Chapter Eight: The Study

'Well.' DG said quietly from behind her desk.

'Yes.' Azkadellia nodded.

'Why so scared? Azkadellia, DG get what they wanted.' Raw said. The viewer was sat in one of the chairs around DG's desk.

'Getting what you want is not always what you actually want to happen.' DG said. Raw stared blankly at her.

'We're in charge.' Said Az slowly.

'It was always going to happen.' Glitch looked from one sister to the other. He also was sat in one of the chairs around DG's desk. Azkadellia was perched on the edge of her sister's desk the two girls were holding hands under the desk: desperately and fearfully, like they had done as children.

'We weren't expecting it to be so soon!' DG said looking at the advisor slightly panicked.

'DG, Azkadellia do what is right. Make things right.' Raw said simply.

'Her Majesty said come up with a plan. That I suggest is your starting point.' Wyatt Cain spoke from behind the princesses, staring out of the window.

'Thank you for that Tin Man!' Hissed DG before returning to gazing into space. Azkadellia sighed but DG staring into space blinked suddenly and said: 'Actually... Maybe Cain's right.'

'What?'

'We need a plan, let just do it. If it doesn't work we can fix it. We just need to start.'

'Really? Deeg, I'm not so sure...'

'Az! This is only way we'll ever get anything done! Let's just do it. What do we want?'

'Well... we want to tell everyone what's going on...'

'That's it?' Asked Azkadellia staring at her sister. The ideas had flowed quickly between the sisters, their disagreements had been resolved quickly and the hours, it seemed had flown by. Raw, Glitch and Cain had stayed quiet watching the Princesses in action glancing at one another occasionally smiling.

'Well. We haven't actually written any of it down...' DG said pulling a face at her big sister.

'Oh no!' Azkadellia stared at the scattered notes on the desk in front of them. There were practically hundreds of sheets with half formed words and thoughts all over them.

'Erm...' Ambrose pushed a sheaf of paper full of cramped neat writing. Azkadellia grinned and hugged the advisor. She realised immediately what she was doing and pulled back embarrassed.

There was an awkward silence which broke when a runner knocked on the door.

'Her Majesty would like to see you all now.'

'Here we go.' Said Azkadellia glancing at her sister, they shared a look and a smile. Az swept out of the room.

After Glitch had followed her DG turned to Cain.

'Are we doing the right thing?' her voice was barely more than a whisper.

'Of course you are, kid. You're being you.' Cain had reached the door as he finished speaking. He stood watching DG. As she met his eyes she felt a blush begin on the back of her neck- Cain looked proud.

'What if it isn't good enough?'

'I don't catch yer meaning Princess.'

'What if what we've said... what's going to be done. What if it isn't good enough?'

'Then you do better.'

'But...' she tried put words to what she was thinking, but couldn't. She took a deep breath but before she could say anything else Cain spoke again.

'You do your best. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it don't. But you keep doin' your best- it's all you've got to give and as long as you give it, you've given all there is to give.'

DG stared at the General. Her blue eyes clouded partly in the effort of understanding, the other part of her was focused on the phrase bubbling up in her throat.

'I'm scared. I feel trapped.' The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could really stop them.

Cain's face changed without actually moving. His large eyes filled with pride, became like granite, almost cold and made of rock. DG was flooded with memories of the last time she'd seen him like that...

'No! I'm not running away Cain... I...' To her own ears she sounded five years old again. Five years old begging her parents to understand why she broken a jug.

'Deeg...' Azkadellia's voice cut through DG's panic. 'They need us both...' Her green eyes travelled from Princess to Tin Man. She bit her lip.

'I'm coming.' DG turned and pushed past Wyatt Cain, still holding onto the door handle. Pausing to catch her breath and set her face she followed her sister.

The Council Chambers were calm. Several very serious men had been dispatched by Lavender and Ahamo to carry out the Princesses plans. The sisters were sat round a table discussing quarantines, public announcements and similar technicalities with their father.

All the ideas, thrashed together in DG's study and completely different to the traditional approach the O.Z's rulers usually took, were happening. There had been some arguments and discussions, but DG, - cool, calm and oddly detached -had the answers.

Lavender was discussing things with Jeb Cain. The younger Tin Man was sat in a chair, looking very pale but no more ill than he had been that morning. Their conversation came to a close and the Queen and Tin Man moved over to the larger table.

'We have a research proposition for you DG.' Her mother's voiced jagged her out of a reverie which was part memory and part speculation.

'Hmmm...' she said shaking herself and returning her attention to the room.

'We'd like to test the theorem that the Turning Malady is passed on through charcoal outline effigies.'

'We want to find out if your drawings are passing the sickness on.' Jeb translated, smiling grimly.

'How?'

'We want you to create a further effigy.'

'Do another drawing.' Jeb said with the same odd little smile.

'I got that one.' DG said. 'But I won't do it. I'm not risking making anyone else sick. I won't do it.'

'You haven't drawn everyone who is sick DG.'

'I'm still not risking it. Who should I pick? Which innocent person should I infect and murder?' DG was on her feet now, she didn't remember rising.

'We're not suggesting you pick a random person. We want you to draw someone who is already sick, to see if it makes a difference to them.'

'Who?' DG asked the question but she knew the answer before anyone said anything. 'No.'

'DG, think about it please!' Jeb said one hand reaching for her arm. 'I'm already sick.'

'You haven't turned.'

'No. Which is why I'm the perfect person. I don't mind.'

'I do! I'm not going to kill my friend!'

'You won't! It's so unlikely that you're any part of this anyway...'

'Good! Then there isn't any need for me to draw you!' Jeb and DG's eyes met. Stubborn met stubborn.

'It is necessary DG. Any insight into how the Malady begins could be vital to stopping it.' Lavender's voice was slow and calm.

'What about your father?' DG asked desperately looking back at Jeb.

'What about him? I'm an adult DG this is my decision.'

DG went to speak and didn't. Turning away she left the room and didn't make a sound until she reached her study. Even there the scream came out as a strangled hiss.

She stood at her desk for a few moments trying to make some sense out of her tangled thoughts. Moving slowly she took a pad and stick of charcoal from the desk drawer and went to sit in the window seat.

Staring out of the window for over an hour the princess barely moved. She looked like a statue frozen against the now dusky sky outside the window. People in the Lower Town moved about, reading the notices which were being put out about the Turning Malady. Holders of the street market stalls began to pack their wares away talking together about how to deal with quarantine. Birds sang in a nest nearby and DG began to draw.

As she was putting the last touches to the sketch DG heard someone tap lightly on the study door. She looked up at Wyatt Cain.

'Hi.'

'Can I come in?'

'You've never needed to ask before.' Cain nodded and came into the room. He stood a little way away from her and looked uncomfortable.

'I'm sorry.'

'What?' DG was genuinely surprised.

'I overreacted a'fore. I... after what happened I didn't want to make you...' Cain met her eyes now. The granite look was gone.

'You didn't.'

'Good.' Wyatt Cain wasn't a person to waste words and that single one said a volume to DG.

'It wasn't...' DG paused mind drawn back to the memory she'd had been fighting all afternoon. 'The dance... What happened there wasn't why I left.'

Cain looked uncomfortable again. He began moving away from her. DG jumped up in desperation to stop herself losing him again. 'No!' she touched his arm, her other hand outstretched in front of her.

'What...' Cain's said his voice trailing away. It took DG a moment to realise that he wasn't talking about her hand on his arm. But the newly finished sketch in the other hand.

'Oh.'

'How can you be so reckless?' Cain asked grabbing her shoulders.

'I... I had to.'

'Of course you didn't! You're being stupid and careless!' He was shaking her now eyes still fixed on her picture.

'They wanted me to... Jeb asked me to draw him!' DG struggled out of his grip.

'I don't believe you!'

'I thought you didn't believe I was drawing the people sick?'

'That doesn't make a difference. You DO believe it! and you go and do... do... this!' Cain torn the drawing out of her hand and stared at it in horror.

'Please forget it Cain. Can we talk about the dance...'

'No. We're going to talk to the head-case.' Cain grabbed DG's arm and dragged her into the corridor.

'Glitch... why?' she wasn't fighting him. After being caught and returned by him not so long ago DG knew it was pointless.

'To see if he can sort out this bloody mess.' The Tin Man roared, his anger was palpable and coming off of him in waves. DG bit back tears and ran to keep up with her captor. In Cain's other hand was the sketch.

As they journeyed to Glitch's workshop DG couldn't help staring at the charcoal drawing. It was very good, even if she did think so herself.

It was almost like looking in a mirror.