Dime Store Magic
Page 60

"The omelet will be fine. Better than fine. Tomorrow, I'll set my alarm. Guests shouldn't need to fend for themselves in the morning."
"You don't need to play hostess for me, Paige. You have quite enough to worry about."
I grabbed two glasses and filled them with orange juice. "Look, about last night. I didn't mean to unload on you."
"You didn't unload. You have justifiable concerns and I think we should discuss them. If you'd like to talk-"
"I'd like to talk about coming up with a plan. Yesterday was crazy and I know I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, but I'm not usually that disorganized. After breakfast, I'd like to sit down and discuss a plan of action."
"Excellent idea."
Contrary to what Savannah had implied, the omelet looked good, and tasted just fine. Once we were both sitting down eating, I noticed the ringer light on the phone flashing. Cortez followed my gaze.
"I turned the ringer off to let you sleep," he said. "Shall I-"
"No, leave it off. You were right yesterday. I should just start reviewing call display records. I don't need to hear a constantly ringing phone and I really don't need to hear those messages. Is the machine off?"
He shook his head. "I just turned the volume down. That seemed safest."
"Good idea." At a loud bass thump from Savannah's room, I glanced toward the back hall. "Did she even apologize to you?"
"I believe her mood is intended as an apology."
"Making nice."
"Exactly."
I lowered my voice. "Do you think she regrets it? At all?"
"That's difficult to say."
"Hey," Savannah said, swinging through the kitchen doorway. "Anyone notice how quiet it is this morning? I just looked out my window and guess what? They're gone. Poof." She grinned. "Like magic."
"Yes, I'd noticed that," Cortez said, taking another bite of his omelet.
"Are you going to say anything?"
"Such as?"
She sighed. "Oh, come on, Lucas. You aren't still mad at me, are you? Don't be like that. Admit it. It wasn't such a bad idea after all."
"What wasn't?" I said. "The confusion spell? I hope you're kidding, Savannah."
Her eyes clouded. "No, I'm not. Look outside. Look. They're gone. I made them leave."
"First, they are not all gone," Cortez said. "There is still a small contingent remaining. Most, however, have left, due perhaps in part to your actions, but quite probably owing more to this." He stood, walked to the counter, and picked up several sheets of paper. "It appears East Falls has grown weary of its recent influx of tourists."
Helaid the sheets on the table for Savannah and me. They were printouts from a Web site covering local news.
"I hope you don't mind, Paige, but I took the liberty of using your computer this morning. After last night's problem, I feared the number of onlookers might increase. When I saw that the reverse had occurred, I was curious."
I scanned the articles. The one I wanted was right at the top of the page, with the biggest headline. "Old-Fashioned Shunning Shuts Down Media Onslaught." In colonial New England one of the most severe punishments a Puritan community could inflict on its members was shunning. Instead of exiling you, they banished you socially. They pretended you didn't exist. Parents have always known how infuriating such a punishment is. The worst thing you can do to a child is to ignore her. That's what East Falls had done to the crowds of strangers drawn to my story.
After a half-day of being beset by the plague of locusts, the people of East Falls had withdrawn into their homes, locked the doors, and taken the phones off the hook. That left the media searching in vain for quotes and sound bites. Then, when dinnertime came, no one could find an open restaurant within twenty miles of East Falls. Even the grocery and variety stores had closed early. Then, when they tried to find lodgings, every motel, hotel, and bed-and-breakfast in the county was suddenly full.
Sure, people could drive to Boston for food and shelter-if they had enough gas. All the local stations had closed at nine. This didn't stop the most intrepid reporters and ghouls from hanging around, but more than enough had decided it simply wasn't worth their while. No one was giving interviews. I wasn't coming out of my house. The dead weren't rising in the local cemetery. There was really nothing much worth seeing in East Falls. For now, at least.
"This is bullshit," Savannah said, swiping the papers to the floor. "People didn't leave because of this. They left because of me. Because of my spell."
"Your spell may have frightened off a few," Cortez said. "But, under normal circumstances, it would have only increased the level of public interest. Yes, some would have left those who were merely victimized by the spell and who played no active role in the violence. A confusion spell exacerbates violent tendencies. Those who enjoyed the emotional release would stay. And more would come-the sort of people hoping for a replay. Without this shunning, the situation would have only worsened." He paused. "I know that you didn't understand the full ramifications of the spell you cast, Savannah."
Her eyes hardened. "I knew exactly what I was doing, sorcerer."
"Don't you talk to him like that," I said.
Cortez lifted his hand. "You didn't understand it, Savannah. I know that. No one holds you responsible-"