The Wendy

But Peter hadn’t needed any help on that account, so she hadn’t really done anything wrong, had she? She had only been willing to do something wrong, which was not the same thing.

What was her game? Had she told him the truth? Was Pan almost within his grasp—his elusive ship about to appear on the horizon if Hook sailed just a little bit farther?

He had the sinking feeling that the Darling woman was toying with him. Again. If there was one thing he hated, it was being played for a fool.

What was her game? Had she told him the truth? Was Pan almost within his grasp—his elusive ship about to appear on the horizon if Hook sailed just a little bit farther?

“I didn’t kill him,” Peter added quickly. “Or any of the others either. I knew you wouldn’t want me to, after the last time.”

“Ordered her to go find me,” Peter corrected her. “But no, I don’t think that’s it. Or not just that. I think she finds you too beautiful. Tink doesn’t like humans to be as pretty as she is. It offends her.”

“You think I’m as pretty as she is?” Wendy asked, suddenly feeling shy.

“Tink thinks you’re as pretty as she is,” Peter said.

As for Wendy, she rather liked the idea of being her own Wendy. So much so that she almost regretted correcting him.

“Well, when you put it that way …” she said.

Peter watched her for several long moments, waiting for her to finish, but she said nothing else.

“When I put it that way, then what?” he finally asked.

“Well, I mean I don’t mind it so much, now that I understand it,” she admitted. “If you want to call me the Wendy, that is.”

“I only say it that way to indicate what you are not. Not my Wendy or someone else’s Wendy, but your own Wendy. The Wendy. Obviously.”

only say it that way to indicate what you are not. Not my Wendy or someone else’s Wendy, but your own Wendy. The Wendy. Obviously.”

!” he finished. Satisfied, Nana turned back to Wendy, waiting for the answer.

“Of course not like cowards,” she said. “Like members of a …” Now Wendy looked at Colin, who was watching her face and listening very attentively. “Of a certain office … who occasionally have to behave in … in unusual ways.”

“You can’t honestly expect us to cower in the bushes like …” John stopped himself and looked down at Nana, who was watching him suspiciously. “Like cowards!”