"So, should we open it? Your Nan never opened any of these cupboards while I worked for her.”
"It's just a door," I said, and I slid the key into a lock.
It was fairly evident this wasn't true the moment I turned the key. A bright-blue light zipped along the door frame, and the door started to shake a little. I jumped back, wondering what the fuck was going on when the doors flew open.
"Oh, thank goodness! You're open! My master has been demanding some polished amber dust and gryphon beak for weeks! I was not sure what he'd do if I came back empty-handed this time. Please tell me you have some in stock as every other establishment I have visited has none to sell."
Tess, Jez and I all looked blankly at the very short little man standing in the doorway. The very short man with greenish skin, pointed ears and pale-blond hair wearing a three-piece suit and a monocle.
"Excuse me," he said with a frown, "is the proprietor about?"
"Tess, did you read Harry Potter last night?"
"No."
"Watch the movie? See an ad for it on TV? Is this Dobby?"
"Wasn't he kind of blueish, with droopy ears?" she replied.
“No, Gollum was blue, Dobby was beige,” Jez said.
“Well, he can't be an elf, they were all tall and Orlando Bloom-ish."
“What is Orlando Bloom-ish? Guys who have a tendency to end up married to supermodels?" Tess said.
"Excuse me! Is this how you treat valued customers? Leave them standing in the doorway while in dire need of service. No welcome, no acknowledgement of my order. You are quite the rudest young women I have ever com
e across!" the little man spluttered.
"If I may assist, ladies, I believe this is a gnome from the Free City of Mirena," Harold said. The little guy drew himself up and gave a tight nod. "Good sir, would you care to come in and have a spot of the most delightful tea? Jez, if you could prepare a fresh pot that would be lovely." And the prince steered the little man into the front of the shop while we stood there, open-mouthed.
"I think I see why most monarchies are now constitutional," Jez said. "I guess I better get to making that tea."
"Yes, autocrats tend to be bloody autocratic don't they? But hang on.” I wandered over to the doorway that showed a view of a busy street, except it looked like no street I'd ever seen. The architecture was oddly rounded and seemed to grow like cactuses, buds of new growth sprouting off the main body. The sky was a quite beautiful swirl of apricot and pale blue; much like a sunset, though the sun beat down brightly. People of all shapes and sizes bustled past, and I mean every size. Tiny little people flitted by on brightly coloured wings and a great big lump of a guy, who looked like he was made from a jumble of boulders, rolled past. A guy who had the body of a man and the head of a German Schnauzer stopped when he saw me peering out and approached, weaving between the crowds.
"You're open again? What good news!" he said. "Benjamin Radcliffe, at your service."
I took his grey-furred hand and gave it a shake, “Ash McKinnon and my sister, Tess."
"McKinnon? You must be Miranda's granddaughters! What a pleasure. She mentioned you often when I had time to come by. I've seen many a photo. How is your grandmother?"
Silence yawned between us. Gran was very ill when she went. She'd had a series of strokes which left her more and more incapacitated. We’d been upset to hear she'd gotten so ill, but were almost grateful for her sake when she'd finally gone. It was no life for her, not being able to see anymore, unable to keep track of her conversations, talking to us like we were her sisters. Despite that, it'd still hit us hard when she'd finally gone. I felt the familiar prickle of a sadness I'd had to put to one side more and more in my chest, forcing me to take a deep breath.
“She died recently," Tess said finally.
"My word! I am most apologetic! That was an unforgivable blunder on my part. The last time I saw your grandmother, she as fit as a fiddle. Please accept my deepest condolences."
"Thanks," I said. It was lame, but what else could I say?
"I say, a death notice in the Mirenese Gazette would stop this kind of gaffe in its tracks. Would you mind awfully if I placed an advertisement in your name?"
"Um, yeah, I guess that’s fine. Nan must have had a lot of old customers who are wondering where she is. That would be a great help. And I guess we need to let people know the store is open again."
"Leave everything to me," Benjamin said. "Well, I must be off."
"Did I just give a sentient dog permission to notify an alternate realm of Nan's death?" I said.
"Seems so. On a positive note, I've found the polished amber dust," Tess said.