Hatter's Heart - Erin Bedford Page 0,22

neck came stumbling out of the boat's cabin. Most kelpie were the shade of the water they lived in, green or blue but this one's yellowish tinge made my stomach roll.

"What're you hollerin' for?" the kelpie croaked, stumbling until he almost fell overboard.

Walrus reached out and grabbed him by the back of his overalls and hauled him back into the boat. With a sad smile, Walrus held his companion up. "As you can see, Carpenter isn't doing so well these days."

"What happened?" I asked even though I had my suspicious already.

Shrugging a large shoulder, Walrus peered down at his sick friend. "We don't know. He just started feeling bad the other day and hasn't been the same since. And we don't ever get sick. Sea life has hardened us." He beat on his stomach with a proud grunt.

Trip cried out and pulled on his ears as he whispered to me, "The sickness. It is the sickness it is!"

I glanced down at Trip a moment and then over to Mop who gave me a little nod. Slowly, I inched across the dock, each creak and groan making my stomach drop into my butt. I didn't fancy getting wet today though it seemed that I didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

Once I arrived at the end of the dock where I could see Walrus more clearly, I explained in a calm and even manner, "We know what's wrong with Carpenter."

Walrus's eyes widened but then his mouth twisted to the side suspicion filling his gaze. "What did you do this time, pretender?"

I let out an indigent sound, shoving my fists on my hips. "Why do you automatically assume I did something?"

Snorting, Walrus stared down at me intently. "Are you saying you didn't?"

"Of course not. I haven't even been in the Underground for months." I dropped my arms down to my sides and stared back at him. I would not be intimidated by some blubber bellied Fae.

"That don't mean nothing. You could have done something in the human world to affect our world. What is it? Just come out and say it already. Then we can fix your mess."

"My mess?" I screeched, stomping my foot causing the deck to groan underneath me in protest.

"Would ye two knock it off?" Mop scowled. "Yer arguin' ain't gonna solve nothin'. Poor Carpenter be barely holdin' on by a thread as it be." He gestured roughly at the practically comatose kelpie.

Glaring at each other, neither myself or Walrus wanted to give in first. Finally, Walrus dropped his gaze to his friend and frowned. "If you can help him, do it."

I sighed and relaxed slightly. "We can't. Not yet anyway." Then remembering my purpose there, I asked, “Have you seen Hatter?”

Walrus frowned and scratched his chin. “Nope, haven’t seen that nutter for a fortnight.”

“A fortnight?” I practically screeched. “He just left this morning! Oh, we’re so behind.”

“Donna worry, Alice. We find ‘em.”

“Is Hatter missing?” Walrus asked glancing between us. “Does he have something to do with this sickness?”

I shifted in place. “In a way.”

"Then why are we wasting time. What do you need?" Walrus stomped across the deck of his boat over to the gangway, making it rock from side to side.

"The sickness has returned to the Underground," I answered not believing it myself even after seeing it. "We have to find someone to stop it."

"Then sickness?" Walrus stopped in his tracks, the plank in his hands. "Are you sure?"

Nodding soberly, Mop replied, "Ye should see Seer, she be knockin' on the Reaper's door right now."

"Seer?" Walrus swore and shook his head, his fat folds on his face making a slapping noise with the movement. "Get on, I'll get you across the swamp."

He lowered the ramp onto the dock, making the wood splinter and protest. I barely waited until the ramp was settled before hoping onto it, more than ready to be off the rickety dock. Mop and Trip hurried after me and onto the boat.

I waited for Walrus to pull the ramp back up before asking him, "Where exactly does this swamp end at?"

Walrus shrugged a large shoulder. "No telling these days. We were on the other side of the Orchard right up against the Seelie Crystal Forest. Next thing we know we're looking at mushrooms for days."

Sighing, I found a seat against the side of the boat and then grimaced as my skirts got wet. So much for staying dry. On other matters, this was all getting so complicated. I just wanted to find