by Tony Corden
“So it might not have been here?”
“Nope, but I was reasonably confident. Frank wouldn’t trust someone else to check on things, and I doubt he ever crawled through a sewage tunnel to get somewhere. Now let’s head up and steal as much as we can from Frank.”
“He is my uncle, you know.”
“I do, and I’m sorry but the only person I trust at the moment from your family is you. Even Thad will try and destroy me if he gets a chance. Your dad and Frank took him away from me, and I am not in a forgiving mood.”
“Don’t worry, Leah. You may have to get in line when I finally work through all my memories.”
Leah headed up the tunnel, and after prying the manhole cover off, she found out she was right. Even with the manhole cover off, she wasn’t able to see down into the hole. She was still half in the hole and half out, so she ducked down and said, “The coast is clear. Once I am out, I’m going to try and come back down. If I don’t return soon, put your arm through and pull me back.”
They found it wasn’t necessary, but Leah still left a rope dangling through the unmarked floor into the tunnel below when they left the basement. Both Leah and Kate had a map of the house and were soon moving silently toward the Private Wing. As they approached Leah subvocalised to Gèng, “Are Tesfaye and Edison ready and onboard?”
“Yes, Edison is a little wary of the legal ramifications, but he’s really upset that Pneumatica has been used for slavery. He wouldn’t believe that the authorities hadn’t informed him without checking. After he checked, they warned him not to spread insidious and inflammatory rumours. I connected him with Jennifer from the Tempest and several other ex-slaves, and that was enough for him.”
Two guards were standing near the entrance to the Private Wing, and Leah used her new eye to zoom in and focus in on their faces. Edison used his administrator access to identify them, and Tesfaye had them logged out. It took about ten minutes, but suddenly they both faded from view. Leah and Kate crept into the Private Wing and made their way toward the upper level where Frank had his trophy room.
On the way, they had to stop several times to have Edison and Tesfaye remove some housekeepers and guards. On the central level were the main offices, and Leah didn’t try and identify anyone on that level because they couldn’t be sure if people were willing or not. Leah imagined she heard Thad’s voice coming from a room further down the hall but steeled herself and moved on. They reached the upper level without incident, and after seeing another four people logged out, they finally approached the locked door which led into the large trophy room.
Kate picked the lock while Leah kept watch, then they slipped inside. While Kate prepared the frame and attached the brackets to the roof, Leah did a quick survey of the room, identifying the best route to get as much as she could. In one corner was a metal cabinet which she considered the most likely place to find the expected proof of royal infidelity. Finally, they were all ready and Kate stepped out into the corridor after setting up both a block of solid steel which they hoped might give Leah a way out and the waistcoat to send Frank hurrying to the ball.
Leah waited for Kate to move away and then broke the glass covering the Queen Margaret set of Crown Jewellery. She grabbed it and placed it in one of the now empty bags. There was a loud crash, and she felt the floor shudder as massive steel plates crashed together and sealed every possible exit from the room. A quick glance showed that the steel block they'd brought was twisted and had been thrown loose. Leah didn’t stop to think of what was happening outside the room but moved from one display to the next, filling the bag with jewellery, first edition books, some ornate and exquisitely made weapons. Anything that was small, light and wouldn’t break easily. After she’d completed the first loop of the room, she placed a newly-filled bag on the frame and hurried to the steel and copper cabinet. It had both a key lock and a combination tumbler. Leah’s new ear came in handy, she worked the combination lock first, then picked the key lock.
As soon as the cabinet was open. Leah briefly glanced at the labels looking for anything which referred to the royal family. The data she was after was in the third drawer and after double-checking the interior of the folder she placed it in the bag. She then quickly lifted handfuls of other documents and folders out of the cabinet and dropped them in her bag without even a cursory glance. Finally, when the intuitional timer in her head had finally wound down, she ran to the frame and placed the bag in its prepared place. She wanted to do a second run around the room, but the cabinet had taken too long. She pressed a button and the small clockwork motors slowly lifted Leah, the frame, and the stolen goods to the ceiling.
Leah lay quietly for several minutes before she heard the large metal doors start to open. She’d probably had time to make a second swoop of the room to steal even more, but she remembered a lesson she’d learned early when working for Jimmy, and that was not to second-guess yourself or even be disappointed when the worst case scenario didn’t happen. It was always better to get away than to get caught.
She could hear Frank yelling at guards and demanding answers. She heard Thad offer some careful advice, only to be screamed at. Finally, after ten minutes, Frank yelled at someone to take one of the carriages and rush ahead to the ball to get a look at all the guests' invitations. He then stormed out of the room demanding that his valet hurry up and get everything ready because he wanted to be at the function before anyone else. Leah waited another ten minutes before slowly cutting a small eyehole in the cloth.
Five silent guards stood motionlessly watching the room. Leah zoomed in on them, and it was another ten minutes before they all faded from view. Leah was just about to lower the frame when the man she’d met in Master Fallow’s workshop walked in, followed by his two henchmen. He looked around and said, “I told you something fishy was going on. Where have the zombies gone?”
Leah slowly reached across her body and carefully took one of the bladders Delores had mixed to put people to sleep and then carefully lowered the frame a few inches at a time until she had enough room to lob the small projectile so that it landed at the feet of the three men who were standing around and talking. One of them had enough time to look up in Leah’s direction before they crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Leah lowered the frame the rest of the way, and after a slight hesitation as she considered taking more, she decided not to risk it in case Frank had somehow reset the metal doors, and they shut again. She pushed a button on the frame which returned it to the roof where it would likely be found, but she didn’t have time to take it apart, and anyway, the holes in the ceiling would give it away.
She lifted the two bags of loot and started toward the bottom level. She had to hide several times, and twice was able to have Tesfaye find and free a player, but after twenty tense minutes, she was back in the basement. She carefully looked through the floor to see a very anxious Kate waiting for her. They manoeuvred the bags down the access way and then after making sure the basement floor was clear of evidence, she lowered the manhole cover closed above her head. As soon as they were both safely standing in the tunnel, the sudden relief of success hit them both at the same time, and they began to grin and chuckle quietly and gave each other a long and heartfelt hug.
When they’d calmed down, Leah said quietly, “We’d best get a move on. Billy is probably going crazy by now.”
The route back was much quicker without the block of steel and the large frame, the cloth and the motors. Some of the weight had been replaced with several drawers of documents, but they were flushed with success and travelled quickly. When they were almost back at the drop off point, Kate said, “What are you going to tell Billy about your hunch? You can’t explain how waste works in the real world.”
“I know. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to come up with something but the only thing that doesn’t make me sound like an idiot is to lie and lie big, to make up something outrageous like the elusive ninth ray of Barsoom. Even that makes me seem a bit loose
in the head. Hopefully, he won’t ask.”
They climbed up the same access way through which they’d entered the sewer system and carefully made their way into the lane. One of Billy’s crew was standing guard at one end, and he waved his hat in the air to signal someone neither Leah or Kate could see. Three minutes later a carriage pulled into the lane, Leah and Kate climbed inside. Billy was waiting, and as they placed the two bags on the floor at their feet, he grinned and said, “I knew you’d succeeded when one of Lord Emerson’s carriages was sent hurtling through the streets toward Lord Hammersford’s Manor. Did you get everything you were after?”
When Leah nodded, he said, “Good! Now, before we finalise the distribution of the excess acquisitions as we’ve agreed, I’d like you to explain how you entered his property.”
Leah was silent for a minute and then said, “Billy, if I could tell you, I would. What I did, I don’t think can be done again. I could lie and I was almost prepared to rather than disappoint you, but I don’t want such a thing to come between us.”
He was quiet for some time before saying, “Captain Charlotte, I should not be surprised by your honesty, but I am. I would not share my plan to mislead a companion even if it was for their benefit just in case someone cast some dispersion upon my character. You have once more displayed the true virtue which we call honour. I thank you for your trust.”
The rest of the ride was completed in silence. Eventually, they drove through a gate and down a long drive. Billy said, “This is the residence of Lord Grafton and his wife, the Lady Helen. At one time I was able to assist them in some small manner involving their lovely daughter Lillian. Be assured that they are trustworthy and eminently discreet.”
Kate whispered loudly in Leah’s direction, “Billy is sweet on Lillian, and the feeling is mutual.”
Billy had had no trouble hearing the comment but chose to ignore it. When the carriage came to a stop he helped Leah and Kate from the carriage and then, grabbing the two bags, he led them into the large manor. Just inside the door was a butler who wasn’t fazed at all by Billy, the duffels and two rather filthy young women who were quite literally dressed to kill. He led the three of them through the large home and into a well-appointed sitting room. An older couple and a young woman were sitting and sharing some refreshments. It was clear to Leah from watching the young woman’s reaction that Kate had been accurate in her assessment.
Billy introduced everyone and then said, “Lady Helen, if I might be forgiven, I would suggest we move on with unseemly haste as both Katherine, and Captain Charlotte, are soon expected to arrive at Lord Hammersford’s manor. Might they be directed to the appropriate facilities?”
As Lady Helen rose to her feet, Billy turned to Leah and asked, “Will you trust me to sort through your acquisitions and bring some order from their disarray?”
“I have no concerns regarding your integrity, Mr Bartle and fear not for should such a concern arise I will not hesitate to bring it to your attention with the utmost urgency and forcefulness.”
Rather than being upset by the threat, Billy chuckled and began to open the bags. Leah and Kate followed Lady Helen to a set of suites she’d put aside for their use. Three lady's maids had been assigned to each of them, and within moments they were undressed and thoroughly washed clean. After the bath, the maids helped Leah dress for the party. She had chosen a red, black, and gold brocade ball gown with a modest cage crinoline underneath. The seamstress had incorporated discrete slits in the fabric through which Leah had access to a set of throwing knives and two small pistols.
Billy had finished sorting the equipment and had set aside the three main items Leah had been aiming to acquire. He said, “Charlotte, I suggest that the jewellery you intend to return to Her Majesty would be better appreciated if it was presented as a gift rather than displayed openly upon your person. You have recovered several other pieces whose provenance is such that your use of them as accessories would certainly both enrage Lord Emerson and maximise your standing among the nobility.”
“I shall take your advice and must admit I had been considering how to easily present the jewellery as a gift. I trust you have set aside something suitable for both myself and Katherine.”
“I have indeed. I also would seek a moment to discuss the details of the issue wherein Lord Emerson has, it seems, been holding Her Majesty and the Prince hostage.”
“You have my fullest attention.”
“Rumour has surrounded the existence of such a document, and in each case the reckless speech has suggested some type of marital indiscretion on the part of Her Majesty. These documents are not evidence of any such impropriety. They describe a more profound and much darker secret. They more than suggest that the prince was accompanied by a twin sister when he entered this world and that she was the elder of the royal siblings. During the period before their birth the Pyranthian fiends had progressed far into our lands—so far in fact, that some of even the most stout of heart were given, at times, to thoughts of discouragement while others of less courage gave themselves over to the notion that we would not prevail.
“The documents describe the appearance of a private and secret envoy from Pyranthia who offered Their Majesties some relief from the constancy of war, for it seems that they were as close to defeat as we were. Their citizens would not have understood the concept of a negotiated drawback and to ensure Their Majesties kept this secret, they demanded a hostage as surety and would accept nothing less than the Queen’s firstborn. For the sake of her people, Her Majesty was persuaded to give her first child to the fiends as surety. Our citizens could not be told by reason of Their Majesties’ word, and because it is certain that our people would have died before handing over the Royal Heir. When twins were discovered, it was decided that that particular knowledge was easier to withhold than the disappearance of a child and so Aeolipile was able to rejoice in both the birth of an heir and a lessening of the ravages of war. Many at the time connected the two events, which is appropriate, but their reasons were not accurate, and instead, they see the Prince as the saviour of Aeolipile rather than his sister of whom they are unaware.”
“Truly, it is a sad tale of deceit but also one of courage, honour, sacrifice, and leadership. Their Majesties made a brave decision for the sake of their people. It is not one I think I could have made, but there is more to this tale if I understand the level of your disquiet.”
“Indeed, Lord Emerson has not only been holding this above the Queen and the Prince for his own advantage but has even been using it to manipulate the fiends and direct their attacks to his advantage through the war effort. According to their last, and final communique, the fiends have tired of his influence. They have ended all dialogue and for the sake of their honour will execute the princess publicly at their annual festival of blood. The leaders who reached the agreement with Aeolipile have together chosen to confess their cowardice and look to reclaim their honour through their self-execution at the same festival. In this way, they declare, they will set their people free from all and every chain which prevents them from defeating their enemy, Aeolipile.”
“And when is this festival of theirs?”
“Captain, the Pyranthian Festival of Blood is in eight days. We must save the true heir.”
“The next course of action, Mr Bartle is to consider which of the multitude of paths set before us will achieve our intended goal. If you hold my words with any favour, I strongly encourage you to keep this in confidence for now.”
“I hold your words on this matter with stronger bonds than favour, Captain. On this issue, they have the strength of commands.”
Leah almost sighed at the picture before her. The original documents Frank had found were almost certainly the precursors to a major quest, and instead of looking to complete it, he manipulated it for his own end. The developers, or an AI, had increased the pressure and added a deadline to the quest. And the way things worked in these games, this quest would already have been reworked just for
her.
She said, “Then please have a copy made of all the documents. I suggest you do this yourself or find someone whom you trust with both your body and soul. The originals I shall attempt to give to Her Majesty.”
“I will begin immediately. I will have them and the jewellery placed in three separate gift boxes which you can easily carry. Your carriage will arrive in ten minutes. As agreed, I have put to one side three items, any of which I would be satisfied with as my payment for helping you. I suggest you make your choice and return the other two items to your share. I will have the fruits of your labour delivered to your suite at the Herrington and have it guarded until your return.”
Leah nodded, and then after looking at all she’d taken she decided Billy could have all three of the items he wanted. As soon as Katherine joined them, they looked at the jewellery Billy had set aside for them and Lillian helped them to put it on. When they were ready Billy packed up the loot. After thanking Leah for her largess, he led them to the waiting carriage. Just before he closed the door on them, a servant approached and handed Billy two thin rectangular boxes and one that was a cube. Billy showed them to Leah and explained what was in each box. He said, “I will have the driver give them to one of my trusted employees, and she will wait with them near the window which overlooks the gardens.”
On the ride to Lord Hammersford’s, Leah explained to Kate what Billy had found, and they discussed some possible ways to move forward. In the end, they decided to give the information to the Queen and let her make the decision. The ride was not long because many of the manor houses were on the same boulevard. Their carriage moved slowly up the carriageway and finally came to a stop at the entrance. A footman opened the door and Kate, followed by Leah, exited the carriage and made their way into the manor.
