“Ned,” the man said, “pour our American some wine.”
J.T. gave a shrug and took the seat across from the man and began to fill his plate. “What’s so important that you made me miss my plane?”
“Your president and I have a favor to ask of you.”
J.T. paused with a piece of venison on his fork. “Roosevelt?” He gave the man a hard look. “Who are you?”
“I’m the king of this country, such as it is.”
J.T. looked at the man awhile longer than began to eat. “I heard you were on your deathbed. You don’t look very sick to me.”
“You will address His Majesty properly,” snapped the gaunt man behind the king.
“Ned is very protective of me,” the king said, smiling. “But I don’t think we’re going to teach an American to be subservient. I assume my granddaughter is safely on her way to Escalon to take her rightful place.”
J.T. didn’t answer. He had heard the king didn’t know what was going on with his granddaughter, but he obviously knew something. J.T. wasn’t going to play his hand and tell the king more than he already knew. “Why don’t you tell me,” he said at last.
“All right,” the king said. “I believe it started right after my granddaughter began her tour of America. She was kidnapped, probably by someone from Lanconia, then she was to be shot. I believe you, at the risk of your own life, saved her. I will be eternally grateful.”
“You’re welcome.”
“With your help, she went to the American government to ask for help in reinstating her to her throne. Your army insisted she marry an American and put him on the throne beside her. I believe their objective is military bases in my country.”
“Among other things.”
“Ah yes,” the king said. “The vanadium. But then Aria had already agreed to give that to America. Am I correct so far?”
“I’m not bored yet.”
The king smiled. “You were chosen to be the husband and I must say, after looking at your family tree, for an American, your ancestry is quite good.”
J.T. didn’t reply to that but kept eating.
“The two of you lived in Key West, where you were stationed and where my granddaughter learned to be an American. You must tell me about the photograph that appeared in the Key West Citizen of Aria and your mother. Mrs. Montgomery looks to be a delightful woman.”
“She’s married. Could you get on with this? I’d like to find another plane leaving this country and get home. I have war work to do there and I can’t afford to be gone any longer.”
“Ah, your war job. More wine, Lieutenant?” the king asked, and motioned to Ned to refill the glass. “Now my granddaughter has returned and she has, with the help of that bumbling American ambassador, gotten herself reinstated as Princess Aria. And she has once again put her life in danger.”
J.T. stopped eating. “I was told she’d be protected.”
“Who can I trust? Ned here is the only person I know to be clear of this plot and he stays with me. I cannot trust Aria’s advisers, her relatives, even her ladies-in-waiting.”
“Can you find out who put the imposter princess on the throne? That woman has been kidnapped; maybe you can find out something from her.”
“I sent her to America,” the king answered. “When your president radioed me that my granddaughter had been taken while on American soil, I saw right away the hazards. It could have forced Lanconia into the war. I sent Ned south to get Aria’s cousin, who, except for fifty pounds or so, looks like Aria. She was sent to America immediately to pose as Aria.”
“Aria said that if you found out she was taken, it would kill you.”
The king looked at his wineglass. “I am harder to kill than that. Duty and country come first, before personal involvement.”
“She is just like you.”
The king smiled. “Your spats are well known, both in America and Lanconia. She is a very good mime, isn’t she?”
“What do you want from me?” J.T. asked.
“I want you to remain in Lanconia.”