“Exquisite! They are quite wonderful, sister, don’t you think?” said the White Queen.
The Red Queen nodded. “Indeed, they seem to be. Trouble, too,” she said—and I could have sworn she winked just then. “Goodtrouble.”
Laughter. “Oh, it’s going to be a good year, indeed,” said the White Queen, and the way she moved was mesmerizing. Like maybe her arms had no bones in them. Like maybe she was kind ofliquidy.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Excellencies,” said someone down the line—Helen, I thought, and the rest all rushed to tell them it wastheirhonor, too. I did the same, though I didn’t want to annoy them, and it seemed awfully annoying to be speaking at the same time, but I also didn’t want to risk offending them bynottalking.
The only people who didn’t rush to speak were Levana, the Heart boy March, and Silas standing right next to me.
In fact, when I looked at him for a split second, I could have sworn he wasangryas he stared down at the ground.
Could have been my imagination.
“Now, now, my little tickers,” said the White Queen. “It’s important that?—”
“My queens, please allow me as your speaker—to speak!”
It was Johnny the Timekeeper, and he was suddenly approaching the Red Queen from the side.
The look the Red Queen gave him—like a bull about to charge.
By some miracle, Johnny noticed. He pivoted to the side as casually as he could, and took his place near the White Queen instead, all the while smiling.
“Of course, of course, Johnny dearest,” said Her Excellency, though she, too, looked like she’d just swallowed something sour. “I guess our guests can wait a moment longer.”
“They most certainly can,” said Johnny, in his hands his round device that he did not, thankfully, bring to his lips. Instead, he cleared his throat and puffed his chest and said, “We all know the importance of the Turning Trials. They have been held every five years for the last century and a half for one purpose, and one purpose alone: to produce more Sparetime. Today is indeed special, because it marks the start of the 31st Turning Trials in the year three-thousand andthree since our realm’s creation—indeed an interesting number, dare I say, my queens?” He bowed. “So manythrees.Far too many for my liking, but alas…”
“Yes, yes, dear—hurry along,” said the White Queen, while the Red Queen rolled her eyes when he spoke again, which made me smile before I could stop it.
“Certainly,” said Johnny and cleared his throat again. “Sparetime is as important to us as the time in our bodies, as you all well know. The Labyrinth was created by the brilliant mind of the Royal Timekeeper Emothy Ever—and his detailed sketches—almost two whole centuries ago, hence why the palace of the Labyrinth has been accurately namedThe Ever.To honor him, indeed, for creating the very place that will take the magic used by the Hands in these trials and multiply it so that it creates ten timesmoreSparetime for harvesting—so that our people may have all the magic their hearts desire for the next five years and beyond!”
He clapped his hands together. It was odd to watch. Almost painful until the White Queen did the same, and she encouraged us to join with a sorry smile. We did.
“Today, we formally celebrate the beginning, and may the new Hands help the Labyrinth produce more Sparetime than ever before in the coming weeks.” He smiled proudly. “The Diamonds will be waiting.”
With that, he bowed.
“Thank you, Johnny, dearest. If you may—” the White Queen started, but the Red cut her off.
“Calren has something important to tell you, Johnny. Go along now, don’t straggle. Follow Calren.Go,”she said, waving her hand covered in a red glove toward our warden.
The look on Calren’s face.
It was clear to see that hedidn’thave anything important to tell Johnny. It was clear to see that he would rather bedoinganythingelse, and the horrified look he gave the Red Queen screamed it.
The Red Queen smiled mischievously.
Calren bowed his head. “Of course, Your Redness,” he said. “If I may have your attention, friend.” He waved his hand for Johnny to follow.
He eagerly did. “Certainly, certainly. I assume you’ll want my help for something, won’t you? Yes, yes, let us hear it…”
The Red Queen had a hand in front of her mouth, but I could have sworn her shoulders shook a little, like she was laughing.
The rest of us were smiling, too. So was the White Queen.
“Well—that’sover,” she said, pretending to dust off the layers of her dress. “Finally, it is time to meet the guests. It is very important, you see, as I was saying, because it isthey,the biggest families of the Clockrealm, that make the Turning Trials possible with their generous financial support,” she said. “So, please, be nice—andsmile,my little tickers. Smile! Good days are coming.”
We followed the queens to the cocktail tables to meet the guests, and all the while I was smiling and thinking,poor, poor Calren.
