Location: Temporary Base

Time: Still Wednesday, Still Morning

“How’s he doing? Or how’s he not doing? Both questions will give me the answer I want. It’s just that one of them will be backwards. Only assuming the other one is forwards.”

Hatta was talking to Gryphon. Hatta was the leader. He was in charge. Gryphon was the doctor. Sara doesn’t think he was an actual doctor, but he took care of medical stuff. Obviously Sara could say more about them, but it would be pointless. Don’t waste time thinking about such minor elements of the plot. Focus on Sara.

Sara’s mission was a success. Sara even brought back one more hostage than necessary. Hatta sent the ransom message and Mock was interrogating the girls. That left Sara free. Sara decided to take a bath. While the tub was filling up Sara was waiting in the living room with Hatta and Gryphon.

“Pretty good for someone who just spent a day and a half unconscious. Most of his ribs were broken and his body was full of internal damage. Not to mention the missing hand. I don’t know what that guy has been through this past week, but after all my work it’s a shame we’re going to kill him anyway. He was actually the first patient I’ve had to treat without using any Demon’s Blood.” Gryphon sounded full of himself. All he managed to do was keep that nullifier Sara found alive.

“We’re killing him? Not yet. The Prince hasn’t responded, and we haven’t heard from our contacts in the BAA. I know what they’ll say, but we have to wait for them to say it.”

Gryphon started sneezing and interrupted Hatta’s confusing talk. Sara hates his sneezes. Annoying, right? Right.

“Your sneezes are ridiculously annoying. Stop making such a scene of it.” Sara decided the next time he sneezed Sara would throw something at him.

“It’s not like I’m trying to. I just sneeze when I have to sneeze.”

“Liar. You’re doing it to annoy Sara.” Sara could see through his deception.

“Enough, enough. We don’t have time for this. Actually, we do, but I’m tired of hearing about it. This must be the hundredth time I’ve heard you two fight about this. Or maybe this is the first. I’m not sure.” More talk from Hatta.

“This isn’t the first time, but it isn’t the hundredth time either. I don’t know why she’s always bringing it up. Sometimes people sneeze. It’s just a thing that happens.” He started sneezing again.

"That’s it!” Sara picked up someone’s mug and threw it at Gryphon. Threw it at his face. The mug stopped in the air before it could hit him. It was frozen in place, suspended just to the right of Hatta.

“That’s right! I need to know something. Or I will need to know. Or I needed to know. It doesn’t matter. What was yesterday’s date? And tomorrow’s?” Hatta reached out and grabbed the mug Sara threw. He took a drink, then immediately spat it back out.

“Bleh, I keep forgetting I don’t like coffee yet.”

“Today is the fourth of January.” Gryphon managed to stop sneezing for long enough to give Hatta and answer.

Suck up.

“Good, good. We’ve still got lots of important things left to do. Not that we know what they are yet.”

“Do we? We’ve already got the girl.” Sara got the girl. Gryphon was talking like he actually did something other than watch over a one handed nullifier. “The BAA and the Prince are supposed to handle things from here. What do we need to do?”

“Oh, the pretend doctor Gryphon is admitting he’s an idiot that doesn’t know about stuff?” Sara made sure not to miss an opportunity to taunt Gryphon.

“Huh? You’re the last person I want calling me an idiot. When it comes to what Hatta is talking about, of course there are things I don’t know. It’s not like you understand everything he’s talking about either.”

“Sara doesn’t know everything, but Sara knows a lot. You don’t know much; and that’s a fact.”

“There are things the Duchess doesn’t know, but are there things the Duchess wants to know? I hate knowing an even number of things, so I’d gladly give you one of the things I know if you’d take it off my hands.”

Normally Sara wouldn’t play Hatta’s games, but something had been on Sara’s mind.

“Sara would like to talk. Sara would like to talk about Sara’s feelings.”

“Hmm. Feelings? Let’s hear, let’s hear. I’ve felt a lot of things, so I’ll probably know. Interestingly enough, have you ever thought about how the number of things you've felt is the same as the number of things you’ve been felt by?”

“Sara is in love. Right? Right. What to do, what to do. Sara isn’t sure how to precede from this point.”

“Ah, love. Sorry, can’t help with that today. You should have asked me tomorrow, then I could help. Or Maybe yesterday, I probably knew about it then. But today, I can’t speak on such topics. The Red Queen can help you though. It’s a good thing he’s almost here.” Hatta took another drink of coffee, letting it run out of his mouth as he spoke.

“Stop calling me the Red Queen. Just use Red.”

Right on cue Red walked into the room. He was like Sara. We were the ones who actually completed the objectives. The useful ones. But Sara never liked Red. Sara doesn’t like a lot of people.

“But then I’d get you confused with all the other reds. Being confused is troublesome. It makes sensible things not make sense. I much prefer when the things that don’t make sense end up being sensible.”

“I keep telling you, there’s no one to get me mixed up with anymore. I’ve already killed the Red Knight for being useless and the Red King for being lazy.”

“They might be dead in your present, but they’re alive in my past. It’s just a matter of perspective. But let’s not get sidetracked, or maybe, let’s get back on the sidetrack. You need to help the Duchess.”

“Help her? What could that woman possibly need help with?”

“Love. Sara is in love and unsure what to do about it.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means what Sara says. How does Sara use her love?”

“With a person?”

“Don’t act so surprised! Sara can love, right? Right.”

“And you want. . . Advice?” How rude. Why was Red acting so surprised?

“A plan.”

“Ah, I see. It makes sense you’d come to someone like me for a plan. I’m capable of conversing with the highest members of the Empire’s court. Some might say, and they wouldn’t be wrong, that I’m an expert on social conduct.” Red Tossed his hair while speaking.

“Then how should Sara conduct?”

“I don’t know, just try asking him out.”

“Her.”

“Whatever, the strategy is still the same. When dealing with commoners it’s pointless to put on airs. Their busy little lives are more akin to animals. Just act quick.”

“Brilliant! Sara likes animals, and animals like Sara! How does Sara do it? Does Sara ask about her favorite pastries?”

“What kind of ridiculous situation are you setting up? I can’t imagine anyone understanding a stranger asking them if they prefer turnovers or muffins.”

“You’re right, that would be ridiculous. Right? Right. Muffins are quick bread, not a type of pastry.”

“Quick bread, pastry, what’s it matter? I feel like we’re getting off topic.”

Sara couldn’t let that statement pass. Even from a Red that’s helping.

“They are not the same. Not at all. Quick breads are any breads leavened with leavening against other than yeast or eggs. They’re also generally made by mixing the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls, until it’s time to combine them.”

“Pastries on the other hand have a high fat content. That’s what gives them their flaky texture. You can tell if something is a pastry by its consistency. Pastries are light and airy. They also usually have some kind of fruit or creme filling, but it’s not required. Sara has a lot more to teach you about pastries, but honestly, Red, this isn’t the time. You need to stop talking about pastries for a minute and teach about love.”

“How is this the first time I’ve ever heard you be coherent? And this pastry talk reminded me, where’s my coffee?”

Of course Sara is coherent when it comes to pastries.

“The coffee is gone. Forget about the coffee. Focus on Sara. Everything should be focused on Sara.”

“Whatever, just, don’t overthink it. Ask her name, ask if she’s busy, if she has plans, if you can make plans, that kind of thing.”

“Sara has already completed part of that mission. Sara knows her name.” Sara’s wife.

“Oh, you already know her? That changes everything. What have you done together?”

“Hmm. Sara did lots of stuff with her. The amusement park. The beach. Met her friend. She hugged Sara tight. She taught Sara how to feel pleasure. Sara kissed her face. That kind of thing.”

“Eh? I feel like I was giving you advice for a more innocent type of love, but from the sound of it, you’ve already graduated to a higher tier. Giving advice on that kind of ‘love’ would only tarnish my reputation as a respectable gentleman.”

Red held his hand out to Sara and a rose materialized in it.

“Congratulations, but my advice ends here.”

Sara crushed the flower.

Useless.

“Hey, you know, I’ve got some important information, but I didn’t want to interrupt. You were all having so much fun, and I knew if I showed up it would only run the mood. Sorry.”

Sara looked down the hallway to the source of the depressed voice and saw Mock peeking her head around a corner.

“So, I finished the interrogation. A couple of issues came to light. Sorry, I knew things would end up like this. Nothing can go right if I’m involved, but the girl the Duchess kidnapped, basically, she’s the wrong one.”