“Indeed we do not,” said the Queen, looking up rather sharply from the distribution of the next piece of chicken. “And I require you to see that we do not. My diplomatic boxes have been full of disturbing material of late: complaints from neighbors who feel that our purpose is to destabilizethem.I will not leave Europe in a worse state than I found it, Mr. Disraeli.”
“Indeed, ma’am,” Disraeli said, “the general opinion is that it would be left in much better state if more of it were British.”
The Queen sniffed.“A state of which my royal father would never have approved. We are the most powerful nation on the globe: all respect us, and those who do not respect us, at least fear us, which unfortunate situation at least keeps my subjects safe. Let France provoke as it please, let Italy rattle her spears. They are too short to fly far. As for France, the English Channel is now a tie that binds us, not a protective barrier. She will do nothing but harm to her own trade by cocking a snook at us across the water.”
“Ma’am,” Disraeli said, “these direct attacks on the monarchy are being taken, by some, as direct threats to your royal person. There are those in Parliament who have begun calling for war.”
“They do that every year around tax time,” the Queen said mildly. “Some distractions are worth more than others, especially in a year which presents the possibility of a general election. As for my people’s opinion, they love to talk about conquering Europe, but they are not eager to do it themselves.”
“They would be if you asked them to,” Disraeli said softly.
The Queen gave him a cool look.“I have no interest in spending their blood,” she said, “for no better reason than a few vague threats. I am a mother too, and I know what the blood of sons is worth.”
Disraeli bowed at that.“Yet it brings us to another matter, ma’am,” he said. “You are a mother not only of princes and princesses, but of a people. And those people greatly desire to see you take up your public role with more enthusiasm. We have spoken of this before—”
“And doubtless will again,” said the Queen, turning away from him. “Mr. Disraeli, I know your concerns. But I cannot make a show of myself when my heart would be insincere, no matter what public opinion would make of it. You cannot possibly know the pain I suffer for the lack of my dear Albert … how I long for him … how that longing makes so many things, the splendors, the pleasures, as nothing but ashes in my mouth. I will not pretend to be what I cannot be … and my people, who love me, will understand.”
He bowed again, slowly, reluctantly: and gradually their talk passed to other things. Arhu, meanwhile, rubbed against the Queen’s skirts, then headed back into the bedroom.
Siffha’h followed him in. “Well?” she said. “I didn’t follow all of that.”
“It gets complicated. But that was the lead-up, all right,” Arhu said. “The circumstances are lining up as predicted.”
“You’re looking smug.”
“Smug?” Arhu shook his head until his ears rattled. “No. I like a high accuracy rating: it makes me a lot less nervous … especially when I hear the words ‘necessary expansion’ from someone who has nuclear weapons when no one else does. Nope,” Arhu said, “we’re in the right place at the right time. Now all we have to do is wait …”
The timeslide gatings which first transported the London and New York teams to 1874, and then had dropped Siffha’h and Arhu in the Queen’s rooms, had both run into trouble, as Ith had predicted. The resistance to them had been staggering, an order of magnitude greater than the last time it was tried. But Whoever was handling the resistance had not been prepared for a power source which for the first time, simply ran into it, and through it, as if it was not there. The timeslide had first aligned itself with the time and place where Artie had stumbled upon them: they left him off in time for tea with his Uncle Richard, and making their farewells, they gated once more and popped directly out into OldJewry in the late evening of July the eighth. There, under the scarred and tarnished Moon, the teams made themselves at home, as best they could, in the Mark Lane Tube station.
Rhiow found its trains surprisingly modern: the station was clean and safe, and more handsomely decorated than its contemporary counterpart. The worldgates were not there, though. As Rhiow had suspected, they were presently up in the Fenchurch Street mainline rail station, and Rhiow and Huff had both been unwilling to tamper with them or to try to contact any London-based gating team which might be supervising the gates at this time. There were already enough complications to deal with.
They waited, and saw the City as best they could, and became very expert of ridding themselves of mud in short order. In particular, they spent a fair amount of time visiting with Ouhish and Hwallis at the British Museum. Hwallis had been delighted to hear about the recovery of the full spell for protection against the Winter: but the news about what was required to activate it had come as a blow.
The intervention, however, was Rhiow’s and Huff’s main care, and they made their preparations slowly, despite the impatience of some members of the team.Look, it’s been two days now,Arhu said, late on the eighth,and I don’t know how much more petting we can stand. If it’s not Herself, then it’s the princes and princesses. And all the servants are trying to make friends with us too.
I should think you could do very well out of this …Urruah said. Like the others, he was down on the twin of their‘derelict’ platform, where the timeslide spell was ‘stabled’ until they would need it again.
Do you mean food? Please! Don’t even mention it,Siffha’h said.I’m so stuffed I’m losing the ability to scamper.
Huff smiled at that.A historical moment,he said.
Have you heard from Auhlae?
Yes. Nothing unusual as yet. So far the gates are behaving themselves.
Rhiow put her whiskers forward, glad to hear it. She had also been glad when Auhlae volunteered to mind the gates during the intervention. It had taken a weight off Huff’s mind: he had been very nervous indeed of the prospect of bringing her here.
Just hold on the best you can, you two,she said.It’s only a couple of days more. Have you seen the Mouse?
Yes. A very inoffensive-looking littleehhif, Arhu said.It’s no wonder he was so good at the second-story work before McClaren hired him for this job: he’s pretty small. He works in the gardens every day, putting plants in pots and taking them out again, and no one gives him a second look.
Well, you’re ready for him…
There are more protections waiting to be activated around that bed than anyehhifneeds,Siffha’h said.And we’re there too: she insists on us sleeping with her. But he’s not going to have a chance to make it this far, anyway. Come tomorrow afternoon, he’s going to find himself locked in the Albert Tower with no way out … and the morning after, the police will take him away.
They’ll probably charge him with suspicion of theft when they find out what kind of work he used to do,Arhu said.I won’t mind. I see the way his little eyes look at things. It’s not a mouse he reminds me of: it’s a rat.
Rhiow shivered a little. The image of a rat’s mind in a man’s body bothered her.Well,she said,keep an eye on things. Urruah has gone to the House to see about that letter.
Good,Arhu said.This is a nice place … but I’ll be glad when this lady is safe. She’s got her problems, but none that deserve being killed for.
There’s also the slight problem of what would happen after she was killed…
Don’t remind me. Well, keep us up to date,Siffha’h said.It really will be kind of a relief to get out of here. She cries about Albert every night, like it’s a ritual, and the pillows get all wet. I’m amazed she doesn’t catch cold.
Rhiow’s tail twitched. “Do what you can for her,” she said. “A purr at the right time can do wonders.”
We will.
Rhiow sighed and lay back on the concrete. She was missing Iaehh already, and she was beginning to get that twitchy, uncomfortable feeling that comes of staying out of one’s home time too long. In addition, she was beginning to feel peculiarly … exposed.I just wish I knew to what.But the feeling of something watching them, with bad intent, was getting very strong.