TWENTY-EIGHT
Are you serious, dear? Truly?” Letitia covered her mouth and stared at Finn, her eyes as black as barley mead. “Oh, I hope you're wrong, I hope you're mistaken, Finn.”
“I am not, though, Letitia. There is nothing wrong with my heart. I must confess I thought for a moment I would soon be a Coldie, but that will have to wait a while.
“I was hexed, my dear, there's nothing else for it. I suppose the fellow could have killed me with his spell if he'd wanted to. I'm sure he could do it still.”
He told her, then, how he'd seen the man's image in his mind, quite clearly, and how he walked very close to the
King.
“I didn't see him as he passed, but I am certain he was there. He's a sorcerer, and a good one. Better than that poor fellow they did in at Aghenfleck's court. You won't find this one hawking cheap charms in the street.”
“Well, as you say, he could have slain you right there, and he didn't. I think that's a good sign, dear.”
“I suppose one could look at it that way,” Finn said, somewhat irritated at Letitia's sudden composure in the matter. She had certainly been quite alarmed only moments before.
He still felt shaky, drained of any strength, though he'd slept through the day. He had been struck just after break fast, and now it was late afternoon. He had no memory of Letitia and Dostagio helping him to this room, or falling into bed. The First Servant had brought Letitia soup, marigold tea and fatcakes for lunch. There was soup left over, but Finn had no appetite at all.
At least, he thought, the simple quarters had a bed and other facilities common to civilized life. No stone floors, no burial vaults in the wall. And, as Dostagio had promised, there were places to wash, and clean and comfortable clothes.
Still, he was shaken by his experience in the hall. Why? he wondered now. Why had the magician treated him so cruelly, why punish him at all, unless he simply enjoyed that sort of thing?
True, he had had a passing thought in which the word witless had come into play associated with Kings…
Cabbages and Kale, if that rogue can pluck tidbits from everyone's head, he'd have to knock out everyone in Heldessia twice a day!
“Why me?” he said aloud. “Just because I'm from out of town?”
“What, Finn? I thought you fell asleep again.” “Well, I'm not. I'm quite awake now. I'll be just fine in a while.”
“Would you like some soup now?”
“No. I'm not as fine as that. Thank you all the same.”
It took several tries, but finally he got his feet on the floor, paused for a moment, then stood, keeping one hand on the bed.
“As I said, I'm fine now, truly I am. A trifle dizzy, but that will go away.”
He made it to a bench across the room, wrapping his cloak about him on the way. He was quite aware Letitia followed him anxiously with her eyes.
The room seemed a little cool, or maybe that was the residue of the spell. At any rate, it lacked the funereal chill of the suite of Celestial Bliss down below.
“Did you feel anything, Julia, anything in the grand parade that seemed-unusual to you? Did you sense the presence of that seer?”
“I didn't, no,” Julia said, in a voice like a rasp on tin, a sure sign she needed oil. “And that in itself is of some concern, Finn. I am able to hear a weevil's breath, the flatulence of fleas. I know when a beetle sneezes, when an ant begins to cry-”
“All right, you didn't get a thing when that sorcerer passed us by, when he knocked me for a loop.”
“No, I did not.”
“Well say that, then. I don't want to hear about your sensitivity to bugs.”
“Bugs make quite a racket. You're lucky to be of humankind. Your perception is somewhat keener than the average rock, and that saves you a lot of pain.
“What that sorcerer did was block me out. It's simply as if he wasn't there. If he can do that to me, small wonder you didn't see him passing by.”
“That's quite frightening,” Letitia said.
“It is. And it's still a mystery why he picked me.”
Letitia stood and paced about, hands clasped tightly to her breasts, clearly lost in thought.
“Dostagio… you won't recall, of course. He said… he said, ‘he's quite all right, Miss. There is nothing you can do.’ “
“He did?”
“That tells me he knew what had happened to you, though Julia and I had no idea. And one thing more. When he helped me bring you here, I asked him what had happened, and he said he had no idea. Which isn't true at all.”
“No, it isn't. Dostagio is full of secrets about this place, there's nothing new in that. I don't suppose, Julia…”
“You asked me before. I don't know what he did, I don't know what he is.”
“Is there anything you do perceive, anything at all?”
“Finn…”Letitia shook her head, a gentle reprimand.
“I am accustomed to abuse,” Julia said. “It's part of what I do. And you forgot one point, Letitia. The bell… “
“Yes. The Millennial Bell. I asked Dostagio about it when he brought us lunch. There's still soup, you know, and a bit of bread… I asked him, and he pretended he didn't hear.”
“No great surprise there.”
“No, I fear not. Except, Finn, this time there was just the slightest moment of hesitation, scarcely a breath, but it was there. I could see through that sober mask of his. He lied to me, I'm quite sure of that.
“We Mycer folk are quite sensitive too, you know. In many respects, we see more than you, Julia, in a very different way. I doubt if anything of the mechanical persuasion can even approach your abilities. And much of that credit goes to you, of course, Finn.”
“ Much? You're too kind, love. All I did was invent this thing. So-the First Servant lied when you asked about the bell.”
“No question of that.”
“It's good to know. Though I'm not sure what it tells us, are you?”
Letitia shrugged. “I'm merely telling you what I sensed.”
“Yes, and that's all you can do. I feel we must make every effort to leave this place as quickly as we're allowed. As soon as they've rooted all those Bowsers out. Since it's evening now, I guess it will be morning before we can go.
“Bottles and Cans, you'd think something would be easy now and then. Some plain, everyday act with a simple resolution. No chaos, no alarm, no Bowsers or balloons. Letitia, Julia-if we ever get back to Garpenny Street in one piece, and I pray that we will-please remind me not to go anywhere again, no matter what some google- eyed, whey-faced Prince says he might do if I don't produce a lizard that spins, ticks, stands on its head, or sings tenor in the choir.
“If I ever even show signs that I might waver in this resolve, I-”
“Finn.”
“If I–I believe I was speaking, Julia.”
“No one would argue that. But you should know that company is about to arrive. In roughly two seconds and a half. And it is not Dostagio, as one might guess… “
Before Finn could answer, the door burst open with no warning at all. An action so quick, so rudely done, that the heavy panel slammed against the wall, raining dust to the floor.
“Your pardon, I suppose. Though manners are not required in a mission such as mine. I owe you no courtesy
