“We have to.” I ignored the pain that leaped up as soon as I thought about leaving Sylvester.You’re not real,I told it sternly.
“Where will we go?”
“We won’t be able to get back to my village. Not straight away,” I said. “The sorcerer cast a spell that makes the heartsickness come in waves, but it won’t work if I go that far. I’ll get sick again. We’ll go to the secret society people I talked to. They’re the best chance we’ve got.”
“All right,” said Cornelius, “if they have food.”
“I think they had sardines last time,” I said.
He brightened. “Let’s go.”
I looked at Cornelius doubtfully.
“Once we get outside, I suppose I’ll have to carry you in my arms,” I said. “Unless you have any better ideas. It would look pretty odd to have a cat trotting alongside me.”
“Put me in a pocket, then,” he suggested. “The ones in your cloak are big enough.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound too comfortable.” Or dignified. I knew how Cornelius valued his dignity.
“Just until dark,” he said. “Then I can come out, and no one will be any the wiser. I’m good at being invisible.”
“Remember, you won’t be able to talk to me once we’re out of here,” I said. There was a pocket in my voluminous skirt plenty big enough for a smallish cat, and lined with velvet, which was a nice touch. I held it open so Cornelius could take a look.
“Looks comfortable enough,” he said, “for a little while.”
“Then we’ll both be comfortable for a little while.” I tried to speak lightly, but I felt a weight settle on me. I would not survive too long away from the sorcerer, I knew, no matter what I told myself about the secret society and their supposed magical friend who could heal hearts. Still, dying in a ditch was infinitely better than letting Clarissa reach between my ribs with her pointed nails and harvest me herself.
“Let’s go,” said Cornelius.
“Wait,” I said. I nudged at Colin with my toe.
“I think you should leave him,” said Cornelius. “He’ll be safe enough.”
“I can’tleavehim.” I grabbed him under the armpits. He was startlingly light, like a child.Hollowed out, I thought. He groaned. I heaved him up and supported him on one shoulder.
“He’s coming with us,” I insisted. “We’ll get out of here, and go to the secret society, and get the name of that person who repairs hearts. And she’ll fix us up, me and Colin.”
I spoke with more certainty than I felt.
“You only have one heart in your pocket,” Cornelius pointed out. “Don’t you need one for each of you?”
“I’ll figure something out,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Fine, if you want to lug him about. Let’s get moving, then.”
“How do we getout, though?” I asked, looking around. The place looked like it was about to cave in at any minute. “Is there a way to get to the street from here?”
“I don’t know,” said Cornelius. “But I’ll follow my nose, and we’ll find out.”
Walking through the Other House was an unsettling experience. The ceiling seemed to bulge downward with the damp. Spiders scuttled overhead. Colin was a deadweight against my side.
I thrust my hand into one of my pockets and found the little raven seal I had bought from Basil’s stall. My one souvenir, if you didn’t count Cornelius. I also had a knife, out of habit.
I had always carried one at home and in the shop, and I had nabbed one from the House’s kitchen to ferry about with me in the House in the same manner. It was black, of course, with an ornate handle, barely larger than a paring knife, and its sharp edge was a comfort to me.
Cornelius followed his nose, and I followed Cornelius. There seemed to be no logic to the arrangement of this place. We might as well have been in a labyrinth. I voiced this to Cornelius, and he gave his odd cat shrug. “It’s not so bad. I come here sometimes just for a change of scenery. Look for mice, eat a few spiders. Sleep in the rafters.”
The walls shimmered oddly when our shadows fell on them, as if they were deciding whether or not to be solid. “Is that normal?” I said, pointing at them with my free hand.
