Page 40 of The Broken Mirror
“And what should we do here, Jack? Twiddle our thumbs? Play with cootie catchers?” Gretel teases.
“I was thinking Filomena might have an idea of what to do, actually,” Jack says, looking at Filomena.
It feels good to be Jack’s right hand again. Or maybe Jack’s her right hand… They’re each other’s right hands? Is that anatomically possible? Either way, it feels good to be a team again. And maybe even more than just a team. Maybe… Filomena’s mind drifts to what Jack wanted to ask her. But wait—right now she has a mission to focus on!
Filomena considers the task at hand for the moment. She still thinks they need to find the League of Seven before they can do much else. The Prophecy does say only the League can save Never After, after all. Without the League of Seven, they stand no chance against the ogres.
“We’ll work on the League of Seven issue,” she says.
“All right, everyone,” Jack announces. “Eat up. We’re all going to need our energy today.”
After Jack, Byron, and Beatrice leave to go exploring for the day, Rosie leads them to her attic office. “Come on,” she tells the rest.
“Ooh, we can do our brainstorming up here?” Filomena says, climbing up the ladder.
“Whoa, I don’t know that I’ve ever climbed a ladderbefore,” Alistair says. “This is kind of freaky! Is there any other way up?”
Gretel laughs.
“Alistair, I’ve seen you literally stab ogres in the heart, and you’re afraid of climbing a one-story ladder? You can’t be serious.”
“Hey, everyone’s got something, all right? Heights are not my strong suit!”
Before Alistair can protest too much, Filomena and Gretel push his butt up the ladder. They all climb onto the loft platform.
It looks like a whole different world up here! Filomena surveys papers scrawled with calculations, odd-shaped bottles containing metallic or colored translucent liquids, drawing boards and drafting tables, and… are those mannequins?
Alistair walks around Rosie’s laboratory, inspecting everything. “What’s this?” he says, holding up a shimmering net.
“Oh, it’s this trapping device I’m working on for the giants’ border patrol. The net is made of superstrong, sticky fabric spun from silver. I got it from Rumpelstiltskin’s sister. He spins gold; she spins silver—family business. I had to promise to give her my firstborn child, but I don’t even want kids, so that was an easy bargain!”
Filomena’s in awe of Rosie—the life she’s lived!
“Rosie, you didn’t tell us you’re, like, a genius!” Gretel proclaims.
Rosie laughs. “I certainly wouldn’t call myself a genius. If I was a genius, I wouldn’t have worked on this stupid magic mirror for weeks with barely any progress.”
“Speaking of,” Alistair says, “what’s with you and talking mirrors, anyway? Why are you trying to make one?”
“I’m sort of obsessed with them,” Rosie explains. “They’re very ancient, you know. Usually you have to develop a real relationship with one to get it to engage with you at all, but I guess the ogres forced their hand. I’m not sure how.”
“Why do the ogres have them?” Filomena asks.
“Talking mirrors are very powerful. Like Jack told you, they know all about our world and can speak only truth. When that power gets into the wrong hands, it can be dangerous, taken advantage of. You can imagine what the ogres might want to use them for.”
Gretel, distracted, has wandered over to the row of mannequins. Fabric scraps are all over them. “What’s up with these, Rosie? Are you into fashion design, too?”
“No, no, this is more an experiment than a fashion project,” Rosie answers.
“What kind of experiment?” Filomena questions. She hopes they’re not being too nosy. But she has a feeling Rose Red is holding back.
Rose Red sighs. “I guess I should tell you guys a few things.” They all sit in a circle on the floor. “Do you know who the ruler of Snow Country is right now?” Rosie asks.
They shake their heads. Even Alistair seems confused.
“It’s Queen Christina,” Rosie goes on. “She’s a horrible queen. Cruel. Always so threatened by anyone who seems even a little bit powerful. I suspect she’s in cahoots with the ogres, though I haven’t been able to prove it yet. And I can’t be totally sure, but I have a strong suspicion that my mother’s disappearance has a lot to do with Queen Christina.”
Filomena gets a sinking feeling in her stomach. Another kingdom ruled by cruelty?
