MAZE HAD NEARLY succumbed to slumber by the time an hour had passed, yet six Heirs still remained — four from the Sect of Sufferance and two from the Sect of Death. He observed that it required approximately twenty minutes for the transport vehicle to return and accommodate the next pair. Judging by the duration alone, he surmised that the journey toward the Chamber of Everything was a lengthy one. Though he had yet to behold the vehicle itself, he felt a flicker of curiosity regarding its function and how it differed from the horse-drawn carriages of the world he once knew.
In his wait, he watched Mr. Frogvinsky and Mrs. Toadellia from a distance as they exchanged the softest of whispers, rendering their discourse unintelligible to him. Earlier, after the Farekeeper had collected his coin, the pair had done little but shout repetitive barbs at one another. The other Children paid them no mind, save for Maze, who had sought some form of diversion to keep his eyelids from closing.
Now, however, even that spectacle had grown wearisome. He longed only for the sanctuary of his cabin. His body craved a rest that seemed to grow more precious with every passing year.
As he was on the verge of a yawn, he glimpsed a black bird flapping its wings through the gathering dark. He followed its flight until it perched upon a tree beside the lychgate. At first, he paid it no heed.
Kraa!
Yet, as he recalled, some significant event always transpired whenever a crow appeared in his presence. The happenings at the Ceremony of Patrimony were proof enough that its arrival near him was no mere coincidence. Still, he took care not to fall into the trap of his own delusions.
He attempted to ignore the creature. For a time, it did not utter a single caw, appearing as though it had no reason to be there at all. Maze offered a slight shrug of his shoulders.
When the clanking once more echoed from the underground passage, Mr. Frogvinsky spoke: "Two passengers for the Cradle! I repeat, two passengers for the Cradle!" Mrs. Toadellia perused the parchment in her hand. "Two Heirs, the names are . . . Westershire and Poppy!"
Kraa!
Suddenly, Maze beheld the crow as it landed upon the ground before him. Click, croak, caw! It cast a side-eye toward him as if awaiting a reaction, though his mask made his expression invisible to the bird's scrutiny.
Maze remained silent, remembering that the creature had previously shown a distaste for speaking with him. Just as its beak began to part—
"Shoo!"
Mrs. Toadellia suddenly drove it away.
Maze flinched slightly, for he had not expected the woman frog to appear so abruptly to banish the bird.
"Be gone! Shoo!" She even flicked her tongue toward the defenseless crow. "What is this creature doing here? My, my!" She offered a delicate giggle before opening her umbrella to hide behind it, using the canopy as a shield while her quickly blinking eyes peered out at him.
The crow had begone until it disappeared from their sight.
Maze flinched once more, perceiving that Mrs. Toadellia seemed struck by a sudden bashfulness regarding her earlier outburst. Perhaps she felt unseemly for having flicked her tongue at the bird, though Maze found no fault in it.
"Dear Child, an omen is an omen. For a festival such as this, it is best not to bargain with a crow," Mrs. Toadellia advised him suddenly.
Maze offered a simple nod, uncertain of how to approach her.
The woman frog appeared kind enough, yet he hesitated between conversation and silence. He recalled his encounter with Gareth. Had it not been for the youth's gratitude, Gareth likely would not have sought him out to deliver the invitation alongside the crow. Maze wondered if this bird was the same one that had sat upon Gareth's arm at midday, but he dismissed the thought.
Maze felt a stirring of curiosity regarding the bird's true purpose, yet Mrs. Toadellia's words had also hinted at something darker concerning the festival. He wondered if he should probe further. Surely, no harm would come from engaging her in discourse.
"Good evening, Mrs. Toadellia." These were his first words to the woman frog. She appeared momentarily startled but quickly regained her composure. "I thank you for banishing the crow, and for your company."
"Oh, and here I thought you did not speak." Mrs. Toadellia giggled before closing her umbrella. "But what a voice you possess. You speak like a fine man, quite unlike the other Children here." She offered a soft sigh. "And how is my favorite Orphan — the one who has become a Highness now?"
At first, Maze was perplexed. A Highness? However, enlightenment soon followed as he deduced whom she meant. If there were a Highness among them, it would be Sir Azaniel. Does this mean Mrs. Toadellia know Sir Azaniel from the Tower I came from?
The notion was not entirely unbelievable, yet Maze was captivated by her use of the word 'favorite.' While his fellow Orphans had never mentioned these marsh-dwellers, they had warned him to 'never trust anyone from Yonder.' If this couple did not hail from Yonder, they might truly be allies within the Camp, the ones he might have to trust.
"Do you mean Sir Azaniel, Mrs. Toadellia?"
"Yes, dear Orphan." Mrs. Toadellia nodded fervently. "Your Sir Azaniel, indeed. He was one of the most charming and kind persons I have ever encountered in the Camp. Even my husband, Mr. Frogvinsky, was once fond of him." Her eyes seemed to twinkle as she clasped her hands, which still held her parchment, quill, and umbrella. "Oh, those good old days!"
"How did they fare here in the Camp during those times?" Maze asked, though he felt a touch of reluctance. "I should very much like to know."
The Farekeeper gazed directly at him. "We possess our very own tree house here in the Camp, Maze. One of these days, you may venture there." She appeared to reminisce, her gaze turning distant. "There were moments when that Orphan I held dear bore many wounds and bruises, his Essence nearly depleted. I was grateful he was not alone, for he had the company of other Orphans. It brought relief to both me and my husband, but . . . " She paused to release a heavy sigh. "You must take care, do you understand?"
"I will, Mrs. Toadellia." Even though his smile was hidden behind the deer skull, he offered one to her nonetheless.
"That is well." Mrs. Toadellia turned away from him. "For the sake of the god of your Tower, for the bond we shared with the Orphans of the past, and for my beloved foster son, Highness Azaniel . . . my husband and I shall be of aid to you. Remember that."
She then proceeded to walk away.
Maze, meanwhile, stood astounded.
It seemed he might come to know his Orphan Siblings more deeply in this place than he ever had before.
He could already envision it.
It would solely be fair.
Though Mrs. Toadellia's words bore the weight of sincerity, Maze could not fully discern the thoughts she held in reserve. Perhaps his perils were only beginning; he anticipated that many more trials awaited him, moments where he would be cast aside, discriminated against, and made to feel the cold indifference of the Heirs and the Directors alike.
Even the trials of this place would test him.
Yet, his presence here would surely be of worth.
For in truth, there was much for him to acquire.
While he harbored no grand ambitions, the knowledge he might gather would serve as a great boon to his survival and his struggle as both an Orphan and an awakened.
He spent some time in quiet contemplation.
Clank, clank!
Upon hearing the sound, he realized he was the only one remaining, for the final batch had already vanished into the underground passage. Maze approached the two creatures, and his lean posture drew the immediate attention of Mr. Frogvinsky. He came to a halt before them, intending to remain silent.
However, Mr. Frogvinsky scrutinized him from head to toe and back again, his hawk-like eyes examining him as if he were delivering a silent critique. The uncomfortable Maze could only hold his breath, wondering if he had committed some kind of error in front of them.
Mr. Frogvinsky cleared his throat. "Look how they have butchered your festival raiment." He shook his head in disapproval. "The respectable Directors never learn." He paused before gazing at Maze's face, searching for his features, until his lips parted in surprise. "Young man, pardon my inquiry, but are you unable to see?"
Maze replied with a partial truth: "I do not see, but . . . I can sense."
Though his words remained vague, he did not utter a falsehood. He could sense, and if seeing were not sensing, then sensing was not seeing; therefore, he could not see. He sought to justify his claim, yet even within his own mind, he could find no perfect reason for the logic.
"Then, do you truly not behold me?" the clerk pressed once more.
"I do sense your nature, and even your being," Maze replied. He nearly added that he sensed the kindness and warmth within the couple despite their incessant bickering, yet he chose to keep that sentiment to himself. Even as he spoke, he felt a flicker of guilt, as if he were becoming a practitioner of fraud.
Even though he might have to improve his fraudulence.
Others might not be easily fooled!
"And here I thought you might mistake us for men rather than frogs."
Mrs. Toadellia shushed her husband. "My dearest! Your foul mouth knows no limits!"
"You are being theatrical again. I uttered nothing of ill intent," her husband sneered in return.
Maze allowed himself a quiet chuckle, stifling it so it would not be noticed. They were a delight to observe, and though he had offered them a lie, he told himself it was for his own protection. In truth, even he did not comprehend the mystery behind his sight, and even his Siblings were cautious never to mention it in his presence. That was but one of the many buried truths he had yet to unveil.
"May I inquire . . . were you already wedded during the time of Sir Azaniel?" It sounded somewhat sentimental to his own ears, for Maze was not typically one to pose such questions; however, for the sake of discourse, he felt it best to center the conversation upon their bond.
Perhaps it would serve to win their favor.
The two exchanged glances before turning their gaze back toward Maze. Then, speaking in unison as if there were yet time for the tale they were about to propose, they asked:
"Do you truly wish to know?"
The startled Maze responded with a quick, affirmative nod.