caravan were covered in artwork, some of it good, some of it flashy, and some of it truly inspired. Arabel found she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the image of sunflowers against a sinking red sun. She stood up, to better see the image.
The picture seemed to draw her in until Arabel swore she could actually feel the last warmth of the rays blessing her skin and she began to squint against the strength of the fading red light. Arabel felt a rising relaxation within herself, and the deep calm centeredness of peaceful being stealing over her mind and her senses.
Baltis looked over Arabel’s shoulder. “It’s a magical place. I painted it from memory.”
Arabel turned to look at him. “It’s very good,” she exclaimed. “I feel like I’m actually in the painting! What place is this?”
“Nowhere you can go to now,” Mireille broke in mysteriously, leaving Arabel puzzled.
Eli smiled at Arabel. “I’ll tell you later,” he promised, patting her hand.
Mireille noted the pat with interest. “So, what brings you bright young people out to see us this fine autumn evening?” Her wry tone indicated the rest of the sentence she left unspoken, “when you could be doing anything else, alone, together?”
Eli ignored his mother’s unspoken message and instead filled his parents in on their quest to find out whether any Gypsy women had gone missing in the last year or so.
Mireille and Baltis took some time to mull it over, finally coming to the conclusion that they’d heard tell of no strange female disappearances. All of the Gypsy women, thankfully, seemed to be accounted for. Those who had left The Corvids entirely, well, they could only presume those women were safe.
“There was that one young man, short fellow, longish blonde hair, cleft in his chin…” Mireille shrugged. “It’ll come to me. He went missing but he’s the wrong gender for the killer to desire. ”
“Governs, Jonty!” Baltis broke in, waving his lemon water glass in excitement. Arabel felt this was a game he and his wife played all of the time. Psychic tennis.
“Yes, Jonty Governs. What a rascal. Well, he disappeared after shucking about with his ramshackle magic show, stealing people’s money!” Mireille clucked her tongue, a frown upon her visage.
“Bad seed, yes, and he lived here, well, I’d say almost three years,” Baltis exclaimed, “and one day – poof! He was gone, his caravan was gone, everyone’s horses were gone, the community chest funds – all gone.”
“Without a trace,” Mireille finished soberly.
“When did he go missing?” Arabel questioned.
“Last summer,” Baltis answered, as a feverish knock sounded upon the door of the caravan, followed by the door being yanked open unceremoniously.
“Come quick, Baltis, Mireille, they’ve just found the missing girl’s body!” a thin, pinched faced woman squealed sorrowfully. “They think one of the Gypsies did it!”
“Raina!” Mireille jumped to her feet, “Where?”
“Who? Who do they think did it?” Baltis yelled to Raina’s disappearing back as she fled away from the caravan in her mad dash to inform all of the others in the Copse.
Raina’s faint response sounded back to them, “Jonty Governs! Crow’s Nest Pass!”
The caravan door slammed shut and a brief second of silence ensued.
“We’ve got to go!” Arabel jumped to her feet and Eli did the same. They were caught in a
The picture seemed to draw her in until Arabel swore she could actually feel the last warmth of the rays blessing her skin and she began to squint against the strength of the fading red light. Arabel felt a rising relaxation within herself, and the deep calm centeredness of peaceful being stealing over her mind and her senses.
Baltis looked over Arabel’s shoulder. “It’s a magical place. I painted it from memory.”
Arabel turned to look at him. “It’s very good,” she exclaimed. “I feel like I’m actually in the painting! What place is this?”
“Nowhere you can go to now,” Mireille broke in mysteriously, leaving Arabel puzzled.
Eli smiled at Arabel. “I’ll tell you later,” he promised, patting her hand.
Mireille noted the pat with interest. “So, what brings you bright young people out to see us this fine autumn evening?” Her wry tone indicated the rest of the sentence she left unspoken, “when you could be doing anything else, alone, together?”
Eli ignored his mother’s unspoken message and instead filled his parents in on their quest to find out whether any Gypsy women had gone missing in the last year or so.
Mireille and Baltis took some time to mull it over, finally coming to the conclusion that they’d heard tell of no strange female disappearances. All of the Gypsy women, thankfully, seemed to be accounted for. Those who had left The Corvids entirely, well, they could only presume those women were safe.
“There was that one young man, short fellow, longish blonde hair, cleft in his chin…” Mireille shrugged. “It’ll come to me. He went missing but he’s the wrong gender for the killer to desire. ”
“Governs, Jonty!” Baltis broke in, waving his lemon water glass in excitement. Arabel felt this was a game he and his wife played all of the time. Psychic tennis.
“Yes, Jonty Governs. What a rascal. Well, he disappeared after shucking about with his ramshackle magic show, stealing people’s money!” Mireille clucked her tongue, a frown upon her visage.
“Bad seed, yes, and he lived here, well, I’d say almost three years,” Baltis exclaimed, “and one day – poof! He was gone, his caravan was gone, everyone’s horses were gone, the community chest funds – all gone.”
“Without a trace,” Mireille finished soberly.
“When did he go missing?” Arabel questioned.
“Last summer,” Baltis answered, as a feverish knock sounded upon the door of the caravan, followed by the door being yanked open unceremoniously.
“Come quick, Baltis, Mireille, they’ve just found the missing girl’s body!” a thin, pinched faced woman squealed sorrowfully. “They think one of the Gypsies did it!”
“Raina!” Mireille jumped to her feet, “Where?”
“Who? Who do they think did it?” Baltis yelled to Raina’s disappearing back as she fled away from the caravan in her mad dash to inform all of the others in the Copse.
Raina’s faint response sounded back to them, “Jonty Governs! Crow’s Nest Pass!”
The caravan door slammed shut and a brief second of silence ensued.
“We’ve got to go!” Arabel jumped to her feet and Eli did the same. They were caught in a
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