“He means the doggie,” Sabrina said. “You remember the doggie, right?”
“Oh, yes! The doggie,” Red said. “I loved the doggie but he could be bad.”
“Bad?”
“Very bad. He bit Grandma,” Red said.
“We know,” Granny Relda said. “We were wondering what you remember about the night he bit your grandma.”
The little girl sat quietly for a moment. Her eyes drifted off as if she were struggling to remember something dancing on the edges of her mind. “Cages,” she said softly, then looked around at the room. “So many cages.”
Uncle Jake turned to Granny Relda. “What cages?”
Granny shook her head. “I’ve read nearly every version of the event and I’ve never seen any mention of cages.”
“Red, can you tell us more about these cages?” Robin Hood asked.
“NO!” the child shrieked. There was so much anger and hate in her voice it startled even Little John. He nearly fell over his chair as he tried to back away.
“It was my turn to ask a question!” Red cried. “You have to play the game right.”
“Of course, my friend,” Granny said in a calming voice. “We didn’t mean to skip your turn. What is your next question?”
“Can I go home?”
Sabrina shuddered. Her fear seemed to be shared. The rest of the group seemed just as unnerved by the suggestion. Ferryport Landing was on the verge of chaos already. The last thing it needed was Red walking around free. Eventually, Granny mustered the courage to answer. “You’re very sick and you need to get better. Once that happens you can go home.”
“I don’t feel sick. I don’t have a runny nose.”
“That’s because you are sick inside your mind. It’s a different kind of illness. You can’t feel it at all.”
Red frowned. “OK.”
“Can we ask a question, now?” Granny asked.
Red Riding Hood nodded.
“Tell us about these cages,” Robin Hood said.
“The doggie was in one and then there was wind and then he wasn’t in the cage anymore. The doggie wasn’t in the doggie anymore. He was in the man. The man with the ax. He was an angry doggie. He made the other man scared. The other man cried. My turn! How is my baby brother?”
Granny searched the faces of the group for an answer but everyone was silent. She turned back to the child. “I didn’t know you had a baby brother, Red.”
“Oh yes,” Red cooed. “He’s got bright red hair, pink skin, and big green eyes. I just love him so much. Is someone taking care of him?”
Sabrina and Daphne looked at each other knowingly. They suspected that this baby brother of Red’s wasn’t really a relative, but a child she and the Jabberwocky had stolen. They had found a crib and baby toys in Red’s hiding place, once, but who the child was or where he might be now was still a mystery.
“Yes,” Granny lied. “He’s perfectly safe.”
“Good,” Red sighed. “Your turn.”
“You said that there was a man at your grandma’s house,” Robin Hood said. “Who was he?”
“Which one?”
Granny looked shocked. “I’m confused. Are you saying there were two men in your grandmother’s house?”
Red nodded. “One was the doggie. One was the man.”
“This is pointless,” Sabrina whispered to her grandmother. “Even if she does remember what happened, she is so confused—how can we trust anything she says?”
Granny nodded reluctantly. “I’m afraid I agree. Perhaps we should go.”
“Will you come and visit me again?” the little girl asked.
Sabrina cringed at the idea of making another visit to the murderous Everafter.
“We’ll try,” Granny said. “In the meantime you work on feeling better.”
“Tell the doggie I said hello,” Red said.
Once outside, Nurse Sprat set down her sandwich and went to work on the various locks and bolts that kept Red inside and safely away from others. Once Sabrina had calmed down, she noticed something in Robin and Little John’s faces.
“What?” she asked.
“Something isn’t adding up here,” Robin said. “She spoke of cages. It might not mean anything, but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t look into it. I think we need to go see our furry friend again. I’m guessing there’s a secret locked inside the cage in his head and we need to get it out.”
Uncle Jake dropped the lawyers, his mother, the girls, and Barto off at the jailhouse, saying he needed to get back to the mirror and keep track of Goldilocks. Elvis also needed to be fed and let out of the house. Little John assured Jake he would keep the family safe. Barto was offended by this and claimed he didn’t need the big man’s help.
“Nottingham is never going to let us see Mr. Canis again,” Daphne said.
Robin Hood smiled. “I think that’s something my strong friend can remedy.”
Little John grinned. “Finally! It’s about time we started having some fun.”