Page 300 of Night's Fall
“AndIneed a whisky,”Timmuttered. “Anyoneelse?”
“Shot of tequila,”Catsaid.
“Times two,”Moniqeput in.
“Snifter of almondine,”Irequested.
“I’ll help,”Mrs.Truelocksaid.
“No need.Ihave it,”Timtold her.
Yeah.
He just said that he’d make a bunch of females some drinks.
I stared at him because…
Who was this male?
“I need something to do, sweetheart,”Mrs.Truelocktold him.
Tim jerked up his chin.
“Can you make me a martini?”Gayleasked. “Stiff.Olive.”
“I change mine to that,”Catsaid.
“Me too,”Moniqueadded.
Tim andMrs.Truelockheaded to a bureau that had the makings of a full bar on top of it and got to work.
They made our drinks, and we settled in, only forMrs.Vinestrongto arrive ten minutes later on a massive eyeroll to her daughter and the words, “Yourfather commandedIremove myself from the melee.”Sheturned her attention to encompassQueenCalisaandMrs.Truelockand griped, “Males.”
“Indeed,”QueenCalisaagreed.
“So things are still crazy?”Gayleasked.
Mrs.Vinestrongnodded as she collapsed into an armchair. “Notlike at the beginning, of course.They’rerestoring order.Ithink every constable inNocturnis interviewing guests.Andtwo banks of army dragons have arrived.Thereare beasts sitting sentry all around the island, and more flying overhead.”
Suddenly,Gayleasked, “Where’sErrol?”
I tried not to meetTimandQueenCalisa’seyes as they did the same to me, because he couldn’t shift, though he didn’t know he couldn’t shift, and now he probably wondered why, which was not good.
They far more successfully avoided my gaze without looking like they were, andQueenCalisaanswered breezily, “Helping,I’msure.”
Under the guard of some defense bots so he wouldn’t put two and two together and make an escape,Iwas sure.
“Okay, is it only me who noticed thatKingArnauddidn’t show his gross, smarmy face at theMasque?”Catasked.
More eye avoidance from the royals, andQueenCalisawaded in again. “AsElaynesaid, there is whatIhave no doubt will be a thorough investigation already underway.We’lllearn what there is to learn when there’s something to know.”
“Perhaps we should turn on the screen?”Mrs.Truelocksuggested.
Before the queen could stop him,Tim, who was leaning against the front of the king’s desk, said to the room, “Screenengage.Playlatest newsfeed.”
A large screen unfurled from the ceiling and a human female newsreader appeared on it.
“We’ve received reports of a massive malfunction of the ground level fireworks display at theMidnightMasquethis evening,” she was saying.
