“ Not now, Claus,” said Jake.
With severe effort, the Dutchman clamped his mouth shut. He had given his solemn word not to speak, but this was almost more torture than he could bear.
At least the furrows on his companion’s brow showed that he was working on a solution. With any luck, he would reach the conclusion van Clynne had already drawn without too much more delay. After all, it was only logical, and should be plain to all, even those not blessed with a Dutch intellect.
“ I would think the engineering staff would know,” suggested Jake to Culper.
“ Surely. But they have gone with Howe.”
“ Not the entire staff. I heard them speaking of a memer who is a relative at Bauer’s.”
Culper gave a snort of contempt. “If you are referring to the dissolute Lord Peter Alain, he wouldn’t know Philadelphia from the local swamp. He was only shipped her to keep him from the London gutter.”
“ He’s not an engineer himself?”
“ He’s barely in his teens. He has some skill at drawing, it is said, but no sense to back it. His father placed him here so he would be near his older brother, who was on Howe’s staff. The brother was another man entirely, but he died of smallpox some months ago. Or so they say.” Culper smiled. “We spent a bit of time trying to convert him. He would have been our best prize.”
“ Nonetheless, there may be papers that will give Howe away. Certainly he’s had maps done.”
“ I don’t know, Jake. Breaking into the engineer’s office won’t be easy.”
“ Much easier than a prison, I daresay. You have a map of the building?”
“ I think we do.”
“ Personally, I think the whole plan is unnecessary,” said van Clynne, no longer able to keep his peace. “I would take another approach entirely.”
Before Jake could stop him, Culper asked, with some heat, what that might be.
“ Well, sire. Now that you request my opinion, I will air it. General Howe is a man given to fine clothes, is he not?”
“ What the hell is your point?” Culper roared.
“ He has a tailor in the north ward, I believe, and undoubtedly consulted him before leaving. He would have the man prepare the latest fashions.”
“ Burning hell.”
Van Clynne ignored Culper’s comment and addressed Jake directly. “All we need to do is ask the tailor what style of suits he made up. And as the tailor happens to be a fellowe countryman with whom I have done some business — “
“ I thought all Dutchmen hated the British.”
“ Alas, the man proves the rule by his exception. I believe he was dropped on the head as a small child, which may have played a mitigating role.”
“ Thank you, but I believe we will proceed according to Jake’s outline,” said Culper gruffly. “Why don’t you have some more beer? You look like you could use it.”
“ My associate always does things in the most strenuous way possible,” tutted van Clynne, oblivious to the sarcastic tone. “It is effective in the long run, but much sweat is involved. Granted, you are dealing with a lord here, so he will be easy to fool. But still, an hour’s stroll to the tailor’s, and I will have the solution.”
“ Go then,” said Culper.
“ I may, sir. I may.”
“ Claus — “
“ First, however, I will accept your suggestion and see to my beer,” declared van Clynne, opening the door.
“ You’ll pay for what you drink!” thundered Culper as he left. “Honestly, Jake, how do you stand him?”
“ He has done me much service in the past,” said Jake. “His methods are unorthodox, but he has a knack for succeeding.”
“ I would think his success only the wildest coincidence.”
Jake shrugged. He had learned long ago that there was no logical way to account for the Dutchman’s ability to wrest victory from the most unlikely circumstances.
While the two men discussed other possibilities for discovering Howe’s destination, van Clynne returned to the table to continue his study of hops. Alas, the men who had been eating there had dispersed, and taken most of the beer with them: the squire had to content himself with a half-filled tankard of the now slightly stale liquid.
No container is ever half-filled to a man such as van Clynne. He began to comment at length about the shallow nature of this pewter vessel, exposing the shortcuts modern craftsmen were taking with their work. His concentration was finally broken by the arrival of Alison, dressed in a fine suit of boys clothes. She ran up the stairs and asked loudly where her father was.
“ Who would your father be?” said van Clynne.
“ The most noble soldier and spy in the entire Continental Army,” she said, her voice puffing up with a pomposity that would put any parliament speaker to shame. “Working under the personal command of George Washington himself. He is worth five legions of troops, and his skills can save an entire army. He is resourceful and brave, and the British drop in fear at the mention of his name.”
“ You describe me perfectly,” said van Clynne. “But I cannot claim to have sired you. Why are you dressed as a boy, when you are clearly girl? Why is your hair fixed that way?”
“ How do you know I am a girl?” she said indignantly.
“ The Dutch can tell such things.”
“ Alison,” said Jake, emerging from the office. “I’d almost forgotten about you. Culper is going to try and find you a job at the coffeehouse. In the meantime, you can spend the night here. Why are you still wearing breeches? I thought Daltoons was going to find you a dress?”
The lieutenant, just emerging at the stairs, shrugged and mumbled words to the effect that she had a mind of her own. Like any well-trained officer of the continental corps, he had long ago learned to choose his battles wisely.
“ I don’t want to work in a coffeehouse,” said Alison. “Not while there is a war to be won.”
“ Listen to me, young lady.” Jake caught her arm and held it tightly. “The first thing you must know about the army is that when a superior gives you an order, you follow it.”
“ I have heard this speech,’ remarked van Clynne into his cup. “A mission has but one chief.”
“ A mission has but one chief,” continued Jake. “And I am it. You are a followers, and a follower follows orders.”
“ But, Father — “
“ I am not a father!”
“ Is that a blanket denial?” asked van Clynne. “Or a specific point?”
“ You stay out of this.”
“ Gladly,” said the squire as he rose. “I make it a habit never to interfere in a family quarrel.”
“ This is not a family quarrel.”
“ As you wish.”
“ This is a deadly serious business, Alison,” Jake warned. “I cannot play governess any longer.”
“ Governess! Is that what you think of me, a child?” Alison said.
“ You’re young. And — “
“ And a woman, is that it?”
“ You’re still a girl.”
“ I am fifteen, and as brave as any man. I want to fight for our freedom.”
“ No boy your age would be allowed to join the army.”
“ Piffle. I know many who have.”
“ Enough,” said Jake. “Working for Culper is the same as working for General Washington. If you want to be treated like a soldier, act like one and follow orders.”
“ But, Father — “
“ And if you call me father one more time, I’ll have you whipped before the entire company.’
“ They should like that, I expect,” said the girl, folding her arms before her.
