Page 95 of Why Cheese?
Shoes spin on the floor and Cam’s voice snarls. “Do you really want to delve into why I left?”
“You turned your back on all of us, Cheddy and Brie included.”
“No. I left you, Roquefort.”
“Because you discovered the truth.”
Cam snorts. “Because you never told me. All those centuries and you couldn’t trust me. I’m done with this. Steal your own damn milk for your madness.”
The shadows move and Cam’s stretches across the ceiling. I turtle in close to Cheddy, certain I wasn’t supposed to hear all of that. He holds me close, but Roq isn’t finished with this argument.
“I was right, you know.”
“About what?”
“I knew if you found out, you’d abandon me. And you did.”
Cam laughs mirthlessly. “It must be hard to stir the milk with that cross hanging off your back.”
“This is the one, Ber. It’ll work. I’m sure of it.”
“Do you know why you spend all night down here? Why you make deals with horrible people and trap us in these cheese cellars selling our long lives to nothing but work?”
Roq swallows loudly and his voice softens. “To cure us.”
“To assuage your guilt. That cheese won’t work this time, or the next, or any other. And neither will it clear your conscience.” Cam’s footsteps pick up quickly, sending him careening around the shelves so fast, we don’t have a chance to act like we weren’t listening in. He catches us just as Roq comes peeling around the corner.
“That’s not…!” He freezes, first spotting me. Then he looks up to Cheddy whose face hides in the shadows. Roq pushes up his glasses. “Violette. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Hi,” I limply call out and lift my fingers in a pathetic wave.
“I believe Cam has made a cheddar and broccoli soup if you’re hungry. It’s mostly edible.” Roq tries to force the joke through a pin-sized hole.
“What guilt?” Cheddy’s voice shatters off of the bricks.
“Hmm?” Roq asks like he didn’t just have a shouting match with Cam.
“What did Cam mean you’re guilty of?” Cheddy asks.
“About the Mateo situation and being trapped in this…situation in the first place.” Roq lifts his chin, but for a second his eyes dart to Cam who’s crossed his arms.
Cheddy listens, then he shakes his mountainous head. “What about the curse?”
“Why do you feel guilty about that?”
We all turn to find Brie standing behind us. He’s polishing a pot and staring at the man who’s forced him to clean untold millions of them for centuries.
“I…I don’t.” Roq backs up and nearly rams into the shelf. The cheeses shake in their place. “Why would I? An evil witch…”
“Give it up, For.” Cam rises to stand beside Cheddy. “This lie has gone on long enough.”
“What lie?” Cheddy booms, his eyes blazing. “Who lied?”
With all three of his friends bearing down on him, Roq looks to me. I gulp. Is this about Mateo and their twenty-year hibernation? Is he hoping I’ll cover for him?
“My uncle locked you up because of me,” I cry out. “I’m sorry. I…I was spending my summers here and I think he was worried that if I learned your secret I’d blab it. I’m the reason you lost twenty years.”
“Oh, my sweet flower, you do not deserve the lashings for crimes committed centuries before your birth. None of this is on your head,” Cam assures me. He takes my hand and pats it while staring into my eyes. Then he hardens and glares at Roq. “Tell them, Roquefort. Tell them how you became cursed.”
