“Oh Skeeve!” Hemlock sez, givin’ him a quick hug. “I knew you could figure it out. That’s why I sent for you.”
“Sent for me?”
“Of course, silly. The ring. Didn’t you get it?”
“Well, yes. But …”
“I never was much good with letters,” the queen continues, “but I was sure you’d get the message when I sent you Roddie’s ring … of course, I had to send a little of him along with it … you were right about the rings not coming off, by the way.”
“That was Rodrick’s ring?”
“Of course. You don’t think I’d cut off my finger, do you?”
She holds up her hand and waggles her fingers at him … all of them, includin’ the one with her ring on it. The skin on the finger we had gotten had been so soft and smooth, we had all assumed it as a woman’s finger. Of course, stoppin’ to think about it, kings don’t work much with their hands, either.
“Anyway, you got the message, and you’re here now … so everything’s going to be all right.”
“The message,” the Boss sez, lookin’ a little confused … which to my mind is understandable. “Umm … just to be sure we understand each other, would you mind saying what you wanted to tell me in words instead of using … graphic communications?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” the queen sez. “I need your help to manage things, so I’m offering you a position.”
“Well … I’m kind of busy these days,” the Boss sez, “but I guess I can spare a little time to help you straighten things out as your advisor …”
“… as my consort,” the queen corrects.
The whole team flinches at this, and we swap a few worried looks back and forth between us.