Upon waking, after sleeping around the clock, Elodie followed her rumbling stomach to the great hall. Before she went in, she heard coughing, and her heart rose to her throat. Inside, she found her masteress filling the entrance and His Lordship (dressed in his own clothes, taken from the stable) seated on a mound of mattresses that had been placed at the trestle table. Nesspa lay nearby, his eyes fixed on his master. As before, IT occupied the head of the table. The high brunka perched on her stool at the other end. Bees and guests sat on the benches. Elodie raced across the great hall. She had hugged IT before so she didn’t hesitate this time and stretched her arms across as much of ITs belly as she could reach. The corner of the table dug into her side. She inhaled deeply and licked her lips to fully take in ITs odor.
ITs white smoke curled in a spiral. “Mmm . . . Elodie . . . teeth and scales! If you must. Mmm . . . You were a credit to me. My confidence in you has been gratified.”
Elodie! Credit to IT!
Finally, she stepped aside. “Zertrum didn’t explode, did it?”
“No, Lodie.”
She nodded, taking in the information. “When did you get here?”
“Perhaps half an hour ago. We deferred discussion of events on Zertrum until you joined us.”
She felt a rush of gratitude.
IT turned to Master Robbie. “A portion of Elodie’s credit belongs to you.”
She was happy to share. “We solved the mystery together.” She ran to His Lordship, who patted his mouth with the tablecloth, smiled his sweet smile at her, and stood, his head grazing the stone ceiling.
She wanted to hug him, too, but she never had, and he was a count, so she contented herself with matching the ardor of his smile, if not its sweetness.
He sat again. “Would you like pottage?”
She nodded.
He ladled pottage into a bowl. A smiling Ludda-bee sat next to him, clearly reveling in his appetite. His own pottage filled a tureen. The others were seated, too, more tightly pressed together than usual.
“Why didn’t you come right back to us?” Elodie said, addressing His Lordship. She took her bowl and squeezed onto the bench next to her masteress. “Did something happen?”
“Yes.”
They all waited.
He put down his spoon. “When I was a swift, an arrow pierced my shoulder. As a bird, I couldn’t fly.” He resumed eating.
“So you had to get better.” She paused for him to say more.
After the silence had stretched for half a minute, he said, “Meenore found me.” He didn’t mention the people he’d rescued.
“Your Lordship, if you please, relate the solution of the mystery as I revealed it to you on Zertrum.”
Count Jonty Um obliged.
Master Robbie, sitting across from His Lordship, clapped his hands. “Whales and porpoises! IT knew.”
Elodie suspected he wanted to be a barber-surgeon only because he couldn’t be a dragon.
High Brunka Marya said, “Masteress, brunkas pay our debts. What is your fee?”
Elodie remembered that High Brunka Marya had promised a reward of a hundred silvers.
IT helped ITself from a platter of boiled eggs. “Madam, it is the quite reasonable sum of three gold coins.”
Albin laughed.
Three gold coins equaled only seventy-five silvers. “But—”
“Lodie, do not tell me that I should be charit—”
“Masteress, there—”
“You have interrupted me, Master Robbie. I hope your reason is excellent.”
He explained about the reward.
“I see.” Blue smoke rose. “Nonetheless, I have named my price. I will not amend it.”
High Brunka Marya opened her purse and produced the coins.
Albin asked, “How much of this will Elodie receive, Masteress?”
Elodie squeezed her hands together; she thought she deserved a portion.
ITs smoke tinted a delicate pink. “None. I pay her a salary.”
The high brunka tucked her purse back under her cloak. “I’ll go with you when you leave the Oase.”
At gale speed, IT deduced her meaning. “You must not cease to be the high brunka.”
Elodie blinked in surprise.
“I failed in the most important thing.”
“You learned humility. The next high brunka will not have.”
Elodie thought, IT has no humility!
“I’ll think about what you say.”
“There is a point upon which you can satisfy me,” IT said. “It is my theory that you could not maintain your rainbow over the door for years or even weeks.”
A rainbow fluttered out of High Brunka Marya’s hand.
It was true! The high brunka was a mansioner, too!
IT pushed ITs bowl away. “I further contend that you made your claim to force the thieves to expose themselves, and the bumps on your head are proof of your success.”
The high brunka’s smile widened, but she didn’t answer.
“I have eaten my fill, and now, Madam, I should like to see the Replica. Please bring the pedestal as well so there is no danger of a fresh disaster on Zertrum.”
The high brunka left the great hall with four of her bees.
“Elodie, what do you deduce from this?”
She knew instantly and was shocked. “High Brunka Marya is willing for at least four bees to know where the Replica is hidden.” How could she be careless again?
“Precisely.”
While she was gone, His Lordship stood and stepped away from the table. Ludda-bee and another bee cleared the meal, and several other bees dismantled the table.
High Brunka Marya returned holding the Replica. The four bees carried the heavy marble pedestal between them.
“Unite the pedestal and the Replica, if you please.”
They did.