Astrophil tried not to think about the Venus flytrap. Instead, he jumped up onto a small table on which sat a cup, a saucer, and a spoon. Walking along the table, Astrophil deliberately bumped into the spoon, sending it over the edge with a clatter. The spider leaped to the floor.
He couldn’t move any farther. A domed glass object plunged down from the sky and covered him. It was the bell jar that up until a moment ago had been covering the Venus flytrap. Astrophil quivered in fear, but sternly told himself to remain calm. He froze as the prince bent down to stare at him. From Astrophil’s point of view, the curve of his glass prison distorted the prince’s face. It was deformed, and bent in odd directions as the prince tilted his head. When the prince spoke, his words vibrated through the glass. “My,” he said. “How curious.”
25
Coins and Cogs
LOOK LIKE A PARROT.” Neel fidgeted with the red and gold jacket as he and Petra walked down the hall.
“What are you complaining about? Half the Lovari wear clothes in those colors.” “Yeah, but the cut …”
Stuffed somewhere into one of the dark corners of the stables was a page who would dearly love to look like a parrot. But instead he was dressed in Neel’s clothes, and bound and gagged. Petra had lured Damek into the stables by telling him that there were bushels of apples stored there for the nobles’ favorite horses. When Neel pounced on poor Damek, Petra explained to the page that she was sorry, but there were no apples for him to steal and he wasn’t likely to get his uniform back anytime soon. Petra supposed that her deeds tonight wouldn’t improve Prince Rodolfo’s opinion of shifty chambermaids. But when Iris confirmed that, yes, she had heard that the prince was dining with several ambassadors that night, Petra swung the plan into action. Damek actually cried when Neel put on his uniform, but Petra hardened her heart and told the page that his outfit looked ridiculous anyway, and he should be glad to be rid of it.
Petra and Neel had managed to get past the series of human guards without any trouble. They knew Petra by now and waved her past without looking at her papers. Neel drew some doubtful looks, but Petra had made good use of the prince’s study during her first day of work as one of his chambermaids. She had examined several of the prince’s letters. She supposed that she would have been in serious trouble if she had been caught, even though none of the letters said anything interesting. They were about raising the price of grain, awarding knighthoods, and setting aside more money for Bohemian ships to sail from Italy. Doing a very decent job of imitating the prince’s handwriting, she introduced Branko (that is, Neel). He was a new page, replacing Damek, who had proved himself to be unworthy to work for the prince. Branko had already been interviewed by Prince Rodolfo. Petra stamped the note with the prince’s seal and hoped fervently that this letter would do the trick.
The lion and the salamander gazed at the letter in Neel’s outstretched hand. Silent communication passed between the two of them for quite some time. Finally, the lion said, “Viera, you may pass.”
“What about me?” Neel said.
“You have never entered these doors before, therefore we doubt that you have been interviewed. We regret to inform you that His Highness is not here. You will have to return at another time for your interview.”
“But it’s already taken place!” Petra argued. “The letter says so.”
“It would be highly unusual for His Highness to conduct an interview outside his chambers.”
“But His Highness himself wrote that he has done so. Are you telling me that you doubt His Highness’s word?”
The salamander shifted. The lion said, “Certainly we do not doubt it.”
“Damek was taken away by the captain of the guard. Everything happened so fast. The interview was conducted in Master Listek’s office. His Highness has important matters for Branko to attend to. His Highness will be very upset if he returns from his meeting and finds that Branko’s duties haven’t been taken care of.”
The lion and the salamander looked at each other.
“Would you like to examine the letter again? These”—Petra waved the paper—“are His Highness’s orders.”
The lion sighed. “You may pass, Branko.”
They waited until the double doors had shut behind them to share a triumphant grin.
They rushed down the hallway. Just before they reached the main chamber, Petra took Astrophil’s drinking spoon from her pocket and dipped it into one of the brassica lamps, collecting a dollop of oil. She carried the full spoon above her left palm, trying not to spill any green liquid. They walked into the chamber with its empty throne and false window. Petra nodded at the door in the middle, to the right. Neel dropped to his knees before it and began to go to work.
He grimaced. “This one’s tricky.”
Petra’s heart was pounding. But she and Neel exchanged elated glances when they heard a click.
Neel pushed open the door. He let out a groan. There was a second door.
This one was made of glass. There was not one but three keyholes.
“Should we break the glass?” Petra whispered worriedly.
“No. Don’t get so jumpy. Give me a minute, will you?”
As Neel moved his hands over the first keyhole, Petra peered into the Cabinet of Wonders, trying to calm herself. It was a room that seemed to stretch on forever. Several large statues were set on the floor, and shelves lined the walls, heavy with countless objects.
Petra strained to see what they were, but she didn’t have a good view. Astrophil? she called, searching for the spidery twitching in the back of her mind. She noticed shards of broken glass on the floor several feet ahead. Her anxiety increased. Astro? Tell me you’re in there!
A silvery web jetted from one of the shelves to the floor. Astrophil speedily lowered himself and ran to the glass door. Petra! Petra! He jumped up and down. I am so glad you are here! I was worried that you would never come! And I am so hungry!
We’ll get this door open soon. Did you find Father’s eyes?
Yes, but you cannot imagine what I had to do to get in here! There was a Venus flytrap, and the prince caught me, and I truly meant for him to do that, but I did not know I would get trapped under a bell jar, and then the prince put me inside the Cabinet, like I planned, but he kept me under the bell jar on a shelf, the fiend! Then he left, and I had to push against the glass jar with all my strength until it fell to the ground and took me with it. There was broken glass, and I fell, there was broken glass, and I fell, and … He was babbling, a rare thing for Astrophil to do. But then, he had been under a fair amount of stress.