Life and Dreams

After lunch Johnny felt full and contented and to his great relief, Steffi seemed a lot better. At the big cat enclosures they looked at the tigers first and then at the leopards. Johnny gazed at the leopard's spotted pelt. "Remember the Just So story about how the leopard got his spots?"

Steffi flicked a strand of yellow hair away from her face. "It is a cute story, indeed. But didn't Kipling's story about the crab show a wonderful imagination? So much magic."

"Yes. The leopard didn't change nearly so much as the crab. But he was luckier than the tiger, getting spots instead of stripes."

"Absolutely right, darling. Spots are certainly prettier."

00O00

Later that afternoon they climbed the steps to the invertebrate house. Steffi pushed open the doors. "None of my favourite animals live here, but many invertebrates are interesting."

"I know. All creepy crawlies are interesting. I want to see the ants." When they saw the leaf-cutter ant tank, Johnny got the chance to tell Steffi everything he'd read about the ants, how they can cut leaves and how there are worker ants, male ants and the queen. He was grateful that Steffi listened attentively, her blue eyes shining as she smiled at him. He wondered if any other lady was so interested in creepy crawlies. The teacher had asked him not to talk about them the previous day, because she thought they were horrible. "I suppose the ants communicate with each other telepathically." He knew that word because his dad had used it before. "Perhaps the queen tells them what to do. What do you think?"

"It is very possible, Johnny. And remember how in Lord of the Rings, Sauron is compared to a queen ant, although he is a male demon? When he loses all his power, the author compares his minions to ants who have lost their queen and don't know what to do."

"Oh yes! Bad magic creatures use telepathy too!" Johnny found this idea exciting.

In the next room there was a man giving a talk about bird eating spiders and Johnny was curious to watch, for the man was holding up a huge spider in one hand. He and Steffi stood at the edge of the small crowd and listened.

The man's gaze was on his spider and he told them that she was a red kneed bird eating spider. "Now she can jump and I have to hold her just right or she'll jump off and then she'd break and I'd be very upset." He looked up and seeing Steffi, he grinned. A rather silly grin, Johnny thought. He carried on in a gabbling tone; "it takes expertise to handle them and my skills are varied." He kept on talking like this and looking at Steffi whose blue eyes widened in astonishment. Johnny wondered why he was acting like he was talking to her instead of to all of them. At the end of his talk he put the spider in the tank and walked up to them as the crowd dispersed.

"Hope you and your little boy enjoyed my talk," he said with a wink.

He was not as tall as Steffi and had to look up to speak to her just like Johnny did. Johnny almost laughed, but disguised it as a cough and said aloud; "it's very interesting, that a spider could catch a bird."

"There, you see Madame, your son can spot a clever man. And a clever chap such as I can spot a fine lady; your golden hair, your handsome, aquiline face and-" he coughed. "Now if you are not busy this evening I know how to entertain a lady such as yourself."

Steffi held up her hand to show her wedding ring. She had other rings, but the wedding ring had its tiny, sparkling diamond. She had told Johnny that it was her only real diamond. "Sir, can you spot a married woman? Is that also among your many and varied talents?" The man frowned at her. Steffi shook her head. "Come, Johnny." She led him away and Johnny noticed she was giving that little smile that meant she was amused.

"What's your favourite jewel, mum?" Johnny wanted to know.

"Why my diamond of course, darling. A diamond is the hardest naturally occurring mineral you know? And my gem reminds me how much I love being part of my new family."

Johnny felt touched. "I love you!"

She grinned at him, her blue eyes sparkling like the diamond.

Johnny had a further question. "What did he mean when he said you had an aquiline face?"

"It's from Latin, darling. From the world 'eagle.' Saying I look like an eagle. Referring to my prominent nose." She tapped the side of her nose. "And I suppose I have a long face. Believe it or not, it's a compliment."

00O00

That evening they went swimming at the pool with a wave machine. Steffi concealed her long hair under a blue swimming cap. She shook her head at her reflection in the mirror beside the showers. "Ach, it does look silly. And I feel so naked with no jewellery."

Steffi had such long hair that the cap had to be large so as to cover it. It made the top of her head appear elongated as well as shiny and blue. With her hair no longer visible her nose was somehow more noticeable. Perhaps the funny man at the zoo had been right. From the side her nose looked a bit like a beak. Changing the shape of someone's head changed them a lot. Johnny remembered her words about Magnus the previous day. Magnus looked funny with his cheek pouches distended and so did Steffi did with her swimming cap on. "I love you mum, whatever shape you're in."

She gently touched his shoulder. "I love you, my son."

In the water, Steffi procured a bright pink ball and tossed it in the air. "Try to catch it, darling."

"What's the game, mum?"

"How about Escape the Blob again?" She pushed the ball to Johnny. "Now pretend I'm the blob and that I want the ball. It looks like a jewel bright swamp hopper."

Giggling, Johnny splashed around the shallower outer rim of the circular pool, while Steffi swam slowly after him.

"Why run from me, darling?" She scooped him up in her arms and planted a kiss on his forehead. "Got you, you sweet little hopper."

The alarm for the waves sounded. "Hold tight, darling." Johnny dropped the ball and his stepmother kept her arms firmly around him. A wave swept them up and into the shallows, Steffi landing in a sitting position with her arms around Johnny.

"Aua!" Steffi had been thoroughly drenched, her cap wrinkled and Johnny was giggling.

"The waves are the best part. I want to go to the deep center. I have a bronze swimming badge now."

"Oh no, you're not going in the deep end until I'm satisfied you're ready." Johnny tried to give her a plaintive look, but her blue eyes were unusually stern.

"Then please carry me on another wave?"

Steffi sighed. "Certainly, Johnny."

00O00

Back home they had tea with strawberries and cream and then Steffi wanted to read to Johnny. It had been a tiring day, so he leaned against her on the sofa as she read a story about a girl who found out that she had been created out of magical clay because her parents could not have children naturally. Johnny remembered when Steffi said she was barren. Was that why she had thought of this story?

Johnny still had not finished reading the latest installment in the Bluestone Builder series, but now he laid it on the sofa and followed his stepmother into the kitchen where she began to prepare supper, first chopping up the vegetables.

"I really hope you enjoy this, darling. I had a frugal childhood in the DDR. It's great to be able to cook my child a big meal."

Johnny noticed the calendar on the wall that she had made, with each month accompanied by a family photo. This month the photo was one of him alone, smiling to show off that he had lost his first baby tooth. He surveyed it critically. "Does that picture look funny? I'm missing a tooth."

Steffi stopped chopping and lifted the calendar from the wall to beam at the photo. "Aw, that's part of the charm. Don't you look adorable? That smile and that mop of chestnut curls and those bright, green eyes..."

Johnny wanted to talk more about the story she had read him. "The little girl made of clay was lucky that her parents were kinder than Thumbelina's. Think what they might have called her."

"Thumbelina's mother was mean. How would she have liked to be named 'desperate, lonely spinsterella'?" Steffi's voice was trembling a little as she said the last three words. Johnny thought she must really feel sorry for Thumbelina

At supper, Johnny felt relaxed and happy. His parents talked about Dad's work and Steffi's translating. Steffi did not sound entirely happy. "You know Henry, I always wanted to translate children's fiction instead, German tax law is a load of drivel."

"Tax law's the same the world over," said Dad.

"Not for Lord Ashcroft," said Johnny.

He was pleased that Steffi burst out laughing, scrunching her nose.

"I take it you two had fun today?" said Dad.

Johnny grinned at his stepmother. "We did! In the Zoo and the swimming pool. Want to ride some more waves, Steffi?"

Steffi had fixed her long yellow hair in a pony tail, which she flipped over her shoulder. "Ach, I've only just got the scent of chlorine off me, darling. Actually no…" she sniffed her hand. "Three showers and I still haven't."

00O00

Late that night, Johnny was still awake and he was determined to stay awake. There had been some kind of monstrous bird here last night and it had taken his stepmother, he just knew it. This would not happen again.

He stayed up reading the latest installment in the Bluestone Builder series. This one had a strange ending which he found disconcerting and now he was getting very sleepy so he decided to play with Magnus. Drowsier than usual, he accidentally let Magnus slip through his fingers and scuttle onto the floor. He jumped out of bed to scoop the hamster up and heard his father's voice; "is Johnny still up at this hour?"

Then there were Steffi's footfalls on the landing and she opened the door. She grinned at him. "Well, are you still up at this hour, my dear night owl?"

He had to persuade her to stay where he could watch her, just in case the wicked bird creature came back. "Something's bothering me, mum. It… it's in this book." Thinking quickly he picked up the latest Bluestone Builder book.

Steffi looked concerned and sat on his bed. He put Magnus back in his cage and opened the book at the final chapter, flipping through the pages and pointing at each one to show Steffi what he was talking about. "In this story, things were a lot like the first Bluestone adventure. There was a villain who used to be a pirate like the Scourge and he had a nickname too – 'Mad Eyes.' Mad Eyes had taken over a tiny island off the Bluestone coast and he said that he was the emperor of his island. Then he led an army of corsairs and flesh eating lizards to the mainland to attack the Bluestone Fortress. The brave mice beat his army back and take the fight to Mad Eye's palace where the Bluestone champion fights Mad Eyes. He is the grandson of the hero in the first book. And see, mum, he punches Mad Eyes so that the tyrant stumbles back and treads on his pet snake which bites him. Doesn't this look like the story with the Scourge? The first hero kills the Scourge in a surprising way as well, by cutting the rope of the Bluestone bell so that the heavy bell falls on the Scourge.

Steffi nodded. "Indeed it does look like the mouse followed in his grandad's paw prints, darling."

"But then it gets really, really strange. One of the Bluestone mice takes the dead baddie's crown and declares that he wants to be the Emperor… and he changes… I don't like it. How could he change into a villain just by wearing the crown of a dead villain?"

Steffi picked up the book and frowned at the page. "It reads like the story turned into a dream. What was the author thinking of? I wonder if it is even the same author."

Flipping the page over she read aloud. "The crown of Mad Eyes was evil and it had found a new host. The old tyrant was dead, but the reign of terror would never cease…"

She stopped, her blue eyes wide and then dropped the book and put her arms around him. "Don't fret, my son. You have nothing to fear."

"Does it frighten you if stories turn into dreams, mum?"

"It is just a story Johnny and not worth worrying about…" she spoke in such a soothing voice. Then she was singing a lullaby without words again and he was getting really drowsy. He felt so relaxed in her arms he didn't want to fight the tide of sleep.

00O00

When he awoke Steffi was gone and the only light was that of the small bedside lamp. To his horror, he heard the shuffling sound that he had heard the previous night before he found the strange feathers, but this time it was right outside his door. He shut his eyes tight, feeling fear well up inside him.

The door swung open and he could hear the rustle of huge wings and the shuffling and dragging of huge feet. He would not open his eyes. He could not cry out. It felt as though he couldn't move at all. Something was standing over him now, he could hear very heavy breathing and a weird musty smell invaded his nostrils.

What felt like an icy cold finger gently touched his cheek. He kept his eyes tightly closed, his heart fluttering. What was it doing? Something ruffled his hair… cold fingers stroked his other cheek… Then it was shuffling out of his room. He lay there perfectly still, perfectly terrified. He did not think he would be able to sleep, but somehow he drifted off again and did not wake until dawn.