CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

RETURN OF RALPH AND TRIXIE

A whisper awoke Alexander. “Wake up.” The cave was sweltering. Sweat ran off his skin drenching his clothing. Something was wrong. Was he awake or was he dreaming? He hovered over a lifeless body lying at his feet. Abby’s body laid a few feet to his right, her clothing soaked as well. Malley slept with his back to a wall, his reddened body glowing.

“Get your friends away from here.” His voice was not his own.

“How? We all look dead,” he answered himself, back in his voice.

“They’re still alive. There is still time, but you must hurry.” Alexander continued to have a conversation with him.

The heat became concentrated. “I’m just one small boy. I couldn’t possibly help.” He felt weak. His words faltered. The inside of his mouth burned so badly. It felt as if lava would spew from it at any minute.

“Trust in yourself, Master Sighs. There’s more to you than you could guess.” The voice whispered in such a way it touched his heart. O’Toole—it was his voice.

“O’Toole, where are you? How did you get here? Why can’t I see you?”

“There is not enough time to explain. You and I are one. I am you, and you are a part of me, and we call it leprechaun-kinder. I will explain later, but as usual, you have gotten yourself in a heap of trouble.”

“How…”

Alexander interrupted himself with a bop on the head. “Wake our friends. I’ll take control of the heavy lifting.”

 “Wake up,” Alexander yelled. He shook Malley and lifted his body over his shoulder and then scooped up Abby and rushed to the cave’s opening.

The effort caused his legs to ache. He burst out the cave right into the waiting arms of a pair of Pond Squirrels.

“They’re not quite done,” Trixie growled. “You always pride yourself on your barbecue expertise.”

“Yes, but you know I dislike man-meat, what with all the cholesterol and such. Plus, they came out on their own. It’s not my fault,” Ralph snapped back.

“I’ll eat your portion. Put them back this instant. There is no way I’m going to eat a half-cooked human. They taste half decent when they’re cooked properly,” Trixie ordered.

“What about the leprechaun?” Ralph dangled Malley from his fingers.

“I have no idea what to do with it. They have told me they’re an acquired taste.” Trixie thought for a moment. “Put the disgusting creature in your pocket. We’ll eat it for dessert.”

                                                                 

O’Toole/Alexander heard all they could stand. Before Alexander knew it, he rebuked his tormentors. “Cessar e desistir patifes dissolver no chan de onde vem. Non ningún poder sobre nós.”

Trixie and Ralph looked at Alexander with the same blank stare. Alexander just shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea what he said. All he knew was that it upset Trixie and Ralph.

Ralph convulsed. A look of pain contorted his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but only rancid breath came out. Dropping his dinner onto the ground, a final look of surrender etched onto his face. Without warning, Ralph melted into the ground. Trixie joined her husband in a puddle of nothingness.

Abby stood up and dusted herself off, “What did you say?”

Alexander shrugged, “I don’t know. I didn’t say nothing.”

“Did too.” She slugged him in the arm.

“I didn’t say anything, honest.” Alexander rubbed his arm and glared at the annoying princess.

“Whatever.” Abby stuck her nose in the air, tilting her head and brushing a strand of hair away.

“Abby, Alexander’s telling the truth.” Malley rubbed the kinks from his back.

She stood with her arms folded and facing away from the others. “Whatever.”

“He spoke in an ancient Leprechaunic dialogue. I don’t even know the language.”

“Uh huh, sure he did.” Abby refused to believe Alexander could do something she couldn’t do.

“Sorry, Abby, I couldn’t help it. I promise not to do it again.” Alexander couldn’t figure out why he apologized.

“Whatever.”

 “That’s enough,” Malley yelled. “We’re in enough trouble without the two of you bickering. Abby, please sit down.” He pointed to a rock. “Alexander, find out where we are.”

Abby and Alexander didn’t budge. They stood staring daggers at each other.

“Alexander, go.” Malley pointed toward the blank distance. “Abby, sit.”

Alexander took one last look at Abby, put two fingers to his eyes, and then pointed them at her.

Malley waited for Alexander to get out of earshot before he whispered to Abby. “This might be hard for you to understand. I find it hard.” He swallowed hard and looked to both sides. “Alexander didn’t say anything. It wasn’t him.”

Abby put her hands on her hips, rolled her eyes, and looked at him as if he lost his mind.

“Listen carefully. I don’t know if I can explain this. O’Toole knew he couldn’t survive and didn’t have the strength to save both him and Alexander when he sent the boy from the jail.” Scanning the horizon, he continued. “He attached a small portion of his soul to the kid. I should have figured it out sooner.”

“Figured what out?”

“The boy is leprechaun-kinder.” He continued scanning the horizon. “Where did the boy go? I asked him to figure out where we were. Not to get lost.”

“Wait, you can’t just tell me the little creep is a leprechaun-kidder and change the subject.”

“Kinder” Malley corrected her. “Leprechaun-kinder. There’s nothing much more to say. He’s one, and that’s that.”

Abby’s eyes squinted with curiosity. “You have to tell me more. Like, what did he tell those disgusting beasts?”

“I am sworn to secrecy, but I can tell you O’Toole is possessing Alexander and that will come in handy. As for what he said, remember, I don’t speak that dialect. The best I can figure out is he told the squirrels to leave us alone and to return to the ground, or something like it.”

“Oh.” Abby plopped down on the ground and ran her hand through her hair.

“Where’s that boy? He should be back by now.”