The girl’s eyes widened into saucers. ‘Me? A maid? But ma’am, I’m a common whore, not even a classy one. I can’t be–’
‘I’m not a proper gentlewoman,’ Kate said. ‘My mother was a prostitute, Chastity. I’m of no higher birth than you are. We can work on your diction, though I am personally not averse to your accent. It is not as harsh as some.’
‘But I wouldn’t know what t’ do!’
‘You can dress yourself can’t you?’ Little put in. ‘And you know how to dust. Lord knows I could use a little help with the cleaning. Two of us can have this place spotless. So you’ll help Miss Kate to dress and help me clean, and you’ll not be on your back again in a month.’
Chastity looked like she was going to cry. ‘I don’t know what t’ say…’
‘Thank you will suffice,’ Antonia said, smiling.
‘Thank you, ma’am.’
‘Well and good. Mrs Bridger, I am going to need extra drapes on the windows in my room. Bright light in the mornings is absolutely the last thing I need.’
Mrs Bridger smiled. ‘Adjustments will be made, ma’am.’
Westminster, 10th September.
It took hours to give a full account of the events following the attempt by the fake policemen to capture Kate, but she went through all of it under the disapproving eyes of Chief Inspector Longford, sparing no details, save for her times spent in Antonia’s arms and the precise activities at the party in Nairobi.
‘How did you know that the men sent to arrest you were not policemen?’ Longford asked, frowning his best, disbelieving frown.
‘Their boots,’ Kate replied. ‘The man calling himself Morris did not sound like a Londoner, but that I could allow. Their footwear, however, was wrong.’
‘Their… footwear?’
Kate nodded. ‘Inspector Franklin, whom I know best of the Yard’s finest, wears sturdy, brown shoes, worn from long use, for he cannot afford better or to replace them more often. They are always polished, but obviously not new. You, Chief Inspector, are able to furnish yourself with more expensive attire. Morris and all of the men with him wore boots, in black, of a solid and uniform nature. When they took the uniforms of the original men sent for me, they could easily fit those, but not the shoes. Their boots were undoubtedly regulation issue and so uniform across the group.’
‘That’s… remarkably observant of you.’
‘My senses are sharper than most. I am sorry for the loss of your men, Chief Inspector. Had the Count not been so set upon my capture, they would not have died. I feel a certain responsibility for their untimely demise.’
Longford gave a grudging sort of grunt. ‘It was Count von Auttenberg who gave the orders, and from all accounts you saw to it that he paid for his crimes. Had he been brought in alive he would undoubtedly have escaped justice through some diplomatic means. Rough justice is the best we can hope for.’
‘Thank you, Chief Inspector.’
‘It seems clear that the charges laid against you are the result of a plot, Miss Felix. We will be dropping them, immediately.’ His frown deepened. ‘I cannot deny that I feel your creation is an act as ungodly as any I have ever before heard of. I also cannot deny that you have risen above it in a manner I find difficult to believe, but I must accept.’
Kate gave him a serious sort of smile. ‘I would not ask you to betray your beliefs for me, Chief Inspector. The benefit of the doubt is all I ask.’
‘Christians are supposed to forgive, Miss Felix. It would appear that God has forgiven you the design of your birth and I would be a very poor Christian if I could not do the same.’
Kate thought that God seemed to be doing a lot of forgiving just at the moment, which inclined her to appreciate Him somewhat more, but she decided that not mentioning that to Longford might be a good idea. ‘Thank you, Chief Inspector,’ she said instead.
The Barstow Club, Mayfair, 11th September.
‘You are fully recovered?’ Charles asked as he escorted Kate and Antonia into the dining room of the club.
‘We both are, it would seem,’ Antonia replied.
‘Excellent. Kate, I have a supply of pills for you. Fourteen for now, but I’m having a larger supply synthesised and they will be ready before the first batch runs out.’
‘Thank you, Sharles,’ Kate replied, settling into her seat as he pushed it in for her. ‘I’m glad I won’t need the reactor again.’
‘Quite.’ Charles assisted Antonia to her seat and then moved to his own.
‘You were quite insistent that we come tonight, Charles,’ Antonia said. ‘What are you up to?’
‘Nothing. I do have an announcement to make, but that can wait until after we have eaten. I have spent the entire day discussing the Kundelungu Plateau site with various men in suits with starched collars, and more heavily starched necks, and I have a considerable need for some pleasant conversation as well as such attractive company.’
Antonia gave a soft laugh. ‘A walking dead woman, a woman who is part animal, and you. You are the most normal of the three of us, Charles.’
Charles gave a shrug. ‘Kate was born exceptional, and you were quite an exceptional woman before your change of circumstances. I must make do with being considered a genius by some and bask in my normalcy.’
They ate and chatted. They discussed the taking on of Chastity as a maid and what Kate might consider undertaking as a means of employment. There was no satisfactory conclusion to the latter and Kate began to suspect that Charles was determined that she should not have to work for a living. She determined not to voice such opinions, however, and certainly not when the evening was so convivial.
With the brandy poured, Charles removed a folded piece of paper from his jacket. ‘And so to the business at hand. I spent some time communicating our exploits to my grandmother via telephone. She does enjoy hearing such tales. They remind her of the times she would accompany my grandfather on his walks through the hills or assist him in his laboratory. She particularly enjoyed this story.’
‘So she sent you a telegram?’ Kate asked.
‘One to me and one to the club officials.’ He unfolded the paper and peered down at it. ‘And I quote, “Given her obvious capability and her remarkable resolve in the face of all attempts to capture and humiliate her in the most extreme manner, we must have Miss Felix as a member of this club. Her bravery alone would place her among the foremost of women, upholding the spirit of this august establishment to the utmost.” She will have it no other way and none here will speak against her when she is so vehement on a subject. You are now a member of the Barstow Club, Kate. Fees to be paid by my grandmother in perpetuity.’
Kate opened her mouth, closed it, tried again, and failed. On the third attempt she managed, ‘I… I can’t… I mean, I’m not–’
‘Just smile and say thank you, Kate,’ Antonia advised. ‘If Lilian says you are a member, you are a member.’
‘And the club is lucky to have you,’ Charles added.
Kate smiled and said, ‘Thank you.’
Richmond, 13th September.
‘Doctor Barstow-Hall, ma’am,’ Chastity said, stepping aside to allow Charles into the drawing room.
‘And this is your new maid, Antonia?’ he asked.
‘She needs a little work,’ Antonia replied, ‘but she’s willing to learn.’
‘I am, sir,’ Chastity said, her expression serious. ‘It’s a chance I thought I’d never get.’
‘Then I am sure you will grasp it and not let go, young lady. Now, might I trouble you for some tea? I’ve had a long morning of too much talking and my throat is dry.’
‘I’ll see to it, sir.’
‘Government matters, Charles?’ Antonia asked.
‘Indeed, and the reason I am here.’ Both Antonia and Kate raised eyebrows at him. ‘The Unobtainium Company is being contracted to undertake a survey of the Kundelungu Plateau site and, should it be possible, to begin mining there.’
‘Germany will be exceedingly
displeased with that arrangement.’
‘Some very strongly worded communiqués have been making the rounds. They are not pleased, but they also deplore von Auttenberg’s actions, claiming to know nothing of them, and recognise that they are not equipped to deal with the situation. I rather suspect that the Count was acting outside his authority and wished to supplant the current administration.’
‘You’re going back to Africa,’ Kate stated.
‘I am to lead the expedition, as far as the science and management goes anyway.’
‘You’ll need someone experienced in the country,’ Antonia said.
‘I have two positions open for non-company staff. One is field guide and the other, at the insistence of my father, is a bodyguard. You were looking for a job, Kate.’
‘Is that not a role more commonly given to a man?’ Kate asked, frowning.
‘Perhaps, but I believe that you have demonstrated quite considerable capability in the preservation of my life recently. I do not feel that I would be safer in any other person’s protection.’
‘Oh. Well, of course I accept. I would be honoured. We are going to need another visit from Mister Osborne, however. I shall need new clothes.’
There was a knock at the door and Chastity entered with a tray of tea. Antonia peered at her. ‘Have you travelled much, Chastity?’
‘No, ma’am. Born in London, never bin out of it.’
‘Hmm, we’ll have to see to a passport for you. Your education is at a delicate stage and cannot be interrupted.’
‘Oh, I quite agree,’ Charles said, trying to keep a smile off his face. ‘Two ladies travelling in Africa should not be without a maid for an extended period. I shall see to the paperwork.’
‘Ma’am?’ Chastity said, looking bewildered.
‘You and Margery will be accompanying us on a small trip out of the country, Chastity,’ Antonia said. ‘The weather is growing unpleasant at this time of year in the Congo, but I’m sure we’ll manage.’
‘The Congo! Africa?’
‘Yes, Africa.’
‘Oh… Oh my!’
Kate grinned at her. ‘Don’t worry, Chastity, last time we were there Sharles blew the place up. I’m quite sure there’s nothing dangerous within a hundred miles that isn’t still running away.’ She paused. ‘I may be tempting fate with a statement like that.’
Charles nodded. ‘I believe we are now doomed.’
‘Never mind,’ Antonia replied, ‘who wants a safe life anyway? So utterly boring.’
###
About the Author
I was born in the vicinity of Hadrian's Wall so perhaps a bit of history rubbed off. Ancient history obviously, and border history, right on the edge of the Empire. I always preferred the Dark Ages anyway; there’s so much more room for imagination when people aren’t writing down every last detail. So my idea of a good fantasy novel involved dirt and leather, not shining plate armour and Hollywood-medieval manners. The same applies to my sci-fi, really; I prefer gritty over shiny.
Oddly, then, one of the first fantasy novels I remember reading was The Dark Is Rising, by Susan Cooper (later made into a terrible juvenile movie). These days we would call Cooper’s series Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy and looking back on it, it influenced me a lot. It has that mix of modern day life, hidden history, and magic which failed to hit popular culture until the early days of Buffy and Anne Rice. Of course, Cooper’s characters spend their time around places I could actually visit in Cornwall, and South East England, and mid-Wales. In fact, when I went to university in Aberystwyth, it was partially because some of Cooper’s books were set a few miles to the north around Tywyn.
I got into writing through roleplaying, however, so my early work was related to the kind of roleplaying game I was interested in. I wrote science fiction when I was playing Traveller. I wrote “high fantasy” when I was playing Dungeons & Dragons. I wrote a lot of superhero fiction when I was playing City of Heroes. I still love the idea of a modern world with magic in it and I’ve been trying to write a novel based on this for a long time. As with any form of expression, practice is the key and I can look back on all the aborted attempts at books, and the more successful short stories, as steps along the path to the Thaumatology Series.
Writing, sadly, is not my main source of income. By day, I’m a computer programmer. I work for a telecommunications company in Manchester, England. My favourite authors are Terry Pratchett, Susan Cooper, and (recently) Kim Harrison. Kim’s Hollows books were what finally spurred me to publish something, even if the trail to here came by way of Susan, back in school, several decades ago.
For More Information
The Thaumatology Blog: http://thaumatology.wordpress.com
The Steel Beneath the Skin Blog: http://steelbeneaththeskin.wordpress.com
Other Books by this Author
Go to amazon.com/author/niallteasdale
The Thaumatology Series
Thaumatology 101
Demon’s Moon
Legacy
Dragon’s Blood
Disturbia
Hammer of Witches
Eagle’s Shadow
Ancient
Dragonfall
The Other Side of Hell
For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll
Vengeance
Anthologies in the Thaumatology Universe
Tales from High Towers’ Study
Tales from the Dubh Linn
The Aneka Jansen Books
Steel Beneath The Skin
The Cold Steel Mind
Steel Heart
The Winter War
The Greatest Heights of Honour
The Lowest Depths of Shame
The Ultrahuman Books
Ugly
Unobtainium 1: Kate on a Hot Tin Roof Page 25
