The Queen and the Nobody Boy (15 page)

Um'Binnian soldiers tromped all over the Hall, Sibilla was surrounded, and Hodie couldn't see what had happened to her.

“No!” Hodie yelled. He kept on yelling but it was not a scrap of good. As soon as Dardy was freed from the handcuffs, he grabbed Hodie in a headlock to stop him trying to reach Sibilla. Hodie kicked and struggled, but it was difficult when he had to keep the metal bird well out of sight.

At one point there was a bellow from Prowdd'on. “Something bit me! A rodent! How dare it! Find it! Kill it!”

Dardy, Allana and Murgott dragged Hodie out of the Grand Hall, and hurried to catch up with the Princessa. Lu'nedda led them up flights of stairs, along corridors, back to her apartment. A split second before the Princessa slammed and locked her door, in dashed the squirrel. It crouched under the work table, tail lashing, wiping its mouth and spitting.
Ptha! Ptha! Ppppthah-ah-ah!

Hodie tried to unlock the door and beat upon it. Murgott came over and held his wrists. “I hate you,” Hodie shouted. “I hate you all!”

“D'you think I plan to leave the little Queen to Prowdd'on's mercy?” the Corporal muttered. “Tactics, boy. We're only helpless till we figure out what to do. I'll get her out of this stinkin' cave city, but it needs thought. Half your brain must be Fontanian, so blasted well use it.” He rubbed his hands over his freckly forehead. His eyes welled with tears.

The Princessa sat down and steepled her fingers. “Interesting twist,” she muttered. “Thank you, boy, for not giving me away. I am not sure what to do next. A good idea is always wait and see if good idea comes.”

Dardy had collapsed into an armchair. The squirrel, asking questions to itself, circled him, decided it knew him and sprang on his lap to soothe him with chitters.

Hodie found a chair to huddle in. He was still wearing his cloak to hide Jasper's present. He hadn't had a chance to send the bird off to find the King. The chance might never come at all! He thought with as much brain as he could manage. He realised it wouldn't take long before Prowdd'on remembered Hodie had said he knew where that wretched bag was and found a way to weasel around his empty promise.

Allana wiped her eyes. “Hodie, you should take your cloak off when you're inside.”

Hodie ignored her and pretended to mope like a normal boy. For safety, for now, he buckled the bird into his satchel. He'd simply have to find somehow to send it away before Prowdd'on's scientists examined Sibilla. Oh no … that awful Professor Glimp and the Madame-Professor – Hodie bet that when they learned Sibilla had been captured, they'd be rushing home to Um'Binnia as fast as possible.

Hodie had made so many mistakes – mainly because he hadn't known how important everyone thought that tatty bag was with its spanner and the blackened cup (and Murgott's notebook). The only good thing was that Prowdd'on still didn't have the bag. If only Hodie could examine it himself. If only he could know for sure that it held any Ties.

His mother and Murgott were talking quietly with Dardy now, an earnest chat. Lu'nedda paced about and finally stopped beside Hodie's chair.

“Boy,” she said, “I knew you when you were a baby.”

“Don't bother to say I was cute,” Hodie said.

“You shrieked like rat,” said Lu'nedda. “You threw up three times each day.”

“I'm glad you hated me.” He didn't bother to say he hated her too. It must be obvious.

“But you didn't betray me to Father,” said the Princessa. “And you are son of my best friend …”

You're her worst enemy
, he thought.

Lu'nedda's eyebrows rose as if she knew what he was thinking. “Your mother saw how much I am alone without real friend.” Her mouth twisted. “Who can be true friend for girl and then woman whose father is Prowdd'on?”

“My mother felt sorry for you,” Hodie muttered. “And you made a fuss when she should have escaped. You caused all this.”

“I was still young. Why should I explain myself to another child now? Listen, if you can understand.” The Princessa's eyes were angry and worried. “When Gree'sle realised your mother had sent Ties out of his grasp, I had to protect her. If he promise to keep her out of prison and not tell my Father she harboured The Ties, I promise to marry him when I am twenty-five. Twenty-five is when Um'Binnian princes and princessas have to marry, and twenty-five is coming fast for me. I like to keep promises if possible, but I do not like sneaky Gree'sle. My plan is to show my father that Gree'sle is greedy fool. I do not need husband of any kind, especially not greedy fool.”

“What about Sibilla?” Hodie asked.

“What about, indeed?” The Princessa glanced at Allana and Murgott. “I think tonight there is no choice but to make best of it. We have chance to be all friends together– your mother and Dardy, me and you. Corporal Murgott – I should say,
Mister
Murgott to protect him – will have dinner with us too.”

She clapped her hands. Two servants ran in. They set the table with silver knives and forks and spoons, vast lacy napkins for wiping your fingers and chin. Lu'nedda made everyone wash their hands, and Allana told Lu'nedda to wash hers too. Then the Princessa sat at one end of the table in the best chair and gestured to Hodie.

“You are son of famous wind-train hero Lord Fer'nan and beautiful foreigner Lady Allana. You are important person now, not Nobody Odd-job. Time to rest, to eat, be comfortable.” Lu'nedda gave him a rather sweet smile, which made his heart hurt. “Please, sit opposite me, in the other best chair.”

His mother was looking at him too. A best chair. Son of a lord. Son of a hero. Son of a lady, and she'd been brave too. He realised his mother was still being extremely brave. Hodie folded his cloak over his satchel (with the bird inside) and set it under the chair. Although he didn't want to, he sat down.

With a large match, Lu'nedda lit the candle in the middle of the table. Servants carried in dish after huge dish. Big baked potatoes stuffed with cheese. Slices of fish in golden batter. Chicken drumsticks dripping with savoury sauce. Hodie couldn't stop himself from staring at the food, or his mouth from watering. But he did make himself look through the candle flame at the Princessa and speak up.

“What will Queen Sibilla have for dinner?”

Lu'nedda's mouth stretched at the corners in a smile that meant the smiler was not happy. “Queen Sibilla will be treated as Queen.”

“Until she's no more use to the Emperor,” muttered Murgott.

Hodie risked nudging the Corporal with his new boots. He felt a return nudge. It was both nice and worrying that his only friend was someone who a few days ago had threatened to starve him. Murgott's dark grin showed he had not forgotten his pirate past or his duty to the little Queen. He might not be bright, but he was bright enough and he'd learned to be steadfast. He might be gruff, but his first thought was always for Queen Sibilla. Hodie was glad the Corporal was on his side.

“Good food,” said Murgott loudly. “Very suitable for the son of a lord and lady. Just think, for years he's been eatin' scraps on the back doorstep of the Grand Palace.”

“It must be comfort that your son was looked after by brave man such as Mr Murgott on journey over Stones,” said Lu'nedda to Hodie's mother.

“My first duty is to the Queen,” said Murgott loudly.

Lu'nedda nodded. “And tomorrow, we discuss our every duty. More potatoes? More fish? Another drumstick?”

“You have very ordinary-sized chickens in Um'Binnia,” Hodie said.

Lu'nedda's mouth twitched. “And only two drumsticks on each one. Now, Um'Binnian Cabbage Pudding,” she said. “Spicy and sweet.”

Hodie refused it. So did Murgott, though he chatted with Lu'nedda about the recipe and suggested that grated apple might improve it. Dardy simply pushed his food around the plate. He didn't seem to have an appetite at all.

“Now, boy will sleep in small room,” said Lu'nedda. “Mr Murgott and Dardy will sleep in even smaller room. You will find beds very comfortable, made with soft expensive silk-wool. Not like dirty lumpy mattress in hut behind very small Grand Palace.”

Hodie caught Murgott's eye. The Corporal winked, then pretended his eye was watering from candle smoke.

“A good night's sleep will make us all feel better,” said Lady Allana, though she didn't look as if she believed it.

A servant bowed to Hodie. “I will show young lord to his room.”

Lord Hodie. Well, he was actually Lord Ro'lan, but Hodie liked Hodie better.

Murgott's eyes were on him. So were Dardy's. Dardy seemed weary to death, his skin grey.

Hodie bowed to Lu'nedda and his mother, followed the servant and closed the door quietly but firmly so Allana wouldn't think she could come and tuck him in. He put himself to bed in new blue pyjamas.

For the first time since he was two years old, he was in the same place as his mother. He had eaten two excellent meals in one day, with silver cutlery. He'd sat in one of the best chairs. Now he lay on a soft mattress and pillow. Yet, in a dim glow that came from the ceiling he felt more alone than ever in his life.

Something scratched at his door. It opened, and Murgott spoke. “Company for you.”

The squirrel pattered in and climbed on the end of Hodie's bed. Murgott closed the door again. After some tiny sounds like squirrel-weeping and teeth-gnashing, the squirrel fell asleep under the tattered blanket of its own tail.

~

Hodie lay on the soft mattress in the dim night light. Pictures flickered in his head. If he liked, he could stay in Um'Binnia. Fine clothes. Good food every day, hot or cold, however he wanted, whenever he wanted. His mother and Dardy, together with him. His mother could still be Lu'nedda's friend.

The squirrel let out a chitter as if it scented something on a breeze in a rodent dream. Other pictures slowly moved though Hodie's thoughts. Hardly ever being allowed to see the sun, never feeling a gust of wind call him to run to the wharves and see steamships head into harbour or sail-boats billow over the waves. Never hunting in rock pools for crabs and anemones, never steering a trolley down a hill.

Through all the other pictures in Hodie's mind floated one of a twelve-year-old girl, and others of the possible first signs of newest magic. How terrible if magic were true and starting to show in Sibilla, and she never had the chance to let it grow stronger. But it didn't matter if magic was true or not – the little Queen should still be allowed to return home, to be with her parents.

He waited till he heard Lu'nedda and the others turn down the lamps and go to bed. In the handsome blue pyjamas, he creaked his door open and crept into the main room of the apartment. Among his mother's tools on the work table was a small metal hook. The cabinet that held the drawstring bag had a gimcrack lock. Any odd-job boy could have it open in less than a second. Listening for the slightest movement from the other rooms, Hodie picked the lock. The bag almost flew into his hands. He fiddled the metal hook till the cabinet locked again.

The squirrel raised its head and watched him smuggle the bag back into the little bedroom. Hodie sat on the bed. Somebody might wake and come in, so he arranged the cloak so that he could throw it at once over the bag if he needed to. He loosened the drawstring.

The first thing his hand touched was Murgott's notebook. He flicked it open in the shadows of the room. It hadn't been transformed by being in the bag. The same poems, not very good ones. Hodie supposed that if you wrote poetry just for yourself it didn't have to be much good, just be heart-felt. There were poems to Murgott's mother, about wishing he had been a better son. There were several about being a pirate, and a few about the Fontanian Army – very stirring. One was to a baby girl who held the promise of the whole world in her tiny hands. The last one was about a majestic princess who was far above a lowly corporal … actually Hodie had seen this one before. It was very private. He didn't want to chuckle at it. Well, really he wanted to roll on the bed and scream with laughter, but the general circumstances of the night were far too solemn. He stuffed the book into the bottom of the bag, because if Murgott saw him with it now, the circumstances could become far worse than horrible.

Next Hodie pulled out the metal cup. It looked as it had always done, as if something heavy had trodden on it. Around the rim was faint curly carving, hard to see in the poor light. When he traced it with his fingers, black dust came off. It was impossible that the old cup could be a treasure. Hodie stuffed it back beside the book of heartfelt poems and wiped his hands on his pyjama jacket.

He knew the spanner so well that he left it where it was. It was a spanner any workman would like in his kit. Anything he'd used it on had stayed truly fixed, so in that sense it was a treasure. But how could it help anyone ride a dragon-eagle?

Last of all he pulled out the pouch of roundish things, the beads or pebbles. The pouch had faint curly markings on it too. The round things smelled of dust. They weren't at all pretty. Could they be polished? There was enough to make a bracelet or to decorate a hat. He spilled them from hand to hand, then tipped them back into the pouch. One fell onto the coverlet. The squirrel sat up.
Tck-tck!

Could it be a nut? Hodie offered it to the squirrel. The squirrel stared, gave a whispery
chrrr
, backed away and curled right down beneath its tail. So, not a nut. Hodie began to put it back with the others, but a door opened somewhere in the apartment. It was probably just someone going to the bathroom, but Hodie shoved the bag under the cloak. He thrust the last round thing under his pillow and lay down as if he was asleep.

~