The Princelings of the East

by Jemima Pett

  * * *

  He woke in morning sunshine with birds singing and a breeze waving the trees around. He stood at the window for a while looking out. Thoughts of yesterday streamed back into his consciousness. Was he being fantastical? No, he thought, it is a reasonable explanation of the facts, as I know them. Who was it who said, “When all the evidence is considered and all the impossibilities discarded, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”? Well, it was something like that, anyway. He hadn’t discarded all the impossibilities yet, but he was confident that he had got rid of a good deal of them. He got ready and went down to the morning room for a drink.

  After a few wrong turnings and redirections by helpful people along the way, he found the right room. Baden was already sitting at a small table, drinking tea and reading a large flimsy book.

  “May I join you?” he enquired politely.

  “Of course,” Baden responded, pushing aside some of his debris and pulling a chair closer.

  “Do you know if Hugo and Prince Lupin went for their run?”

  “I rather think they did,” Baden grinned. “I was so pleased when I saw two figures off in the distance when I looked out first thing.”

  “It doesn’t prove anything, though,” said Fred gloomily.

  “No, but it’s nice to call his bluff. If he did run all that way he is certainly fit enough to run with the Prince,” Baden said, and Fred nodded in agreement.

  “What do you think will happen next?” he asked.

  Baden folded his book and put it aside. “I rather think Lupin will push things forward in some way. There was a conference called by old Darcy over at Vexstein, which Lupin and Nimrod preferred not to attend, although they sent a deposition and a clear statement of their stance in any preferred action. If things change there we will hear from Darcy, or more likely Smallweed - by the way that’s Baron Darcy and Lord Smallweed to you - and we will respond accordingly.” He sipped his tea and gazed at the ceiling. “I wonder if the lady will make any changes after our discussions last night?” he asked it, clearly not expecting an answer.

  It came from an unexpected route, however. “Yes indeed, the lady will make changes!” said Lady Nimrod, who was halfway into the room. “I have already drafted a message and am waiting for Lupin to return before asking you what you think, Fred.”

  “Me?” Fred said, startled into spilling his drink.

  “You will understand, if it remains unchanged after I have seen Lupin,” she said mysteriously, but with a smile. “Meanwhile I have sent a messenger out on an errand, which hopefully will mislead our possibly time-travelling friend.” She poured herself a cup of tea from the ornate urn in the centre of the room and joined them, Baden going to find another chair after giving up his own for her.

  They chatted for a while, but always watching for the returning runners. Eventually they could see two figures in the distance; Lady Nimrod rose.

  “I will see you later, no doubt,” she said, and she left the room.

  Fred took his leave of Baden and returned to his room. A little later, a bell rang for breakfast, and he joined Baden, Hugo and others in the morning room once more. Prince Lupin joined them in due course. Hugo agreed that he had enjoyed the run, it was a particularly pleasant morning and that Prince Lupin was a fine athlete. Lupin in his turn complimented Hugo on his fitness and suggested he would make an excellent rugby player if he ever wanted to give up his work. Hugo smiled at this and made a polite comment about the achievements of the Buckmore team. Then he broadened the conversation to other activities by saying he thought cricket was more his line, judging from the games he’d seen being played around the country. Fred knew nothing of the game, and listened with complete mystification as Hugo and Baden discussed its social role in bringing different communities together, while Lupin excused himself, saying he had work to do.

  After breakfast, Hugo suggested a turn about the castle. Baden and Fred got up to go with him, but an aide stopped Fred at the door to the morning room with a request to pay his respects to Lady Nimrod. Making his apology to Hugo and Baden, he found his way back to her apartments and waited at the door, uncertain whether to knock, call or what. Fortunately, he was saved from embarrassment when an attendant came forward to enter bringing parchment and writing materials, and he was encouraged to enter with her.

  “Ah, good, Fred’s here,” remarked Prince Lupin. “Take a look at this draft, young Fred.” He passed a large piece of paper to Fred. It listed the key issues of Hugo’s behaviour over the last few years and especially the last few days. It noted their suspicions, and, whilst omitting any reference to time travel, made it clear that they were confident that the cause of the Energy Drain could be placed squarely on the methods used to import Diet Wozna. Furthermore, they asserted that Hugo was ‘absolutely aware’ of this impact. They also described George (here Fred made a few amendments) describing him as an engineer of consummate skill, who should be given every assistance by good men and true. They asked the Vexsteins to send immediate word of him should they come across him.

  Fred handed it back, impressed. “What will happen now?” he asked.

  “We’ll send this off on the vacuum post which will only take an hour or so.” Lupin replied. “I’ll just do a handwritten covering note for Darcy and Smallweed to ensure it’s taken seriously.” So saying he seated himself and started a note which he signed “Lupin of Buckmore” with a flourish, and then he folded and sealed it. The attendant left with both documents and Lupin sat back, gesturing for Fred to do the same.

  “And now we wait,” he said. “What would you like to do?”

  Fred suggested he might like to look around, and they decided that a small party might take a walk to one of Lady Nimrod’s favourite spots, perhaps taking a small picnic basket with them.

  Fred went off to find Hugo and Baden and give them news of the proposed picnic. He found them on the lower level battlements, above the entry plaza, looking down towards the river, and the idea of the picnic appealed to them even more than their previous proposal of a lunch table under the apple tree in the plaza. They took a side passage beside the main gate, going down a winding stair to the outside of the castle. Then they cut across the grass from the main track to join Lupin and Nimrod, and an attendant or two with the picnic things, who had come out by a different route. It was a pleasant walk despite the breeze, roaming over the meadows to a glade by a river, and Hugo and Baden discussed the merits of fly-fishing as they leant on a bridge over it, watching the trout swimming in the cool water below. Their peace was interrupted by a messenger running down from the castle.

  “My lady,” he gasped. “An express message has arrived from Castle Vexstein,” and so saying he handed a rolled parchment to her. It was unfortunate that in the handing, he tripped on something, and the parchment went flying from his hands landing in a jumble, unravelling from its neat string. Sheets flew in all directions and the party scattered to pick them up. All seemed to be accounted for, and Nimrod sorted them into the right order and skimmed through them.

  “Good news, on many counts,” she said, “not least that your brother George is safely at Castle Vexstein, Fred. But they have need of our counsel and we must leave at once.” She ordered the messenger back to the castle to make ready a fast carriage for five plus two attendants. They followed on, speedily but not hurriedly, and when they got back all was prepared for them. In rather less comfort than on the way there, as Fred was sandwiched between Hugo and Baden, although this did mean that he was facing Lady Nimrod and Prince Lupin, they seemed to travel at breakneck speed, stopping only for changes of horses.

  In the tunnel that led to the Inn of the Seventh Happiness Hugo spoke. “I recall leaving something in our room at the inn, my lady,” he said. “Might I take a moment to retrieve it when we change the horses there?” Receiving her assent, he settled back and relaxed again. Fred wondered what he had left. He couldn’t re
member that Hugo had carried anything with him when they had arrived. He didn’t recall anyone giving him anything either. They stopped at the inn, where it was already dark, and Hugo left the carriage. Fred could see him speaking to the barkeeper, Victor. The horses were changed and Hugo had not reappeared.

  “Where the devil is he?” snapped Lupin. “He knows we’re in a hurry.”

  “I shall check,” said Baden going into the inn. He returned just a few moments later. “He’s gone!” he said with a shocked look on his face. “Victor saw him running for his usual tunnel. Shall I run after him?” and he made to follow. Lupin caught his arm.

  “Stay, Baden. Whatever he’s got wind of we will do better to go to Vexstein - we’ll be there in 2 hours now, so let’s not chase a will o’ the wisp,” and so saying he got in the carriage with Lady Nimrod, and Baden got in beside Fred, who moved across into the corner as they started off into yet another tunnel.

  Fred felt something scrunch up as he moved. He put his hand under him and pulled out a piece of parchment. It was a handwritten note addressed to Lupin and signed “Smallweed of Vexstein”. He handed it to Prince Lupin.

  “My dear and esteemed Lupin,” he read out to the other three. “Notwithstanding the rest of the accompanying message, you should know most urgently that Princeling George considers it essential that we should cease importing Diet Wozna, which is principally responsible for the Energy Drain. We shall discuss urgently on your arrival. Wishing you a pleasant journey, etc., etc.”

  “The devil!” exclaimed Baden. “How did he get that? Had you seen it before?”

  “No, I think he must have acquired it when the message flew open at our picnic,” said Lupin in a very matter of fact voice. “The question is; what is he doing now?”

  “He must be on his way to the time tunnel,” said Fred. “I wonder if he will ever come back.”

  “Whether he intends to come back or not, my dear Fred,” said Lady Nimrod, “is he hoping to stop something by his sudden departure, or is he trying to do something? And whichever it is, does it put your brother or any of the rest of us in danger?”

  And the coach sped ever nearer to Castle Vexstein, while Hugo ran down the tunnel, not caring whether he ran into walls, or collected mud on his coat, just trying to get back as quickly as possible to prevent George leaving Castle Hattan.