Page 86 of Search for the Lost

Leo scratched his cheek. “I don’t remember. She used to read to me, sometimes.” He brightened. “Wait, yes! There was this one book⁠—”

“Dolci!” Nonna Strega reappeared carrying a plate of assorted sweets—cannoli, biscotti, gelato, and a ton of other things Crispin couldn’t identify—that called to him, begging eat us right now. A platter of dessert that spelled their doom. Unless Leo can pull this off….

Crispin tried to restrain himself as the large plate was set before them, making the old wooden table groan under the strain. But his hand betrayed him, reaching out to grab a piece of cake that looked remarkably like what Leo called a brownie. He had made the confection, filled with chocolate chips and walnuts, on more than one occasion. The ingredients had been horrendously expensive to import from Earth, but Leo had insisted. Now chocolatey goodness practically exploded in his mouth, and he moaned with pleasure—and with disgust at his inability to resist the lovely platter of bakery assassins.

Their hostess clasped her hands and said with a wicked smile, “Buon appetito!” Then she began to withdraw once more.

Crispin urgently signaled Leo with his eyes, as his mouth was otherwise occupied. Leo nodded.

“Howgh do you know if you have an elephant ingh your refrigerator?” he managed around a mouthful of cannoli.

The witch paused, a twinkle in her eye. “How?”

Leo grinned triumphantly. “Footprints in the butter!”

That earned him a smile, but nothing else. “Clever.” She turned to go.

But Leo wasn’t done. He swallowed the cannoli and asked, “Why should you never go into the forest between two and four in the afternoon?”

The witch frowned, pausing with one hand on the chipped white doorframe. “Why?” It was a whisper.

“Because that’s when the elephants are jumping out of the trees!”

She shook her head. “That’s just stupid⁠—”

Leo was halfway through what looked like an apple tart, practically oozing baked apples out the sides. “Why are fairies so short?”

The witch blinked.

“Because they go into the forest between two and four in the afternoon!”

This time everyone laughed. Including the witch.

She turned around and slipped into an empty chair, and stared at Leo raptly. “More.” She leaned forward hungrily, but she didn’t take any of the pastries or other assorted sweets.

Leo leaned forward, and the two of them locked gazes. “Why do ducks have flat feet?”

She shook her head. “Why?”

“To stamp out burning fires.”

A strong chuckle emanated from Nonna Strega, who had her hands resting over her stout belly.

“Why do elephants have flat feet?” Leo put down his fork.

“Tell me.” A smile played at the edge of the witch’s lips.

“To stamp out burning ducks!”

The witch howled, and the rest of the room burst into laughter.

Crispin set down the crunchy biscotto he’d been working on. It’s working! The compulsion to eat had lessened ever so slightly. They were such stupid jokes, and yet… the payoff got you. He squeezed Leo’s thigh in encouragement. “Keep it relevant,” he whispered through his teeth.

Leo nodded. “How many elephants will fit into a pie safe?”

Nonna Strega blinked, still laughing from the last joke.

“Four: Two on top, two on the bottom. How can you fit five elephants into a pie safe?”