Kingdom River

anyone a little too tense for the occasion.

They passed Master Butter as they climbed to the second Grand-flight's landing. He was standing with Lord Vitelli's man, Packard – blew an almost-hidden kiss to the Queen, then winked at Martha as she went by.

'In the old days,' the Queen said to Monroe, raising her voice through the crowd's noise, 'Chamberlain Brady would have welcomed you naked, or nearly naked, with the 'My Sunshine' dance.'

'Really?' Their guest looked over his shoulder. 'Chamberlain, I'm sorry to have missed it.'

'Just as well, milord. Not what I used to be, prancing.'

'Oh,' Monroe said, 'I imagine you still step lightly enough.'

Martha heard the Queen's little grunt of humor through the cheers and shouts around them, and there came a shower of perfumed paper flowers, tiny twisted petition-papers, and candies wrapped in beaten silver foil.

Ordinaries in the crowd were shouting, 'Mother! River-mother!' and grinning at the Queen like – as she always said – the great fools they were.

***

'Thank Mountain Jesus that's over.'

'The Jesus here floats, sir,' Margaret said. 'But Weather, this place is big!'

'Oh, I'd say these rooms are proper,' Darry said, 'a suite commensurate with rank.'

'I think Margaret meant Island, Lieutenant, though these rooms aren't nothing.'

Chamberlain Brady had led them a long way, commenting to Sam on the warmth of the people's greeting, and mentioning the banquet of welcome at sunset. They'd come a great distance through granite passageways and up granite stairways, to this 'suite.'

First, a high-ceilinged entrance chamber with a long, beautifully-carved table set in it – and woven tapestries along the walls, with scenes of men and women hunting animals Sam had never seen or heard of, dream animals from copybooks… There was this great room, warmed by two corner Franklins with fires rumbling in them, and lit by lanterns hanging from its ceiling on silver chains. Then, on both sides of a wide hallway – its walls decorated with painted pictures of river people at common tasks – were six more rooms. The first was a small laundry room with both bath and wash-tubs. On the stove were kettles of hot water, already steaming. The other five were sleeping chambers, each very fine, with polished wood furniture, beds with duck-feather mattresses and pillows, and flower drawings on fine paper on every wall.

These rooms, also, each held a stove burning. And the last chamber, largest and most beautiful – with two glassed arrow-slit windows cut through yard-thick stone – was warmed by two stoves.

'This is all to impress us,' Margaret said, and making a face of not being impressed, joined Sam and Darry sitting at the entrance room's big table. The three sergeants stood at ease along the near wall. Behind and above them, a woven hunting party of people wearing feathered cloaks rode after a six-legged elk.

'Well, it impresses me,' Sam said, 'to afford such warmth and comfort in this huge heap of stone in winter. Island does impress me, as that warship did. Great wealth, and great power – and they make it plain.'

Master Carey came in with two liveried servants carrying the last of the baggage… and saw it stowed. His and the sergeants' gear in the two bed-rooms nearest the entrance. The lieutenant's in the next. Then Margaret Mosten's. Then Sam's.

'We should have brought finer things to wear,' Margaret said…

'No, we shouldn't,' Sam said. 'Decoration won't win us anything, here.' He waited for the last of Island's servants to leave and close the door behind him. 'Now, first, remember that what we say in these rooms may be overheard, stone walls or not.'

'Right,' Margaret said.

'This is what I want done…' He paused to pick an apple from a silver bowl.

'Apple should be tasted, sir.' Carey, come to stand with the sergeants.

'Oh, I don't think I'll be poisoned today. That would be a little abrupt.' Sam took a bite and chewed. 'It's sweet. Wonderful, a sweet apple… Now, Sergeants Burke, Mays, and Wilkey, you'll take Lieutenant Darry's orders as to guard-mount. But there is always to be a man on duty at the entrance, here. And, I suppose, I should have someone with me.'

'No 'suppose' about it, sir,' Margaret said. 'You will damn well have one of the sergeants, or me, with you at all times.'

'Alright – one of the men. Margaret, you headquarter here, but wander often enough to keep an eye on all of us, and on any change in our position with these people.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Lieutenant…'

'Sir?' Darry sitting handsomely alert, left hand resting on his saber's hilt. A hilt, Sam noticed, sporting gold wire on the grip.

'Since, Lieutenant, you're a very social fellow, you will be a very social fellow here. Get out and around in the court. Cultivate companions-in-mischief. I want to know who's important, and who's not. I want to know what they think of the war – and of us.'

'I understand, sir.'

'And, Pedro, limit your amusements to those that do not require duels.'

'Goes without saying, sir.'

'Um-mm. And, Master Carey, you're to do whatever it was Eric Lauder instructed you to do – once you've told me exactly what those instructions were.'

'Yes, milord – sir. Really, only to guard you, particularly against long-acting poisons, and to… deal with any river people who might threaten you or our mission here.'

'Carey, you will 'deal' with no one without my direct order. Is that clear?'

'Very well, sir. Ask you, first.'

'Yes… Now, all of you,' – the sergeants came to attention to indicate attention – 'all of you, remember why we're here. We are not here to make friends; I think that's unlikely in any case. We're here to offer the Boxcars help that they already need, and will need more of when the Khan joins his army.' Sam finished the apple, found no place to put the core.

Carey came around the table and took it away.

'Thank you… As to official matters, I think Her Majesty will let me wait at least a day or two, and possibly more, before we meet in any private way. To put me in my place.'

'She seems damn rude.'

'Margaret, watch your tongue.'

'Sorry, Sam… But she does.'

'The Queen is exactly as my Second-mother described her. Older, but the same. A fierce lady – and one, now, with great burdens, which probably include the people of her court.'

'Those, my business, sir?'

'Your business, Pedro… All of us need to remember that as this Kingdom manages against Toghrul Khan, so North Map-Mexico will have to manage. We need these people as much as they need us. Keep it in mind.'

Nods and 'Yes, sir's.'

'Master Carey,' Margaret said, 'the horses brought ashore and cared for?'

'Yes, Captain. Stabled and fed.'

'And how are we to be fed?'

'Banquet tonight for milord and officers, and otherwise, according to the kitchens, as we please. Meals brought up to us, or served in Island's Middle-hall, still called 'The King's.' Milord and officers have places held at south high table there, servants and men-at-arms, places at south low.'

'Hours?'

'All hours, Captain.'

It seemed to Sam that Better-Weather's imposition of Ansel Carey – and Darry and the sergeants – was proving to have been good sense. 'Most times,' he said, 'we'll eat publicly. Roosting up here would not be helpful. We need to see, and be seen.'