Some smart-alecky remark almost jumps out of my mouth, but I remember the bear, still hulking over my little blonde tormentor. I remember the fact that I’m in the otherworld, where nothing is necessarily the way it seems.

“Yes, you have,” I say. “And if my being here’s a problem, I’ll be happy to get out of your hair. I just need for you to point me in the right direction.”

“Don’t you want to stand up for yourself? Don’t you want to protest your innocence some more?”

I don’t know why it took me so long to twig to the red hat she’s wearing, but I suddenly realize that she must be a fairy, a Redcap. Except according to folklore, they were supposed to be these wicked little goblin men. They’re usually described as short and wizened, with long teeth, big red eyes, fingernails like an eagle’s talons, and long greasy hair. Their caps are red because they’ve been soaked in the blood of their victims.

So she doesn’t have their look. But their whole purpose in living’s to make life miserable for anyone around them and she certainly seems to have that much down pat, not to mention a really good vocabulary for a little kid.

There are milder Redcaps, almost like brownies, but they’re invariably described as little men, too. I’d never heard of a Redcap appearing as a small blonde child with a bear for a companion, only that doesn’t mean anything. I’m sure the otherworld’s full of things and beings that I’ve never heard of.

“I’m just trying to be polite,” I tell her, because one thing I do know is that fairies expect a good dose of respect.

“Hmm,” the little girl says. She cocks her head like a bird. “So what’s your name, polite girl?”

Right. Like I’m going to fall for that.

“Jilly,” I tell her, which is enough to be true and respectful, but not enough for her to work some mojo on me. “What’s yours?”

“Today it’s Emily.”

“Well, I’m pleased to meet you, Emily.”

“Are you? Are you, really? Because I just have to say the word and Grath will eat you in two bites. And maybe I will and maybe I won’t, but since you don’t know which it will be, how can you be pleased?”

“Except you told me not to be scared of him,” I say. I tell myself to be brave and face the bear. “I’m pleased to meet you, too, Grath.”

“How do you know that’s Grath?” Emily asks. “Maybe Grath’s a dragon who’s hiding just out of sight, waiting on my word to appear and wreak terrible havoc, not to mention eating you.”