Emilie & the Hollow World - By Martha Wells Page 0,45
empire that must be hundreds of years old; their monarchy must go back for generations. If there's anyone who could engage in intrigue and deception, it's her.”
Emilie watched them worriedly, thinking of the decadent nation of Simyahi from the Lord Rohiro novels. She suspected Miss Marlende was right. There was no reason to discount the merpeople's intelligence or their desire to pursue their own motives. We haven't helped them, saved lives, like Dr. Marlende did for the Cirathi. We haven't become their friends, she thought. The merpeople had no reason to be kindly disposed toward them.
“I will take it under advisement,” Lord Engal said, which caused Miss Marlende to flush with fury, “but I don't see that they have any reason to lie to us-”
“Unless they want to use us as cannon fodder against these nomads-” Miss Marlende supplied.
“Do you have any other suggestion as to how we're to find your father and the others?” Lord Engal said. “Because I'd like to hear it.”
That gave Miss Marlende pause. She pushed her hair back in frustration. “No. I wish I did.”
“These marshy islands seem to go on forever,” Kenar pointed out. He didn't look happy, either. “Unless we have some idea of where these nomads camp, we'll have no way to find them.”
Miss Marlende said wearily, “Yes, I see the problem. I just wish there was another solution.”
Lord Engal eyed her, apparently unsatisfied with that admission. “I'd like you to stay here while I continue our conference with the Queen.”
Miss Marlende frowned at him. “So I don't interrupt you with valid objections? Yesa did request my presence.”
“Exactly. And if she asks for you to return, I'll send for you.” He set his jaw. “Or would you prefer to wait on the ship?”
Miss Marlende smiled thinly. “I'll wait here.”
Lord Engal walked out, collecting Oswin and the sailor on the way. Kenar touched Miss Marlende's shoulder and said, resigned, “At least he knows that this might be a trap.”
As Kenar followed the others, she muttered, “Does he? I'm not so sure.”
“He's awfully stubborn, and he likes to be right,” Emilie said. Everybody liked to be right, of course, but some people were so invested in it that it blinded them to common sense. Though she was mostly thinking of Uncle Yeric and her brothers; she didn't think Lord Engal was quite as bad as they were.
Miss Marlende jumped, as if she had forgotten Emilie was there. She sighed and came to stand beside her. “If it was just his ego at stake...”
Emilie frowned, considering. “Do you think it would help if we took a look around? Maybe, if it was these merpeople who took the airship and the Cirathi, and not the nomads, we could see some sign of it.” She didn't really think they would be that lucky, or the merpeople so careless, but maybe they could see something that would help make their decision easier.
Miss Marlende stared at her. “Surely the merpeople would object... They wouldn't want us to wander their city unescorted.”
“Yes, but we could be ignorant people who don't know any better,” Emilie said. Even her vigilant aunt had fallen for that one a time or two. It was how Emilie had gotten to see the Explorer's Society exhibit at Starling Hall in Meneport one year, by wandering off from a shopping trip in apparent innocence. Of course, it had probably just been more fodder for her aunt's belief that Emilie was actively looking for opportunities to disgrace herself in some disgusting way, but she hadn't known that at the time. “No one said specifically that we had to stay here. I mean, Lord Engal did, but really, he meant you weren't to come with him-”
Miss Marlende was already heading for the door. She stopped just inside, looking out to the gallery that overhung the grotto room. She came back to Emilie. “I don't know that we can slip out that way. There are some merpeople standing by the stairs.”
Emilie stepped out to the balcony. There was no railing, just a low curb around the edge, barely a foot high. The drop wasn't far, and they could jump down into the water filling the court below, but that was bound to be noticed. And the water was thick with reeds and flowering plants, and the big blue-green pads of something similar to water lilies; it would be hard to explain how they had thought jumping off the balcony into a garden was a sensible thing to do.