hurried across the hall.
There was no one standing in the doorway now. Alex slipped in. Rozinshura was there, sitting on a stool with his back to the door, talking to some bedraggled ladies.
But as Alex looked around, he saw no sign of the security men, or the girl.
She was gone.
To some place unknown, just like Thorny.
How had he managed to completely lose them both? He heard Flavia's voice again. Not there to save, she said. So it's not your job.
The hell it isn't! thought Alex. Besides, Aunt Flavia really had been gone, off to another universe. This girl... this woman... she was here somewhere.
And so was Thorny. That was his first responsibility, wasn't it? And at least he had some idea how to find Thorny. He could ask Niko. If he could get the guy to talk about something other than food.
Alex was distracted with his thoughts, and almost didn't hear the conversation going on between the ladies and Rozinshura. But then he heard something that got his attention as the shrill voice of one of the women raised above the others.
"Alex?" she said.
Alex wheeled around, but she wasn't talking to him. Nobody was even looking at him.
"I don't know anyone named Alex," she continued. Rozinshura leaned toward her.
"Perhaps I have the name wrong," he said. "We have a discrepancy in our list. Perhaps someone with a name that sounds like Alex? He is young. A student?"
The ladies shook their heads and swore they knew no one on the train whose name was Alex or anything like it.
Alex slipped out into the hall, just out of sight. He listened, but he couldn't hear much from there. After a moment, he headed back for the kitchen.
Thorny must have mentioned his name, and now they were looking for him. He'd have to use an alias... except had he told Niko his name? He couldn't remember, but maybe Niko wouldn't remember either. He was so preoccupied with food. Alex could give him another name right away....
But when he got to the kitchen, Niko greeted him.
"Alex!" he said. "Now we make blootchkes. Come help!"
Episode 21 - The Coup in the Kitchen
No need to panic yet. Niko knew Alex's name, but he didn't know anyone was looking for him, and he was too busy to care, right?
Niko went across the kitchen and unlocked a door to one of the larders. It was an L-shaped room, but Alex could see, against the far wall, a bench with a bundle on it. He leaned to get a better look. He caught a glimpse of wild, damp gray hair.
It was Thorny. He was asleep on a bench with a blanket over him
Niko touched a finger to his lips to indicate they should not disturb his sleep, and then picked up large basket of eggs, and handed it to Alex.
"Who is that?" asked Alex.
"He is drunk," whispered the cook. He paused to tuck a bottle under his arm and pick up a large crock of something. "He is sleeping it away."
Niko herded Alex out of the room, and set down the crock to lock the door again.
"But why is he locked up?"
"Rozinshura does not want him to talk to Pookiterin."
"Who's Pookiterin?"
Before he could answer, there was the sound of boots in the hall. Then in walked a security officer from the parlor. He was a tall, balding man in a fancy gray uniform with medals and braid, and shiny boots. He had a pointy waxed mustache which poked out from his face like a pair of darts.
Niko stood suddenly at attention, and nodded with a little jerk that looked formal, like a salute. Since Alex was hoping to be taken as a soldier, he did the same.
The officer barely acknowledged them. He surveyed the kitchen from the doorway, and then declared:
"Yes. This will do."
He stepped across the room and behind him came two soldiers in long gray coats, and the girl. The one from the parlor. The soldiers gave her a shove. She sidestepped the shove and managed to keep her dignity as they hurried her across the room.
"I am commandeering your kitchen," said the officer.
"But Kinchin Colonel, we have orders to feed these people," protested Niko.
"You may work on that side, and you may have that table, but we will take the rest. These tables, the alcove, the pantries," said the colonel, and he turned to Niko with a casual, almost sly look. "Where are your keys?"
Niko paused, and then put on a look of confusion. He patted his pockets.
"Oh, Rozinshura took the keys. He was worried about thieves with so many people here. But it's all right, everything in here is unlocked except the larder."
The officer glanced at the larder door and then said sharply to Niko, "A cook without keys to the larder?"
"I have everything I need for now. I'm making blootchkes. You like apple?"
The officer, apparently, did not like apple. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to one of his minions.
"Search him."
"That is not necessary," said Niko. "We'll open it!" He put a hand on Alex's shoulder. With his other hand, out of sight, he slipped something heavy into the pocket of Alex's jacket -- the keys. "Get Rozinshura. He will bring the keys."
Alex started for the door.
"Never mind!" said the officer, like he was just testing Niko's truthfulness. He retreated to the alcove with the girl. His guards settled at a table in the middle of the kitchen, right in front of the larder. Niko let out a long, slow breath.
"That is Colonel Pookiterin," he said, and he took up his tub of sour cream and headed for his side of the kitchen.
Alex stood still a moment. The captain was hiding Thorny from the colonel, and the way the colonel backed off... it was like he was avoiding the captain.
Thorny had somehow got himself into the center of a power struggle, it seemed.
But now Alex knew where he was, and where the girl was. He even had the keys.... and two armed, if unwitting, guards and an officer in his way. Not to mention Niko, who probably wouldn't help. This was going to be interesting.
Episode 22
Alex Plots a Counter Coup
The guards were armed not only with rifles and bayonets -- which they had leaning against the wall near their table -- but also pistols. Pookiterin had a pistol and a sword too. And Niko had a kitchen full of knives. None of them were on alert, but Alex did not see himself getting the drop on one of them, and holding the rest at bay while he woke up Thorny, and got him out of there.
Sneaking would be better. Get the door unlocked, distract people, find some excuse to get Niko out of the room. In the end it was Niko who actually gave form to the plan, when he sent Alex to the cellar to get some wine for the guards.
"Rozinshura says to keep them happy," he said of the guards.
So when Alex found a box of medical supplies next to the wine, he got the idea to make the guards very happy.
But there were no sleeping pills or pain killers, just things for stomach ailments and laxatives. The laxatives might be an amusing way to get the guards out of the room, but it said they took overnight to take effect.
There was a little bottle of ipecac syrup -- which would induce vomiting in case of poisoning and undoubtedly worked fast. But if everybody started throwing up, it would be obvious they'd been poisoned. Heck, even a sleep drug might make them suspicious enough to call an alarm.
But if you are drinking you expect to get tipsy. And people who are drunk never seem to realize exactly how drunk they are.
Alex stuck the little bottle of ipecac in his pocket as a back up plan, and went and hunted down a bottle of clear hard liquor.
When he got back to the kitchen, he spiked the wine with a little of the liquor. The security men did not complain, so he spiked it with more, and they got happier and happier.
Unfortunately, Pookiterin only glared at him when he approached, and held up the wine bottle. Still, the colonel wasn't paying attention to the kitchen, so Alex might sneak Thorny out behind his back. How to get past Niko was the real question.
/> He pondered that as he helped roll up the blootchkes -- which turned out to be little burrito-shaped crepes, filled with a variety of sweet and savory fillings. It was getting dark by the time they were done. Alex stretched and rubbed his back like it was sore, and put on a pained expression.
"Say, Niko, would you mind delivering this bunch? I'm wearing out."
"Take these up front and rest there," said Niko, without even looking up to see Alex's performance as an invalid. But then he leaned closer and added. "I can't go, I must watch them."
He glanced at the guards. Alex did too. It was too soon anyway. The guards weren't quite drunk enough. Alex refilled their glasses, and went to deliver the blootchkes. He ducked Rozinshura without much trouble, and that gave him an idea: When he got back he'd see if the guards were drunk enough, and if so, he'd tell Niko that the captain wanted him. Then he'd take the guards' guns, hold Pookiterin hostage, and get the girl to help get Thorny out of the larder.
When he got back to the kitchen, though, the atmosphere had changed. The lamps had been turned down, and the guards were dozing. Niko was in the corner, muttering darkly and shooting angry glances at the alcove.
In the alcove, the colonel had removed his sword belt and jacket, and unbuttoned his shirt a little. He hovered over the girl, much closer than before. He reached over and touched her face. She sat like a stone.
Alex set down his tray and fingered the ipecac in his pocket.
"Do you think the colonel wants some wine?" he said.
Episode 23
Lady Featherdale Gives Evidence
"People who know nothing always say the most," said Rozinshura, as he leaned on he bar and