“So what are you most interested in here at the museum?”
Did he really think I’d be so easy to manipulate?
“I like all of the exhibits, but I like Ancient Greece and Rome and Egypt best. The statues are fascinating.”
He snorted. “They’re a pain, but they are pretty. Attendance has gone up since they were installed. Makes Walter work harder at keeping visitors from touching the sculptures. And keeping thieves out. Even had to hire extra help. He hates it.”
“I imagine he would,” I said.
A knock sounded on the door. Colonel Worthington called out a greeting and it swung open. I sputtered, coughing, the sip of tea spraying from my lips. A tall man stood in the doorway. His flesh was shiny bronze and a thin stream of steam curled from one nostril. His eyes were huge on his face, goggles that lit from within and glowed a strange orange yellow. His clothing had been made to fit, which seemed a rather strange expense for a machine. A dark, blue, linen shirt covered his metal chest, and black trousers and boots completed the outfit. I wondered why a metal man would need shoes.
He stood still for a moment, then closed the door and moved toward the woodstove in the corner. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, though I knew Colonel Worthington watched me. The automaton unbuttoned his shirt sleeve and rolled the material to his hinged elbow. With a few more clumsy flicks of his fingers, he opened a small compartment in his forearm and pulled out a small steel box. It appeared to smoke slightly in the cooler air of the room. He opened the grate in the front of the stove and pulled several red coals out with his bare hands. All but two he quickly stashed in the box. Those he clutched in his hand. Brass flesh glowed orange from the heat. He carefully laid the coals on the metal surface of the stovetop, opened the other palm, and unscrewed a small round button.
Taking the steaming kettle from the back burner, he poured the remaining hot water into the hole in his palm. After a few moments, he replaced the water and then picked up the two coals, popping each one into his mouth. Steam hissed from his nose and one ear and he turned back around.
He focused on me. I’m not sure how I knew that, as he had no pupils. Quicker than I believed he could move, he took two large steps towards me and yanked me from my seat. Colonel Worthington laughed.
“Thomason, please release my guest.”
He let go as suddenly as he’d picked me up. I collapsed back into the chair, rubbing my arms in disbelief. If he’d held on any longer, or I’d not had heavy wool sleeves, he’d have singed my skin. The skin there tingled with warmth.
“Forgive Thomason. He’s a prototype model of Gregory’s new automatons. Sometimes he’s a bit overzealous.”
Sarcasm oozed from my words. “A bit?”
“Thomason, may I introduce Genevieve…” He waited.
“Genevieve Bond. Gennie.”
“Thomason, this is Gennie. She’s a guest.” I caught his eye and he smiled. “For now, at least.”
Thomason gave a jerky nod in my direction. He backed away a few steps and leaned against the wall next to the door. I stared at the door in dumb fascination for a few moments, ignoring the low chuckle of the curator.
“Impressive, isn’t he?”
I didn’t want to turn my back to him, but I had little choice.
“How does he hear? He has no ears.” I hadn’t meant to wonder out loud.
Colonel Worthington shrugged. “I have no idea. I just know he can. One doesn’t question Ephraim Gregory's about his machines.”
I nodded and finished the last of my tea. “I suppose it’s safe to assume that he’s Walter’s new help, yes?”
Colonel Worthington laughed. “You are a cheeky thing, aren’t you?”
I grinned. “I’ve heard something along those lines before, sir.”
He slid his teacup and saucer onto the tray and then sat back. “I don’t think you’re telling me the whole truth, Ms. Bond, but you aren’t lying either. And I like you. I suppose the question now is what to do with you.”
I shifted in my seat, eyeing the distance between me and the doorway. When my gaze strayed back to the colonel’s, he winked. Irritation sprang to life, replacing some of my panic. He was playing with me.
“I swear I didn’t come here tonight to steal anything.” I chewed on my lip, willing him to believe me.
He snorted. I think he caught the ‘tonight’ I’d thrown in there. Who knew I had such a conscience?
He cocked his head. “If you want, I’ve got a few jobs for you around the museum. You have skills which I think may be useful, if you’re willing.”
I considered my options. Not that I had many. I could leave and try to explain things. Or I could take him up on his offer. Either way, I had to get the box, and he was the key to finding it. If I stayed, I would be closer and I could try to get in his good graces. I looked the colonel over. We were both keeping our motives hidden, but for the moment there was no better solution.
“That sounds like an excellent plan, Mr. Worthington. When should I come back to the museum to start?”
“Call me Colonel Worthington. Mr. Worthington sounds too much like my father.” He spread his hands. “Do you need to leave? I keep an extra cot and a couple old tables in one of the storage rooms nearby. They’re chilly, but I have plenty of blankets.”
Suspicion crawled through my gut. “Why do you keep a guest room?”
He pushed out of the chair and grabbed the crutch from its place against the mantle. “My girl, I may look as old as some of the items in this museum, but I did once have a life outside these walls. Occasionally friends do visit.”
My face heated. I had thought of him as being somehow as attached to the museum as the relics. And possibly as old. “I would appreciate the use of the room then.”
“Come with me.”
I trailed behind him, uncomfortable with the way Thomason’s luminous eyes followed our movements. Colonel Worthington led me a few feet down the dark hallway then reached out and twisted a doorknob, opening a new room. My brow furrowed. I could have sworn there was no doorway there earlier, but it had been so dark, maybe I'd missed it.
Thomason clanked up the hallway behind me, the warmth from his steam-powered body tangible even though he was an arm’s length away from me. I felt trapped.
Colonel Worthington had already entered, and I followed. He adjusted the flame on the gas lamp that sprang from the wall near the door. The room was just as he said – full of junk. Broken furniture had been neatly stacked along one wall, while the other held a cot piled with blankets and a few pillows. The linens and cot, at least, were a little worn, but in good shape. A mahogany table and matching chair sat against the other wall.
“Like I said, it isn’t much, but it will do for now. All the linens are clean, though some might be a bit dusty.”
“Thank you,” I murmured and moved into the room.
Colonel Worthington waved off my gratitude and backed out of the room. “Sleep well. I’ll wake you in the morning for breakfast and then we’ll discuss what you will be doing.”
I turned away from the door. Gathering the blankets from the bed, I dropped them into a corner. I didn’t need quite so many. Moving to make the gas lamp a bit brighter, I neared the door. The sound of iron scraping iron and tumblers moving sent my pulse skyrocketing.
I rushed to the door, but the knob did not yield to my slow, careful test. I listened to Colonel Worthington’s uneven gait as he retreated to his room down the hallway and fumed. Lock me in? I don’t think so. I may not be good at picking pockets, but I was good with locks.
I knelt on the floor and drew a tiny metal tool from a pocket sewn into my petticoats. It had been with me as long as I could remember.
I slid it into the lock and then peered past it. My hands dropped the instrument and it clattered on the floor.
Through the dark passage of the keyhole, Thomason’s bright eye stared into mine.
Chapter Five
Nightmares plagued me. Large eyes stared a
t me from every nook and cranny. Every glint in the darkness was Colonel Worthington’s automaton coming to choke the life out of me. But at the same time, my fascination grew. Thomason both repelled and intrigued me. I had the strange urge to reach out and touch a finger to his sculpted flesh and see what things he could tell me.
What would he say? I wondered. Intelligence glowed in those yellowish eyes. I would have bet money on it.
I shook my head and sat up in bed, watching the shadows play in the pieces of broken wood across the room. I would never touch that machine. First of all, he was a walking boiler; he’d probably burn the flesh from my hands. And second…A shiver traveled through my body. I didn’t want to know what secrets he held. Something told me I wouldn’t like what I found.
Without windows or a timepiece, I had no idea what time of day it was, but I refused to lay there with my thoughts any longer. I slipped my feet into my boots to avoid the cold stone floors and then yanked my dress back over the chemise I’d slept in. If I stayed longer, I’d have to ask Terry to bring me some clothes.
I grasped my lock pick in sweaty palms and stood to the side of the door, dreading the thought of looking through the lock and seeing those eyes again.
Get a grip. You can do this.
Sucking in a mouthful of air, I bent down and looked through the lock. Only dimly lit stone met me. I slid the pick in and made quick work of the lock.
When I stepped into the hall, I was surprised to see light streaming through an open door down the hallway and unlit gas lamps lining the passage. Why aren’t those lit?
The door to Colonel Worthington’s apartment was open, and he sat in the same wing chair, a cup of tea in one hand, and a newspaper in the other. I strode into the room and he looked up. Surprise made his mouth drop.
“Good morning,” he stammered before rising. The tea tray held only one cup.
I waved a hand. “I can get my own cup.”
The extra rested, clean, on the sideboard. Grabbing it, I poured myself tea before sitting.
“I must admit, you’ve thrown me off balance, my girl. I didn’t believe you’d be here this morning.”
“It isn’t as if I was going to leave with Thomason outside my door all night. Besides, with no gas lamps lit, that hallway is pitch dark.” At least, I assumed he’d been there all night. As much as he’d plagued my dreams he might as well have been.
The curator’s brow furrowed, and the bushy brows almost obscured his eyes. “The gas lines to the hall are being fixed tomorrow. What do you mean, Thomason was there? He left after you went to your room to check on the museum. He shouldn’t be back again for another hour.”
He wasn’t lying. Genuine confusion danced across face. I shrugged. “Must have been a dream. Why did you think I wouldn’t be here?”
“The other thieves I’ve offered work to picked the lock at night and left. Much less disturbance for me. I scare them a little, and then they get to go home. I don’t have to involve anyone else. But you…”
I continued to sip my tea. “You gave me a job. I assume you want to know more about your things than how much their worth. It would be a refreshing change from thieving.”
He considered that for a moment, and I could tell I’d made some kind of progress. How much would depend on him.
“Well. That’s a new response. You’re right. I do want you to look at a few items. I want to find out more than their worth.” He fell silent for a moment.
“What is it? The objects I mean.”
He sighed. “Sadly, I don’t have them yet.”
His eyes dipped away from mine. Not much, but enough to show me his lie. Not quite so trusting as I’d hoped.
“Until they get here, you’ll have to help me with my usual tasks, and they are not so glamorous. First though, I’ll introduce you to Walter, or he’ll have you arrested before nightfall.”
Hell’s bells. I almost groaned. This would not go well. Walter may not have caught me doing anything, but he knew who I was. He would remember me.
“If you like,” I mumbled. My smile was weak, and we both knew I wouldn’t get through this unscathed. I grabbed a couple of scones from the tray and slathered strawberry jam on them.
“When you’re finished, we’ll go and speak with him. He also has apartments at the museum, but he prefers to be near the armor.
He made a small sound that could have been a smothered chuckle, but I couldn’t be sure.
****
“What?”
Walter reminded me of the beached whale that had appeared in the Thames once when I was younger. It had bloated in the summer sun and looked remarkably similar to his shape as he reclined in a large chair, feet crossed in front of himself. We’d caught him dozing next to a steaming kettle.
He wasn’t dozing now.
We’d walked in and the curator had unceremoniously announced that I would be joining their crew as a member of the museum staff. I tried to ignore the kernel of warmth that had lit somewhere in the vicinity of my heart. I’d liked those words a bit too much.
“Colonel Worthington, you must be mad. Do you know who she is? What she is?”
Colonel Worthington looked me over. “A girl, around 15 or 16, former thief, possibly a touch-know? Have I covered everything?”
Walter sputtered and tried to sit up a little higher. It just looked uncomfortable, and I was almost certain the buttons on his waistcoat would snap under the pressure.
“She’s not to be trusted! How do you know she’s a former thief? She could easily turn on you at any moment.”
Colonel Worthington sighed and sat down. I pulled out a wooden chair at the small table and sat as well.
A thief I might have been, but I was not untrustworthy. I crossed my arms. “Are you still mad about the whole Aphrodite incident? That was such a long time ago, I’m certain I’ve forgotten all about it. Haven’t you?”
“Aphrodite incident?” The curator looked between us. I fancied I saw humor dancing in his dark eyes, but it was gone before I could be certain.
Walter’s mouth opened and closed for a moment, and then he huffed. “Trust a chit like you to bring that back up.”
“Walter! Watch your language,” Colonel Worthington said.
The guard sank back into his chair again. He reminded me of Elliot when he was being petulant. “Terribly sorry.”
He didn’t mean it. I didn’t expect him to.
We sat for a few seconds in silence until Walter exhaled loudly and shifted upright again. “I suppose she’ll do.” He waved a finger at me. “But I’ll be watching you like a bloody hawk, gel. You so much as fart crossways and I’ll know.”
“Thank you, Walter. I think that’s enough.” Dry humor made Colonel Worthington’s words less of a censure.
I bit my lip. Laughter threatened to break free as Colonel Worthington nudged me out the door and through the service entrance into the military arms and armor of the museum. In a companionable silence, we headed back towards the Reading Room.
“He did look rather daft making advances on poor Aphrodite, didn’t he?”
Laughter spilled out from both of us. For the first time I could ever remember, I felt a connection and camaraderie with an adult. As our laughter faded into echoes, a crack opened in my plans. This would be harder than I thought.
Chapter Six
“What on earth are you doing?”
“Terry!” I turned from my position behind the visitor’s desk, a wide smile plastered across my face.
He leaned against the edge of the desk, watching the small groups of people who wandered through the museum. “Justin sends you to find a box and now you’re working at the information desk? I’m confused.”
“Hush!” I said, checking to make sure no one had heard him.
I checked the timepiece behind the desk and then turned to the other woman, Adelle, who had been showing me the ropes. Excusing myself, I slipped from behind the desk, taking Terry into the nearest gallery.
“Wh
at are you thinking? Anyone could have heard you.”
He stared at me like I had three heads. “What are you more afraid of, losing your job or getting found out?”
Stunned, I stood there for a moment. Terry had always been the devil-may-care type. The change in attitude threw me. “What’s the matter with you, Terry?”
He shook his head and looked away. “I’m sorry, Gennie. I don’t mean to bite. Something’s bothering me. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
On impulse, I threw my arms around him and squeezed. He stiffened and then relaxed, returning the embrace. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
His arms tightened and his words brushed across my ear. “I can’t. It’s nothing you can help with.”
“Try me.”
I could feel the muscles under my hand tense. He thought about it. “No, Gennie. You’ve got enough going on.”
My heart sank a little. “Whatever it is, it’ll work out.”
He released me, his lips pulling up into a half smile. “Let’s hope so.” He took a deep breath. “Now. I’m supposed to take back some kind of report to Justin. What do you want me to tell him?”
He was done discussing whatever had him upset. I wished he would let me do more, but he’d always been this way. Whenever there had been a problem, he’d taken care of it alone. Even when I’d been the cause.
“Terry, if there’s anything…” I reached out and laid a hand on his arm. He captured it between his hands and stared at our combined fingers.
“No.”
What he wasn’t saying made my heart beat faster. He patted my hand and raised his head, a familiar stubborn tilt to his chin. I sighed. I’d never get anything out of him now. Not until he wanted to tell me.
“Report?”
“Tell Justin I’m doing my best, but that the curator has the items and is testing me. He’s not going to give anything away until he’s ready. And there’s this machine—”
Walter’s rotund form turned the corner in the back. I tugged Terry back out into the foyer.
Into the Ether Page 3
