Sasha and Puck and the Cordial Cordial Page 5

  The headmistress smiled as Sisal ran to catch up with her newly magic horse.

  That was all Sasha needed to hear. She pulled the headmistress away and said over her shoulder, “Well, we must be going now. We don’t want to miss our ride. Horses around these parts are always falling asleep.”

  The headmistress nodded. She didn’t want to miss the caravan back up the mountains. “Thank you so much for coming,” said Sasha as she escorted the headmistress across the garden.

  “You’re both very curious little girls,” said the headmistress.

  “Better than incurious little girls,” said Sasha.

  “Agreed.”

  The headmistress stopped. She looked into Sasha’s eyes. “Young lady, I know what you did just now.”

  “You do?” said Sasha. She wondered if her whole plan was for nothing, if she’d failed completely.

  “I do,” said the headmistress. “You helped your nervous friend in her interview, even though you were both terrified. It was obvious.”

  “It was?”

  “It was. It was also obvious that you’re very kind.”

  The headmistress looked at Sasha with the warm approval that princesses and queens only offer on rare occasions. “You are both welcome to the Sunderdown Academy. That is, if you can manage to find a reliable horse to bring you.”

  Sasha laughed. “Thank you,” she said.

  With that, the headmistress walked toward the Gentry carriage to take her home. Sasha waited until the headmistress turned the corner. Then she sprinted back to the flower bed to check on Puck.

  Chapter 12

  Sasha scooped Puck into her arms. He was still sound asleep.

  Sasha shook him a little. “You slept through all of it, gooby.”

  “You gooby!” said Puck. Then he nuzzled into her and went back to sleep. It had been a long day. Sasha looked around, but the gang of fur had disappeared over the garden wall. Princess Wisteria was still confused but unharmed, chewing on a few tulips.

  Martha had brought the ice for Sisal’s cheek.

  The party was merry and hadn’t noticed anything. Sasha carried Puck toward the gate.

  “Wait!”

  Sasha turned.

  It was Basil. “I just wanted to say thank you. Sisal was really polite because of you.”

  Sasha hesitated.

  “Because of your potion, I mean.”

  “Right. Yes. It must have been the sassafras. And did you find Abrus?”

  “I did. Thanks for the beef.”

  “Anytime,” said Sasha.

  “Can I give you a ride home? We have several carriages,” said Basil.

  “No thank you,” said Sasha.

  She had had enough of horses and garden parties and carriages for a while.

  Chapter 13

  Sasha walked past the stabler’s tent. The sun was setting, and the caravan had overrun the place. Through the open entryway, she could see Oxiana walking between the tables, placing cups of pomegranate cider. The musicians played merry songs about elvish queens who rode Bloomhooves to midnight dances in the meadow in the heart of a foggy wood.

  She walked across the bridge, past the miller’s house, and up the hill toward home. Maybe it was the sunset glow, but the trees of the Willow Woods looked fully orange and red.

  When she arrived at the Juicy Gizzard, Sasha walked around the back, so she could make sure the chickens were safe in their coop and Otto was asleep in his pigpen. She laid Puck in his bed by the back door. He made a chirping noise and tried to hold on to her neck. She peeled him off and hummed a comforting sound that she remembered her mother making.

  As Sasha entered, she saw Papa in his reading chair. Mama’s reading chair was beside it, empty for now.

  Papa set his glasses on his book and said, “Did you manage it?”

  “Manage what?” said Sasha.

  “To make that young lady polite for once in her life.”

  How did he know? thought Sasha. It made her feel protected to know that he had been watching over her. She said, “I think so.”

  “That’s good,” said Papa.

  “Are you mad?” she said.

  “Sweet bird, why would I be mad?”

  “Because I didn’t believe your cordial cordial would work.”

  Papa shrugged and smiled. “I’m not mad at all. As far as I’m concerned, the cordial worked perfectly.” He winked.

  Sasha thought about it for a moment. She supposed that it was possible. Maybe the only reason Sisal hadn’t kicked her out was because the cordial softened her mood a little. It didn’t sound plausible. But she couldn’t prove it. Sasha laughed. They would each believe what they believed.

  Sasha ran over and gave Papa a good-night hug.

  “At least your liniment worked,” she said. “Puck’s still snoring out back.”

  Papa nodded and hugged her back. “See? We’ll be rich in no time.”

  “I got a job at the stables. Maybe Oxi will let me keep the tips?”

  Papa held Sasha’s cheeks. She rarely saw his eyes this close without his glasses. They had a sparkle but deep, deep in a dark pool of night water. He looked directly into hers and smiled.

  “I’m proud of you,” he said.

  Sasha nodded.

  “Me too,” she said. “I am too.”

  She meant she was proud of him too, but it came out muddled. She yawned. She was exhausted. She climbed into Papa’s chair with him and curled up under his arm to fall asleep.

  The next morning, she and Puck would help out in the stables. But first, she would tell Puck thank you for his help. It was the polite thing to do. They were friends after all.