Goodie Dreamer's Arc

Chapter 9 of 13

Goodie spotted the fraying rope and acted fast. She pulled a small golden stove from her cupboard and set it on the raft. Then she draped a patchwork cover over the teapot, bright squares stitched tight to hold warmth. Tea steamed. Guests warmed their hands. For a moment, everything held. Then the light began to leave. Goodie turned and saw the edge of the cloudlands going dark. The far hills dimmed to deep blue. Stars pricked through. A pale moon climbed where the sun had been. Cups clinked nervously in the cooling air. "They can't see their saucers," Millicent said. "You'll lose them to the dark." Goodie's stomach dropped. The party was working. The tea was hot. But night was swallowing her guests, and a cold party was no party at all. She looked at the patchwork cover, the little stove, the fraying rope, the darkening sky. Goodie made a choice. She would not call it off. She lit the stove brighter, tugged the cover snug, and turned to face the dark. "We need light," she said. The tea stayed warm. The guests stayed. Night had arrived, and the party was still hers.