Supper had already been laid out in their room. Relieved that they were now friends again, the girls took great care with each other, laughed at the slightest hint of a joke, and talked only about things that would not cause offense. Sophie hoped that the princess might visit them again.
But she did not appear, although Sophie thought she had heard footsteps outside. And just as she drifted off to sleep that night, she thought, too, that she heard the cries of many wolves, as though they were singing her to sleep.
Something woke her.
“Hello?”
There were squares of moonlight on the floor. Someone laughed and Sophie heard muffled footsteps running, but it was all subdued, as if it were coming from another room.
“Delphine?” she called, sitting up. “Marianne?” Both girls appeared to be fast asleep. “Look, if this is some kind of joke, it’s not that funny.”
The palace fell silent once more. Only her breathing to be heard.
Sophie closed her eyes, but she was wide awake, every nerve tingling.
Scuffling again. Did someone cough? She thought she heard a door open, but it was not the nursery door. More footsteps, and then shallow breathing right next to her pillow.
“Got you!” she said. Her eyes snapped open as she grabbed the hand that was reaching out to her face.
A startled cry.“Atpusti menya pajaluista!”
It was a young girl. Sophie was so surprised she loosened her fingers, and the girl immediately twisted out of her grip and scampered behind a chair. Sophie could see her brown hair over the top. She could see a small foot, too, shod in a felt slipper, sticking out into the room.
Trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, Sophie said, “You don’t have to hide. I won’t hurt you.”
The girl stayed where she was.
“You don’t speak English?”
“Da, I speak Pangeleesky!” The voice was high, musical. “I learn with my brother from book.” She pronounced the word “boooooork.”
Sophie thought about turning on the light, but decided it might scare her.
“I like you,” the voice said. “You pretty face.”
“Thank you,” Sophie answered, craning her neck to try and see the child behind the chair. The foot in the felt slipper was drawn out of sight with a giggle. “But,” Sophie added, “I can’t tell ifIlikeyou, because I can’t see you. Why don’t you come out from behind the chair?”
There was no movement, no sound.
“Are you cold?” Sophie asked. “We could share this glass of tea that someone kindly brought me while I was asleep.”
“But that was me, that was me!”
The voice was accompanied by a furious clapping of hands. A thin white face with thick dark eyebrows peeped out from behind the chair. Sophie smiled and the face disappeared again.
“I bring tea … and jam.” She talked as if she was listening to every word she was saying and was fascinated by how those words sounded. “They let me come. I promise go back straight.” A sigh. “Then I see your face!”
“What about my face?” Sophie could now see a slice of embroidered purple skirt.
“I like very much!”
The girl peeped out from behind the chair. Her brown hair hung in two long, straggling braids. She unfolded herself slowly and, as if drawn by threads, walked toward the bed. She came right up to Sophie, as though she couldn’t help herself, and stared hard. She had long black eyelashes and dark blue eyes.
And then the words of the princess came back to Sophie. What if this girl was … a spirit? What was it she was meant to say?
Sophie whispered, “For good? For bad?” really quickly under her breath.
The girl gasped. “You think Idomovoi?” she said. She took a step back from the bed, shaking her head.
