The Purple Emperor

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

'What do you think you're playing at?' Blue hissed furiously.

They were alone together in a small, insulated antechamber off the Great Hall. The Queen had assured them their privacy was guaranteed.

'We can't attack Lord Hairstreak,' Pyrgus said. 'He's… he's

…' He shook his head helplessly.

'He's what?' Blue snapped. 'Come on, Pyrgus, pull yourself together.'

'He's working with our father now!' Pyrgus blurted. He actually looked as if he might be about to cry.

'He's not working with our father!' Blue snapped. 'Our father is under his influence – it's not the same thing. This is a great opportunity, can't you see? If the Forest Faerie help us, we can put paid to Lord Hairstreak once and for all. Didn't you notice what those elf-bolts can do? Once we have Hairstreak out of the way, we'll have Daddy back. We can nurse him back to health, get him the best medical treatment. He can take the throne again – Comma will step aside, you know he will, and if he doesn't we'll make him, or Daddy will make him. Daddy will be Purple Emperor again, just like he was before. It'll all be like what it was before; only better, because nobody will have Hairstreak to worry about.'

Suddenly Pyrgus seemed to collapse in on himself. He looked grey and small. 'It won't be like it was before,' he said quietly. 'It can't be like it was before, not now, not ever.'

'Pyrgus, it can\ We'll make plans. We'll call on the whole forest army if need be. We'll -'

'Blue, Daddy isn't ill – he's dead. It's not nursing or medical attention -' Pyrgus waved his hands helplessly. 'He's dead\ That's why Hairstreak can control him. Whatever we do, it won't make any difference – he's still dead?

After a moment, Blue said, 'It's going to be all right, Pyrgus. We'll make it all right. We'll get Daddy away from Hairstreak – that's obviously the first step. We'll bring him back here – here to the forest. We can hide him here and take however long it needs to get him back to normal. Queen Cleopatra will help.'

She climbed to her feet and there was a steely glint in her eye. 'It's time we went back to the others,' she said.