The Princess was still laughing when Calypso stopped trying to pull free.
That, more than the goose clamped around her hand or the ridiculous line of people attached behind her, changed the mood.
Calypso looked directly at the Princess.
“Are you finished?”
“Not remotely.”
The Princess wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.
Behind Calypso, the baker shifted his feet. The guard, still stuck to the baker, nearly collided with him.
The goose gave an impatient honk.
Calypso winced as her trapped hand moved with its head.
The Princess laughed again.
“You could help.”
“I could.”
Calypso waited.
The Princess did nothing.
Calypso narrowed her eyes. “You’re enjoying this.”
“Immensely.”
That answer seemed to offend Calypso more than the enchantment itself.
She had already tried pulling her hand away. The baker had tried separating her from the goose and become attached to her. The guard had tried freeing the baker and joined them in turn.
Then Calypso had attempted something more drastic.
She had opened her doorway into nowhere.
Normally, that was enough to make an impossible situation someone else’s problem.
Not this time.
She had stepped toward the darkness, and the entire procession had been dragged with her until the goose planted its feet and refused to move another inch.
The doorway had vanished.
The goose had remained.
So had everyone else.
Now Calypso had run out of clever exits.
The Princess clearly considered this a historic occasion.
Calypso lifted her trapped hand as far as the goose allowed.
“I wanted one feather.”
The Princess looked at the golden bird.
The goose stared back.
“You appear to have acquired considerably more.”
“I noticed.”
“Perhaps it likes you.”
The goose snapped its beak.
Calypso jerked backward.
The baker stumbled.
The guard stumbled into him.
The Princess doubled over laughing again.
Calypso waited until she could speak without shouting.
“What do you want?”
That finally made the Princess straighten.
“What makes you think I want anything?”
“Because if you knew how to help and simply wanted to watch me suffer, you would have walked away by now.”
The Princess’s smile changed.
Calypso saw it.
So did the baker.
The guard muttered, “Oh, no.”
Calypso glanced over her shoulder.
“What?”
“I know that expression.”
The Princess folded her hands.
Calypso sighed.
“Of course you do.”
The Princess stepped closer to the goose.
It did not attack her.
That was the first useful thing anyone had learned since Calypso reached for the golden feather.
She moved closer still.
The goose watched her but did not tighten its grip on Calypso’s hand.
Calypso noticed.
“Why doesn’t it grab you?”
“Because I’m not trying to steal from it.”
“I was borrowing.”
The baker made a sound that was suspiciously close to a laugh.
Calypso turned her head.
“Careful.”
“I said nothing.”
“You thought loudly.”
The Princess crouched near the goose.
Its feathers shone even in the weak afternoon light. The gold was not merely a color. Each feather seemed to hold its own warmth.
Calypso looked at them again.
The Princess caught her.
“You still want one.”
Calypso looked offended.
“After all this?”
“Yes.”
There was a pause.
“Yes.”
The baker groaned.
The guard shook his head.
The Princess smiled.
“At least you’re consistent.”
Calypso tugged experimentally.
The goose did not release her.
“Consistency is not currently helping.”
“No.”
“So tell me what will.”
The Princess stood.
“Ask.”
Calypso stared at her.
“For help?”
“For the feather.”
Calypso looked at the goose.
Then back at the Princess.
“You want me to ask a bird?”
The goose honked.
The Princess tilted her head.
“A magical bird whose feathers you attempted to take.”
“One feather.”
“That distinction seems important only to you.”
Calypso’s expression darkened.
Behind her, the baker shifted again.
The movement tugged the guard forward.
“Perhaps,” the baker said carefully, “asking is worth trying.”
Calypso looked over her shoulder.
“You touched me without asking.”
“I was trying to help.”
“And how did that work out?”
The baker looked down at the hand that would not come free.
“Poorly.”
The guard cleared his throat.
“I also attempted to help.”
“Yes. Your contribution has been unforgettable.”
The Princess covered another smile.
Calypso turned back toward the goose.
“All right.”
She drew herself upright.
The goose watched.
Calypso said, “May I have a feather?”
Nothing happened.
The Princess waited.
Calypso waited.
The goose blinked.
Then it turned its head away.
Calypso looked triumphant.
“There. I asked.”
“You did.”
“And it ignored me.”
“Yes.”
“So release us.”
The Princess did not move.
“That wasn’t my condition.”
Calypso’s eyes narrowed.
“You said to ask.”
“I said I had one condition before I helped you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
The Princess smiled.
“I was getting to it.”
The baker closed his eyes.
The guard muttered something under his breath.
Calypso stared at the Princess with the expression of someone reconsidering every decision that had brought her to this moment.
“What condition?”
The Princess pointed at the goose.
“Give back what you took.”
Calypso looked genuinely confused.
“I didn’t get the feather.”
“You touched one.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And then it took my hand.”
The Princess waited.
Calypso’s confidence weakened.
Slowly, she looked at her trapped fingers.
Only part of her hand was visible beneath the goose’s body and feathers.
She stopped moving.
The baker leaned sideways, trying to see.
“What is it?”
Calypso did not answer.
The Princess did.
“She has something.”
Calypso’s free hand moved toward her trapped one.
The goose hissed.
She stopped.
“I can’t reach it.”
“What did you take?” the guard asked.
“Nothing.”
The goose hissed again.
Calypso frowned at it.
“Oh, don’t start.”
The Princess laughed softly.
“You may want to reconsider that answer.”
Calypso became very still.
Then her expression shifted.
Not guilt.
Recognition.
“I didn’t mean to.”
The baker stared at her.
“That is not the same as nothing.”
“I know.”
The Princess held out her hand.
“What is it?”
Calypso looked irritated now, but the irritation was aimed mostly at herself.
“When I grabbed the feather, something came loose.”
“A feather?”
“No.”
“What?”
Calypso hesitated.
“A piece of the gold.”
The Princess stopped smiling.
That caught everyone’s attention.
The baker leaned forward.
The guard did the same, forcing the entire line closer.
Calypso immediately protested.
“Stop moving.”
They froze.
The Princess crouched again.
“Where is it?”
“In my palm, apparently.”
“You didn’t notice?”
“I was distracted by the goose swallowing my hand.”
The goose gave another sharp honk.
“It did not swallow your hand,” the Princess said.
“You are being unnecessarily precise.”
“I think precision has become necessary.”
The Princess reached toward Calypso.
The goose turned its head.
She stopped before touching either of them.
“Open your hand.”
“I can’t.”
“Try.”
Calypso flexed her trapped fingers.
Her face tightened.
For a moment, nothing changed.
Then something flashed beneath the goose’s breast.
Gold.
Not a feather.
A tiny curved fragment rested against Calypso’s palm.
The Princess inhaled.
The baker saw her reaction.
“What is that?”
The Princess did not answer immediately.
Calypso looked from the fragment to her.
“You know what it is.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re going to make me ask before you tell me.”
“I was considering it.”
Despite herself, Calypso almost smiled.
Almost.
Then the goose tightened its grip again.
Her smile disappeared.
“Fine. What is it?”
“A piece of the feather’s sheath.”
Calypso looked at the golden fragment.
“I didn’t break it.”
“No.”
That surprised her.
The Princess continued.
“It came away because you pulled at a feather that was not ready to be shed.”
Calypso frowned.
“So I return it.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
The Princess pointed toward the ground.
“Put it down.”
Calypso stared at her trapped hand.
“Excellent suggestion.”
The baker spoke from behind her.
“Could one of us take it?”
Every head turned toward him.
He immediately reconsidered.
“Perhaps not.”
“No,” said the Princess. “Nobody touches the goose. Nobody touches Calypso. Nobody touches anyone else.”
The guard looked at the baker’s hand stuck to him.
“A little late for that rule.”
“It is still a useful rule.”
Calypso flexed her fingers again.
The fragment shifted.
The goose reacted instantly.
Its neck stretched.
Calypso froze.
The fragment was almost at the edge of her palm.
“Again,” the Princess said.
Calypso pushed it with her thumb.
A fraction farther.
The baker leaned in.
The guard leaned in.
The Princess raised one finger.
Both men leaned back.
Calypso pushed again.
The fragment slipped.
It fell.
The moment it touched the ground, the goose released her.
Calypso staggered backward.
The baker came with her.
The guard came with the baker.
All three nearly fell.
Calypso stared at her freed hand.
Then she tried to pull away from the baker.
Nothing.
Her expression collapsed.
“You have got to be joking.”
The Princess burst out laughing.
Calypso pointed at her.
“You said returning it would help.”
“It did.”
“The goose released me.”
“Yes.”
“The baker did not.”
“That is a separate problem.”
The baker looked alarmed.
“I assure you, I would very much like to release her.”
The guard raised his attached hand.
“As would I.”
Calypso looked toward the place where her doorway into nowhere had appeared earlier.
Nothing.
She lifted her free hand.
Darkness gathered between her fingers.
The Princess’s amusement vanished.
“Don’t.”
Calypso stopped.
That was the first time the Princess had sounded genuinely concerned.
“Why?”
“Because the goose was the beginning of the chain.”
Calypso glanced down.
The golden fragment still lay on the ground.
The goose lowered its head and picked it up delicately.
Then it walked away.
No one followed.
Calypso watched it disappear beyond the courtyard.
“Then the chain should be broken.”
“Not necessarily.”
The baker swallowed.
“What does that mean?”
The Princess approached him.
“Why did you touch her?”
“To pull her free.”
“And you?” she asked the guard.
“To pull him free.”
The Princess nodded.
Calypso understood before either man did.
Her eyes closed.
“No.”
The Princess looked pleased again.
“No what?”
“I know where this is going.”
“Then say it.”
Calypso opened her eyes.
“The goose held me because I took something from it.”
“Yes.”
“The baker became stuck because he grabbed me.”
“Yes.”
“The guard grabbed him.”
“Yes.”
The baker looked between them.
“So?”
Calypso turned her head as far as she could.
“So everyone has to undo what they did.”
The Princess nodded.
The guard immediately released his grip.
Or tried to.
His hand remained attached.
Nothing changed.
Calypso gave the Princess a flat look.
“Wonderful theory.”
“I said undo it. Not stop doing it.”
The guard frowned.
“How do I undo trying to help someone?”
The Princess looked at him.
“Why did you help?”
“Because he was in trouble.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
The guard became uncomfortable.
Calypso watched him.
The Princess waited.
Finally the guard admitted, “I thought I could solve it.”
The baker gave him a look.
“You told me to stand aside because you knew what you were doing.”
The guard sighed.
“Yes.”
The Princess nodded toward him.
“Start there.”
The guard looked at the baker.
“I did not know what I was doing.”
Nothing happened.
Calypso raised an eyebrow.
The Princess said, “Keep going.”
The guard’s face reddened.
“I saw you stuck to her and assumed I could fix it because I’m stronger than you.”
The baker stared at him.
“That was your plan?”
“It seemed better before I became attached to you.”
Calypso made a small choking sound.
The Princess looked at her.
“Was that a laugh?”
“No.”
“It was.”
“Continue.”
The guard faced the baker again.
“I made your problem worse because I wanted to be the one who solved it.”
His hand came free.
Everyone stared.
The guard stumbled backward.
He lifted both hands.
“I’m free.”
The Princess nodded.
The baker looked suddenly nervous.
Calypso turned toward him as much as their connection allowed.
“Your turn.”
“I was only helping.”
“So was he.”
“That was different.”
“Was it?”
The baker looked at the Princess.
She simply waited.
His shoulders dropped.
“When I saw Calypso with the goose, I thought it was funny.”
Calypso’s eyes narrowed.
“Did you?”
“At first.”
“Interesting.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Continue.”
The Princess was openly enjoying Calypso taking over the interrogation.
The baker swallowed.
“I went closer because I wanted to see what she had done.”
Calypso stared at him.
“You weren’t trying to rescue me.”
“Not initially.”
“You came over to laugh.”
“I became concerned afterward.”
“How generous.”
“And then I thought if I pulled you loose, everyone would forget I had been laughing.”
There was a soft sound.
His hand separated from Calypso.
The baker jumped away.
Calypso immediately stepped in the opposite direction.
For the first time since reaching for the golden feather, she stood alone.
She looked at both hands.
Moved every finger.
Turned once to make certain nobody was attached to her clothing.
Then she faced the Princess.
“There.”
The Princess nodded.
“There.”
Calypso opened her hand.
A dark seam appeared in the air beside her.
Her doorway into nowhere returned.
This time it remained open.
The baker backed away.
The guard backed away farther.
Calypso looked into the darkness.
Escape.
At last.
She placed one foot toward it.
“Calypso.”
The Princess’s voice stopped her.
Calypso did not turn.
“What?”
“There were three people in the chain.”
Calypso’s shoulders went rigid.
The baker looked at the guard.
The guard looked at the Princess.
Then both looked at Calypso.
Slowly, Calypso turned around.
“No.”
The Princess folded her arms.
“You wanted the feather.”
“I returned what came off.”
“That freed you from the goose.”
“Yes.”
“But why did you take it?”
Calypso stared at the open doorway.
It was close enough to touch.
She could leave.
Nothing appeared to prevent her.
The Princess did not block the way.
That somehow made it worse.
Calypso looked back at the place where the goose had disappeared.
“One golden feather,” she said.
The Princess waited.
“I wanted one.”
“Why?”
“Because it was beautiful.”
The Princess said nothing.
Calypso became irritated.
“What answer are you looking for?”
“Yours.”
“That is my answer.”
The Princess shook her head.
Calypso’s eyes sharpened.
Then she looked down at her empty hand.
When she spoke again, her voice was quieter.
“I wanted to see if I could take it.”
The baker stopped smiling.
So did the guard.
Calypso continued.
“I saw something enchanted, and the first thing I wondered was whether it would let me touch it.”
She glanced toward her doorway.
“And when it didn’t, I tried anyway.”
The Princess nodded.
Calypso gave a humorless laugh.
“There. Satisfied?”
“Almost.”
“Of course.”
“What did you learn?”
Calypso looked ready with a sarcastic answer.
Then she stopped.
Her gaze went to the baker.
Then the guard.
Then the path the goose had taken.
Finally she looked at her own hand.
“That wanting to know what happens isn’t permission to make it happen.”
The Princess smiled.
Not the delighted laughter from before.
Something smaller.
“That will do.”
Calypso stared at her.
Then she laughed once.
“You truly enjoyed this.”
“More than I should have.”
“Finally, an honest confession.”
The Princess stepped beside her.
Calypso glanced toward the open darkness.
“You’re not going to stop me?”
“No.”
“No final lesson?”
“No.”
“No goose waiting on the other side?”
“I cannot promise that.”
Calypso immediately looked suspiciously into the doorway.
The Princess started laughing again.
Calypso realized what she had done.
“You are unbearable.”
“I learned from watching you.”
That landed.
The baker covered his mouth.
The guard abruptly became fascinated by the courtyard wall.
Calypso pointed at both men.
“Neither of you is allowed to laugh.”
The baker failed first.
The guard followed.
The Princess joined them.
For several seconds, Calypso stood in the middle of the courtyard while everyone else laughed at her.
It was an unfamiliar position.
She clearly hated it.
Then, slowly, the corner of her mouth lifted.
“Fine.”
The Princess raised an eyebrow.
“Fine?”
Calypso looked toward the path again.
“If that goose ever drops a feather naturally, I’m taking it.”
The Princess sighed.
“Calypso.”
“I said drops.”
She stepped backward toward her doorway.
“No grabbing. No pulling. No touching mysterious golden birds.”
The baker called after her, “And no rescuing you.”
Calypso pointed at him.
“Especially not you.”
The baker laughed again.
Calypso stepped into the darkness.
Then she paused with only her head and one shoulder still visible.
The Princess waited.
Calypso looked at her.
“For the record, you were much more irritating than the goose.”
The Princess smiled.
“And yet I never had to hold your hand.”
Calypso stared at her for one stunned second.
The doorway snapped shut.
The Princess’s laughter followed her into nowhere.
