Chapter 151: A Night in the City
Balthazar stepped out of the baking boutique and looked up. The sun was now a fleeting memory on the horizon, barely an orange streak left under the starless night sky.
Used to living by a pond most of his life, the crab always saw dusk as the time to retreat into the safety of your home, away from the dangers of the dark, until morning came back.
“It’s late,” he said to Suze. “Shouldn’t you be going back home now?”
The little girl placed her hands on her hips and looked at him with sassy disapproval.
“Hellooo? I live in the streets, remember?” She threw her arms out. “This is my home!”
“Uh, right, yes, but I mean…” the merchant said. “A kid shouldn’t be out at night, right? It’s… dangerous?”
Balthazar realized he didn’t actually know much of anything about children, but he was certain he was on the right track about how they shouldn’t go out at night. He just wasn’t sure if it was because they should be asleep, or because they’d spontaneously turn into a pumpkin if left out. It was one of those two, that much he knew.
“Pfft,” Suze mocked. “Please… We’re in the city, not out in the woods. There’s no more danger at night than there is during the day. Now come on, let’s go see what dangers we can get ourselves into!”
The street urchin grabbed the crab by the wrist and pulled him behind her up the sidewalk as he protested, not used to being crabhandled so unceremoniously.