contrast to the sky. No longer cloudy or spitting queer colored rain, now there was a dense humidity and by all appearances they’d left the earth behind altogether. A finite red surrounded them. Like they’d climbed into sea foam. They couldn't tell where the bubble ended, and the world returned.

The Baba Yaga's infamous cabin hopped on a single chicken leg as strong and tall as any mainmast. It had a veranda of its own, and a staircase with hoofs that chased the cabin around the lawn. Whenever the chicken stood still and tipped backwards to munch grass with its rear end, the stairs galloped over to offer entry. Moments later the house squawked from no discernible mouth and ran away. The hooved stairs settled with a sigh ofthe time they reached the Baba Yaga’s island retreat in the Caribbean.

The only way Silvia won the trust of the two pirates was a display of her power. Aside from her Augurist capabilities and her extensive knowledge of the bestiary, she had a talent for growth. She sprouted a sunflower from Buttons’s boot. She promised this was only a start. It was time to prove herself.

Theo, who’d reloaded his pistol while the Baba Yaga displayed her gymnastics, held it in his left hand and his cutlass in his right. He followed Silvia, with Buttons trailing. What was next, the pirates thought.

The house sprung arms. Six clockwork limbs cranked out. Steam hissed out of the chimney. Blades and scissors extended from wood that whirred on unseen cogs. Along the