Into the Woods

Chapter 3: Rumpelstiltskin

Rumpelstiltskin glared at his servant. "It's about time! What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, master. It's just that your eight o'clock appointment arrived and I had to see to them."

"What? What appointment? Who is it? Speak. Quickly."

"Iago and the Weird Sisters, sir. Hecate recommended them to you. Remember?"

"Ah yes... Well, tell them to reschedule. Or if they're willing to wait I will meet with them after our mission. If they will wait, send the fool in to entertain them and give them some tea."

"Of course, master."

"Now be on your way! We have important things to discuss! Be off with you."

The servant bowed low and left the room as Rosina and Red scrambled to grab a cup.

"Hey, that's my cup!"

"But I had it first, Rosina! You always ruin cups with how much sugar you put in. I swear I can still taste it for weeks if not months after you used it."

"But I had it first!"

"Give it to me!"

"No."

"Quiet!' shouted Rumpelstiltskin.

"Off with their heads!"

Rumpelstiltskin turned to Wolf. "Remind me to invite only one madwoman to my meetings in the future." He then turned to Rosina and Red and frowned. "If there are any more interruptions, the guilty party must go outside, understood?"

"Yes, Rumpie. They chorused meekly and let the cup drop to the table. Rosina quickly grabbed it and Red glared at her angrily, but didn't dare do anything about it.

"Can I finally go ahead and reveal my secret plan?"

"Please do," said Wolf. "I for one am desperate to know what your genius mind has come up with."

"Jadis, do you still know where she is?"

"Yes. She is about a quarter of the way to her granny's house right now."

"Good. Well, not good that she's getting so close but good that you are watching her."

"I knew what you mean. The good news is that she seems to be walking slower than usual."

"Ah, excellent."

"What is your plan to get her?" asked Wolf.

"Well, I'll need your help with that."

"So you've said. What must I do?"

"I need you to go follow her in the forest. Stay hidden. Rustle bushes and make sure that she catches small glimpses of you in the distance. Don't get too close. I happen to know that she will often carry pepper spray with her when she goes to visit her dear grandmother."

"I'm on it! Let's do this. I want my sandwich. If this takes too long I might just eat the girl instead."

"Wait! Let me finish. Meanwhile I will be going to the grandmother's house. You do know where that is, don't you?"

"I do indeed. According to Fox, my second in command, she makes rather good gingerbread men."

"And Fox knows this because...?" asked Jadis. "You always boat about how dangerous your gang is but that..."

"Well he decided to mug her and that was all she had on her."

"I see..." said Rumpelstiltskin. "Well, I'll be waiting for her at the grandmother's house. She needs you to make her desperate to come into safety so that I can fool her. Let's go."

"Wait!" shouted Red. "You need to plot more. The plans sound... vague."

"The plans are fine. Go!"

"But you don't even know what you want to do with her yet!"

"True... Wait, Wolf. What should I do with her?"

"I don't know!" growled Wolf while he paced up and down the bare floorboards. "It's your choice."

Red walked over to the computer on the far side and tidied her hair. She opened up her favourite website to have the time. "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the reddest of them all?"

"Anabel Hood, the girl with the beautiful red cloak, Madame," came the reply in a sleepy voice.

"What? How can this be? It must be me!"

"I cannot lie. I can only show and say what is," said the artificial intelligence software.

Red closed the TruthTeller website with a forceful click of the mouse. "Wolf! Go now. I must be the reddest in the land."

"But the plan?"

"I'll think of something. Go!"

"Boss?"

"Rumpie, before you reply you should know that Anabel is halfway to her destination now," said Jadis, looking up from the screen.

"Then we had better go. I want that child!"

Wolf run out of the room with Rumpelstiltskin stomping behind them. Jadis watched after them anxiously, scared that he would stomp holes into the floor like he had at their last hideout.

"Well, gather round, ladies," should said when a few minutes had passed. "If Rumpie remembers the video camera in his pocket we should be able to watch what happens."