“Why?”
“Are you seriously going to tell me you don’t know? Are you daft?”
“No, but I have no clue what you are talking about.” None of this rang a bell, and I was ready to wring my great-uncle’s neck after yesterday and that thing- that thing, the heat, the not being able to talk. And then there was the sudden change in me, like someone had flicked a light switch, and I flipped from planning to tell Bollard no to me wanting to come here.
Leave it to the same jerk who’d somehow forced me (and I recognized how crazy that sounded in my head) to come here to leave me here by myself.
The woman grabbed a small chisel from her bag. “Rudolf should have gone over this with you before bringing you here.”
“Rudolf didn’t bring me here. It was—”
“Trust me, it doesn’t matter what the man said his name was, it’s Rudolf. Nobody gets to L’Autre Bête without meeting Rudolf; nobody. Nothing happens without Rudolf’s permission.”
With as much as I knew about my uncle, he could have gone by the name Rudolf. “And where is Rudolf?”
“He’s in the lobby making arrangements with that idiot Enzo. He shouldn’t be too much longer. Rudolf can help you with whatever you need. Now, he’s a nice enough guy, but remember who he works for. You see him before the princess wakes up and you’ll be fine; he’ll get you a change of clothes. I can take you to him; I’ll be done in an hour.” She chiseled a small piece and looked down at my feet and added, “Where are your shoes?”
“I couldn’t find them.” I sat down next to her. “Did you do all these animals?”
She put down her chisel and grabbed a grinder out of her bag. “Bollard has been adding animals to this hallway since 1937, and I don’t have the money to look this good at 120.”
“So, you do know my uncle? Have you seen him? I woke up, and he wasn’t around, and my stuff—”
The woman jumped to her feet, her grinder clacking to the floor, and she looked at me for one shocked second before she curtsied. “I apologize, I had no idea, I… I…”
“Apologize for what? I’m confused.”
“We were told—” She cut herself off and knelt on the floor. She picked up a small black box—it was about the size you’d find an engagement ring in—and turned it over. She stared at it for a minute before saying, “No special alert. I don’t understand.” That made two of us. We were just sitting there all normal, and she’d gone into panic mode. The woman pressed a button on the box, and everything happened like a movie on fast-forward.
Doors opened and closed. Footsteps clicked and scuffled. Before I registered what was going on the hallway was full of people, fifty or more, all of them bowing. Had I missed something? I gave a nervous half bow and said the only thing I could think of. “I’m Waverly and I’m new here and I need to speak to Bollard.”
A man to my right stood up and straightened his brown tie and smoothed down his blue-striped suit. He had a small nose and shapely beard. He cleared his throat and said, “I am Rudolf. We most earnestly apologize. Your doctor informed us that your wake time wouldn’t be for another three hours. How may I help you?”
Three hours? The exact time the marble cutter had mentioned. The reaction of the people around me, the bowing, the running to greet me, gave me a strange, uneasy feeling of familiarity. Dizzy, I backed away to the wall and rested against a buffalo in disbelief. “I need to talk to my uncle.”
“I’m afraid he had urgent business,” Rudolf said. “He sends his greatest apologies and warmest regards. I am the keeper of L’Autre Bête, and I will escort you to—”
“Oh, excuse me, coming through.” A man in a bright emerald green suit came weaving through the people, carrying an armload of wrapped gifts. He somehow managed to bow. “Oh, Your Highness, I am so sorry.” His chest heaved as he labored to force out words. “I thought we had more time. You must be so excited. We have so many great things planned. I am so, so, so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?”
Your Highness. My body chilled all the way to the bone. “Your Highness?”
“I was about to escort Waverly back to her room,” Rudolf said.
“Here.” The man in green nudged a woman with his elbow. As soon as she stood up, he pushed the packages into her arms. “There are more in the lobby. Move, move!” He shooed his hand at everyone. “I’m Enzo Miller, but everyone calls me Enzo, otherwise known as your planner, and we will be the greatest of friends; all Merrics are close to their planners. I have big plans for you, big, big plans.” Then he held out his arm for me to take.
As we passed by the marble cutter, I saw her face. It was as white as the marble around us, and she held the wall for support. Terrified. She was terrified. I smiled at her and waved, hoping she would feel better but honestly, she looked faint.
Chapter 6
Doc
Rudolf led the way through the marble zoo. Occasionally, he’d look back to Enzo and shake his head.
“Don’t mind Rudolf,” whispered Enzo. “His job isn’t as fun as mine. I get to plan the parties and performances and all he does is vet people.” All business, Rudolf continued ignoring Enzo, who added, “He’s a glorified butler.”
Rudolf spun on his heels. If looks could kill, Enzo would have toppled over dead. Enzo shrugged it off and mouthed the word ‘touchy’.
Even though I had just met them, I could hardly imagine these two working well together. Rudolf was in shape, with
