Burt pulled open the door of a caged platform. It was suspended on chains and swayed under Theodore’s feet as they stepped aboard.

“The welcome ceremony is normally much better, just so you know,” Burt said. “Rehearsals never go that bad.” He shut the door from the inside with a clang. “We’re just not used to playing to an audience, that’s all! That won’t be a problem once we start getting tourists.”

“You don’t get tourists now?” Oboe said.

“Erm…” Burt clicked his bony fingers together. “Well, we don’t usually get ANY human visitors. But the Chieftain plans to change that! Once word gets around about how fun a vacation destination we are, it’ll stimulate the economy and bring in jobs. We put up posters and everything!”

The other two skeletons threw their weight into pulling a massive lever. The whole cage lurched and started to descend. Theodore clung to the bars as the ancient contraption lowered them into the abyss.

“Isn’t there another way inside?” He said.

“There’s tunnels all over the Whirlwood if you know where to look,” Burt said. “Main entrance doesn’t get much traffic. The magic users just set up shadow links to their haunting territory.”

“Shadow-what?” Theodore said.

“Shadow links. With a little set up, they can connect two dark spaces together and teleport between them. Alleyways, bedroom closets, cracks and gaps, that sort of thing.”

“Oooh! Theo! Look! Look!” Oboe jumped across the cage to point.

The pit opened to reveal a vast subterranean main street. Homes and businesses were fashioned in ornate gothic stonework and illuminated by spectral green flame. Labyrinthine passages spiraled off this central hub in all directions. It was a vibrant world of deep navies and violets and the architecture alone took Theodore’s breath away.

They touched down with a clang onto a dais. They stepped off to see a gruesome array of creatures minding their own business: Ghouls gossiping around a well, goblins at market stalls hocking wares, stern wolf men, skeletons escorting briefcases to work, and giggling shadow children watching back with interest. 

“They’re all looking at us,” Theodore said, conscious of the number of eyes on him.

“Well, yeah,” Burt said. “You’re such a bundle of nerves, every ghast in the square can probably taste it. Try to relax. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Oboe spun to take in the sights. “I thought it’d be dark and scary! I didn’t think it would be this cool!” She grabbed Theodore by the arm. “Let’s check out the market! C’mon!”

He pulled back, glaring. “We don’t have time for that! We’re in the middle of an investigation!”

“It’ll just be for a little bit!” She said. “Please!”

Burt wrapped his skeletal fingers around Theodore’s shoulder. “As a registered tour guide, I must INSIST you check out our gift shops.”

Theodore was dragged on either side into the marketplace before he could protest. Merchants shouted over one another about having the best deals on nightshade and toadstone. There was a queue wrapping clear around the square for something called the Bone Booth. Stalls bustled with imps, snake people, specters and gargoyles all arguing over prices and hunting for deals. Theodore was impressed despite himself.

“I had no idea there was anything like this down here,” he said. “No one told me the ghasts were this advan-“

Oboe gasped and darted off without warning. Theodore felt a prickle of fright as he was abandoned and the surrounding ghasts turned to look at him.

“Oboe!” He gave chase. “Where are you going?!”

Theodore tried to stay calm as he navigated around lumbering werewolf shoppers, pushy squid-faced merchants, and a pulsating gelatinous cube. He caught up with his assistant and found her bouncing excitedly in front of a market stall.

“Thistle?!” She said, smiling ear to ear. “What are you doing down here?”

“Moron!” The stall was manned by a battered looking sylph. He was a small, bulbous bug man who appeared to have survived being stepped on by something much larger. “What does it look like I’m doing? Working!” He shoved a receipt into a customer’s face and told them to get lost.

Oboe pulled Theo closer. “Look Theo!” She aimed him at the sylph. “It’s Thistle!”

“Okay.” Theodore did not know how to respond. “Who is Thistle?”

She beamed. “He’s my best friend in the whole wide world!”

The bug creature sneered. “I told you to stop telling people that.”

Thistle did not look like much. He was missing half an antenna, his carapace was cracked and faded, and his face appeared to be locked into a permanent scowl.

“Hello.” Theodore offered a handshake. “I’m Deputy Grayweather. Nice to meet you…?”

Thistle folded two pairs of arms. “I’ve heard about you. If you aren’t going to commission a nightmare, could you beat it? I’m trying to run a business here.”

“Nightmares?” Theodore glanced over the booth. Boxes behind the counter were filled with what looked like luminous soap bubbles. “You sell nightmares?”

The sylph rolled his eyes. “No. I sell ghasts the right to appear in nightmares.”

“Thistle is a dream sower,” Oboe said. “His magic lets him grow scary dreams so he can stick them in the brains of sleeping humans!”

“That’s horrible,” Theodore said. “Why would you do that?”

“You work for this idiot?” Thistle scoffed. “I’m not going to stand here and explain how our economy works!”

“Allow me!” Burt stepped in from nowhere. “Ghasts feed on strong human emotions, with fear being the most potent. In order to create peace between our people, the kingdom organized a system where ghasts can be entrusted with a haunting territory. The problem is that haunting licenses are hard to get and there aren’t enough to go around. The rest of us can work and pay a dream sower to insert us into a nightmare. That way we can produce enough fear and anxiety to sustain ourselves.”

“That makes sense,” Theodore said. It explained why ghasts like Ashby took jobs in the city.

Burt gave a rattling nod. “We’ve come a long way since Great War! With the cooperation of humans, we can sustain and large population and live in peace.” His gaze drifted. “Ideally, anyway.”

Theodore thought of Silas Jack and the Red Caps. He was glad that there was an alternative to ghasts preying on humans, but it was clear the system did not always work.

“Hey,” Thistle said. “I know you guys aren’t here to put an order in, so would you mind getting the hell out of the way?”

Oboe noticed a line of customers forming behind them “Sorry! We’ll see you later, okay Thistle?”

Thistle grunted and turned to his next patron. Burt led Oboe and Theodore back the way they came.

“I wish we had time to hang out with him,” Oboe said.

Theodore could not guess at why Oboe was so fond of such a mean little bug. He put the matter from his mind. “We need to focus on the investigation,” he said. “No more distractions.”

“Okay,” Oboe said. “What should we do next?”

Before Theodore could answer, he was distracted by a strange rumbling that shook the ground under their feet. “Do you hear something?” He said. It was growing louder.

“It’s probably that thing,” Oboe said, pointing.

The crowd scattered, screamed, and leapt out of the way of something. A massive creature hurtled through the market towards them, scuttling on dozens of flailing human-like arms and legs.

“Oh,” Theodore said.

 It barreled at him with such speed that Theodore toppled backwards trying to get away. Before any of them could react, it was right on top of him.

The creature came to a slapping, thundering halt. It leaned close to Theodore, leering with wide cat eyes. Its ‘face’ opened with a dozen mouths each lined with flat teeth and dripping with saliva. Theodore tensed as it breathed hot rancid breath over him.

“Oh my goodness!” She spoke with a perky older woman’s voice. “A human! I can’t believe this! We have a human guest! The ad campaign is starting to work!”

The lumbering creature spun on its sprawl of limbs.

“Burt!!” She said. “Why didn’t you tell me we had a human guest?! You should’ve sent word ahead! There’s trash everywhere and that’s not the impression we want to make!”

Burt’s bones were rattling. “S-sorry ma’am! It was just, er, well I just thought I would personally escort the–”

“What if someone else comes through the main entrance while you’re here?!” The creature said. “The welcome committee must always be ready for guests!”

“Of course, Chieftain! I was, ah, I was just making sure they were attended to…!”

“I’ll handle that!” She said. “Get back to work! Get!”

Burt gave a salute and jangled away. The larger ghast turned her attention back toward Theodore.

“I apologize,” she said, wringing her hands together. She resembled a giant hairy potato covered in hair, mouths, and arms. “We aren’t normally this disorganized, I promise. Humans almost never come down here, but we’re hoping to change that. My name is Lindsey. I’m the Elder Chieftain of the Hollows and I’m pleased as peaches to meet you! I’ll have a proper cheese and sausage tray arranged for you at once!”

Theodore managed to stand and collect himself. He told himself that no matter how ugly this thing was she was a citizen and worthy of respect. Better, she was a facet of government. He wiped the spittle from his uniform, steeled himself, and pointed his badge.

“A welcome party won’t be necessary,” he said. “I’m here on official business.”

Lindsey gasped with half its orifices. “Oh my devil! You’re the Ranger Deputy! And you got here so fast! It hasn’t even been an hour since I sent the messenger!” She seized both of Theodore’s hands with numerous arms and shook them in greeting. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I know the crown expects us to handle matters like this on our own, but this is an emergency.”

“…There must be some mistake.” Theodore wrenched himself free from the full body handshake. “I haven’t spoken to any messenger. We’ve come regarding another matter.”

The Chieftain was still as a statue. “…I see.” She glanced around at the crowd of spectators and lowered her voice. “I’m sure whatever brought you is important, but I need to speak with you in private at once.”

Problems were piling up faster than Theodore could solve them. “We’re pressed for time. It’ll need to wait until we’re done with this other case.”

Lindsey flailed her arms and legs. “No, no, no! This can’t wait either! Please! Hear me out!” she turned to the crowd of onlookers. “All of you! Clear off! I’ve got to speak to this man! Off with you!”

The spectators were reluctant to disperse, so Lindsey bowled through them and sent them scattering. She scuttled to the edge of the market and gestured for Theodore and Oboe to follow into a back alley.

Theodore wondered if they afford this distraction. After they were away from the main streets, Lindsey leaned close and whispered with the smallest of her mouths:

 “Something TERRIBLE has happened. A ghast has been murdered!”

Lindsey pawed at her lips and glanced back down the corridor. “This needs to be kept a secret,” she said. “It’s taboo for a ghast to feed on another ghast.”

Theodore circled the body. It was a gargoyle: large but feminine with pimpled limestone skin. The throat was discolored and impacted just like Anthony’s. The face was locked in a familiar look of terror. She rested on a sagging gurney tucked away in an obscure chamber of the Hollows.

“I’ve seen this before,” Theodore said. “We’re investigating the murder of a human who was killed the same way.”

Lindsey gasped through grit teeth. “A human was killed?! You’re sure?!”

Theodore nodded. “A farmer. If this is the result of ghast hex, then I’m certain it’s related.”

“No, no, no, no!! This is terrible!” Lindsey let out three simultaneous wails. “This is coming right off the crisis with the Red Caps! A dead civilian will set back our relations with the capital by decades! We can’t afford this!”

“What do you mean?” Oboe said.

“We depend on human for jobs, trust with the capital is already strained. If there’s a scare they’ll start firing ghasts. And THAT will be bad because there aren’t enough haunting territories to go around! We’d have a faminine! All because of one deviant!”

“Well, what if it’s not a ghast at all?” Oboe said. “Wouldn’t that fix everything?”

“Stop! Don’t try to give me false hope!” Lindsey clawed at her face. “There’s no mistaking ghast magic for any other kind! Fairy magic doesn’t look anything like this and humans have to sterilize theirs. There’s no denying this magic came out of a ghast body and if we try to cover it up it will only damage trust even more!”

“Where was the body found?” Theodore said.

“A goblin found her slumped outside a cave on the surface,” Lindsey said. “It took a whole team of skeletons to carry her back underground.”

Theodore rubbed his jaw. “We came here to confront a suspect. I think we stand a better chance if we work together. Can you spare some law enforcement to support us?”

“That’s not possible,” Lindsey said. “The only thing the crown allows us to have is a sheriff, and I can’t send her.”

Theodore scrunched his face. “Why not?”

Lindsey hesitated. “…You’re looking at her. That’s why I sent for your help.”

Theodore turned back to the corpse and realized it was a grim reflection of his future.

“Fiona here was looking into the disappearances of several smaller ghasts,” Lindsey said. “Imps and crawlies. I’m guessing whoever she was investigating turned on her.”

The ghast chieftain grabbed a satchel from the corner of the room and fished out a small notebook. She handed it to Oboe.

“If these cases are related, you should take this. It’s her investigation notes.”

Peeking inside, Oboe frowned at a dry forensic report. “Thanks?”

Lindsey startled Theodore by grabbing him by the shoulders. “The Hollows can’t afford a scandal.” Her voice was cracking. “I need you to catch this killer before anyone else gets hurt! Please!”

Theodore didn’t need convincing. He was scared and in over his head, but one look at the ghast Chieftain told him it paled in comparison to the fear she felt for her people.

“I’ll do what I can,” he said.

The tunnels of the Hollows plunged deeper than Theodore could have guessed. The map they were given took pages to chart every floor of the complex. It took an hour of wandering up and down the spiral of chambers to find the deep back alley leading to the home of their suspect.

A towering pair of double doors stood before them. Theodore lingered at the threshold, trying to still his pounding heart. He thought of his father’s advice. The way to silence fear was to seize it by the throat. Theodore clenched his hand, took a deep breath, and knocked. The door swung inward at his touch.

“Hello?” Oboe stuck her head in the door frame. “Anybody here? We’re here to arrest you! Hello?”

“Oboe!” Theodore yanked her back out.

“A joke, I hope.” A deep baritone voice answered from within. “Come inside, officer. I presume we have something to discuss.”

Theodore hesitated before crossing the threshold. The interior was a dim but opulent ante chamber with high ceilings. A fireplace cast long and flickering shadows. The Tall Man was masked in silhouette but he was impossible to miss. His name fit. He loomed over the room, with long, bony arms hanging at his sides. He turned into the candlelight. His skin was an unadorned shade of gray. His face was empty, devoid of features, no nose, ears, hair, or mouth. There was only a coal black crevasse where eyes should be.

“What brings you to my abode, Deputy?”

Theodore tried to swallow his uneasiness. “How do you know who I am?”

“It is a simple matter to follow the news,” the Tall Man said. “You are the man who stopped the Red Caps. Your reputation precedes you.”

Theodore wondered if that was the only reason. “I am conducting an investigation and need to ask you some questions.”

The Tall Man motioned toward a fine oak table. “Sit. I will tell you what I can.”

Theodore and Oboe sat. The Tall Man reached across the room into the dark and produced a piping hot kettle. He poured each of them a cup of tea, filling the air with the scent of moon herbs. The Tall Man folded himself into a seat. Even sitting, he dwarfed them.

“What would you like to know?” He said.

Oboe leapt at the chance. “What kind of name is the Tall Man?”

“Not the time, Oboe,” Theodore said in a hiss.

“What?” She said. “I’m curious! I haven’t met a bogeyman before!”

The Tall Man was nonplussed. “It is a traditional bogeyman name following the adjective noun form: Descriptive but vague enough to frighten.”

She sipped her tea. “Oh! I get it! It’s to be scary.”

Theodore drummed his fingers, waiting to speak. “Mr. Man. Where were you on the night before yesterday?”

His speech was measured and deliberate: “It was my night off. I chose to haunt in my licensed territory in the capital.”

“Did you meet with a human by the river Wander?” Theodore said.

There was a long pause before the bogeyman answered. “No,” he said.

Theodore felt his stomach churn. He summoned all the bravery he could. “A human was found dead there.”

“Your tea is getting cold,” the Tall Man said. He was right. Theodore did not trust the ghast enough to drink it.

“You knew the victim.”

He bowed his head. “Yes. I’ve known – knew Anthony for many years. My haunting license fell on his childhood home. He was a bright boy, I had to be clever to frighten him. We are all poorer for his passing.”

Theodore looked at the opulent foyer he was sitting in. The furniture was fine hardwood and the décor was antique.

“Does a ghast as successful as you need to haunt to feed himself?”

The Tall Man coiled his fingers around his tea cup. “I do not. I find that feeding on nightmares is a poor substitute for the real thing. I make a point to continue practicing.”

Theodore held his breath. “Did you kill Anthony?”

“No. Are you accusing me of killing a friend?”

Theodore unwrapped the handkerchief containing the ring and placed it on the table.

“I’m obliged to find out.”

The Tall Man rose from his seat. His head vanished into the shadows. He turned away to look at the fire. Theodore kept a hand on the hilt of his knife under the table, just in case.

“The curse on this ring lets you know where your victim is,” Theodore said. “Even a secluded spot in the wilderness.”

“Would you believe…” The Tall Man did not look up from the fire. “That it was a symbol of friendship? A sign of trust between man and ghast. Yes, I was aware Anthony died, but I was not there when it happened, and there was nothing I could do.”

That sounded rather convenient. “The curse stops working when the afflicted dies,” Theodore said. “I find it hard to believe that you knew where and when your friend died and you chose to report nothing.”

“Deputy,” The Tall Man said. “Do you think that it is safe for a ghast, any ghast, to admit to knowing the time and place a man has died?”

“But it looks way worse that you kept quiet!” Oboe said.

“You are a citizen,” Theodore said. “The law ensures you would be under no more suspicion than a human or fairy in this situation.”

“A Laien citizen. Fair and equal.” The Tall Man’s laugh was a rasp. “…No, Mr. Grayweather.” He turned toward them. “I could not have gone to the authorities without implicating myself.”

Something was going on. There were two corpses already and Theodore could not risk a third. “I’ve heard enough. You will come with me to the watch station. You can explain yourself there.”

The tall man stared down with shining black eyes. “Your fear tastes of peppermint. A bold façade. …You are certain I did it, and are frightened. I will not follow you into a death sentence.”

Theodore kept his fist clenched. “If you’ve nothing to hide, I can promise no harm will come to you! Are you going to cooperate or not?”

“No.” The Tall Man upended the tea table.

Theodore toppled backwards in his chair as the bogeyman advanced. He stumbled get away, panicking. It was happening again. A ghast was attacking him. He was going to die.

“Oboe!!” Theodore said.  “Help me!”

Oboe jumped between them, fists out.

“Hold it, big guy!” She shaped herself into a tiger. “Play nice, and I won’t have to hurt you!”

The Tall Man’s hands grew larger, his arms longer, until he filled the room. He snatched Oboe off the ground and lifted her high in the air.

“Whoa! Hey!” Oboe squirmed in his grip. “Uh? This isn’t good!”

“Get out!” The Tall man said, reaching Theodore.

Theodore tried to get away and slipped in a puddle of spilt tea. Before the Tall Man could grab Theodore, a bright light burst around him. The Tall Man howled in pain and dropped Oboe onto the floor. Theodore lifted the talisman out from under his shirt and found it glowing white.

“I see.” The Tall Man said, shrinking back to his normal size. “If I cannot force you to leave, then I’ve no choice.”

The Tall Man receded into the darkness. Theodore gave chase, and almost ran straight into a wall.

“He’s gone!” Theodore said, groping at the wall. The suspect was loose. He failed.

Oboe was worried. When the Tall Man escaped, Theo told her they were going to the city. He didn’t say anything else. They left the Hollows, hiked to the capital, and rode the trolley toward the big buildings without saying a word. He sat in the seat ahead of her, sullen and silent.

She needed to do something but she knew Theo wasn’t the huggy type. There had to be something else should could do to cheer him up.

“So, uh. Want to hear a joke?” She got no reaction. “Okay. A human, a fairy, and a gryphon are all going to a party, but they get there late. The host, who’s a donkey with a lisp, asks why they’re all covered in paint, so the fairy, who can only speak in rhyming couplets, says—”

Theo glare was cold and sharp. Oboe shrank back and choked on the rest of the story. With that settled, he resumed sulking.

“Listen.” She tried again. “I know you’re upset that bogeyman got away. I’m mad too. You shouldn’t worry, though. We’ll get him next time!”

Theo sighed. “It’s my fault a wicked ghast is loose.” He did not turn to look at her. “I let the Red Caps go. Now a man is dead and the Hollows will be blamed for it. If I don’t close this case soon, creatures are going to get hurt.”

Oboe leaned over the seat. “You let the Red Caps go because it was the right thing to do. Everyone should have an extra chance. If this guy wants to throw that away then he’d probably be bad no matter what.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple,” Theo said.

“So what??” Oboe said. “Does it matter how complicated? Or how hard? We have something to do and all we can do is try our best! That’s all that matters!”

Theo lowered his head. He let out a soft laugh and pressed his hands into his face. A hint of a smile slipped out and made Oboe feel like she’d done something good.

“You’re right,” he said. “Thanks.”

A bell rang and the trolley slowed to a halt. They stepped off into the street where they stood under the shadow of a big domed building somewhere in the deepest and most mysterious part of the human city. The word ‘BUREAUCRACY’ was emblazoned over the entrance.

“What are we doing at this spooky place?” Oboe said.

Theo mounted the stairs and pushed the entrance wide. “Our suspect would like to think he’s escaped without a trace, but there’s one thing you can’t run from: Your paper trail.”

They hurried through boxy rooms and up flight after flight of stairs. Theo burst into an office and startled a clerk out of his nap.

“Theodore?!” The clerk said, jerking upright. “Is that you?? Are you back?”

Theo shook his head. “No.” He aimed his badge. “I’m here as the Ranger Deputy, and I am invoking royal ordinance seven article nine dash B!” He presented the permission form with a flourish. “To review private documents!”

The clerk stared a moment. “Oh. Okay.” He slumped back onto the nest of papers on his desk to resume napping. “Go right ahead.”

Theo replaced his badge, looking disappointed.

“What’s wrong?” Oboe said.

“He was supposed verify my credentials.” He stepped over a stack of unfiled folders. “Look at the state of this place. Disgraceful.”

Oboe followed him through a maze of filing cabinets. “Is there some sort of clue here?”

“If the Tall Man wants to haunt without attracting the attention of the city guards, he’ll need to stay within his licensed territory.” Theo pulled open a filing cabinet and retrieved a binder. He opened it to reveal a map of approved haunting zones and traced his finger down a list of names “Here.” He dropped the map onto a table and pointed at the Tall Man’s territory. “We’ll do a stakeout here!”

“That’s perfect!” Oboe said. “We’ll corner him, but this time we’ll nab him for sure!”

Theo was quiet.

“Right?” Oboe said.

“It can’t be like last time,” Theo said. “He could’ve killed us. If we’re going to do this, we can’t afford to make a mistake like that again. We need to be ready.”

Oboe furrowed her brow. She couldn’t think of a better plan than running in arms swinging. “Did you have something in mind?”

He was reluctant. “There’s an errand I want to run before we start,” he said. “I need you to take me to the valley ruins.”

According to Giselle, the witch lived somewhere in the valley ruins. Theodore knew they were getting close when they spotted wagon tracks running through the Western gully. Flip was nearby. 

Theodore wandered amid the ragweed, marveling at the strange stone structures scattered across the field. There were stairs leading nowhere, teetering monoliths, broken sculptures of reaching hands, and haphazard stacks of odd cubes. None of it made any sense.

“Oboe,” Theodore said. “What are these ruins of, exactly?”

“Huh?” She looked puzzled.

“What was all this before it was abandoned?” He said.

“Oh!” She laughed. “No. These aren’t real ruins. A bunch of creatures got together years back and made all this so the Valley would feel more mysterious. It’s just for fun!”

“I see.” Theodore wondered how much work it would take to erect a few placards and rope barriers for exhibits. He preferred some of these pieces to what was on display in the capital’s art gallery.

They found what they were looking for at the far end of the clearing. One of the boxier structures had been repurposed. Thatching was used to plug up the holes and render it just misshapen. A huge, garish sign hung over the front announcing ‘Flip’s Discount Bewitching and Payday Loans’ with an illustration of a winking wizard.

“So, what’s the plan?” Oboe rubbed her palms together. “We kick the door down and tackle him before he gets any spells off? Oh! How about we sneak in the back and then punch him?”

Theodore wanted to arrest Flip. He was an unregistered magic user selling illegal enchantments. But there was a more dangerous criminal at large. The mutilated throat of Anthony Willow flashed in Theodore’s mind, and he imagined the Tall Man stalking through alleyways. The widow begged him to use Flip to avenge her husband.

“I want to talk to him,” Theodore said. “He might be able to help us.”

Oboe looked at him like he’d slandered the king. “What? We’re going to arrest him, right? You said yourself he’s breaking the law!”

“I know.” He pinched his eyes shut tight. “You’re right. But that doesn’t mean we should get violent. Maybe we can talk him into turning himself in. That way he faces fines instead of dungeon time.”

“But he’s a bad guy!” She said.

“It’s not that simple,” Theodore said. “What if he can change? Everyone deserves a second chance, right?”

Oboe went silent. The argument stopped dead in her throat.

“Let’s just see how this plays out,” Theodore said.

She gave him a grudging nod. “Okay.”

The door tinkled went they opened it. The walls of the shop were crammed with oddities. There were monstrous masks, shrunken heads, human effigies, and corked bottles of florescent potion. A sign advertised a discount on palm readings with purchase of a tattoo.

There was a burst of smoke before they could browse further. Flip leapt out from the back room dressed in a velvet bathrobe and top hat.

“Welcome thrill seekers, to Flip’s world of affordable enchantments!” He said, spinning his cane and smiling ear-to-ear. He released a flurry of magical fireworks from his free hand and then posed for applause.

Theodore let the moment linger. “Flip, you are the proprietor of this small business?”

“None other!” Flip snapped his cane to the floor. “Let me guess. You two are star-crossed lovers and wish to be transformed to suit the other. What will it be? Faun to woman? Man to satyr? If you want to just swap, I’m not in the business to judge. I offer a bulk discount for transmogrifications!”

Theodore raised an eyebrow. “You do realize that transformation of humans is forbidden by law, don’t you?”

“That’s right, bozo!” Oboe said. “Remember us?! You’re doing all this wizard stuff when you’re not supposed to! Now you’re in big trouble!”

Theodore shot an annoyed look at Oboe before turning his attention back to Flip. “A glance at your wares shows you are in violation of more laws than I care to count. Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

Flip’s expression did not shift from bemusement. “I take it you’re here to arrest me because some blowhards in a tower decided only they get to play with the useful spells.”

 “Yeah!” Oboe said, fists ready.

“I applaud your righteous fury,” Flip said. “Very noble. Heroic, even! But let me ask you, what happens when I’m locked up? There’s a killer ghast on the loose and those farmers depend on my magic for protection.” He eyed the talisman around Theodore’s neck. “And it appears they’re not the only ones.”

Theodore tucked the charm back under his shirt. “Protecting the villagers is our responsibility. I admit your warding spell is effective, but that doesn’t mean you get to ignore King’s Law.”

Flip stepped closer. “You’re after a ghast gone wicked. An unlicensed peddler is the least of your concerns. If you’re going to use my handwork anyway, then perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement.”

“We don’t need your help!” Oboe said.

“Hear me out!” Flip said. “All I am asking for is some discretion. I’m not causing any harm. Leave me and my business alone and I can be a serious asset to your investigation. Stopping ghasts is my area of expertise. Think about it!”

Theodore maintained his poker face. “What I can offer you is probation. Register with the university, pay the fines, and you can avoid arrest.”

Flip curled his lips in revulsion. “You insult me. My help is worth more than that!”

“The law is the law,” Theodore said.

“Rules are made to be bent,” Flip said. “Do you HONESTLY think I can do any good if I have to abide by every last one of the University’s thousand and one regulations? Let me remind of that ghasts are devils. Literal devils! You think conventional weapons are worth a damn against them? If you really care about protecting this community you will let me help you!”

Theodore hated to agree with the witch, but he was right. What mattered right now was solving the case. If Theodore was going to serve the greater good he needed to compromise.

“Tell me what you can offer,” he said.

Flip’s face lit up. “I pegged you as a man of reason the moment you came in that door!”

“Theo!!” Oboe pulled at Theodore’s shoulder. “We can’t use his spells! They’re illegal!”

Flip slipped closer to remove her hand. “These spells have been used to protect humanity for thousands of years. The only reason they aren’t allowed now is because ghasts pushed to have them banned. That’s fine. All in the name of peace treaties. I support that! But don’t you think we have a right to defend ourselves when one of them breaks that agreement?”

Theodore thought about the promise he made Giselle. There were two dead bodies and more to come if they did not act soon. “The situation calls for drastic measures.”

“I don’t like this,” Oboe said. “We don’t need his help!”

Theodore took her aside. “The Tall Man almost killed us back in the Hollows. We need all the help we can get.”

“But Flip doesn’t care that he’s breaking the rules!” She said. “He’s not even sorry. We should arrest him!”

“We have bigger problems right now,” Theodore said. “Our duty is keeping everyone safe.”

Oboe scowled. “I don’t trust him.”

“Then don’t,” he said, growing frustrated. “Trust me instead. I’m in charge, alright? Let me handle this.”

Oboe said nothing. With a nod, she drifted to a corner of the shop to stay out of the way.

Flip chuckled. “It’s so hard to find good help.”

“We’re tracking a bogeyman.” Theodore wanted to get to the point. “Tell me what you can do to help.”

“Mm. Tricky.” The witch stroked his chin. “One of the more powerful species. Do you have anything that belonged to him? Something with a trace of his aura?”

Theodore dug the ring out of his pocket and placed it on the counter. Flip took it between his thumb and forefinger, squinting, and rolled it in his palm.

“A curse. Yes. This will do. We’ll need a catalyst though.” He eyed the knife at Theodore’s belt. “Might I see that?”

The knife and the ring were laid side by side on the counter.

“I can enchant the knife with the ghast’s signature,” Flip said. “All you need to do is land a glancing blow on the creature and he will be completely disabled.”

Theodore hoped he could manage that much. The idea of fighting made him feel sick, but this was the best advantage he could hope for. “Yes, that will work.”

“Wonderful!” Flip tossed his arms wide. “And in exchange you vow to turn a blind eye to my little business. Do we have an agreement?”

“No.” Theodore was out of patience. “You’re still a criminal under my jurisdiction. Here’s what I’ll offer: You don’t have to register with the University. Instead, you get a month to get clean out this shop and get rid of every last illegal enchantment. I’ll do random inspections. If you can keep out of trouble then you and your business get to stay.”

Flip ground his teeth. “You’re twisting my arm here, Deputy.”

Theodore planted a palm on the table. “It’s this or the dungeon. Your pick.”

“And people wonder why I have issues with authority!” Flip growled in frustration. “Fine!”

They sealed the agreement with a crushing handshake and then Flip got to work. He pinched at the ring of the ring, as if feeling for something. He strained, forehead knit in concentration, and pulled something dark and gaseous out. He twisted his fingers and broke a morsel free. The rest of the magic snapped back into the ring. Flip held the swirl of purple and gold in his palm and made a few arcane gestures. He pressed his hand against the knife and folded layers of magic into it. When the ritual was done the blade shimmered with a faint new light.

Flip wiped the sweat from his brow. “Here.” He shoved the knife into Theodore’s hand. “Try not to keep it in the same pocket as the talisman.”

“Why not?” Theodore said.

Flip smiled. “They’ll explode.”

“Oh.” Theodore sheathed the knife with extra care. “Come on, Oboe. We’re done here.” He shot one last look at Flip. “But we’ll be back.”

“I’ll be waiting!” Flip said with a wave. “Hard ass,” he added as the two of them turned to leave.

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.”