46

'That was a narrow escape yesterday,' said Lucien the next morning.

'Thanks to Squeaks and that dog, we're safe home now,' nodded Grace.

'You've been trying to escape to Earth for so long,' groaned Kuro. 'You'd think something would work by now!'

'Honestly!' sighed Lucien.

Grace stared out of the window as she remembered the day she had arrived, and reflected on all the happenings since then.

Then, she suddenly sat upright and looked at the demon with a strange expression. 'Lucien? Can you read out from that book again? The one which listed three ways to get to Earth?'

Lucien raised an eyebrow. 'Sure... but what's the point? One way's exhausted, the second's too evil, and the third's for animals only.'

'Exactly! I want to hear the exact list of animals again. Weren't horses included? Now, Kuro is too small to carry our weight into another world, but a horse could, couldn't it...?'

Lucien stared at her for a few seconds, puzzled, before it dawned upon him and he ran to fetch the book.

'Yes,' he said, coming back with it. 'Horses are rare – but possible.'

'I've seen horses in the Mainland before,' said Grace. 'And I've been thinking... if that dog can get friendly enough to help us, what if we befriend a horse until it's willing to let us ride it and take us to Earth maybe?'

'BRAINWAVE!' exclaimed Lucien, so enthusiastically that Kuro jumped out of the way. 'Let's do it! Let's do it right now!'

'Ahem, I think you've forgotten what we pulled off last night,' said Kuro. 'Going into the Mainland is completely out of the question!'

'Yikes. Forgot about that,' said the demon, his face falling immediately, making Grace laugh.

'You're so emotional – but it makes you really loveable,' she said. 'Anyway, I've got an idea. Why don't we get Azel to go with us somehow? We'll tell him we're just trying to befriend a horse...'

'It should be totally up his lane, him being an angel and all,' nodded Kuro.

Lucien hesitated. 'I don't know... he's too clever. But, I suppose it's the only way... All right, we'll ask him to come – but will he agree?'

A sudden knock at the door made them gather in front of it in surprise.

'It's only me,' said a soft voice outside.

Lucien looked at Grace, his eyes shining, before opening the door wide and beaming at the angel there. 'Azel! What a pleasant surprise!'

Azel raised an eyebrow before smiling politely at him. 'I hope you don't mind my coming by? I was wondering if Grace – and you too, I suppose – would like to see a rather delightful new flower that's bloomed near the Gateland. It shall wither by the evening so...'

Grace nodded eagerly at once. 'Oh, yes! Please, I'd love to.'

'Me too!' said Lucien, trying to mirror her enthusiasm. 'I'd love to!'

Azel gave him another suspicious glance before nodding. 'Come then, let's go. By the way, I couldn't help but notice the moonbells you planted in the yard, and I must say I'm quite impressed.'

Grace looked at him in surprise. 'I only sowed the seeds yesterday – how did you guess what they were?'

Azel stopped walking. 'Yesterday? Seeds? Moonbells take at least two weeks to germinate, but I saw young saplings clear as day!'

'Oh?' said Grace. 'Must be thanks to all the water Lucien helped me with, then!'

'It's still shocking...' said Lucien, who was rather puzzled himself. 'Anyway, Azel, now that you're here, we were wondering if you could accompany us to the Mainland? The Assistant is hot on our trail, and poor Grace only wants some more pretty plants...'

'Oh, of course,' said the angel at once. 'He won't dare harm you while I'm there! I'll help you choose the very best specimens for your yard... which may turn into a garden, you never know!'

Grace looked at him excitedly, and her cross glowed all of a sudden.

'There's the flower I wanted to show you—' began Azel, before looking at her in surprise. 'Grace, look what your light energy did! There are now two flowers instead! That explains how your moonbells sprouted so fast!'

Grace and Lucien looked at the small red flowers in surprise and delight.

'You can take one of these for yourself later,' smiled Azel. 'Come now, let's go to the Mainland!'

*  *  *

Two hours later, Grace had her arms full of many beautiful plants to take home. Lucien, however, grew anxious as every new path taken did not lead to any horse whatsoever.

Just when they were about to turn back though, a loud clip-clop attracted their attention, and they went excitedly in that direction.

'It's just a horse,' said Azel soothingly. 'Now, it may look a little scary, but it's completely harmless, see?'

'We know,' said Grace, walking towards the poor creature, which watched her cautiously with faint and hollow red eyes as she approached. Even in the daylight, she could see its bones inside. 'I wonder if it could be friends with us?'

'That's easy,' said Azel. 'Just give it something sweet. I happen to have some sugar cubes in my pocket – I'm rather fond of sweets myself – and that should be enough to make it follow you home, haha.'

'Oh, what a nice idea!' said Lucien dramatically, taking the sugar from him and giving it to the horse. 'Hey, horsey! Wanna be our friend?'

'He's acting a bit strange today,' thought Azel. 'But I can't say I mind.'

The horse liked the sugar so much that it nuzzled against Lucien's hand and licked it all off his fingers.

'NEighhhh!' it said, nodding at him.

'Here, have some more,' said Grace, offering another sugar cube, which it accepted happily.

'Poor horse never got any love in its life,' said Azel sadly.

'Well, we can take it home, can't we?' said Lucien. 'It should be happy enough with us!'

'I don't see why not,' said the angel. 'But I can't understand your sudden interest in horses...'

'A new story I read,' said Lucien hurriedly. 'Come, let's go home. We've got a horse and enough plants to spend the rest of the week planting. I'd say it was a successful trip!'

*  *  *

'It was nice of Azel to help us,' said Grace that evening, as she finished planting the last of the plants they had gathered. 'I wonder if these will all stay alive? I really hope so! Do let's water them as soon as possible!'

'I gave most of the water to this relentless horse,' groaned Lucien, bringing yet another bucket to the yard. 'But he just keeps on drinking and drinking! I'm wondering if he ever drank in his life before!'

'He's kind of cute now that I've gotten over that weird appearance,' said Grace. 'But why is he like that?'

'Dunno,' shrugged Lucien. 'I say, shouldn't we try the Earth thing now? Before he runs off or something?'

'All right,' said Grace. 'But how do we make him go?'

'Just hold on to him and ask,' said Lucien. 'Hey horse-friend, why don't you go to Earth?'

The horse merely blinked at him in puzzlement.

'Go to Earth?!'

'...'

'Just go anywhere,' said Grace. 'In another realm?'

The horse swished its tail and remained where it was, before bending down and trying to lick Lucien's hand.

'What a dumb horse!' said the demon frustratedly. 'Can't do a simple thing! Fine! Stay here all your life, then!'

A gentle laugh behind them made them look around. It was Azel again!

'So that's what you were really up to,' he said, looking somewhat amused. 'I should have guessed! But, Lucien, you should have known that only specific breeds of horses can travel beyond this realm, and that too, alive ones. This unfortunate creature lacks his soul – hence his appearance. It's essentially dead and yet living...  like those banshees you see in the Mainland.'

'Oh,' said Lucien, crestfallen. 'Why didn't I realise that!'

'Who took his soul?' said Grace worriedly.

'The Assistant or his helpers,' said Azel grimly. 'Oh well. Goodbye, then.'

'Well, that sucks,' said Lucien when the angel had left, as he patted the horse and gave it more sugar. 'Now, what do we do with him? I don't have the heart to return him to the awful Mainland, but I don't want to keep him, either. I say we turn him out here in Sheltered Hell. It's a way better environment then what we found him in.'

'Oh, absolutely,' agreed Grace. 'Let's take him there!'

*  *  *

Mrs. Sauer was sitting alone with a basket of freshly-baked biscuits, watching the sun set. Back on Earth, she had always scolded her children for every little thing. Now, more than anything, she missed her son. She wished he would come and pester her again for his favourite chocolate biscuits until she relented and gave him some.

She sighed as she tried not to remember his twelfth birthday, when she had sent him upstairs with no dinner for breaking her most expensive crockery. Now, as her tears fell, she realised what a far more valuable thing she had broken herself that day. She barely stopped herself from sobbing as she sat there, clinging to the basket as if it would reunite her with her past and give her a second chance.

'Excuse me, Mrs. Sauer? Could I please have a biscuit?' said the voice of a twelve-year-old boy next to her.

She looked up in surprise. It was the boy who helped with sandwiches in the market; she had never talked to him before. Right now, though, she almost saw her son in him and smiled warmly. 'As many as you like, my child.'

'T–thank you, Mrs. Sauer! Oh, wow! These are delicious with a capital D!'

'Hehe. My son used to say that...'

'Wait, what's that light in your hand?'

'Light? I didn't see any!'

'Must have imagined it, then... hey, what's that horse doing over there?'

'Looks like it's from the Mainland,' said Mrs. Sauer. 'But it's harmless. Horses like sweet things too, you know... Why don't you try to feed it a biscuit?'

The boy went red. 'I did many unkind things to animals back on Earth. I... I don't think I really deserve to ever go near one again...'

'Animals are more forgiving than you think,' said Mrs. Sauer kindly. 'Go on, don't be shy!'

The boy stepped forward carefully, with a biscuit in his extended hand.

The horse whinnied slightly, but it did not come closer.

'I don't think he likes me,' sighed the boy, as the horse stared at him without eating it. 'No one ever did back on Earth, either. My parents hated me. Animals hated me. And that's why I hated them!'

'Patience, child,' said Mrs. Sauer. 'Patience is the beginning of love.'

The boy held the biscuit up again. 'Would you like some, friend? It's really tasty...' What am I doing? So stupid... and yet I'm still here...

The horse stepped forward and sniffed the biscuit cautiously, and this time, it took it whole and neighed.

The boy turned back delightedly. 'He ate it! He ate it!'

Mrs. Sauer smiled proudly, and her face looked years younger. 'Well done, son, well done! But wait! Why is there a light from your hand now...?'