Magicians of Caprona - Diana Wynne Jones [75]
“Do you think she suspects you’ve got us?” Tonino asked. “She must be wondering where we are.”
“Maybe, maybe,” said the Duke. He marched up and down the room, while they leaned out of his pockets and looked down at the crowd of strewn floppy puppets. “She doesn’t care now, of course,” he said. “She’s done for both families anyway. Oh, I am a fool!”
“It’s not your fault,” said Angelica.
“Oh, but it is,” said the Duke. “I never show the slightest resolution. I always take the easiest way—What is it?” Darkness descended as he flipped his pocket flaps down.
“Your Grace,” said the Major whose boots squeaked, “the Pisan fleet is landing men down beyond the New Quays. And our troops to the south are being rolled back into the suburbs.”
They felt the Duke droop. “Almost done, in fact,” he said. “Thanks—No, wait, Major! Could you be a good fellow and go to the stables and order out my coach? The lackeys have all run away, you know. Ask for it at the door in five minutes.”
“But, Your Grace—” said the Major.
“I intend to go down into the city and speak with the people,” said the Duke. “Give them what’s-it-called. Moral support.”
“A very fine aim, sir,” said the Major, with a great deal more warmth. “In five minutes, sir.” His boots went squeaking swiftly off.
“Did you hear that?” said the Duke. “He called me ‘sir’! Poor fellow. I told him a set of whoppers and he couldn’t take his eyes off all those puppets, but he called me ‘sir,’ and he’ll get that coach and he won’t tell her. Cardboard box!”
The hangings whipped by as the Duke charged through a doorway into another room. This one had a long table down the middle. “Ah!” said the Duke, and charged towards a stack of boxes by the wall. The boxes proved to have wine glasses in them, which the Duke proceeded feverishly to unload on to the table.
“I don’t understand,” Tonino said.
“Box,” said the Duke. “We can’t leave your families behind, for her to revenge herself on. I’m going to be resolute for once. I’m going to get in the coach and go, and dare her to stop me.” So saying, he stormed back to the reception room with the empty box and knelt down to collect the puppets. Angelica was bounced on the floor as his coat swung. “Sorry,” said the Duke.
“Pick them up gently,” said Tonino. “It hurts if you don’t.”
Tenderly and hastily, using both hands for each puppet, the Duke packed the puppets in layers in the cardboard box. In the process, Montanas got very thoroughly mixed with Petrocchis, but there was no way of preventing that. All three of them were expecting the Duchess to come in any moment. The Duke kept looking nervously around and then muttering to himself, “Resolute!” He was still muttering it when he set off, awkwardly carrying the cardboard box in his arms. “Funny to think,” he remarked, “that I’m carrying almost every spell-maker in Caprona at the moment.”
Boots squeaked towards them. “Your coach is waiting, sir,” said the voice of the Major.
“Resolute,” said the Duke. “I mean, thank you. I shall think of you in heaven, Major, since I’m sure that’s where most of us are going soon. Meanwhile, can you do two more things for me?”
“Sir?” said the Major alertly.
“First, when you think of the Angel of Caprona, what do you think of?”
“The song or the figure, sir?” the Major asked, more wary now than alert.
“The figure.”
“Why—” The Major was becoming sure that the Duke was mad again. “I—I think of the golden Angel on the Cathedral, Your Grace.”
“Good man!” the Duke cried out. “So do I! The other thing is, can you take this box and stow it in my coach for me?” Neither Tonino nor Angelica could resist peeping out to see how the Major took this request. Unfortunately, his face was hidden behind the box as the Duke thrust it at him. They felt they had missed a rare sight. “If anyone asks,” the Duke said, “it’s gifts for the war-weary people.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The Major sounded amused and indulgent, humoring the Duke in his madness, but they heard his boots squeaking