The Road to Bedlam cotf-2

by Mike Shevdon

  "Oh, Mr Dawson, it looks like you've been in the water. What on earth happened?"

  "I went for a walk on the beach. I slipped."

  "Oh dearie me, we can't have you walking round like that, the carpets will get wet."

  "Well, I can hardly strip here in the hall, can I?"

  "Come through to the kitchen. I'll find you one of Gerald's robes. What were you thinking of?"

  "As I said, I slipped."

  I followed her through a door at the back of the hall to a kitchen with a vinyl-tiled floor. She made me stand on newspaper until she'd found a towel and brought a towelling robe from the back rooms.

  "There's a toilet through that door behind you. You can get out of your wet clothes in there. I'll have to dry your shoes out in front of the range. I must say, I never expected anything like this." She handed me the robe.

  "I'm quite all right. I can manage."

  "Nonsense. You're shivering and you'll get sand everywhere. Get out of those clothes and I'll get them washed tomorrow. There'll be an extra charge for a service wash, especially with the state they're in. You do realise that, don't you?"

  "That's fine." I was beginning to think she was enjoying herself.

  "That's one of Gerrald's old ones. It doesn't matter if it gets wet. Just get yourself dry. Here's a towel." She passed me a hand towel that had also seen better days.

  There was barely room to turn around, with just a hand basin and a toilet. I squirmed out of my clothes, dropping them in a soggy pile on the floor, then dried myself with the towel. The harsh cotton combined with the remnants of grit and sand to chafe my skin. I dabbed off the worst and shrugged into the robe, belting it tightly with the tie, then picked up the pile of sodden clothes and edged out of the toilet.

  She held a plastic bag out and I dropped them in.

  "Gloria at the laundry will take care of those for you. She does all the linen for us, a proper job. You won't know them."

  "Thank you. If it's OK, I'll take my key and go to bed."

  "Do you want me to dry your umbrella out in front of the range with your shoes?"

  "No, it's OK. That's the one thing that's waterproof. I'll take it upstairs."

  "Mind you don't get sand and grit everywhere," she said as I made my way back into the hall and upstairs.

  "I'll be careful. See you in the morning."

  "Good night, Mr Dawson." She closed the kitchen door behind me.

  Back in my room, I locked the door and went straight to the bathroom. Standing in the bath, I unsheathed the sword, washed the blade and wiped it with my hand towel. Then I rinsed out the scabbard, removing any grains of sand, wiped it down and left it over the sink to drain any remaining water. Weapons first, that's what I had been taught. You never knew when you'd need them next and it wouldn't do to have the sword jam in the scabbard from sand or rust.

  Discarding my robe, I showered off the remaining sand, setting the shower hot enough to ease the aches and bruises. I wiped the mirror with the towel and inspected my scrapes and scratches. None of it was worthy of attention.

  I put on my own robe and left the bathroom light on to keep the fan running, then released the ward on my bag and brought out clean clothes. Whoever had packed had put two full changes in the bag. I wondered whether shopping was also a service the stewards provided. I dried my feet and put on clean socks, pulled on a shirt and trousers and laced my spare boots, feeling immediately better.

  The alarm clock at the bedside said it was close to midnight. I was dog-tired. Woken before dawn, using the Ways twice in one day, the walk into Hull, the disaster on the beach – it was all taking its toll and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed.

  Garvin said that Warders didn't get tired and I wondered if there were a trick to that or if it was just sheer force of will.

  Either way, I still had things to do. I tightened the laces of my boots.

  NINE

  Blackbird or Garvin: who to speak to first? I needed to update both of them, but if I spoke to Blackbird first, I would have to tell Garvin what I knew. I didn't think Blackbird would want me telling him more than she wanted him to know. I sat on the single bed and reached with my intention beneath the surface of the mirror, connecting it to the core of power within me.

  "Garvin?" The glass clouded.

  "Dogstar? One minute. Stay with me." His voice was loud in the small room. I heard sounds of movement from the mirror, a door closing. "What's the situation?"

  "Raffmir was here. I was down on the beach and he was waiting for me." I recounted what had happened.

  "Is he there now?"

  "No, I went after him, but he vanished."

  "The wraithkin delegation were ordered to stay with their escorts. I've lodged a protest with Altair and he says they'll be disciplined as soon as they can be found."

  "They've both gone?"

  "Yes. They were in their accommodation. The windows and doors were warded. When no one came out we sent in the stewards to see if they wanted anything and they were gone."

  "How did they get out without anyone noticing?"

  "They're wraithkin. They have their ways."

  I was wraithkin too, but I didn't know how to get past a warding without triggering it. "We know where Raffmir went. Any idea about Deefnir?"

  "Nothing confirmed. Blackbird's gone too. He may have gone after her."

  "I know. I tried to speak to her earlier. She was in a car or a truck. I don't know where she was headed – London maybe?"

  "We can't protect her if she's not here, Niall."

  "It sounds like she's looking after herself."

  "I've sent Amber after Raffmir, Slimgrin to find Deefnir. If they find them they'll bring them back here. Fionh is acting as liaison for the negotiations. Tate, Fellstamp and I are rotating shifts, keeping things tight, though Fellstamp is only managing six-hour stints. So far Altair is happy to sit and talk while we run round after him."

  "You want me to come back in?"

  "No. I told Altair you were on assignment. It doesn't sound like it's going too well."

  "I have to figure out what the assignment is first."

  "That's often the way, Dogstar. Keep your head up and your eyes open."

  "What did Raffmir mean, when he said he was the only one who could show me how to reach Alex? How did he even know she'd been taken?"

  "You already know the wraithkin can listen in on other people without them knowing. If you're his target, Niall, you have to assume that he's overheard every conversation you've had since he got here, maybe even before that. He may have been watching you for months."

  "He can't harm me, or cause me to come to harm, without breaking his oath."

  "I said before, Niall. They're not here by accident. The negotiations have hit deadlock. Neither side is willing to concede on the major issue – what happens to Blackbird, you and the rest of the half-breeds. Altair's treading water. He's waiting for something. We have to find out what."

  "Maybe if Raffmir appears again, I'll ask him."

  "Watch out for Deefnir. Raffmir's sworn not to harm you, but there's no restriction on Deefnir. If he gets close, use Warder's discretion."

  "If he comes for me, I'll defend myself."

  "Try not to kill him. If you do you've made a worse enemy. Deefnir is Altair's grandchild."

  "His grandson? I thought Fey weren't fertile?"

  "They have problems conceiving, but it's not unknown. Deefnir was born in exile. This is the first time he's been to our world. Try not to make it his last. If it comes to it, though, don't hold back. We can sort out the diplomatic ramifications afterwards. Besides, maybe he's gone sightseeing?" The doubt in that last sentence came clear through the mirror.

  "I'll be careful."

  "I want to know if you see either of them again. Let me know."

  "I will. Thanks, Garvin."

  "Stay tight."

  I released my connection with the mirror and the cloudiness diminished to a spot in the middle, then
vanished.

  I reached out again. "Blackbird?" The mirror clouded again, then lightened to a misty grey.

  "Blackbird? Can you hear me?"

  There was a hissing sound that deepened to a low buzz. I rose and placed my hand on the mirror, strengthening the connection with touch. The mirror chilled under my hand, outlining my fingers in condensation. Snatches of her voice stuttered through the mirror, fragments of words, jumbled together.

  "Blackbird? Where are you?"

  I let the connection build gently under my hand, conscious of how the mirror had shattered when I tried to contact Mr Phillips. Where was she?

  Suddenly the connection cleared and I could hear her. "Niall? Is that you?"

  "Yes, can you hear me?"

  "Yes, I'm out on the fire escape. Where are you?"

  "I'm in Yorkshire, a fishing town…"

  "You disappeared. I had no idea where you'd gone."

  "Garvin was supposed to tell you."

  "Garvin told me to sit tight and twiddle my thumbs. Why didn't you tell me the Untainted were here?"

  "I didn't know until I was summoned before the High Court. Then Garvin told Altair I was on assignment and Tate bundled me out of the building before they could start anything. Garvin was supposed to warn you."

  "He wouldn't say where you were or what you were doing. He told me that Altair had turned up and to stay in the apartment and not to come out for any reason."

  "He was trying to protect you."

  "Well, he failed. I checked the mirrors in the apartment. They were cold, much colder than the room. They were listening to everything. It wasn't safe. They were just waiting for an opportunity."

  "So where are you now? Wait! Don't tell me. They could be listening to us now."

  "Let them. I'm with Claire Raddison, the Remembrancer's clerk. No one thought to tell her the Untainted were in town, did they? She's not protected by the Warders or the Courts. We have all the protection we need now. We have all six horseshoes here and if they come for us they're going to get a beating they'll never forget."

  "Iron horseshoes? Isn't that difficult for you?"

  "You forget. I don't have any magic. There's nothing to react with the iron. I can pick them up and hold them."

  The connection suddenly wavered, a strange whining sound coming from the mirror like distorted static. "I'm losing you. Are you there?"

  "Sorry, I've put it down again now. They're heavy enough to slug a troll with. We had to carry them between us to get them back to Claire's flat."

  "Not exactly a handy weapon."

  "It'll do the job, if it comes to it. They won't be able to cross the doorways and if they get inside they'll get a surprise they won't believe. We have more than horseshoes to defend ourselves."

  I told Blackbird about Raffmir's visit and Deefnir being Altair's grandson.

  "I don't care if he's the Prince of Persia, if he comes near my baby I'll nail him to a doorpost."

  I smiled. I should have known she'd find a way to protect herself. "Just be careful. We don't know where they've gone or what they're doing. You'd better warn the Highsmiths at the farm in Shropshire as well, just to be on the safe side."

  "It's already done. I spoke to Meg earlier. She said they would take suitable precautions, and they still have the broken Quick Knife. That alone should discourage visitors."

  "I'm sorry. I should have warned you myself."

  "I will admit, it was a shock. Why are they here?'

  "Negotiating a peace settlement. At least that's what Altair says they're doing. Garvin thinks they're here for some other reason."

  "Does he know what?"

  "No, but Altair asked to have me as his personal Warder. That's why Garvin assigned me here with this mess."

  "How is it going?"

  I explained about my success in finding the missing girls and my encounter in the cave.

  "You went in blind. That was… bold."

  "Garvin was good enough not to point that out."

  "It's your life you're risking, Niall. A visit from the Warders isn't generally a social call. What were you expecting, a welcome mat?"

  "I'll be better prepared next time."

  "You're lucky there is a next time. You need to find out what you're dealing with before you go poking about in someone's cave."

  "Yeah, I think I got that. I guess I was thinking it was all nothing. The girls weren't missing, they were just somewhere else, doing something else."

  "And there were many skulls?"

  "Thirty or so, maybe more. Some of them looked really old. This isn't new. It's been going on for a while."

  "Then why doesn't anyone know about it?"

  "They do. It's in the papers. There are missing posters all over town."

  "No, that's for the five or six missing now. Where are the others? If this has been going on all this time, why aren't there records of missing women going back fifty, a hundred, two hundred years? Those skulls could be anyone's. They could be missing sailors, washed up on the beach, for all you know."

  "No. Maids, mothers and daughters, he said. They were all women."

  "Then they came from somewhere, Niall. Find them."

  Another thought occurred to me, sparked by the memory of my stay at Claire's apartment the previous year.

  "Do you think Claire would do me a favour?"

  "She might. Hang on, I'll get her."

  There was a rustling sound and then receding footfalls. Then voices returned.

  "And I just talk to the mirror, do I?" It was Claire's voice.

  "Just like a phone," Blackbird confirmed.

  "Hello?"

  "Claire, this is Niall."

  "Yes, I remember. How are you?" The polite greeting was typical.

  I smiled. "I'm a little bruised at the moment, but well, thanks, and you?"

  "We're a little jumpy." That was understandable.

  "I wanted to ask you a favour."

  "Yes, Veronica said." She used the name Blackbird had given herself when they first met.

  "You have a friend who works for the government, in the area covered by the Official Secrets Act, by the name of Sam?"

  "Sam? I haven't spoken to Sam since that night in the hospital. I think I made it clear that it was over between us."

  "I know, I remember. It's just that I need someone who knows that world. It's about my daughter. Black… Veronica will explain. I've lost her and I think the government have taken her. There must be records. Maybe he would be able to find out where they've taken her?"

  "I don't even know if he would have access to that information. It's probably not his department."

  "It's certainly not mine. I need all the help I can get and I need someone who can make discreet enquiries without setting off alarm bells."

  "I don't know, Niall. He probably won't even speak to me."

  "Or someone else in that line of work. Is there someone else you know who might be able to find out where they've taken her?"

  "No, I don't know any of Sam's colleagues. He never talked about work. Then again, I didn't tell him anything either – not really. We're both quite secretive people."

  "Could you ask him for me?"

  "It's not that I don't want to, Niall. Without you… well, I don't know where we'd be. But I can't promise anything. He can be really stubborn."

  "I really appreciate that, Claire. Thanks."

  "I'll see what I can do."

  "I'd better go. I have more to do before I can rest."

  "I'll let you say goodbye to Veronica, then." Her footsteps receded.

  "What makes you think that Sam can help you, Niall?" said Blackbird.

  "Maybe he can't, but at least he will know how to find things without drawing attention to me. They don't know there's any connection between us, so even if they find out he's been asking questions, they won't tie it back to me."

  "He has no reason to help us, you know that."

  "I know, but it's worth a try. The only other option
is Raffmir."

  "Raffmir?"

  I described our encounter on the beach. "He said he was the only one who could show me how to reach her."

  "Was he telling the truth?"

  "So far as he believes it, yes, though he didn't precisely say he knew where she was, either. It could all be one of his games. He's sworn not to harm me, but there's nothing to prevent him from twisting the knife on my misfortunes to make them as painful as possible. That would count as amusement as far as he's concerned."

  "Even bound by his vow, he's dangerous."

  "I know, but if Raffmir wanted to harm me he could have sent Deefnir instead. I was vulnerable enough, lying on my back in the shingle. No, he's up to something."

  "Like what?"

  "I've no idea, but whatever he's offering me, he is going to want something at least equivalent in return."

  "A favour in return for the life of your daughter would be a big one, I think. Be careful, Niall. It would please Raffmir greatly to make you choose between your duty as a Warder and your daughter."

  "That crossed my mind, too. Then there's the baby. He swore an oath not to cause harm to you or to Alex, but he didn't know about our son. That may be the entire reason they're here."

  "We're ready for them. We have some surprises laid on for them if they come."

  "I'll tell Garvin where you are, next time I check in. Maybe he can release someone to keep an eye out for you."

  "Just make sure they don't walk in on us unexpectedly or they might get a welcome they'll never forget."

  "I'll tell him. Look after yourselves. Try and get some sleep."

  "We're taking turns. It could be a long night."

  "For me too. Take care."

  "Bye."

  The mirror cleared as the connection faded, leaving condensation dribbling down the glass. Wiping it with my hand only spread the water around. I went into the bathroom and returned with a hand towel to polish the water away. Even afterwards my handprint still showed faintly as the glass slowly warmed.