The Stranger's Magic: The Labyrinths of Echo: Book Three (13 page)

I gave up, finished my mug of wonderful kamra (I sometimes thought that the daughter of Loiso Pondoxo had been using up all of her sinister inheritance of Magic solely on making this godly
beverage), looked out the window, and realized that it was time for me to go.

“Consider yourself lucky,” I said to Tekki, “because I’m out of here. First the sinning coronation. Then, later tonight, I’m going to be doing the devil knows
what.”

“That ‘devil’ you mention with such regularity, does he really know that much about you?” said Tekki. “By the way, the people I watch sometimes through that magic
box of yours also use the word ‘devil’ a lot. I still don’t understand whether this is a spell or just a manner of speaking.”

I stopped and contemplated the question for a while; it was worth thinking about. Sir Anday Pu, the descendant of Ukumbian pirates, was so preoccupied with himself, thank goodness, that he
wasn’t paying any attention to my conversation with Tekki. Giving him access to the secrets of the magic of the cinema was out of the question—the fellow had not been designed for
keeping secrets. Not only would he have given it away in the first tavern he visited afterward, he would also have written a dozen articles about it.

Tekki was looking at me, waiting. It seemed as thought she was genuinely interested in the whole devil business.

“I think it originally used to be a spell but has since become a manner of speaking,” I said. “That happens when spells lose their power.”

“You bet it does,” said Tekki in the voice of an expert. “Okay, now I’m beginning to understand. Go ahead and have fun, honey. You know how I spend my evenings
nowadays.”

“And how. To think that I was the one who brought that damn box here! Well, no one to blame but myself. Anyway, now I really have to go.”

I jumped down from the barstool and shook Anday, who had fallen asleep. “Wake up, you wordsmith!” He almost said something rude to me but bit his tongue just in time and trotted
along toward the door.

Have a nice trip through Xumgat, Sir Max. And watch your head there. I like you much better with it than without.

Tekki’s Silent Speech was so strong that it almost felled me. I stood fast, however, and even had the strength to turn around. She smiled a sad smile and waved.

“Thanks for the advice,” I said out loud. “My head is something I’m really very attached to.”

All the way to the House by the Bridge, Anday and I were silent. I had a few things to think about—for example, how Tekki had found out about the dangerous trip Juffin and I were about to
take. Not that I considered it a big secret, but I hadn’t had time to talk about it with her. When I returned home the night before, Tekki had already been asleep. When she got up, I was
still snoozing. The only short time we had together, we wasted on mindless chitchat.

It’s one of two things, I thought. Either I really talk in my sleep, or . . . Or I have to keep reminding myself who she is. Then again, she is the daughter of Loiso Pondoxo. Clairvoyance
is probably the least of her abilities.

I stopped the amobiler by the staff entrance of the House by the Bridge and sighed: I had to admit I didn’t know much about her. If anything.

“You can wait for me in the amobiler. I’ll be back soon,” I said to the journalist.

Funny, but the fellow still lost his peace of mind in the presence of the harmless members of the city police force. At the same time, my
Mantle of Death had never made him even remotely timid from day one. Marvelous are thy deeds, indeed.

“I’m okay. I’ll wait here. You have things to do there,” said Anday, nodding.

The hallway on our side of the Ministry of Perfect Public Order was empty, and so was the Hall of Common Labor. No wonder: the entire Minor Secret Investigative Force was partying in
Juffin’s office. Even Sir Lonli-Lokli had temporarily left his cell. He was feeding Kurush pastries from the Glutton Bunba and discussing new titles in the city library with Melamori in a low
voice. From what I could gather, he was all right. Good, I had one less thing to worry about.

“Lucky you,” I said. “You’re partying here, and I have to head to the palace. I’m jealous.”

“Not yet, you don’t,” said Juffin. “You’re a king, after all. You can arrive last. If His Majesty King Gurig were planning to attend your coronation, then, sure,
you’d have had to hurry up. But since politics and etiquette prevent him from appearing at the ceremony, you have the right to a quick glass of something and even one cookie, at the very
least.”

“‘One cookie, at the very least’ equals three in my book,” I said. “It’s the best piece of news I’ve heard in the past dozen years. What are we
celebrating anyway?”

“Your enthronement, of course!” said Melifaro. He tried to guard the tray of pastries with his body. “Hands off! Don’t they feed you at the palace?”

“One more word and I’ll declare war on this barbarian country,” I said, sitting down on the armrest of Melamori’s armchair. She put her cold palm on top of my hand.

“Good day, Max.” She had the desperate eyes of a person dying from grief.

If you want me to build a raft and take you to Arvarox on it, just give me a holler. I decided to resort to Silent Speech. Some topics should be addressed without delay.

I probably do, but I won’t be hollering just yet. Don’t pay too much attention to me, Max. My mood is a variable, not a constant. It depends on the weather, among other things, by
the way.

Then we need to change the weather.

According to the astrologists’ forecasts, it’s going to change later today. Thank you, Max, but let’s speak out loud now. The prolonged silence looks suspicious.

I submitted. “Don’t you guys want to keep me company?” I said to my colleagues. “Without your moral support, that blasted coronation will be the end of me.”

“Well, I’m definitely not leaving you alone,” said Juffin. “Unlike our king, I am required to be present at this momentous event.”

“That’s good news,” I said. “More volunteers, please?”

“I would love to accept your invitation, but as you know . . .” said Shurf Lonli-Lokli, and made a helpless gesture.

“Yeah,” I said. “I know.”

“Not only have you gotten yourself into a scrape, you also want to spoil the evening for the rest of us,” said Sir Kofa. “No, thanks.
I’m staying in the office. Someone has to stay behind and hold down the fort.”

“You know, Max,” whispered Melamori, “I think I’m going to betray you, too. The very idea of betrayal sounds so attractive. I’ve wanted to try it since childhood.
Plus, I was going to watch a movie tonight.”

“I knew it. I know another lady who can’t wait until sunset. I’m willing to bet you promised her you’d bring a bottle from the cellars of your uncle Kima, too.”

“You are unbearable, Max. You know everything about everyone.”

“Well, not everything, but I do know my basic facts,” I said, laughing, and turned to Melifaro. “How about you, mister? Will you pass up the chance to rain on my
parade?”

“Quit whining, I’m not going to abandon you,” my diurnal half said in the tone of a gentleman who has suddenly decided to marry one of the many victims of his masculine charms.
“First, this ‘parade’ basically begs to be rained on. Second, I’d never pass up the chance of seeing an old friend of mine.”

“An old friend of yours?”

“Prince Ayonxa Rotri Shimaro, one of the grandees of the County Shimara. He’s a great fellow—you’re going to like him. His younger brother is also okay, but a bit too
fierce for my taste. Prince Ayonxa, on the other hand, is a kind soul and very casual. He also owes me one.”

“When our Melifaro had just started his career in the Minor Investigative Force, he managed to pull Prince Shimaro out of a nasty situation,” said Juffin. “One of the
prince’s acquaintances here in Echo was very fond of murder using Forbidden Magic. He liked to think he was avenging some relative who had died in the Battle for the Code. He was smart enough
to blame poor Ayonxa, who had just arrived in the Capital for reasons unknown. The prince was looking at doing life in Xolomi. Boy, that was some scandal! His younger brother, Prince Jiffa, turned
to me for help. Let me tell you something: on first sight, Jiffa is the one who looks older, yet he is, indeed, the younger one—almost two years younger. Then again, he has been looking after
his careless older brother since childhood. Back to the story, though. The esteemed grandee Prince Jiffa had rushed to the Capital incognito, like a simple merchant, and headed straight to me,
saying, ‘Help me, Sir Venerable Head! Reopen the investigation. We’re fellow countrymen, after all.’ I was swamped with work at the time—I had to sleep and eat on my
feet—so I offloaded it all onto Sir Melifaro, without much hope, I must say. Poor boy was absolutely discombobulated and had no idea which end to begin from. Imagine my surprise when he
brought to me the real murderer the next morning!”

“And then you finally realized how lucky you were to have me in your service,” said Melifaro.

“May I suggest that we continue to reminisce about the inimitable exploits of the Ninth Volume of Sir Manga Melifaro’s Encyclopedia at the foot of my throne,” I said, putting
an empty mug on the desk. “Let’s go, guys. My subjects have been crying and whining there for half an hour already. Soon the ambassadors will join in.”

“You’re just jealous and bitter,” said Melifaro, laughing. “You hear words of praise, but they’re not for you. How sad.”

“Have I been praising anyone?” said Juffin. “Okay, let’s go, or Sir Max’s subjects will indeed start crying. I never thought you’d make such a caring
monarch.”

For what it’s worth, ten minutes later the three of us did manage to get outside. Anday Pu was snoozing on the back seat of the company amobiler. The guy deserved a medal for patience.

“It seems you have brought the press along,” said Juffin.

“You know how vain I am. Can’t sneeze without my personal biographer knowing about it.” I switched to Silent Speech: Don’t worry. I’m not inviting him on the trip
down Xumgat.

That would have been something.

The boss smiled a conspiratorial smile and sat down next to me.

“Move over, Sir Royal Voice. A hole in the heavens above you, buddy. There’s sure a lot of you,” said Melifaro, trying to squeeze in.

Anday wasn’t so fat as to take up the entire back seat, but he was shameless enough to place his sizable body right in the middle of it.

“Please don’t push me, Sir Melifaro,” said the descendant of Ukumbian pirates in the tone of the Queen Mother visiting a seaport tavern for the first time in her life.

“The way I see it, the Refuge for the Mad is a much more boring place than our organization,” I said, as though reporting my findings from the previous evening.

I grabbed the lever, and we set off to my royal residence. How on earth did I end up being the protagonist of a geopolitical intrigue unleashed by His Sly Majesty? I thought. Not that there was
much to think with.

“Look, Juffin,” I said. “What is it exactly that I’m supposed to do there? I mean, are there some rules I should play by?”

“Just remember your amusing ruler Caligula and stick to his agenda,” said Melifaro.