‘Yes. If I threaten you, Mrs Westerman, it will be with something more powerful than face cream. The jar is not from the room, but from a large supply of young Kupfel’s wonders which I bought yesterday.’
‘So the papers and potions in the palace …’
‘Are the work of Theo Kupfel. He picked up a fair amount from his father: some of that knowledge he used to make his cosmetics, some he used to create these more unpleasant ointments for the Minervals. He certainly has talent.’
She replaced the jar on the table. ‘I will not be distracted, Manzerotti. What of Adam Kupfel’s poison book? The one you said you would give a great deal of gold to put your hands on? I will not let you take it.’
He sighed. ‘Dear lady, I do not think you have anything to say in the matter. Really, I have already been through this with Gabriel. Yesterday, as you know, I put into the Duke’s hand the names of two hundred and fifty Minervals — some hundred of them resident in Maulberg. Good. Their more senior adepts have been arrested or banished. The younger ones have all been given a very stern talking-to. But the rest include men and women of influence in most of the other courts in the Empire, including Vienna and Berlin. Do you understand, my dear?’
She looked at the floor. ‘You have given him a trump card.’
‘A whole pack of them, and Christoph knows very well how to play them. Now suppose a grateful Duke, absolute ruler and holder, suddenly, of a very, very interesting list of names … suppose that grateful Duke has made a present of some particular documents to the genius who helped him — do you really think you are in a position to countermand him? You gave him a madman and a story of horrors. I gave him a conspiracy. It’s quite fair, you know.’ He looked up at her and smiled his beautiful smile. ‘And you still get that pretty Caravaggio he promised you.’
‘Manzerotti, you know I don’t want the papers for myself! But you cannot be trusted. You cannot. I tremble to think what you will do with that knowledge.’
Manzerotti’s eyes glinted. ‘It would be rather fun, though it is a shame the receipt for whatever poisoned Swann’s gloves is nowhere to be found …’
‘For God’s sake!’
He looked at her for a long moment. She could feel her distress being weighed and measured. ‘Frenzel has used all the materials Beatrice stole, my dear,’ he said more softly. ‘Those particular potions have become the secret of their Shamans again. And as a rule they do protect their secrets.’
‘They told Kupfel. You have the receipt.’ The tears she was trying to hold back showed in her voice.
‘Those substances are not referred to by any name I understand. And of course, I shall make some enquiries about the gentleman from Marseilles, though I am not hopeful.’
‘But the rest of the book …’
Manzerotti lifted his hand. ‘There is really nothing you can do, my dear. You or Gabriel. You will simply have to believe me when I say my interest is almost purely academic. By the way, I thank you for saving Pegel. Irritating as he can be, and though his manners are appalling, I find I am rather fond of him. When next our paths cross, Mrs Westerman, even if our interests run counter to each other, I shall remember to be grateful.’
She closed her eyes. ‘I should have shot you when I had the chance.’
‘Perhaps you should have done. However, I do not intend to give you another opportunity for a little while yet.’
He crossed to her, took her hand in his and bent low over it. ‘Goodbye, my dear. I do not think we shall meet again alone while you are in Germany. And do give my best love to Brother Gabriel.’
He turned and left the room.
Harriet remained there in solitude for some time until Pegel hobbled into the room on Crowther’s cane. ‘Mrs W! You are waited for. Colonel Padfield is bundling up your party into the carriage to carry you to the hunt.’
She wiped her eyes. ‘The hunt, Mr Pegel?’
‘The court hunt! Have you seen a hunt in Germany? A court one, I mean.’ He rolled his eyes and sucked in his cheeks, which made her laugh in spite of herself. ‘Makes shooting fish in a pond look like the heights of sportsmanship, if you ask me, but that’s where the Duke and Duchess are, so that’s where you must be.’
‘Will you stay here a while?’
He tapped the cane on the floor. ‘Yes, for a while — you know, help out Florian and play nursemaid to the grim ex-Chancellor until they can hire a few more servants. Settle things here. Feed their old servant brandy till he can stop shaking.’
‘What then? Will you remain at Leuchtenstadt?’
‘They don’t have anything to teach me there. But you know, Florian has not even been out of Maulberg yet. He’s twenty — and has never left this place.’
‘So?’ she said, trying not to smile again.
‘I think a grand European tour.’ He waved his hand in the air. ‘I’ll introduce him to some good mathematicians — oh, and people who like farming and all that, if he wants to try and do some good round here.’
‘I hope you persuade him.’
‘Me too. Anyway, Mrs Westerman, you must be off. Come on, shoo! I shall chase you with Mr Crowther’s stick.’
She got up quickly as he limped towards her. ‘You are a most unusual young man, Jacob Pegel.’
‘I know.’ He became suddenly serious. ‘And a grateful one too. If you hadn’t … I’m glad I didn’t die last night.’
‘If you continue working for Manzerotti, your life might be in danger again before long.’
He shrugged. ‘I get bored. Manzerotti is never boring. Thank you for coming for me.’
As she moved past him towards the door, she put her hand over his on the top of Crowther’s cane. ‘I listened to the voices of my better angels. You will get that cane back to Crowther, won’t you, dear? It means a lot more to him than he likes to admit.’
VII.2
Krall was happy to be on horseback. Count Frenzel had been formally arrested on Maulberg land, then sent off to Castle Grenzhow where Krall was sure Herr Hoffman would receive him with delight. Now he rode to make an official visit to the priest at Oberbach with Michaels, though there was a place he needed to stop first. Then he would have to spend months up to his armpits in paperwork. Crimes to be documented, crimes concealed. Statements and further statements to be written, witnessed and sealed. No matter the madman had written out his confession in his letter to his son, it would all need to be checked and ticked. He had already assembled more paper than even the Law Faculty at Leuchtenstadt would know what to do with, and in truth he had only begun to scrape the surface.
In the week since they had arrived Mrs Westerman and Crowther had turned the world upside down, and transformed it from a place he knew, where there were a few niggling questions, into a theatre of horrors. They had also forced him to realise that he loved his sovereign and would always put his battered old body between the Duke and harm.
‘Are they always like this?’ he said, and Michaels smiled.
‘Can’t say, Mr Krall. Mostly I know them from Hartswood, though they stirred things up to a right brew there in the year eighty. Glad they did, though. It’s not their way to make things comfortable for those around them. They’re like a dose of cod liver oil. You curse them at the time, but in general they makes things better in the end.’
‘How did you hear about where the girl might be buried?’ Krall asked, and noticed that Michaels chose that moment to stroke his horse’s mane.
‘Girl who seemed a little simple in Mittelbach.’ Krall was old enough to sense when he was only being told part of a story, but he let it lie. Another secret for the pile.
They were within a short ride of Oberbach when Krall pulled gently at his reins and guided his horse off the road.
‘Mr Krall?’
‘Got to pick up our fugitive, Mr Michaels.’
‘Wimpf? You reckon he’s here?’
‘Here or hereabouts. I know the family.’