Elementary, My Dear Colleague!

Shellar III was sitting at his desk in his study, working with papers, thoughtfully as always. Suddenly there was a flash of bright white light, and Shellar found himself in a lawn. He fell and landed on his behind, as he wasn,t very graceful. He rose, dusted his clothes and straightened them neatly. Then he looked around curiously. He saw a two storey house with blue roof, a terrace on the second floor, lanterns and flags, also a kennel with a blue bowl beside it, an apple tree with red apples, a letter box and a crane with a magnet. All of this was encircled by a hedge, and wooden steps were leading down to a boat with a propeller, two blue and white striped bags on both sides and a coffer on the deck. Beyond the hedge, by the shore, he saw a trough, several sheep and a catapult. Further by the shore there was a machine with handles around it and a funnel for pouring something in on top. On the left by the shore there were bags and barrels. And fruit, gears, bones, bright pencils and devices like a magnifying glass, a telescope or a gun were scattered everywhere. Shellar concluded that the owner of this place was a detective and liked the colour blue. But what surprised him was that the island was not surrounded by water but was floating in the sky!

Shellar realized he was in another world. But he wasn,t dying the moment he was carried here, so he wasn,t a migrant and could return to his own world where he was needed. And meanwhile he could look around.

He went to the letter box. It had writing on it, saying, ,Felix,. Shellar lifted the lid of the letter box and saw a letter inside. He took it out and looked it over. Paper was fine, and the seal was a lion rampant. Shellar took the letter with him and walked to the house.

Shellar knocked on the door gently but firmly. The door opened, and Shellar saw a tall strong young man with long blonde hair and moustache, in a gray sweater and blue trousers called jeans like his friend Olga often wore.

,Master Felix?, Shellar said. ,I think this is for you.,

Felix looked at the tall thin pale young man with short pale blonde hair, pale eyes and sharp features, in a black doublet and black trousers, with a gold chain with a blue stone around his neck and a lot of rings on his fingers, one a signet ring and another a wedding ring. He wyas offering to Felix a letter with a lion on the seal.

,Damn!, Felix said. ,The royal seal!,

'Indeed?' Shellar asked curiously.

'Yes,' Felix grumbled.

'I'm Shellar,' Shellar said bowing.

'What brings you here?' Felix asked.

'I don't know myself,' Shellar confessed. 'I'm from another world. One moment I was in my study, working with papers, and another I'm here. I hope there are wizards in this world who can return me back.'

'Probably,' Felix said.

'All right then,' Shellar said.

Felix took the letter, broke the seal and read the letter.

'Dear Felix,

I need your help. My daughter is in trouble. Please come!

Ludwig.'

'Damn!' Felix said. 'Something's wrong with Princess Mary. The king needs me to investigate this. And if I fail, he'll have my head!'

'So you are a detective, Master Felix?' Shellar said. 'I thought so.'

'Yes,' Felix said

'And you are in trouble, because your king is bad tempered?' Shellar asked.

'You have no idea,' Felix sighed.

'May I offer my help?' Shellar asked gently. 'I'm the Supreme Judge of Ortan, I once was the Chief of Police, and I'm also an alchemist.'

'All right,' Felix said.

'You remind me of my Cousin Elmar,' Shellar said. 'But he doesn't wear any moustache.'

'Really?' Felix asked.

'Yes,' Shellar smiled.

'Call me just Felix,' Felix said.

'All right,' Shellar smiled.

'So Shellar, now we have to pack,' Felix said. 'First we have to gather fruit, apples, melons and so on.'

'All right,' Shellar said.

He walked to the apple tree and shook it vigorously. All apples fell to the ground.

'Wow, Shellar, you are strong!' Felix said in awe. 'You don't look it.'

Shellar smiled. He went to gather other fruit he saw all over the island. He gathered them all under the apple tree.

'Now what?' he asked.

'Now find a bag, it's here somewhere, put the fruit into the bag and load it into the boat,' Felix commanded.

Shellar nodded. He went and took a bag he saw behind the house, put the fruit into it and, going down the steps, heaved the bag into the boat. Then he looked at Felix.

'Now my pencils and devices,' Felix said.

Shellar nodded and went to gather pencils, the magnifying glass, the telescope, the gun and so on. He gathered them on the lawn and looked at Felix.

'Now put them into the coffer in the boat,' Felix said.

Shellar went to put the things into the coffer. He heaved the things into the boat, then he jumped into the boat and tried to open the coffer. It was locked.

'It's locked, Felix,' Shellar called. 'Where's the key?'

'I think my dog Rover hid it,' Felix answered. 'In his kennel. Take some bones and give them to him, he'll leave his kennel and you'll get the key out.'

Shellar nodded and went to gather the bones. He gathered them and put them into Rover's bowl. Rover, a cute brown spaniel, darted out of his kennel and began to eat eagerly. Shellar smiled. Then he knelt, reached into Rover's kennel, found a key and went down to the boat. He jumped into the boat, opened the coffer and put Felix's things into it. Then he looked at Felix.

'Now find some watermelons,' Felix said. 'We have to make some watermelon juice to fuel my boat.'

'Oh, so that's what that machine out there is for,' Shellar said eagerly. 'Your boat works on watermelon juice? That's very interesting! '

'Yes.' Felix smiled.

Shellar went to gather watermelons, gathered them on the lawn and then carried them to the machine and put into it. Then he looked at Felix again.

'Now we have to get the sheep on the catapult and send them to the machine,' Felix explained. 'They like flying. They turn the machine.'

Shellar nodded.

He went to the sheep, secured one of the sheep gently and guided it into the catapult's ladle as gently. Then he looked a the destination attentively, aimed carefully, using the up-down lever and the left-right lever on the catapult, and shot. The sheep flew through the air and landed near the juice machine.

'Wow!' Felix said. 'You shoot well, Shellar!'

Shellar smiled.

He repeated all this six times, till all the sheep got to the juice machine.

'Very good, Shellar.' Felix smiled.

He went to the juice machine and tied the sheep to the handles, then pushed one of the sheep gently. The sheep started to go around and to turn the juice machine. Some time later a bottle with clear juicd appeared in the machine' s tray.

Shellar went, took the bottle and carried it into the boat.

'Now we have to get two gears on those two posts on the sides of the boat, using the crane, because they're too heavy,' Felix said.

'Er, Felix, I'm sorry but I'm awkward,' Shellar said blushing. 'I'm afraid to break your boat or something else...'

'It's all right, Shellar.' Felix smiled. 'I'll do it myself.'

He went to the crane and using the up-down and left-right levers lifted two large gears from two places in the island and placed them on the posts. Shellar watched him with admiration.

'Now we are ready,' Felix said with satisfaction.

Shellar nodded.

Felix went to the boat and jumped into it. Shellar followed.

Felix pushed some levers and his boat darted from the shore through the sky.

'Amazing!' Shellar breathed.

'Isn't it?' Felix smiled.

Shellar smiled too.

'Shellar, how tall are you?' Felix asked.

'Five cubits four fingers,' Shellar answered. 'Two meters eight in your measures.'

'Wow!' Felix said.

Shellar smiled.

'Shellar, I think there's a gun under your coat,' Felix said.

Shellar unbuttoned his doublet quickly. Sure enough, there was a holster with a gun on his left shoulder. His shirt was white, of course, and there was a dozen of pendants and beads around his neck.

'I thought so,' Felix said. 'You're a former cop after all.'

'Yes, we are colleagues, so to speak.' Shellar smiled.

'And what are all these trinkets?' Felix asked curiously.

'They're mostly amulets,' Shellar answered. 'My position is very dangerous. The chain and the signet ring are signs of my position, and of course, there's the wedding ring.'

Shellar smiled tenderly.

'Do you like black, Shellar?' Felix asked curiously. 'Because you look even more lanky in it.'

'Yes.' Shellar smiled.

'Shellar, tell about something,' Felix asked.

'Tell about something?' Shellar said thoughtfully. 'Well... I'll tell you how I got sunburns. It was on my honeymoon, we spent it in Egina, something like your Greece, in the South. And my young wife persuaded me to sunbathe. I took a book and forgot about time. And of course I got sunburns. So I lay all red and covered with ointment, and my wife fussed around me. Of course, then a healer told me that I shouldn't sunbathe at all with my pale skin. But how should I know?'

Shellar laughed.

'That's right,' Felix laughed.

Shellar smiled.

'Tell about your family, Shellar,' Felix asked. 'You mentioned your Cousin Elmar.'

'Well, Cousin Elmar is a warrior, the First Paladin of Ortan, brave and straightforward, Cousin Mafey is an apprentice wizard, very talented and emotional,' Shellar said. 'Also Cousin Tina and Cousin Nonna, they're married into other countries. They're just noble ladies. And of course, my wife, Baroness Kyra Armandi, a warrior, a Lieutenant of the Guards, very brave and beautiful.'

Shellar smiled tenderly.

'You love her very much.' Felix smiled.

'Yes.' Shellar smiled.

'Shellar, how old are you?' Felix asked curiously.

'I'm 33,' Shellar answered.

'Wow!' Felix said.

Shellar smiled.

'What can I say, I'm talented.'

Shellar grew thoughtful. Some time later he looked at Felix attentively.

'Felix,' he said suddenly. 'If you marry the Princess, do you become a Prince and the King's heir? Or does your child become the King's heir? Or does the Princess just become your wife? In our country, for example, a Princess can't succeed to the throne if she is married. But in Mistralia this is not so, the present King is the son of the old King's sister, Princess Gabrielle. But Princess Mary is King Ludwig's only heir, I think? Still, he must have some distant relatives.'

'I think she just becomes my wife,' Felix said perplexed. 'But Shellar, what are you talking about!? I don't want to marry Princess Mary, she's vicious! And I don't want to be a King! I'm happy as it is!'

Shellar smiled sadly.

'I see,' he said. 'Felix, I have a feeling that Princess Mary will want to marry you, when we save her. My Cousin Elmar couldn't shake off the damsels in distress that he often saved in old times.'

'Damn!' Felix said. 'Maybe you're right.'

Shellar nodded.

'Don't worry, Felix, I'll help you. I usually do it well.'

'Thank you, Shellar,' Felix said with feeling.

Some time later they reached a beautiful island with a castle, a lake, a waterfall and a grove. Felix moored by the island, and they jumped to the shore. They saw a beautiful castle with turrets and shields, a cobbled square with a statue of a knight and two cannons on its sides in front of the castle, a lake with water lilies beside the castle, a waterfall falling into the lake from large rocks behind the lake and the castle, some trees by the lake, and some wooden boxes, logs, planks, a barrow with fruit and a large flat stone by the shore.

They went to the castle gate. There were two knights guarding the gate.

'I want to see the King!' Felix said. 'This is important.'

The guards looked at each other.

'I'm sorry,' one of the guards said. 'But we ate the key to the castle gate, Archibald and me.'

'How could you two eat one key!?' Felix exclaimed.

'Well, we wanted to see whose teeth are stronger,' the guard said. ' So we bit the key and...accidentally bit it in two and swallowed the halves...'

'What!?' Felix said. 'And what shall we do now!?'

'I don't know...' the guard said.

'Just wonderful,' Felix grumbled.

'Come here,' a voice from the lake called. 'I can help you.'

Felix and Shellar went to the lake.

'I hope that frog isn't an enchanted princess, as in Pomorian fairytales, and we don't have to kiss her, so she turns back human,' Shellar grumbled. 'Because I'm already married.'

'I hope she isn't Princess Mary herself,' Felix grumbled.

They came to the lake shore. A frog emerged from the water.

'Well?' Felix asked.

'I'll tell you what to do if you fulfill my three wishes,' the frog said.

'All right,' Felix sighed.

'Well, five of my froglets got to small islets near the shore and can't get off,' the frog said. 'Please help them.'

Shellar nodded.

'We will, madam.'

They went to the shore. There were small islets by the shore and on them there were five froglets.

'I would sack these guards,' Shellar grumbled. 'What morons! To eat the key to the royal castle!'

Felix smiled.

Shellar looked around, gathered the planks and put them like bridges between the islets and the shore. The froglets darted to the shore and then to the lake. But not all of them, there wasn't enough planks. Shellar looked around again, saw an axe, took it, gathered the logs and broke the logs into planks.

'Wow!' Felix said.

'I knew theoretically how it is done, so I had to succeed,' Shellar said, shrugging his shoulders.

The rest of the froglets darted to the shore and to the lake. Felix and Shellar returned to the lake too.

'Thank you,' the frog said. 'Now, another four of my froglets went to play somewhere and still haven't returned. They drew a map for me... Here it is.'

She gave a map to them. Shellar looked at it. There were four crosses on the map. One was in the grove, another in the barrow, third on the flat stone and fourth near the statue of the knight.

Shellar nodded and went to the shore. He began to search through the fruit in the barrow. A little froglet emerged from the fruit and jumped out of the barrow and then ran to the lake. Shellar then overturned the flat stone. Another froglet jumped out and ran to the lake. Then Shellar went to the grove. He saw a barrel there and opened it. Another froglet jumped out of the barrel and ran to the lake. Then Shellar went to the statue. There weren't any frogs near it, but there was a little shovel. Shellar started to dig near the statue. A froglet jumped out of the sand and ran to the lake. Shellar nodded with satisfaction. They returned to the lake.

'Thank you,' the frog said. 'Now please find my husband. A French cook caught him and put him in one of those boxes. I don't know why he needs a frog...'

'Of course, madam,' Shellar said bowing.

They went to the shore. Shellar took the axe and broke the first box. Nothing. Shellar broke other boxes. In the last box there was a frog. It jumped out of the box and ran to the lake. Shellar smiled.

'People in Gallant and in your France eat frogs,' he said. 'So we were just in time.'

'I know.' Felix smiled.

They returned to the lake.

'Thank you,' the frog said.

'It's nothing,' Shellar said bowing.

'Now, if you scare these guards, the key may go out in the usual way,' the frog said. 'Here in the lake lives my old friend, the shark. If you throw something into the lake, she'll emerge...'

'Thank you, madam,' Shellar said bowing. He leaned, picked up some large stones and threw them into the lake. A large shark emerged.

'Aaaaah!' one guard cried. 'It's the fish from my nightmares! It always eats me in those!'

He fell into the lake. Another guard was scared too.

'Serves them right,' Shellar grumbled.

'Now you have to get this idiot out of the lake,' the frog said. 'They say there's a crane on the royal castle, and the button to switch it on is on the statue.'

Shellar nodded, looked at the statue and went to it. Then he pressed the shield on the pedestal. It opened, and there was a big red button inside. Shellar pressed it, and from a tower overlooking the lake appeared a crane with a magnet.

'Er, Felix...' Shellar said.

'I understand.' Felix smiled and started to manipulate the crane using up-down and left-right levers under the button. He got the guard out of the lake and lowered him gently onto the bridge.

'Thank you for Archibald!' another guard said.

'It's nothing,' Felix said.

Shellar looked at the ground. The key was there but it was irreparably broken.

'Just fine,' Shellar grumbled.

'Er, you can use cannons to break the gate,' Felix said.

Shellar looked at the cannons.

'Er, Felix, I'm no gunner,' he said blushing. 'In my world only dwarves can handle cannons, and I, though part dwarf am mostly human.'

'You're part dwarf!?' Felix said astounded.

'My distant maternal ancestor was a dwarf, Maestro Haggs, great warrior and painter. He lived 300 years ago,' Shellar explained. 'Because of my dwarf inheritance I'm very strong and healthy.'

Felix nodded.

'It's a pity, Shellar. You shoot really well.'

Shellar smiled.

Felix went to one cannon, aimed at the gate, not that the gate was easy to miss, and shot. There was now a large breach in the gate. Then he shot some more till the gate was in pieces.

'Very well,' Shellar said smiling.

'Now we can get inside,' Felix said.

'Please help us to get the pieces of the gate together,' the guards asked. 'Then we'll mend it somehow.'

'It's easier to make a new one,' Shellar sighed but looked around. He found all the pieces of the gate and put them together as they should be.

'Thank you,' the guards said.

'It's nothing,' Shellar said.

They came to the great hall of the royal castle. It had a wooden vault with large wooden lustres with candles and a stone far wall with two stained glass windows with flowers and a rose window and a throne between them with a red seat having arms on it, sable a lion rampant gules, with a large stone statue of a knight behind the throne. The floor was of white marble with a mosaic of a lion rampant gules near the entrance. There were two fireplaces in the long walls, four stone statues of knights in the corners, many pictures on the left long wall, a bear head above the right fireplace and a fox head to the left of the fireplace. There were also some coffers by the walls and two long tables along the long walls, with dishes on them and chairs by them. Various things were scattered all around the room, melons, eggs, bottles of champagne, balalaikas, bags of flour, flowers and parts of armour. A tall strong middle aged man with long white locks, in a bright green tunic and a red mantle, with a golden chain around his neck and a crown on his head, was waiting in the middle of the room. In the far left corner there was a cage with a blue monster wigh large teeth and eyes on stalks. A guard was watching it.

'Oh, Felix!' the man exclaimed with relief. 'And who is this?'

'My friend Lord Shellar, the Supreme Judge of Ortan, the former Chief of Police of Ortan and an alchemist,' Felix explained. 'Shellar offered to help me.'

'Your Majesty,' Shellar said bowing with dignity.

'Lord Shellar,' Ludwig said.

'Your Majesty, what's the matter?' Felix asked.

'We celebrated the sixteenth birthday of my daughter Mary, she ate some birthday cake and turned into a bunny,' Ludwig said nodding at the monster in the corner.

'But it isn't a bunny,' Felix said.

'If I say it's a bunny then it's a bunny!' Ludwig said. 'A Counsellor tried to argue and I put him into the cage with the bunny.'

'But there's no Counsellor in the cage,' Felix said.

'There isn't now,' Ludwig answered.

'Oh,' Felix said.

'I gave four pieces of the cake to my courtiers,' Ludwig said. 'They're in the room now. It may help you.'

Felix nodded.

'Your Majesty, please leave the room while we investigate,' Shellar said firmly.

Ludwig left the room.

'You sure are confident, Shellar,' Felix said.

'I don't hold my position for nothing.' Shellar smiled.

Felix nodded.

'I don't see four courtiers in this room,' he said puzzled.

Shellar smiled.

'There are many things in Heaven and Earth...' he said.

He looked at the guard.

'Sir, the king gave a piece of the cake to you,' he said. 'Please give it to us.'

'I lost my armour,' the guard said. 'Find an armour for me, and I'll give the piece of cake to you.'

'But the king will have your head if you don't give the piece of cake to us,' Felix said.

'He'll have my head all the same,' the guard said sadly. 'I lost my armour at cards.'

'And whose armour is on you now!?' Felix asked.

'It's an illusion,' the guard confessed. 'I'm very cold now standing here.'

Shellar shook his head.

'All right,' he said and went to gather parts of armour scattered around the room.

'I would sack him on the spot,' he grumbled. 'To lose his armour at cards! What guards does your king have!'

Felix smiled.

'I had a guard like this, he jumped into a river in full armour because of greed,' Shellar grumbled. 'I sacked him and exacted the value of the armour from him.'

'And Ludwig would behead him,' Felix said.

'Now that's excessive,' Shellar said.

Felix smiled.

'I have a friend like this,' Shellar observed. 'Cousin Mafey's maternal grandfather. Bad tempered and not very effective, our Zinovy.'

Felix smiled.

Shellar found all the pieces of the armour and gave them to the guard.

'Now I want a horse,' the guard said.

'A horse!?' Felix said.

'All right,' Shellar said. 'Come here, Felix.'

Shellar went into a corner. Felix followed him.

'See the pieces of a wooden horse here?' Shellar whispered.

Felix looked around and smiled.

'Yes,' he said nodding.

Shellar gathered the pieces together and nodded to Felix. Felix put the wooden horse together. Shellar went to the guard and handed the horse to him.

'Here's your horse,' he said calmly.

'But I wanted a live horse!' the guard said.

'Oh? Then you should have specified it,' Shellar said calmly.

'All right,' the guard said. 'Here.'

He gave a piece of cake to them.

'I have a piece of the cake,' the fox head on the wall said. 'I'll give it to you if you help me.'

'The king gave a piece of the cake to you too!?' Felix said. 'But why would you need it, you don't even have a stomach!'

'I do,' the fox head said. 'Behind the wall. I work as a hunting trophy in the royal castle, putting my head through a hole in the wall.'

Felix was dumbfounded.

'See?' Shellar smiled.

Felix nodded.

'So what do you want?' Shellar asked.

'I want to rid of that bear over the fireplace and to take his place,' the fox said. 'Make sleeping buns and he falls asleep and the king will fire him. The recipe is in one of the coffers, the ingredients are all over the room. This bear is so lazy!'

Shellar nodded.

'I see. This hall is in such disarray, in the royal castle!'

Felix smiled.

Shellar looked in all the coffers and found the recipe in the coffer near the entrance. He looked at the recipe, two bags of flour, four eggs, a pail of milk, four bottles of champagne and a melon. He started to gather all this around the room. He gathered them and put them onto one table. Then he looked at Felix.

'Er, Felix, I can't cook...'

'Okay,' Felix said. 'I'll bake them.'

Felix made the buns. Then he gave them to the bear. He ate them and fell sound asleep.

'Great!' the fox said. 'Here!'

He gave a piece of cake to them.

Then a picture on the left wall coughed.

'But you're a picture!' Felix said.

Shellar smiled.

'I'm magical,' the picture said.

Shellar nodded.

'Solve three puzzles and I'll give the piece of cake to you,' the picture said.

'Excellent!' Shellar said. 'I like puzzles!'

Felix smiled.

'One puzzle is near the door, another is on the left wall, and the third is on the easel near the right table,' the picture said. Shellar nodded.

Shellar looked at the mosaic near the entrance. It was all mixed up now. Shellar started moving the pieces till they were in their right places.

'Wow!' Felix said. Shellar smiled.

Shellar then went to the left wall and looked at the pictures. In five of the portraits there were watermelons, in four portraits of knights and one portrait of a lady. Shellar pointed at these five portraits.

'Very good, Lord Shellar,' the picture said.

Shellar smiled and went to the easel. In the easel there was a picture of the room with King Ludwig standing in the middle. Shellar looked at the picture attentively. Then he pointed with his long bony finger at the ten differences between the picture and the real room, like a vase near the left table that really wasn't there.

'Bravo, Lord Shellar,' the picture said.

Shellar smiled.

'Here,' the picture said and a piece of cake appeared from the picture and landed on the left table.

Then a stool coughed.

'Not you too!' Felix said.

'No, I just wanted to take part in all of this,' the stool said.

Felix shook his head. Shellar smiled.

Then the statue of the knight behind the throne coughed too.

'Yes?' Shellar asked.

'I have a couple of ideas how to turn Princess Mary back,' the statue said. 'I love her and want to free her myself. If I don't succeed, I'll give the piece of cake to you.'

'Very well, sir knight,' Shellar said solemnly.

'Well then, gather all the flowers in the room and give them to the Princess,' the knight said.

Shellar nodded and gathered all the flowers in the room, some were in the coffers. Then he handed them to Princess Mary with a bow. She ate them. Nothing happened.

The knight sighed.

'Well then, Lord Shellar, gather all the hearts in the room and give them to her.'

Shellar nodded and started to gather all the hearts in the room, plush ones scattered all around and ornaments on the walls. Then he handed them to Princess Mary with a bow. Nothing happened.

Shellar looked at the knight. The knight sighed.

'Well then, gather the balalaikas that are in the room and give them to me and my comrades. Then we'll sing a serenade to Princess Mary.'

Shellar nodded, gathered the five balalaikas that were in the room and gave them to the five stone knights. The stone knights started to play and the knight behind the throne sang a beautiful serenade. Shellar listened to it with delight. The serenade ended and nothing happened.

'Oh well, Lord Shellar,' the knight sighed. 'We did our best.'

Shellar smiled sadly.

'Here, Lord Shellar,' the knight said and gave a piece of cake to them.

Shellar bowed.

'Thank you, sir knight.'

'It's nothing, Lord Shellar,' the stone knight said.

'Some strange courtiers does King Ludwig have,' Shellar said smiling. 'But I know some very strange ones back in Ortan too.'

'Like what?' Felix asked curiously.

'For example, a royal jester who is a powerful wizard and also is a bit alchemist and makes very good booze, and also can open any lock and also is fearful and faints at the sight of blood or something like this,' Shellar said. 'Or a royal bodyguard who is an unclassical wizard and an empath, and who can call a king names and throw a teaspoon at him. Or a court lady who wears trousers, doesn't see illusions and shoots very well, I taught her myself.'

Shellar smiled tenderly.

'Granted, the last two don't serve at court now but they did.'

'They are your friends,' Felix said.

'Yes.' Shellar smiled. 'Jacques, Cantor and Olga.'

'Cantor means singer,' Felix observed.

'Yes, it's a nickname.' Shellar smiled.

'And the king wasn't offended at him?' Felix asked curiously.

'Oh, he isn't touchy,' Shellar laughed.

Felix nodded.

'Olga wears trousers like yours,' Shellar observed. 'I know they're called jeans. Olga is a migrant from another world.'

Felix nodded.

'Now we have to tell your king,' Shellar said.

Felix nodded.

Shellar turned to the guard.

'Please tell His Majesty that we have finished,' he said firmly.

The guard went outside to find the king.

'Well, at least this room is neater now,' Shellar said.

Felix smiled.

Some time later Ludwig returned.

'Well?' he asked.

'We found all four pieces, Your Majesty,' Shellar announced.

'Very good!' Ludwig said. 'Now take them and go to Old Elvira, maybe she'll make a potion to help Mary. She's a very good witch after all.'

Shellar smiled. Felix nodded.

'All right, Your Majesty.'

Shellar and Felix bowed, took the pieces of the cake and left.

'What?' Felix asked curiously.

'Well, I have a friend called Elvira,' Shellar said. 'She's a court lady, young and beautiful. She's the fiancee of my childhood friend Orlando. So hearing of an old witch called Elvira...'

Shellar laughed.

Felix nodded.

'Maybe Maitress Elvira will help Princess Mary,' Shellar said.

'Maitress?' Felix asked curiously.

'Maitre or Maitress is a common form of addressing alchemists or wizards in my world,' Shellar explained.

Felix nodded.