Rook

one question. What did I need to know? I felt horribly weary, aware as always of everything that needed to be done before the end came. Did I have time?
    “Duck, will I… will I lose my memory within a month?”
    Y.
    I put my hands over my face for a good minute, and the duck just sat there, each of us thinking our own thoughts. I appreciated that it ignored me. It left me free to frantically recalculate my schedule. I’d never known when it was going to happen—when I was going to “lose everything,” as Lisa had put it—but I’d always assumed that there would be time to prepare. And now, now I know that I have weeks at most.
    Lost in thought, I absently thanked the duck and left the room. The other members of the Court would be arriving soon. And besides, the smell of duck shit was not terribly pleasant.
    W hat the hell were you doing in there, Myfanwy?” Teddy Gestalt demanded. Dr. Crisp’s team of scientists looked up in surprise. “The rest of the Court will be here in a couple of hours, and I come back from Stirling to find you meddling with this new acquisition instead of making the necessary preparations for a formal reception and presentation.”
    “All of that has been attended to, Rook Gestalt,” I said mildly. “I just wanted to make sure that the duck was working properly. You may not recall, but we’ve actually had several false starts in the pursuit of this particular item, and—”
    “Are you implying that I am ignorant of what goes on here?” exclaimed Gestalt in a poisonous tone. “That I have not been spending enough time here in the Rookery? Because if you would like to start going out to the various field operations, Myfanwy, then you are more than welcome.” He stared triumphantly at me, secure in the knowledge that I would never want to do such a thing. For one brief, shining moment I wished I could casually accept. Just to shut him up.
    Then I remembered you, and the preparations that still needed to bemade. I’d never finish everything in time if I started traveling around the country.
    “No, Rook Gestalt, that won’t be necessary,” I said in a small voice.
    “Very well, then. You will probably want to wash your face and get changed,” he said. “This is going to be a very important evening.”
    “I know that it’s important, Gestalt. I do. That’s why I have asked the subject three questions in order to confirm that it can indeed provide accurate predictions of the future. I’m sure you also want to be confident that we don’t deliver a bogus oracle to the Lord and Lady.” Gestalt licked his lips nervously. Wattleman’s fascination with the project was infamous, and the potential for humiliation was very real.
    “What about the tests that Crisp and the others performed?”
    “I preferred to verify for myself,” I said carefully. “The prospect of Sir Henry Wattleman, VC-Enshrouded Co-head of the Checquy, posing vital questions to an ordinary waterfowl and receiving nothing but some crap on the table does not appeal to me. I don’t think it would do either of our careers much good.”
    Gestalt grimaced and I continued, keeping my tone level and uninterested.
    “I have asked three questions about this evening. The duck’s answers should be confirmed by the time we are supposed to reveal it to the Court. If it has been proven wrong, then we shall simply say so, and exchange humiliation for embarrassment.”
    “Hmm,” said Gestalt thoughtfully. “Perhaps that is not a bad idea. In fact, maybe I should also—” Whatever Gestalt was going to say was cut off when a meek-looking aide appeared and whispered that the members of the Court were going to be arriving early. “Never mind,” he said, and I was relieved that he hadn’t thought to ask what questions I had posed to the duck. “How long do we have?”
    “The first car is on its way now,” said the aide cautiously, wary of Gestalt’s infamous temper.
    “Now?” we repeated in aghast unison. The aide looked surprised and decided to include me in the conversation.
    “Yes, and Sir Henry just called to let us know that he is bringing a special visitor.”
    “A special visitor?” we again said in unison.
    “Yes, an important visitor who is to be seated to Sir Henry’s right at the dinner table,” said the aide, wilting under our fixed stares. Gestalt and I turned to each other.
    “An important visitor?” he said to me. “The duck didn’t mention this?”
    “What? No!” I said. “I