In the Darkness Visible - Elk Riders Volume One

Chapter 20: A Fallen House

The stew was ready. Meeshock had warmed a few rolls over the fire and set out a dish of butter. A kettle steamed with fresh tea, a sweating pitcher held chilled milk, and sliced meats were fanned out over a porcelain dish. Gabriella's stomach grumbled at the sight of so much food.

When Meeshock turned his back, she brushed mortar dust off her skirt. The crate of eggs was gone, along with the vial of poison. Meeshock pointed to a clock on the wall. For a moment, Gabriella marvelled at its size—the clock in her village was enormous and rarely worked. Most people just used the sundial. This small marvel ticked away, its pendulum waving happily. It was five minutes to six. Meeshock grumbled that Sybil expected her dinner on the hour.

For her plan to work, Gabriella knew she needed to be the one to carry the food to Sybil. She had to guarantee that Meeshock would ask her to. Meeshock mumbled something about her taking too long in the privy, and now it was his turn to "drain the hole."

"Watch the bread," he told Gabriella as he stepped through the doorway. "Don't let it burn."

When Gabriella heard the door close behind him, she scanned the kitchen for ideas. She considered finding the key to the privy and locking Meeshock inside. But then she noticed that the wood rack beside the fireplace was empty. The fire was already burning low. She tipped the cauldron so that some of the stew fell onto the logs beneath. The logs hissed angrily. More rolls were toasting in a rack over the flames. Undaunted by the fact they were too hot to eat, she stuffed one into her mouth and washed it down with a ladle of water.

A poker hung beside the hearth. She used it to rearrange the logs to hide the vegetables that had spilled with the broth. When Meeshock returned, she made a show of blowing on the fire.

"It's gotten quite low," she said. Meeshock's looked from the empty wood rack to the clock. He cursed. "You don't know where the wood is kept. Can you carry a tray?"

"I used to serve in a fine lady's house," Gabriella lied.

"Good. Just serve Sybil, ask her if she needs anything. Get her anything she wants. Then wait in the doorway while she takes the first few bites. If she does not like something, she will ring the bell on the tray."

"How far away is the wood? How long will you be gone?"

"Why?" he said, turning a suspicious eye on Gabriella. "Are you afraid you can't do this?"

"No, no. I just was wondering in case I had a question."

"Carry the tray. Serve the food. Wait in the doorway. You can handle that. Sometimes she might ask you to sample it, to make sure it is not poisoned, but she does this at random times. Likely she will not. The wood is outside the keep. I'll be back in ten minutes. Look at the clock, it is time." He set all the items on the tray then handed it to Gabriella. "Don't drop it. Hurry up." He picked up the wood carrier beside the hearth and swept out through the doorway, still mumbling.

The dishes shook on the tray as Gabriella carried it down the hallway. She stopped just before entering the throne room to place the mirror's handle upwards in her pocket. Omanuju was still talking, his voice droning beyond the tapestries covering the opening into the huge room.

Gabriella listened. His voice echoing in the empty chamber, Omanuju was telling the story of Zomar the Sailor and his seven sisters. It was a story about how, as a young lad, Zomar had taken his family for granted and treated his sisters horribly, but after seven ill fortunes befell Zomar, each of his sisters pitched in to help him, seven times. There was purpose behind choosing such a story. Gabriella knew Omanuju was already working on themes to reconcile Sybil with her own family.