Linus and Arthur exited the vehicle, slamming the doors shut behind them. Linus was relieved to see the crowd wasn’t as large as it first appeared. There were perhaps a dozen people, including Helen and Merle. He wasn’t surprised to see Marty from the record shop in the crowd, wearing a neck brace. He held a sign that said YES, I WAS INJURED BY THE SCION OF THE DEVIL. ASK ME HOW! Next to him was the man from the post office. Linus wasn’t surprised. He never liked that fellow all that much to begin with.
The shouts died once more as Linus and Arthur climbed the steps next to the dock, though they didn’t die out completely.
“What is the meaning of this?” Linus demanded as he reached the dock. “My name is Linus Baker, and I am in the employ of the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. Yes, that’s correct. A government official. And when a government official wants answers, said answers had best be given as quickly as possible.”
“They tried to swarm my ferry,” Merle said, eyeing the crowd and Arthur with distaste in equal measure. “Said they wanted to get to the island. I wouldn’t let them.”
“Thank you, Merle,” Linus said, surprised at the ferryman’s thoughtfulness. “I wouldn’t have expected—”
“They refused to pay me,” Merle snapped. “I don’t do nothin’ for free.”
Linus bit his tongue.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Helen told Arthur. “I have this under control. I wouldn’t let anything happen to you or the children.” She glared at her nephew, who tried to slink back farther into the crowd. “Some people don’t know when to keep their mouths shut. Oh, you can try and hide, Martin Smythe, but I see you. I see you very well. I see all of you. And I have a long, long memory.”
“I’m sure you have this well in hand,” Arthur said, voice even. “But it always helps to have people by your side.”
Linus stepped forward. The sun was bright, causing him to sweat profusely. He glared at the group of people before him. He’d never been the intimidating sort, much to his consternation, but he wasn’t about to allow these people to do whatever had gotten stuck in their heads. “What is the meaning of this?”
He felt a savage glee when the crowd took a step back as one.
“Well? You seemed to have a voice just fine until we arrived. Anyone? Surely someone is willing to speak.”
It was Norman who did. Linus wasn’t surprised. “We want them gone,” he growled. “The children. The orphanage. The island. All of it.”
Linus stared at him. “And how do you expect to rid yourselves of an entire island?”
Norman flushed with anger. “That’s—you see—that’s not the point.”
Linus threw up his hands. “Then what, pray tell, is the point?”
Norman spluttered before saying, “The Antichrist child. He almost killed Marty!”
The crowd rumbled behind him in agreement.
Norman nodded furiously. “Yes, that’s right. There Marty was, minding his own business when that—that thing came into town and threatened his life! Threw the poor sod against the wall like it was nothing. He’s permanently injured. The fact that he’s even walking is a miracle!”
Helen scoffed. “Permanently injured, my arse.”
“Look at his neck brace!” the postmaster cried. “No one wears a neck brace unless they’ve been seriously hurt!”
“Really,” Helen said. “Because that neck brace seems to be the exact one I had in my closet at home that I was given after a car accident years ago.”
“It’s not!” Marty exclaimed. “I went to the doctor, and he gave it to me after telling me that my spine was mostly powder and I was lucky to be alive!”
“That I believe,” Linus muttered. “You would be spineless.”
Helen rolled her eyes. “Martin, there’s a tag on the back. It has my initials on it. You forgot to tear it off. We can all see it.”
“Oh,” Martin said. “Well, that’s … merely a coincidence?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Norman said hotly. “We have all decided the children are a menace. They represent a danger to us all. We’ve abided long enough with their wickedness. What happens if they come for the rest of us, just as they did Marty?”
“Did he tell you that he tried to take a small child into a locked room by himself in an attempt to exorcise him?” Linus asked. “Because I’m positive there are laws against kidnapping and attempted assault, regardless of who the child may be.”
The crowd turned slowly to look at Marty.
Marty found something awfully curious at the ground beneath his feet.
Norman shook his head. “His actions were misguided, but the point remains the same. Are we not allowed to protect ourselves? You say they’re children. Fine. But we have our own children to worry about.”
“Strange,” Helen said, coming to stand next to Linus. “Because not a single one of you is a parent.”
Norman was getting worked up again. “That’s because they were too afraid to be here!”
“Name one,” Helen said.
Norman said, “I won’t have you trying to trick me. I know you don’t see it, Helen, and that’s on you. But we won’t allow our lives to be threatened when—”
Linus laughed bitterly. “Threatened? By whom? Who in the world has threatened you aside from me?”
“They have!” a woman cried in the back of the crowed. “By simply existing, they’re a threat!”
“I don’t believe you,” Linus said. “I have been by their side for a month, and I have heard nary a whisper of a threat. In fact, the only time I’ve ever thought there was danger, aside from Marty’s ill-advised attempt against a child, was from you lot here. Say you crossed to the island. What would you do? Would you lay your hands upon them? Would you strike them? Hurt them? Kill them?”
Norman paled. “That’s not what we—”
“Then what are you doing? Because surely you have some idea. You have gathered yourselves in a crowd, working yourselves up in a tizzy. Your groupthink has poisoned you, and I hate to wonder what would have happened had you gained access to the island. I never thought I’d say this, but thank Christ Merle was here to refuse you passage on his ferry.”
“Yeah,” Merle said. “I told you payment was required, but you refused!”
“Honestly, Merle,” Helen said. “Learn to keep your mouth shut when you’re receiving soft praise, why don’t you?”
“Disperse,” Linus said. “Or I will do everything in my power to make sure—”
He couldn’t see who it came from. Someone in the middle of the crowd. He didn’t think it was Marty, but it happened quickly. A hand raised, and clutched in its fingers was a large rock. The hand pulled back before jerking forward, the rock flying toward them. Linus didn’t have time to consider who it had been aimed for, but Helen was in its path. He moved in front of her, his back to the crowd, shielding her. He closed his eyes and waited for impact.
It never came.
Instead, it was as if the sun had crashed to the Earth. The air grew warmer and warmer until it felt like it was on fire. He opened his eyes, his face inches from Helen’s. But she wasn’t looking at him. She was staring up above him in wonder, her eyes reflecting waves of fire.