Sadie Madison and the Boy in the Crimson Scarf

13 | The Green Glass Bottle

As Sadie slept, Christmas bloomed throughout the Madison house. With Natalia's help, Larissa dragged boxes full of decorations from the attic, pinning silver moons and stars to window frames, running gold and green tinsel between the bannisters and Michael's horrifying paintings, hanging coloured paper-chains from ceiling roses to cornices, suspending holly and evergreen garlands to each door, and draping the porch with a cornucopia of bunting, stars, tinsel and flare in gold, silver, red and green.

Next, Natalia dusted off two-dozen oil lanterns and hung them beneath the porch awning while Larissa retrieved a small army of sowing mannequins and dressed them in festive outfits. She positioned the mannequins throughout the house, as though they were attending a fancy party. A strange, static, headless Christmas party.

Meanwhile, Michael and Eli took the family sledge into town looking for a mighty tree to adorn the hallway. People were out in their hordes, as the Ryndai looked on. True, Christmas had once been a religious festival, but the people of Norland had long since stopped celebrating it in the name of one god or another. A celebration of winter, of the imminent New Year, of family and friends and hope for the future, people called it.

The Ryndai remained vigilant, their numbers swelling on the streets of Iron Bridge.

Michael held out a variety of trees to Eli, who weighed up their suitability, discarding one after the next until they arrived at a solid blue spruce with waxy grey-green leaves and a scaly grey bark. By the time they returned home, Michael's hands were sore, his knees and back shot. Larissa and Natalia rushed to help him lift the tree through the front door and secure it in a large decorative planter.

The tree was quite a specimen. It stretched up through the hallway, touching the edge of the stairs and finishing in line with the bannisters on the landing. The Madison family looked at the fantastic decorations Larissa and Natalia had displayed, excited to start on the enormous tree dominating the hallway. Eli sunk his hands into the nearest box and pulled out armfuls of tinsel.

"Wait a minute," Michael said. "Let me see if Sadie wants to join in."

As he climbed the stairs, all the wonder and magic of Christmas drained from his body. He felt old and tired. Lacking the strength to deal with the coming moments.

Sadie sat by the window as Michael craned his head around the door. He adjusted his spectacles with his middle finger. "Sadie?"

She turned and smiled.

"How did you sleep?"

"Fine," she lied.

"No Hellhounds or Devil's to speak of?"

"Not one."

Michael faltered for a moment. "Tell me again," he began, swallowing hard. "Why did you go to the museum yesterday?"

Sadie bit her lip.

"I won't be angry," he said. "It slipped my mind, is all."

"I was...looking for something."

Michael's eyes thinned. "Looking for what?"

"I'm...not sure," she shrugged. "Adventure, probably."

"Not a person?"

"No."

"Not a dear friend?

"No."

"One you'd do anything for?"

Their eyes met. "I've already got one of those."

"Oh," Michael's shoulders tensed. "Danver."

Sadie frowned. "No, Father. Oliver."