have external doors.”
He pointed to various areas on the sketch. “There’s a lady chapel and two chantry chapels at the east end. We have a presbytery here, and choir stalls separated from the nave by a screen. There are stalls between four pairs of pillars in the octagon. In the south transept, we have the cathedral library on one side and the vestries on the other. The north transept contains two chapels on one side and another chantry chapel at the end. And right at the east end of the cathedral we have the chapel of St. Etheldreda. The prior’s door-here, off the south aisle of the nave-is one example of the many unexpected entrances.”
“So our evil-sahib chose well.” Gyles glanced at Del. “That suggests he knows the area.”
“He’s probably visited,” Del said. “As Ferrar’s gentleman’s gentleman, he would have stayed from time to time with Ferrar’s father’s household. I’ve heard the Earl of Shrewton spends his winters on an estate at Wymondham, outside Norwich.”
“So Ferrar himself would be familiar with the place?” Lucifer asked.
“Almost certainly. He was born at Wymondham.”
At that point, the ladies, having risen somewhat later from their beds, joined them. They asked questions, glanced at the sketch, reiterated that Sangay had to be kept safe, then subsided in various chairs and sofas around the room. Many had brought pieces of sewing, knitting, embroidery and the like to keep their hands busy while they listened.
The men all looked at them.
Honoria waved a haughty hand. “Carry on.”
The men exchanged glances, then turned back to the desk and got down to business, placing themselves like pieces on a game board, then assessing how well the arrangement satisfied their criteria.
“Not easy,” Tony concluded. “Covering all the exits is difficult enough, but because of this octagon with the altar at its center, to sufficiently protect Sangay we’ll need at least three men close in-inside the octagon, or within a few steps of it.”
They all looked at the sketch.
“The octagon’s definitely the place to stage the handover,” Devil said. “It gives us the best chance of catching whoever comes to get the scroll-holder, Larkins, Ferrar, or both. Anywhere else is more problematical.”
“True,” Richard allowed. “But Tony’s right-we need three men to cover that area. And there’s no way to have three men that close without them being seen.”
“Disguises.” Gervase glanced at Devil. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance of laying our hands on some monk’s robes?”
Devil met his gaze, then looked down the room at Honoria. “Monk’s robes?”
She raised both brows. “We have some, certainly. In the costume box, I think.” She rose. “I’ll go and hunt them out.”
“I’ll help.” Catriona rose, too.
“Three would be useful,” Devil called.
Honoria waved as she headed for the door.
Del studied the sketch. “Let’s assume we can place three men in monk’s robes close. Where, exactly?”
They worked that out, then, once Honoria and Catriona had returned with three passable monk’s robes and they’d been tried on and approved, with those three deployments settled, they made final judgments on their other positions. Lastly, they worked out who would go where.
They each had their strengths. In the end, it was decided Tony, Gervase, and Gyles would be the monks. Their primary aim would be to protect Sangay. With a glance toward the ladies, Del added, “At all costs.”
All the rest had only one aim, one goal. “We concentrate on apprehending whoever comes to fetch the scroll- holder.”
Gabriel frowned. “What are the odds Ferrar, or even Larkins, sends a foot soldier? All that’s required is to pick up a scroll-holder from a boy, after all. No urgent need to risk getting caught themselves.” He looked around at the others. “Surely by now Ferrar has realized that the critical point in Wolverstone’s plan is to tempt him to show his hand, and through that action to connect himself irrevocably with the scroll-holder, and therefore with the letter it supposedly contains?”
Del forced himself to weigh the chances, but then shook his head. “No. It’ll be Larkins who comes. He’ll definitely be there. Whether Ferrar will come, too, is anyone’s guess. Consider. Larkins has been the one throughout to deal with Sangay. He told Sangay he’d be there, and I’m sure he will be if for no other reason than to make sure Sangay hands the scroll-holder over and doesn’t get confused by someone he doesn’t recognize and instead slip away.
“In addition to that, Ferrar knows the letter-the real one-is damning. He won’t risk such a thing falling into the hands even of one of his cultists. He’ll send someone he trusts implicitly-Larkins-or he’ll come himself.”
After a pause during which they digested that, Vane asked, “So what are our chances of getting Larkins- presuming it’s he we catch in our trap-to point the finger at Ferrar?”
“Reasonable,” Del said. “Larkins has been with Ferrar for years, and has relished his time in the upper echelons of the Black Cobra cult. But when faced with the choice between a rope or transportation? I’d say it’s more likely he’ll cooperate than he won’t.”
Del looked down at Devil’s sketch, at their planning represented by the crosses and notes marked on it. “If we can hobble the Black Cobra before the others have to wrestle through his coils, I’ll be more than content.”
“As will we all,” Devil said.
An “indeed,” followed by soft “hear, hears” from the sofas, chaises and armchairs further down the room had the men exchanging uneasy glances. They were planning a dangerous foray, and their ladies were listening. All were aware of the looming problem. Only Tony and Gervase were immune.
But they had to make their plans, and there was no point trying to hide that-or the plans themselves-from the ladies.
Devil and Del studied the sketch of the cathedral yet again.
“Even though there’ll be ten of us-assuming Demon makes it back in time-we’ll be spread thin,” Del noted.
“True,” Devil returned. “But at least there are plenty of places to hide once we move away from the altar and that end of the nave.”
“One eventuality we haven’t considered,” Tony said. “What if he comes in force?”
Standing beside Devil, his fingertips brushing the desk, Del considered, eventually said, “I can’t see it. If I had to wager on it, I’d say he’ll come alone, or with only one, or two, others. More, and he’ll risk attracting attention-”
“Given the cultists are Indian,” Deliah put in from the nearest sofa, “it’s likely he won’t want them seen. They create too much notice. People will look, and remember which way they go.”
“Indeed.” Devil sat back, looked up at Del. “So we assume we’ll be facing no more than a handful, all most likely Englishmen.”
Del nodded. There seemed nothing more to add to their plan of action for inside the cathedral. Talk veered to the logistics of getting into position without alerting the enemy.
“A night march.” Lucifer sighed resignedly. “I’d hoped I’d left such horrors behind me.”
“At least,” Gabriel said, “there won’t be a bloody battlefield at the end of it.”
Ultimately they agreed they would leave at four o’clock the next morning. Despite the hideous hour, they would still have to travel by a circuitous route to make sure they didn’t inadvertently pass the enemy’s bolt-hole, wherever that might be.
“In order to circumnavigate the fens”-Devil pointed to the areas on a map he’d spread on his desk-“Chatteris, Horseley, and Langwood Fens, we’ll need to go up to Chatteris, then toward Sutton, but turn off onto minor lanes before we reach the village, and then progress by minor routes until we reach Ely and come down to the cathedral from the north.”
“What about Sangay?” Honoria asked. “You can’t seriously be thinking of having him walk that distance, not in this weather.”
“He’ll catch his death,” Catriona stated.
No one argued.
“I’ve thought of that.” Del turned to face the ladies. “We’ll have Sligo and Cobby dress as laborers and drive a
