Title: excruXiation

Author: trickssi

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own neither the characters not their scripted antics in Symphonia, Rodeo Ride Tour, and Dawn of the New World.

Description: Coming to terms with oneself is not an easy task, especially with distractions like the Ratatosk upheaval, relationship problems, and friends going berserk. But in order to move forward, Zelos has to destroy an integral part of his past. In this chapter, Zelos reminisces about his journey with Sheena a year after the Regeneration.

Warnings: Major spoilers for ToS, the Japanese radio drama Rodeo Ride Tour, and Tos: DotNW.


2. By a Moment


Zelos's weary dreams played out in his mind like a sugar cube dissolving in tea. They were memories of a watered-down color, memories that left nothing but leaves at the bottom after you drank your share.

He traveled from Meltokio, which had just held their first Union celebration, to Mizuho. It wasn't a long journey—only half a morning, if that. By that point, all magitechnology had been shut down, so he had to walk a good three miles out of the city before using his wings in lieu of a Rheaird.

By the time he found the hidden village, his heart was beating in exhilarating anticipation. This visit would mark the first time he would see Sheena for seven months. Well, officially in terms of actually seeing her, because he had heard she was present at the celebrations the previous night, but hadn't gotten the chance to find her.

At the gates, he was swarmed by a few admirers he'd flirted with back on the journey to Regeneration. Although it was aggravating that here of all places he still ran into such problems, the noise seemed to attract the Chief, which was exactly his motive. Sheena finally appeared in a huff to pry the supposedly virtuous girls of her village from the every limb of the Chosen.

"What brings you here?" she asked. She seemed a little accusatory, even for his memories.

"What brings me? What brought you to Meltokio without visiting me?" (He may have added a "hunny.")

"Wha—? I have a job and a duty to my people and to the King!" she said firmly. "You, on the other hand… What are you doing here?"

He played coy, putting a hand in his pocket and looking past her into the distance. This was a game in which he excelled. "Hm, you're no fun… Well, I—Actually, I just came to say hello, since you wouldn't do me the favor last night. Gotta keep good ties, y'know?"

Sheena smirked from one corner of her mouth. "Good ties?" She had this ability to bore her eyes right through him sometimes. Perhaps it was a little obvious that he was holding back.

"… And maybe I need some advice."

"Advice?" she inquired. Casually, she glanced to make sure the girls were out of earshot. "Well, what kind of advice are we talking?"

For a moment, Zelos saw her eyes flash with concern. He was almost convinced—if he could remember correctly—that she was going to take him seriously. But he was going to ruin all that, if only to see if he could get it to happen again, and again, and as often as he needed. "Ah—eh heh heh. What if I told you it had to do with one of the maids in the Palace…?"

"—Zelos, you didn't—How could you be so—What exactly are you trying to—It's illegal!" she stammered in shock. Interestingly, it seemed her mind had jumped to the conclusion that he'd impregnated someone. Hah. Heaven forbid he ever pass along his genes.

"Relax, sweetheart, I'm just messing with ya!" he laughed. "Besides, it's not 'illegal,' it's 'illegitimate.' But I, the Great Zelos Wilder, would never sleep with just anyone, so…!"

Clutching her hand to her chest, Sheena said, "Oh, be serious, will you? What do I have to do to make you not give me a heart attack every time you open your mouth, shove food in it?"

He would have kept up his suggestive wordplay except for the fact that he was quite hungry and skipped lunch trying to find the place. "Hm? Food? That sounds promising…"

Exasperated by the exchange, Sheena showed him inside. She rushed to prepare something for Zelos despite being under-stocked. It didn't really matter that she'd ended up making the most delicious pineapple-and-beef curry he'd ever tasted. She had rather willingly agreed to his terms, which made his impending question somehow easier to ask. And yes, he did continue to wheedle his way around it, though Orochi's presence at the dinner table made things much more difficult to bear. (He found out later that Orochi had been appointed as Sheena's protector—whatever that meant.)

"So," Zelos began after a great deal of joking around, "why don't you come with me, then?"

"Go with you… where?" Sheena asked.

"On the trip," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Trip…? What trip?"

"Yeah, you know. The trip. Like a world tour. We'll start by going to the north, hit the coast, spend a weekend at the hot spring to relax a little before we go where the wind takes us… Taste every single foreign dish, never skip a meal, pass out from drinking all the local potion… Ahh, it'll be so great to just get out and have some fun, don't you think?" Zelos said. He'd actually planned a route that would take him quite literally around the world, and without staying in the same place for more than one night in a row. Judging by the look on Sheena's face, perhaps he planned a little too much; perhaps he was giving too much away. When she tilted her head, he took it as a cue to continue to try and hook her.

"I mean, it'll be like traveling, but there's nothing set, so we could pretty much go anywhere we wanted. Those're just ideas. Come on, what do you say, Sheena? Will you go on the trip with me?"

She remained silent, blinking.

"'Sides, if you come with me, my heart will feel a thousand times stronger! Imagine me, a poor Chosen far from home, all alone with strangers—except if his trusty gal's at his side to cheer him on! It's not like you to get all shy about things, you know…"

"That's quite enough," Orochi spoke, calmly and evenly. Oh, right, him; Zelos had quite forgotten that man was there. Must have been because he was a trained ninja or something. Either that or he was just an unremarkable man.

"What's the problem, boss-man? Can't I treat your Chief here to a little R 'n' R? Or are you jealous 'cause I'm not inviting you?" Zelos said. (Was his memory making him more predatory or did he really say that?)

The dream pinched in the center and he couldn't remember at all what Orochi looked like, or what Sheena looked like in that moment of his utter gall. His brain must have skipped ahead to a part where Sheena kept mouthing words, her eyes darting like lightning and her stance thunder. But then it all focused onto her syllables: "I understand every word you said, O Chosen One… Just who do you think you are? You are the Chosen and it is your responsibility—your responsibility…"

'My responsibility to take care of my people,' Zelos thought. 'But not my choice.' He shifted on the couch and rolled over onto his other side. No, Sheena couldn't have known that he wasn't offering to take her on an escape route rather than a vacation.

Somehow, though, she must have figured it out. His lucid dreaming continued. Not four hours after the time where his previous dream cut short, when the sun was setting upon a shelf of Earth, he came to a crossroads and saw a familiar figure waiting by a tree. He began to hum a tune, a song he remembered from his childhood. Its melody was easy to recall because of how the school system used it as a way to instill a sense of nationalism in kids as well as a choosing device. Eenie-meenie-miney-mo with notes, except the idea was that the King was deciding for you. (A secret he later learned was that it always ended up on the first one if you happened to be choosing between two things.)

That's not exactly why he remembered it, though. At the time, he couldn't place why he had the urge to sing this song when he saw her standing there, but now… She was there, wasn't she, all those years ago. He must have been twelve; Meltokio was hosting the Coliseum games; he was processing with the aristocracy; there were exuberant children like him whose jaws were flying with the lyrics to that same nationalistic song. It was, after all, tradition for people of all kinds to praise the King on holiday occasions.

"Which road shall we take…"

And there was one sad-looking little girl tucked into the mass whose eyes never met his, whose mouth never opened. A heathen, he'd thought, who never went to school and never learned the words. Or just maybe, the girl didn't believe in such things. So, just maybe, when he sung it now, Sheena would remember that moment.

"It shall be as the King of…"

"Heaven tells us," the figure by the tree joined. "We shall do…"

Zelos couldn't tell from such a distance, nor could he exactly discern her face from the strange new clothes she was wearing, but he decided that Sheena was grinning as she sang.

As usual, his finger ended up on the same option with which he began his pointing-song.

"Well, well," he said. "Seems I'm supposed to go left. But now that I think about it, I'd rather go right—as long as that girl waiting by the tree doesn't mind that I'm messing with the rules of Which Road."

"Not at all," she called back. She began to walk toward him as he caught up to where she was standing. Zelos could have swooned to see her actually joining him on this trip—and he really could have, factoring in the general heat of the day and the layers of disguise he was wearing. But it was best to play it as though she had decided to join him back in the village. He wouldn't want to be too suddenly enthusiastic. Mentally, he marked a tally on his "wins" side.

"Besides, I never really cared for that song," Sheena continued when they met.

He couldn't hold in a laugh. Was it coincidence that she said that? Either way, she was easily laughing along with him. "All right, then. Let's get a move on!" Zelos declared. The two set out on the path to the right—which, though Zelos knew the song wouldn't pick, led in the northern direction that he'd needed to go.

"… Hope I don't regret this," Sheena said under her breath. Zelos was about to protest in a loud, brazen manner, but found when he looked over at her face that she was still smiling. A joke.

"What was that?" he asked anyway.

"Ah—! Nothing. Let's be on our way!"

Zelos couldn't remember more about that evening aside from how beautiful she was in the sunset orange of that moment…

"Master Zelos."

Back in the world where he would be called such things, Zelos grudgingly stretched and inclined his ear toward the speaker, eyes remaining closed. He became aware of the hand that had made its way to the jewel on his chest and the faint ache it produced. He hated when he clawed at his key crest in his sleep

"Yo."

"I'm afraid this isn't a time to be enjoying the haze of rest. There is an urgent matter regarding Sir Bud and the city-state of Palmacosta."

Zelos's eyes flashed open and he sat up slowly. Sebastian was standing over him with an old fashion lantern in one hand and a basin tucked under his arm. It must have been—it couldn't have been morning yet, could it?"

"What's going on?" he cautioned to ask.

Sebastian set the lantern upon the small side table. "It appears—one would assume—that he has, more or less… razed the village in a bout of anger," he replied.

"Wait… what?" Zelos said. He rubbed his hand across his eyes and took a long stretch. Somewhere in his glorified consciousness, Lloyd's anger made sense. Of course, because Sheena was taking a trip with Zelos and not him and everything would be happy and perfect. But—Palmacosta? That was too left-field even for his dreams. Plus, Lloyd would never harm anyone, not after all he'd been through. Okay—not since Iselia, then.

"The King requests your audience post-haste, sir. I brought you a washcloth to freshen up a bit—you've been napping all evening."

"Er, thanks," Zelos said, becoming aware of the crusting around his mouth from drooling in his sleep. He probably had gunk in his eyes, too—most unbefitting of a Chosen. Quickly dashing his face with water and drying it with the provided towel, Zelos tried to collect his thoughts. "What time is it? More importantly, where's Seles? And Lloyd, for that matter?"

"Lady Seles is still asleep, sir, for it is nearing three o'clock."

"Unnnngh," Zelos whined. This would really throw off his beauty-sleep schedule. "Well, get her down here as soon as you can. There's no way I'm leaving her in this house even with Tokunaga around. Besides, if it's about Lloyd, she'd rather be in the know now than when… decisions are made."

"Surely. I will see to its hastening," Sebastian said before jogging, with little speed and much comic effort, up the long stairway in the hall.

Sitting briefly, Zelos readjusted his shoes, which he realized he had lazily left on during his nap. He also realized, sorely, that he'd missed dinner. His stomach gave a pathetic rumble.

"Aw, man," Zelos groaned. Upstairs, he could hear multiple pairs of footsteps. Seles would be down soon, and hopefully with enough sense not to waste time by changing clothes. Although, it would buy him time to grab a roll or something.

Quickly, he dashed to the kitchen's pantry and looked for some vestige of the dinner he had missed. It still smelled like some sort of meat—beef, likely. The chef had been making quite a few beef dishes lately. Zelos would never profess to be a culinary, but there was something suspicious about the way all his food was becoming more homogenous. Beef must have been in season. The season must be dictating the selection; the selection must be limited by money flow. Oh, boy. There was more to this missed dinner than he had anticipated, wasn't there? All he wanted was a few calories to tide himself over until he knew what was going on with Lloyd.

He spotted a sliced loaf of bread and grabbed two or three pieces. Shoving as much as he could into his mouth, he made his way back to the stairs. He ended up wishing he'd grabbed some water as the bread stuck tenaciously to his teeth. Luckily, he was distracted by a nightgown-clad girl and her footfalls.

"Big Brother!" Seles called as she trotted toward him, Tokunaga in tow. "What's happened to Lloyd?"

"I can't say for sure, but why don't you put on your shoes and we'll find out, okay?" Zelos replied. "Although," he continued, "I'm not sure I can have you around." He indicated Tokunaga as he ushered Seles to the door.

"Master Zelos, I can assure you that my presence will do you no harm," Tokunaga said.

Zelos sighed. He wasn't going to deal with Tokunaga's aggressiveness at three in the morning. "All right, whatever. Come along, but that whole vow of secrecy clause is still in effect, you know. Did Sebby tell you if there's still a crowd outside?"

Irritated, Tokunaga replied, "My uncle decided to return to bed. However, I did not see movement when I looked out the window a moment ago."

"Let's just go through the dungeon passage. It's quicker," Seles suggested.

In their most informal dress and state of awareness, the Wilder children and the younger butler rushed to the hidden passageway beneath the main stairwell. It was only a short distance to the palace but such a corridor would shield them from whatever thieves or assassins that could be roaming. Now that Lloyd was on the lam, there'd certainly be random mobs popping up for all sorts of revenge.

After Tokunaga secured the lock on the estate side entrance, Zelos put a hand to the jewel on his chest. A faint orange light was transferred to his hand which he then used as a guide for the trio as they crossed underground. Which was odd—previously, all he had to do to get that effect was think about it and a bright burst of energy would emerge. Perhaps it would have been easier if he had replaced this glass jewel with his Cruxis Crystal.

Within five minutes, they had reached the castle entrance stationed in the armory. Tokunaga scarcely touched the lock before an attendant hurriedly undid it for him and ushered them through to the hallway.

"Welcome, Chosen One," a nearby guard said. There was a bit of disconnect before he continued, "… and guests." Although he couldn't tell through the helmet, Zelos was convinced that the guard was sneering at his half-sister. That old law about half-elves not being permitted in the palace extended to Seles, as her lineage was rather incriminating. But the laymen, didn't they hear the news that Cruxis was founded upon the ideals of one half-elf?

"Yeah, hi. Got a problem?" Zelos asked. Clearly, that man didn't understand that he hadn't eaten a proper dinner.

"N-no, sir. We had just been anxiously awaiting your arrival. Please, quickly, through this door. I'll see to it that you're not otherwise disturbed."

In the receiving hall, the King was adorned with a nightshift and heavy robe, lacking a crown. Only candles lit the interior, which bounced menacing shadows onto all their faces. Zelos remembered a single other time he had been in this situation.

Zelos bowed, which cued Tokunaga to follow suit and Seles to drop slightly into a curtsey.

"Ah, Chosen One, it is a relief to see you made it unharmed," the King addressed.

"Certainly, your Highness. Sorry for the delay. I had a, a few things to take care of before I left," he replied. "I'm sure you understand that my sister needed to come with me."

The King furrowed his brow. "Indeed… However, that is… perhaps, unnecessary in terms of what I am about to tell you."

"Oh, really? Because I was under the impression that, being in the same household as me right now, and how I'm one of Lloyd's strongest allies, it might be in her best interest to know if there are going to be more murderers out for our blood," he said casually, shifting this weight and not making eye contact until the last word.

"It… shall be at your own discretion. However, I do advise that someone with such a fragile constitution be cared for upon hearing the news," the King leveled.

Seles glanced at Zelos, then Tokunaga, then back at the King. "Please, your Majesty. I'm fairly certain I can handle what you might have to say."

"Very well, then. It was reported that Sir Lloyd Irving Bud has accosted and burned parts of Palmacosta." Expectedly, Seles emitted a gasp. But the King kept speaking in a politician's even tone, immune to the emotional connection behind the information. "The fatalities are at least nine human lives upon report, but there are likely to be more now. Three stores and four homes are damaged as well."

Out of the corner of his eye, Zelos saw Seles's knees lock. But she wouldn't fall—not in the presence of the very royalty that scorned her for her weaknesses.

"Additionally," the King continued, "it appears that he escaped with no notification of direction. Moreover, none of our informants can discern a motive."

Well, that was news. Zelos had been hoping that perhaps they'd found Lloyd, that at the very worst he'd be locked up in maximum security at the Coliseum. Why would he run from a crime, much less one he committed? Something wasn't clicking.

"H-how could that be? Lloyd… he couldn't do that. He wouldn't," Seles said. Tokunaga offered the girl a handkerchief, which she declined under the scrutiny of the King. Instead, she clenched her little fingers into a fist.

Zelos shifted his weight, arms crossed. "You said 'reported.' Who exactly did you hear this from?" he asked brusquely.

"Precisely why I summoned you," the King replied. "The leader of the investigative mission was none other than Mizuho's own…"

Don't say it. I know what you're going to say, so don't say it, don't say It, don't say it.

"… Sheena Fujibayashi, accompanied by her closest council of scouts."

Zelos closed his eyes briefly. He no longer had the authority to question whether the information was false. It would be questioning the effectiveness of the Mizuho scout network and therefore Sheena herself. But because it came down to Lloyd, Sheena would be her most thorough. He couldn't put her integrity in jeopardy like that.

"Can't there be some explanation? Some… sort of way that it wasn't Lloyd?" Seles asked. Zelos could see the tears welling up behind her eyelashes.

"I can assure all of you on my life that if She—… she's working on it, it's gotta be true," Zelos stated. "But I would have thought she'd, y'know, maybe come tell me about it herself before it came down to an audience hall."

The King gestured with his left hand. "Please, let's not jump to too many conclusions, Chosen. We are expecting a scout to update us shortly with follow-up investigation results. I would think it best that you remain within reach until that time," he suggested.

"A scout…" Zelos repeated. Generally, 'a scout' meant her first-in-command, Orochi. When on the job, he was efficient to a fault. Not to mention, as Zelos was reminded by his recent memory, he was infatuated with his boss. It might not be a pleasant encounter. But then, there was the off-chance that Sheena herself would be the one reporting, like just before. In that case, Zelos would never forgive himself if he missed her.

"Well, uh, guess it couldn't hurt to wait and find out straight from the source," he concluded.

"Big Brother," Seles urged. She gave him a strained look, her face lined with weariness.

"We shall make accommodations in the Red Room for yourself and the young lady," the King said.

Tokunaga nodded, replying, "I shall escort them."

"Thank you, your Grace. And don't let that scout get away without talking to me first," Zelos said, only half-jokingly.

He and Seles followed Tokunaga and the maid who had been attending upon the King to the secondary staircase. Just as he took the first step, Zelos felt another pulse of not-quite-pain from the glass jewel on his chest. Something was not right.

Seles ended up falling asleep on the bed nearly as soon as they arrived in the Red Room. Bless her, she still had her nightgown on. But he felt stuffy in his twice-worn clothing, even as he slumped against the wall with a sumptuous pillow; stuffy until the verge of sleep, which bit at him though he'd surely gotten enough in the past day.

It was the same air as the last time Sheena made him wait.

Another sunset, another day near the end of the world-tour trip. Zelos remembered feeling rather dirty and sour after working a day in the fields with some Iselian farmers. Honestly, he never planned to lift a finger on this trip, but they were in Iselia and that came with particular difficulties. Those being, if Lloyd says you ought to help him in that field and Sheena hears him say this, you'd better get yourself knee-deep in fertilizer and do a better job than he does. There's no "integrity" without "grit." There's no risking what you think might be her attachment to you because your rival is ambitious on this one and only occasion.

A comforting, perfect smell met Zelos as he opened the door to the small house. From the doorway, he could see Sheena laboring over a pot of something—wasn't it supposed to be Pescatore? It didn't smell like Pescatore but he'd sooner give her the benefit of the doubt than mock her and have his food poisoned for it. She hummed a little song as she stirred, completely unaware of the outside world. Completely completing the image of a cozy house in the middle of nowhere with all the time in the world. Zelos had to make sure it was real. He cleared his throat just loudly enough for it to startle her.

"Ah—! Don't startle me like that," Sheena gasped, turning to see her visitor. "Lloyd told me you were going to work the fields today. I didn't think you'd actually do it. I'll bet the one doing most of the work was him…!"

Though she smiled and returned to her work (now adding vegetables, now satay), her words still didn't sound right. He could have lived a thousand years in a scenario like this if she hadn't opened her mouth. "Lloyd" this and "Lloyd" that. It kept him on his toes to have a word give him such a visceral reminder that he didn't belong here. They didn't belong here. It was the second night here in Iselia, and that was not acceptable.

What the hell had he been thinking? For just one second—seeing her in the kitchen in this little palace with a smile on her face—! What, suddenly the terrorists wouldn't find him? Or her?

And now she thought she could have dinner here. This wasn't Mizuho; this wasn't some hidden village. This was Lloyd's house. If anyone in the world were to be targeted, it would be Lloyd. As the situation stood, there were too many powerful leaders (of sorts) in one location.

Besides, she promised… He brought her here to surprise her, to let her have a little metaphorical cake even if she couldn't have it. By following him around, she agreed not to endanger a village by overstaying her welcome. That fight he'd gotten into with Orochi earlier, the one regarding her duties to protect her people… He supposed there was only one reason her mind would be wandering, and he didn't want to think about it. Not after all this time.

"Dinner, eh?" he said, perhaps a little more gruffly than he should have.

No response. She kept putting vegetables into the stew. Nothing like a passive-aggressive afternoon.

"So, you're making dinner, are you?" Zelos asked again, a little more loudly.

Sheena whipped her head around but wouldn't look him in the eye. "Yeah, that's right. You got a problem or something?"

"… Not at all," he began, "Oh, except, how long do you plan on staying here exactly?" More anger-edged silence. "You know, those terrorists a while back… we don't know when they could resurface. We agreed we wouldn't stay anywhere for more than one night, remember? One of our rules?"

Sheena moved to feed the fire and wiped her hands on a cloth, still unspeaking.

"Okay, I know I was joking around yesterday, but this is really important. Look, can't you just give it up already?"

"Give what up, Zelos?" Sheena barked. Finally, she turned to him and glared straight into his eyes. In that moment, it became perfectly clear: this would be a woman scorned. But did she know what she was doing to him? Playing coy, playing dumb, but then following him around the world without question, and creating happy little moments. Actually caring for his well-being. It all changed when she stepped over the Irving threshold. She played the housewife role, but not for him. No, in her eyes, he was invisible here. He stood knee-deep in manure all day, for Martel's sake! And all she could think of was to call him lazy?

"… As if you have to ask," he replied. As if you have to pretend you're not head-over-heels in love with someone else.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sheena said sharply.

Zelos sighed, exhausted with her little games. "Look, I want a straight answer before I go clean up. If you want to… stay here instead of coming with me, you should be clear about it. It's your choice. Just… if you stay, I think you know what you'd be getting into, and believe me when I say, the only one who's gonna end up hurt will be you. You've gotta pick your battles wisely, as they say."

He was surprised that he hadn't been run through with a kitchen knife for the blunt impudence of his comment. It was unlike Sheena to be so quiet. Even if it was something that needed to be said, Zelos's provocation wasn't getting any reaction other than tense silence from across the room.

He continued, "Oh, so this isn't about matters of the heart, then. Ah, yeah, never mind I said any of that. I'll bet you have plenty of suitors asking for your hand, eh? Am I right? Well, even if you don't, I could always go and find you one, since you're not attached to anyone or anything. Just say the word an—"

All the shrieking he had ever heard in his life, from the cries of his half-sister as a child to the sobs of a grown man at the wrong end of a Cruxis blade, could not prepare him for Sheena's response. "That is ENOUGH!" she shouted. "How—How dare you insinuate that anyone, much less that I could be as careless and shallow as you!"

"… What was that, now?"

"If this girl isn't fun anymore, you'll go to that one. If not that one, then the other! They're all expendable to the Great Zelos Wilder. Maybe someone like you just can't understand, you know, actually liking someone enough to want to be with them for more than a day—"

" How can you say that?" Zelos said, anger focusing to the tips of his teeth. He meant to scare her off with his teasing about Lloyd, but she'd taken it way beyond that. Sure, he may seem shallow on the outside and he may flirt with any given woman. But this trip was something sacred. It was a little piece of himself that he could share with the only other soul adventurous enough; a glimpse into the man behind the mask. Was this whole trip, this whole month and a half just a joke to her? "You were the one…—! As if this all—!"

"It only hurts because it's true, anyway!" Sheena retorted.

"Stop joking around about this!"

"You, too!"

Zelos clenched his fists so hard that his nails left deep purple indentations in his palms. He had to fight the urge to punch a hole in the wall, because that wouldn't get his point across—it would just give them another reason to stay for another day to fix it, and then Zelos would truly look like a monster.

He counted, one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand, four-one-thousand…

"… If we stay here any longer, we'll be like sitting ducks," he began. He could feel his vocal tracts tightening. "Something could happen to this village and its people at any time, and we wouldn't even see it coming."

Without missing a beat, Sheena said, "You're the one being targeted. Not me."

Just as Zelos turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him, there was a sharp rap upon the door to the Red Room.