“Why would a place have drugs like that?”
“To torture traitors, although these methods are far more humane than other things.” Doc put his hands before his mouth. He was trying to stop himself from talking, but he couldn’t control what he was saying. Doc would tell me the answer to anything I asked.
But, no. Doc had been there for me, had held me when I cried. I could be here for him now. “Doc, please go lie down. We can talk later.”
“I can think clearly. It’s just I can’t lie. Besides, I need to check on you. I am so sorry about what happened. I can’t help feeling it was my fault. I should have protested. Claudette is not a good person.”
“Do you think she had something to do with what happened too?”
Doc nodded. “Yes, and no. She wanted to lose you in the commotion and cause chaos for everyone else. But truly harm you? No. Claudette likes to play with her food before she devours it, but she wouldn’t do that to you. You are too valuable to the Royals. See, they need you to be the weapon like your grandmother was.”
“Grandma was a weapon?”
“Oh yes, and I am sure her shadows are thick.”
“You mean the Tennabris or something else?”
Doc shook his head. “The Tennabris is something else.” Doc was saying far more than he wanted, and I realized I was overstepping a boundary I shouldn’t. Doc would be in danger of telling me all of this.
“Why were you given Exodrodinal?” I asked, unsure if the question crossed that boundary.
Eyes squinting, Doc looked at me and shook his head. “Ah. The drug indicates mistrust.”
“Mistrust? Of you? How? Why? They can’t possibly think you had anything to do with what happened.” I wondered why the Libratiers suspected Doc.
“No, they are giving it to everyone, but there are things I have done.”
“Like what?” I asked without thinking. If I knew his secrets, who could say they wouldn’t drug me and cause me to spill Docs secrets? I quickly added, “Never mind, don’t answer that.”
“I was the one who got in touch with the king.”
“Lothaire?” It was Doc who contacted the king.
“He’s missing, you know. No one has seen him since your dinner.”
“Claudette… did she do something to the king?”
Doc shook his head and pursed his lips. He absolutely didn’t want to tell me what he knew about this.
“It’s okay, Doc. We can talk about something else.”
“I’m afraid you need a hero, Waverly.” Doc put his hand on my arm; the drugs aged him, and he appeared older, weaker.
“Do you know of any?” I joked.
His smile was devious. “Yes, but with your powers, you won’t need one for long.”
“Don’t hold your breath on those powers.”
Tears filled his eyes. “You do, child. Great powers. Whether or not you want them, they are there. Lovely little Aspen.”
“I’m sure I don’t. I mean, I’m just Waverly.”
“I should tell you everything, but I’m not sure it will save you, and it will be the death of me.”
“No, no, no.” I couldn’t let him. Doc was about to tell me everything, and then his life would be in danger. I took his hand from my arm and held it in my hand. “Can I get you something?”
He sat still for a few moments and then replied thoughtfully, “There is a small pantry for linens. It’s a go-between for the great hall and the kitchen. Under a pile of lime green napkins, I hid a vile of medicine. It will help us.”
“They drugged others too, didn’t they?” If they gave Manon the drug, she would reveal her affair and Claudette would torture her some more before my uncle enacted whatever revenge he deemed fit.
I needed to get the medicine, but Doc didn’t look good. “I’ll stay with you.”
“I’ll be fine, but this medicine matters greatly. It will help us all.” Doc rose from my bed. I had no choice.
“Doc, please sit down. Wait for me here.” I slipped my arms into my white housecoat and slid my feet into my slippers.
“Take care.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I had an awful feeling that Doc was saying goodbye.
“Please wait for me here. Please, Doc. You’ll need me,” I said.
“We all need you. Diamond mines, child. Diamond mines.”
I went to the great hall first. Five guards were in there, so I entered through the kitchen instead. A group of chefs and workers sat at a table playing cards and drinking. After my talk with Doc, I knew I had to move through undetected, so I waited behind a counter until I was sure no one was looking. One man said, “Bollard ain’t happy. You in?”
A man replied, “Not with this hand. What do you think, Rhett? Who’s leaving tonight?”
The man named Rhett slammed his cards down on the table. “Not me but in his mood, it will be someone.”
“Poor kid,” the first man said. “She won’t know what hit her.”
“Auch, they’re all bad.”
I peeked over the counter.
One guy, he looked like the chef, poured himself a new drink, finishing the bottle. Before he downed the glass, the man to his left stopped him. “Not so fast. You emptied it.”
“You can’t finish a bottle without a song. It brings bad luck,” the first man said.
“Fine,” The chef stood up, and I lowered completely to the floor as he began his song. “Where does happiness dwell, halfway to heaven, the final farewell?”
The men all replied in song. “It’s not in the port that the Merrics sell. So I’ll see you in hell, in hell, if we’re lucky enough to die.”
“Where has happiness gone? The end of the bottle? The start of a song?”
“The army will rise be strong, be strong. So I’ll see you in hell, in hell, if we’re lucky enough to die.”
“Why has happiness died?” And the chef continued the song. I raised
