She dragged Luna to a storage vault big enough to house a sperm whale.
Luna gazed in every crevice she could find. “Have you ever seen the mechanic down here?”
“Why would he come here? There's nothing to do, and all he ever seemed to be interested in were his machines and inventions.” The girl dragged her through the endless maze of storage rooms, telling her all about the Royal Mechanic and his inventions, peppering her tales with funny anecdotes.
Luna came along and examined everything as thoroughly as possible. The longer she listened to the girl's tales, the more she suspected that the Royal Mechanic had been kidnapped. He didn't seem like someone who was planning to get rid of his king. But if he had been hidden away, he had to be in the castle. Logic said as much. A traitor set on removing the king would have to be at court. Since he — or she, for it might as well be a woman — had to stay close to the king, the prisoner must be at hand — unless the traitor had accomplices. Was it possible that a whole fraction of the court wanted someone else to rule the country? Well, she could only investigate things one step at a time, and the first was to find out if the mechanic was anywhere in the castle.
“Say,” she said, stopping and turning to the girl, “where in this castle would you hide something you don't want to be found?”
“That's easy. I'd hide it in plain sight.” The girl grinned. “I've got a ring of real gold that my mother left to me when she died, and I keep it in a box with the fake jewels I bought for special occasions.”
So simple and yet so hard. Luna had to force herself not to slap her forehead. “Thank you for showing me around, but I have to go now. I forgot an urgent request from the dungeons.”
“Oh, are they having trouble again with the lifting jack?” The girl pointed to a narrow corridor at the end of the storeroom they were standing in. “If you go through there and take the third turn to the left, you'll end up right in front of the dungeon master's door. Saves you the trouble of explaining yourself to those stuck-up guards.”
Luna thanked the girl again and hurried though the corridor. It was badly lit and led steadily down. The third turn to the left took her down a flight of stairs to a thick door with a tiny window. Its shutters were firmly closed with no way to open them from this side. She knocked. When nothing happened, she knocked again.
“Yeah, yeah. I'm coming,” a hoarse voice from the other side called. “No need to pester an old man.”
The door swung open and Luna stood face to face with a man barely bigger than her brother. Over his shoulder he carried a sizable axe, and his shoulders were wide enough to drive home the fact that he had the strength to use it.
“What are ye staring at? Never seen a vertically challenged guy before?”
Luna caught herself. Her instincts told her she better placate this guy, so she smiled and bowed.
“At least not one this good-looking.”
“Balderdash! What do ye want?”
“The king sent me. I'm looking for the Royal Mechanic. He's needed urgently.”
“Are ye nee good enough for the job, ey? Well, nee surprise, seein’ ye's barely more then a slip of a lass.” He waved her in and led her down the corridor. The walls had doors on both sides, and Luna wondered how many prisoners lived down here. From all she knew, not many survived long.
“No need to look disgusted. The ones who made it here earned it. Believe me. That one there,” he pointed to one of the doors. “Raped his own daughter. Got himself caught by the neighbor. And that one,” he pointed to another door. “Murdered his uncle, his aunt and their kids to get his dirty hands on their money. No one down here's without reason.”
“What about the Royal Mechanic?” Luna asked.
“Ah, he's a special case. Hasn't been judged by the king, ye see? He came here himself, insisting he's as guilty as can be.” The small man shifted his axe to the other shoulder and searched through a giant key ring hanging on a chain from his belt. “Said he's prepared the king's murder. Seein’ the king's still doing his job, though, no one believes him. He's a little…” He pointed to his temple and turned the finger in circles. When Luna didn't say anything, he put the key he had selected into the lock of the door they were standing at. “I'll fetch him fer ya. T'is nee a sight for a lass down there.”
Luna waited patiently. He returned a few minutes later supporting a much bigger man who looked rather the worse for wear. His beard held bits and pieces of straw, his eyes were half closed and his body sunken. He coughed, which shook his body and made the jailer moan.
“What are ye waitin fer, eh? The lad's heavy.”
Luna grabbed an arm and draped it over her shoulder. He was heavy, but by the look of him he had been much heavier before he came here.
“I'm going to take him back the way I came,” she said.
“No way.” The small jailer flitted around her and spread his arms. “You take the regular stairs and sign out with the guards like everyone.”
“Fine. In that case, you'll have to help me get him up the stairs. There's no way I can do that on my own.” Luna hoped he didn't fancy helping her, and she was right. Grumbling, the jailer led her back to the side entrance. He picked up a paper and pen from a depression in the wall and wrote in big, wobbly letters, “Prisoner 43-6 released into custody of:” He made her spell her name and sign it. Then he opened the door.
“Bring him back when you're done with him,” he said.
Anything Luna might have answered was lost in a cough. The mechanic's body shook so hard it was impossible to move him more than the two steps needed to clear the door. It slammed behind them. When the mechanic recovered, he tried to stand on his own but failed miserably. Luna clung to his arm and led him to the stairs to the vaults. He resisted every step with all of what remained of his former strength.
“Come along, sir. It's not far.”
“Who sent you?” His eyes swiveled around as wide as a rabbit's looking for the fox.
“You're safe now,” she tried to soothe him. “The king will make sure nothing happens to you.”
“The king? He's not dead? The two-wheeler didn't kill him?” He stopped abruptly and stood, surprise etched into his face and something more … Hope?
So he did know something about the sabotage of the monster. Luna decided to leave it to the king to extract the full truth. Her first goal was to get the ailing man to a safe place.
“Let's say he's still alive. Whether that means he's still living remains to be seen.” Luna took his arm and led him up the stairs. Halfway up, the strength left him again and she half carried him. It took ages to get the exhausted Royal Mechanic to a place where she could enlist the help of two strong men. Weary, she followed them to the king's rooms. This time, the guard at the door let her in without questioning.
She was greeted by Mondo who slung his arms around her. “Where have you been? I've been awake for ever and ever already.” He glanced at the old man the two servants gently laid on the sofa. “Who's that?”
“I've missed you too.” She hugged him tight. “Promise me you'll stay with the Royal Nurse when I'm not with you.”
“But that's boring. I'm not a little boy any more.”
“Promise or I'll have to lock you in.”
Mondo moaned but agreed. Then Luna turned to the servants and ordered them to fetch broth and some clean clothes for the mechanic. At that point the nurse emerged from the king's bedroom and took over, leaving Luna to talk to her little brother.
She was just recounting her search for the lost Royal Mechanic when the doctor arrived. Mondo slipped under the table, hiding behind the tablecloth. From his hiding place he watched the doctor examine the patient. Luna deliberately turned her back to him. She understood perfectly well why he was skittish. The fright from having been kidnapped would stay with him for a while to come. She would need a lot of patience to turn him back into the merry little brother he had been before.
“He's of poor health,” the doctor said to the Royal Nurs
e while preparing a syringe. “It's a marvel he's not dead yet. His heartbeat is irregular and the blood pressure too high. If we move him, he'll probably die. I'm giving him something that might help to stabilize him.” He injected the patient with the clear liquid.
“I'm sure the king will allow him to stay here until he's better,” the nurse said.
“That'd be most advisable.” The doctor packed his belongings and turned to go. “Feed him lightly and make sure he doesn't get excited. With good care, he might yet live.”
Luna swallowed. Dragging the mechanic through half the castle had probably made him more ill than he had already been. However, leaving him in front of the prison door hadn't been an option. She approached the bed, sat on the edge, and patted the old man's hand.
He smiled up at her. “So, the fork didn't leak after all,” he sighed. “It's a relief to know.”
Luna didn't want to make matters worse, so she didn't tell him the full truth. There was enough time for that after his recovery. However, she had to know a couple of things. “Why did you cut it in the first place?”
“For my son.” The mechanic closed his eyes and sighed. “I needed money for the experiments with my mechanical man.”
“Someone paid you to sabotage the two wheeled steam-car?”
“I regret that now. When I feel better, I'll destroy the mechanical man.” The mechanic's sigh sounded more like a sob. “Brought me nothing but trouble.”
At that moment, the door opened and the king stormed in. The second he was through the door, he pulled off his veil. Gustavo followed him.
The mechanic shot up and gasped. A wobbly finger pointed toward the king and his friend, and with his other hand, he clutched his throat. Fighting for air, he tried to say something. Luna grabbed his shoulders and eased him back into the cushions.
“I'll fetch the doctor.” The nurse hurried out of the door.
“Wait, I'm coming along.” Gustavo ran after her. For a split second, Luna wondered about this. It seemed strange that he meant to fetch help.
“I did kill…” The mechanic's voice was so low she could barely make out the words. With a tremendous effort, he pointed to the king at the door again. “Roberto, my son…” His face went slack and a final breath escaped his lips.
Silence filled the room while Luna stared at the dead mechanic and tried to understand what had happened. Her shock lasted until the king whispered.
“Is he dead?”
She nodded.
With one step, the king stood beside her and grabbed her shoulder gently. “Put me in his body.”
Luna stared up at him, not knowing what to say.
“Please put me into his body,” the king repeated.
“But his body is fat and not very healthy. You will die.”
He put both hands on her upper arms and bent until his face was level with hers. “The change will allow me to truly feel your hand, and even if it's only for a minute I want nothing more than that.”
Instantly, Luna's heart hammered like a steam engine. Thousands of thoughts assaulted her, from a jubilant ‘he likes me’ to a more sedate ‘if he dies, who'll become king?’ She settled on the most pressing problem. “We've only got a few minutes. The instructions were clear that a body can only be used if it has died five minutes ago or less.”
“And three minutes have already passed. Will you do it?”
Luna nodded. “But I don't know where the mind-swapping machine is.”
“It's in my bedroom.” The king let go of her arms and was turning to fetch it when the door opened and Gustavo stormed in with the doctor in tow.
“I told you he wouldn't live that long.” Gustavo shoved the doctor closer to the dead man. He blinked rapidly, while the doctor felt for the pulse.
Is he crying? Luna wondered. But the Royal Spokesman had recovered already and turned to the king. “The ambassador asked if you would accommodate his traveling tiredness. He wants the banquet to start half an hour early. The cooks already said they'd be able to make it if you agree.”
“Yes, yes. Go ahead and arrange things.”
“Well, I'm sorry to say,” the doctor said, “but this man is gone past what I can do for him.”
“Get out,” the king shouted and tried to push everyone but Luna to the door.
“But Your Majesty, the man needs to be taken care of,” the doctor protested. “It will become a hygienic problem otherwise.”
Luna put a hand on the king's arm and jerked to get his attention. He turned reluctantly. She cocked her head and smiled as best she could. “It's too late,” she said, nodding to the clock on the mantle. He visibly slumped and waved for the doctor to proceed. Standing with his back to the room, staring out of the window, he waited until the dead man had been taken away.
“It would have been too good to be true.” He sighed and turned. “Will you please accompany me to the banquet? It's starting in…” he glanced at the clock, “…twenty-five minutes. There are some appropriate dresses in your new room.”
“But Sir, I…”
“No buts. I might need you in your function of Royal Mechanic.” He turned and faced her. “And I need your support too. You might not have noticed, but I highly value your advice.”
“Fine. I'm coming.” Luna hid her embarrassment by bending down and waving to her brother. “You can come out now.”
Mondo shook his head and ducked deeper into his hiding place.
“Leave him here. I'll let Nursie know that he needs to be looked after once more.” The king clapped his hands and his valet came in. “Please take Miss Luna to her rooms.”
Luna marveled at the gigantic bed in the oversized room. The bed alone was as big as her old home had been. In it she could easily evade Mondo's kicking feet. She smiled and turned to the big door of the walk-in wardrobe. Two rows of clothes met her eyes when she opened them. She stared in disbelief. On her right side there were ten different outfits suitable for working as a mechanic: leather leggings and aprons, sturdy boots, linen shirts, and thick vests, as well as belts for storing tools. On her left hung three dresses more beautiful than any she had ever seen. The delicate fabric shimmered in the light of a gas bulb on the wardrobe's ceiling. A piece of paper was pinned to the front of the foremost linen shirt. It read, These were from my younger brother and my elder sister. I had them changed to suit your needs. Hopefully they fit.
Luna ran her fingers over the dress’ fabric. Which one should she choose? The red, the blue or the green? They all went nicely with her honey-colored hair. After much thinking, she settled on the blue one. When she left the wardrobe with it, a lady's maid was waiting for her. As much as she scorned the idea of having someone to help her into a dress, she ended up being very grateful. There were so many hooks and bows and ribbons and frills that needed to be adjusted just right, she wouldn't have known where to start.
Twenty minutes later, the maid was just putting the finishing touches to Luna's elaborate new hairstyle when the king knocked on her door. When he saw her, his jaw fell, a gesture visible despite his veil. He stood motionless for quite a while, staring at her. Then he closed his mouth and said, “I knew you were a wonderful person to be with, but I never realized how beautiful you are.” He held out his arm and turned toward the door. “Shall we?”
The banquet guests had already assembled in the great hall. When the king arrived with Luna on his arm, the courtiers clapped until he reached the doors to the dining room. Two servants opened them and the crowd streamed in with the king and Luna in the lead. Luna fought down her irritation when a servant adjusted a high-backed chair two seats to the king's left for her. This fussing would take some getting used to. She frowned when Gustavo sat on the king's right. Shouldn't that be the old advisor's place?
“Your counselor has a bad cough,” Gustavo whispered to the king loud enough for Luna to hear.
“Have you seen my nurse? I wanted her to look after Luna's brother.” The king spoke without turning to Gustavo.
His Spokesman shrugged. “She'll find him. I'm sure. Ah, here they come.”
Everybody, including the king, rose. Luna hurried to follow suit.
The ambassador — she didn't even remember which country he was from — walked in looking like a peacock. His wide belly was dressed in a tunic with a greenish-blue metallic sheen. It hung down to his knobbly knees, hiding surprisingly thin legs. When he reached the place of honor at the king's left side, he bowed and said a few words in a foreign language. To Luna's surprise, she recognized it as a greeting. Her mother had often talked in the same language. When the ambassador continued, she had no problem understanding him.
“Our king sends his deepest condolences for the loss of your brothers. It is a major misfortune that both of them fell into the chasm. He assures you that he will do his best to retrieve their bodies.” The ambassador bowed stiffly.
“He hopes you are well and all the usual bullshit,” Gustavo translated for the king just loud enough for Luna to understand.
He lied! Why would he lie to the king? Sure, it would be horrible for him to learn about his brothers’ deaths this way but keeping it from him was wrong. He needed to know. Together with the rest of the guests, Luna sat again, determined to tell him the truth as soon as she got the chance.
They toasted a couple of times and then the first course was served. Luna ate little and watched the king throughout the meal. The longer the evening dragged on, the more sluggish she felt. This must be the most boring duty a king has, she thought when she caught her thoughts drifting once again. She glanced to where the king sat, but it didn't seem as if he was going to leave any time soon. When her eyelids began to droop, the ambassador finally rose, said his farewells and left. Luna found it hard to rise. Relieved, she slumped back into her chair when the king sat again. What was wrong with her? She drank some more of the watered juice they had served her when she had refused to drink wine. Her arms were as heavy as lead when she set down her goblet.
Gustavo bent to the king and whispered to him. Then he got up. The talk in the dining hall subsided immediately.
The King's Mechanic Page 7
