laughed, it shook the room
.
The leopards were so close that Ophelia could see herself reflected in their eyes. Still, they did not move forward while the ghost girl clung by her side.
We were poor. I didn’t have fine clothes. Each morning I saw the Queen when she walked in her snow gardens, and each morning she looked up at me. She sent me a golden pear first, then a jewelry box, then she called for me
.
Ophelia heard Kyra’s voice strengthen beside her. Her voice was loud and close. The leopards stopped again, hunched, waiting to pounce.
I liked to write my name. I liked to write it again and again on the same piece of paper. I loved to run
.
“And your hair was red?”
It was red as a flame. I had a scar on my cheek from when I fell from a chair and a burn on my hand from the frying pan
.
Ophelia touched the table with her fingers. She reached behind her back for the box. The leopards let out a hiss and a wail. They bared their teeth.
“What happened when the Queen called you?”
She said, “I have seen you each day and been sorely amazed by your quaint prettiness. Look at your hair and your rosy cheeks, so full of life, exactly like a blossom. Do you remember these things?” Flowers, now, my father had told me of them
.
I shivered in front of her in my little rag dress. She said, “I would like you to come with me. I have a special machine that will make you warm.” And I followed her all the way up the steps, floors and floors and floors and floors, and all the courtiers and all the chambermaids came to watch her lead me
.
Ophelia couldn’t bear to hear the story, but she knew shemust listen or the leopards would have her. They scratched their claws along the marble floor and moved closer. Their tails lashed behind them.
They had smiles on their faces, you know, all those people. They knew exactly what would happen to me
.
“What happened to you?”
The Queen put me in her machine. She said, “Kyra, there is nothing at all to fear.” And that was the end of me
.
Ophelia had the box in front of her now. It was a box painted with a winter scene. Her hands shook. She fumbled with the key—the lid opened on stiff hinges. Inside was a small copper key, very old, discolored green.
Quickly, you must go now
, said Kyra, her voice suddenly weaker.
The lead snow leopard leapt toward Ophelia.
“Tell me what you loved!” Ophelia shouted just in time.
I loved to run. I could run forever, all the way through the streets until the fields began
.
The leopard swerved, tumbled, crouched again on all fours.
“Come with me,” Ophelia said, pressing the elevator button. She heard it rumbling away somewhere below.
But Kyra was fading.
“Tell me your name!” Ophelia shouted, stepping back into the elevator as the door opened.
My name was Kyra
, Kyra said.
Ophelia saw her then, the outline of her. She saw her brilliant red hair. She burnt suddenly into existence in that museum gallery, the snow leopards poised behind her.
“Kyra!” she shouted as the elevator doors began to close.
You must go, Ophelia
, Kyra said, her last words. She was unraveling. She burnt to life once more, and then there was nothing left of her.
The snow leopards leapt forward, the largest striking Ophelia across the sleeve as she fell backward. The snow leopard screeched as the doors shut on its powerful foreleg. It whined until it was free, and the doors closed completely. Ophelia scrambled into the far corner, pulled up her sleeve to see a thin line of blood. She put her head in her hands as the elevator began to descend.
5
In which Miss Kaminski finds Ophelia and is very cross
The elevator opened onto the long, narrow gallery of gloomy paintings of girls. It was very dark in that corridor; the sun must have set already, and all their quiet, lonely faces were in shadow. Ophelia thought of the ghost girl, and it made her so sad that she had to take her puffer from her pocket and squirt.
She pulled up her sleeve again
.
The leopards were so close that Ophelia could see herself reflected in their eyes. Still, they did not move forward while the ghost girl clung by her side.
We were poor. I didn’t have fine clothes. Each morning I saw the Queen when she walked in her snow gardens, and each morning she looked up at me. She sent me a golden pear first, then a jewelry box, then she called for me
.
Ophelia heard Kyra’s voice strengthen beside her. Her voice was loud and close. The leopards stopped again, hunched, waiting to pounce.
I liked to write my name. I liked to write it again and again on the same piece of paper. I loved to run
.
“And your hair was red?”
It was red as a flame. I had a scar on my cheek from when I fell from a chair and a burn on my hand from the frying pan
.
Ophelia touched the table with her fingers. She reached behind her back for the box. The leopards let out a hiss and a wail. They bared their teeth.
“What happened when the Queen called you?”
She said, “I have seen you each day and been sorely amazed by your quaint prettiness. Look at your hair and your rosy cheeks, so full of life, exactly like a blossom. Do you remember these things?” Flowers, now, my father had told me of them
.
I shivered in front of her in my little rag dress. She said, “I would like you to come with me. I have a special machine that will make you warm.” And I followed her all the way up the steps, floors and floors and floors and floors, and all the courtiers and all the chambermaids came to watch her lead me
.
Ophelia couldn’t bear to hear the story, but she knew shemust listen or the leopards would have her. They scratched their claws along the marble floor and moved closer. Their tails lashed behind them.
They had smiles on their faces, you know, all those people. They knew exactly what would happen to me
.
“What happened to you?”
The Queen put me in her machine. She said, “Kyra, there is nothing at all to fear.” And that was the end of me
.
Ophelia had the box in front of her now. It was a box painted with a winter scene. Her hands shook. She fumbled with the key—the lid opened on stiff hinges. Inside was a small copper key, very old, discolored green.
Quickly, you must go now
, said Kyra, her voice suddenly weaker.
The lead snow leopard leapt toward Ophelia.
“Tell me what you loved!” Ophelia shouted just in time.
I loved to run. I could run forever, all the way through the streets until the fields began
.
The leopard swerved, tumbled, crouched again on all fours.
“Come with me,” Ophelia said, pressing the elevator button. She heard it rumbling away somewhere below.
But Kyra was fading.
“Tell me your name!” Ophelia shouted, stepping back into the elevator as the door opened.
My name was Kyra
, Kyra said.
Ophelia saw her then, the outline of her. She saw her brilliant red hair. She burnt suddenly into existence in that museum gallery, the snow leopards poised behind her.
“Kyra!” she shouted as the elevator doors began to close.
You must go, Ophelia
, Kyra said, her last words. She was unraveling. She burnt to life once more, and then there was nothing left of her.
The snow leopards leapt forward, the largest striking Ophelia across the sleeve as she fell backward. The snow leopard screeched as the doors shut on its powerful foreleg. It whined until it was free, and the doors closed completely. Ophelia scrambled into the far corner, pulled up her sleeve to see a thin line of blood. She put her head in her hands as the elevator began to descend.
5
In which Miss Kaminski finds Ophelia and is very cross
The elevator opened onto the long, narrow gallery of gloomy paintings of girls. It was very dark in that corridor; the sun must have set already, and all their quiet, lonely faces were in shadow. Ophelia thought of the ghost girl, and it made her so sad that she had to take her puffer from her pocket and squirt.
She pulled up her sleeve again
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