“—but I thought you’d be safer in my world. You should go, Ms. Queensmeadow. Go back to where you came from.”

“And why should I? Why do you care what happens to me?”

“I know why you’re here. We all do. And we know you’ve lost no fruit tree in the town of Slender.”

Alice gasped.

“Your journey to find your father is a noble one,” said the fox. “But he had no right to meddle in our affairs, and neither do you.”

“What do you mean?” said Alice. “What did Father do to meddle in your affairs?”

The fox tilted his head at her. “Our lands agreed long ago not to go poking in each other’s magical matters. And your father—who is publicly known for consorting closely with Ferenwood Town Elders—was found here in Furthermore asking too many questions about our magic and how we use it.”

“But he was arrested for wasting time—”

“Yes,” said the fox. “He was indeed arrested for time thievery. But he was also charged with suspected espionage.”

“What?” Alice felt the blood drain from her face.

“Tread carefully,” said the fox. “Furthermore knows you’re here to find him, and this land will not give up a spy so easily.”

“But he’s not—he can’t be—”

“Go home, Ms. Queensmeadow. Unless you, too, would like to be held accountable for his actions.”

“But—if you think my father’s a spy—” Alice faltered. “Why are you trying to help me?”

“You are an innocent.” The fox tossed back his head. “And I don’t agree that you should be harmed for seeking out a lost loved one. Besides,” he added, “I don’t approve of eating children. It’s uncivilized.”

Alice didn’t know what to say.

“You don’t have much time, Ms. Queensmeadow.” The fox was growing anxious; he’d begun circling around her. “Everyone here is waiting for you. Go home. Now. Before you’re found.”

“Who?” said Alice. “Who’s waiting for me—?”

There was a sudden rustle in the distance and the fox’s eyes darted around. He looked back at Alice with a wild nervousness. “Snap in three in case of emergency.”

“What . . . ?”

“Trust a friend who looks like one.”

“What are you—”

“We know,” said the fox. “We all know.”

Alice felt a prick of terror pinch the back of her neck. She couldn’t explain how, exactly, but she felt certain that something was about to go terribly wrong.

“Please,” she whispered. “I just want to find my father. Can’t you help me?”

“I’m afraid I can’t. You would do better to return home.” He turned to leave.

“Wait!” Alice grabbed the fox’s leg.

He stopped and stared at Alice’s hand.

“Will you let my friend go?” she asked.

The fox narrowed his eyes. “You may go freely on your way, Ms. Queensmeadow, but I’m afraid the boy will have to come with us.”

“What?” said Alice, stunned. “But I thought you didn’t approve of eating children—”

“I don’t approve of eating good children. But your friend is an untrustworthy, duplicitous lout, whose long list of infractions could fill the many trunks of our trees.” The fox held his head high. “Little liars will not be rewarded in Furthermore.”

“But—he didn’t mean any harm—”

“Liars have the longest tongues, Ms. Queensmeadow. A delicacy we all enjoy. And we’ve all been hungry for so long, you see, that it’s hard to deny ourselves a fresh meal when it’s so well deserved. I’m sure you understand.”

With that, the fox took a deep bow, broke free of Alice’s hand, and scampered off in Oliver’s direction.

Alice sprang to her feet, shoving her belongings in her pockets as best she could with one hand. The four foxes were already busy carting Oliver off into the distance, and now that his mouth was unmuffled, Alice could hear him screaming into the sunlight.

She ran forward, horrified but determined, and snatched the ruler from her pocket, charging at the paper creatures as though it were a dagger. She swung and swatted at the foxes, kicking and yelling as they yelped and fell away. Alice hadn’t managed to do much real damage to the animals (who, for paper creatures, made formidable opponents), but her own friendly fox looked so heartbroken by her betrayal that Alice was tempted to feel sorry for him. Fortunately, her guilt was quickly wicked away. She didn’t care that her life had been spared—no fox would eat her friend, no matter the lies he’d told.

But the foxes would not be beat.

They threw themselves forward more quickly than Alice could shove them back. She managed to land a few hard thwacks with her ruler, but her single arm was quickly tiring, and though Alice was now huddled protectively over Oliver’s body, the foxes were showing no signs of letting up. Alice had underestimated the power of animal hunger; these creatures had been promised a meal and they would not leave without it. Oliver tried several times to aid in his own defense, but the foxes were thrashing about so forcefully—growling and snapping—that Alice was worried they’d bite his head clean off.

“Down-exit!” she cried, crouched low over Oliver’s back. “Down-exit, please!”

But nothing was working. (Oliver, to his credit, had tried desperately to persuade the foxes to let him go, but his talent had been withered by fear; his occasional flickers of success weren’t strong enough to fight all four foxes.) Alice, meanwhile, was becoming increasingly panicked. She was fumbling, losing her grip on the ruler as her arm weakened under strain, and all it took was a moment’s hesitation—