Escape

The children’s flight to the gate was unopposed. They were passed by grim servants moving towards the palace, and outstripped by frightened nobles fleeing it. They left the palace grounds and kept running. After half a mile a panting Mirabelle called out.

“Where are we going?”

They stopped, part way up the rise from which they had first seen the palace. They turned to look at it again, no longer the serene, ordered flower, but bustling with action,  harrowed with screams, and pouring smoke.

“That’s what was wrong with it,” Claire announced.

“What?”

“When I first saw the palace I thought something was odd, remember?”

“No,” Adolphus said.

“Well I did, and it’s because there was no smoke, no fires, no chimneys!” Claire was pleased with herself, another problem solved.

Mirabelle tried again. “Where are we going?”

“Eglantine,” Bettina said. She was crying, and Claire held her tight.

“You saved us all, Bettina. Don’t be sad. They were going to hurt us and you saved us all,” Annabelle said.

She rolled the tip of her sputtering torch into the dirt to put it out.

“Lady Aubergine’s a good idea, but we don’t know where she is,” Adolphus said.

“We do,” Claire said. “South by southeast. Who still has a compass?”

Gerhardt did, and they set off to find a cottage by the acid sea.

They trudged some miles before anyone spoke again. Bettina stopped crying and demanded to be put down and walk herself.

“Will they be alright? At the palace?” Gerhardt wondered.

“Not all of them,” Adolphus said. “The guards were better armed, but outnumbered.”

“If they’re smart they’ll have stopped fighting and run away,” Mirabelle said. “Throw down their weapons and yell ‘hail Aubergine’, and the like.”

“But what about the fire?” Gerhardt stopped and looked behind them. They had entered a wood, and couldn’t see the pillar of smoke through the canopy, if it was still there.

“They were confused at first, but once it got hot I’m sure they got away.” Claire did not sound convinced.

“The walls were living bushes,” Annabelle said. “They wouldn’t burn would they?”

“If it’s hot enough, anything will burn.” No one disputed Adolphus. He had a reputation for reckless experimentation, and if anyone present had authority in this matter, it was he. “But it’s a big palace with several exits. We saw loads of people fleeing, there’s no reason to think there were any more casualties than we saw.”

“Speaking of which,” Mirabelle said, “someone is missing an eyebrow.”

Gerhardt’s hand flew to his face and felt. “Dash it, it’s gone!” He waggled the remaining brow. “Do I look funny?”

This drew peals of laughter from the others. They were so in need of a laugh that they staggered to a halt, leaning against trees for support, or falling down outright. Gerhardt scowled. Mirabelle threw her arms around him.

“Don’t fret, it makes you look dangerous and dashing,” she spluttered through tears of laughter.

“No, really,” Annabelle said as they calmed down. “That was the most awfully bravest thing I’ve ever seen. You saved that girl’s life!”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Mirabelle said. “When the Count said he would cut Adolphus up, Gerhardt charged in and attacked the Capsicum Chief! No plan, no weapons, just jumped on him, knocked him down and beat him about the head.”

“What?” Claire exclaimed.

“S’true,” Adolphus admitted, “I was already tied up. He was like a tiger.”

“Well that’s the end of that,” Annabelle said, “no more calling you Faintheart.”

“Right! More like Braveheart now,” Mirabelle agreed.

Gerhardt blushed with pride.

“Or unibrow,” Adolphus suggested.