Herbie Brennan - Ruler of the Realm

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Henry standing over her. He was grinning broadly. Against all odds, he’d strangled his demon.

‘Good God!’ Fogarty exclaimed.

Blue was floating in a beam of light at the head of the stairs. There was a livid bruise on her right cheek and dried blood on her face. Her hair was matted, her clothes in tatters. But the worst of all was her eyes, which were glazed, blackened and bloodshot.

‘Blue!’ Pyrgus shouted. He began to run up the stairway.

There was a figure floating through the wall behind her. To Fogarty’s astonishment, it resolved itself into Henry.

Blue landed lightly and tried to step forward towards Pyrgus. She spun slowly around and began to fall.

‘Blue!’ Pyrgus shouted again.

Blue toppled forward.

Her eyes snapped open. Waves were lapping gently on a golden beach. The calls of seabirds blended with the strains of soothing music. Blue felt awful. Her face hurt, her head hurt, her nose hurt, her body ached from neck to toe.

‘Oh, excellent – you’re awake, deeah.’

Blue turned her head to one side with enormous caution. Jags of crimson pain forced her eyes closed briefly, but she opened them again to look into the smiling face of Madame Cardui.

‘It’s all right, deeah, don’t try to talk.’

Blue wasn’t sure she could talk. But at least some of her confusion was fading away. She was lying under crisp, clean sheets tucked beneath her chin. The beach was an illusion painted on the ceiling, the soothing music played by elementals trapped in jars beside her bed. This had to be the palace Infirmary. The spells were standard treatment for recovering patients.

‘You’re quite safe now, deeah. You’ve been through a difficult experience, but it’s over now and everything’s all right. Are you in pain? Just blink once if the answer’s yes.’

Blue blinked once.

‘The healers will bring you something for that in a moment. They’re just waiting for the results of your final tests. You’re suffering from demon poisoning, but there’s nothing else – no broken bones, no organ damage, nothing of that sort. You’re very lucky, really. If Pyrgus hadn’t been so quick off the mark, you might have broken your neck.’

Blue’s tongue felt too large for her mouth and all her teeth hurt. Her lips were swollen to twice their normal size. ‘Ooo ahs Prus, Am Siya?’

Madame Cardui reached out to place a soothing hand on her forehead. ‘Don’t try to talk just yet, Blue deeah. Here’s Chief Wizard Surgeon Healer Danaus now. I expect your test results are in – yes, they are: see, he’s nodding. You’ll soon be feeling so much better, and while Chief Healer Danaus does his work, I’ll try to bring you up to date – all right?’

Blue wondered why even sensible people like Madame Cardui felt obliged to treat you like an imbecile the minute you felt ill. She could see Chief Wizard Surgeon Healer Danaus now, a tall, fleshy figure with the shaven head and blue robes of his profession. He was carrying an energy globe in one hand and a vial of miniature elementals in the other.

‘Try to let go, Majesty,’ he boomed. ‘A relaxed body cannot harbour a negative emotion.’ A professional smile creased the full moon of his face. ‘We’ll soon be feeling better, I assure you.’

Blue wondered vaguely if she could order him beheaded. All the same, when he cracked the vial and allowed the little elementals to swarm into her body, she did indeed begin to feel better almost instantly.

Madame Cardui clearly noticed the difference for she laid a warning finger on Blue’s lips (no longer swollen now, incredibly) and said gently, ‘Perhaps delay our conversation until we are alone…?’

Blue nodded and waited. Chief Wizard Surgeon Healer Danaus checked his handiwork, pronounced himself satisfied, warned Her Imperial Majesty not to overtire herself, then withdrew backwards, bowing awkwardly.

As he closed the door, Madame Cardui said, ‘I’ve had this room secured – we can talk freely.’

Blue said, ‘That was rough. Where’s Henry? Did he get through?’ His idea had been to use the demon transporter to beam her directly back to the palace. Then, when she was safe, he was going to try to set it on automatic so he could follow her.

‘He was right behind you,’ Madame Cardui said a little grimly. ‘Where did he take you?’

Blue pushed down on the bed to help herself sit up and was surprised to discover she was no longer feeling weak. ‘I’m not sure. Somewhere cubed.’ The truth was, despite the elementals in her bloodstream, her mind was still foggy. But Henry had made it through, so that was all right.

Madame Cardui frowned. ‘What do you mean – cubed?’

Blue shook her head. ‘It’s not important.’ She was very definitely feeling stronger. She pushed back the bedclothes and swung her feet on to the floor. ‘Where are my clothes?’

‘What you were wearing has seen better days, I’m afraid,’ Madame Cardui said. ‘I had them destroyed. There some fresh things in the wardrobe.’ She hesitated, but no more than a fraction of a second. ‘You do look much better, deeah, since Danaus unleashed his little helpers. I certainly don’t want you to overdo it, after all you’ve been through, but there are one or two rather pressing matters…’

‘In a moment,’ Blue said firmly. She had to get her mind clear. She had to call her people together and explain to them about Beleth’s plan. ‘Where’s Pyrgus?’ she asked.

‘He’s not in the palace just now, deeah. We had to send him -’

Blue cut her off. ‘Where’s Henry?’

‘In the dungeons,’ said Madame Cardui. ‘I had him arrested, of course. He’s currently awaiting execution on a charge of treason.’

‘Who the hell are you?’ Fogarty asked crossly. He was in the forest, just about to start another round of talks with Queen Cleopatra, and resented interruptions. Especially now things were going well. She’d already agreed to help in the raid on the time flowers – couldn’t leave them in Hairstreak’s hands, even if Blue was home now. Given a bit more of the Fogarty charm and she might even agree to a formal alliance.

‘Nyman, sir,’ the intruder told him. ‘Madame Cardui’s new dwarf, sir.’

Fogarty frowned. ‘Where’s Kitterick?’

‘Still missing, sir. Whereabouts unknown. Herself promoted me pro tem on account of the Emergency. I was always good at running errands, taking messages, that sort of thing. I expect it’s back to the kitchens for me when Kitterick turns up again, but in the meantime it’s a hike in pay, a change from peeling spuds and here I am, sir.’ He smiled, showing a missing tooth.

‘And what do you want?’ Fogarty asked, still frowning.

Nyman glanced around, then jerked his head and scuttled into the shade of a large oak. ‘Confidential, sir, Herself says,’ he remarked when Fogarty caught up with him. He began to make little jumps up and down.

‘What are you doing?’ The creature was insane.

‘Trying to get on a level with your ear, sir, yourself being a fine big tall man and me being vertically challenged as you might say.’

‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ Fogarty exploded. He bent down until his ear was at the level of Nyman’s head.

‘Herself says you’re to get back right away, sir,’ the dwarf whispered. ‘Bit of a problem, like.’

‘What sort of a problem?’

‘Ah, Herself would never tell me that, sir. Nothing dangerous or too confidential on account some miscreant might squeeze it out of me. I’m not what you’d call stoical under pressure, sir.’

‘You’re not a Trinian, are you?’ Fogarty said.