11 Boxes

11. BOXES Next morning, Matilda caught the bus back to Hag's Head. She was nervous as she knocked on the sea hags' door. She wondered if the packages had been delivered to Hag's Head House. She hadn't been able to put a zip code on the orders, because the sea hags didn't know if they had one. What if their stuff didn't turn up? The door opened. All three hags stood in the doorway, looking a little

disappointed that it was only Matilda and not a delivery. "Come in, dearie," said Pipweed. "Cup of tea?" said Maerl. "I've just squeezed a toad!" added Dabberlocks. "Um... can I just have blackberry tea again, please?" said Matilda. They sat in the kitchen and drank tea. Thankfully the hags had made some fresh blueberry muffins, which Matilda enjoyed, while the three sisters polished off the leftover slug torte. Matilda took this opportunity to explain how they could continue to sell gold, pay it into the bank, and buy whatever they wanted on

the Magical Interweb. They just needed to take the bus to Dull-on-Sea whenever they felt like adding to their collections. The hags nodded and looked at her blankly. Every now and again they would shuffle to a corner of the kitchen and chatter among themselves. The wait seemed like an eternity.

Matilda wondered how the Jolley-Rogers were doing, frozen in the cave. And where was Jim Lad? Three blackberry teas later, there was a knock on the door, and the sea hags jumped from their chairs. They all rushed into the hall, and Pipweed opened the door. "BEHOLD!" she cried. "THE DELIVERER!" A man holding three large boxes looked confused. "Just barely," he mumbled. "Took me awhile to find you. You weren't on my GPS, darlin'. Sign here, please." Pipweed signed for the packages, and they all bowed before the bemused driver. "Thank you, kind sir, for your generous

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gifts! Please return to your magical kingdom until we call you again!" Moments later, the sea hags were joyfully opening their boxes. Matilda had never felt so relieved. "So," she said quietly, "can you unfreeze my pirate friends, please?" Suddenly the mood turned dark. The sea hags' smiles had disappeared, and they were glaring at Matilda under three furrowed brows. "We're afraid to say, we've changed our minds. You really have been very kind.