Chapter 36, I Have an Answer For Everything

Back home, seeing the morning sun glisten on newly fallen snow would have calmed her. But now, it did nothing to lighten her mood. It only meant that they were another day closer to the place called Oradour.

Jill quickly and carefully closed the small gap in the cover. Both she and Azkadellia were riding in the back of the same truck that she had seen in the old run-down section of Central City. Two guards also rode with them. Neither guard paid them too much attention though. So it was easy for her to sneak in an occasional look at the countryside.

She did her best to avoid Azkadellia. She felt guilty about it but the truth of the matter was that when she did rouse up she was half crazed. She would mumble things about a "Him" and a "She". "He" was holding his hands out to her. "She" was still inside her. When Azkadellia said "She", Jill wondered whether she was referring to the witch. Both Cain and Glitch had told her the story and while it sounded like a nightmarish fairy tale, knew better than to doubt it. When they were still in the safe house in Central City, Azkadellia lunged at her. She begged her to get "Her" out of her head. It was the tall one; the one the men called Lundgren, who grabbed Azkadellia and pulled her off of her. When she woke up and was fed, she was immediately put down again. It was either the nurse or the doctor who would give her the shot with a vicious looking needle. She had seen it done a few times by now but that did not make it any easier to handle.

She looked back over at the guards. They must have been told not to talk to her. Every time she asked them a question they refused to answer it and looked the other way.

With a lurch, the truck started off again and Jill settled in. She pulled her knees up and rested her forehead on them. As painful as it was she allowed her thoughts to drift to her old family and friends back home, and her new found friends in the present.

The Queen was in her public chamber where she conducted most of her business of overseeing the O.Z. It was a large round room with large windows that reached from the floor to the ceiling. Stained glass with the colors of the O.Z. flag had been inserted up at the top of each window. Unlike most of the other rooms in the palace this room was white. It was not the stark white that one would find in a hospital but a little off-white; just enough to take the harshness out of it. Long teal curtains matched the length of the windows and assorted bookcases and various size tables and chairs were set around the room. Attending meetings with select members of the House of Lords, and conferring with various ministers had kept her busy during the morning. The beginning of the new work week was always busy.

A young courier, not watching where he was going, came flying out from around a corner. He accidentally bumped in Dr. Addison. He dropped his armload of folders and files and they scattered across the tile floor. Dr. Addison did not stop to help him pick up the papers. Instead he growled at the young lad and said, "Watch where you're going!"

The young lad was petrified as he gazed in to Dr. Addison's eyes. He finally managed to mumble, "I'm so sorry sir. I won't let it happen again sir."

Dr. Addison was ready to let loose another searing comment but held his tongue. Rather he let loose another low growl of disgust and continued on his way to the Queen's public chamber.

Upon reaching the public chamber all anger at the young courier's indiscretion disappeared. He approached the Queen's desk and waited until she was done signing some papers. He had not been near a window all day and was pleasantly surprised to see that the sun was out. When she was done she motioned for her aides to disperse. "Good afternoon Xavier," she warmly said to him.

"Good afternoon your majesty," Dr. Addison warmly responded back. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"No… I have not. Would you care to join me?" she asked as she rose from her desk.

Dr. Addison smiled, "But of course. You are always pleasant company."

One of her aides came to her for one last minute signature. After she was done, they walked out of her public chamber side by side. A guard followed a few steps behind them.

After they continued down the hallway, Dr. Addison waited until they were somewhat alone. However, glancing back at the guard behind him, he knew that he would have to speak in hushed tones. "Unfortunately I do bring some unsettling and disturbing news."

The Queen glanced at him looking concerned. "Of what Xavier?"

Dr. Addison let out a loud sigh. "My dear Queen…. Ambrose… I mean Glitch, was found in his old office earlier this morning."

She looked at him slightly bemused. "Why would that be unsettling?"

Dr. Addison let out another sigh. "He has Corobus Fever."

The Queen stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean he has Corobus Fever? I ordered the palace to be thoroughly searched after Ahamo contracted it."

He audibly sighed once more. "It is with a heavy heart that I give you this news. He was found on the floor, stricken with fever. A cage was found on a nearby table and there were corobuses running amok in his office. It is a wonder that those that found him were not bit themselves."

The Queen backed away from him and bumped in to the wall. The look of shock was clearly evident. "Glitch? Our Glitch was found with corobuses?" The guard that had been following them raised his eyebrow.

Dr. Addison moved to be beside her along the wall. A few servants walked by them and both of them nodded their acknowledgments.

The Queen regained her composure and asked, in a demanding tone that carried through her muted voice, "Why was I not told earlier?"

Dr. Addison motioned with his hand that they should continue down the hallway and the Queen conceded. "I am sorry my majesty. Upon his discovery the Provost Marshall's office was called. Both the PM and I elected to delaying in contacting you until we had additional information."

She straightened her shoulders and stared straight ahead. "Xavier, the next time that such a situation arises, you will not delay in informing me. Is that understood?"

He answered her quietly, "Yes my majesty."

They continued down the hallway. Still mindful of the guard behind them, she asked, "You said that a cage was found in his office?"

He answered with a whisper. "There was. It was filled with feed and water. It appeared that they had been caged for some amount of time."

The Queen let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Asking about the cage was only delaying the inevitable conclusion.

"Why would he do such a terrible thing?" she asked softly. "He is a most kind hearted soul. Both Ahamo and I even gave him our consent to marry our DG."

It was Dr. Addison's turn to look up in shock. He did not know that little piece of information. However, the Queen did not catch his look and it was gone as soon as it appeared. His mind scrambled for an answer.

He put his arms behind his back and held his hands together, as though in deep thought. He glanced back at the guard and glared at him. The guard stopped and checked up on his distance between him and them. After sensing that the Queen was not going to make another comment, he said, "I agree that Glitch has a peaceful personality. Perhaps his recent behavior is an after-effect of the surgery. Even though the operation was often done during the witch's reign, its long-term effects have not been well documented."

The Queen shook her head in disbelief. She whispered, "Are you stating that even after fifteen annuals he may just be now experiencing changes in his personality and behavior?"

"Unfortunately, yes, my majesty." Dr. Addison continued to look as though he was in deep thought and disturbed by the notion. "Persons who have suffered head trauma show varying degrees of changes in their personality ranging from none at all to the most severe. While the medical community is well aware of what may happen, they are unable to predict the who and the when." He paused and then added, "He often says that his synapses do not fire right, am I correct?"

The Queen only nodded her answer. Then she asked, "Where is he now?"

Dr. Addison sighed. "He's in the barracks' infirmary… under guard of course. His fever is one of the worse cases that I have seen in recent memory. We don't know how long he had been in his office. If he had been in there for over a day or two; without proper treatment, it would lead to the severe symptoms that he is suffering."

They had reached the private dining hall.

The Queen was visibly troubled and shaken by the recent news of Glitch. "Go on ahead Xavier. I am going to go to the barracks' infirmary to visit him. Then I intend to tell DG of what has happened."

Dr. Addison looked at her and gave her a very concerned and worried look. "With all due respect, would you please consider just a very quick meal? I truly understand how troubling the news is. However, in these troubling times we must make sure that we not only take care of the ones that we love, but also ourselves…. Besides, Glitch is stable at the moment. I instructed to have a courier sent to me immediately if there was any change in his condition."

She nodded her head and gave him a slight smile. "Well spoken Xavier."

He smiled back at her and held open the door.

The Queen was in the private dining room. She was eating alone and the only sounds were the fire, and the occasional faint tinkling of her silverware.

She did not feel like eating; however, she forced herself to at least eat a few morsels. Dr. Addison's words about not only taking care of loved ones, but oneself as well, rang in her ears.

"Thank you," she told the kitchen servant as he cleared her dinner plate.

"Your highness, are you sure that you are finished?" he quietly asked.

"Yes… I am… please just bring me a cup of coffee with cream and sugar. I won't be having dessert tonight."

"Of course," he again replied quietly and then went through the door leading in to the kitchen area.

Shortly thereafter the same servant brought out her steaming cup of coffee. "Anything else?" he whispered. Even he realized that something was terribly and most unusually wrong. He could not remember a time when the Queen dined alone.

"No… that is all," she quietly answered.

She absent-mindedly grabbed her cup with both hands; letting its warmth flow through them. As she had to finally let go, she realized with dismay that it was a habit she had often seen DG do. She had even chided her about it once or twice; stating that it was not proper of a princess.

She took a small sip, trying to be careful so that she would not burn her tongue.

Glitch was in dreadful shape. In the short amount of time that she was there he had convulsed twice. And to Dr. Addison's point, he considered that to be relatively stable. She shuddered to think how he was during the first few hours after they had found him.

But that was not the worst of it. PM Collins told her that they had found a picture disk on him. They viewed it together and received yet another shock. It showed her husband rendezvousing many times at many different places with a woman. She was a beautiful woman with long golden hair and bright blue eyes. She was also very, very young. She might have been as young as DG.

She cried.

It was against every protocol she had been taught. But it mattered not, they still flowed.

Why did Glitch have the disk? Was he trying to bribe her husband? Did it fall through and that is why Glitch let loose the corobuses?

She told herself that it was all irrational. But the evidence was as plain as day.

She took another careful sip of her coffee.

When she entered his room, she sat down beside him. His face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes. He was in no condition to be asked. But yet she did. She described the woman to him and he knew her. Then she told him about the picture disk. He denied everything. Of course he would.

Her conversation with DG had gone no better.

She expected DG to demand that she be allowed to see him. Her fury at being told no was greater than what had occurred in her private library a few days earlier. A nurse had to be summoned once more to sedate her.

Her coffee had cooled some and she took an entire swallow.

And then there was Azkadellia. She had not yet woken up and no one knew why; including Dr. Addison.

The Queen put down her unfinished coffee and wearily rose from the table. She thought to herself, and that is my family.