The Purple Emperor

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWO

As the barge approached, the Keeper and his Team marched along the centre of Lohman Bridge in fine order, their way cleared by an escort of purple-liveried Guardsmen. Safety regulations insisted the bridge was out of bounds to the public until the barge passed through, but the public had piled on anyway.

The Keeper stopped before the massive mechanism. At his signal, one of his Team hoisted a plain cyan flag. On the water below, the State Barge stopped dead and hovered like some great, wonderful waiting beast.

'Places,' snapped the Keeper.

His men moved with mechanical precision to the accompaniment of a few ironic cheers. Three went directly to the Great Wheel. All the others manned the network of ropes and cables attached to it.

'Action,' called the Keeper. Like his Team, he was dressed in a style that had gone out of fashion a thousand years ago.

The men on the ropes began to pull while the others strained at the Great Wheel. The watching crowd fell suddenly silent. Tradition was king on the day of a Coronation: ancient machinery, part of the original bridge, had to be used.

The trouble was, despite constant care and attention, there was no guarantee the ancient machinery would actually work. The Coronation of Good King Glaucopsyche had been delayed for two weeks while mechanics toiled around the clock to get the Great Wheel functioning again.

For a moment it looked as if history might repeat itself, then, with a deep, ominous creaking sound, the Wheel began to turn. The crowd cheered and shouted encouragement to the straining men. The bridge trembled underfoot, then moved.

A momentous cheer erupted.

On the barge below, a white figure emerged on deck and waved. The cheering redoubled. The bridge began to split in two. There was a minor panic as spectators scrabbled to get to one side or the other before the chasm widened, but for once nobody fell into the water. To howls of delight and roars of approval, Lohman Bridge opened.

The Royal Barge resumed its stately pace and passed slowly through.

'Did you see that?' Comma exclaimed excitedly. 'They loved me! They all cheered and waved! This was the best idea I ever had!'

'For heaven's sake!' Blue hissed through gritted teeth. 'Have you no idea, no idea at all, about privacy? And it wasn't your idea, not even slightly.'

Comma said thoughtfully, 'You look nice in that thing.'

'Do I?' Blue asked. 'You don't think it makes me look too old?'

'What are you going to do with that thing during the ceremony?' Mr Fogarty frowned.

'Are you talking about me?' Flapwazzle asked aggressively.

'Are you talking about Flapwazzle?' Henry asked aggressively. 'He's not a thing.'

Mr Fogarty shrugged. 'The endolg. What are you going to do with him during the ceremony?'

'He's not staying behind,' Henry said.

'I'm not staying behind,'. Flapwazzle confirmed.

'Did I say you should? It's just -' Mr Fogarty shrugged again, 'he's a bit smelly and you're leaving it a bit late to give him a bath.'

'Good grief,' Flapwazzle exclaimed. 'He's telling the truth -1 am a bit smelly.' He started to undulate across the floor.

'Where are you going?' Henry asked in alarm.

'I'm perfectly capable of giving myself a bath,' Flapwazzle said.