“No!” he whispered. “No!” This time he shouted it so loud that it rang throughout the vast laboratory. The clanks swarming about paused stared at him in astonishment. “No, I won’t allow this!”
He pulled Agatha up from her chair. “You’re still here. She hasn’t won yet!”
“Tarvek, I don’t even understand how she did this to me! It might be different if I had time to work on the problem, but I don’t!” Agatha shook her head. “I’ve examined that throne machine. It’s more advanced than anything I’ve ever seen before! I don’t even know where to start. It’s completely beyond me. I may be a Spark, but I was just a student, for goodness sake!”
Tarvek rubbed his temples. “All right. Listen. I’ve actually had a lot of time to study it, and there are still parts that are beyond me. You’re not stupid, it’s just that your mother has achieved a level of technology we’ve never seen before.
“The truth is, Anevka and I have a plan. It’s why we were trying to duplicate The Other’s command voice. But we never expected father’s ‘Lucrezia’ to actually come back!”
Agatha wobbled slightly on her feet, and a vague look crossed her face, which Tarvek failed to notice before he enfolded her in his arms. “I won’t let her ruin everything!” he declared vehemently. “And I won’t let her destroy you. To find you, out of nowhere—it’s too perfect. Wulfenbach is a usurper—his empire won’t last a day once he’s gone!
“With The Other’s technology, and you by my side, I’ll re-establish the rule of the Storm King. We’ll bring real stability to Europa! You must not give up!”
Suddenly, he realized that the figure in his arms was chuckling softly. He froze as Lucrezia flowed sensuously out of his embrace, and regarded him with amusement.
“My, my,” she purred, “You are ambitious, aren’t you?” She stretched languorously, and smiled as she noticed Tarvek’s breathing speeding up. “So you want Klaus’ little empire and this girl, do you?”
She made a show of examining herself. “Yessss... of course you do.” She smiled devilishly at him. “Well, I don’t mind. In fact, this could work out even better than I’d thought, with...” she slowly shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Tarvek swallowed. “...benefits to everyone.” She smiled again. “Shall we make a deal?”
Lord Selnikov entered the morning room and paused. “Why, your Highness! You look splendid!”
Anevka turned away from the window. “Don’t I though?”
One of the latest fashion trends from Paris had been heavily influenced by a recent visit to the City of Lights by the Ice Tsars, who had swept in, camped in one of the finer hotels for three months, enriched a significant number of restaurateurs, artists and courtesans, and had measurably added to the city’s annual revenue. They had behaved abominably, of course, as despotic, isolated Sparks tended to do when confronted by the wonders of civilization such as indoor plumbing, electric lighting and citizens who considered themselves to be more than slaves or mobile furniture[65].
Exciting times indeed, which the fashion trend setters of Paris distilled down to; Cossacks may be cretins, but they certainly look snazzy[66].
Thus Anevka was dressed in a white uniform, adorned with lavish amounts of red and gold trim, topped with a massive ermine fur hat. “I must get the name of your dear wife’s dressmaker.”
Selnikov rolled his eyes. “Easy enough, I’ve certainly got enough of their bills around.” He changed the subject. “Now, we’ve nearly finished gathering everyone—” He gestured towards the window.
Anevka glanced out. The crowd she’d seen earlier was already larger. Selnikov continued.
“Couldn’t fit everyone in the square at once, of course. I figure it’ll take three gatherings before we’ve got all of the important people, so you can begin addressing them whenever you’re ready.”
Anevka nodded and moved to a mirror to check her outfit a final time. “Very good. I want to move quickly.”
His Lordship pulled a decanter from inside a hollow book and poured himself a small glass. “Oh yes,” he spoke up, “I almost forgot. It took a bit of doing, but we’ve managed to isolate everyone who was at the theatre with your father last night.” He waved a hand, “All except the actors, of course. I’ve talked to a few of them. They’re not too pleased. My lawyer, Von Karloff, is one of them.” He swirled his drink and pondered. “It was odd...” he sipped. “There was something... strange about them.”
Anevka faced him.” Yes, I was afraid of that. They’ve imprinted on the girl. They belong to her now.”
Selnikov looked as if the drink had soured in his mouth. “I see. I suppose we’ll have to—”
“You will kill them.”
Selnikov snorted. “Pft. That’s hardly necessary. It’s not as though that actress is the real thing.”
Anevka slammed his hand upon the table. “Kill them.”
Selnikov stared at her. “But... she... she can’t...” He stared with a growing horror at the implacable face of the princess. “She isn’t really... is she?”
Anevka folded her arms. “She can. She is.” She turned away. “Kill them.”
Selnikov gawped at her. “Wilhelm did it? He finally did it? The Mistress has returned?”
Anevka tossed up her hands. “So Vrin and the rest of the Geisterdamen believe,” she conceded. “I heard that much before I fled.”
Selnikov started pacing back and forth. He picked up his drink, stared at it and put it back down again. “But—but if she is back...” He looked at Anevka. “I swore to serve her! The Order swore!” He picked up his drink and put it down again. “If they find out I sided with you over her—” He stared at Anevka again. “If she finds out—” He grabbed his glass and downed it in one swallow.
“Calm yourself, uncle. The Order was created to serve the Storm King. My father and the Council may have been fools, but there are many in The Order who never liked how the organization was subverted. They will support us. By the time the Council learns of this, if they ever do, Lucrezia will be dead, her shrine destroyed, and the remainder of her machines and creatures firmly under our control.”
Selnikov looked ill. “But... your brother...”
Anevka chopped the air with her hand, cutting off his objections. “You’ve assembled the people and the army with no interference, have you not?”
“Well, yes...”
Anevka nodded in satisfaction. “He is doing his part inside the castle. I am doing mine here. We must trust him.”
The older man thought about this. “But you told those people with the Jägers that he—”
Anevka turned away dismissively. “What of it? It was a simpler story than the truth. Now their romantic imaginations are all fired up. They’re probably having a marvelous time, dashing off to rescue their friend from the wicked prince!”
She turned back. “It’s all moot anyway, as soon as they have served their purpose, Veilchen will take care of them. We must be ready to move when the moat is shut down.”
Selnikov took a deep breath. “It will come down, yes?”
Anevka glanced out the window. The castle could be seen in the distance. “Oh, yes. Between Veilchen and my brother, there is no fear of that.”
65
This led to even more exciting experiences with incorruptible gendarmes, state-of-the-art jail cells, and a once-in-a-lifetime-if-you-are-lucky meeting with the Master of Paris himself. When this was done, they were sent home with many exciting memories, several train cars full of purchases, and an assignment to read and write a report on Rousseau’s “Discourse on the Basis of lnequality”.