'Jimmy, settle down. This is a most unfortunate display. There's nothing to be served by your losing control and panicking.'
Darcy glanced at Freytag in exasperation. 'Bruno, for God's sake, don't just sit there!'
Freytag smoked a cigarette, regarding him silently. Darcy went up to him and took him by the shoulders.
'Bruno, listen to me. There's no way we can succeed, not here, not now. They've got us hopelessly outnumbered. We've lost. They know the plan!'
'They know nothing of the sort,' Milady said.
'What are you talking about?' said Darcy, spinning to face Taylor. 'They know we're going to try to prevent the musketeers from bringing back the diamond studs! They'll have all their manpower focused on-'
'Who said that was the plan?' said Milady, softly.
Jimmy stared at Taylor. He looked back at Freytag, then at Taylor once again.
'What are you talking about? Of course that was the plan! We worked it all out! You said-'
'I never said any such thing,' said Milady. 'Adrian might have mentioned something of the sort, but that was only for your benefit.'
Darcy looked bewildered. 'What? I don't understand.'
Milady got up and crossed the room, moving gracefully to the window. She looked out at the sun rising over Paris.
'The opposition has greater resources than we have,' she said, without turning around. 'Adrian always knew and understood that. He knew that the only way we could succeed was by using misdirection.' She turned around to look at Darcy and smiled. 'For security reasons, only Adrian and Bruno, and of course, myself, knew what the real plan was. And now you'll be able to appreciate why that was necessary.
'In a short while, D'Artagnan and the musketeers will be departing for London in order to see Lord Buckingham and get back the diamond studs in time for the queen to wear them to the ball. Unbeknownst to the musketeers, they will be supported in their efforts by the entire might of the Temporal Intelligence Agency team. I've made certain that Cardinal Richelieu knows all about the mission of the musketeers and he will have his men attempt to intercept them at several points along their route. All of this works in our favor. Mongoose will have no way of knowing if the men who will be attacking the musketeers are Richelieu's people or Timekeepers. In fact, we won't be involved at all. They will all be off on a fool's errand, a wild goose chase.
'When they reach London, should they get that far-and with the help of the TIA, I have no doubt that they will-they will collect the studs from Buckingham and start back, only to face further attempts to stop them on their return trip. Mongoose will be handicapped by history. He will be forced to use a certain amount of restraint in protecting the musketeers, since the historical progression of events must be preserved. The tension will build. They won't know when they can expect us to strike. They won't know exactly what to expect.'
'What can they expect?' said Darcy, hesitantly.
'They can expect a crushing defeat when they return,' said Milady. 'Oh, I have no doubt that they will return safely with the diamond studs. I'm certain that, after that, it won't take them long to guess my plan. By that time, Richelieu, Queen Anne, and King Louis will have been assassinated.'
'Assassinated!' Darcy's voice was little more than a whisper. 'My God, Adrian, you can't do that! Don't you realize what that would mean? It would cause a timestream split!'
'A rather massive one, I should think. With all three of them dead, France will be forced to abandon the siege of La Rochelle in the face of much greater problems. It will, without a doubt, affect France's participation in The Thirty Years' War and, of course, it would prevent the birth of Louis XIV. I should think it would be an absolute disaster, well beyond the hope of any effort at historical adjustment. And with Mongoose and his agents running about like chickens with their heads cut off, it shouldn't be too difficult to isolate him and settle an old and outstanding score. Brilliant, don't you think?'
Darcy's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment and his hands began to shake. ' You're mad,' he said at last. 'Bruno, surely you can see he's mad! Our purpose, our whole reason for existence is to stop the war machine before something happens that will irreversibly affect the course of history and that's precisely what he intends to do! He wants to cause the greatest disaster ever to befall mankind! It's megalomaniacal lunacy!'
Taylor stiffened and his eyes glazed over for a moment.
'Bruno, for God's sake, we've got to stop him!'
'Why?' said Freytag, softly.
Darcy turned pale. 'You're both insane,' he said. He pulled out his laser. 'I'm not going to let you do it, Adrian. I won't let you throw away everything we've worked for all these years. It ends right here.'
'You're right, Jimmy,' Taylor said, his hand in a fold of his dress. 'It ends right here… for you.' He pressed a button.
Darcy gave a violent jerk, like a hooked trout breaking the surface of the water. His head snapped back and blood erupted from his nose and mouth. It trickled down his cheeks, seeping from his eyes, and it flowed from his ears and down his neck. He was dead before his body hit the floor.
'Now we can say that Doctor Bennett has fully served his purpose,' Taylor said. 'Bruno, will you join me in a glass of wine?'
11
D'Artagnan was awakened rudely, revived by a bucket of water dashed in his face. He sputtered and shook his head, then opened his eyes to see a frightened Constance peering down at him anxiously.
'That's the second time tonight you've doused me,' he said. He ran his hand through his wet hair and sniffed it. 'At least this time it was water.'
'I was terrified,' said Constance, clutching her torn dress about herself. 'I thought you were killed!'
'I almost wish I was,' D'Artagnan said, getting up slowly and rubbing his head. Almost as an afterthought, he pulled his pants up. 'What happened?'
'The cardinal's men arrested your two friends,' she said.
'This is the second time they've run afoul of Richelieu's men on my account,' D'Artagnan said. 'I must get my clothes-'
'I've brought them down for you,' she said. Somewhat sheepishly, she added, 'If you were dead, then I thought it best to dress you, so that you would not be found so…'
'Yes, I quite understand,' D'Artagnan said, putting on his clothes. 'Thank you.'
'What are you going to do?'
'What time is it?'
'Almost midnight.'
'Then there is no time to lose. I must first go to Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, then together we must go to Captain de Treville. Perhaps he will be able to intercede for Francois and Alexandre. In any case, we will have to obtain leave from him to go to London. I will tell him that we go in the queen's name, he will understand. We must leave tonight.'
'What do you want me to do?'
'Go to the queen,' D'Artagnan said. 'Tell her that we will bring back the diamond studs. And stay with her. She will be able to protect you from Richelieu's men. But you cannot go looking like that.'
'I have other clothing in the palace,' Constance said. 'It will do until you buy me that closetful of dresses.' D'Artagnan looked pained.
'I can wrap myself in my cloak,' said Constance. 'Do not worry about me. Just save the queen.'
'We must move quickly, then,' D'Artagnan said. 'If we do not reach Milord Buckingham with all possible speed, then Richelieu will surely win the day. I will escort you as far as the Louvre, then I must fly like the wind. Come, quickly. There is much to be done before the night is out.'
He took her hand and together they left the house, rushing off into the night. No sooner had the door closed behind them, than Bonacieux peeked out from his room, where he had been listening.
'So, the musketeers are off to London, eh?' he mumbled to himself, furious at having been deceived. 'That
