I was not so sanguine about the time several hours later. Patricia and I had both been immediately taken into custody by the embassy’s guards, but the testimony of the functionary and the still-breathing foreman had at least told the French who the real troublemaker had been. All the same, it appeared they did not take kindly to even murderous members of their staff being tossed out into the air, and so we had been guests of their staff for most of the rest of the day.
Fortunately, I had already put the time to good use. When I was first interviewed, I claimed that Vinceno had confessed to tampering with the gondolas. His protests to the contrary were not believed; after all, the terror of being dropped had to have wrung the truth out of him, and he was likely enough to lie now that his feet were on relatively solid ground. Hopefully that would mean whatever mischief Devonshire had planned for the Queen would be uncovered now, and in a way that would not implicate us too severely.
Patricia had fidgeted for most of the time, unhappy about being contained in the narrow room they had placed us in. It was not quite a cell, but there was a guard outside the door. She glanced at me again. “You’re sure they’ll let us go?”
“I believe so, my dear.” I glanced around significantly; there was no guarantee that the room was free of listening devices. In fact, I was almost certain the French were eavesdropping somehow, and I did not want to sacrifice our subterfuge just yet. “After all, we are guests here, and were the victims in this whole misadventure. They would not be so crude as to lock us up for uncovering the plot for them.”
She nodded, but the worry still remained in her eyes. Obviously, she was concerned about whether our false identities would hold up under further scrutiny, but there was no other solution for the situation. We had to trust in Aberforth’s work and the discretion of the French staff. Otherwise, we would have to find some other way to frustrate Devonshire’s plans.
I had run through a few different scenarios in my head before the door burst open and Louis strode in. A pair of soldiers followed him in, but he waved them back out the door and waited until they had closed it before speaking. “Well! My dear Baron, you have been quite busy this morning.”
“Not exactly morning anymore.” Patricia’s grumble was not entirely out of character for a disgruntled heiress, but Louis still raised an eyebrow at her.
“You will have to excuse us, my lady. There were several questions of concern and issues to address. You may rest assured the Empire of France will make things up to you as best we can.” Then he turned back to me. “In any event, I must thank you, Baron Krongesetz. Your quick actions at the gondolas may have prevented a rather severe disaster, which would have endangered both our nations. You have my gratitude.”
He bowed low, and I answered his bow with a stiff, formal one of my own. “It was my pleasure, Lieutenant.” Louis grinned as I used his false title, and I continued before he could respond. “Has anything come of the man’s confession?”
Louis’ expression became somewhat wooden. “Yes, indeed.” He glanced away. “After an inspection of the gondola system, an explosive device was found mixed in with the components of the gondolas’ suspension wire. It appears to have been set to explode sometime tomorrow.”
I relaxed slightly, a wave of tension I had not been fully aware of now retreating. “How fortunate, then, that we were able to discover it! Someone might have been seriously hurt.”
“It would have been a disaster, as I said, Baron Krongesetz.” Louis’ eyes took on a somewhat sharper edge. “Unfortunately, the man is no longer as forthcoming as he was with you. He denied all involvement, even when we located the device using his work logs. In fact, he still claims that you were the one who arranged all of this, and that you are the true culprit.”
“A clumsy lie.” I snorted. “I suppose he claims I deliberately sabotaged my own Pegasus as well?”
“He does indeed.” This time Patricia snorted, and Louis made a calming gesture in response. “We do not give any credit to such tales, but his stubbornness is somewhat disconcerting, as was his willingness to resort to violence. He was very intent on killing you, Baron.”
I nearly frowned at the insinuation in Louis’ voice. If I took him at his word, he did not think I was a conspirator, but it was just as clear that he did not believe that the encounter had been a mere coincidence, either. It was a wise observation to make, but one that I could not afford him to pursue at the moment. “Perhaps he merely felt guilty about his transgressions, and suspected I knew of them in advance. He was trying to fight his way out of the workshop and escape.”
“That is true. Desperation might have accounted for his reaction.” Louis took a seat across from us and gestured for us to sit down as well. “It is strange that he would have risked so much to make the attempt, however. After all, he obviously had other goals aboard this vessel; why would he endanger them in order to kill you?”
The question gave me pause as I searched for a credible answer, but Patricia spoke up before I could. “Maybe someone paid him to do it. The man is a mercenary, right?”
Louis’ gaze snapped around to lock onto her, his expression full of surprise. “He is, my lady, but I did not think you knew it. He only confessed to that after some…reluctance on his part.” The Frenchman glanced at me and then smiled at her. “Might I ask how you knew?”
I leaned forward to make the reply, but Patricia once again spoke first. “He was carrying a very nice pistol. A Trevenatti Luxuria, wasn’t it?” I nearly groaned as Louis appeared to be taken aback, but before he could express his growing suspicions, Patricia continued in the voice of a true enthusiast. “My father’s bodyguards used to show off their old pieces and such, and they always said that the Luxuria was a fine weapon, but one of them always talked about how only mercenaries carried them, because they cost too much for soldiers or other honest guardsmen. When I saw him waving it around, I knew he had to be some kind of hired gun.”
A hint of genuine respect had crept into Louis’ expression, but there was still a definite suspicion in his voice as he answered her. “You are correct, of course, but I must say, Ms. Bingham, that you appear to have very…different tastes than most women of your station.”
Patricia glanced at me and laughed. “Maybe, Lieutenant, but have you asked many of them? They might just surprise you.”
He laughed, and I managed a dry chuckle. Perhaps she had managed to cover the slip, but I suspected Charlotte would probably have words with her once we were free of the French. “So he was a mercenary, then? Did he say who had hired him?”
Louis shook his head. “He refuses to identify his employer, and does not even admit to his background, but his identity is now known as a member of an experienced band of mercenaries from Italy.” He uncrossed, and re-crossed his legs, as if uncomfortable. “I assure you, Baron, we will continue our investigation, but if you wished to leave the embassy, I would understand. There is no guarantee that we have found the only member of his company here, and if their employer has more assassins waiting…”
He trailed off, but his meaning was clear. It was something of a relief to me as well; whatever his suspicions, he appeared to have held us as much for our own safety as anything else. Of course, he would likely not complain if we departed, but that was not exactly in the plan. “We will stay, Lieutenant Desicilia. I trust in the expertise of your men.”
There was a hint of frustration in his expression now. He leaned forward earnestly. “You understand, however, that the danger may not just be to you. There might be other victims of the threats against you.”
His eyes shifted momentarily over to Patricia, but she simply laughed. “I’m afraid you won’t budge him, mister. He’s a bit stubborn when it comes to people trying to chase him off.” She brushed a hand through my hair affectionately, and I blinked in surprise. “You should have seen my father try. Besides, we can both take care of ourselves.”
Louis appeared amused now, though I was a bit too distracted by Patricia’s casual gesture to make much of it. “You can indeed. In fact, the foreman was rather impressed by how quickly you both responded.” Then his gaze grew sharp again. “He made particular mention of the way you used your sword. Might I have a look at it?”
Something about his voice put me on edge, but I could hardly refuse such a reasonable request. Still uneasy, I unbuckled the sheath from my side and passed it across the table to him, feeling a little like I was handing over my own arm instead of just a weapon. That feeling of loss continued to echo through me as he examined the sword, unsheathing an inch of it to see his reflection in the blade.
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His eyebrows abruptly climbed, and he carefully slid the blade fully back into the scabbard. He looked back at me. “Herr Baron, I was not aware that you had come aboard with a Distillation forged weapon. I thought this was only a regular blade.”
“It was a gift, from an old friend.” I tried desperately to keep the raw need from my voice, but some of my anxiety must have leaked through. He considered me levelly, and I was eventually driven to continue. “I must confess that it is precious to me, Lieutenant. You must admit it has been only to your benefit for me to be armed in such a manner.”
“Indeed, it has. You have indeed put it to rather good use.” A speculative note had entered his voice. “As I understand, you struck a bullet from midair. A rather difficult achievement.”
“A credit to the artisan who forged the blade, rather than my shoddy swordsmanship.” I gave him a brittle smile, trying hard not to fidget in my chair. “In fact, it would have been wiser to evade the shot rather than trying to swat at it like a young fool.”
Louis nodded slowly. “Yet I imagine you were concerned for the safety of Ms. Bingham. An understandable decision, especially in the heat of the moment.” He looked down at the sword, and then back up at me. “Well, Herr Baron, I think I will return this to you, with my thanks and the compliments of the Empire of France—on two conditions.”
It was extortion, plain and simple, yet my desire to recover the blade was beyond any indignation I might have felt. Only a supreme effort of will kept me from attempting to wrench it directly from his fingers. “And those would be?”
“First, you must not speak of these events to anyone, at least until the end of the conference.” He waved an idle hand in a dismissive gesture. “It would not inspire confidence in the security of the proceedings if a simple mercenary could manage to place so many important people in danger. Such threats would risk destabilizing the peace talks, with poor consequences for all involved. You understand.”
“I do.” It was a reasonable enough request, which almost guaranteed that the next condition would be the one that would hurt the most to agree to. Yet there was no way around it, not if I did not want to face Devonshire and his lackeys unarmed. “And your next condition?”
“That you meet me tomorrow for a fencing match.” He caught sight of my incredulous expression and laughed. “No, don’t worry, I would not wish to use one of these. Far too lethal, especially since I count myself only a middling swordsman.”
Patricia spoke up, her voice more tense than I would have expected. “Then why bother fencing at all?”
“Oh, it is a rather healthy habit to maintain, especially with the number of hostile blades about.” Louis gave her a contented grin. “Think of it like your own hobby with guns. It is only just something to pass the time while my more serious relatives occupy themselves.” His gaze returned to me, and I felt the veneer of civility drop away for a moment. “And besides, I sometimes find that the best way to gain an answer is to look for it directly. Wouldn’t you agree, Baron Krongesetz?”
I watched him for a moment and then gave a final reluctant nod. “You are correct, Lieutenant. I will meet you tomorrow; what time would be convenient?”
“If I could trouble you to come to these chambers—” He drew out a scrap of paper and wrote upon it “—at one o’clock tomorrow, I think that would be more than enough.”
He passed me the paper, and I nodded. Then my face fell as he continued in an even, measured tone. “Until then, I believe I will need to hold on to this blade. As a precaution, you might say.”
Bitterness born of disappointment filled my response. “You believe I am not a man of my word, Lieutenant?”
Louis paused for a moment, considering me even more closely. I did not know why my response interested him so much; surely any nobleman, regardless of stature or upbringing, would be dismayed to be disarmed in such a way. “No, Baron. I believe you will keep your word and your honor, no matter the circumstances.” Then he smiled broadly. “But I do not know who or what you might have promised before coming here. A careful gentleman is a live one, after all.”
Still frustrated and angry, I made no reply. He stood and walked over to the door, still cradling my sword. I had to restrain the sudden urge to tackle him to the ground and take back what was mine. It was highly unjust for him to treat me in such a manner when all I had done was for the safety of his wretched embassy.
As if sensing the trouble, Patricia laid a hand on my arm. When I glanced back at her, the concern in her eyes drove my desperate state into remission. I took a deep breath, and the need for the sword subsided. When I looked back, Louis had reached the door, and was watching us again.
“You are free to go, Baron Krongesetz. I look forward to meeting you again.” Then he paused. “Until then, pray be more careful. You never know what other trouble might be about.”
As we left the section of the embassy occupied by the garrison of soldiers, I could barely hold in my anger and resentment. It was fortunate that Capitaine Chatelain or some other bothersome fool did not make an appearance, for I did not trust in my self-control. My expression must have been foreboding, for even the regular soldiers appeared to be uneasy as we passed them.
Patricia was unusually silent for a while until we had finally left the area filled with the French. When we had crossed that threshold, she leaned close and whispered to me. “You know, if you keep scowling like that, they might just arrest you for being a hideous ogre.”
I glanced at her, my surprise briefly breaking through my ill temper. “He took my sword, Patricia. He had no right to do so, but he took it anyway.”
“It’s just a sword, Hector.” She gave me a stern look. “Your main goal here is to stop Devonshire, not to duel him personally. Keep focused on the task at hand.”
The rebuke was a good one, and I felt more of my frustration ease away as I recognized the truth in her words. In all honesty, I felt somewhat confused now that I was apparently leaving Damocles’ influence. When had I ever been so vulnerable to fits of temper and obsession before? Damocles, while a wonderful sword, was hardly worth getting thrown off the embassy, especially now that we had foiled Devonshire’s first plan of action.
Despite that, I could not help but feel cheated by the situation. Being disarmed and distrusted after acting for the good of all aboard was a raw thing to experience, regardless of the reasons. A part of me worried that if Devonshire realized I was wholly without weaponry, he would act more directly to keep me from interfering with his plans, though in all honesty that had always been a danger, sword or no sword.
In the end, I let out a long, slow sigh, and slumped my shoulders. “You are right, Patricia. You are right.” Then I gave her a rueful look. “Though I have not forgotten just how much a certain someone complained about leaving her weapon when we came aboard.”
“If I can deal with it, so can you.” She arched an eyebrow at me. “Unless you mean to say that the situation is only serious because you are unarmed. If that’s the case, we might have a little discussion about which of us is more dangerous once we leave this blasted place.”
I chuckled to myself, feeling some measure of good humor return. She nudged me gently with one elbow and grinned at me when I looked back at her. It was the sort of moment that did much to turn my anger into contentment, though some fragment of Damocles still worried at me from the corner of my mind.
“I would never suggest such a thing, Ms. Bingham.” I slipped back into the accent and manner of Baron Krongesetz with a slight feeling of guilt at having lost track of it before. “I would trust in you more than any blade, after all.”
She blushed then. I was sure of it this time. Though she tried to hide it with a little fake cough, my remark appeared to have distracted her from any thoughts of retribution. I grinned wider, realizing I now had the chance to go on the offensive. “Though perhaps I am only worried because I do not have any means to defend myself from you, my dear. What hope can I have without a weapon of some kind to ward me from your enchanting smile, your shining eyes, your lustful—”
I cut off with a huff of air as she elbowed me sharply in the ribs. She glared at me, her face nearly as red as her hair. “That’s enough of that, Herr Baron.” When I only grinned at her again, she shook a finger at me. “I said stay focused. What are we going to do next?”
Her question was a good one, considering our current situation. Unarmed and under the eye of the French, it was unlikely that we would be able to do much to inconvenience Devonshire if he moved against the Emperor now. At the same time, such a direct assault seemed quite unlike him. He might make the attempt once all other options had been cut off, but not before. “He likely has another plot, in case the first had failed. It isn’t likely that he would place himself in a position to depend so heavily on one man, after all.”
“You’re right. Especially if Vinceno managed to smuggle more of his friends aboard. They’ll probably be armed too, if he was.” She couldn’t hide the envy in her voice at that fact, and for once I more than agreed with her. “So if the sabotage was the first option, what would his fallback plan be? Another bomb?”
“No. It would be too similar to the first plan, and easier to find now that the French are on alert.” I paused to think for a moment. “More than that, a second bomb would prove a conspiracy that did not include the French, which would place doubt on his supposed heroism. I would think he would have to try some other angle to achieve his desired goals.”
“Some other way to impress people, while still getting rid of his targets.” Patricia shook her head. “It amazes me he can even think he can pull this off. How much does he think it could benefit him?”
“Under the right circumstances, quite a large amount.” I thought back to the burning of the Everston Academy, remembering the fire and the expression on Devonshire’s face. “If he manages it, he might even reap benefits we haven’t even thought of yet. More than that, if we don’t stop him now there might never be another chance. He could be unassailable.”
“Or even if he fails, he could run. Disappear.” She glanced at me, her expression troubled. “What would we do if he just leaves? We would still be in trouble, and there would be no way to prove our innocence.”
I doubted that anything short of a lethal threat would stop Devonshire from carrying out his plots, but the question demanded another answer than that. “If he could escape this place, then so can we. This disguise would afford me all I would need to leave the country, and even without it, I would manage somehow. We would be safe, even if we would not see home for some time.”
She walked on in silence for a time. Then she laughed. “You’re assuming that I would come with you, dear Baron. It’s quite a lot to ask a girl to go on the run with you. Aren’t we getting a little ahead of ourselves?”
It was a good point, but I refused to let it deter me. “Well then, I suppose we had better stop him now, then. That way, we can both stay just as we are.” Curiously, she did not say much after that, though I noticed that she leaned a bit closer as we walked. Truthfully, I did not mind, but her words continued to bother me for quite some time after that. Why, I could not say then, and will certainly not say now.