“Don’t worry,” Gwi said. “We’ll get the Jack free.” Oh, I hope so, Kate thought. She gave the forester a quick smile, but returned to her worrying all the same. Both Kate and Gwi eyed the result of Finn’s handiwork with a certain dubious concern. Lying on the grass between them were three headbands. Each was made of strips of cloth, woven and stitched together, from which hung a number of long loose pieces like the ribbons of a May tree. To each of their jackets he had sewn a small wooden button. “I know what you’re thinking,” the hob said with a grin, “but watch first before you decide.” He put on one of the headbands, adjusting it so that the ribbon-like streamers hung at his sides and back. It gave him a curiously festive air. Before either of the women could comment on the silliness of it, he attached the foremost ribbon on his left side to the button on his jacket. Kate blinked as he wavered for a moment, then blinked again and edged away from the hob as the bulk of a small bogan appeared where he’d been sitting.
