“Then I must ask you to wake her,” Malone said. “I don’t want to disturb her any more than you do, Colonel, but this is important.”
“Her Majesty’s rest,” Colonel Fairfax said gently, “is also important, Sir Kenneth.”
“This is more important,” Malone said. “I know how you feel, but it’s necessary to wake her.”
The screen blanked out.
Malone sighed and began to sing softly to himself while he waited:
“The soldiers of the Queen are linked in friendly tether— And if she’s off her bean, we’ll all go nuts together....”
Her Majesty appeared at this point, dressed in a silken robe bearing her crest and initials (E. R., rather than R. T., of course), and wearing a silken Mother Hubbard cap on her head. “Oh, dear,” she said instantly. “Are you still worried about them?”
“The flashes?” Malone said. “That’s right. You tuned in on my mind right away, didn’t you?”
“As soon as I got your message,” she said. “I like your little song, at least, I think I do.”
Malone blushed faintly. “Sorry,” he said.