| |
The lobby is massive. The floor is a mix of marble tiles and squares of grass, while the walls feature scores of long, twisting plants. Most of the plants have withered, but this must have been an amazing place when the flowers were in bloom.
There are lots of glass statues, including one of a life-sized small plane hanging from the ceiling. I stop to look at it admiringly, forgetting the weight of the gargoyle for a few seconds.
“I love these sculptures,” Inez says. “It will be a shame to lose them when... I mean if the realm falls.”
“There’s no need to be coy,” Nora says. “We’re resigned to our fate. Barring a miracle, we know we’re finished.”
“How many of you remain?” Inez asks.
“Eight in the palace,” Nora says. “There are others scattered around the city, and more elsewhere in the realm. You’ll always find a few foolish rats who want to go down with the ship.” She has a chuckle at her own expense.
“Let me take that for you,” someone says, and the gargoyle lifts out of my hands.
“Thank –” I start to say, then stop.
The man in front of me is the biggest man I’ve ever seen. He’s not just tall, but broad and muscular. Each of his fingers looks like a battering ram, and he could crush my head in the palm of either hand. The goliath is balding, but has a thick ginger moustache, which clashes with his blue jumper and trousers. He smiles — one of his front teeth is missing, giving the grin an unsettling edge. “It’s OK,” he says in a deep voice. “I won’t bite. You don’t look tasty.”
“Be nice, Cal,” Nora tuts.
The huge man balances the gargoyle in one hand and jolts it up and down, as if weighing it. “This is heavy,” he says. “You must be stronger than you look.”
I smile shyly at the compliment.
“I’m Cal,” the man says, making the greet with his free hand, and I return the gesture.
“Archie,” I say.
“Inez Matryoshka,” Inez adds.
“My back would be in better shape if you came with me to collect the gargoyles,” Nora says to Cal.
“And desert my post?” Cal replies, flashing that gap-toothed smile again.
“Cal is the reason the statues are still here,” Nora says. “He was part of the elevator team, but as our numbers dwindled, he appointed himself head of security.”
“I’m head of nothing,” Cal grunts, brushing his moustache with his fingers. “Just keeping an eye out for King Lloyd’s possessions, is all.”
“Cal hasn’t left the lobby since then,” Nora goes on. “I made a bed for him in a corner and he sleeps there every night.”
“So, are these the florists I asked you to find?” Cal asks.
Nora snorts. “There aren’t any florists left in Diamond.”
“You can’t be certain,” Cal says. “One or two might have stayed.” He waves at the dead and dying plants. “This was a brighter place when we had a team of florists on the go.”
“The whole realm was brighter then,” Nora says stiffly. “It won’t ever be that way again.”
“I hope you’re wrong about that,” Cal sighs. “So, if they’re not here for the plants, what have they come for?”
“They want to see King Lloyd,” Nora says.
“Splendid,” Cal says. “The king loves visitors. There used to be a steady stream of them in the old days.”
“We used to complain that they kept us so busy,” Nora says.
“We wouldn’t mind a bit of that now, eh?” Cal says, and they share a sad smile.
“Anyway,” Nora harrumphs, “I can’t stand here gabbing all day.”
“Of course not,” Cal says, hurrying towards the open doors of one of several lifts in the lobby.
“Do those still work?” I ask.
“No,” Nora says. “We had a crew on each elevator, operating the ropes. Cal could probably raise us by himself, but I’d rather not put him to the effort. I’d be worried that he’d sneeze and accidentally let go.”
It’s hard to tell if she’s serious or not.
Cal has laid the gargoyle on a glass throne in the rear of the ornately decorated lift.
“This is the royal elevator,” Cal says. “It was exclusively for Family. These days the gargoyles are its only passengers. I should use one of the other elevators but this is the only one that opens into the king’s rooms.” Cal makes sure the gargoyle is steady, then looks at Nora. “Do you want to ride up with it?”
“No,” she says. “We’ll take the stairs.”
“Give the king my best,” Cal says, heading around the back of the shaft, where the ropes and pulleys must be located. “Tell him his plane’s in good shape and I’m keeping a close eye on it.”
“We will,” I promise.
Cal disappears behind a pillar. As he sets to work on the ropes – the floor of the lift rises, the gargoyle’s grimacing face disappearing up the shaft – I follow Inez and Nora to the staircase, where we commence a long climb. We don’t see much as we’re climbing. There are windows on most levels, but they’re all frosted glass, so although they admit light, we can’t see out.
“Is the entire building a palace?” I ask, huffing and puffing as I try to keep up with Nora and Inez.
“Yes,” Nora answers, “but King Lloyd conducted his business on the top few floors, which is where the bulk of the household staff also lived.”
“What’s your official position?” Inez asks.
Nora snorts. “I couldn’t even guess. I worked in a variety of roles over the years, and in recent times I’ve had to tackle more jobs than I can count.”
I’m really struggling by the time we get to what must be the twentieth floor. My legs are shaking and I’m finding it hard to breathe. Even though I don’t want to lose face, I have to stop. “Wuh...wait... please,” I gasp.
Nora and Inez glance back at me.
“What’s wrong with him?” Nora asks.
“He’s new to the Merge,” Inez says. “He hasn’t adjusted yet.”
“He looks like he’s about to collapse,” Nora says.
Inez is scowling. “You should have said something earlier.”
I gulp and wag a finger at her, the only response I can manage.
“We can leave him here if you’re in a hurry,” Inez says to Nora. “I can swing by and pick him up after my meeting with King Lloyd.”
“I’m in no rush,” Nora says, then crouches next to me, grabs my hands and drapes them over her shoulders. “Hold tight.”
“No,” I wheeze, mortified, not wanting to be given a piggyback like a child.
“It’s alright,” Nora says. “You’re not much heavier than the gargoyles.”
“But he’s uglier,” Inez says, and they laugh.
“Put me down,” I cry, trying to tear free as Nora rises.
“Hold still,” Nora snaps, “or you’ll send us tumbling down the stairs.”
“I can... walk by... myself,” I groan, red-faced with shame.
“No you can’t,” Nora says, starting up the stairs again.
I continue to protest, and when the sound of my voice rises a couple of floors later, Nora looks over her shoulder at me.
“He’s got his breath back,” she says to Inez.
“I preferred him when he was quieter,” Inez grins.
“Put me down,” I shout.
“Do you think you’ll be able to keep up now?” Nora asks.
“Yes,” I growl.
“Very well,” Nora says, and bends so that I can slip off.
“There was no need for that,” I mutter.
“Maybe not,” Nora says, “but if it’s taught you to speak up when you’re having difficulties, it will be a lesson well learned.”
“You and her are like sisters,” I say sulkily, nodding at Inez. “She acts like a teacher too.”
“No I don’t,” Inez frowns.
“Yes you do,” I contradict her.
She thinks about that, then shrugs. “Well, you have a lot to learn. If I don’t teach you, who will?”
I grumble something to myself, then shake my head. “I’m good to go. Let’s not waste any more time.”
And, before the pair can smile archly at me, I hurry ahead of them, determined to set the pace and lead the way up the rest of the floors.