The Other McCawber Girl
by Amanda Rohrssen
Chapter Twelve
She turns up the light
Anticipating night falling tenderly around her
Watches the dusk
The words won't come
She carries the act so convincingly
The fact is sometimes she believes it
She can be happy with the way things are
Be happy with the things she's done
And yet I need not to need
Or else a love with intuition
Someone who reaches out to my weakness
And won't let go
I need not to need
I've always been the tower
But now I feel like I'm the flower trying to bloom in snow
Reach out, hold back
Where is safety
Reach out and hold back
Where is the one who can change me
Where is the one
The one
~Vienna Teng, “The Tower”
It didn’t take Ariana long to find a new job, and she was surprised that she had been given the chance, since she wasn’t very good at selling herself.
The Sitting Duck National Bank had been in need of tellers since Negaduck’s robbery. Since her first day, Ariana found herself almost esteemed among her co-workers; many were
impressed that she was still alive. Everyone was so nice and accommodating to her, it was a little unnerving. Their kindness did, however, inspire her to learn more about
Normal culture. Even though she had been living among them for the past two years, she hadn’t felt a part of them until now. She was so overjoyed that she decided to spread
it around. Using a recipe that had been her mother’s, she baked two batches of Goblin Wart cookies: one for Beth and the other for the mallard who had twice spared her life.
After dropping off the batch for Beth at her home, she made her way on foot to the Bad Part of Town, hoping to run into Negaduck.
As she approached the building she knew to be his hideout, she felt her insides twist. Would he be happy to see her? He had practically invited her over, and she wasn’t sure what that meant. If he was all bad like Morgana said, he wouldn’t have chased off those muggers. But how had he known where she was? Had he been following her? Protecting her? The thought brought warmth to her cheeks, and she recognized a feeling inside her she hadn’t felt since Devin Crawler. Could he… like her?
She shook her head sharply. It couldn’t be. Why would he like her? She was no one special. Only, well…he had kept calling her “pretty.” Was it possible…?
Someone pushed past her roughly, nearly causing the covered platter of goodies to topple from her hands, and she decided it was time to enter the warehouse despite her anxiety.
“H-hello?” she called warily into the darkness of the dilapidated building. Silence was the only response, and she gathered her courage to step past the broken, knife-like shards of wood blocking the entrance. “Negaduck?” Her voice echoed timidly off of the vast, empty walls and disappeared into the air like a wisp of smoke.
Her feet took her farther inside, toward the crumbling staircase that led to the manager’s office Negaduck used as his own. Before she realized what was happening, something thick and rough had her by the ankle and yanked her up into the air. She hung there upside-down, feeling surprised and disoriented, her hair dangling from her head like Spanish moss. The cookies she’d baked were strewn out haphazardly beneath her, and she struggled to keep her skirt from flopping down too far and revealing too much.
There was a low, dark cackle, and the office door burst open. “Ha! I got you this time, you purple pansy!” Negaduck pulled a chainsaw from behind his back and revved it with a demonic glint in his beady eyes. As soon as he focused on Ariana, however, he lowered the weapon disappointedly. “Oh, it’s you.”
She smiled, trying not to show how uncomfortable she was with the blood rushing to her head. “Hello! I…brought you something.”
He looked at her skeptically, then noticed the baked goods at his feet. Picking one up, he eyed it with a curled bill, but bit off a taste wordlessly. His eyes brightened only slightly, and he carelessly cut her down with the chainsaw. She fell into a heap and sat up, rubbing her head and arm where they had hit the concrete. She watched him collect a few more cookies before disappearing back into his office. Once she could stand without feeling dizzy, she followed.
“Do you…like them?” she asked, though the answer was obvious from the way he was wolfing them down.
“I’ve had better,” he replied after licking off his fingers one at a time. She didn’t have time to react to the remark before he continued. “C’mere, I wanna show you something.”
Eagerly, she complied, moving forward and leaning over the desk next to him.
“See this?” He was pointing at a copy of the Canardian Times, the front page proclaiming the arrival of a rare map collection. “It’s always been a…dream of mine to, uh…study a particular map that will be on display tonight at the museum gala.”
“What kind of map?” Her eyes were lit up with interest.
“None of your business!” he snapped, then restrained his anger with a pained expression. “It’s a…a family heirloom – yeah – that was, uh… lost decades ago until now.”
“Can’t you ask for it back if it’s your family’s?” Her question was so innocent and naïve, it make him grit his teeth together.
“Nooooooo, it belongs to the museum now. Besides, you really think they’d give something so valuable willingly to me? The city’s greatest criminal mastermind?” Although his tone was smug and condescending, Ariana felt her heart go out to him.
“That’s not fair! If it’s in your family it’s rightfully yours no matter who you are!”
“It doesn’t matter,” he whined pathetically. “I’ll never get in there past all those people and all those guards to even get a look at it.”
Ariana straightened with resolution and placed her hand delicately on his forearm. “I’ll help you. You should at least be able to look at your own family’s map.”
“Oh no, I could never ask you to do something like that!” He slid his arm out from under her hand and put it dramatically across his forehead.
“No, I want to. Really.”
“Great, meet me in the alley at Gladstone for the gala.”
She blinked. “Gala…?”
“Yeah, you know. A fancy shindig those yuppie snobs put on to show off how much money they have to one another.”
Her face flushed. “You mean you want me to go with you like a…like a date?”
He struggled to keep the disgust from his face. He wanted so badly to rail against this girl’s abundant sweetness, but he needed her. More specifically, her magic. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”
She beamed and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, thank you! I’ve never been to a gala before!” She didn’t seem to notice him attempting to claw his way out of her grip.
It had taken every bit of savings she had, but Ariana had found the perfect gown to wear to the gala. The dress was simple, elegant, and flattering on her lithe frame, even though when she had fussed over it in front of the mirror all she had seen were the flaws. Her mind kept returning to the night of the Winter Solstice Dance at Webminster, and what a disaster it had been. Everything she had worried about going wrong had gone wrong, and she was gripped with fear that events would repeat themselves at this formal event.
She was grateful that Morgana was out – most likely on a date with her latest suitor – so Ariana could avoid a barrage of questioning about the dress, where she was wearing it to, and who she would be with. Especially since the robbery, her sister had become overly controlling and nosy, and while Ariana knew it was out of love, it didn’t make it any less aggravating.
Her heels clicked smartly against the pavement, and Ariana silently wished she felt as confident as the shoes made her sound. Gladstone Street was a few blocks away from the St. Canard Museum of Natural History, and it never occurred to Ariana why this would be an odd location to meet for the gala. Her mind was entirely too fixated on the idea that this was going to be her first real date, and there were so many emotions vying for control of her body that she couldn’t exactly pinpoint how she was feeling. All of the movies and television shows she’d seen throughout her lifetime involving romance and dating scrambled wildly across her memory as she tried to grasp some semblance of what it was she was supposed to do or say. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the evening the way she had in school.
She paused at the mouth of the alleyway at Gladstone, and peered inside timidly. It was pitch black in the narrow space, and it didn’t help that there was no moon.
“You’re punctual,” a voice remarked darkly from behind her, causing her to jump. “I like that in a woman.”
The jolt to her nerves faded when she recognized the voice and turned to see Negaduck standing behind her wearing a tuxedo instead of his usual yellow and red getup. He also wore a tall black hat, the brim of which seemed to melt into the black mask that still shrouded his eyes, and Ariana was struck by the intensity of his blue irises amidst the darkness. She could feel herself blush at his remark, but he pressed on without seeming to notice.
“Okay, so here’s the plan. We go inside, blend in with the rest of those upper crust yahoos, then you’re going to do a bit of hocus pocus so I can get past security.”
She blinked. “Past security? But isn’t that…I mean…w-won’t you just be able to see it…inside?” Her voice grew smaller the farther along she got, and Negaduck’s brow increasingly shifted lower over his eyes.
“Don’t you get it?” he snapped. “That thing’ll be surrounded by the best alarm systems money can buy! I won’t be able to so much as breathe on the map without triggering them.” He paused, then his voice gradually grew more coaxing. “I need a way to get past those sensors, and you’re going to help me, riiiiight?”
There was still something in his tone Ariana didn’t like. When he noticed the reluctance still in her face, he changed his approach. “Oh, you’re having seconds thoughts, aren’t you? You’re just like the rest of St. Canard – you don’t trust me…! Even where my own family heirlooms are involved!” He sulked pathetically, his beak trembling.
Ariana caved. “Oh, no, no – it’s not that! I just…don’t want to get either of us in any trouble…”
“Hey, you forget, I’m a master criminal…” He flashed her a devious, yet charming, smirk. “What could happen?”
She nearly fainted when he offered her his arm. Had she not heard her heels clicking again against the sidewalk, she would have sworn she was walking on air. She felt so deliriously giddy, like she could take on the world and that there would be no more sadness or pain in her life. Everything would be perfect as long as their arms were intertwined and she had him by her side. It felt so…right. So…magical.
When they neared the doorman who was checking the invitation list, Negaduck handed him a pair of tickets with a scheming smirk.
“Go right ahead inside, Mr…Schnozelberg,” the doorman’s nasally voice said as they passed by. Negaduck couldn’t help but allow himself a dark chuckle as they went.
“Schnozelberg?” Ariana whispered to him curiously once they were inside.
Negaduck shrugged. “Hey, they were the only tickets I could swipe – er -- buy on such short notice.” He was hoping she wouldn’t press the name, and he was relieved when she didn’t. The last thing he needed was for her to poke around looking for more information , but she seemed to be distracted by the vast foyer of the museum that connected the building’s voluminous wings.
“Ooohhhh…” she breathed with wonder. She turned around in circles as her head craned back to take in the gigantic fresco on the domed ceiling. She had never imagined modern Normal architecture could be so astounding. As she absorbed her elegant surroundings, she forgot to be nervous about what they had come there to do. In fact, for the moment she had completely forgotten about the plan as she admired the décor. She was so enthralled that she didn’t realize she was backing up toward a server with a platter of champagne glasses balanced neatly on his palm.
Just millimeters away from collision, Negaduck grabbed her gloved hand and yanked her toward him. “What are you doing?!” he hissed dangerously. “Do you want to get busted before we’ve even seen the map?”
“No…” She felt her cheeks redden with guilt. “I’m sorry. It’s just so beautiful in here.”
He fitted his top hat on more tightly and ignored her comments, scanning the room for any sign of where his quarry lay. Apparently there was quite a collection that had come to St. Canard, but luckily for him, it was grouped into sections labeled by banners that hung overhead from the intricately carved marble rafters.
“There…” He practically drooled with desire as he spotted a banner labeled Maps.
Ariana felt her stomach twist with a burst of excitement as he snatched her hand again and practically pulled her toward the far corner of the foyer. He was so eager, and she felt so incredibly delighted that he would include her in something that meant this much to him. He must really like her. The thought sent another wave of euphoria through her, and she became light-headed.
When they reached the spot he wanted, he leaned in toward her conspiratorially, and she mirrored him. “The map is in that display over there,” he said, and jerked his head to one side suggestively. “Time to prep those magic fingers, dollface.”
She looked around slowly. There were a few people milling about the display he’d mentioned, and they seemed to have a nice enough view of the map…Maybe he was looking for something more specific, like a watermark or a cipher. It was his map, anyway…right? Why did she feel suddenly so reluctant?
“Okay, no one’s looking,” he said hurriedly. “Do it now.”
“I…I don’t know… There’s something I should probably te—“
“Now.”
The demand tugged at something weak in her, and she obeyed.
“Reditus terræ, exaudi placito involutum omnibus in invisibilitate.”
Almost immediately, Negaduck became invisible. When he looked down at himself and realized this, he chuckled lowly before heading in the direction of his desire.
Ariana closed her eyes, and tried to swallow the nausea surfacing. She hadn’t had the chance to explain to him how magic-wielding worked, and the thought of doing so hadn’t crossed her mind until she’d been about to cast the invisibility spell. Nervous energy grew inside her as she concentrated on keeping the spell going. Would she be able to do this?
As Negaduck neared the display, he waved his hand in front of one of the laser perimeters and waited. Nothing happened. “Heh, heh…why didn’t I find this sappy witch sooner?” he said gleefully under his breath.
“What did you say?” an onlooker near Negaduck piped up to a guard standing listlessly across from him.
The guard shrugged.
“Hmph.” The penguin sniffed haughtily and exited the corridor.
“Ring, ring!” Negaduck piped up loudly, imitating a telephone. “Ring, ring! Phone call for the map guard, line one!”
“Oh, that must be my wife!” The guard perked up and wandered toward the phone box set back in the wall on the far end.
Keeping one eye on the guard, Negaduck carefully picked the lock on the glass case housing the map. It sprung open easily. He rubbed his hands together with a smug grin, then reached inside. As soon as his hands were on it, he noticed something that made him very unhappy. His feathers were flickering before him. Hastily he rolled up his prize and stuffed it into the breast pocket of his tux. Just as he was beginning to become visible again, he turned and stalked away from the empty display, but not before tripping the security alarm.
He cursed and looked down, realizing his foot had passed right through a laser sensor. Cover blown, his fuming eyes searched for the witch who had betrayed him. He caught a glimpse of her passed out where he had left her, a couple of bystanders trying to rouse her. The alarm was drawing the attention of everyone in the room, and he knew he had to act fast if he wanted to escape.
“Hey! That guy’s trying to steal that artifact!” a random onlooker cried. The crowd surged forward.
“Uh oh…” Negaduck managed to croak as he backpedaled.
Just then, the guard he’d fooled came back onto the scene, scratching his head. “Must’ve been a wrong number…”
The criminal backed straight into the man, and stumbled flat on his keister with an agitated grunt. The impact knocked the top hat off of his head, and there was a massive gasp.
“That’s Negaduck!”
“Somebody do something!”
“He’s got the Map of Gadwall!”
“Call 911!”
Negaduck snarled at the mob blocking his way out, and swiftly picked himself back up and raced across the room toward a large stained glass window. As he went, he made sure to topple every priceless vase he passed out of sheer spite. He was mere steps away from leaping through the pane before a cloud of blue smoke appeared directly in his path.
“I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the mummy who keeps YOU under wraps! I am…Darkwiiiiing Duck!” The smoke cleared and revealed an arrogantly smirking duck who looked remarkably like Negaduck, save the color of his costume.
The criminal skidded to a stop and scowled. “Great, not YOU!”
“Going somewhere, Negaduck?”
“I was just leaving!” he snapped as he grabbed a nearby mace from a medieval exhibit and took a swing at the hero.
“Gah!” Darkwing yelped, dodging just in time to miss the brunt of it. He reached over and snatched a rapier from the wall. “En guarde!”
With a growl, Negaduck heaved the spiked weapon at his foe time and time again, growing increasingly frustrated by Darkwing’s ability to parry and lunge away from each attempt.
“Ha! Give it up, Negaduck! My superior swordplay skills are sure to stop your sinister scheme!”
“Oh yeah? Well eat mace!” The villain flung the weapon directly at the do-gooder’s head, and Darkwing barely had enough time to duck.
“Yipe!”
The mace caught his fedora, and pinned it just over the top of the Moona Lisa’s head.
While Darkwing was caught off guard, Negaduck took the opportunity to crash through the stained glass window, creating an exit for himself. “Sayonara, suckers!” he shouted scornfully behind him.
He didn’t realize until it was too late that he was headed right for a trio of police officers, ready and waiting to catch him. “No, no, no, no!!” he cried, scrambling in midair to change course.
Too late. Three sets of hands latched on to him, and despite his ferocious fighting, he was handcuffed and tossed into the back of the waiting paddy wagon.
Inside, Ariana was beginning to stir, and the group of faces hovering over her were hazy and out of focus.
“Miss? Miss, are you all right?”
“She must’ve fainted from all the commotion.”
“I don’t blame her! That Negaduck is a fiend!”
It felt as though every spark of energy had been sapped from her, and all of their voices sounded muffled and distant. Everything was fuzzy, and it took her a few moments for the fog in her head to dissipate.
“Where…?” she managed weakly.
An uppercrust woman leaned forward and took her hand sympathetically. “I would have fainted, too, at the sight of that horrible blackguard Negaduck.”
Ariana felt a jolt of memory and sat up. “Negaduck?!”
“That’s right, dear,” the woman continued, “but don’t go fretting about him. The police carted that cad away, and good riddance! Can ye’ walk?”
With the woman’s help, Ariana managed to stand, although it only made her feel more nauseous and hollow. A million different thoughts and emotions were vying for her attention, and she felt torn in every direction as it all came back.
She’d been helping Negaduck get a glimpse of his family’s map, and she’d been in the midst of a spell…nothing after that. Gut-wrenching guilt gripped her suddenly, and she knew she’d failed him.
“Where did they take him?”
“Why, to the Calisota County Jail, I imagine. Yeh’ve nothing ta fear.” The woman looked at her uncertainly. “Are ye sure yer all right? I can get one of those medics over here before the police interview yeh.”
“I-interview?” she responded faintly, feeling a rock forming in the pit of her stomach. There was no way to explain why she was there, especially with someone else’s name on her ticket, and she’d never been very good at lying. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to the authorities. Least of all…
Her heart stopped when she noticed a familiar SHUSH agent barking orders not too far off. Panic seized her, and although she still felt incredibly ill and weak, she stumbled away from the concerned matron and hurried out of the chaos and left behind the whirl of flashing lights before she could be noticed.
She had to help Negaduck.
It was well past midnight, and the public enemy had been behind bars for at least 24 hours. As Ariana stared at the grounds of the jail, she considered her options for the thousandth time. He wouldn’t be in jail at all if it hadn’t been for her, and people were wrong to judge him for what he’d tried to do at the museum. After all, he’d only been there to look at the map, not steal it or destroy it, and it was his map to begin with. She felt pity eke into her system, mixing with the guilt and strengthening her resolve. What she was about to do may not necessarily be lawful, but for her the ends justified the means. It was her fault he was in there, and she had to be the one to set things right.
A moment passed, which she used to steady herself, then she was moving like a specter through the knee-high weeds toward the barbed wire fence lining the perimeter. Searchlights lit up the surrounding area, and she was careful to stay out of their vigilant glare. She paused a moment with her back against the concrete wall, trying to calm the heady detachment she was experiencing. The coolness of the hard rock against her flesh sent shivers up her spine and grounded her at once. She had to stay collected and in control, otherwise this would be for nothing.
It didn’t take her long to get inside undetected. With a few small, simple spells she had managed to smuggle herself into the ventilation system, and she was now trying not to gag on the horrid stench of mold, body odor, and rotting food that wafted through the confining ducts. As she scooted through the tight air shaft, Ariana considered how like navigating the haunted crevices of McCawber Castle this was. Just the thought of the beloved pastime renewed her courage, and she squirmed around a tight bend in the tunnel. The moist metallic plates kissed her clothes and flesh, sucking her to the walls and making it difficult to keep moving.
The distant, muffled sound of voices drifted up through a nearby vent, and Ariana paused, trying to keep her breathing controlled and quiet so she wouldn’t be discovered. It sounded like two jail guards.
“I can’t believe I have to work a double shift again.”
“Yeah. Ever since they caught Negaduck, we’ve had nothing but increased security and no sleep.”
“When are they transferring him to Albatross Island?”
“In the morning.”
“He’s in B-52, right now, right?”
“For now. I just hope they put tranqs in his food so we can have peace and quiet. I hate the things he says about my mother.”
“Yeah, me too…”
Her heart raced in anticipation, and she could feel heat rising from her breast as she followed the sounds of the conversation, cautiously sliding her way through the ductwork and praying it wouldn’t give beneath her. Most of the inmates were asleep, so there weren’t any real competing sounds. She ran in to trouble only when there was a lapse in the conversation, but they didn’t last long. Both guards seemed on edge, and tired. Talking kept them awake, and Ariana was grateful she had decided to come at this time rather than earlier.
She neared a small grate and peered through. Both guards were lanky except for bulging bellies, indicating they didn’t see a lot of physical activity, and they both had bags beneath their eyes. While they were busy sending off the evening shift, Ariana scuttled slowly forward toward a section of the air vents she hoped was directly over Negaduck’s cell. There was another small vent, and she spied eagerly through the miniscule slits. She nearly screamed in shock when she was greeted by another set of eyes on the other side, but she managed to stifle it. The person on the other side wasn’t so lucky. He cried out and flailed on the small tower of furniture he’d managed to create, and fell backwards with a heavy thud. Footsteps raced toward the cell door, and there were voices.
“What’s going on in there?”
“I’m baking snickerdoodles; what’s it look like?!” a sardonic, growly voice snapped from inside the cell. Though her view was limited by the small slats, she could see a nasty red bump forming on its owner’s masked head.
“What imbecile let him have furniture in his cell?” one of the guards barked.
“Well, it’s not supposed to be moveable…” the other replied slowly.
“Get in there and get it out. We can’t take any chances; he’s escaped every other time.”
“Yeah, and this time won’t be any different!” Ariana couldn’t help but feel relieved when she saw his face clearly. Negaduck snarled as he stood up and rubbed his behind. “You buffoons can’t hold me in here.”
“Dawson, Creed, hold him while Cluff and I clear out anything he can use to escape.”
“Why do I have to hold him?”
“Fine. I’ll do it. Now get in there!”
There was a fumbling of keys.
Negaduck braced himself. “Just try and hold me back, you paisley pus—“
There was a sickening thwack followed by a painful wheeze. The guard pulled back his baton with a smirk, and Ariana had to clamp her hands over her bill to keep from protesting. A wave of anguish and outrage rolled over her, and she felt herself quake with emotion. If she were any other sorceress she might have turned them all into newts. As it was, she was helpless while she watched the guards take turns jabbing the public enemy with their nightsticks. Each of Negaduck’s agonized grunts equaled a stab to her heart, and she felt an anger she hadn’t felt in years bubble up inside of her. She had to clench one fist tightly to keep control of herself. It would do neither her nor Negaduck any good if she did something to put herself in jail with him. Besides, there were other ways of helping her friend. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
A blinding blue-white light flashed through the cell.
“Dah!” Negaduck had to cover his eyes before his retinas burned off. When he dared peek, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “What the -- ?”
The guards were completely frozen in mid-action, staring forward at the villain and yet not seeing him. It was as if someone had hit “pause” on the world. He waved his hand in front of the nearest guard hesitantly.
“Uh…hello?”
“Negaduck!” a woman’s voice hissed.
“Who’s in there??” he demanded, jerking his head upward toward the source of the voice.
“It’s me…” Ariana hissed again, although with the guards frozen there was really no need.
There was a small grunt, then the vent above his head shifted to reveal a young face with bright silver eyes.
“You?!” Negaduck couldn’t help but sputter incredulously. She was the last person he’d expected to see in a jail cell.
She climbed out of the shaft and dropped next to him, feeling her stomach begin to do flip-flops at seeing him again. The dangerous predicament they were in didn’t help her anxiety, either.
“We have to hurry,” she replied breathlessly. “I don’t think I can hold the spell much longer…”
“What are you doing here?!” he cried, still in shock.
“It’s my fault you’re here; I should’ve explained how magic works. Now come on, before I lose it again.” She looked around urgently, then paused. She hadn’t thought of a way to get back up into the air vents once she’d gotten out. Just when she was about to admit her failure, Negaduck folded his arms and smirked. While he loathed accepting help from anyone, he was intelligent enough to see the bigger picture here.
“First jailbreak, eh dollface?” he observed slyly.
She felt her face redden with embarrassment, but before she could apologize for letting him down again, a large black bomb appeared in his palm.
“Luckily I’m always prepared with a Plan B -- boring and predictable…but effective.” Just where he’d gotten it from was a mystery, as he was wearing a pale blue jumpsuit instead of the suit he’d been arrested in. She had thought since he didn’t have his disguise anymore that all of his belongings had also been taken by the authorities. One of her delicate eyebrows rose.
“Where did that come from?”
Negaduck looked at her pointedly before lighting it with a match that had also seemingly appeared out of thin air. “You don’t wanna know…”
Her face drained of color. He held his free arm across her body before hurtling the bomb toward the cement wall of his cell. In the instant it exploded, Negaduck turned and huddled away from the blast with her curled beneath him in his arms. It was downright terrifying to Ariana to be caught up in all of this, yet those five seconds in his arms made everything all right again.
Alarms began blaring throughout the facility, and Negaduck shook the rubble from his back and helped her to her feet. The grin he gave her was filled with adrenaline and mischief.
“C’mon, dollface. Let’s blow this joint.”