A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(2)

An undeniable musk suddenly filled the tent. The Brothers Grimm could tell the soldiers smelled it, too, and grew tense from it, although no one mentioned it.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Colonel,” said a wispy voice from outside the tent. “That is no way to treat our guests.” Whoever it was had obviously been listening the entire time.

General Marquis stepped into the tent from between the candelabras, causing the flames to flicker from the sudden burst of air. The tent immediately filled with the strong musky smell of his cologne.

“General Jacques du Marquis?” Jacob asked.

For a man with such an intimidating reputation, his physicality was a bit disappointing. He was a short man with large gray eyes and big hands. He wore a large rounded hat that was broader than his shoulders and several badges of honor were displayed on his tiny uniform. He removed his hat and placed it on top of the desk, revealing a perfectly bald head. He took a casual seat in the large cushioned chair behind the desk, neatly folding his hands over his stomach.

“Capitaine De Lange, Lieutenant Rembert, please untie our visitors,” General Marquis instructed. “Just because we are living in hostile times does not mean we have to be inhospitable.”

The captain and lieutenant did as they were instructed. A pleasant smile appeared on the general’s face but it didn’t fool the Brothers Grimm—his eyes were empty of compassion.

“Why have you forced us to come here tonight?” Wilhelm said. “We pose no threat to you or the French Empire.”

“We’re academics and authors! There’s nothing to gain from us,” Jacob said.

The general gave a little laugh and then placed an apologetic hand over his mouth.

“That is a nice story, but I know better than that,” Marquis said. “You see, I’ve been watching you, Brothers Grimm, and I know that, like all your stories, there is more to you than meets the eye. Donnez-moi le livre!”

The general snapped his fingers and Colonel Baton retrieved a large book from inside the desk. He dropped it with a thud in front of the general, who began flipping through its pages. The Brothers Grimm instantly recognized the book—it was theirs.

“Does this look familiar?” General Marquis asked.

“That’s a copy of our book of children’s stories,” Wilhelm said.

“Oui.” The general didn’t look up from its pages. “I am a major admirer of yours, Brothers Grimm. Your stories are so imaginative, so merveilleuses—where did you come up with all these stories?”

The Brothers Grimm looked at each other cautiously, still unsure what he was getting at.

“They’re just fairy tales,” Jacob said. “Some are original but most are just folktales that have been passed down from generation to generation.”

General Marquis slowly nodded as he listened. “But passed down by whom?” he asked, and slammed shut the book of stories. His pleasant smile faded, and his gray eyes darted back and forth between the brothers.

Neither Wilhelm nor Jacob knew what answer the general was looking for. “By families, by cultures, by children, by their parents, by—”

“Fairies?” the general said in total seriousness, not moving a single muscle in his face.

The room went dead silent. Once the silence reached an uncomfortably long amount of time Wilhelm looked at Jacob and they both forced a laugh, making light of the assertion.

“Fairies?” Wilhelm asked. “You think fairies gave us these stories?”

“Fairies aren’t real, General,” Jacob said.

General Marquis’s left eye began to twitch violently, which took the brothers by surprise. The general closed his eyes and slowly massaged his face until the spasms stopped.

“Forgive me, Brothers Grimm,” the general apologized with another fake smile. “My eye always begins to twitch when I am being lied to.”

“We aren’t lying to you, General,” Jacob said. “But if our stories have convinced you otherwise then you have given us the greatest of compliments—”

“SILENCE!” General Marquis ordered, and his eye began pulsing again. “You insult my intelligence, Brothers Grimm! We have been following you for quite some time. We know about the sparkling woman who brings you the stories!”

The Brothers Grimm went completely still. Their hearts were racing, and beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads. They had both been faithful to a vow of secrecy for years, but still the greatest secret of their lives had been uncovered.

“A sparkling woman?” Wilhelm asked. “General, do you hear what you are saying? This is ludicrous.”

“My men saw it with their own eyes,” General Marquis said. “She wears robes that sparkle like the night sky, has white flowers in her hair, and carries a long crystal wand—bringing you a new story for your books every time she returns. But from where does she appear? That’s what I’ve been asking myself. After countless days of looking over every map I own, I must assume she’s from a place that can’t be seen on any map of mine.”

Wilhelm and Jacob shook their heads, desperately trying to deny all that he said. But how could they deny the truth?

“You military men are all alike,” Jacob said. “You’ve already conquered half of the known world and yet you still want more—so you make up things to believe in! You’re King Arthur obsessing over the Holy Grail—”