Dear readers, as always, comments are welcome.

Gus knew that his aunt's sitting room was on the ground floor of a stone turret, around which was a little walled garden. Gus also knew how to get to that garden through the palace grounds, but what he didn't know was whether he could open the turret's glass window from the outside. He figured it was worth trying though, because he really, really wanted to see what was inside that big basket.

The day after his grandfather's funeral, Gus hid from his geometry tutor, slipped out through the library and made his way to the walled garden. Crouching, he approached the window. There were a couple of thorny bushes just underneath it and so he had to be careful. Peeking through the glass he saw that the curtains were closed. The window latch was on the inside. But there was a hole in the pane just big enough maybe for Gus to put his arm through, reach up and open the latch. He was about to try this, when he heard people entering the room. Then he heard Anna's voice: "If you will wait here, my Lords, I will fetch my mistress."

The door closed. Gus heard shuffling and walking. I wonder if someone will look in the basket, thought Gus, but he had no time for any other thoughts because all at once with a giant swoosh the heavy curtains were opened and Gus had to duck so he wouldn't be seen.

"That's better," said a voice that Gus recognized. It was Lord Maurice, Earl of Cantanker, First Minister of the Realm—and Wilf's father. As Cantanker moved away from the window, Gus stretched his head up to peek. Sunlight spilt onto the floor and dust motes floated in the air. He could see four men all of whom he knew.

Cantanker, squat and compact, stood in the middle of the room, his back to the window. He said to the man poking around the bookcases and bottles: "Watch her closely, Amply. If you see any indication of instability—"

"Of course, of course, Sir," said Dr. Benjamin Amply, court physician, bowing low and knocking a book off the shelf with his backside. Gus smirked to see it.

"Come now, Cantanker," replied General Torne, who occupied the territory by the lit hearth. "She's no more mad than you or I."

"It was a mistake coming here," said Baronet Ansel Antoine, Chief of Palace Protocol, who always reminded Gus of a worm (long, thin and pale). Mopping his brow with a lace-trimmed handkerchief, Antoine stood just inside the door.

"You don't actually believe this nonsense about her being a witch?" asked Torne.

Antoine shrugged elaborately.

"The mistake was King Gregoire keeping her away from the children all these years," said Torne.

"Gregoire did not trust easily, least of all when it came to members of his own family," said Cantanker.

"She's coming now," said Antoine. The door opened and Aunt Maud, dressed all in black, her hair pinned up beneath a black cap, a shawl around her shoulders, came into the room leaning lightly on her cane. Maud squinted at the too bright light flooding the room and went to the hearth.

"Gentlemen, how lovely that you have come to visit me. Sir Ansel, how handsome you look. And General Torne, always a pleasure. Dr. Amply, I would not sniff that too deeply and do please be careful not to upset the bottles. Earl Cantanker, I am honoured. I have not seen you since that unfortunate incident at the archery tournament last summer when young Argus accidentally nicked you. Such a fuss! I hope you are quite recovered? You can sit comfortably now?" Gus snickered quietly. "Oh, good. Well, gentlemen, I think I will sit."

And so with a great many bows and a smattering of "Your Royal Highness" and "honoured, I'm sure," Maud settled herself into a chair by the fire.

"Oh dear, I'm afraid I don't have enough chairs for you all. Perhaps Anna can scrounge a couple more for us."

"Do not bother yourself, Ma'am," said Cantanker. "We will not stay long."

"Oh, but I thought you'd stay for tea. No? Well, perhaps just a quick refreshment. Sir Ansel looks flushed. Anna, fetch me a bottle of my special cordial. Well, gentlemen, to what do I owe this visit?"

Cantanker was about to speak, but Antoine cleared his throat and said: "We are aware, Ma'am, that with the death of King Gregoire certain restrictions on your movements have been lifted. We rejoice in this, and we hope, of course, that you will join us for the coronation?"

"I would not miss it."

Anna came back in with the bottle and glasses. She set them on the table and left the room. Maud began to pour. "He is such a dear boy, our new King," she said. "Perhaps a little too preoccupied with his architectural studies, but so full of potential." She gave glasses to Sir Antoine and the General. "I urge you, Gentlemen, not to push Rudolf too hard. He has always been like his father. From time to time, Viktor needed to be by himself to think, to ruminate."

That did sound like Rudy.

Torne growled softly. "Unfortunately, Ma'am, circumstances sometimes require quick decisions not endless ruminating."

Maud nodded. "Is the drink not to your liking, Sir Antoine?" Gus noticed Antoine was holding his glass up to the sunlight and scrutinizing the dark red liquid.

Antoine lowered his glass and murmured: "No, not at all. I mean, yes, of course it is to my liking." But he didn't drink.

With a snort, General Torne took charge of the situation by drinking from his own glass. He smacked his lips. "Squirt wine, from the Thick?" he asked.

"Of course," said Maud. They exchanged smiles. "So, how can I help you, Gentlemen?"

"Well, Ma'am," Torne said, leaning his long frame against the wall. "That pup Gus comes to see you often, Cantanker tells us. Now I assured these gentlemen that you would not be inclined to fill the boy's head with matters that would upset him."

"I should hope not," said Maud.

Gus craned his neck trying to see past Cantanker and his aunt. Dr. Amply was poking around the room and was heading for the large lidded basket.

"You do realize Ma'am what a precarious position Sudland is in?" Cantanker said, his hands clasped behind him.

Gus's heart fluttered as he watched Amply reach down and jiggle the straps on the basket.

Cantanker was still talking. "A new and very young King, unsure of himself, the Westdonians milling about our borders claiming Bragdenburg for themselves again."

Amply began to loosen the straps.

"I told you the army can handle it, Cantanker," said the General. "I'm the one that expelled the Westdonians from Bragdenburg the first time and I can do so again."

Amply had the first strap undone. He reached for the second strap.

Cantanker snorted. "You'll forgive me Torne, if I do not have faith—"

"In my leadership?" asked the General.

"Dr. Amply, come away from there," said Maud rather loudly, distracting the Earl and the General from their argument. "Come please join us, Doctor, and have a glass of this fine cordial." Amply, much to Gus's disappointment, did as he was told.

Gus sighed. His attention started to drift away from their conversation. He was feeling cramped crouched as he was behind the bushes. He wondered how he could crawl out of there and away from the window.

"Lord Cantanker, please have a glass," said Maud.

"No thank you, Ma'am. I must reiterate our situation."

"I do quite understand the situation the country is in, Sir. What I don't understand is what it has to do with me, an old retired lady."

Cantanker began to reply, but again Antoine cleared his throat. "The King is young and there is much for him to learn. It would not be good to confuse him with too many facts, too many notions."

"Notions?"

"About the poisonings, Ma'am, about what happened," said Torne. Gus's attention snapped back.

"I have not spoken of that to anyone since before the children were born, why would I do so now?" asked Maud in what Gus thought was her frosty tone.

"No, no reason, Ma'am, except—," said Antoine.

"I gave my word to my brother."

"Indeed," said Antoine, "But Gregoire has passed and we feel it necessary now that you restate your promise."

"Restate my promise to whom?"

"To us."

"Ah, so that is why you've come?"

"Yes," said Cantanker. "Will you give us your word?"

There was a pause. Gus wished he could see his aunt's face, but he couldn't quite from his angle at the window. He presumed they were talking about all the people his grand-father had poisoned, but what else was there to say about it?

She took her time answering. "I'm sorry, Gentlemen. I do not think I can give you my word."

"Maud," the General said.

"No, Leo, hear me out. My loyalty is to our new King. I will not offer the information, but if Rudolf asks me I will not lie. But in truth, I cannot imagine it will ever come up."

There was another pause. "Well, that is good enough for me, Ma'am," said the General. Then came the sound of glasses being set down. Cantanker, however, was not moving, except for his hands, which Gus could see him clench.

"How is your health, Ma'am?" Cantanker asked Maud.

"Well enough. A touch of lethargy in my right knee."

"Indeed? Such a complaint can be severe. Perhaps you are in need of Dr. Amply's services."

"No, no, thank you, that is not necessary."

"Oh, but I think it is, Ma'am," Cantanker said. "In fact, I may insist upon it. Dr. Amply knows of a very good hospital where no one would bother you. Perhaps you know of it as well? He could arrange for you to occupy a room there, where you could rest without the disturbance of conversation for years if necessary."

Was that a threat?

Maud's voice was icy: "Let me assure you, my Lord, I have the strength to withstand all obstacles."

"Cantanker!" Torne's voice was just as icy. "That's enough."

"Never mind," said Cantanker. "I believe I have made my point. I trust, Ma'am, that you will have the strength to remain silent. Come Gentlemen, we have overstayed our welcome." With that, the four men left.

What was that all about? Gus remained crouched against the stone of the turret, trying to sort everything out in his head. He saw Anna enter the room, go to the window and close the curtains—cutting off Gus's view.

He was standing up to stretch, when he heard his aunt say: "Anna, check the straps please. That fool Amply was fiddling with them. And bring it over here. It's time to milk the snake."