The widow whispered into his neck, “Thank you.”
But she gave him too much credit. He knew they’d merely been lucky. In his mind he became a horse again and continued the slow, careful descent.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
When they delivered Elodie to the great hall, Ludda-bee went to the kitchen, and Johan-bee relieved one of the bees guarding the kitchen doorway. The breakfast table had been taken down. Hungry as she was, Elodie put thoughts of a meal out of her mind. The guests were again in their pairs, searching the shelves and cabinets that lined the walls: Master Uwald with Albin, Master Tuomo with Mistress Sirka. Master Robbie stood with Master Uwald and Albin along the north wall, but his eyes were on the door Elodie entered through. She wondered if he’d been watching for her.
Dror-bee now explored the books and relics with Ursa-bee. High Brunka Marya sat alone on her stool, watching this pair and then that and certainly listening to everyone.
Where is my masteress by now? Elodie wondered.
She jerked her head in a signal to Master Robbie, and he followed her to the high brunka.
“High Brunka—”
“Good morning, kidlings.” She smiled wanly at them.
Elodie saw faint colors on her fingertips again.
“Lamb, I wish you’d come to the Oase at a more pleasant time, and we could have shown you the Replica and taken you around.”
“I don’t mind,” Elodie said, because she could think of nothing better. “Remember when we said IT thinks there were two thieves? IT may be wrong.” She explained that the rushes had been disturbed in the Turtle Room. “That’s the room IT thinks would have been used if there was just one thief. But the Turtle could also be the wrong chamber. Johan-bee said there are mice, and they could have shuffled the rushes.”
“He’s right. We need cats, but they don’t like being confined in here.”
Master Robbie asked, “Are bees still searching the relics rooms?”
“They are.” The high brunka sighed. “I wish we had collected fewer things.” Her weak smile flickered again.
They left her.
Master Robbie said, “IT said we should ask Deeter-bee about the last theft.”
The historian sat on his bench by the south fireplace, where Elodie had first seen him.
Master Robbie took Elodie’s hand as they crossed the room. She felt herself blush and wondered if Albin was watching but didn’t want to turn her head to see.
“I told Grand— er, Master Uwald that I’d like to be a barber-surgeon.”
“What did he say?”
“He laughed. Whales and porpoises, he laughed a long time. Then he said, ‘The richest boy on Lahnt wants to be a barber.’ He also said we could talk more about it after this was over.”
Deeter-bee watched them come.
Elodie and Master Robbie sat on the bench with him, Elodie on his left, Master Robbie on his right. Both leaned forward so they could see each other, too.
Elodie cast about for something to say. “Er . . . um . . . in one of the mansioners’ plays, King Tantalus says . . .” She made her voice deep and ringing. “‘History points a bloody finger at the future.’”
Not just High Brunka Marya turned to look at her; so did everyone else.
She lowered her voice. “Deeter-bee, does history point at this thief?”
He yawned. “History’s finger points backward.”
She persisted. “Is there anything we can learn from the other theft?”
“Who was the thief back then?” Master Robbie asked.
Deeter-bee cleared his throat. “His name is unimportant. People think only a poor person would be tempted to steal, but he was a prosperous fisherman in Zee.”
Expectation misleads, Elodie thought, remembering the puppet’s words.
Master Robbie frowned. “Zee?”
Deeter-bee looked him up and down. “You live in Zee?”
He touched the beads. “I used to.”
“Zee isn’t proud of him. He was prosperous and angry, a dangerous combination.”
Elodie thought, Master Tuomo is prosperous and furious. My masteress says Mistress Sirka may be angry, but she’s poor. Master Uwald is rich but not angry.
“Why was he angry?” Master Robbie asked.
“He asked the high brunka for a loan to buy a third boat, but the high brunka—not Marya back then—said two boats were enough for anyone.”
Albin was also refused money by the high brunka, Elodie remembered.
“The last thief didn’t want anyone killed. History will be kinder to him after this theft. He kept the Replica only a day before confessing, so that no one would suffer. He died in the earl’s prison.” He paused. “I will venture an opinion: This thief has a stony heart and will not confess.”
Elodie wondered about the hardness of the historian’s heart. Did he have a reason to be angry? Had the high brunka denied him anything? “Do you know where the Replica was kept?”
He closed his eyes. “Certainly I do.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR