Chapter Text
It was okay. Isaac kept reminding himself of this. He’d done it, he’d got them out, a daring escape. Miria was safe and sleeping contentedly on his shoulder. It was all okay now. Right? They were
Safe. He’d managed to protect her, like he’d promised.
The police arrived back, having found the house empty, no sign of the intruders, but obviously ransacked. They offered the pair of them a ride home - well, they offered it to Isaac at least, Miria was still fast asleep. They also offered a guard, in case their attackers came back, only a couple of detectives that they could spare but that would probably be enough. Isaac touched Miria’s shoulder, nudging her awake.
She blinked at him through bleary eyes. “Isaac?”
“It’s alright, Miria.” He didn’t mention they hadn’t apprehended those men. “The police are going to protect us. It’ll be okay.”
She frowned. “Isaac, that man-”
“Doesn’t matter,” he finished. “You don’t have to talk about him, if it’ll make you sad. It’s no good feeling sad, Miria. I like seeing you smile.”
Miria sighed. “But Isaac...I want you to know. You’re my best friend, so I want to tell you. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
He smiled proudly and let her squeeze his hand. “Go ahead. If you’re certain.”
“I’m certain, Isaac. One hundred percent.” She swallowed. “He’s my brother. Harvey. We’re family. After our parents died, he looked after me.”
Isaac frowned. “Well, he wasn’t doing a very good job of looking after you. When I met you, he had a knife to your throat! Now, I don’t know much about how normal families interact, because mine’s not normal at all, but I’m fairly certain that isn’t. Normal.”
“I know, I know. He didn’t used to be so bad when we were younger. He used to make me paper butterflies. He called me little bird.” She shuffled her feet, not meeting his eye. “Things only got bad when he got older and then he started to get mad at me if I didn’t do what he said. He said it was my fault for being stupid.”
By nature, Isaac was not an angry person, but he saw red. “You’re not stupid!” He stood up, gesticulating wildly. “You’re incredible! Miria, you really are the most wonderful person I know! Your brother’s the stupid one if he can’t see that, and an awful awful man because he hurt you and-” He cut off. Miria’s eyes were wide with fear and she was shrinking away. He’d scared her. He stopped, and sat back down next to her, offering her a smile. “I’m sorry. It’s just...I can’t bear the thought of him hurting you. It makes me so furiously angry and angrily furious I want to travel back in time and clock him around the head with the hatstand all the harder.”
“Clock him around the head,” Miria repeated, awestruck. “You’re amazing, Isaac. I don’t know if I’d ever be brave enough to do that.”
“I’m sure you would be. I’m only brave enough, you know, because of you?”
“Really Isaac?” He nodded. She looked so excited. “So anyone can be brave?”
“If they have someone to be brave for, anyone can do anything.”
The police detective nearby coughed. “So were you planning on taking us up on that ride anytime soon or…?”
They headed to the car.
“Hey Isaac?” Miria began. “I’ve never been in a car before. What’s it like?”
Isaac smiled. “I guess you’re going to find out. It’s great fun, I promise.”
“Okay Isaac! I believe you!”
The police detective in the front shook his head. “Up on cloud nine, you are. Wish I could be so carefree, I tell you. Some of us got rent to pay. Either of you know what rent is?”
“What’s cloud nine, Isaac?” Miria asked instead, confused.
“Oh, that’s very simple. There are nine types of cloud that exist. When you’re up on cloud nine that means you’re probably going to fall a very long way and hit the ground.”
“Aah, Isaac! That’s scary! If you fall off a cloud and hit the ground, that might hurt!”
“It might,” Isaac agreed. “If you aren’t careful.”
“So you have to be very careful when you’re on cloud nine? So you don’t fall?”
“Exactly, Miria. You have to be very careful indeed.”
The other police detective sighed. “It’s hopeless. Hit the gas already.”
His colleague complied. Meanwhile, Miria was staring out of the window in excitement the whole way, watching the world go by.
Isaac would normally have been trying to lean as far out the window as he could, but this was probably a bad idea at the best of times, especially now. He paid little attention to the city streets as they passed.
Instead, he watched Miria. She was smiling again.
And that was beautiful.
-
When they got home, Isaac saw a familiar car waiting outside. Painfully familiar. It was the family car, and there were Doris, Aline’s maid, and Mr Choi the butler, getting luggage out. Another car was parked next to it and that was Isaac’s father’s special car, nobody else was allowed to drive it. Once Isaac had stolen it to drive around town and he’d received the hiding of his life when he’d returned with the paintwork ever-so-slightly scuffed. There were police outside, and down the street, and Isaac could see his mother arguing with one detective and demanding he let her past.
“Do you understand? I barely slept at all on board ship, I had the most frightful headache. Now you’re telling me there’s been some kind of a break-in and I’m not understanding a word you’re saying. Tell the man how time zones work, Francis, please .”
Isaac’s father dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief. “Was anything of value stolen? In my line of work, many valuable artifacts come through my hands for verification. If anything’s been taken-”
“Francis, that wasn’t what I asked. I asked for an explanation of time zones, not you worrying - selfishly, need I add, as always - about your career, when something far worse might have been stolen and our family’s privacy intruded upon.”
His father sighed. “Time zones occur due to the size of the Earth and its rotation, so that for parts of the world it is day while in other parts it is night. Due to our travels around Europe we have been living according to European time and attempting to readjust on our journey back. However it has been a long journey and my wife is, understandably, tired, so if we could be permitted inside to rest-”
“Permitted? Do they have to permit us into our own house now? Step aside, detective. We’re the owners of this property.”
“And the property within the property that may have been stolen,” added his father.
“I think you’re all conveniently forgetting about Isaac,” Aline remarked sarcastically.
“Yes, yes, we’ll get to him. When they let me in the house.” His mother waved a dismissive hand. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
Aline sighed, inspecting her impeccable long, red nails and shrugged hopelessly. “Honestly, Mother, you wouldn’t care if he’d been stabbed to death in the drawing room, beyond complaining about having to replace the carpets and asking why he couldn’t have died somewhere more convenient. Isn’t that so?”
“Aline! Save your voice! You must be tired out from all the concerts. It’s putting a strain upon your nerves. Where is that hopeless brother of yours anyway?” She tutted. “Couldn’t he have done a better job of keeping the house secure.”
“Well, Mother, I’m not an expert in crime or anything, but I believe when you leave someone alone criminals are naturally more likely to target said house. Not that I’d know anything about that.” Aline shrugged dramatically. “Anyway, he’s over there.” She pointed at Isaac as he sheepishly emerged from the police car, followed by a nervous Miria hiding behind him. “Hello, Isaac. The Europe tour was a disaster and my pianist ran away with his lover ten minutes before a show in Berlin so we had to find a substitute in time and rehearse and he didn't speak a word of English and was offkey the whole time and honestly I shall never sing again.” Aline had vowed never to sing again on a number of occasions. Each time, it seemed like she was more serious. She looked very serious.
“Aline!” Their mother was, of course, scandalised by the suggestion that their shining star might fall. She sniffed and looked over at Isaac. “Isaac. Who’s the scrawny little ragamuffin clutching on your tailcoats?”
“This is Miria,” Isaac replied, cheerfully. They’d love Miria. They had to love her. “Miria, this is my family.”
Miria peeked out from behind him shyly and waved.
“Is she wearing my dress?” Aline asked stiffly.
“Is that Aline?” Miria whispered. “She looks so beautiful!”
“Can hear you sweetheart. Thanks anyway. Isaac, why is there a girl wearing my dress? Not that it doesn’t look cute and all but…”
His father stepped forward. “Isaac, have you been getting up to anything improper?”
He shook his head. “No, of course not! Miria was in trouble and I saved her. She needed my help so I brought her home to keep her safe.”
“You brought a stranger into our house?” His mother sniffed again. “ I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d had something to do with the robbery. You should be questioning her, detectives. Actually doing your jobs, rather than refusing to let decent upstanding citizens into their own home.”
Miria quaked under that imperious gaze. “Isaac! She’s scary! Who is she? Is she a witch who isn’t witching because it’s not the witching hour?”
“That’s my mother,” Isaac admitted.
“Wow! Your mother! She doesn’t look a bit like you, Isaac. Her face is all bony and pointy!” Isaac’s mother narrowed her eyes and coughed. “Sorry Mrs Isaac’s Mother. I’m pleased to meet you! Isaac’s my best friend. He saved my life.”
“Please,” his mother laughed scornfully. “Isaac couldn’t save a kitten stuck up a tree. He couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag, let alone save anyone’s life.”
Isaac wilted. Being around Miria had made him feel so good he’d almost forgotten what feeling this bad felt like, until his mother started speaking and then the happiness ebbed away, little by little. He felt Miria’s hand grip his tight, her reassuring presence there as he was for her. And he felt better.
“That can’t be right,” Miria sounded dubious. “Isaac’s incredible.”
His mother scoffed. “Well, you’ve got this one wrapped around your little finger. When’s the wedding?” She eyed them coldly. “That was a joke, by the way,” she added quickly. “Since you don’t seem to have a grasp on humour. Either of you. Isaac…” She sighed, and he knew she was prepping herself for something big. “I didn’t think I’d have to tell you again about bringing riff-raff in off the street but apparently that’s a conversation we need to have. Are we sure she wasn’t in on the robbery?”
Isaac shook his head. “She was, but she didn’t want to be-”
Snapping her fingers, his mother whistled at the cops. “You heard him. She’s suspect. Question her. You can hold her in the- the drawing room. Well?” She clapped her hands together. “Get to it. Or do I need to speak to your superiors?”
The police exchanged hopeless looks and moved towards them. Isaac put himself between them and Miria.
“You can’t take her. Listen to me, she’s innocent.”
“Oh, she looks it. Those big eyes, like butter-wouldn’t-melt. I wouldn’t trust her.”
“Isaac, what’s going on?” Miria asked, clutching his arm desperately. “I’m scared.”
“Good little actress, isn’t she? I can’t blame you for falling for her. Probably the whole thing was a ruse from the start, since there’s no way you could save anyone to begin with,” his mother said darkly.
Isaac shook his head. He knew Miria was genuine. Miria was real, and he knew it. And he could prove it if they’d listen to him. Miria wasn’t- she wouldn’t . She’d needed his help and he’d helped her and now they were making it sound like she was a villain all along. She wasn’t . Didn’t they see? Didn’t they listen to what had happened?
The two detectives waiting in the car emerged, coming up behind them and taking Miria by the arms.
“Isaac!” she cried, wriggling in their grip. “Help me.”
“Not now, Isaac. This way.” His mother was steering him inside the house and there was nothing he could do but watch them escorting Miria only a few feet away, heading for the drawing room to question her. He looked at her, feeling helpless and hopeless and lacking in any skills a dragonslayer might need if he were going to protect a princess. She met his eyes, tears welling up.
“Isaac!” she called out again. Then the door shut and she was out of sight. And everything had gone wrong. They might arrest Miria! He might never see her again. He had to explain…
The moment he opened his mouth to speak, his father cut him off.
“If your liaison with this girl jeopardises my career, there will be trouble.”
“Never mind your career!” interrupted his wife “What about Aline’s nerves? The shock could have an ill effect on her health and you know how highly strung she is. Aline, dear? Are you feeling alright?”
Aline shook her head. “I-I’m feeling faint. Isaac, can you escort me up to my room?”
“Now now, that’s what we pay Doris for-”
“I’d prefer if it was Isaac,” Aline snapped. “I have so missed him while we’ve been in Europe.” She looped an arm around Isaac’s. “Come along, brother dearest. I can lecture him about the error of his ways and the inherent wickedness of mankind, womankind, animalkind, et cetera. Drum some sense into him, isn’t that right, Mother?”
Reluctantly their mother nodded and Aline gave a lazy, predatory smile as she leaned on Isaac and followed him out of the room. As soon as they were out of sight, the fainting act vanished and she stood up straight, fishing under some assorted junk and producing a key. “This key opens a door that connects the closet there to the drawing room. Do with it what you will. Don’t ask why, either. You ask too many questions. You know Mother will paint it like this girl’s the problem and that doesn’t seem to be the case. I don’t care either way. You seem happy with her. Are you?” He nodded wordlessly. “Good. I can distract the police. You get out with-” She frowned. “Whatever her name is.”
“Miria."
“Maria?”
“No, Miria.”
"Miriam?"
"Miria."
“That’s a weird name. But then, I can hardly talk.” Aline flicked her hair. “Well, Isaac? You want to get this show on the road?” She opened the closet. “Get moving. Time’s a-wasting.”
“Thank you, Aline. Really and truly.”
“Yes, whatever,” Aline humphed. “Shut up already.” He did. She closed the closet. Isaac moved backwards, toward the door they weren’t supposed to know existed, let alone use . If he’d known where the key was, it would have featured in hide-and-seek, but he was never allowed a key. On account of not being trusted to behave like a sensible adult. Aline had given him the key. She was helping.
He found the keyhole and peered through it. Miria was seated on a chair, fiddling with her dress and stammering out answers to questions. She was scared. Alone. He had to protect her. That was his job.
An ear-splitting shriek. “Robbers! Thieves! Rapists!” Aline was hamming it up for all she was worth. “Help! Police!” The police watching Miria headed straight for the door, leaving Miria unguarded. Isaac opened the secret door and ran straight in, unhindered.
“Isaac!” Miria was overcome with delight, as he’d known she would be. “I knew you’d come for me!”
“Of course, Miria! Anything for you. This way.” He took her hand, heading for the other exit to the drawing room, which led into another hallway which led to the garden. By the time they were in the garden, police whistles could be heard. The deception had been discovered. But they were running already, running so fast nobody could keep up with them, not even the fastest man alive, not even the fastest land animal, nobody and nothing.
Over the fence.
And then off.
To freedom.
-
“Hey, Isaac? I have a question.”
“What’s that, Miria?”
“What do we do now?”
…
“Well, we need money. I’m sure if we go back and borrow some from home, they won’t mind.”
“But isn’t borrowing without permission stealing? And isn’t that bad?”
“We need to get out of town so you’ll be safe. So your brother can’t find us and so the police can’t either. To do that, we need money. Borrowing without permission’s alright if you really need it. And it’s my family. Some of the money is mine to begin with so I can go and get ”
“It is?”
“Yeah. It is.”
“Oh wow! You’re so smart, Isaac! What then?”
“We grab the first train out of here, that’s what. We live wild like they do in books, scraping by on our wits. Just you wait, Miria. We’ll be an unstoppable duo! They’ll write songs about us for Aline to sing. It’ll be wonderful.”
“That’s incredible! Songs about us! We’re already an unstoppable duo, who knows what amazing things we can do next?”
“Who knows indeed? Let’s find out, Miria.”
“Together?”
“Together.”