“You don’t know?”
“Not always. He comes and goes without telling me. I’m just the help.”
The girl was more than that, though not the plaything some suspected. She was the little sister of someone who had been killed, a friend of the man called Chames Marks today.
The old man watched her swish through the hangings in a doorless doorway. He thought Haida would be more than just help if Chames would let her. There was a sparkle in her eye when she said his name.
The old man smiled, turned the sign on the street door to say the chemist was out, then latched the latch.
The wait stretched, five minutes, ten, fifteen. The old man amused himself by studying the pots and jars on the scores of shelves covering all four walls. Large glass jars contained questionable items in liquids of unusual hue. Stage dressing, those, mostly. He was interested in the small phials of imported rarities. Sometimes he paused, nodded. Once he murmured, “Well!”
The hangings in the back doorway stirred. Haida returned. Her gaze flicked round, checking for spaces where something had gone missing. “Turn the sign back. People will wonder. We’re always open during the day. Then come with me.”
The old man complied. Compliance had been his first layer of camouflage for decades.
The room beyond the doorway was larger than the one out front. It was dry and dusty. It smelled of spices and mystery. The real work of the chemist took place here.
“Wait here. Touch nothing.” Haida returned to the front. The bell on the door had announced an arrival. A male voice asked a question the old man could not make out.
Minutes passed. A man came through a narrow door that was disguised as a rack of dusty shelves. The old man held fingers to his lips, pointed behind him. The newcomer nodded, whispered pointless questions about the old man being sure he had not been followed. That did not matter, unlikely though it was. “What brings you out, then?”
“The Queen has recruited the sorcerer Babeltausque. She means to take immediate advantage.”
“Really? The Duke never bothered.”
“And he’s in a cell.”
“True enough.”
“She has assigned the sorcerer five immediate tasks. Find the missing treasury money. Find Josiah Gales. Find Michael Trebilcock. Find General Liakopulos. Find Kristen and her children.”
“Can he accomplish any of that?”
“The Queen thinks so. I trust her judgment. She’s known him a long time.”
The younger man sighed. “Complications. But it’s never easy, is it? We will cope. You’d better get back. Haida will have your order ready when you go out.” He gestured toward the front of the shop.
The old man nodded. He began to move. “The sorcerer’s most important mission will be to find the money.”
“Maybe we should let him succeed.”
“You haven’t found it, either?”
“No. Those two did a hell of a job of leaving no clues.”
The doorbell rang as Haida’s customer left.
The old man said, “I’m going now.” He had to get back to the castle. He tarried only moments acquiring a package from Haida.
The younger man began to consider how best to respond to the news.
Respond he must, before the sorcerer became a threat.
The matter of the treasury, though. Working that made sense.
Why had those two hidden the money somewhere other than where they were supposed to have?
…
No one challenged Wachtel when he shuffled into Castle Krief. He went straight to the Queen’s quarters. He told the maid, “Inform Her Majesty that I’ve finally gotten the medicine for Prince Fulk.”
“That’s good news. She’ll be thrilled.”
Inger appeared while Wachtel was preparing his philter. “You found blue asparagus seed?”
“I did. Everyone watch how this is done. You’ll have to do it yourself in an emergency.”
“Including the grinding?”
“Including that. The seed needs to remain whole till you have to use it. The oils evaporate.”
“How did you find the seed?”
“I went to the chemist myself.” His tone was harsh. “I’m getting a little frail for that.”
Inger was flustered. “I’m sorry. There just isn’t money…”
“Never mind. The deed is done. I got enough to keep you going for three months. And so my fortune grows as feeble as my flesh.”
“I’m sorry, Doctor. Truly I am. You’ll be the first one rewarded when our fortunes shift.”
Wachtel’s skeptical expression told Inger all she needed to know about his faith in her promises.
“You’ll see.”
She had made a too-grand emotional investment in her new wizard.
…
The wizard sat with head in hands, sweating. He was overheated despite the breeze flowing through the open windows. He had made promises. Those had seemed reasonable in the heat of the moment.
Now he had to execute them.
He did not know how to start. There were no threads to pick up. Everyone knew that those who had executed the treasury raid had died in the riots. Michael Trebilcock had fallen off the edge of the world and was presumed dead, too.
But, wait! Finding Gales would be a coup! Gales had left some threads. The night of his disappearance was well-documented.
That would be the scab to pick, if only to prove that he was on the job. Whatever he stirred up would lead to something else.
It seemed reasonable to think that those who had taken Gales might be associated with the treasury raiders. And all those people had been associated with Michael Trebilcock.
It could all be connected.
Gales it was, balls to the wall.
Babeltausque grinned, drenched in cool relief. “Toby, I need you.” He had been assigned one servant, a boy of twelve, totally reliable according to Inger. Babeltausque was not prepared to bet his life on the boy, whether or not he was a descendant of the apolitical Dr. Wachtel.
“Sir?”
“You know Mr. Wolf?”
“Nathan Wolf, sir? The new Colonel?”
“Yes. Go tell him I need to see him as soon as possible.” Would Wolf respond? He might fear a restoration of that curse. Toby was waiting for something more.
“Go, boy! Tell him it’s important.”
“Yes sir.” Toby went, fast.
Babeltausque brooded about having the boy underfoot. But Inger would not like it if he ran Toby off. And Toby’s family would be offended.
Better to be careful than to make enemies needlessly.
Toby returned with stunning quickness. “Mr. Wolf will be here in a few minutes, sir.”
“You found him that fast?”
“I ran into him on my way to the guardroom to ask where to look for him.”
“All right. Prepare whatever refreshments we can manage. After you’ve done that you’re free till suppertime.”
“Thank you, sir!”
Toby did love his free time.
Wolf arrived as Toby set out weak tea and a few overage biscuits. The soldier was uneasy.
The wizard said, “Forget the past. I have. Thanks for coming so quickly. Speed may be essential. Go on now, Toby. Have fun.”
The boy bowed himself out.
Nervously, Wolf asked, “What’s going on?”
“I want to pick your brain about Gales’s disappearance.”
“I’ll do my best. I did my best. I’m sure he was killed right away.”
“I expect you’re right. Unfortunately. Evidently he was a great buttress for Her Majesty.”
Wolf leered slightly.
Later, Babeltausque asked, “Anything else questionable happen around this Twisted Wrench?”
“Nothing obvious. But everybody is careful around my people. And now you’re wondering how they know which men are mine.”
“I am.”
“Only men I trust visit the place anymore.”
The Twisted Wrench had fallen on hard times.
“Mr. Wolf, why don’t you and I visit this place?”
“That could be dangerous.”
“Yes. It was for Colonel Gales. A visit could stir up all kinds of excitement. We’ll do it tonight. We’ll take two men to watch our backs. Don’t tell them we’re up to something.”