* * *
"I'm still in bed." Sally thought to herself again and again. "Someone please come wake me up." The day had only gotten weirder since they arrived at the garrison. After their "interview" with Colonel Franklin, the freedom fighters were allowed to tour the facilities. Quickly taking advantage of the opportunity, Sally pulled them aside to figure out what to do next.
"What do you make of all of this?" Sally asked her friends.
"Well ah don't rightly know, Sally-girl. This seems seriously weird, but ah don't think we're being lied to or anythang," Was Bunnie's input.
"Thanks Bunnie, that was what I was feeling too. Sonic, any comments?"
"Yeah." He snorted. "What kind of a name is 'Misha' ? It sounds like a girl's name."
Sally just rolled her eyes. "I meant anything USEFUL, Sonic."
"Sorry, Sal. The ol' Hedgehog brain is running on empty. And so is my stomach. Do you think they have any-"
"No, Sonic I really don't think they have any chilidogs."
"Bogus!"
"Excuse me." A voice from behind said. They turned to find an otteress standing behind them. "Hello, I'm Olivia Sinclair. The Colonel asked that I show you blokes around, eh wot?"
"Say WHAT?" Sonic wondered in confusion. Sally resisted the impulse to roll her eyes again and instead decided to shake Olivia's hand.
"Hello Olivia, I'm Sally."
"PRINCESS Sally?!" She said with a gasp. She tried giving a curtsey with her skirt, but was obviously not in the habit.
"That's really not necessary, just call me Sally. Titles don't count for much out here."
"Right, well...*ahem* Like I was saying, I'm going to show you chaps about. Anything you want to see in particular?"
"Not as such," Sally said. "Actually I'm more interested in the people here."
"What do you want to know?" Olivia asked. Sally paused and nodded once to Bunnie. Bunnie nodded back and led the group off in another direction. When they were alone, Sally turned back to the older girl and asked, "What are you doing in an Overlander base?"
She shrugged. "As the saying goes, it seemed like a good idea at the time." Seeing Sally's incomprehension, she elaborated. "I was a little girl, only ten when the Coup happened. I was visiting relatives in Mobotropolis, I'm from Mercia, you see. At any rate, as soon as everything started going balmy my granddad shipped me as far away as 'e could. I guess he was trying to get me home, but I ended up lost near the border. An Overlander patrol found me wondering around and took me back 'ere."
"And you've been here ever since?" Sally asked in awe. Olivia nodded. "Have you been treated...well?" She asked tentatively.
Olivia frowned for a moment before she figured out what Sally was asking. "You mean, 'ave I been mistreated or anything?" She shook her head. " 'eck no!" Sally was skeptical, but was careful enough to make sure her face didn't reflect what she was thinking.
"And the others? Have they been-"
"Treated quite well." Olivia answered. "Would you like to meet the others?"
"Of course, but I thought they didn't speak English. Do you know-"
"Any languages besides English? No, but we have a translator 'andy. The only trick is finding 'im."
"Him?" Sally asked.
"Yeah, Mikhail Sergeivich. Russian blighter, a good chap by all accounts. Even if he is a bit moody."
"Russian? He wouldn't happen to be a red fox, answers to the name Misha, would he?"
"That's the bloke. Met him already, 'ave you?"
"You might say that." Sally said, briefly recounting what had happened with Misha and the Colonel.
Olivia chuckled. "Yeah, 'e's got a way with words all right. 'e bloody spends so much time reading that about 'alf of wot he says is poetry or prose of something from somebody else."
"Does he always speak in quotes?" Sally asked.
"Quotes, riddles, aphorisms, rhyme, whatever strikes 'is fancy at any given moment."
"Charming." Sally drawled. Olivia smiled.
"He's not THAT bad. He's actually a bloody gent compared to some people around 'ere. Though I'll deny ever 'aving said that you understand."
"Understood." Sally agreed. "Tell me, just what's the age group like around here? For the Mobians, that is."
"Well most of us are around your age I reckon. Give or take a year. The youngest of us is Paul, he's thirteen."
"And the oldest?" Sally asked.
"You're looking at 'er. I'm twenty-one." Sally looked at her in surprise. She couldn't imagine herself being raised without Julayla and Rosie, both of whom were already middle-aged when she was a little girl!
"So you found yourself the oldest in the group?"
"By a few years, yes." Olivia agreed.
"Do they listen to you?" Olivia's snicker was answer enough.
"Not bloody likely! Seriously though, they'll listen to me...after a fashion." She added as the fiddled with the pink bow in her long braid. "But it isn't that I'm their leader or any of that rot. I just try to play the part of the shepherd, looking out for the 'erd and whatnot."
"I see." Sally said neutrally. Olivia may not have the experience of Rosie or the calm patience of Julaya, but she played a similar enough role here. Sally said nothing more as Olivia led her around the courtyard and into the main barracks. She was led past the large mess hall and down the stairs into a dank, dark, and chilly basement.
"Watch your step." Olivia called from in front of her.
"What is this place?" Sally called, her voice echoing slightly in the darkness.
"We call it 'The Dungeon.' " Olivia answered as she opened the door. Sally squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. There was very little lighting and most of the room was cast in shadow. Even in the darkness Sally managed to make out some shapes. Most of it was furniture, chairs, tables, and bookcases. Lots of bookcases. So many in fact that it looked like...
"Is this a library?" Sally asked in astonishment.
"That it is. Or was at any rate."
"In an Overlander military base?" She said in confusion.
"We're not sure why either." Olivia admitted. "The garrison itself seemed only 'alf-complete when the war ended. No one even knew about this basement, not even Colonel Franklin."
Sally paused for a moment to think. That would suggest that this place was older than the Overlander garrison, or rather, the garrison had been converted from something even older.
"Why do you call this place a dungeon?" Sally asked, half-dreading the answer.
"On account that Misha's always locking 'imself up in 'ere. Pity the light isn't better, ruined 'is eyes it did. I'm sure you noticed the glasses." She added by way of an explanation. "Lucky break for us that one of the Overlanders was a former optometrist."
"What exactly is your relationship with the Overlanders?" Sally asked as innocently as she could.
"Ah here we are!" Olivia said as she spied a low light emanating for a distant corner of the large underground library. "Finally!" Olivia exclaimed. "And 'ere I thought we'd have to look under every stone in this bloody place."
Sally noticed the obvious dodge but choose not to pursue it right then. She filed Olivia's response away as the two of them made their way over to the light. Sally saw their quarry sitting under a lamp, pouring over a pile of old books.
"Misha," Olivia said, rapping him lightly on the head. "You awake?"
"Da. I'm awake." He said as he closed the book. "What do you want Olivia?"
"There's someone I want you to meet. Or rather, meet again."
"Hello, Misha. I'm Sally" Sally said as she stepped up and extended her hand. Misha just looked at her as if she were a SWATbot.
"Menya zavut Mikhail Sergeivich Dragoslav." He said his voice trembling--with nervousness? Anger?--and would not meet her gaze.
"Misha, Sally would like to meet everyone." Olivia said, trying to draw attention away from his nervousness.
"So you need me to translate? And here I thought you just enjoyed my company." He pouted. Olivia just smiled and mussed his head-fur.
"Sure I do, the same way I enjoy your snoring."
"I do NOT snore!"
"Either you snore or we had a merry 'ell of storm last night. And every night for the last eleven years." Olivia said. Misha's retort was in Russian, so Sally didn't understand exactly what he said, but the context suggested that it wasn't nice. She frowned, he seemed relaxed enough now, but whenever he seemed to look at her, it was like he saw a ghost.
"Or a demon." Sally thought dramatically. Misha stood up and gave a little mock bow to Olivia and then headed for the door.
"Is it something I said? Or did?" Sally asked. "He seemed pretty nervous."
"No, no. Misha just...I guess 'e just wasn't comfortably with someone 'e doesn't know using 'is nickname."
"Misha is a nickname?"
"It's derived from 'Mikhail.' When you talk to Russians, it's polite to say their name and their patronymic."
"So I should refer to him as 'Mikhail Sergeivich' ?"
"Until 'e gets to know you, yes. Come on, Misha's waiting." Sally silently followed Olivia outside. She didn't say anything because she knew Olivia was lying.
* * *
"I'm still in bed." Sally thought to herself again and again. "Someone please come wake me up." The day had only gotten weirder since they arrived at the garrison. After their "interview" with Colonel Franklin, the freedom fighters were allowed to tour the facilities. Quickly taking advantage of the opportunity, Sally pulled them aside to figure out what to do next.
"What do you make of all of this?" Sally asked her friends.
"Well ah don't rightly know, Sally-girl. This seems seriously weird, but ah don't think we're being lied to or anythang," Was Bunnie's input.
"Thanks Bunnie, that was what I was feeling too. Sonic, any comments?"
"Yeah." He snorted. "What kind of a name is 'Misha' ? It sounds like a girl's name."
Sally just rolled her eyes. "I meant anything USEFUL, Sonic."
"Sorry, Sal. The ol' Hedgehog brain is running on empty. And so is my stomach. Do you think they have any-"
"No, Sonic I really don't think they have any chilidogs."
"Bogus!"
"Excuse me." A voice from behind said. They turned to find an otteress standing behind them. "Hello, I'm Olivia Sinclair. The Colonel asked that I show you blokes around, eh wot?"
"Say WHAT?" Sonic wondered in confusion. Sally resisted the impulse to roll her eyes again and instead decided to shake Olivia's hand.
"Hello Olivia, I'm Sally."
"PRINCESS Sally?!" She said with a gasp. She tried giving a curtsey with her skirt, but was obviously not in the habit.
"That's really not necessary, just call me Sally. Titles don't count for much out here."
"Right, well...*ahem* Like I was saying, I'm going to show you chaps about. Anything you want to see in particular?"
"Not as such," Sally said. "Actually I'm more interested in the people here."
"What do you want to know?" Olivia asked. Sally paused and nodded once to Bunnie. Bunnie nodded back and led the group off in another direction. When they were alone, Sally turned back to the older girl and asked, "What are you doing in an Overlander base?"
She shrugged. "As the saying goes, it seemed like a good idea at the time." Seeing Sally's incomprehension, she elaborated. "I was a little girl, only ten when the Coup happened. I was visiting relatives in Mobotropolis, I'm from Mercia, you see. At any rate, as soon as everything started going balmy my granddad shipped me as far away as 'e could. I guess he was trying to get me home, but I ended up lost near the border. An Overlander patrol found me wondering around and took me back 'ere."
"And you've been here ever since?" Sally asked in awe. Olivia nodded. "Have you been treated...well?" She asked tentatively.
Olivia frowned for a moment before she figured out what Sally was asking. "You mean, 'ave I been mistreated or anything?" She shook her head. " 'eck no!" Sally was skeptical, but was careful enough to make sure her face didn't reflect what she was thinking.
"And the others? Have they been-"
"Treated quite well." Olivia answered. "Would you like to meet the others?"
"Of course, but I thought they didn't speak English. Do you know-"
"Any languages besides English? No, but we have a translator 'andy. The only trick is finding 'im."
"Him?" Sally asked.
"Yeah, Mikhail Sergeivich. Russian blighter, a good chap by all accounts. Even if he is a bit moody."
"Russian? He wouldn't happen to be a red fox, answers to the name Misha, would he?"
"That's the bloke. Met him already, 'ave you?"
"You might say that." Sally said, briefly recounting what had happened with Misha and the Colonel.
Olivia chuckled. "Yeah, 'e's got a way with words all right. 'e bloody spends so much time reading that about 'alf of wot he says is poetry or prose of something from somebody else."
"Does he always speak in quotes?" Sally asked.
"Quotes, riddles, aphorisms, rhyme, whatever strikes 'is fancy at any given moment."
"Charming." Sally drawled. Olivia smiled.
"He's not THAT bad. He's actually a bloody gent compared to some people around 'ere. Though I'll deny ever 'aving said that you understand."
"Understood." Sally agreed. "Tell me, just what's the age group like around here? For the Mobians, that is."
"Well most of us are around your age I reckon. Give or take a year. The youngest of us is Paul, he's thirteen."
"And the oldest?" Sally asked.
"You're looking at 'er. I'm twenty-one." Sally looked at her in surprise. She couldn't imagine herself being raised without Julayla and Rosie, both of whom were already middle-aged when she was a little girl!
"So you found yourself the oldest in the group?"
"By a few years, yes." Olivia agreed.
"Do they listen to you?" Olivia's snicker was answer enough.
"Not bloody likely! Seriously though, they'll listen to me...after a fashion." She added as the fiddled with the pink bow in her long braid. "But it isn't that I'm their leader or any of that rot. I just try to play the part of the shepherd, looking out for the 'erd and whatnot."
"I see." Sally said neutrally. Olivia may not have the experience of Rosie or the calm patience of Julaya, but she played a similar enough role here. Sally said nothing more as Olivia led her around the courtyard and into the main barracks. She was led past the large mess hall and down the stairs into a dank, dark, and chilly basement.
"Watch your step." Olivia called from in front of her.
"What is this place?" Sally called, her voice echoing slightly in the darkness.
"We call it 'The Dungeon.' " Olivia answered as she opened the door. Sally squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. There was very little lighting and most of the room was cast in shadow. Even in the darkness Sally managed to make out some shapes. Most of it was furniture, chairs, tables, and bookcases. Lots of bookcases. So many in fact that it looked like...
"Is this a library?" Sally asked in astonishment.
"That it is. Or was at any rate."
"In an Overlander military base?" She said in confusion.
"We're not sure why either." Olivia admitted. "The garrison itself seemed only 'alf-complete when the war ended. No one even knew about this basement, not even Colonel Franklin."
Sally paused for a moment to think. That would suggest that this place was older than the Overlander garrison, or rather, the garrison had been converted from something even older.
"Why do you call this place a dungeon?" Sally asked, half-dreading the answer.
"On account that Misha's always locking 'imself up in 'ere. Pity the light isn't better, ruined 'is eyes it did. I'm sure you noticed the glasses." She added by way of an explanation. "Lucky break for us that one of the Overlanders was a former optometrist."
"What exactly is your relationship with the Overlanders?" Sally asked as innocently as she could.
"Ah here we are!" Olivia said as she spied a low light emanating for a distant corner of the large underground library. "Finally!" Olivia exclaimed. "And 'ere I thought we'd have to look under every stone in this bloody place."
Sally noticed the obvious dodge but choose not to pursue it right then. She filed Olivia's response away as the two of them made their way over to the light. Sally saw their quarry sitting under a lamp, pouring over a pile of old books.
"Misha," Olivia said, rapping him lightly on the head. "You awake?"
"Da. I'm awake." He said as he closed the book. "What do you want Olivia?"
"There's someone I want you to meet. Or rather, meet again."
"Hello, Misha. I'm Sally" Sally said as she stepped up and extended her hand. Misha just looked at her as if she were a SWATbot.
"Menya zavut Mikhail Sergeivich Dragoslav." He said his voice trembling--with nervousness? Anger?--and would not meet her gaze.
"Misha, Sally would like to meet everyone." Olivia said, trying to draw attention away from his nervousness.
"So you need me to translate? And here I thought you just enjoyed my company." He pouted. Olivia just smiled and mussed his head-fur.
"Sure I do, the same way I enjoy your snoring."
"I do NOT snore!"
"Either you snore or we had a merry 'ell of storm last night. And every night for the last eleven years." Olivia said. Misha's retort was in Russian, so Sally didn't understand exactly what he said, but the context suggested that it wasn't nice. She frowned, he seemed relaxed enough now, but whenever he seemed to look at her, it was like he saw a ghost.
"Or a demon." Sally thought dramatically. Misha stood up and gave a little mock bow to Olivia and then headed for the door.
"Is it something I said? Or did?" Sally asked. "He seemed pretty nervous."
"No, no. Misha just...I guess 'e just wasn't comfortably with someone 'e doesn't know using 'is nickname."
"Misha is a nickname?"
"It's derived from 'Mikhail.' When you talk to Russians, it's polite to say their name and their patronymic."
"So I should refer to him as 'Mikhail Sergeivich' ?"
"Until 'e gets to know you, yes. Come on, Misha's waiting." Sally silently followed Olivia outside. She didn't say anything because she knew Olivia was lying.
* * *