(no subject)

[balletrat]

There are lots of pleasant things to do in Ambergeldar, and while she's there, Meg intends to take advantage of all of them.

So today, she and Amy are out picnicking. It's a lovely day; the food is delicious; there is coffee and tea enough to satisfy both of them, and Susan is safe with her nursemaid in the castle.

All is extremely well.

Comments

[kitchen_maid]

It is a perfectly lovely day to picnic. (The palace grounds have any number of good picnic spots, but this is one of Amy's favorites.)

Amy selects a sandwich from the basket between them and grins at Meg.

"You do realize that the last time we tried anything like this we wound up flying into the Milliways lake."

[balletrat]

Well, there's no lakes here, *Meg says, cheerfully,* so we should be all right, I think. Unless one devours from beneath us.

[kitchen_maid]

The lake isn't that far away, really. But far enough. Especially since they're not picnicking on a flying carpet this time.

"I think that's highly unlikely," Amy says. "The gardeners don't allow that sort of thing."

[balletrat]

*Meg looks sage.* Well, this is a magic kingdom. You never know. But being the kind of place it is, I'm sure at least it would be a very pleasant devouring lake.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy looks slightly perplexed, and then laughs.

"There would probably be singing mermaids," she confides. "And possibly crustaceans, as well."

[balletrat]

*Meg's brow furrows. It's not very often these days that her English vocabulary fails her, but -*

- what's a crustacean?

[kitchen_maid]

"Like a lobster, or a crab," Amy says, helpfully, making pinching gestures with her hands.

Crustacea (no N) is something else all together.

[balletrat]

Oh. It's like a technical term, *Meg says wisely.*

I think I saw one of those in the bar once. It didn't really sing, just said nonsense words, but it was the same general idea -

*Though surely respectable singing crustaceans would never associate with lobstrosities.*

[kitchen_maid]

Never, ever. They have standards.

"I missed that," says Amy. "I suppose there's a change the nonsense words made sense in whatever it is crustaceans speak?"

[balletrat]

I've never learned crustacean, *Meg confesses,* so I wouldn't know, I'm afraid. There really aren't so many in Milliways that it seems worthwhile to learn. Rat, maybe.

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, I never have, either," says Amy. "Though now I do wonder if it's possible to learn to speak to rats."

She debates, and then decides, "I suspect not. At least, not for me. After all, I don't understand Simon Perryvall and Mr. Pemberthy even now, and I've had years to learn."

[balletrat]

Maybe we could learn a sign language that they could learn too.

*Meg gestures incomprehensibly in the air, her fingers curled so that they vaguely resemble a squirrel's tiny claws.*

Tu sais - find a common ground.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy laughs, curling her fingers up to match Meg's.

"I suppose we could try. After all, we shouldn't need that many words. Hello, and good-bye and food and tree and climb."

[balletrat]

It might be useful to get a little larger of a vocabulary. Like, 'help, this meeting is very very boring and I need a convenient distraction, can you knock something over in the next room s'il te plait?

[kitchen_maid]

Amy laughs even more.

"Train them to be my allies in escaping the Council, you mean? It's not a bad idea."

[balletrat]

*Meg grins.* I'm sure they wouldn't mind - they'd probably rather have your full attention anyways.

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, so long as they have someone's full attention, and food, they're happy. They're really not picky about the source of the scritches.

"Have you been enjoying your visit, Comtesse?"

[balletrat]

*Meg takes a deep breath, and then lets it out, in a very thorough exhale.*

Oh - it's been fantastique, honestly, Amy. Just so relaxing. Nothing to worry about - I haven't been so, well, unworried for an awfully long time.

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh, Meg, I'm glad," says Amy. "Every so often one just needs to be unworried. And we just love having you here, too."

[balletrat]

Well, *Meg says, a little amused,* some people more than others.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy looks perplexed, and slightly worried.

"Whatever do you mean?"

[balletrat]

Oh, well, you know, that poor Prince fellow -

*Meg is attempting to sound sympathetic, and she is, but she can't help but giggle at this point - it's just so ridiculous.*

[kitchen_maid]

"He is trying, Meg. He did, after all, spend untold years as a beast. And then the girl who disenchanted him left him for that woodsman, well, he has been through rather a lot."

Amy is trying very hard to keep a straight face.

[balletrat]

I know! I feel very sorry for him! It's good that he's, tu sais, getting back on his feet! It's just -

*Meg shakes her head, and wraps a curl around a finger.*

It's the blonde thing, isn't it. Places like this it's always the blonde thing.

[kitchen_maid]

"It might be the blonde thing," Amy concedes.

"Well, and you've been so nice to him, and I'm sure he genuinely appreciates it. And I think enjoys getting to speak French again with someone who doesn't have Lady Ursula's accent. Or lisp."