[Nostalgic, Hope]
We left the gnome construction crew and started back toward the bakery, the empty shop with the coming soon sign had construction going on as well. I wondered what kind of business was coming. It looked like a dwarven construction crew, which was surprising, Nim was the only dwarf I knew in town, in fact I thought she was the only dwarf in town. I thought all the dwarves lived in Mithril Mountains.
I pointed out the dwarves working inside, to Maz. In contrast to the gnomes the dwarves were either whistling or singing and all appeared to be working hard at a fairly fast pace. But each appeared to be working solitarily building a table or chair. The round tables looked identical to the teahouse’s tables and the chairs looked very similar as well.
I just hope it’s not another teahouse, the bakery teahouse hadn’t opened that long ago. Was it long enough to develop its own loyal customer base? I can only hope so, or maybe if it is a teahouse it will only be open at night. That would be alright, Ruby and Salome’s teahouse was only open during the day.
We hurried to the bakery, maybe Paula or Lily knew what kind of business was coming.
We went up the steps to the teahouse. It was a little chilly today but as soon as you passed into the magical field you felt warm and cozy. I pointed it out to Maz, explaining the teahouse would operate year round out on the porch, the customers would be able to sit with just a t-shirt in a blizzard.
Ruby and Salome were busy waiting on customers, so I just waved to each of them and we entered the bakery. At the sound of the bell ring as we open the door.
“Welcome to Madd Maggies Magical Bakery. Oh hello Rose, and friend.”
“Hi Paula, this is Dr Mazoola Dakkar, a friend from Earth, he’s a fan of yours and wanted to meet you.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Dr Dakkar, welcome to Wyldwood.”
“Thank you, it’s amazing here, just amazing. Please call me Maz”
“Maz please call me Paula, are you both here for Sparky’s donuts?”
“Yes and an extra dozen please for another guest and Opal, Paula do you know what the store next to the bakery is selling?”
“No but I heard from the owners that they wouldn’t dare try to compete with us or the teahouse.”
“That’s good news, Ruby and Salome are doing great running the teahouse. I don't want to see anyone steal their thunder. Say, Paula do you have any Funny Looking Muffins? I’d like for Maz to try a magical baked good and those are remarkably fun.”
“Sure Rose, so Maz what brings you to Wyldwood?”
“I’m a zoologist and Rose promised to introduce me to a dwarf and a fey and she just took me to see the Gnome builders. Who are incredible, they remind me of a flock of swallows, the precision which they move, without verbal clues. I don’t know if it is innate timing or are they watching each other for subtle body language.”
“That’s incredibly offensive Maz, my girl friend just happens to be Fey, she’s a person not an animal.”
“Paula, I meant no offense, but I disagree with you. I believe in evolution, and my best friend is a chimpanzee, one of the smartest beings I know. I believe right now he’s teaching Sparky not to underestimate a great ape when it comes to chess. I certainly class humans as animals. From just a cursory look while they were working I would classify them as mammals. But this is from an Earth based zoologist using Darwin as his guide. Perhaps they evolved through some magical means other than survival of the fittest.”
“Sorry Maz, I thought you were being racist.”
“Oh, I’m definitely a racist Paula, I just happen to think that humans are the worst race. Just take a look at what they’ve done to the Earth in the name of progress and profit. They created a religion that tells them to enslave animals, they deny that man is creating global warming so that fossil fuel companies can continue to make obscene profits.”
Paula laughs, “I can see why you are a friend of Roses. Try this muffin, please, I think you more than anyone will enjoy the effect.”
Maz took a bite.
“Rose what is happening my face feels strange?”
“That only lasts for a minute, Maz it should feel fine soon, see it should be calming down already.”
“What was that Paula? A drug?”
“No, Maz, just step back a couple of paces and look at your reflection in the glass display case.”
“Holy Goodall, I have the face of an ant.”
“Just for a few hours then you will look just like normal again, Rose and I thought you’d enjoy it. I’m sorry.”
“No Paula I do enjoy it, it’s strictly an illusion, I don’t have the strength of an ant, nor the senses, just the beauty of an ant head.”
“Come on Maz, I have to get Sparky his breakfast soon or he’ll kill me. Thanks Paula.”
We left the bakery, the teahouse was still crowded, I just hope that Paula is correct and the new business opening up won’t have a harmful impact on my friend’s businesses.
We make it back to the bookstore and Sparky looks annoyed and Opal delighted. Apparently Sparky lost two games in very quick succession. Groucho being Groucho has been rubbing it in.
“About time you’re back junior apprentice, the senior apprentice is quite hungry as is the overly talkative chess player.”
Opal didn’t look particularly hungry but she did accept a donut, as did Maz and Groucho.
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“Sparky I’m going to take Maz and Groucho to the library, I have an idea for storytime that I think the kids are going to love.”
“Fine, but monkey, I’ll have my revenge when next we play.”
“Just keep telling yourself that Spark, maybe you’ll even believe it.”
“Come on Groucho, Maz we can eat the donuts on the way to the library.”
I pointed out The Jack in the Green Inn, telling them that’s where Lu works as a bard. We passed the town hall and continued down the narrow lanes until we reached the library.
Eldara was seated at the desk, she looked up and smiled, when a man with an ants head and a monkey walked into her library.
“Hi Eldara, I want to introduce my friends Dr Mazoola Dakkar in an ant illusion and Groucho.”
Groucho said “"Sei un ladro? Perché hai appena rubato il mio cuore." (Are you a thief? Because you just stole my heart.)
Eldara beamed, “Groucho aren’t you just the cutest.”
Groucho shot back "Hai una mappa? Mi sono perso nei tuoi occhi." (Do you have a map? I got lost in your eyes.)
She laughed and said that maps are in the geography section.
“I have a great idea, how long till story time?”
“About ten minutes.”
“What if you let Groucho read to the kids in English, not Italian. I brought a book from the store just in case the library copy is checked out.”
The kids all sat in a round circle around an empty chair, Eldara walked up onto the stage.
“Good morning children”
“Good Morning Eldara”
“This morning we have a special guest who’s going to read to you.”
“Noo, we like it when you read to us Eldara.”
“Thank you Tommy, but that is being mean to the special guest who you haven’t even met yet. Groucho, will you please come up on stage.”
A Chimpanzee came bounding out of the aisle where he was hidden and made for the stage at a sprint. He looked like he was going to run into the kids seated to the left of the stage but just before he would have hit them he leapt up into the air, did three summersaults and landed on the stage. The kids were shocked at first but then began to laugh, point, shout and clap all at the same time.
Groucho walked in front of the chair, bowed, did a standing backflip landing right on the chair. The kids laughed and pointed and clapped again. Adults began to come over to see what book had the kids so entranced. The adults smiled as wide as the kids, and the real trick was just about to be revealed, by the monkey in the old-timey football headgear.
Groucho said “George, a "good little monkey, and always very curious," is living in the jungle.”
He acted sad when he was captured, out of control on the sea voyage, sad when arrested, happy when he escapes, scared up a pole, happy at the zoo.
It’s too bad McCracken wasn’t here; he would have cast Groucho on the spot, for any play they cared to put on. The kids, adults and Eldara gave Groucho a standing ovation to which bowed deeply, did another summersault right on the chair.
“Okay children, bring the books you want to check out to the desk, the library will be closing soon, after you get checked out, you’ll get a handshake from the best guest reader we’ve ever had here at the library.”
Groucho stood there patiently and shook every kid's hand. I’m sure some of those kids had no plan to check out a book, but if they could actually touch the chimp, they’d check out as many books as required.
When the last kid had shook Groucho’s hand, Eldara locked the library and said.
“Please let me take you to my girlfriend's bakery for a light lunch. Groucho you were just brilliant and Rose you are a genius.”
To his credit, Groucho didn’t even look taken aback at the mention of the ‘girlfriend’
“No Maz is the genius, he invented the helmet, I just remembered a childhood favorite and recognized a real showman.”
We walked down to the teahouse, Eldara and I pointing out the interesting local sights. Groucho waved to the shy kids staring out windows or hiding behind their mothers skirts.
Salome came running over to wait on us when we arrived, she must have heard about Groucho from Ruby. She said, “Groucho, we have something special Lily baked for you.”
She came back with a cutting board, a knife and a loaf like looking cake.
“It’s banana bread, please try it and I’ll let Lily know if it meets your approval.”
Groucho ate three pieces pretty quickly and told Salome that he’d really enjoyed it. Meanwhile Maz fired question after question at Eldara about her fey heritage, what she considers are the biggest differences between fey and humans. Paula and Lily came out and joined us and I introduced Groucho and Maz.
“Lily, thank you the banana bread was delicious.”
Everyone wanted to know what Maz and Groucho thought of Wyldwood.
“Groucho, what's the thing you like best about Wyldwood?”
“I like that I can just walk around town and not worry about some government grabbing me to use for research or a weapon. I also had a blast reading to the kids at the library and beating Sparky two games to none in chess was also pretty good but not as good as this banana bread.”
“How about you Maz?”
“The thing I’m most impressed with is how accepting you all are, not just of Groucho and I but of each other. Today I saw master craftsmen at work, Gnomes, Dwarves met a Fey librarian and met humans who aren’t trying to murder each other or the other races that inhabit this town. The gnomes who are so happy to be members of the community they donate their time to civic projects. The people who look at Groucho and wave instead of seeing a dollar sign above his head. If only the people on Earth could learn to do that.”
