"Good," Boyd said. "Keep it up. I'm driving. Everything's going to hell
around me, but I'm driving."
A red light appeared ahead. Boyd jammed on the brakes with somewhat more
than the necessary force, and Malone was thrown forward with a grunt.
Behind him there were two ladylike squeals.
Malone struggled upright. "Barbara?" he called. "Are you all right--"
Then he remembered the Queen.
"It's all right," Her Majesty said. "I can understand your concern for
Lady Barbara." She smiled at Malone as he turned.
Malone gaped at her. Of course she knew what he thought about Barbara;
she'd been reading his mind. And, apparently, she was on his side. That
was good, even though it made him slightly nervous to think about.
"Now," the Queen said suddenly, "what about tonight?"
"Tonight?"
"Yes, of course," the Queen said. She smiled, and put up a hand to pat
at her white hair under the Elizabethan skullcap. "I think I should like
to go to the Palace," she said. "After all, isn't that where a Queen
should be?"