Free Hilda - The Challenge by Paul Kater Page A

remained prominently visible.
    "Well, that's him," Hilda said to the
nightmare in black as she saw William. "This is William. William,
please meet Babs, my bestest girlfriend. Or Baba Yaga as she is
known to most."
    The book salesman of course had heard, or
rather read about Baba Yaga. There had been drawings of the witch
in some of them, but none of them did any credit to her as she
stood there in real life. He was too stunned and appalled to faint
or run away. Instead he did the only right thing.
    "Baba Yaga. I have heard a lot about you.
Pleased to meet you." William did wonder if he should offer her his
hand. He was not convinced she'd give it back.
    "As long as it's only bad things, then I'm
happy," the ghastly witch cackled, giving William the creeps.
"Can't have people thinking good things about us, can we, Hilly
baby?"
    Baba Yaga sat down again. A kettle with tea
flew in from the kitchen, closely followed by a tray of
cookies.
    "Come sit, William," Hilda said with a smile,
patting the seat of the chair next to her. He took off the black
cloak and then sat down, stumped by her sudden almost affectionate
behaviour.
    "This is the man I talked about this morning,
Babs," Hilda continued. "This is who I knocked out."
    Baba Yaga looked William over inch by inch.
"Nice garb," she said, "but hardly what he's supposed to wear, is
it? Not much magic in him. So where'd you dig him up?"
    Hilda looked at William, a blush on her face.
He understood that she had not told her bestest girlfriend about
the strange visit to his world, so he winked at her. "Do you tell
her, or will I tell her?"
    Hilda's eyes became large for a moment. "I'll
tell her. Just tell me when I forget something, okay?"
    William nodded and got up to pour tea for
everyone as Hilda started telling Baba Yaga about the strange
happenings that she had encountered so many years ago. Baba Yaga's
eyes probably also became bigger and bigger, but he was not able to
discern them between the folds of her wrinkles.
    When Hilda reached the point where it became
clear that William had been the only person that could get her back
to her own world, Baba Yaga asked him if he by chance was magical
in his own world.
    "No, I'm afraid not. I deal with books, not
with magic."
    Hilda then went on telling Babs about how she
came back and how she somehow had brought William to their own
world. "And since I got him here, I have taken him in and put him
in a room. Of his own," she added a bit snippy.
    This of course caused Baba Yaga to cackle
again. "Well, that is quite an adventure you've been holding from
me, Hilda," she said with a grin. "And now you have him here, what
do you plan to do with him?"
    William frowned. He was not used to be talked
about as if he was not there, or a mere piece of furniture that had
been acquired. Still he looked at Hilda, as he was also very
interested to hear her answer.

11. What to do with William?

    Hilda looked at Babs, then at William, then
at her teacup, from where the goldfish looked up also, waiting for
her answer.
    "You make it sound as if I wanted to get him
here," she said to Baba Yaga with a small pout, and a hint of
accusation in her voice.
    The Russian witch just smiled. "I say
nothing. I ask a question and you are going to answer it. It
appears to me that William would like to know also, Hilly."
    William nodded, which earnt him a mean look
from Hilda. "Careful, buster, there is enough room against the
wall," she warned him. "And you are not going to stop me. It's only
the dress, not the abilities you wear. Remember that."
    William raised his hands as in defense.
"Okay, okay, no need to get excited. I have seen what can happen
when you get excited."
    Baba Yaga screamed for cackling laughter. "I
love the boy," she yelled out, "if you don't want him, I'll take
him off your hands, Hilda!"
    William's heart almost stopped beating. He
would prefer death than be with Hilda's best girlfriend.
    The wicked witch raised her eyebrows. Then
she looked at