There was a pause of substantial length while the Blade’s bright eyes rested on mine. I began to wonder if I had overrated the duke’s sobriety. “Perhaps one day we’ll discuss in more detail the range of assistance you might render me. But in the meantime Tucket here will fill you in on the details.” He gestured at a tight-lipped gentleman in a fine dark coat standing off to the side. “Do return shortly. A man of such wit and use is welcome in my demesne regardless of the occasion.”
I bowed, once toward him and once toward his assemblage. Neither returned the gesture, though Yancey shot me a quick nod as I backed away. The Blade’s servant led me out of the main room and into a small corridor beyond.
Up close Tucket smelled like ink and the civil service. Clucking his tongue unpleasantly he took out a sheet of paper from his breast pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to me. “This details the items the Master wishes to procure.”
I tried not to look surprised at the volume and variety. “The dreamvine and pixie’s breath I can do now. The rest of it I can get in a day or two. Except this last one. I don’t truck wyrm. You’ll need to find someone else for that.”
“I didn’t realize men in your line of work could afford to be so particular.”
“I’m happy to have helped further your education.”
He bristled and tried to think of something smart to say. I waited a few seconds to provide him with an opportunity. When it was clear he wasn’t going to take it, I spoke up again. “I assume you’ve been provided with payment?”
He passed over a fat purse, handing it to me with an awfully high-toned manner, given that we were completing a narcotics transaction. There was more than there needed to be. A lot more.
“The duke is very kind.”
“His grace is buying your silence, and your loyalty.”
“Tell him the first is free, but the second isn’t for sale.” I put the purse into my satchel and handed him most of my remaining stash.
He took it with an impressively choreographed air of disdain. “Follow this hallway to the garden. A path will take you to the side gate.”
“The gentleman I was talking to earlier,” I interrupted, “who was he?”
“Believe it or not, sir”-he laid on the last syllable thick enough to let me know he didn’t think me entitled to it-“I hadn’t made a point of following your every movement.”
“You know who I’m talking about. He was out of place.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I assume you’re speaking of Sorcerer Brightfellow.”
If there was one thing I hadn’t taken Tubby for, it was the Queen of Ostarrichi-but if there was a second, it was an artist. I let that piece fall into place while I found my way out into the night air.
All in all, the evening was not much different from a hundred others, a gathering of bored blue bloods happy to exchange inherited wealth for alchemical happiness, and I equally happy to be the agent of their deliverance. Business as usual really, par for the course-save one detail, one minor particular that I’d barely had time to consider till I was walking back to the Earl.
From the moment I had begun speaking to Beaconfield till I had left his sight, the sapphire in my chest had burned like the sting of a wasp. I rubbed at it as I headed home, thinking that I might just be seeing the Blade sooner than he expected.
I awoke to Adolphus’s fat face leering over mine, huge hands shaking me roughly from my repose. “They found the girl.”
It was clear he didn’t mean alive. I brushed him off and sat up.
“Are the chill here?”
“Not yet.”
We didn’t have long. I grabbed my satchel from the chair and handed it to him. “Tell Wren to run this over to Kid Mac. And give him something to do that’ll get him out of the bar for a few hours.”
“Anything else?”
“Just don’t make trouble when they come in. Let them up and don’t get hot. I’ll handle it.”
He swallowed hard and left.
I pulled on my clothes and boots, then lay back down on the bed. At least I wouldn’t be naked when they came for me, that was about all the preparation I could manage. Adolphus was right to be nervous-Crispin was one thing; whatever was between us he knew I wasn’t out there killing children. But they wouldn’t be sending Crispin after me, because Crispin went after murderers and criminals, and no one important cared about the dead girl. They cared about the practitioner who had likely killed her, and that meant Special Operations, and Special Operations was a whole new kettle of worms.
The Empire is a great machine, a massive engine, millions of gears churning, and nothing that complex operates perfectly. When it breaks down, when a speck of dust dirties a lens or a cog refuses to turn, someone needs to be in place to repair it. This is the purpose of Special Operations-to keep the wheels spinning swiftly and smoothly, and to make sure anyone caught between them gets ground fine enough that they aren’t noticed.
I sighed ruefully. I had been the shining star of that outfit at one point. Life is strange, sometimes.
When they came, they came hard. I could hear the door downstairs kicked open and obscene threats being shouted. I hoped Adolphus wouldn’t do anything foolish-all that fat and good humor hid a man capable of extraordinary violence. If things went bad, they’d need to kill him to get him down, and at the end the blood on the floor wouldn’t be his alone.
But I didn’t hear the sounds of shattered glass and broken furniture that would accompany the loss of my friend’s temper, so I assumed he was following my orders. Footsteps echoed up the stairs and then the door flew open and I was staring down the wrong end of a crossbow at a young agent yelling at me to get on the ground. Following close on his heels was a pair of apish-looking gentlemen that made sure I followed through on the first’s command.
I was facedown on the floor, my hands chained and a knee in my back, when I heard a half-forgotten voice. “I always knew if I stuck around long enough I’d get another crack at you. I just didn’t think it would be such a good one.”
The pressure eased off my spine and rough hands pulled me to my feet. Greeting me was a blunt face set atop a thick tun of gristle, broad muscle, and scarred flesh.
“Hello, Crowley. Good to see stupidity is no barrier to a lasting career in the service of the Crown.”
“Still quick with that tongue, aren’t we, boy?” He laughed, dull beady eyes set above a pug nose flaring in anticipation. His fist shot forward and I was back on my knees, trying not to vomit and wishing I had the last ten seconds to do over. Crowley laughed and leaned in close to me. “I’ve got you, boy. I’ve got you by the balls.”
I wheezed out a response. “You always were fascinated with my junk.” It was a juvenile attempt at humor, and I regretted it even before Crowley sunk another fat paw into my chin.
“You can take a beating, I’ll give you that,” he said, rubbing his knuckles. “You’re the heavyweight champ of getting your ass whipped. But I ain’t dumb enough to scrape any more skin on that stone jaw of yours. We’ve got specialists for that.”
I spat a stream of blood onto the dirty floor and tried to look brave. Crowley hauled me up once more. “Cochrane, you and Talloway are with me. The rest of you head over to the crime scene-make sure they’ve got enough men.” He turned back toward me. “I’ll admit, as much as it burned me up to see you get away, it was worth it to have the chance to break you all over again.”
This time I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut.
Adeline was downstairs by the fireplace, scowling with all the ferocity of a wounded matriarch, the moment of crisis revealing her bedrock core. Adolphus was seated at a table, an agent with a crossbow covering him. They were both being very brave for me. I appreciated it.
The walk seemed very long. They hadn’t given me a chance to grab a coat, and I shivered from the cold. Occasionally Crowley would say something ugly and unoriginal, but mostly it was lost in the wind. Around us the crowds melted away-the citizens of Low Town were in no hurry to share the fate they saw I was heading toward.
By the time we had reached Black House, it had started to drizzle. Crowley paused for a second, just to grind it into my gut. I looked up at the gray sky, watching beads of ice water tumble from the clouds. A drop broke
