A line had formed as guests waited to be announced, so the girls walked to the back of it. In front of them were a large man and his wife, having some kind of argument.
"Isn't there a line for the rich people?" the woman groaned.
"Maybe if we had gotten here earlier we'd be inside already," the man grunted. His voice was slurred and Sabrina thought he might be drunk.
"I wanted to look nice for the ball," the woman said defensively.
"You wanted to look nice for the prince," he muttered.
"Are you going to harp on that, again?" The woman sighed.
She turned and noticed Sabrina and Daphne. Her cheeks flushed red and she forced a sheepish smile to her face. Even in her embarrassment, the woman was radiant. Her beautiful amber hair cascaded in curls down her neck and her bright-green eyes sparkled in the light, competing for brilliance with her pearly white smile.
"Good evening," she said politely.
Her husband turned to see who she was speaking to, and the agony of his face was revealed. His features were pushed flat, giving him a cat-like appearance, accentuated by the mane of hair that framed his face. Long fangs crept out of his mouth and hung down nearly to his chin. But his most horrible feature was his eyes, bright-yellow slits that blinked at them fiercely. Sabrina knew exactly who they were—Beauty and the Beast.
"Good evening," the Beast grunted. "Nice to see you, Woodsman. How on Earth did you and Momma Bear come to be acquainted?"
The girls weren't prepared for questions and stood dumbfounded.
"You're such a gossip," Beauty scolded. "What Poppa Bear doesn't know won't hurt him."
Several more guests joined the line. Sabrina turned around to see a small white rabbit in a vest clutching an old-fashioned chain watch in his paw. He looked at the time and stuffed the watch back into his vest pocket.
"For once, we are not late." The White Rabbit sighed with relief. His companions were three mice wearing black sunglasses and carrying canes.
"Always the worrywart," one of the mice said as he tapped his cane against the ground.
"I told you we would make it," the second added.
"Someday I'd like to smash that watch of yours. All that worrying about time is going to give you a heart attack," the third mouse concluded.
"I believe in being punctual," the White Rabbit said defensively.
"Have you heard the news?" the second mouse squeaked to the crowd.
"No, I want to tell. I heard it first," the first mouse cried. "Relda Grimm has been carried off by a giant!"
The folks in line gasped in surprise and turned their attention to the little mouse.
"Are you sure?" the Beast asked.
"Maybe you'd prefer an eyewitness," the first mouse cried. "I may be blind, but my hearing is just fine."
The Beast rolled his eyes.
"A giant? That's impossible," Beauty exclaimed.
"I didn't believe it, either, but it's true," the White Rabbit replied. "The giant has been stomping around all over town scaring the humans to death. The Three are working overtime, showering the town in forgetful dust. Be prepared to dig deep, my friends. The damage is extensive and forgetful dust costs a pretty penny. You all know Charming's going to ask us to foot the bill."
Sabrina hung on every word.
"If she's dead, we might actually be able to leave Ferryport Landing!" Beauty cried, unable to hide her excitement. "Has anyone tried?"
"The barrier is still intact," said the third mouse, almost stumbling over a pebble as he stepped forward with the moving line. "We tried it this morning."
"Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up about Relda meeting an untimely demise," the White Rabbit said. "I'm sure Canis will save her. He always does."
"Oh, that's not going to be a problem this time," the third mouse chirped. "The giant carried him away, too!"
"Two birds with one very big stone," the second mouse sang with glee.
"So, it's just a matter of time," the Beast said.
"Maybe not," the second mouse said. "I hear they've found the granddaughters."
Everyone groaned.
"I thought they had died!" Beauty said.
"No, just missing. Apparently, whatever carried off their parents didn't get them," the White Rabbit said.
"I'm sorry," Sabrina interrupted. "But did you say the girls' parents had been carried away?"
"The family thinks they abandoned them, but I've heard whispers that Henry and his wife were kidnapped," the Beast answered.
Sabrina and Daphne shared a stunned look.
"But it's not all bad news," the first mouse said.
"Indeed?" Beauty asked.
"I hear they're already trying to rescue their grandmother. Can you believe it?" said the White Rabbit. "Two kids taking on a giant! The whole family will be pushing up daisies by morning."
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and when it comes to the Grimms, that's saying something," the Beast said.
The crowd laughed.