After a disturbed night Milsy gets a new jacket for her work suit, learns that Dyenna would like a clock, discovers a chamber she never knew existed and has ideas to improve the palace alarm system. However, during the day messages begin to arrive indicating that something strange may be happening out in the countryside...

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

27 - Ominous Signs

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2017 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

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Milsy couldn't get comfortable. She squirmed and wriggled around in her bed to little effect. It was still dark, though from the distant bell sounds it would soon be time to rise. Even so, she expected to have another bell or so of sleep before she did so and it just wasn't happening. Half asleep, she wondered if she had caught one of the minor illnesses which seemed to go around at this time of year. It was a big palace full of people, after all, and any new ailment could spread very rapidly.

Finally she pulled her blanket right up to her neck and shimmied as far under it as she could go. That at least stopped her arms and hands feeling funny. Concentrating on her breathing, she let her imagination wander and faded at last into light sleep.

The next time she woke there was light coming around the window drapes, though she knew it would be another half hour before the sun rose properly.

Half hour? Perhaps I'm adapting to this new time system too fast!

The thought amused her and that brought her properly awake. She opened her eyes properly and began to think about rising. Then she noticed that she could see her breath.

Cold! I didn't know it could get cold inside the palace.

Of course, we're approaching winter! Of course it's going to get cold. That's why all the rooms have fireplaces, after all.

She considered the novel situation.

I never knew how good I had it in Dekarran, did I? I slept in a dormitory full of warm bodies and we were not far from the kitchens anyway. And with all that stone, the insides of the castle stayed much the same temperature no matter what time of year it was.

The door opened and Bursila entered, already wrapped in a warm, fluffy robe. Milsy noticed that her breath steamed, too. The maid saw that Milsy was awake.

"Good morning, Mistress. My apologies, I had forgotten the old habit of making a low fire in our chambers overnight. In the houses where Lady Merizel stayed before she came to the palace, the house servants attended to the fires. I trust that you were not too uncomfortable?"

"Well, I was, actually, but you are not to blame, Bursila. Good morning. Most of the night I was fine but there was just a bell or so before I woke properly when I felt the cold. For a while I didn't know what was wrong!" She explained, "I realized that when I lived in the castle it was always warm and the stone kept it from getting too warm or too cold. I don't think I have ever slept anywhere else except when we traveled here to the palace, and the air was much warmer then. I don't know much about how such things are managed. Is a fire the only remedy?"

Bursila blinked. "Of course, Mistress, I doubt that you would know." She thought. "When Lady Merizel was younger and lived with her parents, her home was a small castle far to the south of the city. It is made of stone as Dekarran is, Mistress, but it is very much smaller and not at all so well appointed. It did get cold in the winter there and it was necessary to light fires in several of the chambers where the family would be during the day."

She glanced at Milsy. "You may not know this but... Baron Kamodar, her father, was... careful, if I may describe it so, with his coin and so much of the building was left to become as cold as it was outside. It was necessary for all to wear several layers of warm clothes, even inside the castle. Care was taken that the water pipes did not freeze, it is true, but I believe that was because the cost of repair would be greater than the cost of heating them."

Milsy's eyes narrowed. "The pipes froze? Why, what happens then?"

Bursila shrugged. "I do not know, Mistress. I only know that when it happened one winter, outside near the stables, the pipe split and a section had to be replaced. The water leaked out and formed a great sheet of ice all over the courtyard."

"Mmm. Interesting. I didn't know that happened. The only ice I am really familiar with is the kind that comes in baskets, for keeping produce fresh down in the cellars at the bottom of the castle. Go on."

"There is not much more to say, Mistress, except that there should be more blankets to help us keep warm at night. If I may look?"

"Of course."

Bursila investigated the closet which opened off one side of the bedroom. It was mostly filled with Milsy's clothing but some shelves held spare linen and a stack of blankets.

"Ah! Here we are, I thought I remembered seeing them. If I may, I will get one out for you now but leave it over here so that I can remember to add it tonight."

"Of course, Bursila. Have you blankets for yourself?"

"Mistress, I have not. May I get out another for my own bed? I am certain there is none in my own room."

"Of course. These Questor quarters are really only for an unmarried man, aren't they? Morlan only had a manservant who would need less attire than a woman servant would."

"As you say, Mistress. The space I have is adequate for my own needs but my circumstances are not those of a normal servant or retainer."

"Indeed." Milsy yawned and sat up. "Let us go and get in the tub, the hot water should help us warm ourselves up." She considered. "Do you think the whole palace gets this cold?"

"I could not say, Mistress. Lady Merizel has not yet spent a winter here so I do not know what happens or what the customs are. Of course, Lady Garia has not yet spent a winter in the palace either."

"Hmm. If it is a frost it is an early one, I deem. I think we can manage until they all get back, don't you? We'll soon find out what happens then."

"As you say, Mistress. Here is your robe, you will need it this morning."

* * *

Milsy greeted Terys in the dining room. "Good morning, Your Majesty."

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well last night?"

"I did not, Ma'am. In the late part of the night, before dawn, it was a little cold."

"Indeed! It was necessary for me to ask the girls for another blanket for myself and the King. Has Bursila found any for you? I do not know if the rooms were completely cleared after Morlan's... death." Terys closed her eyes. "Such a bad business."

"We have some, Ma'am, and Bursila has gotten out some for me and for herself."

"Quite right too, dear. And she will be making sure the fireplaces are prepared and lit in case tonight is also cold?"

"I suppose so, Ma'am. The problem is, we never had to do any of this in Dekarran, since the thickness of the stone keeps everybody warm. Neither Lady Merizel nor Lady Garia were here last winter so Bursila doesn't know what happens either."

"As you say. You are all new to the palace routine, are you not? I will tell you, then, that we are not expecting the weather to become properly cold for a week or two, last night's frost is not something that you should expect to happen every night. Then, it will become cold, and soon after that the first of the winter storms will blow in from the sea." Terys looked at Milsy. "I expect you know about those, do you not?"

"I do, Ma'am. We made sure all the shutters were closed but the castle is somewhat sheltered where it is so we didn't feel the full force of the wind and rain. Um, unless you had a duty at the top of the King's Tower, of course. Very few people ventured out when those storms blew unless they had no alternative."

"As you say. Here, the palace will become noisy and creak with the winds but there is less likely to be damage than when the rains come at the end of summer. When you return to your chambers Bursila will discover that baskets of kindling and wood will have been left outside the door ready for your fires." Terys smiled. "We will make sure you are all looked after, dear."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

Robanar appeared with Merek. After everybody made their obeisance he approached the group and exchanged kisses with Terys.

"Good morning, my dear, good morning Milsy."

Terys said, "Dear, Milsy and Bursila are not familiar with what happens to the palace when the weather becomes colder. Neither, it has been pointed out to me, will Garia or Merizel know. They have not yet spent a winter here so will not know what to expect."

"As you say! We must instruct them all when they arrive, I deem." He smiled at Milsy. "Our latest message informs us that Keren and Garia will cross the Sirrel after breakfast this morning, which means that they will probably start south immediately. I do not think they will attempt to force the pace and arrive here tonight, as they have wagons, so they should arrive here at perhaps lunch time tomorrow. Shall you be here to greet them?"

"Um, Sire, if I may be excused," Milsy replied apologetically. "With Tarvan by now in Teldor, Master Parrel has asked me to attend the inauguration of the new city Coke Works tomorrow. We have already visited the site once so I know what should happen, but tomorrow will be the first time that we will have run the ovens for so long and also collected the gas for use nearby."

Robanar grunted. "Ah. I had forgotten that, my dear. Tarvan did mention it in council before he left." He nodded. "What you do is important, my dear, and so of course you must go."

Milsy curtseyed. "Thank you, Sire." She made a smile in return. "It would probably be a good idea for me to be somewhere else entirely, Sire, when the Prince and Lady Garia return. There will be sufficient confusion with a large returning party as it is."

Robanar looked startled. "My dear, perhaps you are right. You have been in our palace for sufficient time now that we forget your original purpose. Now I think on it, hardly any of Keren's party know you exist, do they? Aye," he gave her a grin, "mayhap there will be time for fun and games another day but tomorrow may not be the best occasion to begin that adventure. Go you to your inauguration, you may report to us afterward what transpired there."

"As you command, Sire."

Terys asked, "What is this gas you collect? I barely understand that the coal is turned into coke, that it may be used as charcoal is, but what is gas and where does it come from?"

Milsy wrinkled her nose. Breakfast was not an appropriate time for giving such descriptions. "Ah, Ma'am, do you know what coke looks like? It is the same shape as the coal was but full of holes?"

Terys nodded. "Yes, I know that much, dear."

"Well, essentially, the gas is what was in those holes. It is boiled out by heating the coal in a special oven. We can collect it and it will burn, so we can use it to make lights that are brighter than candles or oil lamps, and also to heat the coke-making chambers themselves." She thought some more, then waved a hand in front of her face. "Um, gas is what is all around us, Ma'am. The air, I am told, is made up of several gases, one of which our bodies need to stay alive. We can't see most of them but they are there, all around us."

The Queen seemed dubious. "If you say so, dear."

Eriana appeared, attended by Gullbrand, Lars and her two maids. She approached the group and curtseyed.

"Good morrow, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Mistress Milsy."

Terys replied, "Good morning, dear. Good morning, Master Gullbrand. Dear, did you sleep well last night? We have had the first frost of winter, I deem, though it may be a month before the weather becomes really cold."

"I was cooler than before, Ma'am, but in Einnland we would not consider it to be cold just yet. I understand that here you do not sleep under furs, as we do, but if I may ask for extra blankets? To sleep in such a large bed is strange to me and I feel I may benefit from an extra layer."

"You shall have them, dear. They may already be on a shelf in your dressing room, you should ask your maids to look for you. If they are not, let me know and I will ask Terevor to provide some for you and your retainers."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

Robanar told Eriana, "I have just been telling Milsy, my dear, that I have had word that we should expect Prince Keren to arrive back at the palace some time tomorrow. They should cross the Sirrel from Dekarran this morning but it is too far for their party to travel the distance today."

"Thank you, Sire. My purpose in coming to Palarand is, of course, to meet the Prince but I would not wish him to make haste because of me."

Terys said, "Dear, they have wagons so may not travel so fast. Now, let us take our seats. Today, Milsy, as you are on your own I think you may sit beside us."

"You are gracious, Ma'am."

Everybody found their places and the servants began distributing the usual breakfast fare. Milsy noted with interest that today, Odgarda - what kind of a name was that? - served Eriana while Geska was on the other table, coaching Lars how to serve Gullbrand. She could see that he picked up the service relatively easily, though it was also obvious from his expression that he resented having to do it.

Terys asked Milsy, "What are you doing today, dear?"

Milsy lowered her spoon. "Ma'am, this morning I have to go to the Wardrobe to speak with Rosilda. The original jacket of my work suit has some minor problems which need adjustments, but she is also making me another one with longer sleeves and a better lining against the colder weather."

"She will be giving that to you today?"

"Aye, Ma'am, I want to wear it to the inauguration tomorrow. I could probably manage with the other one, but I'll be outside most of the time and it will be colder, so I'd have to wear more things underneath and also find some longer gauntlets."

"Ah, I see. If you would show it to me sometime?"

"Of course, Ma'am. I can explain the changes we made in the design."

"Indeed, dear. It is novel to me that a young woman should desire such clothes to work in, but you are doing something few women have ever done before in Palarand. Your work clothes are as much an invention as the clock on yonder wall, we are interested to see what you have wrought."

"As you say, Ma'am. I hadn't thought of it like that, but of course you are right. Whatever I think up may be a pattern for others to wear."

"Just as the overall which Tarvan wears is, dear. Does he find that to be comfortable?"

"Aye, Ma'am, he does, and those who make the steam engines now all wear them." She grimaced. "They do tend to get dirty very quickly, though. The men need a fresh one every day and there are never enough of them."

"It is ever the way, dear, that there is never enough of anything new. Did you not remember that happened with the forks? Tsk, of course you may not, you would still have been in Dekarran when they were introduced."

Robanar interrupted, "Not so, my dear. By the time we visited Gil, there were enough for his table, it is true, but I doubt many of the servants or retainers who ate elsewhere had them then. Of course, I would think that they are available to all at the castle by now, do you not agree?"

Eriana asked, "Sire, of what do you speak? It would not occur to me that anything is new, since most of what is on the table is strange to me."

"The forks, my dear." Robanar explained that they had only recently been introduced. "But the Queen spoke of new things generally." He smiled. "There have been many such this year, including those clocks you now see about the palace."

"As you say, Sire."

Milsy could see that Eriana probably had some interest in finding out what was going on but couldn't work out a way to ask without making herself look ignorant - or nosy. She watched the Princess simmer and wondered how Eriana had thought she could survive in such a place as Palarand. Why, Milsy herself could barely keep up!

After breakfast Milsy went with Bursila and a small escort to the Wardrobe, where she spent a profitable bell or so with Rosilda. Coming away she checked in with Dyenna in her office.

"Ah. Mistress. That reminds me, I would ask a favor."

"My Lady?"

Dyenna seemed uncharacteristically diffident. "Um, it... concerns the matter of clocks."

"Clocks?" Milsy looked around. "You desire, perhaps, to have a repeater clock in here?"

"In here? Maker, no! I would not be so crass as to suggest that I was important enough to have a clock in my very own office! Even the King does not have such a thing! Indeed not, I had a different idea, and I would welcome your advice."

"My Lady?"

"If you would come with me. It should only take us a moment or two, I trust that I do not delay you for some meeting?"

"Oh, no, of course not, My Lady. If you would lead the way."

Dyenna tidied her desk and then led the way out of the Wardrobe area and along a corridor Milsy hadn't investigated before. Shortly they came to a pair of double doors which Dyenna unlocked and then threw open.

"There! This is the chamber I was thinking of. If you could tell me if such a thing is possible."

Milsy followed Dyenna inside and discovered that it was a chamber about the same size as the laboratory, with a row of tall windows either side and perhaps a slightly lower ceiling. It was partly full of rails of assorted clothes, together with other strange items that reminded her of the traveling players that occasionally entertained the Duke at Dekarran. Giant heads stared back at her, along with frameworks in the shapes of frayen and dranakh, some covered with colored linen, some skeletal. There were dressmaking dummies and other debris scattered around the parts of the chamber that she could see.

"What is this place, My Lady?"

Dyenna pursed her lips. "This chamber should be where His Majesty's seamstresses create their garments, but over the years so much has been stored here that we have been forced out into the huts in the courtyard. The, ah, previous Mistress of the Wardrobe apparently never discarded anything, anything at all, and the Queen has commanded me to identify those items which can be re-used or stored and to find some means to dispose of the rest. You notice it is cold in here?"

"Aye, My Lady, I had."

Dyenna pulled another face. "There was so much put in here it was unsafe to make up any fires, thus the chamber became very cold. We have also discovered damp in two corners, though the guildsmen assure me that they have now remedied that. By the end of the year, I hope to have cleared most of what is here and my girls can move back in. Regrettably I do not think we will be able to dispose of all the huts but this should be a more comfortable chamber to work in, do you not think?"

Milsy looked at the end of the chamber she was standing in. "I see what you mean, My Lady. If nothing else, the light will be much better to sew by. I'm assuming that what you need to know from me is if a clock could be put in here, perhaps over the doors as the one in the family dining room is."

"That was my thought, yes. Then the girls will know whether they may finish something in time for the next meal, and so on. I believe this will be a fine chamber when it is used for the original purpose, but it can be difficult to hear the bells unless some of the windows are open."

"And, of course, you would not want open windows in so large a chamber when winter comes."

"As you say, Mistress."

Milsy turned and looked at the doorway, seeing a frame that looked exactly like that of the dining room, if older and dirty. Stepping back into the corridor, she saw that the corridor was little different than most others in the palace, if not so richly paneled. Sighing, she turned and rejoined Dyenna in the chamber.

"My Lady, I have both good and bad to tell you. I think, at first glance, that there should be little difficulty running the wires here to a clock over the doorway... or even, perhaps, somewhere else in the chamber more convenient to view. Of course, I must needs consult the building plans to make certain that the correct route is chosen from the nearest repeater box."

Dyenna nodded vaguely. "I do not know, of course, how the clocks work but this chamber seems little different to me than any others in the palace that presently have clocks. But what might the bad be?"

"That His Majesty spoke just last week of the expense that installing the clocks has caused, amongst other things. There is no practical difficulty, My Lady, if I can use such a term, it will be a matter of coin that turns the decision."

"Ah. I understand. Thank you, Mistress, for your advice. If such a clock is to be provided, then, I now know what my argument must needs be."

Milsy gestured at the contents of the chamber. "If I may ask, what will happen to most of this? The items you will not keep?"

Dyenna shrugged. "Some will be dismantled and the material salvaged. Some of those garments are made of costly cloth and trimmings that could be re-used elsewhere. Some garments will be sold, for others to re-use or refashion. The masks, dummies, beasts and other processional forms? Probably dismantled and the unusable parts burned." Dyenna smiled. "You may find such materials in your firewood baskets once the weather becomes cold, Mistress."

"Ah. I'll remember that, My Lady. Um, if I may be excused, it is cold in here and we should be going."

"As you say, Mistress."

Milsy took her leave and followed her escort back through the corridors to her chambers.

"It looks like I was right," she remarked to Bursila. "Remember what I said, when we first thought up those electric clocks? They are going to be everywhere by the time we have finished."

"Indeed, Mistress. Fortunately for us, I deem the palace guildsmen are now familiar with the method of installing such things. You are too busy to spend so much attention on them any more."

"That is the truth! Except when the things go wrong, of course, and I am sent for to find out why."

On one of the side-tables in Milsy's sitting room was a wicker basket which was used for messages and she noticed that several letters had arrived while she had been visiting the Palace Wardrobe. She automatically reached for them, taking them to the window to see if she could determine who sent them.

"One from Master Gerdas, one from Master Parrel... who is that? I can't read that name at all. Oh, here's one from Tarvan! I wonder when he found time to write this? Surely this hasn't come all the way from Teldor?"

Bursila frowned. "I could not say, Mistress, but it seems unlikely. He told us he planned to overnight at South Slip, I recall, so perhaps he wrote it there after he arrived at the hostel."

"...and it would have been posted the following morning, I deem. It matters not, does it? Let us go and refresh ourselves and then I'll come back and deal with these."

After using the en-suite facilities Milsy sat at the table and read her letters.

"Master Gerdas sends news of his clocks, naturally. Because it is so important for what he does the Clockmakers have shown him how to make his own adjustments, and now he says that it is the most accurate clock in all Alaesia! It seems that he is very pleased with the new arrangements and reminds me again of his open invitation to visit."

She put down the letter and picked up another, reading it with a frown. "Master Parrel notes progress at the furnace site... I see... more factories? Oh, no! Bursila, it looks as if we are going to be extra busy next spring."

"Mistress?"

"All kinds of projects, some about things I have never heard of..." She turned to Bursila with a smile, "Hardly a surprise, do you not think? There must be much in Palarand I know nothing about. Whatever is a rolling mill, do you think?"

"I do not know, Mistress. Since Lady Garia came, I know that she has referred to anything that may be powered by water or by steam as a mill, so it does not have to mean a place that grinds grain, I believe." The maid hesitated. "Did not Master Parrel refer to a rolling mill when we visited the furnace site, Mistress?"

"Aye... you are right, though I do not recall what he said." Milsy smiled. "There was a lot to take in that day!" She put the letter down. "He will be there tomorrow, I shall ask him then."

The third letter was from a Questor replying to some chemical questions she had posed.

"Well! I'm not sure that I even understand the answers! Do you think these people deliberately make things difficult for others to understand?"

"Aye, Milady, everybody knows it. That is why the King has forced them to provide of their knowledge in this new... college, I believe the word was."

Milsy lowered the letter with a sigh. "And what you didn't say was, he's likely to resent even more having to tell a woman, and a mere girl at that!"

"You are no mere girl, Mistress, but I deem you are right. Mayhap you may need to gain the assistance of the Queen to obtain that which you desire."

Milsy's eyes burned. "Aye. I will think on the matter and perhaps mention it after lunch."

The fourth letter had her face glowing pink. "Um, Bursila, Tarvan's words are..." she squirmed on her chair, "...embarrassing, but most welcome. He has made a most poetic choice of words, I find. Oh, nothing improper, I deem, but entirely unexpected from someone I thought I knew. It shows that he does have a romantic heart, though like any man he keeps it well hidden." She looked up at the maid. "It seems I chose well, Bursila."

"And so did he, Mistress. If that is what he sends you when he is away, then I deem you may be confident of your future together."

"Oh, thank you, Bursila! I suppose I need to find a casket to put this in? There should not be many letters of the like, but they will be important to me."

"As you say, Mistress. It is a common custom, perhaps Bassen may provide for you."

"Indeed! Oh, and I must make reply to him!" She paused. "I do not know if I have the words as he does, Bursila. What should I say?"

"If you would accept my help, Mistress, I could not write such a letter by myself but together we may discover something suitable to say to him."

"Done, Bursila!"

* * *

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I had a letter today from a Questor, replying to some questions I asked him concerning certain chemicals we use, like those in the battery jars. His letter is very difficult to understand and I think he might be trying to... discourage me, perhaps, as I am a woman."

"Does he, now?" Terys replied. "And you desire my help to prise open this source of knowledge?"

"Ma'am, I know it is not for me to ask, and I know everyone is really busy, but..."

The Queen smiled at Milsy. "Quite so, dear. But, I deem, while you are now well known among the guildsmen, our Questors know you not and can be difficult even when dealing with the King."

Milsy's eyebrows rose. "They do not respect their King?"

"They do not care to respect anybody," Terys replied dryly. "Garia showed them the truth, but many still remain resentful at the changes to come and I have no doubt your letter-writer is one of those." She nodded thoughtfully. "If you would show me the letter dear - there is nothing personal in it? - then I will summon him to the palace and attempt to educate him in the new customs of Palarand."

Milsy curtseyed. "Oh, thank you, Ma'am! While Garia may be able to handle such people, I am not made the same way. I did not think that I could deal with such a matter and I could think of no other way it could be done."

"As you say, dear. When you are older, perhaps, and more experienced, then you will probably know several ways. For now, leave it to me."

"Ma'am."

"What are you doing this afternoon, may I ask?"

Milsy's reply was forgotten as Merek came through the doors and spoke.

"Ma'am, do you know where I might find the King? Something... strange has happened and I need to find him."

"Why, I do not know, Merek. Both you and he left just a few moments ago, I believe that I assumed you were going together."

"Ma'am, I was distracted by a messenger and when I returned he had disappeared."

"Ah. Try the parlor, perhaps. Can you tell me what it is about? Can I help?"

"I can certainly tell you, Ma'am." His eyes glanced at Milsy.

"She is reliable, Merek, as you well know. Speak."

"As you command, Ma'am. It may be nothing, anyway. Um, the messenger has just brought a semaphore signal from Brikant which said that there had been no communication with Sheldane today. As you may know the semaphore system does not reach there yet, so our usual messengers still travel between Brikant, Sheldane and South Slip. It seems that nothing and nobody has appeared from Sheldane today, Ma'am. Nobody."

"Is this normal, Captain?"

Merek caught the change in address and straightened. "No, Ma'am. There are usually travelers along that route most times of year, ah, except during the rains, of course, together with a regular messenger service of perhaps four or five riders each day. To have seen nobody at all is deemed unusual, hence their signal to the palace."

"As you say. You are right, the King must needs learn of this." She thought. "Let us try the parlor first. Milsy, shall you join us? This should not take long and we may learn something."

"As you desire, Ma'am."

The King was not in the parlor. Terys sent Varna to check if by chance he was in the upstairs sitting room, but after a wait she returned, shaking her head.

Merek bowed. "Ma'am, I should not occupy your time any longer on such a trivial matter." He reddened. "Of course, his loyal guardsmen should know where he is at all times, should we not? Mayhap we have found a weak point in our procedures, though I doubt His Majesty would be pleased to be followed about as Mistress Milsy must. If you would leave the matter with me, I will find him and see that he is informed of the signal."

Merek saluted and strode off, leaving Terys and Milsy in the parlor.

"Ma'am, I have certainly learned one thing," Milsy said. "That it is very easy to lose somebody in this great building."

"Indeed, dear," Terys agreed, taking a seat. She smiled. "You have thought of some remedy?"

"Ma'am?" Milsy frowned in concentration. "Ma'am, I don't think that it is a problem which may be solved that way. The King knows where he is, by which I mean that he would not consider himself to be lost. It is only the rest of us who cannot find him. That is not the same as... when Her Highness became lost seeking Master Gullbrand's room. Perhaps some use of the bells may serve, Ma'am."

"How so?"

"The Guard bell, Ma'am, the high-toned one. It tells the men when the shift changes and when to take meals and breaks and so on. I am told, though I have not heard them, that there are also alarm sequences."

"As you say, dear. Three bells together warn of a threat from outside, which means that the men would close the gates and man the walls. Four bells together mean that the threat is from something inside the palace, such as intruders or, Maker forbid, some disaster such as a fire. In both cases the men have assigned duty stations they will go to and duties they must perform when they get there. Ah, I understand. You suggest that we have other sequences, so that... what, exactly?"

"Well, perhaps, if anyone hears them they go to their duty station? The King, perhaps, might come here if he were to hear such a bell. A kind of smaller alarm, Ma'am, that tells people there is no immediate threat but perhaps everyone ought to go somewhere where they can find out what is happening." Milsy added, "Ma'am, with the semaphore bringing signals into the palace all the time there has to be some way we can tell the King he is needed. Or, for that matter, Captain Merek."

"Indeed, dear, and I suggest that you mention your ideas to the King and Captain Merek when we assemble for the evening meal. You have again proved what a quick thinker you are, to suggest such a thing."

"Thank you, Ma'am... if I may leave you, Ma'am? I think I'm going to spend a little time in the laboratory this afternoon. I have had an idea."

"Very well. Perhaps after the evening meal you shall show me your new jacket? Will Rosilda have finished it by then?"

"She will, Ma'am, and I will."

Milsy retreated from the Queen's attentions and made her way quickly to the laboratory, because she had had an interesting idea about the proposed alarm system while she was in the parlor and she wanted to try it out.

"Bursila," she said as they entered her quarters, "Have we any more of the solenoid parts? Parts, I mean, not assembled switches."

"There may be some in the boxes, Mistress, but what would you want only parts for?"

"Because my idea is for a kind of solenoid bell, like the ones Tarvan demonstrated, but with two bells, not one. I'll need a solenoid coil, the supports, some terminals -"

An area was cleared and Milsy got to work. The solenoid was assembled and mounted in the center of a larger piece of wood, the wires being brought out to the usual terminals. Either side of the magnet she fixed an actuator arm. Delving into a box of spare clock parts, she emerged with the surplus bells from their experiments. She tested them all to find two that had relatively distinct sounds, one higher and the other lower in tone. These were hung either side of the solenoid, such that the actuators would strike them. Then she frowned.

"That's not going to work," she muttered. "When the solenoid is switched on both bells will ring at once!"

Taking the actuators off she found two thin strips of brass and straightened them, making a curl at one end for the bell striker. She fixed a small permanent magnet to the center of each with some spare copper wire before mounting the strips in place of the actuators.

"Done," she said with satisfaction. "Bursila, if you would hold the base upright... I cannot call it a base if it is upright, can I? Hold it thus, anyway, so the bells hang freely, while I connect up these wires to a battery jar -"

Bing-bing. Bing-bing.

"Well that works. Now to try it the other way."

She reversed the wires.

Bang-bang. Bang-bang.

She grinned at Bursila. "That's exactly what I thought would happen! Now, all I have to do is to make a special switch to operate the bells."

Bursila said, "But I don't understand, Mistress. You have two of those electric bells but you cannot ring both at the same time, surely?"

"I can if I make the right kind of switch. It will have to reverse the battery supply to the solenoid. Eventually we'll need a switch that a guardsman can operate without breaking it, but for now I'll do something simpler."

Some very crude work with saw, hammer, screws and nails, and Milsy had her switch a bell later.

"So, if I move the lever this way, I get the high bell, and if I move it the other way, I get the low bell." She demonstrated. "The spring will always pull the lever back to the middle. Now, if I do this," she waggled the lever backwards and forwards, "I get this."

Bing-bang-bing-bang!

"What do you think?"

"Ah, I see! The switch reverses the current, making the solenoid work the other way round! How clever, Mistress."

"As you say. I was thinking, if switches like these were placed around the palace, then if there was some kind of alarm, or even like today when the King is required, the guardsman can waggle out a code that everybody knows, like the clock codes. That way, more information could be passed than just the four signals they have now."

"A clever idea indeed, Mistress, and it would not be confused with the bells of the Great Clock, I deem."

"The best part is, it only uses two wires, not the five we needed for the clocks. It should be much easier to fit around the palace."

"But... Mistress..." Bursila was by now familiar with the concept of an electric circuit and she saw a snag. "For this to work, each switch must needs have its own battery."

"What?" Milsy frowned and then thought it through. "Oh! Aye, you are right, Bursila! Such a simple mistake! The battery cannot be the bell side of the switch. There might be a way to do it, let me think..."

She was still thinking about it when Bursila said, "Mistress, it is time for you to change for the evening meal."

"Ah?" Milsy looked out of a window and saw how dark it had become. "Aye, of course."

As Bursila helped her into a suitable evening gown she muttered, "Three wires! The bell units will only require two wires, as you saw, but the switches will need three. Hmm. I'll work on that tomorrow, oh, we're going out tomorrow, are we not? Alarms and switches will keep, I deem, they are not so important."

In the dining hall Robanar stood talking to Merek and a well-built man in a uniform she did not recognize. Terys was speaking to Eriana and beckoned Milsy to join her.

"Ma'am?"

"My dear, you heard the news Captain Merek brought after lunch?"

"Aye, of course, Ma'am."

"Well, it seems that something similar is happening with the road to South Slip. Messengers have not been able to travel through for much of the day, it seems."

"That sounds... worrying, Ma'am, if I may say so. But what about the semaphore? I thought that it was supposed to go to South Slip, may we not send a message that way to find out what is happening?"

"I could not say, dear. Perhaps Marshal Forton will know, he is the one who brought the latest news."

Terys led everyone over to join the King. Forton looked at Eriana and Milsy with interest.

"Marshal Forton, if I may introduce to you Her Highness Princess Eriana of Einnland. She is staying with us and is hoping to meet Keren when he returns from the north tomorrow."

Forton bowed. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. Uh, Einnland? I do not believe I know where that land might be."

Robanar grunted. "Forton, it is a long sea voyage to the south, out and around the Palumaks. It seems that Einnland is not an easy place to travel to - or to travel from, I deem. Eriana's ship suffered serious damage from storms on her way here and she was forced to beach it in Plif."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Your Highness. I hope that your visit to Palarand will be calmer than your journey to Plif was."

"Thank you, Marshal."

Robanar gestured. "With Her Highness is Gullbrand, who serves her as some kind of advisor."

Forton shook hands with Gullbrand, before turning to Milsy.

"This young woman," Robanar said with a smile, "resembles Lady Garia, does she not? I am assured that they are not related, but they both have minds of some ability. She is Mistress Milsy, she resides here with us in the palace and she is also a guildswoman."

"Another one! Sire, we must needs pay more attention to our women, I deem. Ahem! My apologies, Ma'am. What I meant was -" He broke off at the expression on the Queen's face.

"Do not concern yourself, Forton, but I beg you to stop before you get yourself into trouble. Aye, Garia has shown the way and Milsy is but the first to follow her, I deem. If you desire evidence of her abilities, you have only to observe the clock which is over the doorway."

Forton turned. "A clock? Is that what it is! I wondered... A guilds... woman already, and if she can design such a thing then she is worthy of the title, I deem."

"She is indeed, Marshal, and tomorrow she will attend the inauguration of the coke works, I believe."

"Indeed? Such a new project, and one that I do not entirely understand. Mistress, I wonder -"

Robanar broke in. "Forton, we have more serious matters to discuss tonight. My dear, was there something you desired?"

Terys replied, "I have been telling these two of today's strange happenings, dear, and Milsy asked about the semaphore."

"The semaphore? What of it?"

"If you please, Sire," Milsy asked, "I have heard that messengers cannot travel to or from South Slip but surely the semaphore goes there?"

Merek said, "That's true, Sire, I should have thought of that."

Forton responded, "The semaphore signals travel only so far, Sire, but a report comes from one that he gets no response from the next station. They desired to send someone to find out what was wrong but thought better of leaving their station, rather to report back to the city by signal instead and wait for instructions."

"Ah." Robanar nodded. "And, of course, it is now dark and there can be no more signals until tomorrow. Your opinion, Forton?"

Forton scratched his chin. "Sire, as you know the whole semaphore network is very new and we have had difficulties both with men and equipment. In other circumstances I would say that this was some local problem that will be solved tomorrow, except for the other things we have been told about."

"As you say. Have you heard any more from Visselen?"

"No, Sire, but as you pointed out it is now too dark for any more semaphore signals from Brikant. It is possible that a messenger may ride part of the way, there is little cloud tonight which means that he could travel the highways with some safety." He shrugged. "Until we understand what is happening, Sire, there may be little point in sending out messengers."

"As you say." Robanar gestured to the tables. "We might as well sit down to eat now. Forton, you'll be facing me so that we can continue to discuss this matter."

"Aye, Sire, but I must ask that I be excused afterwards to return to the Assembly Hall. I feel nervous about what we have learned today and I desire to make some provisions against what might possibly happen."

"Aye, Forton, that is your business, we shall not keep you -"

Milsy, on her own, turned to find a seat on one of the other tables. Gullbrand joined her.

"Mistress, as your young man is not here, if you would permit me to keep you company this evening."

She gave him a small smile. "As you wish, Master Gullbrand."

They found adjoining seats at the end of a table and facing the royal table. Lars, who had silently followed Gullbrand, sat facing him. Bursila and Odgarda began serving out the first course.

Milsy observed Eriana, seated beside the King. "Master Gullbrand, Her Highness looks disturbed tonight."

"Aye," he nodded. "She is in an unusual situation, one where she may not decide her own actions but must rely on others. The news we have heard today alarms us all, as you must know. Her Highness is used to being able to join the fight, if that is what is required."

"She can bear arms?"

"Aye, she can use a sword, though of course nowhere as well as our men can. She can draw bow as well should that be required." Gullbrand thought. "Mistress, Palarand is a huge land and we do not know how it may be defended, who its enemies might be or what any might seek if they were to come here. This great river of yours is a mystery to us as well, we know it carries rich trade between the countries but not what else it might do. Her Highness is... very unhappy that she does not know what is happening."

"Master Gullbrand, do you tell me that Her Highness is frightened?"

He turned to face Milsy. "Aye, that is what it is, I deem, but Mistress, I beg you, do not use that word in her presence. I would fear for your safety."

"I would not dare to! She is as stubborn as a man, then, who has fear but does not show it because he thinks it would lessen him in the eyes of others. Women do not need such deceits while men only deceive themselves."

Gullbrand bowed in his seat. "Mistress, you are very perceptive, I deem. Aye, you are probably right. She is, after all, the daughter of a King and proud to be so." He asked, "What do you believe is happening, Mistress?"

"Me? Master Gullbrand, I only know what you know, and my attention has been taken up with other matters today. I'm sorry, my best guess is that one or more of the semaphore towers between here and South Slip is not working. The system is new, it has only been in use for some hands of days. And, mayhap a bridge has collapsed between Brikant and Sheldane. I have heard that some of the highway bridges are very old, I do not think it would be the first time such has happened. I do not read anything sinister in what I have heard today, though the King and the Marshal are right to take precautions."

Gullbrand's reply was cautious. "You may be right, Mistress, but my instincts - which, I might add, are roused by certain experiences in Einnland - tell me that there is much more to this than a collapsed bridge and a signal system that does not work." He spread his hands. "But, like Her Highness, I do not know what to do."

"You should be safe in the palace," Milsy said positively, "His Majesty has about two hundred guardsmen and all will be ready to defend those inside to the death, if needs be. We have walls and stout gates around us. I don't know how many men Marshal Forton has in the city but there is probably a like number. The only thing we may do is wait for the morning and then perhaps we will learn more."

"Mistress, your words reassure me. I will tell Her Highness to place her trust in His Majesty's men."

After the evening meal Milsy returned to her quarters, where she found that Rosilda had hung both her old leather jacket and the new one on pegs in the bedroom. Quickly changing out of her evening attire into her 'Inventor' skirt and the old jacket, she led the way to the Queen's Sitting Room with the new jacket over her arm. When she was admitted she found Eriana there with the Queen.

She curtseyed. "Ma'am. Your Highness. I trust I do not interrupt anything."

"Milsy, dear. I have been reassuring Eriana, you may join us. You have brought your new jacket, I see."

"As you requested, Ma'am. I'm wearing the old one, and what I realized after some time was that -"

She explained the problems she had found with the original suit before taking off the jacket, with Bursila's help, and putting the new one on.

"This one, as you can see, Ma'am, is cut differently about the upper sleeve, to allow me to raise my arms much higher without there being too much bulk when my arms are lowered. There is more material here, at the sides of the back panels, and we have adjusted the fit of the front panel."

"That's very clever, dear. If you would let me see behind."

Milsy turned around and the Queen inspected the rear view, noticing changes she had made to the belt pouches.

"Those pouches, dear. They are new? I do not recall seeing any of that shape before."

"As you say, Ma'am. When Rosilda and I thought up this outfit I knew that I needed to carry things around with me, ready to hand. Do you remember, Ma'am, when we went to find Fulvin and I came back with that zipper slide?"

"Oh, yes," Terys replied. "I don't think that I have ever seen a pouch with so many things inside! It makes sense for you to have a number of those pouches, I see now, and the leather material lets you store tools without damaging anything."

"That's right, Ma'am. But I discovered, when I began installing those clocks, that I needed pouches of a different shape and size for certain tools and that is what Rosilda has made for me."

"An excellent idea, dear. And, I suppose, if you are doing something different, other pouches may be used instead?"

"I hadn't thought of that, Ma'am, but of course you are right. They are only threaded on the belt, after all."

Any further analysis of the suit was cut short by Robanar, who held up a hand as he came through the door.

"Do not rise, Eriana! Milsy, I see you are showing the Queen your work suit. For something that is intended to be practical, it looks very good on you."

"Thank you, Sire."

"Your eye for fashion is like that of Garia, I deem. Your attire has particular functions yet it is pleasing to the eye."

"Thank you, Sire, but in my case the design is between myself and Rosilda, who I believe has learned much from Lady Garia."

"As you say, my dear."

Robanar sat down in the chair next to Terys, letting out a long sigh.

"Is there trouble, dear?"

"That is the problem, my dear. We just do not have enough information to make any judgment. I do agree with Merek and Forton, though, that we must be prepared tonight in the event that something has happened today. I just wish we knew what."

"Sire," Eriana said, "Gullbrand tells me that we shall be safe inside the palace. I did not know that was possible, my father's hall is just a very large building in the middle of Jotlheim, our capital. Anyone may approach it from any direction, though few would dare to do so. It has no walls of stone as Captain Merek tells me surround us here."

"Aye, well, the walls do not enclose the entire palace, Eriana. This old building has grown and grown so that about half of it is beyond those walls now." He waved a dismissive arm. "The front part of the palace is meeting rooms, official chambers and other places where the business of the country is carried out. The chambers of residence, as it were, are mainly inside the walls, and only a few small, easily defended doorways connect the front and back parts of the palace. My dear, you may sleep easy in your bed tonight, and the same goes for you, Milsy. By tomorrow we may have discovered that all these supposed happenings are but the imaginings of an anxious mind."

"As you say, Sire."