"Oh, dear me--" the Queen began, and Barbara said:
"I'm afraid that I simply can't allow anything like that. Overseas--"
"I didn't mean overseas, dear," Her Majesty said. "Sir Kenneth, please
explain to these people."
The Palace, Malone knew, was more properly known as the Golden Palace.
It was right in Las Vegas--convenient to all sources of money. As a
matter of fact, it was one of the biggest gambling houses along the Las
Vegas strip, a veritable chaos of wheels, cards, dice, chips and other
such devices. Malone explained all this to the others, wondering
meanwhile why Miss Thompson wanted to go there.
"_Not_ Miss Thompson, _please_, Sir Kenneth," Her Majesty said.
"Not Miss Thompson what?" Boyd said. "What's going on anyhow?"
"She's reading my mind," Malone said.
"Well, then," Boyd snapped, "tell her to keep it to herself." The car
started up again with a roar and Malone and the others were thrown
around again, this time toward the back. There was a chorus of groans
and squeals, and they were on their way once more.
* * * * *
"To reply to your question, Sir Kenneth," the Queen said.
Lady Barbara said, with some composure: "What question ... Your
Majesty?"
The Queen nodded regally at her. "Sir Kenneth was wondering why I wished
to go to the Golden Palace," she said. "And my reply is this: it is none
of your business why I want to go there. After all, is my word law, or
isn't it?"
There didn't seem to be a good enough answer to that, Malone thought
sadly. He kept quiet and was relieved to note that the others did the
same. However, after a second he thought of something else.
"Your Majesty," he began carefully, "we've got to go to Yucca Flats
tomorrow. Remember?"
"Certainly," the Queen said. "My memory is quite good, thank you. But
that is tomorrow morning. We have the rest of the night left. It's only
a little after nine, you know."
"Heavens," Barbara said. "Is it that late?"
"It's even later," Boyd said sourly. "It's much later than you think."
"And it's getting later all the time," Malone added. "Pretty soon the
sun will go out and all life on earth will end. Won't that be nice and
peaceful?"
"I'm looking forward to it," Boyd said.
"I'm not," Barbara said. "But I've got to get some sleep tonight, if I'm
going to be any good at all tomorrow."
_You're pretty good right now_, Malone thought, but he didn't say a
word. He felt the Queen's eye on him but didn't turn around. After all,
she was on his side--wasn't she?
At any rate, she didn't say anything.
"Perhaps it would be best," Barbara said, "if you and I ... Your Majesty
... just went home and rested up. Some other time, then, when there's
nothing vital to do, we could--"
"No," the Queen said. "We couldn't. Really, Lady Barbara, how often will
I have to remind you of the duties you owe your sovereign--not the least
of which is obedience, as dear old Ben used to say."
"Ben?" Malone said, and immediately wished he hadn't.
"Jonson, dear boy," the Queen said. "Really a remarkable man--and such a
good friend to poor Will. Why, did you ever hear the story of how he
actually paid Will's rent in London once upon a time? That was while
Will and that Anne of his were having one of their arguments, of course.
I didn't tell you that story, did I?"
"No," Malone said truthfully, but his voice was full of foreboding. "If
I might remind Your Majesty of the subject," he added tentatively, "I
should like to say--"
"Remind me of the subject!" the Queen said, obviously delighted. "What a
lovely pun! And how much better because purely unconscious! My, my, Sir
Kenneth, I never suspected you of a pointed sense of humor--could you be
a descendant of Sir Richard Greene, I wonder?"
"I doubt it," Malone said. "My ancestors were all poor but Irish." He
paused. "Or, if you prefer, Irish but poor." Another pause, and then he
added: "If that means anything at all. Which I doubt."
"In any case," the Queen said, her eyes twinkling, "you were about to
enter a new objection to our little visit to the Palace, were you not?"