"What now?" I asked. "How will we stop them if we can't even get in the country?"
"Good question. Rousseau will investigate the shield for us. I've sent messages to the other members of the Society as well. Figuring out a way past the shield is our first priority," said Ben.
"What about the gauntlet?" I asked.
"We have yet to recover it," said Ben, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's possible that when the doppelganger went back to Otherland, it left the gauntlet there. Which means we've lost an important artifact."
"What shall we do in the meantime?" I asked. "I cannot stay locked in your estate. Two weeks has been long enough."
"Until we get a way into Russia, or your likenesses removed from every other street corner, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay," said Ben. "You can help in the Thornveld, if you're bored. Djata may not say it, but he could use an extra hand."
I doubted the African scientist had ever said such a thing, but Ben was being polite. I had saved Djata's life, so at least I had that going for me, but he was slow to warm.
"Fine," I said. "I'll help out in the Thornveld until things die down. But tell me one thing first. How is Simon doing? Is he recovered?"
Ben got a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You'll get to find out yourself. I need you to take something to him for me."
"First I can't go into the city and now I'm supposed to visit him? You're loonier than a drunken sailor," I said.
"Don't worry," said Ben. "You'll go in a steam carriage. No one will see you from my front door to his."
I didn't want to remind Ben that Simon lived in an apartment and had a long flight of stairs that would make me quite visible to anyone on the street. I didn't say anything because I knew Ben and knew that he had something in mind. I'd just have to trust him.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
When we neared Market Street, I had an inkling of where we were headed. I leaned forward against the front seat of the steam carriage and spied the towering scaffolding at the end of the street. A major reconstruction was in progress and I knew why. President Washington's residence had been hit by the spectral cannon from the Mother's Hammer, demolishing half the estate and killing three servants.
It'd been fortunate that the President and his wife had been at Franklin's Estate, and most of the servants had been at home, receiving a day off. Only the live-in servants had been caught by the blast. A tragedy, but it could have been much worse.
"Need I remind you, Ben, that I'm a fugitive of the law and you are taking me to the President's house," I said to Ben, who was piloting the steam carriage.
Ben started whistling an unfamiliar tune. I crossed my arms and leaned back into the seat.
When we approached the gate, a soldier in his blues approached, but as soon as he saw Ben, waved him through. On my previous visit, we'd parked in the street and gone in through the front door. This time, we were using the private covered carriage area.
We passed the empty garden on the way, a far cry from the bustling party from a few weeks ago. The stone courtyard, surrounded by flowering bushes and benches for sitting, nestled against the back of the main house, which was the site of the reconstruction. Workers climbed through the scaffolding with hammers tucked in their belts. Men cried to each other, the sounds of their craftsmanship filling the warm spring air.
At the back of the estate was the carriage house and next to that, a long brick building. No one greeted us when we climbed out of the steam carriage, which I thought was odd.
Ben motioned me towards the door. As soon as I opened it, a memory struck me as hard as if I'd been slapped across the face.
"Lady Chloris," I said, catching the glinting light of water.
The back building contained the indoor pool that the rusalka coveted. Ben followed me inside, closing the door behind him.
"You purchased the house, didn't you?" I said, spinning around.
Ben's gaze flitted briefly towards the water. A familiar voice came from that direction.
"Of course he did," said Lady Chloris. I could sense her presence from somewhere in the middle of the pool. "The second day after your return, I made a visit to Ben's place to take you back and fulfill my promise."
"Threat, you mean," I said.
"Trivial difference," said the rusalka. "Either way, you're lucky Ben is a generous man. He agreed to purchase the estate from Washington, who had no desire to continue residence after the unfortunate accident."
"Ben," I said. "I could have taken care of it."
He wagged a finger at me. "You were injured and recovering. It was the least I could do. And what's the point of wealth for a dead man?"
"But you're not dead," I said.
He winked. "Trivial difference."
"But then why are you refurbishing the main house?" I asked.
"Simon will need a place to live that befits his station," said Ben.
If I'd been drinking, it would have come spraying out of my lips. "What? Are you mad?"
"Probably," said Ben.
Chloris chuckled musically. "I'd be insulted, but I thought the same thing when he offered me the deal."
"What deal is that?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Hear me out, Kat," he said, holding his hands up, palms facing me. "Remember what I said about allies?"
"How can we trust her?" I asked.
"I'm right here, you know," said Chloris.
"We can trust her," said Ben. "I can promise you that. And Simon trusts her too."
"Where is he?" I asked, looking around, being careful not to look in Chloris' direction.
"With Washington in the city center. The resolution to replace Adams went through, so he's getting to know the players, including spending time with William Bingham," said Ben.
"I'm still not sure how this explains anything," I said.
"In return for giving up any hold on you, or your son, and some other allowances, Chloris has agreed to become an advisor to Simon," said Ben.
"Other allowances?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That's between Simon, myself, and her," said Ben.
"Then why did you bring me here?" I asked, annoyed by the secrets.
A splash near the edge of the pool startled me. Chloris had moved to the edge. "I have to give up my hold on you."
Ben looked me square in the eye. "You didn't want her to have a hold on your or your son, Chloris needed a safe place to live, and Simon needs someone to advise him on matters of the arcane."
"What can she do that we can't?" I asked.
"We can't advise him if we're not here," said Ben.
"Where are we going?" I asked, though I could guess the answer.
"First Russia, and then Otherland, if we can manage it," he said.
"But we can't get there. You just told me about the shield and we lost the gauntlet," I said.
"That's why we need allies," he said.
Suddenly, it all made sense. Without the gauntlet, we needed a way through the shield, and Chloris, among other things, could help us with that since she had the ability to find things, along with a minor talent for prophecy, though I had things pretty well covered in that area.
"Stars and stones," I exclaimed. "Then what do I need to do?"
"Give me your hand," she commanded.
I stuck it over the water, palm facing up. Chloris placed her slick hands around mine, whispered something under her breath, and then placed the hair I had given her back in my palm, curling my fingers over it.
"Done," she said.
"What about my son?" I asked.
"I would still like to meet him," she said.
"Do you like swimming in boiling water?" I asked.
She splashed water on my boots. "Bah. Fine. I renounce my intentions towards your son, though I think you'll regret that you didn't let me hold onto it. I would make an excellent daughter-in-law."
"I'll just have to live without that benefit," I said. "Now tell us how to get to Russia. You have the house
. We need the information."
The way Ben glanced over told me that he'd already asked this question.
"There's no path to Russia or Otherland right now," she said.
"Right now?" I asked.
She chuckled, low and sensual. "I sense changes coming. Opportunities. Danger. Choices."
"How long?" I asked.
The rusalka clucked her tongue. "Who knows? I don't have your powers of prophecy. I just know an opportunity is coming and you need to be ready to grasp it with both hands."
"Great," I said.
And until then, we’re stuck with a treacherous water nymph who drowns people if they don’t listen to her.
The only word I spoke to Ben Franklin on the way back to the estate was to occasionally mutter, "Allies?" before falling into a sullen silence.
He seemed bemused by the whole encounter, and despite the inherent dangers in making deals with creatures like Lady Chloris, he thought it would be appropriate to give me one of his trademark winks when he let me out of the back of the carriage.
I scorched his tweed trousers with a jet of sorcery, taking care not to injure his derrière, because after all, no ninety-four-year-old man had ever had one finer.
###
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Also by Thomas K. Carpenter
THE DIGITAL SEA TRILOGY
The Digital Sea
The Godhead Machine
Neochrome Aurora
GAMERS TRILOGY
GAMERS
FRAGS
CODERS
ALEXANDRIAN SAGA
Fires of Alexandria
Heirs of Alexandria
Legacy of Alexandria
Warmachines of Alexandria
Empire of Alexandria
Voyage of Alexandria
Goddess of Alexandria
MIRROR SHARDS ANTHOLOGY
Mirror Shards: Volume One
Mirror Shards: Volume Two
THE DASHKOVA MEMOIRS
Revolutionary Magic
A Cauldron of Secrets
Birds of Prophecy
The Franklin Deception
Nightfell Games
The Queen of Dreams
Dragons of Siberia
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas K. Carpenter resides near St. Louis with his wife Rachel and their two children. When he’s not busy writing his next book, he’s playing soccer in the yard with his kids or getting beat by his wife at cards. He keeps a regular blog and can be found on twitter under @thomaskcarpente.
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The Franklin Deception (The Dashkova Memoirs Book 4) Page 23
