Admiral (15 page)

In order to return to my own quarters, I had to pass by the primary entrance to the Throne Room. The guards all knew me by sight, of course, and were well aware of my position and responsibilities. So were most of the petitioners; even the nobles backed away as I thrust myself forward and peeked though the little window. From there my view was directly up the main aisle and then to the Throne itself. By now my liege was sitting there in his formal robe, which somehow always looked rumpled no matter how many times it was recut and restyled. He was doing his best to concentrate on the woman who was addressing him, but his eyes wandered regardless. Finally they met mine…

…and then fell immediately to the floor.

My god! Did he actually think that I
disapproved
of him now that I knew he'd once killed his commanding officer and that his famous charge at Wilkes Prime was actually an act of mutiny? Or that in a time of terrible urgency he'd arranged the murder of even his own most beloved sovereign? Clearly this was the case, but… What could I
do
about it?

For a long moment I was puzzled to no end. Then I noticed that a Rabbit-family was standing in line to make a petition. They had two kids, a boy and a girl perhaps eight and nine years old respectively, who weren't wearing their formal best. Clearly, the plan was for them to wait outside. "Excuse me," I greeted the parents while wearing my most official smile. "Could I borrow your children for a moment?"

Not ten minutes later, everything was arranged. No one asked any questions; after all as His Majesty's secretary I was in charge of his personal schedule, and as his known confidante, well… Let's leave it at "it wasn't much of a problem".

So when the current petitioners finally completed whatever long, dreary business they were about, instead of Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit being next their kids went in. Wearing ordinary shorts and playclothes and not knowing the first thing about Court etiquette they wandered in cute as buttons. "Excuse me," the Royal Chamberlain asked, looking down at his schedule. "Are you supposed to be here?"

"Mr. Lambert says so," the girl replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

By now His Majesty was grinning like a child himself—he loved this sort of thing, even if he couldn't bring himself to admit it. "Then you're supposed to be here, sure enough!" he declared, ending all argument. "Now… What is your business before your sovereign?"

The boy started to speak, but his sister cut him off. "You're King David?" she asked.

"Uh-huh!" he replied. "I sure am!"

"But you're not wearing a crown!" the boy complained, unwilling to remain silent any longer.

"Shut up!" his sister ordered. "Hush!" Then she turned back to His Majesty. "We just wanted to thank you, sir."

David's eyebrows rose. "For what?"

"For fixing things so we could grow up free," she said.

"We're from Boyen Ten," the boy interjected. "They used to keep Rabbits as
slaves
there!"

"He knows that, dumbhead!" the girl snapped. Then she turned back to David. "And for helping us grow up in peace and… p-p-prosperity, too. Mr. Lambert says your pain and sacrifice made our lives possible. Once he explained, we sort of wanted to thank you."

"Yeah!" the boy echoed. "Thank you
bunches!
"

Then she curtseyed, he bowed, and both retraced their footsteps towards the entryway. "Thank you, King David!" the girl repeated one last time over her shoulder as a large, gruff marine held the door open for her. "Bye!" Then they were gone…

…and His Majesty sat quivering on the throne, tears pouring down his cheeks. I smiled and waved again through the little window, then silently mouthed "Thank you!" myself.

It seemed the least I could do.

OTHER TITLES FROM LEGION PRINTING

By Phil Geusz
:

Corpus Lupus

Descent

Transmutation NOW!

Wine of Battle

Novellas:

A Left-Handed Sword

Lagrange

The David Birkenhead Series:

Ship’s Boy

Midshipman

Lieutenant

Commander

Captain

Commodore

Admiral

By Fred Patten

Already Among Us, an Anthropomorphic Anthology