14.   Elektra.

 

The guard didn’t have much choice, of course, except to let me go.  Perhaps one of these days I shall look him up.  Very, very handsome fellow, still can’t place who he reminds me of.  The next surprise – and no one could’ve foreseen this one – awaits me when I barge into the library.  His Majesty Random looks up from behind a desk glutted with books and parchments.  I instinctively wrap the robe tighter around me to cover my torn nightgown, watching the change of expressions on his face – annoyance, puzzlement, recognition, confusion.  But he is too good a politician of course to let me enjoy it for long.

 

“Come in, come in,” he smiles broadly rising to his feet.  “So this is our little Ele.  Let me have a look at you… Wow!  A real heartbreaker!  I was going to let you rest a few days before sending for you, but as you’re already here, we might talk now as well.”  He waves toward a large leather couch by the window.  “Make yourself comfortable.  I’ve some very old brandy hidden in that bookcase over there, if it’s ok with you… or shall I send for something else?”

 

I nod silently, seating myself in the corner of a rather oversized couch, trying to figure out the best course of action while he retrieves the bottle, pours us brandy, and crosses the room to hand me my glass and then leans back in the couch’s opposite corner.  He wears orange pajamas with brown stripes and a housecoat of red silk – the same colors as that weird Renaissance costume on his Trump.  What a tasteless choice of colors!  At least he spared me the embracing part.

 

“So how are you, Ele?  By the looks of you, you seem to fully recover from your... err... accident.”

 

“Thank you, Your Highness, I feel just fine.”  There is no way in hell I’d address him as Your Majesty, but I have no desire to be informal either, so Your Highness seems about right.

 

Of course, it doesn’t get lost on Random.  “Now, now, Ele, no need for titles.  We aren’t in the throne room and I’m your Uncle, remember?” 

 

I mutter something about not being much at the court and not knowing the proper rituals.  Don’t want to call him ‘Uncle’ either.

 

“Ooh, you’re always welcomed in here, Ele.  And I do hope sincerely that we’ll see much more of you from now on.  Actually that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.  But first thing first…“  We exchange some more insincere pleasantries for a while before he finally comes to what seems to be the point.

 

“Not everyone in Amber possesses the longevity our family’s blessed with.  So people get older, their health gets worse.  And sometimes even younger people get sick too, or have accidents, you know.”  Quick glance at me.  I nod uncertainly, having no idea where he is heading.

 

“So I’ve been thinking, Amber needs to have some kind of a structured health care.  A large government-run hospital, perhaps even several.  Not witch doctors, but real ones, connected by a gateway to a facility on Shadow Earth, where serious cases could be transferred to take full advantage of the technology.  All paid for by some kind of an insurance premium built into the tax structure.  Free for poor people of course…”

 

I nod again.  Actually this would be a worthwhile project.  Perhaps Dworkin was right after all – a wise and able administrator – not as it matters though.

 

“Of course, such project must be handled by a family member, to set up the gateway, for one reason, but I can think of a few others as well.  So I intend to create the Ministry of Health, and I can think of no one but you to be in charge.”

 

“You want… you want me to do what?”  I am too stunned to think straight. A  joke, of course, and about as tasteful as his attire.

 

“I want you to be Amber’s Minister of Health.  What do you say, Ele?”  Apparently, he’s quite serious.  He’s way too smart to expect to bribe me with some position in his government.  So what the hell is his gain?

 

“But… but… I know nothing of medicine… and not much of Amber either...”  Most of the older family members had medical training somewhere along the line and quite a few, including my father, were accomplished physicians, but me?

 

“You don’t have to.  That’s for your staff to know.  Your job’s to get things right from the upstart, and from what I’ve heard from Fi, you are a great organizer.  Also your proficiency with the Pattern will be invaluable in setting up a permanent gateway to Shadow Earth.”

 

I start seeing the light by now – they want to bring me in to keep an eye on me, then they’ll take care of providing enough minutiae to leave me no time for anything else.  Way too smart even for Random.  Fiona’s filigree, no doubt!

 

“We shall announce your appointment during the upcoming celebrations.  You’ll sit at my right hand during the banquet, higher than Benedict, Gerard, and Julian, to indicate the utmost importance of this new ministry.”

 

There’s no way they can possibly know of my search, but I’ve used too much of the Pattern on Tatuine, so they’re concerned... switching to their plan B now.  I can’t help shivering, as there must be plan C also.   “Hmm… if it’s indeed that important, and I can see that it is, wouldn’t it be prudent to put your son in charge?”

 

“Martin’s in charge of setting up public schools.  It’s no less important to provide proper education for our future generation.”

 

I struggle to suppress laughter.  Of course he wouldn’t trust indoctrination of our future generation to anyone else.  “What about Flora?”

 

“She’d be my second choice, yes.  But, please understand me correctly, Ele.  We all admire Flora, but without any questioning of her abilities, I’d much rather have you giving me counsel on the matters of such importance.”

 

“Hmm… I appreciate your kind words.  And if, as you said, you value my counsel, I’d suggest putting Martin in charge of health and Dworkin in charge of schools, who could be possibly better than him?”

 

“Don’t play games with me, Ele!”  Random slams his glass on the end table, startling me momentarily.  “I don’t ask you to like me, just to work with me for the good of Amber.  But don’t try to make a fool of me either.  Where am I supposed to produce Dworkin from?   You know as well as I do, he hasn’t been seen in years!”

 

His outburst quite answers my real question – if Great-Granddad started making appearances around here as well – but there’s no purpose in making Random mad.  Now I have to fall back a little.  “I’m sorry… err… Uncle, I didn’t know that, not being much in Amber myself…”  I know that in his younger years Random was a great poker player.  But I’m reasonably sure it’d be very hard to read my face without looking into my eyes, which he’s very careful to avoid, apparently being well aware of the effect.  He seems satisfied though with squeezing that ‘Uncle’ out of me.

 

“Well, he’s not around, Ele.  But you’re.  So what’d you say?  Don’t you care of our people?  You could do so much good for them!”

 

I have a helpless, sinking feeling of being outclassed.  The order of sitting at official banquets is rather closely watched, and Random would never risk alienating his brothers who are in charge of Amber military and navy.  So my other Uncles must have agreed to give me preference, which means that they also see the new agency as important.  My refusal would be of course remembered.  When time comes, I’d be the one who doesn’t care of the people, asking for family support in unseating the King who does.  But if I accept, the trap springs...   I got to win some time…

 

“Hmm… of course I feel very honored, Uncle… but… as you know my Dad hasn’t been feeling well lately.”  Actually he’s never asked how Dad was, like he was already dead or something.  “Also, tell you the truth, I don’t really feel I’m strong enough yet myself… hmm…  perhaps in a few months or so…”

 

“But of course, Ele, take all the time you need!  Let’s say three months.  But we shall announce it at the celebration.”

 

“Hmm… I suppose… that’d be fine.”  I don’t really see what difference such an announcement would make, as long as they leave me alone.  Three months should be enough… and then… it wouldn’t really matter anyway.

 

“Great, Ele!  I had no doubt I could rely on you when it comes to the well-being of our people.”

 

We talk some more about the details of my moving to Amber, then he walks me to the door and does try to embrace me this time, but I don’t give him a chance, summoning one of my charming smiles while I gaze directly into his eyes.  Ooh, how much I enjoy him shivering and taking a few steps back.  From the other side of the door, I hear his mutter “witch” accompanied by quite a few profanities.  I giggle all the way down the hall.  

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