Hawkins walked out quickly with the air of a man separating himself from a disagreeable business. William finished his wine. He might as well go back to the ship and tell the men. They were not going to like this. He glanced up and caught the barmaid's eye. The girl pulled the front of her blouse down another strategic inch.
On the other hand, thought William, John Hawkins is notoriously stingy so it would be a shame not to abuse his hospitality when it was so unusually offered. The men would not be any more outraged at hearing the news in two hours time than hearing it presently. He caught the eye of the barmaid again who was leaning over the bar smiling at him. The girl was not beautiful but she was not without her charms either, and it had been a long voyage. William got up and walked purposefully towards the bar.
"Lucy, could you take me somewhere high? The top of the Tower would be perfect," said Lilith.
Lucy sat in a small wood-panelled room. A polished table was pushed up against one wall to clear some space for a few chairs and a writing desk. She was alone so she could speak to Lilith rather than thinking her words. The girl still found that easier. Lilith appeared to sit cross-legged on the floor in front of her wearing some single-piece garment that appeared to have no buttons or stitching. It was bright yellow, a colour that did not suit Lilith at all, in Lucy's opinion. She kept the thought well suppressed so as not to hurt Lilith's feelings.
"The Tower is guarded, Lilith," said Lucy. "We can't just walk up there as if we were at Barn Elms. Why do you want to climb the Tower?"
"I have a plan to spy on Isabella. I want to see if she is working magic. The Spanish witch frightens me," said Lilith, frankly. "No doubt she has a purpose in London and I doubt it is to either my advantage or that of my adopted humans."
"I see," said Lucy, wondering how much to read into the phrase adopted humans.
"I also need fine translucent crystals, thousands of them. Diamonds would be best. They are hard and focus gravitonic radiation exceptionally well."
"Lilith, where on earth do you expect me to get a thousand diamonds? There cannot be that many in England. The cost would be a Queen's ransom."
"I never understand why you humans set such wildly different values to items. Diamonds cost nothing to make. They are just picked up in rivers and on beaches."
"You understand so little of the world, demon. Diamonds are beautiful, rare and they last forever. Why should we not set such store by them?"
"Huh, nothing truly lasts for ever," said Lilith. "Also, if they are so valuable and sought after, why are diamonds worn by women, rather than men? Men control all the wealth of the country, so why is it that women wear most of the diamonds? And while I'm on the subject, why is the most powerful human a woman? If all Elders are men, then why do they obey a woman? Why does she sit at the head of their Council?"
Lucy laughed loudly before turning into a cough. She was sure she was alone in Walsingham's apartments but it would never do to have people hear Lady Dennys laughing at an empty room. Just the other side of Bishopsgate, before one reached the northern theatre district on the Shoreditch Road
, there was a special hospital attached to Bethlehem Church just for people who laughed at nothing. Londoners called it Bedlam. Lucy had no wish to be incarcerated there amongst the loonies so she kept her voice soft.
"The Queen sits on the throne because there was no one else, Lilith. God would not grant King Harry a son and heir for many years. Uncle says that it was God's way of freeing England from the clutches of the Pope since the King had to split from Rome to get a divorce."
"But?" asked a puzzled Lilith.
Lucy hurried on before Lilith could lose them in more questions. "The King needed a new wife to give him a son. The Pope denied him a divorce so the King placed himself at the head of the English Church and so could grant himself a divorce. Thus England became a Protestant country. The King finally got his son but the lad was sickly and died so that only left the old King's daughters."
"The King had no other male relatives," said Lilith.
"Oh, many," said Lucy. "And I am sure that many men would have preferred an incompetent king to a great queen but they could not agree amongst themselves which of them should rule, so the Queen was secure. Better a queen than a rival as king! The only threat now to her is the Catholic underground, who conspire with foreigners."
"I see," said Lilith. "But if ladies have such low social position why do they wear the diamonds?"
"Don't you understand, Lilith?" said Lucy, softly. "We are possessions, beautiful possessions to be displayed with the prettiest decorations."
"You are a slave?" asked Lilith, horrified.
Lucy laughed again, albeit ruefully. "Not a slave, no. Slaves are bought, sold, and discarded when useless." Lucy's head came up. "We are the most desirable, valuable property in the world. We have the babies and school the next generation. Men have fought bloody wars over us; look up Helen of Troy in that invisible library you have with you. Men respect us, compete for us, strive to impress us, and rush to please us. But to them, we are still property."
"I see," said Lilith, who did not see at all. She refocused on the subject. "A substitute would do if you cannot get me diamonds."
"A substitute," said Lucy, throwing her hands up. "What's a substitute for a diamond?"
"There must be other translucent crystals available," said Lilith.
Lucy thought for a moment then grinned. "Problem solved, demon, you want translucent crystals, translucent crystals shall you have, handfuls of them."
"And I need a map," said Lilith.
"Of in particular?"
"London."
Lucy sighed. "Anything else? No? Then I had better be about your business."
Lucy paid a visit to the kitchens and begged a bag from the cook with a cock-and-bull story. The man clearly did not believe a word of it, but the substance Lucy requested was cheap and harmless so he handed it over with good grace. Lucy then went to the White Tower. The guards allowed her access to the lower sections without comment. She made her way to an obscure door and knocked loudly. An elderly man answered.
"Ah, can I help you, young lady?"
"I wonder if you have any maps of London in the library?" asked Lucy.
The keeper of the library looked pleased. "Come in, come in. Sit over there by the window. We don't get many maids using the library so you are all the more welcome." He busied himself searching through chests and cupboards. "Where did I put it? Ah yes, here it is." He produced a rolled-up parchment held by a bow of blue ribbon. "Now what do you think of this!"
He pulled the ribbon and it immediately knotted. Lucy sat politely while the man struggled with the tangle. He got more and more flustered as he wrestled with the recalcitrant ribbon in front of the girl.
"May I help?" asked Lucy. She produced Doctor Dee's knife from within her dress and used the razor-sharp blade to cut the knot.
"Ah, thank you, young lady." The man spread the parchment out and held each corner with paperweights. "This is the most recent map of the city that I have. Ralph Agas drew it up only thirty years ago. I don't suppose the city has changed all that much in such a short time." He smiled at the girl.
Lucy looked across the map.
'We can go now,' thought Lilith. 'I have recorded it.'
'No, we can't go like that,' thought Lucy. 'It would be rude. Now be silent, Lilith, and let me converse with the man.'
The keeper pointed out the main landmarks. The Tower itself, and St. Paul's, dominated the city but many other places were named. All the main roads were listed, of course, but so were all the main Guild Halls and even the larger taverns. Lucy found the Bakers Hall, the Fishmongers Hall, the Cordwainers Hall, and many others. The keeper traced her journey from the Tower up to Fen Church.
Lilith was horribly bored but Lucy seemed fascinated by the whole concept. The demon wondered whether Lucy had ever seen a map before. Possibly she hadn't. Lucy happily traced her journey up the Thames to London, as Agas's w
ork showed the suburbia as well as the city proper inside the walls. Even Lilith got interested when she realised that Agas showed activities as well as places. At Moor Field, outside the northern wall, women laid their washing out on the grass. They sat and spun as their clothes and linen dried. Up on the Spitel Field, men practised at the longbow as Englishman had for generations. Beside them, two men tested their skill with firearms by shooting at a butt.
'What are those people doing, Lucy?' thought Lilith. She put a marker on a group of older children, boys and girls together, playing or fighting in a corner of Moor Field.
'Those are young people playing chase,' thought Lucy.
'Chase,' thought Lilith. 'How does that work?'
'The boys chase the girls and throw them to the ground when they catch them. Then they jump on the girls and hold them down until the girls submit. They have to pay a forfeit to be let up. Then you do it all over again with a different boy.'
'It doesn't sound a very skilful game from the girl's perspective,' thought Lilith.
'The skill is in selecting the right boy to catch you,' thought Lucy, dryly.
'What sort of forfeit do the girls pay?' thought Lilith, intrigued.
'A kiss, or cuddle or something, I suppose. I don't know, Lilith, I never played chase. The local boys would not have had the nerve to chase me. Now be quiet, the keeper is talking and I can't concentrate on both of you.'
Lilith thought Lucy sounded rather wistful.
Clearly flattered by Lucy's interest, the keeper showed her more precious items from his collection including a history of London by Geoffrey of Monmouth from its founding by the Trojan Brutus in the year 1108 Before Christ.
"Brutus was descended from the Hero Aeneas who founded Rome," said the librarian.
'Aeneas escaped from burning Troy,' thought Lilith, happily. 'You see, Lucy. I took your advice and looked up Helen in my database. She had the beauty that launched a thousand ships.'
'Yes, the Greeks burnt a whole city to recover such a valued possession. Now hush, Lilith, so I can listen to the keeper,' thought Lucy.
"John Stow uses the collection regularly to research his new history of London. I am afraid he is one of the new breed of unpoetic scholars. He dismisses Geoffrey as a romantic and believes Julius Caesar and the Romans founded the city." The keeper sighed. He clearly was much attached to the older myths.
The keeper pressed a book upon Lucy when she took her leave. He was obviously delighted that a young lady showed an interest in his collection. The girl climbed the stairs to the northwest turret. William the Conqueror had built the White Tower to hold tight his new capital. Few stairs ran through the building and those that did were narrow left-hand spirals to impede an attacker. Guarded heavy doors closed off each floor. At the lower levels, the doors were open and the guards ignored Lucy but she soon came to a sealed level.
Lucy knocked on the door and a guard opened it. "Can I help you, milady?"
"I was hoping to climb up to the turret to view London," said Lucy, with big eyes.
"I am sorry but the turret is forbidden," said the guard, resolutely.
"Oh," said Lucy, holding her hand to her mouth. "Are there no exceptions?"
The guard looked at her hand and then held it in his. He drew her fingers up to his face and looked intently for a moment then kissed her ring. "Yes," he said, drawing to one side. "There are exceptions. You may pass, milady."
Lucy climbed up into the turret room. It was bare of furniture. She examined her hand at the window. The sun shone on Queen Elizabeth's ring. London lay spread before her just like the keeper's map. Lilith materialised beside her.
"Sit down and trace a circle around you on the stone using the athame."
Lucy did as she was bid.
"I am going to construct a gravitonic structure," said Lilith. "While you sleep, I have been going through my database of how humans manipulate space-time psionically. The reports are horribly confused and contradictory but have responded to multivariate synthesis. I believe that I can replicate human psionics using gravitational forces."
"What on earth are you talking about, demon?" asked Lucy.
"I am going to work a magic spell," said Lilith. "And I need you to help me."
"What shall I do?" asked Lucy.
"I need you to sing for me," said Lilith.
"What song would you like?" asked Lucy.
"It really doesn't matter. It's the act of singing that I need. Harmonious sounds excite the strings of matter and energy so I can draw power from between the Shadow Worlds."
Lucy gave Lilith a blank look. "Your singing aligns the spheres," said Lilith, translating into Lucy's terms. "Throw the crystals into the air when I tell you."
Lucy nodded and began to sing.
"Who is it that this dark night
"underneath my window plain?
"It is one, who from thy sight
"Being (ah!) exiled, disdain
"Every other vulgar light."
Lilith danced around the circle and clapped her hands in time to Lucy's song. The girls voice seemed to fill the turret until the very air throbbed to the beat of the music. Streamers of light poured from Lilith's hands as she danced, and curled in spirals into the circle around Lucy. The girl sang in a cone of light.
"Why, alas! and are you he?
"Be not yet those fancies changed?
"Dear, when you find change in me
"Tho' from me you be estranged
"Let my change to ruin be."
"Now, Lucy. Now," said Lilith.
Lucy threw handfuls of crystals into the spirals of light and they whipped around her body, sparkling like diamonds in the flow of energy.
Lilith spread her arms wide. "Show me the power," she said and clapped her hands. The light exploded outwards from the cone. Through the open window a spider's web of purple tracery spread over the city. Deeper purple blackness throbbed at various locations. A whirlpool formed in the far northwest and thrust a tentacle out of the city towards the tower. Before the purple reached the Tower, the crystals exploded into white powder like fine snow.
"What happened?" asked Lucy.
"The crystals were not strong enough to contain the power that I focussed through them. Their internal structure collapsed ending the spell. Just as well, something smelt us and tried to find us. There is something very dangerous in this city. Look!"
Lilith projected an image of Agas's map onto Lucy's nervous system. On it she placed the magic tracers revealed by the spell. Purple lines wound around the city. "These lines track Isabella's movements. They converge here," said Lilith. Many of the tracers connected at a waterfront building in southwest London that glowed dark purple.
"The Spanish Embassy is on the waterfront somewhere," said Lucy. "Uncle mentioned it because he suspects that they use their private jetty to move spies in and out of London. I suppose that is it."
"These other markers puzzle me." Lilith pointed to a small number of purple blobs scattered at random across the city. "They imply some release of energy from a Shadow World."
"The purple blobs are mostly in alleys and lanes rather than buildings or main roads." Lucy moved closer and cocked her head. "That one is in Symmon's Alley off Cheapside. According to Pooley, that's where one of the slaughtered whores was found. The men did not realise that I could hear their conversation."
"I made your hearing more efficient," said Lilith.
"Oh God, Lilith. You don't think that each of these markers represents a murdered woman do you? There are more than a dozen of them."
"Isabella brought me to your world through a portal, Lucy. I think she has brought something else, something very dangerous and unpleasant."
"Lilith, look. There is a purple blob here in this corner, within the Tower's bailey. Oh God, there's something here."
Lucy ran out of the turret room, her feet crunching on the powdered salt. She scurried down the stairs, past the guards.
"Steady maid. What's your rush?"
asked one of them.
Lucy held the front of her skirts up and ran out of the front of the Tower. She made for the corner of the grounds where she had seen the purple marker. Alarmed, a pair of guards followed her but she outdistanced them. The girl ran quickly and easily, her lungs drawing in clean deep breaths. She stopped briefly, to get her bearings. Lilith projected a line of glowing light in front of her to indicate the direction. Lucy ran around some wooden storage huts. There, between the huts and the Tower's curtain wall, she found the body.
It was not a whore but a young man, a Tower guard. His throat had been torn out as if by a beast. Lucy knelt down and touched the body. To her Lilith-enhanced senses, it still tingled with magic.
'This happened recently, this morning or last night,' thought Lilith. 'There should be blood everywhere. His heart would have pumped it out of that wound as he died. So either he was dead before his throat was torn or . . . '
'The killer drank his blood.' Lucy finished the thought for Lilith.
The fitter of the guards arrived beside her, panting hard. "Where did you learn to run like that, miss? Oh my God, it's Harold."
"Fetch Master Tunstall. Right away."
Simon arrived at the run. "Are you allright, Lady Dennys? That must have been a terrible shock. What were you doing behind that shed?" he asked
Lucy ignored him knowing that he could not cross-question his master's niece. 'Isabella sent it here on a reconnaissance,' thought Lucy, flatly. 'The guard must have disturbed it. She will send it again; she will send it against my family. Uncle won't run so they will all be killed.'
'Your explanation seems likely,' thought Lilith.
'How shall we protect them?' Lucy screamed in her head to Lilith.
'You must learn how to fight,' thought Lilith, simply.
Act 11
St. Katherine's Dock
The Swallow slipped through the Calais-Dover gap at a fast clip. These straits had belonged to England until the disastrous reign of Bloody Queen Mary, when Calais had been lost forever to the French. In King Harry's reign, these waters had been known as the English Channel; now they were called the French Sea.
Lucy's Blade Page 18
