkles. ‘I hear you've been talking around town about my Lightning.'

“‘That I have,' I agreed. ‘Sure would like to ride a fine-looking horse like that.'

“Bill, he just laughed. It were a good laugh, strong and sure. But I do not like being laughed at, no sir.

“I straightened up tall, just like I done in Maeve Maginty's store, and said, ‘Never seen a horse I couldn't ride.'

“Bill, he just nodded and said, real polite, ‘Ma'am, I believe you have now. Lightning don't let nobody ride
him but me. It's just,' he added, almost an apology, ‘this understanding we've got worked out.'

“I could see Lightning now. He was tied to the low branch of the apple tree, down close to the road. He'd been hid by the barn till now, so he must've been moving around, cropping my good grasses and no doubt munching on wind-falled apples. I watched him through eyes that were half shut against the sun.

“‘Bet he and I could come to an understanding, too.'

“Bill, he turned his back to me, and ladies, you'll understand when I say he looked as good in back as he did in front. He eyed his horse, and Lightning, as if he knowed he was being seen, swished his tail in the sun till it glowed bright as the North Star on a no-moon night. When Bill turned back to me, there was this speculating look in his eyes.

“‘That was you rode that big old rainbow catfish down to the creek, weren't it?'

“I allowed as how yes, that'd been me.

“‘It was bucking pretty good,' he said. ‘I remember. In and out of that water, up and down like a double stripe of rainbow, looking for the sun.'

“I agreed, then added, ‘Sometime, riding something like that, you got to use real good breath control. Got to be pretty calm. Got to have some faith.'

“Bill nodded, as if to say, ‘I reckon you do need all them things,' turned to look at Lightning again, then to look back to me.

“‘We might could give it a try,' he said at last. He spoke real slow, dragging them words out almost to tomorrow.

“‘I'll just get my boots.' I was gone and back before he could change his mind.

“Me and Bill walked out to Lightning, not saying one word. Just before we got to the horse, Bill said, ‘Wait here for just a minute. Him and me, we got to talk.'

“I stayed put. A whole lot of whispering and whickering went on, and then Bill said to me, ‘Well, you got a bitty chance. But I will say he is not real pleased.'

“‘It'll be just fine,' I said, but now, right up next to Lightning, I was feeling that nervous. One, he was a big horse, bigger'n I'd thought. And a sight bigger'n that old catfish. Two, I was all of a sudden not wanting to look stupid in front of Bill. Just in case this didn't work out quite the way I had things planned.

“But if my mama didn't raise no fool, she didn't raise no coward, neither, and she was always preaching, ‘The only thing to fear is fear its own self.' So I took a deep breath, held out my hand for Lightning to nudge at, then settled my boot in the left stirrup and swung my leg up and over.

“We walked two steps together, Lightning and me, and then he seen Bill standing off to his left. Which must have been about the time he realized that I was the one on his back. He took one startled look over his
shoulder, then bucked his back feet so high, there was no way in tarnation that I could have held on. I was up and out of that saddle afore I could blink.

“Remember when I told you Bill took that fireworks tail up north? Well, now I was seeing what he must have seen on his trip. I was so high in the sky, I went right on through the middle of the afternoon clouds gathering to make us some well-needed rain, skinned on out the top, and thought I'd burn my flailing fingertips on the sun.

“And then I started down, straight on down, gravity pulling at me the whole way. When I bottomed out of them clouds, I could see Bill and Lightning both looking up, seeming real interested in what was happening to me. Then Bill reached up and took his rope off Lightning's saddle horn, done something fancy with some knots, looked at me again, and swung. That lasso sailed up like it had a life of its own, sailed right past me, and then settled around my shoulders, neat as a wedding
veil floats over a bride.

“Next thing I knowed, I was being gentled back to earth, brought down like a favorite quilt being took off the laundry line on a quiet Sunday.

“I landed, and my feet did a quick-step version of the Cotton-Eyed Joe to help keep me upright. I had just about caught my breath when Bill come up to me, coiling his rope, and said, ‘Ma'am, that were the bravest thing I ever did see. Will you marry me?'

“I looked into them blue eyes with the laugh crinkles, and I done thought a long time, long enough that Bill fidgeted some and Lightning whickered at me. I was wanting to say yes, but I didn't never plan on being tied to any man. So I said, ‘Thank you, Bill, but I got to think on that.'

“Bill, he said, ‘Hmm,' Lightning snorted a horse snort, and away they went.

“I thought that was that and I never'd see either of them again. But the next morning, bright and early,
who should be knocking on my front door but Bill? He stood on my porch, all gentlemanly. His hat was in one hand, and in his other was a basket of the biggest, reddest strawberries I ever done seen.

“‘Little present for you, ma'am,' he said, sounding kinda bashful.

“What could I do? I invited him in, made him coffee, sliced up some bread, and sat down to breakfast. Lightning watched us through the window. After we was done eating, Bill said, ‘Ma'am, will you marry me?'

“But there was something held me back, and all I could say was ‘Thank you, Bill, but I got to think on that.'

“Next afternoon, up to my house comes Isabelle Swann, the town's brand-new postmistress. My place was starting to look like a watering hole in the middle of the prairie, with all these visitors. Isabelle was carrying this big book, and soon as I seen it, I knew
it was the brand-new Wishing Book. If you ain't seen one, let me tell you, there's everything in there from stoves to dishes, from tools to dresses.

“Isabelle, she and I had talked a little and she knowed I was looking for a posthole digger so I could fix that falling-down fence around the corral, so she'd brought that Wishing Book right out. We was sitting on the porch, drinking cold tea, when she opened the book to a page of white, white wedding dresses.

“‘Must have marked the wrong page,' she said. ‘These aren't posthole diggers.' Her red scarf fluttered in the hot breeze. The mirrors on the scarf flashed in the sun. ‘Huh. Oh well, this one's pretty, don't you think, Sue?' Her finger and that scarf both tapped a picture of a light, lacy-looking thing, long and bouncy with hoops and a bustle.

“I got to tell you, I've always thought both hoopskirts and bustles was the most useless things ever. And I got to admit, I still thought so. But there was
something about that dress, yes sir, and damn if all of a sudden didn't I want both a useless bustle and a useless hoopskirt! I sighed, ‘Oh, that is downright lovely.'

“Two days later, at dusk time when you can just start to count fireflies, Bill showed up at my house again. This time he was carrying a bunch of bluebonnets, the same color blue as his eyes. I invited him to sit a spell while I put them flowers in some water. When I come back, Bill says, ‘Ma'am, will you marry me?' and Lightning, he whickered and dropped his muzzle over the porch rail.

“I thought on the strawberries and the bluebonnets. I thought on trying to ride Lightning and Bill saving me. I thought on Isabelle and the Wishing Book. And I thought, Third time's the charm, just like in the fairy stories.

“What could I say but yes? ‘But there is one thing I need to do before I can marry you, Bill.'

“‘And what would that be?'

“‘Get me that storybook wedding dress I done saw in the Wishing Book.'

“Bill allowed as to how he guessed he could wait a bit, and I hurried into the house to grab my mail-order book. Now, you order some things from the Wishing Book and it does take an amount of time to get to you. And, tell you true, the wait for that dress was a good thing. Gave me and Bill some few weeks to think this wedding thing through, make sure we was doing the right thing. Although, ladies, you'll understand when I say that after that first kiss, I was past being anything but sure.

“Took about four weeks for my dress to arrive through the Wells Fargo, and by then Bill and I'd become right accustomed to the idea of a wedding. So it weren't no problem, once that dress was there, to go right on ahead with the thing.

“We decided to ride Lightning to the church, it being such a fine fall day, and Bill being of the belief
that as long as he was riding with me and Lightning, we'd both be just fine. But as soon as I went up on that horse's back, what did he do but buck all over again? This time, though, Bill grabbed for me, which kept me from flying any higher than the church steeple before I came back to earth and bounced, once, on my bustle. The bustle bounce tossed me back up toward Bill, who caught me on the upswing and settled me in the saddle once again. Guess you never know what'll come in handy. He and Lightning must have had a little talk while I was in the sky, because this time, Lightning walked, sedate as an old draft horse, straight on down the road and then right on into the church.