by Guy Antibes
Mara smiled. “That would certainly make them less distracting.”
“That’s why I mentioned it.”
Ricky replaced the book and selected a political book that included the history of Dimani. He wanted to learn more about Jac and his country. Jac’s comment about a surprise at the end of the term intrigued Ricky.
“What is the subject of that book?” Mara asked.
“I’m looking into Dimani’s history, and if your cataloging is correct, this book does that.”
“Dimani,” Mara said. She rested her chin in her palm, her elbow anchored to the table. “I feel like I’ve already been there since our history project.”
“Jac’s home.”
“What is he like?” Mara said.
“From what I can tell, he is what he appears.”
“There has got to be more,” Mara said.
“There is. His parents brought him up very well. He makes friends easily and knows how to put people at ease.”
“Is it an act?”
Ricky smiled. “No. Well, I wouldn’t call it an act.”
Mara frowned and looked down at the book she was transcribing. “He is nice to me.”
“Especially nice to you,” Ricky said. “I think he likes you.”
She brightened. “He has told you?”
Mara was smitten by his friend. Ricky with his vast lack of experience could even see that. “No. He would be too discreet to say something like that. He hardly talks about his breakup with Loria Mansali.”
“She has spread the story all over the academy. I don’t believe what Loria Mansali says. She isn’t a nice person, and I think there is something wrong with her.”
“I wouldn’t exactly say wrong,” Ricky said. “I think she wasn’t treated very well in her childhood.”
“Every girl will use that as an excuse. Evil brothers, stern mothers, disinterested fathers.” Mara giggled. “I’ve used them all, but living away from home, a lot of it is perspective. I’m sure there are evil brothers, stern mothers, and disinterested fathers, but we often see what we want to see.”
“Having not grown up with any of the three, I can’t disagree. Wait, Gobble was all three rolled up into one.”
They both laughed.
“Why don’t we have something to eat at Karian’s new restaurant?” Mara said.
“Is it safe?”
“If someone wants to track us, is it worse seeing us come in the warehouse door rather than going to a restaurant? It’s not as if we don’t know each other.”
Ricky smiled. “I think you are right. Let me put this in the bag. You can come back here, and I’ll head back to the academy from the restaurant.”
They both walked outside into a pleasant evening breeze. Spring had given them a little warm spell, so they sat down at one of the tables spilling out into the street.
The waiter walked up to them. “We sell street food. I hope that is acceptable?”
“Karian warned me about this place,” Ricky said.
“You know Master Grandari?”
Ricky nodded his head. The waiter looked at the warehouse next door.
“We have leased some space from Karian for a project at Doubli Academy,” Ricky said. “We can only get away at odd hours.”
“Oh, I’ve noticed you.” The waiter smiled at Mara. “So that is why you are coming and going.”
Mara blushed in the light of the little lamp on the table. “It is. What is good here?”
They ordered. The food came out quickly as street food never took long to cook.
“This is really good,” Mara said with very good Parantian pronunciation.
Ricky smiled. He expected nothing less from a restaurant started by his friend.
“Did you learn any new techniques from your latest book?” Mara said.
Ricky nodded with his mouth full. He rushed to swallow but gulped down too much. “Water,” he said to the waiter standing at the door.
More composed after he sat for a moment, he said, “I found a new technique.” He glanced at the waiter, probably listening to their every word. “I’m going to practice it before I tell you. I think it will help with the project.”
Mara seemed to have caught on. “Wonderful. Work hard. With your practices, you don’t have much time for schoolwork.”
“I’ll make the time.”
Ricky finished and returned to the academy with a full stomach. Overeating street food was so easy. He spent the rest of the night memorizing the five steps of mind alignment and re-read his transcription. Ricky could only practice the first step. He lacked the partner or the technique for the others.
He had no desire to plumb the depths of Loria’s mind with deep alignment, the fourth power-link step, and he feared to use the amount of power he felt would be needed to perform a unilateral alignment. Perhaps he would practice with Jac and Benno using a coin. He wished he could consult with Dari or Petrolo, but Ricky knew he had to keep mind alignment a secret, even from Dari.
He wondered if it would be cheating if he could communicate with his teammates during a game using his magic. Ricky wouldn’t affect the ball or sticks or anything, just talk to them. He went to sleep trying to rationalize a reason, but in the end, he woke up during the night knowing it wouldn’t be permissible, especially in Parantian broomball.
~
Whoever washed Ricky’s uniform couldn’t quite remove all the mud ground into the gray pants, but the rest of the team fared no better. Mistress Doubli canceled two class times for the game. The day was dry, and the turf looked firm to Ricky’s unpracticed eye and held up while Sippa let both teams warm up on opposite sides of the field. Many Doubli students crowded around the sidelines. Ricky hadn’t played in front of so many before.
Ricky looked for the third attacker who earned expulsion after Winter Break, but he couldn’t recognize anyone on the other team. Sippa put Ricky in as the point to start the game, which surprised him more than any of his teammates.
This team was worse than the first they played. Ricky had the opportunity to practice anticipation and directing the offense of the team. Sippa hadn’t asked him, but he didn’t stop Ricky. When the score began to climb for Doubli, boys began to play in different positions. Sippa brought Ricky out of the game.
“You are doing very well, Ricky,” Sippa said. “Keep it up. Having a person call out plays on the field seems to work with these weaker teams. I’ve been keeping track of our Tossan competition. The best competitor was our first opponent. They have improved, but with Jac, Ubbo, and you, we are much better.”
“I’m not as good as they are,” Ricky said.
“No, you aren’t, but you have an instinctive idea of where people should be. You’d make a better coach than I would. Your stick skills are continuing to improve. I don’t need you to score goals. I need you to direct others to score more goals.”
Sippa then made another substitution. Jac joined Ricky on the sidelines.
“Let’s play with a few girls,” Jac said when he came out.
He led Ricky towards a group of female students. Ricky recognized the golden curls of Loria Mansali. She seemed to have lost her breath when she spotted Jac coming her way. Her friends, on the other hand, called out to Jac, and Ricky even heard his name mentioned.
“How are you ladies doing on a fine spring day?” Jac said.
Ricky glanced at a very embarrassed Loria.
“Do you like it when we win?” Jac said.
Ricky had never seen Jac preen before, and his friend was very good at it. The girls were thrilled with the attention. Loria finally pushed her way to the front.
“You should be ashamed of yourself, running up the score on the other team. Both of you.” She flashed an angry glance at Ricky but stayed focused on Jac. “It isn’t proper behavior for a Doubli student,” she said before tearing herself away and stalking off.
Jac laughed. “What do you girls think? Ricky and I are out when we could be in pouring on the points.”
They all laughed and nearly cooed with their approval. Ricky had to keep from laughing. Sippa called them away from the crowds.
“Stay near me,” Sippa said, looking back at the admiring girls still calling out their names. He broke into a smile. “You are impossible, young Griama.”
Jac just smiled back. “They are thrilled, and Ricky and I had a sliver of a good time during a lopsided match.”
“Lopsided it is. You two go in and substitute for the two defensive players.”
Jac excelled at offense, so their new positions made sense. The game continued with players going in and out for Doubli. The team never got into a competitive flow again, but soon the other team did much the same, and the match turned into more of a structured practice than a competition.
After the game, Jac, Ubbo, Benno, and Ricky walked off the field. Mara stood among the other students. Jac made a beeline towards her. Ricky rolled his eyes. He didn’t know how Mara would suffer Jac’s antics.
“Did you like the game, Mara?” Jac said. “We weren’t challenged, I’m afraid. The other team made everyone look good.”
Gone was Jac’s act. Ricky watched the two of them talk about the game. Mara didn’t gush as much as the other girls, but he could tell she was just as affected by Jac’s attention.
“I’ll be looking for you at our next game,” Jac said.
“I can’t wait,” Mara blurted out. She finally let out a giggle and covered her mouth.
They continued to the gym to change clothes.
“She’s an outstanding girl,” Jac said.
“Mara?”
Jac nodded. “I like her.” He blushed and waved his hand surreptitiously to Ricky. “You didn’t hear me say that. I don’t want my reputation tarnished.”
Ricky couldn’t help but smile. “I think she likes you, too,” Ricky said.
“Enough, enough,” Jac said, waving Ricky’s comment away.
Ricky saw the true Jac at that moment. All the polish was gone, all the bright eyes and teasing expressions. He worried how Mara would handle Jac’s attention.
When they walked out of the gymnasium, Saganet and Effie stood waiting for him.
“Dinner at the cottage?” Saganet said.
“I’d like that. Maybe another Princess Pira story?”
Effie lifted up her index finger. “One more, the final straw.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” Ricky said. If he hurried, he might make it to his next class.
Since Sippa canceled evening broomball practice, Ricky arrived clean and fresh for dinner. Saganet sat reading a book on the couch.
“Effie is fixing dinner.”
Ricky looked around at the empty cottage. “Is this a commissary dinner?”
His guardian grinned. “It sure is. Between Effie and I, we nearly make a competent cook, but not quite. If I want a good home-cooked meal, I invite my daughter and Karian. Either of them is better than Effie and me combined.”
Ricky never minded Saganet’s cooking, but it was simple fare. He rummaged around in his room for a bit, waiting for Effie to show up and found his steel switch. He flicked it around. It wasn’t as stiff as the weapon Antino Pacci wielded at the Home, but Ricky could still thrust it as if it were. He heard the front door open and re-entered the living space, holding on to the switch.
“ Hello, Effie.”
She glared at the switch in his hand. “Cook, to you,” she said putting two big bags on the table. “That weapon is still forbidden to you.”
“In Tossa. Would it be in Applia?” Ricky asked, already knowing the answer.
“A death sentence, at least,” Saganet said.
Effie nodded with a smile. “At least.”
Ricky watched her set out the food and listened to Saganet and Effie’s banter. Their interactions had changed remarkably from the summer. Ricky would feel like an outsider if they didn’t naturally include him in the discussion from time to time.
After eating, Ricky cleaned up the dishes while Effie and Saganet watched. He finished and sat in the living area. Saganet and Effie occupied the couch, leaving Ricky with the easy chair.
“I will tell you the last Princess Pira story. It happened just before I came to Doubli, since it was the final straw.”
“Does it have a happy ending?” Saganet said.
“Princess Pira is always happy at the ending of my stories. She never loses, or hadn’t when I served at the palace.”
“She may be happy, but no one else needs to be, right?” Ricky said.
Effie’s eyes flashed. “Precisely. Anyway, King Leon decided to go on a state visit to Fisttia, and for some strange reason I’ll never know, he dragged Princess Pira along. The princess loves to travel, but she doesn’t want anyone to think she does, so she makes all kinds of demands and complains incessantly about the food, the lodging, the servants—you get the picture, don’t you?”
Ricky nodded. Saganet just sat with a smile fixed on his face, enjoying Effie’s every word.
“We arrived at the capital and were escorted to the royal castle. Their capital is a city of castles. I never learned why. Perhaps at some time, the nobles fought each other on the city’s streets,” Effie said, shaking her head.
“Queen Dirga took it upon herself to keep the Princess company. We all suspected Queen Dirga had something unpleasant in store for Pira, but of all of us, only Pira spoke passable Fisttian, so we had to make do with a murky understanding of what was going on. The situation didn’t ruffle Princess Pira until the queen came in with a request. The two kings had decided to go on a hunt. Queen Dirga found a way to be invited, so Princess Pira, who had just turned fourteen at the time…”
“I just can’t believe she’s my age,” Ricky said.
Effie huffed at the interruption. “She was asked to nanny the Queen’s three daughters. The princess, much to our surprise, gladly accepted the challenge. She had to know it was a major slight. King Leon merely laughed it off when he found out. None of the girls spoke Parantian, so we could only look on without understanding much of what was said as the princess talked the girls into doing stupid things like cutting their hair and painting their faces. The girls were thrilled, but when the Queen returned unexpectedly, she launched into the tirade of all tirades and berated Princess Pira in Fisttian and Parantian so we could all understand the dressing down.”
“Was she mortified?” Ricky asked.
“Of course, but being the princess she is, she didn’t move a muscle on her face and just listened until she politely asked if the Queen was finished. She didn’t wait for an answer and led us all out of the nursery.
“Princess Pira sat stone-faced at the dinner that night, barely picking at the bird her guardian had brought down with a hawk that afternoon. The two kings, ignoring the queen and princess, as well as the servants, including the bodyguards, talked politics. The Fisttian king talked King Leon into planning a joint operation to seize a sliver of mountainous land located in the country of Cralt. The soon-to-be-disputed property adjoins both countries, as you may know, Ricky. They talked in Fisttian, but Princess Pira understood every word and the political implications of such an ill-advised action. Even though the mining income would be handsome, Cralt wasn’t without allies. If nothing else, Paranty would lose precious goodwill only built up by King Leon’s lack of attention to affairs of state, but Leon is a greedy king if he can circumvent the Council of Notables.
“Queen Dirga interrupted and talked about Princess Pira’s deplorable performance as a nanny to the Fisttian princesses. I was amazed that the queen would talk as if Princess Pira wasn’t listening. I could see Pira’s expression. Inside she had to be fuming.”
“I would be,” Ricky said. “How rude. Did she forget that Princess Pira understood their language?”
Effie frowned. “I think the queen didn’t care about the sensibilities of the fourteen-year-old she had just ostensibly humiliated. Pira did make one comment to her father about the advisability of the action, but
King Leon waved away her comment. The princess stewed about it all night; we could tell because she spent most of her time tapping her foot and looking out the window. We could see the mill wheels turning, grinding out a solution to pay back the queen.
“The ambassador wives of other countries, including Paranty, were treated to a luncheon by Queen Dirga. Princess Pira was, of course, not included. She asked a servant if she could view the queen’s wardrobe. How could a servant refuse a princess’s request? We walked into the room and were shown the Queen’s gown for the state dinner that night. The beautiful dress was set out on a special stand with the sleeves straight out. The princess sat down to gaze at it and praised it in front of the servants.
“She asked the attending servant for a few bites, and the princess was left alone in the room, except she wasn’t alone. We stood in the room with her. ‘Unpick the seam in the back,’ Pira commanded, standing behind the display, pointing at the dress. ‘Even the underdress. All of it.’
“We went to work with our sharp knives, and within moments, the dress was open at the back below the waist. Princess Pira herself spotted a needle and thread, probably left behind from last minute alterations. She basted a few stitches to hold the outside cloth together before the servant returned with the snack. Princess Pira took a tiny bite and nodded to the servant before gliding out of the room, like a graceful swan.”
“Oh,” Saganet said, trying to hold back a smile. “I can see where this is going.”
Effie smiled wickedly. “I am sure the vision is coming to you,” she quipped. “The state dinner started. The Princess, who had talked the chamberlain into laying a plate for her next to the queen, as proper protocol would dictate, arrived a bit late. She dropped her handkerchief behind the queen’s chair, a violation so severe in the queen’s mind that she scolded Pira severely, not even noticing the tiny ball of thread that Princess Pira played with in her hand. She announced the princess’s failure to mind her children, mocking Pira’s very presence at the dinner.
“The Princess, much to her credit, kept her face smooth and unemotional. Even King Leon made a single mention about Pira’s deportment. The dinner ended, and the Fisttian King and Queen rose to exit the hall first. On their way out, the dress parted in the back to reveal something that should never have been seen. It seems that Queen Dirga doesn’t wear underclothes underneath her dress. Pira howled with laughter, pointing out the unusual sight of a royal behind in front of many august guests.