~1.7~

“Now, I think either one of the sisters would do for you,” Mama said, thoughtfully. “The one’s a bit better than the other, but of course, she’s a little…”

“That’s the one I want, then,” Nick said. “You said the best.”

“I did,” Mama said. “But you won’t be able to find her unless she wants you to. She mostly hides when company‘s coming.”

“You wouldn’t tell her I was coming to see her, would you?” Nick asked.

Mama snorted.

“She wouldn’t be much of a witch if I had to tell her, would she?” Mama said. She reflected. “No, chances are that she went to ground before you even knew you wanted a witch. I‘ll send you to her sister. She‘s almost as good.”

“Fine,” Nick said. “Where do I meet this… this witch?”

Mama reached beneath the seat and pulled out a notebook and a pen. She scrawled out an address, and two strings of numbers.

“That’s her place,” she said. “And the bank account you put the money in. Every week.”

“This address,” Nick said, bewildered. “It’s…”

“What?” Mama asked. “You didn’t think a witch could do alright for herself?”

---

Woe murmured “carriage” over the little black eight ball keychain just as a taxicab rumbled around the corner. She flagged it down.“Where we headin’?” the cabbie asked her.

“Winkie Country,” she said, but that didn’t seem to be the answer he was looking for. She screwed up her face and tried again. “West.”

“An address?”

“Um… Heathcliff Towers?” she said.

The cabbie whistled.

“Family there?” he asked, and she nodded. “No offense, kid, but I hope you’re going back to stay… maybe it’s none of my business but you look a little young to be on your own.”

“I’m 37,” she told him.

He laughed.

“Like I said, none of my business,” he said. “But no charge for the ride, okay? I just dropped off a big fare, anyway. Only reason I was even in this neighborhood, actually.”