living room, Freya discovered things she’d never seen before and was anxious for Archie to finish bathing so he could explain what they were.
Freya and Orus started to explore the rest of the house. Down a short hall she opened a door and saw a bedroom that seemed very out of place with the rest of the well-cleaned house.
In fact, it was a filthy mess. Clothes were thrown all over the floor and empty drink bottles covered every surface. The bed was unmade and the sheets were stained and smelly.
Freya didn’t linger but moved on and found another bedroom unlike anything she’d ever seen before. The walls were covered in colourful posters and there were hundreds of figurines on shelves. Hanging on the back of the door was a long, floor-length, burgundy-coloured velvet coat, while the closet was filled with strange clothes that had chains and cogs and levers all over them.
‘This is my brother’s room.’
Freya jumped at Archie’s quiet arrival behind her. Her wings flew open in alarm and knocked several figurines off a shelf.
‘Brian is really into Steampunk.’ As Archie bent down to pick up the figurines, Freya noticed he was wearing yellow rubber gloves on his hands and extra layers of clothing. The only skin exposed was his face.
‘You said be careful,’ Archie said. He held up his gloved hands. ‘I’m being extra careful.’
Freya was still wearing his gloves and held up her hands. ‘Me too. What is Steampunk?’
Archie picked up a figurine and handed it to her. It was of a woman in a top hat that had goggles on them. She was wearing a long, open coat. Tiny cogs were on the lapels of the coat and in her hands. Under the coat she wore a corset and a long, layered skirt. ‘It’s a kind of style,’ Archie explained. ‘Where people imagine what the world would have been like without electricity, with steam still powering everything. There are lots of cogs and gears and stuff mixed with Victorian styles.’
Archie was speaking, but the words meant nothing to Freya. She continued to explore the room in fascination. ‘So where is your brother?’
Archie dropped his eyes. ‘He’s in jail.’
‘For what?’
‘I bet it was murder,’ Orus said. ‘Looking at this strange bedroom, it has to be murder!’
Freya swatted the raven as Archie said, ‘It was for breaking and entering and auto theft. He’s a thief. He’ll be in jail for another eight months.’ Archie paused and kicked at a spot on the floor. ‘Um, while you’re here, you can stay in his room if you like. I mean, unless you’ve got somewhere else to go. Do they have hotels for Valkyries?’
‘I don’t know,’ Freya admitted. ‘Actually, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. But how would you explain it to your parents?’
Archie wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘That’s not a problem.’ He paused and seemed hesitant. ‘My father left years ago. I haven’t heard from him since.’
‘What about your mother? Is she here?’
The pause was longer this time. ‘Sort of,’ he said. ‘I mean, she does live here, but she’s gone for a while.’
Freya could feel there was a lot more to this, but she didn’t want to press. Instead, she looked around the room again. ‘I like it here. I will stay.’
At her shoulder, Orus was having a fit. ‘Freya, you can’t stay here! If Odin finds out, he’ll send a Dark Searcher after us! We must find Tyrone’s family and then return to Asgard before we’re missed. It doesn’t matter how much you like this place, you just can’t stay!’
‘What’s he saying?’ Archie asked as he watched Orus rage.
‘Not much,’ Freya answered. ‘Just how much he likes this room. Who is that?’ She pointed at one of the posters on the wall. It showed a squat little girl dressed in the Steampunk style. She had a crooked mouth and jet-black hair with a red stripe. There was an even smaller boy with her. His eyes looked madly demented. Beside them was a brightly coloured caterpillar on a lead, wearing
Freya and Orus started to explore the rest of the house. Down a short hall she opened a door and saw a bedroom that seemed very out of place with the rest of the well-cleaned house.
In fact, it was a filthy mess. Clothes were thrown all over the floor and empty drink bottles covered every surface. The bed was unmade and the sheets were stained and smelly.
Freya didn’t linger but moved on and found another bedroom unlike anything she’d ever seen before. The walls were covered in colourful posters and there were hundreds of figurines on shelves. Hanging on the back of the door was a long, floor-length, burgundy-coloured velvet coat, while the closet was filled with strange clothes that had chains and cogs and levers all over them.
‘This is my brother’s room.’
Freya jumped at Archie’s quiet arrival behind her. Her wings flew open in alarm and knocked several figurines off a shelf.
‘Brian is really into Steampunk.’ As Archie bent down to pick up the figurines, Freya noticed he was wearing yellow rubber gloves on his hands and extra layers of clothing. The only skin exposed was his face.
‘You said be careful,’ Archie said. He held up his gloved hands. ‘I’m being extra careful.’
Freya was still wearing his gloves and held up her hands. ‘Me too. What is Steampunk?’
Archie picked up a figurine and handed it to her. It was of a woman in a top hat that had goggles on them. She was wearing a long, open coat. Tiny cogs were on the lapels of the coat and in her hands. Under the coat she wore a corset and a long, layered skirt. ‘It’s a kind of style,’ Archie explained. ‘Where people imagine what the world would have been like without electricity, with steam still powering everything. There are lots of cogs and gears and stuff mixed with Victorian styles.’
Archie was speaking, but the words meant nothing to Freya. She continued to explore the room in fascination. ‘So where is your brother?’
Archie dropped his eyes. ‘He’s in jail.’
‘For what?’
‘I bet it was murder,’ Orus said. ‘Looking at this strange bedroom, it has to be murder!’
Freya swatted the raven as Archie said, ‘It was for breaking and entering and auto theft. He’s a thief. He’ll be in jail for another eight months.’ Archie paused and kicked at a spot on the floor. ‘Um, while you’re here, you can stay in his room if you like. I mean, unless you’ve got somewhere else to go. Do they have hotels for Valkyries?’
‘I don’t know,’ Freya admitted. ‘Actually, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. But how would you explain it to your parents?’
Archie wouldn’t meet her eyes. ‘That’s not a problem.’ He paused and seemed hesitant. ‘My father left years ago. I haven’t heard from him since.’
‘What about your mother? Is she here?’
The pause was longer this time. ‘Sort of,’ he said. ‘I mean, she does live here, but she’s gone for a while.’
Freya could feel there was a lot more to this, but she didn’t want to press. Instead, she looked around the room again. ‘I like it here. I will stay.’
At her shoulder, Orus was having a fit. ‘Freya, you can’t stay here! If Odin finds out, he’ll send a Dark Searcher after us! We must find Tyrone’s family and then return to Asgard before we’re missed. It doesn’t matter how much you like this place, you just can’t stay!’
‘What’s he saying?’ Archie asked as he watched Orus rage.
‘Not much,’ Freya answered. ‘Just how much he likes this room. Who is that?’ She pointed at one of the posters on the wall. It showed a squat little girl dressed in the Steampunk style. She had a crooked mouth and jet-black hair with a red stripe. There was an even smaller boy with her. His eyes looked madly demented. Beside them was a brightly coloured caterpillar on a lead, wearing
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