Shadows of the Redwood - By Gillian Summers Page 0,64

straighten her hair.

Had she gone nuts? Then Keelie realized that Laurie was signaling that Keelie’s hair was messed up. She reached up and quickly finger-combed it down. She wondered what the Northwoods elves thought of her ’do.

Keelie saw Coyote standing at the edge of the forest, camouflaged by the trees. He lifted his head, then, nose to the ground, took off in the direction of the festival. She hoped he stayed out of garbage cans and out of trouble.

The Globe was packed full of jostling, good-natured theater-goers. Luckily, the fundraiser show was running a bit late, and the ticket takers recognized them and waved them inside. Sean led the way, his height letting him see above the milling crowd in front of the stage.

As in the real Globe Theater, there were no chairs in the area directly in front of the stage. The groundlings had to stand, just as they had in London hundreds of years ago. Several of Sean’s jousters were guarding the backstage entrances.

Keelie wondered how her grandmother was doing. “I’m going to check on the old lady,” she told the others. She chinned herself up onto the stage and walked toward the doorways in the back.

“Please, milady, actors only back here.” A wide woman opened her arms to shoo Keelie away. Keelie ducked under her arm, scooted through the doorway, and froze. The carefully aged look of the Globe was all for show. Back here, walls were made of raw lumber and a water cooler hummed in a corner. Actors and actresses, some dressed, some half-dressed, buzzed around, concentrating on the upcoming performance. A few muttered lines to themselves like crazy people.

A girl with long, flowing golden hair leaned against the doorway, watching the action. She smiled at Keelie.

“Excuse me,” Keelie asked. “Have you seen a lady dressed as Queen Elizabeth? She’s my grandmother.”

The girl laughed. “I certainly have.” Her voice was startlingly deep. She pointed a thick finger toward the left, and Keelie realized that she was a he. “Through there.”

Keelie rushed in that direction, anxious to get away from the confusing place. Why did Grandmother like this so much? A discordant feeling rippled through her body.

She heard a familiar jangle and turned, searching for the source of the sound. Peascod. She expected to see him in his familiar red and green suit. She didn’t see him, but she sensed him nearby. Keelie shivered, but kept moving. She didn’t want to meet him in a dark hall tonight.

A low murmur of voices came from behind a door. A religious service? A poetry reading? She opened the door carefully, not wanting to make noise. Inside, a circle of folding wooden chairs, each holding a costumed courtier, surrounded a small armchair upon which sat Grandmother, sumptuously costumed as Queen Elizabeth. She wore a white and crimson gown, and her face was painted white in a style Keelie knew had been popular in Shakespeare’s time. A woman in street clothes stood behind Grandmother, gluing pearls onto her tightly curled red wig.

Grandmother lowered the jeweled hand mirror she was using to observe the woman’s work. “Keliel, my dear, you should not be back here.”

Keelie wanted to tell her about the Northwoods healers, and about Peascod and Tavyn in the woods, and also ask what she thought of Kalix and Sariela’s strange behavior, but she couldn’t do it in front of all these people. Suddenly uncertain, Keelie backed up a step. “I wanted to be sure you were okay. I’m out front with Sean and Scott and Laurie.”

Grandmother made a motion as if to dismiss her. The courtiers looked at her curiously, but Grandmother did not introduce her. Embarrassed, Keelie closed the door gently behind her and pushed her way toward the stage.

The boy in the long golden wig smirked as she went by. “Granny didn’t care to see you?”

Keelie ignored him. Sure, Grandmother’s indifference stung a little, but she knew her better now. Grandmother was unpredictable. And she was glad for her—Grandmother was probably having more fun than she’d had in centuries.

Laurie waved to her from one of the upper balconies. Sean appeared a moment later with bottles of water, and the four of them sat packed together tightly on the bench seats.

Sean and Scott talked to a nearby group of vendors. Sean quickly introduced her to everyone, and they discussed taxes, inventory, foot traffic, and whose food shop was likeliest to induce food poisoning. Even Laurie joined in. After a while Keelie felt almost normal again.

By now the Globe

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