Richard Parker - Elsewhere

Admiral Seymour led them quickly through the entrance hall of the palace and straight back into a wide hallway. The dark mahogany walls were lined with hundreds of paintings depicting Cassinni royalty of old, all in gilded frames. Bock glanced at a few of the portraits as they walked by, but was continually distracted by the Admiral who, from his place in front, would every so often look back at them as if checking to be sure that they were still following. The little man reminded Lonogan of an excited dog out for a walk that would run ahead and then return, then run ahead and return, over and over again. Luckily they reached their destination quickly and the Admiral guided them into a large receiving room. Inside were perhaps a score of people, though a half dozen of these were musicians and there were also three…no four acrobatic tumblers present as well. The Admiral led them over to a group of men attempting to teach another how to walk on his hands.

“M’lord Marc,” the Admiral said over the music which stopped abruptly. “May I introduce…”

“Traveler na Gall!” The King said from his upside down position. The two men who were holding his feet for balance immediately released him and he sprang upright quickly. His face was red from being inverted but he smiled widely and strode quickly to Jess. He embraced her tightly and kissed her on each cheek as if they were long lost friends. It was true they’d met on several occasions, but the greeting was unexpected in any event.

“You’ve been away from your homeland too long,” King Marc said, clearly prizing the fact that the Traveler was Cassinni.

Jess smiled at him and patted his hand. “It would be a danger to our people if I was to visit Cassinni too often or for too long,” she explained, watching the King’s face darken as if a cloud suddenly drifted in front of his mind’s eye.

“General na Gall!” The King exclaimed and at once the thought cloud drifted away. “Can you walk on your hands?”

The General laughed. “No…maybe at one time when I was much younger. Your Highness…this is General Lonogan Bock of the Massi.”

The reigning monarch of Cassinni smiled widely at Lonogan, then his brows furrowed slightly but quick as a flash he was smiling widely again. Lonogan smiled back and studied the King before him. Marc was young and tall. He wore his hair very long and loose and it hung in brown waves over his broad shoulders. But it was the King’s face that truly defined the man. It was a handsome face, strong and open, without a hint of deviousness.

“General!” King Marc said happily, pumping Bock’s hand up and down in a rapid shake. “Can you walk on your hands?”

Lonogan smiled back, amused. “Well I…”

“M’lord,” an elderly woman said from behind the Cassinni king. She moved forward, looking slightly embarrassed. Lonogan saw that she was a handsome woman, though moving rapidly toward old age. Her hair was long and gray, with only a few hints of black still remaining. Her skin was tan and leathery, creating an interesting backdrop for her luminous blue eyes. “I’m sure the Massi General is here on serious business.”

King Marc frowned. “I sincerely apologize, General Bock…”

“Not at all,” Lonogan interrupted, “and yes I can walk on my hands, but I have not done so in many years. I may be a little out of practice.” And with that he bent over and flipped himself up onto his hands, his feet hanging only for a moment before he dropped back down. But without hesitating he pushed himself back up, hung for a moment and then started walking off. He made it only about six feet before losing his balance once more and his feet dropped back to the ground. This time, however, he stood up surprised by the encouraging applause he was getting from the King…and Jess na Gall, who beamed at him. General na Gall was also clapping. He nodding and mouthed ‘well done’ silently behind the King and his closest advisors. The elderly woman who’d spoken up was frowning directly behind the King, but she said nothing more.

“Excellent…excellent,” the King said. “How did you learn?” He asked, then whistled and bent at the waist to welcome a small, hairy runt of a dog, who leaped into the King’s arms. Marc cuddled the beast and stroked it absently before turning once again to Lonogan.

“As a boy,” Lonogan began, taking an instant liking to the Cassinni King, “a traveling show came through my town. They were amazing, and of course as a boy my dream was to join such a show myself someday. I practiced tumbling, juggling and walking on my hands for weeks on end…”

“You can juggle?” Marc asked, looking thoroughly impressed.

Lonogan nodded. “Though again, it has been some time since I’ve practiced.”

“I wanted to join a show,” the King said simply, a look of whimsy on his face. “But I’m King…and a King cannot be part of a traveling show.”

Lonogan frowned with him. “No, I guess not, and neither can a General…but that doesn’t mean we can’t practice in our free time.”

The King thought about this for a moment and then smiled. “That’s exactly right,” he said and then dropped the dog gently to the ground and clapped Lonogan on the arm.

“Perhaps we should ask why the Massi General has come to call on us,” the elderly woman hinted from behind then she reached out a hand to Lonogan.

“I’m Admiral Criswell…Natalie,” she said introducing herself, and then added. “Retired.”

“My pleasure,” Bock said shaking her hand, then followed along behind the King, who led them all to a large table where they each took a chair. “And I’m here,” he began after taking his seat and turning his attention back to the King, “to seek the aid of the Cassinni.”

The King smiled at Bock and nodded, though Lonogan was aware of Admiral Criswell frowning at them both.

“The Cassinni are always willing to help a friendly neighbor,” King Marc said enthusiastically. “What can we do?”

“We would like you to move your fleet off of the finger of Massi and make sure no ships from the Palmerrio or Rhondono land on our shores.”

The King’s looked confused for a moment and then glanced to Criswell for help.

“The Palmerrio and Rhondono are with the High King,” she explained and instantly a frown appeared on Marc’s face. He looked hard at Lonogan for a moment, obviously growing angry.

“The High King has attacked the Massi,” Jess na Gall said softly from her place close by Lonogan.

King Marc shook his head negatively, as if he didn’t believe her.

“But he has,” Jess insisted, “as he attacked the Toranado and the Travelers.”

“The High King is my friend,” Marc insisted. “He would not do those bad things.”

“The High King is your friend…” Admiral Criswell said.

“Yes, he is my King,” General Keadle interrupted, “but he has done bad things.”

Criswell frowned at the General, who stared back blandly. He hated Criswell and the influence she had over his King. Oh, he didn’t believe she was a bad person, or that she would use her influence to sway the King off the path of what was best for the Cassinni, but she had a very inflated opinion of her own judgment. To his thinking, anyone who thought themselves infallible proved themselves so, even before any additional decisions were made.

“M’lord…the High King has always shown the Cassinni the deepest friendship and respect,” Criswell argued. “It would be dangerous to throw that aside.”

Bock watched this interplay with growing dismay. It was obvious that the King of Cassinni was not truly fit to make such a decision and Lonogan quickly decided he would have no part in trying to sway such a man to go to war. If Cassinni blood was to be spilled it would not come from his hand, though now he had to think of some way to break the news of his failure to his own King.