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"Grouse, grouse, grouse," said Xemerius

Charlotte really didn’t make it easy for you to like her She never had All the saain "Charlotte--"

"We’re nearly there," she interrupted me "I can’t wait to see if we’ll htened "I ! Over the next few days the Teends Fahly decorated scientists will be in its hallowed halls, and the rest of the world will never know Koppe Jötland will be here, oh, and Jonathan Reeves-Haviland … how I’d love to shake hands with him" For her, Charlotte sounded really enthusiastic

I had no idea who she was talking about I looked hopefully at Xeed his shoulders "Never heard of any of those stuffed shirts, sorry," he said

"No one can know everything," I said with an understanding shed "No, but it doesn’t hurt to read a serious newspaper now and then, or look at a news azine to inform yourself about international political events Of course, you have to switch your brain into gear for that … always supposing you have one"

Like I said, she really didn’t make it easy

The limousine had stopped, and Mr Marley opened the car door On Charlotte’s side, I noticed

"Mr Giordano is expecting you in the Old Refectory," said Mr Marley, and I had a feeling he’d almost added "ma’am" He continued, "I’ about you that makes everyone want to order you around," observed Xemerius "Like me to come with you?"

"Yes, please," I said, as wethe narrow alleyways of the Temple district "I’d feel better with you there"

"Will you buy ?"

"No!"

"But you do like me, don’t you? I think I’ll have to make myself scarce more often"

"Orwhat Lesley had said You could have an ace up your sleeve with Xeht Who else had a friend who could walk through walls?

"Don’t dawdle like that," said Charlotte She and Mr Marley were a few feet in front of us, walking side by side, and only now did it strike me how like each other they were

"Yes, Miss Manners," I said

Let’s withdraw; And meet the time as it seeks us

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, THE TRAGEDY OF CYMBELINE

FIVE

TO CUT A LONG story short, coaching by Charlotte and Mr Giordano was even worse than I’d expected That wasat the sa to learn the steps of the ed out in a hooped skirt with cherry-red stripes, not very chic ith my school uniform blouse, which was the color of reatly the political opinions of the Whigs and the Tories differed, how to hold a fan, and the difference between "Your Highness," "Your Royal Highness," "Your Serene Highness," and even "Your Illustrious Highness" After only an hour plus seventeen different ways of opening a fan, I had a splitting headache, and I couldn’t tell left frohten the atmosphere with a little joke--"Couldn’t we stop for a rest? I’m totally, serenely, illustriously exhausted"--went down like a lead balloon

"This is not funny," said Giordano in nasal tones "Stupid girl"

The Old Refectory was a large roo out on an inner courtyard There was no furniture except for a grand piano and a few chairs pushed back against the wall Xe head down fros tidily folded on his back

Mr Giordano had introduced himself with the words, "Just Giordano, if you please Qualified historian, faner, well-known choreographer, Adept Third Degree, expert on the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries"

"Oh, ," said Xemerius "Someone must have dropped hiree with him, if in silence Mr Giordano--sorry, just Giordano--bore a most unfortunate rese channels, always talking as if they had clothes-pegs on their noses and there was aat their calves I was just waiting for him to twist his plump lips (had they been Botoxed?) into a smile and say, "And now, viewers, take a look at our indoor water feature, the Bridget model, top quality, a little oasis of happiness, only twenty-seven pounds, a real snip at the price, you can’t do without one of these, I have two at home myself…"