Work Text:
1996, September the 3rd
Hugh and Fiona were sitting under a tree not far from the meadow in which the house stood. Kids today were very active in the garden, looking almost under every bush and the couple decided to run off for a short while into the forest, leaving Emma and Bronwyn to look after the children. They settled on the roots of an old oak densely covered with ivy and read “Tales of the Peculiar” to the quiet hum of bees. Fiona rummaged in the pocket of her apron that she hadn’t had time to take off in a hurry, took out some seeds, threw them into the ground and instantly grew flowers. She then plucked a few of them, and after settling herself comfortably, she hugged Hugh and began to weave him a wreath. Hugh embraced her and continued leafing through the pages, looking for her favorite tale. Opening the right turn, he began to read.
There was once a peculiar woman named Hildy. She had a high laughing voice and dark brown skin, and she could see ghosts. She wasn’t frightened by them at all. Her twin sister drowned when they were children, and when Hildy was growing up, her sister’s ghost was her closest friend. They did everything together: ran through the poppy fields that surrounded their house, played stick-a-whack on the village green, and stayed up late telling each other scary stories about living people.
Fiona liked this story most of all, because she saw a reflection of herself in the main character. Before Fiona met Hugh she was lonely and reserved. It was thanks to his help that she returned to the people, although she remained as silent. Fastening the last stalk, Fiona smiled and put a wreath of white and yellow flowers on Hugh's head. He smiled back at her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. The bees that had been sitting on his cheeks flew over the flowers, pleasantly buzzing. Several insects moved into the girl's hair. In Fiona’s unkempt braid, there were small blue and white flowers, here and there, too. Above her forehead, their stems intertwined more tightly, creating a living headband for her magnificent hair. Such decoration made the her image even more natural and romantic.
– Thank you my dear violet.
Hugh leaned toward the girl's face, gently touching her lips, and kissed her. She leaned forward, hugging him by the shoulders, the book slipped from Hugh's knees, but they paid it no mind. Fiona kissed him, a little clumsily, but with genuine love, and both considered it the best that ever was between them. They perfectly complemented each other, as well as their peculiarities. There was a sudden rustle nearby. Fiona startled frightened, backing away from Hugh. He took her hand and tilted his head to the side where the sounds came from, listening to the conversation.
– I'm willing to bet that the calculations are correct. Everything should have worked just fine!
– Nevertheless, Benny, we are still rectifying the consequences of the explosion. It's not so simple.
Jack and Myron Bentham came out from behind the trees and grinned kindly upon noticing the couple. Under their glances, the girl blushed and looked down, and Jack cheerfully winked at Hugh and shook his hand. They exchanged a couple of words with the young people; the brothers went further along the path and after a couple of minutes found themselves in a large sunlit glade in the center of which towered a beautiful three-story house. He looked hospitable and very cozy: clean stained glass windows, skillful exterior decoration, proudly aspiring turrets and chimneys. The lawn in front of the house was full of flowers and neatly clipped shrubs. A female figure in a dark dress appeared on the porch. For a minute she stood motionless, and then hurried to meet the guests.
– Jack, Myron, what a pleasant surprise, – Miss Peregrine hugged each of the brothers in turn and smiled warmly.
– Well, Alma, today is the third of September, – Jack reminded her with a grin. – We promised, that we would visit you every year, and we keep our word. At least, we try.
– When every day is the third of September, sometimes you miss the moment when it comes in the present, – the ymbryne sighed, looking away into the distance. As much as she did not like her loop, the monotony gets boring.
She invited the brothers into the house and led them to the dining room. There, at the table, sat Horace and leafed through the fashion catalogue. Seeing the adults, he got up and politely shook hands with the brothers, then caught the headmistress's eye and left the kitchen, giving them an opportunity to talk. Jack put the bulky travel bag on a chair and sat down at the table. Alma went to the stove and began making tea, while simultaneously asking the brothers:
– How did you get here? Is everything fine? Millicent Thrush recently wrote to me that the creatures were flying around in London.
– Do not worry, Alma. The Panloopticon makes travel faster and safer. Yes, – said Myron not without pride, catching her inquiring glance. – We finally opened the door from our corridor to Miss Wren's loop, so this time we got here in just a couple of hours.
– It's certainly wonderful and comfortable, but at the same time it's not safe, – Alma said with a sigh. – Of course, I am happy about your successes, but I can't allow to do the same with my loop. If, Bird forbid, the wights get into the Panloopticon, they will have access to more than a hundred loops around the world overnight.
– No, we will not allow this, – Jack immediately hastened to convince her, – don`t even think about it. The entrance to the control room is equipped with an alarm system, and without special codes, they can't activate any door. Moreover, emergency shutdown will work instantly, we can guarantee this.
– And yet it will be calmer for me, if there is only one entrance to my loop.
– As you wish sister, – Myron replied with a smile, realizing that Alma's decision was unshakable.
Alma made tea, sat down next to her brothers and asked how things are going in their laboratory, asked about the success of the latest experiments. Jack briefly told his sister what they were working on. He was not very pleased with the results they had received recently, and he did not want to discuss it.
– Jack is a little pessimistic about our current project and believes that nothing will work, – Myron had a different opinion and was ready to convince everyone that he was right. He talked to Alma for a long time about the work done. At the end of his story, the senior Bentham snorted and said, addressing his sister: "If you knew all the details and saw everything yourself, you would agree with me."
– And you left everything unattended for a few days?
– Nim and Sharon can look after the laboratories, until we return, they are the responsible workers, – after drinking some tea, Myron fell silent for a while, and then he started, remembering something. – By the way, Miss Raven came to see us the other day and asked me to give you this.
He held out a voluminous envelope to his sister, in which was a letter and a pamphlet. Alma took them out, examined them and hurriedly flipped through the book. Judging by the battered cover, it was obviously old, and the ymbryne dug it out in an old loop.
– Thank you, Myron. Cassandra had long promised to find the first edition, but it was dangerous to forward it.
***
Leaving the dining room, Horace met Enoch and Olivia in the living room. They were avidly discussing a book, but they got distracted from this in order to listen to the news of a friend. The girl leapt off the sofa with a squealing yelp and hurried into the garden as quickly as she could. There, along with Bronwyn (Emma had already gone somewhere), Claire, Rama and Ha were playing hide-and-seek, then tag. Adelaide was sitting on the bench, a plump ten-year-old girl who watched the game and sometimes confused friends, imitating their voices. Olivia quickly spread the news about the arrival of the guests, and in about five minutes almost all the kids gathered in the dining room. The children settled to the right of the brothers, waiting for their fascinating stories, Bronwyn and Horace sat opposite them. Enoch brought a couple of extra chairs from the living room and set them on the opposite side of the table. Myron began to give gifts to children, while telling them a story about his last visit to the loop of Rarotonga.
– Mr. Nullings, put something on. Polite people do not appear before guests without pants, – scolded the ymbryne, looking at the book floating in the doorway. "Ok, Miss P.", he said and obediently went upstairs. Usually the invisible boy objected to such remarks, but today was not the day when he could spend time arguing. Emma came down to the kitchen, and now everyone was there, except for Hugh and Fiona who haven't returned yet.
– Mr. Bentham, – Olivia and Adelaide whispered to Jack, – can you teach us how to make traps for mice? We want to give them to Enoch so that he could revive our dolls. We already asked, but he said that he does not have extra. And it's so cool when the toys move by themselves!
– I think I can help you. Find a high bucket, a rope, a couple of newspapers and a glass jar. In addition, some delicacy for them.
– Yes, Mr. Bentham.
– Jack! – Miss Peregrine appeared behind his back literally from nowhere. – Do not even try to teach the children any obscenities again. It took us too long to recover from their last pranks, performed under your leadership.
– Alma, how can you say that? Do you really think this of me? – gasped Jack dramatically, and Myron could hardly contain his laughter, for which his sister gave him an outraged look.
Slipping from the dining room, the girls ran away to look for the materials indicated. They were followed by Claire who also dreamed of a living doll and decided to help. She pulled a stack of newspapers out of the closet, grabbed a long string and ran into the greenhouse, where the girls had already found a bucket. They collected all the parts of the future trap and went back to the house. Jack met them in the corridor; he had in his hands a piece of cheese and a vanilla bun. After inspecting their inventory, he nodded approvingly, and the whole company hurried to the basement, trying not to make any noise, so as not to attract unnecessary attention. Downstairs it was damp and scary, but for the sake of achieving their goal, the girls tried to pay no attention to it. Jack inspected the room. Along the entire perimeter there were racks, stacked with cans with entrails. Тhere was a squeaking sound аt the farthest corner, they decided to set the trap there. The man quickly made the contraption, putting a couple of newspapers on a bucket and fixing them with a piece of rope, in the center of the newspapers he cut a cross-shaped hole and hung a snack over it. Jack pushed several boxes to the bucket so that the mice could climb up.
– Come here tomorrow morning, someone will surely get caught in it by that time. Nevertheless, don’t open the trap ahead of time and immediately call Enoch. He is better in dealing with them.
– Thank you, Mr. Bentham, – said Claire and hugged him. He smiled and took her in his arms. The company moved to the exit from the basement.
They went upstairs and saw Alma and Myron organizing children for a trip to the beach. The ymbrine succumbed to the children’s persuasion and decided to cancel lessons for today, allowing them to go for a walk. By this time, Hugh and Fiona returned and hurried upstairs to change. The rest of the boys took their hats, towels and aligned in the corridor. Bronwyn held three blankets in her hand, the ball and at the same time tried to keep the twins next to her. Millard, despite the remarks of the headmistress, put on only shorts and a cap, arguing that they are going to bathe and he will need to remove clothes anyway. Alma herself put on a blouse with short sleeves, a loose skirt and a wide-brimmed hat. Jack hung his jacket on the hanger, took off his shoes and went out on the porch barefoot. He noticed his sister’s displeased look and smiled apologetically. The peculiars went to the beach. Fortunately, they passed through the village without any issues, this morning the children did not have time to do anything, and after a couple of minutes they were on the shore. The boys ran to the water, yelling joyfully and hastily dropping their clothes. Their cries were immediately followed by ymbryne’s stern voice: "Do not swim far!" Soon they were joined by the rest – the children were swimming, playing and splashing. Bronwyn and Jack arranged a swimming race, while Emma, Enoch and Millard acted as cheerleaders and kept time. Alma, Myron and Horace remained on the beach. Adults discussed some complicated question, and the boy read another fashionable catalogue. Ymbryne called to the little ones to go out of the water to warm themselves, but the guys got too carried away and did not hear her. She walked to the edge of the water, repeating her request. Watching the children sit on the bedspreads, Alma did not notice Jack, who crept up behind and splashed her. While his sister was confused, he pulled her off the ground and carried to the depth. Alma’s hat flew off her head, the clothes immediately got wet. The ymbryne angrily demanded to bring her back. From the shore carried the sounds of muffled laughter, children were amused by this situation.
– Jack, stop it immediately! – ymbryne added indignantly, this time quieter. – You are shamelessly undermining my authority!
– Even the strictest and most formal headmistress should sometimes rest.
– I do not want to swim. Let go of me, – he reacted instantly to this last phrase, and the next second Alma fell in the water without support. She floundered, trying to take a stable position, and, in search of support, grabbed her brother's hand. Her tone was hurt. – You know, that I don't float very well, and it was not funny at all.
– So maybe it's time I learned how to swim. The water here is only one and a half meters deep, and it’s not like I would abandon you, – Jack looked at the sister and shook his head in irritation. – Or are you going to have me stand in a corner and leave me without sweets, – he joked, helping Alma to stand on his feet and leading her back to the shore. She gave him a scathing look and took off her wet clothes. Fortunately, things were drying fast in the hot sun.
It was getting very hot, dinnertime was approaching and the peculiars headed back home. Upon returning to the house, the children immediately rushed to the kitchen, because after the walk everyone incredibly thirsty. Glancing at her watch, Miss Peregrine shook her head – according to the timetable, they should have dined half an hour ago. When the children caught their breath and quenched their thirst, they began helping the ymbryne with cooking. Things went fast and smooth.
After dinner, children went to their rooms, while the older pupils settled in the armchairs in the living room wondering what to do. The Bentham brothers decided that it was time they gave the children their books. "There's something interesting for everyone here," — Jack said, giving Enoch some technical magazines, and Emma — a couple of novels. Bronwyn received a large collection of adventure stories. Knowing how fond Millard was of science, Bentham brought him several collections of materials from scientific conferences in various fields of knowledge. Millard was ready to begin reading at the same moment, but Miss Peregrine took the brochures away, saying he should show respect and hospitality. It was in vain, because for the next few hours Millard was unceasingly asking Myron and Jack about scientific achievements in the real world while constantly scribbling something in his notebook. The children sitting next to them were also listening, but they were not as interested as Millard.
– Don’t tell me you're still studying pigs, kid, – Jack said, looking at Millard's thick notebook. He had a lot of them and never left his room without a pencil and paper.
– Actually, I've been researching the sheep for two years. They are more active and more sensitive to my presence. I have to be careful not to scare them away.
Millard, Myron and Jack's speech became more and more filled with scientific terms. Some children got bored, and they left the living room in search of more interesting things to do. Bronwyn, with the permission of Miss Peregrine, went with Olivia and Adelaide to launch a kite, followed by Horace. Hugh and Fiona went to the greenhouse. Emma went to her room to peruse the book she was gifted. It turned out to be a novel for girls, with a good, though typical, plot. After reading the first chapter, Emma bitterly sighed and put down the book. All these love stories reminded her of Abe. He left many years ago, but she still could not let go of him. At first they corresponded, sometimes he even visited the loop, but over the years he became more and more distant. For long Abe still kept in touch with Miss Peregrine, periodically giving her some news about wights and hollowgasts.
In a surge of nostalgia, the girl took a cardboard box out of the closet and opened it. There lay a pile of yellowed letters. The latest of them dated 1963, and according to its content it seemed that the author was addressing a friend, not a beloved. Old memories washed over Emma. She sobbed and hurriedly shoved the box into the cupboard. The mood was definitely killed. Emma sat on the windowsill and stared at the window with an unseeing glance. In the garden, everything was as beautiful as ever. The girl grimaced. She was suddenly sick of this eternally sunny day.
After a three-hour conversation Millard managed to clarify some of the most important questions that he had. The rest he hoped to deduct in the new books. Miss Peregrine wasn’t in the room, so the boy took one of the books and began to read. Meanwhile, the living room was almost completely empty. Jack went into the garden, and Myron headed upstairs. Looking around, he saw that that the door to the bedroom at the end of the corridor was ajar, and approached it. In the gap, he could see a part of the bed and Alma’s back. She leaned over it, adjusting the pillows. Myron quietly entered the room and went to his sister, putting his hand on her shoulder. She straightened and turned to him, a trace of tears glistening on her cheek. Alma hurried to wipe it away and glanced down at Victor again.
– Every day I blame myself for not being able to save him, – Myron silently embraced her, realizing he couldn’t find words to comfort her. They stood a few more minutes by the bed, and then left the bedroom in silence.
Alma disappeared into her room. After a visit to Victor she wanted to spend some time little alone. Myron walked down the corridor and knocked on the far left room, which, he remembered, Enoch used as a workshop. Having received permission, he entered. There were three boys in the room. They were sitting around the table, and there was nothing except a dozen of plastic soldiers and a schematic representation of the area on it. Enoch, Rama and Ha were reconstructing the Battle of the Bulge, with the help of historical encyclopedia. Basically, the events were reproduced by Enoch, and the twins were watching with interest. Myron took the fourth chair and sat down next to O'Connor. He watched the boy's actions and sometimes corrected them regarding to historical accuracy.
***
Time flew by unnoticed. It was time to dine. Fiona and Bronwyn went to the greenhouse for vegetables, and Emma and Miss Peregrine began preparing dinner. Emma warmed the water and watched the meat fry. Soon Bronwyn brought an unnaturally large carrot, a cabbage and a cucumber and started cutting them for a salad. There should be enough salad for everyone. Delicious flavors were already coming from the frying pan, and a side dish - fried potatoes - was added to the meat. There was a soft clatter of dishes and voices in the dining room. Horace and Claire served the table.
– Miss Bloom, be careful – do not overboil the tea, – Alma reminded the girl and removed the pan from the stove.
Fifteen minutes later, all the children gathered in the dining room, sat down in their seats, looking impatiently toward the kitchen. Kids whispered, trying to guess the dishes. Finally, the food trays were brought to the table, and everyone began to eat. For a while, only the tapping of the instruments on the plates and the quiet buzzing of the bees were heard in the room. Claire did not look up from her plate, a bit embarrassed by what she had to eat through the back of her head, but the rest of the children understood this and at dinner usually did not look at the girl. Besides, today they paid all attention to the guests; having eaten most of the dinner, the peculiars began to ask the brothers questions.
– Mr. Bentham, – said Adelaide to Myron, – is it true that there is a person working in your laboratory who can turn the face inside out by pulling his nose?
– Yes, his name is Jim, and this gift is very useful. Like any other, by the way.
– This is just some dogshit! – Enoch exclaimed, wincing from so useless, in his opinion, peculiarity. – No use from it!
– Mr. O'Connor! – Headmistress said sternly. – Language!
– Sorry, Miss Peregrine.
Suddenly there was a rumble outside, the second one this evening, but louder and closer than the first, rattling silverware and plates.
– Hurry up and finish, everyone! – Miss Peregrine sang out, and as soon as she said it, another ripple jolted the house, throwing a framed picture off the wall. The children quickly finished their food and hurried into the yard. Each of them took a gas mask in a closet. Somewhere a siren wailed, there was smoke in the sky, and treetops burned in the hazy distance. The raid was over, and it took several minutes before the reseting. It began to drizzle, but no one paid any mind to it.
Ymbryne turned on the gramophone and looked up at the sky. The ruble almost ceased when the whirring of a single airplane engine cut through it. It was close, and getting closer. There was a distinct whistle of a falling bomb. It will take only several seconds before it collides with the earth. The record was spinning, playing a song, already memorized by heart. The children were singing along. Miss Peregrine looked at her watch and pressed the button on the side. The world around froze. The hand stopped at the seventh minute after nine, and, after that it quickly started turning counterclockwise. At some moment, a bright white flash absorbed the peculiars, and then there was silence.
– Sister, you always manage to add some flair to it.
The sounds came back.
– Thank you, Jack, – Alma smiled warmly. The calendar showed seven minutes after nine, the second of September.
***
Peculiars slowly returned to the house and seated on the sofas in the living room. Horace sat at the entrance and took out a monocle, Alma stood behind him and turned off the light. Jack and Myron settled in the armchairs. Bright pictures flashed over the fireplace; today Horace had good dreams. There were several episodes about the Bentham brothers, the landing of the American shuttle Atlantis and moments from everyday life. In one of them children walked in the woods, gathering flowers, and Hugh and Fiona cooed in the background. There were some chuckles and Enoch, whispering ‘Those love-birds’. The girl looked away, cheeks red. Hugh moved closer and took her hand. Of course, there was also a dream about clothes – Horace tried on another suit at the tailor’s and picked accessories for him. Such dreams were pretty common, and eventually the children started to lose interest. Miss Peregrine switched on the light and sent the children upstairs to turn in. They wished the adults a good night and headed for their rooms.
Half an hour later, the ymbryne rose up to make sure everyone was ready to sleep and wish them sweet dreams. She then returned to the brothers. By this time, Jack and Myron moved to the kitchen and made some tea. Jack was smoking a cigar and flipping through his notebook, which he laid aside when Alma came. He put a cup of hot drink in front of his sister and sat opposite her.
– How long will you be here this time? – she asked, slowly sipping her tea.
– We can stay a couple more days. I already forgot what lovely children you have.
– Perhaps, yes, – Jack agreed. – Nim is doing good job with the mechanism and can replace us for a time. Also, Catherine will help him if something is wrong. She is a good specialist.
– Do not overestimate her, – Myron caught Alma's quizzical look and explained. – We employed a chemist two years ago. She's smart, but more of a theorist than a practitioner, and scientific work is not very relevant right now, you know. Only Jack likes her and encourages her research.
– It can be of use. Stop grumbling about it, – Alma chuckled at their squabble. Jack’s tone said that Myron was right, and Alma was glad that Jack had found someone for himself.
– What about another important problem? Have you found out anything about the new wight’s lair? – Alma opened the window and lit her pipe. – After the last skirmish, they hid somewhere and fell silent. This worries many. I'm afraid this is the calm before the storm, and when it starts, we may not be ready.
– We are looking for them, but still with no results, – Myron sighed in displeasure and stared at his cup. – The wights are masters of disguise, and now this is proved once more. We don’t even have any information about the hollows. We are lacking trained people, who know how to extract information and are capable of self-defense.
– I understand what you mean, but I can’t help. I told about your ideas to the Council, but only few supported them.
– By the way, is there news from Abraham? – Jack asked.
– Concerning Portman, – Alma grew dark, – two months ago I wrote to him, but he did not answer. Although I practically begged for it, - she sighed in disappointment. – I hope he's all right.
– He's a tough guy who will not let himself be hurt, – Myron reassured her. – But Barron is not a random street hooligan who can be scared by the police. I barely survived that one meeting with him. And he’s been successfully hiding from the best people of the Council for eighty years, and still manages to attack the peculiars. You shouldn’t underestimate him.
– I don’t, but I saw how Abraham destroyed three hollows, one after another, and helped to fight off the wights, – Jack extinguished the cigar and paused. – Maybe Abe thought it was time to go on vacation. Can’t blame him for this. – Alma nodded, agreeing. Myron shrugged, unsure of the soundness of Abe's decision.
They left the kitchen only after midnight. Alma wished the brothers good night and went to her bedroom. She was smiling, feeling really happy. "It's good to have a family together", she thought as she fell asleep.