The Gliebermans’ home was very much in the Freedonian style with square columns and square porches on both levels of the two-story home. The upper porch was enclosed with wire screening and porch swings, along with some iron chairs were featured in both locations. To Iolana’s mind it looked pretentious and grandiose. She sent Wally on home and walked up the steps.
The lizzie butler showed her in to the parlor which the Gliebermans insisted on calling the drawing room. Five girls waited sitting in chairs that had been arranged into a half circle. Sherree was in the center, with her perpetual shadow Talli Archer to her right. The others were all girls from their group: Najwa Melroy, Mona Stephenson, and Tildy Wolfsohn. Talli and Najwa were both patting Sherree on the shoulder while she cried into a handkerchief.
“What’s going on?” asked Iolana, taking an empty chair.
“Walter has thrown Sherree over,” said Talli.
“Oh, well maybe he’s just upset about his brother and all.”
“No, he’s already taken up with that horrible Wenda Lanier.”
“I would have thought she was out of his league,” said Iolana.
“What do you mean?” demanded Sherree, her giant eyes glaring. “She’s not nearly good enough for him.”
“Oh, well, um… what I mean…” Iolana’s voice just sort of trailed off. She really had no idea what to say.
“Anyway, that’s not why we’re here,” said Sherree, her tears suddenly gone. “And we’re still waiting for one more.”
A female lizzie brought in a very large tray covered with a teapot and cups, which she sat on the table between Sherree and Tildy.
“I’ll be mother,” said Sherree, pouring and then handing a cup and saucer to Talli, Najwa, Mona, Tildy, and finally to Iolana. “Sugar? Cream?”
Iolana thought about what other fourteen-year-old girls that Sherree might have coming.
“We’re waiting for Questa Hardt?” she asked.
“Yes, of course,” said Talli. “She’s now a part of our little group.”
“But I haven’t been.”
“But Iolana,” said Sherree. “You’re the whole reason we’re here.”
Before she could say any more, the butler led Questa in and she took a seat opposite Iolana. Questa’s father was Brech, but her mother was Mirsannan, and she had inherited her exotic dark skin and black eyes. She dressed as Brech as anyone in the room though with a taupe day dress, and when she spoke, she sounded as Brech as anyone else too.
“I’m sorry I’m late girls.”
“Not to worry,” said Sherree. “I’ve just poured.” She handed the final cup to the new arrival. “Now that we’re all here, we can begin. Talli, will you do the honors?”
“Today we are here to honor our very special friend, Iolana Staff,” said Talli, sounding for all the world as though she was speaking to parliament. “Our dear Iolana, despite her young age, has produced our very favorite book of all time—excepting only the Holy Scriptures of course.”
Iolana shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“We’ve encouraged everyone to purchase their very own copy of Birmisian Spring, and I’m happy to say that everyone that I know has done so. Now we all want to show Iolana just how appreciative we are. Does everyone have their copy?”
Each of the young women pulled one of the small green books either from a pocket or from a handbag by their feet. They all held them up, covers facing toward the author.
“Let’s all show Iolana just how much we think of her book.”
As one, they reached up and opened the covers of the books. All had their pages pasted together and then the centers of the books carved out to make secret storage boxes.
“Now we all have a place for our hairpins,” said Tildy.
“And we won’t have to ever read those horrid excuses for verse again,” said Sherree with a smile.
Iolana sat there a several seconds before she realized that her mouth was open. She consciously closed it. Though she willed her eyes to stay dry, they filled up with tears, so she stood up before they could overflow.
“Thank you for the tea,” she said, turning on her heel and walking quickly toward the foyer. She could hear the six girls laughing loudly behind her. At the front door, the butler let her out.
“Ssisthusso,” she told him, before almost tripping down the steps. She was halfway down the walkway when the dam burst and tears poured over her cheeks.
She walked all the way down Imperial Avenue to Pine, where she stepped into the queue for the trolley. Lost in her thoughts, she started when a hand holding a handkerchief was thrust toward her face. Stepping back, she found that the hand belonged to Ascan Tice. She took the hanky, wiped her face, and blew her nose. Then she tucked it into her pocket.
“Where are you off to?” she asked him, her voice sounding shaky in her ears.
“Going off to work,” he replied. “I’m doing a bit of part time out at the Charmley ranch. It’s a lot of work for two people and now poor Walter is alone.”
“I hear he has a new companion.”
“Companion? Oh, Wenda, do you mean? Yes, they’re already talking about getting married.”
“Well, he’s made a definite move up. That is for certain.”
He laughed at the vehemence in her voice.
“I know how you don’t like Sherree.”
“No, you really don’t,” said Iolana.
The trolley arrived and they climbed aboard. It was a long ride to Marigold before the trolley made the turn and came back north on Terrence Dechantagne Boulevard. Ascan talked about dinosaurs and how he was excited to get to work with them. Iolana told him about her two recent hunts, in which she had shot several achillobators and had seen a pair of therizinosauruses.
“I wish I could see one of them,” said Ascan. “I hear the lizzies talking about them and they sound brill.”
“I’m sure Walter will show you where they are. He and his brother are the ones who found them before.”
“I hope so. To tell you the truth, I’m worried about him. He doesn’t seem himself since Warden’s death. I guess I understand. I’d be lost if something happened to Willa and she’s hardly my twin.”
Iolana nodded.
“So do you want to talk about it?” he asked.
“About what?”
“Whatever made you cry.”
“No.”
“All right, but if you ever do, you know where to find me. This is my stop.”
Giving her a quick squeeze on the shoulder, Ascan hopped out of the carriage and gave her a wave before walking off to the south. Iolana waited and once the trolley got going again, rode it all the way back to First Avenue and walked the rest of the way home.
It was almost dinner when she got there, so she waited in the parlor to be called in. It was only the family and she didn’t pay much attention to anything except eating. Augie asked something about Colonel Mormont and she rattled off a reply without committing it or the question to memory. After dinner, she went up to her room and read The Silver Pendulum. It was an eerie novel, quite frightening in parts, and right when she was turning to page 187, a knock on her bedroom door made her jump.
“Kafira,” she hissed. “What is it?”
The door opened and her mother stepped inside.
“Good evening, Mother.”
“Good evening. I believe you are aware of our invitation on the seventh?”
“I am.”
“I thought I would discuss it now, as we don’t seem to cross paths all that much.”
“What’s to discuss?” wondered Iolana. “We’re going, aren’t we?”
“Of course. We’ll leave promptly, together, as a family. You’re to wear your red day dress.”
“Why?”
“So that we’ll match,” replied Iolanthe as if it were the stupidest question she had ever heard. “See that your cousins are properly attired. If I leave it to their mother, they might show up looking like paupers.”
“
I doubt that,” said Iolana. “But as I don’t think there would be any profit in letting you speak to Auntie Yuah that way, I will follow your instructions.”
Her mother pursed her lips. “So long as you follow them your motives are of no concern to me. Now, good night.”
“What a horrible bloody cow,” said Iolana, when the door was closed with Iolanthe on the other side.
The next day Iolana devoted as much time as she could to working on her new book: A History of Birmisia Colony from Mormont to Dechantagne. She joined the table at luncheon and dinner, but skipped breakfast and tea, having instead a glass of milk brought up in the morning and in the afternoon eating a chocolate biscuit from a secret cache under her bed. For one hour before lunch and one hour and a half afterwards, she tutored Augie, Terra, and DeeDee Colbshallow. It turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable experience. Augie, who had only just discovered that history consisted mostly of sex and violence, now took an active part in his learning. And Terra, who had never seemed to care overmuch for any subject, now found enjoyment in helping their newest addition with her lessons.
“Maybe you’ll grow up to be a teacher,” Iolana told her young cousin.
“Nope. I’m going to be a princess,” said Terra.
“I’m sure it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
That evening, Iolana finished the last 24 pages of The Silver Pendulum, and was unable to fall asleep until well past midnight.
The following morning she slept in late and had to rush to breakfast in her housecoat and even then, she was the last one seated. It was worth the trouble. Somebody had taught Rinna, the lizzie cook, how to make pancakes.
“Well, this is a treat,” she said topping her cakes with lemon curd. “I thought we were having kippers.”
“Young Augustus ordered a change in the menu,” said her father.
“Bravo cuz,” she said, saluting with two fingers the far end of the table.
One of the servers leaned over the boy’s shoulder and hissed into his ear.
“Well, find out,” he whispered back, and then turned once again to the family. “I ordered steak and kidney pie for lunch too.”
“Since when were you so interested in the menu?” wondered Auntie Yuah.
“We’re going to tea at Senta’s house,” he said. “She’ll probably be serving dragonfly wings and snakes eyeballs in cream. I for one am going on a full stomach.”
After their lessons, and while Kayden escorted DeeDee back across the street, Iolana and her two cousins dressed for their visit with the Drache Girl. Iolana wore the dress ordered by her mother. Terra wore a lovely blue dress, a little girl’s version of her mother’s, without the scoop back. Iolana’s father had recently taken Augie to purchase a new black suit, and he wore it now, along with a black derby. Once together, they split into two parties. Mr. Staff drove the red Grayson model B, with his wife and daughter, while Walworth drove the blue Grayson with Augie on the passenger side and his mother and sister in the back.
It took a good while to reach the Drache Girl’s estate, which was on the other side of the city. As usual a large crowd waited outside her gates hoping to catch a glimpse of her. A few of these individuals were locals but most were tourists. Two lizzies opened the great gate and closed it once the cars had passed through. The all climbed out once they had stopped in front of the portico, straightening their clothing and brushing the soot off their hats and shoulders, while Walworth saw to the steam engines.
Another lizzie opened the front door and ushered them into the parlor. There they found Senta, seated in a plush chair with a baby in her lap, and a tall red-haired man standing beside them.
“Welcome,” said the sorceress.
“Good Kafira,” said Mr. Staff, stepping forward with hand outstretched. “Baxter, can that really be you?”
“I’m afraid it is.”
“How are you, man? I did never expect to see you here. I read about your ordeal in the Mulliens. I even read that you two had been seen together. Still, I’m surprised.”
“What can I say?” said Baxter. “I’m a sucker for a pretty girl.”
“Aren’t we all?” said Staff, and then turning to his wife and sister-in-law, “This is Kieran Baxter. We served together on the H.M.S. Minotaur.”
“I remember,” said Iolanthe, shaking hands.
“What an adorable baby,” said Auntie Yuah.
“May I present my daughter, Senta Bly,” said the sorceress. “And for those who haven’t met him, my friend Kieran Baxter.”
“Don’t you have a husband then?” asked Augie.
His mother covered his mouth and pulled him into an embrace.
“You have a lovely home,” said Iolanthe.
“Yes, I had forgotten that you haven’t been here before.” Senta stood up. “You must all take the tour. Come along.”
“You all go ahead,” said Mr. Staff. “I’m going to sit down here with Baxter for a moment.”
Senta led the way out of the parlor and into the library. She was followed by Iolanthe and Yuah, who was still holding onto Augie, Terra, and finally by Iolana. The library was quite large and comfortable but didn’t have nearly as many books as it should in Iolana’s opinion. From there they went through the conservatory and a couple of sitting rooms before arriving in the kitchen.
“Here, can you carry this?” said Senta, handing her baby to Terra, who was barely big enough to support her.
“I’ll take her,” said Yuah, rushing to pull little Senta from her daughter’s arms.
“I wanted to carry her!” squealed Terra.
While Augie and his aunt watched his sister and his mother fight over who would or wouldn’t hold the baby, Iolana stepped away, backtracking through the rooms to the library. Here she waited just inside the door and listened to her father’s conversation.
“I really haven’t heard one way or the other,” he answered some question she had missed.
“No plans on going back?”
“I have far too much to do here,” said Mr. Staff. “What about you? Are you staying?”
“It’s too early to say, but I like what I’ve seen so far.”
“How about with Senta? Are you planning to stay with her… permanently?”
“It’s too early to say,” said Baxter.
“Well, if you do, I dare say you won’t have to work. She’s rich like King Magnus.”
“Yes, well. I know how you are,” said Baxter. “You never could sit still. I imagine you’re running half the colony. I was never like that though. I can sit and enjoy my leisure, let me assure you.”
“We’re going upstairs now,” called Senta from another room.
“Very industrious of you,” Baxter called back.
“I also know you never liked excessive attention,” said Mr. Staff. “If you continue to be seen with Senta, you’ll never escape the lime light.”
“It hasn’t been bad so far.”
“You haven’t been in Birmisia for very long.”
Iolana turned and made her way back through the library and through a series of rooms she hadn’t been shown until she found a staircase leading up. Once on the upper floor, she found the main hallway in time to see Auntie Yuah, still carrying the baby, and her two kids heading in one direction while Senta and Iolana’s mother went in another. She followed the latter pair. They stopped in a bedroom and she stopped right outside the door.
“There’s a rumor going around town, Governor,” said Senta.
“You mean besides the one that Radley is the father of your baby?”
“Um, no. That would be the one.”
“I’ve heard it.”
“I just wanted you to know that it isn’t true.”
“I know that,” said Iolanthe. “I know the type of women that he has an eye for. They’re voluptuous with a dark sort of sensuality—Melody Lanier, Loana Colbshallow, Darice Hardt. Oh, Radley could be swayed by many women as could any man, but he would never be found in your bed.”
“I’m that unappealing then?” asked Senta.
“Of course not. It’s just that he has paternal feelings for you. He’s proud of you. He looks at you the same way he looks at Iolana. I suppose it’s down to the time he spent with you in Tsahloose.”
“I suppose,” said the sorceress. “I’m flattered actually. One could do worse than Radley Staff for a father. Mind you, I wouldn’t want you for a mother.”
Iolana could almost hear her mother’s lips pursing.
“You don’t plan on revealing the identity of your baby’s father, do you?”
“Of course not.”
“Good. I would go to great lengths to see that his life was not discomforted.”
“Including having me shot?”
“Absolutely,” said Iolanthe.
Iolana turned and hurried quietly down the hallway and down the stairs. She had just reached the landing when something dropped down on her shoulder. It was some kind of monster covered in pink scales. Iolana screamed.
“Kiss,” said the creature and then it sank its teeth into the girl’s neck. Iolana screamed again and then felt herself falling down the stairs. Her head hit the baluster and everything went black.
She opened her eyes. She was lying on her back on a soft mattress. Her father and Mr. Baxter were leaning over her, both with concern written across their faces.
“I told you she would be fine,” said Senta, stepping between the men. The little monster was sitting on her shoulder. It was a tiny dragon. “Now wait in the other room. The girl and I need to talk.”
The two men stepped out of the room, seemingly quite reluctantly. The sorceress closed the door and then came back to sit on the bed by Iolana’s side. The girl edged away from the dragon and its human keeper.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let her bite you again. Her name is Zoantheria. No doubt she was attracted to you by all the magic.”
The Sorceress and her Lovers Page 22