The streets of the city emptied as the sun went down. The racket of people and life was replaced with the hum of lamp posts burning magic. Theodore kept watch through binoculars. The upper window of the townhouse offered an excellent vantage of the Tall Man’s territory. They were lucky the owner was so willing to help.

Waiting was the problem. He was anxious, and there was a chance the Tall Man would sense that. He needed to calm his nerves but couldn’t. This ambush was their best chance to corner their target but there was no guarantee it would work.

Theodore wished Oboe would say something. She was normally so chatty but had somehow gone hours without uttering a word. It put him on edge more than anything.

“Oboe,” he said. “Is something wrong?

“I’m mad at you,” she said without looking up from her telescope.

“That much is clear. Why?”

“You got help from that witch. You said he was bad, but you still let him go. That makes us bad too.”

She was being stubborn. “We talked about this,” Theodore said. “Our first priority is keeping the community safe. Dealing with Flip comes after.”

Oboe glared at him. “And that makes using that knife okay?”

Theodore felt a lurch of guilt. “I don’t like breaking the rules either,” he said. “Maybe if I were a real knight we wouldn’t need it. But I’m not. This is our best chance.”

“You don’t need a cheat like that,” Oboe said. “You got me to help you!”

He rolled his eyes. “The only reason we got out okay last time was because I was wearing Flip’s talisman! You weren’t the one that saved us!”

Oboe tightened her lips and turned back to the window. “I guess I’m just useless then.”

“No, that’s not what I’m…” Theodore set down his binoculars and tried to calm himself. “I’m counting on you, but we’re running low on time before there’s mob justice on our hands. This knife is a tool, and we need every tool at our disposal to close the case on this monster.”

“The Tall Man!” Oboe said. 

“Yes.” Theodore struggled to remain patient. “He has a name. That doesn’t make his behavior any less monstrous.”

“No!” Oboe grabbed him and shoved his face into the eyepiece. “He’s here!”

Theodore took hold of the telescope and adjusted the lens. The Tall Man emerged from a shadowed alley and crept through the street in silhouette. The creature stopped outside someone’s home and grew taller, tall enough to place a foot inside an open window and shrink inside.

“There!” Theodore pointed at the house.

Oboe pulled Theodore up by the waist and leapt out the window. She shifted into a huge bird and fluttered down into the street carrying him. They touched down together and broke into a dash, hoping to catch the ghast before he killed again.

Theodore seized the door of the house, breathless, and found it unlocked. He didn’t know whether to be grateful or alarmed the resident was so careless. They burst into the living and caused enough noise to startle someone awake. A middled-aged man bumbled out in his bed clothes.

“Huh?” He was half asleep. “Who the devil are you? What’re you doing in here?!”

Theodore flashed his badge, but the man was in enough of a stupor that he might as well have shown him a cake. “Ranger Deputy Grayweather. You may be in danger. Does anyone live on the second floor?”

“What? Only one upstairs is my son.”

Theodore and Oboe hammered their way up the stairs. At the top they found the Tall Man, stooped under the low ceiling at the bedside of a child. The boy was plump, maybe ten years old, and sitting up and alert as they entered.

The Tall Man sighed. “You are persistent.”

The knife shined white hot as Theodore drew it. He maneuvered himself between the ghast and the child, brandishing the weapon in one hand and the talisman in the other.

“You’re coming with us!” Theodore shouted. The Tall Man recoiled at the light and pulled himself out the window into the night.

“Oboe!” Theodore said, looking back. “Stay with the kid!

“But-“

“He might double back! Keep him safe!”

Theodore climbed out the window onto the roof before she could argue. He made a mental note to instruct the home owner to install safety railing. Whirling around, he spotted the Tall Man dropping into the street below. Knowing he would regret it, Theodore dropped down after him and landed hard on his knees. He would feel this tomorrow.

The Tall Man fled into the dark. Theodore stood at an intersection, unsure of how to give chase. His heart raced. He could not afford to let this murderous creature escape.

He realized the solution. Theodore pulled the cursed ring from his pocket but hesitated. If he put it on, it would be impossible to take off again. Peering into the shadows, he thought about the two victims, the widow left behind, the leshy who was assaulted and the angry farmers. It was all because he let the Red Caps go.  

 He forced the ring onto his finger and the metal bit down into his hand. Theodore’s sense of direction spun like a compass. He felt the Tall Man like an itch in his brain. The ghast was darting through the streets, loops back toward the alleyway where he first emerged. Now it was obvious. The ghast was trying to lead him in the wrong direction before turning back to escape through his shadow link.

Theodore raced back and cut the Tall Man off at the mouth of the alley. The ghast clawed at the ground to halt his momentum. His black eyes grew wide in panic. Theodore felt a wild rush of excitement as he closed the distance with knife in hand. The Tall Man was faster but had to twist his lopsided body around to run. Theodore mind lit up with his father’s training. He remembered how to charge, how to hold a knife and how to break a guard to stab and twist. Theodore could taste the ghast’s desperation as he scrambled to get away on all fours. The Tall Man leapt back into the shadows and Theodore laughed out loud. There was nowhere to run now that he could sense where the creature was. He cut off the Tall Man’s route again, then again, and drove the beast into a corner against the city’s wall.

“Stop!” The Tall Man pleaded, arms out.

It was too late. Theodore ducked past the Tall Man’s reach and plunged the knife into the monster’s chest. A leash of light sprang out from the wound and bound the ghast hand and foot. The ghast let out a pain shriek and shrank and shrank down to a tenth its size. There, at Theodore’s feet, the Tall May collapsed in a crumpled heap. It was over.

Oboe leaned out the window and worried about Theo. Behind her, the little human sat up in bed looking scared.

“Wh-who’re you?” He said. “Why’re you in my room?”

This was awkward. She wasn’t sure how to talk to normal humans, let alone the little larval ones.

“I’m Oboe. I gotta protect you from bad guys, okay?”

“Okay.” He relaxed a little. “My name’s Edwin. What’s going on? Where is Mr. Tall Man going?”

Oboe wanted to know the same thing. What was she supposed to tell the kid?

“Don’t worry,” she said, worrying. “Theo is going to make sure he can’t hurt you or anyone else. It will be okay.”

“Hurt me? That’s stupid! You’re stupid!” Edwin climbed out of bed. “He’d never do that! He’s my friend!”

The miniature human was so offended that it startled Oboe. “Your friend? That doesn’t make sense. He’s supposed to be the bad guy! Get it straight! He was here to gobble you up probably!”

Edwin joined her at the window. “He’s not a bad guy! I’d never be friends with a bad guy!”

Oboe paused to consider this. It was a philosophy she respected. “Then why was he here?”

“Mr. Tall Man came to say goodbye. He said he had to go away for a long time and didn’t want me to think he’d forget about me.”

Oboe felt a sinking feeling. That sounded true and she wondered if it was.

“Um, excuse me? Goat woman?” The boy’s father came to the door. He was more alert now. “Can you explain to me what’s going on? Is this a government thing or are we being burgled?”

“Oboe!” Theo shouted from the street outside.

She stuck her head out the window to see. He looked rumpled and sweaty. In his hand was the enchanted knife. A cord of shining light dangled off the tip of the blade and the Tall Man dangled on the end like a fish on a line. He was unconscious and had shrunk to the size of a doll. He looked so pitiful.

“It’s safe,” Theo said. “I’ve captured the ghast. It’s time to go.”

Oboe looked at Edwin and his father and tried to smile. “Don’t worry. Everything is fine,” she said but failed to convince herself. She shaped herself into a housecat and slunk down from the rooftop to meet Theo.

“Theo,” she said, bouncing back to a faun. “I think we’ve made a mistake. That kid is saying he was friends with the Tall Man.”

He looked up at the child, who was watching them with tearful eyes from his bedroom window.

“He was most likely manipulating the child,” Theo said. “The boy would be much easier to abduct or kill if he trusted the creature.”

Oboe squeezed her wrist. “That doesn’t feel right,” she said. “Something is wrong.”

He gave her a doubting look. “You’re tired,” he decided. “It’s been a long day and we need some rest.”

Oboe stole another glance at Edwin watching from the window above them.

“Come on,” Theodore said, starting off. “We’re going home.”

Theodore stuck the knife into his cork board, beside his grocery and to do-lists. The Tall Man hung limp like a marionette. It was strange seeing how small and pathetic he looked now.

Dawn was breaking outside the cottage. He should’ve taken the Tall Man straight to the city watch, but he didn’t know how to account for his use of the spell yet. One thing at a time. He set down at his desk to compose a letter to Alderman Pearce. It was a relief to tell him with certainty there was no need for his angry mob.

Oboe paced. He told her to sit down but she wouldn’t for more than a moment. She hadn’t stopped moving since the moment they got back. She hummed and shuffled and squeezed herself, all the while her hooves clicked on the floor. It was distracting. He made her wait in the kitchen but it was only a minute before she wandered back.

“What is it?” Theodore said, annoyed.

“A bunch of things are bothering me,” she said.

Theodore went back to writing. “You need to relax. The crisis is over. There’ll be a chance to tie up the loose ends after we rest.”

Oboe did not let it go. “Why would the Tall Man attack a human? He has a haunting license. He has lots of money too. It doesn’t make sense.”

Theodore chewed his lip. “There may not be a reason. Some of the Red Caps just hate humans. It might not be anything more than that. 

“Most of them DO have reasons, though,” Oboe said. “And he didn’t just attack a human. A ghast was killed too. Why would he go that far?”

Theodore grimaced. He wanted to focus on the letter and this interruption was keeping him from it. “If he was about to get caught, maybe he felt there was no other way.”

“That lady, the widow, she said something about her husband being friends with a ghast,” Oboe said. “The Tall Man said something like that too. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he was just friends with the kid, too.”

Theodore kept his eyes on the letter. He placed his pen down and took a long, careful breath. “What that suggests to me is that the ghast works to gain the trust of his victim before choosing to strike. Rather insidious, if you ask me.”

“But we don’t know that for sure!”

He looked up to glare at her. “The ring you found is evidence linking the Tall Man to the scene of the crime.”

She looked down at his hand. “The ring you’re wearing now?”

Theodore clenched a hand over the jewelry. “I’m certain the University will find a way to remove it. If not, its effects can still be documented and submitted as evidence. I didn’t want to use it, but it was the only way to ensure the arrest.

Oboe glanced at the cork board. “Just like the knife, huh?”

He prickled. “Why are you doing this? The case is already solved! Yes, I admit I broke regulation but I had to! The villagers are on the brink of violence and it’s the only thing I could do!”

“That doesn’t mean the Tall Man did it!” She said.

Theodore growled in frustration. “He attacked us! He fled when confronted! He’s our culprit, that’s the only way this makes sense!”

“It’s not that simple!” Oboe said. “Just because you want that to be the answer doesn’t mean it is!”

Theodore was speechless. If she was right, it meant he used illegal magic to capture an innocent creature. It was unthinkable. He had crossed too many lines to be wrong.

“What do you want me to do?” He said. “I can’t release him. People have died. It’s too risky.”

Oboe stood straighter, her eyes unyielding.

“We have the wrong creature,” she said.

Theodore buried his face in his hands. Why was she dragging doubt into this? He needed to finish the letter. This needed to be over. There wasn’t enough time to be wrong.

“The courts will decide,” he said. “If they say it’s not enough proof, they’ll let him go.”

“Theo,” she said, stern. “We should keep looking.”

Theodore got to his feet. “Why? Because a kid thinks he’s innocent? Ridiculous! There’s no need. We’re done! We already won! We’re not going to waste time chasing leads we don’t even have!”

He was trembling. Oboe looked at him with all the certainty that was draining out of him. She stomped her hoof.

“Fine!” She transformed into a bird. “If you’re gonna be stupid, I’ll do it myself!” She hammered her wings, whipping into the air. She zipped through an open window and disappeared into the Whirlwood.

Oboe sat, legs folded on a rock, and stared at the tiny notebook left by the ghast sheriff. It wasn’t easy to read. She hoped to find a clue inside, something they overlooked, but she was still upset and the notes were very boring. She forced herself to concentrate.

There was a log of when a bunch of imps and crawlies went missing and where they were last seen. She skipped to the last page and found a cute little map of the valley. A circle was drawn around the Twilight Grotto where lots of the creatures disappeared. That seemed like a good place to start.

Oboe didn’t like the Grotto. It was one of six places in the valley that were always dark even in the middle of the day. Humans used to mine magic down there a long, long time ago before the ore ran out. Now it was just old and spooky. Oboe was always too scared to go, but if the Hollows could be nicer than she thought than maybe the Grotto could be too.

She got a lantern from her tree and delved deep. Inky slate stone tunnels wormed and looped every which way. There were dead ends and collapsed shafts and it all seemed empty. After an hour of searching, alone with her thoughts, all she found was a fat crawlie.

Crawlies were a sort of lesser ghast. That meant they couldn’t talk and sometimes smarter creatures kept them as pets. This one looked like what might happen if a centipede and a lizard managed to make a dog-sized baby together.

“Hey there little buddy.” Oboe knew it couldn’t talk, but she was lonely. “You think Theo is mad at me?”

The crawlie licked its eyeballs, oblivious. Oboe bent down and let him lick her hand. It tickled.

“Yeah. I bet he’s real mad,” she said. “I yelled at him and called him stupid. He’ll probably fire me and I won’t even have him as a friend.” She sighed. “All I ever do is mess things up.”

The little ghast just stared.

“What am I doing here?” Oboe squeezed the notebook. “I’m not smart enough to figure this out without Theo. I’m just going to ruin everything like I did back at the Fairy Circle.”

No. What happened back then was her fault. She crossed a line shouldn’t. This was different. She yelled at Theo to stop him from crossing a line. Being good meant doing the right thing. It meant not tolerating wickedness. That’s what grandmother tried to teach her. She stood up.

“Well, so what if he’s mad?!” She stomped her hoof. “Something is wrong and Theo should know better! I’ll figure this out even if it’s hard!”

The crawlie scurried off in a sudden hurry.

“Wait!” Oboe said and chased after him. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you! Come back!”

The little ghast raced around side tunnels, stopping only to lick the air and change course. A weird noise was coming from up ahead. It sounded like a child crying.

Oboe stepped into wider chamber and stopped. There was a short pedestal in the center of the room with a glowing green orb on top. The crying sound was coming out of the orb, a recording looping over and over. The strange contraption reeked of magic.

The crawlie poked around at the base of the pedestal and climbed up to get at the orb. He opened a mouthful of fangs to shriek back at the orb like he was trying to scare it.

“Wait!” Oboe said.

The orb vibrated, reacting to the shriek. There was a flash of light and Oboe covered her eyes. Magic shot across the room and wrapped around them like a net. The world rippled and before Oboe could do anything she felt herself being dragged through a fold in space. Magic bent and unfurled the cavern, teleporting her across the Whirlwood at blinding speed.

When Oboe opened her eyes and found herself lying on a concrete floor.

“Where am I?” She said. She groped for something to help her stand up. Something cold stung her hand. Oboe shook her head and gasped at what she saw. There were iron bars all around her. The magic had teleported her into a cage.

Theodore made it a rule not to write reports while angry. It led to errors and poor penmanship. He broke the rule now because he needed the distraction. Oboe’s words hung heavy in the pit of his stomach long after she left. The only relief he found was devoting his mind to the simple joy of paperwork.

“Where am I?” The Tall Man said.

Theodore froze. His quill hovered over the report. He turned in his seat to see the Tall Man where he left him: dangling off the bulletin board beside a reminder to buy laundry detergent. The ghast lifted his head to look back at Theodore.

“I can’t move,” he said. His body was still limp at the end of the magic thread but his eyes were open. He was awake.

Theodore tried to stay calm. Was the enchantment on the knife failing? What would he do if the Tall Man got loose? He set his quill down in the inkwell.

“You are at the Ranger Deputy’s station,” he said, hands clenched together. “You will remain here until I can transfer you into the custody of the city watch. Then you will await your trial.”

“Trial…” The Tall man muttered. “Tell me, Deputy. Would it do any good to tell you that I am innocent? That this is a misunderstanding?”

“It’d do more good to tell it to the jury,” Theodore said.

“I see.” The ghast appeared to ponder this. “Deputy, do you know how often creatures leave the human court without a conviction?”

Theodore said nothing. The court was rarely kind to non-humans. It was something he preferred not to think about.

The Tall Man sighed. “Then my fate is sealed. One more victim of the system. I wonder what the Saint would think if he were with us today.”

Theodore blinked. “Who?”

“Forgive me.” There was a note of sarcasm in the Tall Man’s voice. “I forget the capital does not take pains to teach Ghast history. I am referring to Saint Skelelord. He was the ghast responsible for brokering the peace between our peoples.”

The name jogged Theodore’s memory of a textbook footnote. “He was a Lieutenant in the Devil King’s army.”

“One that sympathized with the humans,” the Tall Man said. “He convinced scores of ghasts to revolt and side with the human and fairy coalition. He taught a philosophy of tolerance and cooperation and was instrumental to organizing the peace treaties we operate under today.”

Theodore felt himself drawn into the conversation. He needed to stay on guard, this could be an attempt to manipulate him, but he also wanted to hear more.

 “It sounds like you revere him,” Theodore said.

“Most do,” The Tall Man said. “Others feel he allowed your people to subjugate us.”

Theodore leaned closer. “And what do you think?”

“That… is a difficult question,” he said. “I want to believe what the Saint asserted. His vision for us all to live as one people is as beautiful as it is naïve. The reality is plain to see. The Hollows does everything it can to please your people and you repay us with suspicion.”

“You’re saying our alliance is pointless,” Theodore said.

“No.” His voice was pointed. “Let me be clear. Ghasts are born to frighten and you hate us for it. That is natural. But magic creatures cannot survive without humans. The Saint taught that if we must find a way to co-exist in order to advance as a society. That is something I need to believe, even now while I wait to die.”

Doubt welled inside Theodore. The more he listened the harder it was to believe the Tall Man was the killer. He ran a finger over the ring on his finger. “You said before you were friends with the murder victim.”

“Yes.” The Tall Man let his head droop. “Anthony was dear to me. …I remember, when he was a boy he wanted to set sail and see the world. Plans changed when he fell in love. He took my suggestion and proposed to the girl in the Fey Orchard on Harvest’s Eve. For the colors. He was always so excited about the future.  …But now…”

Theodore felt shaky as the Tall Man fell silent.

“Officer,” The Tall Man said. “I have a favor to ask. I’m in no position to make demands, but humor me. Lie to me, if you must. I’d like peace of mind.”

Was this a trick? “What is it?”

“Edwin, the boy you saw when you captured me. Tell him I said goodbye, and I’m sorry I will not be back. He should be brave enough now without my help, enough to stand up to his school mates. He’ll argue, I know, but he’ll believe it when it counts.”

Theodore exhaled. He pushed his glasses up to rub his eyes. He wondered where Oboe was and how much more work was left to be done.

The front door rattled and burst open. Alderman Pearce stepped inside and threw Theodore’s letter down on the desk.

“Here for the killer,” the Alderman said with a grunt.

The Ranger Deputy got to his feet. “The suspect is in custody. There’s no reason for you to get involved. I’ll handle things from here. That’s what we agreed on.”

Pearce clasped a large palm around Theodore’s shoulder. “What I recall is you talking a lot and me telling you how it would be.” His eyes were wild. “We’re taking him.”

Theodore tried to stand taller and felt the Alderman’s hand squeeze tighter.

“You are overstepping your authority, Pearce!” Theodore said. “This is King’s Law! If you throw that away, I’ll make sure you lose your position!”

Pearce leaned closer. “You want my title? Go on. Take it. Anthony was like a brother to me. I’m not going to let some city judge settle this by sticking the devil in a cage. We’re getting proper pay back whether you like it or not.”

“I won’t let you do that!” Theodore said.

“Oh ho?” Pearce threw Theodore to the floor and rang his world like a bell. He stepped over him and seized the knife.

“This is the devil?” He said, examining the Tall Man. “The witch was right. The creatures are next to nothing in the hands of good magic.” He rattled the Tall Man’s limp body. “We’re going to make you pay, monster! What do you say to that? Eh?”

The Tall Man sighed. “What is one death in place of another?”

Theodore tried to stand up and was pushed back to the floor by Pearce. The Alderman stuck the knife back in wall and pulled Theodore into a chokehold.

“Let’s make this easy, Deputy.” He said.

“Stop!” Theodore said, gagging through the Alderman’s grip. He struggled to break free, to breathe, and felt his strength slipping away. The world went dark and Theodore slumped unconscious onto the floor.

The crawlie scrambled around Oboe’s hooves, trying to find a way out of the cage. There wasn’t any. The cage was big enough to hold a whole troll, but the bars were thick and close together. They were trapped.

Oboe peered through the bars. The spell had transported them into some sort of dank stone laboratory. It stank like urine, mulch, and spent magic. There was a dirty old workbench overloaded with books and sharp and scary looking tools. Lamps and dried herbs hung from the low ceiling. The walls were lined with bottles and cages and, to Oboe’s horror, she realized most of them were filled with little ghasts. It looked like someone was using them for rituals.

“Don’t worry little guy,” Oboe said. “I’ll get us out of here!”

She grabbed a bar with each hand. The iron hurt her hands, drained the magic in her and made her feel weak. She ignored that sick feeling and rattled the bars. They were tight and sturdy. That meant she had to do this the hard way. Oboe grunted and huffed and strained with all her strength to pull the bars apart. If she could bend them just enough they could slip out and get away.

A bell rang. Oboe heard footsteps on the floor above. Someone was coming. She was strong but needed more time to twist bars this thick. The iron groaned as she threw her back into it. 

A trapdoor opened at the top of a staircase and light flooded through. A man in a prim black suit and a familiar smirk descended into the laboratory.

“Well,” Flip said. “Looks like my traps caught a bit more than usual today.”

“Flip??” Oboe said, still straining to shift the bars. “What are you doing here?!”

Flip was amused. “I should be asking you that. Why would a fairy take ghast bait?”

“You’re the one who’s been kidnapping ghasts?!”

The witch folded his hands together. “I prefer to call it ‘hunting.’ The ghasts I acquire aren’t sentient. Well, most of the time anyway.” he laughed. “Don’t look at me that way, it’s not like they’re people.”

“You’re going to be in big trouble when I tell Theodore about this!” Oboe said.

The bars had widened just enough for the Crawlie to squeeze through. It wriggled toward the stairs and Flip stomped to pin it to the floor.

“Hey! Don’t hurt him!” Oboe shouted.

Flip picked up the stunned ghast. “Do you know what I like about fairies?” Flip’s grin grew wider. He did something with his hand and the crawlie writhed with pain. A swirl of gray and purple smoke was sucked out from the creature into the witch’s palm. “You run a little magic through iron and they’re helpless. Iron is so much cheaper than silver.”

The crawlie turned to ash and crumbled to the floor. Oboe recoiled in shock.

“Y-you killed him!” She said. “How could you?! He was nice friend and a good listener!!”

Flip touched the bars of the cage and a white-hot glow spread through them. Pain jolted through Oboe’s hand. The magic knocked her back and she fell to the floor of the cage. She forced herself to sit up despite the pain.

“What’s going on?” She said. “Why are you doing this?!”

Flip shrugged. “Nothing personal sweetie, just trying to run a business.”

Oboe looked at all the cages and at the pile of ash that was her friend a moment ago. She felt sick. “I thought you said you weren’t a bad witch!”

Flip rolled his eyes. “I told you not all witches are bad. I never said anything about myself.”

Oboe shrank into the smallest mouse she could manage and tried to slip between the bars of her cage. Her fur bristled and there was a crack of magic that hurled her back. She snapped back to faun shape feeling sore all over.

“Argh! Let me out of here!!” She hurled herself at the bars and was sent bouncing off the walls of the cell. She crashed to the floor with enough force to make the bottles and shelves rattle.

Flip chuckled. “Never stops being funny. By all means, wear yourself out. It just goes to show why humans are the dominant species.”

Oboe found a rock on the ground and threw it at Flip’s head.

“OW!!” the witch grabbed at the fresh welt. “You insolent little heifer!”

“You’re going to be in big trouble when Theo finds out about this!” She said.

“The Deputy? Oh, spare me. The man is a dullard. Besides, it’s not like you’ll have the opportunity to tell him about any of this.” He eyed her up like a butcher at a meat market. “Harvesting fairy magic is not my specialty but I’m sure I can find a use for you.”

“Harvesting?” Oboe felt a lump in her throat as she looked at the ashen remains of the Crawlie. “…You’re tearing magic straight out of creatures. That’s…” She could not imagine a more painful way to die. “You can’t do that!!”

“As advertised, my wares are nothing like city magic.” Flip smiled. “Fresh squeezed and one-hundred percent organic.”

“You’re horrible!” Oboe said. “I hate you!”

“Yes, yes, I’m a monster, crimes against nature, blah blah blah.” He rolled his eyes. “I don’t need a FAIRY of all things to lecture me on morality. We all do awful things to get by in this world.”

Upstairs, a door opened and bell rattled.

“Speaking of,” Flip said. “I have a customer. Pardon me, would you?”

Oboe watched him climb the stairs to the shop front. She spun in place, looking for anything she could use to escape. There was nothing. There was nothing to do but eavesdrop.

“Wendy!” Flip’s voice was so honeyed and fake it made Oboe sick. “Lovely to see you again.”

“Oh, Mr. Flip, are you alright?” Wendy said. Oboe remembered her as the quiet little human she met at the village. “You’ve a nasty lump on your head.”

“It’s fine. Walked into a shelf. Never mind that. How’s your fiancé, the Alderman?”

“He asked me to fetch you. They found the ghast that killed Anthony.” She paused. “We know you’re an expert on… erm, euthanizing such creatures.”

“HELP!” Oboe shouted as loud as she could. “I’m trapped down here in a cage!!”

“Um. Mr. Flip? Is someone calling out for help in your cellar?” Wendy said.

Flip laughed. “It’s nothing. I keep a talking dog as a pet.”

“It said something about being in a cage, though…” Wendy said.

“Yes,” Flip said. “She hates it when I put her in the kennel.”

“I am not a dog!” Oboe said. “I’m the assistant to the Ranger Deputy! Let me out!!”

“My dog is also a compulsive liar,” Flip said.

“I see,” Wendy said. “How sad.”

“Hey!!”

“Let me gather my things,” Flip said. “We can discuss my fees when we get to the manor.”

“Of course, sir,” Wendy said.

Flip stood at the top of the stairs and peered down at Oboe. With a wink, he kicked the trapdoor shut and cast Oboe into darkness.

“Wendy! Don’t listen to him! He’s a bad man! Tell Theo what’s going on! Help! Wendy!!”

Oboe kept shouting, but it didn’t do any good. If Wendy could still hear her, she did nothing to help. Oboe could do nothing while Flip made preparations to execute an innocent ghast.

Oboe paced in her cage and tugged at her mane. There was no way to know how much time was left. She wondered if Theo even knew what was going on or if she’d even see him again.

“Rrgh!! Stupid! I’m so stupid!” She said. “Why did I think I could ever do this on my own?!”

She stomped her hooves and the bottles on the wall rattled. She sat on the floor and fumed. Flip was going to execute the Tall Man and there was nothing she could do. Would Theo find her before Flip ripped her magic out? Did he even know she was in trouble? No. She was on her own

Turning into a mouse didn’t work. She was lucky the cage was big enough that the iron let her transform at all. If she couldn’t squeeze through the bars then she just had to smash them. She concentrated hard on getting big as she could. She changed into a bison and reared back. Charging, she threw all her weight into bashing her way out.

A huge jolt of pain ran through Oboe the moment she touched the bars. The magic hurled her back and she crashed back and forth against the walls of the cell. The room shook and bottles tumbled off the shelves and shattered against the floor. Oboe collapsed, but when she came to her senses she realized she’d set some crawlies free.

Oboe heard the gentle tink of glass. She craned her neck to look and saw an imp trapped in a big jar. He was a scrawny, leathery little lizard man with bat wings. He tapped on the glass and said something she couldn’t hear.

“You’re trapped too?” Oboe said.

He nodded and mimed charging.

“Hold on!” She was still sore but threw herself at the bars again. Cages and jars tumbled and burst open on the floor. Ghasts scattered and swarmed all over, ecstatic to be free. As soon as Oboe could stand she charged again, and again, until she was so battered and bloodied she could hardly stand.

“Stop! Stop!” The imp fluttered in front of the cage. “Don’t kill yourself, toots! Let us take it from here!”

Oboe dropped onto her butt and panted for breath. “You… you should get out of here,” she said.

“Nuh-uh. Not leaving you behind with that sicko,” he said. “We creatures gotta stick together.”

Some other imps got hold of some scalpels and were working the lids off the remaining bottles. Oboe smiled as the rest of the ghasts were set free.

“Hold up and I’ll get this thing unlocked.” The imp flapped up to the lock and stuck his hand in the mechanism. He rooted around and grunted. “Ugh. This is going to take a while.”

“Three’s no time!” Oboe said. “Somebody needs to tell the Ranger Deputy what’s going on!  That witch is going to South Manor to kill a ghast!”

The imp turned to whistle at another ghast. “Terry! You hearin’ this?”

“On it!” Terry the imp dropped his scalpel. “I’ve been dying to rat that guy out since we got caught!”

A squadron of imps flew in formation up the stair well. They worked together, heaving and swearing, until they pushed the trap door open with a collective shout. Daylight poured back down into the cellar and Oboe watched as a whole herd of crawlies stampeded out toward freedom.

Silas screamed as the knights closed in around him. He thrashed to push them back but it was too late. Blood-stained swords flashed, tearing flesh until his howling turned one final choking gasp.

Theodore opened his eyes. The dream faded. He was trembling and he tasted blood. He blinked away the blur to find himself flat on his back on the floor on his office. An imp was standing on his chest and glaring down at him. 

“Get up!” The imp prodded Theodore in the face with the butt of a pencil. “HEY!!”

“I’m awake,” Theodore said, knocking the pencil away. He pushed himself to his feet with a groan. He could feel the Tall Man being moved. It was a bizarre sensation now that they were separated, like a part of his body was miles away but still connected to him. The villagers were carrying the Tall Man toward the center of the manor yard. “I don’t know why you’re here, but you need to leave. I’ve got enough problems for today.”

The imp flapped onto the desk. “I ain’t going anywhere!” He grabbed Theodore by the tie. “This goat lady saved me and my buddy, so you’re gonna listen!”

Was he talking about Oboe? “You have my attention.”

The imp reeled Theodore closer. “She got herself captured by a witch, like I did. This witch’s been keeping me, my buddy Eddy, and a bunch of other ghasts in cramped awful smelling bottles for WEEKS.”

“What?” This violated so many creature rights edicts that it boggled Theodore’s mind. “Why would they do this?”

The ghast released Theodore. “How should I know!? He’s a freak! He rips our magic out and kills us!!”

Something clicked in Theodore’s brain. “He’s draining magic off of ghasts?”

“It’s sick, man! Sick!”

Theodore stepped over to his bookcase. It was toppled it the scuffled and the books were scattered. He picked through the mess to find an old battered volume of Magic, Science and Technology. He leafed through glossaries and diagrams of creature physiology. 

“Humans can’t channel magic unless it’s sterilized,” Theodore said. “But Ghasts process ambient magic naturally. Their bodies render it safe.”

His eyes crossed the passage he was looking for. He dropped the book open onto the desk.

THE USE OF CREATURES AS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY IS FORBADE BY THE CROWN, THE UNIVERSITY, AND HUMAN DECENCY. ANY SORCERER TO PRACTICE SUCH SHALL BE DISBARRED IN DISGRACE.

“…If he was taking the magic from another living being, he could disguise his aura. He could commit a crime and make it look like a ghast did it. But why?”

Theodore remembered the crowd gathering to buy Flip’s talismans. He recalled the fear and the panic the witch stirred up. How much money was Flip making? How much more might he stand to earn? Theodore saw Flip pulled ghast magic out of the ring but he never stopped to consider the implications. Flip used ghast magic to strangle Anthony Willow and create a panic in order sell his anti-ghast merchandise.

The ghast Sheriff died the same way as Anthony. She must’ve discovered too much. Now Oboe was the one snooping. Theodore’s eyes shot towards the imp.

“The faun you mentioned, is she safe?”

“I dunno, probably?” He shrugged. “She busted us out and Eddy was trying to return the favor. Don’t worry though! The witch left earlier. Some human came by to ask him to kill some poor sap. You probably got enough time to go help your friend.”

No. That wasn’t true. Theodore could feel the Tall Man at the yard of South Manor. If Flip had been summoned, they had to be gearing up for a public execution. Time was one thing Theodore did not have.

Theodore drafted a hurried note and ran out into the cottage yard where he knocked at bird house labeled ‘Earl L. Bird.’

“GET LOST! Some of us need to get up in the morning!”

“Earl, please, this is urgent!” Theodore shook the letter in his hand. “I need to get this to the city watch! Lives are at stake!”

A fat, disgruntled pigeon squeezed out the entrance to glare at him.

“Dude, what is this? The third one today? How about you do it yourself. Maybe see a doctor while you’re out. You don’t look so good. I hear walking is real good for your health.”

“This is an emergency, Earl!”

The pigeon rolled his eyes. “This ain’t a charity. You know the fee.”

Theodore stormed back into the cottage and charged back out wielding a baguette.

“Here!” He said, cramming the baguette into the birdhouse. “Whatever you want! Just deliver the note!”

Earl squinted at the loaf.

“You know, I don’t really care for those. It’s all crust. See, what I like about those croissants you buy is they’re flakey. Buttery. Go down real easy. Way better for someone like me who ain’t got teeth.”

“I don’t have time for this!” Theodore shook the birdhouse so hard he pulled it off the tree. “An innocent creature is about to be executed and it’s my fault! If you don’t help me there’s going to be blood!”

“Alright, alright, alright!” Earl said. He snatched the crumpled envelope out of Theodore’s hand with his beak and stuffed it into his delivery pouch. “With people like you in charge, no wonder we got so many problems.” He launched off the perch to circle overhead. “You owe me for this, nutjob.”

“Thank you!” Theodore said.

“And put my house back!” Earl shouted. “Or expect to hear from my attorney!” Theodore felt new hope as he watched Earl rise and soar towards the capital. He stuck the birdhouse back on its nail and turned his gaze towards South Manor

Theodore stood on a hill overlooking the manor, surveying the inner yard through his binoculars. The farmhands had built a crude stage where Flip was performing a last-minute pre-execution sales pitch.

 The Tall Man hung from a beam center stage, mouth gagged and dangling over a silver saucer filled with some sort of mercurial fluid. Theodore guessed it to be part of a dispelling ritual. Once the last ingredient was added it would light into an ethereal fire that could disperse all magic in a creature. It was a theatrical way to kill a ghast.

Waiting for the city watch to arrive wasn’t an option. Theodore needed to intervene before Flip ran out of goods to sell. He slid down the hillside and broke into a sprint. Once he was near enough to be spotted he slowed to a creep. He recalled, with reluctance, his father’s advice on avoiding detection. The homesteads provided excellent cover.  Acting natural, he slipped into the gathering crowd and worked his way toward the front.

“We may have caught one killer ghast but there may yet be dozens, nay, hundreds of wicked ones yet beneath our feet!” Flip twirled towards his display of talismans with a flourish. “Did you know that someone you know is mauled by a ghast every fifteen minutes? Don’t become a statistic! Purchase while supplies last during this limited time promotion!”

Theodore spotted Pearce sitting off to the site, tapping his foot with building impatience. “I’m not paying you to hock your wares! Get on with it!”

Flip offered a smile. “All in the name of preventing another tragedy, Alderman. You should be thanking me.”

“You can sell whatever you want after the thing is dead!” Pearce said. “Hurry up!”

Theodore seized on the distraction. He climbed onto the stage and made a run for the knife.

“Hey!” A woman in the crowd pointed. “Who’s that?!”

The Alderman launched to his feet. The flimsy stage shook as he lumbered to block Theodore. Flip retreated toward the saucer. Theodore had no choice but to play his trump card now that his cover was blown.

“Halt!” He whipped a government form out from his pocket. “This public execution is in violation of due process! By the authority of the crown you will release the ghast into my custody or face steep fines!”

The crowd met Theodore with a collective blank stare. The Alderman ripped the citation out of his hand and tore it to shreds.

“Well. It was worth a shot,” Theodore said.

Pearce shoved him back. “I told you to stay out of this, pipsqueak! Get lost or I’ll make you regret it!”

Theodore pulled the crossbow from his belt and took aim. The crowd gasped.

“You are making a mistake,” Theodore said. “This execution is illegal and this creature is innocent!”

The crowd murmured in confusion. Giselle, the widow, pushed her way to the front.

“Is this some sort of joke?!” She said. “You swear to find my husband’s killer and now you tell us the creature you found didn’t do it?! My husband is dead! I will not have him mocked like this!”

“The real killer is right in front of you!” Theodore pointed. “Flip! I charge you with the murder of two Laien citizens, the abduction of countless others, the sale of illegal magic weapons, and inciting violence toward ghasts!”

Stony silence washed over the yard. The entire South Manor community turned to look at Flip, who was caught creeping toward the edge of the platform. He straightened his posture the moment he realized he was the center of attention.

“Fascinating,” Flip said. He looked past Theodore. “Alderman, I was afraid this might happen. It appears the ghast has cast a mind control spell over the Deputy.”

“What?” Pearce glanced between Theodore and Flip.

“He has spent too long around the creature without taking proper precautions,” Flip said. “He’s a thrall now and will go to any extreme to save his master. Restrain him!”

Theodore corrected his aim with the crossbow and backed away. “He’s lying! Flip used ghast magic to kill Anthony and stir up a panic! It’s all in the name of making money off you!”

“This is absurd.” Flip laughed. “How can a human use ‘ghast magic?’ Can you prove any of this?”

Theodore hesitated. “I have eyewitness accounts.”

The witch raised an eyebrow. “Who?”

“The imps you’ve been holding captive! They escaped and told me what you’ve been doing!”

“I see, I see.” Flip strolled across the stage, opening his arms toward the onlookers. “To summarize for you, ladies and gentlemen, we are being told to trust the wild accusations of a ghast as reason to let another go unpunished. Is that something you can trust?”

The whole crowd jeered and booed.

Flip banged his cane to silence the crowd. “Everyone! If we kill the ghast now, our Deputy should return to his senses within three days!”

“He is acting funny,” Pearce said. He stepped toward Theodore, eyes on the crossbow. “Just put the weapon down. We’ll fix you.”

Theodore had only a single crossbow bolt. He was surrounded and outnumbered. There was no chance of stopping them if this turned to a brawl. The only way to even the odds was to stall until the city watch arrived, but how long would that take?

“Can I have everyone’s attention?” Flip raised his cane into the air. “It’s time I gave you good people what you paid for!”

Flip revealed a vial from his breast pocket and emptied something viscous into the saucer. It sparked. Effervescent flames of violet danced over the surface. The potion boiled over the edge, hissing as it splashed against the wood.

The Tall Man squirmed over the seething liquid. His cries were muffled under his gag. Flip grabbed to pull the knife from the beam and Theodore reacted on instinct. He aimed his crossbow at the saucer and loose the bolt. Flip leapt back as the dish crashed with a clang onto the stage. The concoction spilled and ate through the stage. Purple flames licked across the wood before sputtering out.

“He’s unarmed!” Flip shouted. “Grab him!”

Theodore discarded the now useless crossbow as the Alderman wrenched him off the stage. A circle of burly farmhands took hold of him.

“Let go!” Theodore struggled to pull free. “Flip is the one you want!

Pearce stood over smoldering stage, scratching his head. “Look at this damned mess. What are we supposed to do now?”

“Not to worry.” Flip threw an arm around his patron’s broad shoulders. “There’s more than one way to kill a ghast.”