“Spare me your quaint sayings. Tomorrow we will go to the castle and reclaim your purse.”
“I’d like to apologize to the guards.” And learn if they’d eaten my meal and been poisoned.
“They may not wish to hear you.”
“And we must find out if His Highness survived.” How awful that I hadn’t thought about this since leaving the castle.
“Yes, we must. But you have not finished your recitation. What did you do when you were outside your prison door? Surely there were more guards.”
I continued the tale. IT continued ITs questions. When I’d finally answered them all, IT said, “By coming to see why you were not dead, Her Highness as much as told you she was the poisoner. She saved you the trouble of deducing.”
Indignantly I said, “I deduced! I worked out why and how she did it.”
“Mmm. Mmm.” IT closed ITS eyes, then opened them. “You did. You did well, Elodie.”
I felt as if an audience of a thousand had just clapped for me. IT lumbered to the cupboard, where IT removed a skewer from its bundle. “Perhaps Misyur will make me a gift of the remainder of the arrows that were to be shot at me.” IT used the skewer as a toothpick and then ate it. “I imagine you will go to Sulow soon, tomorrow or even a few minutes from now, to become his new mansioner. I suppose you will not delay.”
Oh! I hadn’t given Master Sulow a thought. “Could I do both, proclaim and deduce and induce and mansion, too?”
“I do not want a sometime assistant. You needn’t worry. I will find another.”
I had more pride than that. “Who will replace me?” Nastily I added, “Is another cog coming from Lahnt?”
“Ah,” IT said, sounding pleased.
Oh. Oh. I was saying I didn’t want to be replaced. But I was a mansioner. I went to the lair entrance. A brisk wind blew cloud tatters across the sky. I stepped outside. Cold. I stepped inside. Warm. Outside again.
Master Sulow had no warmth. If he’d been my master when I’d been imprisoned in the tower, he’d likely have left me there.
Pacing back and forth between the rain vats on either side of the lair, I debated with myself.
My masteress said I didn’t have the temperament to be a mansioner, and in truth, I’d hated mansioning the moonsnake over and over for the king. But perhaps I’d merely hated the king.
And perhaps there was more than one way to be a mansioner, not simply as a member of a troupe. Since I’d been in Two Castles, I’d mansioned for Sulow, for the court, for the king, and for two bewildered guards.
But in a troupe, mansioners became better at the roles they repeated. Albin said a mansioner finds something new in a part each time she steps into it.
I felt pulled in two. I stopped thinking, wrapped my cloak around me, and stared up at the sky. The princess’s cap kept my ears warm.
Her cap! The cap of a poisoner.
I stepped back into the lair, extending my arm and holding the cap in my fingertips. At the fireplace I threw it in.
My masteress reached in and pulled it out before it was even singed. “I deduce you no longer want it.” Enh enh enh.
“I’d rather go bareheaded.”
“Then I suggest you sell it. People will fight to own a cap that once belonged to the poisoner princess. Trade it for half a dozen caps, or I will sell it for you if you like.”
“Sell it, please.” I wanted nothing more to do with the thing.
IT folded the cap carefully. “I will get a better price than you will. Now read to me. I believe you stopped at mustard.”
I found the book in the cupboard. IT had marked my place with a skewer. Outside the wind blew. IT rested ITs head on ITs front claws, ITs eyes on me.
Mother, Father, I thought. A lair is my home.
Epilogue
I did not go to Master Sulow later in the day, and during the night, while I slept in my cozy bed, my mind made itself up. I awoke knowing that, for now at least, I would remain with Masteress Meenore and mansion when the opportunity arose.
Did I mind? Did the decision feel like a sacrifice?
A little. Very little.
Master Sulow was a mere human. His breath never spiraled or turned green. With IT I would have more adventures than I’d get peering out from under Master Sulow’s thumb.
Not only more adventures, more consideration of my ideas and more friendship.
I told IT my decision over breakfast, and ITs smoke spiraled satisfyingly. “A commonsensical choice. You still have much to learn about deducing and inducing.”
In the morning we visited Count Jonty Um’s castle. Sir Misyur came to the outer ward to talk to us.
The king would live. Goodwife Celeste had saved him with broth and coarse herb bread. He’d slept a quiet night and was now closeted with His Lordship. Sir Misyur believed His Highness wanted assurance of His Lordship’s aid in any war against Tair. I thought the king would be disappointed. The count seemed to be a peaceable ogre.