Carol awoke to the smells of supper cooking.  She climbed to her feet and went to the doorway leading to the kitchen.  'Ah, you woke by yourself, did you?'  Brigid said.  'I was about to come get you.  There's a washbasin and brush on the stand next to the bed.  And I laid out a clean dress for you.  It's one of mine but it should do for you.  Better than what you have now, anyway.'  Brigid not quite sneered at the rather revealing white shift Carol still wore.  'Come on out when you're ready.  You can help with the table if you want.'

Carol quickly washed up and brushed her hair with aid of the silver mirror she also found on the bedstand.  The dress proved to be dark green, wool perhaps, although she couldn't be sure.  She was somewhat taller than Brigid, so the hem didn't quite reach her knees but the dress fit fairly well, if a bit snugly.  She reemerged in the kitchen, where Brigid immediately nodded at a cupboard.  'There's plates and things in there.  Set the table, please, I'm running a bit late here.  Sean's outside already and Kevin and your friend should be back soon.'

When the table for five was ready, Carol asked what else she could do.  'Not much,'  Brigid replied, 'Everything is almost ready.  Would you like a glass of wine while we wait?'  She motioned to a clay jug and cups near the sink.  'I've already got mine.'  Carol poured herself a cup and sat down at the table opposite where Brigid waited.

'I want to thank you so much for what you've done for us.  We'd have been in a lot of trouble without you.'

Brigid waved her aside.  'It's nothing, one has a duty to be hospitable.  And you're no trouble, you help out when you can.'

'Still, I thank you very much.  But, I have so many questions.  How many of you folk are there?  Where did you come from?  Does anybody from my...world besides us know about you.  And when...'

Brigid cut her off.  'No questions until supper is over.  Interferes with the meal.  Afterwards, though, if you like, we can tell you some tales that might answer some of your questions.  Not for too long, though.  We need to get you to sleep early so you can rise early and be on your way.'   She looked directly into Carol's eyes.  'If you want to go, that is.  You're welcome to stay.'

Carol was taken aback by the casual offer.  She had adjusted well enough so far, true, but she hadn't contemplated staying here forever.  'No, I think I better not.  I think I belong where I came from, at my proper size.'

'As you wish.  You're more than welcome to stay here with us if you want.'

Just then the door burst open and Sean, Kevin and Alison came in from the perpetual twilight.  Judging from their expressions, Brigid was not the only source of wine around here.  Sean immediately excused himself and headed for Brigades and his room.  'Got to clean up and change.  I'll be right back.' He and Brigid shared a quick kiss and he was gone.

Alison dropped onto a chair at the table and sighed tiredly.  'We got around quite a bit today, didn't we?'  She looked to Kevin for confirmation.

'Yes, where have you been with her all day?'  Brigid inquired.  'Other than to the wine cellar, I mean.'

'Címon, we only had a couple of glasses over the whole day.  And then one more just now with Sean.'  He looked defensive.  'No, I showed her around the whole country, we visited my friends over in Sloway and lurked around some of the Big Folk.'

'It turns out somebody knows about that hilltop.' Ali informed Carol.  'Maybe the local girls who were with us.  We weren't close enough to tell.  Somebody was up there, though, right where we got shrunk.  Two girls, anyway, just looking around.'

'That's good, I think.'  Carol considered.  'Maybe they'll be back again at Bealtaine, give us a ride to town.'

'Maybe,' Brigid agreed as Sean rejoined them, 'but enough of that talk now.  Supper's ready.'
 

After the dishes were cleared away, they gathered outside under cloaks and blankets to ward off the late autumn chill.  Instead of answering Carol's and Allison's questions directly, the three Other Folk took turns telling stories: some of their lives and their neighbor's lives, some of their observations of changes the Big Folk were working on the land, but mostly old tales of battles and migrations and of people with hard luck.  Finally Sean called an end to the evening.  'It's time we got some sleep.  Tomorrow's another day and Ali and Carol have to be back on the hilltop at Bealtaine time.'

Kevin got to his feet and led Alison away.  'We'll be back by then, don't worry.' he called over his shoulder as they disappeared, hand in hand.

'Don't worry about your friend, dear.' Brigid told Carol.  'Kevin's actually a gentleman in his way.  She doesn't have to fear anything from him.'  Carol suppressed a giggle.  Maybe Alison didn't have anything to worry about, but Kevin probably did.  Ali was always a fast worker.
 

To Carol, it seemed she had barely fallen asleep when Brigid shook her awake.  'Time to rise, if you're going to leave us.'  she was told.  She entered the kitchen and found Alison and Kevin waiting there.  Sean and Brigid soon entered as well.

'Well, Carol, you have been the best of guests.  You are always welcome to come back here.'

'Thank you.  You have been the best of hosts.  And someday I may be back.  But I guess it's time for us to go.'

Sean nodded.  'Yes, we'll all accompany you back to the hilltop.  But you don't have to go if you don't want.  You can stay with us if you like and become one of us.'  He gestured to Alison.  'Like your friend here has.'

Carol looked at Alison in amazement, only to see Ali looking even more astonished.  'Me?  Stay here with you?  Stay shrunk to tiny size?  I'm not staying.  This has been a nice enough visit but I'm certainly not staying here.'

Sean looked puzzled.  'But you're one of us now.  You can't go back to your old size, to your old world.  Not now.'  Carol looked at Ali's angry face and thought she looked different somehow but she couldn't quite see in what way.  Then it struck her.

'Ali, what color are your eyes?'

'My eyes?  What does that have to do with anything?  They're blue, of course.'  She looked at Carol's worried expression.  'Is something wrong with them?  What's going on?'

In answer, Brigid silently handed her the silver mirror from the other room.  Her reflection in it told her what the others could see for themselves:  her eyes were now a deep, vivid green, a match for those of Kevin and Sean and Brigid.  'What have you done?'  She whirled to accuse Kevin, who was trying to squirm toward the door.

Brigid blocked his path.  'We know what you've done.  Seduced this poor girl.  Didn't give a thought to the consequences for her, did you?'

He stammered out.  'But, but, she was the one who...I thought she knew.  I thought she wanted to stay with me.'

Brigid glared at the two of them.  'So now you're blaming her, eh?  It doesn't matter now, I suppose.  What's done is done.  Carol, it looks like you're going alone.'

Alison was staring again in the mirror, as if she could change her eyes back by force of will.  'But this doesn't mean I have to stay like this.   I can grow back to my right size, so what if my eyes turned green.'  She looked at the others pleadingly.  'Can't I?  Tell me I can.'

Sean shook his head sadly.  'Sorry, lass but you're one of us now.  What you would have called the Other Folk.  You'll be staying our size now.'  His voice took on a comforting tone.  'But we'll look out for you.  And maybe you and Kevin...'

Kevin had apparently resigned himself to his fate.  'That's right, Ali.  You can be with me.  We can share a long life together, a good life.'

'A good life.'  She spat the words out.  'I've seen how you live.  Hard work all day, hardly ever a day off, no travel to speak of, no cars or movies or toys, no fun.  Peasant life.'   She glared at him, but with perhaps a hint of softness in her expression..

'We don't mind it.  Still, even if you're staying, it's time for Carol to be on her way.  Ready, dear?' Brigid stepped through the door into the twilight.  The others followed.

'I guess, I guess I'll come along to see you off,' choked Alison.  She held out her hand to Kevin.

'You don't need me to get you around anymore.'  He tried to force a laugh.  'Look at the hilltop.  Can't you see it any clearer now?  Well, just think about being there.'

'I can see it now.'  Alison seemed impressed.  'All the trees, all the branches on the trees, even the leaves on the branches.  And I can go there myself?  How...'  And she was suddenly gone.

'I'm right after her.'  Kevin called.  And he was gone too.

'Last chance for you to stay.'  Brigid offered but still she held out her hand.

'I've got to go.'  Carol decided.  'One of us should go back, just to let everybody else know we're not dead.' She reached out.

Brigid withdrew her hand for a second.  'Don't tell too many people about us.  We've had...problems with some of your people in the past, you know.  We can hide but it's easier not to have to.  All right?'  She grasped Carol's hand and suddenly they were on the hilltop with Alison and Kevin, now standing together.  Below them, they could see the faint traces of the ring of plots from the day, or the year, before.  Sean abruptly stood next to Brigid.

'We'll take you back to your clearing now.' he announced.  'You have to walk from the edge to the center by yourself and then wait.  The change should happen by itself.'  As they stood on the hilltop, the light shifted dramatically as clouds suddenly covered the
sky.  A light rain began to fall.

Carol looked sadly to Alison.  'I'm sorry, Ali.  If anyone should be staying, it should be me.  I'll tell your family you're okay, somehow.'

'If you can, I'd appreciate it.  But I suppose I'll have to get used to this size, and this life, now.  I'm really stuck, aren't I?'  She looked hopefully at Brigid and Sean but they just shook their heads sadly.  She looked more assertively at Kevin, standing silent beside her.  'I'm not alone at least.'  She stood quietly herself for a second or two.  ìJust go, would you?  Leave us here.î  Brigid grabbed Carol's hand and they were gone.

They stood at the edge of the clearing and looked into the mist.  'I think Kevin might have his hands full.'  Carol remarked.

'I'm sure he will, or maybe not.  She'll be in charge, for sure, and if he's smart he'll accept that.  It's his own stupid fault, after all.'  Brigid smiled grimly.  'Now, the light will change again any time, to Bealtaine eve time.  When it does, just walk to the center of the clearing.'  She broke into laughter.  'I just noticed, you didn't change back into your white dress.  There better not be any men waiting or they'll get quite a show.'

Carol looked at her dress in concern.  'You mean, this one, it won't grow with me?  That means it'll be ruined.  And I can't return it to you.'  She started to take her borrowed green dress off.

Brigid continued laughing.  'Don't worry about it.  I'll keep your silk one; the material's more than a fair trade.'  The rain stopped as the light shifted to that of a clear, still evening.  Brigid gently pushed her into the clearing.  'Go on, now.  And don't look back.'  She disappeared.

Carol stood uncertainly for a long second, then began her march to the center of the rough clearing.  As she reached it, the air grew dense around her and she slowly stopped moving, trapped as she had been trapped here before.  She took a deep breath and felt the dress grow tighter on her.  She dragged her arm to the collar and ripped her dress down the seam, peeling the sleeves from her arms and letting the material fall to the ground before her arms were firmly pinned at her sides..  The ground was slowly receding, or so it seemed, and the bushes at the edge of the clearing were growing smaller and closer to her.  As she grew taller than the surrounding brush, she became aware of four figures waiting in the shadows: four women, she hoped.

They came nearer as she grew and she felt the twilight darkness grow deeper.  She looked to the hilltop where the small group had stood but there was no sign of anyone there.  Finally the air around her thinned and released her, while Linda and Deirdre ran to her.  The other two women, Jill and one of the local girls, Ciara, was it?, stood frozen at the edge of the plot next to hers.

'Where's Ali?'  Jill screamed.  'Why are you here and not her?'

Linda had taken her coat off and wrapped it around Carol.  'Did she decide to stay?' she asked in a low voice.

'It wasn't her choice, but, yes, she stayed.'  Carol looked at Allison's hysterical cousin sympathetically.  'I don't know how we'll explain it, though.  We'll just have to tell Jill that Ali's all right.  Maybe she was meant to be the way she is now.'  Linda motioned to Deirdre and Ciara and they began to slowly lead Jill away, down the hill to the car.
 

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