Iolanthe passed through the kitchen where two lizzies were cleaning up the breakfast dishes. The house was quiet. Stepping down the hallway, she peered into the library and saw Iolana again in her uncle’s chair, reading.
“Good morning Iolana.”
“Good morning Mother,” said Iolana, looking up.
“Are you still reading Garstone?”
“No. This is Sable Agria.”
“Good god. It’s not Virgins in Spring is it?”
“No. It’s Three Marks for a Pfennig.”
“That’s hardly appropriate reading material for a little girl.”
Iolana hugged the book closer as though her mother might snatch it from her grasp.
“Still, at least it’s not that socialist.”
“I think Agria is a Tory,” said Iolana.
“Hmm. It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to read any of our books.”
“I think books are wonderful.” Iolana jumped up, setting her book on the lamp table, and pulling a large volume from the bookcase. “Look what I found. It’s a picture book of Brech City.”
“I had forgotten about that book. I don’t think it’s very up to date.”
“It has photographs in it.”
“Photographs have been around for more than seventy or eighty years.”
“Oh, well, look at this.” The girl opened the book to a page in the middle. “Here’s Hexagon Park and on this side is the Great Plaza.”
Iolanthe sat down on the arm of the chair and looked down at the book. “Here’s that café I used to like.”
“Really? I think Brech must be wonderful. Do you think I could visit it someday?”
“Of course. In fact our house in the city is just down this street here.” She pointed to a spot in the photograph just above and to the right of the café entrance.
“Is it a nice house?”
“Far too big, in my opinion. But then you can judge for yourself when you go.”
“When can I?”
“Oh you will take Brech by storm some day. But first you must learn how to be a hostess. Are you ready? Accord day is only four days away.”
“Yes. No. Maybe. I don’t know what I’m going to say to all those people.”
“You only have twenty three guests.”
“Twenty three is a lot of people,” said Iolana.
“Perhaps you could quote Garstone to them. Half of them are Zaeri. They’re probably all socialists.”
“Auntie Yuah isn’t a socialist.”
“Where is Auntie Yuah?”
“She went out just after you left for the office.”
“And what about Augie and Terra?”
“Egeria came and took them with her.”
“You didn’t go with her again. Don’t you like the Korlanns?”
“Of course I do. Zeah is very nice and he says that I may call him Grandpa if I wish. Egeria is very nice too. But…”
“But what?”
“They don’t have any literature. All they have are scriptures and mathematics texts.”
A bubbling laugh sprang from Iolanthe’s lips. “You are a dear girl.”
Iolana’s eyes lit up.
Hearing a hiss from behind her, Iolanthe turned.
“Sada here,” said Narsa from the doorway.
“Come Iolana,” said Iolanthe. “If you can put your books away for a while, Police Inspector Colbshallow will take us to lunch at the café.”
“Do you think he can afford to take us out on his salary?”
Iolanthe laughed again. “Probably not. So you can pay for lunch from your allowance.”
Iolana jumped up and followed her mother into the parlor. Saba Colbshallow was waiting. He had thrown on his police uniform jacket, probably to replace his bloodstained day coat. This reminded Iolanthe that she had yet to change her dress. She excused herself, leaving her daughter to entertain the young inspector—it would be good practice for Iolana, she thought—and with Narsa in tow, made her way up to her bedroom. Once there, she had the reptilian help her into a blue dress that she had been saving for Radley’s return. She thought it really didn’t matter. Like most men, Radley didn’t much notice whether a dress was new or not. He preferred to see it removed.
“I vring Ssiszornic and childs to house today,” said Narsa.
“What’s that?”
“Ssiszornic, elder, and childs to house today.”
“Oh, yes. Very good.”
Arriving again at the bottom of the stairs, Iolanthe called for her daughter and the police inspector and then went out the front door to where Saba had parked his vehicle. He helped Iolana into the back and Iolanthe into the passenger seat, then added some coal to the firebox and climbed into the driver’s side.
“Have you decided where you wish to dine?” asked Iolanthe.
“Aalwijn’s new cook is at Café Etta. He’s good, but now it’s so busy there. I was thinking we should go to the bakery.”
“You are such a silly boy,” said Iolanthe. “If everyone is eating at Café Etta, then that’s where we must luncheon. It’s not as if we will have to wait for a table. And think of the cachet you’ll have dining with me.”
“I have all the cachet I need,” replied Saba. “Cash on the other hand…”
“Oh, don’t worry. Iolana is buying us lunch.”
Saba glanced over his shoulder at the girl.
“Café Etta it is then,” he said, making a left turn down the parkway.
“What did you do with him?” Iolanthe asked in a low voice.
Saba glanced back once again at the girl, then turned back around and said. “He won’t bother you.”
“Did you..?”
“Maybe it’s best I don’t say right now.”
“Mind you, I have no problem with that in theory. However, I wouldn’t want to soil your conscience with deeds done on my behalf.”
“My conscience is fine.”
“What are you talking about?” wondered Iolana.
“Police business,” said her mother, without missing a beat. “Saba wants to hire a wizard for the police department.”
“Kasia Garstone says wizards are tools of the oppressors.”
Iolanthe is such a great character. I love it when people tell me what a bitch she is. In a way, she and Zurfina are just alike– totally interested in their own machinations, unsympathetic toward anyone else, powerful, determined, and unforgiving. On the other hand, while Zurfina’s goals are always completely self-serving, Iolanthe’s are a bit more complicated. She is determined to see her family rise to power. And she and Zurfina fall at either end of the order/chaos scale.
City of Amathar 