by John Booth
Trelawney shook his head. “I honestly don’t know if they are alive or dead, though I pray they live. But I do know that when I find this mole in my organization I will see him hang.” Trelawney looked down at his hands, “Or I will strangle him with my bare hands, should I should get the chance.”
“Come quickly, smartish now!” Tricky demanded as he stuck his head around Laura’s tapestry. “The servants are afoot and Alice thinks they’re bringing your clothes.”
Laura turned to face the boy and Tricky’s face grew red, “Beggin’ your pardon miss, but we gotta go.”
“I hope they are bringing my breakfast with them,” Laura said in annoyance. “I can smell Tom’s on his breath and it isn’t polite to serve the men first.”
“Come on!” Tricky implored, waving at Tom to get a move on.
Tom ran to the tapestry and disappeared behind it. Laura heard a bolt being drawn and retreated to her bed, pulling the coarse linen up to cover her breasts.
Tom slipped into his bed. He heard his door being unbolted and saw it open about halfway. The maid who had earlier brought his tray slipped into his room carrying some neatly folded clothes. The door closed as soon as she was in the room and he heard the door being bolted behind her.
“My name is Jane,” the girl said timidly, staring at her feet. She put the clothes down behind her and close to the door. “I’m here for you,” she said calmly, “Here to do whatever you desire.”
Tom stared at the girl in astonishment. She was a pretty little thing, now he had the time to take notice of her. A good figure too, if she would only stop hunching over like a scared rabbit. However, though a certain part of his anatomy showed interest in her offer, the rest of him did not.
“If those are my clothes, you can just pass them to me.”
Tom sat up in bed. Jane started to undo her stays paying no attention to his words.
“Er, could you stop taking off your clothes?” Tom asked. “You are very pretty and all that, but I am committed to the girl I came here with.”
Jane had removed her upper clothing to display her large attractive breasts. On hearing Tom’s words, she put her hands to her face and began to sob piteously. Tom looked on, unable to take his eyes off the girl’s breasts and completely lost for any appropriate words to say.
“Lord Smee will have me beaten if you don’t take me, sir,” Jane explained between sobs. “I’m to satisfy you, so that you don’t get no notions to take flight. That’s what he told me to do.”
“He won’t beat you if I refuse. I shall tell him so myself, if that will help.”
Jane’s sobs became louder. “Mr. Smith takes a delight in giving beatings, sir. He’s our butler, the gentleman who was here when I brought your breakfast. He’ll make me cut my own birch and prepare it, and then he’ll….” Jane broke down crying piteously.
Tom got up from his bed and put an arm around the girl. Jane misinterpreted his intent and he had to pull her hands from about his person. The girl ended up sitting on the bed crying inconsolably, while Tom, being baffled as to what else to do to stop her; took the opportunity to get dressed.
The clothes were not his own, but they fitted him well enough. It was a great relief to finally have a pair of breaches to protect his honor from any further assault.
“Where are my clothes?” he asked Jane, whose sobs had died down to occasional outbursts as she watched him dress.
“They were taken away by the gentleman who brought you here, sir,” Jane answered timidly. “He insisted we strip every item of clothing from you and the young lady before turning his coach around and racing his horses off like the devil himself was at his back, sir.”
“I’m amazed that I didn’t try and stop you, and even more surprised that Laura would tolerate being stripped. We must have been incredibly tired.”
“You don’t remember the sleeping draft we gave you in your rooms, sir?”
“No?” Tom had vague memories of someone coming into his room, though it was hard to remember.
“The drink was laced with a powerful drug. I was amazed that you were awake this morning when I brought up your breakfast,” Jane said, sounding truly awed. “You must have a powerful strong constitution, sir.”
“My name is Tom, not sir.”
“Yes sir, Tom sir,” Jane agreed.
“Now look here, I don’t want to…with you.” Jane gave another loud sob and Tom knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his.
“Listen to me, you silly girl. Just because we don’t do it, doesn’t mean that your butler and Lord Smee have to know we haven’t. We can fake it so they think we have, can’t we?”
Jane stopped sobbing as the idea sank in. “I can bounce up and down on the bed and moan loudly, just as if,” she said, smiling at the thought.
Tom found his face blushing bright red at Jane’s words. He had not considered that they would need to do anything so outrageously graphic and he wasn’t sure he could manage such a thing without bursting out laughing or dying of shame. Jane saw the look on his face and rushed to his rescue.
“There’s no need for you to do a thing, sir. Men often don’t make that much noise during the act. You leave it all up to me, sir.”
Tom was not sure how long Jane carried on with her bouncing and squealing. It probably wasn’t a massive amount of time, but from where he stood watching her, it seemed to last for an embarrassing lifetime. She had put back her top and her breasts bounced hypnotically. Jane uttered a loud squeal and stopped bouncing, the mattress slowly bringing her to a stop.
A few moments later she stood and walked over to him, kissing him full on the mouth before he could think to stop her. She ruffled his hair with her hand as she thrust her tongue deep into his mouth. Eventually she drew back from him.
“Thank you very much, sir. I won’t forget your kindness in a hurry,” she whispered.
She moved over to the door, picking up her clothes and holding them to cover her breasts.
“Shouldn’t you take off your undergarments or something?” Tom suggested in a low voice. A small insistent part of his brain wanted to watch her do exactly that.
“I’m not wearing any, sir,” Jane whispered back and winked.
She knocked at his door, which was promptly unbolted and opened so swiftly that Tom was certain someone had their ear glued to the door. Jane slipped out of the room, giving Tom a friendly wave as she left.
“Shouldn’t you take off your undergarments?” Laura repeated in an outraged voice. She appeared from the end of the tapestry with Tricky following behind her. She was fully clothed in riding regalia and looked upset.
“Thomas Carter, you are the most…. the most…” Words failed her and she stomped to stand in front of him, her hands on hips. Her voice unexpectedly softened.
“…honorable young man I know.”
Laura burst into laughter at the look on Tom’s face. “You are so noble sometimes that I could just smack you.” She put her arms around his waist and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “But you could have told her to be a bit quicker about it. We have been waiting behind that tapestry for ages.”
“I th-thought you were going to be angry with me,” Tom stammered.
Laura laughed. “Why should I be angry that you saved that poor girl from a beating? Why, I might not even have minded if you had given her what she was asking for. I believe that the man should be properly experienced before he plights his troth, and that was certainly the best opportunity you have ever had.”
“I would have minded,” Tom said so quietly that Laura only just caught his words. Her broad smile slipped for a second to be replaced by a look of anguish. She turned away so Tom could not see her face.
Laura faced the wall, a hasty finger wiping away a single tear.
“Then you are a silly boy indeed,” Laura said when she felt recovered. “I think we should go and meet Tricky’s companions, don’t you? Then we can plot our escape from this place.”
6. On the Mov
e
Grades of Magical Power
Magic skills are broken down by the Empire into five grades. The skills users have are complex and the guide below gives only a flavor of the capabilities involved. The rare skills of Telepathy and Reading are not categorized into grades.
Grade 1
Spellbinding:
Binds can last for up to two weeks.
Healing:
Can cure complex diseases like consumption and cancer.
Farseeing:
Can see events as they happen anywhere in the world.
Precognition:
Can see events several weeks in the future and locate them.
Empathy:
Can spot an assassin in a crowd.
Grade 2
Spellbinding:
Binds can last for up to six days.
Healing:
Can mend a broken bone; heal deep wounds and damage to organs.
Farseeing:
Can see events as they happen within a thousand miles.
Precognition:
Can see events up to a week in the future.
Empathy:
Can spot the liars in a group asked a question.
Grade 3
Spellbinding:
Binds can last for longer than a day.
Healing:
Can heal small wounds and conditions like trench foot.
Farseeing:
Can see events as they happen for up to 250 miles.
Precognition:
Can see important events up to three days into the future.
Empathy:
Can detect lying in an individual.
Grade 4
Spellbinding:
Binds can last for at least six hours up to a day.
Healing:
Can reduce swelling and pain.
Farseeing:
Can see important events that matter to them.
Precognition:
Can see important events that matter to them.
Empathy:
Can sense emotional states.
Grade 5
Talents are mostly useless at this level but are still detectable and may sometimes prove useful.
Class A A level roughly ten times as powerful as Grade 1.
- from A Short History of Military Magics by Sir Anthony Barrett
Cam, Daisy and Arnold brought small travelling cases down to the imposing front door of Hobsgate where Mick stood waiting for them alongside his favorite pony and trap.
“Tha’s off to rescue Laura and Tom and I’d like ‘t wish thee all God’s speed,” Mick told them solemnly. “Happen, yer will find ‘em as well. I’ve got faith in’t three of yer.”
“I thought our mission was supposed to be top secret,” Cam said haughtily, though she belied her tone with a grin.
“Secrets in a school fer spies?” Mick laughed. “Well, it’ll still be a secret to some of ‘em, I expect.”
Mick handed each of them a thick envelope. The envelopes had their names on them and the Cam realized that Mick must have been briefed about their mission. She slit open her envelope and found it contained more paper money than she could ever remember seeing in one place. At least they wouldn’t be short of cash.
All three of them were travelling light. This did not seem to an appropriate mission to be taking trunks. Cam had packed little more than a change of clothes into her tiny suitcase.
As soon as they clambered into the little trap Mick set off for the station, driving at his usual breakneck speed. Cam wondered if he ever drove sedately. She suspected not as she felt one of the wheels lift from the ground as they turned a corner.
They reached the railway station in no time at all. A train was waiting for them. Mick drove the trap to the rear of the train and halted it besides the last of the carriages.
There was no platform at this station and the only steps to get onto the carriages were at the front of the train where the station keeper stood. Hobsgate had been a secret until recently, but now it was clear that the Americans and others knew of its location. Cam wondered whether MM3 would move the spy school.
Mick turned around to face them and gave them last minute instructions.
“The train will take t’ yer straight to London. There’s no point in lots of changes now everybody knows where we are and speed is of the essence. They’ll be passengers in t’ front carriage, but tha’ mustn’t talk to them. Just afore Paddington the train ’ll slow down to go through Royal Oak. The driver ‘as bin told t’ stop for a few seconds and yer must leave when he does. With luck, no one will see yer and yer’ll be free of the enemy.”
Mick gave the girls a leg up to climb into the carriage. He offered Arnold his cupped hands, but the young man insisted on scrambling up without help. Mick tossed their cases up after them.
The girls sat down in the carriage while Arnold stuck his head out of the window and watched what was going on at the front of the train.
“Our other passengers are Sir Ernest and his secretary,” he informed the girls as another pony and trap arrived from Hobsgate.
“Her name is Miss Mann,” Cam informed him. “Or it might be Mrs. Mann,” she admitted.
“Mrs. Mann, that’s a funny name,” Daisy said and grinned. “It’s like being called Mister Girl.”
The train began to move with a jerk and Arnold reluctantly took a seat alongside Daisy. Cam leant forward to speak to them over the rhythmic clickerty-clacking of the wheels as they passed over the joints on the rails..
“I think we will have to use first names when we talk to each other from now on,” she informed them gravely. “Tompkins, we shall call you Arnold, though I must admit I’m going to have trouble remembering that, and Drew will be Daisy, of course.”
“I shall have fun calling you Camilla,” Arnold said and he smiled wickedly.
“If you want to keep all those lovely white teeth I suggest that you stick to using Cam,” she replied sweetly.
“I don’t see why we can’t just carry on as we did at school,” Daisy said.
“Because, by using first names we give much less information about who we are to anyone overhearing us,” Cam explained. “If Trelawney is right and MM3 has been infiltrated by the enemy, one of their spies might hear our names and identify us from them.”
“I suspect that if any spy discovers us they will be too busy trying to kill us to bother remembering our names,” Arnold said sarcastically. “But I will do it if you promise to stop wearing those terrible disguises. The last thing we need is a whole street of London ruffians laughing over your attempts to be taken for an old woman.”
Cam felt hurt by Arnold’s comment. She had always believed her disguises were good despite the fact that she played them for laughs. She nodded her reluctant agreement. It didn’t seem likely that they would need disguises on this mission. What they really needed was a piece of amazing good luck to help them find their friends.
Tricky led Laura and Tom down the secret passage to the floor below. He put his finger to his lips as he got up on tiptoe to put his eye to a spy hole in the wall. When he was satisfied that it was safe for them to leave, he pulled a lever that moved a part of the wall aside and bustled them through the door into a storage room.
Tricky closed the secret panel carefully, making sure the mechanism clicked fully closed. When he finished, their exit looked like every other wood panel in a wall full of them. Tricky crept passed them and quietly opened the door a crack to look outside. He gestured for them to follow. They crept out of the room in single file and along a dark narrow corridor designed for servant use.
They came to a curtain that covered the end of the corridor. Tricky slowly moved one side of the curtain and looked out. Then he came back to whisper instructions.
“This is the dangerous bit. We ‘ave to get to the room on the left. They’ll be nobody from the ‘ouse in it, as it’s the library and Lord Smee don’t ‘ave any use for books, ‘cepting for ‘itting people with. The corrid
or ‘as lots of people coming and going, so we ‘as to go one at a time and you ‘ave to check the coast is clear before you go.”
“I’ll go first,” Tom offered. Laura sniffed disdainfully as he had managed to volunteer before she got the chance. Boys could be such a pain in the posterior.
“Shssh,” Tricky complained, as her sniff had been rather loud.
Tom moved over to the curtain and moved it aside. He stifled a yell of surprise as he saw the Butler walk past. Fortunately, the man didn’t look around and Tom breathed a silent heartfelt sigh of relief.
The library door Tricky had mentioned was about ten feet away. Another impressively long corridor ran at right angles to their corridor on the right. Paintings hung from its exquisitely polished paneled walls. Tom thought that whoever had built this house must have been very fond of wood paneling.
“The others are waiting in the library. They’ll be expecting you,” Tricky whispered in Tom’s ear without warning, making him jump again. “The stairs lead up to your rooms. Alice’s bin telling me what the servants are up to by looking through the keyhole.”
“Get a move on, Tom,” Laura whispered in Tom’s other ear, the two of them making Tom feel surrounded. Tension was building in Tom’s belly and he knew he had to go before he lost his nerve.
