Noddak oriented himself by the late-morning sun and headed north along the dirt path. It was nearly noon—he’d slept late, then lingered over his excellent breakfast. As he headed back into the woods, he gradually became aware that he wasn’t alone. At first, it was just the hint of the sound of footsteps somewhere off the path. As the footsteps grew closer, Noddak caught glimpses of yellow fabric through the trees. “You might as well come on out, Gleesa. I know it’s you!”
Gleesa emerged from the trees wearing a huge smile. “How did you know it’s me? Could you hear me? I’m learning to walk silently in the woods, you know. I guess I’m not very good at it yet.”
“You were doing okay. It was your yellow dress that gave it away. If you’re going to be sneaky, you need to wear clothes that blend in with your surroundings.”
“Like your traveling cloak?”
“Yes, in a way. It’s old and dirty, more than anything else, but the darker colors do help me blend in, especially at night. Is there something I can do for you?”
“You were awfully mean to Mother, you know. Especially after she gave you such a tasty breakfast.”
“I know. I’m very sorry. I lost my temper again.” He sighed. “I’ve been traveling for a long time, and I’ve been sick, to boot. It’s been making me cranky. Though I am feeling much better today. Maybe you can tell her I’m sorry for being short-tempered?”
“Sure. She just wanted to make sure that you didn’t have evil intentions toward the Brackenpools.”
“Evil intentions? Of course not! The Brackenpools are in danger, and I’m trying to help them.”
“If you had just said that to Mother, your life might have gotten a lot easier. Or yesterday, at the tavern, for that matter.”
“I know, I know. I should learn to be more patient.”
“Laughing Goose Spit.”
“Say, what?”
“That’s where the Brackenpools live, out on Laughing Goose Spit.” She giggled. “It’s a funny name, isn’t it? Because there aren’t any geese to speak of, except in the spring and fall when they migrate. And when there are geese, they don’t laugh. They just honk a lot. As for spit… Father says that’s a name for a narrow bit of land that sticks out into the water—nothing to do with spitting. I’m not sure why it’s called that.”
“And you say that’s where the Brackenpools live? Out on this spit?”
“Well, not out on the spit, exactly. It’s pretty narrow at the end, and it would be dangerous in a storm. We go out there sometimes to dig clams, but only in fair weather. The Brackenpools live more where the spit joins the island.”
“I see. And how would I get there from here?”
“That’s easy. You follow this path until it turns to gravel, then keep going until you get to the coast road, what we call the Ring Road, because it goes all the way around the island. Turn right and keep going for a while. You’ll come to a little group of houses, and just past there you’ll see where the spit leaves the island. The first house on the spit, the house closest to the road, is the Brackenpools’. There’s a little path that goes right up to the garden gate.”
“Well, thank you, Gleesa. You’ve been very helpful.”
“It’s not that hard to get along with people, Mr. Noddak. You just have to be a little nicer to them.”
“I’ll try harder, I promise.”
“I’d better get back to the cabin. Mother will wonder where I got off to. If you see her again, maybe don’t mention that I told you where the Brackenpools live?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t. Thank you, Gleesa.”
He watched her until the flashes of yellow fabric disappeared into the woods, then turned and trudged down the path. There was something about the little girl that tugged at a long-forgotten place in his heart. But he shook off that feeling. After all, he hated children, the nasty little brats. Didn’t he?