The Bean and the Dragon

Buy Her Way

Showing up in a closet had been a surprise to Jane. Of all the ways to get into the castle, that hadn't been one she had considered. Fortunately, she'd been down an empty hall, so when she crept out, it had been easy to get away. That was until the Giant had made his declaration about sniffing her out.

How am I supposed to get around that? she wondered. I can't make myself not smell. Now, she understood why Jack's adventures were always snatch-and-grab; get in, steal something, and get out before his stench alerted the Giant. It had seemed to work for him. He'd even managed to steal the goose that laid the golden egg from right under the giant's nose.

But Jane wasn't there to steal, only to explore. Maybe I can make friends with the Gaint? She tiptoed along. Probably best to not run into him at all.

Jane heard footsteps, and she dove behind a large potted plant. She peeked out and watched a trio of guards pass by. After several minutes, she wondered if it was safe to continue.

She decided to risk it and crept down the corridor, sticking close to the wall, moving from shadow to shadow cast by the greenery to another hall, scanning left and right. It was clear. Or, at least it was until she came to yet another intersection. She was so focused on what was behind her that she didn't see a young but large man turn the corner. She crashed into him, smashing into his solid mass.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she said before she had a chance to be afraid.

He grabbed her to steady her on impulse. When he realized what had happened, he narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you the Englishman?" he demanded

Her heart pounded, and she shook her head hard. "No! Not at all. I mean," she switched to nodding and blurted, "yes, I'm English, but I'm not a man, so I'm not the Englishman."

He crossed his arms. "Yeah, but you're the one my father smells, aren't you?"

She started to back up, pulling away from him. "Maybe. I don't know. I guess?"

He tightened the hold on her arm. "You can't be here!" he hissed. "He gets terribly angry about the English. All they—you—do are steal things. He likes his things, especially the gold."

Jane nodded. "I know. My cousin Jack stole the goose." The moment she said it, Jane wished she hadn't. For once, being Jack's cousin was not a good thing.

The large boy's eyes widened. "You're related to that Englishman? Oh, this is not good. Father will not care that you are a girl." He glanced around, making sure the way was clear. "Come on." He pulled her along until they reached a door. Making sure the room was empty first, he pushed her into the room.

"If you're not here to steal from us, why did you climb the beanstalk?" he hissed.

"I'm not here to take anything, I swear!" It was only a small lie. She tried not to think about her promise to Audrey about bringing her something and all the taxes they needed to pay.

He studied her face, and Jane regarded him in return. He had sandy sun-bleached hair, brown eyes, and a square jaw. She thought he was handsome but imposing.

"Why should I believe you?" he asked.

"If I were here to steal, I'd have brought an empty bag," Jane explained. She opened the flap on her satchel, making Shelly, unbeknownst to her, scramble out of sight. "See? My pack is full of things I might need to explore. That's all I want to do, I swear."

"But, you're armed," he pointed to her knife.

"It's not meant to be a weapon. I wanted it in case I needed to cut the rope or something."