Patricia bade me farewell when we neared my apartments, as Charlotte had been waiting for us. After a few words to reassure her we were still in good health, the two women walked away down a corridor towards their new lodgings. I waited for another moment or two, and then turned sharply and made my way back to my rooms.

I opened the door carefully, checking the threshold before I went inside. After all, I did not want to encounter any traps or explosives set by Devonshire’s men, though I had no doubt that some servant or staff member had already set new listening devices. The French would have been lax without some new attempt to monitor me and find out more about the Baron who had created such a stir, but I was sure that I would be able to locate the devices easily enough.

My expectations were dashed when I heard the door close behind me, and a quiet, polite cough. I turned to find the mustachioed stranger waiting for me in the room. He had been hidden from my view initially, as he had stood behind the door. Now he was standing in front of the closed portal, a hand on a shining, holstered pistol and a finger across his lips. “I’m going to have to ask you to sit, Baron Krongesetz. I don’t think either of us wants any kind of tussle in here at the moment, now do we?”

Feeling a sudden cold spread through me, I took a step back from him. I did not look away from him, though; whoever he was, he had executed a rather daring ambush, and I did not want to miss any opening he might give me. “I believe you are right, sir.” Then I paused. “You have me at quite the disadvantage.”

“I believe I do.” The satisfaction in his voice provoked a flare of indignation in me, but he continued in an even voice. “But I guess you mean the name. You can call me Moses, I suppose. Not my real name, but Krongesetz isn’t exactly the surname you were born with either, was it?”

I nodded slowly, retreating another step. If I could delay enough time, perhaps any listeners from the French might realize my danger and intrude. Rushing the man would be more difficult the more I backed away from him, but going by the light in his eyes, such a move would be nearly suicidal in any case. “I don’t know what you are talking about, Moses.”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow, lips quirking in an amused smile. “Come on now, let’s not be so formal. And don’t worry about those prying ears either; I swept the room and there’s nobody hearing this but you and me.”

At this news, I stopped, silently cursing myself for the distance I’d lost. There had to be some way I could change the situation, but I did not have many options. “Well thank you, Moses. That is quite a courtesy.” I motioned to the chairs, never taking my eyes from him. “Would you join me, then? I feel rather impolite sitting while you stand.”

He looked at me a moment and then chuckled. “You can pass a chair in my direction then, but I’ll stay here until you take your seat. I don’t know much about you, but given your reputation, a man would be a fool not to be careful.” With deliberate slowness, I took one of the chairs and placed it awkwardly some distance away. Then I set my own chair opposite it and sat, still desperately trying to find some way to change the situation.

When he seemed sure that I was not about to leap at him, Moses stepped forward and turned the chair with his foot. Then he stepped around it and sat, flopping down on the chair in a way that made his overcoat flare a bit. His hand never left the grip of the revolver, not once, and his eyes were trained on me just as mine were on him.

For another long moment, we sat staring at one another in silence. Then he grinned, leaning slightly back in his seat. “Well now, thank you for your courtesy. I’ve been on my feet most of the day, and it is nice to sit a spell.”

“So glad I could help you.” Discarding the rigid German accent allowed me to express the appropriate amount of sarcasm, but he still only grinned. I continued in an acid tone. “Is there something else you wanted for me? Some message that Devonshire wished me to have before you killed me?”

For the first time, a frown swept across his features. He settled back in his chair for a moment, as if confused. “Devonshire? Who’s Devonshire? Is he a friend of yours?”

I stared at him in exasperation. “Certainly not. Why would a friend of mine want you to shoot me?”

Moses shrugged, his stance growing a bit defensive. “I don’t know. Outlaws often have a few odd relationships, and I don’t rightly understand half of them. Especially here across the way.”

I was about to respond with another biting comment when I thought over my experiences with London’s less legitimate businesses. Then I gave him a grudging nod. “I suppose you are correct then, Moses.” He shrugged again, as if uncertain how to answer. I continued in what I hoped was a more civilized manner. “Well, if you are not here to kill me, how exactly can I help you?”

He watched me for another moment, his expression growing serious. “Well, first you are going to show me where Patricia is staying. Then the three of us are going to go on a little trip down to the nearest watch station, and you’re both going to jail.”

Only now did the realization that I had somehow been ambushed by a bounty hunter crash through my mind. I looked at him a moment longer and sighed. “I’m afraid I cannot help you after all, Moses.”

His face grew harder. “I don’t recall giving you an option not to.”

“It doesn’t particularly matter what options you choose to give me.” I watched him closely now, realizing that I had leverage, after all. “The French aren’t going to care much about English bounties aboard their embassy, and whatever you might say about my identity, they are going to see me as a German nobleman. One who just kept a bomb from going off onboard their embassy, I might add.” He shifted slightly at that news, and I decided to continue to apply the pressure. “You can’t hope to walk me through the embassy at gun point either, not with all the soldiers about, and even if that were the case, you’d have more than twice the problem if Patricia then joined us.”

He still looked mulish, so I gave him a relaxed shrug and a mocking smile. “Not that any of it matters, because I’ve already put down one supposed bounty hunter who tried to kill Patricia, and I’m not about to let another take her away from me. So fire if you’re going to, Moses, because I’m not going to help you get anywhere near her.”

The man watched me for a moment more and then sighed. “Your loyalty does you credit, mister, but you don’t quite have all the cards you think you do.” He slid his free hand inside his coat and retrieved a shining metal star. “Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Moses Anderson, United States Marshall.”

Shock ran through me as I looked at the badge. The device engraved on it seemed simple enough, but I doubted anyone would dare forge a copy. The fledgling Marshall Service was not widely known yet, but what little reputation they had garnered had been quite impressive. While the French might well disregard a mere bounty hunter, a foreign agent of the law might give them a bit more pause. “I see.” Then I frowned. “Might I ask why the Marshalls are so interested in us? We haven’t exactly been in your borders recently.”

Moses’s face might as well have been carved from stone. “The Marshalls aren’t officially interested in your case, though I expect there’s quite a few businessmen back home who would love to speak with you about what you did with all their money.” He tilted his head to one side, giving me a grin that reminded me far more of a predator than a friend. “To be honest, though, I am far more concerned about making sure you face justice. Both of you.”

I leaned forward, attempting to be reasonable. “Mr. Anderson, I don’t understand why…”

My voice trailed off as I realized what I had just said. I took another look at him, this time focusing on the way he was dressed, the way he sat, even the way he held the grip of his pistol. When I met his eyes again, he smiled a bit more genuinely, as if he was pleased that I had figured out a riddle he had set before me. “Well?”

I sat back, slightly mystified. “You are some relation of Ms. Anderson—of Patricia—am I correct?”

He nodded, his amusement still sparkling in his eyes. “Not many folks see the resemblance, though I can’t say I blame them.” Then he shrugged. “We both grew up in the same orphanage, after Brown’s War. Took to calling each other brother and sister, looked out for each other. At least, before she left.”

I was far less cheered by the news than he might have expected. “And now you have come looking for her. To hunt her down and jail her.”

The amusement fell away from his face, and I glimpsed a hint of pain. Despite that, he shook his head. “When one of your own goes bad, you take care of it. Patricia knew that back home, and she’ll know it now. Better that I catch her than someone else.”

“Better that no one at all finds her, actually.” He glared at me for a moment, and I spread my hands. “She’s innocent, Mr. Anderson. No matter what you might have heard, she was nowhere near the bank when the robbery occurred, and there are witnesses to attest to that fact.”

Moses failed to look convinced. “She was seen with you soon after the robbery. She’s known as your main accomplice.”

I threw up my hands in exasperation. “She was seen with me after receiving a deep knife wound. She’d just been stabbed by the Dollmaker, but even if you don’t believe that, there would have been traces of her blood had she been at the scene. The only reason the watch wants to bring her in is out of vindictiveness, nothing more.”

He shook his head again, and his grip tightened on the pistol. “I heard about this Dollmaker, but the watch supposedly brought him in on their own. Didn’t hear a thing about you two, though I did hear somebody had stabbed her.” Then he raised his chin slightly, his eyes narrowing. “I suspected it might have been you, preventing her from turning you in.”

Anger flooded through me. “I would never harm Patricia. No matter what you believe of me, that is something I would never do.”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Moses sat back in his seat for a moment, his eyebrows slowly climbing. Then he grunted. “All right then, maybe not. Maybe she got herself stabbed by other accomplices of yours, who disagreed with you two over who owned what share. It doesn’t matter to me. It only matters that she answer for it in a court of law.”

“I’m starting to realize why she never mentioned you, Moses.” He stiffened in anger, but I was beyond caring. “Not once in the years I’ve known her. She didn’t even write to you when the Dollmaker nearly killed her. Perhaps she already knew you would never believe her, never take her side. What kind of a brother are you?”

“One who respects the law. One who would die for it.” Moses’s face was a mask of rage now, and he was biting off the ends of his sentences like he wanted to go for my throat then and there. “The law is what makes men free, what separates us from the beasts. I won’t let it be dragged through the mud by some common thug like you, even if you’ve convinced my sister to join you.”

“Is that so?” I smiled bitterly at him. “And what if that law of yours has been corrupted? Turned from its noble purpose by a man who wants nothing more than power and control? Are you going to serve that man as if you were some sort of automaton? Or is there a man with a mind behind that badge, instead of just a…” I caught myself, possibly from saying something that would definitely have me shot. “…a blind fool?”

He stared at me, his anger seemingly lessened for a moment. The seconds passed, and I noted the way his fingers had locked around the grip of his pistol. Perhaps, if he drew, his aim would be off because of his anger. I might successfully reach him before he adjusted himself, and even with a flesh wound, I had confidence that I could give a solid accounting of myself. All I would need was an opening, and while lunging at a proficient gunman from a sitting position was not ideal, it was infinitely preferable to being shot by an enraged lawman with a stubborn streak.

Finally, however, Moses’s grip on his weapon loosened slightly. He took a deep breath, and as he let it out, I could almost feel his rage falling away, leaving a more calculating man in the seat across from me. For another moment he watched me, his eyes weighing me and watching for any sign of my intentions. Then he snorted. “I see she’s found herself a beau who argues as much as she does. Really used to get under my skin, she did.”

The sudden release of tension left me feeling off balance. “I do not know what you mean.” He snorted again, and I shook my head. “She might be a bit headstrong, but she listens when she sees good sense.” Then I paused. “As for her being some sort of paramour, I can assure you she’s acted with the utmost propriety since we—”

“If she has, then I’d expect she really does love you. If you’re too dull to see that, then I expect she’s frustrated enough to skin you alive by now.” Then, as I continued to try to adjust my expectations mentally, he pushed back the chair and stepped away, his eyes never leaving me. “In any case, it doesn’t matter much. You’ll both be coming with me, just as soon as I can—”

There was a knock at the door, and he cut off. For a moment, we both remained frozen where we were. The knock came a second time, and he raised an eyebrow. “Expecting visitors?”

“No.” I felt dread congeal in my gut as I glanced at the door. Had Patricia returned for some reason? If she had, it might be the worst possible time for it; my only real hope was that the man would slip up trying to guide me through corridors to find her.

Unfortunately, Moses appeared to have the same thought, because he finally drew his pistol. It was not the snapping movement of a man about to fire, but it allowed him to point the barrel of the piece toward me. The thing was horribly overbuilt, the way Patricia’s rifle had been, and I could tell at a glance that one shot would likely leave a sizable hole in me. “Quickly now, we wouldn’t want to keep her waiting.”

He gestured for me to stand, and then motioned with the barrel of his pistol toward the door. Reluctantly, I allowed myself to be herded in that direction, feeling the tension and dread build inside me with each step. If I was going to save her, I had to act soon, but I needed to make sure that she knew the danger before I moved. Otherwise, if she heard the shots, she would attempt to break down the door to help me, and in so doing would put herself right in the crosshairs of her erstwhile brother.

Even worse, if it was someone else like Devonshire, the situation could turn much, much worse. A band of thugs coming to break my skull would at least distract Moses for a time, but I did not much like the idea of trying to survive a whirling firefight in the middle of my room. Even if I emerged unscathed, I doubted my hosts would be so understanding about the issue this time.

When I reached the door, Moses stepped up to position himself so that it would hide him when I opened it. I had a small hope that the door would also hide me from the pistol’s blast, even if that thin barrier wouldn’t do much against the man’s weapon, but in this hope I was disappointed. He adjusted his position so that the pistol was still pointed squarely at my stomach, even as I reached out and opened the door.

To my surprise and delight, it was neither Patricia nor Devonshire. Instead, I found Coronel Soares waiting for me, a slightly impatient look on her face. She looked me up and down as if surprised, and then shrugged. “I expected a few bruises at least, but I suppose the French are growing soft.”

“Y-your pardon?” I glanced to the side and saw a sudden realization of horror on Moses’s face. He must have recognized Soares’ voice, and I felt a sudden, vindictive spark of recognition of just how to throw his plans further off the mark.

“I heard they took you into custody and decided to see how you fared.” She shook her head in mock disappointment. “Usually, they would at least give us the courtesy of a black eye when we were captured, but perhaps they are on their best behavior, what with the Emperor here. Did they hurt Amy at all? I heard she was with you, but I could not find her rooms when I went looking for her.”

I smiled broadly. “Ms. Bingham is quite safe. They were not rough with either of us, in any case.” Then I looked rather deliberately at Moses’ gun and raised an eyebrow. “I was just saying goodbye to an old friend, but would you like to come in? I feel rude leaving you waiting on the doorstep.”

Soares hesitated for a moment, perched in the hallway with a curiously uncertain air. Then she twittered a bit, a high, nervous laugh. “No need to stand on propriety, then. Why not? Do you have that sword you mentioned?”

Moses frantically stuffed his pistol back into his holster as I stepped back, allowing Soares to stride right into the room. She examined the furnishings with a critical eye before turning around and catching sight of my other, less-welcome guest behind the door. With another twittering laugh, she extended her hand. “Why hello there! Please excuse me for intruding; my name is Coronel Soares. I met the Baron at the dinner last night.”

There was a certain amount of caution in Moses’ expression as he shook her hand; clearly, the harpy’s reputation for combat had reached the other side of the Atlantic. “A pleasure, ma’am. Moses Anderson, at your service.” He glanced at me, and for a heartbeat his eyes glinted with a vicious, frustrated anger. “If you’ll excuse me, I must be going. I’ll see you later, Baron.”

“Oh? Is he a spy as well?” Moses froze, and Soares laughed again. She made a dismissive gesture. “You secret business types are all far too jumpy, you know that? How do you ever hide anything if you cannot keep the guilt from your faces?”

“I suppose we only need to practice more, Coronel.” I gave Moses another broad smile and extended my hand. “In any case, I’m glad you came by, Mr. Anderson. Perhaps we’ll see each other again soon.”

“You can rely on it.” He squeezed my hand rather roughly and then stepped back. Retrieving his hat from where he had left it, he settled it low on his head. With a bow for Soares, he stalked away, frustration rather evident in his posture. I could not help but grin for a while as he retreated, content with yet another escape from certain doom.

“I get the feeling I may have stepped on some toes.” Soares shifted on her feet, again seeming self-conscious. The idea of such a veteran warrior acting bashful was incomprehensible to me, but I had experienced odder things of late. I gestured for her to take a seat as I stepped away from the door.

“Do not trouble yourself, Coronel. The gentleman and I merely had a rather strong disagreement. I can only hope that we resolve it soon.”

“Glad to hear it.” Soares took her seat and then leaned back comfortably and stretched. “It is always best to take care of things sooner rather than later. Now, where is this irresistible sword you were talking about?”

“Ah.” I moved to take the other chair, feeling a certain weariness creep into my steps. The confrontation with Moses had drained me, and as I sat, I felt the tension flowing out of my limbs. “I’m afraid that Damocles resides with the French for the moment. They are examining the blade, and should return it soon.”

She looked at me in surprise. “You are serious? I have never heard of them returning such a weapon before. Usually, the blade is rare enough for an ambassador to risk a small diplomatic tussle over keeping it.”

I felt a sudden burst of anxiety, but then I remembered who had promised me the blade’s return. While a simple functionary might have taken the risk, I doubted a Prince of the Empire would stoop to stealing from foreign dignitaries. “I believe I will trust them, Coronel. They would not want to create an incident during the peace negotiations.”

“You mean another incident, of course.” She grinned at me. “Maybe they are just trying to make sure you do not cause another one. As if nearly crashing a flying machine into the embassy and throwing a man from the airship weren’t enough.”

With no small feeling of annoyance, I gave her a level stare. “I don’t believe the Pegasus was my fault, and in any case, it did not come near the embassy before it hit the water.”

Soares raised an eyebrow. “And the gentleman near the gondolas?”

I paused, suddenly uncomfortable. “He…did not fall far. I believe he is in the custody of the French, at the moment, perfectly healthy.”

She laughed again, her head thrown back in glee. “I knew it! There were all sorts of rumors, but the embassy staff are reluctant to share much with me.” I opened my mouth to make some excuse, but she waved it away with one hand. “I assume it was some sort of intrigue, some act of espionage or another. A simple soldier like me doesn’t have the patience in that usually, but you are certainly making it seem much more interesting!”

Unhappy at the awareness that I had become embassy-wide fodder for gossips, I frowned at my hands. “I had hoped that the French would be more discreet.”

“With something that dramatic? Hardly.” She sniffed to herself. “It’s even worse aboard an embassy like this, you know. The staff are usually so bored that they are inveterate gossips. Why, just this morning I heard the Queen of England herself might come aboard! Wouldn’t that make things interesting?”

I tried to keep my face unreadable. “That would certainly be remarkable, Coronel.”

Soares paused, searching my face for a moment, and then she came up out of her seat. She was halfway to the door before I could regain my feet. “Well, I won’t intrude on your cloak and dagger business any further, Baron Krongesetz. Let me know when you get your sword back, or if you decide to make any further upsets.”

Aware that Moses might not have traveled very far, and wary of his return, I started toward the door. “You’re leaving already? You just arrived!”

“True, but if I stay much longer, the gossips might start to think I’m one of your conspirators—if not worse.” She caught sight of my expression and laughed again, thumping me on the shoulder. “Take it as a compliment, Baron! Although I suppose your Ms. Bingham wouldn’t want the competition.”

“No.” My voice was faint, but I shook myself out of the horrifying reverie that phrase had brought to mind. “No, I don’t imagine she would. She tends to be rather…blunt about such things.”

“I thought so.” Soares opened the door and strode out, her voice unnecessarily loud. “In any case, give my regards to your fiancée, Baron, and let her know I look forward to continuing our discussion. Until then!”

The harpy continued off down the corridor, whistling to herself as she went. I watched for another moment, glancing about to make sure I saw no sign of Moses waiting for me. I only caught sight of a French functionary gawking after the Coronel. When I saw him, he closed his mouth and straightened his back, before scuttling off to whatever undoubtedly crucial form of diplomacy was waiting for him. I had no doubt that a fresh set of rumors were already under way.

With a quiet groan of fatigue and frustration, I stepped back inside and shut the door. Once it was secure, I leaned back against it for a long moment, wondering how things could have gotten so far off track. The only thing I was missing now was a visit from Devonshire himself.

Before the universe could send me that unwanted gift, I staggered over to the bed. It had been a rather draining day, and some rest was in order, at the very least, before the next catastrophe arrived.