The Treachery of Beautiful Things – Chapter 6

Welcome to chapter 6! Or, as I like to call it, a continuing nightmare. We last left poor Jenny being attacked by giant spider-like creatures that the Woodsman and the Goodwife were ALLOWING TO FEED ON HER. That’s . . . just . . . ugh!! Thankfully she blacked out, but now she’s waking up, not only in terrible pain, but also tied up and gagged. She’s still in the same bedroom she had stayed in before, but the window has been boarded up.

Her thoughts turn to Jack, and to be honest, mine are headed there too. Mostly because . . . I liked Jack! He seemed so nice, so sincere in trying to help Jenny! How could he let this happen?

He’d deceived her once. Had made her believe the worst of her fears were true. Why had she trusted him again? Should she be surprised to find herself here, tied up like a sacrifice?

I really hope that Jack was wrong about these people. I don’t want him to be involved in this in any way, although it’s not looking good.

Had he known what would happen? Or was it possible he had been deceived by his “friends” too? A small hope, less than a prayer, but all she had.

Hang on to that hope, Jenny. I know I’m going to.

The Goodwife comes in with a plate of food (DON’T EAT THE FOOD!!!!!), back to acting all motherly and caring, nothing like she was the night before. I really hate this woman, or whatever she is! Here she, acting as though she cares about Jenny and wants to help her, when just a few hours ago, she was feeding her to the spider thingys! No! It doesn’t work that way!

She explains that the spider creatures are actually Redcaps. They are supposedly helpful and protect the cottage, but they need to be fed in order to continue to do so.

“They liked you. You’re blessed. They haven’t liked anyone so much since my little girl came to womanhood. They came, they nested, and before we knew it . . . well . . . They help really, around the house, on the land and in the forest. But we have to take care of them too. If we don’t feed them . . . well . . . Now . . .”

Yeah, that doesn’t sound good. It sounds like the Goodwife and the Woodsman have bitten off more than they can handle. Jenny even mentions that she thinks the Redcaps are “farming” the Goodwife and the Woodsman, which doesn’t get much of a response. You can tell that the Goodwife doesn’t particularly like that comment however. Well, too bad! It’s true! And it sounds like you lost your daughter before all this because of your foolishness. None of which is Jenny’s fault, even if they are selfishly keeping her against her will just to appease them.

The Goodwife props Jenny up and tries to feed her some food, but Jenny turns away, despite being so hungry she almost can’t stand it. That has to be hard. I’m reading this and it’s making me hungry! Remembering the rule against eating reminds her also of Jack.

The thought of Jack sent a thousand questions scattering through her mind. Would he have told her not to eat if it wasn’t important? Why bother? If he’d meant for her to be a prisoner and food for the little monsters, why would he tell her how to avoid being trapped in the Realm by eating the wrong thing?

This is an excellent point. Please, please, please let Jack be one of the good guys!

And then suddenly, Jack is there! I can’t help but feel happy that he’s back, until I read what the Goodwife does. Jenny tries to call out, but the Goodwife puts her hand over Jenny’s mouth. She’s way too weak to fight the Goodwife, but she knocks the tray to the ground, earning a slap on the face!

“Lie still,” she hissed. “Be silent or I’ll call them to silence you. He won’t help you. He wouldn’t if he could. He isn’t like you. He’s of the forest, a servant of the Realm, always has been and always will be. He brought you to us, didn’t he?”

Oohhhh, my blood is boiling right now! This makes me feel like Jack can be trusted, especially if the lying Goodwife is saying that he can’t be. I don’t trust a single word out of her. Jenny listens as the Woodsman lies to Jack about taking Jenny back to the Edge, claiming that everything went smoothly. Jack seems to take the Woodsman’s words at face value, but then asks about the broken window. The Woodsman says that it got damaged in the storm (not technically a lie, I suppose, but it’s not like the wind or rain caused it!) and Jack offers to help fix it. This whole time it seems like Jack suspects something, but he still leaves after a bit more small talk.

This makes me so sad. Damn these people!

The Goodwife is all smiles and kindness again, until she PULLS A REDCAP OUT OF HER POCKET! Well, out of a box in her pocket. And it’s only a baby. BUT STILL!

“They swarmed last night, out of control. We’re just lucky they didn’t kill you. Just a baby, this one. She won’t take much. We’ll build you up over time, get you used to them and them to you until you can feed the lot.”

I am so uncomfortable right now. Basically, Jenny is to be food for these creatures so that they will continue to do whatever it is they do for the Woodsman and the Goodwife. That’s the plan. Ewwww!!!! The Goodwife puts the Redcap on Jenny and it curls up next to her neck and bites her, sucking her blood like a vampire. This goes on all day long, only stopping when Jenny looses consciousness, and starting right back up again once she wakes up. Another storm picks up at night, when they finally stop for good. Jenny is an absolute mess from blood loss. Oh, and these delightful little creatures also happen to be poisonous. Isn’t that nice? Ugh.

But in the night, something else happens. Remember that huge tree-like creature? The one that took Tom? That Jenny saw before she was attacked by Redcaps? She can hear it outside.

With a crash that shook the world, something tore through the roof and wall, scything to the left above her and collapsing the main part of the house. Timber shrieked and glass shattered all around. The cold night’s air engulfed her and something else, small and hairy, smelling of animal musk and wet fur, touched her face. A gnarled, leathery hand stilled her mouth and she saw the horned silhouette.

It’s Puck!!! I’m so glad to see him!!! It’s not Jack, but it’s the next best thing!!!

He unties Jenny. Something has destroyed part of the Woodsman’s house and the stables. Jenny is confused, since there aren’t any trees big enough to do that kind of damage.

“No,” he agreed. “But the forest looks after its own. And exacts terrible vengeance on those who betray it.”

Jenny can’t help but think that the trees are dangerous after what happened to Tom. She asks where Jack is. Puck says that he will be around in the daylight, and that they need to hurry, because the Redcaps can only be held back for so long. That’s when Jenny sees it – the ancient treelike creature that had captured Tom. It has the Woodsman in its grasp and, well, let’s just say that the Woodsman won’t be a problem any more. Actually, the Woodsman’s fate is pretty gruesome. But Jenny gets a clear look at the thing and, although it’s pretty scary, it’s also almost mesmerizing. Puck pulls Jenny along, urging her to quit asking questions. You know, simple little questions like, “What the hell is that?” Or “What about those pesky Redcaps that nearly killed me before?” Or “Where the hell is Jack?”

They continue on until Jenny can’t anymore. Puck whistles a tune which causes the plants and trees around them to form a sort of shelter for them. Jenny is not doing well. She is freezing, terrified, and still suffering from her ordeal with the Redcaps. She asks one more time where Jack is, and Puck finally answers.

“He’s coming, lass. He’ll be here. You’ll see.”

“Why didn’t he come back?”

Puck eyed her curiously, studying her face, and compassion flooded his gimlet eyes. “He won’t desert you. No, little Wren, he won’t make that mistake again.”

This makes me so happy!! My guess is that Jack knew something was amiss and sent Puck to get Jenny out of there. He must have been tied up with whatever his other duties are, BUT HE HASN’T ABANDONED JENNY!!! I feel so much better!!!

The Treachery of Beautiful Things – Chapter 4

A quick word before we begin today’s post. I have changed around my schedule over at my other blog, “Life With No Plot,” in order to give me more time over here. Starting today, this blog will (hopefully) be updated Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That’s my goal, anyway.

On to chapter 4!

We last left Jenny following Jack through the woods, convinced that he is a normal boy and that she imagined the music she had heard. For a moment, it seems like everything will be okay. Jack seems nice enough, sincere in his desire to help Jenny get to safety. For the moment, I am trusting Jack, even if he is one of the fey folk. We’ll probably regret that later, but hey.

I do love this though.

The dog trailed behind them sullenly. Jenny glanced back at it from time to time, struck with the uncomfortable feeling that it was muttering under its breath.

Yeah, remember guys. The dog is Puck. I have a feeling that we’re all going to be sorry that he was treated like this, and Puck isn’t one to make angry. He’s too good at causing trouble.

As they continue on, they come across another . . . person? Who looks like a girl wearing a sundress?

She moved with quick, delicate movements, her sharply pointed face strangely beautiful and yet not—too thin, the features too narrow and long. She started and turned, stared at Jack and Jenny, her pale green eyes moist with fear. Her tiny mouth opened wide—too wide, as if her jaw detached.

The only thing I can say about this creature is at least it looks too frightened to do anything to them. But, as it turns out, this creature doesn’t really care about them at all, not really. A greater danger is coming. Jack grabs Jenny and jumps behind some bushes right before a dozen horses gallop through the woods, stopping right before them. On the horses are, well, I’ll let Jenny describe them.

They sat on their pale horses, almost human, almost angels, with a hint of something wicked in every gesture.

Even though this is not new by any means, I really like how Ruth Frances Long describes the fey. They are beautiful, yes. Enticing, sure. But it’s always clear that they are also deadly, no matter how friendly or helpful they may seem at first. This is why I will continue to be nervous around Jack, even though he seems so nice.

If the riders weren’t enough cause for distress, they are nothing but an escort for even bigger trouble.

The woman sat sidesaddle on her horse, her green-and-gold gown sewn with glistening threads in a pattern of flowers and vines. Her golden hair had been twisted in intricate braids and knotwork and studded with gleaming jewels. Her eyes glistened in the sunlight, two diamonds, harder and colder than any she wore.

Welcome to the party, Titania, Queen of the Fey!

Here is a slight quibble I have with this. As the party stops near Jack and Jenny’s hiding place, Titania seems to go into some sort of trance, as if scenting the air, and then looks right in Jack and Jenny’s direction. But she doesn’t go after them. There is a human in her realm, and she doesn’t pursue it. This seemed strange to me. Maybe Titania had other concerns on her mind. Or, and this is more likely, she knows that Jenny is there and has decided to do something horrible later, giving Jenny a false sense of security.

As it turns out, Titania and her people are searching for someone. She questions one of her riders, a tracker, who doesn’t know where their prey has gone. Jenny can’t help but stare at the queen in wonderment.

She was both attracted and repelled by this figure, wanting at once to escape and to throw herself at the queen’s feet and beg the woman to look with pleasure on her.

Again, typical human response to fairies.

Titania mentions that they should use the tracker, since he has failed her, as the tithe “instead of the piper.” Jenny immediately jumps on this. Could the piper be Tom? My guess would be yes. And although I’m not sure what “the tithe” is, I’m going to guess that it isn’t good. Titania decides that the tracker should not be a tithe, but should be given to the dogs. The tracker, wisely, decides to run for his life. Not sure how he thinks he will escape, but hey, I’d probably do the same thing. The queen’s hunting dogs chase after him, and this startles Jack enough that he drops his disguise and Jenny sees him for what he is: a half wild thing dressed in leaves. Jenny feels betrayed, of course, but all thoughts of confronting Jack leave her mind as she hears this:

A scream rang out amid the snarls of the dogs, just beyond the clearing where the hunter had fled. And then silence.

That’s not creepy, no not at all.

As Jenny looks around, she comes to the conclusion that she is the only human thing in these woods. Luckily, the queen is still distracted by her own matters and still doesn’t notice Jenny (or pretends to ignore her until she has time to do something, which I think is more plausible, but I digress). They listen as the queen outlines her plans.

“South,” the queen declared. “My pets have him cornered, I believe. Soon my piper will be returned to our home. If he fears the blood tithe, he should think better of incurring my wrath. No amount of magic will draw another as well-suited as he is, no matter what he thinks.”

So if the piper is Tom, he has tried to escape, but has been recaught. And now the queen is angry. Not. Good. At. All.

Titania and her company leave and Jenny tries to make sense of everything. She freaks out when she sees Puck (no longer a dog), which makes sense since he is half goat in this version. Jack tries to convince Jenny that Puck is still a dog, but the elfshot has worn off and she’s not as susceptible to his magic as she was before. Jenny is, understandably, not taking this well and it comes out in hysterical laughter.

After the absurdity of it, reality swept in on swift and heavy wings. The weight of it fell over her, forcing her onto her knees. She gasped for breath, crippled and bent double, the laughter fading as she struggled to breathe.

Part of the problem is that Jenny doesn’t believe this is really real. She thinks she’s having a mental breakdown again and is terrified that she will have to go through all the testing and treatment again. Did I mention earlier how messed up poor Jenny is?

Jack tries to calm Jenny down. He tells her that, whatever she does, she does not want to draw the queen’s attention. This is good advice. If you are a human, you don’t want Titania to notice you. It’s a bad idea. I find it interesting that in this version, Titania and Mab are the same person. To be honest, I can’t remember if that’s the case in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but I’m used to seeing them as separate people in other versions of the tale. In this one, Mab is the darker side of Titania, which is an interesting take on it.

Jack explains more about why they need to go. Jenny can see through the fairies illusions, which makes her a threat because she can’t be controlled. For the most part, the creatures in the woods are harmless, like the girl in the sundress or the first boy Jenny saw in the trees. Jenny disagrees.

“The Folletti weren’t harmless,” she muttered.

“No. Probably not. They like their tricks, but they aren’t malicious.” Jenny narrowed her eyes dubiously and Jack’s face grew a little pained. “They’re like children with a toy. They don’t understand that sometimes it can break.”

Another excellent description of how fairies view humans – they’re little more than objects. Expendable. Replaceable.

Jenny asks who “the piper” is and is assured that he’s only a servant in the queen’s castle. I still think that “the piper” is Tom, and I don’t think Jenny is convinced either. Jack tells her they have to get to the Woodsman and his Goodwife so that Jenny can get home safely, promising her that they can be trusted. To be fair, it’s hard to believe that Jack can be completely trusted, but I guess we’ll see. For now, Jenny doesn’t have much of a choice.

They finally reach the Woodsman’s cottage and find the Goodwife there. She appears very motherly, someone you would want to take care of you. As Jenny goes to her, Jack leaves her with this warning:

“Wait, I should have said. Don’t eat their food. They’re good people, generous, but you can’t accept a meal they prepare. Fruit, milk, anything grown naturally is fine, but food prepared by fae hands has a way of trapping you here.”

This makes me wonder who exactly these people are, but we aren’t to find out in this chapter. The Goodwife looks as human as can be, but this makes me wonder who exactly she is. Is she a fairy? Is she dangerous? If they are “good people,” why would they try to trap Jenny by offering her food? There are rules to this, though. The food has to be freely accepted. They can’t force it down someone’s throat in order to keep them tied to the Realm. That’s something anyway.

As Jack is leaving, Jenny asks why he can’t be the one to take her home. He says:

“I’m Jack o’ the Forest, Jenny Wren. I’m the guardian. My place is here. Go on. The Goodwife’s husband can guide you back to the Edge, to the gateway, and home.” He glanced toward the sky. “And don’t delay. It’s late enough already.”

I’m really curious as to what Jack’s duties are. I tried to do some research into who Jack o’ the Forest was and couldn’t find much. A lot of it was tied to the legend of the Green Man of the Forest, but it wasn’t an exact match either. I also wonder why he keeps calling her Jenny Wren.

“Go home, Jenny. You don’t understand the common dangers of our world. How can you expect to stand against the greatest danger of them all? Your Tom is gone, seven long years ago. Leave him be and go home.”

Whatever he is, Jack seems to truly care for Jenny. I’m curious about what he says about Tom though. I don’t think Tom is dead. I do think Tom is the piper, but if he’s “gone,” does that mean that his mind is so full of what the fairies have done to him, he is unable to ever part from it? Is he lost to Jenny forever? More things to discover next time, I guess!