Chapter 4 (cont.)

    “Are you going to cry?” The Princess was sitting in a high-backed chair in the far corner of my room, acting as if it made perfect sense for her to be there. “I only ask because we can't cry and I always find it so interesting.” 

    I could only stare at her speechless. After all that had happened to me in this one day, all I could think about was how much I did not want to cry in front of a girl, especially a princess, and how much I wished she wasn't there, because now that she mentioned it, crying seemed like a good thing to do. 

    “I'm tired,” was all I could think of to say. 

     “Really? I'm impressed. Most of my brother's victims are scared. Perhaps you could survive after all,” she suggested. 

     “Well, now I am scared. Thanks,” I replied. 

     She smiled and said, “Come, sit.” She pointed to another chair nearby with a small dark-colored table next to it. On the table was a glass filled with greenish liquid and a plate of what looked like cookies, even though I was pretty sure I saw one move when I sat down. 

     “Are you hungry? Thirsty? These shroomcaps are very tame and should be easy to eat,” the Princess said. 

     I glanced at the plate. The shroomcaps had stacked themselves into a neat tower, except for one that seemed to be trying to throw itself off the table. 

     “Uh, no thanks. I'm not really hungry,” I said. The renegade shroomcap succeeded in wriggling off the edge of the table and rolled itself to safety under my chair.
     I lifted my feet up off the floor, unsure if a shroomcap was capable of a preemptive strike, and turned back to the Princess. I found myself staring into her large eyes and wondering why they seemed so pretty on her and so creepy on her brother.  

     “You and your brother don’t seem to get along very well,” I noted. 

     “I don't like the way he treats people, like you and your friends,” she said. “It never ends well and I'm sick of it.” 

     “What do you mean it never ends well?” I asked. 

     She laughed, but quickly caught herself and turned serious again. “I'm sorry. That was badly said, though unfortunately true, and the reason for my being here. I know this may seem difficult, but you need to refuse my brother and not play his game—or you will not make it back alive.” 

     “He doesn't seem to take no for an answer real well,” I said skeptically. 

     “He doesn’t. But the only way to stop him is to leave. He'll be mad, but hopefully he'll move on to make some other trouble,” she said. 

     “You really think he'd let us all just leave, if I said no? He already said we couldn’t.” 

     She hesitated before answering, “There would probably have to be certain sacrifices . . .” And she just left it hanging in the air like that. 

     “My parents? You think I should just leave them to that, that thing? Forget it. You're crazy.”  

     “I know it's a difficult choice, but in war there are sacrifices. Many people I have known, some close to me, are no longer with us because of this war. They are gone, but my people, the Ashtapada, continue to be. That's the way of it.” 

     “Well, it's not my war and it's not my way. I have no choice at all. I'm not leaving without trying to save them, even if I have to play your brother's stupid game. My friend has already sacrificed his arm. If you really want to be helpful, why don't you stand up to your brother and stop all of this?” I spoke with more heat in my voice than probably is proper when speaking to a princess. She looked stung and I instantly felt guilty. 

     “I'm sorry,” I said. “I know you're trying to help.” 

     “No, it's okay. You're right, though you know nothing of the relationship I have with my brother. He holds a great secret over me that he uses to his constant advantage and I have to allow him to do as he pleases. Maybe someday this will not be the case, but for now I can do no more than warn you that he does not care what happens to you. Do not think of him like some human who you can bargain with or make feel guilty. He will even risk his own people for his fun,” she said. 

     “Why would he do that? You’re at war, right? Doesn't he want to win?” 

     “If you asked him that question, I'm sure he'd say yes. But you have to understand, this war has been going on our entire lives and most of it occurs far away.  Attacks like the one today are extremely rare. I can't explain it any better than to say, he's bored.” 

     “Bored? Great, that's just great.” I buried my face in my hands in disbelief. “Couldn't he just get a hobby or something? I don't know, collect baby maggoricusses or something?” 

     The Princess reached out and lifted my chin. “You are his hobby, Earth-boy.”

     “Then help me!” I demanded. “All this talk isn't accomplishing anything except scaring me to death. You know how things work around here—do something!”

    Looking a bit shocked, she stood up and said, “I came here to warn you, to give you advice.” 

    I laughed. I didn’t feel bad at all for insulting her, this time. “Well, thanks for nothing.” I got up and walked away from her, hoping she'd take the hint and leave. But when I looked over my shoulder, she was just standing there staring at me. 

    “You can go,” I said. 

    She sputtered, “I can . . . no one talks to me like that.” 

    “Yeah, well, according to you, I don't have much to lose, now do I?” 

    “Well, no, I suppose you don't. Still, telling me I can go. My mother would die if she heard.” 

    “Welcome to the club,” I mumbled morbidly. 

    “You are a strange one, Earth-boy, and I will promise you this—if I can help you, I will,” the Princess said. “Maybe I can do a bit more than just offer advice. Now, if it's acceptable to you, I'd like to leave.”

    I smiled at her, despite my fear and anger. “Sure.” 

    “Good luck . . . ah, I don't know what your name is.”  

     “Tom,” I told her. 

     “Good luck, Tom. I think we may meet again, which I have not been able to say to any of the other poor souls my brother has brought into his games.” And with that optimistic prediction, she was gone.