Indigara, or Jet and Otis Conquer the World by Tanith Lee

Author:Tanith Lee [Lee, Tanith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781440621239
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2007-10-18T04:00:00+00:00

The shock was wearing off. In the wide corridor, with men in golden fish-scale armor standing to attention all along it, the two pearly girls started swimming. So Otis and I did, too.

When we reached the audience chamber, which was marble and gold like all the rest, and like the rest full of water and fish, I had my first view of Diamond City. This was because there was one huge window instead of a fourth wall.

You’d expect Bekmira’s palace to be high up, and it was. From here you could see down and over everything. It was very impressive.

Great big buildings, big as anything in a modern real-world city—and you’d never have to climb stairs for a hundred or three hundred floors: you’d just swim. Over the sides of all the buildings, which were made in terraces, poured watery forests of leaning trees, and cascading creepers, vines, and flowers. Right around this window wall tumbled a vast vine that had roped some huge sort of seaweed trees. Blue, purple, and green grapes hung there, with a very large, black octopus feeding on them.

Otis and I moved away from the window fast. The audience chamber was packed with glamorous people, all white robes and dresses and undersea-type jewelry and hair done by the best hairstylists. Then a trumpet sounded (I think it was a trumpet, could have been an elephant for all I knew), and there was silence. And in came the queen, who sat on a marble throne.

Aragon is right.

She’s stunning.

Check: raven black hair, which coiled around her, moving only a little in the water when she did. Check: creamy skin.

One of the I-suppose-damsels who were handmaidens murmured to me, “Of course you are made speechless by the queen’s beauty and magnificence. But you must bow to her.”

So I bowed.

And Bekmira Ren gazed at me, not even blinking her gold-painted eyelids.

Then she spoke.

She had this voice, sort of soft and harsh at the same time.

“There is no need for you to fear me, child,” she said. Child again. “Providing you are honest.”

“Say, ‘No, Majesty,’” advised the handmaiden.

“No, Majesty.”

“Good.” Bekmira Ren lifted her hand and beckoned me forward. The water rippled; her sleeve floated a little, too.

Was I scared? No. But she was a bit—well, she was impressive.

I went over until I was quite near. (Check: her eyes are violet. Does she wear contacts? I’ve never seen real-color eyes like that with anyone.)

“Where are you from, child?”

It was no use getting upset over the “child” stuff. And I knew my lines now. “From the other world, Majesty.” I decided against saying, Like you are supposed to be, too.

Helpfully, I added, “My name is Jet.”

“A fair name. I have a ring with a black stone like that in it. Well,” she said, “you may go now. But in one hour you will be brought to my private apartments. There I shall question you further.”

Just then the octopus, which I hadn’t seen swimming up behind me, came into sight and put about ten of its million awful arms around Otis.

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