The Flaming Queen

The queen and chamberlain fell to their knees, hands over their ears. The Capsicum Chief whirled around to confront their attacker but found no one. What he found was something he had never seen before. A shower of sparks had hit the screen separating the area they were in from where the queen slept. Avid, grasping flames climbed the dried grass curtain and leapt to the next.

The Chief watched as though hypnotized. Count Montesanto stepped around the prone chamberlain and helped the queen to her feet, pulling her away from the fire. She resisted, as fascinated as the Chief.

“Fire!” Claire shouted.

No one moved. The Antafricans were entranced.

“Water will put it out!” Claire turned to the guards behind her. “Go to the queen’s bathing spring and fetch water.”

The guards looked from Claire to their queen. As the queen did not repeat  the girl’s orders, they ignored her and continued watching the fire grow.

“Fire is dangerous,” Claire tried again. “We should all get out of here!”

The twins grabbed Bettina and Claire, heading for the interior door, but the fire was too close.

“We’re trapped!”

“Follow me!” Adolphus pulled them toward the secret exit in the outside wall. Half a dozen guards blocked their way. They stood, ignoring the children and watching the flames grow, but they were still in the way.

“Bettina,” Annabelle said, “give me your stick. Who has a handkerchief?”

Gerhardt handed over his handkerchief while Adolphus tried to explain the danger of fire to the guards.

“It’s so beautiful,” Queen Drysi said behind them. “Is it your magic?”

“I get it!” Mirabelle fished in her pinafore pocket. “You’ll be needing this.” She produced a small flask of the boiler chief’s special distilled engine cleaner. When her sister had tied the handkerchief around the stick’s net she splashed engine cleaner on it. Bettina stood ready with a match, and lit their torch. Annabelle waved it at the guards.

“Behold our magic!” Mirabelle shouted over the crackle and hum of flames. “Now get out of the way!”

The guards did not move until Annabelle brought the torch close to the first man’s face. A young tomatillo, his papery husk withered in the heat. He jumped back, shouting and scrambling backwards through his companions to reach the exit. His fear was contagious, spreading panic among the other guards. The children followed them out the door. Claire ushered her younger siblings out before her, then turned to make a last plea to the Antafricans to save themselves.

The willow whips holding up the grass curtains burned through and the flaming curtains collapsed, showering sparks over Queen Drysi. Montesanto leapt out of the way. Claire watched in dismay as the queen giggled with delight at the tiny flames finding purchase in her skirts.

“So pretty!” She spun in place to admire the effect.

“No!” Claire shouted. “Put her out, put her out!”

The Count pulled off his cloak and threw it over the queen just as she began to scream. The Capsicum Chief, mistaking the source of his queen’s anguish, attacked Montesanto. To Claire’s horror, the Count dodged the Chief’s first punch, pulled a knife from his boot and stabbed the him. Shoving the dying man into the line of remaining guards, Montesanto dragged the screaming and flailing Drysi further into her chambers, towards her bathing fountain.

Claire grabbed the closest guard. “This way!” and ran outside.